Darkness fell, and I realised hours had passed. Lost in my thoughts I’d not paid attention to time and now night was here, and yet again I’d put myself in a dangerous position. No idiot stayed at the park until late at night and yet I’d done just that. In trying to reconcile that the video and pictures may follow me for the rest of my life, I’d dived deep into the well of despair. Wallowing for hours in a pit of darkness, I was only now climbing out and putting misery behind me.
My ass had gone numb from sitting on the hard ground, and I had pins and needles in my legs. Vigorously rubbing them down I rose to a crouch and gingerly peered out into the darkness searching for anyone who may be a threat. Not seeing anyone I crept out and kept close to the trees, where I could duck into the treeline if I saw someone suspicious. Cautiously, I made it to the exit without challenge and staying in the shadows began walking.
I was aimless, nowhere in mind to go, and I wasn’t sure Chance would want me back on Hellfire. His old lady was being touted as a porn star, tarnishing Hellfire’s reputation and marking Chance in people’s eyes. Chance couldn’t claim me now, I was too damaged even for Hellfire to accept. Tears leaked out of the corner of my eyes, and I paid no attention as I stepped into the road to cross the street, and a hammer slammed into me. In a split second, I dimly recognised car lights inches away, and then I hit the ground hard. The ground made an ‘oof’ sound, and I peered into a pair of glittering green eyes.
“Let me go,” I whispered my words holding so much meaning.
“Never,” Chance hissed back and claimed my mouth in a bruising kiss. This differed from other kisses, this was claiming, Chance was making no bones and made sure I understood his position.
“Chance…” I whispered brokenly when the kiss ended.
“Mine, you hear me, mine,” Chance seethed as I scrambled to my feet and he got to his. His hand shot out and dragged me hard against him. “You can’t take you away from me Clio, claimed you, that meant something, means the shit you go through, you don’t suffer alone. I walk with you and make fuckin’ certain you come out the other side a winner and safe. Whatever shit you got in your head get the fuck rid of, I’ll sack every fucker in the garage if that what it takes.” Chance ground his mouth against mine again, and I capitulated against his demands. I was nothing without him, I needed Chance, his strength and his freaking ridiculous stubbornness.
“Yours,” I gasped when Chance ended the kiss.
“Don’t you ever fuckin’ run again, Hellfire’s been out searching since you left the forecourt. Never Clio, you never fuckin’ run from me again, don’t care how scared or ashamed you are, you don’t fuckin’ run.” Chance’s words hit me like bullets, and I realised that Chance had been worried, worried and scared. In my selfishness I’d not let Chance know I was safe, and it had eaten at him. I’d the right to take time for myself, yes, but I should have texted Chance to make him aware I was safe.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered into his tee, “I didn’t think, I just needed to get out of there.”
“Can understand that Goddess, but fuck, never run from me again, not knowing where you were…” Chance broke off and squeezed me tightly. That squeeze told me everything I needed to know. I felt awful, so much drama had hit Hellfire since the day Chance first talked to me, I blamed myself even though the logical part knew it wasn’t my fault. But the drama centred around me, I had to face facts that running away wouldn’t change anything. Except worry the exceptionally great people who cared about me and put themselves on the line for me.
“I’ll man up,” I muttered, and I felt Chance chuckle.
“Goddess don’t need you manning up, just need you to trust me and lean on me when shit gets bad. That shithead the other day and those assholes today won’t be the last, but next time you turn to me or one of the brothers. None of them will turn you away,” Chance chided and curling into Chance’s body, I tightened my arms around him.
“I promise I will,” I replied, and Chance gave me a far gentler kiss. I felt Chance’s love this time, and I let my love flow in return.
Chapter Seven.
Two weeks passed fast as Chance, and I settled into a routine. Every morning we woke up together and Chance insisted on cooking breakfast, I’d sit on a stool as we chatted about our plans for the day. Together we rode into Hellfire on his bike and Chance went to work and Leslie and I would get on with the plans for the tearoom.
We’d spoken to Zoey, Tania, Kris and Carla and they’d agreed to come on board. And we’d offered Kris a manager position, which the man snatched up. We’d been impressed with Kris, he was a quiet, dignified man not much older than me. Kris had settled well into Benny’s and went above and beyond much like Leslie, and we both liked him. Even better, the other waitresses liked and respected Kris.
In discussing the tearoom, the three girls had divided their shifts between them. Carla asked for Sunday and Monday off and to work early shifts. Zoey took Tuesday and Wednesday off and asked for middle shifts, and to our surprise, Tania asked for the late shifts and Sunday and Monday off. Kris had agreed to cover the late nights as a manager, which meant he had Monday and Tuesday off too, so everyone was happy.
