Page 51 of Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers

She didn’t look convinced but I couldn’t- wouldn’t- be the reason she lost faith in the few men in her life who weren’t complete monsters. They might’ve hurt me but they’d been nothing but good to Waylan.

“Can Mom and I finish our talk?”

I moved around Seth, wrapping the towel around my body as I went. I couldn’t be alone with him again. I couldn’t listen to what he had to say because I was too weak. I would just roll over and beg for whatever scraps he’d give me. They’d lied. They’d played into my obvious desire for them and done a good job for my brothers. “We’ve finished already. Now it’s time for me to get dressed and go see Aunt Vera.”

I felt like crap when Waylan’s stressed little face turned steely. “I’m coming with you.”

“Pack a bag. I heard something about a sleepover.” Vera had no idea I was about to show up on her doorstep but I hoped she’d just be down with taking care of us for the night.

“Nellie.” Seth moved closer to me and lowered his voice. “Don’t run away from this. Talk to us. Let us explain.”

“Why don’t you talk to my brothers?” He was so close I could smell him and it was making me dizzy. “You can all compare notes on how easy I am.”

His face pinched. “Easy? Who said anything about easy?”

I pulled an oversized shirt over my towel and kept my voice as quiet as possible. “I had to take Hammer his dinner. He told me everything he’s overheard lately. Your visits with mybrothers, the fight, and you guys laughing about how easy I was. Considering the things I let you do to me, it’s not untrue, I guess.”

Everything about him turned hard with anger. “You shouldn’t have been near him. If Mary couldn’t take his dinner, she should’ve called us.”

“So I wouldn’t get all the fun gossip?”

“So you didn’t have to go near the man who stalked and assaulted you!” He’d raised his voice, finally giving into his anger. “Stay. We need to talk about this. He was lying, Nell. Not about everything, unfortunately, but about some of it.”

I stepped into a pair of leggings, not bothering with underwear in my rush. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”

“Ready, Mom!” Waylan stood at the door with her backpack. “Where’s your bag?”

“Aunt Vera will let me borrow something if I need to.” I shoved my feet into the closest shoes I could and hurried out.

“Nellie.” Seth swore and followed me. “Nellie!”

Papa Jack appeared out of nowhere but instead of going after Waylan, he turned on Seth, putting himself between the two of us. Even Papa Jack had to feel sorry for me, I guessed.

At the bottom of the stairs Henry and Woodrow stood, staring up with frowns on their faces. Henry grabbed Waylan from the third step and lifted her through the air. She didn’t giggle like she normally would’ve, though. She was too focused on me, on my negative emotions. I was hurting her and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do.

I hurried down the stairs and slipped around both men. “Come on, Way. It’s sleepover time.”

She obviously saw through my fake cheer and by the time we were in Beatrix, the guys were standing on the porch, watching us. She looked up at me from her booster seat. “Are they bad, Mommy?”

I shook my head. “No. They’re not bad. I’m just having a bad day. I think I need to eat. We should’ve stolen that pie.”

“Go back! I’ll be sneaky!” Her smile was momentarily back. It faded within seconds, though. “You’re sad.”

“Just for a little bit. Then I’ll be happy again.”

“Like you are with the pack?” She gutted me without an ounce of intention. “You were way happier with them, Mom.”

CHAPTER 40

Seth

“What the fuck just happened?” Woodrow stared after Nellie and Waylan as they drove away.

I ran my hands through my hair and tugged at it, feeling beyond helpless and furious. “I’m going to the jail.”

“Whoa.” Henry put his hands up and stopped me. “Explain what’s going on first.”

“Hammer.” I shouted the name and then spun around and punched the side of the house. The house was solidly built and my knuckles split open, the pain just enough to help me focus. “Mary had Nellie take him his dinner and he told her we were only with her because her brothers asked us to stick close to her. He told her we’ve been laughing about how easy she is.”

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