Cole

“This doesn’t make sense,” I hissed at Troy as he closed his bedroom door and we were finally alone. “You and I both know what this means for the club.”

“We can’t challenge Jax,” Troy said, as he ran a hand through his hair. He pulled out a cigarette. “He’s got a thing for Amber.”

“You’re telling me,” I scoffed, crossing my arms. “We need to send her away or something. Get her away from him.”

“Like Amber will do anything we say,” Troy shot at me, giving me a pointed look as he lit his cigarette. “We will just have to monitor this. Hook him up with someone else, in front of Amber. Show her he’s bad news.”

“Bad news! Is that what you call him?” I arched an eyebrow. “He’s the most powerful man in bikie history, because of his family, and he’s only bloody 18! He’s only going to get more powerful as he gets older.”

“Jax is never faithful to women; it’s not in his blood,” He responded, blowing smoke out the side of his mouth. “We don’t have to worry about it too much; he will stuff it up on his own.”

I settled into an armchair. “Amber’s going to be sick when she wakes up. That scar is going to ruin her life.”

“I have never seen one cut in before; usually they just tattoo it.” Troy frowned. “But they obviously didn’t have time for that.”

“She has the scar of on her stomach and the tattoo of the HellBound on her shoulder. It’s fair to say she’s a marked woman,” I scoffed, running both hands over my head. “We stuffed up, Troy. We shouldn’t have left her here.”

“How were we meant to know, Cole?” Troy put his cigarette out on his bedside table. “We didn’t know she would get involved with a gang member. When I checked in with dad, he said she was fine.”

“I didn’t even recognize her,” I muttered, recalling back to the night I had actually forgotten what my sister looked like. “If I’d recognized her back then, all this could have been avoided.” That one night, where Amber approached me and I didn’t even fucking realize it was her. If I could turn back time and I hadn’t lost contract with my sister, I would have known then - that she was getting into a lifestyle I wanted her to never have a part of.

“Well, we will stop it from getting any worse. We’re here now. We can’t change the past.”

“We go on about family,” I looked Troy square in the eye. “We respect the brotherhood, we are loyal members. We pledge that family means everything but we turned our backs on our own sister to build our own charter. Now we are one of the strongest charters. Hell, we’ve got bloody Jackson Johnston riding with us. But, at what cost?  Amber lays scarred and we failed to protect her.”

“What do you want me to say, Cole,” Troy huffed. “Business came before her? We know that was how it was. We chose the charter. We can’t change that.”

Staring each other in the eye, we both remained silent.

“If an all-out war is declared, we won’t be able to keep an eye on Amber,” I thought out loud.

“I know,” Troy shot back at me. “But it is blood in, blood out. We can’t turn our back on our brothers, or on the brotherhood. We ride, we die. You know that.”

“So Amber fends for herself?”

“Not while Jax has this thing for her,” Troy pointed out, “And we will just have to keep a close eye on her; the four of us. We can work it out.”

“One day at a time then,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes with the back of my palms. I was beginning to feel my lack of sleep catching up with me, especially now.

“Get some sleep,” Troy said as he pulled his boots off. “While you can.”

Nodding my head, I pulled myself up from the chair. Sleep sounded good. I could return to worrying in the morning.

***

Amber

Every breath I took hurt. As my lungs opened for air, my stomach clenched in pain. My eyes fluttered open; it was the dead of the night. I noticed the empty arm chair next to my side of the bed.

One of my brothers must be skipping watch. My teeth slammed together as I twisted to my side. I heard my door open, and I quickly closed my eyes. I wasn’t up to speaking to anyone. I would just break down in tears.

The armchair creaked as a body slumped into it. I felt guilty; whoever it was should go get some sleep. I heard him exhale softly; he was clearly tired. I heard the muffled vibration of a phone, and he cursed under his breath before I heard him pull it out of his pocket. I kept my breathing shallow, knowing if I inhaled too deeply, I would end up screaming in pain.

“What?” he half whispered, half barked into the phone.

I had to keep myself from snapping my eyes open in shock. Why was Jax in my room? And why was he willingly sitting here watching over me? Had my brothers blackmailed him into this?

“This isn’t a good time,” he hissed into the phone. “Call back in the morning.” He paused.

“Fine, “he continued, “it better be bloody important if it can’t wait.”

I couldn’t believe he was actually keeping his voice low. Was he doing that so he wouldn’t wake me?

