them.
“When I was twelve, he got into a bar fight, hit a man too hard. The guy fell back and hit his head. Three days later they shut off the life support and my father ended up in jail for manslaughter and assault. That’s the last I ever heard of him.”
“Oh, Gavin.” She clasped his hand in hers. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged then ran his fingers down her cheek. “I guess it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? I met Trace and Colin, then Clay adopted me and then he found you. And darling, there is nothing more important to me than you.”
With a smile, she leaned up and kissed him.
Chapter Thirteen
Lila loaded the last of the shopping bags in the back of Clay’s mammoth truck. It had been the only available vehicle left at the ranch this morning, so even though she wasn’t that comfortable driving it she hadn’t had much choice. They were low on groceries and she didn’t want to have to ask the guys to take her every time she needed to go into town.
She’d driven into Freestown to do her shopping. The store in Haven was good for small things, but for a bigger shop she preferred Freestown. She heaved a bag of potatoes into the back. She really needed to get started on a vegetable garden.
Luckily, her ankle was fully healed. The guys had taken excellent care of her, taking her to the doctor, carting her around, making sure she had everything she needed so she didn’t have to walk around much when they were at work.
And to show them how much she appreciated them, she’d decided to do something special. She just needed to do a little bit of shopping first.
Crossing the road, she entered the lingerie store she’d spotted earlier. As soon as she saw the emerald green gown, she knew it was the one. It was sheer with just a bit of lace to cover her nipples and mound. Paying for the item, she walked out into the hot sunshine with a small smile on her face.
This was going to blow her men away. Opening the back door to the truck, she placed the bag on the seat.
“Like mother like daughter, huh?” a snide voice stated. Turning, Lila found a woman leaning against the back on the truck. She stepped back and closed the door. Why did this woman look familiar?
Sarge growled at the other woman surprising Lila because the friendly mutt seemed to like everyone.
“Excuse me?” Lila asked. What was she talking about?
“Born from a whore, become a whore,” the girl sang. Was she a few screws loose?
“You’re not his girlfriend, you know,” the woman continued. “He’s just using you. And no amount of lingerie or spa treatments is going to turn you into something you’re not.”
“Who are you talking about?” Lila asked.
“He might take you dancing, you might live in his home and answer his phone, but he’s going to be mine forever.”
Suddenly Lila remembered where she recognized her from. She was that waitress from Dirty Delights, the one who had spilled a drink on her.
“You were at Dirty Delights the other night. Who are you? Are you following me?” Lila asked, growing alarmed.
The other woman ignored her questions. “When I met your precious mommy a few weeks ago I couldn’t believe my luck. At first I couldn’t understand what he saw in you, but after meeting your mother, I now understand. You’re his whore. You’re not his woman; you service the three of them. This is just a phase he needs to go through before he settles down with me. I understand. Then he’ll come back to me, where he should be. You know, you should just cut your losses now, they’ll never marry you. Do you even know your father? I suppose your mother could hardly narrow it down, could she?”
Lila was shocked, speechless. Her stomach had dropped at the mention of her mother. Which one of Lila’s men was she talking about? She took a good look at the woman standing before her. She was dressed a lot nicer than the other night in black slacks and a white shirt. Was she even a waitress?
“How did you meet my mother?” Lila finally asked.
“She was asking questions about you. I was happy to answer. How do you think she knew you were at Dirty Delights that night?” the other woman scorned. “Because I called her of course.”
“Who are you?” Lila asked again.
The other woman sneered. “None of your business, whore. I just came to deliver a message. Get your dirty whore hands off my man.”
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, or which one of my men you think is yours. But I am no whore. They are mine. So just stay away from me and them.” Lila opened the driver’s door and quickly jumped in, slamming and locking the door before she backed out of the park and drove off.
About twenty minutes out of town, her phone started ringing. Pulling safely over, she dragged it out of her bag, sighing with relief as she saw Trace’s name.
“Hey, where are you?” Trace asked.