by Laura Morgan
“Yes,” he answered, and pulled a small black box from the inside pocket of his cut. “I’ve wanted to since you rode on the back of my bike to the new clubhouse that night. Ever since you stared into my eyes a few days later and accepted me as yours.” He opened the box and showed me his chosen engagement ring. It wasn’t huge, but I wasn’t after anything elaborate anyway and I loved knowing he’d put a lot of thought into the style and cut of it.
After nodding my head yes, he slipped it onto my finger and I was surprised to find the ring had a good deal of weight to it.
“Yes, Tobin. I’ll marry you,” I gushed, and fell to my knees, holding him tightly. “I want to spend some time together, just you and me. Take me to Dahlia’s so we can be alone, like we were at the beginning. So we can start over.”
“You got it, babe,” he agreed, and together we then packed up and got ready to leave Nico’s place behind.
My brother was surprisingly sober when we emerged and he gave us a lift back to Dad’s place. He also promised to talk with him about the alone time Tobin and I needed, plus he said he’d cover for me with the night before.
“He doesn’t need to know everything,” Nico informed me with a wink, and I was glad he had my back. “I’m also putting an end to the other thing,” he said cryptically, but we both knew what—or rather who—he meant. I wanted that over more than I could say, but also knew the risks involved in Nico hurting Calvin. He would have to watch his back after ending things with his unstable lover or else suffer his wrath. I knew he was capable of anything, perhaps even hurting Jodie if Nico took his eye off Calvin long enough.
“Be careful,” I told him, and after giving my big brother a soft kiss on the cheek, I climbed on the back of Tobin’s bike and we sped away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
We travelled out of the city and reached Dahlia’s by nightfall. Tobin was quiet as we checked the house and bar over, making sure nothing untoward had happened to his place in our absence, but he took his time and I got the feeling he didn’t want to talk quite yet. There were things both of us had hidden and I knew there always would be, but trusted he would reveal the important things over time, just like I would.
While Tobin was busy, I grabbed Dita’s laptop from the office where I had left it after our last visit to the new clubhouse and opened the messenger app, staring at the string of unanswered messages I had sent to Jane Doe over the past few months. Liev hadn’t answered a single one, so I figured it was time to stop. Time to put the computer, and the story of Dita’s mysterious life, away.
I won’t bother you again, but I want you to know that I understand. I know you loved Dita and would’ve given anything to be with her, but that’s over now and you’re finally moving on. I can’t hold onto her any longer either so I’m walking away. Nico is putting an end to things with X and he’ll make sure I stay safe. You won’t hear from me again. Goodbye.
When I walked away I actually felt lighter. Freer. As if a weight truly had been lifted by me having made the decision to take a step away from the mysterious life of Dita Proctor.
I found Tobin making up a fire in the smaller living area of the old bar and nestled into the old leather sofa, watching as he nurtured the flames until it properly caught before covering the fireplace with the guard. Warmth billowed from the hearth within seconds and it wasn’t long before the chilly edge had properly cleared.
I realised I’d neglected him recently so decided to talk things through and hopefully put him at ease. It was time.
“I’ve been obsessed with Dita lately. Searching for answers about her final days. She was a stranger to me, and I’m ashamed not to have known how bad things had gotten between you.” I told him when he joined me.
“She cheated first, so I retaliated thinking it would make me feel better, but it didn’t. If anything, it made me worse and after that, it was just a slippery slope from bad to worse.”
“Why were you so convinced I’d cheated?” I asked, and Tobin frowned, wringing his hands. He turned to me, those pale blues of his taking my breath away as he stared at my face, but then his expression turned wistful. He was remembering something and I was glad when he decided to tell me about it rather than keep quiet.
“Because it’s exactly what she did. Dita would disappear for a few hours and turn up like nothing was out of the ordinary, but couldn’t seem to answer me when I wanted to know what she was up to.” He then ran a hand through his dark blond hair and left it at the back of his neck, massaging gently as though he had an ache there. I wanted to reach up and rub it for him, but also didn’t want to break his concentration, so sat silently, unmoving despite my urge to touch him. “I confronted him once.”
