Moving On (Cape Falls) Read online

  He didn’t pry even though he wanted to.

  “So, do you see yourself working in the library for the rest of your life?” he asked.

  She gazed at him, her blue depths watering as she stared at him. “I doubt I’ll be working here much longer.”

  “Why?”

  Rose licked her lips looking past his shoulder. “My family are old-fashioned. I think they’re trying to marry me off. They’re plotting something, but I don’t know what.” The smile she gave him was empty.

  “They have no idea you’re talking to me, do they?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I never want to tell them because if I do then they’d take it away from me.”

  Peter hurt for her. He knew she was suffering, and there was nothing he could do to help. Her family were the ones in control. It was how Cape Falls worked. The parents made the decisions, and the children did as they were told. Their town had survived like this for many generations.

  He, Laura, Anna, and Daisy had been the few people to make it out of Cape Falls with their own kind of family. They were a unit, and they always went into town together.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Why? You can’t do anything about it. It’s the way it is.” She dropped her gaze to eat more of her sandwich.

  Peter wished he could take her troubles away, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t offer her anything. His love was for Laura and would always be for her. Loving Laura was something he was used to. Reaching out, he held Rose’s hand, pulling her hand close to his chest. “I really wish there was something I could do to help you.”

  “There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry for bringing it up to you.”

  He shushed her, staring into her face. “We’re friends, Rose. We talk to each other about our troubles.”

  Silence met his words, and they stayed still for several seconds.

  “Rose, is that you?”

  Peter turned to the noise to see a young man, a little older than Rose, approach them. He was with three other men, who were looking at Rose as if she was something to eat.

  He didn’t like their attention, and his hands fisted at his side.

  “Shit.” Peter heard her whisper.

  “I’m guessing they’re some of the people who you don’t want to know?” Peter asked.

  “They’ll tell my parents and ruin everything.” She pulled her hand away and started to eat her sandwich.

  “I thought it was you. What are you doing?” The mystery man came to stand beside Rose. Peter stared at him, seeing the possessive glint written in his eyes. He wanted to know who the man was so he could put him in his place.

  “Hi, Brad, I’m just eating lunch with Peter.”

  Brad, the mystery man now had a name, turned his attention. Peter saw the assessment because he was doing his own. What he saw in Brad was lacking. The man was cruel. Peter didn’t know how he knew it, only that he did.

  What he also didn’t like was the way he knelt down beside Rose and started playing with a strand of her long hair. Her blonde hair was long enough to cover her full ass. She kept it in a ponytail, so the strands lifted up a little and rested above the curve of her ass.

  “Peter Miller, right?” Brad asked, offering his hand.

  “The very one, and you are?” Peter didn’t take the offered hand and continued eating his lunch.

  “I’m a friend of Rose’s.”

  Rose was shaking. Peter wanted to make her shaking disappear.

  “I’ve got to get back to work,” Rose said.

  When she made to pass him, Peter grabbed her hand. “Lunch was lovely, Rose. Thank you.”

  She glanced at the other men, nodded and turned away.

  Peter returned his attention back to the men. They were all stood watching her leave. He got to his feet and pocketed his empty lunch box.

  “You shouldn’t be around her. What’s the matter? Not enough sluts visiting your club that you’ve got to pry women out of town,” Brad said.

  Staring at the man, Peter knew Rose would be in trouble if Brad got near her. His gut was telling him to protect her.

  He stepped up close to Brad and found he had to look down at the man. “Don’t talk about the club like that.”

  Walking past them, he felt all four men follow him. Cutting through the path he saw it was secluded, and he sensed they’d make a move. None of them was a match for him no matter what they thought.

  Peter spun around to face them, taking them by surprise.

  “You shouldn’t come near Rose again,” Brad said.

  “And you’re going to stop me?” Peter folded his arms.

  Brad’s three friends held back.

  “Yeah, I am.” Brad lunged at him, and Peter grabbed the man, pushing him up against the hard brick wall.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t really give a shit, who you are. Don’t threaten me, and don’t go telling Rose’s parents. I may be a lot of things, Brad, but I know how to fuck you up and your friends.” He leaned in close to the guy’s ear. “And guess what? I’ve got friends, too.”

  He shoved the little prick back to his friends. “Back off.”

  Leaving the scene, Peter didn’t feel better. He was worried about Rose. The town of Cape Falls may be having changes, but the people were still stuck in the past.

  ****

  Rose saw Brad and his friends enter the library. They were not good men, but Brad came from a good, wealthy family and everyone put up with him. He scared her, as did the others in his group. Licking her lips, she grabbed the cart of books and made her way around the library putting more books on shelves. Her job was not exciting, and she knew Laura, Dean’s wife, had once been in her position.

  They were two women who were going to end up very differently. She made her way into one of the rooms and started putting books back into the medical section. After a few minutes she started to relax. She loved her lunch with Peter, even if he had broken her heart. He’d pretty much made it clear there was no chance for him and her to ever be together. It was incredibly stupid of her to think anything could change.

