Chapter One
Gwen
AFTER THE LAST cookout we had at the clubhouse, I was moved out of my sister’s house. She shares a home with her man, Fox, and I was staying with them. I have been since arriving in Benton Falls with the Phantom Bastards. It was good for Kim and me so we could work on building our relationship with one another. Now, I no longer live with them. I live with Killer.
I had gone to the library for a few hours to do some research and fill out what I needed for school. When I got home, there wasn’t anything in my room. Kim, Fox, and Killer had been sitting in the living room and didn’t say a word to me as I casually walked through to take care of my things before joining them. Talk about getting the shock of my life when I walked through my door to find the room stripped bare of all my belongings.
The first thoughts going through my mind had been they got tired of me always being around. Even though I had talked to Fox about things at the cookout. I’m not sure what happened as I stood in the middle of the empty room with tears streaming down my face. My heart was breaking as I realized they didn’t want me here any longer. Fox and Kim wanted to move on with their lives and that no longer included me.
What truly puzzled me was the fact that I wasn’t in the way or making them take care of the house. I cleaned on a daily basis, made food, helped my sister when she was having a bad day, and did anything else I could to make their lives that much easier. Realizing I had nowhere to go was what truly shattered my heart into a million pieces.
“What’s wrong Sparrow?” Killer asks, walking in the room behind me and pulling me back against his chest.
“I don’t know what I did wrong,” I hiccup into my hands as I cover my face.
“You didn’t do anythin’ wrong,” he murmurs in my ear, his deep voice sending a thrill through my body. “Why would you think you did somethin’ wrong?”
“All of my stuff is gone. It’s like I’ve never been here. For Kim and Fox to do this to me, I must have messed up really bad. They’ve never mentioned wanting me to leave before now and suddenly all of my things have vanished into thin air,” I state, wiping the tears from my face as I stand up and square my shoulders.
“Baby girl, I’m tellin’ you, you did absolutely nothin’ wrong. We’ve been talkin’ and I know you want to get out of their house. While you won’t be livin’ on your own, you won’t be here right now,” Killer lets me know, turning me to face him. “I moved all your things over to my house. It’s not far from here and you’ll be able to see anyone you want whenever you want.”
“Why would you do that?” I ask him, astonishment filling my face as I stare up into his dark eyes.
“Because this saves the club from havin’ to keep a guy on you. You’ll be at my place where I can watch over you. When I’m not there for club business or whatever, a guy will be on you. That’s it. We can talk about you gettin’ a job and even goin’ to school if that’s what you want,” he says as if it’s no big deal.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” I start hesitantly. “I don’t want to be somewhere you bring women. I’d rather not see, or hear, that.”
“You’re the only woman who has ever stepped foot in the door at my house. No one has ever been inside, so you don’t have to worry about that,” he informs me, dropping a huge bomb on me.
“I guess. I just don’t think it’s gonna work. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather go there now please. I have a lot to do before tomorrow morning,” I state, trying to tamp down my panic at the thought of staying with Killer in his house.
“What do you have to do?” he questions me, his eyes opening a bit more and his voice turning harsh.
“Just an appointment. It’s a standing one I go to every week,” I answer evasively.
Kim is the only one who knows I go to a meeting at least one time a week for domestic violence survivors. I’m sure Fox knows too because my sister doesn’t keep secrets from her man. It’s why I haven’t told her all of the details about growing up with our sperm donor. That’s how I’ve taken to thinking about our father. He’s nothing more than a man who donated sperm to create Kim and me.
Killer ended up taking me back to his house that night. When we got there, he made us dinner and told me to explore the house after showing me where my room and belongings were. He’s got a gorgeous two-story home not far from the clubhouse. It sits back in the woods so it’s not noticeable from the road. If you didn’t know where you were going, you’d honestly miss it completely.
I parked my car outside of his four-bay garage while he rode his bike inside. When the door was open, I could make out at least two more bikes, a car, and a truck parked inside the massive building. He seems to have a thing for vehicles and bikes. Though, his love of bikes isn’t shocking in the least. Every single member of the club loves bikes and the freedom they feel riding on them. It’s something I’ll never experience.
Walking in the front door, there’s a living room with sliding doors facing the hallway on the right side. To the left sits a regular door that’s closed. Killer told me it’s his office and I’m not allowed in there. No one is. Walking further into the home, we pass a set of stairs heading for a large kitchen. All the appliances are stainless steel, and it looks virtually untouched. I love the space and openness of the room. Especially all of the windows letting you see the beauty of the nature surrounding you.
Killer points out the laundry room off the right of the kitchen along with a small hall leading to a game room and bathroom downstairs. While he remains in the kitchen, I make my way back upstairs. There are several doors filling the hallway. Three on the right with two on the left and one at the very end of the hallway. My room is the last one on the left. It’s huge. I have a walk-in closet, large bedroom, and my own bathroom. In the bathroom, I have a whirlpool tub with a separate shower. The shower alone is big enough to hold several people comfortably.
After exploring my room and seeing all of my things placed around the room, I venture out and hesitate outside of Killer’s room. The rest of the house is bare. There aren’t any personal touches in any room I’ve been in so far. The living room literally has a large wraparound sofa, one recliner, two tables at the ends of the couch, and a giant TV mounted on the wall. There is nothing else in the room. No pictures fill the wall space or anything so I can get a glimpse of who Killer is when he’s not in full-on biker mode.
My hand is just about on the doorknob of his room when I hear him walking up the steps. Quickly I rush back into my room and softly shut the door behind me. My heart is pounding as it races while trying to leap out of my chest. I can’t seem to catch my breath as I hear him laughing in the hallway. I’m not sure why he’s laughing but now isn’t the time to find out. On shaky legs, I make my way to my bed and sit down so I can calm down a little bit.
“Sparrow, dinner will be ready in about a half hour,” Killer says loud enough to penetrate the door.
“Okay,” I call back.
Standing up, I grab my pajamas and make my way into the bathroom. Taking a quick shower to rid myself of the day, I get out and dress in a cami with sleep pants. They’re a soft pink and my favorite set. The material is so soft and warm even though my arms and chest are exposed. Since I’m not going anywhere the rest of the night, there’s no reason to dress back in jeans or anything else.