Page 3 of Broken

“What? The truth? Remember, you asked me if it waseven yours, and if I recall, you said you didn’t ‘sign up for this.’ The onlyreason you and I ever had anything was because Colt asked you to, otherwise youand me wouldn’t have happened.”

He gripped the back of his neck.

This time, she forced herself to look at him. Thisman broke her heart, shattered her whole world, and she refused to allow it tohappen again. She learned her lesson and had the scars to prove it, along withthe pain. She didn’t know what had hurt worse—the fact he’d even suggested shecheated, or that he’d only been with her because his buddy Colt asked him to.He certainly fooled her.

“Fuck, Petal, it wasn’t like that.”

“Stop, okay? Stop with all the bullshit. I don’tneed it. Colt got what he wanted. You got what you wanted. There are noconsequences, so we’re done. Stop acting like we’re anything more.” She movedaround him, and he didn’t reach for her.

Petal was relieved as she stepped into the diner.They were only serving breakfast, and there were so many customers. Her handsshook, and she held a finger up to Rosalie who beckoned her to help.

She quickly rushed toward the back where herlocker was, and she grabbed an apron. Wrapping it around her waist, she reachedout to the wall, took a large breath, then another. Tears were so close to thesurface, they threatened to spill over. She needed to get her shit together.This is not what she wanted. She was not going to be at the mercy of a man whotreated her the way Dirty did. She was better than this.

He would not see her tears.

He didn’t deserve her tears.

Dirty didn’t deserve any more from her than he hadalready gotten. She was not going to be lured to him again. For her own peaceof mind, she had to keep as far away from him and the MC as possible.

She would be there for Roslie, but that was it.

****

Dirty didn’t stop her.

He knew when it came to Petal, he fucked up bigtime. Colt asked him to distract her, even if it meant fucking her, which hedid. The only problem was, he’d not done it on Colt’s orders. He wanted to. Therewas something about the fiery woman that made him unable to get her out of hismind.

She was a force to be reckoned with. Her devotionto her friend reminded him of how he was with the club brothers. They weresolid together. He knew without a shadow of a doubt, the guys had his back.

Petal had Rosalie’s back, just as Rosalie hadPetal’s back. Their little duet was like the club. He also knew Petal’sdevotion to her family. She was loyal to them, even though they didn’t fuckingdeserve it. Her parents were super in love, so much in love that they forgotthe responsibilities of raising their family.

Petal was often forgotten. She used a lot of hermoney to help her parents. He was all for helping family out, but there came atime when they had to walk their own path, as far as he was concerned. Herfamily had already taken too much from her.

“What are you doing hanging out here?”

Dirty looked up to see Skull and Rooster headingtoward him. They had just turned up on their bikes, but he’d been toodistracted by all the shit with Petal to even notice them.

“Taking some fresh air, why the fuck do you care?”

Skull and Rooster burst out laughing, but hewasn’t interested in hearing any more of their shit. What he needed was a stiffdrink. Instead, he was going to get coffee, and a constant reminder of how muchhe fucked up.

When Petal told him shethoughtshe mightbe pregnant, he’d panicked. He’d been her first. It had come as a fuckingsurprise to him as well. In all his life he never caused any of the women he’dbeen with any kind of pain. Petal had been a first for him. Even now, sitting atthe diner, he was transported back to that night on the cruise. He and Petalhad spent the whole day together.

It hadn’t been an arduous task either, spendingtime with her. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. Shewasn’t clingy or needy, nor did she hang off him and beg for his cock. Thecruise made him realize he had spent way too much time around the club pussy.He was more used to women offering themselves to him. He loved the free pussy.Loved that with a snap of his fingers he could have any woman he wanted.

Petal wasn’t like that. She genuinely laughed athis jokes, and leaned her head against him. There was no come-on. Nothing. Shewas a breath of fresh air and he’d not even realized he was drowning in hislife.

Petal wasn’t just any woman. She had beendifferent from the start. He should have known she was a virgin, but it hadstill come as a shock to him to discover the truth. Now there was no turningback.

Dirty had every intention of keeping his distance.Only, one taste hadn’t been enough. Nor had a second or third. Before he knewwhat was happening, he’d been loving sneaking around, being with her, wantingher. Knowing he could have the best of both worlds. Only for it to comecrashing down around him when she told him she was pregnant.

Then, he fucked up. He opened his big mouth andbroke her heart.

Even as he asked her if the child was his, he knewit was. Petal was no liar and certainly no cheater. The pain in her eyes, fuck,that would stay with him forever. He hurt her more asking if he was the fatherthan when he first penetrated her.

Petal had shaken her head, tears glistening in hereyes. Rather than argue with him, she’d turned away from him and walked away.She stopped taking his calls, didn’t respond to his texts.

Then, he’d heard the gunshots, saw her on theground. Two bullets. He’d known in that moment that if they were not theluckiest people, she was going to lose the baby, and she did.

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