“I told you dad, I didn’t have a choice,” he barked into his phone. “Like I said before, it is in the best interest of the club.”

He fell silent for a moment, and I felt his eyes on me. Inhaling quickly, I twisted my shoulder without thinking, and a deep frown appeared on my face. It took all my self-control to not wince in pain. How could such little movement cause so much agony?

“Hold on a minute,” Jax shot into the phone. I heard him place his phone on the bedside table.

Suddenly, the blankets on me disappeared, and goosebumps ran up my legs as the cold air suddenly hit me.

Jax placed a hand under my shoulder, half in the air, and then threaded his other hand under my side. His breathing was thick as he softly twisted me back over.

I couldn’t believe how gentle he was being! Now more comfortable, I lay on my back. I . His hands left my body quickly and he covered me back up with the blankets.

I felt him lift the mattress as he tucked the blankets in. What on earth had got into him?

“You still there?” his voice shot into the phone. “You don’t need to remind me where you are,” he spat, bitterness in his tone.

The room fell silent and all I could hear was his sharp breathing.

“I know. Blood in, blood out,” Jax said coolly into the phone. “I won’t forget.”

A stray piece of hair flew across my eye, and it annoyed me immediately. I was considering just giving in and letting Jax know I was awake, but then I felt his fingers gently brush the stray strand away, and I still couldn’t believe this was the same Jax!

“I’m really sorry Amber,” I heard him mutter, sitting by my side.

He was sorry? For what? Was the attack linked back to them? Who was I kidding; I knew it was. So that was why Jax had stayed at my side. Guilt really was capable of changing a man.

I watched a frown appear on her face again as she took a staggered breath in. Breathing was hurting her. I could tell from the frown on her face every time she took a breath in.

I sat back, feeling completely like shit.

I never let anyone get close for this reason. I don’t have connections. I just have the brotherhood, and they could all look after themselves when it came to it.

They weren’t a weakness.

I should have known The Pythons were watching me. They’d seen me with her at the mall. I was never seen with a girl. Maybe at the clubhouse, but that was it.

Never let anyone get close. That was the one thing dad had taught me before he went to prison and got a life sentence, and I became The King.

The Pythons have been wanting blood for years now. First, they invaded our street; started dealing where we were dealing. Little things that we could argue over.

Sure I got threatened. Every man with bikie blood knew I was the King, and being the King meant everyone, even Troy, answered to me.

Every charter. Every member. Answered to me.

Thanks to dad.

Sometimes, I don’t know whether being born into this was a blessing or a curse. Look at Jason; he’d shrugged off the lifestyle, but dad picked me. Groomed me. Wanted me to take over from him.

So I did as soon as he went down for a crime he actually committed when he was young. His first kill ended up getting him arrested, thanks to new evidence.

I lit up another cigarette, my eyes on Amber.

I couldn’t even look her in the eye after the mall, but I knew as soon as I saw her naked body, I wanted her.

Even in her underwear, she sent my fantasies into overdrive, and then she went and took off her bra, giving me a sight I will never forget.

I doubted she realized there had been a mirror.

And I watched her change. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, even though it would have been the right thing to do. Still, I didn’t do it.

And then when she was dressed again, I couldn’t get the image of her naked breasts out of my head. The image was on repeat in my head. So much so, I couldn’t look her in the eye.

At the house party, I’d attempted to get my need for her, and my frustration, out on another woman, but that didn’t work.

Then I went into panic mood when the boys said she was missing. I blamed myself again, because I should have kept an eye on her during the night. Her brothers stopped watching her as soon as the girls showed up.

Then when I did find her, I find her in bed with my brother. I scoffed out loud and then regretted it when I saw her frown. Shit. I didn’t want to wake her up.

How did Jason manage to score the one woman I couldn’t lock down?

As much as I wanted Amber, there was a reason I kept her at a distance. The reason I didn’t make a move. The reason I kept my hands and thoughts to myself.

I inhaled on my cigarette. It was all pointless in the end, because she’d ended up getting hurt because of me.

And I wasn’t there to protect her. Fuck, I had pushed her away! I didn’t speak to her. Didn’t even acknowledge her.

And when my enemy makes a move, and hits my weakness, I’m not there to protect my weakness.

How screwed up is that?

I watched her frown again.

It was worse knowing she was in pain and there was nothing I could do about it. Her case was out of morphine and painkillers. I’m guessing thanks to Cole; she had given them all to him.

