“Yes, Father. I was planning on handing in my resignation soon. This was a temporary position until Sally had the baby. Then she got pregnant again and I waited. I have my own dreams and goals. Things I want to—”
“No!” he stated, and then looked at Corey and Jake.
“She’ll do whatever your father and Lance and Travis ask of her. You’ve been kind and generous to her and she owes you. We all do.”
“No, I won’t father. I don’t owe anyone anything. Sally needed my help, and I helped her. I have my own dreams to achieve and I no longer care for working at the dance hall or dealing with covering for London. Lance and Travis can definitely find someone else to cover both positions. They’re looking for new bartenders, too. They can expand the ad. A complete make over. I’ll stick around long enough to train the new office manager if Sally isn’t coming back. Then I go,” she said, and her father had his fists by his sides, and Sally Lilly and their mother returned.
“What’s going on?” Sally asked, not even holding baby Lilly.
“Your sister wants to quit the job. You’ll need to reconsider working again, Sally,” Corey said to her sister. Sally lost her coloring and then gave Bo the evil eye.
“You selfish bitch. How could you do this to them? The Percy’s gave you a great job opportunity. I did, and now you’re throwing it all away? For what? Or better yet, for who?” Sally asked, eying Bo over.
She felt her cheeks redden, and despite the fact that she wasn’t involved technically yet with Bubba, Channing, Philippe, and Thor, she thought of them.
“You’re seeing someone?” her father asked, sounding outraged.
“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’m not quitting because of anyone. I don’t want the job anymore. It was temporary. We discussed it. Sally, you should get back into working. Mom said she would care for Lilly. Plus, she could bring her by the office, too. Even the new baby.”
“No. I’m not working. Why should I? My husbands are wealthy and make great money. I don’t need to work another day in my life. I’m interviewing nannies, too. Dad’s idea, and he lined people up,” Sally said.
They were pampering Sally, creating a terrible mother, and Bo they wanted to throw to the wolves.
“Well then, I guess there’s your answer, Corey, Jake, Dad. A new manager will be needed for both positions.”
She started to walk away and head to the kitchen. She heard the mumbled tones behind her, but what she hadn’t expected as she walked into the kitchen was the shove to her back so hard she slammed her side against the island. She gasped, grabbed the side as tears filled her eyes. Her eyes locked onto her father. His finger in her face, he reached out with his other hand and grabbed her arm so tight she knew there would be a bruise there, too. His teeth clenched, eyes red rimmed. “You stupid little bitch. What are you doing? You’re ruining everything. This is family, my partner in business. His sons have plans for you, and they’ve been more than patient trying to give you time to mature.”
“To mature? I am mature. I’m not some slut like they are,” she stated.
He raised his hand as if he would smack her and she clenched her eyes closed, and then felt the grip on her arm tighten.
“You listen to me. You’re taking whatever job they give you and you will be marrying Travis and Lance, or at minimum, having their baby and binding this family further to theirs.”
Her eyes widened and she yanked her arm free.
“You’re out of your mind. I will do no such—”
He swung at her and she turned quickly enough and his hand slammed down onto her back, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to fall to the floor. She cried out and he stomped his foot then kicked the cabinet next to her head.
She covered her ears. Felt the hard pain to her back.
“You leave that job, you don’t give Lance and Travis what they want, and you’re done. You’ll regret it, Bo!” he yelled at her, and then she heard her mom’s voice.
“Yorn, don’t. It’s enough. She’ll do what you say,” her mother said, and then Bo heard her mom gasp. She looked up still covering her head, but could see her mom holding her cheek.
“Explain to her how things work. I won’t be able to keep those men from taking what they want for much longer. This was the plan from the start. Straighten her out, Maisey.” He pointed to his wife, and then he fixed his shirt, put on his fake smile and headed out to the living room.
“Fix yourself up. Don’t let onto anything. Be strong and accept your destiny like the rest of us have,” her mother snapped at her and stared at Bo with daggers in her eyes, and disgust that surely her mother deserved, not Bo. They were all sick and out of their minds. She never should have come back home. Never should have believed their lies and forced herself to remember the abuse growing up and her father’s mean streak. It sounded like he sold her to Lance and Travis. Promised her to be their woman. Is that what he had done to Sally? She always thought Sally threw herself at Corey and Jake.
She wiped her eyes and as she tried standing, her upper back ached so terribly it felt like it spasmed. More tears fell and she quickly wiped them away. She couldn’t leave now. Not yet. God only knew what her father was capable of, or what he would tell Lance and Travis or allow them to do. No, she needed to think. To get through this lunch and head back to Repose.
With thoughts of her house, came thoughts of Bubba, Channing, Philippe, and Thor. She wouldn’t get together with them tomorrow. She wouldn’t call or text. She needed to make a plan, and perhaps leaving Repose for good was her only choice.
* * * *
“Anything yet?” Philippe asked.
“No, something has to be wrong. It’s after six in the evening,” Thor said and pulled out his cell phone.
“What are you doing?” Bubba asked.
“Getting answers. If she’s scared it’s one thing, but what if something is wrong?” he said and dialed her number.
