Cole shook his head. “I’ve never seen him like this, Angel. He was always laughing, cutting up, so full of life. Always optimistic. The glass was always half full. Always. But now, fuck, baby, I’m watching my best friend fade away, just fucking fade away. And I don’t know how to help him.”
Angel lifted her head to look up at him, her palm cupping his face. “He just needs time, baby. That’s all. It just takes time.”
“Yeah.”
They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Cole broke the silence. “He needs her, babe.”
“Has he tried to contact her?”
“I don’t think so, but I’ve seen him reject some incoming calls the last couple of days. I think maybe it’s her.”
“Maybe you could talk to him. Tell him to give it another try, give her another chance.”
“He’s not gonna listen.”
“You should try, Cole.” When he remained silent, she pressed him. “Promise me you’ll try.”
He nodded. “Okay, Mama. I promise.”
As it turned out, Cole didn’t have to talk Crash into contacting Shannon. Because the next day, she made the first move.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
Shannon stood on the street outside Crash’s loft. She pressed the intercom button. “Crash?”
She got no answer.
She tried again. “Please, just let me come up and talk to you.”
She looked up at the building wondering if he was even home. She stood there for a few moments wondering what else to try. He wasn’t answering her calls. She could leave a note, but she didn’t know if he’d see it. She could go to the clubhouse, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t be welcome, and she really didn’t want to humiliate herself in front of all his brothers, and that’s exactly what she figured Crash would demand. She would have to totally humble herself in front of him. He would take nothing less. God, that’s what it was going to come to, going to the club and apologizing, begging even, in front of all of them.
She bit her lip, staring up at the building when she heard the sound. The loud roar of motorcycles, blocks away still, but getting closer. Her head twisted, her eyes searching out the source. They roared around the corner, four of them, as the garage door behind her began to roll up. She recognized them immediately, her eyes moving over each one. Crash. Cole. Red Dog and Wolf.
She saw the moment Crash spotted her, his leg c
oming down as he eased back on the throttle and pulled up on the brakes. He rolled in off the street, stopping at the sidewalk where she stood staring back at him. And then he twisted the throttle and rolled on into the garage, his brothers following him inside. She stood hesitantly in the entrance watching as he put the kickstand down and threw his leg over the bike turning to face her as he ripped his helmet off and threw it violently across to a corner of the garage. “Got nothin’ to say to you, Shannon.” He lifted his chin toward the street. “Get out of here.”
She swallowed in the face of his harshness, but she stiffened her spine and took it. “No. We need to talk.”
“I want nothing to do with you, Shannon.” He turned toward the elevator as the others all dismounted, staying quietly out of it.
“Crash, please. Just talk to me,” she tried again in a softer voice, stepping further into his garage.
He turned, stalked to her and got right in her face. “You chose to believe your miserable fuck of a father over me. We got nothin’ to talk about. Understand? Nothing.”
Red Dog and Wolf exchanged a look, both uncomfortable witnessing the exchange. They both liked Shannon and hated to see this. They gave her a sympathetic look as Crash stalked away from Shannon and got on the elevator, leaving them all standing there.
Cole’s eyes moved to her, and he shook his head.
Shannon met his look, her eyes stinging with unshed tears as the pain caused by Crash’s words ripped through her. She begged him softly, “Cole, please. I just want to talk to him. I need to make this right.” She gestured toward the elevator shaft as they heard the elevator hit the second floor, and the gate crash open. “We have something good.”
“You had something good,” he corrected, and she felt the tears spill over and down her cheeks. “You fucked it all up. You. Not him.”
She nodded, her head dropping, knowing the truth in his words. Had she done so much damage that it was now beyond repair? It broke her heart as the realization overwhelmed her that it was possible this couldn’t be fixed. She felt her shoulders shake, as Cole advanced. He walked over, his hand going to the back of her neck, and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
“Babe. Go home. Call me later.” He pulled back, looking down into her tear-filled eyes. “Okay?”
She nodded and ran from the garage, heading to her car.