Lifting up the display unit she saw all the glass was smashed. There was no way to mend anything. It was all smashed, shattered, and broken, like her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on your apartment.” He made to touch her display unit.
“No, you don’t need to do that,” she said, holding the unit in place. A piece of glass was sticking out, and she sliced her palm on the sharp piece. Crying out, she pulled her hand away to see her hand was cut open. Cursing, she cupped her palm and walked into the kitchen. There was glass inside the cut. The pain had no effect on her.
“Shit, are you okay?” he asked, coming up behind her.
He touched her back, and she tensed.
“I’m fine. Please, could you leave? I’ll clean up the mess, and I’m really sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.” What more could she say? Words were a real struggle for her.
“No, you’re coming back to the clubhouse with me. Sandy will look after you. Shit, I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Your men probably hate me. I’d rather clean this out myself.”
Killer turned her around to face him. “No, you’re not going to do this alone.” He pulled out a cell phone pressing the device against his ear. “Will you bring a car to Kelsey’s apartment? She’s hurt herself, and I need Sandy to have a look. Sure.”
“They’ll be here in a few minutes.” He grabbed her hand, going to have a look.
“Will you leave it alone? It’s fine. Just a cut.”
“I did this.” He stared down at her hand.
Pulling away from him, she went back to her work, picking up the debris of her life. “The woman you were with? Is she your old lady now? I don’t know what happens. Tate tries to keep club life away from the conversation.”
“No, she was just a woman, Kels. She meant nothing to me.”
Tears filled her eyes, but for so many years she’d learned to keep the tears at bay. “I rather wish she meant something to you. Your life would be a lot easier without me in it.”
“Fuck, don’t do this.”
She turned to look at him. “I’m not doing anything. I messed up, and you went and found solace in another woman. I’m sorry for hurting you. I hope you believe me. I didn’t give my marriage a thought, and hurting you was never my intention. I never thought I’d fall for a man.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, looking agitated. “For f**k’s sake. You’re married, Kels. I saw f**king red when he turned up. You didn’t deny it.”
“Of course I can’t deny it. It’s the f**king truth. I married Michael Granito. My family needed the money, and I did what I could to make them happy.” She cut off, staring past his shoulder and smiling. The smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“What did you want me to do?” he asked, taking a step closer.
Staring at him, Kelsey wondered what she wanted from him. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she turned to stare out of the window. “I didn’t want anything from you, Killer. I married when I was eighteen. I never once expected to meet a man who’d want me.” She turned back to face him. The tears were thick in her eyes making him blurry. “Don’t you get it? I’ve been a fat woman all my life. I’m fat and ugly. I’ve been told it enough, and you know what, I believe it. I believe every f**king word I’ve heard throughout my whole life.” The blood from her cut dripped onto her carpet. “Every man and woman I’ve passed has always found some way of putting me in my place.”
“Baby, stop this,” he said.
“No, it all makes perfect sense. I mean, why would any man go for me?” She pressed her palm against her chest. The red blood coated the front of her shirt. “I mean, look at me. I’m nothing.” Her tears fell down her cheeks, coating her shirt.
Killer walked toward her. She shook him away, but he wouldn’t let her go. He tugged her close, and Kelsey saw it useless to fight him. What was the point in fighting him?
I’m nothing.
Her mother’s cruel words would stay with her forever. Over the years she’d been dealt her fair share of hatred. It was time she listened. She may be a married woman, but there was no way she ever intended to be more to Michael than a convenience. Someone knocked on the door, and Killer escorted her out of her apartment.
She felt broken. What was the point of her even living? She had hurt the one man she really loved.
****
Zero stared at Sophia as she handed her daughter to Nash. The woman he’d been with last night had looked nothing like Sophia, and when he woke this morning, he regretted even being with the other woman.
He held a mug of coffee watching her gather up the mess from the party before.
Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? He hated Kate, her sister. The other woman had been a whore through and through while Sophia was different. Her curves were sinful, and with his room at the clubhouse being close to theirs, he’d heard her come apart in Nash’s arms.
She walked past him, giving him a smile. He sipped his mug as she put the bottles into the trashcan.
“How are you doing today?” she asked, tugging the bag out of the bin.
“I’m good.”
“We heard your little party last night. I hope you had fun.” Her smile was big and bright as she tugged the bag out of the trash bin.
“It was.” He lied so easily.
“I’m going to get rid of this.” She nodded to him and then left the bar. Taking his mug of coffee with him, he followed her outside.
Bad move. Turn around and go back.
Still, he followed her outside and watched as she opened the large bin. She was too small to open the bin. Sipping at his coffee, he opened the lid for her to throw the trash in.
“You’re a lifesaver. What would I do without you?” she asked.
“You’d be struggling to put the trash away.” He stood close to her, inhaling her sweet scent. Since her pregnancy she’d not lost any of her curves or the sweetness about her. Part of him hated the fact she hadn’t changed.
“That’s certainly true.” She took a step back, tripped over her feet and fell into his arms. Zero caught her to him, brushing his arm across her br**sts as he held her. “Great, now add clumsiness to my list of problems and faults.” She giggled, standing away from him.
The mere touch of her body against his own made his c**k thicken. He wanted a hell of a lot more than a simple touch. Zero wanted to f**k her. Most of his nights were spent imagining what it would feel like to slide his c**k inside her sweet, tight pu**y, and simply f**k her.