by L. Wilder
“Very soon.”
She smiled as she replied, “Good.”
After one last kiss she headed back to her car, and seconds later she was gone. As I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way to the clubhouse, I thought back over the past few weeks and tried to pinpoint the second that everything took a turn. I’d always done everything in my power to guard against Murphy’s Law, thinking if I was prepared for all those things that could go wrong, they wouldn’t happen. I’d even made up a specific set of rules to follow to ensure that I would always be prepared for those things that would go wrong, but when it came to Riley Nichols, I’d failed to remember one of my most important rules—never let your emotions rule you. I just couldn’t help myself. She made me feel things I never thought I could, so I took a chance and put everything on the line. It was a decision that would change everything, triggering more and more of my rules to be broken, and if I wasn’t careful, it would cost me everything—including her.
12
Riley
On my drive back home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the night I’d shared with Murphy. It was hot, romantic, and everything in between. Murphy was absolutely incredible, more than I could’ve ever dreamed, and when I thought about the way he touched me, my entire body would tingle. I wasn’t exactly surprised. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him that he wasn’t like any man I’d ever known. He was sin wrapped up in one wickedly, sexy package, and I found him positively, mouthwateringly hot. It wasn’t just his good looks that I found so appealing. It was the way he exuded confidence that had me so intrigued. Murphy was one of those take-charge types with complete control of himself and those around him, and I simply couldn’t take my eyes off him. At the time, I had no idea that there was another side to him, one full of kindness and compassion that took his hotness to a whole new level. After spending an incredible night with him, I was floating on cloud nine, but as I got closer to home, those blissful thoughts slowly started to fade.
I wasn’t looking forward to facing my father, especially after the way he found out that I was with Murphy. It wasn’t that I’d intended to keep it a secret from him. I’d just hoped that I’d have the opportunity to talk to him, to explain everything to him in a calm, rational way, but Grady had taken that chance away from me. I couldn’t really blame him. When I finally returned his call, it was clear that I’d worried him, especially after the way Murphy carried me out of the bar. He had a million questions, but I put him off, telling him it was a conversation we needed to have in person. I promised to go see him soon so we could talk about everything, and thankfully, he agreed to wait. For the time being, I needed to focus my thoughts on what I was going to say to my father. When I started down my driveway, a feeling of dread washed over me which only got worse when I saw that he was waiting for me on the front steps. I took a deep breath and did my best to collect my thoughts as I parked the car. As soon as I got out, he started walking towards me with an angry scowl. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
“I told you I was fine. Besides, there was no reason for you to be worried.”
“No reason to worry? Are you kidding me?” he shouted. “Do you have any idea who this man is? What he’s capable of?”
“I know him better than you might think.”
“I sincerely doubt that, otherwise you wouldn’t have been with him last night.” He shook his head and sighed. “That club he belongs to … Satan’s Fury … they’re not just a group of guys who ride motorcycles together. They’re criminals, Riley. Those men aren’t just buying weapons, they use them to kill anyone who tries to stand in their way, and your new boyfriend, Murphy, he’s not only a member, he’s one of their officers.”
“You’re the man who sold them the guns!” I glared at him as I said, “Oh, that’s right. You had a good reason for doing what you did. That excuses everything.”
“Is this what this is all about? Is this your way of punishing me for—”
“I’m not punishing you, Dad. Me seeing Murphy has nothing to do with you.” I reached into the backseat and grabbed my bag. As I slammed the door shut, I looked at him and said, “You taught me that it’s not right to judge anyone, especially when you don’t know anything about them, and yet here you are doing exactly that. I expected more from you.”
“I just don’t want you throwing your life away because that’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you continue seeing him!” He was about to continue when his attention was drawn over to a black BMW that was barreling down our gravel driveway. A distressed look crossed his face as he ordered, “Get inside and lock the door.”
“Who is that?”
I could hear the panic in his voice as he shouted, “Do what I said, Riley! Now!”
I’d never seen him quite so rattled, so I did what he said and rushed inside, quickly locking the door behind me. Knowing something was terribly wrong, I stood by the window and watched as the car came to a screeching halt. I held my breath as a man got out and started to approach my father. It didn’t take me long to recognize him. As soon as I saw his face, I remembered seeing him that day I was hiding in the treehouse. He’d come to purchase weapons from Dad, but unlike today, his visit hadn’t taken Dad by surprise. On that day, he didn’t seem nervous or threatened by Devon, but that clearly wasn’t the case today. While he was doing his best to hide it, I could tell Dad was feeling uneasy about the situation. His tone was short as Dad looked up at the man and said, “Hello, Devon. I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“You haven’t been answering my calls.”
“I’ve already told you. I sold the shipment you were interested in, so there’s nothing left for us to discuss. Our business is done.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We aren’t even close to being done.” The man took a menacing step towards my father as he growled, “Those weapons were ours, and you sold them right out from under our feet.”
