Lucy. Poor Lucy. I watched the whole thing from the corner without saying a word. I’m a fucking prick but I couldn’t exactly stand up and get in between this. I don’t need to make a scene here, that’s the last thing I want. But seeing her running out the door damn near killed me. There’s indents in my palm from squeezing my fists so tight.

I catch Mac’s eye in the corner and pace towards him. He’s sitting alone in a booth watching one of the girls give him a private show. Using his power to manipulate them into thinking he’ll bring them a better life. It’s filthy, wrong.

“‘Excuse us for a second, darlin’,” I say to the girl before slamming my hand down hard on the table in front of him. “So…Who is she?”

“She? She’s Hayley. You know Hayley,” he replies with a grin, giving the girl on his lap a little slap on the ass as she stands up to walk away.

“You know who I’m talking about, Mac.”

“Quit the dramatics, kid. Sit the fuck down.”

“Who. Is. Lucy?”

“Look, she’s someone you don’t needa be messing with anymore, end o’ story. That shit’s in the fuckin’ past. She might as well be a ghost to you.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Lucy, she’s a poison. She’s been lying to you. She knows the second you remember who she fucking is you’d be running for the damn hills. You told me yourself you never wanted to see her again and my suggestion is that you don’t unless you want this to turn ugly. You love Mia, remember?”

I know he’s fucking lying to me. I can see right through this bastard. “Some of the guys here know I went looking for Lucy when I dropped my bike. If I didn’t want to see her again, why the hell did I go looking for her Mac?”

“I don’t fucking know why you left, and I sure as shit don’t know why you did that to your cut… But look, Landon, it’s the past. You’re back, and you know what you need to do.”

“And what exactly do I need to do?”

”You’re taken. You’re engaged which means you gotta learn to respect your old lady,” Mac says.

“You’re the last to lecture me on respecting ladies you motherfucker so don’t give me that shit. I know I’ve never laid a finger on Mia. I remember that fucking much. So tell me why the hell am I marrying someone I don’t give a damn about?” I ask indignantly.

“You know what, boy, I don’t like your tone.” Mac stands up to meet me.

“And I don’t like your dodging my fuckin’ question.” Mac’s fists close but I ain’t scared of him right now. “Go on. Hit me, old man. I fuckin’ dare you. As long as you tell me the truth, you can hit me as hard as you want. I might not know who the fuck she is but I know how I feel about Lucy… And I know I don’t feel shit for Mia.”

Prez cracks his neck and takes another step closer to me, causing me to back off a little. The rest of the club settle their noise. My jaw flexes to take the oncoming hook to my face. He leans towards me, letting his hot breath waft up my nose.

“You can relax, kid. Lucy Palermo is no big fucking deal.”

“So I know her? The girl who was just here, I knew her?”

“Yeah, you knew her. She’s a junkies daughter, a memory, a high school girlfriend who meant shit to you. Come to terms with the reality that you’re with Mia for the good of the club. Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass you’d see she’s plenty interested in consummating your fucking relationship.”

“I’m not going through with this Mac. Not until you come clean on everything.”

Mac stares at me with anger in his eyes. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. This girl, this Lucy Rivers, she had me believing I was a strange when this whole time we had a history. I don’t know what to do with myself.

“You’re the one who agreed to marry Mia. You’re the one who ran off in the dead of the fucking night to go get your dick wet in old snatch. You’re the one who turned up here with his fucking patches torn off his cut. Until your fucking brain starts working right I’m gonna do you a favor, boy, and let you walk away from me with your skin on… Get some rest tonight, and don’t you ever fucking talk to me like this again or you’re worse than dead.”