Chapter 28

28

Natalie – One Month Later

I groan and smack my hand down, trying to stop whatever is pulling on my right thigh, not happy my sleep is being disrupted.

I start to drift back into a nice sleep when it stops, but the pulling begins again, and I scowl and snap my eyes open, looking down to see my husband looking at my thigh. I look at the clock, and groan, “Eli, I still have ten more minutes.…”

He hums. “Uh huh, go back to sleep then, Diamond.”

He pulls on the other thigh, and I sigh. “This is stupid. You’re not even trying to sleep with me, are you?”

He scoffs, “No. Cassidy said no sex until your checkup.”

I groan. “Then what in the hell are you doing?” He looks up with a twinkle in his eye, and I furrow my brows until his lips tilt into a smile. “Ah crap, I wasn’t dreaming, was I?”

He laughs. “No, you were not. Perrie was trying to get you to wake up….”

I huff and slam myself back on the pillows and ask, “By telling you about the tattoo?”

He hums again, trying to part my thighs again , and admits, “Also about your name on my tank, which I found, by the way, and had Art paint a heart around it.” I laugh, and he continues, “She also told me about the dating profile, the dick pic, and the video you use to get off.”

My mouth drops open, and I lean up on my elbows in shock. He grins, and I mumble, “And here I thought she was hiding out from Acid.”

He laughs. “Probably part the reason why she hasn’t been at work this past month, but you killing her is most likely why she’s been MIA.”

I shake my head and try to smack him away, but he looks at me and pouts, giving me puppy dog eyes. I sigh, opening my legs, his eyes instantly going to my thighs before his finger gently runs over the small letters and the date we met. He grumbles, “Fuck, this was a bad idea because now I’m fucking hard.”

I laugh as he pushes off the bed but soon frown when he grabs my phone. “I’m going to use the video,” he grumbles, then he walks into the bathroom.

A few hours later, Piston growls, “Okay, I changed my mind. This isn’t a good idea….”

I give him a small smile, cupping his cheek. “You agreed,” I remind him, and he groans, placing his forehead against mine.

“I know,” he whispers, “but that was before I couldn’t find Aiden or fucking Christy. I can’t have anything happen to you.” He leans back and places his hand on my flat stomach. “Either of you….”

I swallow hard and wrap my arms around his neck, bringing his lips to mine, and kissing him softly.

He’s come out of his shell a lot these past few weeks, and finding out about the baby, this time around, he’s excited, scared but excited, nonetheless.

“I love you,” I whisper, and he sighs.

“I love you, too,” he replies, and I smile, knowing he will give in.

“I promise I won’t let Cam leave my side. If I see Aiden or Christy, I’ll tell him instantly, I promise,” I confirm, and he nods, kissing me again before helping me inside the club’s truck.

Cam smiles at me as Elijah pokes his head in the window and says, “Look after my wife.”

He nods seriously. “With my life.”

I flinch, and Eli gives me a small smile before kissing my forehead and whispering, "You’re precious, baby. I need you safe.”

I nod, understanding him fully. He’s gone from commitment-phobic to not liking me out of his sight. I know the feeling.

I smile at him, and Cam puts the truck in drive, while Elijah watches as we drive out of the gate. I flinch, flashbacks of last month hit me, Adam’s dead eyes flashing through my mind, causing Cam to grab my hand, squeezing it tight. I whisper, “Can we make two pitstops before school?”

He looks my way, sees my tears, and nods, and I squeeze his hand back in thanks.

“Hi Adam…” I whisper, placing the flowers on his grave. Then I kneel, gently tracing his name. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come before now.” Guilt fills me. The Killers were after me to get what they wanted, and he died because of it. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” I sob and drop my head.

He didn’t deserve to die. He would still be here if he’d stayed inside the guard house.

Sobs wrack my body as I bend over, the guilt pulling me, before I feel hands wrap around my arms, and gently pull me up.

I turn, and my eyes connecting the dark green ones I love so much.

“Diamond,” Elijah whispers, and I sob, shaking my head. Pain seeps off him, and he pulls me into his embrace.

“It’s a-all m-my fault,” I cry, gripping his tee.

He holds me tighter. “It’s not, baby, I swear it’s not.” I shake my head and grip his tee tighter, and he gets firm. “It’s true, Nat, it’s not your fault. I should have known you’d come here, that you didn’t want to get to the school early to get settled back in. You let your guilt bury you, and it stops now, baby. What happened fucking sucks, and we lost a great guy, an amazing guy, who loved his club, but it wasn’t your fault he died, it’s the Killers’, and we’ll get them, Diamond. Whether it’s today, next week, or next month, we’ll get them, and we’ll take revenge for his death, I swear it. But don’t keep blaming yourself, he wouldn’t want that, and you know it.”

