Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“You do realize it’s not going to be that easy winning her back,” Eagle said. “She’s been gone a long time, and she’s changed.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Time changes us all, son.”
“Yeah, and you didn’t give me the road name Rock for no reason.”
“True.”
Alfie was about to let anyone ruin his mood. There was a chance here; he saw it, could smell it.
“She left before I got a chance to tell her the truth, to show her I’d changed. I’m not going to let her go now without her hearing me out.”
“And if she doesn’t want to hear you?” he asked.
“I’ll make sure she does.”
“Whatever you do, keep in mind your position at the club. You can’t compromise that.”
“I won’t forget it.” Alfie ran his hands down his legs, feeling nervous. “Dad, I never wanted this to happen, you’ve got to believe me.”
“I do believe you. I’ve handled things like an immature child.” Eagle sighed. “I’ve loved Lily for a long time. I watched her go through hell with Kurt and to keep taking him back. I promised myself I’d be different for her, and when that fucking video played, I was so livid.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t mean to kick you out.”
“Dad, I left.”
“No, I wasn’t much of a father to you. I’m sorry,” Eagle said. He muttered the last part underneath his breath, but Alfie heard it.
He smiled to himself, because nothing was going to take away the fact that he was happy.
Chloe was back in town, and he couldn’t foresee any problems in winning her back, just so long as he didn’t do anything stupid.
Five years was a long time, but it wasn’t enough for her to forget about him. He just needed for her to forget the pain.
Eagle dropped him off at his apartment and promised to pick him up the following morning on the way to the hospital. After seeing Lily in the morning with Chloe, he intended to take her out for breakfast.
Arriving at his place, he let himself inside and already heard Riley and Ian watching a movie. His friends had a key, and the moment Chloe arrived in town, he knew they’d be around to be with him.
The moment he entered his sitting room, the movie was stopped, and he couldn’t see what it was they were watching.
“You okay, man?” Riley asked.
“Me? Yeah, I’m good.”
“You saw her, didn’t you?” Ian asked.
“Chloe?” They both nodded. “Yeah, I saw her. It was kind of strange, seeing her after all this time.”
“Good strange or bad strange?”
Alfie went to his fridge, and rather than go for a beer, he took out a bottle of water. “It was good. She’s … beautiful.”
“We’re here to make sure you don’t go crazy.”
“Why would I go crazy?” Alfie asked. He placed the bottle against his lips and took a sip, the water quenching his thirst.
“We know how it was fucked up the last time. You ever wonder why Daniel did what he did?”
“He said he had the tape made, but he had no intention of showing it to anyone but me. He wanted something from me, but he changed his mind at the last minute. Said he didn’t want to have to deal with me in the end, as he didn’t think I’d take kindly to blackmail. He told me someone took it. Fucking liar,” Alfie said. “That guy wanted to hurt me, and he found the way to do it.”
The only satisfaction he got from the entire incident was kicking Daniel and all of his family out of town. They didn’t have much choice seeing as Eagle was also on the warpath.
It would have been easier for the Satan’s Crew to kill all of Daniel’s family, but Eagle, he liked to make people suffer, and if they’d stayed, the entire family would have been homeless, begging for scraps.
His father had a vicious streak, and Alfie had barely survived it before.
“He cost you Chloe, and now she’s back. You think people around town are going to magically forget what happened?”
“I don’t care what they do and don’t do. Anyone who hurts her has to come through me, simple as that.” He was more than willing to take on the entire town. “You boys got my back, or am I out on my own with this one?”
“You’re never alone, Alfie,” Ian said.
“It’s an insult to think we’d leave you alone when it’s our fault as well. We should have been more careful.”
Alfie finished his water, and left his friends to go and take a shower. He wanted to be ready in the event of Lily waking up and him needing a ride.
Where he’d failed Chloe last time, he wouldn’t do it again. He intended to be everything she needed and more.
****
Chloe jerked awake to the banging on the front door. Climbing out of bed, she saw it was only three in the morning.