I watched her body tremble in pain again and that frown that kept appearing on her face was back.

God, what do I do?

What can I do?

I gritted my teeth. There was nothing I could do but fucking watch.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it, but I reached out and took her hand.

If I couldn’t ease her pain, the least I could do was hold her hand while she went through it. I think what was worse was that she had no idea how I felt about her. Not at all.

She didn’t know it was basically killing me to keep her at a distance. Seeing her relaxed around her brothers and also seeing men I knew my whole life turn into mush when they are with her.

Did she know the power she held?

To make Cole feel any emotion should be an achievement. And that’s all you saw on his face when he looked at her; emotion.

All of them, they would kill for her and I knew right now it was me holding them back from going after The Pythons tonight, seeking revenge.

The sad part is, I would kill for her too and she wasn’t my blood.

I knew she had been targeted because of me.

It had nothing to do with her brothers.

It had to do with me taking out their clubhouse. Sure it was a club vote, but it had been my idea.

Troy still couldn’t understand why I sat back and let him take charge of the club, when really I was meant to be in charge.

I sighed. Everyone looked at me for answers, and I was starting to get tired of the questions and expectations.

Just once, I would like to do something without thinking of the backlash.

Like, for instance, how I would really like to kiss Amber; without worrying how her brothers would react, or the heat that might follow her from being connected to me.

When it came down to it, I could handle the heat that came from being with her. Fuck. I’d do everything in my power to make sure she was safe.

So if I could think that now, why couldn’t I have thought that yesterday? Why didn’t I protect her when she’d needed it?

I should have been with her, going to school. Instead, I was sleeping off a sleepless weekend because I had given orders to shoot up The Pythons’ clubhouse.

I needed her to wake up now. I looked at her more intently, my eyes glancing to her stomach. She wore a mark I should hate. Hell, it was instilled in me to hate it and anyone that wore it.

But I didn’t hate her. I don’t think I was even capable of hating her. Not when she was annoying. Not when she was being stubborn, and not when she was defying what she was being told.

It slowly started to hit me, sinking in slowly; I’ve never hated her. If anything, I used to admire her.

And now, that admiration was mixing with lust and my need to be with her.

I was fucked because if there was one thing I knew about Amber, it was that she didn’t do emotion and I doubted she had any need to be with me.

***

Amber

My eyes fluttered open and I stared at my ceiling. Sighing and grunting in slight pain, I began to pull myself up, and I hissed in pain right away.

“DON’T MOVE!”

My eyes snapped to Jax, and he reached over and wrapped an arm around my back, helping me sit up in bed.

“Why are you here?” I frowned. I couldn’t believe he was still here!

He didn’t answer, but instead reached over and put another pillow behind my head and helped me lower myself back into the wall of pillows behind me; I was now sitting up straight in bed.

My face twisted as another wave of pain coursed through my body.

“How’s the pain?” he asked, returning to his armchair.

“How do you think?” I shot back. I knew I should have been nicer, but the pain was getting in the way of my judgment.

“Cole’s gone to get you something for it,” Jax said.

“So he’s gone to knock off a pharmacy?” I attempted to joke, but it hurt just to breathe and speak.

His lips twitched slightly before they returned to a firm line. “Something like that,” he replied.

“You can go if you want Jax. You don’t have to stay here,” I said, slowly and gingerly.

“Your wound has to be cleaned. It’s about time you woke up.”

I pulled back the blankets slightly, and immediately noticed the light blood stains coming through my t-shirt. “How bad is it?” I asked.

When Jax didn’t answer, I looked up at him and he was looking down at his feet with a serious expression.

“I know they cut me, or stabbed me. I just want to know how bad it is,” I said, keeping my voice calm.

He tried to make eye contact with me, and then decided against it. Frowning, I looked down at my arms. They were covered in spots of blood and dirt. I was a mess.

“I really need a shower,” I groaned. “I smell and look awful.”

“You can’t shower by yourself. You will just have to wait for one of your brothers to come home,” Jax .

“Like hell I am having them help me in a shower!” I spat back. “I will be fine.”

“You can’t even pull yourself up,” he pointed out, before crossing his arms. “So how do you plan on bathing?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I am sure I’ll manage.”

“Fine, whatever,” Jax said as he rose from the armchair in resignation. “But at least have a bath or something. Make it easier on yourself.”

