Page 19

Chapter Nineteen

Adelaide

Z yla blew out a harsh breath as she stepped up behind the bar where I was currently mixing a drink for one of the new girls. “I knew he was going to be upset about me being back, but I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” she grumbled as she grabbed a glass and filled it with Jack before she tossed it back, her face screwing up at the burn.

Zyla had never been much of a drinker, and it looked like that had never changed.

“You were the love of his life,” I reminded her, not commenting on the fact that she’d just thrown back about four fucking shots. She sighed, closing her eyes at the reminder, pain momentarily flashing across her face. “And you ripped his heart out when you divorced him for Rodney.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I did it for a good reason, Adelaide.” She stared down at the counter. I glanced over at her, intrigued. “I’m still madly in love with him, but I wouldn’t change my decision to destroy him. I did what I had to do.”

I handed the new girl her drink and watched as she sauntered off toward one of the club men. I turned back to Zyla, turning my body in her direction. “Then why did you leave him, Zyla?”

She grabbed a beer out of the fridge for one of the men when they walked up, asking for one. “Promise you won’t say anything, not even to Tristan?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, you’ve got my word, Zyla.”

She blew out a soft breath as she handed the beer to the guy who had asked for it. Once he walked off, she said, “Rodney got out of jail.” I nodded, at least knowing that much. Rodney had been her ex when she and Jesup got together. They broke up when she was sixteen when he went to jail for a felony drug charge, and she met Jesup a few months after that. “And he wanted me back. He threatened to kill Jesup if I didn’t go back to him, Adelaide.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I couldn’t take it if something happened to Jesup because of me.”

I handed another guy a beer. “Then, why are you back now?” I demanded to know. If she did all of that to protect Jesup, why would she come running back here? Wouldn’t that just put him in the same danger she had originally tried to protect him from?

She shook her head, a humorless laugh spilling from her lips, sounding almost hysteric. “Our place got searched by the FBI. Rodney got locked back up. I know he’s going to get out on bond, and he’ll probably get off with a slap on the wrist since he has so many damn connections these days, but I’m running before he has the chance to get out.” She drew in a deep breath. “So, I came back here for a few days, just until I can figure out where to go. I can’t let him trap me again.”

“You got money?” I asked in all seriousness. If she didn’t, I’d see what I could do to get her some cash. I was sure Joey would understand and help me.

She nodded. “I took all of Rodney’s cash. He kept a few million in his safe. The FBI didn’t find it.”

I studied her for a moment. “Where do you plan on going, Zyla?”

She shrugged, pouring a drink for one of the girls. “I don’t know right now. I’m still working that out.” She blew out a harsh breath. “Somewhere far though. I don’t want him to ever find me again.” She shrugged. “Might have to learn to live off the grid, to be honest.” I frowned. I hated this for her.

“Zyla, why don’t you just explain everything to Jesup?” I knew he would protect her if he knew what had happened, knew why she did what she did. Hell, he’d fucking helped Tristan essentially do the same thing to me, so it’d be hypocritical of him not to.

She instantly shook her head. “No,” she snapped. “It’s out of the fucking question.”

I clenched my jaw at her stupidity. “Jesup is still in love with you, Zyla. I can tell you right now that man has never stopped loving you. He can take care of himself. And he can take care of you, too, if you would just give him the fucking chance. This could be your opportunity to not have to spend the rest of your life running from Rodney.”

She shook her head. “I killed his kid,” she told me quietly. My eyes widened in shock. “I couldn’t let Rodney know I was pregnant, and I’d never gotten the chance to tell Jesup. So, I had an abortion.” She shook her head, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. “I can’t ever go back to him, Adelaide, not with that weighing down on my shoulders.” She blinked back tears. “How could Jesup ever forgive me for something like that?”

“Give me something that’s going to fuck me up,” Jesup snapped as he stepped up to the bar. “And I want Adelaide to make it,” he snarled when Zyla got ready to pour him a drink. She flinched, dropping her hands back to her sides. I scowled at Jesup. “I don’t fucking trust you to make me a damn drink, you traitorous fucking bitch.”

Zyla swallowed hard and stepped back from the bar, pushing through the door that led to the kitchen. I glared at Jesup. “I think you owe her a fucking apology.”

Jesup barked out a laugh, the sound cruel. “ Me owe her a fucking apology? Girly, you’re out of your fucking mind. I don’t owe her a goddamn thing. She left. She betrayed our marriage and demanded the fucking divorce. I didn’t do shit . She doesn’t deserve a goddamn apology. She deserves every bit of shit that I’m throwing her way.”

