Page 31 of Tusk's Fury

He throws his fork down onto his plate with a disgusted expression on his face. “It’s on my mind because fucking Gina went back to the fucking fertility doctor and got implanted with my seed again.”

I choke on my food, and it takes me a minute, several thumps on my chest, and a drink of water to clear my airway. “Your wife is pregnant with your kid again? This makes what—five kids?”

“Ex-wife. You keep leaving out the ex, part.”

I really didn’t know what to make of this, “Why would she do that? Aren’t four kids enough for that woman?”

“I guess she thought that if she was carrying my baby it would make me all nostalgic or something. It’s just another one of her stupid ploys to get back with me. I swear to God, I hate that woman. I know she’s the mother of my kids, but sometimes, I’d like to never have to set eyes on her again.”

I stare at him, trying to process what he just said. A thousand thoughts are warring for first place in my mind right now. I somehow manage to stammer, “So, you’re really not together anymore?”

“You know we’re not. How could I be with you, if I did some dumb-ass shit like getting back together with the wicked witch of the West Coast?”

“But…” I trail off, trying to figure out what happened.

“Clara told you we weren’t together, right? I didn’t know she was in touch with you until she told me she was visiting you, but if you’ve been in contact all along, she must have told you, right?”

I give a sigh, “I saw you and Gina at the clubhouse acting all lovey-dovey. That’s why I left. Silver and the other club girls heard her talking about how you were back together again. Clara told me that you weren’t, but part of me thought she might have just been saying that to make me feel better. I told her I didn’t want to know what you were doing.”

“I shouldn’t have taken her to the clubhouse, I didn’t know it would make her think I was trying to let her back into my life. My only reason for going there was because I wanted to have a party for my son, and because she’d have to be there, I didn’t want to hold it at the apartment complex. Gina is a Grade A bitch, and I didn’t trust her around you. She just acted like a fool the whole time, told our kids we were getting back together, and has been on my ass for months to reunite with her. I guess the baby was her last ditch attempt to coerce me into being one big happy family again.”

I look down at my plate and keep shoving food around. I don’t know if what he’s saying is true or if it even matters. I don’t want my daughter to be one of six kids, the one always on the outside looking in. I don’t want that for her, or for myself—being pecked apart by his ex for the duration of my natural life.

After a long silence, Tusk reaches out to touch my free hand. “Look, I’m sorry about the way things went down at the clubhouse that day. My club brothers tore me a new asshole about how inappropriate it was to invite my crazy ex into your safe space. They were fucking mad because they thought I was getting back with my wife and trying to keep you as some kind of side piece.”

“They weren’t happy about that?” I tear up, hearing how the brothers stood up for me when they thought Tusk was doing me wrong. I’d always thought that they merely tolerated me. Something about that made me feel warm inside, despite the circumstances.

“Fuck no. They told me you weren’t the kind of woman to be disrespected and that you’d never accept being second-best to any other woman.”

I swallow thickly. “Tex said I was part of the club, and the brothers would always be there for me, but I didn’t believe him.”

“Well, the club officers and Zen weren’t letting me get away with anything when it came to you. To be honest, I think they surprised themselves by how strongly they felt about me giving you the shaft. It took a good amount of talking on my part for them to understand that’s not what I was trying to do. I thought I was doing a nice thing for my little boy, and inviting Gina to the clubhouse was a way to make sure she was out of your hair since you rarely went there without me, I thought it would be okay. I didn’t see all the ways that decision could go wrong for me.”

I slowly lift a bite of food to my mouth as I think over his words. I chew and swallow before asking, “Did you come here with the intention of trying to get back together with me?”

“Fuck yes! Do you even need to ask that question? I lost my fuckin’ mind when you left. I’ve spent the last nine months looking for you. If you don’t want me back, I’ll step away, but I won’t ever stop trying to win you back. You’re my girl, remember?”

“I need some time to process all this,” I tell him. “I’m really confused right now. I lost hope for us and started over. I envisioned a whole new life for myself, new goals and everything.”

“You’re still coming back though, right?”

I nod. “I have to. If there was any other way, I’d take it.”

“That’s really disappointing. Want to tell me what’s forcing you back?”

“Can we talk about all that tomorrow? I’m really stressed today.”

“You know, I realized something when I started looking for you.” Reaching out, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“I realized that I didn’t have a place to start looking for you because, being the ass that I am, I never asked about your life or family.” He looks so sincere that it makes my chest tighten with emotion. “Can you forgive me for being a selfish asshole who was only worried about himself?”

I tilt my head away from his touch. “Is this one of those situations where you didn’t realize what you had until it was gone?”

“No. I knew you were my one. Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in all my own issues, I didn’t make the fuckin’ time for you that I should have. Just so you know, I don’t plan to make that mistake again.”

I’m struggling to figure out how to respond to all his confessions when Victoria cries.

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