Chapter 8
Ringo
I lay awake for several more hours after Kimmie fell asleep in my arms. Very gently, I pull my arm from under her head and get out of the bed.
Grabbing my phone after pulling on a pair of sweats, I stop for a second at the bedroom door, looking back at a sleeping Kimmie with her hair sprawling across my pillows.
This woman that I’m becoming attached to still hasn’t told me everything. Especially about the man that grabbed her outside the cafe. Even if she doesn’t really know the man, she knows why he is here.
The whole club knows which is why all my brothers are currently on high alert. There’s even a few of the prospects stationed around the cabin outside to keep watch.
Making my way to the living room, I sit down at the small desk in the corner, opening my laptop and going straight to my email where Snake sent me a file.
I hesitate for a moment, glancing back toward the bedroom where Kimmie is sleeping, then turned my attention back to the screen.
Opening the video file, the grainy footage plays back in front of me. I watch it intently as the scene from that night unfolds. The man grabbing Kimmie, the brief struggle, and then the moment I had walked out, scaring the guy off.
I replay the footage several times, my frustration growing each time as I fail to see anything that could identify the man.
I can clearly see the man's lips moving as he says something to her but I can’t read his lips well enough to figure it out.
I’m almost ready to throw the damn computer as I wonder why the fuck we don’t have cameras out there with audio. The man definitely said something to her and she answered back. I want answers damnit!
“Ringo?”
The soft voice behind me makes me jump, and I quickly turn around to see Kimmie standing in the doorway. Her expression is a mix of curiosity and concern.
She’s wearing one of my old T-shirts, the hem brushing against her thighs, and her hair is tousled from my hands being wrapped up in it earlier as she screamed out in pleasure.
“What are you doing?” she asks, walking over to where I’m sitting.
I sigh, closing the laptop as she approaches. “I couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “I was going over the footage from the cameras behind the cafe, trying to figure out who that guy was.”
She frowns, her eyes darting to the laptop. “Why?” I can tell she’s now wondering if I was able to hear anything.
“Because,” I say, my tone firmer than I had intended, “I need to know what he wanted. I need to know if you’re in danger, Kimmie.”
Her gaze softens a little, but she remains silent, her arms crossing protectively over her chest. I can literally see her walls going up again, the ones she uses to keep the world at bay.
“I need you to be honest with me,” I say, gentling my voice as I reach out to take her hand. “Did he say anything else to you that night? Anything that might help me understand why he was after you?”
She looks away, her hesitation about letting me in clearly on her face. “He didn’t say anything,” she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know why. I don’t even know who he was.”
Squeezing her hand, my frustration soars through the roof. “There has to be something more. People don’t just show up in dark alleys and attack strangers for no reason.”
Kimmie remains silent, her gaze fixed on the floor at our feet. I can feel the tension between us, the unspoken words hanging in the air. I already know she is holding back, and I honestly can’t stand it any longer.
“Kimmie.” I begin again, softening my voice the way I do when dealing with the horses out at the ranch, “I’m telling you this because I trust you. Because I need you to trust me too.”
I pause, taking a deep breath before continuing. “When I was a kid, I had a really bad stutter. It was so bad that I could barely get a sentence out without tripping over my words. Kids made fun of me, and I hated talking to anyone. I still hate talking to just anyone.”
Her eyes widen slightly with surprise by my sudden confession. I’ve never talked much about my past, but I feel like I need to share something more personal with her.
“I spent years in therapy,” I continue, my voice steady but slow, choosing each word carefully. “Learning how to control it, how to slow down and think before I speak. That’s why I talk the way I do now. It’s not because I’m slow or because I don’t have anything to say. It’s because I’m making sure I get the words out right, so I don’t trip over them like I used to.”
Kimmie’s expression softens even more. “I had no idea...”
I shake my head, giving her a small, reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I don’t usually talk about it. But I wanted you to know, because it’s important to me that we’re honest with each other. I’ve been honest with you, and now I need you to be honest with me. If there’s something more going on, something you’re not telling me, I need to know. Not just for your sake but for my club as well. We’re family and we take care of each other. That now extends to you as well.”
