Fighting Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC; Book 2) (Forsaken Sinners MC Series) (13 page)

I put a little extra pressure on Blaze’s throat before I let him go. “Nothing. Blaze was just leaving. Right,
brother
?” I don’t look at him till I’m beside Sara, wrapping her in my arms, but when I do lock eyes with him, I can see that this may be over tonight, but we’ll be having words again soon.

“I just came by to check on ya, Baby Girl. I haven’t seen you since the other day and I missed you.” He says a little hoarsely. Dani softens a little at his words, but knowing her, she’s still gonna make him work for it.

“I miss you too, Zane, but I think you should go. We can talk about whatever happened tonight tomorrow.” Blaze doesn’t look my way again, which is fine by me.

I lead Sara back over to the couch to sit while Dani walks Blaze to the door. I can hear them whispering, but can’t make out what they are saying.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Sara asks, concern lacing every word. I hug her close to me and tuck her head under my chin.

“Everything’s fine. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

The door closes and Dani comes to stand in front of us. “I don’t know what the fuck happened out here, but right now, I just don’t care. I’m fucking tired as hell.” She looks at Sara and says a little calmer, “I’m gonna message Louie tonight and tell him to be in the shop tomorrow with you. He’ll be able to take my appointments or we can reschedule them for another day. I’m gonna take the day off to get some rest and try to straighten Zane out. If you need anything though, you call me―anything at all. Got it, babe?”

“Yeah, of course. Get some sleep and don’t worry about me. Louie and I will be fine tomorrow.” Dani looks at her a little skeptically before finally heading back into the bedroom.

I let out a long sigh, leaning back and pulling Sara with me. “Let’s get some sleep. It’s been one hell of a night.” I scoot us down and situate us on the couch again, just like we were before Blaze showed up.

When we finally settle, I close my eyes and think about all that happened tonight. I’ve never fought with a brother before, at least not in a non-joking sense or in the cage. Sure, we’ve had disagreements. We may yell at each other, but I’ve never taken a swing at a brother, meaning to do real damage.

But the shit that he said tonight, threatening Sara like that was a mistake. I find it hard to believe that he would make a threat like that, no matter how pissed about something he is. I mean, he knows that Sara isn’t just anyone to me – she’s no club whore – and she’s Dani’s friend. She’s a part of this club, whether it’s official or not.

When Dani was in trouble a couple of months ago, we all banded together and would have done anything to make sure she was safe. What happened to her had nothing to do with the club or any of its women, but we still stood behind him to help find her and then took care of the clean-up after shit went down. If our roles were reversed, Dani in Sara’s position and vice versa, I would never threaten to
take care of
Dani the way Blaze threatened Sara.

Tomorrow, I’m gonna sit down with Mack and Blaze, and we’re going to hash this shit out, once and for all. I know with Mack there, he’ll be able to put everything into perspective, for both of us. Plus, I know he’ll give his own beat down if necessary. Dani is like a daughter to him, has been since the day she walked into the ink shop looking for a place to live and work, but Sara is also like a daughter, but maybe in a different sense. Like how some parents will call the friends of their children their child as well. Like their adopted children, that’s what Sara is to Mack, I think.

I’m also going to officially claim Sara as mine. Maybe that will help if any of the other brothers have a problem doing whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe. Most of them love Sara already, but I want to make it official for more than the fact that it will make her property of the club, of me. I want my claim on her so she knows she’s mine and I’m hers. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and show her that she has a family in me, and in the club.

Putting all of that out of my mind, I try to relax so I can sleep. I’m gonna need it to be in the same room with Blaze again tomorrow. “Did you mean what you said earlier?” Sara whispers, interrupting my thoughts. I thought she was asleep, but she must have too much going on in her own head, just like me.

“Did I mean what?” I don’t know what she’s asking, so I want to be sure before I answer.

“When you said that you loved me?” I didn’t even realize I’d said that out loud, but now I remember. When I threatened Blaze; if he threatened the girl I love, he’d regret it.

