Page 20 of Timeless

“He doesn’t.” I was gob smacked. Troy didn’t beat people up. I knew he was capable of it. He was physically in shape for it. I also knew you didn’t become a president without getting your hands dirty. But this was first time I had ever seen that side of Troy.

The front door slammed shut and Chelsea and I both jumped.

Troy was back. He didn’t look slightly out of breath. In fact, he didn’t even look like that was a challenge.

Chelsea and I were just staring at him. I knew I should break the silence.

“Chelsea, you can take your hands off Jack’s eyes now.” Troy smiled at her. He actually smiled at her!

Automatically, Chelsea removed her hands. Jack started complaining that he missed out on the fight. He hadn’t seen it but he’d heard it.

“I’ll get some ice for your hands.” Chelsea snapped out of her shock and walked toward the fridge.

“Don’t worry about it,” Troy said. But she wasn’t listening.

“You shouldn’t have had to do that. That was my problem.” Chelsea wouldn’t look at Troy as she put ice into a tea towel.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it,” Troy said, like it was no big deal that he had not only scared the shit out of Mason but also nearly killed him with his fists.

Chelsea looked up at him. “I’m really sorry to get you involved.” Chelsea hated bringing other people into her problems. Even small problems, like at work, she would make sure to handle herself.

Which is why I knew it was a big deal when she came to me today. Because she could have just stayed with him and not have come to me.

“I said, don’t worry about it.” Troy glanced down at as she took one of his bloody hands and applied ice to his knuckles.

I had never once seen another woman show care toward any of my brothers. Sure, I’d seen lust, but never tenderness. Right now, Chelsea was caring for Troy and she was angry with herself for letting him get hurt.

She looked really torn up about it.

“Chelsea,” Troy said softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Chelsea shook her head. “I shouldn’t have come here.” She grabbed Troy’s other hand and made him take over icing his knuckles. “I should go. Convince him not to call the police.”

“You aren’t going back to him!” Troy’s voice went from soft to firm. He was speaking to her, like he would speak to me, if I was about to do something stupid, like go back to an abusive ex-boyfriend.

“He could get you arrested.” Chelsea tried to walk around Troy and he blocked her path. “Troy, let me past.”

“No.”

“I won’t let you and Amber get in trouble over me!”

“He won’t go the cops.” Troy did his best to speak sense to her. But she was panicked. “Seriously, Chelsea. He won’t go the cops, and I doubt he will ever go near you again.”

“Troy is right, Chelsea.” I realized it was my turn to speak sense to her. She didn’t understand Troy’s lifestyle. Even if Mason went to the cops, Troy would get off. If there was one thing Jax made sure of, it was that they had enough police on their payroll.

“How do you know that?” Chelsea looked alarmed.

“Because Jax doesn’t let his men get arrested for assault. He has more cops on his payroll than anything else.” I walked toward her. Troy was still stopping her from bolting and going after Mason. “Seriously, Chelsea, Troy won’t get in trouble.”

Chelsea looked from me to Troy and seemed to be in debate about it.

“You’ll have to trust us, Chelsea.” Troy seemed almost nervous asking that of Chelsea. How could he face down Mason so easily and run an outlaw motorcycle gang but asking Chelsea to trust him, had him nervous?

I looked at my brother harder. What was with him?

“We were going to get pizza, right?” Troy said, changing the subject. He seemed to be waiting for Chelsea to calm down and not want to bolt.

Chelsea ran a hand through her blond hair and nodded. “Yeah, okay. Pizza.”

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