by Simone Elise
"Stop playing games with her." It wasn't a warning, it was a direct command. "I mean it, Oliver. Back off."
"Why?" He actually had the guts to say it. "She doesn't want to be in a relationship with you. Doesn't mean she has wiped the rest of us off." He leaned forward. "Don't know if you noticed, but I'm the only one she lets touch her." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she is calling me McKenzie because I'm her McKenzie."
That's it. Screw the people that were around. Fuck the table that was in the way. He was dead.
"Maybe you want to check this fight for later. Looks like Chloe is about to make good on her word." Marc grabbed my arm, pulling me back down to my seat.
I looked up. Chloe was standing behind the man she was going to kiss. I watched her tap him on the shoulder. He turned. She took a step in closer to him, her hand ran up his chest, and then cupping his face, she didn't just kiss him - she made out with him.
At first, he was shocked, but then he kissed her back. He kissed what was mine.
His hands ran down her back, gripping her hips and pulling her in closer to him. The guys he was with looked at them, stunned.
"Just don't kill the bloke, Chase." Marc let go of my arm.
The guy was just reacting to having the hottest girl in the restaurant kissing him. She should know fucking better. She knew I cared for her. She mightn't know I was in love with her, but she would have to know I had feelings for her.
Chloe grinned, pulled her hand from his chest, turned, and headed back to us, like she hadn't just made a stand that she wasn't mine.
She didn't even look at me. She didn't seem affected at all, as if she hadn't just made out with a stranger. She looked distant, calm and controlled. Her eyes met mine and the only word that came to mind was hollow. The look in her eyes. As if she was hollow.
She was at the table when I saw the man's hand wrap around her arm, pulling her to a stop. She turned and looked up at him.
"You just took my breath away." He looked at her like she had just dazzled his world. "I didn't catch your name."
She smiled, but it didn't light up her eyes. "Chloe."
"Well Chloe, you just made my night, and you got me craving another kiss." His eyes darted to her lips. "How about I buy you a drink?"
She better bloody not. If she was testing me, to see if I would make a scene, well, she was going to get one if she said yes.
"I can't, I'm with…" her eyes darted to the table.
"Your brothers. I know. Still, I don't care," he said confidently. Like a man that normally got what he wanted.
He hadn't noticed the vests we were wearing until Oliver turned his back to them. I saw the man's eyes widen slightly, but then he just looked back at Chloe with more concern. Like she had gone to him needing rescuing.
"How about we get out of here instead?" he said. "You seem like too much of a nice girl to be with this lot. I promise you I won't take you to my bed." He stepped in closer to her. "Unless you want me to," he whispered down at her, but it was loud enough that I heard it.
It did something in me. The little patience I had with her testing the waters was gone. If she wanted a reaction, she was going to get one.
Marc must have known what I was going to do, because his hand quickly wrapped around my arm, trying to pull me down, but I shoved it off.
"Chloe. Here. Now." I gritted it out. Just don't kill him, Chase.
Her eyes flashed to mine. If she knew what was good for her, she would bloody well listen.
The guy wrapped an arm around her. "Maybe she doesn't want to. I never understood men like you. Claiming beautiful women and treating them like shit."
Chloe opened her mouth, but it had gone too far now for her to be able to defuse the situation with words.
I reached into my vest so quick; the man didn't even see it coming until my gun was pointed across the table at him. There were a few gasps in the room, and everyone that had been talking stopped. The only noise in the restaurant was the low hum of the music and the noise of me turning the safety off.
"Still want to get in my way?" I tilted my head. Just give me a reason. Go on. Do it.
I was pissed off. The girl I loved just made out with another man after declaring we weren't in a bloody relationship, when we were. I would enjoy nothing more than to pull the trigger.
"Chloe's coming with me," the words left his lips and I pulled the trigger. The man was asking for it. He dropped to the ground. People started screaming. Chloe’s hands went over her mouth as she gasped. While my eyes were glued on Chloe, the boys were up.
"I'll clear the security footage," Declan said, throwing down the rest of his beer.
"Time for us to clear out." Oliver got up.
"Chase, give me the keys and I'll pull your car around." Archie put his hand out for the keys. I reached in my jeans and pulled them out, dumping them in his hand.
Chloe dropped to her knees and I had to roll my eyes. Of course she would go to him.
"See what happens with your stupid games, Oliver," Marc yelled at him and then pushed me out of the way, getting up. "I'll get Chloe. You get out of here before someone pulls out their phone."
He was right. I did have to get out of here, but I wasn't leaving without Chloe.
She was kneeling over him, her hand on his bloody shoulder. I leaned down and gripped her arm, pulling her up off the ground.
"CHASE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She was yelling at me as I dragged her away.
"We're leaving."
"You can't just go around shooting people!"
We stepped out into the night air and Archie had pulled the car right at the front doors. He jumped out and left it running.
Oliver went to get in the back seat and I let go of Chloe to grab him.
"Don't even think about it." I was so close to giving him a black eye. He was lucky we had to clear out of here and I was being forced to leave, otherwise I would be laying into him.