I reached out to pull the blankets back, but my face contorted in pain at the movement. I heard Jax grunt as he pulled the blankets back for me.

“Don’t say anything,” I hissed under my breath, as I pulled my legs around and lowered them to the floor.

I looked up at Jax, who stood a few feet away from me with his arms crossed.

“Could you run it for me? The spa?” I lowered my voice to a whisper. I hated asking him for anything but, at the same time, I didn’t think I would be able to turn the taps.

“Don’t move while I’m gone,” he grunted, before walking into my ensuite.

I heard the water gush into the spa. For the first time, I was actually grateful I had a spa in my ensuite.

Standing on my feet, I gripped the bedside table to find my balance. Wobbly, I began to walk in the direction of the ensuite. I wasn’t one to sit back and let a male be all controlling.

I had too much pride for that.

I gripped the doorframe for support as I made it into the ensuite. Jax was kneeling on the tiled floor, with his hand under the tap as he adjusted the temperature of the water.

I smiled at his back; this Jax I could get used to.

“I told you not to move,” he huffed, getting to his feet. “Would it kill you to listen for once?”

“Perhaps.” I smiled at him, “Um thanks.” I felt awkward even saying that word.

“Bet that tasted like acid,” he smirked, and I took in his tired eyes.

“Yeah a bit,” I admitted. I let go of the doorframe and walked in. I noticed how Jax braced himself, like he was ready to reach out and catch me at any moment.

“You can go,” I said slowly, lowering myself to the edge of the spa and sitting down. “Really, you look tired.”

“I’m not leaving you in here,” Jax crossed his arms.

“Why?” I frowned at him. “Scared I am going to drown myself?”

His expression was blank and his jaw was tightly clenched. “You have two options.”

“And they would be?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“You can either get naked in front of me, or keep your underwear on.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Do I look like I am joking?” He reached for the hem of his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. “Amber, you can’t wash yourself, so stop being stubborn. I don’t have the energy to fight with you.”

“So you are getting in with me?” I questioned, while trying to keep my eyes focused on his face and not let them drift all over his toned body.

“No. Now which option?” He kept his eyes on me, and I just stared blankly back at him. He let out a disgruntled sigh and ran a hand threw his hair. “Do you have to make this so hard?”

“I don’t like being weak,” I said as I stared at the tiled floor, “And I don’t like being helpless. You’re making me feel like a weak little female.”

“We both know you are anything but a weak female,”... “Fine. If it makes you feel better, when I got beaten up a few months ago, Cole had to take care of me.”

My head snapped up to look him in the eye. “You’re kidding.”

“No. Now drop it. I only told you that so you would stop looking all sad and sorry for yourself.” He moved towards me and kneeled down in front of me. “So there, you have something on me now.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I smirked, but visibly softening.

“Drop it. Now underwear or no underwear. Personally, I don’t mind either.” He winked at me.

“Underwear,” I spat out quickly, and it only caused him to smirk at me.

“What a surprise,” he mocked me, reaching for the waist line of the shorts I was wearing. “Now, this can be as awkward as you let it be.”

“As I let it be? I think you taking my clothes off is just plain awkward, nothing else.” I hated this. I hated having to let someone help me. “Hey, how did I get these clothes on in the first place?” I frowned down at them. I was not wearing this baggy t-shirt yesterday and I sure as hell wasn’t wearing these shorts.

“Tyler changed you after I… after um… yeah, you got sewn up,” he stuttered, slowly pulling my shorts down my thighs.

“Oh great, another moment of glory for me,” I muttered dryly. “My life just gets better and better.”

“Hands up,” Jax ordered. My face twisted in pain as I stretched my arms up and he pulled the t-shirt from me.

The room was steamy, and I was grateful for it; at least I wasn’t cold. Getting to his feet, Jax wrapped an arm around my back to help me up. A very large white bandage was wrapped around my stomach. Spots of blood covered it.

“Should we take it off?” I frowned down at it.

“Um yeah,” Jax said. “But I will take it off in the bath. Wrap your arm around my neck.”

Slowly, I wrapped both arms around his neck and he swooped me up from the ground. Walking to the bath edge, he slowly lowered me into the water.

His muscles flexed as he carried my whole weight. He didn’t look me in the eye and I also noticed how his eyes weren’t raking my body either. Instead, he glued his eyes to the water he was lowering me into.

