“Come here,” he demands, his mouth tight. I walk to him, but only because I want answers.
And I’m going to get them
“Who is that?” I ask him. He ignores me, lifting me in his arms and carrying me back to the room.
“You can’t just stay in bed can you?” he mutters as he puts me down.
“Dex!”
“That is the reason I couldn’t exactly give you any promises… just yet,” he says, grimacing at his own words.
“Explain,” I demand.
“She’s my soon to be ex-wife,” he says, slowly taking a step closer to me.
I stop breathing.
“You have a wife?” I say softly, not quite understanding what the hell was going on right now.
“No babe, I had a wife. We’re separated and getting a divorce,” he says, studying my expression.
A wife? A fucking wife.
“Oh my god,” I say to myself. “I’m a fucking home-wrecker.”
“You aren’t a home-wrecker. We were separated before you and I hooked up,” he explains, his hands making a calm down gesture.
“You made me a home-wrecker you asshole!” I yell, ignoring him.
My mind races.
“Why did Arrow push her?” I ask. “Is this how you treat your women?”
Now he looks angry. Eyes narrowed, he says, “Have I ever treated you badly?”
“I guess not,” I say with a shrug.
His eyes narrow further, “She was under my protection. Now she’s not. I told you, we’re not all good guys babe.”
But Arrow? He was growing on me.
“Why was she here?” I ask, my voice smaller.
“She doesn’t seem to understand the concept of us breaking up. I can’t even get her to move out of my fuckin’ house. I’ve given her a couple of weeks to find a new place,” he admits, running his fingers through his messy dark hair.
I gape. “That was your renovation? Your wife?”
“I couldn’t exactly tell you that my ex was living there, and I was waiting for her to get the ass out of there, could I?”
“Not without sounding like an asshole,” I say, staring daggers at him.
“Exactly,” he says. “I didn’t wanna scare you off before you were even mine.”
That shuts me up. For a few seconds anyway.
“I’m not moving into that house,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Fine, I’ll buy you a new house,” he says, throwing his hands in the air.
“I can’t believe this shit,” I growl.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t planning on you and our baby coming into my life. That’s not to say I’m not happy you’re both here. Cut me some slack babe, I’m trying to make things right. I just needed a few weeks that’s all, then she would be out, and we could move on. Start our life together.”
“That’s why you were trying to put some distance between us? Until everything was sorted out?” I ask, trying to understand.
He nods. “I wanted to do something right for once. I wanted the divorce to be finalized. I wanted us to get to know each other in the meantime. Build a friendship before we built a relationship. Set the groundwork for a relationship that will last.”
I purse my lips together. “So you want points for good intentions?”
“Faye,” he says in warning. His patience is waning but too damn bad for him.
“Why don’t you go home to your wife?” I say, emphasizing the word.
“Have you not been listening to anything I’ve said?” he says, starting to pace up and down the room. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are going to be holes in the carpet soon.
“I have been listening,” I snap. Well, sort of. “I think I need time to process this.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” he growls, stopping in his tracks.
“It means I’m going to bed, and you’re not sleeping here for the rest of the night,” I find myself saying.
He stands there unmoving. “You know what, fine. I tried to do the right thing with you. I haven’t been with anyone else, I haven’t even looked at anyone else! I was going to get the hell away from Renee before I got in deep with you, then commit to you. If that’s not good enough then I don’t know what else I can do,” he says, walking out and closing the door behind him. It doesn’t slam, but the sound of it closing still makes me flinch.
I climb back in bed and think over everything. I hate the fact he was married to that woman. Is that his type? I try not to be judgmental and fail. At least they had separated before the night I spent with him. Am I still the ‘other woman’? I’m way too young for all this shit. I take a deep breath and put my hand on my tummy.
“It’s going to be okay little one,” I whisper.
I try my hardest but sleep doesn’t come.
Chapter Sixteen
All conversation stops as I enter the kitchen. Tracker, who is sporting a black eye and a cut lip, stares at me intently. Arrow scowls, and Rake grins. Trace, Irish, and Jim stare at me impassively. I pour myself some juice and take a seat. It’s then I realize something.
“Ummm where are the women?” I ask, looking around.
“The women who know their place leave when the men are having a discussion,” Jim says, looking less than impressed with me.
I want to say something smart but instead I keep my mouth shut. Even I know pissing off Jim will not go down well. I bite my lip and sip on my juice.
“Well. I’ll just be going then…” I say into the awkward silence.
Jim sighs. He looks tired. “Are you okay?” I can’t help but ask.
“Give us a moment,” he says, and all the men stand up. Tracker is the last to leave, his eyes never leaving me until they have to.
“I’m getting old,” he says.
“You’re what, in your late thirties?” I ask, staring at his ripped biceps.
His laugh sounds like it’s been honed by years of smoking. “Add a decade onto that little girl.”
“Awkward,” I mutter. He’s old enough to be my dad.
“It’s Sin’s turn to take the gavel, except he’s a little preoccupied right now,” he says, raising his eyebrow at me.
“You’re not going to kill me, are you?” I ask, laughing a little nervously.
Jim grins. “I can see why he’s so taken with you.”
“Yeah because I’m a trophy compared to his ex-wife,” I blurt out. My hands cover my mouth as Jim laughs harder.
“You remind me of Cindy at her age,” he muses, smiling fondly. “Woman was full of sass.”
She still is from what I’d heard from Jessica.
“Look, Faye, the truth is my health isn’t what it used to be,” he says, looking unhappy to admit it.
“And you need Sin to be on his game,” I surmise.
“Right.”
“It is possible to be a family man and the president of an MC?” I ask him, looking right into his eyes.
“It’s not easy, and it’s not always safe, but yes. It is possible. And no man will take better care of his family than Sin.”
“That I believe,” I reply. “Any idea where he is?”
“He went for a ride,” he replies. “We’ll be joining him. Be back in two days.”
“What’s the deal with the wife?” I can’t stop myself from asking.
“She cheated on him, they broke up when he found out,” he says, casually lighting a cigarette. “They were only married a year.”
I hate that he loved someone else enough to marry her. I realize I’d said that out loud when Jim replies, “She’s got nothing on you darlin’. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
“Like how?” I ask.
“Fishing for compliments, eh? Like he’s dying of thirst and you’re an ice cold beer.”
I’m pretty sure that’s not how the saying goes, but I appreciate the sentiment all the same.
“So,” I ask. “What’s the deal with the other MC you’re having issues with?”
His mouth tightens around his cigarette. “Negotiations with another MC.” He pauses. “Women don’t get involved with club business Faye. You seem like a girl who thinks she’s the exception to every rule, but not this time.”
I hate that he has me pegged.