With the week ending and I’m facing the weekend. I can at least look forward to seeing my family. Hart especially. I miss my big brother and have so much to tell him and my parents. I hope when I do, they don’t get too mad at me, or are disappointed in me when I tell them about Whip. I can’t keep this from them. Hart and I don’t keep secrets from each other. Okay so maybe we keep a few things but nothing this massive.
Leaving work, I was lucky enough to avoid Mr. Davis and his invitations to go on a date with him. He’s approached me a few times this week and I reminded him that I had plans for this weekend. Mr. Davis isn’t my type. Shoot I didn’t even know I had a type, but I guess I do. Tall, tan, tattooed. Add that to all things Whip and that sums up my type. When it comes to Mr. Davis, I’m not interested in him. Not that he’s ugly or anything, he seems to be a man who works out, but the way he carries himself is different and rubs me the wrong way.
I don’t like being mean. I find it hard to hurt people’s feelings and I can’t bring myself to simply tell him he’s know someone I want to date.
Shoot, I’m freakin’ married for god’s sake. So even if I wanted to date someone, I couldn’t. Not until I figure things out with Whip. I’m not someone who could cheat. You see it all the time with couples. Whip could be doing anything right now with anyone and I wouldn’t know it. Still I would never cheat. The thought makes me sick.
Thinking of Whip is something I find myself doing and its what’s made this week miserable. I haven’t seen or heard from him since last weekend when he rushed out of the house like his feet were on fire, without so much as an explanation.
A tightness I’ve never felt before compresses in my chest as I shake my head in defeat.
I get into my car, ready to get on the road. I made sure to pack my bag and have it loaded in the backseat. I don’t want to take the chance of running into Whip outside my house, or inside for that matter, considering the man can pick a lock like nobody’s business. I’m heading to meet my parents at the hotel close to Fort Eustis, where Hart’s stationed and will be returning tomorrow. I’m excited to see them all, but I’m dreading telling them I’m married to a man I don’t even know.
I start my car and pull out, heading in the direction of the interstate and my family. The only people I truly have in this world I can trust. I can’t trust anyone else, not even the man I’m married to or the one part of me a husband is supposed to hold dear to him--my heart. But it seems I’ll have to make sure to guard it with everything I am, because there’s no way I can give him that part of me without him hurting me in every way possible.
Pulling into the hotel’s parking lot, I’m more than ready to fall into bed. I’m exhausted after sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for the last two hours. Night has fallen and I just wanna skip dinner and fall asleep.
Thankfully my parents already got my room for me, so I can just go up, knock on their door, get the key card to my room, and go pass out.
Parking my car, I turn the key shutting the engine off, then pull the key out and put it in my purse. I climb out from behind the steering wheel, bring my purse with me, and close the door behind me. I pop the trunk and grab my bag from inside and then shut it. Turning to the hotel, I head for the entrance. I reach into my back pocket and snag my phone, ready to call my parents to ask them what room they’re in. My phone lights up and I find a text message from an unknown number. I unlock my phone to read it. My blood goes cold.
Unknown: Whores get what they deserve. Your time will come.
What the hell?
This has to be a sick joke, right?
They must have the wrong number.
Shaking my head, I hit delete. There’s no reason to keep something like that on my phone.
I pull up my mom’s number and press my finger to the phone on the screen for it to dial her number. I put the phone to my ear and wait for her to answer.
“Hey, dollface,” she says, answering the phone using a nickname she’s called me since I was a little girl.
“Hey, Mom. What room are you guys in? I’m walking into the hotel now,” I murmur, stepping through the motion sensor doors.
“Your room is three ten. We’re in three eighteen. Figured you wouldn’t want to have your parents in the room right next to yours,” she says sweetly. What is that all about? It’s not like I have some guy with me to bump uglies with.
“I’ll be up in just a few minutes,” I sigh heavily as I hang up.
I walk toward the elevator and hit the button for the third floor. The doors close, and I hold my breath as the contraption moves upward. The elevator comes to a stop, dinging, and the doors open for me to step out. I release my breath as I get off the damn thing.
I hate closed-in spaces. They make me feel as if the walls were closing in on me. I especially hate elevators. I’ve seen way to movies where they stop working and of course there’s the ones where the elevator plummets to the bottom and blows up.
I find my parents’ room and knock. Dad opens the door and swoops me into his arms. “My little girl. Been too long since I’ve hugged my daughter. Missed you, sweetheart.” With a kiss to the top of my head, Dad releases me.
“Missed you too, Daddy,” I murmur. I will admit, I’m a daddy’s girl through and through. Growing up, he took me to daddy-daughter dances, Sunday brunches when he was home and made sure to always read me a story. Even when he was deployed, he would record his voice on a recorder.
Dad steps aside, and Mom steps up to me. When I look at her, it’s as if I see an older version of myself. I look just like my mother. With dirty, blonde, curly hair, and bright blue eyes, I’m her spitting image. “Hey, dollface,” she whispers, a smile brightening her face.
“Hey, Mom.” I hug her and step back. “I’m not trying to be short with you all, but it’s been a long week and I’m exhausted after driving.”
“Understandable, we’re just gonna go grab a bite to eat. Do you want us to bring you something back?” Mom offers, handing me the key card.
“No, I’m okay.” I shake my head and give them both a smile. “I’ll see you all in the morning before we head to the base.”
“You got it, sweetheart. We’ll leave early enough in the morning to stop by a diner or somewhere for breakfast and coffee.” See you then, my dad says, giving me an inquisitive look. Like he either knows something I don’t, or he wants to know what I’m hiding. Too bad I don’t care at the moment one way or the other.
Leaving their room, I head back down the hall toward mine more than ready to pass out from exhaustion. I slide the key card into the slot. Getting the green light, I open the door and push it open. I step into the room, pulling the keycard from the door. Turning on my heel, I drop my bag as the door closes behind me. I lift my head and scream at the sight of Whip sitting on my bed.
What in the world is he doing here?
Better yet, how did he get in here? Staring at him, I grow angry seeing him here in my hotel room after the way he left me a week ago without a word.
Chapter Ten
Whip
For the past week, I’ve been busy as hell. I spent time with my sister and her family, needing that connection with Brielle. Other than my brothers at the club, she’s the only family I have. When I told her about Harper and what happened to the both of us, as well as how we’re married now, Brielle nearly lost her mind.