Page 16 of Hell's Claim

“Yeah, that’s a good word for it. I don’t like crowds, and while everyone tries to reassure that nobody here will hurt me, it’s hard to trust.”

“I get that, Callie. After my betrayal by the club… I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to step foot in here,” Sunny agreed.

“How did you? I mean, you were clear, fifteen years free, but you came back. Why?” Callie asked.

“Because I had unfinished business.”

Sunny felt like squirming under her steady gaze. He was shocked when she whispered a moment later.

“You think there’s dirt here still. It’s in your eyes. You don’t fully trust those around you,” she murmured.

Sunny was stunned. “What makes you say that?”

“I’m quiet, shy, but not a fool. I was shipped from home to home, some good, some bad. But I learned lessons. One of which was when people were on edge and said things they didn’t feel. You do not feel easy here. The question, then, is why? If the MC was as clean as everyone says, you’d be relaxed. But you’re not. You are constantly alert and on guard.

“Your daughter hasn’t been seen since you moved here. Which means you’re keeping your family separate from the club. If you were comfortable, there’d be no need. Your actions belie your words,” Callie stated, and Sunny began to smile.

“Pretty direct.”

“No point in beating around the bush.”

“And I thought you were the quiet one,” Sunny teased.

Callie flipped the lid off the bottle of beer he’d given her.

“I am. But that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover. I may not be as confident as my sisters and brother, but nobody walks over me anymore. I don’t like lies, deception, or bullshit.”

“Good to know. So, tell me, why are you here in a corner and not with your family?”

“Because I don’t fit in. For years, I yearned for a family, and now I have one, I am being ungrateful. But I’m used to being alone, and even in a crowd, I feel lonely. Honestly, I’d hoped for bonding experiences. Yeah, I got them, but while my siblings bonded, I didn’t. Not even with my twin. Shit, my paranormal team is more my family than them,” Callie said, and Sunny was surprised.

“They know you feel like that?”

“Hell no. Sunny, I don’t like or enjoy hurting people, which means my sisters won’t know how I feel.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Sunny offered.

“No. Thank you, but I guess it’s just time. When you’ve been by yourself most of your life, you tend to be wary of those who come into your life.”

“That’s hard for me to understand. My childhood was surrounded by some of those present, and I basically grew up in the club. When I left here and joined the army, I found a new family. You must have felt so alone, yet had siblings you knew nothing about. That had to be gutting to discover,” Sunny said.

Callie looked at him in surprise. “It was. Nobody has considered that.”

“I’m a deep thinker. What you see isn’t always what you get,” Sunny quipped, and Callie nodded.

“That’s true.”

“What else is bothering you?” Sunny questioned, and Callie shook her head.

“You don’t want all my problems. Why aren’t you partying with your brothers?”

“Maybe because, like you, I feel like an outsider looking in.”

“Do you regret leaving the army?” Callie asked.

Sunny thought about it for a few moments. “I regret losing being part of something huge. I miss my brothers in arms, but I don’t miss the danger.”

“Not even with this rumoured war between clubs?” Callie inquired softly.

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