Chapter 23
Declan
I came back to the clubhouse to get a few things packed up. Brooke sits in the corner in her own little world, completely lost in thought. My heart breaks for her. Her world is slowly coming down around her, and she has nowhere left to turn. Except for me. And that thought scares the hell out of me. I made sure to call the guys after she said her uncle was killed. It took Mystic all of thirty seconds to pull his information and find out he didn’t want a funeral. I don’t know if I should have let that fact slip in front of her because it is her family but it was the truth. As far as the club goes, the guys wouldn’t hesitate to step in and help out while we’re gone.
“Let’s go get your stuff,” I say softly. Her eyes come to meet mine, and it’s only then do I realize just how lost she truly is. Her eyes are vacant, nothing more than a shell of the girl I first met.
“I don’t know how to do this alone, Dec.” Her words come out so softly they are almost a whisper.
“You don’t have to, Brooke.”
She shakes her head before looking away from me. I walk toward her, determined to make her understand me. Dropping to my knees in front of her, I take her face in my hands.
“I may not be a good man, but I care. I can see the world in those eyes of yours when you aren’t sad. You shine brighter than any fuckin’ star at night, Brooke. Your attitude, the way you carry yourself - you are stronger than you give yourself credit for, darlin’.”
She studies me with an intent gleam in her beautiful dark eyes. Each second of silence is like a stolen breath. It’s suffocating.
“I don’t know that I am anymore. I used to be strong. I used to want to take on the world just because I could,” she says with the hint of a smile.
“You still can, sweetheart. You know deep down that this world is still yours to take. You just have to reach out and grab it.”
Her eyes water with unshed tears. “Are you sure you want me to go with you?” she asks as though that is even a possibility.
“Damn right I do. You think I would have asked if I didn’t?”
She smiles and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth before looking back at me. “Thank you, Declan.”
“For what?”
“For being who you are.” The air is knocked from my lungs. No one has ever said that to me. No one aside from this club has respected me for who I am, and now she’s thanking me for it? I don’t know how to respond. So I don’t.
I grab her hand and pull her to her feet.
“Let’s go pick up your stuff now,” I tell her as I lead her out of my room.
“Brooke! Are you going?” Cherry yells as soon as we step into the main room. Her eyes light up when she sees Brooke. Brooke gives her a small nod.
“She’s off limits to you.” I point at Cherry, making my warning clear.
“She isn’t into me anyway.” Cherry smirks and makes Brooke giggle. It’s the best sound in the world right now.
“Wait. What?” I look down at a now laughing Brooke. “You ain’t into girls?” I ask her.
Brooke looks up at me and shakes her head. “No. We were just fucking with you.” She laughs again.
“Way to ruin my fuckin’ wet dreams,” I say.
Brooke punches me in the arm before laughing harder. “I needed that laugh. Thank you.” She smiles up at me again.
“You have got to stop thankin’ me for things I want to give you.”
Her smile slowly fades. I drop my bag to the floor. I can see the wheels spinning in her mind.
“You don’t even know me,” she whispers.
“I don’t care, I know enough. I know that I love your heart. I know that you can fight like a goddamn man. I know that you will fight like hell to get what you want. You take care of those that you love. You have a light that can brighten even the dark days. There’s so much more to you that I want. I’ve never wanted to know a woman, not unless she was in my bed, and that’s as far as it went. You…fuck, butterfly. You make me see things in a different light, and I’m not sure how to handle th-”
Before I can even finish the sentence, she pushes up, pressing her lips to mine. The taste of her salty tears still lingers. I take them all. One by one, I kiss them away until there’s just her.
“Fuck me! I’d like to get behind that.” Mayhem’s voice comes out of nowhere.
“Let me touch it.” He steps up behind Brooke, his hands roaming closely to her ass. I cut my eyes at him, but I don’t need to do anything. Brooke spins around, slamming her fist into his stomach. I watch him gasp and cough.
“Now that’s my girl!” I roar with pride. She can handle herself pretty well. This week is going to be all about us, getting to know each other. I want to know her. I want to know why fighting is her thing. Hell, I want to know where she learned it.
“If that wasn’t so fuckin’ sexy, I’d be pissed.” Mayhem stands up and grins like a fool at her.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Brooke says with a smirk.
“Oh, baby. You can hit me, kick me, beat me - I don’t give a shit. That was sexy as fuck.”
I roll my eyes at Mayhem. He’s such a loose cannon you never know how he’s going to react to something like that.
“Let’s get the fuck outta here. I’m ready for this member drive,” I say, grabbing Brooke’s hand. I lead her outside when Tic looks over.
“She goin’?” he asks, and I nod in response.
“What the fuck? I gotta get left back, and she gets to go?”
I almost laugh at the motherfucker.
“You the VP?” I ask him. He shakes his head.
“Then you follow orders, princess. You don’t like it, step the fuck down,” I growl. Tic may be Blu’s son, but he doesn’t get treated any differently. He knows his role here just like any of the others do.
“Have a good one,” he says over his shoulder.
“He’s friendly,” Brooke mocks.
“He’s a good guy. He just gets tired of his daddy tellin’ him what to do.” She looks up at me when I say that.
“Blu’s his dad. He and Mayhem are brothers. Different moms.” Her mouth drops open much like everyone’s does when they find that out.
“They are so different,” she says in astonishment.
“Oh, yeah. A hell of a lot different. Mayhem is out there. Well, you see that shit. Tic, he’s a little more reserved than his brother.”
“That’s by a long shot.”