Page 56 of Bolt (Iron Thunder MC 1)
My business had taken a bit of a hit since the incident. Word had probably spread about how someone attacked me in my own establishment. I had to change our regular staff schedule. Today, I only had Carol helping me. It was quiet at the cafe when Chip walked in.
“Sis,” he said, walking up to the counter. I glanced at Carol who nodded at me, so I walked around to my brother and smiled at him.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I think I’m okay. Can I get a coffee off you?”
“I’ll bring one over to you guys if you want to take a table,” Carol offered kindly.
“Do you want to stay for the coffee, or do you have somewhere to be?” I asked Chip. The last few times I tried talking to him, he’d just rushed away before I could get in a word edgeways.
“I’ll stay. We can talk,” he said and walked over to an empty table near the glass wall. I followed him there and sat down across from him.
“I heard about the guy from Silver Knights who turned up here. I heard things got pretty rough.”
I looked down at my hands and nodded. “Yeah, if Bolt hadn’t shown up when he did, I’m not sure what would’ve happened.”
Chip sighed and shook his head. Carol brought coffees over for both of us.
“This is a very dangerous game you’re playing, Cassie. Do you realize that?”
“Isn’t that exactly what Mom and I have been telling you for years?” I asked and looked up at him. Chip gritted his teeth and looked away.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“And I feel perfectly safe as long as I have Bolt. They can try and hurt me, but they’re not going to succeed at it.”
“The Silver Knights are very dangerous people.”
“Then why did you get into business with them?” I snapped.
“I didn’t. For fuck’s sake, Cassie, I didn’t! It was supposed to be a one-time thing and I was trying to do whatever needed to be done to save our childhood home. I didn’t want to put you through any trouble.”
“I’m going to sell this place,” I said, and he looked up at me with a jerk.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You heard what I said, Chip. I don’t know if this cafe is going to survive our current reputation. I don’t know if I’ll get my regulars back in here. And frankly, I don’t feel like I have a choice. I need to step in and pay for the house. And selling this place and using that money is a much better option than doing a deal with the Silver Knights.”
Chip sighed again. “You’re going to regret this. You’re going to regret being with Bolt too. If you get tangled up in his life, it’s only going to put you in danger. You don’t know the first thing about how these MCs work.”
“I think I do, and nothing I find out will change how I feel about him.”
Chip sniggered and took big gulps of his coffee.
“You seem to think I need help, when it’s clearly you who needs the help.”
“Just leave,” I snapped and stood up.
He stood up too.
“I’m trying to give you some good advice.”
“You are the last person I’ll be going to for advice. Not after the shit you pulled.”
He left his coffee and started walking away. I was surprised to find I was relieved to watch him go. I hadn’t thought things would ever get this strained between us. All this started because I was trying to do whatever it took to save his life. And now, we were fighting. I felt like he didn’t understand me or support me, when that was all I had ever done for him all our lives.
Chip stopped and turned to me.
“Bolt used to be like a brother to me,” he said.
“Then why have things changed?” I asked. He rubbed a hand over his face.
“Because I can’t change my actions. I regret what I did, but I can’t change it now. But most importantly, he’s dragged you into this. He’s putting your life in danger knowingly, and I’ll never be able to forgive him for it.”
“This is my decision, Chip. He didn’t make me do anything,” I said. My voice softened a little. Maybe I was beginning to feel sorry for him.
He shook his head. “I just want you to look after yourself, Cassie. I just want you to be safe.”
“That is exactly what Bolt wants too.”
“Then he would leave you alone.”
“We are in love.”
Chip had a look in his eyes like he didn’t believe what I was saying. I had no other way to convince him of it. It was the truth, but he refused to see it that way.
“If something happens to you, sis, I will always blame Bolt for it.”
I was about to say something to try and convince him of the way I saw things, but I knew it was pointless. Chip wasn’t going to come around this easily. Maybe only time could change him now. Maybe I would just have to wait.
