Edge Of Tomorrow (Arrow's Edge MC Book 3)

by Freya Barker

  Brick

  I see her come out of the clinic and take a seat on the bench.

  Then I watch her drop her head in her hands and her shoulders jerk.

  I’m out of the truck in a flash.

  “Hey…” I crouch in front of her and try to lift her face, surprised to see her cheeks wet. Only other time I ever saw her cry was when Nosh gave her the key to the cottage. “Sugar, what’s wrong?”

  She tries to hide her face, but I’m not letting her shake me off.

  “What did he say?” I try again, but she doesn’t seem willing, or even able, to talk.

  Someone comes walking out of the clinic and looks our way. I do my best to shield Lisa with my body. She’s a very private woman and doesn’t need gawkers watch her break down.

  “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

  She lets me pull her to her feet and keep my arm around her as we make our way to my truck. I help her in, pull open the glove compartment where I stuff fast food napkins, and tuck a wad of them in her hand before closing the door.

  “Lisa, talk to me.”

  Her face looks ravaged when she turns to me and I instinctively grab for her hand.

  “I’m scared.”

  “What happened in there?”

  She shakes her head but talks anyway.

  “I was fourteen when Mama died of a massive heart attack. She never even knew she was sick. She was thirty-nine.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  It’s a useless thing to say but I say it anyway, for lack of anything better. It takes a second for the possible relevance of what she’s telling me to register. Damn.

  “I know I’m overreacting, it’s probably nothing, but I’m the only thing my babies have and it scares me.”

  “Babe, right now you’re scaring me. What’d the doc say?”

  “He’s not sure, but my blood pressure’s too high, my heartbeat is irregular. He set me up an appointment with a cardiologist for further testing the day after tomorrow. Said it could be other things: infection, anemia, the change…” She gives me a side-glance but quickly diverts her attention back outside. “Never been sick a day in my life. What am I gonna do if—”

  “One step at a time. Sugar, look at me,” I urge her and she finally complies. Her tears have dried but the fear is still there. “Don’t borrow trouble. We’ll deal with whatever comes, but it’s no use worryin’ until we have ta.”

  “We?”

  This time it’s me who breaks eye contact. Two fucking years I’ve been keeping my distance, biding my time, but fuck if time couldn’t be running out right in front of me. I look back at her and brush the back of my fingers over her silky soft cheek before cupping her face.

  “Fucking right, we. Whatever happens, you ain’t alone. Not anymore.”

  She grabs my wrist and leans her face into my palm.

  “Brick…”

  “Not just me. The club’s your family, Lisa. There ain’t a single brother who’d hesitate even a second to take your back.”

  She closes her eyes, giving me a chance to take in her face. She’s a classic beauty: high cheekbones, full mouth, glowing, rich brown skin. Right now her hair is tied at the nape of her neck, but I love the way it flowed free around her face the other day.

  “I’m forty-six, Brick.”

  “Not news, Lisa.”

  Her brown eyes turn to me. “I’ve outlived my mama by seven years already.”

  I’m not sure if it’s the defeat in her eyes or the two years of hanging onto my restraint, but I lean in and take her mouth. Fuck, I’ve exerted an iron will for a long goddamn time, but one taste of those luscious lips and it’s clear there’s no going back.

  It’s far from a one-sided kiss as her hand touches my face and her mouth welcomes me, but I force myself to release her.

  “Don’t borrow trouble,” I repeat.

  She pulls her hand back, dropping it on her lap as she sits back in the seat and her eyes drift out the window.

  “You’re right, and this didn’t happen,” she says, refusing to look at me. “Let’s get home. I’ve got stuff to do.”

  “Oh, it fuckin’ happened, but I’ll take you home.”

  “Language,” she snaps, which makes me grin. There she is.

  “Fine, I’ll mind my language if you promise to take it easy.”

  I don’t get an answer but I didn’t really expect one. She’s a proud woman.

