Rewriting Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC #1) (23 page)

“You sure you’re okay, princess?” Tom Tom asks, concern in his voice.

I give him a smile and move my eyes over to Zane. “Yeah, I’m going to be just fine.”

Tom Tom glances between Zane and me. I can tell he’s confused.

Zane notices the change and addresses Tom Tom. “You good brother?” he asks.

Tom Tom stares levels him with a glare for a couple of seconds before walking up to him and clasping him on the back. “Yeah, I’m good, brother. Just don’t fucking hurt our princess here or I’ll bury you alive.” With those parting words, he walks off and leaves me watching after him.

Zane laughs his words off and takes me by the hand, pulling me off my stool. “Come on, baby, let’s go find Mack.”

I follow him into the hallway and then stop outside Mack's office door. I’m suddenly nervous, feeling like I’m bringing a boy over to meet my dad for the first time. I guess in a way, I am. Even though Mack already knows who Zane is, and I’m no little girl anymore, I still want his approval and for the two of them to get along after he learns we are together.

I look up at Zane one last time before opening the door. Mack sits behind his desk with his head in his hands, bent over like he is exhausted. When Zane closes the door behind us, Mack lifts his head. He is instantly out of his chair and storming toward me. Before I can even guess what he is doing, I’m picked up off my feet, surrounded in his arms. I laugh but let him have this. I can’t even imagine what he must have felt knowing that I was missing last night.

What feels like hours later, he finally puts me down but doesn’t let me go. “You had me worried, darlin’.” If I didn’t know better, I would say that those were tears in his eyes.

I step into him and give him another hug. “I’m sorry, but I’m fine. Zane found me before anything could happen.”

When I release him, he puts his arm around my shoulders and faces Zane. “Thank you for finding my girl, Blaze. I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to her.” Looking down at me for a brief moment, he reaches out his hand.

Without hesitation, Zane shakes it. “I would walk through hell for Dani. I love her, Prez, and I plan on spending the rest of my life making sure no harm ever comes her way again.”

Oh shit, way to throw it out there!
Fuck, I wanted to sit down with Mack and tell him myself.

Before I can worry too much, though, Mack lets me go and pulls Zane in for a hug. “It’s ‘bout fucking time you kids took your heads outta your asses.” Turning to me, he lifts me up and whispers in my ear. “He’s a good man, darlin’, and I’m happy for you.”

I can feel tears filling my eyes, but for once, I don’t do anything to hold them in. I’m so happy that everything I’ve ever wanted has finally come true. I have a family, a job I love, friends that mean the world to me, and the man I love back by my side. Life is good.

Epilogue

Three Months Later

Waking up before my alarm goes off, I make my way into the bathroom. Zane had some club business to attend to for the past two days, which means I've had sleepless nights worrying about him and missing him lying next to me.

I look in the mirror and notice that my face is a little on the pale side and I have dark circles under my eyes. On top of not sleeping, I haven’t been feeling well either. But when you own your own business, you don’t really have the luxury of calling in sick, though I doubt Louie would mind. He’d be okay with anything if it meant he didn’t have to be in the same building with me.

Things between us have been tense on the best of days and really awkward on the worst. I wish we could go back to the way we were even a couple of months ago, but I know that can’t happen. Sleeping with him was probably not the best thing to do, but I hope he knows what he did for me back then. He helped me move on, and for that, I will always be grateful. I only wish it didn’t come at a cost.

After a quick shower, I dress in my favorite sweats and off the shoulder t-shirt. I don’t bother putting makeup on because I’m sure I will either be sweating this flu away or puking in the employee bathroom at some point today. Oh, the joys of being sick.

Twenty minutes later I walk into the shop and notice that Louie isn’t in yet. We hired a girl named Harlow a couple of weeks ago to work the reception desk and she has been amazing to have. She’s a little spitfire. I love it. I especially love how she gives as good as she gets when the brothers are around. You have to around those guys. But what I think is really funny is the way she is with Louie. She doesn't take any of his shit and is always hard on him. I think we are going to be really good friends.

“Hey, Low, what we got today?” I ask as I stash my purse under the desk.

She gives me a smile and flips through our appointment book—yes, we still do it old school. “You only have two today. One in about an hour, and the last one not until six tonight.”

I nod and head over to my station. “You heard anything from Louie?” Usually he is here by now.

Harlow scoffs at my question and whispers, “Asshole” under her breath. I laugh. “He called and said he was going to be late,” is all she says.

