Room 103 02 - Thrilling Heaven (3 page)

“Okay, it’s my party and I don’t wanna end up crying at
it!” Zoe bounded up to us and God bless her, she slid her hand between us and
took my hand from Kyle. “Come on Kyle, I need a lift home.”

Kyle and Bulk stood their ground, both of them daring
each other to make the first move until Zoe grabbed Kyle’s forearm and pulled
him across the room.

I shot an apologetic glance at Bulk but he shook his head
and slipped a piece of paper in my hand “You ever need me, little lady, you
have my number.”

I gazed at him, astounded by this man’s gentility and
ability to grasp a situation without being on the front row.

I smiled a thank you and he nodded before I scurried off
to catch up with my wonderful best friend and my arsehole husband.

He threw his car keys on the hallway table and I quietly
closed the door behind us. My throat started to close in when he turned the
music on, loudly.

I pulled in a huge breath and followed him into the
lounge, knowing I was in for a long night as soon as the music was pumping.
There was only one reason he played it so loud, and it wasn’t to dance to.

It was to drown out the noise.

“Drink?” I asked, trying for ignorance.

He laughed manically and my hands started to shake as he
turned to me with menace and disgust visibly displayed on his face.

“Did you want to fuck him?” he spat out.

“What? No, we were just talking.”

He ventured across the room and pulled out the whisky
from the cabinet, his shoulders stiff and hard as he poured himself a large
measure.

“You have a thing for rockers though, don’t you Jen?”

“Kyle, please. Don’t do this again, it was nine years ago.”

“Never quite forget it though, can we? Especially when
his mates eye fuck you all night.” He scoffed and I bit my tongue.

“He was just being friendly Kyle, nothing more.”

He scoffed loudly before he downed his drink in one and
slammed the glass on the highly polished table. My eyes settled on it and I
wondered if I would be able to remove the stain with the new stuff I’d bought
from Asda last week.

Kyle turned to me, his eyes fierce and wild as he just
stood still and silent, regarding me intensely with his head tipped to one
side.

“I’m gonna go up, Kyle.” I tried quickly as I spun round
and made for the stairs.

I made it up three before his fist gripped the back of my
dress and pulled me back. My chin hit the step forcefully as I went down under
him and my top teeth sunk through my bottom lip.

As soon as the first thump hit me I retreated back to the
tall grass, its delicate blades blowing against the gentle breeze; Ethan
whispering in my ear as his hands explored my body tenderly and as the sun
started to set, he slid into me so lovingly it stole my breath.

By the way… I love you, Jen.

You are so fucking beautiful, baby.

God, you feel like silk around me, so smooth and glorious
baby.

Don’t ever leave me Jen, I couldn’t live through it.

***

 I swirled the whisky around the
glass, staring at the liquid through the dimness of the small corner lamp.

I refused to cry. The only time I had cried in the last
nine years was when Shane died, and I wasn’t about to start now.

He didn’t deserve my tears. Ethan, yes. Kyle, no. He had
taken that part away when he uttered those words and dragged me hundreds of
miles away from the man I loved with more than just my heart.

Ethan hadn’t changed; he still had that cheeky face, his
bright twinkly eyes still held you hostage under them. He still wore his blonde
hair back in a pony and his chin was still dusted with a couple of day’s
stubble. His body still appeared mean and hard and he still looked at me like I
was his everything.

My phone beeped and I squinted at the ceiling, hoping it
hadn’t woken Kyle as I scooped it out of my bag and frowned at the text;

Unknown:

Hey, you okay little lady?

I knew it was Bulk as soon as I read the words ‘little
lady’ but what I didn’t know was how he got my number.

Me:

How did you get my number?

Bulk:

Romeo got it from Zoe, hope that’s ok, don’t wanna get
you in more trouble.

Me:

No, it’s fine.

Bulk:

Well?

Me:

Well what?

Bulk:

You ok?

Me:

Yes.

Bulk:

Why do I get the feeling you’re lying?

I didn’t answer him, he was getting too close to the
truth, so I left it and pulled my broken body off the sofa and made my way into
the kitchen.

I placed the glass in the dishwasher, wincing at the pain
in my stomach when I bent just as my phone rang.

I groaned at Bulk’s name on screen before I declined.

I didn’t need to deal with this now, what the hell did he
want from me?

My phone then alerted a text and I rolled my eyes;

Bulk:

If you don’t answer your phone, then I’m coming round
to yours.

     
Me:

     WTF! What do you want
from me?

