Chapter 17
Wynter
“Working on a Sunday?” I saddle up next to the truck Cage is working on. “Don’t you guys take any time off?”
He looks up from the engine and smirks. “I like working. Besides, this one’s mine.” He grabs a shop rag and starts wiping his hands off. “What are you up to?”
He glances over my shoulder and I’m guessing Vale is watching me.
I hope he is. I was really looking forward to our date, but something more important has come up.
His “brother” needed his help, and he couldn’t tell him that he already had plans.
I shouldn’t be upset. I know it’s stupid.
But it just reminded me of all my past relationships.
It’s always been bros before hoes, and I’m just wondering when I will be the one that comes before all else.
“Vale was going to take me into town, but something more important came up so here I am.”
“You sound pissed about that.”
Yeah, I kind of am. “I was just looking forward to getting out of this place for a few hours.”
What I really wanted was to spend quality time with Vale. We haven’t done anything together in years, and I wanted to feel… I don’t know. Like I was special. Like someone wanted to take me out and show me a good time. Wine and dine me for once rather than just have me spread my legs.
“I need to test this baby out and make sure it’s running smooth. You want to go for a ride with me?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
The truck rumbles to life, a steady roar to the engine, and Cage tips his lips in what looks like a rare smile. “Damn. Wasn’t sure I’d get this baby to ever run again.”
“It sounds good.”
“Yeah, it does. Let’s see if it gets us to town.” He gives me a wink.
That’s not exactly reassuring.
“And what if it doesn’t?”
“We just call that brother of yours to come pick us up.” His brow wiggles and I crack up laughing. He’s definitely out to push Vale’s buttons. All the more reason for me to hope that we end up stranded on the side of the road.
“So, is this a classic?” I look at the old stereo, which has a cassette player. Do people even own cassettes anymore?
“Yep. It was my grandad’s. He gave it to me when he passed.”
“You two were close?” I got the impression the other day that he may have not had the best upbringing. But it sounds like he revered the man. Enough to fix up his vehicle and keep it as a treasured item.
“He took me in when my life went to shit and he gave me a job on his farm. He did all that he could to try to straighten my ass out, but I couldn’t get my mind right. Gave that old man more shit than he needed, that’s for damn sure.”
I can hear the regret in his voice. I think him fixing this car is part of the penance he feels he owes.
“Did something happen, or was it a culmination of things that caused you to spin out?”
His eyes glance in my direction. Maybe he doesn’t want me prying, but if he doesn’t want to talk about it, all he has to do is say so. I won’t take offense if he wants to keep things private. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“I walked in on my dad and my girlfriend.”
“Geezus, no! Cage, that’s so awful. I can’t even imagine.”
“Tell me about it. She was my high school sweetheart. I had even told my dad I was going to propose as soon as we graduated.”
High school? How young was this girl when his dad started sleeping with her?
“How’d you catch them?” My mind’s running a million different scenarios, none of which I can even fathom.
“My dad had asked me to run to the store and get him something. Then he texted me a whole list of shit to get, trying to buy himself some more time. I wasn’t in the mood to shop, so I ended up getting back too early.
” His hands clench the wheel, and I can see how white his knuckles are. “Caught them in the act.”
Holy fuck that is so fucked up. That’s fucked up on so many different levels.
“What’d they do when you walked in?” I can’t even imagine what was going through his head when he saw them.
“My dad had the fucking nerve to tell me that I’d been depriving my girl, and she needed someone mature to take care of her needs.”
“How did you not kill him?” I would’ve strangled the man if I were him. Then I would’ve kicked the little slut to the curb. Goodness, I hurt for him. Now, what he said the other day all makes sense.
“Oh, I wanted to. I wanted to strangle the life out of my dad. I honestly didn’t even know when the shit between them had started and for how long it’d been goin’ on for. All I saw was him preying on my innocent girl, and I wanted to kill him.”
He shakes his head, as the leather of the steering wheel screeches out a pained sound like it can’t take much more of the tension. I just can’t imagine.
“Did she tell you when it started?” I swallow hard, worrying over his answer.
“It’d been going on for a month. I can’t even repeat the details of how it started. Makes me want to burn the fucking world down. And it wasn’t like she wanted it to stop. There was no remorse. That night I lost the love of my life, my father, and my home. I was fucking lost for so fucking long.”
“That is some seriously fucked-up shit, Cage. I don’t know how you got through all that.”
“Believe me. That shit ate away at me until I was one arrest away from being locked behind bars. I plotted my vengeance a hundred different ways and found myself at the bottom of a whiskey bottle one too many times. But then I met King. And he set me straight.”
All I can say is wow. That’s just beyond fucked up.
“So, how did you confront your demons then?” He’d told me the other night that he’d faced his past.
“I became one of the most powerful men in this town: a brother of the Savage Knights MC. Wealthy, strong, and un-fucking-breakable.”
He turns onto the road leading into town and then pulls into a parking space outside of the diner.
“You hungry?”
I’m actually starved. “Famished.”
“Good. Let’s go eat. Then you can tell me all about your childhood trauma.” He smirks.
I still want to hear more about him and how he got his dad back for what he did.
But as the day goes on, we never get back to his past. We settle right on mine, and I recount the nightmares I lived through.
Only, this time, I don’t get pulled back into the pain.
I’m not sure if it’s him, or what’s going on with Vale, or being surrounded by all these strong men, but I no longer feel like that scared little girl.
I’m starting to feel strong. Stronger than I’ve ever felt before. I’m truly starting to feel happy.