Page 18 of Towles

“Fuck off, Paul.” Once you stood up for yourself, it was hard to stop.

Manning stepped around and pulled my hands behind my back. I watched Paul with sorrowful eyes. He would never change. Over the top possessive, the next woman in his life would follow in my footsteps. Obedience with Paul only went in one direction.

“That was a stupid thing to do,” Manning said. He walked me to the cruiser with his small hand around my arm.

“I guess he’s not as dickless as I thought,” I said. I laughed at myself. I wasn’t much of a badass and realized I was in way over my head. “Is what they say about men with small hands true?”

“Get in the fucking car.” Manning opened the door and shoved me inside.

Less than a mile away from county, a group of bikers pulled next to us at a stoplight. Ethan leaned forward and stared at me. I shrugged, and Manning pulled away when the light turned green.

“Dammit,” Manning said. He adjusted the rear-view mirror. “Looks like those assholes are coming to your rescue. Maybe I’ll stick them in a cell with you and turn the lights out.”

“Is that a promise?” Trying to scare me with the thought of multiple bikers in a cell alone with me? Foolish man.

I heard the bikes behind us when we pulled into the parking lot. Manning jumped right out, bikers be damned and ushered me inside. I could hear Ethan calling Manning's name. We went through the lobby and straight to a cell.

“I’ll have someone come get you out,” Ethan yelled.

“Expect to spend the night.” Manning locked the cell door. He was another man afraid of a free woman, doing the same thing Paul had done for the past ten years. “I should throw away the key.”

I said nothing because saying something would make him think I cared what he thought. I didn’t. Those days were over—no more clipped wings.

I lay on the cot and could swear I smelled Ethan. It pissed me off that Bob had called Paul to squeal like a child. I didn’t doubt that had been Bob’s plan all along. Stick me with his appointment with Ethan, then tell Paul I’d somehow fallen for biker trash. I giggled because Bob was correct.

Desperate to get away from Paul and the box he’d placed me in, I did the first thing that came to mind—I stapled his dick. I sat up on the cot and began laughing. Tears filled my eyes.

“You want to let me in on the joke?”

The man wore an expensive suit and silk tie. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

“Jeremy Waters,” the man said. “Attorney Jeremy Waters. Ethan Towles asked me to come down and get you out.” He glanced back at the exit. “Stapling a man’s dick? That’s some fucked up shit. We can probably claim self-defense and give you an A for creativity.”

“Probably not self-defense,” I said shyly. “I did it hoping he’d divorce me. Seemed like the easiest way out. I wanted to get his attention.”

“Did it work?” He sat his briefcase on the floor and handed me a card.

“I’m pretty sure it did.” I moved closer and recognized him. “You’re the mayor's brother.”

“Guilty.”

“He’s a bastard,” I said. “I used to think he and Paul were fucking each other.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” He picked up the briefcase. “I’m going to post bail and get you the fuck out of here. Towles asked me to tell you he canceled his appointment at your office tomorrow. Said he’d be in touch. Also suggested you take anger management classes.”

“He’s going to kill the men who killed his parents,” I said. “Hope you can defend him.”

Waters nodded as if Ethan was doing so naturally. “I’ve worked with the club long enough never to ask why. Just be prepared for the next time I have to defend one of the members.”

“You don’t think they’re a bunch of assholes?”

“I know they’re a bunch of assholes. I also know they’ve done a lot for the community that tolerates them.” He thought about something momentarily and grasped a bar, serious eyes on mine. “The club has helped me in ways nobody else would. They’re good guys, though few claim they are. Whichever one you’re after, treat him well, and he’ll treat you well.” Waters left before I could form a reply.

I needed to be careful with the word love. I thought what Paul and I had was love. It wasn’t. I didn’t want a man who wanted an obedient wife. I needed a man who wanted a wife with attitude and the desire to think for herself.

Deputy Barkley came to the cell and unlocked the door. He tried to look down my shirt as I passed. He then followed behind as I entered the lobby and left with Waters. I hoped to see Ethan. That hope turned into disappointment.

“Ethan said you could stay at the club tonight if you want. He said talk to Trixie when you got there, and she’d show you to his room.” Waters had an evil grin on his face. “Once you enter that building, you’ll be forever changed, April. It’ll be hard to go back to the life you had.”

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