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“I didn’t know I could. This is the first time I’ve been around anyone like you guys with the exception of being held by those other guys. So, no, I didn’t come out of your room, and I haven’t eaten at all today. That’s why I have an upset stomach and need to get something to eat before I do get sick,” I tell him, turning my attention back to the young man behind the bar. “Um, is there a phone I can use to call home. I can get my parents to hopefully send some money here for food and a bus out of here.”
“Bronwan, why won’t you look at me?” Talon asks, as I turn to look at him in time for the woman to wrap her body around his once again.
“You’re really busy and I don’t have time to waste. I have to take more medicine soon and need to stretch my body. It’s nothing against you, Talon. I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me. Now, I can see you’re clearly busy and there are things I need to do for me. For the first time in my life I need to do what I have to do for me.”
“I’m not busy with anythin’ until the rest of the guys get here, and we have church. If you want to eat, we’ll get somethin’ to eat. There’s food here you can eat since I still don’t have shoes or decent clothes here for you. You never should have stayed in my room all day long. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that you could come down here. No one ever stays in my room all night long and I just didn’t think about it,” he tells me, stepping out of the woman’s clutches as she glares between the two of us.
“Who is this, Talon? Why has she been in your room?” the woman asks, her voice raising in anger.
“Who she is doesn’t matter to you. I’m busy and you need to find somethin’ else to do, Carla. Red, let’s get you somethin’ to eat.”
Talon leads me into the kitchen despite the woman stomping her foot and starting to throw a tantrum as we leave her standing there. There’s a woman who is heavily pregnant in the kitchen, moving around and cooking something that smells delicious. A large man is leaning against the counter behind her, watching her moves like a hawk.
“Lash, Hartley, this is Bronwan,” Talon introduces me to the man and woman. “Red, this is Lash, the president of the club and his wife Hartley. Hart, how long before dinner? She has to eat.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Bronwan,” the woman says as I get a chin lift from her husband. “It’s going to be done in about ten minutes. Is that too long to wait?”
“Um, I need to get something now. I’m on antibiotics and haven’t eaten all day long. My stomach is really upset. Whatever your cooking smells really good,” I tell her, not sure if I should be speaking my mind among these people.
“That’s okay honey. I can get you something small to hold you over until it’s dinner time. What about a piece of toast so it’s not too heavy and some juice? I’ve got apple juice in the fridge. It’s the main thing I crave on a daily basis.”
“That sounds good. Um, Talon, is there a phone I can use? Maybe a store in town my parents can send some money to for me? I can take a bus home tomorrow and be out of here.”
“No one’s sayin’ you have to leave, Red,” Talon says as the other man, Lash, steps up with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Bronwan, I know you want to get back home. With what you’ve been through, and the damage done to you, there really is no better place for you than bein’ among family and friends. However, with the men who took you still on the loose, I really need for you to stay here. Where are you from?” the man says, his voice washing over me and causing me to shrink back.
“I-I-I’m f-f-from Farnworth. Where am I now?” I ask him, not sure if he’ll even tell me that information.
“You’re in Braedon, honey. Here’s your toast and a glass of juice. I don’t know where Farnworth is. Is it far from here?” Hartley asks, her voice full of wonder.
“If I’m right, it’s about a day’s ride from here,” Lash says, his voice still hard and cold. “That’s why we need you to stay here for now. It’s the only way we can protect you. I don’t have any guys to spare to ensure no one comes after you again. If these guys got you once, they’ll get you again. Especially since you got away from them once before. I don’t believe you’re safe outside. Do you really want to put your friends and family at risk?”
“No, that’s the last thing I want to happen.”
Taking a bite of my toast, my stomach revolts at something finally being in it. Taking a few deep breaths to get myself under control, I try to stay here with these people, so I don’t get lost in the clubhouse. I don’t even want to be out here now with so many people around. It might be different if I knew anyone here and hadn’t been held captive in the first place. I’m so nervous out here because I know I don’t measure up against the women here and there is no way I ever will.