I sniffle. “I-I didn’t even get to go to his funeral….”

Elijah sighs and pulls back, cupping my cheeks and wiping his thumbs over them. “I know, Diamond, and for that, I am sorry, but I’ll bring you here whenever you want, okay?”

I nod and pull him to me, and he smiles a little, and kisses my lips, before I pull back and frown. “How’d you know I was here?”

He smiles. “Cam sent me his location.”

I nod, then lay my head against his chest, my eyes going to Adam’s grave, the words, “A hero in his own right” catching my attention. I sob, causing Elijah to hold me tighter.

“I’m so sorry,” I rasp, and Eli kisses my head, allowing me to cry over a man who gave his life trying to save me.

I sigh as I run my hand down my face, grimacing at the glitter.

“Is that…? Nat, did Piston pour glitter on you again?”

I turn to the voice in the doorway of my classroom and see Perrie in her gym gear, staring at my head with wide eyes.

I snort. “No, this time it was all me. I knocked the shelf, and the tub just kind of fell on top of me.”

She grins at my admittance, then laughs, and I stick my tongue out at her, making her laugh louder.

After Elijah found me at the cemetery this morning, he followed me to school then headed back to the club while Cam stayed behind.

Elijah mentioned something about following me every morning from now on, but I didn’t argue with him. He didn’t want me to return to school, especially with his father and my step-monster still at large, so I stayed compliant.

“Okay, you hyena. What are you doing here? Are you finally coming out of hiding?” I ask as I grab my bag, happy it’s the end of the day.

The first day back at school is always tiring, but after the summer from hell and the fact that I’m pregnant—ten weeks to be exact—my body is adjusting, and so is my mind.

“Can’t I come to see my friend?” she asks, and I grin as she walks over to one of the little desks, and sits.

“Always,” I answer, then ask, nodding to the desk, “Do you want to re-do 5th grade?”

She leans back and snorts. “God, no. How’s Cooper?”

I smile. “He’s good. The cast has been removed, but now he keeps asking for me to have dinner with him and Henry. I know this probably sounds selfish, especially because you’ve lost your father, but I just don’t want a relationship with the man.”

Perrie smiles slightly. “The situation is completely different, so I understand. That man isn’t your father, Nat, he’s a coward for how he treated you growing up, and if you don’t want a relationship with him, then you have every right to walk away from him. You’re there for your brother, so Henry should feel grateful, especially when you became non-existent to Henry after Cooper was born.” I give her a grateful smile, and she sighs. “Look, I know you're probably mad at me?—”

I cut her off, “I’m not mad at you. I know you wanted me to wake up…and payback’s a bitch.”

She chuckles, but relief shines in her eyes. “I need a favor, Nat, but I need Acid not to find out. The man won’t take the hint, and if he knows about this, he’ll push his way fully back into my life, and I can’t have that, not anymore, not after what he did….”

I furrow my brows, and she sighs, standing, before handing me the piece of paper. She paces as I read it.

My dearest Perrie,

You get prettier every day, and I count my lucky stars that I get to have you.

And I will have you!

I see you hanging around with that club, and I’m telling you now that it stops.

You are mine, and if I have to, I’ll kill that fucker that keeps trying to get your attention.

Stay away from him, beautiful….

Yours always.

X

I look at her sharply, and she shakes her head. “I have a feeling who it may be, but I have no proof, and I can’t have Acid involved. If he gets involved, Nat, I’ll buy a gun, and deal with it myself.”

I flinch. “Perrie….”

She shakes her head. “No. He hurt me, Nat, and not just the shoving me away kind of hurt. I slept with him, and he went and slept with my so-called best friend a week later, the same best friend who now believes she’s pregnant with his child.”

“I’m your best friend,” I grouse, making her smile, and then sigh.

“Please, Nat, ask Piston to investigate it but keep Acid out of it. I don’t want him in my life, but I also don’t want a bullet in his head, because I can’t just shut my feelings off.”

I bite my bottom lip but nod, she sighs with relief, and walks over to me and hugs me.

I hug her back before she says, “Come to the diner tomorrow. We can have a girl’s night.”

I smile and nod despite knowing two brothers who are going to crash our dinner, but she leaves, ignoring the smile.

My eyes go to the letter again, and I know Acid is going to flip.

With a lump in my throat, I bring up my text thread, write out the small message, and hover over the SEND button for a beat before pressing it.

Me: I need your help. It’s about Perrie xx

I know she doesn’t want Acid involved, but he won’t sit back. I just hope my husband can convince him not to go in guns blazing, because she’s already cutting Acid out of her life. As much as he wants her to forgive him and give him a chance, the pain he’s put her through is just too much.

Sometimes, love just isn’t enough.