MELISSA'S POVI was running faster than I ever thought my legs could move as trees whipped by. It was cold and dark and I had no idea where I was or where I was running to. All I knew that I was running from Jimmy. I had to get away before he caught me. I would never let him have me again. Never. Again.He popped out from around a tree and grabbed me before he threw me to the ground, my face burned from the impact with the Sandy ground. I let out a blood curdling scream as his strong hands held me down, suffocating me. "No! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" I flipped and flopped until I was free from his gasp, but then I smelled something familiar and scrunched my nose."Mel8!!"My eyes popped wide open as my tagged breath shook my shoulders and sweat dripped my forehead. I looked into Danny's eyes, and then Careen's and finally Gearhead's. I was back in Alexander's bedroom at the compound, not in woods."You're okay, kid, you're home and safe.". Danny's rough voice tried to calm me,
MELISSA'S POVWhen I woke up, I felt arms around my torso and a strong body behind me as panic began to set in again."No. No!" I tried to squirm free before I screamed again."Hey, ssh."My head whipped around as I looked in Alexander's aqua blue eyes, my nerves immediately settling down. But then my bottom lip began to tremble again as I felt his strong arms wrapped around me even tighter."Hey, don't cry. I'm here now. I am not leaving you ever again." I trembled as I held my sobs back. "I'm. So. Sorry," I choked out."Ssh." He kissed the back of my head and squeezed me tighter to his chest. "Just rest. There isn't anything to be sorry about."That was a lie. I had so many things to be sorry about, and as everything swam through my mind, I finally let a sob break free."Babe, it's okay," Alexander whispered into my hair.I shook my head. "But it's not...""No, I guess you're right." His voice was low and sounded hurt, but he never released his hold on me in slightest."You must hat
MELISSA'S POVAs I laid in bed scrolling through my emails, a light knock echoed through the room. I sat up, hoping that it was Alexander so we could talk. But Careen popped her head in and smiled. Disappointment filled me as I returned her smile."Axel here, your mom's burial is today."I had forgotten how long I had been in the hospital and didn't realize that day was here already. I wasn't ready for something this dark, but I knew my dad needed me today. I nodded at Careen and got up from the bed, hoping I had something in here that would be appropriate enough for the funeral. Club funerals weren't like the traditional ones. As long as the members showed up in their leather cuts, it didn't matter what you wore underneath it.Careen shut the door as I rummaged through the bag of clothes someone brought over from my apartment. I didn't have much to choose from so I grabbed my normal attire: skinny jeans, a white v-cut tee, my boots, and of course, my leather cut. My face was a mess,
MELISSA'S POVPacking up the guitar the crowd dispersed and headed back to the clubhouse for drinks and a final farewell to my mother. I didn't know why but I was still shaking as I lifted the guitar case and headed over to Axel's truck to put it away."Why don't I know that you play guitar?", Alexander's raspy voice swept across my skin, and when I turned to him, he had a look of confusion and betrayal written all over his features."There's a lot of things you don't know about me," I replied, turning my back to the truck to shut the door. "I am starting to see that." He took a drag from his cigarette when I turned around and held out my hand to steal a drag from him.My nerves were fried. He handed me the smoke before I took the long drag, blowing out the cloud of smoke before I handed it back."I am ready to go when you're."When I looked up at him, he was still staring at me as if I were a stranger. His brows were furrowed together as he took one more drag and stomped the butt out
MELISSA'S POVI woke the next morning with a slight headache as I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I recalled most of the night before, but toward the end, it went a little blurry.Alexander had stayed away from me for most of the party after I tried to seduce him, and I cursed myself out now that I was sober. There was still a desperate feeling of want for him deep inside that l couldn't tame, though. No matter how hard I tried to squash my feelings.After I got dressed, I headed out to find the bar was mostly empty. All the people that were here last night were all gone and back on the roads. Gearhead, Danny, Aaron and Careen were all sat at the bar, looking worse than I felt."Well, good morning, sweetcheeks. Can I get you anything for that hungover?" Careen smiled. I grumbled as I slid oto the stool next to Danny. Bloody Mary. You know how I like it." Careen winked at me before she started on my drink.Looking around, I couldn't help but wonder Alexander had laid his head down for the
MELISSA'S POV "It was over ten minutes so I ran in. What the hell happened, Melissa?" Aaron sounded distraught, driving out of the parking lot like a madman.I couldn't speak; couldn't move. I was just thankful that he had come inside to get me when he had."Melissa, talk to me," Aaron urged.My head shook as I pulled my knees up and hugged them to my chest, resting my head on them as I quietly cried.When Aaron pulled back into the clubhouse parking lot, he honked the horn several times before he stopped at the front doors.I was still frozen in fear as all the memories came rushing back at once. Aaron had jumped out of the truck before I heard his muffled voice talking to someone."I don't know what the fuck happened. I gave her ten minutes inside and when it hit ten minutes, I ran inside and found her on the floor hysterical."My door opened as I jumped and looked to find Alexander standing there. A look of anger and horror flashed through his gaze.I sobbed again and threw my arm
"What's this lead you're talking about?""Some Skeletors just rode through town. I figured we could try to catch them before they left." The smile on Smokey's face told me that he was ready for a fight.It had been months since anything really exciting had happened around her, and I could tell that Smokey was ready for some danger. We all were."Prospect! Get your ass over here!" Smokey yelled for Aaron before he ran over, wiping the grease from his hands. "Suit up, kid. Us big boys are going to show you how to handle business."Aaron's eyes lit up as he dropped his towel and ran for his bike, starting it before I could even slide onto the seat of my own bike. Kid was excited, I'll give him that.The familiar rumbled between my legs was just what I needed right now. I needed a clear mind for what we were about to do, and riding on the open road tended to do just that.Smokey took the lead out of the lot as I followed right behind him, catching Aaron out my peripheral vision behind me.
MELISSA'S POV I left my dad's office feeling a bit more relieved than I ever I would feel. I finally understood what Alexander had gone through all those years ago, and why he had become the man he was today. I remembered him being a normal teenager, laughing with me under the sun, running through the fields hand-in-hand, and even making love under the stars. But after that run with my dad, he had changed. He became dark, distant, and a total hard-ass, and it finally all made sense now.I headed toward the bar, seeing that everyone had calmed down enough and were drinking beers, but I didn't see Alexander in sight. Walking up to the bar, I tapped my fingers lightly against the wood top until Careen walked over."What's up, darlin'? Can I get you a beer?"Shaking my head, I asked, "Where's Alexander?""Went to his room to shower up, I think." She shrugged as she reached under the bar and brought up another bottle of whiskey.Nodding, I headed back to the bedrooms and straight into Ale