Fifteen
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“He’s afraid to breathe the same air as me.”
Capri
The shelter I helped serve dinner in welcomed me back after two weeks with applause and cheering. It had taken a lot of arguing and demanding, then coming to an agreement we could both live with, to get Thatcher to let me come back once we had gotten together. Taking off again for the past two weeks to deal with my mom’s life had been necessary.
I had missed being here, not just because I felt like I was doing something to help out but because the people here were my friends. I knew the regulars by name and some of their stories. If I could help each one of them get back on their feet, I would. But right now, the best I could do was serve them food and donate to the shelter, which I did from every paycheck I received.
When my shift was over, I stopped by to say goodbye to Willie, Big John, Velma, Disco, and Burtie and then slipped them each a roll of twenty-dollar bills before leaving. Now that she could afford another bus pass, I hoped Burtie would get that swollen tooth seen at the free clinic and Willie would get cleaned up enough to meet with his oldest grandson, who had been asking around about him.
Stepping out into the cool evening breeze, I shivered. It had been warm when I got here but spring in the south can change temps on you fast. I glanced around, looking for Sebastian, assuming that would be who was out here, not only waiting on me but also making sure I was safe inside since Thatcher had gone to have my father sign the divorce papers.
A trickle of feminine laughter came from my right, and I turned my head to see an attractive redhead smiling brightly up at a guy beside her. I noticed her arm wrapped around his and smiled at the connection while my eyes lifted to see the man. They looked like they were headed to the small market with fresh produce.
I paused mid-step, then began walking toward them, unable to stop myself. I hadn’t seen JB since he left Shephard’s Stables working as a stable hand. Granted, Thatcher had done something to him, and I had never been told what exactly, but my gaze quickly checked his fingers and found all ten in place. That was a relief. He had a short beard now, but that was the only difference. When my gaze moved back to his face, he stopped walking. Shock then panic morphed his previous happy expression. His head swung left then right as he scanned the around me. Searching for someone. I could guess who.
Forcing my feet to keep moving forward, I smiled at the girl he was with. She looked from me to him, confused, and I wanted to wave my hand at her and say, “Hi, it’s me. I’m the problem.” But I doubted she’d find humor in it.
“Hello, JB,” I said, wishing he wouldn’t look at me as if I were a demon straight from hell.
“Uh,” he said, still scanning the area. “um.”
“It’s okay, JB. Thatcher isn’t here, and even if he was, I can promise you that it’s fine.”
His eyes finally landed on me, and he swallowed nervously. “We need to go,” he said, turning to the girl he was with.
“What’s wrong? I thought we were going to get snacks for our movie night,” she said, eyes narrowing as she looked at me.
“I, uh,” he backed up, trying to get away from me.
“JB,” I said his name. “It’s fine. I just wanted to see you and make sure you were okay.”
His eyes widened as he moved back some more.
“Yeah, good, fine, uh, we gotta go,” he stammered as the girl pulled on his arm, not liking that I was sending him running.
“What is going on here?” she demanded, letting go of him and placing her hands on her hips.
JB seemed oblivious to her distraught. He was verging on frantic now.
“JB!” she shouted his name.
He finally looked at her as if remembering she was there. The apologetic expression that touched his face made me feel guilty. I should have stayed away. I hadn’t realized he would react like this. What had Thatcher done to him? Did I want to know?
“We gotta go,” he told the other girl.
“I want my Reese cups,” she told him.
“We can get ‘em somewhere else,” he replied. “Just please, we need to go.”
I held up a hand. “No. I’ll leave you alone. Please go get your things. I’m sorry that I bothered you. I just wanted to see for myself that you were okay.”
He studied me for a moment, still reminding me of a rabbit about to bolt.
“Who is she, JB?” the girl asked, growing more annoyed by the second.
Since he wasn’t going to answer her, I decided I’d explain then leave.
