Branding Gemma [Grizzly Pines 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

She rolled her eyes. “I think I can handle one garbage bag of clothes and a box of books.”

“That’s all you have?” He frowned. “What happened to the rest of your stuff?”

“Asswipe burned my things when I bolted. I didn’t have time to grab everything the day I left, thinking I’d sneak back in and get them when he went to work, but he hauled it all out on the front lawn and torched it.”

“Why haven’t you accepted your parents’ help?”

“Beau, I’m twenty-three years old. I’m not going to go running to Mommy and Daddy every time I have a problem. Besides, I didn’t want to hear ‘I told you so’ from either of them. They didn’t like Trevor from the moment they met him.”

“Trevor? Trevor who?”

She held up her hands. “Oh no, uh-uh. I’m not telling you his last name, or where he works, or where he lives. I know you. You’ll go kick the shit out of him just for the hell of it.”

“So, it’s okay for him to use you as a punching bag, but it’s not okay for someone to teach him not to beat on women?”

“Beau, just forget it, okay? I wouldn’t tell Colt or Asher where to find him and I’m not about to tell you, either.”

“Fine. Don’t tell me, but don’t expect me to sit on my ass while some dickhead abuses my little cousin. I’m leaving at nine sharp so, if you’re going with me, you’d better call before then. Otherwise, you can catch a ride with your brothers later if you change your mind.”

“My brothers? Are they coming to visit you, too?”

“That’s their story to tell. They were supposed to already be in Grizzly Pines, but something came up. If you don’t know what’s going on, I’m not about to inform you. Ask Asher your questions. I’m serious though, Gemma. I’m outta here by nine.”

“Anxious to be back with your sweet, precious little Elodie?” she asked with a smirk. She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, but she was more than a little jealous that the woman had found such perfect men, like her cousins, and hadn’t run off with just one but three. How the hell did she sign up for that mailing list?

“Yes, I am. Maybe one day you’ll understand.”

Her jaw dropped as he turned and walked off. She knew he was older than her, had made something of his life, but did he have to sound so condescending? Gemma was going places, and she had plans… she just wasn’t sure how to implement them yet. It didn’t mean she hadn’t done her research though. When the time was right, she was going to take the world by storm. Her family thought they knew her? They knew nothing about her.

She wasn’t the fuck-up everyone thought she was. Okay, so she had wretched taste in men, and had no way of supporting herself at the moment, but that was all going to change, and it was going to change soon! She just needed to get another laptop somehow. Trevor had killed her precious baby. It was the one thing she should have grabbed, but it had been in the room with him, on his side of the bed, and she hadn’t wanted to risk waking him, not even for something so important. Her life had more value than a machine.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t hit her before, but he’d always apologized so sweetly. She’d been an idiot to listen to him, to believe him when he’d said he’d change. None of them ever had. Trevor hadn’t been the first man to hit her, but she vowed he’d be the last. She didn’t exactly have a winning streak when it came to men. She had a type though, the bad boys, and she was fast learning that they were considered bad for a reason.

She closed the door to her trailer and looked around, taking in the dirty walls, peeling linoleum, and disgusting carpet. Maybe Beau had a point. Maybe it was time for that next step in her life. She’d been the wild child for a while now, since her early teens, and maybe it was time to get serious. If she truly wanted to succeed at her little pet project, her life’s work really, then she needed to make some life changes.

It wouldn’t take her long to pack, especially since she’d been living out of that trash bag for the past few weeks. It was hard to unpack when all you had was a twin bed and a couch, both of which she’d gotten at a secondhand store. She hadn’t spent seventy-five dollars on the two items together. They were so rundown, but it’s what she’d been able to afford. Beau was right. She should have returned home to her parents, but she refused to admit defeat. Going with Beau was different. It wasn’t relying on Mommy and Daddy to take care of her. She’d think of it as a vacation.

