The girls peeled off into a fit of laughter when Kimber picked up a bag of oranges and they spilled all over the floor.
“I don’t know how you managed to make it through the grocery store with these three.”
I shrugged and took a drink. “Why do you think I’m drinking already?”
I didn’t want to tell Fancy everything about what was going on, but I figured having her on my side to help keep Kimber and Petra happy in the clubhouse was a good idea. All I had to do was give her enough info to get her to understand things were pretty dangerous and this was for the best. It seemed like she was getting my point, but I might have lost my momentum having to cut our conversation short.
“The sooner we get this shit figured out, the sooner we’ll have the clubhouse back to the way we envisioned it.” Quinn clapped me on the shoulder. “Too much estrogen in this place.”
I wasn’t quite sure if he was right about that. As long as Quinn was with Kimber, her friends were going to be around. Maybe not living in the clubhouse, but they weren’t just going to disappear after we put all of this shit to bed.
“I need more clothes,” Fancy called.
“I’ll take you to your place to pack a bag,” I called.
She rolled her eyes. “Can we also pick up my car? I do have a job I need to be at on Monday. Same for Kimber and Petra.”
“One of us will take you guys to work,” I replied.
Kimber wrinkled her nose. “Really? And are you going to sit in the parking lot waiting for our shift to be over?” she laughed.
I sure the hell hoped not, but Quinn didn’t say no.
“Worry about today, babe,” Quinn grunted.
Quinn was delusional if he thought Kimber was going to listen to him.
Fancy glanced at me. “We can worry about that tomorrow, I guess. Right now, I just need some clean underwear.”
“You just bought four pairs,” I reminded her.
Quinn groaned.
Kimber curled her lip at Fancy. “I didn’t think you wore underwear.” She turned to me. “And how do you know she just bought underwear?”
“Kimber,” Fancy whispered. “Shut it.”
I didn’t think it was possible with her cool exterior and sass for days, but it seemed for a second like Fancy was embarrassed.
“I would chafe so bad if I went commando,” Petra pointed out.
“Same,” Kimber agreed. “Though there are times commando comes in handy.”
“Hey, hey,” Quinn interrupted. “Can we not discuss your underwear preferences in front of the club?”
The guys on the sofa had muted the TV and turned to stare into the kitchen.
“We don’t mind,” Zephyr called.
“Will you mind if I punch you in the nuts?” Quinn threatened.
Point raised the remote at the TV and turned up the volume. Zephyr slowly turned back to the TV and put his hands over his ears.
“Good choice,” Quinn grunted.
He nodded toward Fancy. “You run Fancy to get some clothes. Appliances and shit should be showing up soon.”
I set my half-finished beer down. “Good thing I didn't drink much of that.”
This would be the perfect time to finish my talk with Fancy. She could pack her shit, and we could come to an understanding.
✽✽✽
Fancy
“We have to take my car back to the clubhouse. There is no way I am going to be able to fit everything on the bike with us.”
Dyno slid off the bike and held his hand out to help me off.
“Pack light.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hands. His fingers wrapped around my hand, and damn if that didn’t feel nice. “Says the man who’s daily uniform is jeans and a black shirt.” I scooted off the bike.
Dyno’s hand stayed around mine. “You noticing what I wear, darlin’?”
I tried to yank my hand from his but his fingers didn’t budge. This was new. “I don’t notice anything about you, Harold.”
“My name isn’t Harold,” he insisted.
“How does it feel to be called a name that isn’t yours?”
He tugged on my hand and pulled me toward my apartment. “Darlin’ is a little different from Harold.”
I scoffed and tried once more to tug my hand from his. “Not from where I’m standing.”
“We’re walking, not standing.” Dyno was a regular captain obvious today.
“Only because you won’t let my damn hand go.”
“Just being a gentleman by walking you to the door.”
I growled but didn’t try to snatch my hand away again. “Gentleman is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of you, Dyno.”
“But you do think of me.” He smirked and pulled open the door. “After you, my lady.”
“You’ve got to be on something,” I muttered under my breath and breezed past him toward the elevator.
“Not my scene, darlin’.”
I stabbed the button to call the elevator and folded my arms over my chest. “Could have fooled me.” The doors slid open, and I stepped into the elevator. “You could stay by the bike if you want. I really doubt you want to watch me pack my underwear.”
“But you don’t wear any.”
I rolled my eyes and cursed Kimber under my breath. “Never telling her anything anymore.”
“We have to finish our conversation from before anyway. Can’t really do that when I’m outside and you're here.”
A growl escaped my lips, and I watched the numbers light up as the elevator glided up to my floor. I pulled my keys out of my purse as the doors slid open, and I strutted toward my door.
“Which one do Kimber and Quinn live in?” he asked.
I pointed to her door as we walked past. “They’re in there. They have a two bedroom. I only have a one bedroom.”
I unlocked my door and dropped my purse and keys on the table.
“You didn’t want a bigger apartment?”
He pushed past me, his arm brushing against my chest. I didn’t know if it was deliberate or not seeing as Dyno was a rather large man. It wasn’t anything I liked to point out, but you would have to be blind to not see how muscular he was.
