Jacob and I had grown up together in the club. We’d been best friends since toddlerhood, often driving my parents crazy with our antics. When my mother died of cancer, Jake was a source of unfailing strength for me. He seemed to know just how to get me through those terribly dark days. Years later we became a couple, though I never felt passionately about him. I gave him my virginity and my love, but I was never in love with him.
Then, Jake started to change. He became brooding and removed. His attitude toward me became commanding and aggressive. He was set on having a position of power within the club, but my father didn’t like his leadership style, or lack thereof. Jake used force and intimidation to get what he wanted. The men didn’t respect him or want to follow him, which served to drive him deeper into anger.
I broke it off with him and I tried my best to stay as far away from him as possible, until he drove me to leave altogether. Even though I had witnessed truly cruel behavior from Jake, and had been a victim of it myself, I still had trouble grappling with the fact that he could have taken my father’s life. And though there were times that he had made me fear for my own life, the part of me that remembered him as a dark haired, wide-eyed little boy still couldn’t rationalize it.
I stood staring at Cal, a man who could tell me so many stories about my father—someone who could make him feel alive to me through the history they shared. But I couldn’t risk the exposure of opening myself up further to him.
“I don’t know what your relationship with the Sinners is like now, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone that you saw me,” I told him, trying to keep any fear out of my tone. I wasn’t entirely successful and he didn’t miss it.
“You got trouble?” he asked, his eyes sharpening like a hawk’s.
Great. I’d gone from flying under the radar to getting the attention of an MC president. “I can take care of myself, but I left home for a reason and I’d like to leave it at that,” I requested firmly.
“Your father and I had a code to watch each other’s backs. I’ll always feel guilt for what happened to him, always wondered if I’d seen the signs that maybe I could have helped. But I sure as hell can keep my end of the bargain when it comes to you. You have the full protection of this club,” he said firmly, shocking me. I knew what that meant and it was no small promise or one to be taken lightly. “We’re no longer aligned with your dad’s club, like I said it went to shit without him and there’s some fucked up mother fuckers running it now,” he added scornfully.
I couldn’t have agreed more. After my father died, Jake and his henchman Victor had somehow clawed their way to the top. I had always assumed that the club was so consumed by grief at my father’s death that they hadn’t been thinking clearly. I still didn’t understand it.
“Obviously you’ve got a reason to guard yourself close, when you feel more comfortable you can tell me exactly what happened,” he said firmly. “Meanwhile, anyone fucks with you they fuck with us,” he glowered before his expression lightened. “And something tells me my boy won’t mind keepin’ an eye on you,” he added with a mischievous smile that looked just like his son’s.
I blushed, unable to look at Cole.
“She’s already keeping me busy, Pop,” Cole said with a chuckle, earning a narrowed glance from me. “Let’s get your apartment sorted darlin’,” Cole suggested while heading toward me.
I nodded, still feeling tongue tied. “Thank you,” I said simply to Cal, unable to say anything else.
“You got it,” he replied firmly. “I’ve got some more photos and some damn good stories when you got a mind to hear them,” he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
“I’d like that,” I replied hoarsely, as Cole put an arm around my shoulder and started guiding me outside.
Cal gave me a chin lift as he stood braced against the pool table watching us leave.
I let Cole take my hand in his as he led us to his bike. I was completely shell shocked not only at everything that Cal had said but that Cole and I had known each other when we were children. What were the odds that we would meet randomly but then share this type of history? My capacity for trust was severely limited but there was a large part of me that wanted to trust Cal and Cole, to believe that Cal had loved my father and was still devoted to him. I tried to get a grip as we roared off toward my place, focusing on the need for a long, warm shower and a change of clothes. Beyond that I couldn’t focus on much. I could sense Cole’s contemplative mood as well, as the warm breeze slid over us on the ride.
Cole pulled up to the curb and swung a leg over his bike while holding a hand out to me. He kept a hold of my hand as he led me to my door, gesturing for me to stay outside so he could check out the place before returning to gesture me inside.
“I’ll be back soon,” he told me simply when he established that I was safe.
“What?” I asked, confused.
He grasped my neck and squeezed it in that now familiar gesture, and left me standing in my living room in surprise. Coming back for what? I shook my head unable to process anything and headed for the shower.
I stood under the blissfully hot water trying to get a handle on myself. The day had taken a very surprising turn and had dredged up a lot of emotion that I wasn’t prepared for.
I heard the front door close and cocked my head to the side to listen.
“Scar?” I heard Kat’s voice call.
“Yeah, come in,” I hollered in response.
She opened the bathroom door and leaned against the counter as I continued my shower, something we did frequently. Neither one of us was modest in the least.
“What’s going on?” she asked, sitting on the closed toilet seat lid.
“What isn’t going on,” I said, as I proceeded to fill her in on my bizarre morning.
“Holy shit!” she exclaimed when I was done. “I can’t believe you two played together when you were young,” she marveled, pulling out the one detail that shocked me the most as well.
“I know,” I replied. “He said he’s coming back. I’m not sure what for or what to do with any of this. Just trying to focus on getting my hair clean for now,” I said dryly.
