Tainted Love: Sinful Souls MC #3 (26 page)

Alaina Mathews:
I’M COMING! Vicky, if you leave me behind, I will set those Louboutin’s on fire. Don’t play.

Vicky Rendon:
You’re an evil woman. We need to sneak out. Because of you know who.

Alaina Mathews:
Yeah, that was pretty obvious, Vicky.

Phoebe Rendon:
Ade?

I roll my eyes and laugh at their conversation. These girls are crazy, but I love them to bits. They don’t have to worry about Ade, he’s not on my friends list so there’s no way he can see their conversation. I look through the photos from last night again, smiling. My smile drops when I see the little earth symbol near the privacy.

“Fuck,” I whisper while clicking on the symbol.

Carter comes up to me, looking over my shoulder. “What’s up?”

I point to the symbol. “These photos are public. Anyone on Facebook can see them.”

It falls silent, and when I look over my shoulder I see his face is red from trying to withhold his laughter. I drop my eyes in a bored look.

“Carter, this is not funny. Ade will get the wrong idea from those pictures. They almost killed each other at the wedding. He will for sure kill Dominic now. Shit.”

Carter waves his hand around his face. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Look, Ade is probably not even on Facebook.”

I think over what he just said, and he may be right. There’s no way Ade will have a Facebook. I check through Vicky, Phoebe, and Alaina’s Facebook friends anyway just to make sure, and sure enough, none of the boys are there. I relax instantly. Carter rounds me, standing in front of me and taking my brush in his hand and he begins running it through my hair.

“The question is though, baby…why did that possibility bother you so much?”

I swallow down and shoo his brushing away. “Because Carter…because I think I’m in love with him, and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.”

Carter pauses and spins my body around to face him. “You know what you need to do. You can’t do that to Dominic. You need to let him go.”

I look away from him, glancing at the door. “I know,” I reply swallowing down a ball of worry. “I’ll just…I’ll call him today.” I smile at Carter and he nods his head.

“Good girl,” he says lightly kissing me on the cheek.

I don’t know where I’d be without him. We balance each other out. God was apologizing for all men when he made Carter—as always, the good ones are either gay or married.

Fuck my life
.

Apart from Dominic, he’s special. I really hope I haven’t ruined our friendship, I’ll be heartbroken. I can’t live without Dominic in my life. He’s been there for so long that I’ve almost become dependent on him.

I take out some casual clothes, scrub fast through the shower before running back to my room. I end up settling on a black maxi dress that hugs my curves nicely, curves that have come back in full force after my week of no food. I swear my ass has doubled. I brush my long hair and leave it in natural waves down my back. I put on some
BB cream
then snatch my glasses and handbag from the dresser before I leave my room. I walk out to the living room to see all the girls in there and Carter playing with Phoebe’s hair. She has incredible hair, Carter and I always fight over who gets to touch Phoebe’s hair.

“Hey!” I chirp, walking over to hug them all.

“Hey girl,” Alaina says cheerfully from the seat she’s sitting on.

Vicky smiles up at me, although the smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Please tell me those photos I saw today were just two friends casually kissing at a restaurant?”

I blush, sucking in a breath, before sitting on the couch and placing my hands over my legs. These girls are my life; they will tell me where to put it if I fuck up. They’re real, and there’s no way I can lie to them. Especially Vicky, she’s scary.

“Um…before I left for your wedding, Dom kissed me. I said to him just to give me some time. When I came back, one thing leads to another and he asked me out for dinner, as more than friends. I agreed. And that’s how those photos happened. I love Dom, so much. I really wanted it to work, but I can’t do that to him. Not when my heart is currently riding a motorcycle.” I breathe out in a rush and Phoebe adds in a mumbled tone, “More like riding his army of skanks.”

I look at her, eyes wide.

Alaina kicks her softly with her foot. “He’s hurting. It’s how he deals.”

I tilt my head and look to both of them. “He’s fucking around?”

They all look to each other before Vicky stands and sits next to me. “He’s hurting. He loves you, but you have to understand that this is how Ade deals with his emotions. He kills or fucks.” She shrugs.

Carter’s eyes shoot up. “Are you serious?”

Vicky looks to Alaina whose eyes widen as if she needs to cover what she’s just let slip.

“No, I’m just using that as a figure of speech.” She attempts to laugh it off.

I narrow my eyes at her. “I don’t give a fuck who he kills. But who he fucks? Yeah. We have a problem.” I stand from my seat and I’m one hundred percent aware that I’m being a total hypocrite, but I didn’t have sex with anyone.

“Kal, you’re thinking too much into this. One of the last girls he fucked ended up buried in the forest. Trust me, sex means nothing to him.”

“Not helping…not helping at all.”

