forgotten nothing. And he’s apologized.”
With new light I stared at the woman before me. Keely wasn’t stupid. So why was she acting like some lass that didn’t know any better. “He nearly…”
“Raped me,” she finished for me. “That was years ago and all your fault.”
I took one staggering step back. She hit me where she knew it would hurt the most. She was right. If I hadn’t been thinking about my dick then and wanted to be free of the girl who followed me around, it wouldn’t have happened.
“I was in that abandoned building because you told me to wait for you there.”
Irrational anger built like a steam from a kettle. I pointed at Sandy, the monster of all our nightmares as kids. He was the bully that tormented us until I’d gotten a little taller, a little tougher and a lot wiser. “I came for you,” I nearly shouted.
A bad feeling had come over me when Griff and I set out to meet a couple of girls who promised more than a good time. So I’d gone back for her. The sight I confronted made me sick. Sandy and his pals were lined up ready to take turns on Keely who was on her side curled in a ball.
My own shame for the things Sandy had put me through welled up into a fury that put three out of the five guys in the room on the ground. Griff, having my back, had been taking on two others when Sandy and I came face to face. Years and grit ingrained in my skin made it thicker. I was finally ready to end the torment. No longer afraid, I put the fear of God into Sandy. I left him with a black eye, bloody face, bruised ribs and more. He wouldn’t have forgotten me after that day.
My vision blurred back to the present. How could she sleep with the enemy?
“Like I said, he’s more than made up for that.” She smiled at him like he was heaven, then turned to stare at me like I was hell. “You can go now.”
As I watched, she half covered his body with hers. Her hand left his cheek where she’d cupped his to face her. Tongue was involved and my eyes stupidly followed the hand because I hadn’t wanted to see her kiss him as it made me sick. When it headed much lower than I wanted to know about, I searched for something else to look at. She stepped away from him and allowed the robe to drop with her back to me. I’d been to her apartment before and knew she made her way back to her bedroom.
“Make him go, love,” she called out without turning back.
“She has a lovely arse, don’t you think?” Sandy obviously had a death wish.
It wasn’t like I was pissed she was sleeping with someone. She was old enough. What bugged me was that she’d chosen a guy she knew couldn’t be trusted. Had I failed her so much? I started to understand the gravity of how conflicted Bailey was over Turner. Even though I’d never been anything short of honest with Keely about where I stood with us, rather no us, besides being mates, I felt like maybe I had owed her more. That was how you felt about the people you cared about. You never wanted them hurt.
Movement caught my eye. Sandy pulled the door shut and crossed his arms over his chest and took on a wide stance. That might have scared me when I was seven, but I was long past those times.
“If you fucking hurt her,” I breathed, because in the end, that’s all that mattered. I wanted Keely happy and safe.
“You’ll do what, pretty boy?” He eyed me up and down. “You’ve been long away from the streets with your pretty boy clothes. Set your mother up in that pretty house.”
“Don’t fucking talk about my mother.” He was crossing a dangerous line. I was willing to let him be with Keely as dumb an idea as it was. Truth be told, I couldn’t bully him to stay away. I wasn’t Keely’s keeper. And once I left town, how would I know what she was up to unless I put a guard on her?
He chuckled low in his throat. “I have nothing against your ma. She’s never done anything against me or mine.”
When he took a step forward, I held my ground.
With new light I stared at the woman before me. Keely wasn’t stupid. So why was she acting like some lass that didn’t know any better. “He nearly…”
“Raped me,” she finished for me. “That was years ago and all your fault.”
I took one staggering step back. She hit me where she knew it would hurt the most. She was right. If I hadn’t been thinking about my dick then and wanted to be free of the girl who followed me around, it wouldn’t have happened.
“I was in that abandoned building because you told me to wait for you there.”
Irrational anger built like a steam from a kettle. I pointed at Sandy, the monster of all our nightmares as kids. He was the bully that tormented us until I’d gotten a little taller, a little tougher and a lot wiser. “I came for you,” I nearly shouted.
A bad feeling had come over me when Griff and I set out to meet a couple of girls who promised more than a good time. So I’d gone back for her. The sight I confronted made me sick. Sandy and his pals were lined up ready to take turns on Keely who was on her side curled in a ball.
My own shame for the things Sandy had put me through welled up into a fury that put three out of the five guys in the room on the ground. Griff, having my back, had been taking on two others when Sandy and I came face to face. Years and grit ingrained in my skin made it thicker. I was finally ready to end the torment. No longer afraid, I put the fear of God into Sandy. I left him with a black eye, bloody face, bruised ribs and more. He wouldn’t have forgotten me after that day.
My vision blurred back to the present. How could she sleep with the enemy?
“Like I said, he’s more than made up for that.” She smiled at him like he was heaven, then turned to stare at me like I was hell. “You can go now.”
As I watched, she half covered his body with hers. Her hand left his cheek where she’d cupped his to face her. Tongue was involved and my eyes stupidly followed the hand because I hadn’t wanted to see her kiss him as it made me sick. When it headed much lower than I wanted to know about, I searched for something else to look at. She stepped away from him and allowed the robe to drop with her back to me. I’d been to her apartment before and knew she made her way back to her bedroom.
“Make him go, love,” she called out without turning back.
“She has a lovely arse, don’t you think?” Sandy obviously had a death wish.
It wasn’t like I was pissed she was sleeping with someone. She was old enough. What bugged me was that she’d chosen a guy she knew couldn’t be trusted. Had I failed her so much? I started to understand the gravity of how conflicted Bailey was over Turner. Even though I’d never been anything short of honest with Keely about where I stood with us, rather no us, besides being mates, I felt like maybe I had owed her more. That was how you felt about the people you cared about. You never wanted them hurt.
Movement caught my eye. Sandy pulled the door shut and crossed his arms over his chest and took on a wide stance. That might have scared me when I was seven, but I was long past those times.
“If you fucking hurt her,” I breathed, because in the end, that’s all that mattered. I wanted Keely happy and safe.
“You’ll do what, pretty boy?” He eyed me up and down. “You’ve been long away from the streets with your pretty boy clothes. Set your mother up in that pretty house.”
“Don’t fucking talk about my mother.” He was crossing a dangerous line. I was willing to let him be with Keely as dumb an idea as it was. Truth be told, I couldn’t bully him to stay away. I wasn’t Keely’s keeper. And once I left town, how would I know what she was up to unless I put a guard on her?
He chuckled low in his throat. “I have nothing against your ma. She’s never done anything against me or mine.”
When he took a step forward, I held my ground.
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