Chapter Twelve
Peyton
MATT WANTS ME to get out of the house more.
I don’t know if I’m ready to get out and live my life the way I used to knowing some asshole is out there just waiting for me to poke my head out of the hole so to speak.
Every single day I’m terrified something else is going to happen and it’s only going to get worse than the time before.
What makes it even worse is the fact that I have a strong feeling all of this is tied to Clark.
The things on my porch could only be left by him.
There’s no reason I’d become my own stalker.
That only leaves one person and I’m not the only one who believes this.
My family understands where I’m coming from and know this is the truth of the situation.
They sure as hell wouldn’t want to scare the fuck out of me by leaving pictures and everything else that’s been left since this started.
Marie has the kids as normal today. She takes them so I can work and get things done around the house.
If she’s busy and has to go into work, Kimber watches the kids for me.
My parents and sister have helped out with them too.
Everyone has truly stepped up to help with the kids while I work from the home office and try to get things done each and every day so Matt has less to do when he gets home from work.
He works hard and I know this situation is taking a toll on him as it is on me and those closest to us.
If something needs to be done when he walks through the front door, Matt does it without hesitation and I’m done letting this situation make me hide from the world.
It’s time to suck it up and become the strong woman I know I am.
A woman who can step outside and not break down knowing something might happen.
I want Matt, my kids, and everyone else to be proud of me and not worry every second of the day if I’m okay or not.
Today, I’ve finished working and turned everything in to my boss.
I called and talked to her about everything and she’s very happy with the work I’ve been doing and how fast I’m getting the work turned in to her.
Honestly, she wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to work from home with the kids and everything going on and be as productive as if I were in the office.
Thankfully, I’ve been able to prove her wrong and I get more done now than ever before.
Since I’m done with work and the housework is just about done, I’m going to head to the store.
We need groceries and a few other things because it’s been a while since the Prospects have gone shopping for us.
That’s the one thing Matt doesn’t do. He refuses to go shopping on his own so he sends the Prospects with a list when we need things.
I can’t really blame him. Out of all the errands I do, grocery shopping is the one thing I hate the most. The crowd of the store, waiting in line to check out, carrying everything to the house, putting it all away.
Everything about it is horrendous. I really do need to get it done though.
“Dad, we’re getting out of the house today.
I need groceries and don’t want Matt to once again send the Prospects out to get them for us.
You all want me out of the house more often so we’re gonna do this today.
I also want to stop and get some money from the bank while I’m away from the compound,” I tell my dad, walking in the living room where he’s watching some movie.
“If that’s what you wanna do, let’s get it taken care of,” he says, a large smile on his face as he turns to grab the remote to turn the TV off. “Make sure you message Matt to let him know what you’re doing. He wants to know when you leave the house.”
“I’ll do that now,” I say, lifting my hand where I’m already holding my phone.
Me: I’m heading out to get groceries with my dad. We won’t be long. I’m also going to stop at the bank to grab some cash so I have some on hand.
My dad and I walk out of the house with him leading me.
The second I’m on the porch, I immediately start looking around for any sign of someone waiting to jump out and attack me.
My eyes are immediately drawn to the spot on the porch where everything was left.
I can’t stop my body from shaking in fear as my dad steps closer to me and I faintly feel the vibration of my phone.
“You got this, Sweetheart. No one will get close to you when I’m here.
You have nothing to worry about when it comes to someone else getting on the compound.
Guys are walking around twenty-four hours a day.
Matt will have guys follow us to the store so we won’t be alone,” my dad says, his voice soft and gentle as he pulls me from overthinking and letting the fear threatening to consume me win.
With a nod of my head, I lift my phone and see Matt messaged me back.
Matt: Okay, Tutor. I love you. Please be safe and call if you need me.
Me: I love you, too. I’ll be safe and my dad won’t let me out of his sight for any reason.
With my dad by my side, we make our way down the steps of the porch to the SUV Matt wants me to ride in.
My dad helps me in the passenger seat and shuts the door before making his way over to the driver’s side to get in and be my chauffeur for the day.
The music starts playing as soon as the SUV is started and I can’t help but laugh as my dad and I both jump in our seats.
Matt was the last one to drive this and he was definitely enjoying his time in the SUV.
The music is so damn loud I can feel the vibrations of the base in my seat.
Even the windows are vibrating. I reach forward and quickly turn the music down as my dad shakes his head and I try to find a station we’ll both like listening to.
We have varied taste in music while Matt prefers to listen to certain playlists when he’s alone driving in a vehicle. At least when he’s not on his bike.
“Okay. Now that we’re all awake, let’s head out,” my dad finally says as he pulls away from the house and we make our way through the compound.
“Matt is something else when he’s in a cage on his own. He prefers to be on his bike and this is what happens when he takes the kids somewhere or has to go pick something up,” I inform my dad as we pull through the gates of the compound and I can feel my fear skyrocketing from deep in my soul.
“You’ve got this, Peyton. This is your first trip of many leaving the compound as you slowly take back your life.
Don’t let this stupid fuck win and take everything from you.
You deserve to be able to enjoy the freedom to come and go as you please while being happy with your family and this pregnancy,” my dad states, his voice slightly harder than it normally is when he’s talking to me.
“I don’t want to let him win, but how can I defeat someone who’s a shadow?
