Revenge is a Dish Best Served Hot

Seeing Him Again

Nicole 1 year later

The past year had been so stressful, grueling, time-consuming, mentally exhausting, and any additional verb that described exhausted. It was worth it, she was finally starting to get real experience in the field. She was in the ER two nights a week and she was loving it. Nicole loved the fast-paced environment. The only thing she didn’t love was the doctors. They were so rude and condescending. Every time she made a mistake they were there to shove her face in it. The mistakes were slight and not life-threatening. Primarily not cleaning up areas in the timeframe the doctor wanted it done. She would be in the middle of cleaning and some jerk of a doctor would thoroughly inspect her station before telling her to hurry up. Nicole wanted to cry every time as it was done in public and she felt humiliated. If it wasn’t for the twenty-year-old veteran nurse who had her back, Nicole didn’t know how she would make it through this phase of her schooling. She was so close to receiving her degree that she could taste it. That is if the lack of sleep didn’t kill her first.

Honestly, Nicole craved the hectic life she lived. No downtime meant no time to sit and think about her life. The constant movement kept the loneliness and hurt away. She buried the hurt and pain of the harsh reality of her life. Nicole knew she would have to face it one day, but that day was not today or any day soon.

Her 24/7 schedule of classes, work, studying, and sleep kept her from checking social media. It kept her from reaching out to Grimm like she did time after time. It kept her from repeating the same cycle of falling into the same man’s arms who probably didn’t even know her middle name. It stopped her from lying awake at night choking on the regret. The reality is that she gave years of her life to a man who didn’t know anything about her. Who didn’t care. Who was probably drowning in club woman every night since she left.

Nicole was rebuilding herself stone by stone and she couldn’t look back. She refused to. It would destroy her if she looked back. She was not that woman any longer. Looking for love in all the wrong places. She hasn’t started dating yet, but she did download a few apps hoping it would get better.

…

She was so excited! Briar and her six-month-old baby girl were coming to see her in Chattanooga. Of course, this meant that at least five or six of the MC brothers were coming as an escort. Axel wouldn’t have it any other way. Briar complained about how smothering Axel had become since her pregnancy and birth of their baby girl;

Nicole checked with Briar a million times that Grimm wouldn’t be one of the group. Briar promised that Grimm would not be with them, he didn’t know about the trip. Briar claimed to have kept it on the DL from even Axel until a week before they left. Nicole felt nervous about her friend's assurances that Grimm wouldn’t be there, but she pushed it down to keep her excitement up to see the baby. Nicole had felt so bad about missing the birth of the baby. Zoom calls weren’t the same as holding a newborn.

Instead of meeting at her apartment, Nicole was going to meet up with Briar at a family-friendly restaurant a few blocks from the hotel room the group was staying at. She couldn’t fight the feeling that Grimm was in the city.

That apprehension didn’t go away as she left her studio apartment and walked half a mile to the restaurant.

Nicole didn’t even make it to the front of the restaurant when she heard her best friend’s voice.

“Please don’t be mad!” Briar said running up to her. That was the first words out of her mouth. Nicole felt that apprehension turn into dread in her gut as she looked to the men following behind Briar, her eyes skipped behind Axel and the baby and found him. There he was, Grimm, the man who wrecked her. Their eyes looked together and as usual, his eyes revealed no emotions. Grimm’s eyes didn’t flicker happiness, surprise, confusion, or contempt, all emotions were blank from the towering man’s face. While Nicole felt a flicker of hurt that he didn’t miss her, she felt other confusing emotions run riot through her.

Nicole took a calming breath and focused back on her best friend and her baby. She plastered on a fake smile and hugged her best friend even though the man who destroyed her was standing fifteen feet away.

“It’s okay,” she whispered in Briar’s ear as the two of them hugged. “Now let me see that baby!!!” Nicole turned to Axel who was holding the couple’s six-month baby daughter with a protective stance.

“Axel!” Briar said sharply after Nicole stood waiting a good minute for Axel to release the baby.

“Oh fine! Just be careful.” Axel said as Nicole had to practically pry the six-month-old out of his arms. She laughed as the six-month-old happily went into her arms with a pouting dad behind her.

“Oh hello, Aurora! It’s so nice to officially meet you,” Nicole cooed to the little girl who started to giggle and become animated over all the attention. Nicole could feel the men that surrounded them start to smile at the baby's antics. All but one, nothing could arouse any emotion in that man.

“Let’s go eat and catch up,” Briar interrupted her thoughts. “Axel promised that he wouldn’t bother us.”

Grimm pov

His prez was royally pissed, but he didn't care. Grimm knew that something was going on in the clubhouse the past month, but he didn't know what. His behavior had become so reckless that he assumed Axel’s frequent hangups and texts when he entered the room were because he was about to lose his cut.

Grimm was nervous the last time he was out on a run. He was afraid if he didn't do the run well upon his return that Reaper would demand his cut back. He hauled ass to get s**t delivered and back to the clubhouse.

When he got back from his run a day early it didn't take him but five minutes to figure out that the prez took his old lady and the club princess on a trip. Grimm knew in his bones that Briar was taking the baby to see Nicole and he followed after them. The group had an hour on him, but he drove like a madman, driving on pure instinct of where the enterouge was.

He almost gave up, an hour into the drive, sure that he was driving the right way, knowing that he would catch up, and there wasn't a sign of a tailpipe to be had when he finally saw it. The Devil’s MC cut clear as day about half a mile away. Grimm couldn't make out who was pulling rear guard duty, it was normally the sergeant at arms, but Grimm knew Wrench’s bike and that wasn't it. Grimm still followed at a distance where he could tail the Devil’s bike without getting caught and sent back to the clubhouse.

Grimm followed Gunnar’s bike all the way into Chattanooga when he finally pulled up to the group. His prez couldn't see him as Reaper was in his giant SUV but the rest of the bikers sure did. His brothers glared at him, but he didn't care. The SUV pulled into a hotel near downtown and when Reaper saw him get off his bike it went down. Reaper didn't hesitate and threw him a right hook that landed him on his ass. Damn, he forgot how powerful his prez was. Reaper raining down hits on him like a madman and all Grim could do was protect his head.

“Axel!” Briar’s sharp voice called out. “That’s enough!” Reaper’s wife’s voice and the cry of the club princess were enough for his prez to stop hitting him immediately. Reaper pulled himself away, and Briar walked up to him as he regained his footing.

“You will stay silent and see what you lost out on or you will be out of the MC.”

“That’s bull-” he started to yell when his pres kicked him hard in the knee. Pain exploded throughout his entire leg.

“Remember your place,” Reaper said in a lethal voice. Briar handed their daughter off to Axel and walked off with Reaper trailing behind her. It took him five minutes to regain his footing.

Grim slowly caught up with the group. Then there she was. It had been a year, but Nicole could still take his breath away. God, she was gorgeous. He missed her so much and he had no idea the woman he knew so little about anchored him. Nicole kept him grounded by just her hand holding his and he lost that when he couldn't face his fear of intimacy. God he was dumb. Grim watched Nicole hold Aurora and wondered if she wanted kids with him. Did he miss out on that forever? Could she ever forgive him? Did he deserve that forgiveness?