Page 60 of Redemption

“That she’s planning to make you work even harder than just getting benched by the club to stay local and dance one measly dance?”

“She plans to see other people.”

The brunette’s mouth falls open. “What? Are you sure?”

“She told me she wanted to rip the bandage off. Learn to date someone who isn’t the club and get the awkward parts over with. What she means is date someone who isn’t me.”

Sitting in the chair he vacated, she rests her chin in her hand. “That seems weird.”

“Weird?” That’s the word she picks? He can think of at least twenty more fitting.

“Lex was always meant to be part of the club. Hell, if she’d been born with a penis, she’d have overthrown Jennings by now and had this place whipped into shape years ago. I can’t… this doesn’t make sense. God, you really fucked up, Colt,” she says and smacks him on the arm.

He sets his glass on the bar top. “I know.”

“No, you really fucked up. She’s leaving all of us. I hate you even more than I did before. This is worse than when she disappeared after all that shit went down with the Havoc Outlaws.”

Colt sighs, and his stomach drops. Lex left him shortly after she and Shep concocted a plan to get her kidnapped to save herself because the club wouldn’t listen. They had problems because he couldn’t get over his trust issues brought on by his mother, especially after Noah died, and she had to resort to putting her life on the line because she didn’t have faith in him or the club.

Why can’t he remember the pain he felt living without her? Oh, that’s right. Because he never thought she’d leave him again.

“Is it worse? At least she’s still around.”

Felicity glares at him. “She’s still around, but she’s not really here. And not a part of the club. Wow, that’s how it must’ve felt for her. Lonely. Even with you around. You make me sick.”

“Don’t hold back, Felicity,” he mutters and grits his teeth. God, he wants that vodka.

“Someone should have told you this long before now… You’re a fucking prick.”

“I know, okay?” he snaps, and she jumps in surprise. “I’m a fucking asshole. But what the fuck can I do about it now? Nothing I do means shit. She’s done. I pushed her so far past her limit, she’ll never come back to me. I get it. Trust me, no one understands better than I do now.”

Recovering quickly, she gets in his face and narrows her eyes. “Yeah, but your actions affect the rest of us. That’s the part you don’t seem to get. We’re all involved because we also have to deal with the loss of her.”

Her finger jabs at his temple, and his anger flares. He’s not the one walking away, but he gets all the blame. How the fuck is that fair?

Diesel hurries inside with Ky right on his heels, and Gavin and Gracie hurry behind their father.

“Colt, Chapel, now,” Diesel orders as most of the men shuffle back into the clubhouse, their women and children behind them. “Felicity, we’re going on lockdown.”

Her eyes widen, but she says nothing as she hurries towards her kids, Colt forgotten. He walks into the Chapel, his drink forgotten as everyone looks equally confused. “What’s going on?”

Jennings hurries in, and the doors shut with a loud bang. The anxious energy has everyone silent. “I’ve left Beckett and Brian with Lex along with Shep. Promised we’d fill them in later.”

“What’s going on?” Psycho repeats Colt’s question. “Why are we on lockdown? Because the Slashers shot a cop?”

“That normally helps us, doesn’t it?” Patriot asks and looks around. “Not that I condone going around shooting cops, but that seems more like an attempt at a favor than an attack.”

Jennings tosses his phone on the table, and Chicago’s voice comes through. “We’re all here.”

“Us, too,” he says and looks at Diesel. “I’ll give you the floor.”

“The Slashers attacked tonight right outside the clubhouse during a fucking wedding,” he says.

“Shot a cop,” VP says. “I gotta agree with Patriot, though. I don’t really follow the emergency lockdown.”

Ky shakes his head. “They weren’t aiming for Tate. They aimed at Ashley, and he took the bullet for her.”

Colt immediately sits up, his stomach in knots. “What?”

---