Chains

by Wilder, Chiah

The remaining members lifted their fists in the air, their eyes glued to a horror movie on the television screen.

  Chains fished out his keys and walked slowly toward his motorcycle.

  Chapter Ten

  “So, why the hell did you go after Chet?” Bret shifted his eyes to Autumn, then back to the road.

  “I didn’t want the tension between the two of you. I thought if I could talk to—”

  “Don’t try and fix what’s been broken for a long time. Chet’s an arrogant asshole. He thinks that he’s something because he rides a motorcycle and belongs to that outlaw gang.”

  “He’s in the Night Rebels, right?”

  “Yeah—loser all the way.” Bret reached over and grasped her hand. “Don’t waste any more time thinking about him. He rarely shows up at family functions, so you probably won’t see him anymore. I doubt if he’ll show up to the wedding. I told my mom that I don’t want her pushing him—I’d rather he didn’t come.”

  Autumn turned her head and stared out the window. She still couldn’t believe that Chains and Bret were brothers. What were the odds that he was really Chet? Astronomical for sure.

  “Did your parents have a good time?”

  “What?” Autumn glanced at him sideways.

  “You seem distracted, sweetie. I was asking if your mom and dad enjoyed today.”

  “Oh … yeah, they had a nice time. They loved meeting all your extended family. I still can’t believe my dad talked my mom into flying down here.” Autumn chuckled. “He told me that she was clutching his wrist so hard during the flight, he thought she was going to break it.”

  “I don’t understand people who are afraid to fly. Statistics show that more people die in car crashes than airplanes, yet I bet your mom doesn’t think twice about driving.”

  Autumn shrugged and looked out the window again. “Phobias have no explanation, but they’re real fears and we have to respect that.”

  “I’m just saying, it’s kind of ridiculous, you know?”

  A motorcycle’s low rumble made her hold her breath as they approached a stoplight. She looked over, and for a brief second, disappointment pricked her gut when the rider wasn’t Chains. Bret kept going on about phobias, his voice buzzing like a gnat in her ear. Autumn tuned him out and kept staring at the biker next to them. The man turned toward her, smiled, then revved the engine.

  “Asshole!” Bret screamed.

  The light turned green and the rider sped away.

  “Does he think that makes him cool?” Bret said. “I hate jerks like that.”

  “Big boys with loud toys.” Autumn chuckled. “I bet it’s fun riding on something so powerful. I’m pretty sure it was a Harley-Davidson.”

  Bret looked over at her. “When did you become a motorcycle aficionado?”

  “I’ve always admired them. Living in a small town, I notice them more.”

  “What’s there to admire? My lowlife brother rides a Harley, and he went out of his way to make sure it’s louder than hell. I should turn him in. There are laws now about noise levels on motorcycles. Those asshole bikers don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.”

  Autumn’s stomach clenched and she exhaled a long breath. “I know your brother. He brought his dog, Thor, into the clinic and I treated him.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t know you two were related. He didn’t give a last name and simply said his first name was Chains.”

  “Figures—what a moron.”

  “I thought he was a nice man, and the way he loves Thor is amazing.”

  His lips flattened into a grim line. “I knew something was off when you two met. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  Her composure faltered. “Nothing,” she mumbled.

  “Why didn’t you say something when you saw him at the house? And what was the real reason you chased after him?” Bret fixed her with a steely gaze.

  “When you introduced him, I was just too shocked to think, and I already told you I ran after him to try and make peace between the two of you. You have to admit that it was pretty tense, I mean, it looked like Chains was going to punch you.”

  “His fucking name is Chet,” he grumbled.

  When a car honked behind them, Bret flipped the driver off in the rearview mirror and drove forward.

  “I’m sorry about all this. I wasn’t keeping anything from you. When he was coming into the clinic, I had no idea he was your brother. If I had, I would’ve told you, so let’s not fight about this, okay?”

