by Bella Jewel
It doesn’t feel good right now.
But I know, I just know.
One day, it will.
~*~*~*~
MASON
I stare into Theresa’s eyes, and she stares back.
For a moment, the silence extends into minutes. We say nothing.
She knows why I’m here.
I know why I’m here.
What she did, to me, to Saskia, to all of us. There is no coming back from that.
She stole from me, and in doing that, she nearly got another human killed.
If she wants to live with that on her conscience, that’s on her.
But I’m not letting her get away with taking what is not hers.
“You know why I’m here,” I say, my voice low and gravelly.
She blinks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“But you do. You do because I came here looking for Saskia. I told you I’d be back. I’m back. I want what is mine.”
“I don’t have anything.”
It burns me, to know that she can still deny and lie, even after everything. Does she have no heart? None at all?
“I’m not goin’ to play your games, Theresa. I’m goin’ to lay this down exactly how it’s going to go. You’re going to go in there, get my jewelry, and give it back. If you do not, I will call the police and tell them you’ve stolen from me. I have video proof. I also have Yolanda willing to speak. It’s up to you, if you decide to go the hard way, but I promise you, I will get back what is mine.”
Her lips purse and her face scrunches up, with frustration no doubt. She was so close. But she was never going to outsmart me. “Why can’t you just let me have what is mine, Mason?”
“Because,” I growl, stepping forward. “It was never yours. You did nothing to deserve it. You didn’t help when she needed you. Not only that, but you stole from me and put a woman in danger. Do you have any idea what they did to Saskia?”
She flinches, and crosses her arms, but she can’t hide it.
“I just want what is mine.”
“They beat her. They were going to rape her. They had their hands on her body.”
She clenches her jaw.
“Can you imagine that, for even a second in your selfish brain? Imagine what that might feel like? To be trapped. Scared. Alone. All because of someone else’s selfish actions? For one moment of your life, can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes?”
She swallows, but says nothing.
“I will get what belongs to me, one way or another. I’d prefer you hand it over. If you wish to fight me for it, go ahead. I’ll never give anything to you. Because you’re selfish, and you’re cold, and you don’t deserve a single thing. The worst part is, I think you know that, deep down. You’re just too caught up in your own need.”
“Leave my house, Mason.”
“Not without that jewelry.”
“It isn’t yours...”
I pull out my phone. “Have it your way.”
I start dialing the police.
Her hands clench, and for a moment, I don’t think she’s going to give in, but finally she cries, “Fine! Dammit! Fine.”
I hang up the phone and stare at her. “Get me what is mine.”
She turns and goes inside. She’s gone for a few minutes, and comes back with a box full of jewelry. I open it, and study every piece. I know what was there, and what wasn’t. It’s all here. I stare at it, then I look back up at her.
“Don’t contact me again, Theresa. And if you ever, so much as fuckin’ lay your eyes on Saskia again, I will do more than call the police.”
Her mouth opens in shock, but she closes it, and nods.
“You hurt an innocent girl, I hope you can live with that. But I won’t allow it to happen again. Keep fighting me, if it makes you happy. You’ll never win. Stay away from me, and my girl.”
I hold her eyes for the longest moment.
Then I turn and leave.
And I hope to fuck she listens.
Because I never want to see her again.
Not ever.
~28~
SASKIA
Chantelle flops down onto the soda beside me, pouting.
I glance at her, smirking. She obviously has something on her mind, that’s clear. She has spent a good deal of time over here with me, while I recover. And she has yet to come in looking like this.
If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say it has something to do with Boston.
“Are you going to tell me,” I laugh, “or are you going to sit there and pout until I guess?”
She pushes her bottom lip out, and I laugh.
“While your pouting is utterly adorable, it isn’t giving me answers. I’ve been stuck on this sofa for two weeks, Chan. I need gossip. And judging by your face, you have some. So spill.”
She exhales slowly, dramatically. “One name. One gorgeous, painful, stubborn ass name. Boston.”
I snort. “Didn’t take a genius to guess that one. What’s going on?”
“Well,” she says, tucking her legs up and facing me. “It starts like this...”
I roll my eyes at her dramatics, but keep listening.
“You know what’s been going down, and I’ve been really trying to stay away, Sas. I have. I swear it. But anyway, he shows up one night, in a cab, drunk.”
Oh boy.
Drunk bikers.
Never a good combo.
“Oh dear,” I laugh.
“Yes, oh dear. I let him in, and we sit down and talk. He starts telling me about Maverick. Did you know the two of them practically hate each other?”
I blink.
This is news to me.
“No, I had no idea. Why?”
“Something to do with Boston getting the love of Maverick’s life killed. Or something along those lines. His story didn’t make a lot of sense. He was pretty drunk.”
Oh.
Wow.
Maverick had someone before Scarlett? I didn’t know that.
And what did Boston do, to get her killed?
Intriguing.
“Anyway,” Chantelle goes on. “He said Maverick tolerates him, for the sake of the club, but deep down, Maverick despises him.”
Well.
You wouldn’t have picked it.
“I was humbled, you know? He was telling me this story, that obviously has affected him for a long time. And, I kept telling myself the whole time, don’t let this go any further. Friendship only.”
Yeah right.
I already know how hard that is.
“But the problem is, I think I’m getting feelings for him, Sas.”
Uh oh.
“And we just get along so well. So, I just outright asked him about Penny. I told him to give it to me straight, I deserved that much. And you are right...”
Oh no.
I hold my breath for a second.
“He said he is conflicted. He likes me a - in his words - fuck of a lot. But, he and Penny, they have a really close bond, also. He said it has put him in a position that he’s never been in, and he doesn’t want to hurt either of us. So, he thinks it’s best if we don’t spend any more time together. Not right now, anyway.”
