by S. Nelson
“What are we gonna do?” Ryder asked, leaning back in his chair and awaiting our leader’s response.
“Nothing for now. Watch yourselves. While I don’t believe these guys are as dangerous as their predecessors, I’m not gonna underestimate anyone.” The gavel came down hard, indicating the meeting was over. As we rose from our seats, Marek pointed toward me. “Kaden and Linc… stay.” Stone sat at the table unmoving, but everyone else filed out.
Once only the four of us remained, Marek leaned back in his chair, the rage that painted his face moments ago vanishing.
“What started the fight?”
Jagger had been the one to tell him about the fight in the first place, and I found it odd Marek hadn’t asked this question when he was first told about it. Then again, maybe he was, and he was testing us, seeing if we would lie. But I wasn’t stupid enough to do that.
I looked over at Linc, who was three seats away from me and raised my brows. Was he gonna start? Because he needed to be the one to tell my dad that this shit all started over a girl he didn’t even know.
The silence unnerved me more than the upcoming conversation we were about to have. While I’d been complicit in the fight, I hadn’t been the reason we got into it with them in the first place. Whereas I didn’t blame Lincoln for defending himself when that guy shoved him, I did blame him for sticking his nose into their business by continuing to ask about the girl who was with them. I wasn’t heartless. Anyone could see she didn’t want to be with them, but we couldn’t go around kidnapping people, so to speak.
What would that say about us if we stole someone from our enemy?
“One of you gonna answer?” Stone asked, leaning forward, his usual intimidating self vibrating across the table.
Linc chewed on his bottom lip before finally answering his ol’ man. “They’re keeping this girl with them, against her will. I know it.”
“So, why’s that your business?” his dad retorted.
Instead of answering the direct question, he diverted. “You didn’t see her.” Linc raised his voice a level. “I’ve seen her a few times at my fights, and each time I lay eyes on her, she looks more lost than before. I don’t even wanna imagine the things they do to her.”
“Again… why is that your business?” Stone repeated.
“Because someone has to help her.”
“And you think that someone should be you?” Marek asked, folding his arms over his chest, the rustle of his leather cut putting me on alert. His expression was calm, but he could erupt at any moment.
“Yes.”
“How do you plan on doing that without inciting retaliation from them?” Stone’s question landed more on the side of rhetorical because there was no way the Reapers wouldn’t come after us if we tried to remove the girl from their clutches.
His son shrugged.
Stone mimicked his gesture. “What the hell kind of answer is that?” He didn’t give Linc a chance to respond before he pointed at him, his face contorting in anger. “Keep away from that girl.”
I continued to remain silent, watching all three of them and assessing the situation. Marek and Stone weren’t having any of it, laying down the law and so help Linc if he disobeyed. But when Linc clenched his jaw and his eyes formed into small slits, I knew he wasn’t gonna listen to a word they said.
My lungs deflated at the realization.
“You two can leave. And put somethin’ on your eye. You look like shit.” His command was directed at both of us.
Prez and Stone huddled close together, and right before we walked out of Chambers, I thought I heard our VP mention my mom’s name.
19
“What are your thoughts on going with me to Rustic tonight?”
“Inconclusive,” I said, not sure whether I wanted to be annoyed by throngs of drunk people and loud band music. I’d been in a funky mood as of late, my few interactions with Kaden affecting me more than I thought. I needed some sort of distraction but teetered whether to take her up on her offer.
“You know how much I wanna see Breakers. They rarely come to town, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Breakers was a local band that hit the big time about ten years ago. They’d been together over twenty but weren’t discovered until well into their time together. While I was a fan of theirs, I just didn’t know if I was up to going tonight.
“Didn’t you just see them last year?” The pillow I tossed at her hit her square in the forehead.
“Yeah, but that was so long ago.” Chelsea pouted, and while I was still undecided, it had been some time since we did anything together outside of working and hanging out at either her house or mine.