She hadn’t told anyone, but she’d started writing six months ago. She could only work on her novel when Trevor wasn’t home, so she wasn’t as far along as she’d hoped, especially since she’d been working at a diner part-time during the day. Gemma was grateful for that job now. It didn’t give her enough money to live off, but it had aided her in getting away from Trevor. Her wages had been so paltry he’d let her keep them as spending money, mostly so he wouldn’t have to spend money on her. Instead of using them on new clothes or books, she’d hoarded the cash until she had enough to pay first month’s rent and to buy what little furniture and groceries she had. That was nearly three weeks ago and she realized that Beau showing up when he did was nothing short of a miracle. She had no idea how she was going to pay for another month of rent, much less food to put on the table. Well, if she’d had a table, that is.

It didn’t take her long to work through the logistics of moving in with Beau, the advantages and disadvantages, and come to a decision. She picked up the phone and called her parents’ house, hoping he’d already arrived there. She didn’t feel like getting into another discussion with her dad about how much she’d screwed up her life. It rang a few times and finally her mother answered.

“Mom, is Beau there yet?”

“He pulled in a few minutes ago. Is that all you have to say? No ‘hello’ for your mother?”

“Hi, Mom. I just really need to talk to Beau.”

Her mother sighed. “All right. Let me get him.”

She heard her mother move through the house, listened as she told Beau the phone was for him, and he was on the line a moment later.

“Hello,” he said, sounding hesitant, as if he couldn’t imagine who would call him on her parents’ line. If she’d had his cell number, she would have used it.

“Beau, it’s Gemma. I thought about your offer and, if you’re sure, I’d like to accept.”

“We’re sure, Gemma. Do you have a way to get here? I didn’t see a car in your driveway when I was there earlier.”

“I don’t have one, but I could call someone for a ride.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll swing by and pick you up on my way out of town.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Beau. I’ll see you in the morning. If you want to leave a little earlier, I’ll be ready by eight.”

“Eight is fine, Gemma. I’m anxious to get back home.”

“Good night, Beau.”

She disconnected the call and wondered what she’d do with herself for the rest of the night. She’d been bored out of her mind since leaving Trevor. She hadn’t been able to afford cable and, without her laptop, she couldn’t work on her book or surf porn. She had no problem admitting she had a healthy sex drive and that she used porn to help her exorcise the demons on occasion. The books in her box had been read so many times, the bindings were heavily creased, even falling apart in some cases. Gemma was pretty sure she’d memorized at least half of them.

She wanted a drink so badly, had felt the craving for alcohol ever since she’d left Trevor’s house, but she didn’t have the money to buy anything except cheap beer. She’d bought a six-pack that first night, but it hadn’t lasted past morning. It wasn’t hard for her to admit she had a problem, but she’d never wanted to do anything about it, before now. Alcohol had always been her escape from the nightmare that was her life. The endless parties, the late nights at one bar after another, a circle of friends that wasn’t into anything other than chasing the next high, hopping from one guy’s bed to another’s. Her life hadn’t started out that way. She’d just sort of fallen into it. She’d gotten sucked down fast and hard, and hadn’t been able to claw her way back out of the pit.

All of that was behind her now. She was going to look at Grizzly Pines as her saving grace. If she was going to start over, she was going to do it right. No more alcohol, no more smoking pot at parties… no more parties for that matter. The rest of her family seemed quite content to live a relatively quiet life. Surely, she could do the same thing. Hell, maybe she’d even get a pet once she had her own place. She’d had a dog growing up, but she’d always wanted a cat. Her mom had been allergic so it had been out of the question. There wasn’t even a barn cat at the family ranch. One had shown up once and her dad had immediately taken it to the local shelter to find a new home. She’d prayed every night that it hadn’t been put to sleep.

Before she could take care of a pet, she needed to learn to take better care of herself. If she could make a go of her writing, or find a steady job in Grizzly Pines, rent a decent place, then she’d consider herself rehabilitated and well on her way to being a productive member of society. She had her work cut out for her. Even she could admit that she needed more than a little bit of polish to make her shine. Rough edges? More like tarnished. Heavily tarnished.

