Page 61 of Rough
I suck in a shuddering breath and pull my clothes on slowly, wincing when my jeans rub against the sensitivity between my legs. Ignoring the feeling of abandonment, I walk over to Frank, who’s still standing in front of the tree I tied him to. I free him, then start a slow walk back toward my house.
My thoughts are racing but continue to come back to the same question as I finally see the floodlights on the barn.
Why did he leave me alone?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Betsy
Iknow exactly what Clyde’s thinking right now. The way he’s looking at me, I know he’s remembering the last time he saw me wearing this. I didn’t put it on for him, but a small part of me knew that this particular outfit was exactly the kind of thing David was talking about.
Do I feel a little weird about bringing up thoughts of that night? Maybe. I never did get a reason for why he left me alone a week before they all took off. That night meanteverythingto me, but apparently not to him.
He never brought it up in the texts and sporadic phone calls we had over the years, so I just assumed he viewed it as a mistake and didn’t want to talk about it. Considering it was humiliating for me, I had no problems pretending like I was cool with it.
Ignoring their arguments for why I shouldn’t do this, I walk away from all of them toward David, who’s just now getting out of his car after parking next to my truck.
The moment he hears the guys freaking out, he studies them over my shoulder. “Is this a bad time?”
“Not at all. Just pay them no mind.” Stepping closer, I lower my voice so I’m not overheard. “Can we just kinda start off a bitslow and easy? I’d only like to dip my toes in and see if this is even somethin’ I’ll be comfortable doin’.”
His smile is kind as he nods. “Absolutely. We don’t have to use anything I film today, either. I’ll throw together a few examples of videos I’d like to do so you get a feel for the vibe.” He glances over to where Trina is, arguing with the guys. “Is she going to stick around for this?”
With a huff, I frown and glare in her direction. “Hell no.”
“Good. Why don’t you just show me around and give me an idea of the types of things you do every day?”
Letting out a slow gust of air, I smile gratefully. “I can do that. Lemme get rid of them,” I say, jerking my thumb over my shoulder. “Then I’ll show ya around. Want a bottle of water or somethin’? It’s supposed to be warmer today.”
David’s widening eyes and lips ticking up into a smile are all the warning I get before thick arms wrap around my waist from behind before I’m spun around and thrown over a shoulder.
I know I shouldn’t be able to identify them by their asses, but the second my eyes fall on this one, I know it’s Wilder who’s marching me away from David.
“Wilder! The hell are you doin’?Put me down!”
“Shut it, Bets.” Oh boy. I can tell how furious he is, but he has no right, and my indignation only serves to force me to dig my heels in deeper. Reaching down, I bend my body further over to plant my hands on the center of his back, just to use his body as leverage before I throw myself backwards.
He must not have been expecting me to do that, because my trajectory has me upright and sliding down the front of his body as he scrambles to keep hold. The second my boots hit the ground, I jerk my knee up to deliver his punishment, just the same as Remy got not an hour earlier.
Wilder is quicker and wrenches his body to the side, so my knee only glances off his thigh. “Jesus, Bets. You’re harder towrangle than a damn calf!” Fighting off the hold he still has on my upper body, he grunts. “Just…stop!Give me a fuckin’ minute to talk to you!”
I’mseethingI’m so pissed at how he’s trying to handle me. “How about you ask me like the human being Iaminstead of manhandlin’ me like a fuckin’ child?”
ThankGodhe listens. Raising his hands up, he steps back. “Alright. You’re right. Bets, would you please come talk with me for a minute?”
“No!” I shout at him, and his eye roll actually makes me want to laugh. I bite down on my cheek, not giving him an inch because he’ll see it as a win. When he throws his arms out to the side, essentially asking ‘what the fuck?’, I spin to hide my smile.
David’s loud voice booms through the air. “Trina, I suggest you put your phone away. Betsy’s my client, and you don’t have legal permission to film her onherproperty. Shall I pull out her signed contract?”
It takes everything in me not to show my confusion over that. We haven’t signed anything, but immediately I know he’s bluffing. Remy’s, “Goddamnit, Trina! We just fuckin’ told you we were done!” shocks me. Interesting.
“Would ya leave already?” Clyde hisses at her right after Remy’s shout, and I feel more pleasure than I should over her obvious embarrassment getting called out in front of everyone like this.
I struggle with the fact that I want them to leave, but something about making them leave withherdoesn’t sit right. Unfortunately, my unease with that idea isn’t strong enough to insist they stay. She may be a horrible little woman, but physically, she’s exactly the kind of girl Wilder and Remy have always been attracted to.
When she pockets her phone and stands up straight, narrowing her eyes first at David, then me, I have to fight thesmile of pleasure knowing she’s pissed as all hell with us. “Fine,” she finally concedes, then turns to Remy with a purr in her voice. “Would you mind if I ride back with you? Your mom went into town and dropped me off on her way. I’m at your disposal.”
I wrinkle my nose and quickly text Renee, trying not to pay attention to his agreement that she tag along with them.
