“I can help.”
“You ever cleared a yard before?”
“No, but I can follow instructions. I can help.” She tried not to think about all the orders he’d given her last night in the bedroom. That was a whole other set of instructions. She enjoyed doing them and would happily do them again. She hoped he didn’t see how much she looked forward to sharing his bed again.
“That I do know.”
There was a look in his eye that made her wonder if he was talking about the yard work or sex.
They finished cleaned up the kitchen before heading out into the yard. There was a chill in the air, and Ugly Beast gave her a jacket. It wasn’t his leather cut, but it smelled like him.
The yard was a mess. It hadn’t been mowed in some time, and she saw furniture was strewn around the lawn as well.
“I like to have parties from time to time. I need the furniture put in the shed. If the winds pick up like they say they’re going to, I don’t want them damaging shit. You want to mow the lawn or pick stuff up?”
“I can mow.” Some of the chairs looked particularly heavy.
He laughed. “Let’s get this party started.”
Ugly Beast pulled out the lawnmower and showed her how to use it. She struggled to keep it running and push it along the grass.
Every few minutes he had to come back to help her get it over a few rougher places. She finally did get the hang of it. Once the bucket for the trimmings was full, she had to go and empty them into the trash.
All the while she was making a disaster of the lawn, Ugly Beast was carrying stuff, securing the small pool he had, and putting away anything that could be a hazard. The shed he had was made of brick and looked really secure.
By the time she finished the lawn, it looked worse than when she started it.
“I’m useless,” she said, not to anyone.
She didn’t know Ugly Beast was standing right behind her. “You ever mowed a lawn before?”
“Never.”
“Then for your first time, it ain’t half bad.”
“I bet you can do a better job,” she said.
He chuckled. “A lot of college kids can do a better job, but that’s because they’re paid to do it on weekends to earn pocket money. Did your dad ever let you out of the house to do anything but shop?”
“No.”
“Then stop being so hard on yourself. You don’t need to be perfect about everything.” They finished cleaning up the yard, and he put the mower away. She stood inside the shed and saw an old bike that looked in need of repair.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Scrap metal. It’s a body, but it needs a lot of work.”
“You don’t work on cars?”
“I used to. Not anymore.”
“How come?”
“Don’t have a use for them.”
“I can’t drive,” she said, blurting it out.
“You can’t?”
“We always had a driver. I was never allowed to learn.”
“You ever cooked for yourself?”
“No.”
“Cleaned?”
“Like a house or my bedroom?” He nodded. “No, I haven’t. We had … cleaners for them. I’m useless to you. That’s why I was given to you, right? You don’t need a trophy, and they couldn’t use me elsewhere so they gave me to you.”
Ugly Beast didn’t say anything. He didn’t dispute her claim of being useless or tell her otherwise.
She couldn’t help but wonder why they had given her to this man. After spending such a short time with Raven, she knew she didn’t fit in. She didn’t belong here. Raven was so self-sufficient. Her place was in the club. She was equal to them, part of who they were, whereas she had no place. She couldn’t even make a simple cup of coffee.
Without looking at him, she turned on her heel and walked back into the house. She didn’t get it. Unless she’d been sent as a sacrifice, a means to an end. The chance for the outfit to go to war with the MC, but again, that made no sense.
She didn’t have a clue what was going on.
“You don’t have to be upset,” Ugly Beast said, following her inside.
“I’ve been married to you less than a week, and from the first day I knew I didn’t belong. I’m not … trained to be with you. I’m supposed to be a good woman. Someone who doesn’t cause a man any trouble. That gives babies and orders cleaners and maids.” She sniffled. “You don’t have maids. You don’t want someone at home making babies for you. I don’t fit.” And the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced her father had sent her here to die, to be killed. She wiped at the tears that filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She was so upset and angry.