Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

There’s instantly a scowl on Bear’s face. “They left you?”

Opal’s smile is tight. “Yep.”

“That’s shitty.” Fran reaches across the table, setting her hand on Opal’s. “He isn’t worth it, babe. Any man who would leave you behind without a second thought isn’t worth an ounce of your time or energy.”

“Who said it was a man?” I ask.

“No woman is going to leave her friend behind in a tattoo shop, Stone. It goes against the sisterhood code.”

I laugh. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Am I right?” Fran asks Opal. “Your friend is a he?”

Opal nods. “He’s in the past now.”

“Where he needs to stay gone and buried.” Fran pats Opal’s hand before pulling her arm back. “Stone will get you where you need to go. He’s a good kid. A little wacky sometimes and loves the ladies a little too much, but he’s a good egg.”

I rub my forehead, hating that everyone thinks I’m a womanizer. I mean, they’re not wrong. But why do they feel the need to tell everyone, including the pretty woman at my side? “I don’t love the ladies too much, Auntie, and I’m not wacky.”

“You’re a player,” Bear says with a grin. “And if I were your age, I would be too.”

“I’m pretty damn sure you were worse than him at that age,” Fran tells him.

“You only live once,” Bear says as he slides his arm around the top of her chair, resting a hand on her shoulder. “But I’m a one-woman man now.”

“If you want to stay alive,” she mutters.

“You two are funny and cute,” Opal tells them.

“We have our moments,” Bear says, leaning over to give Fran a kiss on the cheek.

“Ah. The food’s here,” Fran says, breaking the moment of sweetness between her and Bear.

I let my body relax, knowing we’ll be too busy eating to continue the same line of questioning. As soon as we’re done, I’m taking Opal and we’re leaving.

We’re leaving. There’s no way in hell I’m letting her out on the streets to fend for herself. I have too much in life, while she has nothing.

It’s about damn time Opal knows kindness, and I am going to do my best to show her a little until she figures out her next move.





4





OPAL





“Do you want to get your purse tonight?” Stone asks me before we get up from the table.

I glance out of the corner of my eye, noticing Bear and Fran listening and watching us. “No. It’s okay. I don’t need it right now.”

“Wait,” Bear says, leaning forward. “You don’t have your purse?”

“No,” Stone answers him, staring at me when he does. “It’s at his place.”

Bear pushes aside his empty beer bottle. “The prick left you and knew you had no way to pay for anything or get anywhere?”

“Yep,” Stone replies. “It’s my fault, though.”

I hate that he’s taking the blame. I’m the one who’s at fault for being with and staying with a guy who treated me like shit. I should’ve walked away a long time ago. “There’s no one to blame except me.”

Stone reaches out, placing his hand on mine as it rests on my knee. “The only one who did anything wrong here is Jeff.”

“I know.” I force a smile, trying not to argue with him.

“This guy ever hit you?” Bear asks, and I don’t even mind the question. He’s a charming older man, and although his exterior looks tough, he’s been nothing but a sweetheart. And I have no doubt he loves his wife and cherishes the ground she walks on.

“No. He never hit me.” But he had laid his hands on me a time or two. He got a kick out of grabbing my arms and restraining me when he saw fit in order to remind me that I was weaker than him.

“Maybe not yet, but it was coming,” Fran adds. “Mark my words.”

Based on the look on her face, she’s had similar experiences to mine with men.

“Let’s get the check and head over to his place to grab your purse. There’s power in numbers, and that shit ain’t going to stand. He doesn’t get to keep your stuff,” Bear says.

My stomach turns at the thought of a confrontation with Jeff. But I also know I can’t do it alone.

“This isn’t your problem,” Stone tells Bear.

“It’s not yours either,” I remind Stone.

This is entirely my problem.

Bear runs his fingers across his beard, smirking. “I’ve been needing some action. I’d be delighted to go there with you and have your back. If I get to throw a punch or two, that’s a bonus.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea at your age?” I can tell by the way Stone looks at Bear he’s being sincere. His face is soft, and there isn’t an ounce of enjoyment in his words. “If you get hurt…”

“Stone, kid, I could kick your ass with one hand tied behind my back. I may be older, but I’m sure as hell not old.”

I smile as I stare at Stone’s profile. I don’t know why Bear’s strong confidence and Stone’s horrified concern make me happy. I’ve never been around a group of people that is so loving and spicy at the same time.