I wanted to snap his neck. I could take one look at Zyla and know that she was running from something. Tristan could too, otherwise he wouldn’t have allowed her to stay here. So, Jesup was either blind as fuck, or he was choosing to ignore her silent pleas for help and protection just to be a selfish dick.

“Then you’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m making you a fucking drink,” I snapped, grabbing Zyla’s drink that she’d repoured and throwing it in his face.

“What the fuck?!” he roared, jumping up from the barstool, sending it clattering loudly to the floor. The room went deadly silent, all eyes turning to us.

“There’s your fucking drink,” I snapped at him.

“What the fuck is going on here?!” Tristan shouted as he walked up.

I glared at Jesup. “Get your fuckard of a VP out of my goddamn face,” I snarled before I turned and pushed through the kitchen door where Zyla had disappeared to. I found her sitting in the corner near the fridge, her knees pulled up to her chest, sobbing into her hands.

“He hates me,” she cried when she looked up at me.

“Come on,” I gently urged, helping her up off the floor. “I think you need a good, stiff drink and to forget about what a cunt Jesup is.”

I led her back out behind the bar, and I poured her a glass of Jack and Coke. “Liquor doesn’t fix anything, but it sure as hell makes you feel better for a little while,” I told her as I handed her the glass. How many times had I lost myself in a bottle to forget about all of the bad shit in my life for a while?

Her phone went off in her pocket, and she pulled it out, her face paling to a sickly white color. She jerked her eyes up to mine, fear like no other covering her features. “He’s out,” she whispered in horror, holding her phone up for me to see Rodney’s name on her screen.

I snatched her phone from her, answering it for her, a twisted, cruel smile playing on my lips. She opened her mouth to protest, but I held my hand up to her. I didn’t want Rodney hearing her. “Where are you, Zy?” Rodney asked as soon as I put the phone up to my ear. His voice was deadly calm—the kind of calm that came before a storm.

“Zy…” I hummed. “I’ve never been called that. I think it fits me,” I teased, my smirk widening when Rodney made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

“Adelaide fucking Berkeley,” Rodney snarled.

My smirk widened. “The one and only,” I sang. “How can I help you, Rodney boy?”

He growled. He had always hated that damn name, and I lived to piss off my enemies. “Where the fuck is Zyla?” he snarled.

“She’s currently naked in my bed,” I told him. Zyla’s eyes widened at me, fear flashing in their depths. I knew Rodney was practically steaming, and I was enjoying every second of playing with him. “I always did have a thing for her. Thanks for fucking up and giving me an in.”

“You fucking bitch!” he roared.

Pointers to me for knowing that Rodney was possessive as fuck when it came to Zyla.

I tsk ed. “That’s not very nice, Rodney boy,” I taunted as I leaned against the counter.

“You tell that traitorous bitch that she has two hours to get back to my house with all six million of my cash, or I will destroy everyone she holds dear.”

I let out a low whistle as I arched my eyebrows at Zyla, a proud smile playing on my lips afterward. The girl had robbed Rodney. Six million in fucking cash was a goddamn lot of money.

I snorted. “Sorry, Rodney boy. I can’t relay that message since she’s actually already on her way somewhere overseas, very far away from you. She left me her phone so that you couldn’t track her. Good luck getting all of that money back,” I taunted. “She’s long fucking gone.”

He released a snarl. “I always fucking hated you, Adelaide,” He sneered. I laughed. “You better hope dear old Tristan knows how to keep a leash on you because the moment I get my fucking hands on you, you are dead . I’m going to fuck you in every position, and I’m going to enjoy listening to you as you beg me to stop before I slit your throat.”

My blood chilled in my veins as the line went dead. I set Zyla’s phone on the counter. “That went well,” I commented dryly.

Zyla’s eyes flickered over my shoulder, and she paled even further. I turned around to see what she was looking at and cursed. Tristan’s eyes were blazing with fury. He pointed at both of us. “Chapel now ,” he ordered.

I blew out a harsh breath and followed him inside the chapel. Jesup and Joey were already in the room, both of them sitting at the table. Joey’s eyes were cold and flat. I clenched my jaw, knowing this was about to be a fucking fight. “Sit the hell down,” Joey snarled at me.

I placed my hands on my hips, tilting my chin up at him defiantly, refusing to follow directions. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” I snapped at him.

Despite his injuries, he jumped up from his chair, slamming his hands down onto the table as if he wasn’t even hurt. Zyla, who had taken a seat, jumped and squeaked, but I just arched an eyebrow at him, staying on my feet. None of the men in this room scared me. “The father of the fucking kid you just put in danger,” he snarled at me. I narrowed my eyes at him in my deadliest glare. “So, sit the fuck down.”

