by L. Wilder
“Going really good actually.”
“How’s Tristen?”
“The first week after we left LA was pretty rough, but things are getting a little easier for her now. She seemed really good when I left. I think she’s missing you guys.”
“We’ve missed her, too. We were really worried about her. I’m glad to hear she’s doing okay.”
Henley glanced over at Mike and then back to me as she whispered, “So, did you and Mr. Big Stuff get yourselves sorted?”
“We did,” I answered, unable to hide my smile.
“Good. I was hoping you would.” Her smile was sincere, and it meant the world to me. “Liking the new look. Your hair looks great.”
I ran my fingers through my hair as I rolled my eyes. “You think so? I don’t even think Mike noticed.”
I hadn’t even realized Mike had walked up until he placed his hands on my hips. “Oh, I noticed.” Without giving me any sign of whether he liked it or not, he leaned over me and asked, “You ready?”
“Where are you two headed?”
“Taking her out to the house.”
“You gonna bring her back soon so we can catch up?”
He placed his hands on my hips. “It’ll have to be tomorrow. She’s all mine tonight.”
“Alright, then. How about lunch one day this week?” Cassidy asked.
“Sounds good to me. Just let me know when and where.”
“I could do Friday,” Henley chimed in. “You good with that, Wren?”
“That would be perfect. Mia is with the sitter on Fridays. Maybe we can get MJ and Allie to come along. I’ll give them a call tomorrow.”
“Tell them we’ll go have Mexican.”
My stomach churned at the thought. “Can we not have Mexican?”
Cassidy grimaced as she replied, “Damn. I’m sorry, girl. I wasn’t even thinking. We can have whatever you want.”
“How about Italian?” I suggested.
“Consider it a plan.”
“Looking forward to it.”
When Mike and I turned to leave, one of them yelled, “You two have fun.”
“Try to behave, Henley.”
By the time we got on the bike and out on the main road, the sun was starting to set. As we got farther into the mountains, it was absolutely breathtaking. I’d never seen anything so beautiful, and being on the bike made it that much better. The fresh air, the cool breeze against my face, and being so close to Mike made it a perfect drive. We hadn’t been riding long when he pulled onto a long, curvy driveway that led to a ranch-style house on the side of the mountain. I’m not sure where I imagined he’d live, but this definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. It was a gorgeous house painted dark gray with long white shutters and windowpanes with a wraparound porch. There were potted plants lining the steps and white chairs nestled by the front door.
He parked the bike and waited for me to get off. As I took off my helmet, I continued to look around the yard and out over the mountain. “Mike, this place is unbelievable.”
“Glad you like it.” He reached for my hand as he started for the steps. “But it could use a woman’s touch.”
He unlocked the door and motioned for me to go inside. I stepped through the door into a large living room with dark, wood floors and taupe-colored walls. It was simple and very masculine, but a few touches of color and some simple art work or flowers would be all it would take to make it perfect. The large kitchen was warm and inviting with its white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. I took a few steps down the hall, but stopped when I walked past his office. His office at the club was impressive, but it was nothing in comparison to this. Every computer gadget known to man was crammed in that room, making me wonder why he didn’t use it more often. I continued down the hall to his bedroom. It was your typical guy’s bedroom with a king size bed and dark furniture. Like the rest of the house, it was simple yet elegant. I couldn’t believe I’d actually be living here. “I really love it, Mike.”
“You haven’t seen anything, yet.”
He started walking towards the back and opened a door. He motioned for me to follow him outside. When I stepped out onto the porch, the view blew me away. Even in the dark, I could see mountains for miles. It was absolutely stunning. “I don’t ever want to leave from this spot.”
He came up behind me, towering over me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “I love it out here. Great place to forget your troubles.”
“Do you spend a lot of time out here?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. Thinking that will change now.”
“Probably so, because I’m gonna want my coffee out here every morning.”
“Is that right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” I nodded. “Every morning.”
“And who’s gonna be making this coffee for you every morning?”
“Depends on who gets up first. Something tells me that’s gonna be you most days.” I tried to hold back my laugh. “You do know how to make coffee, right?”
“I think I can manage, but it’s gonna cost you,” he teased.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Gotta pay the toll, baby.”
Knowing exactly what he meant and knowing that I would be getting just as much as him out of that toll, I replied, “I’m sure we can work something out.”
“I’m sure we can,” he chuckled.
I don’t know what triggered the thought, but I found myself thinking of Tristen and Nitro. Maybe it was because I was so happy and I desperately wanted the same for my sister. I had no idea how she truly felt about Nitro. It was obvious that he felt something for her. It was written all over his face whenever he talked about her, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen between the two of them. The cards were already stacked against them, and with everything that happened in LA, things were only going to get harder for them.
“I probably shouldn’t ask, but what’s gonna happen with the club and Nitro?”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t ask.”
I turned around to face him and placed my hands on his chest. “I’m not asking what he does for the club or any of that. I just want to know if things are going to be okay between Nitro and the brothers. Can you tell me that?”