  The twenty-minute, silent drive back to the compound allows me to think about the phone conversation I just had while waiting for Lisa in the parking lot.

  After Kelsey’s call, I talked to one of the brothers, Paco, who’s smart with computers. I gave him her name and number and he’d promised to see what he could find. So far he got a DMV listing with an old address in Denver—she apparently hadn’t lived there for close to a year according to her landlord—and the registration for a 2017 Nissan Rogue.

  The thought she’d been so close to me all this time didn’t sit well.

  He hadn’t been able to do much with the phone number, which looks to be linked to a pay-as-you-go account. He suggested maybe talking to Luna, the wife of our president, Ouray, and also an FBI agent.

  If I don’t hear from her today, I might just do that.

  When I pull into the compound, I drive straight to Lisa’s cottage.

  “You could’ve dropped me off at the clubhouse, I want to make a start on dinner before I pick the kids up this afternoon.”

  I stop outside her front door, put the truck in park, and turn toward her.

  “I’m picking up the kids, and I’m sure the guys can manage dinner. Why don’t you take some time?”

  Her eyes narrow on me.

  “You’re the one who told me not to worry until I had to.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you should pretend like nothin’ happened,” I fire back. “For once, would you look after yourself? Have a bath, read a book, watch TV, whatever, just…” I take a deep breath before adding in a gentler voice, “Just look after yourself. Please?”

  She’s silent for a moment, her eyes scanning my face. Then she nods.

  “Okay.”

  I grab her hand and kiss the back of it.

  “Thank you.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Lisa

  I WAKE UP on the couch, a little disoriented, but it only takes me a second to figure out why I’m here and not in the kitchen at the clubhouse.

  Sleeping had been a welcome escape from the wide range of emotions I was overwhelmed with earlier. Heck, still am to a point.

  Mama’s unexpected death and the suppressed memory of standing over her grave, feeling so utterly lost without her, had hit me like a freight train in the doctor’s office. It was so easy to imagine my babies standing over my grave, lost and rudderless. My fear had been instant and I let panic take over. The thought of my grandchildren going through something like that when they’ve already been through so much in their short lives was more than I could handle.

  You think you finally have a grasp on life, only to discover what a joke that is. My carefully honed, tough exterior disintegrated on the spot. I was having an honest to God anxiety attack on that damn bench.

  Then Brick was there. His mere presence having more of an impact than I should let it. It wasn’t the first time he stepped up right when I needed it, but it was the first time he made me believe maybe I’m not alone.

  Of course that kiss helped. Oh boy, it sure did. It pulled me in and left my mind blissfully empty. That is, until he broke away and reality hit me like a ton of bricks.

  I get up off the couch to get a glass of water from the kitchen when a knock sounds at the door.

  “Hey.”

  Lissie is standing on my doorstep with the baby’s car seat in hand.

  “Come in. What brings you here?”

  I step aside and let her through. She sets Lettie down on the couch and turns to face me.

  “I see,” I tell her, noting the expression
on her face. “Brick.” Damn that man.

  “Don’t blame him. I came by to check on you and bumped into him. All he told me was he took you to the doctor this morning and to check in with you.”

  Damn, another tick up on the man’s trust factor, letting me decide if I want to share.

  “I was grabbing something to drink, you want anything?” I ask, delaying the inevitable.

  Lissie was a detective with the Durango PD when I met her and I’m sure she’ll dig until I give her the goods. She’s a stay-at-home mom now, with a new baby girl and an eight-year old adopted son, I’m sure those interrogation skills will come in handy.

  “Tea or water, either is fine.”

  I lean over the couch to give sleeping Lettie a kiss on her downy head before I head to the kitchen. Tea sounds good. It’s getting chilly.

  While I put on the kettle, Lissie pulls out a chair at the small kitchen table, and I can feel her eyes following my every move.

  “So the doctor?” she prompts me.

  “Said I should take it easy until we know what’s going on.”

