Page 8 of Out of Bounds
“It’s not funny.” I ball my hands and bite down hard on my back teeth, mentally counting to calm myself. Right now, I’d be willing to count all the sheep in Farmer Tanner’s pasture if it would ease the pressure on my soul, waiting to blow.
I’ve never lived down that stupid name. Muffin.
It’s just like him to pick something I love and make me hate it. Now if I want a muffin it’s consumed within the safe confines of my home where no one from the past can see me and conjure up that horrid shitty memory.
Mamma was so embarrassed. I remember going to church that Sunday when the shit hit the fan and people casting judging glances my way. Even Pastor Johnson looked at me like I was a child of hell. So much for welcoming sinners to help them get on a new path of life. I was the talk of the town.
Until the rumors died down my father was the only person who believed me.
“We can agree to disagree,” Ethan states, as if the shit from the past still doesn’t follow me. “Anyway, that’s so far down the list of priorities right now.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
He leans forward on to his elbows and his biceps bulge against his shirt showing off serious muscle.
“How about you answer questions. Then we’ll take it from there. Can we agree on that?”
I drag in a breath. “Yes.”
“Okay. So, I’m gonna start by telling you your boyfriend is part of the Russian mafia.”
As if I couldn’t feel worse. “Liev is in the mafia?”
“Yes, Bree. The man looks like a pit bull from hell, and he’s covered in prison tats. Didn’t it ever cross your mind that he could be dangerous?”
“No, he was so nice to me.”
“Well, that niceness got you implicated in this shit because Liev had been using your bank account to launder money.”
I suck in a breath. “Oh my God, Ethan. I didn’t know.”
“Well now you do. I need you to tell me everything.”
“Like what? I don’t know anything.”
“How did you meet?”
“At the club in town.”
“When?”
“We’ve been together for six months.” I bring my hands together.
“How often do you see him?”
“A few times a week.” My voice shakes as I worry about revealing how much I see Liev.
“And is that how you dress for him every time you see him?” His bastard eyes drop to my breasts.
I slip my hands over them again and scowl at him. “How is that relevant?”
“I’m trying to establish how solid the relationship was. The way I hear it, if the officers were a few seconds later, they would have walked in on one steamy surprise. The look of you says they were right. You look like you’re step away from being a Playboy bunny.”
“That is not fair, and I’m sure there was a breach of my privacy or human rights somewhere along the line.”
“The officers had reasonable suspicions to take you into custody. They wouldn’t have done so otherwise. Besides people trust their significant others with information and they’ll lie for them easily. So back to my question. I need an answer, Bree.”
An answer to the damn question he hasn’t outrightly asked—was I going to have sex with Liev?
