Page 59 of Weatherman

The quiet in the salon resembled a funeral home. Not one person said a word or even moved as Kimmie raged. Luckily, she didn’t start throwing anything. Property damage would up the ante, and I doubted Tambre’s calm, forgiving nature reached that far. Mine wouldn’t.

“I’ll pay you cash what you’re owed,” Tambre stated as she opened the register. “Then you can go anywhere you want.”

“Fucking bullshit job. This place is a fucking joke.” Kimmie snatched the money from Tambre’s hand and stomped to the door. She shot a hard glare at me. “You coming with?”

As messed up as our friendship had become, she and Ihadbeen through a tough time together. “Kimmie, I….”

“Didn’t think so. Have fun with your stupid preacher. I bet he only fucks in missionary. I know you find that position boring as hell.”

I froze. Panic crawled up my spine. “Kimmie, please….”

Her nose wrinkled up in a nasty sneer. “Don’t fucking think you’re all that, bitch. Remember, Iknowwhere you’ve been and what you’ve done!”

“Please don’t?—”

“I’ve seen you crawl across the floor to give a blow job for a twenty. You used to snort up with Rebel and fuck his buddies for drugs. Hell, I bet there wasn’t one man in the Dutchmen MC that you didn’t suck off or fuck. You’d even do two at a time right there on that dirty clubhouse floor with every man in there watching. You’re a fucking club whore, same as me!”

“Get out.”

A new voice, low and menacing, came from the doorway. My breath halted as Bryce stepped inside. To make matters worse, Robert was right behind him.

An invisible hand with black ugly fingers wrapped around my throat, its sharp talons digging into my skin. I couldn’t breathe. My worst nightmare was taking place right here, right now as my past rushed to tear through my future. Secrets I’d planned on taking to my grave were laid out in the open for everyone to hear. Judgment the size of boulders came at me from all sides like a biblical stoning, and their weight was crushing.

Kimmie tried to bluster her way through. “Who the fuck do you think?—”

“I didn’t stutter.”

Kimmie let it go and left, her parting shot echoing around the room. “Fuck this place, and fuck you, too, Opal. Don’t ever forget you’re a fucking slut, and now everyone knows it!”

“That’s it. Tambre, go call Blue.”

“Fuck you too!”

Kimmie roared off in her car, squealing the wheels bad enough that the smell of rubber drifted into the salon.

I was shaking hard enough that my knees threatened to buckle underneath me. I lifted my hands and saw my fingers twitching. Dizziness hit me, and I tried to breathe but nothing happened. I’d forgotten how my lungs were supposed to work. My vision was starting to gray at the edges, and I lost anysense of balance. The roaring in my ears drowned out any other sounds in the salon, and only one word hissed loud enough to be heard.

Whore! Whore! Whore!

An ugly, nasty word describing such disgusting filth that wasn’t worth anyone’s regard or attention.

I was on my way to the floor when two large male hands scooped under my arms and held me up. They were warm. Firm. Their grip kept me from falling.

“I got you.”

Bryce. His strong voice penetrated the dark and brought me back to focus.

“Breathe, baby.”

“Breathe, sweetness.”

My chest opened up, and I filled my lungs slowly, counting to four in my head. I raised my eyes to meet his, and for once, that beautiful hazel shade didn’t bother me. His strong presence and defensive protection were centered on me. Only me.

“Let him in, sweetness.”

Camo’s voice was loud in my imagination. I spoke back to him the same way.What if this is wrong?

“What if it’s right?”

---