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Fuck, I should have known. She's far from fucking stupid. She's smart as hell as well as beautiful.
"See you soon," I promise her.
She grins. "No pineapple, olives, or mushrooms," she reminds me as I'm walking out the door.
"I got it, babe," I tell her as I close the door behind me. "I won't be long."
I hear the locks engage and smile, glad she listened to me.
Now I have to decide whether I'm going to tell her about my suspicions or not.
Fuck, it could ruin everything that we've started to build.
CHAPTER15
ESME
Ismile as Reaper pours me another glass of wine. Having him turn up on my doorstep wasn't something I had expected. Hell, I thought for sure he was done. But he proved me wrong, and I'm happy. I'm beyond that. I may have inwardly squealed when he called me his woman, but along with that happiness came a deep-seated fear. I don't trust myself right now. Look at what happened the last time I let myself fall for someone. I lost everything about who I truly am and I'm only starting to gain back some of what I lost.
"Thank you," I say softly as I curl my feet up on the sofa. When he went out for the takeout, he stopped at the store, not only picking up beers for himself, but also a new bottle of wine for me, along with some candy. The man knows the way to my heart already. I have a feeling that I could fall for Reaper. Hell, I think I already have.
"So," I begin as I face him. "What happened today? You look stressed." He looks gutted, but there's no nice way of saying it and I don't want to offend him.
He runs a hand through his hair, looking agitated as hell. "I don't even know where to fuckin' start."
My stomach drops. Oh God, what's happened? "Start at the beginning," I say gently.
He grabs his beer bottle off the coffee table and brings it to his lips, taking a long drink. "Preacher is closer to me than any of the other brothers. He's closer than my own family, Es. He practically is my family."
"That's good. I'm glad you have him and the rest of the Vipers."
He doesn't seem to hear me. It's as though he's locked in his mind and focused on getting his words out.
"He had some trouble with a guy a few years ago. He ended up hurting the guy pretty badly. The night I met you and fucked up with you by bein' a dick, that asshole's brother was in the club. He was baiting Preacher."
Bile rises through my stomach. "What happened?" I ask, wondering just how bad things ended up being. I can tell by his face that it was awful.
"I left the club and found Preach and the asshole in the alleyway outside. Preach had beaten him badly and the cops were on their way. I could hear the sirens in the distance. That fucker tried to set Preacher up."
I reach for his hand. God, what an asshole.
"I made him run, told him to get the fuck out of there."
His words hit me. "Oh, Reaper," I whisper. "You took the fall?"
He nods. "Did four years in prison. It saved my brother the pain of doing a fuckin' lot more time than that. He was looking at doin' hard time, Es. I couldn't sit back and let him do that."
"I'd do the same for Seri," I whisper. I'd do whatever it took to ensure my girl was safe and out of trouble.
"I served my four years, Es. I came home, and my brothers lives had moved on. They had kids, and they were fuckin' happy. But not Preach. He was stuck in Hell. He felt so much guilt for what happened and where I was, that he was drownin' in it."
Tears spill from my eyes. The pain in his voice hurts my heart. I feel for Reaper, that everyone's life moved forward while he was stuck doing time for a crime he didn't commit. And my heart hurts for Preacher, a man who’s dealing with the pain of his brother losing that time in his life. I can understand the guilt. I can understand why they're both hurting. It's a situation that must be difficult for them both.
"I came home, and I was pissed, though I never told anyone that. I was beyond pissed that Preach was drownin'. That everyone's life had carried on while I was stuck behind bars. I fucked up," he grunts. His lips twist into a scowl. "I fucked up badly when I came home."
"What happened?" I ask, wondering how he could have.
"I fucked Pepper. God, she was a fuckin' bitch. When I left, she was one of the club whores that was fun to be with. She knew the score. She knew she was there to have fun with the brothers and nothin' more."
