Page 14 of Triple the Secrets
He watched her, saying nothing. She held his stare, heart pounding, hoping that was enough to get him to leave her alone. Finally he said, “If you’re running from something, or someone, the club can help you.”
“We’re fine,” she insisted. “Look, thank you for your concern, but I need to get home before the girls and make some dinner.”
He didn’t move. She was ready to blast him when he finally said, “If whatever problem you have following you comes to this town and affects the boys under my protection, then what those assholes did will be nothing compared to what I can do to you.” Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. Was he threatening her? “But, if you stop being so damn stubborn and want help, find anyone with this patch on their cut, give them my name, and they’ll come find me.” Then he turned, and stalked away.
She stood there frozen for a moment, before she finally walked to her door and climbed inside. She numbly made her way towards home. What in the actual hell just happened? Had he threatened her and then offered her his help? What kind of messed up shit was that?
This is why she didn’t spend time with men. They were damn confusing. Still, his words made her think. Was staying here smart? What if the traffickers came and tried to take her or the girls? Was she endangering other children by working in a library?
Her mind whirled with questions, guilt settling deep in her belly. She would never be able to live with herself if those assholes showed up and hurt someone else.
When she arrived home, the girls were walking up to the front door, but turned around when she pulled in and shut the car off. She climbed out and forced a smile. She didn’t need the girls to see her in a panic, because that would set them off.
Of course, that didn’t work and immediately both girls focused on her, losing their smiles. “What happened?” Wren demanded.
“Are you okay?” Win rushed out.
Scarlett waved them both away. “I’m fine. Just had a run in with someone at the grocery store and it pissed me off.” Not a complete lie, but definitely not the whole truth. “Let’s get this stuff inside, or the ice cream I bought is going to melt.”
Neither girl looked convinced, but they did as asked and helped her get everything inside. Once things were put away, Wren asked, “Who did you get into it with at the grocery store?”
“Was it Mrs. O’Toole?” Win asked with a scowl. “She’s such an uptight old biddy, and she always glares at us for no reason.”
“No, it wasn’t Mrs. O’Toole,” Scarlett said tiredly. “How about we order a pizza for dinner? I’m not in the mood to cook.”
“I’ll order it,” Win offered.
Wren narrowed her eyes at her sister. “Don’t you dare order olives on it like you did the last time.”
Win rolled her eyes. “That was a one time experiment and we both concluded it was gross.”
“Just get a meat and veggie pizza,” Scarlett ordered. “I’m going up to shower and change. There’s cash in my wallet.” She trudged her way to her room to grab clothes and then made her way back downstairs to the bathroom. She wouldn’t have a lot of time before the girls would be pounding on the door, or bursting their way in, and she needed to think.
Under the hot water, she tried to figure out her best course of action. Three years had gone by, and at this point, if the traffickers hadn’t found them, then chances are they stopped looking. She had changed her last name, keeping her first, so if they were really trying to find her, they probably would have by now. Sure, she kept the girls off the radar as much as possible, but after they moved here, she had Marc change their last name to hers to keep things simpler for school.
Now, not only did she have to worry about traffickers, but a nosy biker too. A biker that saw way too much, and was obviously following her. It unnerved her that she hadn’t been able to tell it was him. Hell, he was huge, and still, she had never spotted him. That meant he knew how to hide himself in plain sight, and it worried her.
If whatever problem you have following you comes to this town and affects the boys under my protection, then what those assholes did will be nothing compared to what I can do to you.Those words kept echoing over and over again in her head. Something told her that Rogue was a hell of a lot more dangerous than the traffickers.
Maybe it would be better for everyone if they moved on, she thought sadly. Then Rogue and his precious club could continue on as if the threat she apparently posed never existed, and she and the girls could start new again. Everything in her screamed that she didn’t want to leave, but right now, with this hanging over her head, she might not have a choice.
CHAPTERSEVEN
ROGUE
He hadn’t felt guilt in a long damn time, and he didn’t fucking like it that it was eating at him now. He threw his wrench onto the bench and cursed loudly and viciously before turning to glare out the open bay door. He had come back to the shop to finish up the work he had put off while following Scarlett to the grocery store, thinking that would help him clear his head.
Instead, the words he said to her kept playing over and over in his head. He had threatened her, and while he meant it, it didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t threaten or scare women for no reason. If Scarlett was hiding from someone, he had probably just sent her running again.
Why did he care? She wasn’t his problem, and he needed to remember that. Neither her nor the girls were members of the club and didn’t need, or deserve, his help.
“What’s got your panties in a knot?” Esme asked casually as she stopped a few feet away from him.
He glared at her. “Shouldn’t you be at home looking after your man?” he asked her darkly.
Esme was what he called a hot latina package with a hair-trigger temper when it involved her son, but she had the skills of a damn queen when it came to running the office. She was five-seven with black hair and hazel eyes, a body with generous curves and a narrow waist. She fit Fury perfectly, but one of her favorite pastimes as of late was giving him shit. If he didn’t like her, he would make her reconsider that choice.
She arched a dark brow at him. “I would be, but apparently you assholes haven’t figured out that throwing shit on my desk at the end of the day isn't exactly conducive to me leaving on time.”
