I’M STILL STANDING HERE MINUTES after she took off, trying to decide on my next move. My mind is racing from what the hell just went down.
The last thing I want is for her to feel threatened by me, but I also feel uneasy about her being out there alone, driving around upset.
I should’ve picked her ass up, threw her into my truck, and drove her home myself, but the look in her eyes told me she most likely would’ve ripped my head off for trying.
“Shit. Fuck it.”
Grabbing my jacket, I slip it on and reach for the keys to my bike, before heading out the front door in hopes I can catch her before she leaves the bar.
As soon as I step outside, I take a moment to pull out a smoke and light it. I’m looking down at my cigarette as the flame lights when I notice something white on the porch step.
I slip my lighter back into my pocket and bend down to pick it up. I can tell right away the thick plastic card under the random receipts that must’ve fallen from her purse before she left is her ID. But since I’m in a hurry, I slip it into my pocket and rush over to my bike, straddling it.
I want to try and catch her before she gets too far away, because chances are, she might not even be heading to the address on the card and I need to make sure she’s safe out here.
There are so many assholes on this side of town that I barely even feel safe being out here at night, and I can take care of myself.
The only reason I got a place over here was to be close to the bar in case Blaine screws up and I need to get there in a hurry.
I take off and head toward Savage & Ink. I make it a few minutes from the house when some asshole at a stoplight begins revving his engine at me, wanting to race.
Usually, I’d drop everything I’m doing at the chance to show some dickhead up, but the thought of not getting to her before it’s too late has me feeling anxious. So, I give him the middle finger and take off, making a left turn toward the bar.
When I pull up, my eyes instantly land on my truck. My heart speeds up at the thought she might still be here, but it only takes me seconds to realize her car is gone.
“You missed her.” Blaine’s voice has me looking toward the door where he’s locking up and reaching for a smoke. After lighting it with his Zippo, he tosses a set of keys at me. “She threw these at my head and took off. What did you do to the girl? Fuck, that shit hurt.”
I steel my jaw and my first instinct is to give Blaine an earful, because usually when a girl throws something at his head it’s because he fucked them and broke their heart. But unless he somehow screwed her against my truck in under two minutes, she most likely threw them at his head because she’s mad at me.
“I didn’t do shit. She ran off after we fucked.”
He laughs, clearly amused by my current situation. I should kick the dickhead’s ass. “I’d give her time to cool off, unless you want your dick ripped off.” He smiles at me, while placing his smoke between his lips. “Were you that bad?”
Needing to calm my nerves, I reach into my jacket in search of a joint. Relief hits when I realize there’s one left. “Hell no. She wanted me to be rough with her, so I was . . .” I walk up next to Blaine and lean against the building, beside him. “I warned her first that my rough might not be what she’s used to. But I don’t think that’s what made her run.”
He gives me a confused look before reaching for the joint as I pass it to him. “Did you say something stupid that pissed her off? We both know how easy it is for assholes like us to say the wrong thing.”
I shake my head and release a frustrated breath, remembering the look on her face before she left. “Nah . . . I just told her what my name was. That’s when she freaked out and stormed out of the house like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I can’t say I’ve ever had a woman run off on me after sex or hearing my damn name before.”
“I can’t say the same, brother.” He slaps my shoulder and pushes away from the building, heading for his motorcycle. “I’ve got some shit to take care of. I’ll catch you tomorrow.”
I take another hit off the joint, watching as Blaine jumps on his bike and takes off.
I remain for minutes after, cooling off and trying to convince myself to just go back home and forget her for tonight when I remember her ID is in my pocket.
I toss the joint down and reach into my jacket, pulling the plastic out.
I’m already making my way to my motorcycle before I can even get the chance to see where it is that I’m headed.
Except it isn’t the address on the card that has my world feeling as if it just imploded.
It’s the name.
The one name that’s enough to shake my whole fucking existence and leave me fighting for air.
“Alexandra Adams.” I whisper the name a few times to be sure I’m not just imagining shit.
It’s not until her name leaves my lips for the fifth time that I finally begin to believe my mind isn’t playing tricks on me.
“Fuck!” I punch my motorcycle, letting my aggression out, before I kick it over and begin pacing around the parking lot, feeling as if I’m about to lose it.
She was right there in my house and I just let her leave. I let her walk out my door and watched her drive away.
The worst part of it all is the way I fucked her. I pounded into her as if she was nothing more than a hole to stick my cock in.
I was rough with her; when years ago I promised her I’d never be anything but gentle when it came to her.
Rage fills me and before I know it, I’m repeatedly slamming my fist into the side of the building, not giving a shit that I might’ve broken a finger or two.
I can’t breathe or think right now.
And I can’t take back tonight.
I can’t take back the fact I carelessly fucked the one person I promised I’d always take care of but failed.
After I’ve calmed down enough to get my thoughts in order, I take another look at Alexandra’s ID, hoping it’ll lead me to her.
Instead of making progress, I drop to my knees and run my hands through my hair, feeling helpless, because the address on the card is an old one.
There’s a good chance I won’t see her again for a while, because now that she knows who I am, I doubt she’ll be coming back to the bar or to my house.
For some reason she wants to hide from me and I want more than anything to find out why.
“Fuck this. I’m not letting you hide from me, Lex.”
Ignoring my busted-up hand, I jump on my bike and take off in a hurry.
I drive around for a good hour, looking for her red car, but can’t find it anywhere.
It sets me on fire with rage; angry with myself for not realizing it was her all along.
I need to get to her. I can’t let her go again. It hurt way too much the first time and back then I was too young to do anything about it.
Not anymore.
The thought occurs to me there’s a chance she’s hiding her car, so I decide to give it a rest for the night and head back home.
I’m a few blocks away when the same car from earlier pulls up on my left side, fucking with me again.
“Come on, pussy. Show me how fast that piece of shit is!” he yells. “Unless you’re chicken shit.”
I have no shits to give right now, so this asshole is at the wrong place at the wrong damn time.
Kicking my stand down, I hop off my bike and walk over to his car, yanking the passenger side door open.
“What the hell! Are you crazy?”
“Yeah . . . something like that.”
Before he has the chance to come up with the bright idea of driving off, I shift his car into park and grab him by the throat, squeezing as I get up in his face.
“Fuck with me again and I will snap this twig of yours in half. Got it, motherfucker?”
He nods, gripping at my hand, attempting to pull it away.
“Say it!” I yell in his face, while squeezing tighter.
“I got. I got it.” He begins coughing as soon as I release his throat.
“Now fuck off,” I growl out, before slamming his door shut and straddling my bike.
With the way I’m feeling right now, this asshole is lucky I gave him a second chance.
The beast inside of me is ready to take out anyone who stands in my way of getting to Alexandra. Or anyone who even so much as looks in my direction while I’m trying to get to her.
I’m going to find her, and once I do, I won’t let her get away. Not for a third damn time . . .