by Sam Crescent
He’d been so wrong, and now, she had to deal with life after him.
How so many women had to deal with life after he tried to ruin them.
She didn’t want to continue working here, but she had to. For Pie, for the club. She wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them.
Entering his office, she moved around his desk and opened the top drawer only to find a stash of condoms. The sight alone was enough to turn her stomach. What he may have gotten up to, what he’d done.
“You can do this.” She took another deep breath and moved some of the condoms out of the way, finding only pens and a cell phone. Picking it up, she didn’t know what made her press the button, but she saw it had half a battery. Something was on the screen, so she pressed play.
“Fuck that feels good. Look up at the camera, Tiffany. Smile with your mouth full of my cock. For those that don’t know, I had this very dick up her ass a few seconds ago. Spin around, baby, let’s show them.”
She watched as Tiffany bent over his desk, and then Richard’s dick was inside her ass, sliding in deep.
Lindsey felt sick and quickly shut off the video.
She didn’t need to watch or know what he was capable of doing. Throwing the cell phone back into the drawer, she opened another, and found the replica appointment book. She was about to close the drawer when her name caught her attention.
Picking up the file, she glanced toward the open door. Perching on the end of his chair, she opened the file, and there were pictures of her, lots of them. Sliding them out, she looked through each one, and there were images of her with different men and women. A couple were taken of her with Kasey. Another of her with a man.
Some of them even looked like they’d been taken through her apartment window, which made her feel sick.
Closing the file, she tucked it beneath her arm and got out of the office. Closing the door with a slam, she made her way toward the front desk to find three people waiting. The file on her, she placed on the chair and sat down. Was that what he did? Stalk women, make something innocent look dirty, and then use it to blackmail them? Maybe she was being paranoid and he was just a fucking weirdo?
Pushing her nerves and sickness to the side, she signed the people in for their consultations, and for the rest of the morning got the new appointment book up to date. By lunchtime she was starving and realized she hadn’t packed any food.
Holding the file in her arms, she made her way back to the staffroom and grabbed her bag.
“I thought we could share lunch, catch up,” Marie said.
Closing her bag, Lindsey slammed the locker closed. “I’ve got to head out. Completely forgot to pack something to eat. There’s a snack truck just down the road. I’ll be back in a few, okay? Want anything?”
“No, I’m good. Are you okay?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You’re just not your usual self. You’re not happy or smiling or … anything.”
She laughed. “It’s because I’m back at work. I loved sitting around all day not dealing with other people’s problems.” She hugged Marie. “I’ll be back soon.”
Leaving the building, she walked a few steps and then saw Pie leaning against his bike.
“You forgot lunch, and I figured I’d come and eat with you,” he said.
She was so pleased to see him.
Walking toward him, she threw her arms around him and held him close. “You have no idea how good it is to see you.”
“I know what you mean. I’m just awesome.”
She chuckled and didn’t want to let him go. The scent of leather was a comfort to her, especially after the morning she’d experienced. “Can we go and talk? I’ve got something to show you.”
“Sure. There’s a sandwich place with booths and stuff. We can walk.”
“Yes.”
Pie took her hand, and together they walked the short distance to the sandwich shop. Her stomach felt twisted, and she hated this feeling that consumed her. Hated it more than anything else in her life.
Once inside the busy coffee shop, Pie found them a private booth, and after the waitress had taken their order, Lindsey released a breath.
“You okay?” he asked.
“No, I’m really not. Everyone seems to think that he took an extended vacation.”
“Yes. It’s what Diaz did. As far as anyone is concerned, he’s not in the country.”
“You think that’s safe to do?”
“No one asks questions to anyone who is out of the country,” he said. “No one knows where he is.”
“I found this,” she said, pulling open her bag and showing him the file. “It was in his desk. I think he’s been watching me for a long time. What does it mean?”
She handed him the file and Pie opened it up.
She couldn’t stop moving. Her leg was bouncing up and down, and she watched everyone and everything.
“Wow,” he said. He turned over each photo, clearly shocked by what he saw.
“What do you think it all means?”
“I think he wanted you and was going to do anything he could to have you. He clearly knew what he was doing.”
The waitress came back, and Pie slid the file into his jacket. Lindsey thanked the woman for her turkey on rye, and then turned her attention back to him.
“This doctor, he wasn’t a good guy, not even a little bit. I’ve seen a bit of the tapes. He was fucking twisted, Lindsey, like seriously fucking disturbed. You got away really lucky. There’s a lot of women that didn’t.”
“I don’t think you should be so close to this.”
“I can handle myself, Lindsey. I’ve got to do something to bring closure to this shit. I won’t do anything to put myself in danger. Trust me.”
“Why does it have to be you?”
“I’m the only one that knows he’s dead. It has to be me.”
“Oh.”
He took her hand. “Trust me.”
“I do trust you, more than you ever know.” She squeezed his hand and offered him a smile.
