Page 22 of Her Grumpy Biker
“Of course not,” Rock agrees, clapping his hand over Diego’s shoulder. “Now, let’s get this toast out of the way so the celebration can begin.”
I give Diego a questioning look, but he just smiles down at me and winks.
“Listen up, Savage Kings!” Rock shouts. “Deadeye has an important announcement.” He tips his chin toward Diego, who nods.
“Great introduction,” he says under his breath. Rock elbows him like they really are brothers. I can see why this place and these people are important to him. “Brothers, I never thought I’d be standing here today introducing you to my old lady, but damn if I haven’t found the greatest woman in the entire world.”
I blink a few times, not sure I heard him correctly.I’m his old lady? What the hell does that mean?
“Camden is mine,” he continues, his voice low and almost threatening. “She belongs to me, and if any of you touch her–”
“Okay, okay, no one is stupid enough to cross you, Deadeye,” Rock cuts in.
I’m his? I belong to him?No. No, no, no.This can’t be happening.
Diego looks at me with all the love and pride in the world, but I feel like I’m about to throw up. How could he do this to me? After everything I told him? I ran away from men who want to own me, and now here he is, declaring the same thing.
His radiant smile falls as soon as he sees me. Diego’s brow furrows, and he looks utterly confused at the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. I yank my hand out of his and take a few steps back.
“Camden?” he asks, reaching out toward me. I shake my head no, and he looks at me like I stabbed him in the heart. “What’s wrong?”
“How could you?” I choke out.
The room starts spinning, and blurry dots cloud my vision. The air is suddenly too thick, the lights too bright, and the music far too loud. I stumble backward then spin on my heel, pushing the front door open with a bang.
I’m not sure what I’m doing or where I’m going, but I know I can’t stay here a second longer. I put one foot in front of the other, faster, faster, until I’m running across the parking lot and down the road leading out of town.
I can’t stop. Not when I hear Diego call my name. Not when my lungs burn and my sides ache. Not when I think I’m about to pass out. I keep going. I have to keep going.
How did this happen? How could I have been so stupid? I got caught up in the fantasy of someone swooping in to save the day, and now they think they own me. Do I haveProperty of Any Man Who Looks at Mestamped on my forehead?
My toe catches on a branch I didn’t notice, the jerking motion throwing me off balance. I barely have time to suck in a breath before the ground comes up to smack my hands and knees. I bite back a whimper at the sting and curse myself when I feel blood trickling from my left knee.
I roll over so I’m in a seated position, then immediately scramble backward when I see Diego sprinting toward me.
“Camden! Are you okay? Shit, you’re bleeding.” He comes to an abrupt halt in front of me and collapses onto the gravel road at my feet. Diego takes his t-shirt off and wraps it around my knee as if I’m bleeding out. I probably just need a Band-Aid or two.
“I’m fine,” I lie. I’m sweating and crying, and pissed about crying, which only makes me cry harder. “Leave me alone,” I try again, sounding a bit meaner this time. I’m not used to lashing out, but I guess that’s what I’m going to have to do if I want to survive in this world.
“Sweetheart–”
“No!” I shout. “I’m not your sweetheart. I’m notyours, Diego. I can’t… I can’t believe…” I choke out a sob and wipe the tears from my eyes, but I can’t keep up with the steady stream. I keep batting my tears away, the movement becoming harsher until I’m almost hitting myself in the face. I deserve it. I’m so stupid to let myself be manipulated like this again.
“Camden, please,” he begs. “Please don’t hurt yourself. Talk to me. What did I do? I’ll fix it. I promise.” He sounds so sincere, but it has to be a front.
“You don’t own me,” I finally say. “I thought you, of all people, would understand. You were right the first time we met. I shouldn’t trust anyone.” My words come as a shock to Diego, but I don’t know why. He’s been playing me since day one. “I somehow ended up with someone just like the men I grew up with.”
The pain in his eyes almost makes me regret my words. He looks like I ripped his heart out. The concern and fear in his blue gaze fades until only a shell of the man I thought I loved remains.
“Do you really think that, Camden?” he asks. Diego isn’t looking at me, instead focusing on the gravel road. “If that’s how you feel, then I’ve failed you on every level.”
What does that mean?
I close my eyes against the bombardment of memories from this last week. Diego growling at me in the grocery store parking lot and making sure I didn’t give out my personal information. His visit to the bookstore, where he almost had a panic attack. He was vulnerable with me. He said he didn’t trust anyone, but that day in the back of the store, he trustedme.
Our conversation from this morning replays in my mind. Diego broke his heart open and shared about his painful past. He’s handled me with such tenderness, showing me with his actions how much he cares.
“I… I know you’re different from the men in my past,” I finally whisper. “But you said I belong to you. I don’t understand.”
