“Been busy.” This was true. Netflix and I were becoming the best of friends. Between Bridgerton, Arrow, and all the documentaries, I’d been very busy. Countless hours of binge watching. Oh, and I couldn’t forget Hulu and The Handmaids Tale. That one was awesome. A bit scary in its truth, but I loved how the main character was strong and did what she had to do to make it through. I couldn’t wait until the next season.
“Are you healed up?”
My hands stilled on the can opener only turned halfway around. My mind started spinning. I was there once again. In that warehouse. In that underground pit. My screams. Their hands on me. In me. The black tunnel was starting to close in.
A hand touched my arm, and I jumped, taking the can with me and making some kind of noise I didn’t recognize as I snapped back into the present. Ensley stood there with wide eyes, and mine flashed to everyone around me. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were staring at me.
The damn room was so quiet I swore they could hear my heartbeat as it felt as though it was coming out of my chest. I felt the urge to pull down the sleeves of my long shirt, even though it would do no good. The marks were still there.
My heart raced so fast I thought I’d pass out, but I had to get it together. I was at Ensley’s home. I was safe. Those men were dead and gone. No one here would hurt me like that.
Luckily, I came back to myself, shaking off the ghosts that still haunted me, and slipped the mask back into place, thankful the lid was still semi on the can so the juice didn’t spill everywhere.
“Sorry.” What should I say? Crap. I plastered on a smile and gave a little chuckle, trying to deflate the tension I’d caused. Not that it worked.
I just wished everyone would forget about what had happened. Forget seeing me the way they did. Forget the marks covering my body in disgusting scars. Forget my cries and whimpers. Forget seeing Dryerson carrying me out of that place a ball of mess. Just forget everything that had happened that day. Unfortunately, they were all there. They witnessed the cuts and blood. There was no getting around that.
“Katie. What’s wrong?” Ensley drew closer, her eyes boring into mine. I couldn’t let her see what was behind them, and she could, always had been able to. One thing I didn’t like one bit. I closed them momentarily and evened out my breathing, then opened them and met her gaze, hoping that the unease was gone from my eyes.
“Really. I’m fine. Get a little jumpy when I don’t expect something, but I’m good.”
Ensley’s eyes narrowed. “Because of…”
She trailed off, and I had to stop her from saying anything about that night. I didn’t want to talk about that night … ever. “Stop, Ens. I’m begging you to stop. Please.” I darted my attention from Ensley and Austyn; I just wanted them to let this go. “It’s Remy’s birthday. The first one she’s able to have with her whole family. Can we just focus on her?”
Ensley and Austyn shared a look, then Ensley sighed. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”
I didn’t think it would be.
“Unkey WyWy!” Remy yelled, and my next bit of torture was about to ensue. He was here, in my space. Yay… It just kept getting better and better. One punch after another. At least I was still standing.
“Can we get back to the food?” I asked, not waiting for them and not looking up. Instead, I finished opening the can, then moved to the sink and drained the olives. The chatter in the room picked up once again, and I felt as though I could breathe.
Loved my niece, but I really wanted to sing, have cake, and open presents so I could head back to my apartment. It would be so much better if I could spend one on one time with her instead of all of this.
As Ensley would say ‘clusterfuck of epic proportions.’
Listen to me. Even in my thoughts I was cussing like a biker babe now.
Too bad I’d never fit in.
2
KATIE
With nothing else to do, I finally lifted my gaze to the room. My breath caught at the sight. Dryerson with Remy. He started tossing her up in the air, catching her and then tickling her all the while she laughed uncontrollably. The beautiful sound filled the room, causing the people around them to stop and take notice. She was the star of the show today after all.
A wide smile graced his perfectly formed face. His longish blond hair was flung back out of his eyes when he lifted from giving Remy raspberries.
Yes, he loved Remy; that was perfectly clear. It was something we had in common. Mutual ground on which I kept our relationship on. There was no other choice.
His arms flexed in the tight navy t-shirt that was spread across his chest. The leather on his back fit him just as perfectly, proving he belonged right where he was. He had his place in this group. Now a prospect in the club. He was one of them which only drew the wedge wider.
He put Remy upside down, her little hair swinging in the wind as she laughed and giggled. Dryerson twisted Remy back up and held her in his arms.
“Adin!” Remy yelled, and Dryerson didn’t disappoint, doing everything once again; his smile turned into chuckles. She used him like a jungle gym, and he had the perfect body for it. Strong and sturdy. And he didn’t seem to give a care in the world who saw them or what they thought.
It appeared to be just him and her, and nothing else mattered.
It was a beautiful sight to behold, and I felt the punch to the gut like a physical thing. Keeping from bending over was difficult, but the air still rushed out of my lungs as the pain threatened to take me over. Needing to steady myself, I grabbed onto the counter.
When his gaze met mine, my entire body froze from the power and intensity of it. That smile should win awards. It had a way of gripping you so tightly and wrapping around you, never wanting to let it go. And when it was directed at you, nothing else in the room mattered. It was like a tunnel. Only he and I existed for that brief period of time.
Everything else faded into the background, and I was memorized by it. Just as I had been the first day I'd met him.
“What’s up?” I asked as Ensley started telling me I had to go to the apartment to get our things.
“Can’t get into all of it right now. Just leave work now, get our stuff, and meet me at the clubhouse.” She chattered in my ear. I made way to say something, but she stopped me. “Stop. I’ll tell you when you get here.” She then disconnected the phone.
That little brat. She’d hear it as soon as I saw her.
Talking to my manager, she wasn’t happy I was cutting my shift short, just because it meant she had to jump on the line for a bit. She didn’t tell me I had to stay, though, and she liked me. She had a big family and knew that if there was a family emergency that meant it was important.
Gathering all of my things from the employee lounge, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Ensley. This was a huge mistake, because I should’ve been looking at what was going on around me.
“You Katie?” the man asked, stopping me in my tracks as my eyes moved up and up. Surfer boy. That was the first thing that popped into my head. His blond hair was shaggy, like those guys you see on television hitting the waves. A face carved from granite with a smile that could bring any woman to their knees. Let’s not forget the bluest eyes I’d ever seen in my entire life. A woman could get lost in those babies and not want to come back.