Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Annabell

IT'S BEEN THREE days since I walked in the clubhouse to find Vault passed out on the couch with a house bunny covering him. I could see his dick hanging out and her with no panties on under her miniscule skirt. My heart shattered all over again as I slammed into a chair in my hasty retreat from the room. Pain filled my hip where I hit and I let it fill me more than the shattering of my heart so I didn't break down in front of everyone with me. What started out as a good day quickly turned to shit in the blink of an eye. Today was my first driving lesson with Valor and I did better than I thought I would. Now, all I can see is Vault on the couch with his latest fuck buddy. This will be the last time I come to the clubhouse for any reason.

Running all the way to the house, I shut myself in my room. Slim follows me home and tries getting me to talk to him, but I ask him to leave me alone for now. I'll eventually get over Vault and the love I feel for him. He's making it easy with the way he's been acting. Plus, I've been talking to someone at school. This guy is a football player and he knows something is going on with me, but he doesn't know the details of things just yet. When I feel we're in a stage where he needs to know, I'll open myself up and be completely honest with him. For now, I'm enjoying talking to someone who doesn't want to just fuck me or parade me around school like some kind of trophy.

Even before, I know Vault drank and partied with the guys at the clubhouse. However, it's all he does now. He's not going to work, hanging out with anyone in the club, and he mopes around the clubhouse. That's when he decides to leave his room. For the most part he locks himself away and only comes out to get a new bottle of alcohol before disappearing once again. I get he feels the loss of his dad more than anyone else, except for Valor maybe, but he's self-destructing and it's not a good thing. I won't watch him do this or take the shit he's been dealing my way. I can't let myself listen to the lies he spews when he tells me he's sorry or anything else.

So, all I've been doing is going to school and practice. I've been working hard since I've doubled up on my junior and senior year so I can graduate earlier than the rest of the class and I'll be done with school just after my eighteenth birthday. It's something I've always wanted to do. There's only one person who gets my attention and I light up when my phone goes off with a notification from him. Slim and Shy have noticed but they don't ask me any questions and I silently thank them for letting me have this.

My plan was originally to take a few months off and hang out with Vault and help Shy with the girls. Now, I'm just going to go to college at the beginning of the next semester. There's no reason for me to stick around here and wait for a man who may never be the same again. I won't let him continue to hurt me the way he has been. So, I've already talked to Shy and Slim and let them know I'll be leaving a few weeks after I graduate instead of waiting for the summer classes to start. It's one of the main reasons that I really haven't let anything go beyond a little flirtatious talking with the guy from school. He'll still be in high school when I'm starting college. Maybe I'll meet someone in college that I can let in. Because yeah, it just hit me that I'll be leaving this guy behind when I head to school in a few weeks.

The only time I'm going to come home is if there's a break from school and I can walk the stage at high school for my graduation with the rest of my classmates. It's something Slim and Shy want to see me do and I want to make them happy after everything they've done for me. They've taken me in and done so much to help me deal with the loss of my family and make sure I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and they've given me all the love and support they have to give. Slim and Shy didn't have to do anything for me. They honestly could've turned me over to the county and wiped their hands of me. Instead, the two of them chose to love me and give me the support of the entire club as I went through the darkest days of my life. I'm grateful to them and there's no way I'll ever be able to repay them.

It's why I work so hard at school and try to do as much around the house for them as I can. And why I watch the girls so Shy can hang out with Slim at the clubhouse on party nights. Slim's been busy with club business and I like to make sure they get to spend time together. It's important they get to have time alone more than the middle of the night or when the girls are down for a nap. They're a couple who have chosen to put so many others before themselves. Slim will always put the club first and do what's needed to ensure it runs smoothly and everyone is doing what needs to be done. Shy is a mom first and then puts the club second. They get together when they can and always make time for one another at night when the girls are already in bed. If I can make it so they're able to spend a little more time together, it's not a big deal to me.

Tonight I'll be watching Kinsliegh and Rayven while they go to the club's cookout. Well, they'll have the girls until things get rowdy. Then I'll have them. Hunter is going to bring them back to the house so I don't have to go over there. After the last time, I refuse to go to the clubhouse anymore. I don't need to see Vault wrapped around another house bunny or random slut with his dick hanging out. It's already a sight I can't unsee and one I don't want to relive anytime soon.

Slim knows why I won't go to the clubhouse anymore. I'm sure he's told Shy why, but no one else knows unless they were there that day. They don't need to know why I refuse to go there. I'm sure they can guess, but they'll leave me alone about it. Slim will make sure of it. That's one of the reasons I love him. He always watches out for me. Even if he does take it a little overboard sometimes. Like with telling the guys I'm not to be touched. Who does that? Slim does because he doesn't want to see me hurt any more than what I've already been through.

When I talked to Slim about telling the guys in the club that, he just shrugged his shoulders and went on about his business. He said he wasn't lifting the ban on me and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. Shy keeps telling me he wants better for me, not a Phantom Bastard. He wants me to find a guy with a regular job to settle down with and have a family. Eventually. Well, I want a man like those he's chosen to make his family and surround himself with.

