Page 16

Tillie

“Not again.”

My phone rang practically nonstop for the next several days. I’d debated blocking their number, but couldn’t quite make myself do it.

“If this doesn’t stop, I’m going to deal with it.” Xavier was as easygoing as they came. Until someone fucked with me. While I had no desire for my parents to be hurt or anything, it was sexy as fuck to know this man had my back in everything.

“Honestly, it’s as much my fault as it is theirs. If I’d talk to them, they’d stop calling.”

“Want me to talk to them? Because I’d love to.”

If we both lived to be a hundred, I’d never tire of this man’s unwavering loyalty. “I appreciate the offer more than you could ever know, but I’ll handle them.” My phone started ringing again. “Just not right now.”

I powered down my phone with a grimace and tossed it onto the couch. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Xavier’s expression darkened as he watched me. “You don’t owe them a damn thing, Tillie. Not your time, not an explanation. Nothing.”

“I know.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “But they’re still my parents. As awful as they are, there’s this stupid part of me that keeps hoping they’ll change. Or that they’d at least accept me for who I am. Not what I can do for them.”

Xavier crossed the room and pulled me against his chest, his arms a fortress around me. “That ain’t stupid, baby. That’s just you being who you are. You’re someone who’s been through hell and back and still made a new life for herself.”

“I never could have done it without you, you know,” I confessed softly, smiling up at him. “Best therapy ever.” I melted into his embrace, drawing strength from his solid presence. “When did you get so wise?”

“Prison gives a man time to think.” His chuckle rumbled through his chest against my cheek. “That, and watching you every Saturday, learning who you are.”

I smiled against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent of leather, soap, and something uniquely Xavier. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

“To what?” His fingers traced lazy patterns along my spine.

“That you chose to stay in prison longer just to get to know me better.” I pulled back to look at his face. “It’s the most romantic, terrifying thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

“Romantic, huh?” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “That’s what the kids are calling it these days?”

I swatted his arm playfully. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” I love the rasp of his words in that lazy drawl he had going on sometimes. “I know. Just don’t use the R word in front of my brothers, OK? They’ll get all pissy if I outdo them.”

I let it go another week before I decided on a course of action. There was no way around talking to them, so I was going to have to bite the bullet and get it over with. But, dammit, it was so fucking hard!

“Honey, I’m home!” Christ, that man! Xavier could put a smile on my face under the worst of circumstances.

Like I knew he loved, I ran to him and jumped into his arms. “I missed you!”

“Missed you too, honey. You busy this afternoon?”

“Not really. I think I’m actually done for the day.”

“Good. I’ve got to go talk to someone and thought you might like to come with me.” He winked at me. “We’ll take the bike. Chicks dig the bike.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I can’t argue with that. You know I always jump at the chance to go riding with you.”

“Good. Grab your helmet and come on.”

Ten minutes later we were rolling down the interstate.

Two of the guys from the club rode in front of us, two in back, putting us safely in the middle.

I had no idea where we were going and didn’t particularly care.

The only things that mattered were the bike, the guys surrounding us in a bubble of protection, and the man I had my arms wrapped around.

I wasn’t sure how far we went. Not far enough as far as I was concerned.

I was too busy looking at the scenery to worry about our destination.

We pulled off the interstate and into an older section of Nashville to a strip mall with a nightclub and a couple of restaurants in a huge parking lot.

The place looked like it had been abandoned for several years.

The windows in every building other than the nightclub were dusty and grungy.

A couple had the windows broken. The nightclub looked as seedy as they came.

There seemed to be only one other car in the lot, and we were driving toward it. The closer we got, the more sickeningly familiar the vehicle became.

We rolled to a stop in front of the Cadillac SUV. Dad always had to have a new vehicle every year, so he leased. The guys revved the engines a couple times before everyone shut down.

Xavier helped me off his bike and turned me to face him. Putting his hands on my shoulders he gave me an encouraging look. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t want you stressing over this. I’m here to support you while you do this. So are the rest of the guys.”

“I should be mad at you, but I can’t be.” I smiled up at him and Xavier leaned in to kiss me.

“You got this, baby. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

“I’m not afraid of them, Xavier. They’re not going to hurt me.”