When Thor heard the groggy voice he was concerned.
“Hey, Bo, it’s Thor, is everything okay?” he asked.
“Oh yes, sorry, Thor. I didn’t feel well when I came back today and I’m laying down.”
“Are you getting sick?”
“I don’t think so. Just tired.”
“Well do you need anything?” he asked and then he heard her sniffle. “No. Thank you. I should go rest.”
“Wait. Are you crying?” he asked, his chest tightening.
“I’m fine, just not a good day.”
“Wait, we can come over.”
“No. There’s no need for that.”
“We’re friends first, Bo,” he said to her.
“I appreciate that, Thor, but I’m in bed and sleeping.”
He was worried. She really didn’t sound happy at all.
“We’ll meet you tomorrow morning. Pick you up at eight. Is that good?”
“I’m not sure.”
“No excuses. You promised and we are all looking forward to spending some time with you, and also giving you that time you needed to think,’ he added, thinking perhaps her upset had something to do with why she wanted to go hiking to begin with. She was silent.
“Are you there?” he asked.
‘I’ll be ready for eight. Do I need to bring anything?” she asked.
“Just yourself and that sweet smile,’ he said.
“Goodnight, Thor. Tell the others I said good night, too.” She ended the call and he licked his lower lip and narrowed his eyes.
“Well?” Channing asked.
“She sounds really upset, but she didn’t want us over because she’s in bed. She agreed to going tomorrow so we’ll pick her up at eight,” Thor said, and then sat down on the couch and stared at his cell phone.
“We have to respect her wishes if she’s in bed,” Bubba said, as if reading his mind.
“I know, but I don’t like it. I want to know why she’s upset.”
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” Philippe stated, and then he turned on the telev
ision and they all sat around the living room in silence. His team felt the concern. Thor hoped they could help her feel better and just maybe make her happy.
* * * *
Bo didn’t sleep well, and worst of all, she had a nasty bruise on her upper back nearly to her shoulder, as well as to her side where she hit the island in her parents’ kitchen. She cursed her father out this morning when she woke up so damn achy, and to top it off she couldn’t wear a regular bra or a sports bra because the strap landed along the bruising. She thought of her string bikini top and wore that under her long sleeve shirt, and sweater. Then she topped it with a jacket. Thank goodness it was December.
When she heard the jeep pull up, she lifted her backpack onto her other shoulder and gasped. She hadn’t expected her whole back to hurt but it did. She was sore and it was going to be hell hiding it. She even emptied out her backpack and tried to put only the necessities in there since the men said they had everything. She cried her eyes out until she passed out from exhaustion. She woke up at six and took something for her headache, and hoped she didn’t look as bad a she felt. Bo made a conscious decision that she wasn’t going to let her father’s abusive ways and demands rule her life. She had some decisions to make and today, she just wanted to not think about it and have some fun. She enjoyed spending time with Thor, Bubba, Channing, and Philippe at the Filling Station. They hit it off well and she didn’t know what she was going to do about work or her father and family as of yet, but if she had to leave town she couldn’t make it obvious that something was wrong. She put on her happy smile, and was determined to make today a great day, despite her fears and the pain.
When he opened the door, she stepped back to let Channing inside as she grabbed her bag.
“Morning, Channing!” she exclaimed, and he squinted at her and then smiled. He looked her over.
“Good morning. All set?” he asked her.
“Definitely.” She reached for the backpack but Channing stopped her.
“I’ll grab that. Do you have an extra sweatshirt in your bag? It’s pretty cold out this morning.”
“I do, and a scarf just in case. Well, and gloves, a hat, heat warmers,” she added and he chuckled.
She was glad they all didn’t come to the door. She was hoping to avoid the call last night. Thor caught her half dozing off after crying.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Thor said and pulled her close. She tightened up and then exhaled, smiling. He squinted at her and she touched his arm. “Morning.”
She stepped back and Philippe kissed her cheek.
“You look warm and toasty.”
“I don’t like to feel cold, so I wanted to dress in layers. Did I need to bring anything else with me? Any drinks, Snacks? Anything?” she asked as Bubba pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “Just your sweet, sexy self,” he said and winked. She tapped his chest. “Nice,” she said, and then when she stepped up into the jeep she felt the pain. She avoided Philippe’s eyes and quickly smiled, but it was hard. Her damn side and back hurt.
“Feeling okay?” Philippe asked.
“I’m good. So do you guys have a certain route you like to take up there or what?” She changed the subject and they went along with it. Thank God.
* * * *
Philippe watched Bo closely as she pulled the backpack onto her shoulder. She cringed and looked down as to try and hide. Something wasn’t right. A glance at Bubba and he noticed, too, and Channing and Thor took position on either side of her, and he wondered if they would ask her why she was hurting. Instead they began to walk along the trail and through the woods carrying the food they packed, some drinks, and a couple of blankets to sit on. They knew exactly where they would take her. A nice quiet, peaceful spot by the natural stream that was a good three miles into the woods and across fields of winter vegetation.