She laughed. “That’s a good start. I’ll leave you to it,” she added before leaving the bathroom.
When I emerged a little while later feeling slightly refreshed, I was shocked to find Cole squatted in front of our door installing a new lock.
“What are you doing?” I asked, surprised.
He looked over at me briefly, his eyes raking over me, reminding me that I was only dressed in my short, terry cloth robe. I pulled it tighter and continued to stare at him, ignoring his cocky grin.
“I’m installing new locks sweetheart. The last one was shit anyway,” he muttered. “And Sal, my buddy from the club, will be over in a few to install an alarm,” he added making my eyes bulge.
“What? That’s not necessary!” I protested. “And Kat and I don’t have the money for that,” I added.
“Good thing you’re not paying for it then,” he mumbled, turning back to his task at hand.
I scowled and huffed off to my room knowing I couldn’t say or do anything to detract him. I threw myself on my bed and stared up at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity, listening to “Sal” installing a new alarm system. I could hear Kat chatting with him good naturedly and admired her ability to take almost everything in stride.
“Come in,” I answered mindlessly when a soft knock sounded at my door and I assumed it was Kat. Instead, it was Cole who came in and shut the door behind him. I didn’t have the energy to tell him to get out, even when he lay down on the bed beside me, throwing an arm casually underneath his head as though he’d done this a thousand times.
I absolutely shocked myself when I rolled toward him, put my head on his chest, and threw an arm over his stomach. It was an action I completed before I even thought about it. Something about him exuded comfort, and I needed that so badly that I couldn’t be sorry e
ven after I came to my senses. His other arm came up to stroke my damp hair and we lay like that for an immeasurable amount of time without speaking.
“You should eat something,” he said after awhile.
“Later,” I sighed, too content to move. I finally felt relaxed and wasn’t in any rush to change the feeling.
“What time do you have to work?” he asked.
“Five,” I groaned.
“Till when?”
“Closing, around one,” I answered him.
I felt him stiffen slightly. “You always work those kinds of hours?”
“No,” I said. “But the tips are best with the night crowd so I take it when the opportunity presents itself,” I explained softly as he continued to stroke my hair.
“You wanna tell me who you think broke in here last night?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft.
I lifted my head and met his serious gaze, now aware of how close his lips were to mine, how good his body felt underneath me. “I think I’ve met my quota of sharing for the day,” I replied quietly as he gazed up at me.
“I’ll give you that for today,” he allowed.
“Gee, thanks,” I said as I forced a sarcastic smile.
He ignored my flippant tone and stared up at me, his hand still drifting through my hair. I shocked myself yet again by leaning in and pressing my lips to his. I’d never made the first move with a guy before. I figured I’d had a rough few days, so I could allow myself this, even if it meant that I had to steel my resolve against him later. History or no history, I was far more comfortable with the wall I’d built snugly around myself.
His grip tightened in my hair as his lips opened, his tongue meeting mine. It was just seconds before he rolled us so that he was on top taking control of the kiss in a way that nearly devastated me. I’d never been kissed like this. My entire body began to hum and tingle as our tongues tangled in the most natural yet exhilarating way. I was suddenly very aware that I was wearing only a robe, and I found myself hoping he would dive into it to explore. Something told me that Cole would be able to make my body feel things that I’d never felt before. My hand slid up underneath his shirt wanting to touch his bare skin. He groaned softly as my hand explored the contours of his muscles and surprisingly soft skin.
“Cole! I’m done man,” Sal hollered from the living room breaking the moment.
“Shit,” Cole breathed, his lips against mine. We were both breathing hard as he leaned back to look at me. He traced my lower lip with his thumb before he reluctantly hauled himself off of me and stalked out of the room to talk with Sal.
I took a moment to collect myself. My heart was hammering in my chest, my nipples were aching, and I couldn’t believe how damp I was in between my legs just from kissing. I sat up and quickly threw on my clothes, trying to convince myself I was grateful that the moment had been broken before I allowed something more to happen.
I emerged from the bedroom fully dressed as Sal was issuing his final instructions.
“Sal, this is Scarlet,” Cole introduced.
Sal looked over at me and gave me a chin lift. He was incredibly handsome, with jet black hair and dark eyes. He had slightly olive skin and a few days worth of scruff. A tattoo snaked its way out of his T-shirt and up his neck. Kat generally liked preppy guys, but there weren’t many women who wouldn’t be attracted to Sal. My eyes swung to her and I suddenly realized why she’d been so eager to chat him up. She shrugged at me and winked. I stifled a laugh. A quick last sweep of his attire confirmed that he was part of the MC as well.
“Thanks for doing this,” I replied awkwardly.
“Not a problem,” his deep voice rumbled.
He headed out after giving Kat a quick nod. She blushed in response-- something I’d never seen her do.
Shit. The last thing we needed was to have two broken hearts under one roof.
Cole took the time to show Kat and I the alarm system, making us repeat back his instructions over and over again until we were both rolling our eyes.
