Ghost (Satan’s Fury MC: Little Rock #3)

10. Whitney

Whitney

' You can trust me, Whitney. I’d never hurt you.’

His words lingered in the air like an early morning chill. I kept playing them over and over in my mind. I wanted to believe them. Oh, how I wanted to believe them, especially after that unbelievable kiss.

Every single nerve in my body came alive as I watched him slowly lower his mouth to mine. The man who’d done everything in his power to keep me at arm’s length gave in and kissed me long and hard. I’d never felt anything so incredible.

I lifted my hand up to his face, inching my body closer to him as his tongue delved deeper into my mouth. The bristles of his beard were rough against my palm, but his lips were soft and warm, luring me in for more. He threaded his fingers through my hair and tugged me closer, and my heart started to race so fast I thought it would beat right out of my chest.

His hand drifted to the nape of my neck, then snaked down to the small of my back. He felt so good, smelled so good, and it was all I could do to keep from completely losing myself in him. It was all too much, too fast, so I broke our embrace. I immediately missed his touch and wished beyond measure that he would kiss me again.

Instead, he promised me I could always trust him, and he was willing to prove it to me.

“I do trust you,” I had reassured him, although I wasn’t quite sure, I knew I felt completely safe around him, and he aroused feelings in me I hadn’t felt in quite some time. But after what I had been through with Dylan, I wasn’t sure I could entirely put my faith into someone so soon.

He gently raked his knuckles against my cheek and smiled as he leaned in for another kiss. He leaned back and was still holding my gaze when Kay came back into the family room and announced, “The goods are on the way! Now, we just need to get you prepped. I have everything set up in my room when you’re ready.” She abruptly stopped walking when she saw the two of us.

“Oh, umm.” I wasn’t sure how to respond. I was still in a whirlwind over that insane kiss, so I muttered, “Okay.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Ghost answered, then turned his attention back to me. “Get your hair done. It’ll do you good, and I’ll see you when you’re done.”

I nodded, then turned to Kay and said, “I’m ready when you are.”

“Great! Let’s get to it.”

Kay gave me a warm smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back. It meant the world to me that she was so excited to fix my hair. When we reached her room, she opened the door and motioned for me to come inside. It was small, like mine and Toby’s, but her desk had been transformed into a hair and makeup station like you’d find in a salon.

“Come over and have a seat.”

She patted the chair in front of the vanity and waited for me to sit down.

As soon as I was settled, I glanced up at the mirror and grimaced at my reflection. The bruises were gone, and all the scratches had healed. I was basically back to my old self—except for my jet-black hair. It looked so stark against my pale skin and made me look like the girl from the Ring movie. Not only that, but it was a mess, tangled and lifeless.

Kay ran her fingers through it gently, inspecting the damage. "So, just the color, or do you want a trim, too?”

“Oh, it could definitely use a good cut,” I laughed nervously. "It’s been ages since I’ve done anything to it.”

“Alrighty. We’ll get you fixed up.”

She quickly emptied the bags full of products that Zeke had bought, then whipped out her comb and scissors and got straight to work. She cut off a few inches and added some layers before starting on the color. The entire time she was working, she was talking. I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept drifting to Ghost and the kiss we’d shared. It was so unexpected, and it scared me a little—mainly because I liked it so much.

I’d made such a mess of things when I brought Dylan into our lives. I thought he was such a good guy, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. I would never forgive myself if I made a mistake like that again, especially when Toby was finally starting to come out of his shell again.

Ghost had never given me any reason to think he wasn’t a good man—just the opposite. He’d watched over us and protected us, making sure we had everything we needed. And he was always there when I needed him, even in the middle of the night when I was having an awful nightmare. That was enough to have me wondering if I’d found my knight in shining armor, but I knew better than that.

Ghost was a member of Satan’s Fury. I’d heard stories about MCs like his. They lived in a world filled with secrets and danger that would have most people running for the hills, but I’d seen another side to them. These men were loyal to a fault and would give everything they had to keep their families safe.

I was mulling everything over in my head when Kay asked, “Are you ready to see your new do?”

“Absolutely.” She turned me around so I could see myself in the mirror, and I was absolutely stunned. “Oh, Kay! It looks so good!”

“You like it?”

“Are you kidding? I love it!”

“Oh, I’m so glad.” Kay ran her fingers through it one last time. “It really does look great. I’m so pleased it turned out so well.”

“Me too!” Unable to control myself, I got up from my chair and wrapped my arms around Kay, hugging her tightly. “Thank you so much for this. It really means a lot to me.”

“I’m so glad I could do it.” She gave me a quick squeeze. “You better get ready. You’re gonna be turning heads with this new do.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“It’s true.” She stepped back and gave me a warm smile. “You’re a beautiful girl, and I can assure you that the boys have taken notice. You better get ready, but it won’t be long before one of them will stake their claim.”