My body sunk into the spa bath and, once I rested in it, I pulled my arms away from around his neck, and he pulled away from me, kneeling beside the bath.

I was grateful he had done that; I wasn’t sure how I would have managed to bend and lower myself. It would have taken me a while.

Pain was still running through my body, but the hot water numbed it slightly.

Jax cleared his throat. “So, how was school yesterday?”

He leaned into the water and focused on the bandage, as he plucked the tape from the sides.

“Yeah, ok I guess.” I muttered while lowering my head back and looking up at the ceiling. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“I did not.” He pulled the tape off and I flinched as I felt water gush over my wound. I couldn’t bring myself to look down at it, so I just stared up at the ceiling. I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Jax and he was glaring at my stomach.

“So, um. What are you doing today?” My voice fluttered as I spoke, and I wanted to slap myself across my cheek –

“Well, after I bathe you, I’m heading into town. Got some stuff I need to sort out.” He lifted my arm out of the water and began to rub the blood and dirt away with a face washer. “You are on bed rest, in case you didn’t know.”

He was washing my body. Jax, the guy I used to think so little of, was washing my body with a face washer, while I sat back in my underwear.

I turned my head to the side to watch him, “Really? I had no idea.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to go to school,” he said, leaning closer to me and washing the top of my shoulder.

“Um yeah, true.” I shot him a small smile “So this ‘stuff’ to take care of… I am guessing it is club business so we can’t really talk about it.”

He nodded his head and reached out for my other arm, turning it over and washing it. “Can I ask you something?”

I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his upper muscles as he leaned over me. “Um sure, Jax, shoot.”

“You dated Blake for a while, yeah?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Why did I not see you around?”

My heart was hammering through my chest as he bent into the water and began to wash my high thigh. Focus! I couldn’t’ lose my train of thought. “Um, what do you mean?”

Jax glanced across at me before turning his attention back to my body. “I never saw you around. Their gang reports to us; we take a share in their profits. So why didn’t I see you? You were dating the gang leader. It’s not like you were with some nobody.”

“I kept a low profile. I didn’t want to see my brothers.” I bit my lower lip. “Blake didn’t even seem to notice,” I added.

I saw Jax’s expression turn serious. “Why did you break up with him?”

“Because.”

“Because you didn’t want to date an outlaw anymore?” Jax glanced up the bath at me and arched an eyebrow. “Over the lies? The dirty money? Sick of bailing him out of jail? What?”

Frowning at him “No, it wasn’t any of that.”

He grunted. “Come on Amber. You don’t break up with a guy you’ve been with for ages out of the blue. Something must’ve driven you to do it.”

“Ever heard of that saying, “You can put a broken mirror back together, but you can always see the cracks?”

Jax nodded his head.

“Well mine and Blake’s relationship had gotten to that point.”

“So what made it crack?”

A shot of pain ran across my stomach as I moved slightly in the water.

“He hit me,” I muttered. “But do not tell my brothers.”

“He what?” Jax spat and dropped my leg in the water, which made me flinch and another wave of pain flooded my body.

“Sorry!” He reached back into the water and floated my leg back to the surface.

“Blake and I just needed to go our separate ways. That’s it.”

Jax glared into the water as he ran the face washer down my leg. “So, the whole gang and outlaw thing wasn’t a problem?”

“What are you trying to ask me, Jax?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head and got up “I’m done. Do you want to get out or…“

“Out sounds good,” I piped up, and placed a hand on the edge ready to pull myself up but Jax leaned down and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me from the water.

Slipping a hand around his neck, I kept my eyes locked on the side of his face as he lowered my feet to the ground. I felt like I was missing something, like he was asking me something but I wasn’t quite catching on.

Frowning, I slowly pulled my arms from around his neck, now standing on my feet. “Jax?”

His eyes snapped down to me; he was thinking something and I really wanted to know what it was.

“If Blake hadn’t hit me, if things were or could have been different, I wouldn’t have ended it.”

“You really didn’t care he was a criminal?” His eyebrows frowned as he spoke.

“I loved him for him, what he did couldn’t influence my love for him.”

“He was a lucky guy,” Jax muttered. “A lot of girls wouldn’t think the same way.”

My eyes drifted down from his eyes and, for the first time, I glanced down at my wound and frowned. It wasn’t a stab mark like I’d expected. Slowly, I walked away from Jax and towards the mirror. I rubbed the steam away from the mirror with the back of my hand; wincing as I did.

