Wild Ride(The Soldiers of Wrath MC, 7)(31)
Had he fallen out of love with her?
Had she done something awful?
She didn’t know, and with each passing day, she knew it was making her ill just thinking about it.
Vengeance sat up on a hill, resting on his bike, cigarette between his lips as he stared at the ground. From the height he was at, he saw the town below, and in the distance he got a clear view of the clubhouse. His eyesight wasn’t the best, and so most of the time it looked like a blurred mess, which he was happy about right now.
He didn’t want to focus. It had been over a week since he had found Constance and taken that fucker out. He was disappointed in himself because he hadn’t spent enough time hurting the bastard. The death had been too quick, and every time he looked at Constance he was swamped by guilt that he didn’t get to her sooner. Right now it was eating away at him, making it next to impossible to focus on anything else.
Every night for the past week she would ask him if he was coming to bed, and he would tell her that he had stuff to do. He wouldn’t sleep beside her, and he would take a few moments just to watch her. She deserved better than him. What he saw and what he knew, the stuff Craig had planned for her, it made him sick to his stomach.
The sound of a bike heading his direction had him turning. Weasel pulled up a few feet away.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Why are you here?” Weasel asked. “Why are you not at the club? You know Constance never leaves your room, nor do you go to your home. She’s either in your room or in the bathroom staring at her fucking face.”
The face that had a bandage across it. The doctor had said she would carry a scar for the rest of her life. He could try to repair the damage but in the end she’d still have a scar, a reminder. She was beautiful no matter what.
“Just give her some space.”
“You mean what you’re doing? What the fuck is going on, Vengeance?” Weasel asked. “She’s hurting and you’re here, doing what?”
“I failed her.”
“How the fuck did you fail her? You saved her. You protected her.”
“I got there late. He was able to hurt her, and she’s going to live with that mark for the rest of her life.”
Weasel burst out laughing. He actually grabbed his stomach and laughed. “Wow, you really think that? Are you being dense on fucking purpose? You saved her before he could do anything else.” Weasel shook his head. “You need to get your head out of your ass and go to your woman before you lose another good thing in your life.” He climbed back onto his bike. “And call your sister.”
Him and his fucking obsession with my sister.
Vengeance watched as Weasel rode away. Could he cut himself a break? He would call Renee soon but right now, he really needed to deal with his problems, and one of them was back at the clubhouse.
26
Vengeance got back to the clubhouse, went to Constance, but when he found her asleep he left her alone and found a quiet room. He pulled out his cell and stared at it for long seconds.
Enough time has passed.
Pushing aside any anger he held for the fight he’d had with his sister, he dialed her number. His heart was thundering, his need to make things right with the only family he had left riding him hard. But the voicemail kicked on, and he thought about what to say, how to say it.
“Hey there, it’s me, Vengeance.” A moment passed before he continued. “It’s been a while, baby sister, but it’s due time we spoke.” He chuckled humorlessly. “In a way I’m glad I got your voicemail. Makes this a little easier. But makes me seem a little weaker too, I guess.”
He ran a hand over his hair, stared off, and wished he could say these things to her face.
“But I’m sorry for the way I acted, and I know a part of you has to be too. We’ve always been close, always had each other’s backs. At the time I was doing what I thought was best. It’s your life, and you’re an adult. You know what you want. So I’m sorry, because not having you in my life is pretty fucking hard, Renee.”
And that was the truth.
“Give me a call, baby sister. I want to say these things to you, want to make this right again. I want you to meet my woman, want you back in my life. We’re all we have.”
The pain consumed her, the heat and humidity surrounding her. She was shaking, her hands covering her intimate parts as Craig stood on the other side of her. He was laughing at her, watching her, his gaze raking over her as if he were actually reaching out and touching her.
Constance wanted to throw up, wanted to just run and never look back. But she was frozen, unable to move, unable to even breathe. She was stuck in this whirlwind of emotion: fear anger, disgust, and the need for Vengeance to be here.