Chapter 13

Thirteen

Fletch

I tap my fingers impatiently on the thin, rubber mattress. I hate the cells, and I've been sitting in this fucker for the last eight hours. When the lock in the door finally clanks, I stand, ready to give them a piece of my mind. I decide against it when Gem leans against the door frame.

"You ready for that interview?"

"Are you shitting me?" I snap. "It wasn't even out in public. What are you doing me for?"

"It's illegal to own a zombie knife in the UK."

"Okay, it's not mine."

"Nice try. Let's go," she says, smirking and putting the cuffs back on me.

I follow her into an interview room. "Yah know, it's illegal to fuck the man you have under surveillance."

"I haven't put you under surveillance," she retorts as we sit down. "You waivered your right to having a solicitor present, is that correct?"

"Cos I haven't done anything."

She presses the record button on the tape and opens her note pad. "This evening, a knife was found under your mattress," she begins. "Does that knife belong to you?"

"No comment."

"Have you seen the knife before?"

"No comment."

"Has that knife been involved in any illegal activity?"

I roll my eyes. "No comment."

She sighs, leaning forward and resting her arms on the desk. "Listen, it's in your best interests to tell me if that knife has been involved in anything. We're going to run tests on it."

"No fucking comment," I say more clearly this time.

"It was found in your room. Did you know it's illegal to own a zombie knife?"

"No comment."

"Fine. Interview terminated at," she checks her watch, "seven-thirty-five." She turns the recording device off. "I'll take you back to your cell."

"This is stupid," I mutter, pushing to stand. "You're hurt, I get it, but all this is bullshit."

She grabs my cuffs roughly and shoves me towards the door. "Now, why would I be hurt?"

"You know why. But it was for the best. It was never gonna work long-term between us."

"Stop talking," she snaps, pulling the door open.

"You wouldn't want your colleagues to find out the truth, right?" I ask, sniggering.

She pushes me into my cell but remains in the doorway. "You're right, it was never going to work. I'll go back to my life, and you go back to yours."

I eye her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. I have stuff going on." She looks away and her expression is troubled. Suddenly, I have the urge to know everything, but before I can ask, she forces a smile. "And I'd rather not make my life more complicated by chasing your club down. So, you win. Go back to your life and I'll leave you alone."

"Really?"

"The big man at the top won't fund this forever, and we've found nothing so . . ." she trails off. "Goodbye, Fletch."

She leaves, slamming the door and locking it. I sigh. If she's being honest, it's exactly what we wanted . . . so why the fuck does it feel so shit?

I'm released pending further enquires at eight a.m. that morning. They'll find nothing on the knife. It's brand new and purely for protection, and it's been under my mattress for months. I'd just forgotten about it and the last search wasn't thorough enough.

Axel is waiting outside the station in one of the club's cars. He gets out when he spots me. "You good?" I nod, getting in the car, and he does the same. "What the fuck was all that about?"

"I've been ghosting her," I admit. "She wasn't happy."

"Jesus, Fletch, why didn't you let her down gently?"

"Cos I thought it was better to just cut it off. Anyway, it doesn't matter. She's dropping her vendetta."

I feel his eyes on me. "Really?"

"I was suspicious too, but she told me the guys at the top won't fund it anymore. They haven't found anything, so she's stepping back."

"Do you believe her?"

"Yeah."

He smiles. "That'll do for me."

At the clubhouse, Nyx is still in my bed with whoever this latest conquest is. I give him a nudge, and he stirs, opening one eye and smiling. "You're back?"

"Why are you in here?" I ask, kicking off my boots.

"Didn't wanna ruin my sheets, Duchess said she's sick of washing them." He yawns, stretching out. "Did she get the message?"

I give a nod. "Yep. Think she got it loud and clear."

He grins. "I thought you'd cave and tell her you didn't fuck her."

I run my eyes over the sleeping blonde. "Nah, she needed to think the worst of me so she'd move on."

"Well, if that didn't do it, the recording certainly will."

I frown. "What are you talking about?"

"The sex tape. The police took it."

I freeze. "What?"

"They took it."

"How the hell did they find it?"

"They forced Axel to open the safe. It was in there."

I run my hands through my hair. "That was for us to use to get her to lay off, not for the police to find."

"Not much we can do about it now."

I groan. "Fuck. This will ruin her."

"Why do you care, brother? She's a copper. Fuck her."

I pull out my phone, but before I can text, Nyx snatches it. "Man, if you warn her, Axel will do his nut. You and her are done. Leave it at that and forget about her."

