Tiny

“Your mother wasn’t known for being faithful. Many men had known the pleasure she could have.”

Closing her eyes, she didn’t know if she needed to hear any more.

“Why did you kill her?” Eva asked. She couldn’t mourn a woman she never knew. What people remembered about her was not nice either.

“She put you in danger. You mother was an addict, and she was selling her body to whoever would give her what she wanted.” Ned pulled up in the airport. He must have paid for a space as one was reserved near the door. “She took you to one of the men who serviced her habit and sold her out to men. I found you on the floor that was covered in needles, Eva. She’d taken you because no one would babysit. Your mother didn’t give a f**k about you. She didn’t even care that you could have been hurt. One of my men got you out while I ended the shit she would have put you through.”

Tears filled her eyes at the horror he described. She couldn’t even remember it, but how could she? She’d been young, a baby.

“I never told you about her because you were better than her.” Ned turned the engine off. “Eva, I’m proud of you, and I hope you can forgive me for the hurt I’ve caused you.”

She smiled even as the tears started to fall. “I’m not hurt by you, Dad. It’s not your fault she didn’t care. I love you.” She wrapped her arms around him, tightly. He was the only person she’d ever been able to turn to.

“Good. We better get going before we miss our flight.”

For the next hour Eva was too busy dealing with her suitcases and getting ready for her flight. Ned took care of everything else, and she noticed he was on the phone a lot.

After purchasing a book she took a seat in the waiting area where everyone was sat or walking around. Her cell phone went off as her father joined her.

Answering the call she saw it was Tate.

“Hello,” she said.

“You’re really going?”

Rubbing her temple, Eva ignored her father and listened to Tate.

“We’ve talked about this. It’s time for me to go.”

“Something is going on. You know that. Dad is acting even more quiet than usual. Since you’ve gone he’s locked himself in his office.” Tate sounded worried, and Eva hated hearing the other woman worried.

“Tate, everything is going to be fine.” She didn’t know what else to say to the younger woman.

“You don’t know that. Please, come back.”

Gritting her teeth, she glanced at her father. Ned raised his brow at her, waiting for her to argue back.

“No. Tate, I’ll come and visit you, but my life is in Vegas. I’ve been away too long.”

“We went to Vegas together. Your life is not there.”

“We’ve got to go, Eva,” Ned said, pointing to the waiting queue.

“I’m sorry, Tate, I’ve got to go. Please, keep in touch.” Before Tate could say anything else, she closed her phone, turned it off and followed her father toward their seat. She wasn’t surprised to see them in first class. Eva never had a problem flying economy, but Ned always liked the best.

She strapped into her seat and took several deep breaths. Eva hated leaving Tate and Fort Wills. Tapping her fingers on her leg she listened to all the instructions for the start of flights.

“You’re nervous,” Ned said.

“No, I’m fine.” She’d never had a problem with flying. Looking out of the window she tried to ignore the pain in her chest. Tiny and all the good memories she had of her time in the small town ran through her mind. When she’d left Gavin and her father she hadn’t been looking for anything. Stumbling into Fort Wills and getting the job as Tate’s nanny had been pure luck.

The plane took off, and she closed her eyes needing to relax. Her father lay back, holding her hand. She didn’t say anything as the rest of her life was made up for her.

You’re making the right decision. Keep moving forward.

She and Tiny hadn’t been together, but his actions still hurt her. While he’d been f**king everything in sight, men had been told to stay away from her. She hadn’t been asked on one date in all of her time at Fort Wills. The only time she spent in male company was with members of The Skulls. Vegas was her home, and she was going to move on no matter how bad it hurt.

****

Killer watched Kelsey hug a crying Tate. His boss was trapped in the office, and since Eva left the party had been kind of stilted. He slapped the bar ordering another beer. The prospect who served looked at him nervously.

“What?” Killer asked.

He didn’t know the man’s name and didn’t care to find out.

“Nothing.”

The prospect moved away as Zero took the seat beside him.

“I’m not in the mood for conversation,” Killer said.

“I don’t care. You threw me around the other day. The least you can do is have a beer with me.” Zero reached forward grabbing a bottle of whiskey.

Sipping at his bottle, Killer did his best to keep his anger in check. He’d not spoken to Kelsey since the day she’d caught him hitting his brothers.

“You’re not going to talk to me either?” Zero asked.

“No.”

“Man, I’m sorry. We didn’t even hear anyone listening to us.”

“I don’t give a f**k,” Killer said, putting his empty bottle on the counter. “My past is my business. I don’t give a f**k about anything else.”

He got up ready to leave the compound. Walking past Kelsey and out of the pink f**king fairy castle, Killer took a deep breath of the fresh air. Heading toward his bike, he climbed on and turned the key in the ignition.

“Killer?” Kelsey’s voice made him tense. Her voice was so sweet, and he loved hearing her talk. She was the first woman he loved to hear talk.

“What?” he asked, hating himself for the way he spoke to her.

“You’re not even going to look at me?”

Letting out a sigh, he turned his gaze onto her. She looked so f**king beautiful with her cherry blonde hair curled and hanging around her shoulders and down her back. He recalled stroking the length as they’d been making out. Killer had taken his time caressing her lips and waiting for her to open up to him.

“What do you want, Kels?” he asked, facing her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have judged you for what I heard. I was wrong, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She reached out, touching his hand.