My cheeks warmed and my eyes teared up because I saw everything she saw. “I do love him, but we haven’t told each other yet. I guess I’m waiting for the right moment.”
Tina stared at me knowingly. “Like when she gets his mark.” She bobbed her, wiggling her eyebrows. Crazy woman. The sun cascading in from the window created a halo around her head, turning her sandy blonde hair nearly translucent. Her olive-green eyes were full of amusement.
I smiled at Tina. I’d told her I was waiting to declare my love for Storm until next month, but it wasn’t the whole truth.
“Getting a tattoo scares me. Needles terrify me. I want to be sure we’ll last.” I fidgeted with my nail as Sugar held my gaze.
“You’ve been hurt before, haven’t you?” The understanding in Sugar’s voice put a lump in my throat.
“Yes.” Dammit. I didn’t mean for the conversation to go in this direction. It wasn’t a pleasant one. I rarely spoke of Dane. But when asked point-blank, I couldn’t lie to these women.
“Tell me.” Sugar’s eyes remained locked on mine.
I inhaled a deep breath. I hadn’t told Storm what I’d been through with Dane. Not all of it. Something told me he wouldn’t be upset if I shared it with his aunt and Tina.
“My ex is Deputy Dane Miller.”
Sugar’s eyes bulged and her hand covered her mouth. “Oh, shit.”
My innards twisted into a knot the size of Lake Harriet. “Yeah. When Storm found out it wasn’t pretty.”
Sugar’s shocked expression softened. “I can imagine, but you’re still here.”
I bobbed my head in agreement. Storm could have kicked my ass to the curb. Especially after the way he found out. I would’ve been sad for sure. More than sad, heartbroken.
“I assure you, my devotion is to Storm. I would never betray him. I know what it feels like...” I inhaled a deep breath. “Dane used to slap me around and called me pathetic and incompetent for just about everything. I haven’t told Storm any of this. He knows about Dane cheating on me and probably has some idea about the verbal abuse but I haven’t told him Dane hit me.”
Sugar’s brows knitted together the way my mom did hers. “Why haven’t you?”
“I’m afraid of what Storm might do. It’s over. I got out. It’s not worth rehashing.” I’d put that part of my life behind me. The past needed to stay out of my present. My future with Kaleb was all that mattered to me.
Sugar patted my hand. “You’re a caring woman for trying to protect Storm. But honey, don’t get in his way of avenging you. Storm won’t cross the line, trust me.”
“But there’s more…” My voice trailed as I warred with whether to tell these ladies everything. I believed I could trust them, but I wasn’t a fool. Their loyalties would always be to Storm and the club, first and foremost.
“You can trust us, Angel.” Sugar squeezed my hand, eyes flicking toward Tina. “Us ol’ ladies need to have each other’s backs just as much as the men take care of their brothers.” Sugar
“Yeah, honey. I’ve been in your shoes with an abusive boyfriend. I got out too, but it cost me, my daughter. Raul and the club will take care of my ex when the time is right and get my daughter back. As you might imagine, Raul is out for blood. I’m not about to stand in his way.” This was the first time Tina opened up about her past. I had felt like we were similar on some level. It appeared it wasn’t my imagination. I wanted to know more about her, but now wasn’t the time.
The words flew out of my mouth. “Dane forced me to have sex when I didn’t want to. If I was sick or tired, he didn’t care. If I complained or told him no, he knocked me around. It wasn’t until the fourth time I had finally learned the pattern.”
Tina’s eyes teared up and I had the distinct feeling she experienced the same with her boyfriend.
“He forced you to have sex?” Sugar asked in a lethal voice.
My heart raced, fearing she’d tell Storm. “I let him get what he needed so he’d leave me alone.”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” Sugar covered her mouth with her hand.
“Oh, honey.” Tina blinked back tears. I saw it in her olive-green eyes; she knew my pain. She’d gone through the same.
I swallowed thick saliva, trying to control my own emotions. If Kaleb caught me crying, he’d freak out. But I couldn’t help feeling raw and exposed. Dane forced sex on me. So many of my wounds hadn’t healed. Tara and Steph didn’t even know. Nobody knew.
“Please don’t tell Storm. You know how he feels about sexual assault. He’ll go ballistic.” I turned to one, then the other as my stomach churned.
They nodded with worried expressions. I wasn’t sure if they’d keep this to themselves though. What if I’d just made a colossal mistake?
“Dane’s out of my life. Storm would never let him hurt me now. Nothing else matters.” And I meant every word. What Storm and I had was beautiful and passionate. He treated me like a queen. Whatever happened in the past, I wanted it to stay there.