“I miss you, Mommy,” Harlyn whispered softly into the phone, bringing tears to my eyes.

“I miss you too, baby girl. But I’ll see you in the morning, and we can go to the store so you can have your own personal tour before we open. Daddy is gonna bring you over,” I told her, trying to ease both of us emotionally, while I fought with my heart. It screamed at me to go over to the club right now and get my daughter back.

But I couldn’t.

It was better this way.

For now.

After saying goodnight, Optimus came back on the phone. I cringed, knowing that over the past few weeks our relationship had been pretty fucking shitty. It was completely my fault. I could admit it, just not to him. It had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Times where I’d almost given in and called Wrench. I wanted to beg him to come over and just sit with me, knowing that his presence, his voice, would be enough to take the pain away.

“We’ll see you in the morning,” he said gruffly, almost emotionless.

“Yeah…” I answered, my throat scratchy with unshed tears. “Hey, Op?”

Silence met me for a moment, and I figured he’d hung up, waiting for the haunting beeps.

“Yeah?”

I swallowed, forcing myself to say the words I’d been trying to fight with over the past few weeks. “I’m sorry.”

He released a heavy sigh. “You need to tell me what’s going on, Sugar.”

My eyes clenched shut, and I gripped the phone tightly into my hand, willing my lips to say the words he wanted to hear.

That I needed his help.

That he needed to step in and take over.

But I’d battled through it so far, fought to get myself back on the path. Knowing that I had to do it for Harlyn. And that if there was anything left between Wrench and me to salvage, that we would never work unless I could stand on my own first.

“I’ll be okay, I will.”

The words wouldn’t come. My brain refused to let Optimus and the club get tangled up in this goddamn mess I seemed to have made of my life. I never expected that coming back here would draw the attention of the one person I’d spent the last six years hiding from. Optimus thought he was protecting me and his daughter from club drama and the war that had killed his father, and I was selfish and willing to let him believe just that. I wanted him to think that it was him and the club I was running from.

It wasn’t, and one day soon he would know the truth.

Just not today.

“Tomorrow,” he said quietly, but I could hear the agitation in his tone and knew the softness was purely for Harlyn’s benefit.

“Tomorrow,” I echoed before hanging up and falling back onto the bed. “Goddamn it!”

Pressing the palms of my hands into my eyes, I tried to stem the flow of tears that seemed to have taken over my life. If it wasn’t Harlyn, it was the shop. If it wasn’t the shop, it was these stupid feelings I seemed to have caught for a certain brother who I hadn’t seen in over three weeks.

It was a never ending cycle of shitty decisions that, no matter how much progress I thought I’d made, never failed to throw me back into that fucking hole.

I was scared.

Petrified.

But I wasn’t going to give up.

 

 

“Thank you, girls, for coming,” I said loudly, earning the attention of many sets of eyes. “It’s really great to have your support. Especially, since I know I haven’t been around a lot lately.”

Chelsea placed her hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll do whatever we can to be there for you.” I met her eyes, they were soft and understanding, and I really didn’t deserve that. “I’m just a little annoyed that I won’t be able to buy anything until these two brats are evicted.” She laughed, waving her hand over her protruding belly.

“Which we hope isn’t anytime soon,” Rose cut in. “Those babies need a lot more cooking, which means a lot more clothes for me.”

I giggled as Chelsea flipped Rose off, the rest of the girls joining in.

Today would be opening day for my store. The girls had come in early to help me organize, but in a few minutes, I’d be opening the doors to the public. I was scared and nervous, but having them there with me eased my fears just slightly. If no one came through the doors in the next few hours, at least I knew I had these wonderful women around me.

Some of the clothes on the shelves were my own designs. Others, I’d picked through carefully and thoroughly to find the perfect outfits that would complement my own. Inexpensive but beautiful, and clothes that any woman could feel gorgeous and empowered in.

 “Sugar?” A light touch on my shoulder made me jump. I spun around to find Harmony staring at me with her head tilted slightly to the side. “You okay?”

I forced a laugh and took a sip of the wine I had in my hand. “Yeah, sorry. Just so much to think about. Never ending, you know?”

She reached out and patted me on the arm. “You’ll get there. This place looks amazing and I’m about to drag like ten outfits into the dressing room.” She held up an arm full of clothes. “These leathers feel and look damn amazing.”

I grinned, knowing those would be a hit for these girls. “I have a girl across the country who makes them by hand. If those don’t fit, I can actually have your measurements sent to her and she can make you a custom pair.”

Her mouth dropped open. “No way! That sounds amazing. I sometimes have trouble fitting into pants.”

“Because you have a round amazing booty and slim hips and waist,” Chelsea said, placing an arm around Harmony’s shoulders.

Harmony looked over her shoulder. “It’s really not that big.”

