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Everleigh twists the handle and glances back at me with a tear running down her face. “Sometimes in life, we don’t get to have what we want for reasons beyond our control. No matter how much we may want differently.”
* * *
“The nurses at the hospital were talking about the schedule and how Everleigh’s taking a leave of absence.” Stella finally answers, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Come again?” Why the hell would she do that?
“Everleigh’s ignoring all of us and she’s evidently taking a leave of absence from work.” It’s Isabelle this time to tell me.
“I’m telling you something’s not right.” Josephine huffs.
“She’s going to do some stupid,” Ivy mutters, her gaze locking on mine knowingly.
“I’m not in this shit,” I grunt, crossing my arms. That’s a lie. I’ll do something because this is bullshit and Everleigh ghosting her friends isn’t right.
“Please, Tombstone,” Sutton pleads, looking from her man to each of the men who have joined them. “Everleigh’s not like Juniper. She’s . . . she’s Everleigh and no one knows what we do—”
“And what’s that?” I demand, interrupting her.
“Sutton,” Josephine calls out warningly.
“What? We told you they wouldn’t help unless they knew,” Sutton retorts.
“Know what?” Reaper demands getting all of the women’s attention. “Ivy, what don’t we know?”
Biting her lip, Ivy looks from Reaper to her friend and back again. “Everleigh’s parents are part of some community,” she says, holding her hands up to use air quotations. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you more, and honestly, I don’t know as much as Sutton, Isabelle, and Juniper.”
“What kind of community?” My stomach tightens as if waiting for a blow to hit me at any given moment.
“Pretty much it’s a religious cult,” Isabelle answers. “We can’t tell you more because honestly, we don’t know much other than her uncle’s the leader. Please don’t ask us to break our promise to keep her secrets. They’re hers and it’s not right if we let what we know out.”
“Sometimes in life, we don’t get to have what we want for reasons beyond our control. No matter how much we may want differently.”Those words circle around in my head, leaving me wondering what dark secrets she’s holding onto and what the hell is going on here.
Meeting Reaper’s gaze, I nod. I’ll find out what’s going on and this shit between Everleigh and me is going to be rectified once and for all.
CHAPTERTHREE
EVERLEIGH
With the back of my Tahoe packed with everything that I could think of to take with me, photo albums, clothes, pillow, blanket, and a few other things, I close the back hatch. I spin around and look at all the rest that I’m leaving behind. This isn’t something I want to be doing. I hate myself for it, but I don’t want to go back there and I’m not about to take my troubles to the club. They don’t need the headache. Not after what Juniper put them through. God knows that was horrific enough as it is.
I make my way from the back of the SUV and go inside one more time. In the kitchen, I line up several letters. One to Mr. Dorsey, apologizing for leaving without notice and telling him I thank him for everything he’s done for me. Another one to my girls, I figured one would suffice for them all. They need to know I didn’t want to hurt them—I just wasn’t about to bring them into my problems. And the last one is for Daemon. He needs to know that if I could, I would have wanted nothing more than to be his.
A tear slips down my cheek as I grab my bag and lock the house up one last time. It takes all my will to walk to the driver’s side and climb in behind the wheel. It’s already started, so I put it in reverse and back up enough to cut it enough to circle around to drive out of the driveway. I turn onto the road making a left rather than a right and hit the gas. It’s time to get out of here. I wasted as much time as I could in prolonging what I have to do.
My mother might have said ‘next week’ but I wouldn’t put it past her or my father and uncle to send someone sooner. That or come themselves. I put in for a leave of absence unable to bring myself to quit completely. After a bit of time, I’ll email my supervisor and explain things and let her know I won’t be back. Thankfully, I have plenty of cash, so I won’t have to use my card for anything. I’ve made sure over the years to always pull enough out to put aside for a rainy day. I also sold my two ATVs in order to get the rest of the money.
It doesn’t take me long to get to the highway and start south. I figure I’ll head toward Corpus Christi first and then follow the coastline east. Once I get that far, I might start north and head for Maine. I’ve always thought it would be beautiful there and I do love snow.
As I drive, I allow myself to think of all that I’m leaving behind. It tears at my heart to know the one man I’ve wanted more than anything I can’t have. I’d never be able to regardless of how much he means to me. In the time I’ve known Daemon, I went from thinking he was hot and sexy to him capturing my heart. However, he doesn’t know it.
The first time we hooked up was at one of the cookouts they have at the clubhouse all the time. I’d been drinking and flirting with him. Then he kissed me. It was all over, and I ended up in his bed. So many times, he told me he wanted me to be his ol’ lady, but I told him no every time.
There’re a lot of reasons I can’t be his and one of them is that he’s got a son. I won’t put his son in danger. It’s bad enough I lost my own baby boy because of my parents and this community they live within . . . that they’re trying to pull me back within. Daemon’s son, Hendrik shouldn’t be put in danger of any kind. I’ve met Hendrik and talked with him plenty of times when he’s at the clubhouse hanging with his dad. And I’ll admit I’d watch father and son together, the bond they share. It’s a beautiful thing.
I push the thoughts to the back of my mind as I get farther down the highway. I reach over to the passenger seat and grab my cell phone. I know my friends and I’d like to say the men of the club. If the girls don’t accept what’s in the letters and leave me be, they’ll try to track me down and I can’t let that happen. I bought a burner phone, and if need be, I’ll call them from it, but it’ll be for emergencies only. I toss the cell out the window and watch in the side view mirror as it lands in the middle of the road.
A shuddered breath leaves my lips, and it hurts that it’s come to this. But it’s what has to happen. I don’t want to go back to the community and marry a man I don’t know. I definitely don’t want my friends dragged into my problems. I have no doubt in my mind if they were to try, my mother, father, and uncle would things difficult for them and I refuse to let that happen.
