rship. It’s like he has a hold over you and being Bethany’s father, I guess in a way, he does, because you both have her together. It’s not right the way he does look at you, and it kind of unnerves me. He thinks he already knows how it’s going to be with you. Preacher, it’s not about ownership, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come back to you after the first birth. I learned a whole lot about your life today. Preacher’s feelings for you are real whereas I think Reaper, it’s not as pure. This could be the alcohol talking.”
Anne burst out laughing. “Looking at my own love life, I could be completely wrong. Robin, you shouldn’t be listening to me. I haven’t slept with my own husband in years because of what I could possibly catch from him. How pitiful is that?”
“Have you ever thought about being with someone else?” She’d asked Anne this before but wine seemed to make her a little loose in her thoughts.
“Nah, not really. In all honesty, I don’t think anyone would want me. It’s fine for men. They don’t seem to have the same trouble as women. I know he paints me as a monster to the girlfriends. The wife he can’t get rid of, but I can handle it. I’ve been handling it. I’ve never done anything wrong to him. When I finally fell out of love with him, I was the one who said not to hide it from me, you know. I can deal with the pain. It doesn’t hurt now, but I do sometimes think about it. Being with someone else, but then I think about Elijah, and I don’t know…”
“It can’t be fun living this way.”
“The truth is it’s not. You know what’s worse? When he wants to get laid but there’s no one else, he still tries to come to my bed and he wants me. I hate it more than anything. I know I’m second or even fourth in line for his affection. There are times I wish I could make him see what he was missing. I don’t love him. Catching your husband with another woman will do that to you. If not the first time, then a dozen times later.” Anne sniffled. “I don’t want to think about it. I feel like a weak woman when I do.”
“You’re not weak. You’re not even close to being weak, I promise.” Robin touched Anne’s hand. “I’m thinking you should consider being with others. He’s having all the fun, why not you? You deserve it as well.”
“Let’s not think about it. I don’t want to even give myself a chance to think anyone could want me. Enough about me and my boring old life. Let’s get back to what is important, you. Preacher or Reaper. Tell me your thoughts.”
“Ugh, do I have to?”
“What stays with us tonight in drink, will stay with us. Huh, that makes no sense.”
Robin giggled. “Nothing is supposed to make sense. Okay, fine, let’s talk. I love Preacher so much. I spent so much time hoping he’d come and get me, you know. The whole daring rescue. You cannot tell anyone else about all of this.”
“I won’t. I promise. Stays with us and the drink. I was flattered to be able to go somewhere rather than stick around here and clean.”
“I think I should make you go on a date.”
“Nah, dating is so not for me.” Anne waved her hand in the air. “It’s for young people without problems. Now, Reaper, let’s talk about him.”
Robin finished her glass of wine.
“Why do I feel I’m going to get a lot of dirty details now?”
Robin laughed. “I wouldn’t say they’re dirty details. More like … scared feelings. When I was taken, I thought Preacher would come. Days turned into weeks, and the whole jargon of how long it took. I was always hoping he’d find me. How hard could it be? Then of course, he didn’t ever turn up and I started to lose hope. When you’re with someone for so long and your only salvation is being rescued and for that not to happen, it wears on you. He wasn’t going to come to my rescue. He didn’t care about me, and then I started to have feelings for Reaper.”
“Stockholm thing?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. We were together and I enjoyed being with him. I got pregnant and he was willing to give up the club life for me. Settle down. I know Preacher would never give up the club life for me. I don’t know if my feelings for Reaper are real, or if I’ve somehow made myself … open to him. Am I making sense? I don’t think I am. I make no sense to myself at all.”
“Yes, you’re making perfect sense, but it could also be the wine. Let me get another bottle.” Anne stumbled out of the room but she didn’t stop talking. “I guess what you’ve got to ask yourself is would you want Preacher to give up the club for you? You know it’s who he is. I’ve only heard all the rumors, but it’s part of him, and would you even want him to do something you know he’d hate to do, or risk the club being run by someone who wasn’t as good as Preacher?”
Anne came back with the open wine, pouring them both a glass.
Robin gulped the liquid down. She did it so fast, she didn’t even taste it. “I’ve known the club my entire life. I was born into it.”
“So, it’s not like it’s all new for you or anything. It’s all the same stuff. The only difference is you’re going to be with the president rather than his son. I got a bad vibe from Bishop. I don’t like him.”
“He used to be great, you know. A good friend. The best person to have around.”
“What happened?”
“To put it bluntly, he found his dick, and since then, he’s been horrible. Unbearable. I don’t know. Maybe it is just me.” She shrugged. “The wine is helping big time. There was a time when I’d do anything for him.”
“It didn’t look that way today.”
“I wanted to hurt him. To make him feel the same kind of pain he’d made me feel.” Sadness descended on her.
“Okay, so we move on. Nothing can make us moody. Let’s lighten the mood. Who’s the best in bed?”
“Seriously? You want me to talk about that?”