Chapter 22
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
ASPEN
Iwake with a jolt, and even though it’s dark, I know I’m not alone.
Someone’s with me.
Immediately, everything comes rushing back.
I nagged at Maggie until she agreed to come with me back to Colorado. I didn’t care that she had a class I made her skip. Then I convinced her to pull over when I started to get antsy. I knew Calloway wouldn’t be happy to see me, so I wanted a little liquid courage.
Then I met him. The hot guy behind the bar tried to convince us to leave, but I was too stubborn. I refused, even though I knew I should have listened.
A light flicks on, and I gasp when I see him sitting in the chair across from me.
“Finally, you’re awake.”
“Where am I?” I ask as I scramble to sit up.
That’s when I notice the weight around my wrists.
I look down in horror.
I’m shackled to the fucking bed.
“Let me go!” I cry out as I try to force my wrist through the too-small hole.
Monster laughs. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? You’re mine.”
“News flash, dickweed. You can’t own a person. Now let me go.”
Faster than I can comprehend, he jumps up and slaps me hard across the face, making my ears ring.
“What the fuck!” I cry as I cup my cheek.
“Your feistiness might have been cute at the bar, but it ends now. You will submit and obey me. If you don’t, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand?”
“You won’t get away with this,” I whisper as my fear begins to choke me.
Monster laughs darkly. He reaches out and grabs me by the hair, forcing me to stay still.
He leans down, his rancid breath blowing across my face.
“Hate to break it to you, gorgeous, but no one is looking for you. As soon as Adlet gets his hands on your friend, you are mine for the taking. As soon as he has her within his grasp, I’m going to spread these milky thighs wide and fuck you raw until you bleed.
Until you cry for mercy, and even then, I won’t stop. I’ll never stop.”
“Aspen!” a harsh voice cuts through the air as I shake.
It’s then that I realize I’m not shaking with fear but from Asher trying to wake me up.
“Are you with me, Songbird?” he asks as I sob.
“Yeah, I’m here.” I swallow hard, my throat raw.
“Thank Christ,” he mutters before pulling me into his arms.
He holds me as I cry until my tears dry up.
“You were having a nightmare,” he whispers.
“I was,” I rasp, my throat dry.
“Here.” Asher pulls away slightly and grabs a glass of water off the nightstand.
After chugging half of it, I hand it back.
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks as he pulls me back into his arms.
For a moment, I contemplate telling him it was about Monster and leaving it at that, but he deserves to know more. He deserves to know what he’s getting himself into.
By the time I finish telling him about the nightmare and other instances with Monster just like the first night, my throat is dry once again.
“I’m sorry,” he rasps, his voice filled with pain.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, I owe you an apology. I was too hard-headed to listen when you told us to get out,” I tell him.
“Aspen, you were just being you. Don’t apologize for being who you are. I just wish I was there to protect you more. I wish my hands hadn’t been tied, and I was able to get you out of there faster. You didn’t deserve any of that. Hell, no one does.” He presses a kiss to my temple.
“Do you really forgive me?” I ask hesitantly.
“For what?” he asks.
“For forcing you? For putting us in the position where we had to have sex in front of everyone?” I ask quietly.
Asher goes tense beneath my touch. Only when I try to pull away does he relax. Through it all, though, he never lets go. If anything, he holds onto me tighter.
“For the last time, Songbird, you didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. I could have walked away, but chose not to. As fucked up as it is, I wanted you. I couldn’t stand the thought of him putting his hands on you. I just wish our first time wasn’t like that.”
“Are you sure?”
He sighs. “Yes, I wouldn’t lie about something like that. Not to you.”
I bury my face into his chest. “Okay. It might take a couple of times of you repeating it before it starts to stick.”
He kisses my cheek. “That’s okay. I’ll tell you as many times as you need me to until the day I die, Songbird.”
I flinch at the thought of him dying.
No. No, that can’t happen.
“I need you to promise me that you won’t die first. I don’t think I could live without you. Not now,” I whisper.
“I don’t think it works like that, baby,” he says with humor in his voice.
I pinch his side, right above his hipbone.
“Motherfucker,” he curses as he flinches.
“Promise me,” I demand.
“Fine. Fine, I promise that you can die first. Just know that as soon as you take your last breath, I’ll take mine. I don’t want to live a minute without you either,” he tells me.
“Aww, how sweet. Who knew you were such a romantic?” I tease.
“I’m a romantic who likes his sleep and has to be up in a few hours. Are we going back to bed, or should I go start a pot of coffee?” He nuzzles his nose into my neck.
Guilt hits me straight in the heart. Shit, if he were in his room, he would be peacefully sleeping right now and not having to deal with my shit.
“Get those thoughts out of your head right now, Aspen. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be,” he growls.
“You’re right,” I murmur.
“I usually am. Now close your eyes, beautiful, and get some more sleep.”
I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. Every time he breathes in, I do. When he exhales, I do, until eventually, I fall into a peaceful sleep in the safety of his arms.
ASHER
With my eyes closed, I reach across the bed looking for Aspen, only her side is cool. Frowning, I open my eyes and see that she isn’t in bed, but must have gotten up not long ago because there is still a dent in her pillow.
The sound of the shower in the distance catches my attention.
