KILLING ME SOFTLY
LAUREN FIRMINGER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Copyright © 2019 Lauren Firminger
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Published by Lauren Firminger
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Cover Design by Tash Drake of Outlined With Love Designs
Editing by Emma Mack of Ultra Editing Co.
Formatting by Jaye Cox
For those who have loved my Reapers, it’s time to meet the Princess.
CHAPTER ONE
Tobias
My partner is a dick. He had the most amazing girlfriend that any guy would be lucky to know, let alone be in a relationship with, but the asshole went and fucked it all up. Well, now I was washing my hands of him because once the Reapers find out what he’s done, and they would because I was on my way to speak to Corey about it now, he was a dead man walking. Abby was one of the mother fucking, original, MC Princesses. I could see a gonadectomy in his future — and no dude wats their nuts off. I’m sure Katy would show her how to do it “professionally”. Not really sure if she cared if she was doing it wrong or not. Pulling up in Corey and Abby’s driveway, I let out a sigh as I ran my hand over my jaw. I had to do this. She deserved to know. As bad as it was and as bad of a partner as it made me, I had been waiting in the wings, waiting for him to fuck up so that I could move in and show her what she was missing. I wanted to be that man for her. I was supposed to have his back. Bros before hoes and all that shit, but I couldn’t stand by and watch as he destroyed the one girl who’s been through so much already. It took years for her to be able to interact with guys that weren’t part of the club after she was raped, and despite being in a relationship with Xavier for the last six months, he would often go on about how frustrated he was that he couldn’t get her to have sex with him. He blames her for him cheating on her. When he fessed up to me today, I could have killed him.
Seeing the front door open and Corey step out, I got out of my car and slowly walked up to the porch. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I leant against the railing.
“Is Abby home?” He gave me a nod.
“She’s asleep. Too many late nights waiting for her dickhead boyfriend to finish work.” I couldn’t help but snort. “Need me to go wake her up?”
“No, I actually wanted to speak to you.” He motioned for me to take a seat beside him.
“What’s up?”
“I found something out today and wanted to see how you thought best to handle it.” He didn’t say anything and waited for me to continue. “I’m not sure if Xavier is gonna tell her himself or not but he has fucked up. Big this time.”
“What’s he done?”
“He has been sleeping with Stacy for the last three months, maybe longer and got her pregnant. All the work trips he went on, he took her to Vegas. All the late nights, he was with her. She also plans on keeping it.”
“Wow, no easing me into that one.”
“Not really sure how to put that any other way.”
“You do realize that I now have to kill him, don’t you?” I gave him a nod.
“How do we tell Abby?”
“I have no fucking clue. She is going to shut down after this.” I watched him as he sat back in the chair and ran his hands over his face. He had been through so much with his sister. After she was raped a few years back, their mother decided Abby was too much for her to handle and moved her in with Corey. Not long after that, their mother packed up everything and moved to the other side of the country. Corey has been doing it on his own ever since. I knew he wouldn’t complain about it. He loved Abby and would do anything for her, but maybe a small part of him hoped that Xavier would be the man that she needed him to be and help her finish healing. We both knew though, he was going to be nothing more than a regret to her now. “Why are you here?” Did I tell him the truth and wait for him to kick my ass or did I hide my real reason for being here?
“Do you want the truth or the brother friendly answer?” He let out a groan. I decided to be straight with him though. “I’m in love with Abby. I’ve tried to stay out of it and just let her and Xavier be, but I can’t stand by and watch her get hurt like this. I know this is going to crush her but I don’t know if he is ever going to tell her. She has the right to know that her boyfriend is an asshole.”
“I’ve always thought that you were better for her. Want a beer?” I gave him a nod.
“Sure.” He got up and went inside. I debated following after him but he was back out before I could move. Handing me an open bottle of Corona, I tapped it against his in his out-stretched hand.
“She needs someone like you. I swear to God though if you hurt her in any way shape or form, I will gut you like a fish. I am refraining from going to kick that waste of space’s ass because I know once Abby does find out, nothing I do will be near as bad as what she does to him.” I laughed because I knew it was true. She may look sweet and innocent, but piss her off and damn could she give the devil a run for his money. Before I could say anything, the front door was opening and out walked Abby.
“Hey, beautiful.” I got up and moved over to her. I wrapped an arm around her and pressed my lips to her head.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to your brother about something.” Corey took that as his cue to exit. With a squeeze of my shoulder, he went back inside leaving us alone. Running my hand down her back. “Have a good nap?” She nodded.
