The Salvation Knights MC: Jinx's Mistake

Chapter 2: Betrayal

Deidra's P.O.V.

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The rest of the day went by slowly. We were busy on and off. I had a bride-to-be come in to talk about using us for her wedding. The bakery across the street came in to buy a pastry and make a huge thing in the middle of the place to try to drive my customers away. If it weren't for my little knight in shining armor, I think I might have been arrested today.

June, owner of Tasty Treats, comes in at least once every two weeks. She buys something, stands in the middle of the lobby, and loudly complains about it. She's dropped cups of coffee, spilled potted plants, literally smashed muffins onto the floor... It's kind of insane behavior for a woman in her late 30s, but hey girl, crashout if that makes you feel better.

However, I can also crashout. And I will. I maintain a pretty level head most of the time, but June and I have gotten into it a few times in front of customers. Deb has had to break us up. Deb even went as far as to call and speak to not only June's husband — who doesn't give a flying sh.it about what his wife does, but also called her mother. Nothing has helped.

Except my knight in shining armor that is.

"Waylen, where the hell is your mother?" I asked the seven-year-old boy who spent his entire day in my shop. Well, after school let out that is.

"Told you, she's gone," he replied without looking up from his coloring book. "It's just me and dad now."

I tried not to show how happy I was that his sh.it a.ss mother was gone. Not sure if the bi.tch packed up and left or if she was finally forced out of town. I hadn't seen her in over a year, but I thought that was because she was avoiding me.

You see, Erica — or Glory, whatever the hell she goes by now — have never gotten along. We went to school together our entire lives. She was the popular cheerleader, and I was the loner type. I never cared, but she did for some reason. She always bullied me, but I was never one to just take sh.it either. I talked sh.it back, but it never went further than that. Okay, there was one time, but it was stupid.

After we graduated from high school. Erica shacked up at the Salvation Knights clubhouse on the edge of town. I'd heard she became a club bunny and that she was a patch chaser. I had no idea what either of those things were, but I sure do now. Kind of hard not to when you're surrounded by it.

The fu.cking bi.tch used to bring Waylen to the diner when I worked there, drop him off in a booth, and fu.cking leave. Leave! Like it was a damn daycare. The owner, Big Ricky, was going to kick the kid onto the street when he was like three-years-old. I threatened to set the diner on fire if he did that. Which resulted in me pretty much babysitting for free.

Until I'd finally had enough one day. After Waylen sat in a booth for two hours, sick as sh.it and running a high fever, I lost my sh.it. That was about two years ago now. I took my apron off, told Big Ricky I'd be back, and drove me and Waylon to the gates of the Salvation Knights MC. I stormed in after being let through the gates with Waylen in tow and cussed out a room full of bikers. I even refused to let go of Waylen until his id.iot father swore to me that he'd take him right to the hospital. I even followed them to make sure.

That day was the last time I ever saw Erica. However, Waylen still showed up at the diner every day. Much to his father's dismay. Not that the man hated me, but Waylon just never told anyone where he was going. How an entire clubhouse full of adults lost sight of one child every single day is beyond me.

"Waylen, if it's just you and your dad, why aren't you at the clubhouse?" I asked.

The little cutie winced. I sighed, half groaning when I realized what that meant. He might be here every day, but usually someone from the club is with him. Sometimes he shows up alone, but that usually means...

"Waylen!!"

I jumped a foot in the air at that shout. I whirled around, my body moving to shield the boy. It's not like I think his dad would ever hurt him. It's just a reaction. Probably because I really don't condone yelling at children.

Jinx Roth stormed into my shop looking like delicious sin. Which instantly made me glare at him. It's completely unfair how unreasonably se.xy this face is and always has been. When's his awkward stage going to hit? I've only been waiting over 20 years to see it!

Jinx is a couple of years older than me, but we graduated the same year. We were never friends, never hung out in the same circles, but we knew each other due to school. He's always been attractive, but the older he gets, the more ridiculous it is. The man has got to be at least 6 feet, 4 inches, and all pure muscle. He wears his cut with the club's logo with pride. It's an outline of a knight in purple, holding a sward. It's drawn in a goth-style, making it look freaking awesome. Not that I'd ever tell Jinx that. My eyes always linger on the stitched name on the right side of his cut.

Jinx. The name everyone's called him since we were in middle school. His long golden blonde hair is pulled back into a manbun, but looks frazzled. Probably due to his missing kid. Those bright blue and green eyes were angry, and it only made him look better. He had stubble growing across his sharp jaw. His nose was crooked from fighting one too many times. He looked like a damn model.