“Lots of ways of hurtin’ someone. Words are sometimes as bad as blows.”

“Matilda!” I winced as my mother called out to me from their vehicle. “Matilda, come here, please.”

I took a breath, popping my neck before putting my shoulders back. “I got this.” My muttered pep talk wasn’t much, but I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be. Like, maybe I’d built this up to be worse than it had to be.

As I walked between Oktober and Chains to my waiting parents, Xavier took my hand and squeezed. When I looked up at him, he winked at me and I smiled. I was so in love with this man it wasn’t even funny.

Mom’s face was a carefully composed mask of polite concern, but I could see the flicker of disgust in her eyes as she took in my companions. Dad stood ramrod straight beside the Cadillac, his fingers drumming impatiently against the door.

“What on earth are you wearing?” Mom hissed as I approached, eyeing my leather vest.

“Oh, you haven’t gotten to the good part of my outfit yet.” I smiled and turned around where Xavier’s property patch was prominently displayed. When I faced her again, I kept my smile firmly in place as I made introductions. “This is Xavier. These are my parents, Richard and Eleanor Dyson.”

Xavier nodded once, his hand still firmly clasped in mine. “Ma’am. Sir.”

Dad’s gaze swept over Xavier, taking in his tattooed neck, his cut, his entire presence, before dismissing him entirely. “We’ve been trying to reach you for weeks, Matilda. You shouldn’t worry your mother.”

“Wait a minute.” My mother’s eyes had grown wide, and her mouth was now open in a silent “O” of shock.

“Oh. My. God! That’s the man who killed poor Paul!

Richard! Push the OnStar button! Call 911!

” My mother was actually fanning herself.

I’d have felt sorry for her except I knew she wasn’t outraged on my behalf.

She was angry at Xavier for taking away her ticket to a life of luxury.

That’s all my parents ever cared about in life. Money.

“We weren’t notified you were out of prison.

” My father was still behind the driver’s-side door.

I had no doubt he’d already called the police, and I had the urge to leave.

No one had done anything, but a group of ex-cons intimidating an older rich couple wouldn’t work out well for anyone in my party.

“Why would you be?” I asked, trying to get control of the situation before it spiraled. “You weren’t related to him or Paul.”

“Paul was like a son to us.” My mother dabbed at her eyes. “And this… this… animal took him away from us!”

“This animal picked me up on the side of the road in the middle of the worst storm I’d ever seen.

I was covered from head to toe in bruises, my clothes ripped and bloodstained.

He didn’t ask questions, he simply offered me a ride.

When he finally coaxed me into confiding in him, he made it so Paul would never hurt me again.

” Memories swamped me. Reliving my nightmare was almost more painful than going through it the first time.

I had a visceral reaction to the trauma, breaking out in a sweat.

I had to fight to keep my knees from buckling, but I stayed on my feet.

“You scoffed at me. Told me to quit being a drama queen.”

“Matilda, really,” Mom huffed, crossing her arms. “Paul was under a lot of stress with his company merger. You were always so sensitive, needing all his attention.”

Xavier’s hand tightened around mine, but he remained silent, letting me fight my own battle. I appreciated that more than he could know.

“I called you from the emergency room with three broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone,” I said, my voice flat. “You hung up on me and told Dad I was causing trouble and that if I didn’t stop, Paul was sure to divorce me and that would mean you’d be cut off from the monthly allowance he gave you.”

My father cleared his throat, glancing around the parking lot as if searching for witnesses. “We should discuss this in private, Matilda. Not in front of… these people.”

“These people,” I said, gesturing to the bikers surrounding us, “are my family. The only real family I’ve ever had.”

“This is outrageous,” my father muttered. “Get in the car, Matilda. We’ll talk about everything when we get home.”

I decided to change tactics because I was so done with this. “So, you’ve been trying to get hold of me for weeks.” I held my arms out to the side. “Well? Here I am. What’s going on?”

“When we get home, Matilda.” My mother’s face was a mask of disapproval I’d grown very familiar with over my lifetime.

I shrugged. “Suit yourself.” I turned to go, knowing Xavier would follow me.

“Wait!” Mother called out to me, actually grabbing my arm to prevent me from leaving. “Come home with us.”