“Too many late nights.” She looked up at me. “Why aren’t you at work? I thought you all had to stay back tonight?” I raised a brow at her, a confused look on my face.
“Should I know what you are talking about?”
“Xavier said that you all had to stay in tonight. Your boss needed you working on a case or something. I told him I wasn’t having another late night so not to come over when you all were done.” I looked up at the ceiling of the front porch and just counted to ten.
“One day he is going to stop using work as an excuse.”
“An excuse for what?” I let out a sigh. This was gonna suck.
CHAPTER TWO
Abby
I listened to Toby as he told me the news of my so called boyfriend and the club whore who had a death wish. It wasn’t enough that she had pissed off Katy and Hailee, but now
me. She was seriously lucky that she was pregnant or she and I would be having a come to Jesus meeting. Part of me couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but then part of me wasn’t surprised. I know night shift can sometimes come with the job being a detective but the amount of nights he’d been absent over the last six months was surprising. None of that made this news any easier to swallow though and it sure as fuck didn’t stop it hurting. Foolish me believed his lies though and now left me feeling like a complete idiot. No, he was the idiot in all of this. Who goes and gets the club whore of your girlfriend’s brothers club pregnant? There was no way she was giving it up or letting Xavier out of her grasp. If he even thought about going anywhere, Stacy was gonna go next level psycho on his ass. No way was I getting caught up in that. That’s even if she was actually pregnant. The psycho could just be saying this to get him away from me. Well mission accomplished because he and I were done. If Corey and the guys didn’t kill him for this, there was no way that I would touch him now. It made me glad that I had listened to that little voice inside my head telling me not to sleep with him. Hell I wouldn’t even let him spend the night. Trust wasn’t something that came easy to me so I hadn’t fucked anyone since I had been raped. I still wasn’t ready for that. Poor Corey still had to deal with my nightmares on occasion so I wasn’t about to fuck someone just to keep them in my bed. They had to earn that and the little voice kept Xavier out of mine.
I looked over at Toby. The poor fucker was waiting for me to say something, but I had been deathly silent since he finished talking. Shaking my head with a sigh, I went back inside. “I got nothing.” I held the door open for him before moving to sit down on the couch. Toby took his usual seat near me and Corey was sitting beside me on the three seater sofa.
“So can me and the boys kill him yet, Abs?”
“Go for it. If you get caught, I’ll use our inheritance as bail money.” He just laughed as I laid my head back on the couch and closed my eyes. “Just make sure they both stay the fuck away from me or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“You have my word I will keep him away from here.”
“She’s damaged goods in the eyes of the club so she will be barred from there now. I’ll let the guys know to make sure she doesn’t come in though. Won’t say why unless you are okay for me to.” I opened my eyes and looked over at Corey.
“Tell the main ones. No one else needs to know how much of a dickhead I am.”
“You aren’t the dickhead here, Abs, he is.” I shrugged. He had to say that, he was my brother.
“Dickhead doesn’t even begin to explain what he is and her? She is a cunt for even trying that shit, babe. As if he isn’t going to play around on her too.” I could feel the frustration building. Not at what Toby and Corey were saying, but at this whole mess of a situation.
“Argh! I really want to kill them both right now.” I smacked my hands down on the couch and pushed myself up off it. Pacing in front of the fireplace, I ran my hands through my hair.
“Abigail Leigh Marshall. Stop. I know this is hard for you right now, but you can’t do anything. He isn’t worth you going to jail for. We can at least make it look like an accident, we have a doctor on hand.” Corey looked over at Toby. “You didn’t hear that.” He held up his hands before crossing his arms.
“I would give my badge up just to be an accomplice in that shit!” I rolled my eyes as Corey grinned and held out a closed fist to Toby, he in turn did the same.
“I don’t think it will come to that but good to know your commitment to the cause.” I heard a knock on the door and looked over to Corey.
“Expecting anyone?” He shook his head no and got up to answer the door. Moving to the window, I pulled it back just a little to see Xavier’s car out there.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Abby here?”
“Nope.”
“Really? Her car is here.”
“There are other ways to get places, you do realize that?”
“Well where is she then?”
“Don’t know. I’m not her keeper, she is a big girl, she doesn’t need my permission to go anywhere. Yours either for that matter.” I watched Toby as Corey tried to get rid of Xavier. Having had enough of just sitting there, Toby got up and went to stand behind Corey.
“You need to leave. She knows what you have been doing behind her back and if you even think about trying to cover this shit up, I will make your life a living hell for what you have done to her. That’s if the Reapers don’t come for you first. Messing with the Princess has just signed your death certificate.”