Diesel was making headway on the tearoom; he’d ripped everything out in a two-day demolition and had rewired and re-plumbed everything. The team had redone the walls with fresh plaster and was painting them after letting them dry out for a week. We’d changed our colours to cream and green after the blue was out of stock and found several murals that Levi had agreed to paint. Accompanied by a brother, Leslie and I had been around flea markets hunting out knick-knacks we planned to put on shelves three-quarters of the way up the walls.
Tables and chairs had been ordered and the other equipment needed which had taken up three days as Leslie, and I wanted everything just right. To my amusement, after a few days, Leslie had stopped avoiding Staffey and now spent time balefully glaring at him whenever Staffey caught her eye. But Leslie began to mellow which in my mind was a bonus. I didn’t want strife between two of the most influential people in my life, and I was secretly rooting for Staffey to win Leslie over.
Chance received updates from Artemis and Lio and several arrests had been made from those who had bid on me. Artemis was diligently tracking those depraved perverts back, and there had been a shock when two council members had been arrested. The high-profile arrests alongside a well-known local entrepreneur had hit the newspapers and reporters had been trying to track down the victim, aka me. The police had kept my name from publicity for now, but I wondered how long that could last.
Artemis’s guy, Nigel and Dylan Hawthorne’s girl, Leila had stopped the video of the attack going further. To my horror, it had been downloaded loads, in the three weeks since my attack, it had over twenty thousand hits. Leila and Nigel had attached a virus within the first week and whoever downloaded it, had their IP sent to Nigel’s office, and then their computer or laptop crashed.
A lot of minor arrests had been made, but Artemis still had her people working hard tracking down those who had watched my violation. To expect everyone to be charged was unachievable, but as Nigel stated, the virus crashed their systems and if networked it also crashed those connected to it. Justifiably Nigel had attached a message along with the virus declaring the user watched porn and paid to watch an innocent victim be violated. Three of the arrests had come from someone in charge of an office finding the message and contacting the police.
Although Slimy Sam remained at large, I was safe on Hellfire and revelled in getting to know Tati and finding my footing. Chance had fired six mechanics and hired six more to replace them. Tati and I spent hours together when Leslie went home or had a job to do, and I grew fond of her. Tati was ready to laugh and have fun but also had a serious and caring side.
Silvie and Phoe had been right, Tati knew the brothers well. And despite my joke two weeks ago about teaching me, Tati offered small bytes of information at a time. I learnt that for many brothers, a woman being hurt was a massive trigger for them. I discovered that Diesel loved custard doughnuts while Shee loved chocolate ones. It was the little things that would help me bond with Hellfire who’d become family. And Chance reassured me, they’d form part of my family.
Chance and I usually left the clubhouse around five or six at night, where we spent the night making dinner and relaxing. Despite my trying to push Chance to consummate our relationship, the man had extraordinary restraint. We’d done many things but not consummated out relationship. All Chance said was ‘dating’, so frustrating!
But for all Chance claimed he didn’t know how to date, he certainly put in the effort. We’d gone for several meals, twice in Rapid City to a restaurant called Bernard’s, a highly exclusive restaurant with a sterling reputation. Chance bought me a rose gold bracelet followed by a matching necklace a few days later and then earrings a few days after that. Chance had even taken me on a ride into the Black Hills and surprised me with a picnic. Little things, my favourite coffee, lavender perfume, my favourite toffee’s, Chance bought me them all, and each little thing made me ecstatic. Chance had won my heart time and time again.
Today, however, I’d a plan and one I hoped Chance would be on board with. Tati had I had snuck off to a very risqué lingerie shop, and I’d picked the sexiest underwear I could find. An emerald green matching bra and panty set in the softest silk with little bits of lace just hiding my lady bits. Tati had tried to get me to buy leather, but the thought of sweating down there made me blanch.
Chance had brought us home, and I’d smuggled the bag into the cabin under my jacket and promptly disappeared to our bedroom. I hid the bag under the high bed until after dinner when I told Chance I needed a bath. Chance gave me a nod, lost in paperwork, and I snuck upstairs and relaxed for a while in the bath. I shaved the relevant parts of my body and applied a moisturiser before pulling the underwear out of the bag.
Studying the lingerie, I had a moment of self-doubt, would Chance honestly appreciate this? Maybe I was pushing Chance too hard, and I should let him take this at his own pace. No, my lady parts tingled as I thought of where Chance’s mouth had been last night, and I straightened my shoulders. If I was to get Chance’s amazing cock anywhere near where it should be, then to hell with it, I was going to do my best to seduce Chance.