Page 12 of Knot My MC
Why didn’t they call?
A few minutes pass but no reply comes. Maybe they’re busy. They’ve been working on more jobs for the club and it’s a little unreasonable to expect them to text me back right away. While I wait, I scroll through some older messages.
Crow
Where you at, Kiki? The ice cream is melting.
They bought me some on the anniversary of my mother’s death, knowing I’d be depressed as shit.
Jag
Bring your bathing suit.
We’d broken into a city pool one night, drinking beer and playing Marco Polo until the sun started to rise.
Knox
Tell Frankie to get his hands off you.
I pause on that one. Knox had sent it to me when he saw the stupid jock wrap his arm around me at a party. Ten minutes later, Frankie had a black eye and wouldn’t look at me.
There’s so much evidence. So many things that tell me they care. But a reply to my message never comes. My phone screen eventually shuts off, the auto-lock kicking in from inactivity. Hours tick by, but the screen never lights up. With the darkened screen comes sadness. Then hurt and confusion and rage.
I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to trust those intrusive thoughts saying they set me up. We were friends. We were thick as thieves… we were… from rival MCs. They were patched in. They’ve been doing more jobs. Was I one of them?
I don’t believe that.
* * *
Three weeks pass without any word. Every day without them makes the hurt grow a little more. Every hour that ticks by is another knife in my back. Every minute without a text confirms my worst fears.
They set me up.
Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of our differences. I let my emotions, my desire to fit in with a pack, cloud my judgment. I played right into their hand, giving them everything they ever needed to well and truly hurt me.
Because that’s what this was about.
Psychological warfare.
Make Kiren Malone’s daughter fall in love with the Hounds and then destroy her. It’s low and dirty and entirely fucked up.
I shut the door to the house and lean against it, pressing my eyes shut as I battle through my hurt and anger.
“Kiki? Is that you?” Dad calls from the kitchen.
I suck in a sharp breath. I thought he’d be busy. Quickly shoving all of that vulnerable hurt down, I conceal everything. I won’t let him know the extent of my pain. I can’t. That’s what they want. Hurting Kiren’s daughter is as good as declaring war. I can’t let Dad fight for me, not over this. Not over something so… pathetic. Something soomega. I thought I’d found my future mates, even despite what the Omega Council has planned for me, I thought I’d find a way to be with the guys.
“Kiki?” Dad asks again, his footsteps coming closer.
“Yeah.” I push off the door and paste on a grin. “What’s up, old man?”
He glares at me as I set my backpack down. “How was school?”
“Fine. I thought you’d be gone tonight.” I take in the apron covered in flour.
“Axel changed his mind. I’m making some bread and pasta tonight. Want to help?”
“I can’t. I have homework.” I grimace. “Another English paper.”
