I could ask, but I’m not really in a place to, because we’re only friends and this is the second time we’ve hung out. It seems a bit forward to directly ask if he has something going on with Penny.
“Fair enough,” he finally says, voice thick and husky.
“How come you need a carer for your sister?” I ask him, changing the subject. I don’t think we need to delve anymore into it.
“She has Cerebral Palsy. Has her whole life. My parents are useless and wanted to put her in a home. She’s only twenty-five. No fuckin’ way that was happenin’. She doesn’t deserve that kind of life.”
Wow.
That’s harsh.
“So you took her on?” I ask him.
“Yeah, she’s a fuckin’ pain in my ass, but she’s my sister and she’s full of life. She has as much right as the rest of us to live it.”
God damn.
Do they get any better than him?
“That’s an incredible thing to do,” I tell him, my voice filled with admiration.
“Wouldn’t you do the same?”
“For my brothers? Hell no. I’d wheel them into that home and bolt the door shut.”
I grin at him, and he chuckles. “Fair call, they sound like they deserve it, though.”
“Hell yes they do, jerks.”
He keeps his grin, and I can’t wipe mine, either. It’s so relaxed. So comfortable. Like we’ve been friends forever.
“I’d like to meet your sister, sometime.”
He nods. “You will, no doubt. And she’ll become a pain in your ass, too.”
I laugh. “I doubt it. More often than not, I’m the pain in peoples’ asses.”
He grunts, but keeps his grin. “Startin’ to see that.”
I narrow my eyes. “Are you saying I’m a handful, Boston? Because you haven’t even scratched the surface yet.”
“Fuck yeah you’re a handful, but I like it. Not enough people like you around. Radiatin’ fuckin’ sunshine the way you do.”
God.
My heart beats fast, and I can’t help but just sit there and smile stupidly at him.
“Don’t start getting too attached to me.” I wiggle my finger at him. “Once you’re hooked, you’re going to turn into a stalker.”
He snorts. “That so?”
“Yep. I’m addictive. You have been warned.”
“Noted,” he murmurs, eating more of his burger.
We both sit in silence for a moment, and then I ask him. “Have you ever been married?”
He glances at me, those eyes almost glowing in the sun. He’s so fucking gorgeous it hurts.
“Nah.”
“Kids?”
“Fuck no.”
“You don’t want kids?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “When I was younger, I did. Then I saw how fuckin’ ugly the world is, and I’d never want to bring innocence into it only to watch it get destroyed.”
I wonder what kind of ugliness he has seen, because that’s a big statement. A really big, and awfully sad, statement.
“That’s a shame,” I say to him.
“What about you, married?”
I giggle. “Do I look like wifey material?”
His eyes grow all dark and lusty. “Fuck yeah you do.”
Good lord.
I’m going to jump him if he doesn’t stop staring at me like that.
“How about that swim?” I say, standing and lifting my shirt, exposing my bare stomach and lacy bra.
Boston looks up at me.
And holy fuck if looks could melt someone, I’d be a puddle on the ground.
He looks hungry.
Like an animal hunting its prey.
“Don’t you know you can drown if you swim too soon after eating?” he rasps, voice low and thick.
I shimmy out of my jeans, and his eyes grow even darker. “I guess you’ll just have to save me then, huh, biker?”
With that, I turn and run toward the water.
And in minutes, he’s following me.
Hell yes.
~4~
EARLIER – PENELOPE
“Seriously?” I growl to my ex, who is standing at my door, arms crossed, glaring at me.
I used to think that glare was sexy, especially when we were in a fight and got to make up after it. Now I want to wipe it from his smug face. I wish he’d leave me alone, but it seems he’s whipped enough from his little girlfriend that he’s not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.
And the jerk bag isn’t planning on leaving me alone.
“I’ll keep coming over if you keep ignoring me, Penelope,” he growls.
It’s not beyond me that his eyes look darker than usual, and his face a little more sunken, especially above his cheeks. I wonder if he’s using drugs? He had a history of using them before he met me, but he was clean the entire time we were together. His new girlfriend is from a wilder side of life, so it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.
It isn’t a good thing, though.
Because with drugs comes anger.
Severe anger.
He has anger issues on a good day, and he’s told me more than once that when he was using, he got very violent.
More so than usual.
He’d even hurt a few women he was with.
“I have nothing to say to you, nothing at all,” I tell him.
“But you fuckin’ do. I need cash. That car is the least you can give to me, considering you swindled me out of this house.”
“I didn’t swindle you out of anything,” I say, trying to keep calm. Aggravating him only makes it worse. “You signed it over. I wasn’t holding your hand, forcing you to do that.”
He glares at me, and I hold strong, even though inside I feel weak and a little frightened.
“I got left with fuckin’ nothing. You sell that car, I get a little of what I deserve. I worked the whole time we were together, I never took anything away from you.”
“I never said you didn’t work, but the car is mine. Everything has been settled. There is nothing to fight over anymore.”
“Just because it has been settled,” he growls, “doesn’t mean that you don’t fuckin’ owe me. You can sell that car and give me the cash. Don’t need no fuckin’ piece of paper to decide that.”