That's not what I want though. I want a man who knows what it means to protect his woman. A man who can slay any demons coming at me. And a man who knows what he wants. I want someone who's loyal, can remain faithful, and would never raise their hand to me in anger. The men in the Phantom Bastards are some of the most amazing men I've ever met in my life. When I told Slim that even my parents would approve of them if they were still alive, Slim just ignored me like he does when I talk to him about something he doesn't want to deal with. Mainly anything to do with boys and me. To Slim, I'm not almost an adult, I'm just a little girl who's scared of her shadow and still needs to be protected from the world around me.

I know the club isn't always on the right side of the law and things happen with rivals. At the end of the day, they'd be there for me and anyone else associated with the club. They've proven it more than once since I've been here. What really sinks in my mind though is how they rescued me when they didn't have to, and how they took me from men who wanted to rape and hurt me just because they thought they could. These men have a moral compass that most others wouldn't agree with, but who have shown me nothing but love and respect since I've been with them.

"Annabell, we're headin' out," Slim says as I come out of my room with a book in hand as I normally do.

"Okay. Have fun," I tell him, walking downstairs with a smile on my face as I watch them get ready to head out.

"Are you sure you don't want to come over for something to eat?" Shy asks guilt on her face at the thought of leaving me here alone again.

"No. I'm good. I'll get something simple here," I respond, stopping to help them with the door so it's one less thing they have to juggle.

"Okay. If you want, I can make you a plate and have Hunter bring it over when he brings the girls back home," Shy tells me, hope in her voice at the thought of me eating something more than a sandwich or some simple meal I can cook.

"That sounds good. Thank you, Shy," I tell her, offering her a small smile.

I know they're both worried about me and the situation with Vault. They don't have to worry though. I'm trying not to think about it or him and it's honestly easier than I thought it would be. Even if it's because of the horrible way he's treated me. That's the only push I needed in order to start getting over him. All they see is me throwing myself into my schoolwork and withdrawing from the club and them. In a way, I suppose I am. Vault belongs in their world—he's part of the club. I'm just an intruder for a little while until I leave for college. I'm not going to come between them when they're family. Yes, rationally, I know I'm family, but Vault will be here long after I leave and I'm not going to make him uncomfortable in his own home.

Vault used to sit on the porch with me and tell me stories about growing up in the club. About how Valor and he used to raise hell and get in trouble by Slim and Hound. They were the only two men who ever gave a shit about the boys and now, they just have Slim. I know he's laid into Vault about his recent behavior. It's also why he's banned him from leaving the clubhouse the last few weeks. He's worried about him and doesn't know how to help him. No one does. All Slim can see is Vault splattered across the road and getting that call no one wants to receive in the middle of the night because he's out riding when he's too drunk to be on his bike. The only way he could prevent that from happening is to ground Vault and make sure he doesn't have his keys. Yes, Slim did take his keys from him and has them locked in his office. It was the right decision to make.

I'm sitting on the porch, reading a book, and listening to the music from the clubhouse when one of the SUVs pulls up. I know it's Hunter with the girls. So, I set my book down and make my way down the steps to help him get them out. I'll be putting them down for bed soon, but until then, I'm going to play with them and give them their baths. I love spending time with the girls and making them the center of my world for a little while. They're so innocent, pure, and enjoy the simple things because they're so young. No one's robbed them of their innocence the way that's been done to me. I hope they never have to deal with the darkness of life like I have. Yes, I know there's darkness that's already surrounded them, but they'll be older when they find out and will know how to cope with it better than I did.

"How are you, Hunter?" I ask as he lifts Kinsliegh from the car seat she's in.

"I'm good. How about you? Haven't seen you around lately," he asks, a blush covering his face as I look over at him.

"I'm okay. Just studying and doing school things. I won't be going to the clubhouse anymore. It's too much to be over there these days," I tell him honestly since he was there that day.

"Vault?" he asks as if he's the reason for everything horrible happening based on the anger filling his voice.

I nod my head and realize he's been paying more attention than a lot of people give him credit for.

"Yeah, but I'll be okay. I just need some distance. And until I graduate in a few months, this is the way I can get that," I answer, not looking in his direction.

"I'm sorry. I've been told he's not normally like this. I know a loss like this is devastatin', but what he's doin' ain't right either," Hunter tells me as we walk in the house with the girls.

"He was great when I first got here. Now, I'm just another victim on his path of self-destruction," I say, setting Rayven's car seat down on the floor in the living room after taking it from Hunter.

"Oh, let me get your dinner. Shy made sure a plate was made for you before the guys got to dig in," Hunter says, laughter filling his voice before he runs back out to the SUV so he can grab whatever else is in there.

I get Rayven out of her car seat and place her in the swing in the living room for her. She's getting so big already and I want to eat quick before I give them baths and play with them for a while before bed. It's what I usually do when I have the girls at night. We have our own routine and I'm going to miss it when I leave here, but they'll adjust to me being gone and so will I. It's just going to take time to adjust to all the changes that will take place in the next few months.

"Here you go, Annabell," Hunter says, handing me the tin foil covered plate.

