Page 45 of Bolt's Flame
Just as Horse reared back for another swing, I heard the sound of boots running down the hall.
“Stop it Horse!”
Devil’s voice cut through the haze like a whip. In an instant, Chain was beside him, both of them rushing into the room and grabbing Horse by the arms, yanking him off of me before he could land the death punch.
“Back off, Horse,” Devil growled, his tone commanding, leaving no room for argument. “Not here. Not like this. He can’t defend himself.”
Horse struggled against their grip, his eyes still blazing with fury as he fought to get free. “Let me go, Devil. He needs to pay for what he did. This is personal.”
“You don’t even know what the hell happened,” Devil snapped, stepping between us as Chain and Mystic held Horse back. “We’re not solving this with fists. Not until we have an understanding of what happened, and Bolt can defend himself.”
I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath, my head spinning from the combination of the punch, the pills, and the sheer confusion of the situation. I wanted to defend myself, to tell them I didn’t even know how Jenny got here, but the words felt like sand in my mouth. Nothing was coming out right.
“Horse, let him talk,” Chain said, trying to calm him down. “We don’t know the full story.”
But Horse wasn’t listening. He was breathing hard, his hands still clenched into fists as he glared at me, his anger rolling off him in waves. “He hurt my daughter. That’s all the story I need.”
I pushed myself off the wall, my legs unsteady beneath me as I grabbed the sheet off the bed, wrapping it around me. “I would never hurt Fiona. I’d fucking die first.” My mouth pushedthe words out and hoped I was making sense. “I took some pills last night for my headache. After that, I don’t remember shit. I wouldn’t have fucked her.”
Horse’s eyes narrowed, suspicion and anger flashing in them. “You expect me to believe that bullshit? You don’t remember crawlin’ into bed with that trash?” He pointed to the used condom on the floor. “That right there tells me you fucked.”
“No,” I insisted, the frustration boiling up inside me at seeing it for the first time and knowing Fiona saw that little piece of evidence too. Again, I asked myself, did I fuck her? My mind and body fully rejected it, no matter how much it looked that way.
Devil’s gaze flicked between me and Horse, his eyes calculating as he tried to make sense of the situation. Chain, still holding onto Horse, seemed just as uncertain, but at least they were both giving me a chance to speak.
“I came back, took a couple of those pills that are behind the bar, and the next thing I know, Jenny is in my bed and Fiona is at the door,” I said, my voice hoarse.
For a moment, there was only silence. Horse glared at me, his chest heaving as he tried to process what I was saying. He didn’t believe me—why would he? From where he stood, I’d betrayed Fiona in the worst possible way.
Finally, Devil spoke. “Get out of here, Horse. Go cool off. We’ll settle this later when heads are cooler.”
Horse pointed at me; his face still filled with rage. “I see you near Fiona and I’ll shoot you on the spot and Devil won’t be able to save you.”
Shit, I should just let him kill me. Fiona was gone. And I didn’t know how to get her back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I STUMBLED INTOthe kitchen, the walls of the clubhouseclosing in around me. My vision was blurred with tears, and every breath felt like I was sucking in shards of glass. I needed air, space, needed to be anywhere but here.
I leaned against the counter, my hands gripping the edge until my knuckles turned white. The room was spinning, my mind replaying the image of Bolt and Jenny over and over again, like a sick, twisted loop I couldn’t escape from. How could I have been so stupid to trust him? To think that he was different?
A sob bubbled up in my throat, but I choked it back, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to force the tears away. I didn’twant to fall apart. But it was too late. I was shattered, and there was no putting the pieces back together.
“Fiona?”
I jumped at the sound of Brenda’s voice, my eyes snapping open as I turned to see her standing in the doorway. She took one look at me, her sharp eyes narrowing with concern, and I knew I couldn’t hide this from her.
“Sweetheart, what happened?” Brenda asked, her voice gentle as she walked toward me, her hand reaching out to touch my arm.
I shook my head, biting down on my lip as I fought to keep the tears at bay. “I... I can’t talk about it.”
But Brenda wasn’t having it. She guided me to the small table in the corner, pushing me down into a chair before taking a seat across from me. “Talk young lady!”
Her kindness, her steady presence, was enough to break the dam inside me. The tears spilled over, hot and uncontrollable, and I buried my face in my hands as the sobs wracked my body.
“He was with her,” I choked out between sobs, my voice barely above a whisper. “I went to his room, and he was with Jenny. In bed.”
Brenda’s eyes darkened, her expression hardening as she listened. “I don’t believe it. Bolt screwin’ around,” she replied, her face filled with disbelief before muttering, “That no good piece of trash, I knew she was trouble. Tell me exactly what you saw.”