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I watch Caleb’s scrawny white ass move as he pumps inside her, not sweet and gentle like she deserves, but hard and desperate. It makes bile rise to my throat, and when I realize there's no way I’m keeping down the contents of my stomach, I bend my body and retch behind the tree I’ve been leaning against. Soon as I’m finished, I wipe over my mouth and get back to watching. I’m done with walking away. Leia can’t get outta this, so why the fuck should it be an option for me?
This is me facing the consequences of my actions, the same way she’s had to.
This is what happens when a man doesn’t fight.
He’ll always be the loser.
It’s another few minutes before Caleb rolls off her body and the light goes out, the house falls into darkness and I clutch the rifle beside me, seriously debating if I should storm on in there and put a bullet right through his skull. Hell, after what I’ve just seen I’m debating putting one through my own.
I keep my focus on that perfect house on the hill, breathing through my nostrils and thinking about the day judgment catches up with Caleb and Mayor Walker so I can take my girl away from it.
It’s been three days since the Fork River Show. Three long days of me thinking about that kiss I shared with Wade, and wondering how the hell he intends to get me out of the mess I’m in.
At least while I cope with that anguish, there’s one thing I can be grateful for… I’ve had a lot of space and time away from Caleb these past few days.
The vet in the next town had an accident with a bear trap, meaning Caleb is much busier than usual. He’s been starting work at 6 am to deal with all the ranch house calls before he even gets to his practice, and he’s not been getting home ‘til real late because of the extra workload. I can take the fact he’s irritable and vile during the little time that we do spend together, especially if it means I’m getting all these extra hours to myself.
I’m in the kitchen making breakfast, and trying my best to come up with a plan so I can sneak myself over to the Carson ranch and spend some time with Maisie and the babies when I hear a noise out on the patio. It distracts me, and when I step outside to see what’s causing it, seeing Wade standing in front of me makes me almost drop my plate.
“Holy fuck, what are you doing here?” I search the open space around us, in case anyone’s around, and Wade doesn’t waste a single second, thundering toward me and lifting me off my feet.
“Wade, this is far too dangerous,” I try warning him, but his lips kiss the words right back to where they came from.
“I told ya I’d be comin’ for ya.” He carries me into the kitchen and rests my ass on the counter, sliding his rough fingers into my hair as he kisses me deeper and steals all my cares along with my breath.
“Wade.” I eventually come to my senses and force him away. It doesn’t matter how good this feels, me and him need to talk.
“You can’t just come to this house, what if Caleb had been here? What if he comes back?” I can’t even think about how mad he would be if he caught him here.
“I don’t care. I had to see ya.” Wade leans forward to press his forehead into mine and it causes that tingle all over my skin that I haven’t felt there for so long. It also makes it real hard to remind myself that I’m mad at him.
“Wade, you can’t do this. I’m married now,” I whisper.
“To a man you don’t love, and a man who beats you,” he points out, placing his hat on the kitchen counter beside me and looking pained.
“Yeah well, I didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter did—”
“I’m here to ask if ya can hold out for a few more weeks, a month tops,” he interrupts me, placing his finger over my lips to silence me. I see the disappointment on his face, and I know that with Wade, he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.
“What are you gonna do?” I stare into his eyes, daring him to lie to me.
“I’m gonna do whatever it takes, darlin’, and for me to do that, and still get to spend the rest of my life with you, I gotta be real careful on how I do it.” His voice comes out weak, and it doesn’t suit him at all.
“That sounds too dangerous.” I shake my head, and when I go to slide off the counter Wade grabs me by the waist and holds me firm.
“Leia, if you need me to get ya out of this now, I’ll get ya out. You can go pack a bag and come home with me. I don’t care about the Masons, I don’t care about your father or the stupid fuckin’ Organization. I’ll take ya, Leia. All you gotta do is ask.”
“Wade, you can’t do that. My dad’s in too deep with these people, they’ll hurt him.” I see the change in his expression when I remind him that this is far more complicated than that. Wade doesn’t get to be the hero in this story, no one does. I should have figured that out before I got involved with him in the first place. Maybe being with Caleb wouldn’t be half as hard if I’d never known what it was like to really love someone.
“I promise you, that in a month’s time, none of this will be a problem, you just have to hold out.” I don’t know what Wade is gonna have to sacrifice or do to make that happen, but I can tell from the way he’s looking at me that it’s gonna cost him something.
“Tell me why you left. I know this has more to do with my dad losing you that land to the Masons. Are you scared of what the Organization will do too?” I grip both his shoulders firmly in my hands so he can’t avoid the question, and when he shakes his head and struggles to find words, I raise my eyebrows as a reminder that I deserve an explanation. The way he lowers his head and blows out a heavy breath before he speaks makes me nervous.
“I left because I thought I was doin’ the right thing. I swear, I thought Caleb would treat you right. I would never have gone if I thought he was gonna hurt ya.” His eyes rise back up to mine. “I put my own thoughts and concerns before what was most important, and that’s us bein’ together.”
I hate that it doesn’t feel like he’s telling me everything, but I don’t want to waste a single moment of the time we have together. So, I kiss him in a way that tells him he’s forgiven. I cantryand be mad at him but, deep down, I know all this is as much my fault as it is his. I married Caleb to protect my father, in reality, I don’t think Wade would have ever been able to prevent that. I convinced myself that there could be another way because I fell in love, but I would always have had to follow the Organization's orders.
“Leia,” Wade whispers against my lips, his thumb swiping over my chin as he cradles it in his hand.