"Fine, I'll go with Marc," Oliver said.
"No, I'm going with Marc." Chloe walked to Marc's car. "At least I know he isn't a psychopath!"
Why the hell was she pissed off? She didn't have a bloody right!
She opened the back door and slid in. Marc took off as soon as the door closed. My eyes turned to Oliver. He put his hands up.
"Now is a good time to remind you I'm your little brother."
That didn't stop my fist from connecting with his eye socket and the string of curse words coming from his mouth.
"Jesus, Chase!"
"Get in the car, Oliver," I said, pulling the door open. Archie had left the engine running. I took off before Oliver closed his door.
She thought she wasn't in a relationship. She thought she was free to do whatever she wanted. She was in for a rude awakening.
Chapter 53
Chase's Point of View
My temper wasn't the best. I wouldn't say I had control over it. My emotions bloody well ruled me. Shoot first, think second.
The front door was slightly open. I pushed it fully open, making it bounce off the wall. "Where is she?" I demanded as soon as I walked in.
"My room."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. I had already laid into one of my brothers over her tonight. I opened my eyes to look at Marc.
"Why?"
He was guarding the bottom of the stairs, stopping me from bolting up them.
"Because she was going to sleep on the couch so I offered my room." He crossed his arms. "She hasn't seen this side of you Chase. Maybe you should give her some time."
"Yeah, the insane side," Oliver grumbled, walking past, holding his eye.
"Move, Marc."
"Come on, brother. You just shot someone standing next to her." Archie walked out of the kitchen. "She was rather pissed off in the car."
"SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT!" I yelled at them.
Marc pointed at me. "That is exactly why you shouldn't see her ri
ght now."
They could bloody well fuck off. I was sick of my brothers telling me what to do when it came to Chloe. I wondered if Chloe knew how protective my brothers were of her. She hadn't just taken a place in my heart; she had taken a place in theirs as well.
"Move, Marc."
"Do you want to screw things up more?" Marc arched his eyebrows at me, looking at me like I was an idiot.
"Just let me talk to her."
"You sure that's all you are going to do?"
"Yes, for Christ’s sake!"
"Nah. No way. You aren't going near her with that tone in your voice." Marc shook his head and pushed me backwards. "Stay away from her."
He was acting like she was his. I pushed him back. "Get out of my way, Marc."
"She’s been beaten, stabbed, and now shot at. I think it's fair to say the girl needs some space." Marc pushed me back.
Marc and I were a fair match, although I was slightly taller and worked that bit harder in the gym, which meant I could and would take him in a fight.
My hands gripped his shirt but, as soon as I did that, Marc gripped mine back.
"I KNOW HER," I hissed, bringing him face to face with me. "If I don't talk to her, she will do something stupid."
"Like sleep? Because that's all she is going to do!" Marc pushed me hard against the closed front door, the door handle going into my back. "Cool off, Chase!" His hands were off me and he went back to guarding the stairs.
"Why do you all think I'm going to fuck this up?" I yelled at them. All of them were standing at the bottom of stairs, stopping me from going to her.
"Because we know you." Oliver muttered, applying ice to his eye and wincing from the pain.
"And no offense brother, but we know Chloe," Declan stepped forward, looking at me like I was letting him down. "She needs space."
"I know her." I was going to make this crystal clear for them. "You lot just watched out for her for a month."
"Two months, nearly three," Marc corrected me.
"So if you lot have such a good insight into her," they thought they knew her. Fine, they can try and explain her thinking to me. "What the hell did she mean by we weren't in a relationship?"
That had got under my skin, eating away at me, making my fists clench at my side. Had I not proved I loved her? Had I not made my brothers watch her every move so she didn't get in trouble? When shit got ugly, I had a plan to get her out.
If I hadn't had my brothers watching her, she would be dead. The disgust, anger and sadness that normally rolled through my body when I thought of her dying surfaced.
I had basically rebuilt this house for her. Walked away from the club while shit was happening with her. Ended up giving up my charter. Sure, I was starting a new one, but that's exactly what it will be. New. It wouldn't have history. I hadn't been handed it.
I was doing all this for her.
But she didn't even bloody want me.
Hell, she wouldn't even say she was in a relationship with me!
I was so incredibly stupid.
Was this what love did to you? Screw with common sense?
"Well, have you ever told her she was your girlfriend?" Marc stated.
He knew me. He knew I didn't do relationships. I was crap at them. The only good relationship I had was with family or the club. "No," I gritted out. "But it was unspoken."
"Well, if it was unspoken, that doesn't really count," Archie said, looking at me with pity.
"She knew how I feel!" I had made my feelings for her clear; that I was positive of. "She means more to me than just some common girlfriend!" The label 'girlfriend' didn't fit what Chloe and I had. Well, at least it didn't fit how I felt for her. She meant a hell of a lot more.
Then it hit me. She wasn't girlfriend material.
She was wife material.
She was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
The look on my face must have told them what I was thinking, because Marc just smirked at me; like he was waiting for me to realize it.
"I need to see her." Suddenly, I had to see her more than ever. I had to make sure she was okay. I had to make her realize we were in a relationship. A serious one.