I get a few hours' sleep before Grizz is banging on doors calling church. By the time I head downstairs, everyone is seated.

Axel slams the gavel down to start the meeting. "As you can see, Fletch survived a night in the cells." He pats me on the back. "Released pending further enquires, but the knife is clean."

"The thing is, Pres, I got people pulling out of business cos they're sick of waiting," says Atlas. "How long is this gonna go on?"

"That's what we're here for," he says with a grin. "We reckon it's done. The copper told Fletch the funding was pulled from the investigation. So, although we still gotta lay low, we can start moving gear again." The men cheer, but for some reason, I don't share their happiness. "And when they view that footage, anything she's got on us will be pulled."

"Did you hand it over?" I snap.

He smirks. "I may have pointed them in the direction."

I stand, slamming my hands on the table. "That was for us to use, and now she's backed off, we don't even need it."

He frowns, then also stands, matching my height. "You need to watch your tone, brother," he warns.

"You're gonna destroy her career," I yell.

He arches a brow. "She wanted to destroy my club."

"But she didn't," I argue.

"All's fair in love and war, right?"

"We need to get it back," I snap.

"We need to let fate decide."

"Pres, I'm serious, I can't let her go down like that."

"Your loyalty should be with this club," he snaps.

"It is. I just . . ." I sigh, flopping down in my seat. "She's suffered enough."

"She's a copper, Fletch. Don't feel sorry for her sort," reasons Duke.

"And this will put an end to her having any thoughts about coming back for more."

Gemma

I stare blankly at the ceiling. I got home hours ago, but I can't sleep. I saw Ruby off to school even though she never spoke a word to me, and now, my mind is thinking over every single bad decision I've ever made. I groan, rolling onto my side and picking up my mobile phone.

I type out a text and my finger hovers over the send button, but then I delete it. I can't tell him. I want to, and Ruby needs me to, but I just can't.

What if he wants to get to know her? What if he wants her to stay with him? I shudder. Thinking of Ruby in the clubhouse makes me feel sick. Sitting up, I start the text again. I have to try . . . for Ruby.

Me: Can we meet to talk?

I fall into a disturbed sleep but only manage a few hours before I'm awake again and that sick feeling returns.

I check my phone and find no reply from Fletch. I'm disappointed, I can't lie.

Finding Ruby downstairs, I ask, "Did you have a good day at school?"

She glances up in that sulky way teenagers do but doesn't reply. I'm tired of being ignored by everyone in my life. "I've made contact with him," I blurt. "Your father." This gets her attention. "He hasn't texted me back yet."

"Did you tell him it was important? That it was urgent?"

I hate how desperate she sounds. "If he doesn't reply, I'll go and see him."

"If you know where he is, take me to him."

I shake my head. "I can't just turn up and spring you on him. He's . . . difficult."

"I don't care. I want to see him."

"Ruby," I say on a sigh, "please just let me do this my way."

"Go now," she snaps. "Go to him now and tell him so I know either way if he's interested in getting to know me."

"Is that what you want?" I ask.

"Yes."

"You won't even speak to me, but you want to know this stranger?"

"You lied. He didn't."

"So, now, I'm the enemy?"

"Just go and tell him," she repeats, turning away. "Please."

And that one word is all it takes to have me heading for the door. I've at least got to tell him, even if he doesn't want to know Ruby.

Smoke is on the gate, and when I pull up outside, he steps from the gatehouse. "What do you want?"

"To see Fletch."

"Too bad."

"Please," I say more urgently, "it's important."

He rolls his eyes and pulls out his mobile phone, tapping away. A few minutes later, I get a text message.

Fletch: We made an agreement, Gemma. Go home.

Me: I have to tell you something.

Fletch: I don't want to hear it. We're over.

Me: It's about our past. Why I went away.

A minute later, he stomps from the clubhouse and heads for the gates. He looks irritated, and I hate that he's treating me like a needy ex trying to ruin his day. "Gemma, this has to stop. You can't come here unannounced."

"Not without official papers at least," says Smoke, grinning.

We both stare at him in annoyance, and he shrugs, stepping back into the gatehouse.

"I don't want to be here," I snap. "I'm not trying to win you back, if that's what you think."

"Then why are you here?"

"Can we at least go somewhere to talk?"

He shakes his head. "No. You're not welcome in here."

"I can't say what I need to at the gate, Fletch."

"Then don't fucking tell me," he snaps, turning and heading back to the clubhouse.

