Copper (Hell's Handlers MC 4)

Christ, did every one of his men blab club business to their ol’ ladies? The information about Rusty stealing the money was supposed to be need to know only.

“Anyway,” Toni said, holding her hand out for the bottle. He handed it over. This time she downed the whiskey with ease. “Not as bad now that I know what to expect. Anyway, Iz and I sat down with her and straight-up asked her if they dated or had a one night stand she’d regretted. She denied both those things.”

Oh, God was it…

His horror must have been written across his face because Toni said, “We asked her that too.”

“What did she say?”

She handed him the bottle and met his gaze with her serious one. “She said it was complicated and that she agreed to sleep with him but didn’t feel like she had a choice.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” There was always a choice. Maybe a shitty one, but still a choice. His stomach turned. Shit…is that what happened? Did Shell feel sleeping with Rusty was the better of two lousy options? Jesus, what the fuck could be awful enough to make her sleep with him?

“I don’t know. She wasn’t willing to give us details without you knowing them first. Might be about time for you to get over yourself and go talk to your woman.”

Copper grunted his response and stared at the trees blanketed by a now dark sky.

Toni stood, hands in her sweatshirt pouch. “I know one other thing.”

Raising an eyebrow, he looked up at her.

“I know she loves you and would die before willingly hurting you. Have a good evening, Copper.”

Toni made her way back to the building, the soft snick of the door indicating her departure. Copper stayed where he was, unmoving for hours. Until his fingers were frozen and his ass ached from the shitty fold up chair.

At nine, he forced his stiff legs to uncurl and walked around the building to his bike. He hadn’t had a sip of whiskey since Toni left, and was sober as a judge.

Mounting his bike, he inhaled the fresh mountain air. Toni was right. It was time to go to his woman. Pulling out his phone, he placed a quick call then rode out into the night.

SHELL DRAGGED HER weary ass up her stoop. If she were any more tired, she’d have to use her hands to help heft her legs up the steps. Each and every muscle ached with the complete and total exhaustion of someone who hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep in days. Five, to be exact. But it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

The scene from Copper’s office had replayed in her mind so many times, she’d analyzed it from every possible angle. All led to the same heartbreaking conclusion. Copper hadn’t been able to stand the sight of her. Her worst nightmare and there was no waking from it. The past five days were full of second-guessing, guilt, and a renewed sense of the shame she’d spent so many hours in therapy combating.

Would his reaction have been different had she confessed the truth herself?

Should she have kept her mouth shut about seeing Rusty at the park?

Hell, her doubt went back five years to wondering if she never should have left Townsend when she found out she was pregnant.

She’d slogged through the past work week, put on a happy face for Beth, and did her damnedest to ignore the half-concerned, half-pitying looks from her girlfriends and the men of the MC. Then at night, once again lonely in her bed, she’d cried until her eyes blurred and her heart felt like a wet sponge wrung out until it was bone dry.

With a sigh, Shell shoved her key in the door. She was sick of living in her own head, but couldn’t manage to turn off the obsessive thoughts. Her door swung open, and she trudged inside only to come up short with a gasp at the large man dwarfing her sofa.

“Copper,” she said, hand flying to her drumming heart. “W-what are you doing here?” Suddenly, shock turned to worry, and she started down the hall. “Is Beth okay?”

He rose and followed. “She’s fine, Shell. Having a sleepover with Toni and Zach tonight.”

Her shoulders fell. Shit. This conversation was going to be so awful, he’d felt the need to send her daughter elsewhere.

Slowly, Shell turned and forced herself to glance up at the man whose mere presence was breaking her heart. God, she’d missed him every second of the past five days. Even though he looked as wrecked as she felt with his messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and—was his shirt on backward—he was still irresistible to her. And she wanted nothing more than to fling herself in his arms and feel those strong limbs surround and protect her. It was one of the biggest regrets of the past few days. Had she known the way this would all end, she’d have been sure to hold him one last time before it all imploded.