by C L Green
Fuck.
My headphones, my phone and my purse with my beloved Credit Card are in the saddlebag on the back of Jake’s bike. Which means they are now traveling around the state on a road trip for at least a week, if not more.
Goddamit.
With a sigh, I resign myself to listening to music straight from the laptop speakers. Opening ITunes, I open my favorite song and click play. The sensual strumming of the guitar lead to Hinder’s, The Life greets my ears and I start typing again.
Losing myself deep in thought, typing and listening to the gravelly sound of Austin John Winkler I again lose track of time - and apparently consciousness. There really is no other explanation on how Jake managed to cross a wooden floor wearing biker boots to walk right up behind me and say, “What the fuck?” Unless my suspicions that he is part ninja are correct. As far as I know, only ninja’s can cross rooms without making a sound. Considering I couldn’t even sneak out of my bedroom on bare feet as a child without making a certain level of noise, he must have skills to be able to cross a room silently in biker boots.
Nearly jumping out of my skin at the sound of his voice right behind me, a strangled screech rips from my lips as I jerk my head around. Locking my eyes on Jake’s annoyed, shiny green ones I frown. I then take a long slow breath to suck in some much needed air after expelling all that I had when my heart leaped into my mouth a few seconds prior.
Slowly letting the huge breath of air back out again, I narrow my eyes and reply with the same. “What the fuck?”
“What the fuck, what?” Jake returns, the annoyed look fading from his face as it’s replaced by a confused one.
“What are you still doing here?” I ask craning my head slightly to look past him towards the door so I can check whether any more fucking gorgeous men have miraculously appeared in my bedroom.
“Waiting for you to do whatever it is you’re doing in here so we can hit the road and catch up with the brothers. What do you think I’m doing?”
Oh my God.
Blinking disbelievingly, I find myself at a loss for words.
He’s been waiting for me?
“I figured you had a lot to talk to Emma about. If I’d known you were sitting in here working on your laptop I’d have come in earlier and dragged your ass out of here. What’s so fuckin’ urgent you have to work on it right now when we’re supposed to be on the road?”
Confused that he’s standing before me wondering why I am sitting at my laptop working instead of sitting on the back of his bike, I say, “Huh?”
“Huh what?” Jake returns as he throws his weight onto his heels, straightens and twists his head sideways to look at me as if I have to heads. “Are you okay?”
“Am I okay?” I mumble as my mind races back to the cold, hard look that Jake gave me in the communal room and compares it to the genuinely confused looking one he is giving me now.
“Fuck woman, whatever it is you’re working on can’t be that urgent. Shut that shit down, dump your laptop in a bag and let’s get moving. Luke and Zane are halfway to the first house already and they’ll be wondering where we are.”
“I was working on the ordering system for the Harley Shop,” I inform him and then watch his face soften.
“I appreciate that, but its gunna have to wait. You can work on it when we get to the first house. We need to get rolling.”
So I’ve been hiding here in my bedroom, missing Jake like hell and he hadn’t even left?
Once again evidence suggests I’m an idiot.
Not hesitating a second longer, I reach for the power point, pull the cord on my laptop and shut it down. Jake sees me moving, spins and heads for the door. He’s barely made it halfway across the room before I’m stuffing my laptop into my laptop bag and moving at speed towards the door as well.
*****
Ten days later… Arianna
Lying in bed tucked up hard against Jake’s side, I stare across his massive chest towards the window. Early morning light is starting to creep in past the side of the curtains. Early morning light that heralds our last day on the road and that today we’re headed home.
We’ve been away from Ridge Creek for ten days. During this time, Luke, Zane and Jake have managed to install and make operational, four complete camera based security systems to their four fully operational Green Houses.
No mean feat considering Luke only had a few short hours to review the installation at the Harley Shop before we left Ridge Creek. Both the system at the Harley Shop and the system at Jake’s house were installed by the company providing the cameras and wiring, overseen by Emma. This did not however mean that Jake was going to allow anyone else other than he and his brothers to set up the systems in the Green Houses.
Understandably so.
Extra cameras and wiring were purchased direct from the company and after a few early hiccups; and with phone support from Emma, it would now seem that Luke is also a dab hand at installing security systems as well. Something that he’ll be doing simultaneously as he sets ups the solar and wind systems at any new Green Houses that are established into the future.
Watching the three men work together was fun. In the true spirit of real brotherhood, they went about their business quickly, efficiently and jovially. Constantly joking around, their days were filled with laughter and witty comebacks as they told one another stories, reminisced about the past and enjoyed their time together.
The strong bond between the three clearly evident, it didn’t take me long to realize that each of these men was a force to be reckoned with. With their sharp minds, good looks and physical strength, they were all natural born leaders that when working as a trio could achieve just about anything.
Spending my days working on the ordering system for the Harley Shop, it only took a week to finish rebuilding my beloved system. Spending my nights exploring every square inch of my new boyfriend’s body while also delving into the deepest recesses of his mind, it took less than that to fall absolutely and utterly in love with him.
