Page 73 of Clash

“Bad man?”

Bessie hobbled out of the door, ushering all of us, even Clash, inside.

“What’s going on, Bess?”

“A strange man came to the door asking questions about you. He said he was a cop, but he refused to show me a badge. He definitely didn’t look like any cop I’d ever seen. He had tattoos up and down his body, and there was an evil look to him, one I can’t quite explain. I never get visitors, and something told me to hide Alex before answering the door. I’m so glad I did, because the man was definitely looking for him. I managed to scare him off, but he said he may come back for more information.” She gave me a pensive, worried look. “You’re not safe here anymore, Gina. I’m sorry. I wish I did a better job of protecting you, but I just can’t anymore.” She hung her head in shame.

“It’s okay, Bess We knew this day would eventually come. I just wish I had some place to go.”

His heated stare was practically burning my neck, and I knew what he was thinking before he ever said a word. “Pack your stuff, Gina. You’re coming back home with me.”

“The fuck I am.”

Bess patted my hand. “Gina, you have to go with him. The man is right, you’d be better off with someone like him than youever would with an old woman like me. Take my car, that way, if you need to get away fast, you have a getaway vehicle.”

“Bess, I can’t leave you like this. What if the man comes back here and hurts you?”

“I’ve lived a very long and honorable life, if it’s my time to go, I’ll happily leave this earth knowing I did so while protecting you and your sweet boy. Don’t fight this, Gina. Let the man and his club protect you—at least for a couple days.”

Tears pricked my eyes.

“No!” I cried out. “I can’t…”

Alex tugged on my pant leg, forcing me to look at him. “Please, Mommy. I don’t feel safe here anymore.”

The way his lip quivered and shook made my bleeding heart melt like a marshmallow in hot cocoa. As much as I hated Clash, he was the only viable option to keep me and my son safe right now.

“Okay.” Reluctance took over my tone. After the night I just had with him, I was afraid of what would happen if I stayed under his roof again.

I was strangely drawn to him and repulsed all at the same time. The man was a walking disaster, but my body craved his touch and the way his deadly hazel eyes devoured me whole.

I hated Clash, and everything he stood for.

But something about him intrigued me, and even though I loathed his existence in this world, he was whittling away all the cracks in my foundation, making me weak and ready to fall straight into his arms.

This was seriously the worst idea ever.

25

You could see the fear in her eyes. The disappointment as well. I wanted to ease all her worries by assuring her that everything was going to be alright, but I wasn’t sure of that anymore.

Something was telling me that her ex somehow had found her, making her a sitting duck in that house. She tracked my movements as I made my way across the room, almost like she was expecting me to strike.

I wouldn’t, but she didn’t know that.

“Gina, can you answer me a question?”

She shrugged. “I guess…”

“Did you happen to do something that may have alerted your husband as to where you are?”

Her eyes said everything even though she didn’t say a word. “I may have called my sister. She said he had a private investigator looking at my case, and was pestering her for information.”

“Fuck, this isn’t good.”

“Why?”

“Because something feels off. I don’t know if you should leave the house right now.”