Chapter Nineteen

 

 

 

 

Pretty Boy rode his bike into the club house drive, feeling a hundred years older than he had when he’d left five days ago. He’d cut his trip short because he needed to get back here. Two hours into the run he’d dropped his satellite phone on the road and by the time he’d realized it was missing and went back for it, it was already broken. He’d cursed himself for not buttoning the pocket on his cut. He’d been upset and angry that Gabi was so willing to walk away from their relationship. If shit hadn’t hit the fan less than three hours later that night, he would’ve called her from Log’s phone, but when they’d gotten to Longville they’d found a hell of a lot more than they had bargained for. Apparently, a group of the old Headhunters MC members had decided to form their own club and set up shop in Longville. After the shit they’d discovered, he’d been glad he hadn’t brought Gabi on the run with them.

He would have had to leave Log unsecured and get her to safety because he wouldn’t have chanced something bad happening to her. The Headhunter’s leftovers were bad news and they were taking girls for a prostitution ring. As it was, Log was alone watching the group while Pretty Boy headed back here to talk to Bone and the club about what they should do. Bone had sent ten prospects Log’s way after they’d called in the report. Pretty Boy intended to wait till they arrived today before he left, but Log had looked at him yesterday morning and told him to go.

Likely because he’d been pacing and glaring at the clock for more than an hour and Log was tired of his frustration. He still felt like an asshole for leaving his friend, but the way he’d left things with Gabi had him on edge. He didn’t care what she thought about them being done after that fight the other night. He wasn’t allowing that, fuck that shit all to hell and back. She belonged to him and she might as well face that fact. Nothing she said to him was going to run him off. He had climbed off his bike and was walking up to the club house when Tank walked out of the door heading to his bike.

“He’s at Sal’s, you’ll have to go see him there.” Tank said, motioning for him to head back to his bike.

“Look, I don’t have time to go to the bar. It’s all the way over on the other side of town and I just want to go home and talk to my old lady. I haven’t seen her in six days.” Pretty Boy snarled. Unhappy that Tank wanted him to report to Bone at the bar.

“Your old ladies there too.” Tank grunted, walking past him heading to his bike.

“What the fuck do you mean my old ladies there? Why? Why is my old lady at the fucking bar without me?” Pretty Boy demanded. Anger burned through him and his eyes narrowed as he followed Tank to his bike, looking grim. His blood was pumping in his veins and he was ready to burst at the thought of Gabi’s sexy ass in one of those little pairs of shorts she loved so much in a bar. Fuck no. His old lady better not be trying to pick up another man, or he would be committing murder tonight.  Not that he thought Gabi would ever trust another man, but he still didn’t like the fact that she was at the bar.

“She’s with Rock. Don’t know, but we were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. You’re late so let’s get a move on it.” Tank muttered, kicking his bike into gear.

Pretty Boy watched the other man pull out of the drive without waiting on him. Climbing onto his bike he followed, angry that Tank could be such an asshole when he wanted to be.

 

 

Gabi’s hands felt sweaty and her chest was tight as she paced back and forth in the back of Sal’s bar. Katie sat a few feet away trying to talk her down from the ledge, so to speak. It wasn’t going well. She felt like the contents of her stomach were rolling around like they were trying to escape. Damn, why had she agreed to do this again? Oh right, to convince her man that she was ready to stop acting like a child. Taking another deep breath, she tried again to calm herself without success.

“Gabi, you’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t calm the hell down.” Katie said.

“It’s easier said than done. I’ve never sang in front of anyone before. Well, I guess a few of the prospects and Rock have listened to me. This song is very personal, Katie.” Gabi muttered, running her hand over her rioting stomach.

“I know hon, but stressing yourself out isn’t helping.”

“Leave her alone Katie, she’ll be fine,” Molly said as she entered the room. “Bone says he got a text from Tank and they’re on the way here. Should take about five minutes, which will be just enough time to get you up on stage.”

“Super.” Gabi said, eyeing the rear exit, wondering if anyone would notice if she slipped out and disappeared. A few days ago, when Rock had convinced her to do this, she hadn’t realized she would be preforming in front of half the Red Devils MC for fucks sake.