“If I stay here like you want for protection, can I at least call home to talk to my parents and let them know I’m okay? Can I have my own room to sleep in? I feel so weird and out of place here,” I ask, not letting my eyes land on anyone around me.
“Why do you need a room of your own?” Talon immediately speaks up. “You’re perfectly fine in my room and don’t need to move. We don’t really have any empty rooms either.”
“I don’t want to take up your space or feel some way about being in there when you’re not here. I refuse to even watch TV because I don’t want to mess anything up. You weren’t planning on me being here and I get not going home. My parents need me back home.”
“It’s okay. As soon as we get done with our meetin’ tonight, I’ll make sure you have access to a phone and can call home. You just can’t tell them where you are. If they know, the men who took you might be able to use it against you to find out we have you. With that knowledge, they might hurt your parents. We’re tryin’ to protect all of you.”
By the time we’re done discussing everything, Hartley has dinner ready and is setting out plates, silverware, and other things for everyone to get their food. There are several huge pans and trays filled with what looks like chicken in gravy, mashed potatoes, rice, biscuits, and peas. All the makings of chicken ala king. I absolutely love this food and I want to have some, I’m just not sure if my stomach is going to handle it. Hartley takes the choice out of my hands when she hands me a plate with rice, potatoes, a biscuit, and a bowl with the chicken and gravy. The portions are really small, and I know she did this because of the way I’m feeling after not eating for so long.
I thank her and remain standing in the kitchen while eating my food. The three of them look at me for a minute before Talon leads me to a table and sits me down before heading to get his own food. Soon, the entire kitchen is filled with men and women. I keep my head down and don’t look at anyone as I listen to the conversations going on around me. This is not somewhere I want to be long term feeling so out of place here.
BRONWAN HAS BEEN here for a week now. She barely comes out of the room at any time during the day or night. If she does, it’s long enough to get something to eat, head back to my room, bring her dishes back down, and then go right back upstairs. When I’m in the room with her, she hardly talks to me at all. I have to ask her questions and then it’s still only one word responses from her. Honestly, I have no clue if it’s because she’s pissed she’s here at the clubhouse still, if she doesn’t want to be sharing a room with me, or what’s going on. Things have been crazy as hell between work, the club, and trying to find a different room to stay in.
I have no clue why I told her we had no empty rooms here when we do. Not to mention we have the apartments out back. There really is no reason for me to stay in my room at the clubhouse with her either considering I have a perfectly good house sitting empty out back. There are plenty of places for either Bronwan or myself to go without having to share a space. However, I need to be with her. Even if we’re just sitting in the bedroom and not saying a word to one another, I’d still rather spend time with her than be in the common room hanging out with everyone. I have no clue who the hell I’m turning into, but it’s not a man who ever spends more time than ever with a woman I barely know.
When I’m not in church trying to figure out how we’re going to find Eric and the assholes working with him, I’m not at the garage working, or eating out in the common room with everyone, I’m in the bedroom with Bronwan. My eyes are constantly drawn to her no matter what we’re doing or who’s around. I haven’t touched a woman since I found her walking on the side of the road either. That’s not fucking like me at all.
I did have Hartley, Trina, and Jaelyn go shopping to get her clothes, shoes, and a few necessary toiletries. I’d have gone by myself, but everything I would have bought her what I wanted to see her in and have no clue what her sizes were or anything else. The girls actually got her to talk to them about what she typically wears, what sizes they needed to get her, and what they needed to grab her for toiletries and things like that she needed. They even got her a new purse and wallet along with making sure there is money in it for her. The money came from me, but she never has to know that piece of information. As far as she needs to know, everything came from the club as a whole and not me personally. They even bought her some of the books they like reading. I’m not sure what I think of those with the half-naked men on the covers.
“I’m goin’ down to the kitchen to see how long it will be for dinner. Do you want anythin’ while I’m down there?” I ask Bronwan as she sits on the very edge of the bed watching whatever movie I put on earlier.
