STAG: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 7) (71 page)

Samantha Leal

Copyright ©2015 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

The clock on the nightstand ticked loudly in time with Ryan’s snoring. Miranda closed her eyes and tried to breathe through it, determined, somehow, no matter what, that she would relax and get to sleep. It was nearing 4:00am and this was now the sixth night in a row that she had lay awake worrying about the future and she was sick of letting it beat her. Life was really kicking her ass and now it was starting to ooze out of her pores. The stress was overpowering and she felt full of adrenaline and fear constantly.

She turned to stare at Ryan and her heart sank. Even when he was asleep and in the most vulnerable position possible, he still looked dangerous and mean. She rolled over as quietly as she could, trying to not move the mattress too much for fear of waking him. If she did, she knew what it meant. Another black eye or shouting down. She didn’t dare breathe until she was sure she had gotten away with it and then relaxed down onto her pillow and exhaled. The clock read 4:06… It had been a long night.

It hadn’t always been this way. Only months before, Miranda had been blissfully happy. She was late twenties, happy in her career and starting a relationship with a guy who was not only gorgeous, but seemed to adore her. He’d been impossible to resist when she had finally given in and accepted the opportunity to go out on a date with him, but as time passed and Ryan’s hold got stronger, the charm disappeared and made way for possessiveness, insecurity and ultimately mental abuse. Miranda was crushed, but after being the strong and confident woman she had been, she found herself slipping inside herself and becoming more and more isolated. Her friends seemed to have forgotten she existed and she found herself relying more on Ryan when really she should have been pushing him away. When he eventually turned around in the middle of an argument and socked her in the eye, it wasn’t much of a surprise. She had been expecting it and hated herself intensely for being so weak. She’d let him get away with it all and now she was stuck with him. He had moved into her apartment, and she was too scared to ask him to leave. She didn’t even know how she would broach the subject, and now, here she was tossing and turning all night, terrified of waking him  because she didn’t have to nerve to evict him and move on with her life.

The job had been the last straw. She didn’t even know how it had happened, but she was on disciplinary leave from her office for misconduct. She was an assistant at a law firm and although she knew it hadn’t been her who had spoken to the press and leaked details of a certain high profile case, she was somehow in the firing line as the secretary of the acting partner… and now she had been suspended without pay whilst the investigation was ongoing. There had been no warning. She had simply been called into the boss’s office and told that she had to take her things and go home. They didn’t even ask her if she had done it or not, they just informed her that someone had provided evidence that it had been her. She still couldn’t think of who it could be, and she began to think that she had been picked at random just to take the fall for whoever was really guilty. Maybe she was just the easiest target. The day she had come home in tears and told Ryan what had happened had been one of the worst of her life. All she wanted was some guidance, support and someone to listen to how unjustly she had been treated, but Ryan snarled at her and called her a stupid bitch. She was devastated and had gone to bed crying, just wishing she was somewhere else entirely.

She knew she wasn’t going to get out of the situation by lying awake and worrying about it, but she couldn’t help it. Miranda had always been a dreamer who thought the best in everyone, and now here she was with a boyfriend who bordered on evil and someone in her midst at work who was trying to set her up and get her fired. She had always worked so hard at doing the right thing and respecting and treating people well that she thought everyone else was like her… how wrong could she get?

Ryan let out a loud snore and Miranda jumped. As he stirred, she bit her lip in fear and clamped her eyes closed tight. The last thing she could handle when she was that sleep deprived was him waking up and yelling at her.

She peeked towards the doorway and thought about the spare bedroom down the hall. Did she dare try to climb out of bed, creep down the hallway and climb into it? Maybe she would be able to switch off easier if she was alone in there… but she knew it would only lead to an argument in the morning.

You’ve really gone and got yourself in a shitty situation
, she thought.
Put up and shut up
. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes again. There was no point in worrying. And after thinking over the disciplinary and investigation at work again she decided that when her alarm sounded the following morning, she would get up, get dressed and make her way down there to set the record straight. She had been too timid to make a fuss before now, but she was sick of being walked all over and if it was one thing she didn’t want to mess up, it was her career.

Tomorrow, she thought, tomorrow I’ll tell them they’ve got it wrong. Tomorrow, everything will be better. 

2.

