Chapter Four The Plot Thickens
Belle
Never had a man rubbed me the wrong way like this guy did. For a few minutes there, I almost believed we were getting along. Like we had something in common finally. Then he set me off again. How did he even do that? For several years, I’d prided myself on self control. I ran an office for lawyers and we often got emotional visitors. Some cases involved messy divorces or child custody and things would get heated. I’d learned how to handle people without getting upset myself.
Not with this guy though. He got under my skin immediately whenever he simply opened his mouth. Maybe this time it wasn’t his fault? After all, I was the one yelling at him just now, right? I realized what I had been yelling about. I was about to lose my job. I loved that job. I had worked there for three years and I became a paralegal while working there as a legal secretary. I felt some sort of accomplishment in my life, finally.
Then Talon and Justice declared that my mother and I wouldn’t be safe in town anymore. I happened to disagree with that. Deacon had more important things to do than to kidnap me. No, I wasn’t still defending the guy. I knew better now. But I really didn’t think his new plans, if he had any, would involve me. Then there was my neighbor, she had been watching my apartment and we sort of shared the custody of a dog. It was a long story as to the dog, but I worried about what she thought when I just did not come back. I hadn’t been able to call her since one: they took my phone and two: Talon said no calls to town or to anyone whom Deacon could approach to find our location.
As I headed to the kitchen, I made a decision. I currently had a leave of absence due to a family emergency. They’d hired a temp agency worker to fill in for me. I wanted to go back to work and back to my life. First, I needed to do my part for my sister”s wedding. The only person who knew how long until the wedding would be was Justice.
I went into the kitchen to see if he or Scarlet were there. They loved visiting Ma, as they all called her. I didn’t see anyone there. So maybe they were in one of the three living room slash recreation areas they head here at Connor House? I headed back the other way then pulled up short.
There stood Liberty in front of me. He raised his hands up at me and said, “I’m not here to argue.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, maybe not and I don’t want to do that either, but guess what? We will end up doing just that. So how about we just go our separate ways and call it a day, so to speak. Forget it and move on.”
Liberty slowly shook his head. “No.”
I raised my brows at him as I asked, “No?”
“See, I realized I was all wrong about you and I want to apologize for real this time.”
I paused. This was the last thing I ever expected him to say. I did feel genuinely surprised by this unexpected turn of events. I let out a long breath and said, “Apology accepted. And good luck with everything.” I went around him to keep walking.
“Wait!” he called from behind me.
I kept moving.
“That’s it?” he asked.
I stopped to turn and look at him. “What else is there?” I cocked my head at him. “You want me to apologize back?” I braced my hands on my hips and said, “Ok, I apologize too.” I gave him a nod, turned back around and again headed down the hallway.
“No,” he said from right behind me. “I wanted us to like… start all over again.”
I just couldn’t with this guy. I mean we were polar opposites. We would never get along. “I won’t be around, so there”s no use in trying.”
Liberty grabbed my arm and spun me back around, so I would be facing him. “What?”
“I have decided to go back to my life. I was yelling at you I think because I felt frustrated that my life was upended. I hate feeling helpless and I refuse to be that way. So, I’m looking for Justice to see when he can get that ring, so we can get this wedding stuff done.”
Liberty simply stared at me in utter disbelief then opened his mouth to speak.
I raised my hand up at him. “And don’t start with my life being forfeit to Deacon. I am not a Walker. Also, I won’t be aiding a Walker. Besides, he has better shit to do than to care about me.”
“Didn’t you hear my dad earlier?” Liberty said. “Because of Justice marrying Scarlet, you are part of the Walkers.”
“I”ll be an in law. So what?” I shrugged.
Liberty kept shaking his head. “This all goes back to the same damn thing, Belle. You are again underestimating Deacon. Believing him to be this nice guy. He is dangerous. He has no sympathy for anyone. He would as soon as kill you than—”
“He could have killed me at any time,” I cut him off. “Yet he didn’t.”
“He needed you alive and that is the only reason why you still are.”
“I am going home.” I glared at him. “I can”t stay here and twiddle my thumbs! I had plans. I had a life.”
Liberty pushed his fingers through his hair and muttered, “It isn”t safe.”
I scoffed at this statement. “Crossing the street isn’t safe, Liberty. Everyday life isn’t safe but we have to live it. Let’s get this wedding going, so we can really move on.” I again turned and headed away.
I wasn”t sure if he followed me this time and I really did not care. I finally spotted Justice sitting with a few other men at a table. They looked like they were playing cards. I did slow down a little as I saw that the other men at the table were in fact: Redemption, Talon, Fate and another man, Prophet I think they called him. I knew Talon and Redemption seemed to be in charge of the place and the biker army here. Maybe it was best that I face them off right away as I knew they felt the same way as Liberty did about this.
Pausing, I didn”t want to interrupt the hand, as I realized they were playing poker.
“I call,” Justice said.
The group groaned and booed him.
Laughing, Justice said. “No takers? Dang.” He set his cards down to show his hand and more groans went around the table.
“He’s a shark, guys.”
I turned to look at Liberty who said this as he stood right beside me.
Justice laughed as he had an actual cigar at the corner of his mouth while he raked the chips in. “I just have the best poker face here. It goes with my job, people.” He referred to being an attorney.