Why does he have to be Waylen's dad?

"Don't fu.cking give me that look Thorn," Jinx bit out when he saw the scowl on my face.

"Stop shouting in my store before I throw you out," I stated before quietly adding. "It's Christmas time. Be jolly for once in your miserable life, Jinx."

Jinx let out a harsh laugh, rolled his shoulders, and took a deep breath.

"Sorry, but my fu.cking son didn't come home from school and the entire club's been out looking for him-"

"Jesus, just stop," I cut him off, waving my hand in the air as I rolled my eyes. "Why you didn't come here first, I'll never know."

"He promised me he'd stop bothering you," Jinx ground out.

"He never bothered me in the first place," I said as I walked behind the counter. "It was his dipsh.it mother that annoyed me. Waylen is always welcome." Jinx sighed and rested his fists on the counter. I set a black coffee in front of him, and he thanked me before taking a drink.

"I'll talk with him," Jinx promised.

"Start with the dangers of walking somewhere all alone," I muttered.

Thankfully, Jinx left it at that. Which was surprising. Usually he always has something to say back. Instead, he gathered his son's belongings and left my little shop. I knew that no talk would stop Waylen from coming here. He said that he likes being around me because I'm calm and I care. I don't doubt that Jinx and the rest of the club care about him. I've seen it with my own eyes. But his mom never did, and I'm sure living at a motorcycle clubhouse is never calm.

I tried not to let my thoughts wander for the rest of the day. Once I closed up and sent Alexis home, I took an inventory count. I prepared everything for the next morning, looked over the day's sales, and checked on the plants before leaving. Just when I got in my car, I got a text from Deb. She let me know that she wasn't feeling that well and was going to have some soup and go to bed. I offered to go check on her, but she refused. Which was like her.

So, I went home.

The first thing that tipped me off that something was off were the two sets of shoes by my door that weren't mine. I recognized them both as Theo's and Sophie's. I knew that Theo was going to come over after work, but I thought he was working late. We haven't moved in together yet because Theo said neither of our places were big enough. I thought his was, but we did put a deposit down on a place and get to move in after the wedding.

At first, I thought that maybe the two of them were planning some surprise for me. I guess I was sort of right.

The apartment was silent. All the lights were on. My Christmas tree was in the corner, lit up with a handful of gifts under it. There was a set-up at the table on top of my decorative cloth, for two with wine glasses and candles. Cute, right? Would be if the plates didn't have scraps of food left, and the wine glasses weren't half empty. This wasn't something they were setting up for me. This was something they set up and enjoyed behind my back.

And at my apartment of all places? What the f***k!

I tip-toed through my apartment, taking in the line of clothes that lead to my room. My bedroom door was shut, which wasn't how I left it. Ever. For a moment, I just stood there.

I knew what I'd find behind that door. I knew that something was off with them. I knew... deep down, I knew. But the betrayal still hurt deeply.

A loud, fake moan knocked a bit of sense into me. I carefully opened the door just as the headboard started banging on the wall. And there they were. My best friend and my fiancé, naked, entangled with each other. Theo was on top with Sophie's body wrapped around him. He was balls deep in her, both their faces full of pleasure.

Again, why my apartment?

The first thought that crossed my mind was: Damn, I just changed those sheets too. Then it was: I wonder how many times I slept there without changing the sheets and no fu.cking knowledge at all that I was sleeping in my best friends "wet spot". Oh, I bet she got a kick out of us singing that Megan Thee Stallion song.

I shouldn't even be surprised. Sophie was always like this. She had to be the center of attention. She always stole my things. She never let me have other friends. Hell, Theo was the very first boyfriend I'd ever had. I should have seen it coming, should have known she'd do something like this. But I thought she loved me. I thought she just liked the spotlight, but that she still cared about me. I mean, she and I had been friends since preschool. We've gone through everything together. She was there for my parents' funeral. She knew that Theo had taken my virginity and that he was my first everything.

Sophie has done a lot of questionable things throughout our friendship, but this... this is devastating. She was my person. The only person left in my life aside from Deb. I lost everyone else. And apparently, our life-long friendship meant nothing to her.

"You like that baby?" Theo asked her as he thrust again. "You like it when I f***k you, don't you?"

"Yes! Yes Theo!" Sophie moaned loudly and dramatically.

"You're so naughty, suggesting we have our date here tonight," Theo said, further shattering my world. "I love it when we sneak around."

This was Sophie's idea?

"Show me how naughty I really am," Sophie said with a giggle.

I couldn't hear it anymore. These two should have known me better. Known that, no matter how upset I get...

I am not the type to go out without a fight.