“Okay, Mason,” she breathes.
I grunt, tossing my bag into the passenger seat of the truck. Slamming the door closed, I walk over to the driver’s side and climb inside.
“See you soon, Whitley. They’re will be a party this weekend, we’ll have some fun, Kitten,” I promise before I end the call.
WHITLEY
I panic. It fills my body as soon as the call ends. He’s coming home in a few days, and there’s going to be a party. I’ve yet to figure out just how I’m going to change my look. My eyes practically bug out of my head, once the call has ended, as I turn to face Ice.
“Fuck, what now?” he moans.
He’s becoming used to me now, and I like to think after the few talks we’ve had that we’re friends. I don’t have any friends, so maybe I’m just clinging to the hope that he’ll be mine. I bite the corner of my lip.
“Is there usually a party on the weekends?” I ask.
“You asking about this weekend?”
Shaking my head, I inhale deeply. “I mean, when Free comes back, will there be one?”
He nods slowly. “Yeah, there will be I’m sure. Saturday night probably,” he says slowly.
“I need to go to town,” I announce.
He doesn’t ask me any more questions, and I’m grateful for it. His phone rings as soon as I hurry back to the bedroom to grab my purse and slip on my shoes. Ice’s deep voice sounds through the house, but I don’t listen to his words. My focus is on clothes, makeup, shoes, and shopping. Plus, I’m consumed with thoughts of what the fuck am I actually doing?
As soon as I walk into the living room, I freeze. Ice is staring at me, but he looks intent, like he’s thinking and not even really seeing me. “Ice?”
“When we do whatever it is you want to go and do, I need to stop by Cash Bar and talk to Traci,” he explains.
I nod, slowly. “Okaaay,” I drawl.
He doesn’t expand, and I don’t ask him to. Instead, I follow behind him, climbing into the pickup. We drive both of us sitting silently through town.
My first stop is the furniture store. I wanted to look at a chair for Free there. He was eyeing one but didn’t buy it. I was thinking, once I had a job, that I would get it for him. As soon as I walk inside, Ice at my back, the same sales girl freezes in her spot.
Her eyes widen as she takes in Ice behind me and her hand shakes as she attempts to give me a wave. I ask Ice to stay where he is and hurry over to her. I tell her exactly what my plans are, and she gives me a smile.
“We can put it on layaway if you’d like. Then you can make payments,” she suggests.
I nod enthusiastically, “That would be amazing,” I practically squeal.
“I have to ask, are you one of them?” she asks, dropping her voice a little as her eyes lift to Ice behind me.
I look back at Ice, then to her. “I’m an Old Lady, yeah,” I nod.
She lets out a breath and looks to the ground, then back up to me. “Just… be careful,” she warns. “I’ve heard horror stories about that place,” she shrugs.
I give her a smile, trying not to laugh in her face. She doesn’t know horror stories. I thank her for her help, promising to be back as soon as I can to put the chair on layaway. She gives me a small wave, her eyes bouncing from Ice to me, and she looks like she’s thinking.
Maybe she’s trying to figure out why I’m in here with another man, or maybe she is just truly confused and scared about the clubhouse. I have half a mind to invite her to a party, then I shake my head and decide not to. They would eat her alive, every single man there would pounce on a pretty little thing like her.
I ask Ice to stop at the pharmacy, next, thinking that maybe I can pick up some makeup there. He doesn’t come inside, his mind obviously occupied. Which I’m fine with, he doesn’t need to watch me buy makeup anyway.
Strolling through the pharmacy, aisles, I’m distracted. I walk past the makeup once, then start walking around other aisles trying to get my shit together enough to go back to the colorful, glittery, shimmery section of the store. Someone bumps into me, and I freeze. Looking up I’m surprised to see that it’s Hayden.
“Talk to me,” Hayden urges.
I let out a breath glancing to the side, to see Ice staring straight ahead in the front of his truck. I know he doesn’t really see me though.
Turning my gaze back to Hayden, I sigh, “I need help,” I whimper.