  I’m being evasive I know, but I immediately feel guilty keeping her in the dark when I turn around and see her face. She’s become a good friend, even better since Lettie’s birth. She trusted me with her insecurities around motherhood, her tears when she was hit with baby blues. Lissie deserves my trust in return.

  “He is sending me to a cardiologist,” I reveal, sitting down across from her.

  I relay the visit, and then tell her about Mama. It’s something we have in common, losing our mothers at a much too young age. Lissie can relate all too well and when the water starts boiling we’re both already crying.

  Good Lord, I haven’t cried this much in years. I thought my tears had plumb dried up since my Sunny passed away, but maybe I’d just gotten really good at blocking them.

  “So…Brick?”

  It’s on my tongue to blow Lissie off, but with a sip of my tea and the shared tears still drying on my face, I decide to share some more.

  “He’s nice.”

  Lissie rolls her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “I mean, the man is nice. I never could figure why he was always there to lend a hand. Thought maybe…heck, I don’t know what I thought, but as it turns out it could be he thinks I’m nice too.”

  Lissie snorts and bites her lip, obviously trying not to laugh at me.

  “Ya think? Not that it was news to me anyway, but when you went down last night, he all but threw me aside to get to you. That man always seems to have his eyes on you, keeping track of your kids, and treating them like they are his own. Only person who never picked up on that was you. The rest of the club already knows.”

  I know she’s right; it’s just embarrassing I’m the last to clue in. I’m not usually this dense.

  “He kissed me,” I confess and watch as Lissie cracks a wide smile.

  “Yay, Brick. About bloody time. And?”

  Now it’s my time to snort. “What are we, fifteen?”

  “Come on, give me something.”

  “It was nice.”

  That is an understatement of epic proportions, given the fact I can’t remember the last time I was kissed like that.

  “Nice? Again? You’re gonna need some new adjectives.”

  “All right. Given I was having a breakdown when he kissed me, and it took me a minute to remember my own dang name after, I’d say it was good.”

  “So now what?” she asks with barely veiled enthusiasm.

  “What do you mean, now what? Now nothing. I’ve gotta take care of my health so I’m around to raise my babies right, and look after this club that’s done so much for me. I ain’t got time for fantasies.”

  Lissie snickers as she gets up to grab a fussy Lettie, who’s apparently hungry.

  “This is gonna be so much fun to watch,” she mumbles.

  When the subject of conversation comes walking in ten minutes later—no knock from him—I’m on the couch burping the baby while Lissie is using the bathroom. He walks straight over, and bends down to kiss Lettie’s head. For a second I thought he was going to kiss me and am annoyed at myself for being disappointed.

  “I’m heading out to pick up the kids. Need anything from town?” he asks instead. “We’re ordering pizza for dinner, but maybe you need somethin’ else?”

  “I should be fine. I’m a little low on milk but it’s enough for breakfast. I can always grab some at the clubhouse.”

  I get to my feet, Lettie almost asleep on my shoulder, and gently place her in the baby carrier. When I turn around, Brick is only inches away. He curves a hand around my neck and my breath stills in my throat. I see the kiss coming and there’s no mistaking who it’s intended for. Forgetting everything I told Lissie this afternoon about not having time for fantasies, I automatically lift my face.

  This time his tongue slides along my bottom lip, teasing me into opening for him, which I do without thought. His deep groan when he invades my mouth reverberates through my body, waking up parts long gone dormant.

  “Oops. Sorry.”

  I abruptly pull away from the kiss, catching Lissie grinning behind her hand.

  “I’m just gonna grab Lettie and get out of your hair.”

  “Not on my account,” Brick announces. “I gotta go get the rugrats anyway.” But before he leaves, he pulls on a curl by my ear. “I’ll take the kids to the clubhouse. Bring ‘em over with pizza when it gets here.”

  I nod my response, not even registering what I’m agreeing to.

  Lissie chuckles when the door shuts behind him.

  “Now nothing, huh? That didn’t look like nothing. It looked like a whole lotta something to me. Hot.”

  She grins big, fanning herself excessively.

