Page 4 of Vengeful Pawn

“I’ll think about it.” It’s my same rote answer. “Was there something you needed?” Being an ass isn’t intentional; it just comes naturally.

“I was wondering if you’d come to dinner this week? It seems like I haven’t seen you in a month.” Probably because she hasn’t,and I feel like shit for it. It’s hard to be good company while being so fucking miserable all the time, and I never know what’ll trigger me.

“Yeah, Mom, I’ll be there tomorrow.”I’ll try, anyway.

“Oh, good!” She’s likely jumping up and down with excitement. “I’ll make some of your favorites.” She starts naming off everything she has in mind, and I try not to let the guilt swallow me whole if I wind up cancelling on her like the last few times.

“I’ve got to go, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.” My throat is already tightening.

“I love you, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you.”

Hanging up, I drop back onto my bed and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to stem the headache brewing in my skull. Flashes of creamy skin flicker through my mind with the sounds of breathy moans, making everything worse. My cock stirs again, thinking about my princess. Those melting chocolate eyes, her silky soft, nearly black hair. Her thick thighs wrapped around my hips. She’s an addiction that won’t stop invading my brain.

“Fuck. Fucking hell.”

Leaving bed, it’s off to the shower again and a quick clean up before calling Bishop to ask him to meet me at King and Lilith’s house.

Shame beats a steady drum in my chest as I pull up to the estate where I spent some of my youthful years. I don’t deserve my family, considering all I’ve done. I don’t deserve much of anything but have always been too much of a fucking coward to end my life.

“Hey, man, you good?” Bishop asks as I approach, leaning against his truck.

“Yeah.” I frown before really looking at him. “Why?”

Bishop has always seen through me better than anyone in the family, with the exception of my younger sister, Hadley.Sometimes I think the two of them know me better than I know myself.

“You look different.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” My scowl only exacerbates the headache.

Bishop shrugs and says while walking away, “Not sure, but there’s something different.”

Following behind him, not really wanting to know but asking anyway, “Different good, or different bad?”

He glances back at me before shrugging again. I’d like to punch him in the back of his damn head right now, but the door opens, and Lilith greets us with a smile.

“Boys!” Her worried gaze floats to me. The fucking concern everyone seems to be pressuring me with makes me sick.

“Hi, Lil,” I say, and accept her hug as she leads us inside to the office. “Castle created a folder for the land with pictures and detailed information, and the estimate of what it’ll cost to renovate the house and outer buildings before starting to expand farther outwards. He’s thinking that hiring retired vets for security would help with the size of the property.”

Handing her the folder, she looks through it with the critical eye she’s developed since creating her foundation to help domestic violence victims, and after meeting the MC, the now innocent immigrants attempting to flee violence in their own countries are also included.

Castle’s younger sister works as an advocate for those seeking a better life for themselves and their families. We haven’t had a chance to meet her yet, but she’s got to be one tough chick to work in this field.

“This is perfect. Has he made an offer yet?” Lil glances up at me as King enters the office.

“A soft one, until you had a chance to see the property,” I respond.

“Do it. Tell him to make the purchase and fast-track the process; we need this land sooner rather than later.” Nodding, I send the man the message.

“That all?” I ask, my body buzzing to escape the disconcerted looks I keep getting.

“Hendrix.” King barks my name, and as if I were a soldier again, my body snaps to attention. “What the fuck is going on with you?” Grinding my teeth until my jaw hurts, I suppress an answer. “Your parents are worried about you. Your sister walks on eggshells when she’s in the same room as you, and now you’re showing a lack of respect I’ve never seen before.”

Shit.I don’t like talking about this shit. Feelings? Who the fuck wants them? Not me. And to rip the wounds of my past open in front of people I love and respect, hard fucking pass.

“I drank too much last night, just got a bad headache.” Neither of those is a lie; they’re just not the truth about my problems. Nobody else needs that shit on their shoulders. “I’ve got to go.”

I leave before anyone can stop me, heading to a hole-in-the-wall bar where no one fucking knows me and won’t try to analyze my behavior to death.

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