My eyes widened as I took in the mark on my body. I reached out and touched the mirror, before glancing back down at it, and then went back to looking at it in the mirror.

“No!” I choked, and tears began to fill my eyes. “No!”

Jax stood behind me and placed both his hands on my hips. I didn’t look him in the eye; my eyes were glued to my stomach.

I was marked as the property of The Pythons.  II wore their mark. Tears of disgust rolled down my cheeks.

“Amber,” Jax’s voice was calm, but right now he was the last person I wanted to see have seen this.

“Get out,” I choked. “Just get out.”

“Amber…”

“GET OUT!”

“Just let me dry you first and I will leave.”

I turned around sharply to face him, “I said GET OUT!”

Taking a step away from me, his arms dropped to his side. His eyes flashed with hurt for a moment before he turned around and walked out of the bathroom.

I wiped the tears from under my eyes. I couldn’t look at the mark again; I felt disgusted.

“Where is she?” I heard Cole bark at Jax.

“Bathroom,” Jax answered, now in the bedroom, but I felt his eyes on me.

I turned around and saw Cole standing in the bathroom doorframe with a plastic bag. He looked over me for a moment before turning around.

“What did you do to her!” Cole roared at Jax, and I was surprised by the venom in his tone.

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” Jax roared back.

I grabbed a towel from the counter and wrapped it around my body, wincing as I did.

“THEN WHY THE HELL IS SHE CRYING! WHAT THE FU—”

“He didn’t do anything,” I cut Cole off. I walked slowly through the bathroom and to the door. Cole took a step back so I could enter my bedroom; he kept his eyes locked on Jax.

“Why are you crying?” Cole shot me a sideways glance as I moved towards my bed.

“Why do you think?” I spat back. “I’m sure you’ve seen it!”

“Oh...” Cole said blankly, and stopped glaring at Jax.

“Get out,” I whispered. “Both of you.”

Cole looked at me warily. “Your bandage needs changing,”

“I don’t care.” I lowered myself onto the edge of the bed, with my back to Jax. “Please, just leave me alone.”

Cole tossed the plastic bag on my bed and crossed his arms. “I know this is our fault Amber, I know we failed you.”

“You think I care about that?” I choked, rubbing the tears away from my eyes. “No, I don’t care that clearly someone has taken their revenge out on me. What I care about is…” I broke off and shook my head, not being able to say it.

“What?” Jax’s voice piped in from behind me. “Tell us.”

Cole looked at me with a serious expression and I shook my head.

“Just leave,” I muttered.

“Don’t make me call the others...” Cole threatened.

“How can you even look at me?” I pulled my head up and stared him in the eye “I wear your enemy’s mark! I’m… I’m ruined.”

Cole’s expression went blank and he just stood there frozen, not knowing what to say. Perhaps it was because I had just stated the obvious. I couldn’t take his silence as a good sign, and it didn’t help that Jax was also in the room, also silent.

“Get out,” I muttered dryly. “GET THE HELL OUT NOW!” I put my head in my hands; the pain was getting worse as I yelled.

“Amber, it’s our fault you carry that mark. Our opinion of you can never change.” Cole’s voice was firm as he knelt down in front of me. “This is our fault.”

It was comforting to hear that he thought that but, at the same time, the others wouldn’t be as thoughtful. I was very aware of my own attitude towards people who wore this scar or tattoo because

“Your opinion may not change, but others’ will. Just leave me alone.”

Cole stayed put in front of me. “Someone has to change your bandage. You can’t be left alone.”

“I will call someone. Just leave,” I muttered.

“And who will you be calling? We are your family.” His voice trembled in anger as he spoke.

“No offense Cole, but you guys are the last people I want looking at and treating this mark. Not when I know you guys kill people for simply showing it.”

“You didn’t get this by choice.”

“No, but I still have it.” I shook my head “Please, I cannot take any more humiliation.”

“Fine.” He stood up “Who do you want me to call?”

I thought about it for a few moments, and that was when I realized something. There was only one person who wouldn’t judge me for this mark; there was only person I trusted to care for me, knowing that I had it.

“I will call him. Just go.”

“Him?” Jax piped up. “Who is it?” His own anger now laced his words as he spoke.

“I don’t have to answer you, either of you. Now go.”

Grunting and shaking his head, Cole placed my phone on the bed and walked away. I heard him and Jax leave and I didn’t know why, but I just felt complete and utter disgust at myself.

