I stand and start to pace back and forth. “I don’t know. Isn’t that what criminal organizations do when you are the cause of drugs going missing?”
He grabs me by both my shoulders and steadys me. “Nothing will happen to you or Charlie for this. All of this is on me. You have nothing to worry about.” His thumb glides gently along my collar bone. “I already spoke to my pres, we got the situation handled. You are safe.”
I want to believe him but I don’t even know what safe feels like.
I look up into his soft eyes and get lost for a moment. Can this gentle giant, really be a part of a motorcycle gang? Or club whatever. Can the hands that are on my shoulders really hurt another human being? He is so kind to me and Charlie. A thought rushes to my mind and before I can stop myself I blurt it out. “Do you hurt people?”
His thumb stills close to my neck and he looks down at me. His stare turns hard for a moment before he smirks. “I am not a good man, Blake. Of course I hurt people. But only if they deserve it.”
Would he hurt someone for me?
“Mommy?” Charlie's voice comes from the other side of the door, and I panic, flicking my cigarette into the yard. My thought dies right on the edge of my tongue.
“Shit.” I wave my hand in front of my face, trying to get the smoke to clear. I rush over to the door and look back at Hunter. “I’m so sorry. I’ll grab the butt after I put Charlie back to bed.” I open the door and squeeze inside. “Hey, baby.” I scoop her into my arms.
She scrunches her nose. “Why do you smell like that, Mommy?”
“I was just hanging out with Mr. Hunter, baby.” I hate lying to her, but I don’t plan to start smoking again.
I bring her back to the bedroom and sit her on the bed. “Why are you awake?”
She squirms. “I have to potty.”
“Oh, okay. Come in here.” I get up and turn the light on to the bathroom.
I help her onto the toilet and step out of the way to give her a bit of privacy. While she uses the restroom, I go in search of something to spray on me so that I don’t smell like smoke anymore. I spot a can of cologne by the sink and quickly spray it a couple of times on my chest and wrists.
“All done!” Charlie yells, and I rush over to her.
“Shh, baby. People might be sleeping.” I help her pull her pants back on.
Once she is tucked back in bed, I rub her head until she falls back asleep.
I wish I could say that as soon as Charlie fell asleep, I followed after her, but sleep eludes me. I stare at the ceiling and watch as the fan spins. Trying to make my eyes fixate on one blade at a time.
I sigh. What the hell am I doing? Leaving my life behind only to fall into the arms of another man. What kind of piece of shit human being am I?
I should have just kept driving. Drove until I found a nice, secluded town to stay for the night. I wish I could have gone to my mom’s.
Fuck! I quickly sit up in my bed. I forgot to message her and tell her what was going on. I just fucking left and didn’t think about anything else.
I rush to grab my phone from my bag and see multiple missed calls from her and Craig. Along with missed messages from him as well. Not having the mental capacity for him right now, I pull up the messages from my mother and open a new one.
I will be out of town for a little while, Mama. Don’t let Craig anywhere near your house.
I click the send button.
I didn’t tell her everything that’s going on because I don’t want to scare her. I know she is going to have questions about Craig, but at least I warned her a little beforehand. I was thinking that Craig might have been hurt worse than he is, but by the string of messages I am looking at, I can see he is alive and well.
Answer me!
I scroll to the next message.
Blake, I swear to God, if you don’t answer this fucking phone you are going to pay!
I scoff.How the hell are you going to make me pay?
What kind of mother takes a child away from her loving father? Who fucking does that?