Okay then, guess I’ll leave that one alone for right now, but Louie and I need to sit down and have a talk. Not just about us, but about punctuality, it seems. “All right. Do we know what my first appointment wants? I’d like to get it drawn out before they get here.” I want to get this day over as soon as possible. I can’t wait to curl up in my bed and sleep until this cold goes away. Or at least until tomorrow afternoon when Zane will be back.

“Yeah, he said he wants a tribal cross on his shoulder. Not sure if he wants anything particular, though.”

Well, I can at least get started on it to give him an idea, and if he wants to change it, we can go from there. “All right, thanks, Low.” I sit down on my stool and start to sketch.

***

By nine o’clock, I’m completely drained. I finished my two appointments, along with three other walk-ins.

Louie showed up two hours after I got in and he smelled like a whorehouse. I know better than to say anything to him when he’s like that—it makes him feel backed into a corner—but I did tell him we needed to talk. He gave me a slight nod to at least let me know he heard me, but then went to his station and I didn’t see him the rest of the day. Until now, that is.

“I’m headin’ out,” he says as he walks past my station.

Even though I feel like shit and want to pass out, we need to talk this shit out now. “Louie, could you come over to the house for a bit? I need your help with something.” I don’t need any help, but I figure it’s the only way that he’ll come over.

He hesitates at the front desk but turns around after a couple of seconds. “Uh, yeah. Give me thirty minutes?”

I nod and watch him leave. I have no idea how this is going to go down, but I hope we come out the other side with our friendship intact.

I’m sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when he knocks. I open the door and walk back to the table, knowing he’ll follow.

“So what do ya need, Dani?” He doesn’t sit, instead leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed. I give him my best
take no prisoners
stare. When he sees it, his arms fall with a heavy sigh. “I guess I’m here for a talk then, huh?” He walks over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup, then takes a seat across from me.

“Look, Louie, I know things have been different for us these last couple of months, but I want my best friend back.” I leave it at that and wait for him to speak. I know he’s choosing his words carefully from the look on his face. He’s always careful with his words when he needs to be. It’s one of the things I love about him—he doesn’t speak out of anger and only says what he means. You always know that he will say what’s on his mind, and he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. But he makes sure he knows what he wants to say before it comes out.

“I miss you, Louie,” I whisper, trying to get him to understand how much I need him back in my life, the way it used to be.

Finally he looks up at me with a slight smile. “Listen, I know I haven’t been there for you and I’ve been a dick, but I needed to get my head around you and Blaze. I’ve had you and me in my heart for so long that it’s taken me a long time to see that you and him are made for each other. I’m sorry I’ve let you down, Dani, I really am. I wasn’t there for you to lean on when you needed a shoulder and I wasn’t there when that piece of shit took you. Can you ever forgive me?”

I don’t say anything as I get up and walk over and wrap my arms around him. “There’s nothing to forgive. I love you, Louie, you know that, right? Just not the way you want, and I’m sorry. But you deserve someone better than me—someone who will love you like you deserved to be loved.” I kiss his cheek and hug him tight against me.

“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that I guess.”

I know someone will come along and be worthy of his love. She will be amazing, loving, and have enough wit and sass to keep up with him. Though she is going to have to prove herself before I give my approval, and if she ever hurts him, I will hunt her down and make her wish she were never born.

***

Zane called and said that he was going to be gone another day, so since I’m feeling better this morning and don’t have to be at the shop, I decide to go down to the gym and work out with Toby. I haven’t seen him around much lately.

As I walk into the gym, I see him in the ring sparring with Dean. He looks up when he hears me enter, then goes back to sparring.

“Yo, Toby! You in the mood to get your ass kicked today?” I yell up at him, knowing it will earn me a rare smile. Toby is a unique soul. He is very quiet and is always watching. I bet he knows everything that goes on around him without even trying or talking to anyone, that’s how perceptive he is. But you can bet that when he needs to be heard, he is the only one you will hear. He has a voice of authority and you can’t help but listen and do as he says. He is also very intimidating without even trying. It’s a combination of his stance, his deep blue eyes that seem like they can look right into your soul, and all his muscles and tattoos. And now that he shaved his head, he's even scarier looking. You don’t want to fuck with him, that’s for sure.

He laughs and finishes up with Dean before jumping down and lifting me up into a bear hug. “You sure you want some of this, Dani?” he asks with a smirk.

