Page 7 of Loss
Shy gasps and I know I’m going to be questioned about this shit. Vault is making it out to be way more than what it was. We shared a kiss and nothing more. It was a one-time thing and I’m sorry that it happened now. Alex would’ve never thrown that in my face. Especially in front of other people. Vault doesn’t give a fuck about any of that and he will use it to taunt me and get me in trouble with Slim and Shy.
“You’re right, Vault. And that’s my mistake to live with. I won’t make it again. One little kiss means absolutely nothing to me,” I spew, looking at him, my eyes filling with tears that I know I won’t be able to stop from spilling over. “Shy can we go now? The house bunnies can do what they’re supposed to do and finish making dinner. I mean, if they’re not all spreading their legs already.”
Yeah, I took a dig at the bitch still clinging to Vault. She’s not even a house bunny since I’ve never seen her around here before. Like I said, she’s just his flavor for the minute. He’ll have a new woman on his arm before tomorrow morning. I know how these guys work. Especially him now. I might not be at the clubhouse on a regular basis any longer, but I have heard more about Vault in the last few weeks than I ever want to. Not only is he drinking excessively every day, but he’s hooking up with multiple women on a daily basis. Bringing them to the clubhouse when he knows he’s not supposed to do that shit. No one’s happy with him these days.
“Yeah. We can leave. Let me just tell Slim we’re heading out and then grab the girls. I’ll let someone know to come in and finish dinner too,” she answers, walking past Vault without a glance.
I grab my warm-ups and leave. Vault and the bitch are still standing in the doorway as I head to the common room. Valor, Savannah, Killer, and one of the Prospects are sitting at a table as I walk through. I stop at their table to talk to Savannah for a second. She lets me know they’ll be at the game in a little while. Savannah and I got close because we’re the youngest two females here who aren’t house bunnies and we have horrible trauma that we’ve been through. It helps people bond together when they need someone the most.
“Oh, Annabell, have you met the new Prospect?” Savannah suddenly asks, a smile on her face and lilt to her voice that I don’t hear very often. Not unless she’s scheming about something.
“No. I don’t think I have,” I say sweetly, turning to the guy in question.
I know Vault’s watching us; I can feel his eyes on me. I’ve always been able to tell when he’s looking in my direction or in the same area as me because his eyes feel as if they’re caressing my body in ways I’ve never felt before. I don’t understand why I feel that way, or how it even happens, but there’s nothing I can do to change it now.
“Annabell, this is Hunter. Hunter, this is Annabell. She’s Slim and Shy’s daughter now, but that’s her story to tell. Anyway, Hunter knows Killer,” Savannah tells me, her smile turning to a smirk as I look at Hunter.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hunter,” I say, holding my hand out for him to shake.
“You too, Annabell,” he replies, a smile on his face.
Hunter is a good-looking guy. He’s got short dark hair, shaved close to his head with eyes so dark they almost look black. Like, Vault, he’s got muscles in all the right places and tattoos covering his skin. Hunter’s got a pierced lip, both ears are pierced, and my mind wanders to what else may be pierced on him. Yeah, he’s definitely nice to look at.
“Well, I have to head out to get to the school. I’ll see you all later,” I say, tearing my eyes from Hunters. It’s harder than I thought it would be to look away from him.
“We’ll be there soon. I can’t wait to see you do your thing,” Savannah says with a wink.
“Oh, Valor, when you have some time can we talk about something please?” I ask, still not giving any attention to Vault because he’s a piece of shit I don’t want to deal with any longer.
“Anythin’ for you. You know that, Pretty Girl,” he answers, turning to look at me in a way that tells me he’s silently asking if I’m okay. With a slight shake of my head, I let him know I’m not okay.
Valor’s face is also bruised, filled with several different shades of purple, yellow, and a light green. It looks like I’ve got my answer about who Vault got into a fight with. The brothers may be twins, but they’re as different as night and day. I used to think Vault was the man of my dreams and he’s now dashing them every second of the day and night with the decisions he’s making.
Valor is the man I thought Vault would be. He’s sweet, loving, caring, and a man who leans on others when he needs the support. Not someone who pushes everyone away at the first sign of heartbreak or something not going right in their life. Valor is a man of loyalty while Vault is a selfish man. Vault only cares about himself and the pain that he’s feeling from the loss of his dad. I don’t believe he’s even talked to his own brother to see if he’s okay since everything happened.
I make my way to the SUV where Shy is already waiting for me. She’s got the girls in their seats already and Slim’s standing outside her door. They finish talking and I let them have their moment as I get settled in the vehicle next to her. Slim never lets his woman go without a kiss and some soft words spoken. Again, one of the many reasons why I want to have a relationship like the one they share.
“We’ll all be there tonight, Annabell,” Slim says before walking away from the SUV.
The second we’re through the gate of the clubhouse, Shy lets in about what Vault said in the kitchen.
“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” she asks, taking her eyes off the road for a split second.
“Yeah.”
“What was Vault talking about in the kitchen?” Shy asks, not beating around the bush.
“Not what you’re thinking, Shy. We were sitting outside the house one day and I was talking about the boys at my old school. They used to ask me out all the time and I turned them down. I was called so many names because of it. I’m not stupid though, I know they only wanted to have sex,” I tell her, memories filling me as I let myself travel back in time to when my parents were still alive. “Anyway, I was talking about the boys here being the same way. I’ve never done anything with a boy, including kiss. So, Vault kissed me.”
Shy’s silent for a minute. She’s taking in what I’ve said as she pulls into the parking lot of the school to drop me off.
“Annabell, you know you don’t have to kiss anyone or have sex with anyone you don’t want to, right? Wait until you find the man you’re supposed to be with before you give it all away,” she tells me, turning to face me so I can see that she’s serious while she looks deep into my soul. “As far as Vault goes, I can’t help you there. None of us know what he’s going to do these days. What I want for you is to kiss the boys who make you feel alive and worthy of sharing that gift with them.”
“I know Shy. I’m not going to do anything I’m not ready to do. And trust me, I’m not ready at all,” I let her know, a small smile on my face as I grab my things so I can get out of the SUV.
“Annabell, you know Slim’s told all the guys at the club they’re not to touch you, right? That includes Hunter,” she tells me, a look of determination on her face.
I look at her for a minute. While I shouldn’t be surprised that Slim’s warned the guys away from me, I am. I’m not his blood and I want to be able to date whoever I want. This sucks. But, I am his daughter now and I have to live by the rules he puts in place. I respect him enough to do that and I won’t make his life any harder than it already is. Not after everything he’s done for me.
