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  “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him,” Elizabeth said.

  “Thanks,” she said. “Don’t let him eat too much candy.” Now she was starting to sound like her own mother.

  “I won’t, Tabby. You can count on me.”

  Before Tabitha could snap at Elizabeth for using that name, she had already taken Nathan and they were heading out of the parking lot.

  Putting a hand to her stomach, she felt suddenly sick.

  “Don’t you worry about a thing,” Lexie said, taking her hand. “Come on, the party has started.”

  Following Lexie inside, she entered the Chaos Bleeds clubhouse. It had been set up with Halloween banners, fake webs, spiders. Some ghouls hung from the walls. The decorations and atmosphere reminded her of home.

  Going straight to the table of drinks, she was tempted to take the entire bottle of vodka. Instead, being the good mom she was, she grabbed a soda.

  “You okay?” Dick asked, coming toward the table.

  She glanced at his costume, some kind of doctor with lots of blood all over the uniform and a fake hand coming out of the pocket.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Stepping away from the table with her soda, she made her way to the corner and watched as some of the guys danced with their old ladies. There were a couple of club women around for the men who weren’t taken. She didn’t know if the women slept with the married men or not. There were always rumors of cheating, but she doubted it. It was the same back at The Skulls.

  People liked to spread gossip. No matter how nasty it was, or whose relationship they could destroy.

  Lexie and Devil were on the dance floor. She was dressed as a princess while Devil dressed as himself. There were a few fake scratches down his cheek but nothing else.

  She watched them.

  Tabitha saw their closeness. She could imagine they didn’t see or even care about anyone else as they were with each other. The entire world faded away and all that remained was the two of them. Like she’d been with Simon.

  In that moment, she went from being able to deal, to feeling squashed.

  She sipped on her soda, trying to count to ten. Trying to do anything that would ground her rioting emotions.

  Her control slipped.

  Stepping out of the clubhouse, she took deep breaths, but the music, it was like a drug to her mind, pulling her back. Taking hold of the memories she had and drawing them one by one to the forefront of her mind, and she couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to.

  Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to keep on moving.

  Lexie had told her to stay at the clubhouse for fun and games, but it was hard. Everywhere she turned, be it in Fort Wills or Piston County, they had nothing but memories. Constant, never-ending memories. All of them centered around her and Simon.

  It wasn’t like he’d died, making the memories special or in any way different. That hadn’t happened at all. No, Simon was still out there, living his life to the fullest, and she, she was dying. There was no mistaking what had happened. He’d gone on to live his life and she was still stuck in the past.

  Did Simon have moments of utter despair?

  Did he wonder about her?

  Or was he too busy fucking fighting to even think about her?

  She kept on walking. Adults and children walked the streets, singing their little hearts out. A couple of kids were already vomiting from too much candy. She ignored it all and kept on walking.

  The night consumed her, swallowing her whole, and she welcomed it.

  If she could keep walking and not think, she’d be back in control.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

  Tabitha frowned as she looked up. She’d kept on walking and now, she was in a part of town she didn’t recognize. It was dark. The street lamp up ahead was dead, and she glanced up to see some rundown shops. Windows had been smashed, and some of the letters were missing from what the signs used to say.

  Spinning around, she saw a man carrying a brown-wrapped bottle. His gaze ran up and down her body.

  The look reminded her of that day. Of the way Ryan looked at her.

  Rather than run or scream, she dropped her hands and clenched them into fists.

  “Now how did I get so lucky as to have a nice, ripe peach like you wander into my humble abode?” he said.

  “I suggest you back off,” she said. She was more than ready to take him on.

  Another chuckle, this time behind her. She turned and now saw two men.

  Great. Just great.

  Looking between each of them, she kept them within her sights, waiting, anticipating. Wondering who would strike first.

  “You know, you’re making a mistake,” Tabitha said. It was on the tip of her tongue to say Devil’s name, but he wasn’t here. No one was here. Like usual, she was on her own. No surprise there. Being alone was fast becoming second nature to her, just like everything else in her life.

  Always, forever alone.

  Looking between each man, she knew they were going to hurt her. There was no way she was going down without a fight.

  “I guess you guys want to party. Who’s going to take the first shot?” she asked.

  You can do this. They’re drunk and disgusting. They don’t know you can take care of yourself.

  She waited.

  The man who spoke to her first came forward. She waited, the anticipation riding inside her.

  Come on, fuckface. Let me see your best shot.

  It wouldn’t hurt her to attempt to kill him. In fact, she hoped he came at her. She wanted to feel the pain as she took him down.

  A woman she may be, but she wasn’t weak.

  He reached out and she made her attack. Slamming him in the nose, she felt the bone give and heard the crack as it echoed through the night.

  There was the pause. The unearthly silence that seemed to last a lifetime but was in fact only a few seconds. Neither knew what to do, and then at once, the man howled in pain as he charged at her. At the same time, his friend came. Grabbing the man who’d tried to touch her first, she shoved him against his friend while also nailing him in the crotch. He went down, crying out.

  As she was shoved against the ground, she didn’t have time to stop her fall before the second man gripped her hair and tugged her head back.