I begin pacing around the living room. I spare a glance at Carter and he looks like he might be sick. I’ve never felt jealousy like this before. Oh no, this is a dangerous feeling. I’ve felt jealousy like,
she has nice shoes and I want them
. But this jealousy? This jealousy makes me feel like ripping his balls off and licking them, all at the same time.

“Okay, I’m going to be okay. I just need to forget about him. I think. Is that what I need to do? Oh my God, what the fuck do I do? I don’t know how to cope with this knot of hate and jealousy I feel deep in my chest. This fucking sucks.”

I slump back to the sofa, a bead of sweat dripping off me.

It’s silent, I notice no one has said anything. I look up at all the sets of eyes looking at me in shock. “Wow,” Vicky blows out. “Who knew you had that in you.”

I look to the side before thinking about my actions and smile. “Let’s just forget it. I need food.” I stand from the sofa and make my way to the door, and when I feel no one is following I stop and turn around. “Are you guys not hungry?”

They all stand at once and follow me out the door.

We’re all sitting at a new café we decided to try downtown, and I’m sipping on the fattiest, chocolate milkshake I could find. Everyone’s voices die out. I think Carter and Vicky are having another debate about politics when I take my phone out of my handbag and send a text to Dominic.

Me:
Can we talk?

Dominic:
Two pm? I can meet you at yours?

Me:
Sounds good
.

I huff out and throw my phone back into my bag. This is going to suck. Why did I have to meet Ade Nixon, he’s toxic.

“I need to start heading back soon. Dom is coming up at two,” I say to all of them.

Vicky pats my knee. “Be nice, please. He’s my big brother. You’re doing the right thing, though. I wish you two could be together, but I can see it in your eyes, we all can. You’re already claimed by Ade, you just don’t know it yet.”

I laugh. “Oh, I know it. However, the slutting around thing is making it difficult for me to decide whether I want to love him or kill him. Jesus, how could he just…You know what? Don’t care.”

That was a blatant lie and we all know it.

I care too much.

“Are you girls heading back to Westbeach?” I ask them all.

“Nah, we’ve decided to stay. I heard about this new club downtown. Care to check out?” Alaina asks over her coffee. I smile at her with a mischievous glint in my eye.

“I accept. Give me an hour with Dom, then you guys can come up.” I kiss them all on their head and walk out of the café, making my way back to my apartment.

Walking in and throwing my crap down onto the floor, I look at my watch and see I have ten minutes before he arrives. I begin giving myself a mental pep talk. Just when I finish pouring my wine, I hear a knock on the door. I run over and swing it open to Dominic in ripped, cut off jean shorts that hang to his knees and a white singlet. I’m so extremely disappointed in myself right now because I want to lick him.

“Hey, come in,” I say stepping aside and gesturing to the open space beside me. He kisses me on the head and makes his way in. I shut the door and sit beside him on the couch.

“Do you want anything to drink?” He shakes his head then smiles.

“Just say what you need to say, Kal. It’s okay.”

I nibble on my lip, placing my hands on my lap. “It’s not fair, Dom. I’m not ready to see someone right now because I have too many issues I need to deal with inside. And, I still hold strong feelings for Ade. I don’t want to lead you on, you deserve better.”

He leans his elbows on his knees and looks up to me. “I know. I’m sorry, I sort of pushed this on to you. It was a dick move.”

“You didn’t force anything on me, Dom. I wanted to try it.”

He smiles, pulling me under his arm. “I hope I meet someone just like you one day, Kal.”

I wipe the stray tear that has slipped from my eye. “I don’t. I hope you find someone better.”

He stands from the couch, pulling me up and under his embrace.

“If you say we can’t be friends anymore I will understand, but I will also probably stalk you in your sleep until you decide that you have no other option than to be my friend,” I say in a muffled tone in his arms. He laughs and pulls back from me.

“There’s no way in hell I’d stop being your friend, Kal. That’s crazy talk.”

I smile up at him and he kisses me again softly on the lips. “You’re a fucking special girl, Kalie. Always remember that,” he tells me before walking out of my apartment.

An empty feeling creeps into my stomach, but I also feel lighter. I couldn’t keep doing that to him, I should have never explored the idea to begin with, but it’s Dominic.

That took quicker than I’d planned, so I decide to call my mom and check in with her. She picks up on the third ring.

“Hey mom, how are you doing?”

“He sweetie, I’m good. When are you coming to see us?”

“Real soon, I promise.” I really should go to see my mom; it’s exactly what I need.

“Dad bought a new pool, so you’ll have to come and try it out.”

I laugh. “Dad’s always buying new things.”

“I better go, Mom. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

“I love you, darling.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

Hearing her voice is exactly what I need. Moms are angels sent from God, I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I walk into the kitchen and pull out a bottle of wine. I’m eager to start this night with a bang. I feel free but slightly nauseated with the thought of Ade going balls deep into one of his skanks. I don’t understand men. The saying is right,
‘Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.
’