Page 34

This morning I woke up in Ringo’s arms. He was still naked, and I was still fully clothed, but everything felt different.

I know we didn’t have sex. That’s still a hurdle I’ll have to figure out, but what we did share together means so much more than anything I’ve experienced.

He gave me control.

I didn’t have to demand it. Fight for it. Beg for it. He just gave it to me, because he knew that’s what I needed.

I wonder if he’ll ever truly know how much that means to me.

I guess I could tell him, and maybe I will tonight, when we are alone again. Just him and me hidden away in his bed.

I hope he lets me touch him again like I did. I know I shouldn’t have done that without asking first. I’m feeling guilty about that, especially since I feel so strongly about consent. I don’t even have an excuse for it other than I was driven by this insatiable need churning deep inside me that controlled my actions.

Still, it doesn’t make it right.

“What’s the frown for?” JD asks, bumping me with his shoulder as we stand in the shade, our eyes trained on the chaos in the middle of the courtyard where the Doxies are lined up with white t-shirts that are ten sizes too small for them as some of the men squirt their chests with huge water guns.

“Shouldn’t they be like working or something? Lockdown ended on Wednesday night. Surely, they have better things to do.”

JD chuckles. “Yeah, you would think so, wouldn’t you? But it’s Friday.”

Glancing up at the towering man, close to the same height as Ringo, I take in his mussed beard and hair. “What happens on Fridays?” I ask and he points to the giggling Doxies whose tits are clearly visible through the thin fabric.

“Shit like this,” JD offers, like that makes total sense, and I shake my head in disbelief.

“I guess every day is a party, hey?”

“Now you’re getting it.” JD nudges my shoulder again.

“Stop chatting up my woman.” Ringo’s gruff voice comes from behind us, so we turn to see him glaring at JD, as much as his bruised face will let him.

“I don’t remember you being this possessive with—”

“Shut the fuck up.” Ringo snarls, cutting JD off before his eyes settle on me and soften. “Hey, Angel.”

My grin is from ear to ear. I can feel it. My cheeks are on fire too as he smiles at me.

I kind of want to ask him who JD was just referring to, but I love the way he’s looking at me so much. I don’t want anything to take it away.

“What the fuck is going on here? Lovey dovey eyes?” JD snickers and darts out of the way when Ringo tries to whack him. “Too slow. You look a little battered there, brother.”

“I wonder why,” Ringo scoffs, reaching out to me absentmindedly and tugging me to his side.

We fit together so naturally. It should be weird, right? Nothing about how we met or our pasts fit. We are polar opposites. It’s safe to say Ringo comes from the wrong side of the tracks compared to me.

Yet, still, the way he holds me, the way this thumb brushes back and forth absentmindedly over my nape before he runs his fingers through my hair, all while he continues talking shit with his best mate, it feels so easy.

“You should have woken me when you got up,” Ringo rasps against my ear when JD heads to the centre of the courtyard to join the wet t-shirt competition, or whatever it is they are doing.

“You looked so peaceful. I wanted to let you get some sleep since I kind of woke you through the night.”

His eyes meet mine as he turns me, pressing me back against the porch post, bracing one hand above my head as he leans in close.

“You can wake me anytime you want something like that, Angel.”

His nearness has me feeling dizzy, but in a good way. My heart races and my tongue darts out to lick my lips as he closes the distance .

I swear I melt the moment our lips meet. My heart thrashes in excitement and something that feels like hope blooms in my chest.

I’m not sure what the hope is.

Hope for more with Ringo? Or just general hope that perhaps I’ll be okay.

I have no idea what my future looks like. There’s so much yet to figure out. The reason I was desperate to flee my home is still a situation I have to face. And soon.

But today, right now, I’m here with Ringo. I’m here at the Western, somewhere in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, and I’m safe.

Threading his fingers into my hair, Ringo deepens our kiss, angling my head back as he draws me flush with him.

I can feel his erection pressing against me. A hard rod that doesn’t seem so scary now that I’ve had my hand wrapped around it until he came.

Oh man, just remembering that moment has heat pooling between my legs, and I moan into our kiss.

“Ahhh, Ringo?”

The male voice has Ringo growling into my mouth this time, and he barely pulls back, instead speaking against my lips.

