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“Since I’ve been here, he’s gotten worse. Earlier today, he was waiting for me outside the apartment. He grabbed me, shook me, and told me that he’d had enough of my bullshit. He was coming back home this weekend. He said I’d better be ready. I told him he wasn’t moving in and that’s when he squeezed the hell out of my arms. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s not the Dan I married. I don’t recognize this man and I’m scared. The kids saw him do it and they were crying and screaming. I think that’s what made him let go and leave. I didn’t know what to do other than come see if I could stay with Soleil and Falcon while I looked for a more secure place to live.”
As she finished her tale, I watched her collapse inward. She was seconds from losing it. I stood up. The others all gave me questioning looks. Right now, I wasn’t a Warrior prospect. I was Officer Jake Cane, and I had a man to go talk to and an official report to file. I’d go the legal route, but if that failed, then he’d get to face Law and he wouldn’t like that one fucking bit. Men hurting women and kids wouldn’t be tolerated by me or any of the men in this club. She and her kids would be made safe, no matter what.
Tonya: Chapter 2
I couldn’t believe I’d totally forgotten that Soleil and Falcon were taking a few days for themselves or that I’d spilled all that to this roomful of men. Something they more than deserved. She’d told me they weren’t talking to anyone unless they got a nine-one-one text from the club. She’d informed me if I needed anything to call the club, that they’d help. I’d agreed to that, even though I had no intention of doing it.
I didn’t know the Warriors well, but what I did know, they seemed to be a bunch of honorable men. Everything Soleil ever had to say about them illustrated that. I should be thankful they listened to me. Not that I expected them to do anything about it. I wasn’t sure what to do about Dan. I didn’t think he’d done anything that would get him put in jail to stay and having him arrested would only make him worse.
I honestly thought he was on drugs or something with the crazy way he’d been acting since before the divorce, and especially after it. Even if we did get pregnant with the twins unexpectedly, not long after we started dating, I would have never thought we didn’t love each other or wouldn’t be together for the rest of our lives. He’d been very loving and attentive at first. Somewhere along the way, his drive for more had killed that. I could say honestly, I no longer loved him. I would never hate the time we spent together, since it gave me my three precious babies, but that was the extent of it. I would never take him back.
After watching the way Falcon and the other Warriors were toward their wives and kids, I wanted what they had. A man who would literally do anything for the woman he loved and their family. I knew it was a pipe dream, but it was one I liked to think about when I was alone in my empty bed.
I hadn’t even been on a date since we broke up. Not because I hadn’t been asked, but because no one interested me. The thought of trying to grow something with the men who asked me out left me cold. Not a single one had a solitary spark to them. I’d die of boredom within a week. Also, there weren’t a ton of men running around out there, looking to take on an instant family. My kids and I were a package deal. End of story.
Why all these thoughts were running through my head while I was faced with several big scary bikers, I had no idea. Maybe it was a way to distract myself from my misery and the fluttering in my stomach. The fluttering wasn’t due to fear. It was due to Jake. I mean, Law. I’d met him, of course, but it had been during the divorce and I hadn’t paid much attention to him or anyone else then. All I was doing then was trying to survive one day at a time. I’d been mildly interested when Soleil mentioned he’d joined the club as a prospect. I thought that had to be a little awkward for him as a police officer.
However, being faced with him tonight, I couldn’t ignore him or how damn attractive he was. Looking at him, I took in his raw power and handsome looks. If I had to guess, I’d say he was a good ten years or so older than my twenty-six. He was tall, standing a few inches over six feet tall. I didn’t know what his ancestry was, but it made him a very attractive, sexy man. His dark chocolate brown hair was cut short, but not in a crew cut. He had a five-o’clock shadow that I bet never faded. His skin was deeply tanned and his eyes were a dark brown like his thick hair. His Roman nose was straight and framed his mouth, which had a larger, pouty bottom lip. His jawline was chiseled.
Of course, thinking about how attractive he was, was ridiculous. First, I was here to find a way to keep myself and my kids safe from my ex. Second, a man like him wouldn’t be interested in a woman like me. I had three kids and was firmly in the mom zone. My figure wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what it was when I was twenty and hadn’t had any kids. My hips were wider and my tummy wasn’t flat. I had stretch marks and cellulite. My breasts were decent, although not as perky as they once were, either. I didn’t see myself going around flaunting my body. Sleeping with Dan had been one thing. He’d been there with me through all of those changes and I thought he loved me. Having a random man like Law see me was a no-go. Besides, I wasn’t looking to have a one-night stand. Sure, I missed sex, but I’d stick to my battery-operated boyfriend. He never failed me or cheated on me.
All those crazy, inane thoughts were shoved out of my head when Law stood up with that look on his face. The others didn’t look happy, but he looked almost scary. The other men were watching him expectantly. I didn’t know why. He was just a prospect.
“What’re you going to do?” Terror asked him.
“I’m going to make a call. In the meantime, can we get Tonya and her kiddos set up at the guesthouse? No one is using it and they should be perfectly safe there. Did you bring clothes and stuff with you, or do we need to go back to your place and grab some?” This he directed to me.
“I-I have a few things with us,” I stammered.
“Good. It’s getting late and I bet you and the kids are tired. I’d like to get started on moving your stuff right away, but we can wait until the morning after you’ve had some sleep. I bet you haven’t been sleeping all that well lately, have you?”
He was right. I hadn’t. Worrying over Dan and ensuring that I paid our bills, plus had enough to clothe and feed my kids, occupied my waking moments. I hadn’t mentioned the struggle that had been. Dan wasn’t even paying the child support he was supposed to pay. I had been forced to take on even more accounting business that I worked on every spare minute of the day and night. It wasn’t uncommon for me to not get to bed until two in the morning only to be back up at six to start a new day. I shook my head as an answer.
“Okay, then let’s get you settled for the night. Make a list of things you need to grab and we’ll go get them tomorrow. I’ll need to know Dan’s address and anything else you can give me, so I can find him,” Law added.
“More stuff? Find him? I don’t understand. What’re you planning to do?”
“I plan to make you and your kids safe here. That may take a while, so having a few days’ worth of clothes isn’t going to cut it. You’ll be staying here until we know he’s been taken care of. I can’t go have a talk with him and file charges against him for harassment or assault if I can’t find him.”
“God, you can’t do that!” I squeaked.
“Why the hell not?” he growled back.
“That’ll send Dan over the edge. He’ll never leave me alone or pay me if I have him arrested.”
“Pay you? What the hell do you mean, pay you?” Terror asked gruffly.
I gulped. I hadn’t meant to tell them that part. Seeing their stares, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid this. Shit!
“He stopped paying me child support. He said if I want money then I have to come back to him and live like a real wife. If I do, he’ll pay the bills and stuff. If I don’t, then he’s not going to pay for the kids. He said he shouldn't be punished because I’m a bitch.” Growls of anger came tumbling out of all of them.
“What exactly have you been paying for and how long since he’s paid anything to you?” Sniper asked.
“I pay for everything. The rent, groceries, clothes, anything we need. The doctor’s bills, I can’t, so I had to go on public assistance to make sure the kids had insurance. He was supposed to keep them on his insurance, but he dropped them.”
“What about you? How is your medical covered?” Law asked.
“It isn’t. I don’t go to the doctor. Luckily, I seem to be healthy. The kids are too, knock on wood, but they have shots and stuff they have to get.”
