1 The Beginning

NEW YEARS DAY 2016

My eyes slowly opened only to be invaded by blinding white light, squeezing them tightly and throwing an arm over my eyes I let out a low pained growl. Hangover. What did I expect? I had just attended only the biggest party the Phantoms threw of the year. I gave my eyes a few minutes to adjust before trying to open them, this time succeeding with only minimal pain.

"Tylenol?" a deep slightly raspy voice asked from across the room.

"What happened?"

"What do you think Simone?"

I spun around to face the devil himself. Who stood by the bathroom door with a shit eating grin on his face, he stood in nothing but a pair of tight red Saxx boxers that told me from the white writing on the band.

"Where are my clothes?" I was done with being here, I had promised myself this wasn't ever going to happen again.

"Here, there, everywhere" Maddox gestured around the room with a bored tone.

Maddox Jones was what you would call a worst enemy. He got under my skin, annoyed the crap out of me in anyway that he found that he could.

"So what is your little Science student boyfriend going to think when you tell him you slept with me last night?" I watched him walk over to his dresser, pulling open a drawer before pulling out a black t-shirt with some type of band on the front. He put the shirt on, it straining against his broad chest.

I didn't have an answer for his skin eating question, honestly I didn't know how I was going to tell Lucas, or what for that matter.

"Just leave it Maddox"

"Its Skinner" He corrected for the hundredth time. I refused to call him that disgusting nickname, it was the nickname of a murderer, and as much as I tried to forget that is what he was. A Murderer.

I collected my clothes and as I silently put them on he watched me like a lion watches its prey or at least that is what it felt like when Maddox was staring you down.

"Are you coming tonight?"

"To your fight? of course not" I rolled my eyes at the thought of attending one of his so called "Wrestling" matches, it was more like a death match, last man standing won. It was always Maddox, he never lost. The thought of watching him beat some man to death almost made me sick.

"I wish you would, just this once"

I was dressed and almost to the door at this point, he had said that so low I wasn't sure if that was what I actually heard or not.

"Goodbye Maddox"

I slipped out of his bedroom at the clubhouse before making my way into the common area to where the door was located down a hallway near the right side of the spacious room. It was early morning in Motorcycle club terms, 12:30pm. Most of the members wouldn't be awake until at least 3 or later. I was grateful for that meaning that hardly anyone was in the common area easily letting my slip outside into the cold January air. The bright sun reflecting off the snow covered ground was not helping my pounding headache, I reached into my purse to find my keys inside the mess of receipts and other things. Sighing I finally caught sight of the object and mind, pulling my keys free I quickly unlocked the drivers side door of my tiny car.

Before I could get inside a hand stopped the door opening. I looked up to meet the dark green eyes belonging to Maddox.

"I have somewhere to be" I rattled off an excuse hoping he believed me.

"Sure"

"What do you want now? To torture me more, rub my mistake in my face more?"

I swore I saw a flash of hurt in those eyes when I said mistake but I wasn't sure. That was one thing about Maddox, his eyes never lied.

"I just wanted to ask you to reconsider on the fight"

"Why do you want me there so bad?"

"Someone's got to be my good luck charm"

"From your winning streak I doubt you need more good luck"

At that he removed the arm blocking my car door letting my finally open it to climb inside, He watched as I shut the door and started the engine. I forced myself to look away, backing out of the clubhouse parking lot on my way home to my shoebox apartment.

~

That night I sat on the couch, a pint of vanilla ice cream in my lap, my favourite fuzzy pj pants adorned my legs. I glanced over at my phone on the side table as it rang for the eleventh time showing Lucas' caller ID once again, yes I was ignoring him as low as it was. I couldn't figure out what to tell him or how to word it and until then I was hoping I could avoid the problem. Well at least I hoped.

I knew how shitty it was of me, to not only cheat but to ignore him, I was a coward.

He was going to be hurt that was for sure, but he was going to be even more hurt when I told him who with. Lucas thought Maddox was the Devil walking, but then again so did a lot of people.

I could say this wasn't who I was, the type of person to cheat on their partner. The truth was I wasn't at all. Lucas was only my second boyfriend at my ripe age of 26.

My phone vibrated twice on the coffee table to let me know I had a text message, sighing I grabbed the device expecting it to be another message from Lucas questioning as to why I was ignoring him.

Maddox: I lost.

I re-read the message three times just to make sure I was really reading this, I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth before typing out a reply.

Me: Did you throw the fight because of me?

I looked at my response before sending it, the reply took a matter of seconds.

Maddox: Maybe.

Me: Why?

Maddox: I'm outside, come out.

My stomach tightened at the thought of him standing in the parking lot of my apartment building, my heart hammered as I sent my next reply.

Me: No.

I sat breathless waiting for his response, surely he would just ignore me and come up here.

Maddox: Smart.