Page 9 of Triple the Secrets
CHAPTERFOUR
SCARLETT
The small house she had been able to rent was perfect for them, except for the fact that they all shared one bathroom. Wren and Winter were both bathroom hogs, and they loved to piss each other off by deciding to take their time.
Right now, Wren was in there, door locked, music blasting, and Win was seething. “We need to move,” she declared loudly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Scarlett. “This whole one bathroom thing is not working.”
Scarlett gave her a bland stare as she took the pot of chili off the stove. “Or, you know, you could both stop acting like children and work out a schedule,” she said mildly.
“We need two bathrooms,” Win repeated, ignoring her statement. “Preferably three.”
“And who would clean those bathrooms?” Scarlett asked mildly. “You two spend more time arguing than actually doing the chores you’re assigned.”
Win rolled her eyes. “It was Wren’s turn last time. Not my fault she didn’t do it right.”
“Neither of you did it, which means you’re both doing it this week.” Scarlett ignored the groan of annoyance at the reminder. She loved these girls, but there were days she would love to leave them in the middle of the woods for a few hours to get some peace. With her luck, though, they’d figure out a way to get back to her and make her life hell. For teenagers, they were damn smart, they could figure out their way home.
The music abruptly turned off and the door down the hall opened, steam billowing out when Wren stepped out of the bathroom. She gave her sister a smug smile as she went into the bedroom they shared. “I hate you!” Win called after her, standing and stomping into the bathroom. “You better not have taken all the hot water.” The door slammed with a bang and Scarlett rolled her eyes.
“She’s such a drama queen,” Wren said as she made her way out into the kitchen.
After they escaped, the girls decided on new names for themselves. Wren and Winter suited them much more than Sarah and Sam, in Scarlett’s opinion. They wanted to leave that part of their past behind, and Scarlett didn’t blame them. It was an adjustment at first, getting used to their new names, but now, it was second nature.
“Says the other drama queen,” Scarlett remarked drily. “Or was that not you screaming and throwing a fit that she had used some of your make-up this morning?”
“That stuff’s expensive,” Wren protested. “She knows I only use a little so I can make it stretch, and she used half the damn bottle.”
“You make it sound like we’re poor,” Scarlett sighed. “Honey, my job more than supports us. I just ask that you guys not go nuts because you’re both still growing and that means between the two of you, you eat us out of house and home and your clothes are already getting too small as you both get taller.”
“We’re not boys,” Wren sniffed. “We’re way better than them. And at least the food we eat you out of is healthy and not junk food.”
On that she was correct. Scarlett wasn’t a huge junk food eater, and neither were the girls, which meant they ate healthy snacks and meals more often than not. Still, fresh food wasn’t cheap and she’d had to do some major budgeting and sale shopping lately to make sure they had enough on hand. She’d be glad for Friday when her next paycheck came in and her account would be full again.
“Who was that guy that was there today?” Wren asked curiously, changing the subject.
Scarlett shrugged, because she knew exactly who she was talking about. There was no forgetting the big bad biker that was both rude and far too attractive for his own good. “He was with Ronin and Gabe today. Guess he had babysitting duty.”
“He was watching you awfully close,” Wren said with a frown. “You don’t think he’s with them, do you?”
Thethemshe was speaking of were the traffickers they had escaped. “No,” Scarlett assured her firmly, looking at her directly. “He is a member of the Dragons MC, and from what I’ve heard around town, they greatly oppose trafficking, so I doubt he’d be a part of that.”
Wren didn't look convinced, but she nodded. “Guess he must find you attractive then, because he was looking at you far longer than most men would. He looks big and scary, but he was good to the kids, so he can’t be all bad.”
Scarlett tried not to blush at the thought of Rogue finding her attractive. Sure, it was flattering, but he was not the kind of man she wanted in her life. Hell, she didn’t want any man. After everything that happened, sex wasn’t on her radar. “Maybe,” she said nonchalantly, “but I’m not interested. Besides, I probably won’t ever see him again unless he comes with the kids to the library.”
“I need to do some research on motorcycle clubs,” Wren said thoughtfully. “Might make a good project. I mean, Sons of Anarchy and Mayans are super popular shows about them.”
Scarlett looked at her warningly. “Real life and TV are very different, Wren. Do not go poking your nose into things that will get you in trouble. Or I will leave your ass in the middle of the woods and only come back to feed you every second week.”
Wren snorted. “Yeah, right,” she scoffed, not the least bit worried over that threat. “Then who would you boss around?”
“I’m sure I could find some kids that would be a hell of a lot less dramatic than you,” she answered mildly. “Now come and eat while I go tell your sister to hurry up.”
Later that night, she sat on the window seat in her room and looked out at the street. It was quiet, the girls were finally in their room and not bickering. If she knew them, and she did, then Wren was doing her research, and Win was writing in her journal. The girls looked and acted alike most of the time, but they still had their own preferences.
She loved this time of night. She could relax, and usually lose herself in a book. Tonight though, her mind wouldn’t settle. She couldn’t seem to get Rogue out of her head. Not in a sexual way, but in the kind of way that told her she needed to be careful around him. Wren was right, he was watching her earlier, and while that normally wouldn’t bother her, this time it did.
She had worked hard to make a new life here, and finally had the job she wanted. The girls had friends here, and they were settling in, not looking over their shoulders all the time. She wanted that for them. Normal. A place where they had roots. She was even saving up to buy a place so that they could have a home of their own. It wouldn’t be much, but enough that they would each have their own room, and maybe, just maybe, a second bathroom.
