Being back here felt a little weird. Staring up at the hospital I took a deep breath before walking inside.
“Ava Mendez?”.
Turning round I smiled at Josh. “How you doing?”. We never really saw eye to eye at times, but Josh was still an alright guy, and he was a fantastic doctor.
“Never thought I’d see you back here but please tell me you’re here for your job?”.
Well, that was easy.
“I am if it’s still available?”.
“When can you start?”. He chuckled.
“How bout we go grab a coffee and somewhere to chat?”. I couldn’t just jump back in and start straight away. I had to set hours, set shifts and put a plan in place that could work around Everleigh.
“And you have a daughter?”. He smiled pouring some coffee into my cup. He had brought us to my old office that no one had filled yet. I wonder why?
“I do which is why I need to work out a schedule that fits around her”.
“Anything Ava, I’m just glad you’re back and want to come and work here. The place hasn’t been the same without your smiling face”.
“I appreciate that, but can I ask you something?”. I wanted to know why they hadn’t filled my position.
“Sure”.
“Why haven’t you filled my position?”.
Shrugging his shoulders, he sat on the seat beside me. “Hard shoes to fill. You’re a great doctor and nobody had your standards. Don’t get me wrong we’ve had people here, but they all left”.
“That’s odd”.
“Not when you’ve constantly got bikers coming through the door with gunshot wounds”. He laughed but I didn’t find it funny.
What bikers?
“Haven’t seen any in years”. He whispered. “A few from your dads club but not any other biker’s insight”.
Releasing the breath, I didn’t know I was holding my grip loosened on the cup. I didn’t need for my past to haunt me.
“I heard what happened”. His hand reached out and lay against my arm “Glad the bastards are dead”.
“Josh how”…
“He came to the hospital every time one of them was brought in, just to make sure they were dead or had died”.
I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting Josh of all people to not be against this kind of stuff.
“Back to the matter at hand. Once you’ve got your little one sorted then come back and we’ll talk about shifts and a schedule. That sound like a plan?”.
Something wasn’t right and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I hadn’t been here in 4 years, and he was giving me my job back just like that?! I didn’t like it. Just as I was about to voice my opinion his beeper went off.
“Sorry Ava I have to go. Please come back and see me once you’re settled in”. And off he went leaving me in my old office as if nothing had changed.
After doing a little grocery shopping, I pulled into the parking lot to the clubhouse a groan falling from my lips when I heard the music.
It was in full swing.
Just like old times.
Grabbing the few bags from my back seat I jumped out making sure to lock my car. Outside was peaceful enough, no one was around except the shadow lurking at the side of the clubhouse a smoke hanging from his mouth. I sure hope his mood had changed from earlier.
“You need help?”.
“I got it”. Nodding at him I was about to go inside when he called my name.
“Are you going to shout at me?”. I asked slowly making my way towards him.
“Nah darling”. He grinned offering me half his smoke which I gladly took. “Sorry about earlier, clubs got me messed up right now”.
“How so?”. Placing my bags on the ground I ignored the sound of the clubhouse door opening.
“Later Ava”.
“You, you need to come inside”. The blond girl from the other night was running towards me “H-he he’s please come inside”. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me along ignoring the words that were coming out of my mouth.
“Let go of me”. I snapped as she pulled me through the door.
And then I saw it.
Blaze had one of the prospects against the wall a gun pressed against his head. The music had died, and everyone was silent.
“B-Blaze”. I cursed myself for stuttering, but his body stiffened at the sound of his name. There had to be a reason for this? Taking a few steps closer a hand latched onto my wrist.
Marko…
“He won’t hurt me”. I whispered as I continued my way to him. He wouldn’t do this for nothing, he wasn’t that ruthless anymore.
Or so I thought!!
“Baby lower the gun”. I whispered
“Little punk thinks he can talk about my woman”. Hearing the click I knew he had turned the safety off and that wasn’t good. “Not so big now are you little man? Think you can disrespect my old lady?”. He growled. The prospect who I had yet to meet looked terrified, his eyes were red, his bottom lip trembling and he had soiled himself.
When I was close enough, I wrapped my arms around his waist laying my hands flat against his stomach. It was hard to distract Blaze when he was worked up like this. “Baby please lower the gun”. Still, he hadn’t moved an inch. His body was tense, the gun still pressed perfectly against his head. Ducking under the arm he had raised, the hand with the gun in it I grabbed his face in my hands.
