Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 129

Briar

I woke up to my alarm after a fitful sleep. Lana showed up on time begrudgingly. I gave her lazy ass a run for its money this morning and now she was passed out on my couch. I was sorting through the boxes along the wall in my room searching for answers. My phone pinged with an unknown number’s text. 

Unknown: Hi this is Travis’ wife, I meant to check in on you sooner. How is Divide treating you? It's a rough place for an outsider to settle.’

Briar: All good for the moment, thanks for checking in hope your family is well.

Unknown: glad you’ve settled in alright, if you ever need anything just ask we aren’t that far away and my brothers enjoy a good throwdown if the need arises.

I hesitated for what to say. I wanted to tell her I appreciated it but there was no need but Clyde’s threats had my wheels turning. ‘Never turn a helping hand down,’ my mother would say.

Briar: Thank you I appreciate it, If anything changes I’ll let you know. I owe you a basket of treats for how kind your husband was for dropping me off and keeping me safe.

Unknown: LOL careful the kids and I have a sweet tooth you won’t get rid of us after that.

I texted with her for a few minutes before she let me know she had to “manage the pups” whatever that meant. They must have dogs.

I had sorted out the things that wouldn’t help me paint a picture of Jake’s life from the random junk. I was digging through a random pile of photos when Lana yawned at the door. Her stomach must have woken her up.

“I’m gonna get some pizza delivered for lunch then you are going grocery shopping. I love you and am here for you but I need food.” she said, patting her flat belly. I smiled and shook my head. Her phone rang and she wandered off talking to Mazzie I presumed. That's when I found a photo that had me questioning everything in life.

My heart raced as I stared at the picture of a young uncle Jake with my mother tucked against his side. Next to him was a young Clyde I presumed with a mirror image of the same woman, but she had a wreath of flowers around her head, he gripped her hip tight to him as they stood in the woods. The old photo was muted of colors. I blinked doing a double take. I set the photo aside and tried to find anymore in the pile that would explain what I was seeing. Nothing. I began flipping the boxes over letting the contents fall to the floor in heaps, looking for more clues. Still nothing. I left my room in a mess and went into Jake’s room and pried the letters out of the drawer. I tossed them on the bed and started rummaging through Jake’s drawers. Lana found me with clothes strewn across the floor reaching under the dresser to see if there was anything there. She looked pale as I pulled myself off the floor.

“Everything ok?” I asked. Her eyes scanned the room. 

“I should be asking you that.”

I shrugged.

“So change of plans we are going to eat in town then go grocery shopping.” she insisted.

I glanced at the picture and letters on the bed. Then the mess I had made. I hadn’t found anything else. Yeah I probably needed a break.

“Ok,” I said, not elaborating on my finds. I’d go through the closet when Lana wasn’t around. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, I suddenly just felt that the truth was something deeper and more personal then I could have ever imagined. Whatever it was, I wanted the truth not just speculation.

Thirty minutes later Lana had pulled up to a pizza joint. The logo was the same from the night Carter and I had spent over at her and Mazzies house. When we got to the counter the girl with purple and black hair shaved on one side greeted us. She glanced nervously from Lana to me and then to a group of guys being noisy in the corner. Lana rifled off an order then asked me what I wanted. 

I shrugged. “Whatever you suggest,” Lana's jaw ticked as I cast my eyes down, she put in an order for me and dragged us to a table. My mind buzzed with the sounds of the pizzeria, the scents making my empty stomach gurggle. Lana’s voice got lost in the noise in my head but the sound of the bell on the door had me cocking my head and looking up. Miranda strode in her eyes searching and landing on me as the emo girl set our order in front of us then noticing Miranda, she quickly scurried behind the counter. I pulled a slice keeping the bitch in my peripheral vision. Whether I was with Carter or not this bitch needed to be put in her place if she stepped out of line. The presence in my chest surged as I took a lazy bite and she approached our table. I  chewed the bite, ignoring her .

“Well if it isn’t the two most pathetic females in town,” she spat at us. Lana barely gave her a glance. She was already on her second slice.

“Have a problem resident bitch,” I spat before taking another bite. Lana flinched stilling for only a second before she continued to eat ignoring her. My eyes observed Lana as I chewed and shifted to Miranda who was narrowing her eyes at me.

“Got a problem?” I asked her.

“Yeah you,”

“Wanna take it outside? Cuz I have no problem laying you out if I need to.”

“You think you're so mighty cuz you’ve had Carter's dick in you, just remember cunt, I was there first,” she snarled and turned to walk away. I snatched her wrist, dropping my slice onto my plate.

“Listen here bitch,” I said, grabbing a fistfull of her hair and yanking her back. Pure venom looked back at me. My skin hummed with that internal presence and Miranda’s venom shifted to fear.