“ Now ,” Tristan breathed in my ear, his tone not allowing any room for argument.

With a harsh glare thrown at both of the men, I sat down in a random chair, crossing my arms over my chest. Joey sat back down in his seat, his eyes steady on mine, knowing how I could get. “Want to fucking explain to us why you just had a conversation with Rodney Hill?” Joey snapped at me. “How many times do I have to fucking tell you that man isn’t one to be fucked with, Adelaide?”

I sneered at him. “Numerous times, apparently,” I bit back, wanting to piss him off further.

Tristan slammed his hand on the table. I swung my angry gaze to him. “Enough!” he barked, jabbing a finger in my direction. I sneered at him, my upper lip curling up one side. He looked between me and Zyla. “One of you better start fucking explaining yourselves.”

“My question is,” Jesup started, his voice eerily calm, “is why the fuck he was calling your phone, Zyla.”

“He didn’t—” she started, but Jesup slammed her phone on the table so hard that it shattered the screen. Tristan must have grabbed it while we were walking toward the chapel.

Zyla flinched, swallowing hard.

“One more fucking lie, Zyla,” he warned.

I looked over at her. “Zyla, if you don’t want to tell them anything, you don’t have to,” I promised her. “You left the club. You don’t owe anyone at this table an explanation.”

Jesup jumped up from his chair, sending it flying against the wall behind him. Joey jumped as well, pressing a hand to Jesup’s chest, a warning for him to stand the fuck down. Joey and I might butt heads, but no one would get riled up around me like that without him stepping in.

“For once, shut your fucking mouth, Adelaide!” Tristan roared at me.

I jumped up from my chair as well, narrowing my eyes at Tristan. “You want to fucking know why the fuck I was talking to Rodney?” I snarled at him. He stood up from his chair, glaring down at me as he crossed his arms over his chest, but I wasn’t intimidated by him in the slightest. “I’m doing what Jesup failed to fucking do. I’m protecting Zyla.”

I stormed over to the door, but Tristan beat me to it, blocking my exit. My chest heaved with rage. “You are not walking out of this fucking room until one of you explains every fucking thing that’s been going on,” he snarled down at me. “Fucking try me, Addy,” he warned when I sneered up at him, taking another step closer.

“Or what, Tristan?” I angrily demanded. “Are you going to fuck me into submission?” I taunted. “I doubt I’d even fucking enjoy it.”

His features twisted, revealing the monster Tristan had grown into. I bristled, but I didn’t stand down. “Don’t fucking test me, Adelaide.”

I roughly jabbed a finger into his chest. “No, you don’t fucking test me .” He smacked my hand away. “I’ve had it with you, and I’ve especially had it with this overbearing bullshit .”

“Adelaide, just sit the fuck down,” Joey spoke up, his voice a bit calmer, knowing I was almost past the point of reasoning.

I clenched my fists at my sides, the words falling from my lips before I could stop them. I knew it was only my anger talking, but I was past the point of giving a fuck. Had it been just Zyla talking on the phone to Rodney, they wouldn’t have given two shits. Joey had no reason to give a fuck, so I couldn’t fault him for that. But Jesup? Tristan? They should have cared about why Rodney was contacting Zyla. The only reason they were concerned was because I had talked to him, and that shit pissed me clean the fuck off.

“I wish you had stayed dead,” I snarled at Joey. He looked like I had slapped him, but then he clenched his teeth together, anger flaring in his eyes. I jerked my chin up, my heated gaze clashing with Tristan’s. “And you and me?” I gestured between us. “We’re fucking done , Tristan. Your priorities are fucked up, and I’m done with you and this entire fucking club. Now move the fuck out of my way.”

He stared down at me unflinchingly. “No.”

I snatched his gun from him when he wasn’t expecting it, pointing it at him. His eyes flashed with shock for a split second before he smothered it. “Move the fuck out of my way, Tristan,” I warned him. “Now or I swear, I will pull this fucking trigger and move you myself.”

“Let her go,” Joey spoke up. Tristan didn’t remove his eyes from mine. “Trust me, man. She just needs to cool off. She’s way past the point of reasoning right now. She just needs a little bit to get herself together. Trust me.”

With a clenched jaw, Tristan moved out of my way, and I stormed out of the clubhouse. I slung his gun on the floor as I did so, making numerous girls scream in fear.

And honestly, I had every intention of coming back into the clubhouse in a little bit with a more level head, but fate—cruel, twisted fate—had other plans for me.