by Rachel Cade
“You embarrassed me by leaving here with her. You didn’t even hear the way she talked to me.”
“I thought you wanted an olive branch. If she showed up here, maybe you two can try to work on things. Maybe at some point she won’t hiss at me when I bring up you babysitting Max, ever thought of that?”
He could see she didn’t want to hear it, but didn’t have a counter point. It was nice to have control over some of the situation after talking with Lyndie and then the bikers showing up to traipse through town.
“I was talking with her about helping you with your father’s town celebration.”
“I can handle that by myself.”
“You have a lot on your plate with Scott and Craig and Hugh at the house.”
“You really expect me to work with her? It’s more complicated than delivering a plate of hash browns.”
“She’s going to help you, and that’s it.” Will was done with the conversation.
“I need to get back to work. And you need to get a grip, alright? This isn’t high school.” He walked past her and headed back to his office.
“Deputy.” He signaled to Henry to join him once he got back to the station.
The only other person there was the secretary, and she was more concerned with having the salad that never contributed to weight loss while watching gossip shows on her phone.
Will waited for him to close the door.
“You had one job. Just one.”
Henry wound his shoulders. “It started in Scott’s room, so when the reports came back it would link to him and a misplaced joint. I couldn’t control anything else.”
“You know how much risk we took? How much we needed to be rid of him?” Will was seething and needed someone to take it out on.
In the back of his mind, he knew Henry was right: fires were hard to control, but they were also one of the most natural ways someone could die. Just a few key pieces placed to throw off any suspicion.
Not that he would ever be suspected.
But just to keep things neat.
Now here this bastard was not only alive but throwing a god damned party for his fucking zombie resurrection.
“What’s up with you and those other bikers from the deal?” Henry asked. “Can they help us out?”
“Get on forensics to get the report to Hugh today so he can get off my god damn back.”
“They’re all at your house?”
“Yeah.” He leaned back in his chair. “One big happy family.”
“Will, listen. You know I always have your back, alright? They look like they are moving a lot of cars out of that warehouse. They must have gotten spooked from the visit.”
“Yeah,” Will answered absently.
In addition to everything, he was also thinking about his confession to Lyndie.
She looked nice today in her yellow dress. She always looked good in bright colors.
Had she worn it for him?
He could have choked at the thought.
Something had to give with this shit!
Something.
He couldn’t keep going on like this.
“Keep an eye on them,” he said. “Let them know we’re watching.”
“We’re supposed to do a run tonight.”
Will sighed. Usually he didn’t need to be reminded of these things.
“Multitask like a good public servant.”
Henry got the cue and left the office not long after.
His cell phone buzzed, he glanced at the text.
Everything was all set.
“Good,” he said under his breath.
Chess didn’t work, so it was time to flip the whole board.
**
“Nice wheels.”
Lyndie was placing Max in his car seat when she heard the voice behind her. It was Henry, scanning her car from the sidewalk.
“Thanks.”
“Didn’t you have a hatchback before?”
Lyndie closed the passenger seat door and opened hers. “I did.”
“Heck of a car to get on a waitress’s salary. You win it on a game show or something?”
A cool breeze moved against her ankles. She continued getting into the car, not answering him.
As she put on her seatbelt, he moved toward the car. “Yeah, this is real nice.” He leaned down so she could see his face.
“It’s a crime to have a nice car?” she asked.
“No, ma’am, it’s not.” Henry always had a cold set of eyes. He’d been a part of Ashley’s clique in high school. Lyndie remembered his bullying quite well. It wasn’t a surprise he ended up in a corrupt police department. If Will wasn’t there to be the ringleader, she knew he’d gladly step in his place. Hopefully, one day soon all these bastards would be gone.
“I need to back up.” She turned on the ignition. “I’d hate to run over your shoes.”
The opposite was true, but with a flat expression, Henry stepped back as Lyndie backed out of her parking space.
“Noa.” She said his name when she heard him pick up.
“I was just about to call you.”
Lyndie was parked in front of her house.
“Is every okay with this car?”
“Yeah, of course. What’s wrong?”
“One of the deputies was harassing me about it.”
“Which one?” he snapped.
Lyndie pulled the key out of the ignition. “Henry.” She got out of the driver’s side. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to accuse you of anything… he just kept staring at it. It was weird. I should have known people would question me about it-”
“Fuck people. Are you okay?”
She was in the back seat unsnapping Max. “Yeah. I’m okay. He just pissed me off. I don’t understand why everyone’s so interested in what I can afford. I get so tired.”
“I’ll deal with him.”
Max was awake and she knew he would be hungry soon.
“Noa, no.”
“What do you mean no?” he asked.
“I mean no to whatever you mean by deal.”
“What do you think I mean?”
The sound of his voice shouldn’t have formed goosebumps on her arms, but there they were.
