Broken (18 page)

“I’ve been where I wanted to be.” That answer threw her for a sec but didn’t stop her from forging on.

“Oh well, I just wondered if you knew there was more to our little town than what you’ve seen so far. You know I’m a great tour guide, anytime you needed someone to show you the sights.” The fact that she was offering more than a tour of the city was clear in the eyes that tried to read him.

“Oh yeah, and how does your husband feel about that?” If he wasn’t mistaken she’d just remembered that attachment. So much for true love.

“Who, Paul? Oh he wouldn’t mind at all. We’re part of the in set you know, it’s kind of our job to welcome new upstanding citizens like yourself to the community.”

“How would you know what kind of citizen I am?”

“Oh well, after our little run-in I asked around. I was surprised to learn you were the Clancy’s grandson, they never said...”

“Why would they?” He wasn’t giving her anything, just playing her along to see how far she would go. If he was right in his assumptions then she was a real piece of work. She had everyone thinking she was something she wasn’t, but it had only taken him a few days to figure her out.

It wasn’t he that needed convincing however, but the woman she’d wounded so deeply, the one he had come to love beyond reason. He wouldn’t do this shit for anyone else, and hoped to fuck he never had to do anything like it again. But for her he’d stomach this beast if only for a little while. If all went as he planned this would be the last time he or Kerryanne would have to deal with her and her husband. That alone was worth this little dance.

Thinking of her he wondered how she was doing on her end. He hated that she had to spend even a second in the other man’s presence, but after listening to those phone messages, he was pretty sure the blinders should be coming off her eyes right about now. The new wife was prattling on about herself and other bullshit that he had no interest in while he killed time before he figured it was time to head back.

Then she showed her hand and he knew he had her. Somehow he hadn’t expected the small town housewife to be so brazen, but he guessed he shouldn’t be surprised. “Why don’t I give you my number? Maybe we can get together sometime. I mean if you find Kerryanne’s company pleasing I’m sure I can…”

Jen was more than a little fascinated by his tattoos and those muscles, wow. If he was wasting time with Kerryanne then she was sure he would find her company more appealing, after all, she was the prettiest woman in town. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine what he saw in her old friend, unless of course it was just a case of a friendly face in a new town. She hated that it was all anyone could talk about these days, Kerryanne and her new man. As if!

“Not interested.” He turned to head back to the table.

“Aren’t you going to use the restroom?” She tried to stop him with a hand on his arm as he turned and headed back. He brushed her hand off, showing her the distaste he felt for the first time. She didn’t exactly recoil but she got the message. “Nope, I got what I came for.”

Jen wasn’t one to be so easily deterred however. She had no doubt his behavior was due to whatever sob stories Kerry had been filling his head with. It would be a cold day in hell before she let that bitch get the upper hand. No way was she going to let it end there. She followed in his wake, as he seemed suddenly in a rush to get back to Kerryanne.

Kyle worried that maybe he’d left her alone too long. He was just in time to hear the asshole threaten her with money and it was all he could do not to plant his fist in the fuck’s face. “What do you want asshole?” He placed himself between him and her, forcibly moving the other man out of the way. “Excuse me, who are you? I’m having a conversation with my wife…”

“Ex wife asshole and you’re done.” Jen came sidling up next and the look of utter hate on her face when she looked at Kerryanne said it all. Kyle folded his arms and looked at the two of them as he shielded her with his body. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.” Paul actually puffed up once his wife was there. What an ass.

“That’s where you’re wrong, anything to do with her is my business.” Neither of their unwanted guests liked that very much and true to form, Jen was the one to take the lead. “Well Kerry, I see you’ve found yourself a new champion. Does he know what a loser you are? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you went looking for someone else to mooch off of. That’s her ammo did she tell you that?”

Was this high school? For fuck sake he knew it was a small town but he couldn’t believe the pettiness of these two. When there was no answer forthcoming he reached back and took her hand in his for reassurance. Just a few more minutes baby. He thought. I just need you to see what a joke these two are.

“Was there something you two needed?” Once again it was Jen who couldn’t leave well enough alone. She just couldn’t seem to help herself and he wondered how blind the other two were that they couldn’t see what was really going on here. Since Kerry seemed to have gone mute in the last five minutes he figured it was up to him to bring the shit out in the open. He’d lost interest in his little experiment already. He’d expected more from his opponents than to be facing off with fucking middle-schoolers.

“What we want is to know just what lies she’s been filling your head with. She’s obviously given you some sad story, why else would you be speaking to us like this?” He ignored her, since he already had her pegged. It was the husband he wanted to show his underbelly, so that Kerryanne could finally open her fucking eyes and see what a weak fuck he was so that they could get on with their fucking lives.

“Yes Kerry just what lies have you been telling everyone that they’re now looking at us as if we were animals? People do get divorced you know, it’s not the end of the world. And there are as usual two sides to every story.” Kyle noticed that he was only brave once his wife opened the doorway for him. Like he was the puppet and she pulled the strings.

“I didn’t say you could address her did I?” Let’s see what the ass did with that? Fucking little boy who didn’t know his head from his ass. He really couldn’t believe that this is what he’d felt threatened by.

As he stood there egging them on, he felt all the past angst over the situation dissolve. All that was left now was to annihilate them the way they’d tried doing to her and he was done.

“I can talk to my wife…I can speak to her any time I choose to. We have a history in case you’ve forgotten, and no matter what you may think I still feel responsible for her. Now Kerryanne…” He turned his attention to her and Kyle moved so that his larger frame was now concealing her completely.