  She screamed, sank her nails into his hand, and tore.

  He dropped her down.

  Getting to her feet, she wasn’t fast enough as a fist went for her face. Someone grabbed her around the waist and threw her against the brick wall.

  She whimpered but didn’t stop.

  “Play nice,” the man said, but she simply reached between his legs and took hold of his cock, squeezing him hard.

  Her death grip was broken as she was tackled to the floor.

  Someone was on top of her, and in the distance, she heard a whimper, a cry, a beg, and a sudden crack.

  The guy on top of her was suddenly gone, and she stared up at the dark sky. Nathan had told her he didn’t like her with the bruises, and now she was going to have a couple more.

  No one had come back to attack her.

  Lifting up onto her elbows, she stared straight ahead. Both men were dead on the ground. She could tell by their necks being at odd angles. No one lay like that, not on purpose.

  Someone else was there, though. He stood near the bodies.

  His jeans tight to his body.

  She lifted her gaze up, knowing, feeling it in every single part of her.

  Tabitha paused at his chest and then forced herself to look into his eyes.

  Simon stared back at her.

  The boy who had left her now stood a few feet away, a man. His gaze cold. He panted. It was Simon, but he looked different. Gone were his boyish charms.

  “You fucking bastard,” she said.

  It was the last thing she said before the world went black.

  ****

  “Did she faint?” Dean asked.

  Simon
stared at his woman. She lay on the ground. It was freezing cold and she wore a dress that didn’t exactly protect her from the elements.

  After removing his leather jacket, he wrapped it around her and picked her up.

  “She’s probably tired or something.”

  “Or something?” Dean looked around. “Did you have to snap their necks?”

  Simon had debated passing the woman fighting in the street. He’d watched her, the long blonde hair, and it made him ache for his woman. Tabby.

  He didn’t know the pull, or at least he hadn’t understood it, but now he did. The blonde hair had reminded him of his woman because it had been her.

  He’d been so fucking stupid.

  Never would he make that mistake again.

  Five years.

  She was in his arms where she rightfully belonged.

  “They don’t deserve to breathe the same air as her,” Simon said.

  “Do you think she recognized you?” Dean asked, coming toward his side.

  “Yeah, she did.” He held her in his arms and he didn’t like how light she felt. Tabby had always been a curvy woman. She liked her food. Ate a lot, and he loved that about her. He loved the smile on her lips after she smeared a fry in ketchup and popped it into her mouth. The big bites of burgers.

  What had happened?

  You know what had happened. You left.

  Holding her close, he refused to let her go. “You’re good to clean up this mess?” he asked, looking toward Dean.

  “Dude, you need to call your dad.”

  “I don’t. Not yet.” He walked down the street, holding his woman. The scent of vanilla filled his senses.

  “Where are you taking her?”

  “Back to the cabin.”

  “Seriously? What am I supposed to do?” Dean asked.

  “Lay low for now. I won’t announce our arrival or the guys until I’m ready.” He moved toward the van and slowly slid her into the passenger side. To stay out of sight, he’d left the bike out of town at the cabin he’d found. It was rundown. No one owned it until one of his guys had purchased it.

  Now it belonged to him.

  Just like this woman belonged to him, and he wasn’t ever going to let her go again. Not ever. He’d promised her right from the start he’d come back for her, and this was him keeping his promise.

  Once she was safe within the van, he walked to the driver’s side and slid in. Turning the ignition over, he pulled the car out of the space and headed out of town.

  Piston County.

  Not much had changed.

  Some of the signs had moved and of course a few were now different, but the basic structure, it was all the same. His father still ran this place and Simon doubted Devil would let anything ruin it. His old home.

  Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he glanced down.

  Tabitha was so fucking beautiful. All the photos he had no longer did her justice. They were all from a time that was so distant, he had to wonder if he’d really lived it. Neither of them was the same. Over the years, they had both changed.

  Five years wasn’t a long time, but it was enough to change a person. He wasn’t the same.

  Reaching out, he touched Tabitha’s hair. Still as soft as he remembered, but she wasn’t the same. The fighter in her, she was still fierce, but those men tonight, they’d been too much for her. She could have killed herself facing them. Why didn’t she run?

  She was never a runner.

  Always a fighter.

  That’s not going to change.

  Of course, his woman would stay and fight. It was who Tabitha was. Deep down, she hadn’t changed, and he never wanted her to.

  This was his woman.

  He drove all the way to the cabin. Tabitha didn’t stir once and he was thankful for that. With how she greeted him, he had no doubt she’d be fucking pissed at him, and rightfully so.

  You fucking bastard wasn’t exactly the warm welcome he’d hoped for. He’d known she was in Piston County. He’d known the moment she left Fort Wills.

  Calling Anthony had given him the few little details he hadn’t been aware of. The deal his father and Lash had come to. The ultimatum. He hadn’t been told when he first left what had happened. It was a good thing he hadn’t come back for Tabby all the times he’d wanted to. He’d be no good to her six feet under. So the Monster Dogs wanted to kill him. He couldn’t blame them, but for now, that was a fight for another day.

