Chapter Fourteen
Roxy died a week later. No one knew what happened, only that Lucius was with her. Sinner didn’t think he would shed a tear for a woman he barely knew, but he did. Roxy, in her charming way, had touched the lives of them all in a short time.
For funeral arrangements, they found a plot in Piston County, and they all paid in to make sure she could have a proper burial. Roxy had been sure to make her own arrangements, and had given them to Lucius.
She didn’t want anyone but the Chaos Bleeds crew there.
Standing by her graveside in the freezing cold, Sinner held onto Lola as his woman cried. Lexie was out as well. She refused to be left in bed when a woman she hadn’t known but heard wonderful things about had been laid to rest.
Lucius, he didn’t cry. He stood by Roxy’s graveside with a single white rose. He looked as cold as stone.
Everyone was here, the Chaos Bleeds crew, and several of the Nomad Chapter, including Rock and Crow. Seeing Crow was a shock. He looked vicious, deadly, scary.
“Would you like to say a few words?” the priest asked.
Lucius stared at the gravestone, and nodded.
Sinner tensed up, waiting. The anger inside Lucius eyes couldn’t be mistaken. He was livid, and right now, he was a dangerous man.
“Roxy was … she was a firecracker.” He laughed. “Wherever she went, she would light up a room no matter what. She had been sick for a long time, and she has spent most of her life going in and out of hospitals. All she ever wanted to do was bring happiness to this world, to let everyone know that it is better to love than it is to hate.” Lucius stopped and paused.
Lola grabbed Sinner’s hand, holding him.
“When I look around right now, I know she touched each and every one of you. Thank you so much for your support these past couple of weeks. Thank you for being there. Roxy would have loved to have seen this outcome. She always said she would see more people in death than in life.”
They smiled.
“Love you, Roxy girl, love you, and I’m going to miss you.” Lucius placed the rose on her coffin, and stepped back. Lola released Sinner, and added hers. Everyone from Chaos Bleeds put a rose on top of Lucius’s.
They all stayed to pay their respects, and when it was over, Sinner watched as Lucius was the first to leave. He climbed on his bike, and headed in the direction of the clubhouse.
“We’re having a small get-together,” Devil said, coming toward them. “You’re free to come to the clubhouse.”
Sinner nodded.
“Are we going?” Lola asked.
“I think it’s best. I want to keep an eye on Lucius.”
“You think he’s going to cause trouble?”
“I think right now he’s hurting, and Lucius could do anything.”
Lola drove in her shitty car, which he was determined to have changed once life got back to some semblance of normality. They were both living with Devil and Lexie, which felt like being under Mom and Dad’s roof. He didn’t mind so much, but waking up to find Devil’s ugly ass in the bathroom was not a pretty sight. The bedroom they were sharing didn’t have an en suite, and when he asked Devil about it, he was told that Devil wasn’t about to waste money on bathrooms that would rarely be used.
Pulling up at the clubhouse, he saw that several couples had arrived.
“I don’t think Lexie should be here,” Lola said.
“Devil’s made sure that Jessica stays with her.” They entered the clubhouse, and he found Lucius at the bar. None of them were wearing their leather jackets. They had decided to see Roxy off in the formal style, and even Lucius was wearing a suit.
Sinner watched as Lucius downed three scotches within a matter of minutes. Nothing was happening, so he took a seat with Paris, Spider, Death, and Brianna.
“It’s okay, honey,” Death said, stroking Brianna’s hair.
“If it’s okay, why do you keep staring at him?” she asked.
“I’m just making sure everything is okay.”
Death and Spider nodded at him. They all knew of Lucius’s reputation. He could be fine one moment, and lash out the next. He didn’t mind. Most of the times when Lucius lost his temper, it was with people who deserved it. At Chaos Bleeds clubhouse, they had their women, and right now, all of the brothers sensed Lucius’s pain, his anger, his rage.
“If anything happens, I want you to go, okay?” Spider said.
“This is kind of scaring me,” Paris said. “You guys are not going to fight each other. We’re remembering Roxy here.”
“I know, but you don’t get it. This can get ugly really fucking fast.”
****
Lucius knew they were worried. All of the brothers were watching him, waiting for him to snap. He was fine with it. They didn’t know him, not really. The only woman who ever knew him was dead, six feet fucking under now, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Roxy was gone, and none of them even knew a thing about her, not really.
The tears were not going to fall. He didn’t want to sit and wallow. He wanted to hurt someone or something.
Taking the glass of scotch, he swallowed it down in one gulp. He didn’t even get any of the burn. Right now, he just wanted oblivion, and he wanted pain. They were the two emotions he could deal with. Everything else could fade the fuck away so long as he had that.
“Hey,” Natalie said. She was the girl that gave him the thermos a week ago. She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was hurting as well. Everywhere he looked people were hurting. That was how good Roxy was.
She gave and gave.
“Roxy wanted me to give this to you. She told me to wait until after her funeral.” She handed him a book. It was a small leather-bound book. He had seen Roxy working on it for years, and had been scribbling away at it the past couple of months.
“Thank you.”
