Read Online Shattered & Scarred: The Sacred Hearts MC by A. J. Downey - Free Book Online Page A

got water from the bathroom tap. I’d remained in the gilded prison of my room for I think a month, all though at some point he’d stopped locking the door. He’d just never told me I could go and I was terrified of crossing him again. Only when he’d told me I could did I leave the room, but I was never to leave the house outside of his presence ever again.
    I returned to the here and now after a long time of staring out the window over the kitchen sink. I dried my hands and set about putting things away, leaving out what I would need to fix a good dinner for the men. I washed my hands again after handling the packages of food and set to work preparing baked herb chicken and broccoli. I prepared a salad to go with it and lightly dressed it with oil and balsamic and plated everything, bringing it out to the table and serving everyone carefully.
    “ Woah hey!” Dragon cheered.
    “Thanks D oll.” Doc said.
    “Awesome, you’re the best!” Reaver said around a mouthful of chicken. Dray just glowered at me and I nodded, secretly pleased by the majorities’ appreciation.
    I returned to the kitchen and Chandra who sat at the counter with one of the bar stools. She had her reading glasses perched on her nose and was reading some kind of romance novel. I set a plate beside her and joined her with one of my own.
    “Brought these for you.” She said, setting two of the volumes down by my plate. I smiled and said thank you.
    “You scared?” she asked, looking at me over her glasses. I nodded and folded my hands in my lap.
    “Honey let me ask you something,” she pulled her glasses off her face and closed her book, sliding both aside. “Do you honestly think Trigger is going to let anything happen to you?”
    “Why do you call him that?” I asked, to buy myself some time to sort through what I thought of and how I felt about Ethan.
    “He was a sniper in the Marines.” She answered and took a bite of her food.
    “Oh.” I said and ate some of mine. 
    “Now answer my question.” She said.
    “I don’t know honestly.” I murmured and it was the truth. I didn’t know anything about the man really, I knew that he was kind and that he went out of his way to care for me but I didn’t know why.
    “I’ve known Trigger for a few years now and I’ve never seen him look at anybody the way he looks at you. He’s gone all fierce male protector on your ass and that’s a good thing, Sweetheart. Trig’s a good man. He’ll look after you. You ain’t got nothing to worry about.” She ate the rest of her meal in silence and so did I, mulling over what she’d said.
    As I was washing plates and cleaning up I caught myself wondering why I couldn’t have met Ethan ten years ago instead of meeting Chadwick. I sighed. There really was no use thinking along such lines. I was tired again and my whole body ached from my husband’s beating and all the cleaning I’d done. It was time for me to go to bed.
    I slipped past the men at their poker game and into the back and Ethan’s room, changing once more into his shirt. I hung everything up and sat on the bed. I pulled my two movies out and put on Les Miserables and laid down to watch. I don’t remember at which part I fell asleep. I think it was when Fantine was dying, and Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean was at her side. Either way I never heard him come in.
    I woke to a silent and dark room and strong arms lifting me gently against a solid chest. I settled in against Ethan and sighed in contentment. The tempest of emotion raging in my heart and head momentarily quieted.
    “You awake?” he asked softly voice husky.
    “ Mmm.” Was all I could put out, I was awake but not enough to for coherent sentences.
    “ Okay Babe.” He kissed my forehead, a soft brush of lips against my skin and I felt like it swept down my whole body. Like I lit up with a luminescence from the inside out. I drew in a long breath and let it out slowly and with my cheek resting against the swell of his