Taking Whatever He Wants: The Cline Brothers of Colorado (5 page)

It had been almost three weeks since I did anything other than work and go home. I hadn’t visited my parents or my brother. After I joined my family for the family lunch, I had a talk with my father. He told me that I could have misinterpreted the text. Believing he may have been right, I rode back over there. Just as I was about to hop off my bike I saw her run into Brett’s arms. He twirled her around and kissed her cheek. I sped away and refused to go back to the bar.

She and Brett were a thing, and here I was fucking her in his place. At least she had the decency not let me fuck her on his bed.

“Hey, boss man,” Jack called out, knocking on my office door.

“What’s up, Jack?”

“That’s the question I have for you,” he said, pulling the chair out and sitting down in front of my desk.

“What do you mean?” I asked. My mood was visible to all those that cared, but I missed her and I couldn’t help but hate her and myself for it.

“You haven’t been the same for a while now.”

“I’m good.” I was going to play it off for as long as I could.

“So you’re going to go to the bar tonight?” I knew it was coming. It was Friday and our usual game night.

“No.” I just couldn’t manage to stomach seeing her or Brent. He would have his hands on her, kissing and holding her. I wanted to vomit at the thought. I turned into a pussy.

“See, something is up. What happened between you and Sonya that night?”

“Nothing at all,” I lied, convincingly.

“Good because there’s a party at the bar tonight. Brent got married three weeks ago. They are having an impromptu wedding reception.” Fuck me. They got married. I couldn’t believe it.

“Jack, please just leave me alone,” I ordered him, but the fucker didn’t move.

“Have you met her yet?” he asked.

“Of course I’ve met her; you know that,” I yelled at him. How could he be so annoying?

“He didn’t marry Sonya—at all.” I almost fell out of my chair. That was the best news I’ve heard in a long time.

“They aren’t married?” I asked disbelievingly.

“No, he met some chick on vacation, and they, well, they are all over each other.” Then I was pissed. I thought maybe she thought about what happened between us then ended whatever the relationship was, but nope. He was fucking around with some broad on vacation.

“But what happened to Sonya?” I asked.

“All I know is that she left town when Brent returned with his wife.” She wasn’t here? I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I had to find out where she was. When I thought our relationship was hopeless and tainted, I just sulked. Now that I knew she was going to be mine, she was gone. I had to find her and get her back.

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. Brent didn’t say, but he gave me a hard time about her and asked if I did anything to upset her. He didn’t seem happy at all. It was like he thought she’d been hurt when she left.” 

“What did you say?” I doubt he mentioned me because Brent would have been looking to question me. That would have been a big fight.

“That we only talked while she was working. Nothing more and that she was a nice girl. Why did something happen and you don’t want to say it?”

“I can’t right now. I need to go to the bar and talk to Brent.”

“If you’re going to confess something to him about you and Sonya, tonight wouldn’t be the brightest time to do it. He’s celebrating. Wait until the night is over. Or just call him in the morning.”

“Why, if they weren’t a thing, what does it matter?”

“Because they are cousins and he’s super protective of her.” Cousins? What the hell? I thought about the text message. I swear it was ingrained into my brain. My father was right.

“Fuck! Son of a bitch! I’ve got to go. I have to find her and make shit right between us.”

Any way I sliced it, she was mine. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. I didn’t have a clue where to look for her, but I would find her. Leaving Jack still in the chair, I was out of mine and through the door like a bat out of hell. When I got to the bar on my motorcycle, the place was packed. I barely had room for my ride. The bar was crowded, but I spotted Brent as soon as I walked in. He was standing by the pool table with a short little thing with long blonde hair. That must be the woman.

“Hey there, stranger. It’s been a while since you stopped by,” Susie said. “We’ve missed your handsome face.”

“Not now. I have to talk to Brent.” I marched over to the man of the hour barging through the masses.

“Brent, I need to have a word with you,” I huffed out.

“Sure thing, Shane. Is this about the car? Jack said the bill was squared away. But if he was wrong, I’ll gladly take care of it.”

“Where is she?” I hissed. Immediately his face changed. He laid the pool cue down and looked down at his woman. “Excuse me, baby.” Then he looked at me. “Upstairs now.”