"I got pregnant before," I blurt. He stops, keeping his back to me for at least a minute before slowly turning to face me. I swallow the huge lump forming in my throat.

"Open the gate," he barks in Smoke's direction.

The gate begins to creek as it opens, and the second he can step out, he grabs my arm and shoves me back towards my car. "Get in," he growls. He rounds the passenger side and gets in. "Drive."

"Where?"

"Your place."

"No. We can't go there."

He turns in his seat. "When? How?"

I grip the wheel, fixing my stare on the empty road ahead. "I found out after I found you with Kate."

"And you didn't think to tell me you were pregnant?"

"I was upset."

"Who went with you?"

I frown, bringing my eyes to his. "Huh?"

"For the abortion, who took you? Who looked after you?"

My mouth opens and closes a few times before I say, "I didn't get an abortion."

His frown deepens. "You don't have a kid. I've been to your house. Did you give it up?"

"Sort of."

"You're not making sense, Gemma," he barks. "Where's the kid now? Is it a boy or girl?"

"Girl," I say with a small smile. "She's at my place."

He pauses, staring at me while he gathers his thoughts. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I thought you should know."

He slams his hand against the dashboard, and I wince, jumping in fright. "Why now?"

"Because . . ."

"To pull me back in, is that it?" he spits.

"No . . . I just . . ."

"You think I'll come crawling back for a kid I don't even know?"

"I know it's a shock," I try, but he slams his hand down again.

"Stay the fuck away from me. Both of you." He gets out the car and slams the door.

I watch him stalk across the carpark as tears slip down my face. And then a rush of anger rips through me, and I dive from the car and rush after him, shoving him hard in the back and causing him to stumble a few steps.

"How fucking dare you dismiss me like I'm a piece of shit?" I scream. "Our daughter found out the truth and begged me to tell you because she wants to get to know you. Fuck knows why because you're a complete prick." He stares down at the ground with his hands on his hips. "She didn't know about either of us, but the truth came out and now she knows. She thought you deserved to know. I told her it would be pointless because you're not good enough to be in her life."

He gives a slight nod. "Glad you got that off your chest. Go home, Gemma, and don't come back here again."

I sigh heavily. "Whatever, Fletch. Good fucking riddance."

Ruby looks at me eagerly when I walk in. I shake my head slightly, and her smile fades. I hate I'm breaking her heart all over again. "I always wanted you," I tell her, shrugging out of my coat and laying it over the back of the couch. "My father was so angry because he thought I'd thrown my life away. He would have had me get rid of you completely, only I didn't find out until quite late on, so the pregnancy was too far gone for the procedure."

Sadness fills me when I think back to those days, and I lower onto the couch beside her. "I didn't have my mum around when I was small, so it was just me and him. He was already so full of anger and hate, and then he met Sarah. She couldn't have children but so badly wanted them. I don't know why because she's spent most of her time being unhappy, even when I gave her what she wanted."

"Did you have a good upbringing?" she asks, and I notice a trail of tears on her cheeks. I shake my head. "So, why would you think they'd give me a nice childhood?"

"Because he made me think they would," I explain. "He listed all the things I was shit at," I whisper. "Told me how I'd be a terrible parent because I couldn't support you. And he was right, I had nothing."

"You had me," she screams.

A sob escapes me. "He made it sound so believable. And then he offered to raise you and said it would be better that way because I'd still get to see you. The alternative was to put you up for adoption and then I'd never get to see you again. I couldn't handle that."

"There was another option. You could've just raised me."

"How?" I ask. "I was eighteen and terrified. I'd left college and my father sent me away for the duration of the pregnancy. I lived with his sister, my disapproving aunt, and she only added to the doubt in my mind that I wouldn't cope. And when I returned, I threw myself into a career in the police force. I couldn't stand to be around Sarah while she showed you off to her friends. She even wore a fake bump." I scoff. "God, it all sounds so mad now."

"Tell me about my father," she whispers.

I stare into my lap, where my fingers are knotting together with nerves. "It's Fletch," I mutter. "You met him here that night."

She pushes to stand. "He's my father?"

I nod, and she starts to pace. "Holy shit. You've been dating him?"

"Not dating," I snap. "We met up again and we've been catching up."

"But you failed to mention me. No wonder he's pissed. I bet he's in shock."

I slowly shake my head, not wanting to give her any hope. "Fletch doesn't want kids. He never wanted them. He's a biker. He lives for his club and nothing else."