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“You really are a special kind of stupid, aren’t you?” Ashlynn asks. I shoot Bri a look, and she pulled Ashlynn out the door, leaving me alone with Scott. I start to slowly walk close to him, watching his every movement.
“You can call the cops, but you won’t be getting very far. This is my house. It’s in my name. I bought this house by myself. Every utility is in my name. Clint never paid a dime toward anything for this house. Clint made me do that as payback because he helped put me through school. He then used his connections with you to keep me close. But you knew that.” I point to the blood on the couch, floor, and blankets, still lying unmoved.“That isn’t his blood there. That’s mine. Mine from when he kicked, punched, slapped, and beat me in the bedroom before dragging me out here. Once I was out here, he proceeded to rape me to assert his dominance over me. Then he walked out the door, and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.” I keep my voice calm and level.
“Maybe you deserved the beating since you have been sleeping around on him just as much as he did it to you. Maybe it was about time someone put you in your place. Just because you are working with the Kelley family and their brand of depravity doesn’t make you above the law and the rules. It was about time you were sent down to earth with the rest of us.” Scott attempts to come closer to me, but I hold up my hand, stopping him.
“Is that how you feel as a person? As the leader of the child and family protective services branch? You believe that a woman who was beaten, battered, mentally and physically torn down by a man twice her size deserved it?” I cannot believe what he is saying, but I also can because he and Clint were so close. I think about his wife and kids, wondering how his home life suffers. Then I catch a glimpse of the mantle, where Clint pointed out the camera.“You know what, don’t answer that. I will pass off your thoughts to your bosses. Now, please leave my property before I haveyouarrested for breaking and entering, as well as trespassing.”
“If you think you can—”
His thoughts are cut off as we hear the rumble of motorcycles coming up my street. The sound vibrates through my body as they pull in. I wait to hear them turn off, but that never comes. Instead, my front door is thrown open, and Nate stands in the doorway.
I give a small smirk and then turn back to Scott. I can see the worry in his eyes, and I can’t help but feel this sense of calm. He said some fucked up shit about me. It’s incredible how well he hid things. He knew how much Clint was cheating on me, yet he never looked out for me. So now, I won’t look out for him.
I feel Nate at my back and allow myself to lean into his body. To me, Nate is perfect. He’s the most fantastic man in my life. To others, he’s terrifying. He’s about six foot three and two hundred and twenty-five pounds of solid muscle. Scott is barely five foot six and a twig. I wouldn’t want to be him right now.
“I suggest you get out of this house now and stay away from Audrina.”
Scott wanted to fight but knew that he wouldn’t win. I allow my eyes to follow him out the door, and when it shuts, I look up at Nate,“Thank you.”
“I’ll always be here for you, amour.”
I go up on my tiptoes and give him a soft kiss. When firmly planted back on my feet, I ask,“Would you like to help me get Clint’s shit out of here?”
“He fucking better because that’s the only thing I’m allowed to light on fire,apparently.”
I can’t help it. I start to laugh at Ashlynn. If there’s one thing we can all count on, it’s Ashlynn and her ridiculous way of showing support.
“Yeah,” Nate laughs,“I’ll help you.”
Ashlynn and Bri come up to me and look around.
“Turd, Gears, and Zombie are also here. We’re all ready to help. Just tell us what to get rid of. The prospect will be here with a truck soon.” Bri tells me.
“Yeah, yeah. Fine. Whatever,” Ash turns to me,“seriously, why can’t I burn the house down?”
I shake my head and take a deep breath in. This girl, I swear.“This is my house. It was never Clint’s. I got this house on my own. I made it mine. He came in and painted the walls with his ugliness. It’s time I repaint.”
She doesn’t say a thing for a moment, but then she wraps her arms around me, squeezing me tight. When she pulls back, she has tears in her eyes but, with a smile, tells me,“I fucking love painting.”
Letting Ashlynn have her way and burn Clint and his shit to the ground is exactly what I need. Purge him from everything in my house and life. I also needed this girl time alone with them. No cases, no expectations of me giving or getting anyone information. These women want me here. They love me. They’re showing me that everything that was injected into my brain was a poison that needed to be pushed out.
I watch Ellie reach for her third beer and fall out of her chair. I can’t help the laughter that flies from me. I cover my mouth quickly, and it forces me to snort.
“I am sorry, did you snarf, snorf…. Snort?” Ashlynn asks me, forgetting the word.
“I did snort. Ellie just fell on her ass. My gawd!” I start laughing harder as I made sure to pronounce that unneededaw.
Bri stumbles over, trying to help Ellie up into her chair. She manages to cop a feel by accident in the process. I love this feeling of lightness. It has been so long since I felt truly happy. It’s almost a slap to the face concluding that that’s what I am. Happy. I wait for a moment when things kind of settle to see if the guilt is going to kick in again. But it doesn’t. There is no nagging feeling in the back of my head. I can’t hear Clint’s voice telling me I’ve had enough as I reach for my drink and take a long pull from the bottle.
“So, Ashlynn. I have a question for you, and I need you to tell us the god’s honest truth.” Ellie starts. She’s leaning in, looking at Ash intently across the fire. The flames fighting over her face really bring out the resemblance to Mama El in her facial features.
“I make no promises,” Ash holds her beer up, quickly taking a swig.
“What is with Willie’s meatloaf kink? I mean, like, how does a log of ground meat, covered in sauce, make that man lose his mind?” she raises her hands up,“I’m not shaming, I promise. I’m curious.”
“Really? A meat log, covered in a red sauce that looks like blood, you would think that would be a Butcher kink, not a Willie kink.” Bri pipes in and gives a wink. Obviously, she is teasing and passing zero judgment.
“Willie is a complex guy. And that’s not something I will talk about. I don’t fuck and tell.” Ashlynn says. She almost takes a drink but stops,“And Butcher would be turned on by raw meat and real blood. Let’s be honest,” she giggles, letting us know she isn’t angry at the question.“That man is scary as fuck, but his wife is so sweet. I don’t get it.”