“I didn’t mean for it to come out this way. I wanted to wait a little while and tell you myself when it was just you and I, but yeah, I meant what I said,” I tell her as I turn her head so she’s looking at me. “I knew there was something about you when I first laid eyes on you. Then, after spending time with you, I knew you were someone special. You’ve come to mean so much to me. I’m not even sure where I end and you begin anymore, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. You’re the girl I’d fight the world for, Doll. So yes, I love you.” I kiss her gently on the mouth, then lay her head back down on my chest.

I wasn’t expecting her to say anything back―it’s not the reason I said it to begin with. She kisses my chest and sighs happily. “I’m glad you love me, Toby, because I’m in love with you too,” she whispers. I squeeze her tight and close my eyes again, basking in the feeling of knowing she loves me too. Neither say anything else in that moment because there’s nothing left to say. It’s already perfect.

No matter what life throws at us, I know we’ll be okay. She knows that I love her and will fight whatever stands in our way. She loves me. For the first time, someone loves me for me. She makes me feel so at peace, like I don’t need anything else in the world but her. And that’s a great feeling, one I’ve never known before.

Sara

When my alarm goes off at ten in the morning, I realize that Toby isn’t on the couch with me, sleeping. Opening my eyes, I listen and let my eyes wander around the room. It’s quiet and I don’t see anyone here, or at least in the kitchen. Dani may still be sleeping and Toby could be in the bathroom.

Getting up slowly, my back cracks and hurts a little. I’m sure it’s from sleeping on this crappy couch for the past couple of nights. How the hell does Toby do it? He’s so much bigger than me, it has to be even worse for him. I hope he isn’t feeling it too bad if he does have any kinks, but maybe if he does, I can give him a nice massage. That would give me a good reason to touch him. It’s not like I need a reason, but it will give me an excuse to take my time and really explore his body.

I walk into the kitchen first to start the coffee. I won’t be able to get through the day without at least a cup before I go to work, then I head towards the bathroom.

Seeing that the door is open and the light is off, I know no one is in there. Dani could still be sleeping and if Toby isn’t here, I’m sure he just had to get back to the club. I know everyone is on high alert now that Rick is here. Gah, I still can’t believe he found me. Why can’t he just forget about me and let me live my life in peace? Oh yeah, that’s right. Because he likes to torture me and inflict as much pain on me as he possibly can, both physically and mentally.

Once I’m done in the bathroom, I tiptoe into my bedroom. The light is off and the curtains are closed, so it’s still a little dark in the room, but not dark enough that I can clearly see that the bed is messed up and empty. I guess both Toby and Dani snuck out this morning. I’m a little hurt that they didn’t even bother to wake me to let me know they were leaving, but I understand too. Just sucks.

Flipping on my light, I walk over to my closet to grab clothes for work, but on my way over, I spot what looks like a note lying on my pillow. Opening it up, I can tell right away it’s from Toby.

Doll -

Was gonna wait till you woke up, but got a call from Mack that I was needed at the club. You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you.

I’ll call you later. Have a good day at work. Don’t let Louie fuck with you. If he does, I’ll kick his ass.

Can’t wait to see you tonight.

<3 Toby

Reading his note puts a huge smile on my face. I love the fact that he felt he should leave a note for me. It lets me know that he was thinking about me. He put a heart at the end. Even though he said he loved me last night, I thought maybe he’d hope I forgot, or just wouldn’t say anything more about it. I know he didn’t write ‘I love you’ specifically, but the heart is enough for me.

After I have picked out my clothes, I head out to the living room to search for my phone, wanting to send him a quick text before I have to be at work. I know he probably won’t get it for a while since he’s busy at the club, but whenever he looks at his phone next, it will be there.

Me: Just found your note. Thank you! Will talk to you later tonight. <3 Ps. I’m sure Louie will be fine.

