Page 45 of Chasing Lynda

How I accepted the drink my own father offered me without thinking that it had something in it.

My gaze darts between Bennet and Zane; I know this isn’t the same situation. I don’t think the guys would ever try anything sketchy. First off, they don’t need it. I saw the way women look at them everywhere they go. They helped me a couple of nights ago on the beach when my new “friends” turned out not so friendly after all.

I have no reason to be afraid, but at the same time, I take an instinctive step back, my palms suddenly sweaty as I pull my hand out of Bennett’s gentle hold.

“You better serve me adequately as a wife. It’s my fucking right to use your body as I see fit. You’re my property, Lynda. If you refuse me or you don’t satisfy me in bed, if you ever disobey me, I’ll make sure you live to regret it.”

A full body shudder makes me visibly tremble and I swallow twice, in quick succession, squeezing my eyes shut.

He isn’t here, he isn’t here. He can’t touch you, you’re safe. I keep repeating to myself, like a mantra.

I haven’t experienced a flashback since the time I spent in the church compound, after Harold, my “husband”, my dad and their men had been arrested.

“I don’t—I—”

Zane’s eyes flush with understanding. “You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to, Lynda. You can see Ethan here open the bottle of champagne and making the cocktail or if you prefer, we have bottled juice, soda or water.”

I regretted opening up to him about my past, that was one small part of why I bolted on him last night. I felt naked, too vulnerable. Being far away from Shell Cove and from the church, I left my old self behind and by telling Zane about it, it was like going back to that Lynda.

But now I’m grateful that he knows and that he noticed my mini meltdown. “Thank you, Zane. If you have sparkling water, that would be great.”

He nods to the bartender. “Anything you want,” he says, passing me the cold bottle of French sparkling water with a smile.

I notice Bennett’s gaze on my trembling hands and I busy myself opening the bottle and sipping on the water. When I lift my eyes back up to look at him, his ice blue eyes are still intent on me; the intensity in his stare is amplified by the sudden tick in his jaw. His soft looking lips are flattened in a hard line but it lasts just for a second and his features relax into an easygoing smile.

He nods toward a table in a corner, slightly raised compared to everything else in the VIP section of the club. “Let’s go, I’m sure Dodge and Carter have been waiting for us.”

He takes my hand again and his touch does nothing to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I feel Zane walking close behind me, with a protective hand on the small of my back.

For a second, I have an odd feeling of belonging. It’s totally weird, because I barely know these guys; but something in the way they act around me, gives me a similar feeling to when I used to hang out with Kelley and his friends.

I stop to think for a second that I haven’t been feeling comfortable being touched since moving into the church compound and especially since my wedding night. It was hard to let anyone close, especially males; anyone invading my personal space, coming too close, felt like a threat and that was true earlier for Monroe but with Zane and Bennett, my red flags don’t even make an appearance.

“Hey, beautiful!” Carter rises from his seat, drawing me into his arms and placing a soft kiss dangerously close to the corner of my mouth. “You look great.” He smiles, drawing me slightly back to look at me.

“Hey, Lynda.” Dodge smiles, setting down a tumbler glass full of an amber colored liquid. He winks at me, the gray of his eyes sparkling silver under the lights of the nightclub.

I find myself smiling back at him, as Carter wraps one arm around my shoulders, guiding me to a stool opposite Dodge.

There’s a certain possessiveness in the way he slides his arm around my waist, occupying the stool next to mine and his best friend’s gaze follows the movement, his eyes firmly on Carter’s arm around me.

There’s no trace of annoyance in his voice when he addresses me and Bennett, who takes the seat on my other side, while Zane sits next to Dodge. “What was the hold up? You guys took a long time with those photos.”

A look passes between Zane and Bennett, before the latter explains. “Yeah, there was a problem. As a matter of fact, Monroe has been fired and he should’ve been escorted out by security.”

Zane confirms his friend’s words. “Yeah, the fucker didn’t take it very well. So I actually plan on having a meeting with the security team first thing on Monday. In the meantime, I texted the team on duty this weekend to keep an eye out for any source of potential trouble. Between those church nuts earlier and what happened with our former resort manager, I want to make sure that the weekend goes without a hitch.”

Dodge looks confused. “You fired him? What the fuck happened? I know you guys never liked that asshole, I didn’t either. But his contract—”

Bennett interrupts him. “It was gross misconduct, dude. We found him with his hands on Lynda’s chest ...”

He explains what happened by the pool and I immediately flinch when Dodge’s fist slams on the tempered glass of the table, making the ice cubes in his glass jump out with some of his drink.

“What the fuck?” he bellows, not even looking at the mess he just made on the table. His eyes meet mine again and I shrink against Carter’s side before realizing that the fury in their gray depths isn’t directed toward me. “Are you ok, Lynda?”

His gaze searches my face, traveling down my body as if looking for any visible signs of injury.

“I’m fine, Dodge,” I reassure him. “Zane and Bennett got there before things could go too far.”

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