The second we got into his apartment, he decked me in my jaw. I didn’t see it coming, but I knew I earned it.

“What the fuck, Shane? What the fuck did you do to her?” He turned and ran his hand over his face. “Fuck, well I know what you did with her. I have the fucking evidence on her sheets. You son of a bitch.”

“I didn’t know she was your cousin,” I reasoned. That was apparently the wrong response.

He stood straight, his back ridged then he quirked his brow. “Wait. So you think that’s an explanation for fucking her and running?

“No. It’s not what I meant.” I tried to explain, but he cut me off.

“Let me try to understand this. You stole my cousin’s virginity, then ran out on her, telling someone in front of her how lousy it was for you and you regretted it?”

“She told you?” I asked with surprise. I didn’t think that was something she’d be willing to share, unless she wanted him to come after me.

“No, she told my wife, who told me. I knew you were a prick, but I didn’t think you were that big of a bastard,” he said, leaning against the back of his sofa.

“Damn, I never heard you curse so much.” He must hate me almost as much as I hated myself right at the moment. “Now where is she?”

“What makes you think I’d tell you?” He was incredulous.

“Because I’m going to find her, apologize forever, and then I’m going to marry her.”

“Hold up. Why would you do that? You cut and ran knowing she gave you something special.”

“I saw your text message to her that morning. It was something a guy who wants a girl sends. She’s been staying in your place and you don’t let any woman up here. I had no idea she was your cousin, and she never corrected my assumption the first time we met.”

“So, you believed we were together, but you still fucked her anyway?”

“No. When I saw the message, I thought she lied to me about you two being a couple.”

“You had to have known she was a virgin.”

“I did, but I assumed I beat you to it and that’s why you were mad.”

“You’re a fucking nut. I don’t think I need another nut in my family. We’ve got too many as it is.”

“Please, Brent. I need to make this right. I swear to God, I wanted to marry her that night before we had sex. I was fucking crushed when I believed it was a lie.” I told him about my promise to Will and that made it harder for me to swallow when I thought she played me.

“Where is she?” I asked, pleadingly. Finding her became a must from the moment I knew she wasn’t with him. I fucking ruined what we had by handling a text the wrong way. I should have stayed there and grilled her. I sat down on his recliner tucking my head in my hands before rubbing them against my face and tossing my head back. “Please tell me where she’s at.”

“Damn, I want to tell you because you look pathetic as fuck, but I can’t until I talk to her. There’s no way I’d lead you to her if there’s any chance she doesn’t want you in her life. After what you did, I don’t know if she’ll be that forgiving.”

“I get that, but I promise that I won’t let that shit happen again. Call her right now.”

He pulled out his cell and called her number. It rang for three rings before a guy picked up the line. I wanted to fucking break the fucking phone and his face, but then I remember what jumping to the wrong conclusions before got me.

“Who is this?”

“Sir, it’s three in the morning and Ms. McCartney is asleep and so is the rest of the house. Please call back in the morning.”

“This is Brent McCartney. Tell her to call me in the morning.”

“I will, sir. By the way, I’m Reynolds, the butler for Mr. and Mrs. Ingles.” I breathed a sigh of relief. The butler ended the call. Brent and I looked at each other.

“So who are the Ingles?” I asked him.

“Sonya’s mother and stepfather,” Brent answered.

“Oh, so where do they live?”

“In New York, but like I said, I’d have to talk to her first.”

“Come on, Brent. She means everything to me. I swear on everything I own and on my mother.”

That was when he cracked. “If you hurt her again, I will bury you.”

“I won’t.” He gave me everything I needed to find her. I had the address, her phone number, and her email. The first thing I did was send her an email.

Sonya,

I don’t know where to start, but I want to say I’m so damn sorry. Sorry doesn’t even begin to describe how wrong I feel about what happened. I jumped to the wrong conclusions and it cost me a lifetime of happiness. Please tell me there’s some way I can make this right. I miss you so much it hurts every second of every day. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get you back and never let you go. Be warned, my sweet Sonya, I take whatever I want and that’s your heart.

I love you,

Shane

I couldn’t just leave to get her, so I had to plan it out. Jack was going to hold down the fort along with some office help he was hiring. All day I checked for a reply. It took until the end of the day before she responded.