Moving my head to press my ear to his chest, I hear the strong thud of Jake’s huge heart against my ear. The slow, rhythmic pounding the most relaxing sound I’ve ever heard. Last night we’d talked about Victoria and the conversation in the communal room before we left Ridge Creek. Having successfully avoided the subject all week, I was surprised when Jake suddenly mentioned it during the few relaxed minutes after yet another session of great sex and just before I fell asleep.
Lying on my side, knees drawn up slightly with Jake wrapped tightly around me in a bear hug from behind, I’d been listening to the sound of his steady breathing as I drifted off to sleep. It was at the precise moment when I was about to drop into the abyss of unconsciousness that he whispered his words softly against my neck.
“You hid in your room thinking I was mad at you. I wasn’t. I was mad at myself for not having thought of donating money to cancer before. Not that I’d like to donate money to a cancer wing, I fucking hate hospitals. I wanna help set up a mobile cancer unit. One that keeps cancer patients in their homes right to the very end. One that provides all the equipment they need free of charge and ensures Doctors and nurses come to them. Dying at home surrounded by your family shits all over lying in one of those dreary Palliative Care units while you die. It’s bad shit watching as the people around you die. It’s also bad shit watching the grief of other families unfold around you knowing that’s all you’ve got to look forward to. You should also know that letting Victoria have the money is fair. I’ve been an asshole to her and I’ll be glad when it’s over. So will she.”
Astounded, I’d stiffened at his words. Feeling me stiffen, Jake responded with a soft squeeze then kissed the side of my neck as he whispered, “Conversation done, goodnight sweetheart.”
Softening at his kiss and relieved I didn’t need to respond to his impromptu confession, I drifted peacefully to sleep.
Which means that now that morning is here, I still have a lot to think about. Some of our
conversations these past evenings have been about my life as well. They’ve been about my past, my present and my future. Which also means some of the conversations have been about Patricia and Stephen.
What am I going to do about them?
Last night at Jake’s insistence, I’d called Stephen to let him know we’d be visiting Sydney this weekend. Stephen had been ecstatic at the news and instantly announced he’d make our travel arrangements. This announcement was not met with joy by Jake who took over the call so he and Stephen could argue travel arrangements.
The conversation was a short one that ended abruptly with Jake announcing we’d make our own way to Sydney before he hung up the phone on Stephen. I could still hear Stephen roaring into the phone as Jake hit end on the call.
So tonight we’re to spend one night at Jake’s house before leaving once again to head to Sydney. Poor Pierre will have forgotten what I look like by the time I see him again. Feeling and hearing Jake’s heart rate increase, I realize he’s woken up. I smile as his first movement is to pull me closer and squeeze me softly.
“Morning sweetheart,” he rumbles from above and behind my head.
“How’d you know I was awake?” I murmur as I continue to listen to the steady thuds in his chest.
“You were still,” he replies in a raspy, sleepy voice.
“I was still?” I ask. “What does that mean?”
“It means that when you’re asleep, you’re constantly on the move,” Jake says lifting his free arm to scratch his face. The sound of his nails scratching across his unshaven jawline reminding me that Jake hasn’t shaved for a few days. Which instantly distracts me from whatever we were talking about. Mainly because I’m suddenly reminded of how hot he looks with a three-day growth and my mind instantaneously fogs over as my body heats up and my heart rate spikes.
“Something we need to fix,” he continues, instantly dampening my endorphin rush and breaking me from my revelry.
“Huh?” I ask confused as the meaning of his words settles on me.
“You don’t sleep well sweetheart. You fall asleep and within minutes you’re thrashing about fighting demons.”
“I am?” I ask only slightly surprised because what he’s saying explains a lot. I’ve noticed more and more that I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept. I’m tired and worn and if we weren’t on the road constantly busy and on the move, I’d go back to bed for a few extra hours each day. I also know I’ve been having bad dreams but no matter how hard I try, I can never remember them.
“You’re falling asleep with too much on your mind. You need to decide on your relationship with Stephen Bradford and Patricia and you need to stop worrying about Altieri. He’s backed off. I don’t see him as a threat anymore.”
“You think I’m worrying in my sleep?”
“I know you’re worrying in your sleep, you mumble too,” Jake returns, his voice serious.
“Oh… What do I mumble?” I ask hesitantly, hoping, praying I haven’t said anything about my feelings for Jake. He’s made it clear he wants to see us together for the long haul but the ‘L’ word has not, at any stage, been mentioned.
Not once.
By either of us.
“Mostly about those three main culprits I’ve already mentioned,” Jake assures me in a strange tone that leaves me wondering if that’s all I’ve been mumbling about in my sleep.
Deciding I don’t want to discover what mumblings qualified themselves as separate to his ‘mostly’ statement, I return to his mention of Altieri. “How can you be sure Altieri’s backed off?”
“I’m sure. I’ve got eyes on him and he’s made the smart decision to steer clear. Emma’s also keeping an eye on him and she says the same.”
“Emma’s watching Altieri? How’s she doing that?” I ask wondering what Emma could possibly have in place to keep an eye on a Melbourne mobster.
“Dunno, she won’t tell me,” Jake chuckles softly. “She’s rather insistent she’s got you covered this time however.”