“It’s really not. But a lot of mass produced products are very set in their measurements and sizing. So even if your booty is an inch or two bigger, but your waist is the right size, you get that big gap at the back of your pants,” I explained, spinning her around and pulling at the waistband of the jeans she had on and showing her where it sagged a little.

“Huh…” She laughed. “I never really thought of it like that before.”

“Probably because they look amazing on you anyway.” I laughed, directing her toward the back of the store where there were two dressing rooms.

Kat shot past me, waving a piece of lingerie in her hands. “Girl, you didn’t tell me you were going to have stripper chic here.”

Chelsea snorted as Kat ducked into the dressing room. “That’s underwear!”

Her head peeked out from behind the curtain with a cheeky smirk. “Same thing.”

I took a deep breath as I walked toward the front of the store, clutching the sign in my fingers and turning it so it read ‘Open.’ Then I flicked the lock and pulled the door open, welcoming new customers inside.

Everyone clapped and hooted, raising their glasses in celebration. My stomach turned in a mixture of nerves and elation. I’d finally done it. I had a store, one to call my own, to do with what I wanted.

Dreams were coming true.

“Has Harlyn seen it yet?” Skylar asked as I moved back to the front desk and settled in behind it.

I nodded. “Yesterday. She got her own private viewing. She keeps telling me she’s gonna work here when she gets older. It was adorable.”

Skylar smiled. “No doubt. She really does look up to you. We all do in some way, I think. You’re working hard for what you want and making it a reality.”

I shied away for a second but nodded accepting the compliment, but in all truth, it didn’t make me feel better at all. These girls didn’t know the real fight I was battling, the sinking feeling I had every day knowing that soon, shit would hit the fan and they may all look at me like I’m scum. And I’d deserve it too.

That’s exactly what I felt like, the lies and deception filling my body with regret and self-loathing. I just hoped that it would all be over soon, then I could move on, with Harlyn and our lives.

“I hope she sees this and it makes her realize that anything is possible. We’ve talked about it for so long now, I really just want her to know that dreams are possible,” I told Skylar as I wiped my hand across the counter.

She leaned against it with a wide smile. “I have little sisters that are around her age you know,” she said, keeping her voice quiet but I could hear it swell with pride. I was surprised by her admission, Skylar didn’t share a lot.

I leaned forward, hoping she would continue. “It must have been hard leaving them behind.”

She took in a shaky breath, but held her smile and nodded. “It was. I think about them every day. Life with my parents wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, they were strict, and the penalties for disobedience were harsh.” Her body went rigid and her eyes moved off into the distance. “I just hope they’re staying strong and standing together.”

I placed my hand over hers, feeling some of her pain. I knew what it was like to grow up with overbearing parents who expected you to follow every rule. It can’t have been easy for her to walk away and leave siblings, knowing that they would have to suffer the same lessons she did, and hope they were just as strong as she was and could make it out the other side.

“How many siblings did you have?” I asked, curious to know more about this mysterious girl and eager to keep my mind off these first few opening hours of my store.

She looked over at me, twisting her hands together nervously. “Um… fourteen, including me? That’s if there isn’t more now. Seven brothers, six sisters.”

My mouth dropped open. “Fourteen kids?” I gaped at her in awe. After giving birth to Harlyn, I’m not sure how many more births I could take. “Does your mom feel pain at all?”

She giggled uncomfortably. “It’s complicated.” She slowly turned and headed toward the back of the store where the other girls were sifting through rack after rack of clothing, while I just stared at her in awe.

Skylar was bubbly and bright, but with her aversion, I knew deep in my gut that I wasn’t the only one trying to stifle demons from my past. I hoped for her sake that they stayed there.

Much to my surprise, there was a reasonable amount of traffic beginning to flow through the store, some were friends of the girls, and others just people who’d heard about the opening and had come to check it out. Overall, their reactions to the clothes and atmosphere seemed positive, and I was feeling ecstatic.

Until I looked up to say goodbye to the customer I was serving and saw his face.

My gut dropped to the floor, and I struggled to take in a breath as he stepped inside my store. His eyes moved around the room, watching the women as they browsed and chatting animatedly with each other.

For a second I wondered if I had time to hide, to duck and run and escape him. But there was no such luck, his dark eyes latched onto me and a smug smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he took several large heavy steps across the room.

“Annabelle,” he drawled, the whisper of my name on his lips was enough to have me sinking back, even though the counter was between us.

My eyes flicked around the room, checking to see if anyone was paying attention to the interaction. When I was satisfied they were distracted, my face formed a scowl. “What the hell are you doing here?” I whispered, forcing my voice to be hard and cold, even though all I wanted to do was cower.

He placed a hand on the glass counter and leaned in. “I thought I would come and see what my money has bought.” His eyes wandered. “It’s a nice place, could do with some work, though. You let just anyone in here?”

I could see him eyeing some of the girls from the club, it was obvious he knew who they were.

“Not just anyone,” I hissed back. “But unfortunately you just waltzed in, didn’t have time to slam the door in your face.”