I jump in the shower, wash my hair and body quickly, then get dressed. Not really wanting to do anything special with my hair, I just put it in a messy ponytail, throw on some mascara, along with some lip gloss, and I’m ready to go.

When I walk out into the living room, I notice my phone blinking. Unlocking it, I see that I have two messages from Toby.

Toby: Not sure what time I’ll be there. Got a lot to do here.

Toby: And Louie better not cause any problems, but if he does, call me and I’ll straighten his ass out.

I’m not sure why he thinks I’ll have problems with Louie. He hasn’t been around much since I’ve been working in the shop with Dani, but the couple of times he has been there, he’s been really quiet.

I’m a little disappointed that I might not get to spend time with Toby tonight though. He’s been late the last couple of nights, working out the details of what they are going to do about Rick. I feel really bad that they are all working so hard to make sure I’m safe, but it does make me feel better knowing they have my back and are helping me with him. I don’t know what I would do if I had to deal with him all by myself. I’d probably end up dead or lying somewhere in a ditch, broken and bleeding. If not that, I’d probably end up hiding away somewhere, too afraid to go outside for fear of him finding me again and taking me away. I’d rather be dead than have to endure any more time with him, whether he’s inflicting pain on me or not.

Me: I’ll try to wait up for you. Want to spend some time with you, seems like I haven’t really seen you in forever. I miss you…

After I hit send, I put my phone in my purse and walk out my door to head downstairs, but run right into a solid wall of muscle. “Umph!” I try to catch myself, but end up falling on my ass. Looking up, I’m met with a hard stare from Louie. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were out here,” I say as I pick myself up off the floor. He doesn’t even try to help me or ask if I’m alright, just stands there with his arms crossed.

Once I’m standing again, he says, “Just makin’ sure you get down to the shop without breakin’ a nail or getting yourself kidnapped.” Wow. Someone is in a shitty mood today.

“Oh. Well, thanks, I guess,” I mumble, then walk around him and down the stairs. He follows me down, but doesn’t say anything else. Looks like it’s going to be a long day.

Things have been slow today at the shop, but surprisingly, the day has gone by fast, thank goodness. We only have a few more hours until closing.

I only had to call two of Dani’s customers to let them know she wasn’t going to be in today and reschedule. They weren’t pissed, which I was thankful for. Louie took the one appointment that I wasn’t able to reschedule and we had a few walk-in’s, which weren’t anything too crazy.

I’ve stayed up front most of the time, only venturing into the back for something to drink or to use the bathroom. I’ve only talked to Louie when I needed to; letting him know when someone was here for their tattoo, or asking if he wanted something to eat when I was calling to order something. Louie, on the other hand, either shook his head yes or no to answer me, or used as few words as possible.

When it was slow and we didn’t have anyone here, Louie stayed at his station, either drawing something or messing around on his phone. I worked on cleaning the front room, straightening and organizing my desk, and waiting to see if Toby would text me. So far he hasn’t, so he must be really busy at the club.

Louie seems to be bothered by something, but since I’m not really close to him, I don’t feel comfortable asking him what’s going on, but don’t think I really have a choice. I feel like his behavior today is something completely out of the norm for him. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time we’ve had to work together without Dani here as a buffer, or maybe he’s pissed about the extra work he now has to do with the club because of me. I don’t know, but I want to ask him what his problem is. I don’t want to tell Toby that he’s being a jerk and have him come in here to fight my battles for me. I figure it will be best to wait till it’s almost closing time to ask him about it. Then, if he says something that I don’t like or things get even worse, I won’t have to deal with it for long before I can just leave.

We have another walk-in, a girl that only wants a small rose on her ankle, then it’s quiet for the rest of the night. With nothing else to do, I decide to read a book that I downloaded onto my phone last week and never had the chance to start. I don’t know what Louie is doing, but he stays at his station and remains quiet. I don’t even hear him messing around with his equipment.

