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“I don’t wear these kinds of clothes,” she hisses. “No offence,” she adds to the shop owner.
“Piper, why is everything so damn difficult with you? Get eveningwear for events. I had the wardrobes at all my properties fully stocked, yet you don’t seem to wear anything from them.”
“Because I didn’t buy them. You did.”
I glare at her impatiently. “Which is why I’m standing in a shop asking you to choose some fucking clothes.”
She rolls her eyes and stomps off to look through the rails of clothing. After thirty minutes of looking, Piper chooses eveningwear, daywear, and some loungewear. She refuses point blank when I suggest underwear.
Next, we head to the clubhouse. As we roll to a stop outside, I take Piper by the arm. “Before we go in there, there’re some ground rules. If you want to keep this from your parents a while longer, fine. Grab whatever you need, then we’ll leave. The quicker, the better, because quite honestly, I don’t need Hulk’s bullshit today.” She nods. “But, Piper, this can’t go on forever. You have to tell everyone, and soon.”
Chapter Sixteen
PIPER
I follow Anton towards the club entrance, and he glances back. “Why are you bringing the shopping bags?” he asks.
I shrug. “I want to show my mum.” Actually, the truth is that most of this stuff is for Mae. She never goes shopping, and as Anton pointed out, the wardrobes at his house are full to bursting with new clothes. Apart from a couple evening dresses left in the car, I shopped with Mae in mind.
Stepping through the door first, I’m faced with Hulk and Ace chatting at the bar. They both turn my way, and for a second, Hulk looks pleased to see me, but then Anton steps behind me and his expression changes. He turns his back to me and my heart sinks slightly.
“Been shopping?” asks Ace.
“This woman is a shopaholic,” Anton groans like it's such a hardship.
“You letting the Mafia buy your shit?” snaps Hulk. I get that familiar pain in my chest, the one I’m so used to feeling when I have any interaction with Hulk. I used to pray he’d look at me with love and treat me like his ol’ lady, but these days, I’d just be happy with a smile or a less aggressive attitude.
“I can treat my woman to whatever she likes,” says Anton with a smirk. “Maybe you should have done this, then she wouldn’t have gotten tired of your arse.”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Hulk says and suddenly stands.
I sigh, taking the opportunity to quietly tell Anton, “Let’s go to my room.” Then I breeze past Hulk, ignoring him. I’m becoming an expert at handling his tantrums.
“You need to stop ignoring me, Piper,” growls Hulk angrily. He waits a beat before adding, “Or I’ll tell him everything.” I stop in my tracks and spin to face him. Our eyes lock and we’re in a silent standoff.
“Piper,” Anton says, “what the hell’s he talking about?”
My mouth opens, but words fail me. “Erm . . . nothing. He’s . . . let’s just go.” I try to grab Anton’s hand, but he pulls it away.
“Not so cocky now,” mutters Hulk, turning his back to us again and sipping his drink. The urge to beat him round the head is strong. He never fails to humiliate me.
“If you have something to tell me, just say it,” snaps Anton.
“She’s your woman, she should tell you,” he replies.
“Do you know what? It doesn’t even matter, Hulk, because whatever it is, it’s not going to pull us apart.” Anton now grabs my hand and begins to lead me towards the stairs. My heart hammers hard in my chest.
“Is that right?” asks Hulk, and I briefly close my eyes.Why won’t he just stop?“Because you’re solid, right?” I hear the smirk in his voice.
“Keep walking,” Anton hisses in a low voice so only I can hear. “When we get upstairs, you better start talking.”
“So solid, she came running back to me just last week.”
Anton stops, drops my hand, and slowly turns to face me, arching a brow. “Is that right, Piper?” he almost whispers, his voice low and menacing.
I feel my face burning with embarrassment. “It wasn’t like that,” I mutter.
His hand slides along my cheek, but it doesn’t feel warm and endearing as he lifts my head to make eye contact and pinches my chin between his thumb and finger. “How was it, exactly?”