In her entire life, no one had made her feel protected like he did. And even if he had an idea of doing something wrong, which she wouldn’t say, she was thankful for him.
“How’s Max? Still sleeping in the best place in the world?”
She remembered when he saw them, Max was sleeping on her chest.
“You called me to talk about Max?” she asked, walking up to her porch after setting the car alarm.
“I have to check on my favorite kid.”
Max reached for the strap of her dress and she smiled down at him.
“I need to see you tonight. Can you get away for a little bit?”
“See me tonight?” she repeated.
“Yes. We need to spend some quality time.”
“Is that what the ribbon was for?”
“It was a reminder and a preview.”
Lyndie was tempted to bite the inside of her cheek. “I can probably find a sitter.”
“My perfect Babygirl. Of course you can. I have some reservations to make.”
“Reservations?” Lyndie quickly questioned, but he was already gone.
**
“Perfect Babygirl,” Bleed repeated around his cigar before taking it out.
Chaos chuckled. “Skorpio and Babygirl.”
“A hundred percent.” Noa couldn’t give a single fuck about the teasing. “She told me one of the cops was harassing her about the car.”
“Nosy dick.” Chaos popped some peanuts into his mouth.
“A nosy dick,” Noa added, “that needs to be chopped off.”
Bleed was picking his nail with one of his many knives. “Sounds like fun.”
**
“I knew it.” Peggy stared at her from the door as Lyndie let her and Vicky into her home.
Vicky’s smirk was devilish at her as she plucked Max out of her arms.
Peggy stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip. “I knew it,” she repeated with narrow eyes.
“Knew what?” Lyndie asked and waited.
“That Noa was hot.” Vicky said as she bounced Max.
“I didn’t know for sure,” Peggy squinted at her, “but I knew it was something else going on.”
“I want to add I also knew it.” Vicky cut in. “When I saw you guys at Jonas’s.”
Lyndie smirked a bit at Peggy’s raised brow. “He wants to meet me tonight.”
“Oh really?”
“Aww,” Vicky said. “Sounds like a husband and wife date.” Then she glanced at her mother, who had spilled the beans. “Don’t worry I’ve got plenty of secrets. I’ll just add yours to the pile. I’m happy for you though.”
“He was the one you went to the carnival with, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
Peggy’s chest rose with the noise she made.
Lyndie ran a hand over the back of her head.
“So… what will you be wearing?” Peggy inquired.
**
“I need a distraction tonight.” Noa leaned against his trailer, staring at his bike shining in the Nevada sun.
He planned to pick up Lyndie on it and nothing was going to stop him.
“Keep the keystone cops busy so I can get out of town with my wife.”
Bleed slid his hunting knife into his back pocket. “What level of distraction, Romeo?”
“I don’t like levels,” Chaos added.
“Enough of a disturbance to occupy their attention and not let’s say the FBI or some shit.” He made a point to look at Chaos, who twirled a straw between his fingers.
“We can handle it. I’m worried about Whisper bringing that Los Bandido back to his crew. I don’t think we can trust him.”
“The only thing we can trust is him trying to save his own ass. That’s one priority he’ll put over MC loyalty. He knows they’ll skin him alive if they find out. And he won’t be able to hide from them.” Noa cracked his neck as he pulled away from the trailer. “We have to lay low for a bit and see how this plays out. I don’t know what’s going to happen after.”
It added to why he needed to see Lyndie.
They needed time together. He’d promised her from the diner. It had been too long since he touched her. And the need for her coursed fire through his veins.
In case all hell broke loose soon, at least they would have had that.
Noa pulled up in front of Lyndie’s house on Deathstalker a little bit before sunset.
He didn’t leave it running, but figured the noise made a call unnecessary.
The crew had led the cruisers toward the opposite edge of town, giving him just enough time to slip over here and out undetected.
A few minutes later, the front door opened, and Vic came out holding Max.
“Skorpio,” she said with a knowing look.
Noa took off his helmet and gave her a quick salute, tapping his forehead with his fingertips.
“We meet again.” Another lady stepped out in a cherry skirt like the one he remembered.
He grinned at her. “The lady from the sign. How are you?”
“Fine,” she answered, staring at him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
A moment later, Lyndie came out in a black strapless dress that hugged her breasts and tied around her waist.
And he recognized the tie.
Her hair was out and rested around her shoulders, and her lips were red.
Noa didn’t move.
“Hi,” she said.
Instead of answering, he sat back on the bike and rested a hand on his thigh. And he continued staring until his eyes fell to the ribbon around her waist again.
*
Lyndie didn’t know if it was a silly schoolgirl thing to have her heart flutter at the sight of him, but in the moment, she just didn’t care.
He was wearing leather pants again and a double tank top; a ripped gray one with a black one underneath. Instead of the leather wrist cuffs, he’d swapped them for black gloves.
