“What if I told you I fucked clubwhores all week long, then I’d come home and fuck you on the weekends?” he asks, arching an eyebrow with a smirk. I stumble backward, unable to be close to him.
“Why are you saying all of this?” I ask, holding my hand to my lips, trying to keep from sobbing loudly.
“You wanted to talk. You wanted to know,” he spits.
“You’re purposely being mean.”
Giving me a cocky grin, he continues, “No, I’m telling you the truth. I could be mean if you wanted me to.”
“Fine.”
“Anything else you want the truth about?” he asks, sounding like a smart ass.
The next words come out of my mouth on a whisper, “Have you ever loved me?” I’m unsure if I want the answer. I square my shoulders to hear it anyway.
“You’re mine, Genny,” he states.
“That doesn’t answer anything,” I murmur.
He grunts before he turns and walks away, his voice nothing but a lingering echo, “That’s the answer you get.”
He leaves me standing in the living room, wearing nothing but one of his old shirts and my panties. Tears stream down my face, and I wonder why the hell I thought getting back together with him was a good idea. This is all a flashback to three years ago, just in a different house. Me, alone and crying, and him walking out of the door to go to his fucking club.
I pick up the crystal coaster on the side table and hurl it at my front door. It doesn’t break, and lands on the floor with a bounce. That pisses me off even more. I pick up everything that I can find that isn’t nailed down and I throw a fucking temper tantrum. I’ll pick it all up later, or maybe hire someone to do it for me, but right now I don’t care. I want to hurt something as badly as I hurt on the inside.
Fuck him.
Fuck Sloane Huntington.
I leave Imogen standing in her living room, probably crying, and definitely feeling like fucking shit. I don’t know why I eluded to fucking whores while we were still dating. I said the lie to hurt her even more, as if I needed to lie to make her ache. I straddle my motorcycle and throw on my helmet before taking off down the road, aimed for the clubhouse, which is a few hours away.
I’m such a fucking dick.
I’m lost in my head as I drive, and I don’t check my phone until I stop for gas and I see my brother’s called me. Without listening to his message I call him back.
“Sloane,” he murmurs, and my brow furrows.
“What’s up Kippy?” I ask.
“It’s dad. He’s had a heart attack. I’m at the hospital right now. Mom didn’t want to bother you, but it doesn’t look good,” he chokes out. I know that he must be on the verge of tears.
“I’ll be right there, I’m in the city,” I state before I hang up.
I know exactly which hospital they’re at because only one is good enough for the Huntingtons. As I drive, I think about one of the last encounters I had with him before I went to jail. He’d called me to his office, wanted to talk to me about something. It was about money, money laundering to be specific.
I walked in, knowing he was probably banging his newest secretary since she wasn’t at her desk. I was right. There she was, her ass cheeks spread, and he was fucking her hard, except this one didn’t have that dead look in her eye. No, this bitch was getting off on it.
When he finished fucking her, he didn’t just throw an envelope at her. He helped her up and rearranged her skirt before cupping her cheek and kissing her, the kiss looked more intimate than the actual act he’d been performing. I watched him slip her the envelope of cash, then he handed her a bag from Tiffany’s. He whispered to her and she giggled before she walked out of the office.
“Wanna tell me what that’s about?” I ask.
He grunts. “Not really, but I will. She’s a good little lay, tight pussy and tighter ass. I’ve decided I’ll be keeping her around for a while. If you want to know how to keep a woman, you’d pay attention to your old man. I could teach you some shit.”
Rolling my eyes, I ignore him before asking him what the fuck he wants from me. “I have some money I need cleaned up,” he admits as he sits down behind his desk.
“Money from what?”
“Can’t tell you that, son,” he murmurs.
I let out a harsh laugh, “Old man, if you want me to do you a solid that could land my ass in the clink, you’re going to have to elaborate on just where you got the money,” I state.
He sighs, “Fine. I had a one-time opportunity to make some cash. I invested and it was profitable, but I can’t claim that shit on my taxes, I’ll get locked up.”