  Peter was totally out of her league, and she’d never have a shot with him. She jumped at the sound of the door to the room closed and locked. Turning to face the door she saw Brad with his three friends. The blinds in the room were closed. No one could enter or see what was going on.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked. Her pulse jumped like crazy inside her chest. She’d heard many rumours about these four men. A lot of gossip surrounded them with no proof to back it up.

  The three men stood separate from one another as Brad moved in closer. She watched him, terrified. Rose had noticed his gaze on her whenever she was in town. He made her skin crawl, and it took every ounce of willpower not to flinch away from him.

  “Your parents don’t know Peter visits here, do they?”

  She glanced at him and then at the three men. Their arms were folded, and smirks were on their face. Her heart raced. Cape Falls was a shitty town, but the rumours about these men were the worst. She heard they preyed on women, raped them, but they always had an alibi. The women left Cape Falls or ended up in some accident. She hated it and hated them.

  “No, he sits in a room and reads. There’s nothing else to it. He has a right to visit the library as well.”

  Brad laughed. “He’s fucking scum, Rose. You shouldn’t allow him near you or to touch you.”

  He reached out to stroke her face, and she flinched away. Brad paused with his hand mid-air.

  His friends laughed. She stayed still as Brad stroked her cheek. “I don’t want you eating with him again. I’ll be here from now on. You stay away from him.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  Rose bit her lip as he grabbed both her arms and hauled her up close to his body.

  “Because I’ll tell your parents and then there will be nowhere for you to turn.” Brad lowered his head, and Rose turned her face in time. His lips brushed against her cheek.

>   “Remember, I’ll be around, Rose.”

  She didn’t like the sound of his voice. He scared her so much.

  Brad held her in his arms, and she kept her gaze on his chest not wanting to look into his eyes.

  Please leave. Please leave. Please leave.

  She repeated the words to stop herself from screaming them out. Soon they left the room. Rose watched them leave and took a deep breath. They were scary men, and she didn’t want to have to be alone with them ever again.

  After her shift at the library she made her way home. Her parents were not home yet, but it would only be a matter of time. She entered their home and went straight to the kitchen. Rose was starving, and she really needed to eat.

  Glancing at the cupboards she saw them all locked and bolted. Turning to the fridge she looked inside. Her mother had marked where the milk was when she left, and everything was put in place. If she ate anything her parents would know. They were controlling everything. She left the kitchen and made her way toward the laundry closet. There was where she found the scales and the measuring tape, along with the notebook her mother kept at her father’s insistence.

  Every morning without fail she was forced to stand on the scales, and then she was measured around the waist, hips, arms and breasts. Her father would check the numbers and decide what to do.

  Growing up she’d never suffered with this. Her parents fed her without concern at all. They’d given her chocolate, sweets, and healthy meals. It was only recently her food ban had come into force, along with the regular checks on her weight and measurements.

  Closing the door, she headed upstairs to her room. She wasn’t allowed a lock, and her mother cleaned her room every day. There was no chance of privacy. Her mother believed privacy was overrated and she needed to do what her parents requested of her.

  I’m nineteen and nothing but a prisoner.

  She walked to her window and looked out over the horizon. Her bedroom had a clear view of the outskirts of town. Many times she’d wondered what it would be like to simply empty her bank account and leave without looking back. Once she left she’d be in charge of her future. There would be no more weighing scales or locked cupboards. She’d be free to do what she wanted when she wanted to do it.

  Letting out a sigh, she rid her mind of the thoughts.

  Her mother’s words came back to her.

  “You leave this house and this town and you’ll never survive. You’ll be at the mercy of some pimp who’ll use you and your body. Can you hack having a new man between your thighs every minute?”

  Over the years she’d grown terrified of leaving her parental home. She wouldn’t last two minutes out in the real world.

  ****

  Brad entered his parents’ home with his friends following behind him. Both his parents were at work, and there was no one home, which was how he liked it. His family were not as rich as the Steer brothers, but they were close to it.

  “Did you see the look on her face? She’s terrified of you,” Adam said.

  He smirked, going into the games room and taking a seat. Thinking about Rose made his dick rock hard.

  “Terrified she may be, but soon she’ll be my woman and I can do whatever the fuck I want with her.”

  All three friends turned to him. They’d been with him growing up and knew what he was like.

  “What are you saying?” Tyler asked, smirking.

  “My dad put in a word with her dad. They’re following strict instructions to put her through an eating regimen. She’s been reduced to two meals a day and is weighed every morning.”

  Adam and Tyler smirked.

  “I don’t believe you. There’s no way the Slaters would put their daughter through that,” John said.

  Shaking his head, Brad grabbed the notebook, which updated her progress. He threw it at John.

  “I told you, she’s going to be mine very soon.”

  John shook his head. “If you already like her then why are you putting her through this?”

  Brad looked at his friend. They’d done a lot together. They always had each other’s backs, and if one of them was to fall, they’d all fall. Their secrets were what bound them together. Brad wasn’t going to jail for messing with a couple of sluts, and neither were any of his friends.

