Home > Rafe (Wounded Sons #4)

Rafe (Wounded Sons #4)
Author: Leah Sharelle

 

PROLOGUE

 

 

RAFE

 

 

“Angie baby, are you ready to go?” I yelled out as I entered the house from the back door, my heavy boots echoing on the hardwood floor as I made my way through the kitchen to go in search of my wife.

Wife. I still couldn’t get my head around that I had a wife or that I was someone’s husband. Three weeks and four days ago, Angie put the thick, gold ring on my finger and promised to love me forever. Me doing the same as I slipped the thick diamond band next to her modest engagement ring.

My parents and hers said we were just kids and had no business getting married at twenty-two. I understood their concerns, Angie was two years younger than me, but it wasn’t as if we were rushing into married life without knowing each other. I met Angie when she had been just sixteen, we clicked right away and only days later, we became a couple. Since that day we have been inseparable … until today.

“Honey, we gotta get moving,” I called out a little louder this time, a little more frustrated that I had to go chasing her when she knew I was on a timeframe.

Moving through the house we rented, I looked in almost every room but came up short.

No Angie.

I knew what she was doing, but going over the argument that seemed to play on a record was not something I wanted to get into today. I’d always, always told Angie the truth. She knew what I wanted to do with my life, had accepted it, and married me knowing it. Why she was being difficult now kind of pissed me off. I was nervous enough as it was without Angie throwing one of her tantrums.

Deep down, I knew I indulged my wife in many ways. She came from money, I did not. She never had a part-time job in her life, I had several. She was an only child, with rich parents to lean on; my parents were blue-collar workers and had been all their lives. Where they installed morals and work ethics in their kids, Angie’s parents tossed money at their only child and left her care to her nanny. When we got engaged, I told Angie I wanted to support her with the money I earned, not have her parents set up a bank account for us or gift us a house of their choosing paid for by them. I learnt early into our relationship, the Laylaw’s were generous, but every handout came with conditions. They didn’t always become apparent right away, but trust me, they were there.

Angie accepted it, I did not. Therefore I wanted to make it on our own, and renting a three-bedroom cottage was part of it. The other part of it was my big career move, doing this was going to be good for us and set me up for a lifelong career and paycheque. Once Angie had some time to come to terms with it, she was going to be fine.

Walking down the hall after checking the bathroom and spare rooms, I headed for our bedroom, coming to a halt when I looked inside and saw my wife tucked in bed with her phone in her hand, her fingers flying across the screen, and the TV on.

“Angie, what the hell?”

“Don’t swear at me, Rafferty, it is uncouth.” My full name sounding like a curse word when she resorted to her rich, snotty voice.

Fuck me, I don’t have time for this.

“We have to go, Ang, it is a long drive there.”

“Yes, and a long drive home, which you expect me to do on my own,” she huffed dramatically, not looking at me. I fucking hated it when she talked to me but used her phone at the same time. Texting or surfing social media it didn’t matter; it was rude, and she knew where I sat with that shit.

“Angela, get out of bed and let’s move it. I can not be late to the base.”

Angie sniffed then finally tossed her phone onto her blanket-covered lap, her green eyes firing bullets at me.

“I’m not going, Rafe, I don’t want you to join the army, and Daddy said if I don’t want it, then that should be enough for you to stay.” Angie used the voice I normally found endearing, childish yes, but Angie was an only child and her parents doted on her twenty-four hours a day. Most of the time, I let her snide moods slip by to the keeper, but not today.

“You aren’t coming to see me off to basic training? For fuck’s sake, Angie, I will be gone for eleven weeks.”

“Exactly, Rafe, you are leaving me after only three weeks of marriage,” Angie yelled at me, jumping out of bed, flinging her hands at me.

“Angie, we talked about this for over a year. You knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, you agreed that it was the best choice for us financially.”

“I agreed because Daddy said it was most likely just a phase. He said you would change your mind, but you didn’t, Rafe. Now I have to stay here in this dump all by myself while you go play at being a soldier.” Angie paced angrily over to the window and yanked back the sheer curtain. “Can you honestly see me living here, Rafe? Do you even know me at all?”

Standing there in our room, I watched my new bride of three weeks turn into a crazy person. A crazy rude person.

“Um, right now? No, I don’t,” I admitted quietly, honestly.

“Well, isn’t that just peachy, Jesus Christ, Rafe? You were offered a good job with Dad’s golfing buddy. Why you think selling insurance is not a good stepping stone to earning a good living is beyond me.” The minute she finished her rant, Angie slapped her hand over her mouth and stared wide-eyed at me. She knew about the job offer? How? When I didn’t even tell her.

“How did you know about that offer? I don’t recall telling you about it,” I asked, taking three steps towards her.

“Oh please, Daddy told me. He said that you turned Malcolm down without even consulting me, Rafe. Me! Your wife!”

“Angela, it has always been a career in the army that I wanted. You know that we got married with you fully aware that I was going to join up, and do basic training before going straight into selection training.”

“And then what, Rafe? I follow you all over the country and live in apartment buildings and hang out with military wives. Shooting people for a living is not something I want people to know about you.”

“But selling insurance is okay?”

“For now, yes. Daddy has a lot of pull, all you have to do is toe the line for a year; then, he will make sure you climb the corporate ladder. And with that will come the better house, cars and credit cards.” Angie sauntered towards me, the crazy person mask gone replaced with that of a sexy temptress. Sliding her hands up my chest, she rested them on my pecs, her lip pulled between her teeth.

“Don’t you want the best for me baby, want me to have all that I deserve?” Angie pouted giving me doe eyes that up until ten minutes ago I found alluring.

“Yes, Angie, that is why I joined the army, to give us a good life. One that isn’t dictated by your father or his money.” Shaking my head, I took two deep breaths and wrapped my arms around my wife. Fighting with her never ended well, I always gave in and let her win. I loved Angie, I did. Yes, she was spoilt, but she was also fun and outgoing. For a guy that lived his whole life on the wrong side of town, having a rich, beautiful girl want to go out with you … well, it was a real ego boost.

“I want the money Rafe, not a husband who is barely here.” And there it was.

Money. Always money.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you, Angie, because I am going. I will leave the decision of what you want to do in your hands.” Gently untangling her hands from my shirt, I firmly put them down by her sides.

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