“Don’t you have any off-shore accounts?”
He shakes his head, “I did it for you and Kipling. Its enough that it will set your children up for life.”
“I don’t need it,” I grunt.
“I know you don’t, but I’m giving it to you anyway.”
I think about his words and his actions, then I rub the back of my neck. “I’ll do it, but only for Kip.”
Once my gas tank is full, the signal that goes off shakes me from my memory. I did what he wanted and he was right, the amount is enough for Kip and I to set our children up for life if we wanted to. One day, I’ll give it to Kip. Now there’s a true possibility that I’ll be able to give it to my own kids, but I’m not touching it, not ever. I don’t fucking need it, and honest to shit, I don’t want it.
I turn around and head to my father. It’s true, I can’t stand the man, but he’s been a good father to Kipling. He also leaves my mother alone to her own devices, which is more than he did when I was a kid. So for Kipling, I’ll be at the hospital, and for no one else.
Once I park my bike, I hurry inside, asking the receptionist where my father is before I head toward that floor. He’s in surgery, but Kipling and my mother should be in the waiting room. As soon as I step off of the elevator, I see my little brother sitting in a chair, his elbows on his knees and his head hanging low.
“Kippy,” I murmur.
His head shoots up before the rest of him does, and then he runs to me, crashing into my body and wrapping his long arms around me in a hug.
I hug him back, my baby brother. My hurting baby brother.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I rumble.
“It isn’t,” he whispers against my neck.
He straightens and looks over my shoulder, a smile breaking out on his face. His eyes rimmed in red from his tears, he abandons me for whoever has just stepped off of the elevator. I slowly turn around and watch as my brother embraces my wife with the same affection he just embraced me with. I know they’re close. She’s known him since he was a baby; but seeing them hold onto each other, I wonder exactly how close they are.
I fold my arms over my chest and stare at them when a cool hand wraps around my arm, giving it a squeeze.
“When you don’t communicate, Imogen is our only link to you. When she refused to communicate with you the past three years, she and Kipling became very close. They talk on the phone often. Usually, it’s him telling her how much he wants the two of you back together. They have a very special sibling bond,” my mother murmurs before she releases my arm and walks back to her seat.
Genny’s head lifts, and I watch her. When she sees me, I watch as surprise, and then anger, and finally hurt settles into her features. I’ve earned the anger and hurt from her—more than earned it. Kip turns away from her to go back to his seat, but his eyes flash to me and they look disappointed.
“I’m here for Kip and your mother. I figured you’d be almost back to your home,” Genny announces as she starts to brush past me.
I wrap my hand around her wrist and gently tug her back toward me. I massage her wrist with my thumb before I lean down to whisper into her ear.
“When you get feisty, it makes me hard, sunshine. I’m here for Kip, same as you.”
“Well,” she says breathlessly. I can’t help but smile as she clears her throat. “That doesn’t
mean you need to be in my space.”
“Oh, but your space is my favorite place to be,” I murmur, giving her wrist a squeeze.
“That’s not what you were saying an hour ago,” she snaps, narrowing her eyes on me and trying to tug her wrist out of my grip.
“Out of all the shit I said to you, none of it was that I didn’t like being with you, Genny. In fact, I clearly remember telling you that you are mine,” I say, tipping my head down and making sure to keep my eyes even and level with hers.
“You broke my heart, for the millionth time,” she whispers, sounding just as broken as she says.
My eyebrows pull together and I let out a breath. “Sunshine.”
“No, fuck you, Sloane,” she states, yanking her hand out of my grasp. I let it go.
I watch as she walks over to my mother, bending down to embrace her. My mother reaches up and touches Genny’s face and shakes her head. Genny just shrugs before she sits down next to her. As always, from the outside looking in, I watch my family.
I’ve never really been part of my own family; from the time I was a child, I refused to be part of it. As I grew older, I only grew more distant. Now, they’re all strangers to me, even my own fucking wife. I’ve alienated everyone.