I must’ve given her a look, because her eyes widened, and a big smile crossed her face. “Unless one of them already has.”

“What?”

“I thought I might’ve interrupted a moment between you and Ghost earlier,”

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed. “Not with the baggage I’m toting.”

Before she could press, I started picking up some of the empty bottles, quickly tossing them in the trash. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to do that. I’ll get it.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No, no, I’ll do it. I have lots of cleaning to do, and while I’m at it, I might rearrange a few things in here.” She glanced around, then rolled her eyes. “It’s the only way I’ll survive being back here.”

“I’m really sorry that you had to leave your sister’s. I’m even more sorry about your house. I can only imagine how hard all this must be on you.”

“Yeah, but I’m still here, and I’m still breathing. That’s gotta count for something.”

“It’s a lot, actually.”

“Yeah, I know it is.” Kay sat down on the edge of her bed with a defeated sigh. “I know I don’t always sound like it... actually, I rarely sound like it, but I really do appreciate what Memphis and the boys have done for me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

“I know you do. They do, too.”

“I don’t know. I don’t make it very easy on them, but it’s just so hard.” She brought her hand up and covered her eyes, sighing again—even more dramatically than the last. “Preacher has become the bane of my existence. It’s like the man is trying to drive me crazy.”

“He’s Memphis’s father, right?”

“He is.”

“So, there’s history there with you two?”

“Oh, there was a time when I loved that man more than life.” A longing look filled her eyes as she continued, “I met him while I was on a work convention. It was one of those deals where you spend the day looking at all the new hair products. It was a total bore, so the girls and I decided to go out on the town. We stopped at a bar closest to the hotel, and that’s where we met.”

She leaned her head back and smiled. “Oh, girl! He was the best-looking thing! He was wearing that black leather jacket, and his hair was dark with this sexy little curl at the back. It was like he’d stepped right out of some bad-boy magazine, and I was all about it. It just took one drink and that sexy smile, and I was swept off my feet.”

“Sounds like you two had quite the romance.”

“Oh, we definitely did. It was one of the best years of my life. I really thought we’d be together forever, and then I got pregnant, and everything changed.”

“How so?”

“We realized that we wanted different things, and when it came down to it, the club and the life he had here meant more to him than the life he had with me and our son. So, he stayed here in Little Rock, and Weston and I moved back to Memphis.”

Her response took me by surprise. I’d just assumed that Memphis had grown up here with the brothers, especially since he and Preacher were so close. It also seemed strange that Preacher would’ve chosen to stay here instead of being with his family. I was trying to piece it all together when Kay said, “That wasn’t fair. It wasn’t all on him. If anything, it was more on me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I knew how he loved the club and his brothers, and they’d just named him president. It was unfair to ask him to walk away from the thing he loved most, especially when I’d known all along how committed he was to them.” Anguish marked her face as she said, “I just thought he might love me more.”

“That must’ve been tough.”

“It was, and I made everything so much worse by becoming angry and bitter. I used Weston against him, and...” She dropped her head into her hands and groaned. “It was awful. I was awful! I hurt him, and I hurt myself. And worst of all, I hurt Wes.”

“Have you tried talking to him about any of this?”

“No.” She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Not because I don’t want to. I just don’t know what to say to him. I’ve been so awful, but that hasn’t stopped him from being him. He’s still doing everything he can to keep me safe, and I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of it. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve wanted to get out of here so bad—that and the fact that it’s so hard to see him with those club girls.”

I’d been there for weeks, and I’d never seen Preacher even look at Bridget or any of the other club girls. That didn’t mean it hadn’t happened, but there was a good chance it was all in Kay’s head. “You should talk to him.”

“You really think so?”

“Absolutely. I think you owe it to him and to yourself.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay.” I stood and started for the door. “Thanks again for the hair.”

“Thank you for the talk.”

“Any time.”

Kay was still sitting on the edge of the bed as I walked out of the room and headed to find Toby. I had a feeling she would be there for a while, thinking over everything we’d talked about. I really hoped that she would take a chance and talk to Preacher. It might be the very thing that brings them back together—or it could tear them apart completely. Either way, they’d both get some closure on a past that had clearly hurt them both.

When I got to the family room, Toby and Garrison were piled up on the sofa, playing one of their favorite video games. We still had an hour or so before dinner, so I left them to it and went over to one of the empty couches in the back. I’d just pulled out my book and had started reading when I heard the familiar thud of heavy boots coming in my direction. I looked up and smiled when I saw that it was Ghost. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“The hair looks really nice. It suits you.”

“Thanks. I think so, too.”

He studied me for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa. I couldn’t help but notice the little thought wrinkle he was sporting on the bridge of his nose. Something was clearly on his mind, and if that scowl was any indication, it wasn’t good. “Is something wrong?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced like he was trying to find the right words. “What’s your plan?”