"Thank you, Hunter," I tell him, taking the plate with a smile in his direction. "I'm sure you have to get back to the clubhouse. Have fun tonight."

"I'm not goin' back. I'm here for the rest of the night. Slim didn't want you alone once the girls were here. He probably would've sent someone over sooner, but we were dealin' with somethin'," Hunter says evasively and I have a feeling it was something involving Vault and his drunken bullshit.

"Oh. Well, I'm okay here on my own. Don't want you left out of the night's festivities," I tell him unsure if Hunter has ever been with the house bunnies.

"Yeah, I'm good. I don't fuck with the house bunnies. Even if I were more than a Prospect, I still wouldn't. I'm not really into sloppy seconds," he tells me as if he's reading my mind.

"Oh, well, you're more than welcome to hang out in here if you want. I'm just gonna eat before I give them a bath. Then I'll play with the girls for a while before I put them to bed."

"I'll be on the porch. If Slim finds me in here with you, he'll kill me. You know how it is," Hunter says, the truth about my dad hanging between us.

I nod my head in understanding as he walks back outside. I'll go join him later on. I'm not going to leave him on the porch alone all night. We can talk and hang out until I'm ready for bed. There's no point in him sitting outside all alone when I like sitting out there too. Plus, Hunter is easy to hang out with. When I don't feel like talking, he has no problem sitting in silence with me. If I want to talk, he listens to the words I'm not saying and gives me advice about what's on my mind that day. Hunter has become a sounding board for me and it means a lot that he takes time out of his day every once in a while to hang out with me.

So, for the next few hours, I spend my time with Kinsliegh and Rayven. They are such good little girls. We spend an hour just at bath time so they can splash and play in the water. Rayven loves her water time and I always let her have extra time so she can work some of her energy out and get ready for bed. The bathroom doesn't really like it because I end up having to wipe down everything, but that's okay. As long as it puts a smile on their faces and they have fun, I'll spend hours cleaning the bathroom from the mess that's been made. Yeah, I might splash the water right along with them.

After I get them settled down and read them a story, I clean up the house and make sure the girls are asleep before grabbing the baby monitor to take outside with me. Hunter is sitting on the steps of the porch as I make my way to the swing I always sit on. He watches me and I'm not sure what the look in his eyes is as I sit down and start to gently sway in the night breeze. It would help if I had any experience with guys, but I have zero. The only guy I've ever really been around is he who shall not be named. It was easy to read him because he didn't hide his emotions from me. But that doesn't mean the looks he gave me mean the same thing for Hunter.

The music from the clubhouse seems to be even louder now and I can hear the laughter and squeals of delight as the men and women cut loose and enjoy their time together. It's something I used to envision for myself and now I'll never be anything more than an intruder looking in from the edges of this life. Slim and Shy might be my parents, but I'll never have what they have with a man of the club like I once thought I would. Maybe I should just do what Slim wants and find a man while I'm at college like I've been thinking about doing. I mean, honestly my plan was just to kind of let things happen if they did and if I met someone, I wouldn't turn them down. But, I wasn't going to truly let myself be with them either because I always planned to be with a member of the club. Things to think about and debate later.

"You okay over there?" Hunter asks, worry filling his face.

"Yeah, just thinking," I tell him, giving him a small smile.

"About what?" he questions, wanting to get to know me more than the small talks we've already had.

"About how I used to be at the clubhouse and how I loved hanging out with everyone. Now, I'll only ever see the guys if they come over here or they come to one of my games. It sucks, but I'm not going to have Vault taken away from his family because I can't get a handle on my feelings for him yet," I answer honestly knowing Hunter won't judge me for what I feel or think.

"I see. Well, you know he's miserable. Before I left tonight, he was sittin' alone and not even drinkin'. I haven't seen him pick a bottle or drink up in days. Not since the last time you were at the clubhouse, if I'm bein' honest," Hunter tells me, his words sinking in deep and giving me hope that he'll be okay after all.

"I'm happy for him. Maybe he'll start to get better now. I'm still not going over there. I know the house bunnies whisper about how pathetic I am behind my back and I'm not going to have Slim yelling at them over trivial shit. I'm fine staying over here. It's not much longer," I tell him. "Besides, the company isn't so bad over here."

Hunter smiles at me but doesn't leave his spot on the steps. It's almost like he's afraid to sit next to me on the swing. I'm not sure if it's because of Slim's warning or if he just doesn't like me that way. Either way, I'll enjoy his company until I head back inside. It's been a while since I've had someone other than Slim and Shy to talk to. Or Valor when he can spare a few minutes for a driving lesson or stops by to talk for a few minutes. It's been a while since I've seen him though. The last time I truly had someone to sit out here with was when Vault was over here, before he started pushing me away from him.

After a while, I head inside and to bed. I've got to study tomorrow for two tests while Shy has the girls. I'll probably end up watching them tomorrow night for them and I want to be done with what I have to do before then. Climbing into bed after changing into a pair of shorts and a tank top, I fall asleep to thoughts of Vault finally starting to get better. My thoughts drift from Vault, to Hunter, and then to the guy from school. I've got to make a decision one way or another and it's one of the hardest things I've had to do in a while.