Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Raine
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Sloane asks, eyes watching me closely, head cocked slightly. It’s like she’s trying to figure a puzzle out.
“I’m good. I’m just going to stay here and relax. Working the night shift isn’t all that grand,” I tell her. All I want to do is fall back into my bed and sleep for days.
It’d been two months since I moved home, back into my old bedroom, and thankfully, I was able to avoid not having to give my parents or brother an explanation. It doesn’t mean Bandit didn’t demand answers as to what was going on. He wasn’t stupid by any means. Thankfully, he left it alone when he saw that I wasn’t going to talk. He just said he’d be there for me when I was ready.
After moving back home, I found a job right away at the local hospital. It’s not a big town, so we didn’t have a large hospital, but it was the only one within the county, so it’s relatively busy. Since I’m new, they stick me with the hours no one else wants, and I’m okay with that. It keeps me busy and allows me not to think while I’m there.
At the hospital, I don’t have to look over my shoulder constantly like I do when I’m out on my own. Even at home, I’m afraid he’ll show up, but thankfully, he hasn’t. He hasn’t even called. According to my old boss, he sent a few people to look for me when I didn’t come out of the hospital after my shift. She’d spoken and said that she’d not seen me. Even showed them footage of me walking into the hospital, but there was never anything of me coming out. Not even when I’d gotten into her vehicle. I don’t know how she’d been able to do it, but she did.
It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I met Sloane. She’s my brother’s mate and my friend. The two of us became quick friends the moment I met her. She’s easygoing and seems to adore my brother, but still, everyone has their own story. I don’t know everything that happened between her and my brother. It’s hers to share, though I do have a feeling what they have means something more than even I can understand. I’ve also got the feeling their story isn’t over with, not by a long shot.
Me, however, I don’t think I’ll ever find something like they have. It’s beautiful what they share. They still have obstacles to get through, but I’m not sure what those are.
Just a feeling I’m having.
“You should totally come with us,” Sloane states, trying again to get me to accompany her. “You could meet Karsyn and Lake.”
She mentioned meeting them at a cookout the club had not long ago and how Cyrus had invited those who were in his brother’s club. I hadn’t been able to go because I’d been at work. I guess you can say I work a lot. It’s my way of getting on with life, I suppose.
“I’m just going to catch up on some sleep.” I’ve got the next two days off and need to sleep first for sixteen-umph hours. Then I need to run errands that have to get done. After that, I still have to do laundry, make sure I’m straight for the next week coming up, and at some point, ask Bandit if he can get my oil changed in the car.
My mind keeps working, compiling a to-do list a mile long. It’s never-ending. I also wanted to be able to make dinner for my parents one night because they always make sure I have something to take with me to work. Mom even sometimes brings me food.
“Okay, well, I can’t say I didn’t try,” Sloane says and gives a heavy sigh. “Let’s just hope everything goes okay and nothing happens.”
“What do you think might happen?” I ask cocking a brow.
Sloane takes a breath, then sits on the side of my bed I was sprawled out on and throws herself back, lying across one of my legs. “One of the members is a guy I used to date.”
“You dated a shifter that wasn’t my brother?” I ask. I didn’t think shifters dated unless it was their mate. I mean, I know they do things. Every guy, even male shifters, has needs. I didn’t know she’d been with a shifter that wasn’t Bandit.
“Yeah, it was a while ago. He hurt me and made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. I really cared for him but didn’t mean anything to him other than a booty call, I guess. I caught him screwing another woman at the clubhouse when I went to surprise him.”
“Oh God.” I gasp. I hate that she went through that.
“It was humiliating. I’d gone there intending to give him a surprise I had for him.” She looks in my direction, cheeks blushing. “Don’t ask,” she mutters before looking away once again and continuing. “He didn’t follow after me. Just let me go and kept right on going with his festivities. The next day, one of their doxies filled me in on all the juicy details.” Those last words come from her mouth like they held a bad taste.
“What’re doxies?”
“The clubwhores,” she answers, sighs, and sits up again. “If it weren’t for Karsyn having just had the baby, and me wanting to see him, I wouldn’t go.”
“I don’t blame you.” I nod. “Just put that BS out of your mind. Bandit will be with you, and he’s not going to let anything happen to you. He’s protective like that. I see the way he is with you, and nothing is going to happen, I promise.”
“Thanks,” she says and gets to her feet. “Well, since you’re not going, I’ll let you be and go find the big beast himself and see if he’s about ready to head out. Maybe I can convince him to go for a long ride before he heads to the Spiked Raiders MC clubhouse.”
“I don’t think you’ll have an issue with getting him to ride,” I tell her, giving her a knowing smirk.
Sloane giggles and goes in search of Bandit, and I look back to the ceiling. For the first time in months, I’m going to be home alone. Mom and Dad decided to go on a trip. They said they would be out of contact for at least a day. They left yesterday for the mountains. I knew what they were going out to do. In the past two months, I knew neither of them had shifted. They stayed close to me since moving home. The only time they weren’t near me had been when I was at work. They needed this, and I was in no way going to ruin that for them.
Plus, I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself. It’s been months and I’ve not once heard anything from Brady. He’s probably long since forgotten about me.