by Simone Elise
"Till your stepfather went to kill you."
"He didn't want to kill me," I muttered and looked out the window. I should have just let Joe rape me.
"What did you get into a fight over then?"
"Nothing."
"Sure."
"I had it under control."
"Yeah, because dying is such a good plan." Oliver started passing cars. "What made you stab him?"
I would never say it out loud, so I ignored him.
"Cat got your tongue." He wasn't going to give up.
I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look at him. "He wanted something, and I should have given it to him." If I had, my life would still be moving forward. Chase would have seen I was coping fine. He would have withdrawn his brothers but now, now he was going to be stuck with me. Like hell I was letting that happen.
I would not be something someone was stuck with. I would take care of this myself. Somehow.
"He was going to rape you, wasn't he?"
I quickly looked back out the window. "Doesn't matter now, does it" I was honest. It didn't matter because it didn't happen. "You forgot the handcuffs." I looked at my free wrist.
"I thought we were past them plus we aren't stopping now until we get to Chase's. Like to see you run from him."
Oliver was saying it like I wouldn't do it. Didn't they know? I would not be something someone was stuck with; some unwanted thing that was only kept around out of guilt.
Chase didn't owe me anything. Once I made that clear and made him feel less guilty, I was out of there.
I glared out at the passing trees. What was Chase thinking? Going to all this trouble? God, did he feel that guilty?
He had moved on. I heard him with that other girl. Clearly, it was just guilt keeping him glued to me. I'd cut that cord of guilt that tied us together. It was history and, as far as I was concerned, we didn't and shouldn't have a future.
The only future I saw was in a maximum security prison and I wasn't scared of it. I killed someone and I had to be held accountable. That was just how it worked.
***
Oliver drove up a long driveway. I thought we were in the mountains, but this just proved we were in the middle of nowhere.
We went around a corner and then a house came into view. I spotted Dan coming down the porch steps.
Marc was right behind us. The car came to a stop.
"This is the part where you get out, Ace." Oliver turned to grin at me.
"What, aren't you coming in?" I did not want to be by myself with Chase. I knew my body. It was stupid. Controlled by hormones and not sense.
"Us guys are going to the pub while you two work things out," Oliver said easily, and Dan opened up my door.
"Hey Chloe."
"Hi Dan." I picked up my bag off the floor and got out. Dan climbed in.
"Good luck, Ace." Oliver had wound down the window.
I bent over. "Can't you stay?"
"Nope." He was grinning, like he knew what I was in for.
"Fine, piss off then." I straightened up. I watched the cars do a U-turn and go back down the driveway, disappearing amongst the trees.
I looked up at the house. It was huge. Well, let’s get this over with, cut the cord and leave although how the hell was I going to get a taxi to come here? I had no idea where here was.
I walked up the porch steps, which looked like they had been recently replaced.
I pulled back the wire door and suddenly froze. I was going to see Chase. I was going to see him. Now. Right now. On the other side of this door.
I pushed the door open, and my eyes hardened. That's right, he kidnapped me, and I reminded myself. The door opened, and I was standing in open living space.
And there he was, standing next to a long dining table with his arms crossed. The look on his face made me swallow hard, and my palms went sweaty. My grip on my bag tightened.
Maybe I wasn't the only one who was mad.
Chapter 47
Chloe's Point of View
We just stood there. His eyes were so intense, making me unable to move an inch more into the room. He was fuming, standing there with his arms crossed and his muscles bulging. The leather vest he normally wore was nowhere to be seen.
God, he looked fit.
Well, who was going to speak first? He looked too pissed off to say a word. I reminded myself it was time. Why I was here. I had to cut the cord.
He didn't love. He sure as hell didn't care that much about me. He was doing this out of guilt. Well, I was going to take that guilt off him. He didn't need to stalk me, he didn't need to look out for me and I could take care of myself.
"Is there a police station nearby?" I might as well get straight to the point. I faked confidence and didn't let my confident look drop when his expression was enough to make me want to run without getting my answer.
He grunted. "So, those are your first words."
"Straight to the point."
"Fuck that, Chloe! You knew I was after you." He uncrossed his arms to point at me. "And you ran."
Why did he look so hurt?
"So?" Why did that matter? "You kidnapped me!"
"Because you were being stupid."
"Turning myself in isn't stupid, it’s sensible." As soon as the words left my lips, Chase started to storm across the room at me, and I put my arm out. "Don't come any closer!" Didn't he know I barely had control over my body near him? Reason always went out the window. I was so incredibly stupid around him. "You didn't need to stalk me, I had things under control."
"So you had things under control when you were bleeding out on the kitchen floor then?"
"I was dying. It was natural. You shouldn't have got involved."
"Jesus Christ! Can you hear yourself?" He threw his hands up in the air, like I was unreasonable.
"My life was, and is, none of your concern. You had no right to inject yourself into it." I crossed my arms. "You might feel guilty, but you need to get over that. I did what I did. So what? Get over it, Chase. It's my life, and I'll determine how I spend it. You need to let this guilt thing go."