Glancing at the clock above the kitchen sink, I saw it was six o’clock. “What time do they go on?” Chelsea’s face lit up and I had to put my hand up to calm her down because I hadn’t said I was going.
“Ten, so that leaves you three hours to get ready.”
“Three?”
“We have to account for travel time and getting a nice buzz goin’ before they hit the stage.”
I shook my head, fearing I was gonna regret agreeing, and against my better judgment, I said, “Fine,” before I changed my mind. “We should ask Kena and Braylen to go, too.”
“I didn’t know they liked them,” she said, propping her knees against her chest and picking at one of her nails.
“They’re friends with one of the guitarists. He used to work at their family’s restaurant back in the day.”
Chelsea hopped up from her seat, her eyes so wide it was a wonder they didn’t pop out of her head. “The guitarist or the bassist?”
“Aren’t they the same?”
“Uh, nooo.” Apparently, I didn’t answer fast enough. “Well? Is it Kevin or Nolan?”
“Kevin, I think.”
She squealed so loud I had to stick my finger in my ear to get it to stop ringing.
“Beg them to come. Maybe I can meet him. He’s my favorite.” She jumped up and down like a giddy schoolgirl and I couldn’t help but smile. Now, not only did I have to go, but I also had to convince Kena and her sister to go, as well. Otherwise, I feared I’d never hear the end of it.
Three hours and twenty minutes later, we walked through the front door of Rustic. We waited in line but not long before we were told we could go in, our connections giving us preferential treatment. Or more to the fact, Kena and Braylen’s connections.
There were several different levels to the trendy club, making it a popular hangout for the locals. A few years back, the owner completely remodeled the inside, and while I had enjoyed the more homey feel the place used to possess, I couldn’t argue that the space was much nicer now.
The main bar as well as the stage where the bands played was situated on the first floor, spacious booths, tables and chairs, as well as some recliners were scattered throughout, providing an ample amount of seating. If anyone wanted to experience more of a club feel, they ventured down to the lower level where another bar stole the entire back wall, a large dance floor stretching across most of the open space. The seating down there wasn’t as vast but was just as nice.
“What are you drinking?” Chelsea leaned in close so I could hear her, the club already getting crowded.
“Rum and Coke.”
While she placed our order, I scoured the place, looking for familiar faces. Braylen texted me they had arrived a half hour ago and were seated in one of the booths close to the stage. Once my bestie joined me, we carefully walked toward our seats, careful not to spill our drinks. I’d been hesitant earlier, but I was glad I came out. Friends, drinks, and great music were the perfect distraction.
I was all smiles, enjoying the taste of my drink, until I saw who was going to be sitting with us.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, irritation lacing through my tone before I could calm myself.
I zeroed in on Kaden sitting at the edge of the booth. Next to him was Kena, then Jagger. Ryder, Braylen, and Ac
e occupied the opposite seat. Because these booths were huge, they could easily accommodate eight adults, sometimes ten if people squished in.
“Jagger invited me.” He rose from his seat and leaned in to kiss my cheek, the move taking me off guard. I hurriedly glanced at the others, but they weren’t paying attention to us. They were too busy yammering away amongst each other. “Do you wanna sit on the end or next to Kena?”
My words failed me. I couldn’t sit this close to Kaden for God knew how long without feeling some type of way. Good or bad, I wasn’t sure.
I placed my drink on the table and looked at Chelsea. “I have to go to the bathroom.” I didn’t wait for her to ask me if I wanted her to come with me before I took off, almost tripping over the damn heels she convinced me to wear. At her suggestion, I got all decked out tonight, choosing my new dark skinny jeans and a black sleeveless top that had sheer fabric running across my cleavage. Sexy but not overtly.
The line for the restroom was long, which gave me time to think about how I wanted to handle yet another situation involving Kaden. If I told everyone I wasn’t feeling well and left early, I’d lose out on a potentially fun night out. If I chose to stay, I wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy myself. I’d be constantly on guard, waiting for Kaden to do or say something that might upset me, and I’d have to curb my reaction because I wouldn’t want to draw the attention of the others.