  “Okay.” His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead, and she could see his jaw was as tight as a rubber band.

  A tense silence descended upon them for the rest of the drive. When Bret pulled into her driveway, Autumn opened the passenger door and jumped out.

  “I gotta go, sweetie,” he said as he slid out of the vehicle.

  “You’re coming back, right? Remember, we have plans for dinner tonight.”

  Bret audibly sighed while running his hand through his short brown hair. “I’m fucking pissed right now because I have to be in Grand Junction for business early tomorrow morning. Since it’s almost a four-hour drive, I want to leave today.”

  Autumn’s eyes widened. “And when were you planning to tell me this?”

  “I was debating about staying or getting up and leaving at around four in the morning. I didn’t want to say anything until I made my decision. You know I’m not a morning person, sweetie.” Bret walked around the car and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t be mad. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”

  “And when will that be?”

  “A few days.” He bent down and kissed her. “Be good while I’m gone.”

  She jerked her head back. “Where did that come from?”

  “I’m just joking, silly. Don’t be so touchy.”

  Autumn pulled away. “Have a safe trip.”

  “I’ll call you when I get there. Uh … I need to borrow a bit more money for the business venture.”

  She tilted her head. “Again? I just gave you four thousand dollars a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Yeah, and I appreciate it, but the other guy who was going to invest backed out. He sort of left me in the lurch. I’ll pay you back for sure.”

  Autumn shook her head. “I don’t have any more cash around.”

  “What about cash advances on your credit cards?”

  “My credit cards are maxed with all the wedding expenses. I’m sorry. Maybe you can ask your parents.”

  “I don’t want them involved in our business.”

  “Have you thought about taking out a small business loan?”

  “That won’t work. I had a problem before I met you and it kind of screwed up my credit. I got another couple of years before the negative shit falls off my credit report. What about the clinic?”

  The blood in her veins ran cold. “What about it?”

  “You could take out a loan on it. I’m on the deed right?”

  At that moment, Autumn mentally kicked herself for letting Bret talk her into adding him to the deed of the property.

  “I’m not doing that,” she said coldly.

  “Why the fuck not? There’s a shitload of equity in the place. I checked it out.”

  “I’m not jeopardizing my business. I worked hard to come up with the money to purchase the building and property. I vowed I’d never borrow against it. I’m sorry, but you may have to put your business venture on the back burner until you can raise enough capital. You could try and raise money online through crowdfunding for startups. I did that when I’d decided to buy the clinic. I posted my business plan and goals on Kickstarter. I can help you with that.”

  Bret stood there glaring at her. “We’re going to be a married couple in two months. Do you know what the fuck that means?”

  “Yes,” she said softly. “And I am supporting you. I raised more money than I imagined with the business campaign I posted. I told you I’d help you with that.”

>   “You’re unbelievable!” He stomped back to the driver’s side of the car. “Fuck you.” Bret backed the sports car out of the driveway and sped away with the tires squealing.

  His actions left Autumn frozen on the lawn as she inhaled a sudden breath into her lungs. It seemed that Bret was always angry at her for some reason, and when she didn’t give in to his demands, he’d act like a recalcitrant child throwing a tantrum. The sound of a car backfiring shoved Autumn into the here and now, and she hurried up the sidewalk and went into the house.

  Cinder rushed over and rubbed against Autumn’s legs, purring. She bent down and scooped the cat into her arms, cuddling Cinder close to her as she swallowed past the small lump in her throat. Refusing to cry, Autumn crossed the room and went into the kitchen.

  “Are you hungry?” she whispered against Cinder’s ear.

  The cat meowed and squirmed a little in Autumn’s arms, so she put her pet down, took out a can of food, and emptied it into Cinder’s bright blue bowl.

  A sudden surge of loneliness engulfed her. She chided herself for being foolish. For as long as Autumn could remember, she never liked leaving things on a bad or sour note. She walked into the family room and rifled through her purse, searching for her cell phone. When she found it, Autumn clicked on Bret’s number as she held her breath.