“I am really sorry for your loss. I know we’ve only known her a short time, but you knew her for longer.” She crossed her arms.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Butler and Slash move a little closer. They were concerned for Natalie, and they both wanted her. He stared at her, and he knew exactly how to get what he wanted.
Reaching out, he stroked a finger down her cheek, and then grabbing her arms, he pulled her close. “I wonder how they will handle this.”
Before anyone could stop him, he slammed his lips down on Natalie’s. She didn’t fight him to start, and he was pleased about that. He was many things, but a rapist wasn’t one of them. The moment Natalie started to fight, he released her. She was shocked and embarrassed. Within seconds, Butler was there, grabbing him.
Spinning around, Lucius landed his first blow to Butler, and that was when the fighting really started. This was what he needed, what he craved. The violence was what had to happen. He couldn’t live without it, and wouldn’t want to.
Landing blow after blow, Slash and Butler came at him. Next, Death was there, and Rock grabbed him with Crow, and they tried to hold him down.
“You need to stop.”
He shook his head. Roxy was gone. He knew what he needed, and it wasn’t to be forced aside.
Jerking the two men, he made them collide together. Lucius was known for never backing down, and for always finishing what he started.
There was only one man he had never taken down, and right now, Devil was in front of him. The women had left the clubhouse, and there were several tables shattered on the floor.
“You think this is the way?” Devil asked.
“You got a problem with me, Devil?”
“No, I don’t have a problem with you, Lucius.” Devil removed his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves. “We both know what you want. Why didn’t you just ask for it? Roxy is gone. She is never coming back. You think she will want this?”
This was what he needed. Charging at Devil, he landed a blow to his side, but Devil had already swung, landing three blows in succession to Lucius’s head. When that didn’t help, Lucius grabbed Devil around the waist, going to lift him up. Devil kicked his knee up, getting Lucius’s balls.
Each strike of pain felt good to him. It was what he wanted, what he needed, and what he reveled in.
The pain.
It would stop him from hurting, from fucking feeling this pain that wouldn’t go away, nor would it die.
Devil grabbed his head, and slammed it against the side of wall.
Lucius went down, dazed.
“I get it,” Devil said. “You’re hurting, and you wanted someone to help deal with that pain. Nothing is going to help, and I refuse to beat the shit out of you every single day until you can handle it. I’m sorry about Roxy, I really am, but you cannot take this shit out on my club. I won’t let you do that.” Devil knelt down. “The club is here for you, brother. Every single one of us is here for you. I know you’re in pain right now. And I’m sorry about that.”
Lucius stared up at the ceiling, and he hated this feeling. “I’ve got to go.”
“You don’t have to leave. There is a room for you here whenever you need it.”
He shook his head, and stood up. “No. I’ve got to go.” Lucius grabbed the leather-bound book, and made his way out of the clubhouse. There were several men and women, whom he ignored. Climbing onto his bike, he pulled out of the clubhouse without looking back. His time in Piston County was over, and there was no way in hell he was coming back.
****
“I’m fine,” Devil said.
“He hit you,” Lexie said. “I should kick his ass.”
“He was too big for you, Mom,” Simon said. “You wouldn’t have been able to kick anything.” Simon continued to much on his cereal as Lexie poked his head. It didn’t hurt at all, but it was good to have his woman in his arms. “Can I buy Tabby a present?”
“What for?” Devil asked. He tried not to wince as she used an anti-bacterial wipe on his cut. Lucius was a mean ass motherfucker. Whenever they had been on the roads, and Lucius got into one of these moods, Devil had been the one to calm him down, simply because he made him stay down.
“For Christmas. She likes to write like everything down. She keeps these journals and stuff. Can I get her something like that?”
Lexie smiled at him. He rolled his eyes.
“Why don’t you get her a doll or something?”
“Dad, this is Tabby. Not everyone wants a doll.”
“It’s Tabby, Daddy,” Lexie said. “She’s special, and she writes and everything.”
“Mommy, that’s not fair,” Simon said.
Lexie giggled. “I’m only kidding, son.” She kissed Simon’s head, and padded over to the stove. Devil was on his feet, and picking her up. “Stop that, I weigh a ton.”
“You’re light as a feather, babe. Come on, time to put you to bed. You’ve had enough excitement for one day.” He carried her upstairs, passing Lola and Sinner’s room as they did. Devil paused as he heard the sound of feminine moaning, and Lexie giggled. “This is why I didn’t want them sharing a room.”
“Come on, they’re back together again, and that’s a good thing.”
“I don’t care. You heard Simon.”
“He’s not about to start sleeping with Tabitha. He’s a boy that wants to get her a journal, not expensive lingerie. I’d start worrying when he asks to get her underwear,” she said, kissing his neck. “You need to learn to relax a little.”
“I can’t help it. All I fear is I’m going to have a bunch of little Simons and Tabithas running around the house.”
“So?”
“I’m too young to be a granddad.”
“You better get used to it. They are going to make us grandparents before you know it.” She pressed her lips against his, silencing any other protest from him.
Devil was going to make sure that the moment Simon was even close to thinking about sex, he was going to be having that birds and bees talk.