Chapter Eight
One month later
“Is it hard for you to see him like this?” Pie asked, looking over at Matthew as he weeded the back yard of the clubhouse. So far, the kid had been forced to clean toilets, scrub the floors, clean up after every single party, do all the shit jobs that no one enjoyed doing but had to seeing as it was part of being with the club.
Duke glanced over at his son and sighed. “I tell you, he’s doing a hell of a lot better than he did last time.”
“What happened last time?” Lindsey asked, sipping at her glass of wine.
Pie snorted. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”
Pike and Dime laughed.
“The little shit thought because he was Duke’s son that it entitled him to a certain level of freedom,” Pike said. “Pissed a lot of people off.”
“He wasn’t ready,” Holly said. “He needed to grow up, and fast.”
“Well now he’s all grown up, and I think it’s cute that he’s doing what he’s doing,” Zoe said.
Pie looked at Lindsey.
With the summer fading fast, the Trojans MC had decided on one last party to mark the end of it. Also, they were heading on the road for a couple of days, which always made for a tense time at any party.
The club was doing a gun run for Diaz, to get some weapons to his crew in the south. He had a shitload of people all over the States, his crew spreading far and wide. Raoul’s friendship with him had done wonders for the club.
“It certainly won’t be long before one of these women will be wanting to show him a good time,” Lindsey said.
Holly wrinkled her nose. “I still remember him being a teenage boy, and that’s the way I want him to stay.”
“Oh, you mean when he had a crush on you,” Duke said, pulling her against him with an arm over his shoulder.
“Really? That is so cute. Then you became his stepmom,” Lindsey said.
&
nbsp; “It was nothing. Matthew has always been a sweetie. Can’t say the same about his dad.”
“Come on, you don’t want me to be sweet. You love it when I’m very, very bad.”
Pie watched as Lindsey smiled.
The past month had been hard for the two of them. Between her getting back to work and him dealing with club stuff, along with the women that Richard had hurt, there hadn’t been much time for them.
They still hung out, but he stayed a few nights with Diaz to go through more of the women. Richard had been nearing fifty, and it looked like he’d first started his rape and blackmail in his early twenties.
The things he knew now, he hated the sick motherfucker with a passion.
Pie was really disgusted by him, but that didn’t make it any easier, not by a long shot.
“What is it?” she asked.
The bruising had gone now, and even though she smiled once again, there also seemed to be a reserve there as well. Almost as if she was terrified of saying or doing something that would draw attention.
He also noticed her dress sense had changed.
Kasey had told him they’d gone shopping and that Lindsey had changed her entire wardrobe. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen her in a dress or a skirt. Now it was jeans or trousers, or something that covered most of her curvy body.
Her blonde hair was rarely down, and the attack had lingered with her.
“Just wondering how you’re going to be with me gone.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got work all week and then I’m decorating my place.”
“You are?”
“Yeah, I’ve already covered all the furniture. For some of the fun I’m going to paint it pink, I think. I’m not sure. Maybe white or cream. I quite like cream. I’ll barely notice you’re gone.”
“Oh, you little vixen, you’ll notice.”
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“You’re right. For a couple of seconds maybe,” she said. “Then I’ll watch a good-looking guy on the news and you’ll be the furthest thing from my mind.”
“You know you’re not kidding anyone,” he said.
Taking her hand, he walked them away from the group toward the back of the clubhouse where it was quiet so they could think.
“What’s wrong, Pie?” she asked.
“We can’t keep putting this off.”
She sighed. “There’s not a lot to talk about.”
“I don’t want you to help me find Miss Right—”
“Pie—”
“No, I want you to hear me out. I know that a lot of people don’t like to hear the truth, but I’m being open with you. I’ve never been honest with anyone else in my life, Lindsey. I know you’re scared. These feelings we have for each other are fucking scary.”
“Who says I have them?” she asked.
“Don’t. Don’t say stuff like that that you don’t mean. You and I are not the kind to lie to each other. I know you have feelings for me and that you’re terrified, and I get that. I’m scared too.” He took her wineglass and put it down on the floor along with his bottle of beer.
He cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. She didn’t push him away or tell him to stop, so he stared into her eyes. They were so beautiful and blue. They made him think of a warm summer sky. So clear that he could stare into them all day long.
“If you do this, it could change something between us.”
“I hope I do because I don’t want to carry on pretending like this is never going to happen. I want it to happen. I need it to happen.”
“Did you ever really want a woman of your own?”
“Yes. I never misled you. These feelings, they were not supposed to happen. I wasn’t trying to make this about me or anything like that. Fuck. This was about the two of us. I don’t know when it happened or how it did, only that I just loved having you around. How you’d come in and the moment I saw you, you’d brighten my whole fucking day. That’s how important you were. I’d look forward to having you around. The other night with that woman. That’s every man’s fucking dream right there. It wasn’t mine. I was so angry and jealous that she got to kiss you first, that she got to feel that pretty pussy. When it comes to you, Lindsey, I can’t control myself. I want everything. I need everything. I know this is asking a lot after what you’ve been through, but when I get back from this trip, I don’t want to hide anymore. I refuse to.”
