by K E Osborn
“Vee, are you in there?” I hear Hudson call out.
My heart thumps in my chest and adrenalin spikes through me. I open the door and stagger with the urgency. I see him standing there in his jeans and tank top and leather jacket. I crinkle my face in confusion.
“Jeez, are you okay?” he asks looking at me, frown lines appearing on his forehead.
“I guess you looked up my address to check and see if I’m storing any drugs here? Get your search over with and get the hell out,” I say as I stand to the side to let him in.
He winces and exhales forcefully. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“About the drugs?” I ask defensively.
“No, that you’re a hooker? It’s kind of a big thing.”
I frown and shake my head. “I’m not a hooker. I’m a high-class madam, there’s a difference and I was going to tell you tonight, but I kind of got blindsided with a raid on my business.”
“I’ve slept with you, without a condom, Vee. Do you know how disgusting that makes me feel?”
“Right, so having sex with me was disgusting?”
“Yes… No… Yes! I feel dirty. Do I need to be tested for STI’s?”
I scoff and cross my arms over my chest at his insult. “No, I can’t believe you even said that!”
“God, how many men have you slept with, Vee?” he shouts on the attack and I shrug.
“I didn’t keep count, but I don’t work like that anymore. I run the books and my employees do all the hard work. I haven’t been working for nearly two years, Hudson,” I say. He shakes his head and exhales loudly. “You ignored me today and that hurt. I understand you were shocked, believe me so was I, but I was going to tell you. I care about you too much, Hudson,” I mutter softly.
He purses his lips and grunts as he straightens out his leather jacket. I glare at him and look at his clothes.
“How come you were in a suit today? You always leave in what you’re wearing now?” I ask and he shakes his head.
“It’s not safe to wear suits when I ride my bike, besides it would ruin them. I have them in my locker at work. I get changed when I get there and when I leave to come home again,” he explains, his eyes glance around at the photographs of me with Danny and Caiden on the dresser. He storms past me and picks up a photo.
“Are you fucking married? What else are you keeping from me?” he says angrily, his nostrils flaring while he glares at me intensely.
I start to feel like I might cry again and I shake my head because technically I’m a widow, not married. “If I was living with you how could I be married, Hudson?”
“Then what’s with the shrine to this dude and the kid?” he raises his voice.
“It’s my husband and son. They died over five years ago… drunk driver,” I say emotionless.
He winces and shakes his head swallowing hard. “You were married? And you had a fucking kid… can’t you see how fucked up it is that you were basically living with me for six months and I didn’t know that?” he asks his voice getting louder.
“I was broken, Hudson. People only knew me as The Violet Widow. No one knew my name because when Danny and Caiden died, Violet Dyson died with them. I had to make myself into someone else, someone different—”
“So The Violet Widow is because you’re actually a widow. It has nothing to do with spiders and you hunting men like prey and all that shit?”
I nod. “You made up the spider thing, Hudson. I had to become her, I had to do it, to be someone… something else.”
“So you became a fucking hooker?”
“No, well… yes, it started out that way. But being a hooker was hard. I hated it. I wanted something more upmarket, classier, but I needed the money that only being an escort could bring in—”
“Why? Why did you need money?” he interrupts.
“Because this house, this shrine as you call it, was all I had left of my boys. You have to understand that Danny and I hadn’t signed the life insurance papers we had had drawn up, so when he died the house and all I had left of my boys was going to have to go, unless I did something drastic. I did it for my boys, Hudson, surely you can understand that?” I beg and he hesitates and runs his hand through his hair.
“Vee, look I don’t think I could ever condone becoming a prostitute. It’s a filthy, disgusting job and there are other ways you could have gotten the money… friends, family, get a normal job—”
“You think it’s that simple do you? That I can just get a job to pay for a mortgage? Hudson don’t be an idiot. I was a stay at home mum. I worked as a checkout chick. I didn’t do any study after high school and I had no qualifications, no prospects and I’m not smart enough to do something high paying like a doctor or lawyer. Plus, I was broken, Hudson. I lost the only two people in my life. My parents had already died, I had no siblings, I had no family and I had no friends. I was alone and I had to keep this house, it was all I had left. Surely you can understand that?” I protest loudly.
