AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What the hell?I’m not supposed to like men who think they know better than women. I’m not supposed to turn into a pile of mush because some man asserted his dominance. I’m an independent woman who’s figuring life out for herself.
So then, it’s shocking as hell that with every rumble of Axel’s bike between my legs, I feel my walls come crashing down.
Chapter Four
Axel
“Give me a list of the people you think would be after you?” I settle into the recliner near the fireplace and stare toward her. May is relaxed on the couch, refreshed from the shower she insisted on taking the second we got here.
It’s strange having company. I don’t remember the last time someone was over. The MC usually meets over at the lodge, and besides them, there’s not a whole lot of people I entertain.
She twists her wet hair to the side and tucks one arm into my old t-shirt. Thank God. Her nipples have been like hard spears since she got out of the shower and thin cotton doesn’t hide a thing.
I hand her a cup of cocoa with fresh whipped cream sprayed on top. I’m sure it’s mean to try and relax her, though. I doubt there’s a relaxed version of May in any dimension.
“There is no list.” She sighs. “There’s one guy, and he’s not interesting to say the least. We dated and it didn’t work out so…”
“What happened?”
She narrows her gaze and shakes her head as though the question is annoying. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’s relevant given the circumstances.”
“It’s not. It’s dumb, it doesn’t matter, and the sun will come up soon and we’ll all move on with our lives.”
“No, we won’t. How’d you two break up? You steal his spark plugs or something? Hey, maybe this is some sort of kink I’ve never heard of.”
Her gaze deadpans. “Ha. Ha. No, Sherlock. If you must know, the guy wanted to have sex, but I… I didn’t want to.” She shrugs. “So… we broke up.”
My stomach knots as she talks. “It seems a bit excessive to steal some spark plugs because someone won’t sleep with you. He from around here?”
“You wouldn’t know him. He’s just some asshole who lives out in Whiskey Falls. I met him at Declan’s club outside of town.”
“Is this guy the same reason you’re homeless?”
She narrows her gaze. “I’m not homeless.”
“You’re living in your car.”
“It’s the same thing as people who live in RV’s. It’s fine. I use the bathroom in the diner, and I shower up at the campground. Sometimes I even sleep there. The car is comfortable.”
“I don’t think many people would agree that a car is ideal housing.” I hold my gaze steady trying not to be judgmental, but I’m feeling pretty judgmental. A young woman shouldn’t be living in her car. No one should be. “Is this another part of your kink?”
She shakes her head. “No. I was taking care of my mom for about two years. She had muscular dystrophy, and her well-being became my full-time job. We were always close, but that made us so much closer.” May looks away. “When she passed in March, we had to sell the house to pay for medical bills, and I didn’t have enough money to find anything of my own.” She glances back, letting go of a heavy breath. “I’m saving though, and being so close to the diner really helps. I can pick up all the shifts.”
Fucking hell.“I’m sorry about your mom.”
May wipes away a tear. “Thanks. I’ll be fine. I’m working hard, saving up, and soon I’ll have a cabin of my own.Please don’t tell anyone. Nora doesn’t even know.” She holds up a hand. “And it’s not because I’m embarrassed. It’s because I’m proud.”
I threaten to remind her that the two go hand-in-hand, but instead I grab her a tissue and settle onto the couch next to her. “So, what’s with the guy then? When did he start bothering you?”
“I met him after my mom passed. Obviously, I wasn’t making the best choices back then.”
“So, you wouldn’t have sex with him and he started stalking you?”
She looks away and her voice cracks. “Sort of, yeah. He was very controlling and had this ridiculous hero complex… that came with a price. He wanted to help me after my mom’s passing but only if he knew where I was, what I did, where I ate.” She laughs. “You know me, I wasn’t having any of that. Anyway, when I officially stopped talking to him, he started showing up at the diner, and then he’d find wherever I was parked for the night.” She smiles. “As you know, there are not a lot of places in town to hide without going into the mountains and I’m not doing that. So, I decided to sit in plain sight. This is the first he’s messed with me in weeks and the first time he’s done anything more than being annoying. Most of his threats are just notes.”
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but the thought of this young woman taking care of her mom until she passed, losing everything to medical bills, and then living in her car is bad enough. When you throw an asshole ex into the mix, it leaves me with the overwhelming urge to blame the asshole for everything and leave him at the bottom of the quarry.