She hesitates, her eyes searching my face for a long moment. Then, with a deep breath, she speaks, her voice trembling slightly.
“I don’t know who he was, Ringo, I swear. But... I know who he works for.”
“Who does he work for?” I demand softly, my heart racing that she’s finally telling me something.
“Hugo, Remmy’s dad.” She says in a small voice as a tear falls down her cheek.
Grabbing her hand, I move us both over to the couch, sitting down and pulling her into my lap.
“I need you to tell me all of it. Can you do that for me?” I say softly, reaching up to dry the tears on her face.
Her eyes look back at my own and I feel like I’m punched in the gut by the fear shining in her eyes. Pulling her face to mine, I gently kiss her lips hoping to convey to her that I will protect them both with my life.
“I don’t remember my parents much. I think my mom died or something when I was a baby. My father, I have a picture of him but the only thing I really remember is the day he left me at what I can only describe as a brothel. There were a lot of women there, young girls like me as well.”
Anger takes over my entire body as her words continue to flow out. Telling me every sordid detail of what she has been through since a very young age all the way to how she came to be in White Summer.
“This guy that grabbed you in the alley, what did he say to you?” I ask her.
“Wanted to know where the boy was. There was something in his voice, something desperate. Like he was running out of time. I don’t know if he was after the both of us or just trying to get Remmy.”
I nod, trying to process everything she just told me. “We’ll figure this out, Kimmie,” I promise, my voice steady. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Remmy. We’ll get to the bottom of this, together.”
She gives me a small, grateful smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She begins to try to get up but I hold her right where she is.
She looks up into my eyes and I hold her gaze with my own. Now that I know everything, I should probably get in touch with my VP and let him know everything as well.
I’ll get to that but for now, I want to pay closer attention to the fact that she’s completely naked under my shirt. Her sweet pussy covered only by the fabric that hangs down to her thighs.
Not breaking eye contact, I turn her until she is straddling my waist. My hands move to her thighs, pushing the shirt up to expose her to my eyes.
My cock throbs with knowing as her creamy wet flesh is exposed to my eyes. Turning until I can lay her down on the couch, I scoot down until my face is hovering over her sweet smelling core.
“What...Ringo, what are you doing?” She asks breathlessly.
“Giving us both a reward for being honest.” My voice sounds a little hoarse as I lick my lips without looking away from her.
Kimmie
After being thoroughly ravished by Ringo, I must have fallen asleep on the couch. When the front door opens with a bang I fall to the floor with my heart beating out of my chest.
Peeking over the coffee table I’m met by the sight of my son and Bella laughing so hard they can barely stand up.
Giving them a fake growl it’s a struggle to get off the floor without flashing them but I manage it.
After informing me that her mom is back at work so I can take the day off and the kids were up most of the night, Bella has to get back to the cafe. I send Remmy to get some rest.
Once he is settled, I jump in the shower. With the warm water washing over me the conversation with Ringo keeps running on repeat in my head. Not the whole thing but the part where he told me he needed to know so he could protect his family.
After the water runs cold, I get out of the shower with tears in my eyes. Staying here is totally selfish. These are good people and I have no doubt if Hugo’s men are close he won’t be far behind.
He is an evil man with no concern for anybody except himself. He wouldn’t think twice about hurting innocent people.
The first thing I need to do is pack some food. I head to the kitchen to make sandwiches and find a note from Ringo on the table. This is perfect he won’t be back until later, so I get to work.
Putting a cooler of food and drinks in the backseat then returning for our go bags, I can barely see through the tears. I get the bags in the trunk and out of sight.
Pulling five hundred dollars out of my stash I leave it on the table hoping it’s enough to cover the car because I can’t wait for mine anymore.
I’ve never lied to Remmy but I need to get him in the car and on the road before he knows what’s happening. He has gotten as attached to the people of White Summer as I have.