VJ

22 - I don't love her!

VJ

We walk into my parent’s house hand in hand and say hello to everyone who says it first. I’m not an ignorant cunt like some would believe, but I don’t go out of my way to talk to anyone unless I have to.

The house is packed with bikers, their Old Ladies, and Sophie’s friends from school. The backyard is even more packed. I hate that they all stare at me, but I suppose it’s not often you see a giant of a man with such a short woman unless you see Roman with Marley. She’s around the same height as Chloe, and Roman is around my height, even if I am a little bigger built.

Sophie spots me at the same time my eyes land on her. I sigh deeply. I’m trying not to be a bastard right now, but it’s not easy for a man like me to back down from anything, especially when I’m het up about my best friend screwing my baby sister, even if that something really has nothing to do with me.

Bones has his arm around Sophie’s shoulders, laughing at something Kong is saying to him. Ratchet is watching and joining in. I don’t know Ratchet well; he just started as a Prospect when I was sent down — patched in while I was away. He stays out of my way as much as he can. He’s a big bastard but seems to be intimidated by me in ways he shouldn’t be. We’re on the same side. But I guess my reputation precedes me.

I lean down and kiss Chloe softly – again with that shi.t! – and she smiles against my mouth. “I guess we should go say happy birthday, huh?”

She nods and follows me obediently, her hand still in mine.

Every fucke.r knows I’ve claimed Chloe. It doesn’t mean they won’t try talking to her or flirting with her, at least. Which means I’ll then have to kill one of my own men. Which is also not allowed, so it’s better if I keep Chloe with me than risk my temper flaring up right now. It will only end with me out of my club, or worse, dead. Trust me, just because my brother is President doesn’t mean I get away with breaking the rules of the club, I don’t. In fact, Jett is harder on me because I’m his brother.

“Sophie.” I tip my head as she turns to look at me. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” She smiles warily. I hate that my sister is scared of what I’ll do here. She has nothing to fear; I would never hurt her if I could help it. “Thanks for coming, I didn’t think you would. Hi, Chloe.”

“Hi. Happy birthday. This is for you.”

I watch Sophie take the small, wrapped parcel from Chloe’s outstretched hand with a smile on her face. Bones watches as she opens it, tears welling in her eyes when she sees what’s inside the box.

“Oh, Chloe,” Sophie pulls out a silver necklace, some weird tree dangling from the end of it.

“I knew how much you liked it when we saw it in town a couple months ago.”

“It’s beautiful,” My sister hugs my girl tightly. As she pulls away, she hands it to Bones to fasten around her neck, and she says, “You didn’t have to do this, but I love it. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

I push my hand into the pocket of my jeans and pull out the present I bought for Sophie, the one Chloe helped me pick out yesterday because I’m fuckin.g useless when it comes to gifts. I usually hand out checks or get Sophie to pick shi.t out and wrap them for me. However, I couldn’t get her to buy her own gift, nor did Chloe think a check was good enough.

“Here.” I hand it to my sister, who eyes it for a moment before opening it.

I’m not really bothered whether she likes it or not. I couldn’t give a crap if she threw it in the trash right in front of my face. However, from the tears in her eyes, I can tell she does like it. Chloe was right.

“I can’t believe you remembered.”

I’m never likely to forget. Max and I sat with Chloe and Daisy one evening last week and told them a little about our childhood. What it was like to have siblings so much older than us, what it was like to have a little sister. Chloe remembered something I mentioned about giving Sophie a small white teddy bear when she was born. She still has the damn thing, but he got battered around a lot because she never went anywhere without him. The poor thing no longer has eyes or ears because they fell off years ago.

Chloe managed to find a place that sells them to this day and thought it would be a good idea to get another one. This time with Sophie’s name stitched across the stomach. I thought it was a ridiculous and childish idea, but Chloe told me to trust her, so I did.

Max and Daisy got Sophie earrings and a day at the spar. Stupid gifts if you ask me.

But what the hell do I know about women and what they like?

“Not like I could ever forget Zippy, is it?”

Sophie shakes her head and looks at me, her lower lip between her teeth and stupid tears in her eyes. Happy tears, I think they call them.

