Sweet Charity (19 page)

Dusty let out a groan of frustration and said, “Fuck! I wanted a few minutes with just you today.”

Hope reached up and stroked his cheek with her hand and said, “I’m sorry Dusty. I really am...and I know that this isn’t easy on you keeping our seeing each other from my brother, but for now I really think it’s best, until we know where this is headed.”

He bent down and quickly kissed her lips.  “It’s more than just not telling Jackson, it’s also about trying to respect your wishes, that we not take this beyond a little making out right now.  I want you Hope,” he said. Then, as he knew she wanted, he walked towards the front of the house, so he could sneak out that way, without Jackson or Charity ever knowing that he’d been in here with her.

Chapter 31

When Jackson and Charity walked into the house holding hands, with Kelsey in the middle of them, Hope couldn’t prevent a huge smile from crossing her face even though she was disappointed that Dusty wasn’t happy with her.  “Hey Baby Girl!,” she said to Kelsey, as she ran into her arms and hugged her tight.  “Looks like you had some fun with Uncle Jackson and Charity didn’t you?”

“Mommy? Are Uncle Jackrun and Cherry getting married?” she asked.

Charity could feel a blush immediately beginning to creep over her face. Looking up from Kelsey’s sweet face and into the eyes of Jackson, and then Charity, Hope smiled and said, “I don’t know honey. Do you think they should get married?”

“Yep, I think they should.  I love Cherry too,” she told them. Charity, feeling embarrassed by Kelsey’s comments, lowered her head until she felt Jackson’s hand reaching out for hers.  He laced his fingers with hers, and pulled her into his embrace. When Charity looked up at him, he smiled and leaned down, kissing her on the forehead.

Seeing Charity’s embarrassment, Hope spoke up to change the subject and asked, “Is everyone on their way up to the house now for dinner?”

“Yes, they are,” Charity answered. “Jackson and I came up to get everything ready,” she said.

“And on that note...I’m going to go out and start up the barbeque to preheat,” Jackson said.  “I’ll be right back to help once it’s started.”

Once Jackson had passed through the door and was outside on the deck, Hope spoke up and said, “I’m sorry about that Charity.”

Charity looked over at her and replied, “You know what they say...out of the mouths of babes? It’s not like I haven’t thought about marrying your brother, but we haven’t been together that long and although I would marry him tomorrow, I don’t know how Jackson feels about marriage.”

Walking over beside Charity and taking her hand, Hope looked at her and said, “You have to know how much he loves you Charity.  I’ve never seen my brother like this.  He’s so happy and for the first time ever I think he believes that he deserves it.”  Just then, Jackson came back inside, so the subject was closed for now.

Dinner was loud and chaotic, but so much fun, and Charity thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this family, that had so willingly accepted her.  She was fortunate, that they had also accepted her friends into the fold. Melissa seemed to have hit it off with Animal, and they had been spending a lot of time together since that first night at the club.  She was so happy for her. Melissa had terrible luck with men, so Charity really hoped that she and Animal would become more than just a passing fling.  Faith surprised her by accepting today’s invitation, after what had happened both at The Maverick’s club, and when Aiden had taken her home that night, but she came and was pretty sociable with everyone, except Aiden of course.  She seemed to be avoiding him like the plague all day.  Aiden however, tried to engage her in conversation more than once, but Faith, never staying in one place for any length of time, seemed to do pretty well when it came to brushing him off.  Charity could tell that Aiden was a little peeved at Faith, but she also noticed that he didn’t stop trying to talk to her, even at dinner tonight. 

Tommy met up with Brains again that same afternoon, and they took his speed boat out onto the lake.  Brains had called and told him that there was a party going on at Gunner’s house on the lake, and he figured that the only way to see what the hell was going on was the view from the lake.  The house was too far from the road for them to see anything.  Brains couldn’t believe just how obsessed Tommy was over Ms. Spencer.  I mean if he really hated her as he claimed he did, then why didn’t he just let her go and move on, but no way would he let it go.  They had spent the afternoon floating around out in the middle of the lake, with Tommy looking through binoculars and spying on The Maverick’s party.

After hours of Tommy stammering, sneering and obsessing over this and that, he finally told him that it was time to leave. “I know how the bitch is going to pay now,” he told Brains. “I know what I’m going to do.”    

Chapter 32

Another week went by before Tommy saw the opportunity he had been looking for.  Damn slut was with Gunner all of the time, but tonight the bitch was at the restaurant working late, for who knows what reason, because he never knew of her working late when they were together.  What the fuck? He was just happy that she was alone.  He’d watched the rest of the staff leave hours ago.  It was now dark, and all he needed to do, was wait for her to leave.

He had Brains staking out The Black Maverick’s clubhouse, so he knew that Jackson was busy with not only the local club members, but one of the out of town chapters was visiting for some reason or another.  He didn’t really care, as long as it kept Gunner away from Charity.

After waiting across the street from Sweet Charity’s, he saw Charity walking through the restaurant, turning off the lights, so knowing she must be about to leave, he made his way through the alleyway next door to the restaurant, and watched for Charity leaving through the back door. Once she had locked the door, and was about halfway to her car, he whistled from his hiding spot.  Hearing the noise, Charity turned around and looked behind her, and then all around once more.  Obviously deciding that it was nothing she turned to walk towards her car once more. 