“Help?”
I nod letting out a puff of air. I explain that there’s going to be a party this weekend and I want to go. I’ve never really been down there, for a big party, and I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know what to wear, and that I want to look nice for him. I also explain that I’ve never even worn makeup.
“What night is the party?” she asks.
“Saturday.”
Hayden smirks. “I’m off all day Saturday. How about we go shopping and we can get ready at my place? I’ll help you. I mean I’m not a pro at makeup or anything, but I bet we could get Gracie to help us in that department,” she winks.
Relief floods my body and I nod enthusiastically. “Thank you so much, so so much.”
I remember the name Gracie, and I’m suddenly beyond excited. Maybe I can talk to her about working for her, while we do the makeup thing.
“I don’t know where Free lives, but just have him drop you off Saturday mid-morning and we’ll hit the shops for something sexy. I’ll probably need something too.”
I don’t tell her that he probably won’t be home yet, because I know that Ice will take me. Even though he’ll complain, he will take me for sure.
Throwing my arms around her, I give Hayden a huge hug and thank her again. She seems a bit surprised, but I don’t care. I thank her once more, which is complete overkill before I hurry back to Ice. Once I climb inside, the sound of the door slamming causes him to turn toward me and blink.
“Go to your woman,” I announce.
He nods, as if on autopilot and starts his truck. I can only imagine what he’s thinking, but I hope against all hopes that he’s finally going to make this woman his. My leg starts bouncing as we drive closer toward the Cash Bar. He shifts his truck into park quickly and hops out of the driver’s seat without a glance back toward me.
I should probably stay in the truck, but I refuse to. I want to see what’s going to happen. Ice is standing in the middle of the bar when I walk through the front door. Traci is behind the counter, her eyes are wide, and she’s holding her body tight and defensive.
“Trace,” Ice shouts.
Her body jerks, as does mine at his loud booming voice. “Ice,” she finally breathes as her feet shuffle toward him.
I hold my breath, waiting for what is going to happen next. I know it’s going to be huge. I just hope that it’s a happy huge instead of a miserable one. They both need to be with one another—they just fit.
“Shit is going down. I’ve been feeling it, and just got confirmation that it’s headed our way. I can’t waste another goddamn minute. You’re my woman, my Old Lady, fucking mine, Traci. I want you wearing my brand and sleeping in my bed, permanently,” he announces.
I hear a gasp, and glance to the side where Ginger and another girl are standing in the mouth of the hallway. Ginger has her hand over her mouth, the other girl’s mouth is just dropped open in surprise. I can see, even from across the bar that their eyes are welled with tears. I bite the inside of my cheek, my breathing coming slowly as I wait for Traci to speak.
I’m straining to listen for no reason at all, because Traci doesn’t say a damn word. She jumps up, throwing her arms around Ice’s shoulders, and her legs around his waist, pressing her lips to his. Ginger sobs and moves her hand to reveal a huge smile on her lips.
My own lips turn up into a smile as well. They kiss, almost indecently and I can’t look away, no matter how intimate it is. They are happy, and all that shit he said about people talking about them, it doesn’t mean a fucking thing. Not when they’re c
inched together like this, so obviously into one another, it’s beautiful.
“Get a room,” someone calls out and laughter fills the space.
Traci slowly pulls away from him and drops her feet to the ground. “I can’t believe this,” she whispers.
“Believe it, babe. I fuckin’ love you,” he says.
Her eyes fill with tears and Ginger starts blubbering across the room, along with the other girl. I don’t recognize her, so I surmise that she must be, Esme that has been mentioned.
I, continue to smile.
This is what has needed to happen, and whatever is going on with the club, the warnings that Free told me about, it’s forced Ice’s hand and I can’t be anything but glad that it’s happening.
“I love you too, Charlie,” she cries softly.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WHITLEY
Ice rolls his eyes at me, but I can’t wipe the smile from my face. “Are you going to put a ring on it?” I ask him.