“You’ve got this. Your voice is amazing, Gabi.” Rock grunted from where he sat in the corner on a couch. His voice startled Gabriella a little because she’d thought he was sleeping.

“Right. Okay, let’s get this show on the road then before I decide to bolt.” Gabriella said, rubbing her sweaty palms on her jeans trying to calm down. Katie jumped up from her seat and grabbed her arm dragging her toward the stage entrance a few feet away. Gabi felt like her insides where shaking apart she was so nervous as Katie led her to the edge of the stage. She looked out at the microphone sitting alone on the stage with a spot light casting a glinting glow around it as she heard an announcer calling out her name. People were cheering and clapping while letting out wolf whistles and cat calls. She knew all the commotion was the Red Devils trying to make this easier on her, but it wasn’t helping.

She closed her eyes and counted to five trying to slow down her quick breathing. Gabi felt Katie squeeze her arm as she whispered, “Go get your man, sweetie. You can do this.”

Gabriella wasn’t so sure about that, and as she walked out onto the stage she felt like she was going to pass out at any moment. The bright lights aimed at the stage almost blinded her as she walked up to the microphone. She raised her hands adjusting the mic a little so that it was in the right position, ignoring the way it squealed a little. Her mind was racing, and she glanced towards Katie who was standing in the darkened back room giving her a thumbs up signal.

Shit, she was really doing this.

“Um—hello everyone. I’m Gabi.” She stuttered into the mic, noting that her hands were shaking as she folded them together. Everyone in the audience went wild yelling and clapping. Her eyes were finally adjusting to the lights and she was starting to be able to make out the people at the tables closest to the stage. 

“You’ve got this, Gabi.” a male voice yelled. It might have been Rock, but she wasn’t sure. It was now or never, she supposed as the music Rock had found for her started to play, she took a deep breath and began to sing:

 

My heart was open, my soul was pure

Then the devil dragged me down

Down, down into the fire

And the Darkness poured into my soul

Filling me up, shattering me whole

 

I lay down in the broken glass that’s now my home

Utterly ruined, fighting for my soul

Reaching out for freedom

Never finding peace

Always searching for the light

But darkness is all I see

 

She could see that people were watching her with awe as her voice grew stronger, belting out the song that meant so much to her. She watched as the room shifted and suddenly Pretty Boy was standing in front of the stage looking up at her. His eyes blazed with something she’d never seen. Something that made her heart take flight as she continued to sing, only now she was singing to him and he knew it.

 

My heart was open, my soul was pure

Then the devil dragged me down

Down, down into the fire

And the Darkness poured into my soul

Filling me up, shattering me whole

 

Then you walked in, holding me up

Saving my soul

Now My heart is open, my soul is pure

The devil can’t drag me down

Down, down into the fire

Cause your filling me up, making me whole.

 

I lay down no longer broken

Reaching out for you, finding peace

Filled with your light

You’re all I see

 

My heart is open, my soul is pure

The devil can drag me down

Down, down into the fire

Cause your filling me up, making me whole.

 

As the last note of her song faded she felt an almost audible breath from the crowd as she watched Pretty Boy jump up onto the stage, coming towards her with a possessive look in his eyes she’d never seen before. It should’ve frightened her, but somehow it didn’t. He stopped a foot from her and before she could say anything he was scooping her up into his arms, carrying her off the stage. Gabi gasped and clung to his shoulders as the crowd behind them went wild.

 

 

 

 

Pretty Boy walked into the bar behind Tank with one goal. He was going to find Gabriella and make damned sure she knew she wasn’t replacing him with any other yahoo. She belonged to him and he wouldn’t accept any other outcome. He was a little surprised to note that more than half the club was filling the bar tonight. Even the old ladies were here, and they all seemed to be hooting and hollering at the stage. Pretty Boy’s eyes started searching the dim interior looking for Gabi in the crowd, a little relieved to find that most of the club was around. That meant that Gabi wouldn’t be dealing with any idoit’s who wanted to come on to her alone. The brothers would nip that shit in the bud quickly, and he was damned glad about that.