Once satisfied, Cole grabbed his jacket. “I’ll see you later, got shit to do,” he told me swiftly and grasped my neck. But this time, he accompanied the squeeze with a soft, swift kiss.
No way. There shouldn’t be a “later.” This was a good place to call it quits.
“Um, what do you mean ‘later’?” I asked quietly.
He looked down at me with amusement. “I mean I’ll see you later,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. That tone wreaked serious havoc on me.
“Um, I’m working later and then I’m sleeping. So maybe we should just…” I drifted off suddenly nervous.
He just chuckled and shook his head giving me another neck squeeze.
“Later, Kat,” he called over his shoulder as if I hadn’t spoken.
“Later,” she replied, fighting back laughter as he left.
“Don’t even say it,” I ordered sternly, spinning to face her.
“Scar, there’s so much to say I wouldn’t even know where to start!” She grinned from ear to ear.
I scowled, knowing she was right and went to get ready for work.
My shift went by quickly and I was grateful for the distraction. Rushing from table to table and remembering food and drink orders didn’t allow for much else to fill my head, though I did manage to think of Cole and that kiss about a thousand times.
It was winding down around midnight, and Connie and I were taking a breather when a blond girl with huge breasts and bright red lipstick came striding into Jupiter.
“Oh shit,” Connie muttered.
“Who’s that?” I asked, perplexed when it was clear that the girl was headed right for us.
“One of Cole’s old hook ups, just ignore her,” Connie replied with disdain.
Shit.
“You Scarlet?” The girl sneered.
“Yep,” I answered, standing up straight and meeting her judgmental gaze. If this girl thought I was someone who could be easily fucked with, then she had another thing coming. It was a common misperception about me--people always thought I was sheltered and soft. It wasn’t until they rubbed me the wrong way that they discovered what I was really made of.
“Stay the fuck away from Cole, he’s mine,” she warned.
I laughed right in her face. “Honey, you might want to pass your message along to Cole if you’re concerned about it. I’m not the one doing the chasing,” I replied, completely unaffected by her. I’d dealt with this type of woman time and time again and they were all the same. Thought they could sleep with a guy in the club and then sink their claws in. There were the kind of girls who became old ladies, and then there were the ones who were one-night stands. This girl was clearly the latter.
“I don’t give a fuck who’s doing the chasing. Stay away from him!” she cried, agitated that I wasn’t taking her seriously.
“Don’t raise your voice when you walk into my place of work,” I replied, finally aggravated with her. “If you think with all the other shit I’ve got going on that you remotely concern me, you have another thing coming. But I will tell you one thing, you continue to stand there and threaten me you’ll be the one who has something to be concerned about. Now get the fuck out of my bar,” I said, staring her down with fire in my eyes.
She glared at me clearly trying to gauge how serious I was. Whatever she saw in my expression, it sent her flouncing back in the direction she’d come from with an audible huff.
“Holy shit, I had no idea you were such a bad ass!” Connie squealed, laughing hysterically. “That was the best thing I’ve seen in my entire life!” she hooted.
I shrugged, suddenly feeling tired.
Her expression immediately softened when she saw how exhausted I was. “Hey, things are slow. Why don’t you take off?” she offered. “I don’t know the extent of what’s going on, but you look like you could use an extra hour of sleep,” she offered kindly.
“You know what? I absolutely could,” I agreed. “I owe you one, t
hank you,” I replied sincerely.
“Don’t mention it. And you don’t owe me anything, that little encounter was all the pay back I need,” she said.
I laughed lightly and reached behind the bar to grab my purse.
I drove home with the welcome thought of my soft bed, hoping that tomorrow would feel more like a normal day. What I certainly didn’t need was any more biker drama.
It took me a minute to remember the alarm code when I got home, but I managed to turn it off and reset it before the National Guard was called. Kat wasn’t home, not a surprise since she was always off doing something. I got ready for bed, donned my typical camisole and shorts, and sighed blissfully when my head hit the pillow. I had to admit, the new alarm and locks were reassuring and I didn’t have any trouble drifting off.
My phone rang and woke me up after what felt like just seconds of sleep. I squinted and saw “Cole calling” flashing on the screen. Of course he programmed himself into my phone. I hit ignore and drifted back to sleep. My phone rang again, not a moment later, and I picked it up knowing he wouldn’t stop until I did.
“Yeah?” I asked, my voice raspy with sleep.
“What the fuck, babe?” his deep voice demanded through the phone.
“Hello to you too,” I answered dryly.
“I thought you had to work till one, Wes was supposed to make sure you got home okay, but you weren’t there.”
“Is it a crime for a girl to get off early? Jesus calm down,” I grumbled irritably.
He sighed, clearly trying to get a handle on his temper. “I was just concerned, that’s all.”
Now was an excellent time to say what I’d intended to earlier, even if I was half asleep.
“Cole, I appreciate everything you’ve done but this isn’t your concern. I don’t expect, nor do I want, any type of protection. Whatever obligation you feel toward me, it’s not necessary.”
Cole (The Ride Series) Page 4