Damaged Lace. *The Animals MC book two.*

Chapter Sixteen.

Picture *if it works* is of Alex O'loughlin aka Demon. I am also now taking suggestions for who you would like to see play Raphael.

Demon walked out of the club and crossed the parking lot, seeing Jenny and Raphael sitting together at a picnic table. He glanced at them as he climbed onto his bike, he felt better now that he'd came clean to the other guys but he needed to be alone.

As he drove away he glanced back one more time at Jenny and Raphael, Sky wasn't going to like her being around that guy.

He rode to his apartment, needing to be away from the club just for a little while. He walked up the stairs to his door and unlocked it, stepping inside. His dog had been staying at the clubhouse with him, so he'd be alone.

He switched on his light and stripped off his jacket, turning he slid the gold chain in place to lock his door. When he turned back around he saw her, Lacy was sitting in a chair near the door.

"Hi," She said softly.

"Hi."

He walked passed her into his kitchen and heard her following him. He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, downing a drink and then sitting at the small table.Lacy leaned against the doorway and watched him.

"What are you doing here Lacy?"

She moved into the kitchen and retrieved her own beer from the fridge before hopping up to sit on the counter top.

"I don't honestly know," She admitted, staring at the drink in her hand.

He watched her for a minute took in the fragile planes of her body, she was thinner than he remembered her being. When she was with the club she'd been wiry but now she was almost a skeleton.

He didn't say anything but stood and moved towards where she was sitting, opening a door on the lower half of the cabinets he began pulling out the various items needed for spaghetti. She watched him while he drank his beer, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

"Get a tomato from the fridge and chop it," He directed.

She didn't move, but watched him pour water into a large pot and add salt. He slapped her leg.

"Go on, get chopping."

She slid from the counter and retrieved the tomato, watching him the entire time she chopped. She kept waiting for that moment, when he'd turn violent and demand answers. When he'd tell her it was a joke and that he had no intention of eating with her.

Demon continued to cook, he was always the better cook out of the two of them and she couldn't even begin to count how many late nights they'd spent in his kitchen, cooking meals together. Not really, together since he did almost everything but he always let her chop something so she felt helpful.

He chopped some vegetables and added the noodles to the boiling water. She continued to do as he instructed and everything that was happening drifted away. One more time they were just two friends, making dinner together in silence.

He piled her plate extra high before placing it in front of her, she was sitting at his small table a Dr. Pepper beside her and her beer forgotten on the counter. He took a seat across from and watched her eat, she ate like a starved woman.

"Been awhile since you've had good food?"

"Why aren't you eating?" She asked.

"I'm not hungry."

He was lying, in truth his stomach was turning. This was probably the last meal they'd ever eat together, those moments were the last and it made him sick.

She shrugged and shoveled in more food, downing her Dr. Pepper. She cleaned her plate and without asking her approval her took it and piled more spaghetti on it. She took the plate without complaint and he decided to force himself to eat some as well.

"So, doesn't King feed you?"

"No."

"He doesn't feed you and you're not sleeping with him, but you're together?"

"Yes."

He didn't say anything else but took a long drink of his beer, watching her clean the rest of her plate.

"How are Morgan and Iris?" Lacy asked.

"Iris is doing great, like it never happened. Morgan misses you, she asks about you a lot."

"I miss them," she admitted.

"They miss you too, Wolf hasn't told her about what you did yet."

"He's good for them both, I always thought they were perfect together."

She stood and took her empty plate to the sink, keeping her back to him. He watched her scrub the dish and then the other ones that had been piled in the sink.

"You could have had that life, I could have given it to you." He said.

"No, you couldn't have."

"Lacy...."

"Do you remember what you always told me? That for us to truly trust each other for us to be as close as we were we could never be intimate and we could never fall in love?"

"I mostly meant for you not to fall in love with Ty."

"Well it worked, I didn't fall in love with Ty.....or you."

She dried her hands on a nearby towel and then turned to face him, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms.

"Come here," He held out a hand for her.

She placed her hand in his and he gently pulled her across the floor and onto his lap. She went willingly allowing her body to mold against his and her head to rest against his shoulder.

"You really love King? Enough that you'd do this to your club?"Demon asked.

"I...I love King," She said.

He didn't see a point in arguing with her, in begging her for answers she wasn't going to give, instead he reached out and ran the back of his hand down her soft, pale cheek. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.

"You look tired," He stated.

"I haven't been sleeping that well."

He stood, lifting her gently in his arms and she sighed heavily. She allowed her head to fall fully against him and her body to completely relax. He carried her to his bed and gently deposited her on the mattress.

He pulled off her shoes, socks and then gently stripped off her t-shirt, jeans and underthings. He covered her with the many blankets and she snuggled further into the bed. He kicked off his own shows and stripped to his boxers before climbing into the bed beside her.

She instantly migrated to the middle of the bed, drawn by his warmth and he allowed her to nestle into his side, dropping a kiss on top of her head. Her deep ever breathing let him know she was asleep.

"I love you Lacy," He said softly before falling asleep himself.