AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I chuckled despite myself. "Thanks, Pixie. I’ll keep that in mind."
The next couple days were a blur of work and sleepless nights. Boiler’s calls and texts went unanswered, each one a reminder of the hurt I was trying to outrun. I threw myself into my work, baking dog treats and managing the shop with a single-minded determination. Anything to keep my mind off him.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the image of him with that woman. The way he had looked at her, the tenderness in his eyes. Was that the same way he looked at me? Or was I just another lost cause he was trying to save?
One evening, as I was closing up the shop, Pixie stopped by again. "Tank, you can't keep avoiding this. You need to talk to him."
“Pix, he knows where I am.”
“So, he’s not barging in. Do you want him to?”
Rolling my eyes, I was honest. “I just don’t know.” I sighed, knowing she was right. "I just... I don’t know what to say, Pix. I saw him with a woman, and it broke me. How do I confront him about that?"
"By being honest," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "You care about him, right? Then you owe it to both of you to talk this out. Maybe there's more to the story than you think."
I nodded in agreement. I had to face this, no matter how painful it might be. "You're right, Pixie. I'll talk to him."
The next day, I gathered my courage to head to the Lair.
Chapter 21
Boiler
Tank sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Just leave.”
She was throwing me out. I nodded, my heart heavy. "Fine. But I'm here if you need me."
Tank gave me a small, sad smile, but not another word.
I left the Roost that night feeling like a complete failure. Not able to protect my woman. Not from Jeff, not from the Heelz foolish risks. I wanted to be there for Tank, to defend her, but she kept pushing me away. I had a rough night, couldn't sleep, had a weird feeling something was off.
The next day, I tried calling Tank, but she didn’t answer. Panic set in as the hours passed with no word from her. I called her friends, but no one had seen her. It was like she had vanished into thin air.
I couldn't help but think about my ex, Sarah. She had left me without a word, abandoning me and Max. The thought of Tank doing the same made my blood run cold. Had she run off like Sarah? Was I destined to be left behind again?
Desperation clawed at me as I drove around town, searching for any sign of her. I checked the dog cookie shop, but it was closed. I asked around at the Roost, but no one had seen her since last night. I had Rage take me to her place to see she wasn’t home.
“She’s probably out riding to clear her head,” her prez said. “Give her a few days. She’s taken some time before. She’s a big girl.”
“She’s not. She’s not big, and I wish people would quit telling her that. She’s tall, yeah, strong, hell yeah.”
Rage laughed. “I didn’t mean it that way. She can hold her own. You know that.”
“Slayers would be out looking for one of our own.”
“Well, we Heelz give each other a bit of a window. Tank doesn’t have to tell me where she’s going all the time. I ain’t her mama.”
By evening, I was a wreck. I went back to the clubhouse, hoping that someone there might have heard something. As I walked in, Bull noticed the look on my face and approached me.
"Boiler, you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
"Tank's missing," I said, my voice hoarse. "I can't find her anywhere."
Bull frowned. "She might just need some time alone. You know how she is."
"I know," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "But I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong."
He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find her, Boiler. She's tough. She can take care of herself."