  “Dear Lord, help me,” I mutter, shaking my head.

  “Don’t think you’ll need the Lord’s help with this, honey. Brick looks like he’s got it covered.”

  Brick

  “This is god-awful,” I mumble under my breath, trying to swallow down the bite.

  Wapi chuckles beside me.

  We had pizza last night, but tonight Tse offered to make lasagna for the guys. Wisely, Ouray had opted to eat dinner at home, so it ended up just being the four boys, Paco, and the four brothers living here at the table, being subjected to the brother’s version of what should be an Italian classic.

  It’s like chewing glue. I wince when I think of the small tray I dropped off with the kids at Lisa’s for their dinner. I hope she has something else to feed the kids because this isn’t fit for pig slop.

  “Tastes better if you wash it down with beer,” Wapi suggests.

  The only saving grace is the garlic bread, which was store-bought, and the salad that came from a bag. It’s no surprise for once the boys are taking second helpings of the salad.

  “Tse, man,” I call out to where he’s sitting in Lisa’s chair at the head of the table. “Appreciate the effort and I love you like a brother—hell, I’d take a bullet for you—but please don’t ever ask me to eat your cookin’ again.”

  Loud hooting and hollering goes up around the table. Tse, who’s one of the most easy-going guys I know, shrugs and smiles as he demonstratively stuffs another forkful in his mouth. But even he can’t eat the stuff without making a face.

  “Seemed easy enough on the YouTube video,” he says, tossing back the remainder of his beer before he looks around the table. “Which one of you fuckers are gonna try tomorrow?”

  “Language!”

  All heads turn to Lisa, who just walked in the door. I’m about to ask her what the hell she thinks she’s doing here, but I’m silenced with a single hand gesture. She keeps walking to the kitchen door and peeks inside before her sharp gaze goes around the table.

  “Them boys need a proper meal, so I’ll be back in that kitchen tomorrow. But, come hell or high water, you boys better make sure that mess in there is cleaned up and my kitchen is spotless.”

&
nbsp; With that she marches right back out. As I get up to go after her, Nosh chuckles, shaking his head.

  “A sharp tongue and a big heart, that one,” he signs. “Just like Momma.”

  I didn’t know Momma well, but from what I’ve been told about her that’s a big compliment to Lisa. I wish she’d heard it.

  She’s already halfway back to the cottage when I catch up with her.

  “Hey, hold up. What was that all about?”

  She stops and turns around so I can catch up. Then to my surprise she starts laughing, and fuck if that isn’t the best sound I’ve ever heard.

  “I’m bored,” she says when she can speak again. “Spent two days in that house and I came this close…” she holds her thumb and forefinger together, “…to braidin’ my hair in cornrows I haven’t worn since nineteen ninety-six.” She turns and starts walking again so I keep up with her. “Besides, I can’t sit by while these boys are fed…whatever the hell that was. Who wrecked my kitchen?”

  I chuckle at her rant.

  “That’d be Tse. He watched a YouTube video.” I burst out laughing at her slack mouth and bulging eyes.

  She shakes her head. “That man better clean up that mess he made.”

  She pushes open the door and seems to expect me to walk in after her. I step inside and close the door behind me, when Kiara comes running up.

  “Mr. Brick! Wanna see my book?”

  “Inside voice, child,” I hear Lisa call from the kitchen as her granddaughter grabs my hand, pulling me into the living room.

  “Look.”

  She points at a book on the couch I instantly recognize. It was one of Kelsey’s most treasured ones, Goodbye Moon. I’m suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia as I remember reading to her in bed those nights I was home.

  I briefly talked to Luna this afternoon when she dropped by to pick up Ahiga, and she said she’d see what she could find out for me. She also pointed out there was little law enforcement would be able to do in this situation. Kelsey is an adult, I really haven’t been part of her life for the past eighteen years, and just my interpretation of her phone call wouldn’t be enough to open a case, but she promised to do what she could.

  “Brick?”

  “Yeah.”