Bulk:

The truth, little lady!

Me:

I’m fine.

Bulk:

Then answer your damn phone!

Right okay, that’s the way he wanted to play, I rang him.

I sensed his smug grin as soon as he answered and it
brought my own smile when I realised I’d fallen for his trap.

“Hey.” He chirped at me and I sighed, suddenly relaxing
at his calm tone.

“What do want, Bulk?”

“Just checking in on you, little lady. Your boyfriend
seemed a little… irate when you left.”

“I’m fine.” I lied.

“I don’t believe ya’, baby.” He whispered and I swallowed
heavily.

“Look, Bulk, I know you mean well, really I do, but you
need to… back off. Kyle doesn’t mess about. You need to ask Ethan about him and
just leave me alone.”

He was silent for a while before his next words shocked
me. “I have asked Boss about him and I don’t particularly like what he told me
and I’m a little worried about you. Can’t help that, little lady, just how I
am. Now you either tell me the truth or I’m gonna come round there and drag
your boyfriend out by his fucking hair and rearrange his fucking face. You got
me, sweetheart? You understand me now?”

I swallowed heavily and stared out of the kitchen window.
“Why?” I whispered.

I heard him inhale deeply as though sorting through his
next words before he sighed again “Meet me tomorrow?”

“What, why?” I asked with confusion. What the hell did
this man I barely knew want from me?

He was pushy and too shrewd but there was something about
him that made me like him and want to trust him.

“Fine,” I relented “will you leave me alone then?”

He laughed a little and I couldn’t help smiling at the
deep rumble. “Sure, but I doubt you want that as much as I do.”

I rolled my eyes at his overconfidence. “Right, when and
where?”

“Uhh, Madeline’s? Twelve?” he asked and I agreed before
ending the call.

What the heck are you doing Jen?

If Kyle found out, his shit would hit the roof.

“Just make sure he doesn’t find out then Jen.”

So simple.

Bulk gave me a wide smile when I scoured the room of the
small café as I looked for him. I smiled back and made my way over to the
corner table he was situated in.

I barely recognised him with the peak of his cap low and
his coat collar high, but then I realised he was trying to hide his famous face
from the public.

“I take it you slipped?” he stated immediately as I
reached him and I frowned in confusion.

His eyes dropped to my split lip and I rolled my eyes at
him. “Yeah, tripped on the stairs last night” I told him as I gently lowered
myself into the chair, desperately planting a smile on my face to hide the
pain.

“Uh-huh, and I take it you bust a rib when you tripped as
well.”

     Fuck this!

I stood back up hastily and turned to walk away. “Sit the
fuck down. Now!” he hissed but I snatched my bag from the table and strode
away.

Jesus, even my best friend didn’t grill me like that and
I hardly knew this man.

He caught up with me and grabbed my arm. “You either turn
round right now and sit that sweet ass down or I get Boss on the phone and tell
him what’s going on with you” he warned low in my ear.

I halted immediately and turned to him with wide eyes
“No, you can’t involve Ethan in this, Bulk. I mean it, this stuff between Ethan
and Kyle, its serious and I don’t want Ethan dragged in.”

He nodded faintly. “Then sit the fuck down and talk to
me. We can talk about the weather or the shit food they serve in here, anything
you want, but sit down... Please.”

“You promise not to delve?” I asked him cautiously.

He narrowed his eyes on me but nodded before he led me
back to our table and the waitress approached us immediately, probably
desperate for our order before we took off again and left her tips low for the
day.

She squinted at Bulk, as if figuring out why he looked
familiar so I grabbed her attention. “I’ll have a latte and...” I turned to
Bulk who gave the waitress a killer smile.

“I’ll just take whatever you recommend, honey.”

She beamed at him, giving him a flutter of her eyelashes
and I swallowed back the laughter.

“Coming right up, handsome” She purred before she walked
away, swaying her hips provocatively at Bulk.

His eyes met mine and the twinkle in them made me
chuckle. “I’ll just take whatever you recommend?” I mimicked, “what are you gonna
do if she brings you something resembling yesterday’s slops?”

He shrugged. “Little lady, I will devour absolutely
anything. Slops, yesterday’s slops or even last week’s slops. When you live on
the road as much as we do, you learn not to look but taste.”

I grinned at him as he waggled his eyebrows at me. “So,
real sunny out there today.” He smirked and I nodded.

“Absolutely glorious for May, yeah.” I agreed.

“I’m glad we’re back in Britain, I missed the weather.”
He stated as our waitress returned with our drinks and some swill in a bowl for
Bulk.

