Today has been a long and stressful day. One reason was that I was in a different environment with people I didn’t know. The other was that I hadn’t slept worth a damn last night or for the past three nights. My restful sleep ended the night when Iceman got up and left my bed with barely an explanation other than there was trouble at the compound, and he had to go. He refused to let me go with him. It was supposedly for my protection. I didn’t like it, but I accepted it.
However, as Saturday passed and Sunday came without a real explanation other than to stay away and he’d talk to me soon, excuses morphed into anger. What the fuck could be so secret he couldn’t take five minutes to speak to me on the phone? I’d asked him to, but he refused. Other reasons for his behavior came to mind, and those added to my anger and hurt. This was why, on Sunday afternoon, when Director Higgins called me and asked hesitantly if I’d be willing to go to Knoxville to help train their traveler for that office, just for a few days, I’d agreed. It seemed no one had time to help the guy get up to speed on documentation and such, which was hurting them.
Sage and Aspen had a few days without classes, so they could come with me and bring the dogs. I didn’t feel right leaving them there alone, even if they were old enough to take care of themselves. It had been a mad dash to pack and get us all loaded into my car and off to Knoxville.
When Iceman texted me that evening to say he was coming over, I responded curtly and then didn’t bother to answer his following texts or calls. Eventually, I shut off my phone. Just because he was suddenly ready to see and possibly talk to me didn’t mean I was prepared to do so. I was feeling very childish, but I couldn’t seem to help it.
My sisters tried to reassure me he had a good reason for why he acted the way he had, and he hadn’t been jerking me around. I wasn’t sure. Until I could talk to him unemotionally, it was best to say nothing, not even in a text. That didn’t mean I wasn’t wondering what he was doing, if he was okay, or a host of other things. I’d forced myself to keep my phone off so I wouldn’t be distracted while I trained Dariel. My sisters had the office number and would call there if they needed me.
I was pleasantly surprised. Dariel was a very competent PT with a load of experience. His issue was no one could or would take the time to show him the convoluted electronic medical record system we used. It was old and needed to be replaced. It wasn’t user-friendly, but I’d mastered it. Back home, I taught new employees how to use it, which was why Higgins asked me to come here. He was paying me handsomely to do it, too. He even took care of telling Joni where I was and making sure she covered my patients.
I hated to leave them in a lurch, so I reached out to everyone on my schedule for Monday through Wednesday, told them I was gone, and gave them the choice of whether to wait and see me after I returned or not. I didn’t want them walking in and not knowing. Some were very picky. If I had to, I’d work late or even the weekend to catch them up. All were thankful for the call and said they’d talk to the office about whether they would wait.
After a long but productive day at the office, I returned to the hotel to shower. Since Dariel was a traveling PT, he didn’t know anyone in Knoxville. I mentioned that he, my sisters, and I should go to dinner together. It was lonely to eat alone. He’d been happy to accept. We were to meet in the hotel lobby at six forty-five. He was staying in the same one as us.
I’d turned on my phone earlier long enough to tell the twins the plan so they could be ready. They were dressed and impatiently waiting for me to be done. Blizzard and Icicle greeted me enthusiastically, as always, and demanded their head rubs and kisses before I could take my shower.
I was finished with it and was blow-drying my hair now. Over the noise, I swear I heard the boys barking excitedly. I hoped the girls didn’t wind them up too much. I didn’t want other hotel guests complaining. When it continued, I turned off the dryer, opened the bathroom door, and came hurrying out.
“You can’t let them bark like…” my words disappeared as I saw why they were going crazy.
Standing in the room with them and my sisters was Iceman. He straightened from his crouch where he’d been rubbing their heads and turned to face me. I froze. I wasn’t ready to see him. Why hadn’t Aspen or Sage warned me? Why did they let him in? He took a step toward me, but I held up my hand. He stopped, much to my amazement.
“Iceman, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. We need to talk. I admit I hadn’t expected to see the whole family, but I’m glad. I was wondering where they were.” Just the sound of his voice made my body react, yet I fought not to show it.
“You have to leave. I’m working. I can’t have you here,” I told him.
“You’re not working at the moment. We need to talk and clear the air. I know you’re upset. I came to explain. I tried last night, but you wouldn’t talk to me. You said nothing about not being in town, just that you weren’t home.” I heard a trace of accusation in his tone. It scraped along my nerves.
“But you clearly found out where I went. Excuse me, but we have dinner plans, and I need to finish getting ready.”
“Fine, we’ll go to dinner. Loki came with me. I’ll tell him to get his ass here.” He took out his phone.
I marched over and grabbed his phone out of his hand. “You aren’t invited, and neither is Loki. A work associate is waiting for us. He’ll wonder whether we’re still going if I’m late. Girls, make sure you’ve got Icicle and Blizzard settled. They can’t be making noise.” When I got them alone, I planned to chew them out for not warning me and letting him in the room.