“Shark, like I said,” Liberty teased.
Shaking his head, Justice asked, “What can we do for you, Belle?”
“You aren”t going to like it,” Liberty interjected.
I turned my head to glare at him. “Stay out of my business.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
I looked back over at Justice. “When do you think you will get Scarlet’s ring?”
He smiled at me and answered, “In a couple of days.”
“Good, so we can get this wedding done within the next 5 days?”
He stared at me. “Maybe. Why? You got somewhere to be?”
I set my hands on my hips and stated firmly, “As a matter of fact I do. I am going back to my job and my life.” I looked around at the hard glares I was getting from the men at the table, but I didn”t care. “I am no threat or a plus for Deacon. So I think I will be safe.”
“Ya think?” Talon snapped.
I knew he would be the first to speak up against this idea as he’d already made his opinion on this clear to everyone. Nodding, I replied, “I’m nothing to him. I am an inlaw to the Walkers at best. I don’t even think he will be watching out for me.”
“You don”t know what that psycho will or will not do,” Redemption spoke up now.
I gave him a shrug. “I’m not that important.”
“Oh?” Liberty questioned. “You were important enough to build a set up around to snag Scarlet. Then to give Deacon a way of tracking us home. You sound important to me.”
“Gee, thanks for that, but I think I will be okay.” I rolled my eyes.
“No one is okay around this man,” Prophet spoke up. “Ask Jewel. Hell, ask my dad. They didn’t get 5 star hotel treatment from good ole Deacon. More like Norman Bates with a twist of Jason at Camp Nightmare.”
I stared at him and I could see the resentment he had for Deacon in his eyes. “I’m sorry for that. But I don’t have the close ties that you all seem to have to him. He just used my existence for his game and I really don’t think I’m on his radar anymore.”
“We can’t chance it,” Talon said.
I slowly shook my head. “I’m the one chancing it and you know why? Because this is my life, my choice.”
“Not totally true,” Talon argued. “If he does get at you. He could get you to tell him exactly where we are. That is jeopardizing the whole family.”
“So, you are refusing to let me leave?” I asked as I stared at Talon.
“And you are refusing to see the point,” Talon said as he stood from the table. “Your job is not more important than my whole family. If you believe your wants are more important than human lives, then I have to wonder if you are exactly like Deacon.”
“The fuck?” Liberty exclaimed. “The hell are you talking about?” He glared at Talon. “You can’t blame her for wanting to have her life back. Rather than sit around here and do nothing for no telling how long.”
My jaw actually dropped open as I gaped at Liberty.
Everyone there looked stunned as they all swung their surprised gazes over at him.
Liberty looked around at their confused expressions. “What?”
“You’re agreeing with her?” Justice asked.
Liberty paused and seemed to realize what his brother meant. Then he laughed. “I guess I am. I don’t think it is selfish of her to want her life back. I agree that she should be allowed to go home. In fact, I will volunteer to be her bodyguard when she leaves here. That way, if she is on his radar so to speak, I can protect her.”
I snapped my head to the side to stare at him. “What?”
Justice chuckled. “Oh, wow.”
“Yeah, right?” Fate chimed in finally. “The plot thickens.”
“Are you insane?” I exclaimed as I stared at Liberty. The man could not be for real with this.
“Maybe?” He smiled “But see that is what I was doing for a living when I wasn’t competing in the UFC. I hired out as a bodyguard. I admit they were temporary gigs like for a night out in public or a weekend trip for an exec or a high profile entertainer. But I’m not doing anything active here at all. Y”all have your army.”
“I do not need a bodyguard,” I told him.
“Maybe not. But I think for at least the first month, I should stay at your place. Watch your work building during your shift. That way, I will always know where you are. A tracking device in your phone or purse is a good idea as well. I mean we can’t be too—”
“Will you quit with this!” I cut him short. “There is no way I will be living with you! You must be insane if you believe for a second that this would even remotely work in the real world, Liberty.”
“Actually, I think that is the only way that we will all be safe,” Talon said. “You can go home but we will make sure you are watched and guarded.”
“Liberty cannot do it 24/7,” Redemption spoke up now. “How about Fate going along too?”
I shook my head at him then at Fate. “No! No one is moving into my apartment with me!” Are you all insane?”
They all stared at me.
Talon let out a breath of frustration and said, “We are at war, Belle. This may not concern you, but staying alive and keeping our families alive is important to us. Why wouldn’t you want to be safe? Have that extra security in place? Yeah, maybe Deacon won’t even know you”re in town. But it just isn’t worth us taking a chance.”
I couldn’t believe this at all. They were actually serious about this stipulation. “So, in order to go back to my home, I have to agree to allow this man to guard me?” I motioned to Liberty as I looked at Talon in particular.
He nodded.
“And Fate if he agrees,” Redemption added. “You will need at least two guards.”
I rolled my eyes and was about as angry as I can remember ever being and that was going some when you consider I’d wanted to punch Liberty right in the face after dinner tonight. I looked over at Liberty.
He shrugged at me. “It will get you back to your job, Belle.”
He was right, but why? Whhhyyyy? I would have him living in my apartment! I would have to see him everyday and every night. Oh, my God… I would be crazy in one day. Stark, raving mad. Tossing my arms up into the air, I turned and stalked out of the room.