“Nitro will be fine with or without the club, and we will be fine without him.”
“So… that’s a no?”
“I don’t know how things are going to play out between Nitro and Cotton. Ultimately, that’s between them.”
“But she’s doing so much better. You should’ve seen that place. The counselors and the—”
“None of that matters, Josie.” He could see that I was worried, so he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Things will work themselves out.”
“I hope so.”
“Nitro has a way of growing on you.”
I shook my head and sighed. “He does, and it’s frustrating as hell. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t, not with everything he was doing for Tristen.”
“Don’t always agree with his methods, but he makes things happen. Gotta give him that.” He reached for my hand and pulled me over to him. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I’ve got steaks we could grill, or we could go into town for something.”
“I’d rather stay here if it’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely.” He reached into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll get one of the guys to bring your stuff over so you can get settled.”
“That would be great.”
“Make yourself comfortable while I go get dinner started.” He bent down and kissed me tenderly before he turned and headed inside. I stood there for a moment, feeling in complete awe of how dramatically my life had changed in such a short time. One horrific moment in time transcended me into a life I could’ve only imagined. Like Nitro had once told me, there was no way to know what the future held, but for the first time since my parents died, I felt like everything was going to be okay. More than ok
ay. Things were going to be good. Very good indeed.
It had been just over a week since we’d gotten Josie’s stuff moved out of her apartment and over to the house. We were already settling into our own routines. I’d make her a cup of coffee before I left for the club, and she’d take it out to the back porch to drink while she worked on her class assignments. After the day was done, I’d come home and we’d spend the night together. I’d always liked my house and tried to make it a place I could be proud of, but since she’d moved in, it felt like home. It wasn’t because of the subtle changes she’d made around the house, the hot meals on the table, or even the cleaning and all the laundry. It felt like home simply because she was there. At the end of the day, it gave me a sense of peace knowing she’d be there waiting for me, just like she would be later tonight.
Knowing that later Josie was going to be at the house grilling steaks, I was eager to get my ass on my bike and out on the road, but I had a shit ton of work to finish before I could leave. I was busy getting it done when Maverick came by my office. “Cotton’s called us into church.”
Surprised, I stood up and followed him out into the hall. The guys made it back from the run without any issue, so I wondered why he’d call church so unexpectedly. “Something up?”
“Nitro.”
We all knew it was coming. Eventually, there had to be some kind of resolution between Nitro and the club, but with the way things played out, it wasn’t going to be some simple fix. I followed Maverick into the meeting room and took my seat at the table. Once everyone was settled, Cotton told us, “Got a call from Nitro. He wants to come to terms… see if we can come up with some kind of agreement.”
“What kind of agreement is he looking to get?” Clutch questioned. Clutch was one of our more level-headed brothers. He liked to weigh all the options before he made any decisions, but from the angry tone in his voice, I could see he was pissed.
“That’s up to us.” Cotton inhaled a deep breath. “Nitro double-crossed us. There’s no going back from that shit.”
“As a club rule, we should put a bullet in his ass,” Guardrail growled. He wasn’t a man who believed in second chances. Period. “That’s what happens when you fuck with the club.”
I’d been there with Nitro when it had all gone down and knew firsthand just how bad it had gotten. “I don’t necessarily disagree, but he did get Tristen back without causing a war between us and the fucking cartel. And he covered all the costs. He covered everything to get her back safe. That has to count for something.”
Stitch leaned forward and looked at Cotton. “Maybe so, but if we can’t trust him, we sure as hell can’t do business with him.”
Cotton leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms. “Been dealing with Nitro for a long time. We had a good run, but Stitch is right. Nitro violated our trust. There’s no way we can continue to do business with him.”
“Then, where does that leave us with our next shipment?” Guardrail asked.
“We’ve got other suppliers. We’ll have to pool resources and make it work. That’s what we do.”
Knowing Josie would want to know if her sister would be back in town, I asked, “When is he coming?”
“Told him to come by this afternoon. Gonna bring Tristen with him.”
Guardrail turned and asked Cotton, “And what’s going to happen with her?”
“Figure that will be up to Tristen. She wasn’t an ol’ lady, just a hang-around. We were there for her when she needed us. It’s time for her to decide where she goes from here.”
“Guess we have our answer.”
“We do.” Cotton stood up as he said, “Meeting adjourned.”
I wasn’t surprised by the brothers’ decision to end things with Nitro. He’d fucked up, and in the end, it had cost all of us. I just hoped it was worth it. Once everyone dispersed, I headed back to my office and messaged Josie, letting her know that Tristen was coming to the clubhouse. It’d been less than an hour after I’d messaged her when she came rushing into my office. “Is she here?”
“Not yet, but it shouldn’t be much longer.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t tell me she was coming,” she pouted. “I just talked to her last night and she didn’t say anything about coming home.”
“Maybe she wanted to surprise you.”
