Chapter 16
(Everett)
As soon as Tanya stormed out, I got up, determined to follow her, but my father blocked the way.
“Move.” I snarled.
“You’re wasting your time.”
“I don’t care. Move.”
“Honestly, Everett, what do you see in her?” Nettie asked in an annoyingly high- pitched voice.
“Stay out of this.” I snapped. “She’s a thousand times the woman you’ll ever be.”
“Is that why you have her under contract to have your baby?” She taunted, lips curling into a sinister smirk.
I tensed. “How do you know that?”
“Is that true, Everett?” My mother asked, looking horrified. “You can’t possibly have a child with that woman. What would they say about the family?”
“Fuck the family. All you lot care about is keeping your reputation. Fuck that. I’ve been a fool. Tanya’s the only woman who hasn’t pined over my money, but I was so blinded by the threat of being hurt, I couldn’t see that. Now, get out of my way before I do something I regret.”
Nettie walked over to me, fingertips dancing across my shoulders.
Suddenly, I spun around, grabbed her wrist, and nearly snapped it. “Don’t ever touch me again,” I warned, voice full of hatred.
“Are you really going to hurt me? I don’t think that’s a lawsuit you want.” Nettie narrowed her eyes, words full of venom.
I ground my teeth, irritated that she had managed to gain the upper hand. I dropped her wrist and stormed out.
Outside, I reached into my jacket for my keys, but they weren’t there. I checked my other pockets but to no avail. Through the window, I saw Nettie standing there holding up my keys, a satisfied look on her face.
Fuck, I didn’t have time for this.
Without another thought, I rushed into my father’s garage. There, I unearthed my old motorcycle. When I was a teenager, I had bought it with my very first paycheck only to have it taken away by my father for being “inappropriate.” Fuck him.
Lucky for me, the keys were there. I turned them, praying the engine still worked.
Just as my father appeared in the doorway, it rumbled to life.
Eureka.
I pulled up the kickstand and peeled onto the road, leaving skid marks in my wake. I drove fast, blowing through lights and stop signs. I didn’t care what happened, all that mattered was finding Tanya. I had to stop running from my emotions and just admit that I truly cared about her. Having my family degrade her had been the tipping point. It filled me with such hatred that all I wanted to do was defend her honor. She meant the world to me, and I’d be damned if she left thinking anything else. For once in my life, I had to be honest.
For a long time, I zipped around, looking everywhere for her but it was like she had vanished. Then again, there was no reason for her to stay on the streets. For all I knew, she was tucked away in a bus or a 24-hour coffee shop. My motorcycle search was probably pointless.
But just when I was going to give up, I spotted her.
She was running as fast as she could down a deserted sidewalk, a look of terror on her face. Behind her, a couple of goons chased after her, taunting as they went.
Oh fuck no, you don’t.
I pressed on the gas, bike lurching forward. Skillfully, I pulled up right next to her, wrapped my arm around her waist, and hoisted her into the space in front of me. Holding onto her, I swerved to the right, entering a small alleyway, side mirrors nearly scarping against the brick walls.
“It’s a dead end!” Tanya screamed, body becoming as tense as a statue.
I smirked, pushed the bike even faster, heading for a makeshift ramp consisting of a couple of planks of wood and discarded trash cans.
Then, all of a sudden, we were flying through the air.
“Everett!” she screamed.
I held her tight; our bodies pressed together as the bike soared over the chain link fence that had halted our progress.
For a moment, I thought that all this would end badly, but a second later, we landed with a jolt on the other side.
I steadied the bike, driving off as the goons rattled the fence, faces red with anger. I flipped them the bird before disappearing from sight.
As I rode, Tanya didn’t say a word, her body shaking with fright. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew that we needed to create some distance. I didn’t know who those men were, but I wanted to make sure that Tanya was safe and sound before I allowed her to get off the bike.
At that moment, I knew that I never wanted to lose her – that I would never let her out of my sight again. I’d been a fool. Hurt her and tried to push her away. The best thing that ever happened to me tonight was seeing Nettie. It showed me how wrong I was to turn away from a woman like Tanya.