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to cut the wound out of my body completely. It was like having an awful word tattooed into my skin.

Unlocking my phone, I dialed the one number that I had promised to never dial again, and it didn’t help that I knew that number by heart.

***

“Is this all you want?” Blake asked, as he carried the bag he had helped me pack.

Nodding my head, I thanked him. “I feel so stupid for making you do this for me.”

“Amber, you are always my number one. No matter what. Come on, let’s get you out of here.” He smiled at me warmly as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “You want me to carry you?”

“No, I can walk. Just not fast.”

“Do your brothers know you are leaving with me?” he asked, holding the door open for me.

“No.” I walked slowly out of the room and down the hall. “What did they say when they saw you?”

“Nothing. I think they expected me.” His face turned sour. “I get why they’re disgusted with themselves. I looked after you for years and nothing happened.”

“Perhaps don’t mention that to them,” I said under my breath. I came to a halt at the long staircase; God, this was going to be painful.

“Come on Amber, just let me carry you down. I promise when we get to the bottom you can hit me or something so you don’t feel like a weakling.”

I glanced at Blake; he knew me too well. I nodded my head and just let him carry me down the stairs. When he placed me at the bottom, I shot him a small smile.

He winked at me and opened the front door. My expression went blank as I noticed all my brothers and Jax, leaning against his car.

“Why are you out of bed?” Adam asked, and then his face went tight as he saw the bag over Blake’s shoulder.

“As much as I enjoy seeing you guys draping yourselves over my car, can you get off it?” Blake said coolly and took a step in front of me. “I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Then you can leave,” Jax snarled at him, and glanced briefly at me, adding, “Without her.”

“Like I am leaving her in your hands,” Blake scoffed. “You guys couldn’t protect her if your life depended on it. But wait… you already proved that.”

All of the boys took a step towards him, each with an expression twisted in hate.

“Don’t Blake,” I hissed from behind him. “Just drop it.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, “But I just wanted to point out that Amber was my other half for years and she never copped my payback, or got hurt. Just proves what sort of brothers you really are to her, although I guess you guys were never around when she needed you.”

Blake dodged Cole’s fist and I moved to stand in front of him, holding my ground and not letting them fight; though Blake was baiting them.

“Amber, get back in the house,” Cole spat at me. “NOW!”

“NO!” I stood my ground. “I’m leaving with Blake and you guys are going to let me.”

All of them scoffed and Cole shook his head. “Like hell we are.”

“You are because I am asking you guys to.” I stopped for a moment, pain shooting through me. I fought to steady my breathing. “You guys are going to let me go, because I cannot live in the same house as you while I cope with this.”

“I already told you the mark means nothing to us,” Cole hissed, and I noticed his firm fists.

“But it means something to me. Just let me come to terms with it then I will be able to look at you guys without feeling disgusted.”

“Get out of our way,” Blake snarled from behind me; he never liked people standing in our way, but I suppose nobody does.

I glanced at Jax and he was just glaring into the house behind us, not looking at me. How could I expect him to, after what was on my body.

“Then why go with him?” Tyler spoke up, clearly hurt with my decision. “Why leave and take off with the HellBound?”

“Because she knows I can protect her,” Blake snapped from behind me. I couldn’t turn around to give him a dirty look; I knew it would hurt too much.

I felt guilty for what I was about to say, but I knew it was the truth. “Because I wear his mark and I know his eyes can never look at me with disgust,” I muttered, looking to the ground.

The boys stepped out of our way. Blake looked smug as he shouldered Cole, opening the door for me. He tossed the bag into the back and waited for me to take a seat.

Glancing at the boys, I noticed how hurt they each looked. “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “Just give me time.”

Blake helped me into the car and closed the door. I knew he had a smug look on his face as he walked around the car. Then, suddenly, I heard his body slam into the side of the car, and I noticed Jax had him by the collar. I had never seen Jax furious, but right now, even I was scared of the look on his face...

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you,” I heard Jax hiss at Blake, before pushing him away.

Blake opened the door, a pissed off look on his face. He slammed it shut, hard, and then turned the key, bringing the engine to life.

He glanced over at me .“You hungry? I think we should get food before heading home.” He didn’t mention Jax’s threat.

I nodded my head in agreement, as I looked into the side view. My brothers were shooting daggers at the car, and that was the last thing I saw as we pulled away.