Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6)(42)
“Do you really think that you could have stopped her one way or another?”
“I don’t think so, no.”
“You’re going to have to accept that you can’t save everybody.” I stroke his cheek.
“I wish I could.” He buries his face in my neck and kisses the soft spot behind my ear.
“My beautiful, damaged man,” I whisper, kissing his forehead.
“No, I’m not,” he scoffs.
“Yes, you are.” I’m as stubborn as he is.
“Have you been talking to Nancy?”
“Who?” I ask, confused.
“She’s one of my closest friends.”
“Is she hot?” I ask, slightly jealous and wondering how close they are.
“Yes.”
“Ever had feelings for her?”
“No, even though at one point I wanted to.”
“Why?” This man is a walking enigma.
“Because she knows about all the f*cked up things that happened in my life.”
“Will you ever tell me?”
“Eventually, but the day I do tell you, you’ll have a decision to make.” He sighs.
“And what would that decision be?
“To send me away and never see me again or accept my past and stick with me.”
“Okay.” I stroke his cheek and look into his eyes.
He’s been damaged more than once in his life and it’s taken its toll on him. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it rocked his world and not in a good way. By what he said, someone was taken away from him and it traumatized him, stopping him from wanting to get close to anyone in a romantic way. With us getting closer, it might be bringing unwanted memories back to the surface. Which I can understand. I hate it when something brings back the memories of my parents’ and what my aunt became.
I just wish he’d let me in fully and tell me what happened. I have a feeling it’ll take a lot longer to get all of that out of him. He’s slowly confessing more and more to me, so there’s hope at last.
Callum
Three weeks later
Things have been steady with Bella, even though neither of us wants to define the relationship. Me in fear of the what might happen if we put a label on it, and her because she says she’s not ready for one. A part of me is relieved about that because it’s never caused a fight between us, and the other wonders what else I should do to make her want a relationship with me. I don’t know why I want her to want a relationship with me. Maybe because deep down inside I want to be loved and feel loved again. It’s very selfish, but when it comes to Bella, I’m a very selfish man.
The girls keep asking me to bring her over to hang out at the compound, but I don’t want her to be connected to the club in the slightest, especially not now when there’s an MC on the loose, trying to take women to do as they please with them. I’ve seen what they did to Nancy. I won’t let that happen again to anyone else.
Nancy.
She’s keeping a strong front for everybody, but I know how much this is all affecting her. She’s been through this once, and I’m sure she’s dreading them getting close to her again. She’s staying at the compound with Bennett at the moment to make sure they are both safe. I’m thinking of dragging them to the safe house whether they want it or not. I know it’ll kill them if either of them is hurt by those lowlife pieces of shit.
We’re currently after them. The Satan’s Inferno MC. They’ve been the source of many of my problems over the years, and even though Ant wants to try to solve things, I just want to end them one by one. They don’t deserve to live. I should have ended them all when Nancy was in their whorehouse or at least start. But I had to do the sensible thing and listen to her and not do what I wanted to do, and now they are rebuilding and messing with this town again.
Ryan has been keeping an eye on Bella and the coffee shop. I didn’t want to leave her without protection, but I didn’t want her to feel like I didn’t think she would be capable of taking care of herself, so I asked Ryan to stick around. Weirdly, she didn’t seem to mind. Hell, she even seemed happy that it was Ryan because they seem to get along a bit too well since the first time she came to the garage. I don’t like the fact that they are that close, but I know Ryan would never try anything with her. The only thing I’m worried about is that she could start developing feelings for him. He’s around her age and would be best suited for her, but I’m not willing to let her go without a fight.
“Stop thinking about Bella, you’re going to get yourself killed,” Gabe tells me bringing me back to reality. I stare at him blankly. “We’ve all been there, in love with a woman who deserves better than us. I get it. You love her, she loves you, get over it and focus on the task at hand or you’re really going to get yourself killed. This is for her safety, too.”
“I know,” I simply say.
“So you’re admitting to loving her,” he says with a smug look on his face.
“Fuck off.”
“I thought it would be harder to get it out of you.”
“I didn’t admit anything.”
“By denying it, you did. Listen, I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but if you love her, don’t let her go. You’ll end up regretting it.” Gabe always knows what to say.