Janet walks off, leaving me wide-eyed in shock.
Arrow wasn’t faithful to Mary, the woman he claims to have loved so much?
I don’t know how to process that right now.
I continue to the kitchen, where I find Arrow sitting there alone. He’s staring down into his drink like it holds all life’s answers. Then suddenly he lifts the glass and throws it across the room.
I jump.
“Arrow?” I say, stepping into the room. “What’s wrong?”
He expels a deep sigh, leaning forward and rubbing the back of his head in frustration. I stand in front of him and tilt his head back, framing his face with my hands. My thumbs gently caress his jaw as I speak. “You can talk to me, you know. About anything. I won’t judge you.”
“As soon as something good happens in my life, I somehow fuck it up, even if it was just a cruel twist of fuckin’ fate.”
I freeze. “What does that even mean?”
He pushes my hands away from his face and stands, looking hollow. “Go back into the room and lock the door, Anna.”
“What?” I ask, my face scrunching in confusion. “What are you going to do?”
“Just have a talk with the brothers, then come to bed. I just need a minute.”
“Okay,” I say, hesitantly leaving the kitchen, and retreating to our bedroom.
However, when he’s not back in the room after an hour, I start to worry. I didn’t like that look on his face, especially when I didn’t know why it was there. So I go in search of him. When I step back into the game room, I see him there, talking to Tracker and Rake.
The conversation looks intense.
A second later, a woman walks over to him and sits down on his lap. Like a spell is broken by her presence, the men all stop talking, looking lost in their own thoughts.
Arrow doesn’t push the woman off him. He just sits there drinking, looking extremely unhappy, and maybe even a little guilty.
Why would he feel guilt?
I know he felt guilt over Mary, but he’d been dealing with it. In my imagination I thought that maybe I’d been helping him deal with it somehow.
She kisses his neck.
He still doesn’t push her away.
My chest burns.
I guess a lot has changed in the last hour while I was sitting in the room like a good little girl waiting for Arrow to return.
Rake notices the woman kissing Arrow’s neck, his expression turning deadly.
“You gonna let some bitch touch you when you have my sister waiting for you?” he asks loudly, his fists clenching.
Tracker looks confused and a little pissed off. “Arrow? What the fuck, man?”
“What the fuck are you doing, Arrow?” Rake asks. “After everything? I will fuckin’ beat the shit out of you!”
“Don’t fuck up and lose her,” Tracker says. “You will regret it.”
Arrow laughs without humor. “I’ve already lost her, so what’s the point?”
Rake and Tracker exchange glances. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“What do you mean you’ve already lost her? You need to explain now, before I lose my shit,” Rake growls.
I step forward, revealing myself. “Yes, Arrow, what do you mean?”
Arrow glances up at me, guilt etched all over his face.
I look at the woman on his lap. “Get out of here.”
She looks to Arrow, who looks at her as if he’s only just realizing she’s there. Without a word, he pushes her off him.
Bit fucking late for that, isn’t it?
“What the fuck, Arrow?” I ask, my hands shaking with anger.
And pain.
And fucking confusion.
He doesn’t say anything, so I leave. I don’t want anyone to see how much this is affecting me.
I hear the men yelling at him. He calls my name, but too fucking bad. I don’t get him! He was fine before, even though I know something has been bothering him, then I find him with some woman sitting on his lap? Why didn’t he push her off? What the hell is going through his mind?
He’s hiding something.
I don’t need this shit.
I don’t need a man who isn’t sure of his feelings. He knows I love him. He knows.
Apparently it’s not enough.
I’m not enough.
Fine, then. I can’t stay here tonight—I pack a bag and head to Lana’s house.
I step out into the cool air and take in the scene, a shitload of motorcycles and a few men standing around and talking. I frown when I see no other than Slice, Talon’s friend. What is he doing here? I walk straight up to him, smirking at the almost nervous look that passes in his expression. He’s dressed in all black, no cut. Sneaking in maybe? What is he up to?
“You’re a little close to enemy headquarters, don’t you think?” I ask quietly so only he can hear.
His eyes narrow. “What do you want?”
“What are you doing here?” I ask him. “You better not plan to hurt anyone.”
His lips tighten. “What do you want?”
“I want a ride. I need to get out of here. You owe me, and don’t even think of taking me anywhere else other than where I want to go.”
I left my car keys in my room and I sure as hell wasn’t going back into the clubhouse.
He calls Talon.
Talon tells him to do it.
“Let me speak to Talon first, so I know you’re not going to murder me or something,” I say.
He hands me the phone. “Hey, Talon.”
“You okay, Anna?” he asks, sounding concerned.
“I need a quick escape. What is Slice doing here, anyway?” I ask him.
“Never mind about that. You can trust him. I trust Slice with my life.”
“And what does that mean to me?”
I hear him sigh. “You and I both know we need to talk. Why don’t you let Slice bring you here?”
We do need to talk. I need answers.
“All right,” I tell him, then hang up the phone and give it back to Slice.
“Take me to Talon, please.”
He grits his teeth. “Get the fuck on my bike, princess.”
He says princess in such a mocking way I want to punch him. But I don’t, because I need him right now.
I get on his bike.
I could feel my heart breaking the whole way home.
* * *
I don’t like Slice.
He takes me straight back to their clubhouse. On the ride over I had time to think, to go over what happened and to try to figure out the puzzle that is Arrow’s recent behavior.
I realize that recently two things happened.
One was when Arrow spoke to Talon, and two was my telling him that I loved him.
I thought it had to do with the former, and hoped it wasn’t the latter.
Talon was somehow the key in all of this, and I was glad to be at his clubhouse, so I could demand some answers.
I needed them badly.
I slide off the back of Slice’s bike, eager to get away from him. Handing him his helmet, I mumble a thank-you. He nods his head to the door. “Talon is through there.”
He walks to the door and I follow behind him.
“Where is everyone?” I ask him, looking around the empty place.
“Out,” he replies, stopping at a door and knocking twice.
“Come in,” I hear Talon call. Slice opens the door, but only I walk in. Talon looks up, his white-blond hair falling across his forehead. He pushes it out of his face and flashes me a small smile.
“Nice to see you, Anna,” he says quietly. “Take a seat.”
I lower myself into the seat and stare at him expectantly.
He smirks. “Nothing to say? No kidnapping accusations?”
“Not this time. I have a feeling that you know things, and right now I want some answers,” I tell him in a strong, even voice.
He laughs without humor. “I knew Arrow wouldn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?” I demand. “I’m sick of all this. Just tell me what’s going on!”
He sobers. “I never wanted to hurt you, Anna, I hope you believe that.”
I don’t like the sound of this.
“What did you say to Arrow that day?” I ask.
Talon expels a heavy sigh. “It’s more what I showed him.”
He reaches into a drawer and pulls out a piece of paper. He stares at it once before sliding it across the table. I pick it up with trembling hands and read it from top to bottom.