PROLOGUE
“You don’t get it! I can’t stay here,” she chokes out, trying to swallow the sob threatening to come out. “You don’t understand what happened to me!” Eris wildly points her finger at the club members in the room. “They beat me! They cut me! They raped and took pictures of me!” She could hear the collective sharp inhales around the crowded room. “How do you expect me to stay here?” Everyone could see the tears flowing freely down her face, shocking everyone. No one had ever seen Chaos—a goddess in name and personality—cry before. Of course, the club members knew she had a good reason, but it was still a shock nonetheless.
Her innocence had been robbed from her; stolen by a group of old, nasty men. Picture and video evidence floating through The Titan’s Clubhouse. She had a good reason to cry, and they were surprised she had held it in this long.
Eris wiped her cheeks and straightened her back before looking through the room, taking extra time on her brother and father, Clyde and his Old Lady, and finally Vinny. Her voice turned cold, “I have to leave. I need to recover and fix my life. I cannot do that in a place where they are still roaming and free. I cannot fix myself in a place where no one understands what I have been through.”
She softens her gaze, “I love all of you,” she fixes her gaze on Vinny, before making eye contact with every single member of Hell’s Angels, her family, “but I need to repair myself. I will be fine. I’ll check in with War and Cronos. Please, I need to leave,” Eris pleads to her club. Every biker’s heart breaks for her, but one heart feels extra heavy: Vinny. He’s been in love with her since she could talk, and watching the tears roll down her cheeks and the pain in her eyes breaks his heart.
Vinny, also known as Mayhem, grabs his love in his arms and squeezes her tightly, knowing this will be the last time he would hold her for a long time, if ever again. “I love you, and I am so sorry that I couldn’t help you. I am so sorry this happened to you. We will get justice for you, your mother, and the club.” Vinny looks in Eris’ teary eyes and he can feel the sting of the tears behind his own, “Go get help, live your dream, and if you ever come back,” he lets out a shaky breath, “we will all welcome you with open arms.”
He kisses her forehead and lets his lips linger for a couple seconds longer. “I love you. I’ll get your bags, say your goodbyes and then I can drop you off at the airport.” He pulls away and they both let out teary smiles.
“I love you, too, Vinny,” Eris says, while Mayhem rolls his eyes at that stupid nickname only she is allowed to call him.
Chaos could feel her heartbreak all over again. Vinny, Mayhem to everyone else, was her best friend. Over the last couple years, however, she developed a huge crush on him, so leaving him had to be the hardest part in all of this mess.
She watches his back walk away and it only seems to bring more tears. She pulls her eyes away and walks over to Clyde and his Old Lady—“Bonnie” to the club, but Marigold to Eris, War, and Cronos. They pull her in a massive hug.
“I will kill every single bastard that touched you, sweetheart-” Marigold starts, but is cut off when Clyde interrupts.
“There was more than one?” Clyde looks absolutely livid, “Why didn’t you tell me?” He softens his gaze when he looks at Eris’ body shaking from her sobs. “Honey, baby girl, can you tell me who they were? Point them out from the pictures we have?” When he sees her nod, he gently takes her hand and leads her to Church.
Hell’s Angels and The Titans had been at each other’s throats since they could remember. The reason for rivalry is unknown but now that they had killed Cronos’ Old Lady and committed treacherous acts to Eris, they had a reason to hate them all. Hell’s Angels had a bulletin board of all the important members of The Titans that included pictures, names, and rank. Clyde, Mayhem, War, and Cronos all created a circle around her and the board. Her eyes flickered all over the board and flinched when she saw the people who had attacked her; a total of 8 people.
The men were all furious as she pointed out the President, the Vice President, the Road Captain, Sergeant at Arms, Enforcer, and three other members that were of no important rank. She turned back around to the boys and nodded her head. Her father, Titus—known as Cronos to the club--, held his arms out to her. She ran into them and squeezed him tight.
“Promise you’ll come back, hun. Doesn’t matter when as long as you come back to me. To your brother. To Mayhem, Clyde, and Bonnie. The club. Doesn’t matter that you’re leaving. You are the Club Princess, that isn’t ever going to change. I love you, and I’m sorry I couldn’t prevent any of this from happening,” he says with a single tear coming from his eye.
Eris chuckles softly and wipes his tear and then her own, “Okay, enough crying. I promise to you, to all of you that I will come back when I’m better. You have to promise to keep contact with me. I love you all, thank you for everything.” She pulls back and jumps into Ares’—War to the club—awaiting arms. “I love you, Ares. I’m sorry, and I’ll come back, it’s only temporary.” She looks at Ares’ face and then swats his arm.
“What the hell was that for?”
She points at the tears rolling down his face, “That! Those! Didn’t I say no more tears, you big goof.”
Vinny smiles at his girl, “And there’s the famous Chaos.” Everyone laughs before the tension is replaced.
“Okay, let me say goodbye to club and we can headout.”
Eris could certainly feel the love flowing through the room as she got hugs from the club and their Old Ladies, so when she was walking into the airport with Vinny in the car 30 feet away from her, she couldn’t but let out a single tear. She was leaving her whole life behind, but she couldn’t turn around because if she did, she would never leave.
Mayhem watched the love of his life walk through those doors and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had felt an immense pressure in his chest ever since they found her naked and chained in an empty warehouse but now he could barely breathe. He laid his head on the steering wheel and finally let a few tears of his own fall before taking a deep breath and driving away with a heavy hear and tear-stained cheeks.