He was so distracted by his search that at first, he didn’t recognize the soft voice that spoke into the microphone on stage, at least not until she said her name. His eyes snapped to the woman who was wearing a pair of dark washed jeans, and a blue flowy top with rhinestones embedded into the neckline, which was way too low for his liking. She’d worn her hair down and it was curled around her shoulders in a way that made his dick twitch in his pants as he stared at her. Gabi looked damned good on that stage, despite her nervous movements and her awkward speech.

What the hell was going on? Why was his woman on stage? He knew the answer the second she started signing her song, the one he’d heard that day by the lake. His heart clenched as he felt the whole room still as her voice rang out with the first lines of her song. Damn her voice was pure as the notes flowed out of her, almost effortlessly while she held the mic in one hand and sang her heart out like she’d always been meant to. Pretty Boy felt like he was floating as he neared the front of the room looking up at his woman with pride and more than a little awe. Her eyes met his in that moment and he held her gaze.

When her song changed from the hauntingly sad notes, to hope, he felt his world open up. She was telling him something with the words. He could see in her eyes that she wasn’t singing this song for anyone but him. She was on that stage to tell him that she loved him. He couldn’t help the satisfaction that filled him as she continued to sing about how he’d changed her from that sad hurt little bird into an eagle soaring across the sky.

As her song ended everyone in the room erupted into applause that neither of them really heard as he grabbed the edge of the stage and hoisted himself up onto it walking towards her. He didn’t stop until he was inches from her, and without a word he reached out scooping her up and began carrying her towards the back entrance. He was taking his woman home and showing her exactly who she belonged to. She’d just poured her heart out in front of his entire club and he knew that she was finally telling him that she was all in. He was damned glad because she’d never really had a chance in hell of getting away from him. He’d owned her from the moment he’d met her, and letting her go had never been an option.

Gabi’s arms wrapped around his neck and she didn’t protest his manhandling as he carried her out the back door and around the building to his bike. When he set her on her feet next to it she stood silently as he climbed on and waited for her to join him. She hesitated, prompting him to look at her over his shoulder.

“On the bike, firefly.” Pretty Boy grunted.

“I—um, shouldn’t we um say goodbye to everyone?” She finished, her voice barely a squeak.

“Nope, we need to discuss some things and I for one don’t want an audience.” She didn’t respond, she just stood there nervously twisting her hands and watching him on his bike.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of those things I said,” she blurted out, her face flaming as she blinked at him.

“Not here, babe. Get on the bike.” Pretty Boy needed to get her alone, so he could explain a few things to her. He knew from her hesitation and the way she was wringing her hands that she was upset. After not hearing from him for six days, she likely thought their fight was a bigger deal than it was. One thing he’d learned about Gabi was that she really didn’t understand that she was it for him. That when he’d opened the door to his cabin more than two years ago and allowed her into his bed he’d also allowed her into his heart. Not that he’d been willing to admit that, even to himself until just recently.

He wasn’t a man who loved easily and falling for her had happened in an instant. He knew her well enough by now to know she’d likely taken his unintentional silence to heart and come up with some ridiculous conclusion that he was going to enjoy eradicating her from his head. When she nodded and stepped forward, he turned away and grinned a little as her soft hands settled on his shoulders and her body pressed into his before her arms wrapped around his waist. He briefly rubbed her arm before he took off heading towards their cabin.

When they pulled up outside their place a few minutes later, Pretty Boy shut off the bike and waited a moment as Gabi climbed off. Placing the kick stand down, he threw his leg over the side and turned. He watched Gabi’s stiff back as she walked towards the house and shook his head. He stomped up behind her and scooped her into his arms.

“Where do you think you’re going, firefly?”

“I was just going inside.” She gasped, her arms going around his neck in surprise.

“Hmm. I think you need to know a few things.”

“What do I need to know?”

“First I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I didn’t call you after our fight.” Pretty Boy pressed his lips into her hair, kissing the top of her ear as he handed her the key to unlock the cabin. Gabi shoved the unlocked door open for them, a moment later he carried her across the threshold bridal style.

