Page 15 of Timber

Feeling a heavy gaze on me, I look around, and almost trip over my feet when I see my dad over in a corner, taking a long pull off of whatever’s in the bottle in his hand. He’s practically fuming as he tracks my every move, and it increases when his gaze locks onto our joined hands.

As my dad continues to stare at me, or maybe us, I can feel myself wilting under his heavy, hateful gaze. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. Maybe he really didn’t want me and loathes me even more now that he knows I’m alive. Tears prick my eyes, and I barely notice when Timber opens a door and leads me inside before shutting it and locking it.

Instead of letting my emotions out in front of Timber, I force myself to look around his room. I’m slightly surprised that he’s kept it clean and tidy. I don’t know if that’s his doing though or the bunnies that work here.

A shiver runs up my spine, and I wonder how many women he’s had in here. Even though he said he hasn’t been with anyone for a long time, they were still in here. Is it right to trust Timber so much? Especially since we literally just met? Am I making a fool of myself? I wish I had someone I could talk to about this, but there’s no one except Peggy. If I call her to talk about him, then she’ll know where I am. There’s no way I’d put her in harm’s way if Preston comes asking around about where I went.

My hands tighten on my backpack and I wish I had my duffel bag. Maybe I should just leave after freshening up. If my dad doesn’t want me or won’t help me, his brothers as Timber calls them, would side with him over me any day. Though the thought of leaving makes my chest ache.

Crap.

I should probably stop calling him Dad, even in my head, and just refer to him as Smoke, since it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t want me. Maybe the shower will help settle my thoughts so I can think straight.

“I-is it okay to shower first?”

Timber pauses at his closet, his hand on the doorknob as he looks at me curiously. Instead of asking me the questions he seems to want an answer to, he just nods and crosses the room. He opens another door and I realize there’s a bathroom adjoined to his room. After he sets my duffle bag on the counter, he steps back into the bedroom.

“The towels are clean. Let me know if there’s anything else you need. If we don’t have it here, we can send a Prospect in to get it unless you need to go yourself. If that’s the case, I’ll take you into town.”

I shake myself internally. There’s no way a guy like him hasn’t been with anyone for as long as he says he has. Besides being unbelievably handsome, he’s too nice, too considerate, and too helpful. There’s no way he’d want to be with someone like me. At that thought, all the comments about me from the past bombard me, making it hard to breathe.

Keeping my eyes downcast, I nod, not able to trust my voice right now. I need to get away from him and his incredibly good smelling cologne so I can think straight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice him frowning and my chest aches even more at the sight, but I can’t let myself get closer to him. Even if I said I would, and I do want to, it’s just that I’d most likely end up being hurt even more. There’s no way I’d be able to be with Timber since he’s in the same club as Smoke.

Stepping into the bathroom, I continue to keep my gaze down and go to shut the door. A gasp escapes me as Timber’s arm lashes out, his hand landing with a thud on the door, making it bang against the wall.

“I want you to get rid of those thoughts about running away, Sunshine.”

My eyes widen and I finally look up at him, only to shrink back a little at the hard look on his face. How did he know what I was thinking about? For a few moments, neither of us says anything. Then his face softens.

“Smoke’s been given a shock of a lifetime. Give him a little time to adjust to the news. To you. And in case you’re also questioning me, I meant every word. We’ll talk more after your shower, but please don’t run without talking to him or me. Please.”

Tears prick my eyes again, and I swallow thickly. Licking my dry lips, I nod as I take a shuddery breath. “Okay, but he isn’t the only one that’s been given a shock of a lifetime and hasn’t had much time to process things. He doesn’t know everything that I found out between last night and now. I darn near fainted when I found a birth certificate and death certificate for me under a different last name and birthdate.”

Shaking my head, I ignore the increasing tension in the room. Crap, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Sighing, I clear my throat. “However, if he makes it clear that he doesn’t want anything to do with me or won’t help me, then I’ll have to leave. Preston will most likely assume I’ve found out about Smoke somehow and will come here at some point. If he won’t help me, I’ll need to get in as much distance as I can from here before Preston or Bruce find me. I refuse to allow myself to be sold to settle Preston’s drug debt.”

“If Smoke won’t help you, I will. Don’t go running, Sunshine. Please.”

A tear escapes at the intense look on his face, even though I try to stop it. I duck my head and turn away before he can see me. However, his large hand encircles my wrist before I get very far and a gasp escapes me when I’m abruptly pulled into his arms.

My hands land on his chest and I push away slightly, even though we can both tell I don’t want to since I barely put any effort into the motion. Sighing, I rest my forehead against his chest as I try to calm my racing heart. It shocks me how much my body starts to relax the longer he holds me.

When he kisses my hair, that seems to be the thing that triggers my tears, and I cling to his vest as I sob. His arms tighten around me, which only makes me cry harder. Aside from Peggy, I can’t even remember a time when someone comforted me like this.

I’m not sure how long I stand in his arms crying before my body sags. I feel even more dehydrated than before, thanks to how much crying I’ve done. Timber kisses my hair again before pulling back slightly and then kissing my forehead as his hands settle on my waist.

“Feel a little better, Sunshine?”

Taking a deep breath, I nod. Surprisingly, I do feel better even though I’m still anxious as hell. He kisses my forehead again, and I’m shocked when I find myself leaning into his kiss. What the hell is happening to me?

“How about you freshen up? We can talk more when you’re done.”

“Okay, thank you, Timber.” My voice is practically a whisper, but judging by how his hands tighten around my hips, I’m positive he heard me.

“When it’s just us, call me Liam. If we’re around the clubhouse or out in public, that’s where you’ll need to call me Timber. It’s my road name.”

I look at him in confusion. Why is it so important that I not call him Liam when we’re around others? Before I can ask, he places a finger to my lips.

---