“What the fuck do you want, Brody?” he snaps, but then pulls back abruptly to glare at the guy. “Why the fuck are you still here? I thought I told you to fucking leave.”

“Prez wants you. We found Morris.”

I stiffen as Ringo shoves back off the post.

“Where is he?”

“In the garage,” Brody gestures his head behind him, and my eyes dart to the door that leads to the underground parking garage.

Ringo starts storming towards the door, JD hurrying to his side, obviously having seen something was up, while Brody and I stare at each other for a beat.

“Who is Morris?” I ask quietly as we start following behind.

“Morris was a prospect like me. He was one of the guys manning the gates when the pigs showed up the other day.”

My brows shoot up, mainly because Brody used the term ‘was’ implying he is no more.

Surely, I misunderstood him.

Ringo’s long strides are hard to keep up with, him and JD hurrying out of sight so fast that I find myself nearly jogging to catch up.

“I don’t know if you want to go in there,” Brody states as we come to the garage entrance but feminine crying meets my ears and I can’t help it. I push past Brody and hurry inside.

The first thing I notice is the smell. It’s pungent and vile, and I immediately gag.

Lifting the neck of the hoodie, I hide my nose inside, moving towards the gathered men and the few Doxies all standing around the back of a car with the trunk open.

“Who found him?” Ringo asks, his gaze shifting from the trunk to Smitty.

“It’s my car.” Casey sobs as Celina tries to comfort her. “I was going to drive to the store, but something smelt off, and I opened… ”

That’s the moment I step up behind Casey and Celina and see a body crammed into the trunk, the greying skin and smell telling me that Morris is, in fact, dead. Right there.

“I’m going to be sic—” Casey spins, vomit spraying from her mouth, and all down the front of my hoodie.

I gasp, Celina diverts Casey to the side where she keeps hurling, and I stand wide eyed, covered in puke as I fight not to join in.

“Fuck, Angel.” Ringo takes a step towards me, but I shake my head, moving back, waving my hand dismissively at him.

“No. It’s fine. I’ll just go and clean myself up.” I rush out, needing to get out of there before this becomes a puke party.

Ringo nods, concern clearly etched across his face, and I spin, hurrying for the door where a smug-faced Wendy is leaning against the wall.

“Looks like you got a little something on you.” She snickers, and I shoot her a glare as I pass by.

“Fuck off, Wendy,” I snap and Wendy gasps.

“Rude.” She scoffs, and oh my god, I can’t believe I just said that to her.

Even though I’m covered in puke, I can’t help but inwardly smile at how much more I feel like the old me today. It’s a good feeling, reminding me that once upon a time I was stronger, and that perhaps I’ll be strong again one day soon.

Rushing into Ringo’s room, I grab a new hoodie from his drawer on my way past and duck into the bathroom, trying to figure out how to get the damn thing off without getting it all over my hair .

Draping the clean hoodie over the towel rack, I ease my hands into the hoodie before using them to wiggle the neckline up and over my head without getting the vom on me.

The moment the fabric is free of me, I toss it into the bathtub and sigh.

“Shit,” I whisper to myself, even as I grin.

That could have been worse. I’m grateful it wasn’t.

Sighing, I take a moment to assess my lower half.

Since the hoodie was so long, my shorts were saved, but there are some puke splashes on my legs and runners.

Getting a washcloth, I quickly clean myself up, wondering if perhaps I should have just had a shower. And maybe I will after I figure out how to get the hoodie clean.

It’s hot, and with this moment of freeness without the hoodie engulfing me, I take a moment to splash some water on my face and neck.

“I knew it.”

I gasp and jump, startled at the female voice, my head darting to the open bathroom door as I spin to face the woman filling it.

Wendy.

Oh shit.

“He doesn’t know, does he?” she snaps, her eyes dropping down my body.

For a moment I just stand there stunned, not sure what to do, but then panic sets in, and I spin and lurch for the towel rack where the clean hoodie is hanging.

“It’s too late, Abbey. I’ve already seen.” Wendy steps into the room as I hold the hoodie in front of me before she lurches forward and snatches it from my grip .

“Give that back!” I screech, but smug-faced Wendy just scoffs, shaking her head as she steps backwards.

“Fuck no. I’m not missing this.”

No. This can’t be happening.

The sound of male voices outside Ringo’s room has me stiffening while Wendy beams.

