She rests back against the headboard. “Sorry, I was reading. I must’ve lost track of time.”
“The book can’t be that good if you’re falling asleep to it.”
“Don’t be mistaken. This is about the fourth time I’ve read it.” She smiles as she yawns, running her hands over her tired face.
“Four times, hey?” I ask as I pick the book back up, turning it in my hands to read the blurb. She snatches it out of my grasp, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. It only intrigues me more. What could possibly be written on these pages that she wouldn’t want me to see? “Why don’t you come join us for a bit in the bar?”
She immediately looks uncomfortable, and her fingers knot together, twisting with nerves. It’s a habit I’ve noticed she does whenever she’s worried. I place my hand over hers, stilling the movement. She glances up, looking unsure, and I instantly regret pushing her too soon.
“You don’t have to,” I rush to add, “We can stay up here.”
“You don’t have to stay with me.”
“I know I don’t, but I actually enjoy your company.”
“I very much doubt that. I’m not that exciting, especially compared to a lot of those guys down there.”
“Don’t be so tough on yourself,” I say, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
“Sorry,” she whispers. “I tend to doubt myself, thanks to being cheated on.”
I move around the bed to the opposite side and sit back, my back resting against the headboard.
She frowns. “I was serious,” she says, adding an unsure laugh. “You really don’t have to stay here with me.”
“And like I said, I like your company,” I say, reassuring her. I cross one ankle over the other. “Tell me about your boys.”
She mirrors my position, placing the book back on the bedside table.
“I have two boys, Noah and Mason. Noah has just turned four and Mason is nine.” She smiles wide, it’s the first genuine smile I’ve seen. “Noah is very much like me. He wears his heart on his sleeve, whereas Mason is so much more like his dad.”
She reaches over to the bedside table, grabbing her mobile. “This is them,” she says, showing me a picture.
“They look so happy,” I say.
“They were until Imogen happened. Their dad had been having an affair for some time. I knew about it, but denied it was happening. I couldn’t bear the thought of the boys’ lives being torn apart, so I just pretended everything was fine. I came home from taking them out for the day, and he had my bags packed out front.” She inhales sharply before continuing. “He threw me out there and then. No warning. No discussion. My heart was being broken so publicly, with my boys witnessing it all, watching me fall apart.” She swallows hard, rubbing her hands over her face. “Within two weeks, Imogen had moved in, and I had an injunction against me preventing me from seeing my boys. I tried to fight, I really did, but every time I fought it, there would be another hurdle to jump through.” She dabs under her eyes with her sleeves, and I reach over and pull her into the side of my body. I’m angry for her, hurt for her boys. No wonder she’s got no self-esteem. That fucker ruined her life in five minutes.
“Belle,” I say gently, and she looks up, sniffling. “Wewillget them back. And no man will ever treat you that way again.” She offers me a weak smile, and I know she thinks it’s all just words, but it isn’t, she’s left too big an impact on me to let her feel that sort of pain again.
“I’ve tried everything, jumped through every hoop they’ve laid out. Even completed drugs tests. And on top of it all, Mason nowhates me. The way he looks at me, like he can’t stand to be near me, hurts me more than what his father did.”
I tug her closer, rubbing her arm reassuringly. “But you didn’t have me or the club before.”
She rests her head on my shoulder and sighs heavily. “You’ve done more than enough already.”
“He won’t get away with this, those children deserve to be with you,” I say with conviction. She rests her hand over my heart as it rages inside me, and I place mine over hers.
I need to speak to Drifter. There must be something we can do.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper as I kiss the top of her head.
“You hardly even know me,” she says on a yawn.
I know her enough to know she deserves better, and she’s not going to fight this alone because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a bully.
I knock on Drifter’s office door and wait for permission to enter. We all know you never just walk in on the Pres.
“Come in,” he shouts, and I push his door open.