“What the fuck have you done, asshole!?”
“It wasn’t me. You fucked another chick. You made your bed, you can fucking lay in it with her.”
“Think now that I am out of the way, you can finally worm your way in? Wouldn’t hold your breath, uptight bitch has screws loose.” I didn’t even have a chance to blink before they were both out the door and on Xavier for that comment. Running over to the door, I stepped out as Corey was laying punches into Xavier, holding onto his shirt as each one connected with his face. I moved over and held his wrist as he went to throw another one.
“Corey, stop. He isn't worth it. You know the bitch is going to run to file assault charges. Stop before you land him in hospital.” He let go of his shirt, causing Xavier to smack his head against the decking of the porch. Corey moved to stand in front of me and glared down at him.
“You are lucky she is my voice of reason asshole or you would be leaving here in a body bag. Keep her name out of your mouth and stay the fuck away from her. If you see her in the street, walk the other fucking way. That goes for Stacy too. Keep your whore away from the club. She is no longer welcome there. Pregnant or not. Next time, you won't be so lucky.” I watched as Xavier went to get up and I stepped back.
“Baby, please, let me explain.” Xavier looked up at me, his eyes pleading with me to let him lie to me some more. I saw Toby move toward Corey to help him block me from sight.
“No, your chance to explain is long gone. You need to leave now. She doesn't want to hear any more of your lies!”
“Let her speak! Abby, baby, please I never meant to hurt you. It was an accident.”
“An accident? So you were both accidentally naked and you tripped? Well then you must have had something slippery underneath you to keep slipping over and over again. You can't use that bullshit excuse on me, I'm not an idiot. You need to leave Xavier and not come back. I don't want to see you. I don't want to breathe the same air as you. You make me sick.” I walked back inside and slammed the door closed behind me.
CHAPTER THREE
Tobias
Corey and I both stood outside and waited for Xavier to leave before we went back in. Abby spun around when she heard the door open and narrowed her eyes at me. “I swear to God, if you knew about this before today, I will kill you.” Holding my hands up in front of me.
“Abby, I promise you, I had no idea what he was up to. He only told me tonight then asked me to cover for him. This is me covering for him.”
“Why would you turn your back on a partner and someone you have known since your academy days?” I moved over to her and rest my hands on her shoulders. Looking down into her light brown eyes, I made sure she was really looking at me before I spoke again.
“I may have been known him since the academy but I have known you and Corey since I was four. I grew up with you and your brother. Corey has been my best friend since we were kids. My loyalty is with your family and will always be. You had a right to know and I wasn’t sure if he would ever tell you or not, but the thought of you being hurt by that asshole pissed me off. He’s done some pretty stupid shit in the time I’d known him but this made me want to kill him.”
“Why though? I’m nothing special.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You deserve everything you want in this world, to be treated like a Queen and to not have gone through the shit you’ve been through
. I love how strong you are and that you don’t care what people think about you. You move to the beat of your own drum and despite us putting the fear of God in him with threats of the Reapers coming for him, we all know that you could kick ass all on your own. You don’t need anyone to fight your battles for you.” I looked around to see where Corey was before I continued. I needed to get this off my chest now or I would regret it. I dropped my head and pressed my lips to hers. “I want to do that all day, every day. I want to be the one who makes you smile. I wish I could be half the man that you deserve but just know, I don’t care how long it takes or how long I have to wait, I want to be your man.” Abby closed her eyes, dropping her head, she took a step back.
“I can’t get hurt again, Toby, I’m sorry.” Abby turned away from me and walked into her bedroom. I knew telling her this soon would be a risk but I had to do it. I didn’t say anything when I first realized I was in love with her. I wished I had of because she left the house for a night out with the girls and was taken by Dylan. That was the night she was raped. I had wanted so badly to kill him, as did Corey, but Raven convinced me to just let the club handle it and that he wasn’t worth throwing my career away for. I wanted to argue that nothing was more important than Abby, but I didn’t. When she was finally ready to date, again, I should have told her how I felt but then she started dating Xavier so I waited. Now that I had, I would hope that she would think about what I’d said. I knew she would need time after Xavier but I would be here waiting.
Running my hands over my face, I heard a door open and saw Corey coming out of his room. He clapped a hand down on my shoulder. “Just give her time, she’ll come around.” I nodded.
“I’m gonna give her some space. Are you staying home tonight?”
“I am, but I’m pretty sure she is about to get a visit from Hailee and Katy.” I chuckled softly.
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