I have no clue who I’m supposed to be looking for or when their next attack will come.
Matt and Brick, with the rest of the club, have been trying to figure out who we’re looking for and they can’t find anything.
Brick’s the best at digging stuff up on the computer and even he’s at a loss.
Hell, somehow the bastard even knew where all the cameras were when they stepped foot on Matt’s porch to leave everything,” I say, my voice trembling as the fear continues to flood my body.
“I know. This is going to take time for you to be able to go out and not worry something will happen. That’s a natural reaction, Sweetheart.
What’s important is that you’re taking the first step and not letting this get to you.
I can see you’re scared and want me to turn around, you haven’t asked me to though.
So, we’re gonna have a good day out and maybe stop for some ice cream before we head back to the house.
I think you deserve a sundae,” he says, making me laugh because this is what he used to do when Jennifer and I were little and did something good.
Some things won’t ever change and I’m glad this is one of them.
“You’re right. I’m done letting this asshole take more from me than what he’s already taken.
He won’t have the power to control my emotions, actions, and what I do on a daily basis.
He won’t make me lock myself behind closed doors and hide from the world while everyone else lives and goes on,” I state, taking a deep breath and trying to steady my nerves.
“That’s my girl. Always stronger than you ever realize,” my dad says, his voice barely above a whisper as I look out my window and watch the scenery pass us by.
It doesn’t take long for us to pull into the parking lot of the grocery store.
That’s one of the good things about living here—everything is close by and doesn’t take an hour to get to.
The worst part is the crowd because no one wants to go anywhere else to shop.
I guess it’s the tradeoff we have to deal with because I can literally walk anywhere in this town and get what I need.
My dad parks in a spot close to the front door and shuts the engine off before helping me out of the front.
The second my feet hit the ground, I instantly start looking around for any signs of trouble.
All I see are older couples doing their weekly shopping and laughing together, frantic moms chasing after their children, and college kids home on break getting ready for a party.
Everyone I should see at the grocery store.
As I move my eyes back toward the front door of the store, I swear I see Clark disappearing inside.
The man is wearing a baseball hat pulled down low over his face, a black jacket covering his upper body despite the heat of the day, and a pair of loose jeans.
This is all stuff my husband would never wear.
Even when he was at the house and doing nothing, Clark never wore anything less than a pair of dress pants, an ironed button-down shirt, and loafers.
There was never a time he truly relaxed in what he wore.
My entire body locks up seeing the asshole and my dad comes to a stop next to me.
“What’s wrong, Sweetheart?” he asks me, looking around while placing his hand on my shoulder.
“I-I-I t-t-think I just saw Clark,” I tell him honestly as I look toward the door and nowhere else.
“Okay. We’ve got this Peyton. There are plenty of people here so he can’t get to you if it was him.
I’m not gonna stand here and say he died or anything else because we have no clue what’s going on,” my dad says, taking my words as truth regardless of him being at the funeral for Clark after the accident on the highway.
In seconds I’m surrounded by people. Prospects from the club are close enough no one can get near me. Tears fill my eyes and I blink rapidly so they don’t spill over and roll down my face. This stupid fucker doesn’t get another tear from me and he’s done taking everything from me.
“What do you wanna do, Peyton?” Seth asks me, giving me the chance to get back in the SUV and go home or head in the store.
“I’m getting groceries, Seth. I’m not about to let this stupid fuck take one more second from me,” I state emphatically because this is what I feel right now.
“Good. Matt will be here soon. He’s leavin’ work now,” Seth informs me as I take another slow, deep breath and start walking toward the door of the store.
“He doesn’t need to come watch over me like a baby,” I say, feeling absolutely embarrassed because this is the last thing I want him to do.
“You know Matt better than anyone else,” Brick starts, walking up toward me from the front so he doesn’t scare me.
“He won’t let anyone else watch over you when he can be here in a few minutes.
Not even me, his best friend, is good enough to protect you.
Hell, he knows your dad is with you and that’s not good enough for him.
Matt will be here and you’re gonna have to deal with his shit. ”
“I know. He won’t let this go until we’re back home and he knows no one can get close to me. It’s how he’s been the entire time I’ve known him and we weren’t together back then,” I say with a small smile on my face. “Since the entourage is here, let’s get this shopping done.”
Together our small group moves in the store and I grab everything we’ve been without for longer than normal.
I don’t want to overwhelm the Prospects when they shop for us so I’ve been leaving a lot of things off the list. Now, I can gather what I want in the house and take a few minutes to inspect the items before actually grabbing them.
Even though I hate it, I do like to ensure certain items I get are perfect and not just grabbed in a rush.
Especially the produce I bring in for the kids.
A few times as we walk through the store, I swear I see Clark lingering in aisles.
He always hides his face in the shadows and moves on quickly when he sees us getting too close to him.
Some of the Prospects follow him when we see him leaving the store at Brick’s command.
Matt didn’t take too long to get here and has been my shadow from the second he walked through the door and found us in the cereal aisle.
I don’t know that bringing him was a good idea considering there’s definitely extra items he’s thrown in the cart and won’t allow me to return to the shelf.
Snacks and junk food the kids and I don’t really eat because we haven’t had the money for those things in a very long time.
Today it seems we’re being spoiled by the man I love and I’m going to let him.