“I’m not selling the car,” I say, my voice not quite as strong as I’d like.
“Do not fuckin’ push me!”
He takes a threatening step forward, and I immediately take one back to stop him from getting too close. My heart leaps up into my throat. He’s never been this confrontational before, never been so in my face. Right now, I actually don’t trust what he might do. “Get out of my house, or I will call the police,” I tell him, trying to sound a lot tougher than I feel.
He grins at me, and my hands tremble enough that I have to tuck them into my jeans so he can’t see it. I’m afraid, I can’t deny it. And I hate that he’s making me afraid. I’ve never been afraid of this man, not for a single second of my life, and yet lately, I’m seeing a side to him I didn’t think existed. And it does, it frightens me. I don’t know what lengths he’ll go to to get whatever cash he’s after.
Maybe I should just give him the car?
But will that honestly be the end of it?
Or will there just be more money he’ll want if I give in now?
Especially if he’s using. That’ll only make it that much worse.
“You won’t call the police, there is nothing to call them about,” he says, his voice far too smooth and calm from the angry one he was using a second ago. “Besides, you call the police, it’ll make me very, very angry and once I get very, very angry, I might do something I’ll regret.”
Is that a threat?
I swallow.
“Are you threatening me?”
He acts shocked. “Why would I do that? I’m simply stating a fact is all.”
I feel a kind of hurt in my heart. This man was once the love of my life. My husband. And now ... I d
on’t even know him.
How in the world does that happen?
“You were my husband once,” I say sadly. “I never thought you’d be this cruel to me.”
For a second, I think my words have worked, he stares at me almost shocked, and a little taken back. But it’s soon wiped clean when that grin returns. “Yeah, and you were my wife, and I never thought you’d leave me with nothing.”
“You don’t have nothing. You got money, and furniture, and anything else you were entitled to.”
“And yet you’re standing here, in my fuckin’ house, with my fuckin’ car ... I got fuck-all money, not enough to get me started again.”
I remove my hands from my jeans and grab the door casually, but really I’m getting ready to slam it, if I need.
“You got thirty thousand dollars,” I point out, trying to stay calm.
He snorts. “Yeah, and how fuckin’ far do you think that’s gotten me? Nowhere. You sell this house tomorrow, and you could have a bank full. That car, I could get fifty thousand for it.”
It is an expensive car, but it’s one he insisted on at the time, and it was also me who paid a lot of the repayments for it, until we could pay it off. He didn’t want it when it came down to it. It was only when his little girlfriend rolled in that he started the demands. Before that, he was happy with the split, considering I was left paying for the house. So while I could sell it tomorrow and have some cash, I am still paying the repayments weekly for it, and they’re tough.
It was a pretty fair deal.
“I’m done with this conversation,” I say, trying to keep calm but I’m starting to get irritated.
“Well, I’m fuckin’ not!” he roars.
I slam the door, locking it quickly.
He pounds on it, bellowing my name, kicking it so hard for a second I’m scared he’ll smash it down, and if that happens, I don’t know what I’ll do.
I rub my arms, just waiting, phone ready.
After a little while, he finally roars that this isn’t over and leaves.
And I know he’s right, this isn’t over.
Not even close.
~*~*~*~
PENELOPE
“He came to your house!” Cassie says, eyes wide, face angry.
I nod, pushing her down the sidewalk on our daily outing.
“Yeah, demanding the car again, or money. I think he’s using drugs, it makes sense.”
She nods from her chair. “That does make sense. I’ve seen people do crazy things for drugs, especially if they owe money.”
“He just looked ... terrible. Like he’d been doing something awful to his body, and the desperation, and anger, it all points to one thing.”
“You should tell Boston, Penny. He could help you. Get rid of him.”
“No way,” I say quickly, stopping the chair and walking around so she can see me. “He doesn’t need to be involved in this. Please don’t tell him.”
She scrunches up her face. “He could help you. The club could help you.”
“No.” I put my hands up. “No, I don’t want the club involved or Boston. It’ll only make it worse. He knows I have problems with my ex, but he has enough going on, without adding my problems to the mix. He’ll only flip out if he knows that I’m being threatened.”
Cassie purses her lips. “I don’t like this, Penny. Not at all. He could be dangerous; he could hurt you.”
“He won’t, I know him. He won’t.”
She stares at me, eyes narrowing. “Are you sure about that?”
Absolutely not. In fact, I have no idea what he’s capable of now. I don’t know the man Ashton is now; I literally have no idea what he’s become. The man abusing me at my doorstep yesterday was not the man I know. And that makes me a little uneasy, because I don’t know what he is capable of.
“I’m sure,” I tell her, even though it’s a lie. But she doesn’t need to worry. “Now, tell me about the next book you’re reading.”
We spend the next two hours talking about books, and then we go to the store for some groceries, I help her with her showering, and we make dinner for the evening. When Boston gets back, I disappear quickly, not wanting to face his questions. I’m a terrible liar, and if he asks me what’s wrong, I can’t guarantee I won’t spill it all, and that’ll only make things worse.