Shane,

I don’t know how you could fix what you broke. I gave you all of me that night. I didn’t expect your love, but I didn’t even get your respect. I don’t know if I can deal with this right now. Please give me time.

Sonya

I wanted to reply right back. The fact that she didn’t miss me enough to just forgive me scared the fuck out of me, but Brent and Jack talked some sense into me. Brent talked to Sonya about me and he had no doubt that she still cared for me. He and Alana told me to give her space. Every day I was growing more and more antsy. Tomorrow, I was flying to New York whether she wanted me there or not. We had to work it out.

Sonya,

I gave you time. It’s been almost four weeks since I’ve seen your beautiful face. I love you and I know that you wouldn’t have given me your virginity if I didn’t mean something to you. Over the past three days of letting you stew, I’ve realized something. You wouldn’t be still mad at me if there wasn’t more between us. I just need you to listen to me and understand that I can’t apologize enough.

Love you always,

Shane

I stared at his messages. Every time I read them, I was close to caving. He didn’t explain anything really, but according to Brent, Shane never meant to hurt me. Coming from Brent, I knew it was true, but how could I let my heart open up for him when I worried that he would destroy me again. He called me daily for a week. I never once picked up the phone.

Truthfully, I didn’t care anymore if he could hurt me. I missed him to the core. The ache in my chest had grown every day without him. When the first email came, I wanted to beg him to come get me, but I didn’t. There was no way I was going to be my mother. I didn’t need a man to define who I was, but I did need Shane to make me whole.

This time when he called, I answered. “Hello,” I said softly.

“Sonya,” he breathed happily into the phone. “Thank you for answering.”

“Shane, I miss you.” The doorbell rang and I walked to get it. Reynolds was driving my stepfather around today. I opened the door and there in front of me was Shane, looking tall, handsome, rugged, and thinner.

“I missed you, too.” Before I could respond, he picked me up off my feet and planted his lips on mine. “I owe you apologies and an explanation, but I needed to kiss you. Fuck, Sonya. I’ve missed you.”

He carried me into the house and closed the door behind us. Then after kissing me once more, he set me down on my feet. Shane tilted my chin to look into my eyes. “We need to talk,” he said in that voice that made my heart sigh. I simply nodded. My emotions were too chaotic to do anything else.

"Is there somewhere where we can talk privately?"

"Yes."

I grabbed his hand and led him up to the room that was mine. He stopped, putting his hand on the frame. "Sweetheart, I don't think this is the best place to talk," he said gulping down air.

"This will have to do. Come and sit down." I had to be stern with him because as much as I was angry and hurt, I knew that he cared and that was my weakness. Brent told me what Shane had told him, but I needed him to show me he was sorry.

He pulled me down to sit by him. Grabbing my hands into one of his large ones, he used the other to tilt my chin. “There’s so much to say and I’m grateful that you’re willing to listen. First, at the time I meant what I said on the phone that day. It was how I felt. I believed that you and Brent were more than just friends. There was an intimacy that was stronger than what you said. Since I knew Brent didn't get along with his family, I brushed off that you'd be related. See, he never mentioned you or maybe I never really listened. It doesn't matter why. I shouldn't have left and I sure as hell shouldn't have said that shit.”

As mad as I had been, I wasn’t anymore. The hurt faded the moment Brent told me what happened.

“The thing is…well. It’s complicated. My brother suffered an injury that hopefully only temporarily made him limp. If you know what I mean,” he said looking for understanding. I gave him a nod. I was feeling more and more guilty for knowing the truth and not saying anything. “As his twin and friend, I made him a promise to abstain. It had been easy until you walked down those stairs. Then, no promises to my best friend could stop the need I had for you. You were everything and I acted like an ass. Can you ever forgive me?”

I nodded because I didn’t have the words. He didn’t need to finish. The look in his eyes and the pained expression was everything I needed to forgive.

“You can forgive me?” He looked like he couldn’t fathom me ever letting him back in.

I knew he was sincere, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t scared. “Yes, Shane. But please don’t ever hurt me again.”

“Never baby. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you again.” This time he cupped my cheek with his strong hands and tenderly pulled my face to his, kissing my lips gently.