I pushed my way out the door and took a few steps into the parking lot and put my hands on my knees, feeling like I would be sick. I had never in my life stood up for myself the way I just had. Nothing had pushed me that far to come out of my brainwashed state before now.
Now I felt like the weight of the world had come off my shoulders, and it made me lightheaded and sick to my stomach.
“You all right there, ma’am?” a deep voice asked. It was the same voice that had come from behind me during my confrontation with Adam.
He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome in his dark jeans and a t-shirt that seemed to fit him perfectly. He towered over me and was broad, giving him a look of strength. His eyes were serious and looked at me with concern, which only added to his appeal. You could see that he was a man who worked with his hands and took pride in that. I had never looked at my husband the way I was this man.
“Yeah. I mean, I think so. That was a lot to take in a short amount of time,” I said with a long, deep sigh, letting out the breath that felt like it had been lodged in my chest for years.
“Uh, thanks, by the way,” I continued. “It was kind of you to loan me the bottle and to scare that asshole like that. Adam doesn’t have the guts to stand up to a man.”
I laughed as I said the last part. Over the years, I’d held in all the thoughts and feelings I’d had about my husband. I knew he was a coward and would never stand up to someone his own size.
“She all right, Wrench?” another voice called out.
“I think so. Probably a little shocked,” the man called out before turning back to me. “Would you like to sit down?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve got to find a way to get to the apartment and get my things. Then I have to figure out where I’m going to go.”
The second man started toward me with a slow and steady gait, like he didn’t want to scare me any more than I already was. “The club owns a set of apartments on the edge of town. They just opened up, and there are vacancies. We’ll give one to you to stay in. It doesn’t have any furniture, but I’m sure we can figure something out.”
When he realized I wasn’t going to run from him, he stuck his hand out to me. “The name’s Reaper. I’m the club prez. I know it sounds crazy that we want to help, but that’s just who we are. We protect those we can.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I listened to this man I didn’t know tell me the things I needed to hear. Someone wanted to protect me. Someone wanted to make sure that I had what I needed.
These were things that my husband had never done. I hadn’t heard such caring words since I was a child. Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear them.
“I couldn’t do that to you guys. I’m sorry for causing a scene in the bar,” I said.
“Oh, darlin’, we aren’t asking to help. We’re telling you we are. We want to help,” the other man, Wrench, said.
“Okay, but I don’t know you. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but how do I know you’re not going to kill me and leave me in a ditch somewhere?” As I said it, I knew the question sounded dumb, but it was a real fear. I had never met these men before today.
Reaper nodded. “You’re right, you don’t know us. But there’s one thing that we men in Sinner’s Pride can’t stand, and that’s violence against women.”
“You’re the one who’ll have to decide what is right for you,” Wrench said. “But know that we want to help. We want to take you to a safe place where you can recover and plan the next part of your life.”
I sucked up all the bravery I could muster and nodded in agreement. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
“You can ride with me on my bike,” Wrench said.
“I’ve…I’ve never ridden one before. Is it safe?” I stuttered out.
“Perfectly safe.” He said, placing a helmet on my head.
I blushed deeper than I ever had before. He got on the bike and motioned me over. He helped me get on, and when he touched my hand, I was filled with warmth and safety. Once I settled behind him, I wrapped my arms around his waist. The only way I could describe the feeling was like being gone for a long time and coming home.
My heart fluttered in a way it never had, and if I was honest, I wanted to continue feeling. I needed to be thinking of all the things I wanted to take, not the fact that I had my arms around a man I found insanely attractive.
I had a few secrets of my own, but they weren’t something that was harmful. Nothing like Adam’s secrets. Deep down, I knew I was going to be all right. After years of writing my stories, I had the means to take care of myself now. But I first needed a little help to get from point A to point B.
At first, I was scared on the bike, but I quickly loved it, and the ride came to a stop too soon as Wrench pulled into the driveway, a truck and a bike right behind us. A couple of guys got out of the truck and grabbed empty boxes from the back. Once again, I was struck by how kind these guys were being to me—a total stranger. I got off the bike a little shaky but exhilarated at the experience of riding.
“How did you like it?” Wrench asked.
“It was amazing.”
“My room is back here. It’s the only place I need to pack anything other than the bathroom.”
The men all stood there, looking at me with pity. I was used to that look after all the years of my marriage. Everyone looked at me with pity, but no one would stand up for me.
Small-town life wasn’t always all it was cracked up to be. Women stayed silent, while the men ran the town.
The men moved quickly, and my meager belongings were packed up and in the truck in less than half an hour.
I took one final look at the apartment before leaving my keys on the table and shutting the door behind me.
Relief washed through me. I felt like I was free. I wouldn’t have to return to the home of the man who made my life miserable.
Reaper cleared his throat as we stood outside. “You’re going to stay with me and my wife tonight. We have a spare room, and she would love to have company.”
I wanted to argue with him, but I knew from the look he gave me that I wouldn’t win the fight. Instead, I nodded and gave him the best smile I could offer.
Wrench rocked on his heels, his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to get some things for your apartment and help you look for a car,” he said with a smile.
I looked between him and Reaper. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all this. But I want to try to do as much of this on my own as possible,” I told them.
Wrench gave me a shy smile. “I hear you,” he said. “How about this? I take you out tomorrow, and we work within your budget to find things that meet your needs. And if you need a little extra in the moment, the club will spot you. Think of it as a loan.”
I thought it through. It helped knowing I could stick to a budget and they wouldn’t push me into anything I didn’t want.
I gave Wrench a nod, and the smile he gave in return threatened to blind me.
With that, Reaper and I said goodbye to the men, and he drove me to his home. It was a ranch-style brick home that looked like it was well taken care of. The flower beds were a riot of color, and off to one side was a gazebo surrounded by trees.
“Your home is gorgeous,” I said, smiling at the sight.
“My wife did all this. Ellie is one of those people who loves flowers and spending time outside. I never cared much about it before, but I find myself spending as much time out here as possible, just to be with her.”
He led me into the house, and the sound of music playing immediately surrounded us. I followed Reaper into the kitchen, where a tall, leggy brunette stood at the stove stirring something in a pot.
As if she sensed us, Ellie turned around and smiled. She wrapped her arms around Reaper, and he returned the gesture, picking her up and squeezing tight.
A pang of jealousy hit me as I watched the two of them together. I always wanted that in my life, but after all the time I wasted with Adam, I was afraid I was too late.
Reaper put Ellie down, and she turned to me.
“You must be Sadie. Reaper texted me that you would join us for the night. I don’t want you to worry about anything. I’ve got dinner covered and even a bottle of wine if you want. We are going to kick back and let loose tonight. It’s Friday, and that means no work for you!” she said, as she pulled me into a hug.
At first, I didn’t know how to react to the woman holding me. The warmth of her hug made me feel like there was more to the world than I thought.
After dinner, Reaper left to handle some club business, so Ellie and I opened the wine and headed to the gazebo. We talked about random topics for a while, and then she finally brought up the thing that brought me there.
“I’ve been where you’re at, and I promise it will get better. I was married before I met Reaper. My ex was cheating on me the whole time we were together. He even had children with his mistress, and I thought my world was going to end when I found out,” she said, with a sad smile.
“What helped you through it?” I asked.
“One hell of a good man.”
My phone buzzed, and my heart dropped to my stomach as I saw a text from the man who had made my life hell.