“Jesus, woman. This place is tiny.”
It was, but it was also home. The first decent apartment I had actually lived in that wasn’t a rotting hole.
“It’s small, but home.” I pointed to the kitchen. “Help yourself to whatever. I’ll try to be quick.”
He nodded and wandered toward the kitchen.
I started in the bathroom and grabbed everything I would need from there. Since Dyno hadn’t said how long I was going to be at the clubhouse, I grabbed my larger bottle of shampoo.
I headed into the kitchen to grab two plastic baggies to put my shampoo and conditioner in. “Excuse me.”
Dyno was standing in front of my stove with his hands on his hips. “How in the hell do you even cook in here?” he asked without moving.
I shrugged and moved in front of him. I reached up to grab the box of baggies from above the stove, but Dyno reached up before I could and grabbed them.
“Uh, thanks,” I muttered.
His hand once again brushed against mine, and a chill ran through my body.
I hadn’t felt anything like that in years. Lots of years. What in the hell was Dyno doing to me?
After I snatched two baggies from the box, I retreated back to my bedroom.
This time, Dyno followed me.
He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. “At least your bedroom is big enough to fit a king bed,” he pointed out.
That was the reason why I had decided that I could live in a tiny apartment if it meant I could still have a big ass bed to sleep in every night. “It’s a perk,” I muttered. I pulled open my closet doors and surveyed the contents.
“Don’t forget to pack light,” he reminded me.
As if I could forget. Somehow, I needed to pack a week’
s worth of clothes and fit it into the side bags he had on the bike. “Or I could bring my car back to the clubhouse.”
“Nope, not happening.”
I looked over at him. “I’m a fucking idiot. How in the hell did I forget that my car wasn’t even running?” I laughed.
He shrugged and smiled. “I was waiting to see how long it was going to take you to remember that it’s just a paperweight for the time being.”
“Thanks for making me look like a fool for so long.” I grabbed three scrub tops and tossed them on the bed. “You guys are getting a washer and dryer, right?”
Dyno nodded. “Kind of a necessity.”
I grabbed three pairs of pants and tossed them with the tops. That meant I wasn’t going to have to bring five sets of work clothes.
“Let’s get back to that conversation we were having earlier.”
I eyed my shoes on the closet floor. This was going to be the hard part. I had no idea what kind of shoes I was going to need. “Yeah, you need to tell me more about this whole bad guys coming to kidnap Kimber and Petra.”
“I told you basically everything, Fancy. We got word of someone wanting us to settle up the debt that is owed to them, and the only thing that we can think of is the guys the Rolling Devils had a deal with.”
I grabbed my work shoes, a pair of black pumps, and a pair of black flats. Black went with everything, and I also had the tennis shoes on my feet. “But why do you think they are going to take Kimber and Petra? Maybe they are going to do to you what you guys did to the Rolling Devils.”
“I sure the fuck hope not seeing as your ass is going to be staying there.”
I dropped my shoes next to the clothes. “We’re also going to discuss why you think I need to be at the clubhouse.”
“Two-fold reason. That car last night gave me a weird feeling. Whoever it was wasn’t there to help you. The second reason is if you’re staying at the clubhouse, Petra and Kimber are more likely to be more agreeable to stay there.”
My eyes darted to Dyno. “That car was weird, right? He pulled over a good two minutes before you got there.”
“Jesus, Fancy. Why in the hell didn’t you tell me that before?”
I shrugged and turned back to the clothes on the bed. “I was pretty spooked when you got there, and I thought if I didn’t make a big deal about it that it wouldn’t be true.”
“Always trust your gut, darlin’. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s right.”
“Okay, I get that, but I don’t know why you think I need to stay here. It wasn’t like the guy had followed us back to the clubhouse or anything. He won’t know that I’m there or even where I live.”
He nodded. “I know that, but just having you at the clubhouse makes me feel a little bit better. You gotta remember that there is possibly some whack guy out there killing women and dumping them on the side of the road.”
“That isn’t something easily forgotten,” I whined.
“So, for my peace of mind and also Quinn’s sanity, please stay at the clubhouse. You know Kimber wants you there, anyway.”
I walked back to my closet. Now it was time to figure out what the hell to pack for when I wasn’t at work. I was pretty damn sure going to the grocery store was my last escape from the clubhouse so I didn’t really need to pack anything special. “I’ll stay, but not for long, Dyno. I have my own life, you know.”
He looked around and chuckled. “Yeah, I can see why you don’t want to leave this magical and spacious apartment.”
“Such a dick,” I chuckled under my breath.
“Heard that,” he rumbled.
“You were supposed to,” I chirped. I grabbed a few t-shirts from the closet and then grabbed two pairs of jeans and various pairs of leggings from my dresser. “So, we covered why you need Kimber and Petra at the clubhouse. I agreed to stay at the clubhouse for a bit. The only thing left we have to talk about is what your real name is.”
“Not sure why you need to know.”
I started folding my clothes and stacking them on the edge of the bed. “I guess it just seems fair seeing as you know my real name and what I’m named after.”