Ryan woke early, dressed, and left her in peace. She was glad she didn’t have to spend the morning being pleasant with him when she really just wanted him to get out of her house. She had debated on a few occasions over just changing the locks while he was out at work, but now she didn’t have an income, and she needed him there to help pay the bills. She had squandered her savings on a series of lavish vacations with her friends a year before when she was single and with no responsibilities, but now she was regretting that decision because she was trapped. Financial freedom would have meant being able to get rid of Ryan, but she found herself dependent and it hurt her pride more than ever.

She pulled on a tight suit dress and a little black jacket, slipped her feet into her black court shoes and pinned one half of her hair back over her shoulder with a little silver clip. She looked groomed and elegant and she was sure that after spending the past three years of her life working at the firm, at least one of the partners would listen to her when she told them that none of it was true. She applied her lipstick and blotted it before making her way towards the door. “No more moping around,” she said aloud, “It’s time to take back control of your life.”

One of the downfalls of living and working in a small town was that everyone seemed to know your business. As Miranda crossed the street outside of her building and made her way down towards Main Street, she saw at least five friendly faces who all seemed to want to talk to her about what had happened at work.

“So are they clearing it all up for you, Sweetheart?” one of her neighbors, Mrs. Paver asked her, “I mean of course you didn’t do it… They must know that?”

“Well, I would hope so,” she said confidently. “I’m actually just on my way over there now to discuss a few things.”

“Terrible business,” Mrs. Paver said as she shook her head, “I’m sure they will catch whoever is responsible.”

“Well, as long as they accept that it wasn’t me,” Miranda smiled hopefully. “Have a good day Mrs. Paver.”

She trotted off down the street, hoping she wouldn’t have another run-in with a nosy neighbor. Even though most of them were harmless, after everything that had happened with her job, she couldn’t help but feel sometimes that they were more interested in the gossip surrounding her than her actual feelings.

Her heart began to beat faster as she approached the tall modern building on the corner of Main Street. Blake & Fox Law had stood tall and proud there since they had razed and rebuilt the building in 2009. Miranda started there in 2011 and had been a dedicated and valued member of the team up until the press ran a story about one of their most notorious clients. The journalist cited a source close to the firm who had provided them with the details that were not only confidential but also unknown to many people in the firm. Sure, quite a few people would have been able to view the information about the case, especially the PAs who were working on the correspondence and providing admin support, but with Miranda being the acting partners’ number one, the blame seemed to instantly fall on her.

“You viewed all of the documents more than anyone else,” Mr. Blake had said when he’d called her into his office, “We have no choice but to suspend you without pay pending an investigation.”

“But I didn’t do this,” Miranda had pleaded, “You know this isn’t me!”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t discuss this any further.” He had shown her the door, and she had left dumbfounded. That had been a week ago and now she was sick of being in the dark. She needed answers and she wasn’t going to be brushed off again.

As she approached reception, her heart seemed to catch in her throat as she saw Jessica, the cute little office girl, sat behind the welcome desk, filing her nails and gazing off into space.

“Hi, Jess,” Miranda smiled sheepishly. “I need to speak to Mr. Blake.”

“Hi,” Jess looked unsure, “Umm, okay, just give me a moment.”

She fiddled with her switchboard and held the phone receiver to her ear. “Miranda’s in reception,” she said quietly. “She needs to speak with you.”

Miranda sat down on a chair in the waiting area and stared at the floor. She didn’t want to look around and accidentally catch the eye of a colleague who may have been passing through reception. She wanted to be in and out of there as inconspicuously as possible.

“Miranda,” Jessica called over to her, “He said you can go through.”

“Thank you,” she said as she got to her feet and hurried along the corridor to the partners’ rooms.

The door creaked open and she knocked as she entered.

“Miranda,” Mr. Blake said as he rose to his feet. “Can I help you?”

“I know I’m supposed to be suspended Mr. Blake, but-“

“Sit down, dear,” he said as he gestured to the chair in front of him.

She took the seat and stared up at him.

“You know I didn’t do this, and I just want to come back to work. It’s just awful having to go through of all of this.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said genuinely, “But protocol is protocol.”

“But why?” she said, “No one else has been suspended, I don’t understand why I seem to have been chosen at random? You know I wasn’t the only person to see those files.”

“Miranda,” he said with a sigh, “Someone provided evidence it was you…”

“Who?” she snapped. “I’ll tell you who, the person who’s really guilty.”