Lifting my head from Jake’s chest, I turn my head to look towards his grayed out face in the early morning light. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse. It’s become increasingly clear to me over the past month that I don’t know my best friend very well. If at all. She seems to be living more of a double life than I am.”
“You could be right there,” Jake agrees softly. “She appears to have a lot of secrets.”
Nodding my agreeance, I return my head to its position pressed against his chest and continue to stare at the stream of light filtering through the side of the curtains. “What do you think I should do about Patricia?”
Sighing and taking pause to think, Jake’s response surprises me. “I think you need to wait for the DNA results. If she isn’t your mother, you need to find out why she’s been acting as your mother when she clearly doesn’t like you very much. If it’s true she stole you off that beach in Cairns, she should be punished. Taking a child from a loving family environment is a heinous crime. Taking a child from a loving family environment and treating her like dirt her entire life is even worse. She should not go unpunished for her crime.”
“Do you mean I should send her to jail?”
“If that’s what you want to do,” Jake replies with a slight edge to his voice. One that gives his words a tinge of malice and makes it clear there’s more choices than just jail.
“Are you suggesting we punish her some other way?”
“I’m suggesting we wait till we have all the facts and if by exposing her, you are in fact exposing yourself, we deal with the matter. Internally.”
“Oh,” I whisper as I close my eyes to consider his words more carefully. I’m almost certain I understand what Jake is implying and right now I don’t think I need to clarify it any further. Seriously, do I want to see Patricia dead for what she did? Was she that horrible to me?
Once again rolling thoughts of Patricia around my head, my thoughts are interrupted by a loud noise. A loud noise that I have come to love over the past week or so. The sound of a Harley engine roaring to life. The deep rumble of its pipes rattling the window on our Motel room and no doubt waking all the other patrons as well.
Feeling Jake shaking slightly, I realize he’s amused. “What?” I ask.
“It would appear Zane is too impatient to wait for the rest of us. Looks like he’s in a rush to get back to Ridge Creek.”
“That’s Zane’s bike? How can you tell?”
“I can tell,” Jake replies softly. “It would appear that for the first time since I’ve known him, Zane wants to go home.”
“Really?” I ask wondering if he’s implying the reason Zane’s in such a rush is a certain pirate style biker wannabe woman with stormy gray eyes and long straight, shiny black hair.
He couldn’t be could he?
From what Jake’s said over the past few weeks, Zane’s not known for his ability to maintain interest in any female love interest for more than a week or so.
“Really,” Jake murmurs as he gives me another soft squeeze and kisses the back of my head. “What’s worse is that for the first time I can remember since we were teens, I’m worried about him. A guy who’s never cared about a woman before, one who suddenly finds himself caring, can find himself in a world of pain if he’s got it wrong.”
Uh oh.
Is Jake is trying to tell me that Zane’s falling in love?
This could be worse than I thought. Poor Zane. I’m not sure he realizes there’s about as much chance of him taming the Emma tiger as there is of him riding a unicorn.
Having gotten to know him a whole lot better over the past ten days, I’ve got to say that apart from being an alleged serial womanizer, he’s got a heart of gold. Not that I witnessed any of his serial womanizing. Not once during our whole trip has he even looked sideways at a single women. Considering we’ve spent many of our nights visiting bars that were frequented by the usual bar fly types, this was no mean feat.
At
first I’d even thought that both Luke and Zane were toning down their extracurricular activities for my benefit. That was until the third night when Luke clearly communicated he’d had enough of being the gentleman. He did this by disappearing back to his Motel room with a blonde on his arm just fifteen minutes after our arrival at a local pub for tea. Luke’s decision to leave before his order of a burger and chips arrived made it clear he was in need of his dessert much more than his mains.
“Poor Zane,” I mumble softly to myself.
“I thought that might be the case,” Jake murmurs from above me as his hand slowly starts sliding down my side and towards my butt. “Even though I know that I should be thinking it’s just karma for all the times he broke some poor girls heart, I just can’t. He is what he is, and you can’t say he isn’t honest about it.”
“Exactly. Which means that if he’s already set the boundaries with her he has no one but himself to blame. She’s taking him literally.” I muse as Jake’s warm hand slides slowly across my butt and down, down to its welcome destination.
“Mmm,” Jake’s chest hums softly against the side of my face. “Perhaps I should take you, literally.”
“Please do,” I murmur swinging my head back to take a delicious swipe at his chin with my tongue. “No more talk of Zane and Emma, it’s depressing.”
“Agreed,” Jake rumbles as his hand slides into place and his fingers start to work their morning magic.
And just like that all thoughts of Patricia, Stephen, Altieri, Zane and Emma vanish from my mind.
Chapter Fourteen
Progress
Seven hours later, Arianna…
Arriving back at the Harley Shop shortly after lunch, I peel myself from the back of Jake’s bike. Four hours straight on the road and every muscle in my body is screaming to move. Feeling like an eighty year old, I stagger a few steps away from the bike and dramatically groan as I straighten my body and try to stretch out the kinks in all my muscles.
With the understanding that we’ll be heading to Holders shortly to check up on his mum (and Pierre), Jake has parked out the front of the shop.