  She’d almost hung up when he picked up on the fifth ring.

  “I’m packing,” he said.

  “I feel bad about our fight,” she said.

  “Did you call to tell me you can loan me the money?” His voice was terse.

  “No, but I will help you to come up with a way to get it. How much do you need?”

  “About fifteen grand.”

  Autumn suppressed the startled gasp aching to burst from her throat.

  “I can earn that back threefold in a few months of launching the business.”

  “Let’s talk about what we can do when you get back,” she said.

  A long pause. “I have to go. I’ll call you when I get to Grand Junction.”

  The phone clicked off and Autumn held on to it for a long while before she rummaged through her purse again and pulled out Chains’s phone number. She tapped in all but one of the numbers, then stopped.

  “What the hell am I doing? I’ve got to get a grip on all this.” Autumn put the phone down and jumped when it rang. “Hello,” she answered tentatively.

  “Hi, Autumn. I wanted to tell you that I had a great time at the brunch this morning. I loved meeting your parents,” Sadie said.

  A breath of relief escaped from her chest; for one crazy moment, she’d thought it was Chains on the phone.

  “They enjoyed meeting you too. Regina put on a lovely brunch. I’ll never be able to compete with her, that’s for sure.”

  “Do you want to?” Sadie asked.

  “Not at all.” Autumn giggled. “What’re you doing for dinner? Bret has to go to Grand Junction for business, and he’s leaving tonight, so I’m free.”

  “He bailed out on you again?”

  “I guess so, but he does have a drive ahead of him.”

  “Why didn’t he have an early dinner with you?”

  Sadie’s question only made Autumn feel lonelier. “He had to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting. Do you want to go out tonight?”

  “Sure,” her friend replied. “Where do you feel like going?”

  “Spice Room. I’ve been dying to try it ever since it opened. Bret keeps promising we’ll go, but we never do. I know he’s just stringing me along because he’s not keen to try Indian food.”

  “I’m game. I like gyros. Is it like that?” Sadie asked.

  “Not exactly, but I know some of the spices are the same. You like bold and hot flavors, so I’m pretty sure you’re going to like it,” Autumn said.

  “Sounds good. Does seven work for you?”

  “That’s perfect. I’ll meet you there then.”

  Autumn put the phone on the coffee table then ran her hand over Cinder’s soft fur. She was happy that Sadie agreed to go out for dinner because she really didn’t want to spend the whole night alone with her thoughts. Autumn couldn’t believe she was ready to call Chains, and for what reason? What would she have said to him? For some reason, she was drawn to the biker and wanted to know him better. After all, he’s going to be my brother-in-law, but she knew that was a lie.

  The truth was, she was attracted to him. Crazily attracted, despite all the reasons she shouldn’t be. If Autumn told Sadie about it, her friend would clap her hands and tell her how thrilling and exciting it must be. But she didn’t feel that way about it at all. She found her attraction … unsettling. Autumn felt something inside that could easily veer out of control, and she didn’t like that at all. Her world and her life were orderly, but a biker had come into it, upsetting the balance and making her think all sorts of wild things.

  For the first time ever, Autumn felt like her life was unraveling and getting out of hand, way past her comfort zone, and she didn’t have a damn clue how to deal with it.

  Sighing, she tilted her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two weeks later

  Chains cursed under his breath and ignored the ringing phone as he tried to figure out why the code on his client’s website wasn’t working. Pushing back from the desk, he stared at the screen as if the answer would jump out at him. His eyes were dry and achy, and he rubbed them with the heel of his hand.

  The phone rang again and again and again.

  “What the fuck,” he muttered, frowning at the cell. He picked it up and glanced at the number on the screen. With pursed lips, he slowly brought it to his ear.

  “I’m in the middle of something.” Irritation laced Chains’s voice.

  “Sorry, but I had to talk to you,” Bret replied.