I’m thankful when Sloane stays away from me after I walk over to talk to his mother. It doesn’t take long for the waiting room to fill up with society people, and I’m too exhausted to turn myself on.
Sitting in my holey jeans and a plain, navy blue t-shirt, with sandals on my feet, no makeup on my face, and my hair in a messy ponytail is how my parents find me.
“You look awful,” my mother gasps, walking straight up to me.
“I’ve been here for four hours,” I respond.
“A lady should always look her best. Look at Kalli. Her own husband is fighting for his life, and not a hair is out of place,” my mother hisses. Kalli squeezes my hand in a show of support.
“Mother, I’ve had an awful day. Please, no rules,” I mutter.
“Why is your face like that? Did that horrible husband of yours do that?” she gasps.
Kipling growls next to me, but I stand and wrap my hand around hers, tugging her away from Kalli and Kip.
“No, Graham did this to me, did father not tell you?” I whisper.
“Graham would never do that. He comes from proper stock, Imogen. Now hush, and don’t cover up for that thing you married,” she says, waving her hand around.
Thing.
She just called my husband a—thing.
This is exactly why I stay at my parents for as little time as possible. I disappointed them by marrying Sloane, and they don’t hide that disappointment or their disdain for him even slightly. They accepted the marriage in their own way, but they still staunchly disapprove and don’t hide that at all.
“Well, Graham did it,” I hiss.
“I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding,” she says flippantly. It pisses me off.
“Yeah, I broke up with him and wouldn’t marry him.”
“See, completely fixable. He’s here, too. Go and fix things,” she says, pushing me away from her and toward the middle of the room, where Graham is now staring at me.
The room suddenly feels as though all the air has been sucked out of it as I stare at Graham. I know that Sloane is somewhere amongst the people, and he’s got to see Graham, but my feet are frozen to the ground as Graham’s cool and calculated gaze pins me to my spot.
When he starts to walk toward me, my entire body stiffens. Before I can even say a word, he’s right in front of me. He lifts his hands, and I wince at the action. Instead of hurting me, he cups my cheeks as his eyes take me in, looking regretful. I don’t think he regrets anything, though, just the fact that he can’t force me to do what he wants.
“Imogen,” he whispers.
“Please step away from me,” I grind out.
“We had a fight, darling. Things got passionate and out of control.”
I open my mouth to speak when Sloane’s deep voice vibrates right beside us. “If you don’t take your hands off of my wife right now, I’m going to cut them off,” he growls.
Graham takes a step back, letting his hands fall to his sides before he turns to face Sloane. He snorts as he looks over Sloane and shrugs.
“She’s technically your wife, but not for long,” he chuckles before he turns and walks away, going directly to my father’s side.
“Why were you entertaining that asshole?” Sloane asks. I slowly turn to him. His angry gaze is focused on me, and my mouth gapes slightly.
“You can’t seriously be mad at me right now?” I hiss.
“I sure as fuck can, sunshine.”
“Stop calling me sunshine when you’re pissed,” I demand. A smile tips his lips as he lowers his head so that his lips graze my ear.
“You like it when I call you sunshine with my cock deep inside of that sweet pussy?” he whispers as his hand wraps around my waist and gives me a squeeze.
“Sloane, stop,” I exhale.
“Mmm, you do. I’ll remember that, my sweet sunshine,” he breathes. I hate that I love it, too. My entire body shivers as his other hand wraps around my hip and his lips touch the skin just below my ear. “There she is, my sunshine.”
“Sloane,” I sigh.
“Mr. Huntington’s family?” a doctor calls out, interrupting Sloane and me. I breathe out a sigh of relief as I turn and walk toward the doctor.