Damn, this man is fine! “The question, is Toby, do you want some of
this
?” I say, motioning to my whole body. I know I can’t take him, but I can give him a run for his money at least. What can I say? I learned from the best.

Once we are both in the ring and tapped up, we both start bouncing around, looking for an opening. I find mine a minute later when someone walks and Toby drops his guard long enough for me to strike. My right cross brings him back into the ring and by the look on his face, he isn’t going to go easy on me. Fine by me.

“Little distracted, are we, Toby?” I laugh as I bounce back after the hit I landed. He doesn’t say anything, which only eggs me on. “Waiting for someone?” I prod, knowing it will wind him up more.

He shakes his head at me and gives me an evil smirk. “Why don’t you worry about the fact that I’m going to drop you on your ass in about five seconds?” With that said, he leaps toward me, faking a swing. When I block, he sweeps his leg out and drops me just like he said. I shake my head and stand up to get him back.

After our first round in the ring, we jump down to get some water. I love working out with Toby; it’s always a great way for me to work off excess energy, plus he really is a great teacher when I want to learn anything new.

“So, Toby, you expecting someone?” I ask after I put down my water bottle. Every time someone has walked into the gym, I've seen his eyes go toward the door. He doesn’t turn his head completely like he did that first time, but still, I noticed.

He shakes his head, but I know he isn’t angry with my questioning from the small tilt of his lips. “You’re a nosy little girl, aren’t you?” he says as he returns to the ring. I follow suit, but I don’t jump up after him. I stand with my hands on my hips and wait for him to answer me. I know there is something there, and I will find out.

When he turns around he notices my stance and lets out a long sigh, then leans over the ropes with his hands dangling down. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

I shake my head because he knows me well. I’m like a dog with a bone when I want information. I don’t push often, but when I do, you better just give it to me.

“No, I’m not expecting anyone, but I’m waiting. Let’s leave it at that.”

He looks down at me, but I don’t move.
I need a little bit more than that, buddy.
Reading my message loud and clear, he sits down on the edge of the ring and hangs on to the last rope for support.

“A couple of weeks ago, a girl came in for a class I was teaching. I’ve never seen her around here, but I got this vibe off her that she wasn’t taking the class for shits and giggles like some that come in. I don’t know, I guess she stuck with me. I keep thinking about her—wondering what her story is and if she is okay.” He trails off, thinking back to that day, so I remain quiet until he is ready to continue. When he looks up at me, I notice a look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before—pain and longing. “I guess I’m hoping she comes back. There’s something about her, Dani. I can’t put my finger on it, but I want to do everything in my power to protect her—make sure she is okay.”

I jump up next to him and lay my head on his shoulder. “She’ll be back, Toby. If not because you’re the best teacher around, because she felt how genuine your concern is for her. Just give it time.” After sitting like that for a couple of minutes, we both stand up and go for round two.

Not long after we start, I begin to feel dizzy. It’s probably because I haven’t been to the gym much the last couple of weeks; I need to get my body back into this routine. But as the minutes pass, I start to feel worse, to the point where the whole room starts to spin.

I drop my hands to my knees and bend over, trying to catch my breath and get myself together.

“Dani? You okay?” I can barely hear him, and when I look up, everything around me starts to fade.

“I…I…Toby…?” I feel myself fall and hit the mat. Toby comes up beside me and touches my face.

“Dani! Dani, open your eyes, babe!
Dani
!” I hear him yell, but I can’t answer him. I feel him lift me up into his strong arms, and before everything goes black, I think of Zane.

***

Zane

We are finishing up talking with the Rebels, working out a better truce. We now know why they have been in our territory and why they thought we were messing with their business. Turns out, they had a traitor among them who wanted to steer the suspicion toward us to cover his own ass.

I check my phone as we walk outside to our bikes and see that I have ten missed calls from Toby, three missed calls from Louie, and about twenty text messages. What the hell is going on? Instead of looking through the messages, I decide to call Toby first to see what the problem is.

He picks up after the second ring but I barely get one word out before he starts yelling. “Where the fuck have you been, brother? Dani needs you!”

What the hell?
“Slow the fuck down, Toby. What do you mean, she needs me?” I’m now running toward my bike, my adrenaline pumping. I need to get back now! I don’t know what is going on, but whatever it is, it has Toby freaking out.

“Dani, she was at the gym with me when she passed out. I drove her to the hospital, but they won’t tell me anything!”

I hang up the phone and don’t even wait for the rest of my brothers to get on their rides, I peel out of the parking lot. I've got to get to my girl.