Page 55 of His Loyal Rebel

"It's Twyla."

"What do you want?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply before staring at the wall. "Is Ringtail listening?"

Her sister's silence gave her the answer she needed. Twyla lowered her voice. "Can you take the phone somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Just a sec," said her sister.

She waited because there was nothing else she could do. The last thing she wanted was Ringtail running to Whip and telling him she'd called Angie and was asking questions.

"Okay, I'm in the kitchen. That's as far as the cord stretches," whispered Angie.

"Something is wrong. I should've realized this sooner, but I was caught up in...Whip."

"What is it?"

She rubbed her lips together. "Did you really lose the rental house? Is that why I couldn't stay there?"

"Ringtail told me not to pay the rent. You were supposed to."

"But, I didn't get a chance to pay." Her head pounded. "Whip told me the landlord's a jerk and wouldn't rent it to me because my name wasn't on the agreement."

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but I paid the rent for the month."

"I'm not trying to do anything." Her voice raised, and she ducked her head. "What I'm trying to say is Whip moved me into the clubhouse because I had nowhere else to go. It was supposed to be temporary, but ever since, he's stopped me from going out and looking for another place to rent."

"Why?"

"He claims Big will hurt me. But, he hates anyone from Cusclan. He thinks Big is after him, too. But if it's just Big after Whip, I can protect myself if he starts a stupid argument or whatever with me." She pressed her hand against her forehead, making a bigger mess out of trying to explain everything to Angie. "I feel like something else is making Whip keep me at the clubhouse."

She hadn't even told Angie about stealing Big's pistol or refusing to give it back. Big was weird about others touching his possessions. His anger probably had nothing to do with wanting her back anymore. She'd taken the pistol on a whim, trying to hurt him in return. But stubbornness kept her from giving the weapon back to him.

"If I tell you something, you haven't heard it from me. Okay?"

"Okay." She held her breath.

Deep down, she wanted Angie to confirm that nothing was going on. That Whip's decision to have her stay with him came about because he simply enjoyed being with her, and nothing else. But there were red flags after seeing the cabin burned.

Afterward, Whip had made love to her in such a way, it scared her. He was violent without hurting her. Distant without shutting her out. In fact, the way he'd acted, it was like he dragged her inside of him without telling her why and she could feel his pain.

The power coming from him overwhelmed her.

It was almost like he was afraid of losing her, yet proving that she belonged to him.

But without him talking to her, she could only guess what was going on. Talking with Brandy opened her mind to the possibility that she couldn't see the truth standing in front of her because she'd fallen in love with Whip.

"Whip's keeping you there, hoping Big shows up," whispered Angie.

She shook her head. That wasn't right. Whip wanted to protect her.

"Who told you that? Ringtail?" She stood and turned around, putting her back toward the door.

"No, I overheard him talking to someone else. A Tarkio member."

"He wants Big to come to the clubhouse?" She cupped the back of her neck. "Why?"

That made no sense. If the two clubs were enemies, Big wouldn't go by himself. It would be foolish.

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