When the line started moving, I was still undecided as to what I wanted to do. I used the facilities, washed my hands afterward but didn’t have time to stall any longer before I found myself back in the hallway.
“I thought maybe you fell in.” Kaden’s voice startled me, even over the noise of the club. He stood close, brushing against me when a guy knocked into him. Seconds later, he dipped his eyes into my line of sight. “You okay? You’ve been back here for like twenty minutes.”
“There was a line.”
He moved slightly to the left, underneath an overhead light, and it was then I saw something I hadn’t back at the table. He had a black eye. It didn’t look horrible, but it certainly looked fresh.
Without thinking, I reached out to touch his face but then thought better of it, lowering my arm to my side. “What happened?”
“Fight.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured. With who?”
He huffed as if my questions annoyed him. “It happened after Linc’s bout. Some Reapers started some shit and we ended it.” His full lips twitched, and while I was happy he hadn’t been badly injured, I didn’t appreciate his cockiness over the situation.
“Your brother has a matching one,” he said, pointing to his eye. “Although his is on the left.”
“He does?” I didn’t know why I felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness right then. Linc was a trained fighter. It’s what he did to earn money. He knew how to defend himself. So why did my heart pump a little faster knowing he’d been hurt?
“Listen, Riley, I just wanna—”
“There you are,” Chelsea shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from Kaden without realizing she had interrupted him. “The band is coming on soon. But wait for me.” There were only three women in line now to use the restroom, and while I wouldn’t have to wait long until she finished, one minute alone with Kaden was enough to frazzle me.
I stayed put hoping Kaden would sense my resistance to talk to him and go back to the booth, but instead he walked up next to me and rested his back against the wall. In that position, we were side by side and I didn’t have to look at him if I didn’t want to.
“Have you seen this band before?” he asked. The heat of his stare burned through me.
“I have their music but haven’t seen them live before.”
“Me either. I wasn’t gonna come tonight, but Jagger all but forced us to.” Since the topic was off us, I turned to face him.
“Do you know why?”
“He doesn’t trust the one guy in the band. He didn’t want Kena to be alone with him. Said he has the hots for her.”
“Really?” It’d been a long time since Kaden and I were able to talk about something without being upset with each other. “I believe she’s friends with Kevin, or at least she was a long time ago. That has to be who Jagger is talking about.” I couldn’t help the smile from spreading across my face. “I don’t think she’s seen him in years. He can’t still think the guy has a thing for his wife.”
“Why not? If some guy had the hots for you now, I’m sure he’d still wanna get into your pants in twenty years.” The twitch in Kaden’s voice screamed compliment but one laced with jealousy.
“It’s funny,” I said, choosing to ignore his comment.
“What is?”
“I can’t picture Jagger as the jealous type. He always seems so laid-back.”
“All men are the jealous type, Ry. All of us.” He stepped into my personal space, his pinky touching mine and I thought he was gonna say something else, but Chelsea chose that exact moment to reemerge from the ladies’ room.
“You guys ready?” she asked, bounding back toward our booth. Because I thought it was a smarter move to follow, I did.
We quickly joined the others, Chelsea taking her seat next to Ace, smiling at him before reaching for the rest of her drink. Kaden swept his arm out to the side, allowing me to sit next to Kena with him on the end.
Once situated, I turned toward the woman closest to me. I raised my hands up and signed, Are you excited to see your friend? Kena could hear just fine. The only issue, which was a big one, was that she couldn’t talk. While I’d known sign language for many years, I sometimes flitted between using that form of communication with her and speaking. I had to admit, however, I was a touch rusty because I hadn’t seen as much of her as I’d liked to, our lives keeping us rather busy. Her with her family restaurant, Jagger and the boys, and me with my work and hanging out with Chelsea. Mine wasn’t a fulfilling life all around, but it was enough to keep me somewhat distracted.
Jagger’s fingers flexed on the tabletop while he watched every movement his wife made with her hands. He didn’t look upset, but he didn’t look relaxed either.