"Guilt? You think I did all of this out of guilt; that I made my brothers watch your every move because I felt guilty?" He stepped towards me, ignoring my warning. "You think I listened to all your conversations and read all your messages, because I felt guilty?" he hissed, his voice low and direct. He stepped into my personal space.
God, he was too close. I put a hand out but he wasn't stopping. He towered over me and my hand pressed against his chest. He needed to stop and he needed to back off. My willpower was thin. Christ, didn't he know I was weak when it came to him? Maybe he was counting on it.
My mind was racing.
"Why then? If it wasn't guilt, why did you do it?" I blew out. My breathing was rapid, my words coming out staggered. I couldn't look up. I wouldn't look up until I felt his hand under my chin and he lifted my head up.
He lowered his head, our faces so close, his eyes darting to my lips and then back to looking me in the eye.
"Because you're mine."
I closed my eyes. I would not let him see how much I enjoyed hearing those words from his lips. No. He was wrong, so wrong. Why the hell would he want me? I was a nobody, and incredibly stupid. Not to mention a murderer. He was a fool.
I swiped his hand off my cheek and took a step back. "I need to go."
"You aren't going anywhere."
"You can't keep me here," I gritted out, opening my eyes but then I saw the look on his face. He was being deadly serious, he wasn't letting me go.
"Try me."
I looked over my shoulder at the door. How far would I get? That driveway was long and I only saw bush getting here. I pursed my lips and looked back at him. He arched his eyebrows as if baiting me to do it.
"The cops will come here," I stated the obvious. He didn't need that heat. Hell, he didn't need that trouble! I was trouble. Me. "I need to turn myself in." I
needed to be held accountable. I had taken someone's life. I wasn't God. I didn't get to choose who lived and who died but I had taken a life and now, now I would get punished for it. You didn’t run off with a biker just because he didn't believe in the law.
"You aren't handing yourself in as you didn't do anything wrong." Chase was saying it like it was the truth.
I gasped at him, shaking my head. "Are you crazy? Can you hear YOURSELF!? I killed someone. You don't run from that shit, you face it." I wasn't the bravest person, I sure as hell wasn't the strongest person but I would face this. I took a life. Me. Chloe Marshall. It was one thing having it on your record, but it was another thing actually doing it.
Chase stood firmly in front of me and grabbed my arms, making me stand still. "Calm down." His voice was softer, like he was trying to take my every worry away. "Now, if you hadn't killed him, I would have. I'm sorry you have to wear this but trust me, running to the cops for this shit won't help you."
I frowned at him. He was sorry I had to wear this? It wasn't his fault. It was all mine. I ran a hand down my face, feeling as tired as I'm sure I looked. "What's my other option?" I challenged him. It was crystal fucking clear. I had one option.
The sooner he got off my case about it, the sooner I could get it done.
His lips twitched up, and he closed the gap between us and cupped my cheeks, bringing my face to his. "Be with me." His thumb ran over my bottom lip. "Please Chloe, don't leave me again."
I breathed in heavily. He was so close. His touch…it was killing me slowly. I couldn't think clearly.
"Say something."
I opened my mouth. When I look back, will this be the moment I regretted? I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in. "I never left you." The words had barely left my mouth when he claimed my lips.
Chapter 48
Chloe's Point of View
I knew I would regret it. Still, here I was. My body just reacted. I couldn't stop myself from dropping my bag and wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his face to mine. It was like I had been craving his touch, and now I had it. I wasn't letting go. I swear when it came to him, I was like an alcoholic.
His lips were moist and inviting. He tasted of mint and cigarettes, and I just wanted more.
His hands ran down my back and I curved into him. His hands gripped my ass and he lifted me up. My legs wrapped around his waist, and he started to move us through the dining room and kitchen.
"God, there is nothing left of you." His lips left mine and he grumbled.
"Shut up and kiss me." I really didn't care about my weight right now. So what if I've been starving myself and exercising intensely, I treated my body like crap and I knew that, but when you were being abused, it was easy to neglect yourself as well. In fact, it was the only thing I had control over.
So I didn't eat.
I did exercise.
I pushed myself to passing out.
No one was going to stop me, not even Jenkins could so Chase voicing his concern fell on deaf ears. I gasped as his tongue ran down my neck and stopped at the base of my neck. He sucked on my skin as he walked up the stairs.
I knew he was marking me. I just didn't care. I wanted to be marked; marked by him. As if I was his. I knew my problems hadn't been magically solved, but I was yelling at my brain to shut up and let myself enjoy this. I was giving myself this.
Chase was here. Right now. That was all that mattered. This moment. This hour. I would deal with my problems tomorrow.
My fingers ran over his neck tattoos. I was happy to see them again. The last memory I have of him, they were covered. I locked my fingers together behind his neck and arched my neck as he continued to suck.
One of his hands left me and searched for something behind us. A door. We were against a door and he opened it.
I grabbed his head and broke his grip on my neck and kissed his lips.
He pulled back. "I wasn't done," he huffed. Like I had taken something from him.
"I think you made your point," I smiled. It felt so unnatural to smile. I hadn't smiled in…how long? I frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I brought my forehead to his, planting a small kiss on his lips. He didn't need to know the inner workings of my mind.