It was all Tommy could do not to laugh when he had watched her turning to look behind her.  He figured that she would be a little nervous, given that it was dark and there was only one light at the back of the restaurant.  He rather liked intimidation. 

When Charity was about ten feet from her car, Tommy stepped out of the shadows and said, “I see your new boyfriend let you out alone tonight.” At the sound of Tommy’s voice behind her, Charity immediately froze. What on earth was he doing here, and what did he want? She hadn’t heard anything from him, since the day she had left after he went to work that morning.  It was now months later, and she was sure that if Tommy was going to give her any trouble, it would have been right after she left him she thought. 

“What do you want Tommy?” she asked as she turned around to face him.  He was standing only about, six feet away from her.  She had no idea where he had been hiding, but she knew that he had to have been hiding when she came out of the back door of Sweet Charity’s.  She also knew that he must have made the whistling noise she had heard a few moments ago.

“Oh come now Charity, is that any way to speak to your former love?” he asked with a sneer on his face. 

“You were not my love Tommy,” she said.  I’m not really sure exactly what you were but I didn’t love you,” she told him.  “You were mean and controlling and the only time you weren’t was before I agreed to move in with you.  I should never have been swayed by your false charm.” As she spoke to him, she reached inside her purse, looking for her cell phone so she could call Jackson.

“What’s this? I was wonderful to you Charity, and I provided you with a good safe roof over your head,” he said.  “It was you who withheld your body and your love from me,” he told her. 

“I did no such thing Tommy.  You were the one sleeping with the whores at your club.  I knew there was a reason you treated me like an afterthought,” she told him.

“Well you’re not an afterthought now doll,” he growled.  “I’ve thought of little else but you since you moved out of our home.  It’s just not the same without you,” he said.  “I’ve never wanted you more than I have these last few months.”  While he spoke he was slowly moving towards her and he now only stood a couple of feet away from her.  She needed to find her damn phone before he reached for her because she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what he planned to do once he did.  She couldn’t control the feeling of cold that permeated her body now, nor the trembling overtaking her whole body.  She knew that there was no way that Jackson would be able to help her now, being so far away. All she could do now would be to pray, and hope that God gave her the strength to fight him off herself. 

Fighting the sick feeling in her stomach, she kept her hand inside her purse trying to find her damn cell phone.  Miracle of miracles, she put her hand around it, but that was at the very same moment Tommy reached out, and grabbed her other wrist, pulling her up flush against him.  “Stop looking for your phone bitch,” Tommy ground out.  “Your boyfriend can’t help you now.  I know that he’s all the way out at The Maverick’s clubhouse.  It’s just you and me now Charity.”

“Let go of me Tommy!” Charity said.  “You’re hurting me,” she told him. 

“No bitch, I won’t be letting go of you yet,” he said loudly, and then he grabbed both of her arms, making her drop her purse and causing everything to fall out on the ground, including her phone. Then he bent his head and kissed her biting hard on her lower lip and forcing his tongue inside her mouth. 

He tasted vile she thought, and Charity wondered why she had ever thought him a worthy boyfriend at all.  She could also taste blood which she assumed was from him biting her lip.  As he forced his tongue inside her mouth, she struggled with him trying to push him away from her, but Tommy had too strong of a hold on her.  As he swiped his tongue around her mouth, she bit down hard on it, and Tommy pushed her away as he shouted out, “You fucking cunt.  You’ll be sorry you did that.”

Charity used the shock value, and the fact that Tommy had shoved her away, to try to get hold of her phone.  She was able to reach it and get into her contacts, while he was spitting and wiping the blood from his mouth.  Unfortunately she didn’t have time to look for Jackson’s name on her contact list, so she quickly pushed the green call button on whatever person she was able to.  Tommy reached for her once again, this time ripping the phone from her hands, and throwing it down onto the ground.  She just prayed that it wasn’t broken so that whenever Tommy was through with her, she could call for help.  

Jackson had just grabbed a beer at the bar in The Black Maverick’s clubhouse, when his phone rang.  He and his vice president, Dusty, had just finished a meeting with the presidents and vice presidents of two of the affiliate chapters that were at the club for the night. He smiled when he saw Charity’s photo light up the screen of his phone.  Jesus she’s beautiful he thought.

“Hi Baby, I miss you,” he said into his phone however, instead of hearing his sweet Charity’s sexy voice speaking back at him, all he heard were her screams.  “What the hell?” he said.  “Charity...Baby are you alright?  What’s going on? Talk to me Baby!” he said into the phone.  Still there was no response from Charity just her yelling and screaming in what sounded like the fight of her life. 

By now the guys from the club and some from the affiliates had gathered around Jackson at the bar, knowing that something was seriously wrong. They watched as Jackson listened in horror, to the sounds of what they knew was hitting, kicking and punching along with more yelling.  As they listened, they heard Charity screaming, “Tommy please don’t hurt me.  Just leave me alone! If you go now...it’ll be fine...everything’s fine. Please just stop!” 

It was Dusty who spoke first saying Jackson, “What do you need man? Where is she?  We got you brother!” Jackson was paralyzed for a few seconds at the shock of hearing Charity being attacked. Then he ran towards the club’s exit saying, “I’m heading to Sweet Charity’s first. She was working late tonight.  Somebody head to her house just in case she’s there.  Let’s go!”