Chapter 28
Ryder
I got up before sunrise, leaving Penny asleep in the hotel room. I used the hotel gym before heading to the closest Walmart and buying us some new clothes.
I’d left her a note so she wouldn’t freak out when she woke up. It’s after eight by the time I get back, but she is still sleeping like a baby when I enter the room.
Curled up in the center of the immense bed, surrounded by fluffy pillows and crisp white sheets, she looks small and innocent.
She doesn’t wake up when I dump out all the stuff I bought. I get dressed and lay her stuff out on the bed. Only when I brew a coffee with the in-room coffeemaker does she stir.
Sitting up, she rubs her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Hi.” She yawns, taking my newly dressed form in. “Did you leave?”
“Yeah, got you some clothes too. Put this on,” I point to the bathing suit. The hotel has a pool. I wanna go for a swim before we pick up Mojo from the vet.”
She blinks rapidly, then looks down at the stuff I bought her. “Thank you. Is Mojo going to be okay? I mean, where are we taking him?”
If that isn’t the big question. I thought about it all night and all morning. A hundred different scenarios running through my mind, but none of them make sense. None of them feel right… except for one.
“I have some money saved up. I think we should go away for a bit.”
“Away?”
“Yeah, like leave town. Actually, leave the state. Lie low for a bit, until Tucker comes out of hiding.” Or longer, I add in my head.
“It’s off-season right now, so cabins in the mountains are cheap and rent by weeks or month.
Mojo is gonna love it too. Once he is all healed up, we can go on hikes every day. ”
“Wow, you really thought this through.” She studies me for a moment. “What if I don’t want to go?” I can’t hide my smirk at her question.
“Oh, little owl. What did I tell you? Don’t mistake my kindness. Don’t think we’re equals. What I say goes, and if I want your ass in a cabin up in the mountains, then your ass will be there. Now, get out of bed and put the fucking bathing suit on.”
Frowning, she gets up and starts dressing.
With my arms crossed in front of my chest, I lean against the wall, and I watch her.
She slips into the bathing suit, which fits great.
The dress I got her to wear over it, not so much.
It’s baggy, and the straps fall off her shoulders, but it’ll do for today.
I lead her through the hotel. She clutches one of the large towels in front of her chest as she takes in every inch of this place with wonder, like a kid in a toy store for the first time in their life.
When we get to the pool, I’m glad to find it empty. After I take my shirt and shoes off, I stand on the edge of the pool. I jump in headfirst, diving under the water, and swim to the other side of the pool before I resurface.
Penny is still dressed, folding her towel neatly over a chair.
“Take the dress off and get in here,” I order.
She murmurs something I can’t hear over the water pumping into the filter, but I’m sure it’s something like fine, or I know. She makes quick work of her dress and flip flops before getting into the pool. She doesn’t jump in; instead, she walks into the shallow side of the pool slowly.
I’m right in the center of the pool when I lift my hand and motion for her to come closer.
“You know it won’t always be like this,” she tells me as she approaches.
“Like what?”
“Me taking orders, letting you push me around. At some point, I’ll have enough, and I’ll get away for good. I’ve done it before.”
Anger surges through me like a tornado. Not because she is threatening me to leave, but she is comparing me with Thomas. With two large strides, I cross the distance between us. The water slows my movement down, but not enough for her to get away from me.
I wrap my hand around her throat. She gasps, her eyes go wide, and her hands wrap around my wrist. I walk her backward until her back is pushed up against the side of the pool.
“Do not compare me to him. I am nothing like him. I would never hurt you like that.”
I can feel her throat work under my touch as she swallows. “I know that, but you hurt me in other ways.”
“Shut up, you like what I do to you. Even when I’m rough with you, you come, so don’t fucking lie.” I’d never push her too far. I always make sure she enjoys it too.
