Page 595 of The Tempted

He remained perfectly still and silent.

“Was it my father? Was it Blackie? Where are they?” I demanded.

Nothing.

I uncrossed my arms and shoved my palms against his chest.

“Answer me goddamn it! Are they okay?” I screeched, holding back the emotion threatening to surface.

“They’re fine,” he finally said.

I should’ve felt some sense of relief but I didn’t. All I felt was another crack shatter my heart.

“But that’s all you’ll tell me isn’t it?” I dropped my hands from his chest and stared into his crystal blue eyes that were blank.

I took a retreating step, glanced at his bike before diverting my eyes back to his.

“Better straddle that bike we’re going for a rideMack,” I sneered, turning on my heel as I power walked back to my car.

My hand trembled as I opened the door and quickly slid inside the car. I gripped the steering wheel as the hot tears fell from my eyes.

Told you he didn’t really want you.

Told you it would all end.

Told you he’d chew you up and spit you out.

But you didn’t listen.

Now you’ll suffer the truth.

I dropped my head against the steering wheel and wondered if I could shake the crazy. I pushed back, started the car and forced myself to concentrate and block out the doubt that threatened to ruin me.

Blackie had told me himself that the club was in a bad place, danger lurked around every corner and we needed to keep things quiet between us until it was all straightened out.

He said that.

I didn’t imagine it.

If there was a threat he would be the one protecting me. He wouldn’t send some prospect to guard me for a multitude of reasons but mainly because no one watched out for me like Blackie did.

Because no one cared for me like he did.

He told me he couldn’t give me up.

It wasn’t a lie.

Every moment we spent together was not something I conjured up in my head. Those moments were pure, and they were beautiful.

They were real.

Every kiss.

Every unspoken I love you.

Every time he held me in his arms and squeezed me to make sure I was real.

I didn’t imagine any of that.

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