Her nod was small, but determined. When I smiled at her, she placed her hand on mine and her small fingers squeezed me tightly. "Dad?"
"Yes, honey?"
"Mom loves you."
I smiled at her, but it was sad. "You know, baby, when you’re older and you’re her age, I pray that you do what she did. That you have the strength and the confidence and the self-esteem to walk out of that door when a man isn’t treating you right."
Her eyes rounded. "B-But—"
"But nothing." I leaned over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Believe in yourself, baby. Your mom and I do, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you do too.
"We’ll go to school in the AM, and we’ll get things sorted. You hate it there, don’t you?"
She nodded, and the crown of her head bumped against the underside of my chin.
"We’ll see about getting you transferred to one of the schools here." I heaved a sigh, because I really didn’t want her in a mixed school, but if she was getting into fights… "It might not be much better here with the kids," I warned, regret lacing my words.
"At least they’re normal. They won’t be massive snobs who think their poop doesn’t stink just because they’re rich."
I smiled a little. "I’ll talk to your mom tonight. Get her on board then I’ll sort it out."
She peeped up at me, darted a kiss to my cheek, then said, "The soup is yummy."
"Thanks, ladybug."
As I dug in, I had to admit, my effort wasn’t a total shitshow.
In more ways than one.
Dear Diary
The party didn’t go very well.
I enjoyed it, until it got weird.
Everywhere I turned, Ray Leinster was there. He never seemed to back off, and if we danced, he kept grinding into me, his hands on my butt and stuff. I didn’t like it. It made me really uncomfortable, but I could tell he didn’t care.
Ray said something about our dads wanting us to get together before he got in my face and tried to kiss me, but I shoved him away. About a half hour later, he tried to apologize, and stupid me, I listened, before he put his hands on my ass, had the nerve to grope me, before he touched me between my legs.
I didn’t have to knee him in the balls because, out of nowhere, the biker was there. The one with the streak of silver in his hair. He was in my house.
MY HOUSE!
He took Ray away.
I don’t know where.
I know that no one stopped him, and Ray just squeaked as the biker picked him up off the floor and carried him out by his shirt collar.
I didn’t even think that was possible, but, up close, the biker is sooooo much more muscled than I realized. My goodness, I didn’t think men like him existed outside of movies.
The party started to fade what with, ya know, people wondering if the school’s QB had just been murdered, and after I said bye to everyone, even Josse and Laurie who were going to help me clear up the mess from the party, a knock sounded at the back door.
I was kind of scared it’d be Ray again, but it wasn’t.
It was the biker. He told me that his name was Asher.
Anyway, he stood there, looking as clean as before, but his fingers were mussed up. He was wearing those leather gloves without the tips, which made me think he’d used them to cover up the mess he’d made of them as he’d been barehanded before. Whatever had happened, Ray hadn’t fought back.
Just thinking about it makes me squirm.
Asher hurt Ray because of me.
Jimmy must have called him. That’s the only thing that makes sense. How else would Asher have known to come riding in like the cavalry?
"I just wanted you to know that Ray won’t ever hurt you again," he’d said, standing there like a dark knight on my doorstep. So beautiful it hurt to look at him.
Then he turned away. He walked away.
He.
Walked.
Away.
What was I supposed to do?
Let him go?
I don’t think so.
I called out, "What’s your name? Or do you only answer to Prince Charming?"
Thinking about that now makes me feel stupid because he’s a Sinner, not exactly the Disney type, but I didn’t want him to go. I really didn’t.
He stopped on the path, turned toward me, and his voice was so deep, so rumbly and gravelly as he said, "I’m no one’s idea of Prince Charming."
"You saved me tonight," I told him. "And maybe on Monday at school, or another time I go to a party. He was getting hot and heavy no matter how many times I said no." Girls didn’t say no to Ray. That was why I’d been scared.
"He won’t hurt you again."
"Is he dead?" I’d squeaked.
Just thinking about that smile tears me up inside. It wasn’t an answer, it was anything but. "You’ll never have to worry about him again." Never? Goodness, had he killed him then?
Before I could ask for clarification, he stepped away and started to leave.
"Please, don’t go," I’d called out.
He paused again.
"Please? At least tell me your name?"
Without turning back, he’d said, "Asher."
And that was how I learned his name.
I touched myself last night. Thinking about those hands on me. Hands that would hurt another guy to keep me safe.
He’s a biker. He’s the exact opposite of the kind of man I should be interested in. Dad wants me to be with a Ray Leinster of this world. On top of his game, heading to MIT to study engineering on a scholarship. Not a criminal.
But when Ray touched me, I wanted to crawl up and hide somewhere.
Just the thought of Asher touching me makes me hot.
I can’t wait to see him on Monday. I hope he’ll be waiting outside school again.
Dear Keira
Ray won’t bother you again. His jaw’s wired shut and if his dick isn’t broken in two, then my baseball bat deserves to be tossed in the trash.
I’m sorry you had to go through that.
I’m sorry he scared you.
I’ll never let anyone scare you again.
I promise you, Keira. I don’t have much honor, most would say that scum like me have none at all, and maybe they’re right, but what I do have, with it, I vow to you that you’ll always be safe.
I had Jimmy and Kendra watching over you, but that’s gonna change now that we’ve met. I’ll figure something out, make sure I can be there when you sneak out at parties. I’ve seen your parents. I know they don’t approve. They’re not wrong. Angels like you shouldn’t be out of the house past ten.
If you were mine…
Who am I kidding?
You’ll always be mine; you’ll just never know it.
Always yours,
Storm
Twenty-One
Keira
PRESENT
Was I a terrible mom that I loved the shorter commute to school?
Dropping Cyan off at the nearby school was heavenly by comparison to the long drive to the academy, and she seemed happier. She really did.