“I don’t like this. I don’t like any of this.” He slashed his hand through the air.
Forge chuckled. “I think you really need to calm down. The plan is working. Or it will work if you give it a chance. Sable’s going to pull this off and when she does, I’ll make sure everyone in the club knows her devotion and loyalty. She will never be just a club whore again. I can guarantee it.”
Dog knew he shouldn’t say what he was about to, but he couldn’t hold back. “She’s not a club whore. Sable has never fucked a single one of the men. She’s untouched, a virgin. All she ever did was provide a room for the boys. None of them have touched her. They just assume they have.”
****
“I can arrest her for assault,” Hank said.
Sable hated this so much. Forcing a smile to her lips even as her face ached, she shook her head. “There’s really no reason. It’s not like they would care.” She shrugged. “They’re not worth it.”
When she got home, she’d wash her mouth out with soap. It was the only way she was going to be able to deal with all the lies she had spewing from her mouth. What she couldn’t tell Hank was after her mother’s hit, she’d gone into the bathroom and cried. She’d cried so hard that it had taken her longer than her break to get herself together. She had to ask for a personal afternoon off. She would need to make up her shift, but the pain, it had stayed with her. Seeing some of the men she’d given up her bed for, her mother, her sister, all of them saw her as less than them.
It really did hurt.
Tucking her hair behind her ear,
she glanced down the street. They’d just enjoyed dinner together at a cute little Italian place. Hank loved the pasta and she hadn’t complained. Holding her small bag, he walked her home. She’d been able to avoid going in his car or being alone in a small confined space with him.
He placed a hand at the base of her back and she wanted to scream. She made no move to stop him from touching her.
“They’re scum, Sable. You’re better than them. Believe me. Luther Grass has plans for the entire MC in this town. They need to leave and I, for one, will do whatever it takes to make sure Grass wins.”
“I don’t know who this Grass person is.” She rubbed at her temple. “I’m so sorry. I think the slap was really bad.”
Hank stopped and touched her cheek which had bruised slightly beneath her eye. One thing she would say about her mother, she was pleased that as she’d grown up, she hadn’t made it a habit to punish them with her hand. Wow, the woman had some force on her.
“You’ve got a headache?”
“Yeah,” she said with a groan. “I’m so sorry. I think I’m going to have to cut this evening short. It’s a shame. I had a lovely time.”
Her evening had been spent listening to Hank talk about how he got on the police force, what role he played, and him expanding on his list of achievements. How much better he was than anyone else in the world.
It was … exhausting.
This man thought he was better than all of the guys back at the MC, and yet, he was so self-centered. He didn’t even understand the meaning of the word loyalty. Still, she played along. It wasn’t like she had to say very much. Hank filled any kind of uncomfortable silence. He really loved the sound of his own voice and there was no way she was going to interrupt him.
They walked back to her home. She stared up at the house. Any other time, she’d have loved a place like this. Could even imagine herself enjoying it with Dog, but this was all part of a plan. Not real.
Hank took her hand within his. “Let me take you out again tomorrow?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” He leaned in close and kissed her cheek. “You’re a really special woman, Sable. Really sweet. You did right leaving them.”
“Thank you.” She wanted to scream at him, but she turned her back, aware of how close he still stood. “I had a wonderful evening. Thank you for being so understanding.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door. She collapsed against the wood and covered her face.
“He’s falling for you.”
She let out a little scream as she looked up to see Forge sitting on the stairs. Glancing back at the door then at the prez, she opened her mouth and closed it. “What if—? He could have seen you.”
“He didn’t. I’m not near the door and you didn’t open it too wide.” He stood up.
“What about your bike? We’re doing this for me to get close and if he even senses I’m playing him, it will all be for nothing.”
Forge stared at her. “Are you a virgin?”
“Wait, what?”