He kissed in between my eyebrows, exactly where I had been frowning. His lips left me for a second, and then he was planting kisses on my cheeks and my mouth. I groaned and pressed firmly into him. I needed him. Enough teasing.
He lowered me to a bed as if I was fragile. I looked around the room.
"Where are we?"
"My room."
This was not Chase. It was modern, with crisp lines. There was a television built into the wall behind him, the black leather couch facing it. The silver bedside tables and matching chest of drawers. The black leather bedhead. I swore this bed was bigger than a king size.
"This doesn't look like you," I said, looking at him as he stood in between my legs. He leaned over me, grabbing my arms and pushing them above my head, making me fall back onto my back.
His hands were on my stained and bloody tank top as he moved it up my stomach.
"Maybe," he kissed my stomach, "I didn't decorate it," his breath tickled my skin as he kissed next to my belly button. "For me."
God, his mouth on my skin. My hand went through his hair. Wait a sec. I sat up.
"What do you mean you didn't decorate it for you?"
His hands went beside me, locking me to the spot, the bed dipping. He leaned forward, smirking. "Been waiting on you, baby girl."
"So you did this for me?" I looked at him, amazed. "But I still had years to serve and you don't put down roots." It was one thing about him I did know well. He liked that his charter moved from club to club. He didn't like connections and ties. The only tie he had was to his mom and sisters.
"Do you really think I was going to let you serve six years?" He arched his eyebrows at me and then grinned. "Really baby girl, you thought that less of me?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "You were always going to get me out, weren't you?"
The grin didn't fall from his face and he kissed my lips, slowly pushing me back to the bed.
I felt his hands push my shirt up. His lips were off mine and back on my stomach, slowly working his way up. The tank top was up to my breasts and I was ready for him to take it off when he stopped.
I opened my eyes. What was wrong? He was looking down at me with a blank expression.
"Chase?"
He just stood there, staring at me. What was with that look?
"What's wrong?"
"You're..." He stopped and shook his head, finally meeting my eyes. "You're black and blue."
That. I quickly pulled my tank top down and sat up. "What did you expect?" My ribs were worse, especially my sides. Joe had a mean hook. I'd love to say it was just his right, but he had a pretty mean left as well.
"I knew things were bad, but Chloe this…this isn't acceptable." He just looked lost for words.
I couldn't do anything about it now, could I? There was something dancing in his eyes, anger maybe? I chewed my bottom lip. "Well, it's just how I am, okay?" I ran a hand through my hair, which had dried blood in it. "I'm damaged, alright? I'm covered in bruises and guess what; I still don't have last night’s yet so you can be as disgusted as you want."
I went to get up, but his hands clamped down on my shoulders and he forced me back down.
"Chloe, look at me."
I glared at the carpet.
"Chloe."
I dragged my eyes off the carpet and looked at him. He was so dominant, staring down at me like I wasn't a disappointment. Why was he bothering? Could he not see how scared I was? I had hardened during our time apart. I didn't flinch when I got hit and I took the pain willingly.
"I'm not disgusted." His hand reached out for me, but I pulled my face away.
"What then? Angry that I'm not the happy, gig
gling thing you thought you liked?" I laughed mockingly, running a hand through my hair. "For Christ’s sake, Chase, I'm covered in blood! What the hell did you expect?" I pushed his hands off my shoulders and got up.
I was beaten. I was bloody. Hell, I was a wreck. My body was covered in bruises and where I wasn't bruised, the bruises were coming and if they weren't, I was bleeding or stitched up. My pink tank top was covered in blood; it was more red than pink. My gray shorts were crimson. I had just stabbed someone to death and nearly bled out myself.
The boys being boys, didn’t think that Chloe might want to change out of her blood soaked clothes. No, they were too focused on getting me here. To Chase. That was the only thing on their mind. I remembered for a second how the guy at the gas station looked at me. He didn’t even give me a second glance, like it was normal to walk around with this much blood on you. Most likely though he thought I was some homeless kid, that hadn’t changed her clothes in years.
I went to walk around him, but his hands were on my hips before I could take a step.
I went to shove them off, but he lifted me off the ground. He flung my legs out from under me.
"What are you doing!?"
He held me to his chest and carried me bridal style, walking across the room.
"Chase, put me down!"
He slid open a door and the lights came on. A bathroom. It looked like it had recently been renovated, with dual shower heads on one side of the wall. An oval bath and tap that was matte black was on the other. “Chase, put me down.” The gray tiles were warm on my feet, which told me there was heating underneath them. Chase had really gone to crazy on this place.
"What are you doing, Chase?"
"Arms up." He stood in front of me, demanding it.
"You won't like what you see." I put my hands on my hips and dropped my eyes. "Nobody wants to see this." Or should have to.
The next thing I felt was his hands replacing mine on my hips. "I want to see you, all of you baby girl, always will."
I looked up and looked him in the eye. "Then what's with the look? Why are you looking at me like that?" I could see the tint in his eyes. I didn't know what it was, but I saw it.