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

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

Staring at him now, words failed her.

Neither of them spoke.

The kettle on the stove whizzed, breaking into the silence.

Simon turned away.

“Do you want a coffee?”

“Where am I?”

“You’re safe. That’s where you are. Coffee?”

“I need to call Lexie.”

“I suggest you don’t.” He pulled the kettle off the burner, turning toward her.

“Because what you say counts now?” she asked. “It’s what I’ve got to do because you as my lord and master, I now have to follow your rules, is that it?”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“Neither do I.” She dropped her gaze from him. “I need to talk to Lexie.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Is this your attempt at kidnapping?”

“Yes. You’re not going anywhere, Tabby.”

“Don’t you fucking dare call me that.”

“I’ll call you whatever I want to. You’re still mine, Tabby.”

She burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m yours now? The big, bad man has come back to town and he thinks we’re just going to pick up where we finished. Is that it? You think you can come here and have me again?”

“You’re mine, Tabby.”

Staring at him, she shook her head. “I used to think I was yours. I believed in us, but you, you only take care of yourself.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I saw the tape,” she screamed at him.

He frowned.

“Yeah, I saw the tape of you in Vegas. At one of Ned Walker’s fights. I’m not stupid, Simon. I know what those fights mean. I know how dangerous they are. To the death. You were in an illegal fight. The same guy who told me five years ago to wait for him because he had to get his shit together because he killed someone!”

“I did get my shit together.”

“By killing more people? That’s not getting your shit together. That’s living on a never-ending excuse.”

“No, what I realized, Tabby, is that some men and women have to fucking die! They don’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

Her mouth opened and she closed it. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re going to blame all of this on me now? It’s my fault you had to do what you had to do, is that it?” She pressed her lips together. “I guess it is my fault. If I hadn’t been in the wrong place at the wrong time—”

“Don’t.”

“Then I guess Ryan wouldn’t have had the perfect oppo—”

“I said fucking don’t.” Simon picked up a knife and threw it across the room. The hard blade embedded in the wood of one of the posts.

Tabitha was nowhere near it, but she saw the violence simmering beneath the throw, waiting to erupt.

Silence rang between them.

She watched him, waiting.

“What happened was not your fault. None of this was your fault, Tabby. Never ever for a single fucking second believe it.”