  Arriving at the cabin, he went to the door, opening it up before returning to Tabitha. He held her in his arms as he carried her through the house, toward his bed.

  He laid her down gently, going back to lock the van and close the door, and then return to the bedroom where she lay looking oh so peaceful.

  Removing her shoes, he was tempted to take off the dress but thought better of it.

  Again, her three words to him rang in his head. She wouldn’t appreciate him touching her any more than he had to at this point. Even though all he wanted to do was touch, to memorize her body once again.

  Stepping away from the bed, he lowered himself into a chair and watched her.

  Just how tired was she? She didn’t bang her head.

  Getting to his feet, he moved toward her, touching her head and feeling for any lumps that would mean she had to go to the hospital.

  Nothing.

  He moved away, removed his clothes, and wondered if he should go to the sofa.

  If she woke up, she’d be confused.

  After changing into a pair of sweatpants, he slid beside her, not touching, just watching.

  She let out a little gasp, and her body seemed drawn to him.

  Did she know it was him?

  They’d slept together so many times. He loved to watch her, like he did now. She’d come to Piston County to protect him.

  He saw that.

  Loved her even more for it.

  She was the only light in his world.

  Stroking her cheek, he gently kissed the tip of her nose and settled beside her.

  He didn’t fall asleep.

  Sleep wouldn’t come to him, not yet.

  Nights were the longest times for him.

  He had to sit around waiting for his mind to be at peace.

  “Simon!” Tabby’s scream filled his head. He saw the Quad again as if it was like yesterday. Not five years ago. It was longer than that now.

  Simon saw the tears in her eyes. The pain. He knew what Ryan had done to her. Anthony had told him what he’d seen. What he walked into. His woman had needed him and he hadn’t been there. This was all his fault and nothing he did would ever ease her pain.

  “I promised you I’d take care of you,” he said.

  “And you will. Please, come with me. Let’s go. You and me? We’ve got our whole summer ahead of us, remember? We made plans. It wasn’t this. Please, don’t let it be this. I’m begging you. Don’t walk away. Please.”

  He’d been tempted to follow her. His Tabby made a lot of sense. She always did. Only he’d made the fatal mistake of turning back to look at that prick. The way he looked. The arrogance, the confidence. It sickened him. Ryan believed he was going to get away with it.

  Tabby called his name again.

  “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  He’d heard the bike in the distance, but he didn’t care what it meant. They could have been police sirens. Anything. All he saw was Ryan. The visual in his mind of what Tabitha went through was a constant echo. He couldn’t stand it. The gun in his hand had been a lifeline he hadn’t realized he needed. Ryan thought he was going to get away with it, but that wasn’t justice. He’d fired the gun and with it, satisfaction came. He didn’t expect to be happy or relieved, but he had been. He’d been so fucking thrilled, he kept shooting. He’d wiped the smirk off Ryan’s face. He’d kept on shooting until nothing else remained.

  It was wrong of him to do it, but he didn’t regret it. Even now, looking back. He didn’t see any part of what he did as a mistake.
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  Far from it.

  He’d done the right thing.

  The best thing for all of them.

  Ryan was dead, but as he’d put each load into his body, piece by piece, a part of him had died, and it wasn’t ever going to come back.

  That was his punishment, but he had a horrible feeling it wasn’t going to be the end of it.

  Chapter Seven

  Tabitha opened her eyes.

  She wasn’t in her apartment, nor was she back at home in Fort Wills. This wasn’t the Chaos Bleeds clubhouse.

  Brand-new aches and pains filled her as all of the memories from last night came tumbling back toward her.

  Simon!

  She’d seen him. Had actually looked him in the face and spoken to him. She glanced around the room and she just knew this was his place. Wherever this place was. She placed a hand to her chest, trying to control the rioting beat of her heart.

  It didn’t help.

  The sound of him walking around was like a bomb going off inside her head.

  Throwing off the covers, she put her feet onto the carpeted floor. It was nice, soft. She had to get in touch with Lexie to ask about Nathan. If she was here, who had taken her son? There was no phone and she didn’t have her cell either. She’d left her bag at the clubhouse.

  Fuck.

  Padding to the door, she stopped.

  Five years.

  This had been one of her dreams for so damn long and now, she was petrified. Anger rippled down her spine, threatening to crush her at a moment’s notice.

  Ignoring it, she stepped through the doorway and followed the noise he was making.

  Hands once again clenched at her sides, she turned her full attention to the man who had saved her last night.

  He stood shirtless, showcasing all the brand-new tattoos decorating his body. Her attention was caught by the ink, some tribal, others with more detail. The unmistakable graveyard across the base of his back was somewhat disturbing, but it was so tastefully done at the same time.

  This was Simon.

  This was the guy who owned her heart.

  He turned, catching sight of her, and they both froze.

  She looked at him, waiting.

  They weren’t the same people. He’d snapped those two guys’ necks like it was something easy to do. It wasn’t easy. The last person she knew who could do that was Lash. Probably Killer. To snap a guy’s neck, it took strength.