His loud laughter drew the attention of people around us, and I quickly forced a smile like we were sharing a joke together. “I suggest you come into the back room and have a chat with me before all these lovely ladies get to hear what I have to say,” he threatened, sending a shiver up my spine.

I didn’t doubt he would do what he said, so I quickly shook off my anger and tried to calm my body. “Harmony!” I called over the chatter. She caught my eye and came over to stand beside me. “Any chance you could man the store for a few minutes. This is an old… friend… who’s in town, and I just want to catch up with him quickly.”

Harmony grinned at Peter. “No problem. We’ve got things under control. Have a break.” She ushered me out from behind the counter and Peter followed closely behind me, as I led us down the back of the store and out into the storeroom.

Shutting the door behind him as he slipped through, I spun on my heel with a deep glare. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He snickered. “Wow! I see you grew a backbone somewhere over the past few years. But I guess you need to when you spend so much time around Neanderthals like those bikers.”

I took a step forward. “Fuck you.”

His eyes flashed, and within a second I found myself choking, his hand gripping my throat and forcing my body backward against the nearest wall. I clawed at the sleeves of his suit jacket to no avail. “You better keep quiet, Annabelle. You don’t want those girls rushing in here do you?”

No, I didn’t.

I couldn’t let them see this. They couldn’t know.

I stilled my body, trying to breathe in what little air he was allowing to pass through without panicking. After a few moments, he lifted his grip and stepped back just a few inches and adjusted his cuff links.

“Good girl,” he said, making my lip curl up in disgust. “We have a few things we need to discuss. The first being that beautiful little girl I’ve seen you with—”

“She’s not yours,” I snapped. “Leave her out of this.”

He clicked his tongue at me. “Now why would I believe anything you said when you seem to have a history of bad decisions,” he sneered. “But anything to get your fix, right?”

A chill ran through me, and I struggled to breathe.

 

“You want this don’t you, baby?” he asked, his voice slick and smooth. “You know it will make you feel good.”

He balanced the pill on his finger, holding it out in front of me.

There were three other men in the room, all watching, licking their lips, their eyes burning holes through my clothing. I knew what they wanted.

My body twitched and shuddered, my brain fighting to hear what he was saying through the noise that had returned to my brain. It was like there were people in my head screaming, fighting to be heard over one another, driving me insane.

“I want it,” I whispered, not even able to hear my own voice.

One of the men in the corner stood to his feet and began to walk forward, his eyes sparkling like he was almost impressed with the situation, his hands moving to his belt.

“Then you know what to do.”

 

I gasped, tears brimming my eyes as I stared at Peter. He had a smug smirk on his features that told me he knew exactly what thoughts and memories had passed through me.

“It’s good to see you haven’t forgotten your place.” He chuckled.

I cleared my throat, pushing my shoulders back and blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. I wouldn’t allow him the satisfaction of knowing how much his actions still affected me. I refused to let him know how they had destroyed my life.

“She’s not yours,” I said again, this time a little louder. “I had DNA done. I can prove it.”

He tilted his head curiously to the side. “I will need to see that before I petition to the court for custody.”

I squared my shoulders. “You wouldn’t dare. She belongs to Optimus, and he will tear you to shreds before he lets you take her.”

He took a step forward, raising his hand, I braced for the impact but it never came. Instead, he brushed his fingers gently through my hair. “And then what would he do to you, hmmm? He doesn’t know, does he? He has no idea about anything. Me… your history… your health?”

My lip curled as his hand sunk lower, his fingers swiping across my breast. “I’ll bring you the DNA results,” I growled, slapping his hand away.

“Good girl…” He chuckled. “Tomorrow night. We’re having dinner with your parents. The usual place. Seven p.m. Don’t be late, Annabelle.” With that, he took a step back. “You should probably walk me to the door. Don’t want your friends to get suspicious, do you.”

I straightened my clothing and pushed my shoulders back, forming the perfect mask of a relaxed woman. He chuckled as I walked to the storeroom door and pulled it open. When I felt his hand on my back, I resisted the urge to turn and punch him in the face, but I could feel the stares from the people around us as we weaved through the small store. Chelsea was sitting by the front door with Rose and looked up, managing to disguise the surprise on her face quickly and cover it with a polite smile.

“Hey, who’s this?” she asked, eyeing Peter.

“Just a friend,” I answered as I hurried for the door.

Peter chuckled. “I just managed to convince her to go on a date with me. It’s definitely been a fight.”

I clamped my teeth together and both the girls smiled, but I could tell they were forced.

“That’s great, she needs some fun,” Rose said politely before I managed to slip outside.

“See you tomorrow,” Peter taunted with a triumphant grin before turning and strolling off down the sidewalk.

I was rattled, he’d caught me off guard and placed me in a position where I had no choice but to agree. Now I had to go back inside and pretend like everything was great.

Another lie.

They were beginning to pile up.