Demon raises a brow, the corner of his mouth tilts up. “What are we building?”
“A gym.”
“Yessss,” Rage cheers. “I’m happy with that. It would be good to have a setup of everything here.” He pauses. “You should organize a church meeting. I’m sure everyone will want to contribute.”
I nod. “Good idea. Let’s do it.”
TWENTY-THREE
BLAME GAME
Sophie
“Sophie… Sophie…”
I look at Maddy, the manager of my business. “Sorry, what did you say?”
She smiles. “Your flowers have arrived.” Joy fills my broken heart. I peer at the flowers on my desk, which are perishing. Viper has sent me flowers every Monday of every week, going on four weeks now.
“Would you like me to replace the ones on your desk again?”
“Yes, please.”
She takes the vase and comes back from the kitchen with the new bunch of long-stemmed red roses. They are beautiful. I should tell him to stop sending them, but I can’t bring myself to do it. They’re the only thing that improves my mood, and it’s nice to know he’s still thinking of me.
“Have you approved that invoice to replenish the stock?”
I sigh. I forgot. I can’t think straight. Slapping a smile on my face, I say, “I’ll do it now.”
Maddy has been doing an incredible job managing the business while I’ve been away. I’ve been trying to bury myself in work, but she’s been on top of everything, making that task impossible. It’s been great to take a step back and rely on the employees. It’s less stressful, and it’s shown me I don’t have to micromanage or be at the business every day to make it run smoothly. Which is annoying, because it means I could have managed it from Crown Village… Icouldbe with Viper.
He has consumed my mind every minute of every day, and I’m starved of his presence. It hasn’t been long, but I miss him, and the thought of not being able to get over him horrifies me. It was much simpler when I slept with men with no strings attached.
I know I won’t be able to find that passion and connection with someone else. Not that I want to. He’s weaved himself into the core of my existence. He’ll always be a part of me.
My teeth clench together. All because of my father and his persistent need to control my life.
My office phone rings.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s your father again,” says Maddy. “Would you like to talk to him?”
I flinch. “No, tell him I’m out of the office.”
“Uh… okay.”
I have sympathy for Maddy, being on the other end of my father’s phone calls. I can imagine he’s taking his frustration out on her, but I refuse to talk to him when he’s holding my happiness hostage.
There’s this pull to go back to Crown Village, but I can’t. I can’t be the reason the MC men end up in jail, but I’m struggling. I put up a strong front, but I feel brittle. My stomach churns. It doesn’t feel right without him.
My phone beeps. When I glance down, I see a message from Zara. She’s been messaging me every couple of days since I left. She asks how I’m doing, and I always ask her how Viper is doing. She said he’s quieter than normal, but he’s been busy with a project. I’m curious about what’s taking up his time, but when I ask Zara, she always says she can’t tell me.
I close her message, then see Viper’s name underneath with a blue dot next to it that shows there are unread messages. My finger hovers over his name, but I stop myself. I had thoughts of changing my number or blocking his, but I can’t. I pick up my bag off the floor, stand, and hang it over my shoulder. I’m driving myself crazy. I need to get out of here.
I go home, get changed, and go to the gym. After I put my belongings away in a locker, I make my way over to the treadmills. I choose a treadmill that has no one next to it and hop on. I set a pace and incline and start off in a steady stride as the next song plays in my earbuds: “Love Game” by Lady Gaga. As I listen to the lyrics, I inwardly groan at the thought of Viper. I’m here to forget him.
I skip to the next track and up the pace of the treadmill until I’m jogging. I crave the exhaustion… the mental relief. “Night and Day” by Silver Sneakers comes on, which yet again reminds me of our relationship. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumble to myself.