I get caught up in my story and before I know it, there’s only about a half an hour before we close, unless of course someone walks in wanting something, but I’m fairly confident no one will since we haven’t had anyone come in for at least an hour and a half. I figure now is the time to confront Louie and see what is up with him. If anything, maybe I can help since I’m not really in the know with people around here and I can give him an unbiased opinion.

Getting up, I put my phone in my back pocket and walk toward the room where his station is located. “Hey,” I start, figuring I’ll start with small talk. Maybe I can warm him up to me.

He’s sitting in the reclining chair that the customer’s would sit in to get their tattoo, doing something on his phone. He doesn’t even look up when he hears me, just asks, “What?” Okay then, this is going to be harder than I thought. I’m really glad that I waited till it was almost time to leave to talk with him now.

“I, ah… I wanted to ask if you were a-alright?” I hate sounding nervous. I stumble over my words, but I’ve always been that way.

This time when he hears me, he looks up from his phone. “Why wouldn’t I be?” There’s a definite edge to his voice. Yeah, there’s something there, something bothering him.

“Well, I know that I don’t know you very well and we haven’t been around each other that much, but you just seem so closed off today―pissed even. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. If you wanted to talk, I’m a really good listener.” There. I put it out there that I was just worried about him, noticed that something was off with him, and that I’d listen if he wanted to talk.

Louie laughs almost evilly before standing up and walking up to me so that we’re almost toe to toe. “You want me to talk to you? Tell you what’s wrong?” I don’t like the tone of his voice, but I can’t really back out now, though I wish I could. Louie is a scary guy to begin with, but he’s downright frightening when he’s like this.

Shakily, I nod my head. “All right. You want to talk, let’s talk.” He turns back around and walks to the other side of the room and leans against the wall. “Well, let’s see. First there was Blaze coming in, stealing the girl I wanted. In the process, I feel like I lost my best friend, even though she’s still around and I work with her. Then there’s the girl that turns my world upside down and pisses me off at the same time. I don’t know what to do with myself half the time. Then she up and leaves, not saying how long she’s gonna be gone or where she’s going. On top of everything else that’s going on, there’s you. You come here with all your baggage and shit, put Dani in danger and cause shit between her and her old man, putting rifts between brothers. And let me tell you something, we
never
go against our brothers. You may not have intended for any of that to happen and I’m not saying it’s completely your fault, but you had a hand in it. If something would have happened to Dani, your hands may not have been completely stained, but they would have been very dirty. So yeah, I’m a little closed off, but I’m more pissed off. And no, we are definitely
not
friends,” he growls the last part.

The whole time he was talking, he never looked away from me, not afraid to show me the anger he holds or the way he feels about me.

My eyes are burning with unshed tears, but I try my best not to let them fall. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he just hurt me. I stay quiet, not knowing what to say to what he just shared, and also in my attempt to keep the tears at bay.

He pushes himself away from the wall and walks toward me. When he’s side by side with me, each of us not looking at each other but at the opposite wall, he says, “Thanks for the talk. I feel so much better now.” With that, he walks out of the room and goes outside.

As soon as I hear the front door close, I fall to my knees and let the tears fall. If I thought I felt horrible before, knowing that I brought my shit to their doorstep and inadvertently put Dani in danger, then seeing how Toby and Blaze fought last night, it’s nothing to how I feel now after listening to Louie put it all out there. He’s absolutely right. If something happened to Dani, it would be my fault, and Toby fighting with his brother, that’s all my fault too.

Needing to just get out of here, away from everything, I get up and walk to my desk. I turn off my computer, grab my purse, and walk out through the back.

I don’t see anyone out here, so whoever is supposed to be watching the outside of the shop is probably up front with Louie or walking around to make sure everything is as it should be.

Not wanting to go up to my apartment, but also not wanting Rick to be able to find me if he’s looking, I decide to walk down a couple of blocks and get a taxi. I’m not sure where I’m going to go, I just know I need to go someplace quiet so I can think and get away for a while. Everyone will just think I’m upstairs and Toby won’t be back for at least a couple of hours anyway, so no one will know I went out by myself.