“Give it to me,” I whisper-yell at the bitch, but she laughs like I’m a fool.

“How long did you think you could hide that?” she asks, but I can tell her question is rhetorical. “He’s going to lose his shit. Let’s see how fast he kicks you out.”

The voices get closer, coming into the bedroom, and I know one of them is Ringo’s.

Shit.

What do I do?

It wasn’t meant to happen like this.

I need more time.

Panicked, I lurch forward and try to snatch back the hoodie, gripping the fabric and pulling, but Wendy widens her stance and holds on for dear life, a battle of tug of war taking place in the small space of Ringo’s bathroom.

“What the fuck are you doing, Wendy?”

Ringo’s menacing growl meets our ears, my eyes widening as Wendy smirks at me.

And then she yanks hard, pulling the hoodie from my grip before stepping aside to reveal Ringo behind her.

“I thought you should see this.” Her tone is nothing but smug. Pleased to finally have one up on me, but I no longer care about her. I only care about the man filling the doorway as his eyes scan me .

All of me.

My breathing becomes shallow as his brows draw in, the secret I’ve tried to keep hidden until I could figure something out, revealed too soon.

Feeling exposed, I reach across my swollen stomach, trying to cover myself, but it’s grown too big over the last few days. It wouldn’t have been long before even the hoodie wouldn’t be able to hide it.

“Did you know she was pregnant when you saved her?” Wendy asks like the child growing inside me is a vile thing.

And I guess, with how it came about, most would think it’s an abomination. How could I ever want to keep it when it was created with hate? Violence? Depravity?

Slowly, Ringo starts shaking his head, his face contorting with what can only be described as pain.

“No.” It’s a whisper, Ringo’s eyes glued to my stomach.

“Ringo?” I whimper, not understanding exactly what’s happening here.

He’s angry. I get it. I lied. Or at least I didn’t tell him my whole situation. But this, whatever this is, is different.

Ringo takes a step back, and then another before he’s quickly backing away, his expression morphing into fear as he shakes his head.

“I’m sorry. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t know how,” I cry out, taking a step towards him, but he continues to retreat.

“No.” He shakes his head over and over as he gets to the mouth of the wardrobe, which is when the man I thought I knew vanishes. “NO!”

His roar is deafening, and he spins and starts punching the wall by the open shelves.

I squeak and jump back, my heart about leaping from my chest as his rage unleashes, and Wendy turns back to me, grinning.

With another loud animalistic roar, Ringo surges into the bedroom out of view, and things start smashing before JD hurries in, frantically trying to assess the situation.

“What happ—” he stalls, skidding to a stop just outside the bathroom door, his eyes wide as he takes me in. “Oh, fuck.”

Turning quickly, JD darts back out into the room, his voice floating in as he calls for more of his brothers.

“I need some help in here!”

Tears burst from my eyes, my chest hurting right in the centre like a hand is reaching in and squeezing it.

“You stupid bitch. You really think you could fool Ringo?” Wendy snarls, coming to stand before me.

“I was going to tell him, I…”

“He doesn’t want damaged goods, Charity Case. You need to fuck right off and take your bastard pregnancy with you. He has no interest in raising someone else’s kid.”

And there they are. The words I knew I’d hear once word got out.

No one will understand why I’d choose this. Why I’d willingly have the child of a rapist.

It’s not their choice though, it’s mine.

Those men may have left me wounded, but no one will break me, not when my child needs me.

Still, Ringo’s reaction stings, bad, and a sob lurches from my throat as I remember the words he said but clearly didn’t mean .

“There’s nothing you can say that would make me want to turn my back on you. Nothing would stop me from wanting to protect you.”

“Why the fuck are you still here?” Wendy leans close and whispers in my face. “If you don’t run, he’ll fucking kill you.”

She shoves the clean hoodie at me, and I brace it to my chest as I stumble forward, hurrying from the bathroom.

She’s right.

I have to go.

I can’t stay here.

I’m not safe.

And if I’m not safe, my baby isn’t safe.

Without a second thought, I slip the clean hoodie on and run through the bedroom towards the open door. In my peripheral, I see three men holding a roaring Ringo face down on the bed, and once I’m out the door, I run like I’ve never run before.

Holy shit! Are you ready to find out what happens next?