Rage (Royal Bastards MC 2)

My pulse vibrates through my veins as I track his departure. Part of me wants to run to catch up with him, demand he take me with him—take me home to Gabe.

“Willa, who is that man to you?” my mother asks, concern lining her forehead.

“He’s no one.” And it’s true. He is no one who matters.

I push into the backroom, locking the door behind me, and pull my phone free. Bringing up Gabe’s name, I hit call.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

“Hello.”

Every rigid muscle inside me uncoils at the sound of his voice. A peace settlesin my chest and branches out like healing webs, holding back the flood of shame and fear ringing out in my head.

“Willa?”

“Gabe.” I smile into the phone. “I’m here.”

“It’s good to hear your voice.” He chuckles. He has no idea how much he has rebuilt the broken girl I was before, or how much the woman I’ve become misses him.

Nineteen

Gabe

Three months later…

Reno: the biggest little city in the world, and where Jimmy sent us on a supply run.

“If you don’t fuck her, I will,” Kahn grunts, eyeballing a blonde bitch who has been flashing me her fucking tits all night. She’s gagging for a taste of my cock and isn’t shy about showing it. Kahn rivals me in size and power, a brother with the Reno chapter of the Royal Bastards. His Prez, Loki, is a fucking sadist who’s hosting a club party after we just fucked up some traffickers who thought they could move through his city undetected.

“He’s a eunuch,” Jameson tuts, placing a beer down in front of me. Jameson came down here for a job and to party. Like a loyal friend, he stays on the road with me until I can pull my head out of my ass and just go fucking home.

“A what?” Kahn scoffs.

“Has no balls. Some woman has them with her in Vancouver,” he informs him, slapping my back and chuckling like the asshole he is.

“More pussy for me. Later, boys.”

“You’re a fucking dick,” I growl.

“You’re a non-fucking dick. You need to let that shit go, man. She clearly ain’t coming back.” I know he’s right, and when I bury my dick in that blonde later, it will be an empty experience, leaving me missing Willa more than I already do. I’m pathetic. The blonde crooks her finger in a “come hither” gesture just as my phone vibrates and lights up with Willa’s name.

“Fucking hell, does she have a camera on you or something? Talk about a cockblock.” Jameson cackles, walking up to the blonde, curling his arm around her neck.

“Let me buy you a drink, darling.” He winks down at her. She gives me a “your loss” flick of her eyelashes and a finger wave.

“Hello?”

“Gabe,” she sighs down the line, and I feel my chest inflate. “Am I interrupting something?” she asks as rowdy roars boom through the room at some bitch stripping on a table. I push outside to find a quiet spot.

“Not at all. I’m glad you called.”

“Really, why?” Her tone is playful, and I imagine her curled up on her bed, biting her lip.

“Because I miss you. Tell me everything.”

Twenty

Willa

Two months later…

Afraid of the dark at nearly twenty-one-years old. How lame is that? A power outage plunged my block into darkness an hour ago and still hasn’t come back on.

I watch the flame flicking on the candle I found in a closet left here by the previous tenant. The wax drips over my hand, stinging before hardening and cooling over my flesh. I peel it off, dropping it to the counter.

I hate my life here. The plan was to move away and grow, let the rain wash away the pain and sorrow, allow the sunshine to rise and help me flourish, help me find myself so I can trust what I feel for Gabe is real—more than just clinging to the person who pulled me from the rubble of my broken life. All it’s done is make me realize I should have never left. That I should have trusted myself. It was him who had apprehensions, though. I moved away to prove to him that no matter what the world has waiting for me he’s what I want, not because I haven’t experienced life outside of Little Rock, outside of Milo’s control, but because there’s a gaping hole in my chest now that I’m not with him. A knock at my front door sends my heart skipping, almost causing the candle to fall to the floor. Crap, who the hell can that be?

What if it’s Gabe?

A shrill of hope blossoms inside my gut as I rush to the door. Peeping through the hole, I deflate seeing Jessie standing there. I open the door, frowning. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to take you out.” She waltzes inside without invitation and starts nosing around. There’s only a dull glow from the streetlight outside aiding her in her appraisal.