“It was Chloe’s idea to not replace Zippy but get you a new one because there ain’t much left of the one I gave you when you were born.”

“Thank you. I love him.”

I stiffen as she wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head on my chest. I look at Chloe, who mouths, “Hold her,” with wide eyes. I force my arms around my sister and hold her to me. It feels strange; I don’t usually do this. But I relax enough to kiss her head. I feel Chloe stroking my back with her hand, which calms me. Which again is weird.

When my sister pulls away from me after mumbling that she loves me, which I didn’t say back because I never do, she turns to Bones to show him that stupid bear. He looks over at me while holding Sophie in his arms and nods his head. That’s his way of thanking me for coming and making Sophie realize that everything is just fine and that I won’t interfere with their relationship. Which I won’t. Chloe is right; it’s none of my business what my sister does or whom she loves.

“You made her so happy,” Chloe tells me as we approach my older sister’s.

Willow had been waving me over for the past five minutes, and I won’t get out of here without seeing what she wants.

“It was just a stupid teddy bear.”

“To you.” Chloe laughs. Strange woman.

“About time.” Willow hugs me. I don’t hug her back. Same with Nova when she laughs and hugs me.

I’m more like Nova than any of my other siblings. She also has psychopathic tendencies. She’s not as bad as I am, but the woman used to be an assassin for fuck.s sake. If that doesn’t scream Psycho, nothing does.

“I’m just going to grab us a drink.” Chloe kisses me and walks away.

I watch her until I can no longer see her. I’m fuckin.g hooked on that girl, and I don’t know why.

Obsessed, VJ. That’s what you are — obsessed with that girl.

“You two seem close.”

“What’s it to you?”

Nova laughs out loud. She doesn’t give a damn what I say or think. Willow, on the other hand, does.

“We’re your sister’s. We’ve just noticed that you and Chloe seem to be together a lot. We know you claimed her, but Max told us that was to protect Chloe if she ever came around the club.” Willow tells me.

“But it looks like more than you wanting to protect Chloe from men who would never force themselves on her if she asked them to back the fuc.k off.” Nova is forever cussing, not really giving a damn that her young teenage kids are impressionable.

“It’s none of your business, either of you. Whatever is going on between Chloe and me is between us.”

“She makes you feel something you never knew existed, doesn’t she?” I don’t answer Nova; I just fold my arms across my chest and take a deep breath. “It’s okay, VJ. It happened to me, too, when I met Tank. I didn’t know what it meant either. But it didn’t take me long to realize that I loved him.”

I roll my eyes in annoyance. “I don’t love her, Nova. I will never love her. I don’t love anyone. I’m not capable of it. Before either of you push the bullshit that I’m not incapable, you know nothing. I like fuckin’ the girl, nothing more. It will never be anything more than that.”

“You sure about that?”

“Positive, Nova.”

“Does Chloe know that?”

I nod my head at her.

Willow nods her head behind me. “If she didn’t before, she does now.”

I turn my head. Chloe is right behind me, with tears in her eyes. I watch her place the two bottles of beer on the glass table beside her and rush through the house.

“Fuc.k!” I don’t listen to my sisters and what they have to say; I race after Chloe. I know how bad that must have sounded to her. Fuc.k, I never wanted to hurt her.

What the fuc.k is the deal with that?

I manage to catch up with Chloe at the end of my parent’s street. I grab her arm and swing her around to face me. Tears are streaming down her face, and she tries to wipe them away.

“Chloe, wait.”

“Let go of me, VJ. I just want to go home.” Her voice hitches.

I scrub my hands over my face. This is just what I didn’t want. I didn’t want Chloe to get attached to me. I told her that I couldn’t give her what she wanted. I’m no fuckin.g good for her.

“Why are you upset, Chloe? You knew what this was. I never lied to you about what this was.”

“I know that, VJ. I didn’t expect anything more from you. But you didn’t have to talk about me like I’m nothing but a vagin.a to stick your dic.k into. I’m a person with feelings, dammit! And you hurt them. Can’t you see that?”

I blink at her, not knowing what to say. I don’t understand why she’s yelling at me about what I said. Okay, telling my sister’s that I like nothing more than fuckin.g Chloe was probably the wrong thing to say.

But shi.t, does she really need to go off at me like this?