Chapter Twenty-Seven #3
“Are you kidding me?” she says, voice rising.
The man in the doorway turns his head in our direction, and I focus on Amber, making my voice as level and calming as I can. “I’m not here to judge you.”
“Judge me all you want, I don’t give a shit.”
Deciding that jumping around the topic will do more harm than good, I ask, “Did Theo give you that scar?”
“He might as well have.”
“What does that mean?” I recognize my ‘therapist voice’ that I usually save for the office. Amber must hear it too, because she rolls her eyes.
“It means when you get involved with a group of people who use violence to solve every problem, you’re bound to walk away scarred. If you walk away at all.”
“Is that the reason you’re in here? To get away from Theo?”
“Theo is an asshole, okay?” she bites. False anger fills her voice in an attempt to mask what she’s truly feeling.
Like dumping a tablespoon of pepper on a double chocolate brownie to try and eliminate the sugar.
“Is that what you want to hear? He’s a thug who fucks anything that moves and lost interest in me as soon as I wasn’t the perky, innocent, young little girl he first met.
When I started standing up for myself, I became a nuisance, and he shoved me in this hellhole. ”
“Why didn’t he just break up with you?”
“He wanted to get rid of me completely.”
“What does that mean?”
She catches the look in my eyes and says, “He wasn’t going to kill me if that’s what you’re thinking.” She shrugs bony shoulders and adds, “But not because of some moral code. I mean, dude is a predator. I was twenty-one when we met. He was thirty.”
She’s desperately trying to villainize him. Or maybe he is a villain, and I’m the dumbass making excuses for a bad guy because he’s decent in bed and has a pierced dick.
“I’m sorry you went through that,” I say.
“I don’t mean to minimize your trauma. I’m just asking if you were ever afraid of him.
Did you notice anything off or more dangerous than normal?
” I think about the last week and how often Theo has been disappearing for “club business.” James is almost always with him, and Luna seems to know what’s going on even if she’s not directly involved.
But the rest of the club only cares about riding, partying, pulling off chop jobs, and fucking up the South Five.
“Was he keeping stuff from the rest of the Saints of Purgatory?”
She frowns, premature wrinkles forming on her forehead. “He leads an outlaw motorcycle club. Of course, he’s dangerous.”
I roll my lips between my teeth. It’s an effort not to get visibly annoyed. “But did you notice—”
“You’re fucking him,” Amber interrupts.
“What?”
Her mouth split into a wide smile. “Oh, my god. You’re fucking him. What is this? Stalk the ex-girlfriend time? God, shouldn’t a therapist be less pathetic?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Wow. This is unbelievable.”
“Theo could be a danger to—”
“Shut up. Seriously.”
“I’m sorry?”
She shakes her head, still grinning. “Look, I know he’s good at fucking, but that’s all he’s good for.
The moment you’re no longer new and exciting, he’ll screw you over.
So, enjoy it while it lasts, and I’ll see you in a few weeks when he decides your pussy isn’t tight enough and he shoves you in here with me.
” Before I can respond, she stands, turns around, and walks away.
Sadie is still waiting for me outside, and, being the best friend in the world, she doesn’t ask about my conversation with Amber.
After a few hours of shopping and a quick lunch, we stop at a cafe to drink tea, surrounded by bags of newly purchased clothes, books, and jewelry. My phone rings, Theo’s name and a picture of him scowling at the camera flashing on the screen.
“Oh, the marshal is calling,” Sadie says.
I roll my eyes, pick up the phone, and stare at his picture, considering whether to answer. Then I see it’s nearly four p.m., which means he’s let me enjoy over six hours with my best friend without interruption. So, I accept the call.
“Hey.”
“Little reaper. How’s your girls’ day?”
“Sadie’s smile says great. My credit card disagrees.”
He laughs, a little puff of air through the speakers.
“Did you go anywhere interesting?” He says ‘interesting’ with a barely noticeable lilt, and I worry he knows about my Cottonwood visit.
But no, there’s no reason for him to know.
I turned off my phone’s location services and got rid of the tracker in my wallet.
I even checked for any others he could’ve planted on me.
“We went to a new boutique downtown.”
“And what did you buy at this boutique?” he asks suggestively.
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“When do you think you’ll be back?”
“I’m not sure.”
Sadie must hear Theo’s side of the conversation because she whispers, “I need to get back to Soot anyway.”
We could easily go back to her house and hang out there, but I know what she’s doing. A week ago, I would’ve taken the opportunity to spend more time with her, away from Theo. Now, I can’t wait to run my fingers through his hair and feel the rumble of his voice with my head on his chest.
“We’re headed back soon,” I say.
“Want anything specific for dinner?”
“Surprise me, Tink. Just no pickles.”
“Tink?” she mouths.
“Careful, little reaper. I may have to fuck that name out of your vocabulary.”
My cheeks burn, growing hotter when Sadie’s jaw goes slack.
“I’ll text you when we’re on the way,” I say, words half filled with air.
“Be safe.”
“Bye,” I hang up before he can say anything else, then hold my hand up, stopping her just as she opens her mouth. “Not a word.”
She grins, and I know I’m going to regret answering that call in front of her for the rest of my life.