He grunts, refusing to answer me as he flips through the channels. It’s been a couple of days since he claimed Traci. He hasn’t said anything about it, but he did show me a picture of her brand. He had his name inked on the inside of her forearm so that when she served drinks, everyone would know who she belongs to. I almost laughed, but I didn’t.
All of the women I’ve met have their tattoos visible. Ginger’s is on her neck, Hayden’s is on her chest, and now Traci’s on her arm. I feel like I’m the only one who can hide mine on my shoulder. Frowning, I try not to read too much into that. I highly doubt it means anything, at least I hope not.
“We better go to Crooner and Hayden’s,” Ice announces.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I point out as I stand to my feet.
Ice grunts. “I put a tattoo on it, now I gotta get a ring?” he grumbles.
I snort, putting my purse strap over my shoulder. “You’re joking, right? Every woman wants a ring, Ice,” I announce.
He looks at me, blinking a few times, then shakes his head as if to clear his mind. He doesn’t say anything, but I can practically see the wheels turning. He walks toward the pickup truck and I follow behind, wondering if I shouldn’t have said that. He’s just claimed her, and he looks like he’s about to bolt.
“You don’t have to do anything today,” I say as he starts the truck’s engine.
He nods. “I know. You’re right, though. Every woman wants a ring, and Traci probably does too.”
I don’t respond, afraid that I’ve made a mess of things as he drives. He doesn’t look upset anymore, he looks more contemplative, like he’s thinking. I hope that he’s thinking about how to propose to the woman. I can tell they truly care for one another.
Pulling into a driveway, I see Hayden outside with her little boy. She waves at me, with a smile, but her face looks pale. Her eyes shift over to Ice and her brows knit together. I figure she probably doesn’t realize Free isn’t home yet, from wherever he went.
Sliding out of the truck, I make my way toward her. The first thing I blurt is that Free is gone, but he’ll be home sometime today for the party. He texted me this morning and said he was almost to town. He wasn’t very happy when I said I would meet him at the clubhouse tonight, in fact, I could tell he was downright pissed off when he responded to me.
Hayden smiles slowly. “You want to surprise him,” she states. I nod, gulping down air. “I love this, okay. Lea is going to watch Easton, we can just walk down there really quick and drop him off.”
I don’t know who Lea is, but Ice and I follow behind her as she starts to charge down the street. Hayden chatters but I’m only half listening to her. All I can think about is Free, and his reaction to whatever Hayden and Gracie dress me up in.
We walk up to a small house with a fenced in front yard, I follow behind Hayden who knocks on the door, as she’s turning the knob and lets herself in. A teenager appears with a bright smile. Easton runs over to her, and she picks him up. She has long blonde hair and striking gray eyes. I’ve never seen features quite like hers before, she’s mesmerizing.
“Mom’s almost ready,” she announces. Her eyes scan over to mine, but before she can say anything, Hayden introduces her as Lea, Gracie’s daughter.
“Hey,” she waves to me. “Hey Ice,” she calls out, to Ice who is standing at my back.
Ice grunts but doesn’t say anything in response. Lea rolls her eyes and turns to Easton. “Oh, you’re here,” a woman announces.
Watching her walk down the hall, I don’t know why I assumed her to be older, almost a grandmotherly type, especially since she runs a daycare. She’s anything but a grandma. She’s probably in her early forties, with dark hair and gray eyes that match her daughters. Her body is curvy in all the right places and she’s around a size or so bigger than me, in other words, she’s a freaking knockout.
“If anybody asks, I protested this,” Gracie announces, looking up to Ice.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Woman, ain’t nobody gonna say shit. Let’s go. I only got about an hour of girlie shit I can handle, so you bitches better shop fast,” he mutters.
I look up to Hayden and give her a wink. “He lies, he has at least two hours of girlie shit he can take.”
Ice grumbles to himself, as he turns around and walks out of the front door. Gracie and Hayden both giggle, as we all follow behind him. “Is Lea going to be okay here alone?” I ask, thinking about Free’s warnings from earlier.