Everyone else stepped out of my way, apart from Marc.
"Every male she has known has let her down. Her dad died, her stepfather abused her and she attracts unworthy assholes." Marc was speaking like I was one of those unworthy assholes. "Don't let her down, and, if I hear yelling, I'm coming up to break it off. I mean it, Chase. I won't let you hurt her."
It was fair to say Chloe had a pull over the McKenzies, particularly Marc.
I nodded my head and he stepped out of my way. Taking the stairs two at a time, I heard them say I was a dead man walking. I reached the first floor, walked in the opposite direction of our bedroom, and I knew which room Marc was in by the shut door.
Wife material. She was wife material and, more importantly, my wife.
I knocked on the door.
"Chloe?" I wasn't angry anymore. I just needed to see her. To hear her. I needed her to say she was still mine and that I hadn't completely scared her off by acting like a possessed, abusive, unworthy prick. "Chloe?" I knocked again.
Screw it. I'd let myself in.
I twisted the doorknob.
It was locked.
Well, this was going to make it longer. I dropped my head against the door and knocked again.
"Come on Chloe, open the door."
Just say something. She could tell me to fuck off right about now, and I'd just be happy to hear her voice.
I knocked again. "Don't make me break this down. I only just put this shit together." I would break it down if I had to. I would then be fixing it tomorrow, well, today now, as I lit up my phone and checked the time.
Maybe she was asleep.
But I doubted it.
"Chloe, just say something," I groaned, bringing both fists to the door and banging. I was desperate, frantic, and if she was asleep, she wouldn't be now. Could she not hear how desperate I was?
I stopped banging and forced myself to think of another way to get her attention. What could I say that would have her opening this door?
"Baby girl, please come and talk to me." I wasn't above begging. My eyes were shut as my head leaned against the door. Then I heard it. Creaking floorboards.
She was in there. She was moving. To come to the door? To let me in?
"Baby girl, I know you can hear me."
I listened for movement, and then I heard it just on the other side of the door. I could hear her move her weight from foot to foot. The creak on the floorboards. She was just on the other side of the door. My hands spread out on the door, wishing I could reach through it to touch her.
Force her back to my bed.
I hated the idea of her sleeping in one of my brothers’ rooms. It brought the jealous out of me.
"I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean to scare you tonight." I turned and slid down the door. Seems like I'll be here a while, might as well be comfortable. "Call me a jealous prick."
I think I'm going to spend hours speaking to this locked door, but she could hear, and that's all that matters. How did I explain how crazy she made me feel? That I was completely on edge? My personality wanted nothing more than to claim her. Make her mine.
I was used to getting what I wanted. I never had to work for it. Never had to beg. Money. Women. The club. It all came easily to me.
Nothing was out of my grasp, except for Chloe.
"You don't have to be sorry. I should have known better." Her words floated from under the door and my eyes lit up.
"Open the door, Chloe." Please open the door. I needed to touch her. I needed to hold her head in my hands. I needed to look into her eyes. "Come on, baby girl, let me in."
"I'm tired, Chase."
She sounded tired; exhausted actually, but I wasn't letting her sleep in my brother's bed.
"Come to bed then," I said softly, hoping she would just say yes; that she would open the door and come out to me.
"I'm fine here."
I sighed. If anything was worth having, you didn’t get it easily. Chloe had to be earned. First, I had to get her to trust me again.
"Looks like we are here for the night then." I wasn't leaving. I leaned my head against the door, stretching out my legs. I could nearly feel her on the other side of this stupid door.
Why did I ever put locks on them?
"Go to bed, Chase."
"When you do."
I heard her let out a frustrated sigh. If I knew her well enough, her lips would be pursed, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes serious as she decided if I was serious or not.
I didn't care if she let me sit out here all night. I deserved that. She was right; I hadn't made our relationship clear. I just expected her to know how strongly I felt for her.
I heard the click, but didn't realize what it was until the door opened and I nearly fell backwards.
I got to my feet.
"Chase, I'm tired. Can we talk in the morning?" She gripped the door. It was barely open, but it was enough; I could see her.
The sweet curve to her lips, the shadows under her eyes. She was frowning, and it didn't belong on her face. Not thinking about it, I ran my thumb between her eyebrows, easing the wrinkles away.
"Come to bed, baby girl."
She sighed. "I am going to bed, just not with you."
"What can I do to make this better?" I was desperate. She was pulling away from me. Tonight proved that when she declared we didn't have a relationship. "I'm sorry for shooting the prick. I'm sorry if it scared you." I sighed. "I guess my temper got the best of me."
"I put you in that position. I'm the one who should be saying sorry." She opened the door wider and now I saw her bare legs. Darn baby girl, you kill me.
I tore my eyes off her bare legs and forced myself to look her in the eye.
"I overacted. It's on me." I was speaking, but it was coming out staggered. I guess it was time to be honest with her. "You threw me when you said we weren't in a relationship."
She pinched her eyes shut. "We aren't."
"We are."
"No, we aren't!" Her grip on the door tightened. "We never were. Still aren't."