Ruin’s Embattlement (Tenillo Guardians AIMC #19)

Desi Prologue-Two Months Ago

I was going crazy.

I didn’t know what to do with my future.

Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth.

I knew what I wanted to do in ninety percent of it.

I had finals to take, and then I’d graduate early with my bachelor’s degree in finance.

I was proud of myself.

Despite everything that happened to me, I’d recovered and gone on to find a way to take care of myself and my son.

I knew I had the club to thank for making it possible.

They’d supported me through so much over the past six years.

Without them, I had no clue where I’d be—probably living on the streets with someone else raising my son.

That was assuming I’d been freed in the first place.

If they hadn’t done that, I’d be dead.

Not only did I have my degree, but I had a wonderful family and a great job.

The club had been paying me to help Talon for the past couple of years with the books for all the Infidels’ businesses and those of their old ladies.

It was too much for just one person.

During that time, they paid me a more-than-fair salary and provided health insurance the way they did their other employees.

Now that I was about to graduate, they offered me a bump in pay to stay with them as if I had any thoughts of leaving.

The only thing I would no longer do was help out at the flower shop if Jackie needed it.

I rarely did it anymore, but I’d have too much to do with the added responsibilities.

Talon was the official treasurer for the club, but I’d be helping him with some of those duties as needed.

Mom was happy for me and had full-time help and backup at Blossoms.

As if that wasn’t enough, the club had offered to build Shane and me a house on the compound.

While most people would count their blessings and scream yes, I hadn’t.

And the reason I told them I wanted to think about their offer was due to the man coming home in two months.

Tanner would be returning to take his rightful place as an Infidel and living here full-time.

That certainty had me hesitating.

I couldn’t see myself being able to live here and see him every day, watch him live his life, and not go insane.

The last two years have been agony for me.

We barely spoke when he was home and couldn’t avoid each other.

I heard about his life secondhand from others, and it caused me even more pain.

Maybe if I hadn’t been an idiot and done the stupidest thing in the world, I could’ve made up with him and stood it.

Unfortunately, being in love with your former best friend and having him not return those feelings and treat you as a nuisance was devastating.

I was waiting to tell Jackie, Omen, and the others my decision, but I was almost one hundred percent positive about what it would be.

When Tanner returned, and I got things in order, Shane and I would move into town.

There was no way I’d survive living here, seeing Tanner, not having him, and watching the women who came and went, getting a part of him that I never would.

I just needed to save a bit more money and find a place.

It was time to stop pinning my hopes and dreams on Tanner.

If I wanted a partner, I’d have to let a guy into my heart, which meant ousting the one already occupying it.