  “The power. I’m in control, and Rose will know who’s the boss. I don’t want a wife who goes out to work. I want a wife who knows her place. Rose will know her place, and then we can all have a chance to play with her.”

  He noticed John didn’t smile right away where Adam and Tyler did. In the next second John started smiling, putting Brad’s mind at ease.

  Brad had big plans for Rose. She was going to learn her place when it came to his friends. He looked forward to training her for his personal needs.

  Chapter Three

  Peter sat inside William’s sitting room watching him hold one of his daughters. He heard Daisy laughing in the distance, and he stared at his friend and boss. The last thing he’d anticipated on a weekend was to be called in for a chat. William’s chats were always personal and about problems.

  Rubbing his head, Peter glanced at his watch. The last two days this week Rose hadn’t eaten lunch with him. Brad had arrived just as they were leaving, taking her away from him. He despised the man. There was something about Brad that made Peter tense around him. The guy was bad news. He didn’t like him one bit, and Rose was looking weak. Since he’d last seen her on Saturday, she’d seemed fine. It was Wednesday, and she was already looking pale and withdrawn. He hated it, and what he hated even more was the fact he couldn’t bring himself to stop it.

  His heart belonged to another woman. There was no chance for him to enter a relationship knowing Laura was the only one who owned his heart.

  “You’ve not taken a sub, Peter,” William said.

  “We’ve discussed this before. I’m not ready to take a sub, and I’m not going to commit to a woman when I’m elsewhere,” he said.

  They argued about this regularly. Peter never took a permanent sub. He trained many and gave the women who wanted him some time. He never got too close to the women and always remained impassive.

  William looked angered. “I’m worried about you. We’re all worried about you.”

  “Edward told you about my cemetery trips?” Peter asked, knowing he was going to hurt the other man when he next saw him.

  “Yeah, he did, and frankly I’m worried.” William stood up, tapping his daughter’s diaper covered bottom.

  “I don’t see why you’re worried. I’m good at what I do.”

  “Dean Riley didn’t die. He was more than happy to step aside and let you have Laura, and you refused. He didn’t die, and he’s still happily married to the woman you’d gladly take a bullet for.”

  There was a time when those words would have cut through him. Peter fisted his hands at his sides to try to find something to make him feel again.

  “Do you think I visit the cemetery wishing Dean was there?” Peter asked, disgusted by William’s assumption.

  “Frankly, yeah I do.”

  Peter stood. “No, I don’t visit the cemetery because I’m a sick fuck. I’m in love with Laura, and she’s happy because Dean’s alive. I visit the cemetery to think. I’m not wishing for anything, William, and to be honest, your suggestion is fucking insulting.”

  He stormed out of the room and crashed into Daisy. She fell on her ass.

  “Shit, I’m sorry.” He reached down helping her to her feet.

  “No, it’s okay. The kids keep me on my toes, and I refuse to hire a nanny. I’m going to be the best mom I can be.”

  Peter smiled at her. “You’ll be fantastic.”

  He didn’t give her chance to talk to him. William called out to him, but he ignored the shouts of his name. He left the gates of William’s house and club and surprised himself by heading toward Dean’s home. It had been a couple of month since he’d last seen the couple. They’d left Cape Falls to go on a vacation aroun
d Europe.

  Driving up to their front door, he saw Laura near the side of the house hanging out washing. He took the time to admire her fuller curves. After a couple of kids, she’d gotten bigger in the hips and breasts. Every time he looked at her, Peter was blown away by her beauty and her strength. Staring at her now, nothing happened. She was a beauty and he admired her, but nothing happened. There was no reaction to her presence at all.

  Dean opened the front door, smiling at him.

  Climbing out of the car he headed to the front door. “It has been a while since we’ve seen you,” Dean said, holding his hand out for him to shake.

  Peter shook his hand and headed inside.

  He laughed as their kids jumped on him, demanding hugs and kisses before Laura entered the house, steering them away.

  “I’m so pleased you stopped by,” she said, hugging him.

  Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent before pulling away, feeling uncomfortable. It didn’t feel right anymore. Peter frowned when his lower body didn’t respond to her. Usually he had to be careful around her because his cock always hardened.

  Maybe he was tired.

  “I’m here to see Dean and find out how he’s getting on.”

  “Okay,” Laura said, smiling. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  They entered Dean’s study where all the magical stories happened.

  “I didn’t think you were going to stop by,” Dean said, taking a seat.

  “For a long time I wasn’t going to. I just needed to get away from the club and from William.” He took a seat opposite Dean and looked at the older man. Dean was nearing fifty whereas Peter and Laura were only twenty-eight years old. It was a big age gap, but the two were in love.

  “I’m pleased you stopped by. There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Dean said, leaning forward.

  “Are you all clear of the cancer? Do you get regular appointments and checks?” Peter asked, cutting Dean off.

  “Yes on all counts. It’s miraculous what’s happened. When I was told I had cancer I was expecting the worst. I didn’t want to leave Laura alone in the world.”