He lowered his head and turned his eyes up to meet hers. “We are investigating it… that’s all I can say for now.”

“Am I going to be compensated when all of this comes out as being a big misunderstanding?”

“If that is indeed the outcome, then yes, of course,” he said.

“I just want to come back to work, Mr. Blake…” she said as the tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m innocent… I would never compromise one of our cases for the sake of a payoff from a journalist, and I know you know that.”

He looked up at her with sympathy in his eyes. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure this is all resolved quickly,” he assured her. “I promise to be in touch as soon as I can.”

He got to his feet and so did Miranda. She was glad she had had the opportunity to speak up after the initial shock of being told to leave the office the previous week, but she was also totally frustrated that he wasn’t just welcoming her back with open arms.

As she walked down the corridor and made her way through reception, she smiled weakly at Jessica and crossed to the elevator. She needed something to cheer her up. And fast.

3.

Ice cream was her usual go-to when she was feeling down, and she knew the exact place to find what had been affectionately dubbed “Food Porn” by her and her friends when it had opened.
Sundaes
was a fifties-style diner in the middle of Main Street and only served the most wicked of treats. Miranda walked there quickly, and as she opened the door a bell jingled above her head. She smiled at the boy who was serving and perused the menu.

All of them, she thought. I literally want all of them.

After she had ordered her mega, chocolate fudge and fruit-topped sundae, she sat by the window and looked out as the world walked by. She pushed the ice cream around in the glass and found it impossible to enjoy.

“God, if this isn’t working, I really am fucked,” she said aloud.

A woman at the table next to her smiled and said, “I hear you there.”

Miranda laughed and realized it was the first time she had in a whole week. Her phone vibrated on the table, and she looked down to see a text from Ryan:

R: Where are you Babe? I got out of work early.

M: I’m at Sundaes, you coming over?

R: Yup, be there in two.

Even though she didn’t really want to see him, she needed to talk to someone and really, he was all she had.

Less than ten minutes later, the door jingled and Ryan entered, his scrawny arms swinging down by his side.

“What’s happening?” he said, “How come you’re not at home?” He looked at her up and down and scrunched up his face, “You look like you’ve been to a funeral,” he snorted.

“Well, I feel like I have, too,” she said as she took a bite of the ice cream.

“What?” he said with irritation.

“My own…” she laughed. “Just… Well, I went to see Mr. Blake to try and clear all of this mess up.”

“Jeez, Miranda,” he whistled and pulled the sundae out of her hands and began to eat it himself. “Just fucking leave it… they want to set you up, you don’t need that place.”

“Well, I can’t just sit around the apartment all day, can I, Ryan?” She reached back for the ice cream, but he pulled it further away.

“Why not?” he said. “Fuck those guys,” he shook his head and laughed. “Anyway… I like having you at home… One hundred percent dedicated to me.” He looked at her and grinned with menace in his eyes.

Within an instant, an ice-cold wave washed over her. It was him. He had made the whole thing up to get her fired… The twisted bastard was getting out of control.

“Ryan…” she said slowly, “Please tell me you didn’t do this to me?”

He rested the spoon down on the side and tried to take hold of her hands, but she wriggled free and glared at him.

“Like I said, babe, fuck that place. I like you being at home looking after me, okay?”

“What the hell!” She got to her feet, and the chair screeched back on its legs. “You’re supposed to be the one person I can trust, and you’re trying to ruin my life! What is wrong with you!” She grabbed her jacket and barged out of the diner, bashing into a teenage kid as she rushed down the street.

Within seconds, Ryan was behind her, grabbing at her shoulders.

“Don’t touch me,” she spat, “Just get out of my life!”

He dug his fingers into her and pulled her down a side street before pushing her up against a wall. He had a rage in his eyes that she had only seen once before, the night he had lost control and lashed out at her.

“Don’t speak to me like that,” he said as he held his finger up in a warning. “I’m just looking out for you, babe, okay?”

She tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he held her still and whispered in her ear, “If you speak to me like that again, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Her skin prickled in terror, and she stopped struggling. She knew when she had to give in. She’d lost this battle for sure. Somehow, she had been so naïve and stupid, blinded by dumb love that she had let this psychopath in too far. He had her in his clutches, and he was already ripping her apart.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered into his neck, “I won’t do it again.”

“Good,” he said pulling back and smiling at her, “Now let’s go home and you can cook me dinner.”