Hugging her arms around her waist, she looked out into the black of night. Lightening streaked in the distance, and light rain hit the tin roof that covered the porch. The storm building in the atmosphere matched the storm building inside her.
Was she doing the right thing? Should she stay in this situation with this man? Was she too far in to get out? The big question….did she want to leave? For some reason she felt safe in this environment. Much safer than she had felt when she was on her own with her children. It was all so confusing. Denise felt him enter the small area but refused to turn around and face him.
“You’re not used to me and I know that, but you’re going to have to get used to me. I’ve claimed you. If you leave me, which I can tell you’re thinking about doing, you’d have a bull’s-eye on your back. I know you don’t want that for your children.” He felt like a bastard for even saying those words.
She finally turned to face him. “It may sound weird to you, but I feel safe here. In the few days I’ve been here I’ve felt more at home than I did when I was in my own home. Maybe it’s because I don’t have much to worry about here. The only thing that worries me about you, Liam, is the fact that I don’t know how far you would go for your club.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, having a seat on the outdoor chaise.
Denise didn’t want to ask this question because she didn’t want to know the answer, but she felt as if it was imperative that she know. “I mean, have you ever killed anybody?”
He swallowed hard. Telling her the truth would mean letting her in on club business, but lying to this woman would break his heart. Liam sighed. Lies were a part of his everyday life, but he didn’t want to lie to her. He wanted whatever relationship they had to be built on trust.
“I could lie to you and tell you I haven’t, but I want you to trust me. I do what I have to do to keep my brothers safe, to protect my club. That has at times meant we’ve had to put someone down. More than once it’s been either them or me. I don’t like telling you this because I know it scares you about me, but I’m not a violent man by nature.”
“I don’t like violent men,” she whispered, gazing at her hands in her lap.
She looked so lost that he wanted to reach out to her. However, he wasn’t sure whether she would welcome it or not. He’d know this woman for mere days, but it felt like forever. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth, yet he knew that she would never be able to kill someone unless they threatened her children. How could he come to her as he was? With blood on his hands?
Gently he questioned, “Did something happen to you?” Suddenly it dawned on him. “Does this have to do with the twins’ dad?”
A hollow laugh echoed from her throat. In the distance, thunder rumbled and lightening flashed across the sky. “You could say that.”
“It’s only fair that you be honest with me, just like I’ve been honest with you.”
Taking a deep breath, she realized he was right. “Their father was a very violent man.”
“Trust me enough to tell me, Denise. We’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t. I’m not letting you go back home, so you may as well just be honest with me. I can’t let you – it could be dangerous.”
She liked this about him, the fact that he was so tenacious. That he didn’t take no for an answer. It tested every instinct she had honed over the last few years. Tears came to her eyes, and she cleared her throat loudly, gathering the strength to begin.
“I met him in high school, senior year to be exact. He was the captain of the football team. I had always been a nerd. More interested in what book was coming out that month than anything else. Books were the most important part of my life at that time. I was painfully shy, and my home life left a lot to be desired. My dad stayed drunk most of the time, and all my mom wanted to
Was she doing the right thing? Should she stay in this situation with this man? Was she too far in to get out? The big question….did she want to leave? For some reason she felt safe in this environment. Much safer than she had felt when she was on her own with her children. It was all so confusing. Denise felt him enter the small area but refused to turn around and face him.
“You’re not used to me and I know that, but you’re going to have to get used to me. I’ve claimed you. If you leave me, which I can tell you’re thinking about doing, you’d have a bull’s-eye on your back. I know you don’t want that for your children.” He felt like a bastard for even saying those words.
She finally turned to face him. “It may sound weird to you, but I feel safe here. In the few days I’ve been here I’ve felt more at home than I did when I was in my own home. Maybe it’s because I don’t have much to worry about here. The only thing that worries me about you, Liam, is the fact that I don’t know how far you would go for your club.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, having a seat on the outdoor chaise.
Denise didn’t want to ask this question because she didn’t want to know the answer, but she felt as if it was imperative that she know. “I mean, have you ever killed anybody?”
He swallowed hard. Telling her the truth would mean letting her in on club business, but lying to this woman would break his heart. Liam sighed. Lies were a part of his everyday life, but he didn’t want to lie to her. He wanted whatever relationship they had to be built on trust.
“I could lie to you and tell you I haven’t, but I want you to trust me. I do what I have to do to keep my brothers safe, to protect my club. That has at times meant we’ve had to put someone down. More than once it’s been either them or me. I don’t like telling you this because I know it scares you about me, but I’m not a violent man by nature.”
“I don’t like violent men,” she whispered, gazing at her hands in her lap.
She looked so lost that he wanted to reach out to her. However, he wasn’t sure whether she would welcome it or not. He’d know this woman for mere days, but it felt like forever. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth, yet he knew that she would never be able to kill someone unless they threatened her children. How could he come to her as he was? With blood on his hands?
Gently he questioned, “Did something happen to you?” Suddenly it dawned on him. “Does this have to do with the twins’ dad?”
A hollow laugh echoed from her throat. In the distance, thunder rumbled and lightening flashed across the sky. “You could say that.”
“It’s only fair that you be honest with me, just like I’ve been honest with you.”
Taking a deep breath, she realized he was right. “Their father was a very violent man.”
“Trust me enough to tell me, Denise. We’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t. I’m not letting you go back home, so you may as well just be honest with me. I can’t let you – it could be dangerous.”
She liked this about him, the fact that he was so tenacious. That he didn’t take no for an answer. It tested every instinct she had honed over the last few years. Tears came to her eyes, and she cleared her throat loudly, gathering the strength to begin.
“I met him in high school, senior year to be exact. He was the captain of the football team. I had always been a nerd. More interested in what book was coming out that month than anything else. Books were the most important part of my life at that time. I was painfully shy, and my home life left a lot to be desired. My dad stayed drunk most of the time, and all my mom wanted to
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