Page 30 of Rome
Molly started to say something, stopping abruptly as my door opened. Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the woman standing in the doorway, clearly naked under the damned sheet she had wrapped around herself.
“Rome?” Molly asked hesitantly, but her voice was drowned out by my dad’s.
“What in the ever-lovin’ fuck is going on up here?” King roared, taking in the sight of me in only a towel, my furious twin, and the half-naked stripper standing in my doorway. His furious gaze landed back on me, and he shook his head in disbelief.
“Please tell me this isn’t what it fuckin’ looks like, son.”
I somehow found the strength to meet his gaze as I answered him truthfully. “I wish to God I could.” My voice was tight and raw, from throwing up, and from the fear and shame that gripped my very soul. Abby would never be able to forgive me for this.
I saw Lucky and Trick standing behind King, both looking stunned. I also saw that motherfucker, Ace, standing behind them with a huge smirk on his face, and Pic standing next to him, looking mad as hell when he caught sight of the stripper.
“Put some damned clothes on,” King snapped at the woman, who quickly whirled around back into the room to do as she’d been told. He then told everyone else to spread the word that Church would be delayed for thirty minutes. His tone made it clear that they were all dismissed until then.
I leaned back against the wall, tipping my head back and staring at the ceiling as I listened to the sound of boots tromping back down the stairs. I felt sick, literally, and swallowed hard to control the waves of nausea that rolled through my stomach – from the booze or from what I’d done last night, I wasn’t sure. Probably both.
“Let’s go sit down so you can explain what the fuck happened,” King muttered, looking absolutely livid as he walked into my room. I stepped through the doorway, noting that the bathroom door was closed and figured the woman must be in there. I took a step toward the bed, then stopped and whirled around to face my dad.
“I can’t…not in here.” I motioned to the bed, with the rumpled sheets and two pillows that still had indentations from our heads.
King clenched his jaw and nodded in disgust. “Fine. My office then.” He stomped over to the bathroom door and hollered at the woman to meet us downstairs in his office. I didn’t wait to hear what she said. I needed to get out of that room before I completely lost my shit. I threw on my clothes and boots, then snatched up my cut. I patted my pockets to make sure my keys, wallet, and cell phone were still there as I stalked down the hall toward the stairs.
I kept my head down, ignoring the club brothers who were milling around waiting for Church to start. Judging by the sudden silence when I appeared at the bottom of the stairs, word had definitely spread. I made my way through the club room, down the hallway, and into King’s office on autopilot. My mind was filled with images that I desperately wanted to block out.
I slumped down in one of the two chairs in front of his desk, and King walked in a minute later, slamming the door behind him. He sat down on the desk, tossing an ice pack in my lap.
“Here. Jag said you’d probably need that.”
I placed the ice against my jaw. I’d been so caught up in my nightmare that I hadn’t even noticed how much my face hurt.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck happened last night?” His voice was low and controlled, but I could hear the anger and the disappointment simmering just under the surface.
I stared at a scuff on the edge of the desk as I recounted what I could remember. I spoke in a monotone, keeping my emotions tightly under wrap. I knew if I didn’t, I’d break down.
“So, you don’t know if you actually fucked her?”
“No, the last thing I –“
I was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Enter,” King growled.
Trick cracked the door open and stuck his head in. “The stripper said you want her in here?” I shuddered at the thought of laying eyes on the woman again.
King heaved a sigh as he nodded, and Trick opened the door wider, motioning for the woman to come in. He closed the door firmly behind her, after throwing a sympathetic look my way.
“What’s your name again?” King asked as she sat down in the chair next to me.
“Cynnamon, but everyone calls me Cyn,” she answered quietly. I remembered now. Cynnamon with a goddamned y.
“OK, Cyn. Tell me what the hell happened last night.”
I cringed for the next couple of minutes, as the woman talked about us all drinking at the bar.
“Hang on a minute,” King said as he raised a hand to stop her mid-sentence. “Let me get this straight. You were drinking because you were upset that Pic was cheating on you?”
She nodded solemnly, then looked offended when King barked out an incredulous laugh.
“You do realize that Pic’s married, right?” She nodded again, looking confused. King rolled his eyes, then clarified, “That makes you theside piece. He’s cheating on hiswife; with you and all the other bitches he’s been hooking up with.”