The tingle she got from his clear eyes on her waist rushed adrenaline through her body.
Noa started his bike up again and the roar of it echoed up into the sky.
Lyndie wanted to jump off the porch onto him and stepped forward but stopped herself.
She held a hand up. “One second!”
With a twist of her heel, she rushed back into the house straight for her bedroom.
She went to her jewelry box and grabbed her rings, hastily putting on both.
A quick notice of her reflection revealed her giddy smile.
When she returned to the porch, she kissed Max’s round cheek. “Munch, you be good, okay?”
He offered up a gummy smile toward his mom that warmed her heart even more.
“I remembered our talk, Big Man.” Noa lifted his helmet. “Thanks.”
Lyndie’s shoes forced her to be careful as she stepped off the porch. Thankfully the flowy bottom half of her dress made it easier to get on the bike this time.
“What conversation?” she glanced back at Max.
The secret that crinkled in his eyes made her shake her head.
Blue eyes lowered to her and a small smile touched his lips before he silently offered her the helmet.
Lyndie didn’t ask how they were getting out of town without being seen, but she knew he’d done something. And either way, a night with him was worth the risk.
She moved to get on the bike behind him.
“Take care of her,” Peggy said, making sure her voice rose over the engine.
“Of course.” His voice vibrated against her hands as she used his back for balance as she sat down. Her bare skin rested against the warm leather, already sensitive due to her excitement.
For as long as she could remember, she lived her life making cautious choices.
It never occurred to her until Noa came into her life how thrilling it could be to take chances and risks.
The thought of consequences usually held her back.
Now she understood the payoff was in the moment.
After putting on the helmet, Lyndie tried to adjust her skirt so most of it didn’t fly away and waved at her family as Noa turned the bike around and rode them up the street.
It wasn’t until they were speeding out of Amber Falls that she realized she never asked where they were going.
**
Chapter Eleven:
Nothing Else Matters
The wind was heavy and cool at the same time. Noa was going far beyond the speed limit, but the road was empty and free, with no signs of the local sheriff department.
Lyndie had to tap his arm to get his attention.
“We need to stop!” she called.
Noa pulled over to the side of the road.
He pulled off his helmet. “What’s up?”
They were so close, some of his hair blew against her face.
Using his shoulders for balance, she lifted her leg over the seat. “Park the bike for a minute.”
“Babygirl, we have a bit of a ride left and we’re on a time crunch.”
“I know, but come on anyway.”
Noa parked the bike and followed Lyndie off the road.
“We just made it,” she said.
Around a huge curve of rock, he followed her line of sight. From here they could see the town. Below Langley’s house, sunlight hit the ground, turning it a bronze gold that led all the way from the top of the hill to the bottom.
Lyndie was standing in front of him a bit, pointing. “That’s why they call it Amber Falls.”
The light from the setting sun caught in her hair, causing it to shine. A
Her back was to him, but Noa could hear the joy in her voice.. “You can only see it at certain times of the day.”
When she turned to face him, he spoke, “I love you, Lyndie.�
�
Her dimples receded as her smile flattened. And her movement froze except for the breeze that caught on her dress. His gaze was steady on hers as his heart beat so fast he had to keep from clenching his fists.
There were fights he’d been in with guys twice his size and this was as scared as he’d ever been.
She hadn’t said anything back.
What was she thinking?
“I love you,” he repeated. His face burned, and tightness ridged his muscles. “And I want us to stay married.” The truth was out. The way he played it out in his head was nothing like this. Emotions were pulling him in ten different directions.
He remembered the first time he saw her and how much he wanted her, but never imagined feeling the way he did in that moment. How much he needed her and Max as much as he needed to breathe.
There wasn’t any question in his heart about it.
“I love you too.” The voice was his wife’s, speaking the words that could have knocked him over and sent him to the clouds at the same time.
The sun burned her glassy eyes. One blink caused tears to skitter down her cheeks. “So much,” she whispered through trembling lips.”
Noa closed the space and pulled his wife to him.
His lips covered hers, tasting her tears and the love she just professed.
The kiss was different from all the others, the longer it lasted the less he was able to hold back and control.
In the back of his mind, he knew they only had so much time to leave city limits before they were spotted.
Still, he held Lyndie Callas so close, he could feel her heartbeat.
**
Lyndie pulled away from his mouth but tightened her arms over his shoulders.
“You me and Max are going to be a family, okay?” Noa’s voice was near her ear.
Then he pulled back to look at her as she still tried to process what was happening. His eyes were bluer than the edges of the sky that the setting sun hadn’t reached.
And they were full of love.
Love.
Lyndie felt her eyes sting and her throat hurt when she opened her mouth. “Okay,” she answered.
That was all she wanted, a family.
When she’d said yes to his proposal, she never thought they’d end up here.