Part 16 (2/2)

s.h.i.+elding my eyes, I headed for the door. The chain lock wasn't on so I grabbed the wobbly k.n.o.b, turned and pulled open the door.

Deuce and c.o.x swiveled around.

I gaped at them. Deuce took a step towards me.

I slammed the door closed and put the chain lock on.

s.h.i.+t.

s.h.i.+T.

That a.s.shole got Frankie arrested and kidnapped me. No, he knocked me out and then kidnapped me!

The door slammed open a total of five inches, hindered by the chain lock. ”EVA!”

”f.u.c.k off!” I yelled then crumpled to the floor grabbing my head.

I heard the chain lock snap and the door hit the wall. I heard heavy footsteps and then I felt myself being lifted against a large, warm body and gently set back down on top of the uncomfortable bed.

”I need to go to the hospital,” I whimpered.

”Do you?” Deuce asked, ”Or are you just tryin' to get the f.u.c.k away from me?”

”Yes and yes!” I snapped. ”I don't often a.s.sociate with f.u.c.kwads who steal my husband then pistol whip me!”

”Eva,” He said evenly. ”I get you're f.u.c.kin' p.i.s.sed. ”But I didn't have much of a choice.”

I snorted. It hurt to do it but I did it anyway.

”Showed up at the party plannin' to take him out for what he did to Ripper, saw you there, didn't know what the f.u.c.k I was gonna do. Frankie blindsided me outside, put a f.u.c.kin' gun to my head and started spoutin' crazy. Only way I could get the drop on him was to tell him the one f.u.c.kin' thing in the world that would distract him from a kill. You know what I had to tell him, dontcha?”

Oh G.o.d. ”No,” I whispered.

”Yeah,” He bit off. ”That's when he decided to tell me about his. .h.i.t on you. Didn't know what the f.u.c.k to do at that point. Thought if I let him go he was gonna f.u.c.k you up for f.u.c.kin' me and I knew if I buried him, you were gonna be next. Didn't want either to happen, so here we f.u.c.kin' are.”

”Go away,” I hissed.

”Sorry darlin'. Paid for this room and I plan on gettin' my money's worth.”

”Go f.u.c.k yourself,” I shot back.

”Later,” He said. ”Right now I gotta get a girl outta her muddy clothes.”

He took my chucks off first then pulled my pants down my legs and lastly he lifted my s.h.i.+rt over my head, leaving me in only my underwear. His eyes dropped to my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I watched as he leaned forward and lifted up his father's medallion. He stared at it, his nostrils flaring.

”It's all his f.u.c.kin' fault,” He growled. Then he gave the chain a sharp tug and it broke.

I sat up too fast and gripped my head. ”What are you doing?” I cried.

Deuce was storming across the room. He threw open the door and tossed the necklace outside. ”Get rid of that,” He barked to someone I couldn't see then slammed the door closed.

”Shoulda never given it to you,” He said roughly.

My mouth fell open. ”What?” I whispered.

”You heard me. You been wearin' that piece of s.h.i.+t's tag for eighteen years now. For eighteen years that f.u.c.kin' b.a.s.t.a.r.d has been hangin' round your neck and I'm f.u.c.kin' sick of it.”

Tears burned in my eyes. ”But that was mine and you gave it to me and I loved it and I- ”Shut up,” He growled. ”Reaper was a dirty f.u.c.kin' b.a.s.t.a.r.d who didn't care who he had to f.u.c.k, beat or kill to get his way. No way in h.e.l.l should I have ever given you somethin' that belonged to him.”

My chin began to tremble. What was he trying to say? That everything that happened between us had been a mistake? I couldn't handle this right now. Not after today.

Frankie had always had problems, but to do this...to put a hit on me. Me. I'd given him everything. Me, my love, my body, my life.

I couldn't comprehend it. Or didn't want to comprehend it. Or couldn't. I didn't know.

I'd known Frankie's feelings for me had surpa.s.sed love a long time ago, if love was ever what he'd felt. Frankie had convinced himself at a very young age that he needed me to breathe. It was unhealthy for him, for me, for our relations.h.i.+p but I had thought I'd gotten him relatively under control. I'd been dead wrong.

And it hurt like h.e.l.l.

And now this. From Deuce.

I rolled away from him and hugged my knees to my chest. My tears started out small, leaking out of the corners of my eyes and running slowly down my nose and cheek but once I let myself go, released the pent up anger and pain, regret and guilt, my tears turned in a torrential downpour. I sobbed uncontrollably, hiccupping, gasping for air as I rocked back and forth and cried and cried until my tears ran dry.

When I woke it was light out. I didn't remember falling asleep and I certainly didn't remember falling asleep in Deuce's arms. I untangled myself from him and headed for the bathroom. I was covered in dirt, my hair was a rat's nest and I had splattered blood all over me. Not mine, Deuce's. Tentatively I felt the side of my head. I had a good size goose egg, it was tender and hurt to touch but otherwise I felt fine.

I took a long shower, standing under the spray until the water ran cold.

Feeling numb, I wrapped myself up in a towel I headed back to the bedroom. Deuce had thrown the sheet off him and rolled onto his side. Wearing nothing but his boxers, the h.e.l.l's Hors.e.m.e.n insignia tattooed on his back gleamed black against his tan skin.

He had to be nearing fifty now. His short shadow of a beard was mostly gray; the gray in his hair wasn't as easily noticeable but it was there. His body was every bit as impressive as it had always been, lined and cut in all the right places, his muscles still large and toned. He was still beautiful. The most beautiful man I'd ever seen and still the biggest a.s.shole I'd ever met.

And I loved him still. That had never changed.

I made a quick phone call to the motel office and then another to Tiny, telling him when and where to pick me up and then I climbed back into bed beside Deuce. Lying on our sides, face to face, I stared at him. G.o.d I missed him. Especially lying awake at night, thinking about all that could have been but would never be. It all revolved around him. If I could go back in time and take back what I had said about being his old lady I would. I would have become his old lady, stayed away from the club, done whatever he wanted. Been happy because I would have had him.

But it hadn't gone down that way. And there was no going back from the decisions I'd made over the years.

Without thinking, just feeling, I pushed him gently until he rolled onto his back. Then I pulled down his boxers, touching him gently at first, holding him, stroking him, once again familiarizing myself with his body.

When it came to Deuce, my body took control, my body and my heart. My brain was always on a permanent vacation in his presence.

I took him in my mouth and he groaned in his sleep, s.h.i.+fted a little, but kept on snoring.

<script>