As soon as I reach Kip and Kalli, I wrap my hand around Kip’s. I can feel Sloane’s heat at my back, and I try to restrain my shiver as his hand slides around my waist while his warm front presses against my back.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Huntington, but Mr. Huntington didn’t make it. We tried, but the blockage was too great. The years of cocaine abuse and drinking, his heart was just too weak,” the doctor explains. At the same time Kip’s hand squeezes mine, Sloane’s fingers squeeze my waist.
“If you’d like to come in and say your goodbyes before he’s taken, you’re more than welcome,” he murmurs.
“I would,” Kalli announces and walks away from us without a word, following behind the doctor.
“You want to go in, Kip? I’ll go with you,” Sloane rumbles. Kip shakes his head.
“No, I don’t want to see him like that,” Kipling whispers. I watch as his eyes fill with tears.
“Take care of Kippy, I’ll get rid of these assholes,” Sloane whispers in my ear.
I turn to Kip and I wrap my arms around him. As soon as I do, he shoves his face in my neck and he cries. He’s eighteen-years-old, getting ready to leave for college in just a few weeks, and he’s just lost his father. A man he’s looked up to his entire life. My heart aches for him.
A few minutes later, Sloane returns. “We only have about ten minutes before the brothers start to show up,” he announces.
“What?” I ask, lifting my head to look over at him.
“I called them. They’ll be here for support, just like they would be for anyone,” he grinds out.
I run my hands up and down Kip’s back soothingly. A few minutes later, he breaks away from me, wiping his eyes.
“I feel like a pussy,” he mutters.
“You’re not,” Sloane announces before I can respond.
“You’re not crying,” Kip points out to his brother.
“Yeah, because I’m fucked up. Having feelings doesn’t make you a pussy, means you aren’t as fucked up as I am,” he shrugs.
He sighs, his eyes focused on the ground, “Sloane.”
“You think I’d be separated from my gorgeous wife if I wasn’t a fuck up? You think I would have ended up in prison if I was stable? Face it, baby brother, you’re the well-adjusted one. Nobody is gonna say shit to you because you cried the day your dad died,” he grins as he shoves at Kip’s shoulder lightly.
I look up at Sloane and he winks at me before he pulls his brother into his arms. There’s something about him right now. He’s always sexy, but I’ve neve
r seen him like this before. Loving, supportive, and gentle. He can be all of those things when he chooses to be, but I’ve never seen them all at once.
It makes me think about what he would be like as a father. I bite my bottom lip and try to tamp down the butterflies in my stomach, but I can’t. They’re there, flying and alive until the room suddenly fills with people. I look around to see his club is here.
“Oh, Genny,” Mary-Anne calls out as she hurries to my side and wraps her arms around me.
Hesitantly, I hug her back. I’m surprised to see that she’s pregnant again. When we separate, I look around the room and see so many familiar faces that it makes me feel uncomfortable. As an Old Lady of the club, I was untouchable. I was also a complete bitch at the end, before I left.
“Hey there, honey,” Colleen says as she takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.
Colleen was one of the first women I met in the club. She’s in her late forties, and had been around the group a while. She taught me everything about the club life, even the hard lessons—like when I walked in on Sloane fucking a whore for the first time.
She was the one who informed me of my place. Though I never hated her for it, I always took my bitterness out on anyone who came crossing my path, and that means Colleen had been the brunt of it often.
“Hey,” I whisper back to her, squeezing her hand.
“How you doin?” she asks. My answer is to shrug. Right now, I don’t know how I’m doing. “Hang in there. I know it’s been a while, but I’m only a phone call away,” she murmurs before she turns and walks over to her husband Texas’ side.
MadDog, Mary-Anne, Bobbie, Roach, Ivy, Camo, Grease, Torch, Cleo, Teeny and Mammoth—they’re all here and all looking at me questioningly. Then their eyes move to Sloane and back to me.
Nobody says a word as Sloane updates them on his father and how he’s passed. I watch as he walks over to MadDog and whispers something to him. MadDog’s eyes flick up to me for a few seconds before they return back to Sloane’s and he nods.
Rough & Rich (Notorious Devils Book 6) Page 9