“There’s a guy watching the house, she’ll be fine,” Ice announces.
I glance around not seeing anyone, but I don’t doubt that someone is keeping an eye on the house. Supposedly there are other men watching me too and have been for days, and I have yet to see even one of them.
The rest of the day is fun. I’ve never gone shopping with other women before, not since I went with my mom well over four years ago. This is different though, and by the end of the trip, my stomach aches from laughing so often throughout the day. We stop by Cash Bar for burgers before heading back home and we all swoon over Ice and Traci.
“They are so damn cute together,” Hayden grins as we watch them.
Ice is leaning over the bar, his finger tracing his name on her arm. “They are,” Gracie sighs, but she sounds sad.
“Have you talked to him anymore?” Hayden asks Gracie.
“I’ve tried, he pretty much shuts down any kind of conversation I try to have with him. I think we’re finally over,” she whispers.
Frowning I look between them, not sure what they’re talking about. “Gracie and Fish have been having problems. He’s gone down to Texas for a while, but things aren’t looking good,” Hayden explains.
“Maybe when he gets back it will be better?” I offer, feeling extremely out of place.
Gracie snorts. “Yeah, I’ll be filing for divorce. That will be the only better coming my way.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, blurting out my next sentence and wishing I could shove the words back in.
“I thought that you couldn’t do that, as an Old Lady?”
Slapping my hand over my mouth, I groan feeling almost pained that I said anything at all.
Gracie shakes her head, looking back to Ice and Traci, and then to me, again. “I’ll do what I want. Fuck him.”
My eyes widen, and Hayden clears her throat. “Well, tonight will be fun then,” Hayden grins.
Gracie smirks. “Yeah, I think it will. I’m done with his ass,” she sighs.
I look at her and although she’s saying the words, I can see the underlying sadness in her eyes. She’s not done with him, not really. I would bet if he walked in here right now and grabbed her, kissed her, and told her he loved her she’d be putty in his hands.
Gracie excuses herself to go to the bathroom and I watch as Hayden pulls out her phone. “Fish?” she asks. My head quickly turns to face her, and I stare in disbelief. “You better get home to your woman, while she’s still yours,” she doesn’t say anything else. She ends th
e call and looks straight ahead.
“Holy crap,” I breathe.
Hayden turns to me, a smirk on her lips. “Life is too damn short to act like an idiot. I’m sure that he loves her, and I know that she loves him so much. Honestly, I think they’re both hurting. I don’t know any more than you do about their situation, but I think they can salvage whatever it is they’ve broken. They just have to have the strength and courage to do so.”
I think about Free, and about us. What would I do if all of our shit built between us? If Gemma was still a silent barrier between us and continued on for years that way? I don’t know how much I would be able to handle. It would have slowly wedged a wall too thick to ever penetrate.
“I hope they can work things out.” I mean it too, every single word.
“Okay girls, makeover time,” Gracie announces with a wide, obviously fake, smile as she approaches the table.
We stand and head over to Ice and Traci. Less than twenty minutes later we’re back in Ice’s truck and headed back to Gracie’s house.
I can’t stop thinking about her and her husband. It makes me so sad. I don’t know why it is affecting me so much, but I want them to work things out. I don’t even think about asking her if she needs help with her business, all I can think about is her marriage. The entire scenario consumes me the rest of the afternoon and evening.
FREE
Deciding not to go home, since apparently Whitley isn’t there anyway. I head to the clubhouse when I pull into town and go to my room there. Locking myself inside, I lay down on the bed and close my eyes.
What feels like five minutes later, loud music from the bar wakes me up. Sitting up, I drape my legs over the side of the bed and scrub my hand over my face.
Grabbing my phone, I glance at the time, ten. Holy fuck, I slept for four hours. I’ve been running hard the past couple of days, getting my shit unloaded, and handled in Regina before coming back home.
Flamed with Courage: Notorious Devils (Cash Bar Book 3) Page 19