“She’s mine,” the familiar drawl that always made me tingle also made me sigh in frustration. He was going to give JB a stroke.
Thatcher’s hand slid around my back, grabbing my hip and jerking me to his side.
JB’s panic-stricken face had me glaring up at Thatcher rather than smiling. He’d caused this.
“I didn’t do anything. I was just he-here t-to shop with my girlfriend,” JB stammered as his voice cracked.
“Seems Capri was being polite,” Thatcher replied, sounding casual. “You could work on your people skills.”
JB’s eyes were locked on Thatcher as if he were ready for him to attack at any moment. His girlfriend walked back over to him and shot an annoyed glance at JB and then toward Thatcher. I saw it the moment she took him in completely, and her eyes lit with interest. Yes, he’s a beautiful bad boy, and that is exciting, but he is mine.
Thatcher smirked as his eyes moved to me. He used his knuckles to lift my chin up some more. “What, little doll? I didn’t do anything.”
Both my eyebrows shot up. “Yeah, you did,” I reminded him, then waved a hand in JB’s direction. “He’s afraid to breathe the same air as me.”
The twinkle of amusement in Thatcher’s dark eyes made my heart flutter.
“You want me to fix it?” he asked, then slowly turned his gaze toward JB. “You’re upsetting, Capri,” he told him. “I thought we already covered what happens when someone upsets her.”
The distress on JB’s face and the tremble of his bottom lip like he was going to cry had me slapping a hand on Thatcher’s chest. “THAT isn’t fixing it!”
He sighed heavily, and then his eyes met mine. The promises mixed with threats as the corner of his lips quirked. “What is it you want me to say, little doll?”
The rumble of his deep voice was hypnotic. Except there was a guy standing in the parking lot with us looking like he might vomit or run screaming at any minute, all because of me.
“He is scared of you,” I pointed out.
He ran the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip, staring at it as if it was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. “Most people are.”
I reached up and grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand from my mouth before I got distracted. “Thatcher,” I warned.
He finally turned his eyes back to JB. I realized that the girl was watching us, wide-eyed and curious. JB, on the other hand, was visibly shaking. What in the world had Thatcher done? He had all his fingers. He didn’t walk with a limp. His face was the same.
“It’s nice to see you, JB,” Thatcher said, although his tone was cautious. “You seem well.”
JB nodded but didn’t move or speak.
I wasn’t sure there was anything Thatcher could say to make this better. I gave up and decided to put JB out of his misery. “I’m glad you’re doing good. Please don’t let us keep you any longer. Enjoy your evening,” I told JB, glancing from him to the girl.
She was studying Thatcher like a kid in a candy shop.
“Yeah, uh, you too,” JB croaked.
Thatcher’s sinister chuckle got a sharp glare from me. Although it was hard to hold it when his eyes went so warm and promising as he stared down at me.
“Are we going inside? You didn’t introduce me,” the girl said in a high-pitched tone as she looked at Thatcher, smiling.
“Just go,” JB bit out, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him toward the store.
“JB! What stop!” she squealed, but he continued dragging her away.
I looked back at Thatcher. “I’m afraid to know now,” I said, letting out a long breath. “What you did to him.”
Thatcher cupped my face with a hand, tilting his head as his gaze slowly traveled over it. As if I were a work of art in a museum and he wanted to memorize every detail.
“I caught him fucking some woman he’d picked up in a bar. He took her to a hotel room. I jerked him off her, took him to a little getaway of mine, he kept all his body parts, while I made sure he understood to stay away from you,” Thatcher explained as if that all made sense.
“Why?” I asked.
“Why what?” he asked, his gaze meeting my eyes.
“Why would you do that?” I asked him.
“Because he was supposed to be dating you.”
I shook my head. “We had just started talking.”
“Doesn’t matter. Why would he want anyone else?”
I wanted to slap him, kiss him, shake him, hold onto him, and never let go. This man and all his messed up, crazed ways managed to make me melt with words that should send me running.