“Is this someone you’ve worked with before? I thought you didn’t know anyone out here,” he stated.
“I don’t, not really. As for Dariel, I just met him today, but we decided to keep each other company. It’s lonely when you don’t know anyone. We can help entertain each other,” I said. I didn’t mean it suggestively, but the look that Iceman got told me he’d taken it that way.
“Sage, Aspen, take the dogs and go to room two-fifteen. That’s Loki’s room. You can hang with him. I need to talk to your sister alone,” he said softly.
“You two stay here. Iceman, you have no right to send my sisters anywhere. I told you. I don’t have time to talk. We’ll be late for dinner. Whatever you have to say will have to wait. Just because you’re ready to converse with me doesn’t mean I am with you.”
I turned my back to go back to the bathroom. Arguing with him wasn’t what I planned to do. My wrist was hooked, and I was swung around to find myself pressed up against his chest. He had his arms wrapped around me before I knew it. My arms were trapped at my sides, but I tried to wiggle free. When I couldn’t, I glared at him.
“Iceman, let me go,” I demanded.
“I get you’re trying to teach me a lesson. I know you’re angry, but don’t think I’m going back to Hunters Creek and sitting on my ass waiting for you to come back one day to talk to me. And don’t bring another man into the picture. Putting one in the middle of this will only get him hurt,” he said even softer.
“Dariel isn’t being put in the middle of anything. We’re going to dinner. I’m not going out and then coming back to his room to fuck him. Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m not a fuck-and-run type,” I hissed.
“Girls, go,” he barked.
The traitors scooped up the dogs and ran for the door. My temper was up, and if he wanted to talk, he’d get one. The door shut behind them, and I kicked his shin. He hauled me, struggling, to the bed. I was pressed down on it. His weight kept me from getting free where I could fight. As he held me there, I watched him snatch my cell phone off the nightstand. It had a distinctive gold cover on it.
“Give me my phone!” I snapped.
“Nope. I’m finding this Dariel and telling him to go to dinner by himself unless he wants his arms and legs torn off and his head shoved up his ass. He’s staying away from my woman,” he muttered.
“You’re a goddamn idiot. He’s not going to dinner to do anything to or with me. He’s going with all three of us. Besides, you don’t have the right to say anything. I’m not yours.”
I swear his eyes burned into mine. “Like hell, you’re not. Either text and tell him you can’t, or I’ll call the bastard and meet him outside.” The snarl in his voice told me he would. Not wanting to air my messy personal shit at work and in front of a stranger, I took it and tapped out a message.
“I want to see it before you send it,” he demanded.
I let him think he was in control.
Me: Dariel, sorry something came up, and we have to cancel tonight. Will see you tomorrow in the office. Have a good evening. I’m sorry. Maybe we can go tomorrow night.
Iceman removed the last sentence and nodded when I sent the edited version. As he leaned over to put my phone back, he shifted. I took my free arm, and when he turned his head back to me, I punched him in the face. He swore but didn’t let go like I hoped. Instead, He grabbed my free arm and pinned it to the bed.
“What the hell was that for?”
“For being a domineering asshole. You want to talk, do it, and then you get the fuck out of my room. And Iceman, you’d better never come near me or my sisters again. Because if you do, I’ll do far worse,” I hissed.
He had the audacity to look lost. His next words showed he was either a great liar or clueless. “Meadow, what the fuck has gotten into you? I’ve never seen you act this way. All I want to do is talk and explain what happened and why I didn’t tell you sooner. I know I should’ve. I’m sorry. I’m new to this whole relationship business.”
“There is no relationship. You had fun. What’s wrong? Did you decide you wanted one more fuck, so you came back thinking I’d be so thankful for one I’d spread my legs and let you have it? Well, think again. You already fucked me twice. Once when you said your lies and then when you actually put your cock inside of me. I’ll pass on a repeat.”
“Shut up, and don’t say that again. I don’t know what lies I’ve supposedly told you.”
“You’re like all other men. Out to get what you want, and then you’re on your merry way. You left my bed with some pathetic excuse that there was stuff happening at the compound. You wouldn’t let me come with you because it was too dangerous. Then, whenever I asked what was wrong and wanted to talk about it, you gave me lame excuses. I know that game. I’ve played it before. It’s called you’re all attentive during the chase, but as soon as you get what you want, you disappear. What’s wrong? All the sluts who come to the clubhouse busy fucking your brothers, and you can’t get a time slot? Or do you want some strange again? Hell, did you ever stop screwing them? I doubt it,” I snarled.
He was bringing back every bad experience I ever had with a guy. No matter what, they all left and ended up using me. It was my lot in life, I guess. I’d been stupid and thought he would be different. This was it. I was done with men. I’d live out my life alone, or maybe I’d turn lesbian and have better odds.