“Who?” I asked, surprised to be hearing Tobin’s side of the story after such a long time of being wrapped up in Dita’s version of events.
“Liev,” he answered and my stomach dropped. If only I’d asked him sooner, it could’ve saved me hours, days, and weeks of searching for him. Tobin had known all along. I should’ve trusted him to tell me the truth—all I’d had to do was ask.
“I went to see him yesterday,” I revealed, hoping he wouldn’t be angry. Tobin didn’t even react.
“I know…”
I jumped and turned to face him, my mouth open in shock. “I’ve got a contact in the Red Reapers. He’s the one who told me about Dita’s antics there before, and he called me up yesterday to say they’d just had a visit from the youngest Proctor sister, much to my surprise. I acted the way I did because I wanted you to come clean and tell me where you’d been and why, but when you didn’t, I saw red.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned, but actually couldn’t blame him. Of course he had to have thought the worst, especially if Dita had been doing the exact same thing. “I just wanted to talk with him. To find out what’d really gone on between them.”
“I know what was going on. They loved each other and I was in the way,” Tobin answered me and he shrugged. I was glad he was over it now, but knew it had to have been hard at the time. “I went down there one night and she was there with him. I laid into the Ukrainian bastard with everything I had and he didn’t even flinch. He refused to fight me and I knew it was because he had nothing to prove. He’d already won.”
“They were already in love and planning to run away together,” I finished his train of thought. Tobin seemed surprised that I knew that, but didn’t question me on it.
“Yeah. That’s why I was such a dick last night. I’d managed to convince myself that you going down there was history repeating itself. Like I was somehow destined to follow the same path with you no matter my intentions for us to be a wholly different couple to how Dita and I had been.”
“I would never—”
“I know. But I let my fear and past hurt get the better of me. I came to my senses pretty sharpish when you set me straight and knew I had to trust you, Dahl. I do, I promise,” he insisted, reaching over to take my hand in his.
I believed him. It was the most honest we’d ever been when it came to opening up about the past and its affect on our current actions. We’d needed our talk long before, and I leaned over, placing my lips against his. Our kiss was soft and slow, but gained quick momentum and before I knew it I was straddling his lap and grinding myself against his hard-on like a brazen hussy. I released him from his jeans, unbuttoning the straining length with a little difficulty thanks to the tightness it was creating there. When free, I took him in my hands and started moving up and down, harder and faster. When I reached beneath his shaft with my left hand to cup his balls, Tobin suddenly hissed and I peered down, seeing where my new ring had just scratched the underside of his cock.
“Shit, sorry baby,” I cried, moving to pull my hands away, but Tobin stopped me. He pushed them back down onto his ever-ready erection and showed me how he wanted it. Where he wanted me to pull and tug against his soft flesh.
“As long as you’re wearing that rock on your finger, I don’t care if I get
a few scrapes from it,” he teased, still moving my hands up and down how he liked it, driving himself closer to the brink of his release. Pulling one hand away, I unwrapped the soft cotton scarf from around my neck and covered him just in time to catch his load, saving either of us the bother of cleaning up any mess, and Tobin laughed as he shuddered and jolted with his orgasm. “Damn, woman. You get me every time.”
“Glad to hear it,” I replied with a laugh, and climbed up off his lap so he could readjust himself. Once back in his pants, Tobin then grabbed me around the waist and yanked me back onto the sofa, positioning himself over me with a grin. “What?” I asked, feeling a little shy beneath his hot and penetrating stare.
“Just looking at my beautiful fiancée, you got a problem with that?” he answered cheekily. I didn’t have a problem with it at all, and answered by unbuttoning my shirt, opening it up to reveal the sexy push-up bra I’d bought on my most recent shopping trip with Jemma. Tobin bit his lip, watching me with a delectable hunger in his eyes, so I kept going. Once the shirt was open, I unbuttoned my jeans and opened the fly to reveal the matching knickers I was glad I’d decided to buy after all.