“Maybe, but she could’ve given me a hint.”
I reached for her, pulling her onto my lap as I kissed her. “Not so good with surprises, are ya?”
“Well, it depends on the surprise.” She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. The kiss quickly became heated. She felt so fucking good pressed against me, and we were just about to get carried away when Stitch knocked at my door. “We’ve got company.”
“They’re here.” I stood up and carefully lowered her feet to the floor. “I need you to go to Tristen’s room and wait there until I come to get you.”
“Why?”
“This isn’t up for debate, Josie.”
She looked up at me with worried eyes. “Wait… Is there going to be some kind of trouble because Nitro is coming to the clubhouse?”
I looked down at her with my eyebrow raised, letting her know I wasn’t going to give her an answer. Her voice shot up several octaves when she argued, “Really? This is one of those things I’m not supposed to ask about?”
She looked so damned cute standing there with her arms crossed and that little scowl on her face. “Yep.”
I heard her sigh with aggravation as she followed me out into the hall. “I really don’t like that rule. Keep your mouth shut, don’t ask questions. Blah, blah, blah. It’s so frustrating.”
“You’ll manage.”
“Yeah, I can manage, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna like it.”
I opened Tristen’s door and motioned for her to go inside. “No one said you had to like it, Josie, but as my ol’ lady, it’s one of the things you’re gonna have to deal with.”
“Your ol’ lady?” Her eyes lit up as she smiled.
“You heard me. Now, get your cute ass in there and stay put until I get back.”
I was about to turn to leave when she said, “You know what?”
“Hmm?”
She walked over and rose up on her tiptoes as she planted her lips against mine. “I may not like your rules, but I kind of like you.”
“Kind of?”
“Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head.”
“I’ll do what I can.” I gave her a quick slap on her ass and headed out the door. “Hold tight. It shouldn’t be long.”
I headed down the hall towards Cotton’s office, but stopped when I heard his voice coming from the bar. When I walked in, Cotton had his arms wrapped around Tristen, hugging her tightly. “Looking good, kid.”
I almost didn’t recognize her with her dark, wavy hair and fancy clothes. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she said, “Thank you for all you did to help me get back. I was worried I might never see this place again.”
“I’m sure the girls will be glad to see you, too. Cass and Peyton are in the kitchen. Why don’t you go check in with them while we have a word with Nitro?”
She hesitated as she turned back and looked at Nitro. Once he’d given her a slight nod, she turned back and answered, “Sure. It would be great to see them.”
By the time she was gone, Guardrail and Maverick had come into the bar. We all gathered behind Cotton, glaring at Nitro as we waited for one of them to speak. A lesser man would’ve been intimidated by the show of power, but Nitro seemed unaffected as he looked at Cotton. “We’ve come to a crossroads, brother. I know you are set on severing ties between us, and I’m not here to change your mind.”
“That’s a good fucking thing, because there is nothing you could do or say that would change my mind,” Cotton growled.
“Figured as much. Known you long enough to know how goddamned stubborn you can be.” Nitro had balls of steel to run his mouth, but he was never one to hold back.
&nb
sp; “Being fucking stubborn has nothing to do with it. We trusted you, and you stabbed us in the motherfucking back,” Cotton shouted.
“I saved your girl from the fucking cartel, Cotton. Got her the help she needed to get back on her feet. If that’s stabbing you in the back, then it is what it is.”
“Don’t try to turn this around, brother,” Cotton roared. “You fucked this whole thing up, and you know it. Had to be the fucking hero for some girl, and to hell with the consequences.”
“I had my reasons.”
“Pussy isn’t a fucking reason to turn your back on the club.”
Nitro took a step towards Cotton and snarled, “Walking a thin line, Cotton. Truth is, you’d do the same damn thing if Cass was standing up there, being sold like a piece of fucking meat.”
“I wouldn’t have double-crossed the brothers.”
“You’re a goddamned saint, Cotton. Never had any fucking regrets. Must be nice to walk around in those fucking boots of yours.” Nitro shook his head in disgust. “No sense in continuing this bullshit. What’s done is done.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” Cotton’s expression was full of anger as he nodded towards the door. “Nothing keeping you here.”
“If you’re ready for me to go, then get Tristen back in here. Ask her yourself and see what she really wants to do. If she chooses to stay here with you and keep the life she had, then I’ll walk out of here and never look back. But if she decides to go with me, then I’m taking her. Either way, this shit ends today.”
Cotton turned to me and said, “Go get her.”
I nodded, then turned and headed for the kitchen. When I walked in, the girls were talking a mile a minute and didn’t even notice when I came through the door. “Tristen, Cotton needs you.”
The chatter immediately stopped as they all turned to face me. Tristen’s eyes widened with worry as she started walking towards me. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “Just need a minute.”
She followed me back into the bar, and I could see that she was nervous as she walked over to Cotton. “Big said you wanted me.”
“I do.” He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her as he said, “Need to know what you want to do.”