Gunnar A Motorcycle Club Romance - Nina Levine Page 0,52
me happy. Joe acting not like Joe causes me alarm. I’m waiting for the penny to drop as to why he’s acting this way.
“Change of plans for today,” he says. “We’ve cancelled lunch so your father and I can take care of something. You and your mother will meet us in Rockhampton this afternoon.”
Today is shaping up to be my favourite day this week. “Okay.”
I continue fiddling with my hair.
“One other thing,” he says, and I still, knowing by the commanding tone of his voice that I’m not going to like it. “Things are going so well that your father’s moving up the timeline for the start of his campaign.”
“And?” I hold my breath. It’s what he’s not saying that is important here.
The penny finally drops as he says, “He wants you full-time on this.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“You heard me, Chelsea.”
“You’re serious?”
He looks at me like he has very little patience left for me. “I’m always serious. You should know that by now.”
I feel like I’m trying desperately to suck air in through a straw. Like I can’t get the oxygen I need fast enough. He’s telling me I have to quit my job, and I know that neither he nor my father will accept anything less than my compliance. They’ll threaten Mason and his club. Their winning card for every game we play that they refuse to lose.
I press my lips together hard as I allow my hatred to consume me.
It rages through me like a savage storm.
Howling, gusting, violent.
“I fucking hate you. I’ll give you what you want because you’ll only threaten Mason and the club again if I don’t, but just know that this changes everything between us. Everything.”
“This changes nothing between us, Chelsea. Don’t be dramatic.”
My anger seeps from my chest to my veins, to my muscles, to my bones. It fills every inch of me so deeply I won’t ever be able to rid myself of it. I want to lash out. I want to pummel my fists into his face and his chest and his entire fucking body. How anyone can be so cruel and controlling is beyond me.
“It does, Joe. Every-fucking-thing.” I grab my purse and phone and stalk to the door.
“Where are you going?”
I look back at him. “Out. I need to get as far away from you as possible.”
“Chelsea,” he starts, but I cut him off.
“No. Fuck you. I’m going out, and you’re not fucking stopping me. I’ll see you in Rockhampton this afternoon.”
With that, I yank the door open and exit in a furious rush of energy.
I fucking hate him.
I’ve never fucking hated anyone like I hate him.
I blindly run past the cars parked in the motel car park, my mind in such a mess that I pay no attention to anyone or anything. It’s not until I reach the road outside the motel and run smack bang into a hard chest that my awareness of the world around me returns.
Strong hands grip my biceps and steady me at the same time Mason’s deep voice rumbles, “The fuck are you going in such a hurry?”
I look up at him, struggling to push my asshole husband and what he’s forcing me to do from my brain. Yanking out of his hold, I try to move past him.
“I asked you a fucking question, Chelsea. I expect a fucking answer.”
I spin to face him, angered that he sounds just like Joe with his goddamn expectations. “You wanna talk to me like that, Mason, you can shove your fucking expectations. You’re not getting an answer.”
His eyes darken and he comes closer to me. “What the fuck has gotten into you?”
I throw up my arms. “All of you! You’ve all gotten into me.” I push him away because he’s too fucking close. “So do me a favour and leave me the hell alone!”
His hand flicks out and he snaps it around my wrist as I attempt to walk away from him. Leaning in close, he says, “Leaving you the hell alone is exactly what I want to do, Mayfair. Un-fucking-fortunately I’m fucking stuck here, and if I don’t keep you safe, my club’ll have my ass. So get yours the fuck back inside and give me a fucking break for once.”
I glare at him, anger and hate rolling through me. “I can’t believe I ever loved you.”
His lips smash together and his breaths come harder as he stares at me. “That fucking makes two of us.”