He ran his thumb across her lip.
“I want us to try.”
“You want to fuck?”
“No. Not just that. I want us to fuck and party, and have fun, but I also want to take you on a date.”
“A date?”
“Yes, a date. To a nice restaurant where I were a suit and you wear that red cocktail dress that I saw hanging up in your closet.”
“Oh.”
“You know the one I mean. You’ve seen it.” He’d gotten hard just looking at it and he’d not even seen it on her. It was one of those dresses that was like a second skin, molding to the shape of the woman, enhancing curvy hips, full thighs, and large tits.
“I wasn’t going to wear that.”
“Now you are. Say yes, Lindsey. Don’t be afraid. I’ll be here for you, and you don’t have to ever wonder again.”
“I’m scared. You’re one of my best friends.”
“Then let’s not give ourselves the chance to doubt. One date, when I get back. Give me that chance.”
“Okay. One date.”
“I look forward to it.” Tilting her head back, Pie knew he’d win her over. He knew exactly how a perfect date should go between them seeing as he knew her. They were alike in a lot of ways, and there was no chance of him losing, not when so much was at stake.
****
“What do you think the date is going to be like?” Kasey asked.
“I don’t know.” She held the rattle toy in front of Liam. The little boy giggled and kept reaching out for them.
Lindsey smiled at the little boy, loving his cuteness all over again.
“Are you excited about going on a date? It has been a long time since you went on one.”
The last one being arranged by Pie with the ant collector.
“I don’t know if I’m excited. It’s Pie, and I know we’ve got something going with each other. I’m not a fool even though I’d love to pretend it’s all in our heads, you know.”
“You see, I don’t get why you’d want to do that,” Kasey said. “I’ve seen you with men and I’ve heard you with men, being your neighbor and all, and none of them have ever stuck around the way that Pie does. He’s not here for anything either. He loves spending time with you.”
“It’s because of my dazzling personality.”
“Or it’s because he likes you, has feelings, and you’re just being too much of a pain in the ass to see it.”
“Mommy, you must not swear. We don’t want delicate ears here to pick it up.”
“Please, he’s Chip’s son, and also close to the Trojans MC. I’m going to have to get used to bad language.”
“It is fun though, right. To be a little naughty. To be a little bad.” She let Liam hold the rattles, and picked him up, leaning back against the sofa, and blowing kisses at him. She loved kids so much.
They were just so innocent, cute, adorable, and she wanted one.
Actually, she wanted a couple of dozen kids herself. Maybe a small soccer team or something.
“Pie and I are good friends. I love spending time with him. He makes me laugh, smile, and it’s always so easy with him. He’s not expecting anything. There’s no high demands. There’s no nothing. He’s just him, and I’m just me.”
“And together I think you both would make an amazing couple,” Kasey said, moving to sit beside her. “Look at how you are with kids. Do you want kids?”
“I’d love to have a couple of kids.” She held Liam close, giving him a little squeeze. “I love you, little guy. So, so much. Your mommy
is so lucky that she loves you. Yes, she is because if she didn’t, I’d have no problems taking you with me everywhere I go. I wouldn’t.”
“Wait until you have one of your own. You’ll know what it’s like then to not only carry him or her, but to feel them in your arms afterward. Greatest feeling of all time.” Kasey rested her head on her shoulder. “I miss Chip.”
“I miss Pie,” she said, admitting the truth.
“They’ll be back in a couple of days.”
“I know.” She had already gotten her dress dry cleaned and her hair cut so that she looked good on the night.
No matter her nerves, she still wanted to look her best.
“How’s work?”
Liam started to make a fuss, and she passed him over to Kasey, who moved him so that she could feed him.
Crossing her legs, Lindsey thought about Kasey’s question. Since Kasey had given birth to Liam, there hadn’t been much talk about her going back to work as a nurse at the local hospital in Vale Valley.
“It’s okay at the moment. Every now and then they’ll talk about Richard and if they’ve heard from him.” Those days made her nervous as they always asked her opinion. She’d always respond that if she was on vacation on some exotic island or wherever, she’d never want to come back.
The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself or to the club.
Brian had found another plastic surgeon to take Richard’s place, and his stay was indefinite. She knew from Marie that Brian was more than happy with the change as his partner in practice had let him down more than once in the past few years.
This was all news to her as she avoided all conversations about the disgusting bastard. The less she had to with him the better for her.
“It must be tough,” Kasey said. “I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this.”
“From what Pie told me, Richard was a monster. He’d find the women he wanted, and he’d build this file to figure them out, to make it look like they were attention-seeking. It’s how he lured his victims in. He could do what he wanted and scare them to think no one would believe them. He picked women that were independent but not strong enough to take him on. It’s why he built up the files.”