  For a nanosecond his chest tightened. “Is Mom okay?”

  “Yeah, everyone’s fine.”

  “What is it then? I’m trying to finish up something for a client, so I don’t have a lot of time.”

  “Okay. We haven’t spoken since the brunch, right?”

  Chains leaned forward and typed on the keyboard. “Uh-huh.”

  “I don’t even know why the hell we were mad.” Bret let out a dry chuckle.

  “’Cause that’s the way we roll—we’re always pissed at each other.” He shook his head and closed the laptop. “Cut the bullshit. Why did you call?”

  “Autumn told me that she knew you from the clinic she owns.”

  “So?”

  “Nothing. I just picked up that you two seemed comfortable with each other.”

  Chains stiffened against the chair. “What the fuck does that mean? I brought my dog in because he was sicker than hell. She fixed him up. End of fuckin’ story.”

  “Hang on there … I’m not saying anything bad about it, so don’t get so defensive,” Bret said.

  “You got five seconds to tell me why the hell you’re calling before I hang up. I don’t have time for this bullshit.” Chains massaged the back of his neck with his free hand.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” Bret said in a low voice.

  “About what?”

  “Getting married. I’m not ready to settle down just yet.” A long sigh came through the phone.

  Chains jerked his head back. “What the hell? You just figured that out now?” He laughed dryly.

  “I’ve been feeling it for a while, but Mom was so happy and she loved planning everything that I just didn’t know how …” his voice trailed off.

  “Why the fuck are you telling me this? I’d think you should be talking to your fiancée about it, not me.” Chains stretched his legs out in front of him, and Thor raised his head and looked up.

  “Yeah, so that’s the thing. I’m not real good at doing this type of stuff. Chicks get all teary-eyed before breaking down in sobs and causing a real scene. I’d prefer to bypass that.”

  “I’m sure you would, but you need to tell h
er.” Anger shot up Chains’s spine; he was getting more pissed as the minutes ticked by. He didn’t want to be dragged into his brother’s drama.

  “I want you to tell Autumn for me.”

  Chains jumped to his feet. “Are you fuckin’ serious? Why the hell would I do that? For once in your pathetic life, be a man and take responsibility. I’m not getting involved in this.”

  “Responsibility? This is coming from someone who lives like he’s in a criminal frat house and rides around on a damn motorcycle?” Bret snorted.

  “And owns a business and doesn’t ask Mom or Dad for a fuckin’ dime. I’ve been on my own, supporting myself since I was eighteen. You’re thiry and still looking for handouts.”

  “Asshole,” Bret said with a hiss. “Don’t worry about what I said. I’ll just do a no-show at the wedding. I don’t give a fuck!”

  The thought of Autumn standing at the altar in a packed church waiting for Bret to show up pierced his mind … and his heart. He couldn’t let his moronic brother humiliate her that way. Fuck!

  “I’ll tell her, but you better stay away from me, because if I see you, I’m beating the shit outta you.” Chains hung up and threw the phone on the bed. “What a sonofabitch!”

  Thor pushed up from the floor and sat on his haunches, then looked up and whined.

  “It’s okay, buddy,” he said calmly, even though anger still seethed inside him. He walked over to the closet and plucked out a Milk-Bone. Thor’s ears lifted and his tongue hung out as he looked eagerly at Chains’s hand. “Here you go.” Chains tossed the treat into the dog’s waiting jaws. He then picked up the phone and looked at the time: 5:45 p.m. He crossed back over to the computer and did a search for Autumn’s home address. If he was going to do this, he thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to do it at the clinic.

  “You fuckin’ asshole,” he muttered as he called the clinic to see whether Autumn was still at work.

  “Highlands Animal Care Center. May I help you?” a woman said.

  “Is Dr. Stanford in?” he asked.

  “Who’s calling, please?”

  He scrubbed the side of his face. “I was just wondering if the doctor is in.”