She walks over to me before I can leave and gives me a hug. “Congratulations on the baby. I’m happy for you,” she says, tucking her long black hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, thanks,” I say, looking past her to see if Ivy is around.
“Kace look, I know my sister fucked you over, but I’m not her. Don’t take out your resentment on me. You don’t seem too hung up on her anyway. You’ve got a new girl and a kid on the way.”
My angry eyes clash with her green gems. “I was never hung up on your sister. She left when I needed someone that’s the extent of it. It’s not resentment I have toward you, it’s lack of trust. I don’t want to see you walk away when Riley needs you,” I hiss.
“Fuck you. I was trying to be nice, but I see you’re still the same asshole you ever were. The best thing my sister ever did was leave your pathetic ass,” she yells.
Before I can say another word, Z grabs me, and Riley pulls Gillian away. “I told you she can’t be trusted,” I yell.
“Shut the fuck up,” Zane whispers, motioning with his eyes to the left.
I look over and see Ivy standing there with her arms crossed. “Fuck,” I whisper, running my hand through my hair.
“Fix it fast,” he growls.
I know we need to get the hell out of here, so I rush over to Ivy. I grab her shoulders and bend down to look into her sad brown eyes. “
Angel, I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“Why does it bother you so much still? You said you didn’t love her,” she says, backing away from my hold.
I sigh and bite on my lip ring. “I didn’t love her, but I do love Riley. I don’t want him getting attached to Gillian just to have her walk away like her sister.” I step toward her and rest my hand on her cheek. “I told you my trust issues run deep. I told you everyone I’ve ever been close to leaves. What I didn’t tell you is that it’s because my dad. The man who I fucking idolized, the man who showed me what love was, the man who taught me respecting women was the most important thing a man can do, was cheating on my mom. My mom couldn’t take the betrayal and waited for him to come home and shot him four times before turning the gun on herself. All while I sat on the couch watching. He destroyed my mom and me, making me question everything and everyone.” She wraps her arms around me, and I hold on tightly to her. “Trust isn’t easy for me Ivy, but with you it’s different. The only person who knows that full story is Zane and now you. So, it has nothing to do with love, it has to do with betrayal.”
She lifts her head off my chest and a tear runs down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Kace.”
“Don’t be, just try to understand,” I say, pressing a kiss to her soft lips.
“I do,” she says.
“Kace, we gotta go, brother,” Zane yells.
I search her eyes and she bites down on her plump lip. “Go, I’m fine, but please come back to me.”
I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. “I promise I’ll be back, angel.”
She pulls away and smiles. “Angel?”
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I love it.”
I let my anger get the best of me but thank fuck we got to the cut off before the Raging Devils did. I still can’t believe I told Ivy about my parents. My entire life I’ve kept women at arm’s reach because I didn’t want to turn into my father. The night it all happened, my mom and I had dinner and I knew something was wrong. She wasn’t her happy, playful self. When I questioned her about it she told me to promise her that I would never walk away from my family. I was seventeen so I laughed as I promised her. Watching her confront my father pissed me off. I wanted to kill him for causing her so much pain. Turns out he was living a double life. The happily married man with a son and the single guy who fucked as many chicks as he could. When my mom pulled out the gun I was frozen in my seat. It was my gun. I was getting ready to be a prospect for Shattered Souls and she found my gun. I watched her in total shock as she screamed while she killed him. But when she turned to me, crying and told me she loved me and shot herself in the head, I was destroyed. I lost them both and along the way anytime I needed someone they left. Except for Zane and my Shattered Souls family. I wouldn’t have survived without them. Now I’m going to have a family of my own and I will never be like my father and destroy them. I promised Ivy I would come home to her and I will always keep my promises to her.
The sound of bikes brings me back to the present and the problem at hand. I grab my AR15 and look through the scope. Zane, Brooks, and Enzo turn looking toward the sound. I keep my focus on them ready to kill Damon and the threat that the Raging Devils bring. I notice Z glance at Brooks and the worry in their eyes. I put my gun down and look around. That’s when I notice it’s not just Hawk, Bane, Damon, and Casper. There are at least twenty guys.
“Fuck,” I whisper.
Zane scratches his head, letting us know to stand down. Fuck. I glance over at Riley and Alex and they both shake their heads. They knew it was a set up. Just as I look back over at them, I see Hawk shoot Brooks in the foot. We all rush out as Zane drags Brooks away. Everyone has guns drawn and I warn Riley with my eyes to not shoot first.
“Shattered Souls fucked up. We’ll be taking over Club Kingsley and Souls now,” Hawk shouts, laughing.
“No fucking way,” I hear myself saying before I can stop.
Damon laughs as he takes a step closer to me. “You’re mine.”
More gun fire rings out just as we hear sirens. They all rush to their bikes and peel out of there. I run over to Brooks and Zane.