For a moment, I contemplate joining her. No, she deserves her space. If I’m not going to join her, though, I can sure as hell get her one of her energy drinks to drink in bed with me while I enjoy my coffee.
Getting out of bed, I throw on a shirt and a pair of sweats before heading out to the kitchen area. I hear the sound of slamming cabinets as I approach. When I go to step inside, though, I freeze.
Rain is in the kitchen, looking madder than hell. Her face is red, her eyes are puffy like she’s been crying. She’s got this air of leave me the fuck alone going on.
I look over my shoulder and back down the hall.
I could leave before she even knows I’m here.
“Are you going to stand there all day with your thumb up your ass or are you going to come get whatever you want?” she snaps.
I look back over at her and see that her back is to me.
I reluctantly step inside and head to the fridge. While I grab Aspen’s energy drink and my coffee, I contemplate asking her what’s wrong. It’s none of my business, but the girl clearly needs someone to talk to.
She huffs as she slams another cabinet.
Goddammit.
Bringing my cup up to my mouth, I turn to face her, leaning against the counter.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Her shoulders shoot up to her ears. For a moment, I don’t think she’s going to tell me shit. Then again, who could blame her? She hardly knows me.
“My dad decided to stop getting his cancer treatments,” she says quietly, making me freeze.
Images of my mom being connected to machines for hours on end as she received chemo flash through my mind.
Her losing her hair. The weight loss. The vomiting. Watching her turn into a skeleton, her skin hanging off her bones.
“I’m sorry. That’s fucking rough. Especially when you are watching your parent go through it. You don’t want them in pain, but at the same time you don’t want them to suffer,” I rasp.
She turns and glares at me as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Yeah, what do you know about it, huh?”
I give her a sad smile. “I watched my mom go through it.”
Her shoulders drop, and despair covers her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too. Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, even though the last thing I want to do is dredge up those memories.
“I’m scared to lose him. He’s the only family I have. If he’s gone, then I’m all alone,” she says quietly.
“Rain, you know that isn’t true. You and I both know that when his time comes, and it will, that the club will be here for you. You won’t be alone. I don’t think anyone can be alone when you are part of this club.”
“It won’t be the same.” She shrugs.
“Do you have any siblings?”
She shakes her head. “Only child.”
Well, shit. I don’t know how to respond to that. After my parents died, I still had Ashley.
“Look, I’ll be honest with you. Nothing I say will make it hurt less, but I’m serious when I say that we are here.
The club won’t leave you just because your dad is gone.
You’re one of them, and if I’m here, I’m always open to listen.
I’ve been in your shoes. Hell, I’m sure my sister would even talk to you about it if you wanted a female perspective.
Just…don’t let it eat you. Not yet. You need to stay strong for your dad. You can fall apart when he’s gone.”
“I’m just so fucking mad,” she says harshly as she swipes a tear away.
“And you should be.”
Before she can say anything else, Ridge steps into the kitchen. When he sees us, his whole body tenses.
“What the hell is going on in here?” he demands.
“We were just talking,” I tell him.
He looks over at Rain and frowns. “You’re crying.”
Internally, I groan as I shut my eyes. Idiot. You never point that out to a woman.
“No shit, Sherlock. What gave it away?” she snaps.
“Why are you crying?” he asks harshly.
“Because I fucking can, okay? Leave me the fuck alone!” she yells before pushing past him.
Ridge looks over at me and glares. I raise up my free hand in surrender.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m not the one who pissed her off.”
“What were you two talking about? Rain doesn’t cry. Ever.”
I shake my head. “You’d have to ask her.”
“Answer my question, prospect,” he hisses.
I push off the counter and grab Aspen’s energy drink. I walk toward him and pause when I reach him.
“It might be in the rules as a prospect to do whatever you guys say, but this time I won’t. Like I told you before, it’s not my shit to tell. If you want answers, go talk to your girl.”
Before he can say anything, I walk past him and back down the hall. I let myself into Aspen’s room right as she walks out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her.
She pauses when she sees me. “Oh, I thought you were still sleeping.”
“And miss a view like this? I think not,” I tease as I take a seat on the bed.
I watch as my girl gets dressed before she joins me back on the bed.
“Is that for me?” she asks, pointing to the energy drink.
“I’m sure as hell not going to drink it,” I tell her as I hand it over.
She laughs under her breath. “You’re missing out, but that’s okay. It just means I never have to share with you.”
“And I’ll never have to share my coffee,” I tease.
“Touché. Everything okay? Your shoulders are tense,” she says as she cracks the can and takes a sip.
“Yeah, I just ran into Rain. She isn’t in a good mental place. She’s really upset,” I tell her.
“About what?”
I cringe, not wanting to tell her business. “It’s not my place to say, but maybe you could check in on her?”
Aspen frowns but nods. “Sure. I can do that. Do you have to go do shit with my brother today?”
“Yeah, I’ve got plans, but I’ll be back later,” I tell her.
She smiles, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Find me when you’re done?”
“You know it. Now come here.”
I pull her to my side. We sit in silence as we drink our forms of caffeine, and it’s nice.
It’s simple, and it feels right. It’s the little things in life that mean the most, and this is one of those moments, and I’ll never take it for granted.