“Plan for what?”

“The future.”

“I don’t know.” I had no idea where this was leading, so I asked, “How far into the future are we talking? Tomorrow? Next week? A year from now?”

“Plans for when you leave here.”

“Oh...” That was not where I thought he was going—not because I didn’t know it was coming. I knew the time would come when they all got tired of Toby and me being there, but I’d hoped we would have a little longer to prepare. My stomach tightened as I thought it over. "Well, I’ll have to find a place to live and a job and a place for Toby to go to school.”

Ghost’s gaze stayed steady on me, and I could feel him weighing my words. I swallowed and kept going. “I worked at a coffee shop. Maybe I could do something like that again or maybe retail. I don’t have a lot of experience there, but I’m a quick learner.”

Ghost nodded, but there was something about the way he was watching me that made me feel like he had more to say. Like there was a reason he was asking. “I know you didn’t just ask that out of the blue, so what’s going on?”

“There’s been a bit of a situation.”

“What kind of situation?”

“Toby was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he saw things he shouldn’t have seen.” Ghost grimaced as he added, “And I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the first time.”

“What did he see?”

“He was on the girls’ hall, if that tells you anything.”

“Oh, no,” I gasped. “He didn’t mention anything to me.”

“I didn’t figure he would. Kids will be kids and all that, but it wasn’t his fault. The clubhouse isn’t exactly the best place for a kid his age.”

“No, but what are we supposed to do?”

“I was thinking that you and the kid should move in with me.” He said it so matter of factly, like he’d already thought it all out. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. You could do all those things you were wanting to do, and it gets Toby in a better situation.”

I was stunned—head-spinning kind of stunned, so I said the first thing that came to mind. “But I thought you lived here.”

“I have a room here, but I don’t actually live here.”

“But you’re here all the time.”

“I’m here because I’ve had reason to be.”

I thought back over the past couple of months, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why he’d been here so much. “So, you can watch over me and Toby.”

“Partly, but I would’ve been here anyway.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re here.” He gave me a half-shrug. “Look, I’m not talking about shacking up, at least not yet . For now, nothing much will change. You’ll have your room, and Toby will have his. And we will carry on like we do here. It’ll give you both a chance to get out of the clubhouse and have more of a stable situation.”

“Stable, huh?”

“Well, yeah. You can start thinking about doing all those things you were wanting to do... You can get that job at a coffee shop or wherever, and Toby can start back in school. And I can keep an eye on you while you do it.”

“And there’s no ulterior motives?”

“I didn’t say that,” he chuckled. “But you gotta admit, it’s a win-win.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say here.” My stomach was turning somersaults as I told him, “I’ve made some not-so-great decisions that Toby and I are still paying for. I really don’t want to make another.”

“I’m not asking you to wear my name on your back or put my ring on your finger. I’m asking you to let me keep you and Toby safe. That’s it.” He turned where he was directly facing me before adding, “I’m not gonna lie. There’s something here with you and me, and I want a chance to figure out what it is. I can’t do that if you’re a hundred miles away.”

“And what if this thing between us turns out to be nothing.”

“It won’t.”

“Okay, what if it all goes south.”

“It won’t,” he answered confidently. “But if, by some off-the-wall chance, something did happen, then we would find you a different place to live, and life goes on. You still have a chance to get back on your feet.”

“You make it sound simple.”

“It’s only hard if you make it hard.”

“Okay. We’ll give it a try, but I’m not making any promises. This idea of yours could be a huge mistake.”

“Or maybe it won’t be. Won’t know unless we try.”

I leaned back on the sofa and studied him for a moment, and while I had my doubts, his confidence in this crazy idea was contagious. “Can I talk to Toby about it?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, then, I’ll talk to him and let you know.”

I thought for a moment more and continued, “I know this might sound silly, but if we do this, could you call me Casey? Not all the time. Just when we’re at your house?” I grimaced as I admitted, “Whitney’s an okay name and all, but it just feels off when you say it.”

“I get it. I’m sure the whole name change thing had to be tough, but using your real name isn’t a good idea. One slip up and...”

“You’re right. I just don’t really feel like a Whitney, you know?”

“What about a childhood nickname or your middle name?”

“Well, growing up, everyone used to call me Cricket.” I made a silly face as I explained, “The neighborhood boys needed them to fish in the creek, and I wasn’t scared to catch them.”

“Hmm. Cricket.” A smirk slipped across his handsome face. “I like it.”

“Okay. Cricket it is.”

“And you can call me Sutton.”

“Sutton it is.”

It felt strange saying his real name. It was like I’d just taken a sneak peek at the man behind the leather, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. I just hoped I wasn’t making a huge mistake,