Her Broken Wings

Chapter 4

(Edited 05/2026)

Siren's POV

It had been three days since I'd last seen Tank.

Not that I'd been counting or anything.

Okay, maybe I had a little.

But only because the almost kiss kept replaying in my head no matter how hard I tried to shove it away. Every time I thought about the intensity of his gaze or the way his hand rested against my waist while we danced, I immediately forced myself to think about literally anything else.

It was stupid. I barely knew him.

Still, over the past few days, I'd caught myself missing little things anyway. His voice. His smirk. The way he somehow managed to sound rough and gentle at the same time. It annoyed me more than anything. I had way bigger things to worry about, and yet, I'm stuck obsessing over my biker bodyguard.

So naturally, I did what any sane person trying not to spiral would do and kept myself busy with literally anything.

Which was exactly how I ended up back at the club again.

León managed to squeeze me into another performance without much effort. While it was busy in the club, live music seemed to be a rarity that they enjoyed. I also liked how they didn't care what I sang, despite the typical rock music that played otherwise. Secretly, though, I think my father had something to do with it. His opinion on sheltering me took a dramatic turn after my first night visiting the club. I guess he didn't really like me rotting away in my bedroom. Del had nearly cried the first time I agreed to leave the house again, so now everyone treated every tiny step forward like some huge victory.

Honestly... it kind of was.

The normalcy of simple pleasures actually helped me feel better, which was nice for a change.

The club felt alive tonight. Music pounded through the walls while colored lights flashed over dancing bodies and crowded tables. The smell of booze and smoke wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it had been on my first visit. Tonight, it almost felt familiar.

I walked up onto the stage and stood beneath the stage lights with a microphone in my hand, letting the music drown out my thoughts.

The song pulsed through the speakers with the kind of heartbreak people disguised beneath loud music and dancing. One of those songs meant for pretending you were over something while secretly bleeding through it.

The crowd moved with the beat as I sang. Some danced. Some shouted along drunkenly from their tables. For a few minutes, I could almost pretend I was someone else entirely.

Ironically, the performance hit a little too close to home.

Back in New York, I'd had a boyfriend. The kind of rich boy who acted humble enough to seem different from the others. I think that's what drew me in at first. Turns out he'd been sleeping with my best friend for months while I played clueless girlfriend.

I never figured out when we stopped being friends and started becoming strangers...It's funny how betrayal always comes from the people closest to you.

By the time the song ended, applause echoed loudly enough to snap me out of my thoughts. I smiled politely and stepped offstage, immediately greeted by León throwing me an exaggerated bow.

"What a lovely performance, madam."

I laughed despite myself while John rolled his eyes beside him.

"Why, thank you, sir," I played along.

"You two are insufferable," John muttered affectionately.

I smiled, but it faded quickly when I noticed several people staring my way.