Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Fuckin’ marriage ain’t annulled yet. Until then, she’s still my wife. Lay the fuck off.”
Hope shrunk in on herself, as if trying to disappear. I felt like a complete ass. But, Goddamnit, she was my wife. Not Razor’s.
Razor chuckled. “Go to hell, Warlock. You might have been president of your old club, but you ain’t shit here. I saw what happened when Hope first got here. You might not want her in your life, but that don’t mean no one does. Besides, you can’t expect the girl to put her life on hold while you tear apart a marriage that obviously meant something to her.” Razor said the last with an even more disapproving growl than he had the rest of his speech. I got it but wasn’t sure I was ready to admit it yet.
“I can and I will. Until Shotgun and Wrath work their magic, she’s still legally my wife. By her own doing.”
“I’m gonna go.” Hope gently pushed the dog off her lap and stood. “Thanks for the offer, Razor. But I think I’ll stay here this evening.”
“Honey, don’t let him bully you into doing what he wants.” Razor stood and put himself solidly between me and Hope. It was a move I didn’t like. At all. I wanted nothing between us. “You want to go with me, you let me handle this bastard.”
“He’s not a bastard.” All of a sudden, Hope’s chin quivered like she was fighting not to cry. “His mother and father were married for forty-nine years. She was eighteen when she married. Nineteen when she had Warlock. But they were married.
“Bad choice of words, honey. I know you loved his mother.”
“I did.” Her voice was soft, and I could see a tear slip from her sparkling emerald eyes. “She was the mother I --” She stopped abruptly, clearing her throat. “Thanks for the offer, Razor. But I think I’ll go to my room.”
Before I could stop her, Hope turned and sprinted toward the clubhouse, the dog she’d been playing with hot on her heels.
I turned to face Razor. When I did, his fist met my face. Hard. Once again, I found myself struggling to stay upright. All because of a slip of a girl who’d married me without my knowledge.
“Mother fuck.” I shook it off, glaring at Razor. “That’s your free one, mate. Next person to take a shot at me better knock me the fuck out or be ready for a fuckin’ fight.”
“Bring it any time, you son of a bitch. I realize your situation is less than ideal, but Hope is a sweet, innocent, very insecure young woman. If you don’t want her, don’t be surprised if more of the men here besides me take an interest. The right man takes her in, you’ll have more than a fight on your hands, because that girl is absolutely worth fighting for. You win her heart she’ll be yours for life. She won’t stray. She won’t do anything to betray you. Why? Because she’s starved for positive attention. She gets what she needs, and you’ll see her thrive. I for one would love to see the kind of woman she could become.”
Razor spat on the ground at my feet before stalking off. Tank and Iron met him, and the three conversed for a few seconds before continuing on into the main compound.
Fuck! I had no idea what to do. Had no idea what I wanted. I took out my phone and stared at Shotgun’s text for a full minute before tucking the phone back into my pocket. I’d form a reply later. Right now, I needed to figure out a way to fix this. I might not want to be married to Hope, but it was obvious she’d cared for my mother, and I was grateful. It hadn’t been me who’d cut ties with my mother, but I was glad she’d had someone who cared for her before she died. Hell, I hadn’t even known she’d passed away. This was so fucked up.
* * *
Hope
I had to get out of here. This was the worst idea in the history of ideas. Mrs. Wagner meant the world to me. I’d believed she knew what she was doing, but it was obvious she’d either misjudged her son, or she really was using me to try to make his life miserable. like he’d implied. Was that the real truth of the whole situation? Had she used me to get back at her son? The thought made me sick to my stomach.
I barely made it into my room and to the bathroom before I skidded to my knees in front of the toilet and puked. Tears streamed down my face, dripping into the toilet as I heaved over and over. Before I realized it, I was sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs. Wagner had been the mother I’d never had. The one person in my life who gave a damn about me. Had she betrayed me in the worst possible way? Was I really not worth anything more than for people to use as a sacrificial lamb?