He lifted his eyes to me as we both peered into the bowl
and I sucked on my sore lips at the fodder presented to him.

“Shit, yeah. Maybe not.” He scowled as he pushed the bowl
to one side and I lifted an eyebrow at him.

“You’re not even gonna try? After all, it’s not what it
looks like but what it tastes like” I taunted.

He scrunched up his face and took a slurp of his coffee,
grimacing faintly as it went down. “Holy hell, what is this place?” he grumbled
as he placed his cup back down and I cringed as I took a sip of mine.

“Jesus Christ.” I blew out a breath hoping to settle my
stomach as it swirled manically against the liquid that was now inside it.

“You wanna take a walk instead?” Bulk asked and I nodded.

“Yeah.” I replied, still fighting the urge to puke back
the sludge.

He stood and held out an elbow for me and I hooked my arm
through his as he chucked a twenty on the table and escorted me out.

I knew he was secretively giving me his support for my
damaged body and I silently thanked him for not mentioning it as he led me
across the road and into the park opposite.

He grinned like a Cheshire cat as soon as he spotted the
ice-cream van and pulled me over to it.

We settled on a bench, both of us engrossed in childhood
memories as we licked and scooped at our cones and I smirked at Bulk when he
seemed to have more ice-cream in his piercings than in his mouth.

“So, how long have you known Boss?” he asked eventually.

I eyed him warily, wondering where his line of
questioning was going.

He held up a hand and shook his head “Don’t panic, Jen.
I’m not gonna ask about your boyfriend.”

“My husband.” I rectified on a whisper.

He turned to stare at me with wide eyes and a deep sigh
rattled though him, “Right. Boss doesn’t know this. Do I tell him?”

I shrugged. “He told you what happened?” I asked
hesitantly as I turned to watch some small children play on the swings, their loud
giggles bringing a smile forward.

“Nope” he answered bluntly, “But it doesn’t take a genius
to work out the basics. After the way he fell apart in the tat shop and the way
he disappeared for three days after, came back blind drunk and shot to hell.”

I gazed at him as my heart clenched. “What?” I stuttered
out.

He smiled sadly and lifted his eyebrows. “Mmmm. He’s
spoke to E about you, I know that much. She had to drag him out of the pub and
made him talk, but they’re best friends and she won’t break his confidence. But
at the moment, I’m not worried about Boss, I’m worried about you, little lady.”

I frowned at him, not understanding his motives for being
so concerned. “Why?”

He pulled in a heavy breath and shrugged, “No fuckin’
idea sweetheart, just something about you.”

I fiddled with the scab on my lip as I wondered how to
voice my next words. “Bulk, uhh… I hope you don’t wanna… Well, you know.”

He frowned in confusion and shook his head, “What?”

“Well, you don’t wanna… sleep with me.”

His brows rose high and then he laughed. “Don’t worry
little lady, nothing like that, no. Just, I dunno, I kinda like you. And if
Boss feels the way about you like I know he does, then that makes you one of us”
he divulged as he pulled me in for a side hug.

I hissed through my teeth and stiffened as I closed my
eyes and tried to hide the pain but he reared back and narrowed his eyes.

I smiled hesitantly at him and picked up my bag. “I have
to go” I said suddenly.

He remained still on the bench, scrutinizing me before he
pulled something out of his pocket. “We’re giving a small private gig at The
Black Pod tomorrow night, here,” he said as he handed me two tickets “bring
Zoe, I know Romeo will be pleased.”

I stared at the tickets as I took them from him and
wondered how I could get away from Kyle for the night. I smiled at Bulk and
nodded, “Okay, thanks, I’ll see you then.”

“Promise?” he asked with a raise of a brow.

I nodded and smiled, “Yes, I promise.”

He stood and wrapped me carefully in his arms. “You need
to book in for some self-defence lessons, sweetheart.”

I lifted my eyes to his but nodded. There was no point
arguing, he knew and no matter how much I denied it, he would know.

“You won’t say anything to Ethan, will you?”

He gave me a pained looked before he sighed then nodded,
“Okay, but only if you start these lessons. I can recommend somebody if you
want?”

Could I do that? Stand up for myself?

“Okay, yes.”

His huge grin lit his face and he planted a huge wet kiss
on my cheek, “Good Girl. See you tomorrow night.”

I nodded and returned his huge smile before I turned and
walked away, and I knew his eyes were on my arse.

But, that’s men for ya’.