Entwined E.C. Land (ebook pc reader TXT) 📖

told anyone what she went through. I’m sure if she’d told Tomás about it, he’d have found someone to explain that what happened to her hadn’t been her fault and she didn’t do anything wrong.

Whatever the fucker did to her went deeper than she let on and I can see it. I know I’ll have my hands full when it comes time for her to tell me all of it. I’ll shoulder it as she should have given that burden to her father to bear. Now it’ll be mine and I’ll make sure she doesn’t worry about her negative thoughts again about being a disappointment. I’m sure that’s exactly how she felt this morning during our talk. Then when I’d locked down on her in order to protect her.

“She tell you what happened?” Marc asks.

“Alison told me and I’m not gonna repeat it. What I will do is say the motherfucker is lucky to be dead already, ‘cause if he weren’t his ass would be in a cellar where I could enjoy playing with him before killing him,” I sneer.

“Do you think she’ll want to tell her sister?” Dean asks, his brows furrowing at the thought of his wife possibly feeling what Alison endured.

“No,” I mutter, truthfully. “Alison has kept this from her and everyone else for this long. She’s not gonna want to tell anyone about it now.”

Nodding, Dean lets out a breath. He knows his wife better than anyone; however, the woman wears her heart on her sleeve, not hiding her emotions from the world.

“Now, what is this shit I’ve missed that Kenyon is complaining to me about?” I demand changing the subject from my wife.

Kenyon and Marc go on to report what all has been going on besides the spotting of Kean and Jewel. There’s nothing else we can do at this point. Right now, where they’re concerned, we wait for them to attempt to make their move. Kenyon reports the headache of being in my shoes and that my job is definitely not one he wants to do. Marc adds this topic about how the strippers are getting far more ballsy now that Bridget isn’t here as much.

Sasha seems to be speaking out against what the rules are, but until we have proof of this, we can’t fire her without her causing a shitshow.

By the time we finish and adjourn, we’ve decided a staff meeting is due and that the man in charge of the meeting will be Dean with me on his right, Bridget on his left, and Kenyon and Marc on either side of Bridget and myself.

The strippers who worked here when Bridget first came learned quickly to get on board with what she demanded or they were out. She’d changed things up a lot around here and it seems it’s time for them all to have a refresher. Or at least for the ones who are new, it’ll all be ingrained into them.

Excusing myself from everyone, I head to my car. I have a wife to get home to and I don’t want to wait in doing so.

Chapter Fourteen

Alison

Over the past week, Mitch and I seemed to have fallen into a routine. One I’m not certain I like so much. Mostly because it’s as if he is doing his best to spend time with me even if still seeming closed off with me and not really talking to me.

In fact, he seems to be acting as if I were spun fragile glass that could break at a mere instant. This I truly hate, especially with the way he’s been super busy and barely touching me. I’m not a big fan of him changing like this. The only thing he’s given me is chaste kisses and squeezes at the sides. Mitch has also taken my body under his a couple more times but those weren’t even the same as the first time. These more or less are him finding release.

I wonder if his change has to do with me not giving him what he needs. The thought of him possibly only putting a mask on for the first bit of time we were together to make me trust him and once he found out about what happened to me, he’s changed his mind. Though he seemed sincere about this not being the case before we even left the beach.

God knows I wish we could simply go back there. At least then it would be just the two of us.

I love my sister, but I’ve not been around her in two years and barely spoken with her more than a call once or twice a month. I need to acclimate myself to my new surroundings. I don’t want to do this with my sister holding my hand. I’d love to have Mitch helping me, but all the same, I’m finding my way. I started today actually volunteering at an elementary school helping assist teachers with their classes.

After speaking to the principal, who also spoke with her superintendent, they’d approved me coming as many times as I could during the week to help out. I told them I had nothing else to do so I’d love to be here throughout the whole week.

My first day had been amazing. Except for one of the teachers I worked with. Miss Marshall. She’d been snooty toward me the entire time I’d been helping her. But one of the boys in her class caught my attention and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He looked so much like Mitch with his dark hair and even darker eyes, even has the same strong jaw.

I found out his name is Mathias and that he’s sweet and somewhat timid. I can sense the fear in him as it’s matched my own on several occasions.

After school ended today, Ian drove me home. I still had several hours, like hours as in right before midnight or whatever, before Mitch got home. I knew I’d be eating by myself and