“You got a kickass name, woman. Not anything to be ashamed of.”
“Oh,” I gasped. “Your name is something you’re ashamed of.”
Now, I really wanted to know what it was.
He shook his head and pushed off the doorway. “Not ashamed, darlin’. Just not very fitting.”
“I can’t believe your mother named you something bad.” Odd names like Archie, Pennington, or even Angus flashed through my head. “Oh gosh, I hope it’s not Angus.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Nothing like that. Pretty sure if it was Angus, I would have given myself another name.” He stood in front of my dresser and lifted a framed picture of my mother.
“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to just call you Angus.”
“I’d prefer Harold.” His ran his finger over the picture of my mother. “You look just like her.”
I shrugged. “I suppose, though looks were about the only similar thing between us.”
“She’s gone?”
I nodded. “For a while. She always said she wasn’t destined to live a long life.” I folded the last scrub top. “She was right.”
“How old were you when she passed away?”
Were we really going to go over my life story? “I’ll tell you after you tell me what your name is.”
“Is that how we’re going to do this? Tit for tat?”
“Doesn’t really seem fair for you to get something from me without you returning the favor.”
“Patrick. Now, tell me how old you were when your mother passed away.”
I bent over and rummaged under my bed for a duffel bag. “Has anyone ever called you Patty?”
“Not without getting punched in the dick.”
“Duly noted not to call you Patty.”
“Age,” Dyno called.
I grabbed a small duffel bag and tossed it on the bed. “I was eighteen. She thankfully had enough sense to not let the drugs kill her until I was of legal age and didn’t get shoved into foster care.”
“Jesus Christ.” Dyno ran his fingers through his hair. “That’s some bullshit, Fancy.”
I laughed and started to put my clothes in the bag. “Trust me, it was for the best. I loved my mom, but once she was gone, I didn’t have to worry about where she was, was she overdosing or just shacked up with some guy for her next hit when she didn’t come home for three days. Kimber was the only good thing in my life back then.”
“So you and Kimber have been tight.”
“For a while. She kind of went through the same thing as me, so we get each other.” I laughed and shoved a scrub to into the bag. “I never realized how depressing and fucked up my life is until I have to say it all out loud.”
“Not like it was your fault, babe. Sounds like you were dealt a shitty hand from the beginning and seem to be doing damn good now.”
I shook my head. “Some days I wonder if I’m just like my mom except without the drugs.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
I shrugged and put the last of my clothes in the bag. “I don’t know. It’s just like somedays, I wonder if I’ve really done anything with my life, or if I’m just one day from being just like her. She was always searching for her next hit, and I’m always searching for the next big thing to make me feel like I’m not a failure.” I zipped up my bag and dropped it to the floor. “What happens when there isn’t anything more for me? It’s not like I have my life to live with a man and the family we create together. I can barely get a guy to call me after one date, let alone get to the point where having a baby together is a good idea.”
“Fancy, you’re young. I think you’ve got plenty of time.”
“Maybe,” I muttered. I wasn’t like my mom, thinking that I was going to die young, but I knew I wasn’t going to live forever. I had basically wasted my twenties lookin
g for Mr. Right and with my thirties right around the corner, it didn’t seem like I was going to spend them building a family if I hadn’t even found a guy to call me back after one date.
Now, I was standing in my apartment spilling my guts to some guy I didn't know.
How the hell did I get here?
I looked up at Dyno. “How did you get me to do that? Kimber is the only one who knows that much about me, and that’s because she was there for all of it.”
“Guess I seemed like the right guy to spill everything to.” He bent over and grabbed the bag from the floor. “This all of the shit you need?”
I looked at the black duffel bag in his hand. “I guess.” I had been searching for the guy who I was going want to tell my story to and live the rest of my life with, and I had just spilled it to Dyno like I had known him forever. And now, he was carrying a bag that held everything I needed to live my life. “And the stuff in the bathroom.”
“And you thought you couldn’t pack light.”
“I guess I thought I had more in my life than that.”
Dyno slung the bag over his shoulder. “Or maybe you’ve got your life figured out and don’t need a ton of shit to be happy.”
His words bounced around in my head. “Maybe.”
“Ain’t no maybe about it, darlin’. You’ve got your life figured out.” He stepped toward me and cupped my cheek in his hand. “Stop telling yourself you’re a mess just because you don’t have a guy and two point five kids. Maybe that isn’t what your life is supposed to be.” His thumb brushed against my cheek.
The warmth of his hand felt good against my skin, and I closed my eyes.
“You just gotta breath, Fancy. Don’t live in a dream that isn’t meant for you.” His lips brushed against my forehead, and I sighed deeply.
A calm settled over me I had never felt before.
The warmth of his hand disappeared, and I listened to him leave the room.
I opened my eyes and looked around.
Stop living the dream that wasn’t meant for me.
So simple, but why did it feel like Dyno had ripped the rug out from underneath me, and now I had no idea what to do?
Maybe I just needed to live and stop searching for things that weren’t meant for me.
Lean Into It (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 2) Page 9