“You don’t get it do you? You don’t fucking talk to her Ever. Whatever responsibility you thought you had you can let go of now, I have her and trust me she’s fine.” He didn’t even have to raise his voice to get his point across. Dealing with these two was like watching paint dry. They had no substance, and barely seemed to share half a damn brain between them.

He’d been expecting so much more from this. At least the excuse to have to knock the fuck outta the ex. But the guy was too fucking stupid to cross the right line. Jen on the other hand still seemed to have some fight left in her. But he knew where that shit was coming from. After tonight the other two will too since they seemed too thick to figure it out on their own.

“What do you see in her anyway? Look at her, the little mouse. Too afraid to open her mouth.” She laughed at her own little volley, before going on. “What is it that you two do together anyway? From what I hear she’s a dud in bed. You can only be using her to pass the time. Is that it?”

He was sure as fuck if the bitch she’d married wasn’t standing there she would’ve offered her services. What a pathetic excuse for a human being. And why the fuck did no one else see beneath that façade of hers?

The smile on her face was vicious and her words were meant to sting. But once again he was amazed at how fucking stupid they both were. He could’ve discarded them long ago if he’d known they were little more than children playing grownups. It was time to go in for the kill anyway. He was well aware that they had an audience, which is what he’d wanted. He wanted this little chat to be spread around town by daybreak.

“I’d rather have five minutes of conversation with this one, than spend a whole night fucking you. I think the reason your husband is so pissed that my woman is with me, is because he’s realized too late just how much of a fuck up he is.” She bristled but he wasn’t done.

“Your loss asshole! As for you, I’d keep the fuck away from my woman if I were you. I don’t let her keep company with just anyone and you’ve proven not to be my kind of people.” He looked her dead in her face with a sneer, knowing that he’d just thrown fuel on the fire.

“How dare you speak to me like that? You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough to know that you were on my dick two minutes ago, and I could’ve fucked you if I were so inclined.” Her eyes widened and she looked around at the others who had gathered.

“Don’t feel bad, the fact I didn’t take you up on your offer is a testament to what this one means to me. I want inside her so bad that I’m willing to give up a shot at your obviously golden pussy; it is golden isn’t Paul? Because that’s the only reason I could think of for the trade down.” She took a swipe at him when he grinned, which he batted away not too worried about breaking her fucking arm.

“She’ll never be as pretty as me.” She actually started fixing herself like that was all there was to her, no fucking substance whatsoever.

“You really gave this up for that? You really are a fucking sap. Oh well, like I said, your loss my gain. As for pretty, you’re not even in the same league as my girl-trick.” He pulled Kerry up from the stool she’d been hiding on and kissed her hair.

“Kerry you can’t go with him.” The fuck didn’t know when to stop.

“Excuse me Paul?” The wife was getting huffy. I guess she’d finally remembered she was a married woman since her little ploy didn’t work.

“I think you should listen to your wife. What this one does is no longer any concern of yours. Oh by the way, you call her again or come within five feet of her I’ll break your fucking neck. Lets go babe.”

He took her back to their table and sat her across from him. He was done with the two idiots and so was she.

“Thanks for saying all those nice things about me, making me look good in front of them.”

“Wait, you think I said all that back there just to blow smoke out my ass? Are you serious?”

“Well I know I’m nowhere near as beautiful as she is.”

“You’ve got her beat hands down babe.”

“Not even close.”

“You have mirrors in that place of yours?”

“Well yes, why?”

“Had your eyes checked lately? You’re fucking spectacular. I think you’re the only one who doesn’t know that.” She pinked up at that but he could tell she still wasn’t convinced.

“Well, if I’m so spectacular why did my husband leave me for her?” Poor baby.

“Because he’s a weak asshole, and you were way too much woman for him.” Time to tell her the truth since she still didn’t seem to get it either. Must be something in the water.

“What do you mean? We were married since high school.” She tore the napkin in her hand to shreds and kept her head down, so vulnerable still.

“Yeah, he married a girl, he had no idea what the woman was going to be like. As soon as he got a glimpse he was running scared.” He could see she was trying to take it all in, but knowing his girl, it was going to be a while. He was done with the whole mess for tonight though. They’d spent more than enough time on those two.

Hopefully, she’d heard enough back there to know she hadn’t lost anything worth holding onto. He knew her well enough to know that she had come a long way since they’d met, and for now that was fine.

“I think I should warn you, you’ve made me wait more than three weeks, that’s my cutoff point, tonight I’m taking you. In fact are you done with that?” He pointed to her beer with his chin. She made a face and pushed it away.

“Too much huh, you’re such a princess. Come on let’s go.”

“Wait, what?” Kerryanne was still trying to make sense of the evening. There was too much to process at once, and now here he was telling her he was taking her to bed. At least that’s what it sounded like.

“You heard me, your place right fucking now.” He didn’t give her a chance to argue-just pulled her out to his bike, strapped her helmet on and helped her on behind him.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That’s what she was thinking as they rode through the night breeze. He’d been so refined when he got off that plane this morning, now it seemed the Kyle she’d come to know was back in full force. She tried replaying the little showdown in her head as a way not to dwell on where they were headed. But it wasn’t working.

Her heart was in her lungs. Was she ready for this? Had enough time passed? What would tomorrow bring? She’d never in her life had to face these questions before and wasn’t sure how to deal.

Her body was ready. This morning into the afternoon had proven that. But what about her heart, could she survive another disappointing failure? What was it Jen had said? She was a dud in bed.

If she couldn’t satisfy Paul, who she’d come to see as nothing more than an overgrown child after the evening’s events. How could she hope to please the man she now had her arms wrapped around like a lifeline as they sped through the night to what could be the rest of her life-or the beginning of the end?