“That’s not how it played out, and you know it. You and your boss had your chance to buy, but you didn’t move fast enough.” Even though I was completely terrified by the menacing expression on Devon’s face, my father seemed unfazed and his voice never faltered as he continued, “That’s on you. Not me.”
Devon’s nose flared as he stuck out his chest and snarled, “You best remember who you’re talking to, Mr. Nichols.”
“Look, Devon. I don’t want any trouble with you or your boss, but the deal is done.” Dad shrugged. “Those guns are gone.”
“Then, you need to get them back!”
“By now, they’re halfway across the country.”
“Fuck! Lynch is going to lose his shit.” Devon ran his hand roughly over his face. “When can you get your hands on some more?”
“Not sure that I can. Like I told you last week, I’m getting out of the business.”
With that, Devon sprang forward and grabbed my father’s shirt, fisting it tightly as he jerked him forward. “You’re not getting out of the business until the Hurricanes say you’re getting out! You are going to do whatever it takes to get us that fucking shipment, or there’ll be hell to pay. Is that understood?”
From the day I first learned about my father’s new enterprise, I’d worried that something would go wrong, and now my worst fears were becoming a reality. I was completely terrified, and I wasn’t the only one. Dad’s courageous stance started to waver when he mumbled, “Yeah, I understand … but it’s going to take some time.”
“I’m glad we’re finally on the same page,” Devon replied as he turned towards his car. “You’ve got forty-eight hours.”
Before my father could respond he got into his car, and seconds later he was gone. Dad didn’t move. He simply stood there staring off into space with a blank expression on his face. It was a look of defeat, much like the one he had on the day the doctors told him that Mom’s treatments hadn’t worked. I didn’t know what to do. He wouldn’t like that I’d eavesdropped, but I couldn’t pretend that I hadn’t heard Devon�
�s threat. I unlocked the door and slipped out onto the porch without my father even noticing. I stepped up behind him and asked, “Are you okay?”
His eyes skirted over to me as he answered, “You were listening?”
“Yes. I heard everything.” My voice trembled as I asked, “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“If you get them that shipment, won’t they just keep coming back for more?”
“I said, I’ll figure it out, Riley,” he snapped.
“I’m sorry. It’s just … that guy was pretty scary.” I looked him in the eyes and told him, “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Now, you understand how I feel. I know you don’t want to believe me, but that Murphy fellow is just as scary as Devon. You keep talking to him, and you’ll eventually see that side of him. I guarantee it.”
“Maybe, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.” As I started back up the porch steps, I told him, “You know, there’s more to you than just this farm and the horses you breed, and the same goes for Murphy. There’s more to him than just that club. There’s a lot of good in him, and it’s a shame you can’t see that.”
“I’ve seen all I need to see to know that my beautiful daughter has no business messing around with the likes of him.”
I shook my head with disgust as I opened the front door. Before I stepped inside, I told him, “I have some studying to do.”
“Well, at least you haven’t given up on your education. Maybe there’s still a chance for you after all.”
I didn’t bother responding. Instead, I slammed the door and went up to my room. My mind was still reeling as I went into the bathroom and took a hot shower. Once I was done, I put on some clean clothes and lay across my bed. I stared up at the ceiling and was thinking about everything that had happened over the past few months when I was struck with a thought. I’d often wondered why I hadn’t judged Murphy more harshly, especially after the way I’d reacted over my father selling illegal weapons. Both of them were involved in things I didn’t condone, but there was one defining difference between them. My father had always portrayed himself to be an upstanding man who always followed the rules, never wavering for anyone. I’d always looked up to him for that, and even though I loved him and understood his reasons for what he’d done, I felt betrayed by his actions. Murphy, on the other hand, never once tried to hide who he was. He was upfront from the start, never apologizing for the life he led or the choices he made. My father would never understand why I liked Murphy the way I did. Sometimes, I didn’t understand it myself, but in the end, the heart wants what the heart wants.
With all intentions of studying, I took out my binder and started flipping through the pages of notes, trying to make sense of what I was reading. Sadly, I wasn’t having much luck. My mind just wasn’t in the right place, and I was having a hard time focusing. I’d started to become frustrated when I heard my phone chime with a text message. I smiled when I noticed I had a message from Murphy.
Murphy:
You make it home okay?
Me:
I did. I just got out of the shower.
Murphy:
Really? I hate I missed that.
Me:
You’re not the only one.
Murphy:
How did things go with your dad?
Me:
As well as could be expected.
Murphy:
That well, huh?
Me:
He’ll come around.
Murphy:
Not so sure about that.
Me:
He will. You’ll see. Besides, I didn’t get much time to talk to him. We got interrupted by one of his buyers.
