as I counted out the money for our things, I was almost surprised I could even do it. Chandra grabbed our bags. I took the change and we both hurried from the store. I never in a million years dreamed he would go to the news…
“Don’t worry about it B aby.” Chandra said, interrupting my thoughts as she backed out of the parking stall. I knew he would look for me. That he would find me… I closed my eyes.
“He hasn’t found you yet. The boys will know how to get ahead of this.” She said, pulling the thoughts right out of my head.
We drove back to the club house, Chandra immediately got onto her phone as we pulled out onto the main thoroughfare. It sounded like she was talking to Doc. I sank into my seat and tried to sort through my feelings. I had far too many of them to deal with. One of them stood out desperately clear from the rest though…
I had no desire to return to Cha dwick Granger. None whatsoever. I was as sure as the day was long that doing so would be the death of me and I didn’t want that life, the fear, anymore.
Three somewhat anxious males and one angry one met us at the clubhouse door. I stepped out of the car and automatically began picking bags out of the back seat to bring in. Doc stopped me.
“You all right sweetheart?” he asked. I nodded miserably.
“You want us to call Trig for you?” Reaver asked and I looked up alarmed and shook my head.
“No. There’s nothing to be done for now, let him work. I’ve disrupted his life too much as it is.” I turned to unload more groceries and heard Reaver mutter…
“If anyone’s life needed a shakeup it’s that fucker ’s.” I looked at him sharply and stopped my mouth before it could open. He was smiling and there were at least two grunts of agreement. I put confusion somewhere on the list of things I was feeling.
“Put those down.” Dragon ordered and I immediately complied.
“C’mon boys, let’s get these in the house so Ashton can fix us some grub. I’m starving.” I blinked. Just like that they moved around me and I followed Chandra into the club house. I went into the kitchen and washed my hands, my mind whirling and clicking and pulling in a thousand directions.
No one seemed phased by this new development. I thought of all that could befall them from hiding me from him and grimaced. Chadwick was devious, he would figure out some way of spinning things to make him look like a saint, me out to be a victim and these good people out to be vile kidnappers… if he wanted to. That was the thing about my husband, he was unpredictable. Went with whatever whim or fancy overtook him at the time.
Still, he had one iron clad rule that he never deviated from, and I had broken that rule. Obedience always, in all things. I wore the chain of his obedience around my neck even now and my defiance, my not returning to him when I had been expected to… I closed my eyes. I didn’t even want to think of the consequences. If I were fortunate he would just lock me in a room. That had been the last time I had disobeyed him, and the last time I had ever been allowed to leave the house unaccompanied.
Once upon a time I had been given a small allowance, I had been allowed to go out and have my hair and nails done, of course to his specifications, still I had been allowed the illusion of an afternoon of freedom… My hair stylist, she and I had gotten along quite well and I’d gone off of the regimented schedule to have lunch with her.
Maynard, my husband’s head of security had told Chadwick of my transgression. I’d been dragged by my hair to our bedroom. He’d taken a switch to me until I’d passed out and when I woke it was to realize I’d been locked in. All of the books, music, writing implements, all of it had been removed. He would come to me in the evenings and would have me spend all night on my knees, forcing me to recite over and over my marriage vows of ‘love, honor and obey’. Food was withheld for the first week. I
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