Page 49 of Forgiveness
“Don’t think I’m letting this go, bitch. You’ll pay for putting your fucking nose where it doesn’t belong,” Chet said in a low voice that was almost a growl.
His words made her whole body go numb, but she was sure Chet had a smile plastered on his face so that if Jack noticed him, all he’d see was a rekindle of Chet and Maggie’s old flame. Certainly nothing dangerous.
“It’s okay, Maggie. I’ll see you later.” Jack dodged around her with a nod. “Hey Chet, you’re back here too, huh? Guess the rooms are getting used up pretty good.” Jack snickered.
Maggie didn’t wait to hear Chet’s answer before she flew down the hallway with only a little bit of regret that the asshole saw her flee from him in fear—again. But if it was going to come down to her safety and her pride, it was no contest.
It wasn’t until Maggie was outside that the rest of what she’d just witnessed came back in stark clarity.If only I could rewind all this and never have gone into that damn room.Covering her mouth, Maggie tried to take it easy as she power-walked across the parking lot. The last thing she wanted was to look too suspicious in case anyone came out with a mind to silence her before she had the chance to tell Charlie what she’d seen.
Chet and Eddie had been in the middle of a drug deal with the biker. Maggie shook her head wishing it would do the trick in erasing the memory completely from her brain. Nope, that wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Eddie was doping his bulls and Chet was using.Asshole!Maggie swallowed down her revulsion as she walked toward her truck for some peace and quiet.Now it makes sense why he was so off his rocker and way too full of rage when we were dating. It also explains how he can stay on those pumped up bulls for as long as he does.
The rush of relief and awareness that she’d escaped the situation before things escalated left her achingly exhausted as she hauled herself into the driver’s seat and shut and locked the door. Suddenly, her whole body longed for Flux’s strong arms to wrap around her and his deep voice telling her that she was safe.I need you, big guy.Maggie closed her eyes and sank into the quiet space inside her head, where she went to relax and zone everything else out.
A screech of wheels made her lids pop open, then she saw Chet striding across the parking lot and all her ideas about serenity swirled down the drain. Chet looked as if he didn’t have a single care in the world, but she noticed his right hand never strayed far from his pocket, patting it idly or sticking his hand in it.Must be where the jerk keeps his stash.
Maggie rubbed her throbbing temples.There’s no way they’re going to let me get away with knowing what they’re up to. I’ve got to report it to Charlie.The trouble was that she didn’t know if she had the guts to report it. Calling Chet and Eddie out on illegal drug use was huge because Chet was one of the top riders in the amateur circuit and Eddie had been involved in the rodeo longer than Maggie had been alive. A good part of her worried that Charlie would doubt the validity of the claim because he and Eddie had done hundreds of events together. It would end up being her word against theirs. She brought her thumb to her mouth and chewed on the cuticle until she drew blood.
If I report Chet, he’ll make my life a living hell.Since Flux had come into her life, Chet had stopped stalking her, and resorted to throwing her lewd and glaring looks whenever Flux wasn’t with her. And even though Maggie had been strong and stood up to Chet before Flux had become so ingrained in her life, the good ol’ boys’ club was still alive and well in the rodeo world. The last thing she needed was to start shit all over again with Chet she’d ratted him out, and Eddie wouldn’t take too kindly to her betrayal either.
The more Maggie mulled it over, the clearer it became that there wasn’t any good way out of the mess thrown at her. Maybe she’d talk about it with Flux when he got back the following morning.
Yeah … that’s what I’ll do.
But the next morning seemed like a lifetime away.
