Page 59 of Wrath

“Oh, come on, you’ve got that freshly-fucked, loved stuck look in your eyes, hasn’t she, Alicia?” Peyton nudges her friend, who looks far too pale and distant to care.

“How would I know,” she answers flatly, as she pushes the plate of turkey rashers and eggs that’s in front of her to the side.

“Somethin’ wrong with my eggs today?” Polly questions her.

“Nothing, they taste great, I’m just not hungry. Mom insisted I ateproperlywhile I was staying with her and Dad. I don’t think I’ll need to eat again for a fortnight.” Alicia laughs unconvincingly, and I can tell from the way Peyton looks at her that something’s not right.

“So, come on, back to you and Wrath.” Alicia uses me as a distraction.

“Well, we came to an agreement.” I try to keep the beam off my face.

“And that would be…?” Peyton looks as if she’s about to burst.

“To put everything behind us and start again. I guess I’m his old lady now.” Hearing myself say it out loud reminds me of how long I used to spend fantasizing about us being together when I was younger. It also brings back memories of all the nights I cried because we couldn’t be.

“Well, welcome to the club.” Peyton raises her coffee and when Alicia gets a waft of it she quickly scoots up from her chair and rushes toward the bathroom.

“There's definitely something wrong with her.” Polly frowns suspiciously.

“She’s probably hung over.” Peyton tries passing it off as no big deal but she’s a terrible liar.

“Nope, she wasn’t drinking last night, she was the designated driver,” Polly presses, proving that not only is she not buying it, but that she knows pretty much everything that goes on around here. Lucky for Peyton, the pressure is taken off her when the club door opens and Anita strolls inside with her arm linked to Saint’s.

“Ladies, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind some extra company while I attend the meeting.” He leads her over to us and shows that he’s a gentleman when he pulls out a chair so she can take a seat.

“Of course, not.” I smile at her as she sits beside me. She’s still wearing the smart, knee-length skirt and blouse that she arrived here in. I guess we’re going to have to fix her up with some more clothes if she’s going to be staying with us for a while. I don’t think she’ll want to borrow anything from me or the other girls. I can’t really imagine her in ripped jeans and a band shirt.

“Coffee, Mrs Carter?” Saint asks her and once she nods back at him, I notice the way Peyton’s eyes narrow as she watches him move across the bar.

“Sinner?” She folds her arms when he carefully places the mug in front of Anita.

“Aaah, yes.” His eyes flair with mischief as he flicks them onto her.

“I’m glad you decided to join us. We need to talk.” There's a firmness in her tone that suggests she’s pissed at him.

“As much as I’d love to hear what ya gotta say, I got a meetin’ to get to. I’m trustin’ that I can leave this lovely lady in your care?” His hands rest on Anita’s shoulders and she looks up at him with an adoring smile.

“Of course,” Peyton smiles through her teeth. “But when you're done, make sure you come find me.”

Anita waits until he joins the others and closes the door before she looks back at us.

“What a charming young man.” She wrinkles up her nose before she takes a sip from her mug and Peyton's expression makes it obvious that she doesn’t agree. I remember her explaining about the disorder Saint suffers from, a few days ago. It sounds, from what I’ve heard, that his alter ego, Sinner, can be a problem. Though he didn’t seem much like one to me during that encounter. If anything Anita was right, he is charming.

“What did he do this time?” Polly rolls her eyes.

“He took my father and my stepfather to a strip joint, got them wasted, and they both ended up locked up for fighting with a pimp.” Peyton doesn’t look impressed and although I can understand why, I still find it hard not to laugh.

“Oh dear, I’m sure he didn’t mean it to go that far.” Anita surprises me when she plays it down, while Polly looks unfazed.

“My dad and Billy have both already served time, they need to keep a clean record or they’ll be heading right back inside. If it wasn’t for the fact Raze knew one of the custody officers on duty that night, they could have been in some serious trouble,” Peyton explains, and when Alicia joins us back at the table, she looks embarrassed as she retakes her seat and smiles politely at Anita.

It’s another hour before the club meeting is over and as I watch each member step out, I get excited to see Aaron. He and my brother are the last ones to leave and while they both head straight for us, it’s Sinner who Peyton chases down.

“You stop right there. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to have this out with you again.” Peyton calls after him, and when he slowly turns to face her, he’s got a real cock-sure grin on his face.

“Listen, sweetheart, I get you’re upset about what happened, but those coffin-dodgers needed no encouragement. It sure wasn’t their first rodeo.”

“You got themarrested,” she fumes at him.

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