“I t-told my u-uncle Chris and he t-tried to get my m-mom to h-help me, b-but she d-didn’t b-believe me. S-said I was lying. It g-got worse and I t-told my u-uncle Chris a-again, but n-nothing could be done. They painted it like he was an i-irate man who had something a-against my stepfather.”
All I see is rage. Fury that she told someone, and while he tried to help, her fuckin’ mom didn’t take it seriously. What kind of parent doesn’t listen to their child when they need help?
“We’re leaving right now. You don’t need to stay here, Shi, and we’re sure as hell not stayin’ through this damn dinner.” I try to keep my voice as calm as possible, but I’d be lyin’ if I said it was easy. I don’t want to scare her more than she is already, and I will if I’m not careful.
Standing up, I pull her up with me and we walk out of the stall, exit the bathroom, and just as we’re starting to turn left, the door to the private room opens. Who comes out? Well, her mother and stepdaddy dearest.
“Where do you think you’re going? We have a photo op that needs to be finished. It’s important for the campaign,” her stepfather sneers in her direction.
All he needed to do was open his fuckin’ mouth for me to lose all control, and I do. I release Shi’s hand and run right up to the slimy political piece of shit. I grab the collar of his shirt and shove him up against the wall. I want to fuckin’ kill him for what he did, for the way he’s makin’ her feel right now.
“I know what you did and you’re nothin’ but a pathetic excuse of a man,” I throw him onto the ground and glare at him with all my might. If I get put in jail, I can’t protect Shi and that’s what she needs from me right now.
“Who do you think you are?!” he screams in my face, nostrils flaring as he gets back up on his feet and glares in my direction. “What’re you gonna do, big guy, hit me? I’ll put you in jail. I’ll make sure you never see the light of day ever again!”
“Hammer,” Shiloh rasps out my name, her fear growing by the second.
I look back at her for a moment, “It’s alright, sweetie. We’re leaving,” I glance back to her stepfather and mother. “I know what he did, and I will make it my life’s mission to ensure he never steps foot in office. A vile, disgusting abuser like this shouldn’t be in charge of anything.”
Putting some space between us, I snake a hand around Shi’s waist and lead her out of the restaurant. I flag a taxi and we get in the backseat, where she continues to cry her eyes out. I hold her close against me and know while right now it’s hard, this is the last day she’ll ever be shedding tears over the agony he caused her.
I’ll never let him hurt her ever again.
Chapter Thirteen
Physical attraction is beautiful but it’s the intimate mental attraction that is rare, highly intoxicating, and powerfully addictive.
~ Prince Madness
Shiloh
My eyes burn as badly as they did last night. Only now, they ache from how much wetness came from them. My skin burns, too, only in a different way. Hammer got me back to the hotel and drew me a hot bubble bath. He ordered champagne and tried to make the night as special as he could for me, but it didn’t help. I still feel broken, damaged, used. It’s what I always feel whenever I get too close to my mother and stepfather.
I haven’t even looked at my phone, but I’m afraid to. Knowing my brother, he’s been blowing me up all night.
I lean my head back and stare at the soft gray ceiling, breathing in and out slowly, hoping it’ll help soothe my pain. It won’t, but this type of pain isn’t something others would be able to understand. It’s the type that’s with you every day of your life, and you slowly but surely develop a strength to move on, a need to look at the sun and smile, to reflect and know the trauma you lived doesn’t impact the rest of your life.
“Baby, I have a surprise for you,” Hammer’s voice comes from the left of me and I rise up to see him sitting in the armchair by the window, smiling from ear to ear, which only means he’s planned something magnificent. “And before you say anything, we’re doing it.” Well, there goes me shooting it down the drain.
I end up letting Hammer talk me into this. We pack up our small duffle bags and change into some comfortable clothes, and while I thought about it, I texted my brother and caught up with him. He was, of course, worried about me after last night, but even he knew I was in the safest place I could be, with a man who would take care of me. He ended up telling me that even while he didn’t get into an in-depth conversation with Hammer, he liked him.
Hammer and I rode out of Salt Lake City and he ended up pulling off into the town of Coalville. I didn’t know what’s going on, and I still don’t. Right now, we’re parked out of some sort of small café called Denise’s Home Plate.
Hammer and I walk inside and I don’t realize who’s in the booth until he rises and looks directly into my eyes, smiling so wide I think he could blind me. I turn to look at Hammer, not sure how he did this. How did he do this in so little time?
He managed to arrange for me to see my uncle Chris.
“God, I thought you’d be halfway across the world by now,” my uncle mutters, wiping his hand over his mouth, staring at me in complete awe.
I haven’t seen him since I was a child, since he tried to help me. “I . . . I’m sorry, I’m just so . . . I’m in such shock right now,” I mumble, in complete disbelief. Tears threaten to spill, but I try my best to not allow it to happen.
“It’s alright. When this guy called me and said his name was Hammer . . . I thought this was gonna be some sort of sick joke. I didn’t think you’d actually be here.” Uncle Chris laughs hard, causing me to join in as well.
Hammer’s phone begins to ring and he excuses himself, walks toward the door of the café and I take a seat across from my uncle, catching up on how he’s been and how life has treated him over the years.
Going to Salt Lake City may not have been the best idea, but I believe in balance and while I experienced something quite horrid last night, seeing my uncle is making up for it. He’s the kind of dad I wish I could’ve had. The kind I would’ve prayed for as a little girl. He did everything he could to try and keep me safe, even if others wouldn’t listen.
Chapter Fourteen
With the right person you don’t have to work hard to be happy, it just happens
~ Weird People Rock
Hammer
It’s been a week since the ordeal in Salt Lake City. The club’s been keeping busy, and so has my little sister. She’s arranged for us to have dinner in my father’s room at the hospital tonight and after the last family dinner Shiloh attended, I don’t know if she’ll be too keen on attending mine, but I want her there. If I’ve learned anything through this experience with my father being in the hospital, it’s that we need to let people know how much we care about them.
Yesterday Jada called me and we spoke about a few things. I’d asked her what she’s been up to and what not and while most in her life hasn’t changed when she asked about mine, I told her about Shiloh. It was only a matter of minutes before my mother called to see if what Jada told her was true, and of course, I was blunt. With my ma, there isn’t a woman who’s good enough for me. No one will treat me the way I deserve in her eyes, but I’ll be the first to tell her Shiloh isn’t just a girlfriend. Nope, she’s my fuckin’ queen, my ol’ lady, and I’ll shout it from the damn rooftops. I’m gonna end up speakin’ to Zane about getting a cut made for her. I can’t fuckin’ wait to see ‘Property of Hammer’ on her. Whether it’s the cut or her getting ink. I know back in the day, the old tradition for the Reapers Rejects was to get it tatted on too, but I don’t think many have done it recently.