Page 44 of Falling Hard

Chapter 13

Emmie

My phone rang again and once again, I ignored it when I saw Maiden’s name. I knew he was coming here, and I was planning to escape before he arrived. I knew it was stupid to run from the man I loved, but at the same time, there was no future with him. He chose to lie to me. But the one question I couldn’t find an answer for was, how could he let me walk around thinking I was now experiencing visual hallucinations, let me think my schizophrenia was getting worse?

What was even worse was they made me question my sanity! They didn’t speak up and confirm it when I said I saw the man.

The door burst open, and I jumped. It looked like avoiding Maiden wasn’t an option now. I normally wasn’t a confrontational person and cowered away from a fight, but that wasn’t the case right now. When it came to the subject of Maiden and Dad keeping this secret from me, I was breathing fire. Hell, even Critter knew!

I crossed my arms, ready for him to fire his anger at me.

As he slammed the door behind him, I stopped myself from jumping.

“Start explaining yourself, Emmie. You fucking disappeared for no goddamn good reason!” He then looked at me for longer than a glance and inhaled sharply when he realized I was dressed head to toe in lingerie.

He could be turned on as much as he wanted to be, but I didn’t care. Hell, I wasn’t even sure why I was done up like this. It wasn’t like I wanted Maiden to look at me with sexual desire anymore. After all, he was forced to put up with me.

“You lied to me!” My temper got the best of me, and I shouted, knowing Libby and Lynx could hear.

“About your dad going to prison? That wasn’t my place! For fuck’s sake, Emmie, how could you take off because of that? We were fucking stressed thinking you were taken!” His eyes ran down me and then lingered on my breasts as he kept getting distracted.

I arched my eyebrows. “You mean by the man watching me? The stalker I repeatedly told Dad about, which he dismissed? You let me walk around thinking I was losing my sanity!” Tears began to form in my eyes. “How could you do that to me?” Desperation and pain were so clear in my voice. I was fragile, and I would admit that. I felt like I was made of glass on the best of days, but with me questioning my sanity, the glass was cracking. My heart was beating at an unbearable rate, causing me to take sharp breaths in.

Maiden’s angry expression dropped as he realized I overheard their conversation.

“How much did you hear?” Maidens words were sharp, and his expression told me there was more said than just what I had heard, but what I had heard was enough.

I placed a hand on my hip. “Let’s just say I know the real reason you’ve been putting up with me.”

“Emmie, I had no idea—”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You do as my father says. He told you to do it, so you did. You babysat me. Oh, wait, what were the words you used? Forced yourself to be with me?”

He frowned as if I were completely missing something, but what that was I didn’t know.

“I lied, all right,” Maiden snapped at me. “I lied to your dad.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “So who are you really lying to? My dad or me now?” I wanted to make this crystal clear to him. “I have enough shit in my life to not want more shit. If you don’t want me, fine, I accept that.” I inhaled sharply. “I’ll get over it, but don’t stand here and lie to me about loving me and wanting to be with me.”

“Enough.” He let out a string of curse words.

I raised a hand. “Just drop it, Maiden, I don’t want to hear another excuse for why you guys did what you did.” I sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling deflated. “Honestly, I’ve had enough.”

“Emmie,” he growled my name, and my head snapped up.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” I interjected. “I mean I don’t think I want the MC in my life anymore.”

Those words sent complete and utter horror across his face.

“As in you’re done with me?” His words were tight as he held a lid on his boiling, blistering rage. “You’re just gonna walk from my life?” His fists clenched at his side, and he stood to his full height. “Like fuck, you are walking from the MC life, Emmie. You are, and always will be, an associate to us.”

“An associate?” I scoffed at his chosen word to describe my role in the club. I shook my head and fiddled with my fingers. I didn’t want to be the club’s associate. I didn’t want to be anything to them anymore. I loved my father, but I had to wonder was it really in my best interest? Was this really what would benefit my health in the long run? I wiped the tears off my cheeks and looked at my hands.

Dad was going to prison. A madman was stalking me. And then his eyes flashed in my mind, and I finally put the piece of the confusing puzzle together.

“Kurt,” I muttered

“Excuse me?” Maiden picked up on my words, and I looked directly at him.

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