Murphy:
Interrupted how?
Me:
I don’t know all the details. I just know he wasn’t happy about a shipment.
Murphy:
Did you father get him sorted?
Me:
Not yet, but he will.
Murphy:
You sound pretty confident about that.
Me:
That’s because I am.
Murphy:
Good. You got plans after class tomorrow?
Me:
Not that I’m aware of. Why?
Murphy:
I want to see you.
Me:
Good, because I want to see you, too.
Murphy:
I’ll text you later to sort out the when and where.
Me:
Sounds like a plan.
Murphy:
Now stop messing around and get to studying for that test.
Me:
I’m trying, but this hot guy keeps messaging me.
Murphy:
Tell him to fuck off. You’re taken.
Me:
I’m not sure he will believe me, but I’ll find a way to convince him.
Murphy:
And how are you planning to do that?
Me:
You’ll see tomorrow.
Murphy:
I’ll be looking forward to that. I’ll text you later.
With a goofy grin on my face, I tossed my phone on the bed and started studying. It took some time, but I was eventually able to make sense of all my notes. I went downstairs when I felt certain that I had everything down, and after I put on my coat and boots, I headed outside. I wasn’t in the mood for another confrontation, so I was pleased to see that Dad was nowhere in sight as I headed out to the barn. After greeting each of the horses, I grabbed a pitchfork and started cleaning out one of the stalls. I was just about to finish when Hunter came up behind me and said, “Is it true?”
Confused, I turned to face him as I asked, “Is what true?”
“Are you screwing around with one of those biker guys?”
Damn. Round three was about to ensue. “I’m not screwing around, Hunter.”
“You know what I mean, Riley. Are you seeing that dude or what?”
“His name is Murphy, and yeah, I saw him last night.” My eyes narrowed as I grumbled, “If you’re about to give me one of your big brother lectures, I really don’t want to hear it right now. I’ve already heard it all from Dad.”
“I wasn’t gonna give you a lecture, sis.” He leaned against the gate as he said, “I don’t care who you date as long as you are happy.”
It wasn’t like Hunter to be so understanding, so I asked, “Seriously? That’s all you’re going to say.”
“I’m not going to waste my breath on telling you things you already know. I’m sure you have your reasons for liking this guy.” I couldn’t believe my ears as he said, “Just be careful and don’t do anything stupid.”
“Are you up to something?”
“No. What makes you think I’m up to something?”
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I knew he was trying to hide something. “I know you better than anyone, Hunter Nichols, so tell me. What did you do?”
“It’s not as bad as you fucking around with that biker.”
“Hunter.”
He grimaced as he answered, “I got arrested last night.”
“Arrested! For what?”
“Public intoxication and indecent exposure.”
“Seriously? Where were you, and what were you doing?”
“Travis and I were down on the strip, and we met up with some friends of ours from school.” His eyes skirted to the floor as he continued, “We got to drinking, and then we drank a little more. A bachelorette party came in, and everything after that was kind of a blur.”
“So, what did you do to get arrested?”
“Apparently, the girls convinced me that I should get up on the table and strip for them. You know how I aim to please, so …”
“Hunter,” I fussed. “I can’t believe you did that!”
“Yeah … It wasn’t my proudest moment, but at least I gave that bride-to-be something to remember,” he boasted.
“Maybe so,” I stepped towards him as I said, “but Dad is going to have a conniption fit when he finds out you were arrested.”
“I’m fucked.”
“You might as well go on and tell him. You know how Dad is. He’ll find out one way or another.”
“You’re right. I’ll talk to him.”
“No time like the present.” I motioned my hand towards the training ring as I said, “He’s out back with Starlight.”
“Damn.”
When he started walking towards the door, I called out to him, “Hey, Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“There is one good thing about all this!”
“Really? What’s that?”
I smiled as I told him, “Once Dad hears about you getting arrested for giving a striptease, he’s going to forget all about me and Murphy.”
“Not a chance, sunshine,” he scoffed. “Not a chance.”
13
Murphy
I’m not sure that I’ve ever known what it felt like to be content, to be able to lay my head down on the pillow without feeling like a dark void was devouring me from the inside out, but as I sat there reading Riley’s last text message, content was the only way I could describe how I was feeling. There was always the chance that the feeling wouldn’t last, that our worlds were just too different and it would tear us apart, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Something in my gut told me that the connection we had was worth taking the risk, so I messaged her back and made arrangements for us to meet later that afternoon. As soon as she confirmed, I put my phone in my back pocket and turned my attention back to my brothers. We’d gathered at the bar to go over the plan for our upcoming pipeline run, but Blaze was running late. He’d told us earlier that he was taking his son, Wyatt, for another six-month checkup. Wyatt had been in remission for quite some time, and knowing what they’d been through, we were all concerned that they might’ve gotten bad news. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.