Page 26 of Indecent Lies

After forever, he finally answered. “Had to get away.”

“Are you still in the motorcycle gang? Roux told me how those places work, it’s more than just a job, it’s a family, right?”

Oh, this time his sigh was a gust and almost blew the bedroom door off. She had the urge to go to him and make the sadness in his voice disappear. “Yeah, it’s a family. And no, I’m no longer a patched in member.”

“Why not?”

“Poppy, it’s late. Go to sleep.”

“But I want to know.”

“You can’t always get what you want.” Came his reply and she heard the creaking of the couch and then another groan from him, probably because the couch was too small for the likes of that god-made body.

“I claimed my asylum with you, didn’t I?” She boasted and heard him chuckle. It was low, but it definitely was a chuckle.

“Go to sleep, little girl. I’m fucking wiped, I rode all day to buy your ass back.”

Her skin bristled.

Not from anger.

Oh, no.

She turned hot so fast at his words, it was a wonder her hair didn’t catch fire, she put her hands up to her cheeks to feel the warmth.

He owned her.

Why did that archaic thought appeal?

She should be objecting, right?

It was barbaric to be owned by another person.

Only, her racing veins didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“I am not property,” she croaked an attempt at a protest, holding both hands over her beating heart.

“Sleep.” Was the last thing he said to her that night.

And she did sleep, a long time later, after she snuggled down into Tait’s bed, with Tait’s soft pillows and checked her phone.

No new messages.

Not from her mom or dad or even her group of friends.

No, they wouldn’t, she thought bitterly.

Because she’d gone against the cleverly crafted blueprint that was set out from birth.

Stay in line, do as you’re told and absolutely don’t question anything.

Ronnie’s days old messages, weak as they were, not one of them begged or pleaded for her to call him, they still sat there unanswered and she didn’t feel the need to reply.

She fell asleep in a strange bed, in a strange apartment with the boy she had a crush on years ago sleeping in the next room.

And Penelope felt wildly free for the first time in forever.

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