MOVING ON(18)

“You can have any woman you want, Brad. Rose is not worth this shit,” Adam said.

Tyler was sat on the sofa waiting, and John stood near the door silent.

His plans had fucked up because of that bastard. The tension inside him wouldn’t ease. His wedding night was going to consist of sharing her with all three of his friends. They were all together in their plans. Adam, Tyler, and John wanted Rose. He’d seen the desire for her on their faces. She’d been the one of the girls they’d left alone. They’d watched her for many years. Her family was part of the old Cape Falls ways. She would follow in her mother’s footsteps doing as she was told.

“I don’t want any other woman. I want Rose. All the other women before her were just sluts,” Brad said. They’d taken a lot of women in the last few years. Some of the women had tried to make out they’d forced them. All four of them had made sure the women didn’t talk.

“I need another woman.”

John jerked. “You said Stacey was the last time. We’re not doing that again.”

Brad shook his head. “She was going to be the last woman. Rose was going to be ours. Until I get her back, my plans have changed.”

He headed toward the door.

“No, I can’t do that again,” John said. “I won’t.”

Grabbing his friend around the neck, Brad noticed John didn’t look frightened at all.

“We’re in this together no matter what happens. Remember, John, you never went to the cops before now. You’re an accomplice even if you don’t join in the fun.”

He let go of his friend and headed out the door. Rose was going to pay, and until then, he’d find another weak woman afraid of him. The one guarantee in Cape Falls was there were always women who were not heard. The Steer brothers and the fucking outcasts had tried to change that. No one could change it now.





Chapter Seven



Peter waited for Rose to leave before turning his attention to Laura. He fisted his hands at his sides staring at the woman he’d been in love with for as long as he could remember. Her beauty had grown with age, and she looked more beautiful each day. Even as he thought this, his body didn’t respond to her again.

There was no tightening as he looked at her. She smiled at him.

“Hi, Peter.”

“What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” he asked, moving toward the kettle.

“Everything is great. Rose is a beautiful woman. I love her hair. She’s got pretty hair.”

“Are you here to talk about my woman’s hair?” He poured himself a strong coffee.

“She’s your woman?”

The question made his pause.

“Yes, Rose is my woman.”

He turned back to Laura and waited.

“Rose doesn’t know she is. She doesn’t know what she is when it comes to you.” Laura stood, going toward him. She put her cup on the counter, staring at him.

“Why are you here, Laura?” he asked.

“Rose thinks you’re in love with me, Peter.”

“That’s not new. Everyone in Cape Falls knows I’m in love with you.”

Laura cocked her head to the side, looking at him. “Do they?”

Sipping at the warm liquid he waited for her to continue.

“You’re not in love with me, Peter.”

He laughed. “You’re going to tell me how I feel?”

“Okay, I’ve beaten around the bush because I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’re getting old. It’s time you had a wakeup call. You’re the only person in Cape Falls, in our little outcast circle, who thinks you’re in love with me.”

“This is going to be good,” Peter said, ignoring her last words. Laura angry was actually quite comical.

“You’re not in love with me, Peter. You haven’t been in love with me for a long time.”

He shook his head.

“You don’t get hard for me. For a couple of years you tried to hide your erection whenever you touched me. I saw it and never mentioned it. For the last couple of years, even before Dean got his cancer, you didn’t try to stop hugging me completely. You’ve been flaccid, Peter.”

He listened to her explanation. Peter couldn’t remember when he’d stopped responding to her, only that he had been unresponsive to her. Her body was amazing. He adored her curves, but in his mind he saw Rose’s curves. At the thought of Rose his cock started to stiffen.

Frowning, he cut the thoughts of Rose out of his mind and stared at Laura. His cock started to go. What the hell was happening to him? He never wanted to analyse his lack of response to Laura. Loving her was the only thing he knew how to do.

“You’re not interested in me. Your love for me has changed, Peter.”