“Please”. I whispered so only he could hear. “Don’t do this Blaze. I can’t have you in prison when you should be helping me raise our daughter”.
And just like that he lowered the gun his arms slipping around my waist. His eyes were glued to mine as the words fell from his lips. “Take that as a warning to anyone who thinks they can disrespect my old lady. Get that fucking cut off him and get his ass out of here”.
I managed to get Blaze outside and away from everyone. It didn’t take long for the music to be turned back on and the drinks to start flowing.
“What the hell was that all about?”. Running a hand through my hair I started pacing. He couldn’t be pulling guns out on people like that. I couldn’t deal with him getting locked up.
“Nothing get your shit I’m taking you home”.
He wasn’t taking me anywhere in that state. I could handle every side of Blaze, I could handle everything he threw at me, every mean thing he said but I wasn’t going anywhere until he calmed down.
“What did he say to you?”.
“He said you’re a whore and that Everleigh isn’t mine”. Gritting his teeth his eyes fell into slits as he glared at me.
My heart sank, a lump appearing in the back of my throat. Did he believe it? Did he think Everleigh wasn’t his? I couldn’t believe this was happening and for someone who didn’t even know me to say that she wasn’t his kid infuriated me.
But I wasn’t going to fight with him. I knew she was his, I knew the truth he could believe whatever he wanted.
Shaking my head, I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. There was no talking to Blaze when he was riled up like this. When someone put something into his head, he would overthink it until he drove himself stir crazy.
“I’m going home”. Walking the short distance to where I dropped my bags earlier, I groaned when I noticed the milk had burst.
Swear if I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any.
“Have you fucked anyone else?”.
The question came unexpectedly, but I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t going to stand here and have it out with him. What angered me the most was he believed that guy over me. Fuck, you just have to look at her to see she’s his.
“I’m not doing this”. Heading to my car I pressed my key to unlock it. “Stay here Blaze and think about what comes out of your mouth next”. Closing the door behind me I started the engine and drove off. I didn’t go far only a few blocks before I had to stop. I was angry and I couldn’t drive anymore.
Nothing was going to change and if all it took was some random jackass talking shit for him to think she wasn’t his then was any of it worth it? Was he always going to have that thought in the back of his mind?
“Damnit”. I cried thumping the steering wheel. Just when I thought we were finally getting somewhere when I thought we could be a proper family this happens. Hearing a knock on my window I panicked until I saw who it was.
“You don’t always have to come to my rescue”. As he closed the door behind him, I lay my head against the window. “Take it you heard all of that?”.
“Who do you think put a bullet in that prospects head?”.
“You didn’t”.
“Oh, but I did”. He grinned. “Even got the other two newbies to bury him”. Laughing he pulled out his smokes and lit one up.
I couldn’t deal with this. How could you kill someone and then laugh about it? Jared was as ruthless as Blaze and yet I wasn’t afraid. They did what they had to do.
“You know he knows she’s, his right?”.
“Then what the fuck was that all about?”. If he knew she was his then why was he questioning who I had been with?
“Paranoid”. He shrugged. “You didn’t hear this from me, but his heads all fucked up it has been for years. Need to get him back in the game and he’s more focused with you by his side”.
Now he had lost me.
“Do this for the club”.
“Excuse me?”.
“Something big is happening and we need him to be focused, his head has to be in it so make it happen”.
“What do you mean do it for the club. Do what exactly?”. I hope to god he doesn’t say what I think he’s going to.
“Make him think you’re taking him back”.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and I couldn’t believe it just came out of Jared’s mouth. He was his best friend.
“Get out”.
I wasn’t going to hurt the man I loved all for the sake of his stupid club. How could he sit there and even ask me to do that. Never once had I been disappointed in Jared until now. I didn’t care if something big was coming I was not prepared to hurt him.
“Fuck I’m sorry”.
“Blaze is the love of my life, the father of my child I would never intentionally hurt him. I can’t believe you just asked me to do that”.
“Love of your life huh?”. He smirked pushing my shoulder.
No, he didn’t.
“I hate you”. I groaned. “Why do you always trick me like that?”. He always found a way for me to admit that I loved Blaze.
“Sometimes you need a reminder of just that. You two are better together than apart trust me”.
“Are we really though and don’t give me any bullshit about how much he loves me. I don’t know how much more of paranoid Blaze I can take”.
“4 years is a long time, Ava. If you really want to give it another, go and try and be a proper family then stop pissing around and just do it”.