Her eyes flash wide, but she masks it quickly.
“You mean the Kings?” I nod.
“Yes.” I straighten my spine, ready for whatever tongue lashing she is about to dish out.
For a second she does not speak, her eyes taking me in. What she is hoping to find I do not know, but the longer she looks at me, I start to fidget.
“Well, I am glad that they helped you heal and get better. Winger is a good man, and so is Halen. I have had a run in with the boys before, and they do good, along with the dark that surrounds the club,” she tells me.
My mouth drops open in shock and words fail me as I take in her smile because what she said was unexpected.
I clear my throat and nod. “They are good men. They did right by me, and I am finally finding my footing away from the club.”
“Oh, you are no longer with them?”
Shaking my head, I reply, “Um, no; I moved out a little while ago. My friends helped me with a new place to live and a new job.”
She steps forward, resting her hand on my forearm. “Oh, dear, I am so happy that you have people you can rely on. I had heard some rumors about your time there, but I was not sure if they were true or not, so I did not participate in idle gossip.”
Her words pique my curiosity. “What rumors?”
She sighs, her eyes going soft, and icy dread fills my veins. “That a member is your mate, but he was disgusted with what you went through and he thought of you as weak, so he fornicated with other women in front of you.” Her voice is soft, like she is not happy explaining what she has heard.
My heart sinks into my churning stomach and sizzles, making nausea settle over me.
So Thorin was disgusted by what I went through, and he admitted that I am a weak pathetic human. Good to know. My dislike for him burns in my veins, replacing the ice that was just there.
Needing to get out of here, I force a smile, and I know that she can see clearly through me.
It is not her fault; she was always kind to me.
“It was so good seeing you again, Mrs. Drury, but I really have to get going. I have a few more things to take care of before my shift tonight.”
“Take care of yourself, Delaney. I know that you are strong, but there is no shame in asking for help.” With that she walks past me, her words leaving me stunned for a second.
Regaining my composure, I join the back of the queue for the register. I pull out my phone and scroll through my social media apps, trying to take my mind off seeing Mrs. Drury again.
I am a self-confessed addict of social media. I like to know what is happening, and who to. Also, trends are a thing I love to keep up to date on, even if they are cheesy.
I like a few posts, and also save some, after I spot a spicy looking cover for a book that just got released. Who doesn’t love a bad guy who is twisted and ready to kill and die for the woman he loves… but he also treats her like shit in the beginning…
My finger freezes over the buy button, the blurb hitting a little too close to home for my liking.
“Shit.”
Memories of how Thorin used to treat me roll through my head, and how heartbroken he left me time and time again. Not knowing the full extent of his reason for doing it, I cannot help but think there is a deeper meaning to why he hurt me.
There is also a part of me that will never forgive him.
My soul will always call to him, and my heart will never fall for another man like it has him, but that is why sometimes Fate get it wrong.
Even though my heart and soul still feel for Thorin, I know that there will be a point in my life when I have to move on, but I can’t get the interaction out of my head that played out between us in the office the other night.
He was hard; I felt his cock in his jeans. He wanted me; I could see it in his eyes, and the way he called me ‘baby’— that hasnever happened before. Hope flared in my chest for the rest of the night, but when I got home and our past played through my mind like a movie, that hope was like an atom bomb going off, and anger set in.
It got me hooked back on the reason I disliked him. I would never say that I hate him, because my soul would not allow that, but fuck, he can piss me off like no other.
When it is my turn, I put all of my things on the conveyor belt. The cashier rings me up, and I pay with my phone. The sweet teenage boy packs my goods and offers to help me carry them to my car, but I decline with a smile. I will make the prospect do something other than watch me for a change.
