“Nat, you’re not doing this.”

“The club is changing you, and you don’t even see it.”

“Will you fucking stop about the club?” he asked.

“Saint, this man you’re becoming, he’s dangerous. I don’t trust you anymore. You don’t even see what you’re doing is wrong. I’ve got to go before you hurt me as well.” She pointed at the letter. “This is an excellent opportunity for me. You and I, it wasn’t going to last. You know that.”

His heart was breaking, but he knew what she was doing.

“Nat?”

“It’s all right, Saint. I’m not leaving just yet.” She looked away from him with tears in her eyes that he just knew were falling down her cheeks.

His father was watching. The ever observant Prez of the Saint and Sinners MC wouldn’t watch this. He couldn’t beg, nor could he plead. This was his life. The fate that his own mother had forced upon him.

This was the first time that Natasha avoided his touch. She wouldn’t let him see her tears, and even though she didn’t leave him that day. Natasha did leave him alone. He went home one night to find all of her stuff gone, the letter the only reminder of where she’d gone.

****

Natasha

Present day

“You never gave us a chance,” Simon said.

Natasha folded her arms, and stared at him. They had been separated for the past three months, and had most of the agreements set out and agreed to in the divorce. She wanted nothing to do with him. “I gave us both a lot of chances, Simon.”

He gripped the back of the chair, and she watched him, waiting to see if he’d change, like he had all those other times. The phones were in her bedroom, and in the sitting room. She bit her lip, trying to keep her composure.

Staring at her soon to be ex, Natasha hated herself. This man, this bastard had gone from being a nice guy, to a vicious bastard. The first hit, she made excuses for. Each time he hit her, she found another reason, another excuse. Instead of realizing that no reason, no excuse was acceptable. Simon shouldn’t have hit her. He shouldn’t have hurt her, and she let it happen.

No more.

Saint had taught her better than that.

Saint.

Just the thought of him made her ache. All these years she hadn’t been able to chase the pain away. She had left him, and it had been the biggest mistake of her life. If she could ever go back, she’d never have left Sinners’ Corner. She’d have fought that bastard father of his until the man she loved with all of her heart came back to her.

“No. No. You never loved me.” Simon snorted. “I bet most of the time you can’t even stand me. It’s him, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, you do. Your fucking father was more than happy to tell me how much I didn’t compare to your little boyfriend back home.” Simon moved around the table, and Natasha refused to back down. “You think he’s waiting for you? You think he gives a shit about you? I bet he’s fucking whatever pussy he can find. You’re not good enough. You’re never good enough. You just lie there, and take it. You’re fucking useless.”

Natasha glared at him. “And you think you’re any better? You need to hit a woman to make you even feel like a man.” She didn’t wait around for him to say anything. The past five years of being with him, even before that, unleashed, and she shoved him hard. “You’re right. I never loved you. I could never love you.”

Simon shoved her hard against the refrigerator and wrapped his fingers around her neck. “If this Saint is such a good man, why didn’t you stay with him? You think you can divorce me.” He pulled her forward and slammed her against the refrigerator.

“Whenever a guy has a hold of you, go for his nuts. He’ll let go,” Saint said.

“You want me to try on you?” She laughed, staring at Saint’s private parts.

Drawing her knee up, Natasha slammed it against Simon’s knee. Before she could get away, he grabbed her leg even as he screamed. She had never fought back before. Natasha had taken what he had to dish out. Only this time, she didn’t take the beating without a fight. Simon was stronger than she was, and the moment she got the upper hand, she ran out of the house and climbed into her car.

Simon was crazy, and there was only one man she knew who could help her.

Saint.

It was time to go back to Sinners’ Corner.