Doc was right all along, he did target her but not for information on us because she put up a fucking fight, he wanted her for the Pillars.
Fuck!
Chapter 23
Ashley
“Hey stranger,” I say quietly to my so called friend who hasn’t bothered to stay in touch or even answer my messages as I walk over to the checkout with the garlic that I forgot to buy for the roasted garlic mash potatoes and chicken Cole had requested for dinner. My mind has been all over the place lately, only just remembering I didn’t have it because Tyler had his hands on me, sending me into a spin.
I could blame my pregnancy hormones on it, but it would be a lie.
Everything that happened eight weeks ago is still running through my mind. My instincts are to bolt, to run away but every time I have tried, the brothers stop me. Refusing to let me to leave them, to leave Tyler and I know he’s fighting for me, for us.I know he still sneaks into our room with the spare key he thinks I don’t know about, I just, I don’t know how to get past it all…
The hurt, the pain.
It’s been nearly three years since I was raped, a year since I found out he cheated on me, a year since I left him, which technically, I could now contest the courts for the divorce, but something is holding me back, and that is where my confusion lies.
I was adamant about a divorce at the beginning, and now I’m just confused.
I love him, I do, that will never change, but can I forgive him?
Can I trust him again?
Evidently not considering that I ran from the clubhouse after Hazel’s taunts instead of slapping her like she deserves.
“Hey, uh, Ash,” Nat says as she glances at me quickly then grabs her phone and says, “Long time no see, how is uh, how’s your new job?”
I furrow my brows at how weird she’s being and answer, “Well, I’ve already brought a cat home that is a little terror, but otherwise it’s going good.”
“Oh, good, good,” she says absentmindedly as she texts something before dropping her phone, then looks at me but does a double-take.
“You’re pregnant again?!”Nat gasps, looking at my swollen stomach, and I smile slightly, a little confused by whatever look she’s giving me right now, a look I can’t decipher, and my gut tightens because it was the same look when I told her I was pregnant. That the doctors confirmed it three years ago, and I was raped.
“I am,” I say as I put the garlic on the counter, my gut telling me to get out of the shop confusing me.
“Is it uh, Talens?” she asks, not taking her eyes off my stomach, her face pale.
“No,” I deny as I scrutinize her, her hands trembling a little, “It’s Tylers. I dumped Talen Nat.”
She looks at me, and guilt washes over her, and I swear my stomach drops as a light bulb goes off on my head.
She wouldn’t…
“You know his name isn’t really Talen, don’t you?” I accuse, the look I couldn’t read, now becoming clearer, the guilt, and she swallows hard, looking away, and I question, “Nat?”
She looks at me with tears in her eyes and stutters, “It-it was you or me, and-and you weren’t that far along back then and Virginia and I spoke about pushing you in his direction instead, she wanted Trigger and I-I didn’t want to be sold. But then he-he became obsessed with you, he-he wanted you for himself after he raped you…”
He…as in…
“Oh god,” I choke as I step back, holding my stomach with fear, and her eyes go to the movement as my eyes go to her phone, and I take another step back.
“I’m sorry, Ashley, but it was me or you,” she says, and I snap, “I was fucking pregnant, you stupid, selfish, bitch!”
She flinches, and I chuckle darkly, “And you’ve just gone and done it again, haven’t you?” just as a hand comes over my mouth, and I feel something poking in my back.
A gun…
“I’m sorry,” she cries as Talen or whatever the hell his name is chuckles darkly, “No, you’re not, and you certainly weren’t when you allowed me to fuck your ass over the last few months.”
