Page 11 of Has-Been
“Brother, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’ve been pulling them daily. I have so many bots running to find them and pull them, but someone out there really wants your body online.”
I grabbed his arm, and caught a flash of that old fire in him before he calmly shook me loose.
“You’ve had other shit on your plate, so I didn’t think you needed to deal with this too.” Even six months ago, he’d have probably done his best to magnify that ‘exposure’ for me, and now he was trying to protect me from it.
“It’s been happening this whole time? Ice, man, come on. Who’s doing this to me?” I felt like I’d been punched in the fucking gut. It was another, more painful reminder of how I’d never be good enough for that sweet woman I was trying to deny my feelings for.
How could I, a fucking biker loser whose dick always seemed to be online, ever be worthy of a real lady like her? It felt like the final nail in the coffin. If she ever saw those videos… hell, maybe they’d really put her off me once and for all. Although that thought made me want to completely lose my mind, I knew it was better for her if that happened. Then she could put her focus on someone worthy at last.
“Jesus, just put that shit out of your head for a minute. We’ll need our wits about us with these guys. You think it’s a coincidence that Reacher sent in his two brainiacs?”
I rolled my eyes and followed Ice up to the door, where some suited goon let us in, and ‘escorted us’ to meet Massimo fucking Rossi himself.
Elise
Theworstthingaboutbeing in lockdown at the clubhouse was not being able to go anywhere offsite. I couldn’t get out and pick up things I needed, or just to get some fresh air and a change of scenery.
I was losing my mind stuck in here like this, and knowing that Has-Been slept a few doors away from me was even more tortuous. I’d been in his room once, and once only.
Unfortunately it had also been the one time my brother had knocked on his door, and that time he hadn’t interrupted anything. I’d had too much to drink, and was looking for somewhere to sleep. Did I deliberately go to his room, calling it ‘accidentally’? Of course, and even though he didn’t do anything untoward, he did offer me his bed for the night, while he insisted on sleeping on the sofa. The even worse part is that I fell asleep almost instantly, so I couldn’t even try enticing him like I’d planned.
I was debating going to look for him this morning when I saw him leaving with Ice. I couldn’t even ask where he was going because I shouldn’t care, and also I’d just get told it’s ‘club business’ and I’d be expected to accept that.
I went down to the bar for some lunch, and chatted a little with Tommy while I ate, but nobody else was around, until I was nearly finished.
“Hey, girl, you all alone here?” Micro sat down beside me, and I swallowed hard. I didn’t know him well enough to feel comfortable with him sitting with me like this. Especially since Tommy seemed to have disappeared and I was suddenly alone with him.
I pasted a smile on my face.
“Tommy’s around somewhere, if you’re looking for lunch.”
He quirked a brow at me. “Yeah, I could eat…” My skin crawled as his eyes raked over me in a way I could only describe as predatory. I wished that someone would show up, anyone, just so I wasn’t alone with him.
When someone slapped the back of his head, I briefly rejoiced, and then realised it was the only other member of the club that I found unnerving.Torch.
“Stop hitting on the VP’s sister, moron. You’ll find yourself drinking your lunch through a straw.”
He sat on the other side of Micro, and winked at me. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought. He clearly wasn’t making any kind of innuendo at me, like Micro had.
“I was just leaving anyway. Uh… the chili’s really good. Tommy made it himself.”
I got up and hurried away from them, but I could hear them talking as I left.
“Not afraid of Stitch, bro. Bet she’s never had a real man though. I could give it to her so fucking good.”
“Micro, stop being such a prick. The girl just ran away from you. Take the hint.”
“Fun thing about girls who run from me. I get to chase them.”
Oh god. I hurried up to my room, and slammed the door, locking it and backing away, like I expected him to suddenly start hammering on it to get in. If he tried, I didn’t think the door would delay him for long either.
I hunted down my phone, and grabbed it, finding my brother’s number, and then I sat with it in my hand, ready to phone him if anyone even tried the door.
When the phone rang in my hand, I screamed and threw it before I realised what was happening. Oh god. My breathing turned to panicked gasps, and then sobs. I lurched onto the floor and grabbed the phone just as it stopped ringing.
Eight
Rossiwasn’tsobad,although, to be honest, when you don’t expect much of someone, it’s not that difficult for them to meet those low expectations, is it?