“Oh, I was worried you didn’t want to be with me anymore when you didn’t answer any of my calls.” Gabi replied. Pretty Boy felt like a dick when he heard that, and he wished he’d called her from Log’s phone, despite the bullshit they’d been dealing with.

“Sorry baby. That’s not ever going to happen, you have to know that, don’t you?” He slowly set her down near the bed in their room seeing her eyes widen and her lips part.

Damn, he loved this woman, she was perfect.

“Firefly, how many times do I need to explain the fact that you belong to me? You should know that by now. You can’t think one fight would send me packing, because that’s just crazy.” Pretty Boy said, cupping her face and staring into her grey-green eyes.

“I—I thought maybe me pushing you away again would make you give u-up on us.” Gabi whispered, her eyes tearing a little as a single tear slipped from the corner. Using his thumb to wipe that tear away, he sighed heavily and shook his head.

“No, firefly. I love you and nothing is ever going to change that. Not any fight we have, not your fears, nothing babe. You’re stuck with me.” Pretty Boy said, shaking his head at her before gently kissing her nose. He pulled back taking in her adorably confused look with a grin, his eyes twinkling with his amusement.

“You love me?” She asked, her eyes suddenly wide. Pretty Boy realized that even though he’d realized that he loved her weeks ago, he’d never actually said those words to her.

“I do baby and I always have, it just took me a while to admit it.”

“I love you too.” Gabi replied. He’d known that she loved him for a long time, but hearing it made a warm, almost gooey feeling spread through him. He kissed her for a moment, pulling back to look intently down at her. 

“I didn’t mean to push you away. I realized I’ve been acting like a spoiled child about this whole relationship and what happened to me. I know things won’t be easy and that we might run into more things that trigger my panic attacks, but I don’t want you to think I’m not all in, because I am. I didn’t realize that I was until you drove away that day, but I know now, and I want us to be together. Forever. I want to be your old lady, Kyle.” Gabi looked so intense as she spoke that he found himself mesmerized by her.

“That’s good because you are my old lady, Gabi. You have been since the moment I first saw you in that dank little room two years ago. I’ve never responded to anyone the way I responded to you, firefly. You were under my skin from the very beginning and I’ve loved you ever since.” Pretty Boy pressed his lips to her forehead, pulling her in tightly as he wrapped her into his arms holding her close, breathing her in. She laughed and curled her arms around his waist.

“I love you so much, Kyle. I didn’t realize I could love someone as much as I love you. When you left and didn’t call me I was so scared I had lost you. I tried to call, and you didn’t answer. I was so upset I barely slept that first night. I don’t ever want to feel that way again. You have to know that I won’t push you away, not ever again.” Gabi said into his chest, her face pressing into his cut as she squeezed him.

“Babe, even if you do try, I won’t let you push me away. I understand how much you’ve survived. How much you’ve been through. I knew even when I left here hurt and angry that it wasn’t the end of us because I would never allow that to happen. It just hurt like hell that you weren’t ready to be with me and you were wobbling again after the month we’d shared. I reacted badly, but I am glad I didn’t take you with me. We ran into trouble and it’s likely good that I didn’t know you were really upset because if I had known then I might have come back and let Log go to Longville by himself. That wouldn’t have been good because of the situation we found there, so maybe things worked out like they should have. I’m sorry you felt scared even for a moment, but I’m glad I was there when Log needed me.” He pushed back enough to kiss her, taking her lips in a slow gentle kiss that had her sighing contently when he pulled away.

“Is Log okay?” She asked, earning another bit of his heart for caring about his brother.

“Yeah, but I may have to leave for a bit again this week. We have to handle some shit in Longville before it gets out of hand.” He let her push her hands beneath his shirt as she caressed his skin, making his unruly cock throb in need. It had been six days since he’d been inside her, both he and his dick thought that was entirely too long.

“Okay, but can we have sex now. I’m really kind of horny. I think you might have spoiled me with all the orgasms you’ve been giving me.” Gabi said as she took his cut off of his shoulders, tossing it over on the dresser before jerking at the hem of his shirt.

Laughing, he helped her take his shirt off before replying, “I like you horny, baby.”