She began chewing on a fingernail as she paced her living room. She was on her fifth circuit of the room when the phone rang. The number wasn’t familiar but it was local, so she answered it.

“Hello.”

“No one leaves me, bitch!”

Trevor! She should have known. He’d called several times over the past few weeks, the same conversation every time.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have treated me like shit.”

“You had it good. Anytime you wanted a fix, I provided for you. The fridge was always stocked with your favorite beer and I kept a fully stocked bar. You didn’t even have to work if you didn’t want to. Women would kill to have been in your position.”

“You hit me, Trevor. You beat the living hell out of me until I could barely move! I was black and blue all over. Since when is that taking care of me?”

He snorted. “So I lost my temper every now and then. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a lazy, stupid bitch, it never would have happened. You had one job, Gemma. Keep the damn house clean, and you couldn’t even do that.”

“No one could keep up with your twenty beer cans a day littering the house, dirty dishes left by your chair after every meal, and your clothes being dropped just wherever the hell you felt like taking them off. I was your girlfriend, not your damn slave.”

“You’re going to regret leaving me, Gemma. Don’t think I don’t know where you are. I’ve been watching you. I know all about that roach-infested tin can you’re staying in. We’ll be together again. Soon.”

He hung up and she disconnected the call with a shaky hand. There was no doubt he’d make good on his threat, if he could find her. Good thing she was leaving first thing in the morning! Beau was saving her in more ways than one. She’d never be able to repay him. She just hoped Trevor stayed away until then.

Gemma started pacing again and ended up pacing for so long that the sun was rising before she realized how much time had passed. The odd thing was that she wasn’t the least bit tired. If anything, she was excited to start this next phase of her life. It hadn’t taken her long to throw her scattered clothing into the garbage bag, only leaving out a change of clothes to start her new day, her new life. She took the quickest shower in history, and was just snapping her short-sleeved western shirt when there was a knock on the door. She didn’t think it was eight already, but maybe more time had passed than she’d thought.

Pulling open the door, she smiled at Beau. The rising sun told her he was early, but she was okay with that. There was a ball of energy just buzzing around inside of her, ready to burst free at any moment. If Beau hadn’t come when he had, she probably would have been sitting on the steps waiting for him, her bag and box beside her, feet tapping on the cement steps.

He glanced up at the towel wrapped around her head. “I think you forgot something.”

“You caught me getting out of the shower.”

He shivered. “Thanks, but the last thing I want to think about is you in the shower. Hurry up and brush your hair, or whatever it is you need to do. I’ll start getting your stuff together.”

“Everything is packed except my bathroom stuff. I was just going to throw it in a Wal-Mart sack and be done with it. There’s just a cheap bottle of shampoo and conditioner, a razor, my toothbrush and hairbrush. Anything else can stay.”

“No towels to pack?”

“I only own two and I’m using one. I figure you probably have enough of them already. When I move out, I’ll buy all new stuff. This time, I’ll be better prepared.”

“Where’s your stuff?”

“In the bedroom. Just let me braid my hair and gather the bathroom stuff, and I’ll be ready to go.”

While Beau carried her things out to the car, she fixed her hair and packed the last of her belongings. She wouldn’t miss the trailer in the slightest, and was actually anxious to be rid of the place. Once she walked out the door, she would never look back. It was time to start a new chapter in her life, a better one. Her cousins and their fiancée were giving her a once in a lifetime opportunity and she wasn’t going to squander it.

“Ready?” Beau asked.

She smiled. “Ready.”

He motioned for her to precede him out of the trailer. When the door slammed shut, she felt nothing but relief. She slid into Beau’s SUV and buckled her seatbelt. As they pulled away from her home of the past few weeks, she felt like she’d left the bad Gemma behind, the irresponsible party girl was still inside that metal box, while the new Gemma was ready to go forth and begin her life.