Page 13 of Vengeful Queen
I realize my mistake, but Charlotte recovers quickly. I should’ve told her that I told them about Kurt but not about everything that we did. “I don’t kiss and tell,” I reassure her instantly.
She waves me off. “I was too shaken up to talk about it. I don’t even remember all the details except he’s a jerk. I’m not going back there again.”
“No, you won’t,” adds Asher. “We’ve been discussing it. One of us is going to stay with you at all times.”
Her eyes narrow. “And what exactly were you talking about?”
“Charlotte, someone needs to stay with you until that guy is caught. Who knows who else is out there?”
“It’s one stalker, not a hundred.”
“Kurt is unhinged.”
“Kurt was unhinged long before me,” she replies. “Unfortunately, he’ll latch on to someone else. That stalker was wearing a leather jacket, so I’ve been told.” She looks pointedly at Asher. “And the creep also has a picture of my bald head.”
The conversation stalls as Nadia comes back to the table with Charlotte’s soup. Scowling, Nadia drops a small bag of oyster crackers on the tables to voice her displeasure with our presence without saying it. She leaves without offering us anything else.
“Did your uncle?” I whisper.
Asher scowls but doesn’t respond. The Oak was our hideout. Hardly anyone from the school comes into the local’s stronghold except us. Maybe Asher’s horny uncle messed it up. Great. Now there’s nowhere for us to talk in private. That pisses me off and I finish my beer, placing the heavy glass on the table with a resounding bang. Nadia looks over, but I wave her off. No matter the atmosphere, we have to have this talk in private, and the words can’t be polite.
“You may not want us policing you, but it has to be done,” I tell her. “The dorms aren’t safe.”
“I’ve thought about that,” she replies with a tone. “I’m renting an apartment off campus.”
Hudson stares at her as if she’s lost all intelligence. “Where off campus? There’s nowhere safe in walking distance.”
“There are rooms to rent above the bar,” she replies defensively.
“That’s not safe,” Asher replies. “Besides, you can’t walk around here by yourself.”
“I can drive,” she answers, folding her arms.
I scoff. “I’ve never seen you drive, and where are you going to park a car on campus? It will be ticketed and then towed. No, you can’t do that.”
“Charlotte, we’ll take shifts,” says Asher.
She scowls, giving us each a dirty look. “You mean you’ll take turns.” She lowers her voice. “I’m not ungrateful, and I get that I’m in trouble, but I’m also not a pet that needs to be checked. So it takes all three of you to watch one of me? You’re all okay with this?”
I understand what she means. No, we don’t talk about being with her, but judging from the other guys’ thoughtful expressions, we’ve all felt it. I’ve never talked about how soft she is all over and how good it feels to grip her tight. Or her scent when her skin glistens and she moans. Oh man, the noises she makes. They tug at my cock until I lose my breath, and I have to be inside her.
I never mentioned what happens after. The way Charlotte holds me when I lay my head against her soft breasts, and her fingers stroke patterns through my hair. I can tell her anything without feeling shame or seeing reproach in her eyes. I can finally be honest with someone. Charlotte’s been to hell and understands it’s a rough road. She gently coaxes me back to face reality again.
“Charlotte, we’re not treating you like a pet or a little girl.” My earnest statement has the opposite impact as her expression draws together.
“Then maybe an object?” she scoffs. “Like a doll?”
“No one said that, Charlotte,” replies Asher. “Let us handle the situation. We know how to handle it.”
“I know that firsthand, don’t I?” Her eyes flash in a way that startles me. “Have you forgotten high school? It was a master class in bullying. You made six months of my life a period of dread that still wakes me up at night. For a moment, I thought you were still bullying me, except you don’t like to write. Where did that photo come from?”
Asher stares at Charlotte. His expression tightens as he slowly shuts down. “I don’t know where that photo came from. The stalker is not a part of my uncle’s MC. The patch isn’t from his club.”
“They could be anyone from Monarch,” she replies. “Same as you.”
Asher’s gaze gradually leaves Charlotte as he stares past her into his thoughts. I’ve had my issues with the guy, but I don’t like watching this. I never could figure out the connection between them. They’re so different, but they stayed together. He bullied her, and it formed a bond. A bond she might form with this creep if we’re not careful.
“Charlotte, you need our help.” Hudson’s voice is insistent. “One of us is going to help you, so choose.”