Page 22 of Lore
But before worrying about my body count, I need to get her on the same page as me. I need her to want a do-over as much as I do. And we need to get over the past.
I hurt her, and she hurt me in return by keeping Rider from me.
I missed out on six years with my son, without being there for them both. I’d like to think I would have married her and done things right if I had known about it.
But I’m not so sure.
Now we can fix two wrongs.
And if Suit or any of my brothers think they can fuck that up for me…
I’m the most charming motherfucker here.
Time to remind everyone of that.
ATIANA
In the middle of the night, I decide to venture into the kitchen to get something to drink. It’s still dark outside, and I have a few hours until sunrise. I can’t sleep, my mind working overtime. Seeing Lore again has done a number on me.
What I don’t expect to see when I walk down the hallway is the kitchen light already on, and moans and grunts coming from inside there.
Shit.
Someone is fucking right here in public?
Sure, it’s quiet and most people are sleeping, but anyone could walk in.
“Yes, Haze, fuck me harder,” a woman commands, her breathy moan making my cheeks heat.
“Fuck, take my cock just like that, Luella,” a man growls.
Lu?
I’m not going to be able to look at her the same.
“You like knowing that anyone can walk in and see you, don’t you? Any of the brothers could walk in here right now…”
I take a few steps backward, slowly getting the hell out of there.
It’s been a long time since I had sex or begged like that. Since I was so turned on, I didn’t care what noises I was making. Sex with Trent felt like a chore toward the end. Sometimes I’d be going through my to-do list for the next day because it was that bad.
A few hours later, I keep my word and take the kids for a swim. The sun is shining, and with the pool, hammocks, sun loungers, and the big trees surrounding the massive property, it does feel like we’re at a resort.
Dove is lying in a blue hammock, living her best life, her wet hair dripping down her neck. She has sunscreen on her arms, but she refused to let me properly rub it in for her. Rider is still in the shallow end of the pool, diving down to pick up some of the toys he found. It’s still early, so there aren’t many people around the clubhouse.
“Orange?” Dove asks in her baby voice, although it sounds more like ‘owange,’ and I hand her another slice. I grabbed some fruit from the kitchen and cut it up for them to munch on. She smiles widely, flashing me some of her cute baby teeth.
“Mom! Watch this,” Rider calls out, jumping in the water. I hope he doesn’t wake up any of the brothers. It’s eight in the morning, but I think they run a different schedule than we do. And fair enough. If I didn’t have kids, I wouldn’t be up at the ass crack of dawn either.
The door opens, and a man walks out to lean against the wall with his knee bent, a smoke in his hand. He has a shaved head and is covered in tattoos. A loose black T-shirt covers his broad chest, and his worn, ripped jeans look like they’ve seen better days. An air of menace surrounds him, and for the first time since I arrived here, I feel a little unsafe. His eyes turn to Rider, and then back to me.
“Rider, come here,” I call out to him. I don’t know this man, and he’s making me feel uneasy.
“Why?” Rider asks, frowning. But he listens and walks over to me, water dripping on the ground with every step.
The sliding door opens again, and this time it’s Lore who steps out. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants, his cut abs on show, and it takes me back to the time I caught him with Gina on his lap. His body remains as perfect as it was back then, perhaps even with a little more muscle and not an ounce of fat on him. Of course, he couldn’t have a beer gut or something.
His violet eyes take in Dove and me first, then his head snaps to Rider. His shoulders relax, like he’s relieved about something. He then turns to the man, who is having a smoke, and says something to him quietly. The man pushes off the wall, puts out his smoke, and heads inside.