Kena tucked a strand of her shoulder-length dark hair behind her ear and nodded the same time she dipped her closed fist forward. I haven’t seen him in years, she continued to sign, so it’ll be nice to catch up. Although, I’ve kept tabs on his career. She kept her body slightly twisted toward me, her caramel-colored eyes shining brightly. I’m so proud of him.
Jagger huffed and it was only then she turned to look at him, placing her hand on his forearm. She gave him a gentle squeeze and he seemed to relax, albeit not much.
I bumped Kena’s arm and pointed toward Chelsea. “This one can’t stop gushing about him. You might not be able to get her away from him.” I happened to glance at Ace and watched his expression morph from easy to tense in the matter of a second. The slight tick of his jaw wouldn’t have given anything away, but mixed with the small flare of his nostrils, and I realized I’d hit a nerve of his without meaning to.
Chelsea, however, was either clueless to Ace’s reaction or didn’t care. She bopped in her seat, her attention flitting from the stage, where the band was yet to be, back to me, then Kena.
“Do you really think I’ll get to meet them?”
Kena nodded before giving her a wink.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen a smile so big as the one dancing across Chelsea’s beautiful face, and before I realized it, my expression mirrored hers. Men’s insecurities be damned. My bestie loved Breakers and if she got the opportunity, like she would later, to meet said band, then to hell with anyone who had a problem with it. It wasn’t like she’d hop on their dicks during the introduction.
But apparently, Ace had a problem with the impending meet and greet.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” he grumbled, leaning back in his seat to give the illusion of a soothing composure. “He gets pussy thrown at him all day long. You’ll just be another in a long line.” His c
omment was out of line and insulting to Chelsea, which meant he’d also insulted me.
Before I could jump to her defense, she told him just what she thought.
“Fuck you. Don’t put your shit on me.” While her words confused me, I was happy she’d said something. She turned her body away, her legs planted outside our booth, her back to him. “It’s not my fault you can’t decide.” She mumbled the last part, but if anyone paid attention, they heard what she said, as did I.
Ace’s arms flexed, the material of his black shirt tightening around his biceps. I’d have to be sure to ask her what was going on between them, since the last we talked she called him moody but didn’t say much else. Then again, if I asked her about her and Ace, that opened the door for her to ask about me and Kaden. She sensed something back at the salon when he came to me for a haircut but hadn’t pushed the topic.
Chelsea kept her back to the booth, her body relaxing when we heard the announcer tell us that Breakers would be out in five.
My attention flipped to Braylen and Ryder, who were huddled together, whispering and keeping to themselves more than anything. I was the only one at the table who knew their secret, unless of course, she’d gotten around to telling her sister.
While I was lost in thought, my brain didn’t register Kaden’s hand on my thigh at first. It took the warming of my body for me to figure out something had changed… that change being Kaden touching me.
He leaned closer to me. “Are you just as excited to meet the band? Do I have to worry that you’ll be throwing yourself at one of them, too?” A faint smile curved his lips and I couldn’t figure out if he was serious or not.
“Why would you care if I hooked up with one of them?” My question hit a nerve, as was apparent when his fingers dug into my leg before disappearing altogether.
“You know why,” he said, his voice too low for anyone to hear but me.
I opened my mouth to ask him to explain when all four members of the band filed onto the stage. Chelsea was right, Kevin Drake was sexy, especially in person. His hair looked to be a darker brown than what I’d seen in photos, the style kept short and trimmed. And although I couldn’t see them from here, he had gorgeous dark blue eyes. But from the close distance of our booth from the stage, what I could see were his full, lickable lips. Dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt, the muscles of his arms flexed when he picked up his guitar and started playing with the chords. I glanced at the other members, each one of them attractive, which explained the number of groupies gathered in front of the stage right now, yelling and vying for their attention. The lead singer, Jameson Everett, wore a white button-up, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and dark, ripped jeans. A mop of blond curls adorned his head, making him look adorable, but his chiseled cheekbones gave him the sexy edge.