Oh.
That really sucks.
And I know it has to hurt.
“Chan, I’m sorry...”
“You know the worst part?” she whispers, crossing her arms. “She still gets to see him. She’s still working for him. So, I’m the only one getting pushed aside.”
“I’m sure he’s finding a way to keep his distance from her, too.”
“Bullshit,” she explodes, pressing her hands over her face.
“Chan,” I say, reaching over and pulling her hands away. “He cares about you, that is obvious. Give him time. Some space. He isn’t a player. If it was Penny he wanted, he would have just told you. He’s doing the right thing, stepping back.”
“For who?” she mutters, angrily.
“For all of you.�
�
“I should have listened to you,” she sighs, “I should have stayed away from him. Now, here I am, all conflicted and hurt. Except he didn’t even do anything to me, he’s been nothing but nice.”
“He probably just needs time to clear his head.”
She looks to me, eyes red. “Do you think he’ll come back? Do you think I have any chance, at all?”
I hold her eyes, because yes, I do think she has a chance. Chantelle is an incredible woman, she’s fun and bubbly. The life of the party. She lights up every room she walks into. Boston would be mad, if he didn’t at least see that.
“Yes,” I say honestly. “Yes, I do. But I think you need to give him some space to work out what he’s feeling.”
She nods, sighing. “I know, and I am giving him space. I just...why did we have to get along so well?”
I smile. “That’s life sometimes, honey. It’ll work out how it’s meant to, I’m sure of it.”
“I hope so,” she murmurs.
And so do I.
Because if it doesn’t, someone is going to get very, very hurt.
And none of them deserve that.
Especially not Chantelle.
Yeah.
Especially not her.
~*~*~*~
SASKIA
“What’s going on?” I ask Scarlett, four weeks later as we walk into the biker compound.
“You’ll see.”
This is the first time I’ve been out since I got taken. It has been a rather hard recovery, but with Mason’s help, I got there. These girls have been by my side every second nearly, making sure I’m okay. Between them and Chantelle, I’ve not been alone. I’m grateful for that, because being alone in my own head is a scary place to be.
But, with each passing day, I’m getting better.
“Have I done something wrong again? Because I swear, I’ll be pissed...”
Scarlett laughs. “Calm down, nobody is in trouble. Trust me, you’re going to want to see this.”
I purse my lips. “I don’t trust this, at all.”
She puts an arm around my shoulder. “Well you’re just going to have to, aren’t you?”
I huff.
She laughs.
We walk out back to where a fire pit is set up for cookouts. All the bikers and their women are standing around it, and when they see me, they all stop talking.
Awkward.
What the hell is happening?
I move closer to them, and my gaze swing to Mason, who is looking at me with those eyes. The eyes that say he can’t get enough of me, that just looking at me makes his day. I like that look. I want to see it every time I look at him. I smile, and he grins back. Gorgeous.
“Scarlett,” Maverick says, nodding. “Thanks for bringin’ her.”
She smiles and lets me go.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Mason, Malakai, Maverick, Koda and Boston all walk over and stand in front of me. For a moment, I just stare at them, confused. I haven’t had much to do with them since I got out of hospital, I guess part of me didn’t really want to see them. I’m getting over what happened, don’t get me wrong, but it still hurt.
It still hurt that they all threw me aside instead of giving me a chance.
I’ll not forget in a hurry how they spoke to me, or handled me.
All of them watch me for a second, then, as if in slow motion, they all slowly start moving down. For a moment, I’m not sure what’s happening, and then, my heart explodes as I watch them all go down to one knee. Each of them. Down. Big bikers, strong and powerful, going to their knees before me.
I can’t stop the tears that burst forth.
“Saskia,” Malakai says, looking up at me once his knee has hit the floor. “We owe you an apology. We fucked up. We didn’t give you a chance when a chance was needed. We didn’t believe in you, we didn’t trust our gut, and we nearly got you killed. Can’t change it, but we can tell you, that we’re fuckin’ sorry.”
Oh. God.
I can’t breathe.
“Never should have happened,” Maverick goes on. “And it won’t happen again.”
“So,” Koda continues. “We’re sorry, sweetheart. Truly sorry.”
I can’t. I can’t even.
I press a hand to my mouth and try to keep it together.
But that’s very hard when there are bikers on their knees in front of you, asking for your forgiveness. This isn’t something they’d give over easily. They’re strong, and determined, and going to their knees and admitting they are wrong, that takes a lot.
“I’m sorry, Saskia,” Boston says.
“I’m sorry,” Koda adds.
“I’m sorry,” Maverick murmurs.
“I’m sorry,” Malakai nods.
“I’m fuckin’ sorry, babe,” Mason finishes.
I take a deep, shaky breath, and croak out, “You know, it isn’t every day a girl gets five men to their knees. I must be doing something right.”
Mason chuckles.
“I forgive you, all of you,” I say. “Thank you. So much.”
They all stand, and my heart feels swollen with happiness.
And joy.
And family.
“You’re one of us now,” Malakai tells me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “And we won’t let you down again, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say back, smiling.
Mason puts an arm around me, and I look up at him, smiling.
“You got down on your knees for me,” I say. “That’s kind of cute, Mason.”
He grunts. “Manly. Very manly. Not cute.”
I tuck myself into him. “Whatever you say, cutie.”
He chuckles.
And yeah.
I finally found home.
Finally.
THE END
As always, the story isn’t over.
Far from it.
Up next. We have Chantelle, Penny and Boston.
Their story, is somewhat of a wild ride, but I promise you, it’ll knock your socks off.
It’ll be released in June 2018.
Until then...