Chapter Seventeen
The flowers were a little crushed by the time I pulled up outside the house, but I knew Chloe would like them even if they were a little battered. She was the kind of woman who would gush over weeds if I gave them to her because she was good and sweet and perfect.
I wanted her to be mine and that meant tonight I would need to talk to her properly. I wanted to know all of her secrets, but most of all I wanted to know what had been going on between her and Ghost. I didn’t care what it was as long as she promised it was over now and that she was mine.
Once I knew all of that, then we could talk about our future. Whether we stayed here in London or moved to Wales. Whatever she wanted to do, then I would do it because I wanted her in my life. At the very least, I wanted to see where things could go between us.
Holding the flowers awkwardly to my chest, I let myself into the dark house. There were no lights on, but I could hear the TV playing in the lounge and headed that way. My ribs twinged withevery step, but I ignored the pain. It was nothing compared to the excitement of seeing her again.
“Hey, baby,” I called out, flipping the switch on and bathing the living room in a warm, yellowish light. “I got these for you.”
“Well, thanks, handsome.” Duke didn’t even look up at me from the sofa where he was reclining. His feet were on the table and his eyes glued to the television.
Frowning, I stood there. “Where’s Chloe?” I finally asked.
The silence that met my question was thick. Finally, Duke leant forward and turned the TV off. “She’s gone, brother,” he said quietly, and my heart sank. “I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Wearily, I sank down into one of the armchairs and that’s when I saw it. The key. My spare one that I had given to Chloe that morning. “Is she at Sy’s?” I already knew the answer to that, but I needed to ask anyway.
“She’s left town. Ghost—”
My head snapped around. “What do you mean, Ghost? Was he with her?”
Duke's eyes skipped away. “He gave her a check and promised her more when he died. He just wanted her gone, I think.” He paused. “I mean, it looked like she really cared about him, but she happily took it. I’m sorry, brother.”
I couldn’t take it in. “You think she—” I couldn’t even finish the thought, let alone the question.
“That she was fucking him?” Duke shrugged. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but yeah I do. You didn’t see the way they were together. She was crying, and he was crying and come on,” he sucked in a breath. “Why else would he be looking after her and setting her up for the future? He has that guy from The Family looking after her.”
My eyebrows shot up. “The Judge?”
He shook his head. “Gio. He’s been calling in all sorts of favours for her. Hell, if I didn’t know the old bastard, I would think he actually cares for her.”
“Yeah, well, that makes two of us then, doesn’t it?” I muttered. I didn’t want to believe him but it all made sense. All of it apart from one thing.
Chloe had been a virgin only a few days ago. She had given me that and I had seen the blood on her thighs. Hell, I had cleaned the blood from us both. So she hadn’t been fucking Ghost.
Maybe she had been letting him into her mouth. She had been good at that.
“Fucking bitch.” At my side, my fist clenched. How had I been so stupid? All the signs were there, and I had ignored every single one of them. And why?
Because she was sweet and pretty and had saved my life. I had been totally taken in by her and all this time she had been messing around with my president and waiting for the big payday that would come when he died.
It made me the biggest kind of fool. “Did she say anything about me?”
Duke's eyes shifted away. “She said to tell you thanks.” Heaving himself upwards, he stretched. “Drinks here or at the clubhouse? You look like you need one.”
“Here, I don’t want to go to the clubhouse. I don’t think I can ever look Ghost in the face ever again. Not without…” My fist flexed. “Not yet, anyway.”
“The Prez is at the hospital. But drinks here are fine, and I’ll call some women over to take your mind off of it.”
I shook my head. “No need. I’m fine,” I lied, digging my phone out of my pocket and staring down at it. I had wanted to discuss it with her, but there wasn’t any chance of that now.
“Who are you calling?” Duke asked from the doorway.
“Cardiff,” I muttered, clearing my throat. “I’m calling Cardiff and telling them I’ll do it.” I lifted my eyes to him in a grimace. “There’s nothing keeping me here now.”
Chapter Eighteen