When I arrive home, however, I’ve already received a message from him.
Boston – Could you run out any faster? What’s up?
Dammit.
He’s onto me.
I can’t ignore him, so I just respond casually.
Penny – Sorry. I have a friend coming over, I had to get some drinks on my way home.
A flat-out lie, which makes me feel even worse. He doesn’t deserve my lies. He’s always open with me and upfront, and he’s the best man I know. I hate that I can’t tell him what’s going on, but I simply ... can’t.
Boston – Looked upset to me.
He’s smart.
Too smart.
Penny – I’m okay. I swear. I’ve just got a lot going on and I was stressing about getting things done.
Boston – Can stay with Cassie on Saturday if you want a day off.
Penny – No, of course not! I love hanging out with Cassie. I swear, everything is fine!
I add a few smiley emojis, hoping that’ll convince him.
Boston – You’re a fucking shit liar. But I won’t push. Let me know if you need anything yeah?
Dammit.
Nothing gets past him.
Nothing at all.
I spend the rest of my night watching movies before an early bedtime the next day. I don’t have a shift with Cassie again until Saturday, her other carer takes her for the next three days, so I just work at the bar until the time comes that I get to go over there again. I look forward to seeing her when I’m gone, working with her makes my life enjoyable.
When morning rolls around, I spend my time grocery shopping and enjoying my day off. I’m due to catch up with Amalie tomorrow for breakfast, which I look forward to. Her ex, Caiden, is the reason I know her, and I’m grateful. If I didn’t meet her, I wouldn’t have gotten the job with Cassie and I wouldn’t have met Boston, or the club members. I like knowing all of them.
They’re incredible people.
Early afternoon rolls around, and I’m about to head out for a walk when someone knocks at my door. Sighing, I walk over and open it to reveal Taryn, Ashton’s girlfriend. She’s standing, hand on her hip, staring at me.
The first thing I notice is her eyes are bloodshot. Red streaks travel out from her pupil as she stares at me. It makes the blue that her eyes are look so bright they look outstanding. Her blond hair is down around her shoulders, and she’s wearing a pair of tight jeans and a tank that makes her boobs pop out. When Ashton first met her, it hurt me. A lot. I thought she was so beautiful, so curvy and gorgeous. And I’m none of those things.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a beautiful woman in my own way, but I’m not hot like her.
It was crushing.
“What are you doing here?” I say, not in the mood for any more crap from her or Ashton.
“I’m here to talk to you. Let me in.”
Not can I come in, but instead a demand.
“No,” I say, crossing my arms. “And I’d appreciate you staying out of anything between Ashton and I. I’m not interested in hearing anything from you when it has nothing to do with you.”
She wiggles her head a little, and snaps, “It has everything to do with me. I’m living with him. He’s with me. I see his stress. He’s struggling, and you don’t care.”
He’s not struggling.
He has a great job.
A great apartment.
If he’s struggling, it’s because he’s doing something he shouldn’t be.
“Ashton’s problems are not mine.”
“He needs money,” she hisses. “And he has rights.”
“He has no rights. I’m not going over this with you.”
“Bitch, he has rights! You’re keeping what’s his away from him. I’m not going to watch him suffer because of some fat, bored ex-wife!”
Ouch.
I want to curl into myself and put my hand over my belly, for some stupid reason, I feel like I have to cover up suddenly. I’m not fat, of course. I’m curvy, I have a little belly, but I’m not fat. But compared to her, I guess I look that way.
“You need to leave, Taryn.”
She shakes her head. “You’re just bitter because it didn’t work and he moved on with me. That must suck, knowing he’s fucking a woman that’s gorgeous, and you lost a good man. But you don’t need to punish him for it.”
Good lord, the girl thinks she’s the best thing since sliced bread.
“I couldn’t give a damn who Ashton is with. I’m not with him for a reason. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather you both left me alone. He signed the papers, he accepted the deal, if he didn’t agree then he should have said so.”
“He felt sorry for your pathetic ass. He didn’t know me. He didn’t know his worth. He thought it was the best and easiest way to go. He didn’t realize he was getting ripped off. He’s entitled to so much more and we’re going to get it!”
“I’m sick of your threats. If you want to fight it, go through the correct legal channels and have a go.”
Her face grows red. “How the fuck are we supposed to do that with no money? You, bitch, are going to suffer for this. We’re going to get what we’re entitled to, no matter what it takes. You better watch your back. I’ll do whatever I have to, to get my baby what he deserves.”
I hate her.
I want to scratch her eyes out.
“You’re just a jealous, pathetic, shrew. Go get yourself another man, and you might leave mine alone.”
Lord.
He’s not leaving me alone.
This girl is utterly delusional.
“Last time I checked, it is you two bothering me. Not the other way around.”
“I know you’re still in love with him,” she hisses. “But remember who he is fucking every night. And it isn’t you, bitch.”
Anger bubbles in my chest, because who in the ever loving hell does she think she is?
“I had that for years. If I wanted it, I would have kept it.”