“No.” She shakes her head. “That’s not what I mean. You don’t hurt me when we have sex. It’s just… I don’t know what this is between us. You don’t talk to me. Every time I think we’re getting close, you push me away.”
“What do you expect? How do you want me to act? Like fucking prince charming?” I squeeze my hand around her throat before I release her completely. “This is who I am.” I jab my finger into my chest. “And that’s not going to change.”
“I’m not asking you to change. I’m asking you to let me in.”
“That’s not going to happen either. I could never trust you again.”
Her face contours into pain, like the words physically hurt her. Part of me wants to wrap her into my arms and tell her I don’t mean it. Instead, I hold on to that last bit of pain. I have to because if I don’t, I won’t survive letting her go when this is over.
We’re on our way to pick up Mojo. I have Penny in the truck, and together we’re about to go on an extended vacation.
I should be in a great mood. But I am definitely not.
I let what Penny said earlier replay in my mind. She wants me to let her in and not push her away. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t know how. This will never work. Not in the long run anyway. She’ll come to realize that soon enough.
“I think you just passed it,” Penny’s voice drags me out of my daydream. “There was a vet on the right.”
“Shit, yeah.” I make a U-turn and pull into the vet’s parking lot a few minutes later.
Penny gets out with me, and together we walk into the vet’s clinic Mojo has been at for the last few days. I pay the lady at the front, and she has someone else go get my dog from the kennel in the back.
When the guy walks my 150lb Rottweiler into the lobby, I smile. Mojo looks like shit, groggy as hell, and there is a good-sized shaved spot on his side. The scar still looks angry and red, but when he sees me, he perks up a little.
“Hey, bud.” I get down on one knee and run my hands through his fur, giving him a good behind the ear rub. He nuzzles his face into my chest, just as I see Penny kneeling down next to us.
Her small hand reaches out and pets him between the shoulder blades. He waddles closer to her and goes to lick her face with his slobbery tongue.
“We took the stitches out and left the cone off. He hasn’t messed with the incision so far, but if he does, he’ll have to wear the cone again.”
“Got it.” I nod as I stand back up, and the guy hands me Mojo’s leash.
As soon as we walk out through the front door, I see him.
Maddox is sitting on his bike, parked right next to my truck. Fuck!
“Get in the back seat with Mojo,” I tell Penny.
When I glance over at her, I see her face has gone pale, and her shoulders are slouched, almost like she is trying to make herself smaller… invisible.
“It’s going to be okay, just do as I say,” I tell her. She moves closer to me and slows her walk, so she is positioned a little behind me as we approach my friend.
Opening the back door, Penny scurries inside, then I lift Mojo onto the backseat as well.
“How the hell did you know when I was coming?” I ask after I shut the door. I’m not really mad at him, but I am annoyed that he is here. I shut down my phone for a reason.
“Called them this morning, asking when I was supposed to pick up Mojo.”
“Of course, you did. Look, I know this is not how it’s done, but I’m leaving town for a few weeks–”
“I know where Tucker is,” Maddox interject.
“Where?”
“If I tell you, what are you going to do with him?”
“You know what I’ll do. He deserves to die.” I lower my voice a little at the last part. Don’t need someone passing by overhearing me.
“He does.” Maddox nods. “And then what? Are you still going to leave town for a few weeks?”
“If Tucker is taken care of, there won’t be a reason for me to leave.”
“What about her?” He points at the cab of the truck.
“I’ll send her back home.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” I repeat.
Maddox studies me for a few moments before continuing, “Come stay at my house. Mojo and your girl will be safe there. We’ll take care of Tucker. Just you and me, like old times.”
“I don’t know.” I look down at the ground. “Penny doesn’t like you.”
“Most people don’t like me.” Maddox chuckles.
“That’s fair.”
“Come on. You have my word. She’ll be safe at my place.”
“Fine. We’ll stay with you.” I nod. Penny might not trust him, but I do. He gave me his word, and he’s never broken it before; he better not now.