“What’s going on?”
“Leave me in peace for tonight.”
“Is this about your neighbor chick? It’s over. Forget about her. There are plenty of bitches here to keep you occupied. You don’t have to even think of her.”
He turned to look at his friend. “We’ve been doing this a lot of years. Had a lot of pussy join the club. Party.”
“Yeah, it’s what we love.”
“What if I don’t want it anymore?”
“The club?” Night asked.
“No, the women.”
“You’re thinking of giving up on the women? What the fuck for? For a piece of ass that is like every single piece of ass?”
He grabbed a paperweight and launched it across the room. “Enough! Anna-Beth is more than a piece of fucking ass. She’s not some slut who has worked her way around the club and is after some bonus points when she sleeps with me. Fuck! I don’t even know why I’m talking to you about this. From day one, you haven’t been able to stand her.”
Night’s jaw clenched. “I get it. She’s different. She’s not like the women. She’s special. Rix, she’s not club. We looked into her, remember? She was raised to be a good little girl, to do her nine-to-five job, without any question. She won’t fit in here.”
“She’s pregnant with my child, Night. I don’t even know if she knows. Each morning she’s throwing up her guts, by dinner, she’s ravenous. Can’t get enough.”
“Oh, shit,” Night said.
“You know, it’s the weirdest thing. I mean, before I even stepped foot in that fucking house, I caught sight of her. I bought that place before I even knew what it looked like, and I wanted her. The two houses are supposed to be fucking cursed.” He ran a hand down his face. “I’m starting to believe they are.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Of course I’m not. You don’t get it. I’m in love with this woman, Night. I thought being here, getting my revenge, having justice served, it would right this wrong. But I created another. I wanted her to get pregnant. I went out of my way to make sure she’d be mine.” He looked back out of the window. “Now I don’t know how to make it right.”
She was hurting. He got it.
Night cleared his throat. “I apologize.”
He turned back to his friend, who’d taken a seat. His hands were locked together in front of him. “I don’t do the whole shit with relationships. You know this club is my life. It’s all I care about.”
“I know.”
Night glanced around the office. “All I wanted was for you to get your rightful place here.”
“I’m here.”
“But you need her, don’t you? To make this work, you need her and nothing else is ever going to be as good if you don’t have her.”
Pulling out his chair, he sat down, leaning back. “I don’t know how I’m going to win her. I broke her heart.”
“You’re not telling me that you’re giving up here. You’re you, and the last time I checked, no one, and I mean fucking no one told you no. You love this woman. Does she love you?”
“I don’t know.”
Night sighed. “I’m trying to help, be supportive, but I can’t do that shit if you don’t give me something.”
“We never talked about our feelings. It was always supposed to be a bit of fun. She could hate my guts.”
“Hate your guts or not, she’s still carrying your kid and if you’re willing to make a claim on her, then it looks like we’ve got ourselves a woman to bring back. Are we talking full-on marriage, or are you just wanting old lady tag?” Night asked.
“I want it all,” Rix said.
Chapter Ten
Four days he’d been gone.
Four days of going to work, returning home, to his place being nothing.
Anna-Beth took over walking Elizabeth’s dogs, but there was no happiness. No excitement. She was broken. Work didn’t even hold the same spark for her.
She got to work by nine, finished by five. Anything that wasn’t done would wait for the next day.
She just wasn’t interested. Any hope, any life, it had all died.
Each day she woke up, dealt with her morning sickness, had tea and crackers, went to work, had a good lunch and dinner, came home, sobbed, went to sleep. Then the whole day started all over again.
She’d never had a broken heart.
“Are you going to snap at me if I invite you around to dinner?” Martin asked.
Anna-Beth looked up and shook her head. “No, but I’m going to decline.”
“I know it’s hard, but you will get over this.”
The trouble about being in two houses surrounded by a curse, mystery, and gossip meant everyone already knew Rix had left. She was the first woman in a long time to have been left, and it sucked, big time.
She’d been in the bathroom earlier and heard two women talking about her.
“Can you believe it? I mean, she must have broken the curse or something.”
“I don’t think it was much of a curse at all. I’d have loved to have gone to that house. Finding my true love.”
“Did you see the guy, though? Her neighbor. The man was sex on legs.”
“I’d hate to be her right now. The only woman in what, years, to not have the house work its magic. It must suck.”
It did suck. Really bad.
So bad, she’d called a realtor. Life moved on. People found other ways of living.
The realtor didn’t believe it would take long for her to sell the house as each time the house had been on the market, it had gone within the month. Of course, it would seem she was cursed to forever be in the house. Each time there were visitors, she was at work, and each time the realtor said it wasn’t the right one for them. A house that should have been able to sell wouldn’t sell.
To make matters worse, she’d even seen a couple of Rix’s crew move more of his furniture out as well. She hadn’t seen him.
“You know, dear, you don’t have to keep coming and seeing me. I’m sure a young woman like yourself has got lots to keep you company,” Elizabeth said two weeks after her breakup with Rix.
“No. I haven’t.” She ran fingers through her hair. “I’ve got nothing.” She covered her face and started to sob. “This is so hard.”
“Oh, honey, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s fine. It’s not your fault.” It was no one’s fault but her own. “I’m pregnant with Rix’s baby and I haven’t told him. I don’t know if I should tell him.” She covered her face, letting the tears fall. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about this. I shouldn’t even be talking.”
Elizabeth got up and started to rub her back. “It’s okay, honey.”
“I love him,” she cried out, hating herself. “I’m sorry. Tell me to leave. I’ll go.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to have you leave. Not when you’re like this. It’s not good for you, or for the baby.”
This only made her cry harder. Elizabeth was being so sweet to her, and she was sobbing like there was no tomorrow.