“You can look all you like, baby. But, if I’m honest, I’d rather you touch as well,” I replied with a sly grin.
Tobin was on me before I could even take my next breath. Using passionate and intense kisses, he commanded my attention to be solely on him, while his hands roamed my body, sliding off the rest of my clothes. He was gentle at first, but soon his horniness seemed to be fully recharged and he was yanking my clothes from my body and throwing them across the room as though he wanted to get them as far away from us as possible. I cried out when his mouth found my core at last. It was so sensitive and ready to be tended to that I found my first release quickly, and was glad when he didn’t stop there.
When he was satisfied I was truly putty in his strong hands, Tobin flipped me over and drove himself inside me, pounding me hard from behind. My face was buried in the sofa cushions, but I didn’t care. All I could think about was him. All I wanted was to please him.
I came suddenly and with force, screaming out for him and pushing myself up and back to meet his thrusts, clenching and squeezing with the inner muscles I could no longer control.
Tobin grunted and stilled, and I could feel the pulsing of his release inside me. I could barely move afterwards, so climbed forwards and we lay there together, panting, each of us covered in sweat. The glorious aftermath of another of our amazing lovemaking sessions, but this time there was more to it. We’d come through our first fight stronger than ever before and I figured the stories were true—makeup sex really was awesome.
***
We spent the next two days together in blissful solitude. We didn’t leave the house for even a minute and ordered our food in once we’d eaten up the main staples in the freezer and pantry. I caught Tobin checking his phone with a scowl a few times as he texted back and forth with someone, presumably my father or one of my three brothers, but didn’t want to pop our bubble yet so chose not to ask him about it.
My phone had gone a few times too, but luckily it was only Jemma checking in and giving me updates on where she was at with her coursework, or where John had taken her on their dates. I loved hearing from her so regularly, and knew we would remain firm friends no matter what now. I was drawn to her in ways I had never felt before, not sexual but as a kindred soul. Someone who connected with me not just because of our similar interests and attitudes, but because deep down, we were the same.
That evening, I heard the sound of a bike pulling in and crunching over the gravelled parking area and knew our bubble was about to be burst whether I wanted it to be or not. Expecting my father, I was surprised when I came into the main living area of the new clubhouse and found my brother Nico there instead. He still looked like he was in one piece, given that he’d supposedly gone back and finished things with Calvin two nights earlier, but I couldn’t really ask him how it’d gone with Tobin standing right beside me. Instead, I opted for my usual quietness and greeted my big brother with a kiss on the cheek.
“Sorry guys, Dad says you have to come back by tomorrow night otherwise, in his words, he’ll come down here and drag you back himself,” Nico told me, and my heart broke a little. So much for my father having accepted Tobin as my protector. Jodie had been right. The torch clearly hadn’t been passed after all, and it made me sad to think that perhaps our dreams of living out from under my father’s thumb might be foolish.
“Did you tell him we needed some alone time?” I asked timidly and Nico nodded.
“Of course, Dahl. But the fact remains that he needs his VP by his side, not disappearing for days with his old lady,” he replied, which reminded me how Dad’s possessiveness wasn’t only about me, but also about his right-hand-man. “He’s still on edge when it comes to having you out of his sight, especially because you did it without running it by him first. I handled him, but he wants you two home, that’s all I’ve come here to say.” Nico held up his hands.
“So I can’t shoot the messenger?” I replied with a half smile. I couldn’t be angry really. I knew what our father was like so couldn’t be surprised he’d sent Nico to come and get us. He shook his head and then gave me a hug, holding onto me as though he needed it, so I hugged him back as hard as I could. “I’m gonna go take a shower and then we’ll start getting ready,” I said as I pulled away.
“No rush,” Nico answered. “I’m heading back anyway, just need to have a quick word with your fiancé here before I go.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow then,” I replied as I pulled away and crept up the stairs. It surprised me how quiet Tobin had been throughout our talk, but I soon heard the two of them chattering and laughing so knew nothing was up between them. The pair had been best friends for a few years and I loved hearing them together. He had to need a friend just as much as I did, so I was glad they had one another.