They were quiet as they walked. Thor and Channing took several opportunities to point things out to her. They didn’t stop once along the way and she didn’t seem to want to. Philippe took the time to absorb her natural beauty. Her sexy figure, and how feminine and petite she was. She smelled good, too. The smell of her shampoo and the perfume she wore wafted through the air, attacking all his senses. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and as they walked, the sun began to get a little stronger, and thankfully warmed up the trail.
“Let’s stop and take off a layer. It’s pretty warm,” Channing said to her.
“Okay,” she said, and they all started putting the backpacks down to remove their jackets and then fold and roll them, placing them into their bags. He kept eyes on Bo and saw her painstakingly remove the backpack, and then seem to have difficulty removing her jacket. Philippe moved closer. “Let me help you,” he said.
“I got it,” she replied and then closed her eyes, and then exhaled when she got her arm out. He placed his hands on his hips.
“You’re in pain. What from?” he asked her. She shook her head.
“Don’t lie. We aren’t stupid. It’s obvious you’re in pain,” Thor stated firmly.
“I’ll be okay, Philippe.” He reached out and stroked her cheek and then cupped her chin, moving closer.
“That isn’t what I asked you. We care about you, Bo. Honesty is very important in this type of relationship.”
“We’re friends, I understand that,” she said and went to move. He placed his hand on her hip to pull her close and stop her from pulling away when she gasped. She stepped back. Tears filled her eyes.
“Explain what is going on. It’s obvious you’re hurting, Bo,” Philippe pushed.
“I’ll be okay. It’s complicated all right. Can’t we just enjoy the day here? I needed this. To relax and not think about work about family, about stresses in life and just relax and have fun. Please.”
“Can you handle the next mile?” Thor asked her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, and then they started putting their backpacks back on, and Philippe watched her hold his gaze and try not to show pain, but he saw it in her eyes. His gut clenched and he felt worried, angry, protective. Did someone hurt her? Was she in some sort of trouble, and that was why she kept pushing them away? Was she seeing someone else out of town and maybe they broke up, that’s why she was here with them, or maybe she was using them to get the other guy or guys jealous? He was feeling pretty damn crazy and filled with questions, accusations, hell, anger and jealousy. By the time they reached the river he wanted answers, but then as she tossed off her bag and walked closer to the stream she closed her eyes and exhaled.
“It’s so quiet here,” she said.
“We love coming here and just fishing, or resting, even camping out in the spring and summer times,” Channing told her.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him, and then looked back at the water. “You come here alone, just the four of you?” she asked.
Philippe wondered if she wanted to know if they ever brought another woman here. He stepped closer and took her hand, cautious not to wrap an arm around her waist and make her cringe.
He locked onto those cobalt blue eyes of hers and held her gaze.
“We’ve never brought any woman up here, Bo. Only you.” Channing stepped closer.
“We don’t really date either. No time and no one has interested us,” he said to her and she looked at Channing and nodded.
“I don’t date either. Not even in college, really.”
“A gorgeous woman like you, I find that hard to believe,” Bubba said to her.
“Why is that? I believed you, and you’re older and obviously have more experience than me with dating and things. I was a bookworm, and I chose not to date for a lot of reasons,” she stated and then looked back toward the water. She pulled free of Philippe’s hand and he exchanged looks with the others.
“What reasons?” Thor asked her. She looked at him.
She stared up at Philippe and Thor, then looked at Bubba and Channing.
“Trust issues, I suppose. I didn’t come across any me
n I felt I could trust or let my guard down with.”
“What about now, with us?” Philippe asked her.
She was quiet a moment and he could see she was really taking her time and thinking things through.
“There are things going on in my life right now, Philippe,” she said, and then lowered her eyes and looked back at the water.
“What kind of things? Things that make you distrust us?” Thor asked.
“Things that confuse me even more, and I’m not sure what the next few weeks might bring. I can’t really make a commitment to anyone or anything right now.”
“Baby, we kissed you the other night. It was incredible and we all wanted more. You felt it, too, so what happened between two nights ago at the Station and this morning to have you talking about not making a commitment, and not knowing what the next few weeks could bring?” Channing asked.
“A lot, actually,” she said, and Philippe could see the tears in her eyes. He took her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I think you need to take this chance with us, and start with telling us what happened in the last twenty-four hours when you weren’t with us?”
“Please, Philippe. I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, stroking her cheek with his palm. She closed her eyes and exhaled a moment before opening them again.
“Because it’s my problem and my life, and something I’ve had to deal with for years. Just as I thought I was almost free, and feeling happy and ready to make a decision about me and my life, it was changed and it’s frustrating.”
“I don’t understand,” Thor stated.
She looked at Philippe, then Thor, Bubba, and Channing.
“Can we please just enjoy the hike and taking my mind off of everything? This is why I wanted to be alone. So I could process things, and work out my problems.”
She went to step away but Philippe wouldn’t let her. He didn’t like what she was saying. It was confusing. Was it that she was too young, inexperienced, or perhaps playing some sort of game with them? It didn’t seem right, how the other night she let go and allowed them so close, and now she sounded like she was putting up a wall and they were all just friends.
Sons of Justice 3: Love Unexpected (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5