... and Forever (Next Generation: Chaos Bleeds 1)

He looked at his wife as Lexie pulled away. “You mean to tell me that if Tabitha requests it, you’re going to help her get the divorce?”

“Yes. She’s dying, Lexie. I’ve caused a lot of pain and suffering in my time, but we’ve known her since she was a little girl. I’m not going to allow even my own flesh and blood to continue to taint her world. The moment Simon arrives, if Tabitha asks for it, I will make sure he grants her the freedom she deserves, and I will even take her and Nathan wherever she wants to go, set her up in a new life.”

“You’re serious about this. Like actually serious.”

Devil nodded. “I think it’s only right for us. I won’t be responsible nor will I help her die. For five years her life has been put on hold.”

“Because she’s waiting for our son.”

“Exactly. I don’t think it’s right.”

She laughed. “What if it was you? Would you expect me to move on?”

Devil went to her, capturing her lips, showing her just who she belonged to. “It’s pretty fucking simple, baby, you belong to me, and there’s no way I would’ve walked away from you. No way at all.”

“Simon loves her.”

“And he better hope that Tabitha is willing to stay. I mean it, Lexie. Simon will learn his lesson one way or another.”Chapter SixLife wasn’t too hard.

Tabitha cooked, cleaned, took Nathan to school, worked at the coffee shop, and picked him up. They ate breakfast and dinner together. While he showered, she packed his school lunch. If they had time, she’d take him to the park, watching him play. After taking him to school, she’d go to work, then pick him up.

She’d found a pattern.

Every now and then, she’d go to the supermarket for groceries.

Come back home.

The pattern was the same just with a few variations.

This made life easy.

She didn’t have to think.

Lexie would show up, or Devil. Each time they did, it reminded her of all that she’d lost. Of everything she tried to forget.

The bruises on her face disappeared. No show for Simon.

Nothing.

With Halloween around the corner, Nathan had begged her to go trick or treating and she just couldn’t say no to him. The Chaos Bleeds were having a Halloween party, and Lexie had told her Elizabeth had opted to take all the kids walking the streets in costumes with Josh’s help.

It was why she was dressed in a black dress, some heavy makeup on, and kissing her son on the cheek and wiping off the residue with her thumb.

“Mom, please, I’m supposed to be Dracula.”

“And you look like a very scary Dracula. You don’t suck too much blood tonight, okay?”

Nathan giggled. “You’re so silly.”

“Yep, this is what I am.”

Halloween was proving to be a little bit of a problem for her. She and Simon always found a few moments to talk or be together that night. If he couldn’t make it to Fort Wills, they’d chat over the phone.

Damn!

Why was this so hard? It wasn’t like Halloween had been on hold for the past five years. Nope, just this sixth year was clearly cursed and she had to pay the price.

“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.