Affliction

“Yeah, baby?”

“You're going to be a daddy,” I tell him just as sleep comes. I'm searching for a girl in my dreams. Something about her reminds me of someone and her laugh is so infectious I want to hear her again. As sleep takes me, the sunset comes into view and then I see her.

Keira.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Sy

“You hear back from Jackson?” I ask, packing up the shop after my last client for the day. I just finished my first day back after Jesse’s party and I’m eager to get home to see Holly.

“Yeah, they dropped the charges,” Beau says, watching me carefully.

“What the fuck?” I stop what I’m doing and look up at him and Nix.

“Nothing Jackson could do. It was out of his hands.” Nix nods but I still can’t get my head around it. The asshole attacked Holly in front of Jackson. In front of fifty witnesses.

“Don’t fuck with me,” I tell them, growing more pissed by the second.

“I’m not fuckin’ with you. Why do you think I’m here?” Nix says, resting his hip against the counter.

“The fucker almost killed my woman. Tell me how they aren’t pressing charges?”

“He pleaded out, so lesser charges were laid and he walks away with a misdemeanor and community service.” My blood is boiling in rage as I realize the asshole just got off for endangering my woman, my unborn child. My body moves on its own accord, dropping my shit and walking through the shop to the exit.

“Hold on, fucker,” Nix says, pulling me back from my exit.

“Fuck off, Nix. The fucker is getting off. Tell me you wouldn’t be fucking pissed,” I say, pulling out of his grasp.

“I am fuckin’ pissed, Sy. But going off half-cocked when he’s just been released is fuckin’ dumb. Think about it.”

“All I’m thinking about is seeing that crazy fucker hold a broken bottle up to my woman’s throat. Who’s to say he won’t give up? He’s hiding behind his family’s money, getting away with fucking everything while we have to fucking worry about the safety of our women.” I know it’s not Nix’s fault, but I can’t stop the pissed-off rant coming from my lips. Holly and I have just come back to a good space. Her dealing with the worry that this fucker could come back and mess with us is just too much.

“We keep our eyes open. We don’t leave our women alone, and if the fucker comes at us again, we do somethin’ about it. We don’t go lookin’ for trouble, Sy. We wait. If the fucker is dumb enough to make a play again, we’ll be ready and will take him down,” he says and I don’t miss his hidden promise. If Chad fucking Morre comes at us again, it doesn’t matter how above the law he is, we will take the fucker down.

“Holly and Kadence both have their restraining orders out on him. As far as I’m concerned, he fucks with us one more time, we take him. Until then, don’t get fucked up over the fucker. He will get his time,” he finishes as I start to calm down.

I don’t like it. I’d much rather head over to him and fuck him up, but that won’t get us anywhere. We need to play this out safe and make sure that if he does come for us again, we’re prepared.

“Fine, but if the time comes where this goes to the next step, it’s me who takes him. I don’t give a fuck what’s happening, I end it. You feel me?” I ask, looking at both Beau and Nix.

“We feel ya,” Nix nods.

“Good, now get the fuck out. I gotta go see my woman,” I tell them, looking at the clock on the wall.

“Fuck, always thinking with your cock,” Beau laughs, shaking his head. “Careful, you’re beginning to sound like Jesse.”

“How is he anyway?” I ask, my rage calming.

“He’s doing okay. Still refusing surgery,” Nix answers.

“Why?”

“Fucked if I know. He says he ain’t goin’ through it again. Some fucked up bullshit. But we’ll see how he goes. Can’t even ride at the moment and his parents are on his ass, naggin’ him. Anyone would think he was a teenager again.”

“You know anything about that?” I ask, remembering how his parents were riding his ass the night of his birthday.

“Won’t talk about it. Some bullshit about family loyalty; they don’t like the club life and have no problem tellin’ him.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, the fucker is a hero. They need to back the fuck up,” Beau says, flicking through one of the Ink Me tattoo books.

“You tell that to his dad,” Nix says, shaking his head, knowing more than I do.

“I’ll have a word with Jesse, get him to think straight. Besides he can’t ride; the fucker will be going mad,” I say, but knowing Jesse, he’d probably still try to fucking ride.

“We have a family dinner Kadence is putting on next week. We want you there,” Nix says, pushing off the counter.

“I’ll talk with Holly,” I tell him, walking around flicking off the lights.

“Wasn’t a suggestion. You be there. Kadence is worried about her and you keeping her locked up isn’t makin’ her feel better.”

“Like I said, I’ll talk to her. My main concern is Holly, not your woman,” I warn back.

“Look at you two, so fucking pussy whipped it makes me sick,” Beau accuses, coming up behind us.

“Fuck off, Beau,” we both warn while still holding each other’s gaze.