The hot water felt wonderful against my skin as I showered away the remnants of my day. Tiredness washed over me and I realised just how little sleep Tobin and I had gotten over the past few nights. I was ready for some serious rest and made quick work of drying myself off, opting for my towel robe so I could be lazy and dry off as I fluffed my hair to dry it as much as I could without having to use the hairdryer.
I then heard Nico shout from downstairs and jumped up to give him a wave goodbye from the window. Watching him leave felt strange, like it was wrong. As though I should call him back, but I couldn’t understand it. I had Tobin there with me so I padded out to the hall and shouted down to him.
“I’ll be up in a minute, babe. Just have to call your dad,” he answered, putting me more at ease, but still something didn’t feel quite right. I decided I’d get dressed in some pyjamas and go down to sit with him, but then I heard the back door close and the sound of Tobin lighting a cigarette by the back porch so decided going to bed was probably a better option.
Still fluffing my hair with the towel, I bent my head over and began tousling it, and when I was done, I flicked it back up over my head and down my back.
That was when I came face-to-face with pure evil. I gasped and swallowed the lump in my throat, shaking my head. How could he be there? Why hadn’t either Tobin or me heard him invade our home?
“I warned you, Dahlia. When I get in a mood, bad things happen,” Calvin calmly reminded me, but I could see he was shaking in rage. He looked almost delirious and I watched him close my bedroom door behind him as he stepped silently inside. His eyes were black in the darkness, but seemed even darker, if that were somehow possible. I didn’t doubt he had come to punish me, so didn’t stick around for chitchat. I turned and ran for the bathroom, the only other way out being blocked by the man I knew would hurt me the moment he got his hands on me, but didn’t get far.
“Tobin!” I screeched as Calvin reached me and grabbed a fistful of my hair, hoping to God he might hear me, but knew it was pointless when my tormentor started laughing
in my ear.
“He’s busy, pretty girl,” he said as he wrenched me closer to him and pressed himself into my back. “Just you and me for a little while, but don’t worry. This won’t take long.” Calvin then threw me down onto the wooden floor with such force I head-butted the ground and my nose exploded in pain. Crying with the shock of the agony, I scrambled forward, still trying to find the bathroom, but couldn’t see a thing.
Calvin was on me again before I even found my bearings and he yanked up the back of my robe, exposing my naked backside to him. I shoved my legs closed, hoping to restrict his access to my body, and he simply laughed. He climbed on top of me, his knees on the outside of mine, pushing my legs closed even more. I hoped that perhaps he wasn’t there to take me in the same way he had Dita, but couldn’t understand why he’d expose my naked body if he wasn’t planning to defile it.
I could then hear the unmistakable sound of him undoing his belt and removing it from the loops of his jeans. I turned back, trying to see through the darkness, but my head was fuzzy after the blow to my nose, leaving my vision nothing but dark blurs.
“Please, don’t do this,” I begged. “Nico will never forgive you or take you back. Not if you rape me too.”
Thwack! His belt came down hard against my arse cheek without warning and without any mercy. Pain screamed through me and I cried out again, writhing beneath him in an attempt to get away, but Calvin squeezed his legs tighter either side of my knees, holding me in place without needing to use his hands at all. Thwack…Thwack. He struck me over and over again, his movements frenzied and full of rage as he whipped me without a care for my agony. Hell-bent on causing me more in a bid to show me how much pain he was feeling in his black heart.
Calvin whipped my legs, back and bottom relentlessly, coaxing my anguish and despair from me without pausing or faltering even once. He was a man who struck me as having hurt so many women in the past he didn’t even care for how hideous he was being. It was as though he needed to punish me, to take his frustration out on my body, no matter that I was innocent of a crime harsh enough to warrant it. I didn’t know how many lashes he gave me, but prayed for the pain to be over. For all of it to be over.