“You’re not telling me you’ve been faithful all these years,” she said, not believing for a second he’d been without sex for eight long years.
“I fuck women when I want, Kels. I will never stop doing what I want. I simply want to keep you as my wife.”
Turning in her seat she looked at him. “Why? Why do you want me?”
He frowned. She never argued with him before. This was the first time she’d started asking questions.
Standing up, she faced him, folding her arms underneath her breasts. “You’re a wealthy businessman who can have whoever you want. Why are you keeping me around? I’m nothing special. You can have any woman you want. Why do you want me?”
“Because you’re mine,” he said.
“This is a possession thing. Someone wants me, and now you want me? God, what is with you men? Why can’t you just leave me out of all of your crap?”
“You really don’t see your value, do you?” His searing gaze made her feel uncomfortable.
“Please leave,” she said. She no longer wanted to have this discussion with him. Michael’s actions were like a locked vault, and he would only let her see why he wanted her when he was ready.
“Fine, I’ll go, but I promise you, Kelsey, this is not over.”
She flinched when he slammed the door closed. Her life sucked. Memories of her mother’s hard words had been driving her crazy all day. Would she ever get away from what her mother did to her?
Tugging the shirt from her body, she walked into the bathroom needing to wash her body. Her life had gone to shit, and she couldn’t handle anything more.
“You’re useless, fat, ugly, a waste of space.”
Filling the bath with water, she stripped down, staring at her body in the mirror. She was ugly, worthless. No one would ever truly love something so awful. Tears filled her eyes at the remembered pain of her mother’s cutting words.
Her mother never lashed out with her hand. The words were the hardest thing to deal with. The first time she met Tate she’d lied about her family. None of them knew the true her.
Tate didn’t know what she went through growing up with her mother.
Wiping the tears away, she settled in the bath. The names she’d been called went around and around inside her head.
She couldn’t handle it. It wasn’t fair at all. Killer deserved someone good, someone who didn’t keep secrets. Michael would never tell her the truth. He was a controlling man. Kelsey couldn’t handle it anymore.
Climbing out of the bath, she went to her kitchen and grabbed the smallest knife she could find. When she returned to the bath, she remembered all the words spoken to her along with the threat Michael held against her. She tried to find a reason for her to live. What was there for her? Nothing. Killer deserved someone better, someone who wasn’t married to a man who refused to let her go. There was one chance for her to leave the world behind. Unbinding her hand, she stared at the cut she had earlier.
The name calling would stop. Everything would stop the moment she took the pain away. Pressing the blade to her skin, she pushed harder.
“You’re worthless, ugly, fat.”
Sliding the blade down, Kelsey only had one wish, that they scattered her ashes across the ocean.
Chapter Five
Killer nursed his drink back at the clubhouse. The women had left apart from the sweet-butts and Rose. All of the men with children had left as well. Butch had a blonde on his lap, and he was fingering her pussy for all to see. Zero sat beside him, drinking. The other man looked deep in thought. Killer wasn’t in the mood for talking and was pleased no one was trying to get him to talk about his feelings and all that shit.
“Kelsey looked really sad today,” Hardy said, speaking up. “It’s what she deserves leading you on like that.”
“Don’t, Hardy. I appreciate your concern, but I’m not in the mood. Kelsey, she has her own issues.” Killer found himself defending her.
Turning around, he looked at the older man. Rose sat beside her man, sipping from a bottle of water. “She didn’t look like herself at all,” Rose agreed. “Even though she doesn’t deserve any pity.”
“Stop it. None of you know the truth about her decision. We had an argument, and I told her about the woman I fucked.”
The other men winced. They still wore a frown, and he knew it was directed at Kelsey.
“Come on, guys, she didn’t tell him the truth about her married state. He had a right to lose his head for a little while,” Butch said, pulling away from the sweet-butt to speak.
“She didn’t even tell you the truth?” Rose asked.
“No, she didn’t. We’ve talked a little, but when I first saw Michael I saw the truth in her eyes. I fucked up by screwing with a woman I didn’t want. This is between Kelsey and me. I appreciate all of your concern, but please, don’t go judging her without knowing everything. I know I did, and I’ll have to live with that mistake for the rest of my life. Everyone has a past. Hers just turned the fuck back up.”