His eyes widened. He was about to say more, but there was a loud pounding on the door. I went to scream, but his hand covered my mouth.
“We’re not to be disturbed,” he called out.
“Ice, let me in,” Loki said through the door.
“Give me a minute,” he said loudly. “I’ll be back,” he muttered to me.
When he moved off me, I rolled to the opposite side of the bed. I would’ve gone for my phone, but he snatched it up and took it with him. I was scanning the room for a weapon or a way out. Two against one. I didn’t like those odds. Where were my sisters? Seeing nothing but the lamp on the nightstands and the desk, I almost grabbed one, but then my gaze landed on the glass slider. I could hear them whispering at the door. Taking a chance, I ran over and yanked the slider open. This room had a small balcony on it. My sisters had sat out there today.
I heard Iceman call out my name and tell me to stop, but I didn’t listen. No way would I stay in that room with two bikers I honestly didn’t know—I only thought I had. I ran out the door and to the railing. We were on the second floor. There were bushes below. Hopefully, they will break my fall. Then I’d go for help and pray they’d be able to get to Aspen and Sage in time. I hoisted my left leg over and was about to swing the other over when I was snagged around the waist and hauled back toward the room.
I fought as hard as possible, kicking and throwing my head back. I tried to scream, but there was a hand over my mouth. He was smart enough not to let me get my teeth into him. I was carried to one of the beds, and then my captor sat down with me on his lap. Seeing Loki standing there with a shocked look on his face told me I was in Iceman’s arms. I guess the only thing I could do was plead for them not to hurt my sisters. As long as they didn’t, it wouldn’t matter what they did to me.
“I’m moving my hand. Don’t scream. We just want to talk,” Iceman said. I nodded to show I’d heard him. He slowly removed it.
“What the fuck were you thinking? You could’ve seriously hurt yourself or even died jumping off that balcony,” Iceman snapped.
“Don’t hurt them. I’ll do whatever you want. Just let them go. They’re not part of this,” I said urgently.
“Who?” Loki asked, frowning.
“My sisters. Let Sage and Aspen go. You can do whatever you want to me just let them go. They’re girls.”
“You think we’d hurt them, you? Jesus Christ, what the fuck has been going on in here?” Loki asked Iceman harshly.
“I’ve been trying to talk to her. She’s going out with another man. I put a stop to it and told her we had to talk, but she kept saying crazy shit about the bunnies and me and how I lied and used her and was coming back for another fuck. Hell, I don’t know what’s got her so crazy,” he muttered.
Loki groaned. “God, this is a fucked-up mess. Meadow, we need you to listen to Iceman. He’s going to explain what’s been happening for the past few days. Your sisters are in my room watching television. If it makes you feel better, call them and see. No one is planning to hurt any of you. Why would you ever think that?”
“I thought I could trust him. That he was different, but he’s not. I don’t know why he suddenly wants to explain or more like lie to me, but I don’t care. I’m not falling for it. I should’ve never slept with him. As soon as I did, he found an excuse to leave, and then he practically ghosted me for days. I get the picture. Why not stay gone? You had no reason or right to follow me here. I’m working. And you had no right to threaten Dariel just for wanting to have someone to eat dinner with.”
I knew I was rambling, but my head was pounding, and my brain was a jumbled mess. I’d been feeling like this since Saturday. I had clear points to make with Iceman if I ever saw him again, but they were tangled up in my head. The room seemed blurry. I blinked my eyes to clear them, but it didn’t help. I shook my head, but a wave of breathlessness hit me.
“Let go of me. I can’t breathe,” I told Iceman as I pushed at his arms.
“I’m not letting go of you, so you can try to take another header off the balcony. Talk to me. You’re not making sense,” Iceman said.
I kept trying to pry his hands free. When that didn’t happen, I asked for something else. “I want you to get my sisters. I need to see them. Bring them here. Right now.” Fear for them suddenly pounded in my chest.
Vaguely, I saw and heard Iceman toss my phone to Loki and say, “Call them and tell them to get here now. She won’t stop unless we show they’re safe. Although why she’d ever think we’d hurt them, I don’t know.
“I’ve got to make them safe. I have to protect them,” I heard someone say. I blinked again. Who had turned the lights down?
I wasn’t sure how long it was before there was a knock, and Loki got up to answer. When I saw the twins, relief hit me. I tried to stand, but I was still being held down.
“Let go,” I ordered.
Iceman’s arms slowly released me. I stood and took two stumbling steps toward my sisters, who wore scared expressions as they hugged the dogs, who were barking for my attention. I reached toward them to reassure them, and then I fell. I heard screams and more barking, along with loud male voices shouting, and then it went silent.