Chapter 21

Mayhem

 

It’s been a week since I’ve had that shitty ass panic attack. Doc said I was fine. But I don’t feel fine. I feel like a complete piece of shit. I don’t know what to think. He kept telling me that I needed to talk to someone. Fuck that. I don’t need that shit. I’m not some kind of nutcase.

“Pass me another one,” I call out to Cherry. She smiles and slides me another beer.

“You think you should get back to work?” my dad asks, sitting on the stool next to me.

I shrug before I say, “Nope. Monster’s got it.” I take a long pull before my dad’s hand tightens.

“I mean it, Mayhem. I know what the fuck you’re thinkin’ with her. She’s not Becca,” he snaps. I’ve had about all I care to hear already.

“You don’t think I know that?” I snap back. He shakes his head with an evil grin on his face.

“We all saw her. We get it. She looks like her in some ways, but she’s not Becca. You need to get that shit right in that goddamn head of yours.” I watch him grab at beer and pop the top off before turning back to me. “She’s just as fucked up as you are.”

Shaking my head, I don’t think she is. She’s better than me. Just like Becca was.

“She’s not. She’s good, Pop. She doesn’t deserve what she was given. That piece of shit dad of hers has all but shoved her out of his life. He treats her like she’s nothin’. You don’t think I’d do the same?” I cut my eyes at him. I can see what I said resonates in his eyes. He looks away from me quickly before he sighs.

“You’re as stubborn as your momma.” He grumbles. I slap a hand on his back as I shove off the stool.

“Headin’ down to check on shit at Leggs. Dec said they’ve been havin’ some shit with Nomads down there,” I say over my shoulder as I head out.

I want to get out of here for a while. Leggs seems like the best place to get lost. I ride down the road remembering the last week. Being shot at. It all settles inside of me. I could have lost her. I could have lost Tay that day. That thought sends chills down my spine. I hate that I brought her into it. I hate that I let my own selfish wants put her in danger.

I pull into Leggs and see that the parking lot is full. I smile knowing that Brooke has done a majority of this on her own. She’s a smart girl.

I walk up to the front door, bypassing the line.

“Hey, Ryan,” I say as I nod at the security idiot Brooke keeps around. I don’t like the little shit but who the hell am I?

“Hey, Mayhem. You come to watch the new girls?” he asks with a wink.

New girls? I didn’t know there were any new girls. I guess I picked a good night to come in then. I walk through the front door and grin. The place is as packed as the parking lot. People are everywhere, liquor is flowing.

“What are you doing here?”

I look over my shoulder and see Brooke. She stands with her arms crossed over her chest, a death glare in her eyes. Damn, what did I do now?

“Came to check shit out. Dec said you were havin’ some issues with Nomads.”

Brooke rolls her eyes before slowly letting her arms fall to her sides. “They aren’t really a problem. They just get a little rowdier than you guys do.”

I nod my head before I say, “Maybe I need to step up my game then.”

Brooke smiles before stepping into me. She wraps her arms around my waist. “I’ve missed you,” she mumbles into my chest.

“Missed you too, love. Heard you got some new girls.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Brooke’s body becomes tense. This should be good.

“Who is it?”

She glances up at me with those little puppy dog eyes when the music starts. My gaze slips to the stage behind her.

“Let’s get a drink!” She squeaks out, trying to pull me toward the bar. Like she could even move my ass.

My eyes move over the girl on the stage. There’s a mask covering her face, but those legs are sexy as fuck. The more I stare, the more I realize that I know who that is.

“Get her off the stage, Brooke.” I growl. She lowers her hand from my arm but she doesn’t move toward the stage. I watch Tay sway her hips to the music, slowly peeling away each layer of clothing. My heart beats faster, my dick straining against the zipper of my jeans. The music pumps through the speakers. My stomach tightens. Tay’s eyes come to meet mine even from across the room. The tightness in my chest is way too familiar now.

“Mayhem. Don’t lose it, ok? She asked me,” Brooke says. I ignore her and storm the stage anyway.

Why is something always fucked up in my world? Is there never a free day?