Free The MC Sinners Series 2 - Heaven's sinners by Jewel Bella

guilt.
    “You need to let me look at that foot.”
    I stop hobbling towards my door and turn, staring at him.
    “Why?”
    He crosses his arms, and throws his leg over the bike before striding towards me. “’Cause it’s my fault you ran outta gas in the first place, so I’m goin’ to make sure you’re okay before I leave. Don’t bother fuckin’ arguin’ with me, Ciara. It won’t change my mind.”
    I open my mouth to argue, but quickly close it again. The look on his face is that of threat. He’s not going to back down. With a deep, defeated sigh, I turn and continue hobbling towards the door.
    I unlock it and step inside. Spike follows close behind me. I head into the kitchen, desperate for a hot drink and some painkillers. I hear Spike stop walking, and turn to see him staring at a picture of Cheyenne and I after they were married. I think it was one of their anniversary parties. It was, without a doubt, the hardest day of my life. Seeing the man who stole my heart, celebrating his love with another woman is something I could never live through again. But I did it, for her.
    “Remember that day...” he says, his voice gruff.
    “Yeah,” I say in a small, weak voice. “Me too.”
    Our eyes meet for a moment, before I quickly turn back to the boiling water.
    “You need to sit so I can look at your foot.”
    “I’m fine, it’s...”
    “Sit the fuck down,” he barks.
    I turn, giving him a glare. He crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes and challenging me, just daring me to argue.
    “I need to shower and...”
    “Sit. Now.”
    Growling, I hobble over to the lounge and sit down. Spike kneels in front of me and grips my foot, slipping off my shoe. He raises it and inspects it. I can see it’s swollen and purple. Great. Just what I need right now. Something else to stop me from working.
    “Lookin’ like it could be fracture, or at the least, badly bruised. You need to keep this up for a few days.”
    “You can’t be serious,” I cry. “I have a job I need to go to!”
    “Well, you ain’t goin’ to it.”
    I start to cry. It’s pathetic, but I can’t help it. Big fat tears stream down my cheeks. Dammit. Why does this keep happening?
    “Ah shit,” Spike grunts. “Don’t start cryin’.”
    “Can you just leave?” I snap through my tears. “Just go and leave me the hell alone.”
    “Hey,” he growls. “Look at me.”
    I keep my eyes directed at my lap.
    “Now, Tom Cat.”
    Hearing him call me Tom Cat has shudders wracking my body. It’s been so long, and the swell of emotion in my chest is nearly too much, but I lift my face, meeting his gaze.
    “I might not be a great person, but I’m not enough of a fuckin’ prick to leave a girl who is hurt because of me. I also won’t let her take the fucked up end of the stick because of my actions. You tell me how much you need to cover you for a few days off, and I’ll give it to you.”
    “I’m not going to do that, Spike.”
    “You don’t get a choice. Give me a number, or I’ll make one up.”
    “No.”
    “Fine,” he says, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He grips a wad of cash out and thrusts it at me. “That should cover it.”
    I stare at the cash in my hands, and gape. “I wouldn’t make this much in a week.”
    “Fuckin’ need to speak with Joe about how much he pays his girls,” he says under his breath, and then he meets my eyes again. “I fucked that bar, ‘cause I took the first swing. It ain’t on you and you shouldn’t have to miss out ‘cause of me. Take it, don’t argue, and we’ll both go our separate ways.”
    “Are we ever going to be friends again, Spike?”
    He narrows his eyes, and his expression becomes hard. “Don’t mistake this kindness for us being friends. I’m doing it because I fucked up. There ain’t nothin’ more to it. You ain’t ever gonna be more than an acquaintance, Ciara.”
    Ouch. That burns. It burns me right down to my core. His words affect me in a way I wasn’t