He shakes his head. “I’m so sorry you lost your husband and your son and you don’t have a family or any friends, but Vee, there’s always options. I just… I feel like I don’t know you at all. Who the hell are you?” he asks running his hand through his hair again.
“I’m me, Hudson. You know me! I know it’s really hard to understand and it’s a lot to take in, but you love me, I know you do. And Hudson, I was going to tell you tonight. Finally, I was able to let go of Danny and admit that I love you! I love you Hudson and you mean everything to me,” I beg while I walk across to him and try to get him to look into my eyes. But he won’t look at me and he looks like he’s trying to fight back tears.
“I trusted you, Violet. I love you, but this… this life you’ve created, the lies you’re entangled in, I can’t be a part of that. I’m a detective for Christ’s sake. No, I can’t be with a hooker… sorry madam. I can’t, Vee. My job means too much to me.”
“Hudson, don’t you get it? I love you! I love you so much it hurts when you’re not with me. I can finally say it and mean it with every ounce of my being – I love you,” I say bringing my hands up to his face and forcing him to look at me. He does and his blue and green eyes are sparkling with salt water as he looks at me shaking his head and I know now that this is pointless.
“Your job means too much and I don’t mean enough, right?” I say breaking away from him as I let the tears run down my face freely. He winces but remains steadfast not saying anything and just standing there. “You know I haven’t cried since I had to identify my husband and my son’s bodies at the morgue. I haven’t cried once since then, not for them, not for anything, Hudson. And then you come along and turn my world upside down. I don’t cry Hudson, I’m too strong for that. But you, you made me cry for the first time in six years. I want to be good for you, but this is all I know now,” I say wiping the tears from my cheeks.
He winces and scrunches his eyes closed like he’s in immense pain. “I’m so sorry they died, that must have been terrible for you, and I’m sorry I hurt you, but Vee, you hurt me too. I’m an officer of the law and to find out that my partner is… well, what you are. I can’t deal with that. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I mean you met my family for fuck’s sake, Vee. I hate that you’re sad and I hate that I’m hurting you, but I don’t see any options here. I’m not giving up my job, just like I’m sure you won’t give up yours, and I can’t have a partner that deals with underworld activities, Vee. I love you, but I can’t do this,” he says and goes to walk away.
My heart constricts and I suddenly get angry. “What happened to, ‘I want you, and nothing will change that?’ You told me… no, you promised me that you wouldn’t break me, Hudson – you fucking promised me!”
“I’m sorry,” he says walking toward the door.
“You’re breaking me. You promised, Hudson, you promised!”
He leans in and takes hold of my head, pulling me to him kissing my forehead hard. “I can’t, Vee. I love you, but I can’t be with you.
I’m sorry,” he says. Then he lets go of me and walks out of my door and out of my life.
Click here to pre-order
A Different Shade of Violet? – Amazon US
A Different Shade of Violet? – Amazon UK
Check these links for more books from Author K E Osborn.
Amazon Links
The Violet Widow? The Shattered Heart Series Book 1
A Different Shade of Violet? The Shattered Heart Series Book 2
Off Your Rocker? The Rock God Series Book 1
Get Your Rocks Off? The Rock God Series Book 2
Trust Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy Book 1
Love Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy Book 2
All of Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy Book 3
Complete Me? The Trust Me? Trilogy Book 3.5
Just Friends?
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First-time Australian author K E Osborn was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. Having worked in the optical industry for some time, K E Osborn decided it was time to leave the optical world behind and start on something new. With a background in graphic design and a flair for all things creative, she tried her hand at writing.
K E Osborn hid the fact that she was writing from her family, as she believed the story was simply something she had to get on paper first and then judge if it was good enough for others to read. It wasn’t until her mother found a printed version of the manuscript that her secret came out. She was a writer, and she loved it. Writing gives her life purpose. It makes her feel, laugh, cry and get completely enveloped with the characters and their storylines. She feels at home when writing.
