I laugh for the first time in ages and nod. “I’ll remember that.”
In the bar, King is still trying it on with the Mayor’s daughter. Laughing to myself, I shake my head, and head up the stairs to check on my own pain in the ass woman.
21
Victoria
The sun is shining brightly today and as usual it spikes my happiness. Though I’m sat in the shade while I feed River. I stretch my legs out on the lounger and relish in the warmth, taking advantage of it before fall truly sets in. I think if Ford can find himself a good woman, it will give him a positive reason to focus. If it doesn’t work out, he has the club and his brothers to fall back on.
“I was wondering but I’m starting to see what Luca sees in you.”
Glancing up, Annabel has appeared from nowhere. Luca would remind me I have to be aware of my surroundings at all times, I guess I should start listening.
“Oh?”
She’s caught me off guard. Why would she be wondering anything about us.
“I heard you talking in the kitchen with one of the bikers earlier. You have a way about you.”
I grace her by looking up at her and keeping my eyes on hers. I live my life not concerning myself in other people’s business. Itake people on face value until they prove themselves unworthy of my kindness, or if the club tells me they’re not our friend.
But looking at her now, I see an unbalanced personality shimmering around her like a second skin.
“It fascinates me why you wonder about Luca and me at all.”
Her shrug is small. “It’s natural to wonder about people you’re not used to being around.”
She has a point but why go out of her way to express her wonderment to me. Not that I’m going to show the building irritation she’s causing me.
“I visit new places, meet new people, all the time. I don’t wonder about their lives and relationships. It seems like an invasion of privacy.”
I don’t hide the bite in my tone. I watch on as she sits her tiny ass on the end of my lounger. I get that everyone’s different. Some people are more confident than others. But Annabel’s audacity is brushing me the wrong way.
Maybe if I ignore her, she’ll go away. I’m not that lucky because she goes on to say, “You haven’t asked if you should be worried about me.”
Laughter erupts from me. I can’t help it, but it annoys her so I’m all for it.
I tell her honestly, “It never occurred to me to ask because out of the things I worry about, you’re not, nor will you ever be, one of them.”
Taking the bottle from River’s mouth, I place it under my arm and stand with River safely in my arms. Annabel stays on her ass and leans back on her hands, jutting her chest out like it’s impressive or something.
“I don’t care what game you’re playing because games are irrelevant when you’re the only one playing.” River starts to play up and I sway to soothe him. “The things Luca has done for me, what I would do for him, nothing and no one can come betweenus. You could walk around naked, and I still wouldn’t worry about him around you. So play your pathetic game and you’ll find out what we do to people like you.”
“What would Luca think about his loving wife making such threats?”
I grin. “Oh, honey, it would make him hard, and I’d be in for one hell of a night… if you know what I mean.”
She stays outside while I make my way up to my room. If my dad was still around, he’d tell me that I’m secure in my marriage and just to ignore her which was my original plan. My grandpa would tell me to make the fly disappear. Fuck, I miss them so much. I can no longer call them and talk with them when I want. It’s true what I told Annabel. I don’t have it in me to worry about something I know will never happen, especially when I’m dealing with such sadness, sometimes I believe it’s going to swallow me whole.
Luca’s pacing our room while on the phone. I lay River down on his playmat and fall on the bed.
“They were already on my kill list for taking pops at us, now I just want them rotting in the ground.”
It’s hard not to listen when his is the only voice in the room. I’m not surprised another club is looking to edge its way into the city. It’s a big place and there’s plenty of cash to be made. It was only a matter of time before this happened, and Luca had to defend his territory.
“Dad said the same thing. Why the fuck do either of you think I can’t handle this with my own chapter?”
I can’t hear what Leo’s saying on the other end, but I can guess. Luca laughs coldly and ends the call.
