Page 53 of Clash
“I know, and I’m doing the best I can. I just miss you, Sis. Alex, he misses you a lot, too.”
Cadence laughed. “The kid barely knows me, and that’s probably a good thing. You know the lifestyle I lead. You shouldn’t be bringing him around here, anyway. Are you at least somewhere safe?”
“Yes,” I answered in reluctance. I wanted to tell her all about Bess, Clash, and everything that happened with Eric, but since she seemed hesitant for me to come to her house, I kept my secrets to myself. If she really was bugged, the less I said about my whereabouts, the better.
“Good! Keep it that way. Don’t call back here until you’re ready to fight Eric on the divorce battle lines, okay?”
“Okay… I love you, Cadence.”
“I love you too, Gina.” Before I could convince her to change her mind about us staying, Cadence hung up the phone, leaving me even more mortally wounded than I was before.
Not even my own damn sister wants us.
We’re lost, broken, and without a real home.
With Cadence turning her back on us, I had no other choice. It’s time to do this on my own. But the bravery that came with standing up to the devil incarnate, was something I lacked, and ifI really wanted to win against Eric, I needed real money—money like the seven grand that stupid cop stole.
Ugh, why did Clash have to fuck everything up?He should know that I can’t stay hidden forever, and it’s only a matter of time before Eric finds us again. This is all his stupid fault, and if I never see that dumb, big, beautiful face of his again, I’ll be perfectly happy…
I don’t need dimples, chiseled jawlines, or dismantling hazel eyes. All I needed was my son, a solid plan, and a little bit of faith that fate would somehow intervene and help me out of this miserable situation.
20
The chase was what made this fun. Normal women fell at my feet, but not this one, this one liked to run… and I liked to chase. She had a good five-minute head start on me, but it was easy to track her down, leading me straight to where she’s been hiding out these past few months. I wanted her to believe she had lost me, so instead of marching in and forcing her to come back with me, I watched from the shadows, stalking her at night when nobody was paying attention.
Yeah… this is what I’ve become. A stupid fucking stalker. But I needed to know she was safe, and the only way I could do that was to watch her as closely as possible.
She had the same schedule. In the mornings she left Alex with the sweet old woman who liked to garden. From there she’d head to the flower shop, barely ever leaving the backroom. Around five each day, she’d return to the old woman’s home, then they’d have a few hours of friendly conversation while watching TV before her and Alex went to sleep.
Did I walk up to her window once to watch her as she slept… maybe so, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m fueled by this undying need to protect her and watch over her.
I couldn’t stop picturing what it would be like to wake up to that angelic face each morning, and hear the scampering of Alex’s feet as he raced across the room to wake us up. It was a Stepford nightmare, one I was desperate to experience now that I met her.
But convincing her that I was the guy for her wasn’t going to be easy. She had major trust issues, and she was beautifully broken. Even the strongest of hammers couldn’t repair the damage that bastard did to her heart. Gina needed someone to protect and put her back together, and if I could slather her with super glue, I’d connect all those broken shards of glass her shattered heart left behind, and become the repair man she so desperately needed.
“You’re back again…” a withered voice whispered behind me, scaring the ever-loving shit out of me.
“Holy shit! Where the hell did you come from?”
The old woman smiled, her dentures barely catching in the light of the street light. “I had half a mind to call the cops when I saw a peeping Tom creeping around my house. But the second I saw that leather jacket, I knew you were only here for her protection. She needs that.” Her friendly smile faded. “But I’m going to be honest, I don’t think she needs you.”
Frowning, I studied the old woman, trying to figure her out. “I—I—”
The woman held up a frail, wrinkled hand, shushing me before I could even stutter out another I. “She’s a beautiful woman. And that son of hers is a bundle of energy, but they’ve been through so much, and I’ve heard about you Outlaws… wherever you go, trouble follows. She doesn’t need more trouble in her life.”
I hated how right she sounded. “Yeah? Well, who asked you?”
She laughed, coughing a bit after she did. “Nobody, but you don’t get as old as me without having an opinion. And I’velearned that despite what people want, giving advice or dealing out my opinion is a blessing in disguise.”
“So, if you don’t think I’m good for her, then why haven’t you called the cops on me, yet?”
She laid a friendly hand on my cut, the corners of her mouth lifting into a wrinkled smile. “Because she needs protection. Protection an old woman like me can’t give her. She’s in trouble, and despite my better judgment, it makes me feel good to know there’s a man out here silently keeping watch over them. Now the question is, what do you want?”
“Her.” It came out so easily, like the breaths I huff out daily without even trying. “I’d do anything for her.”
“From what I heard; you barely know her.”
Nodding, I shook my head in utter disbelief. “It has shocked me just as much as you, probably. But the second I laid eyes on her…”
