by Naomi West
“I doubt he's dating her. That's just the problem,” I said darkly. I would have thought I'd raised Jessi better than that—raised her to realize that she was a strong and independent woman and didn't need to just give herself away like that. I had always pictured her settling down and having children. Clearly she needed to be spending less time around bikes and bikers if I wanted her to settle down. Maybe instead of getting rid of Rip's presence around the shop, it was time that I started pushing Jessi to explore other interests.
“Rip's a good guy,” J.T. said, and I could barely keep myself from rolling my eyes.
“He's a good guy,” I allowed. “Decent, anyway. But you have to understand, Jessi is my only daughter, and I just want her to be safe. And happy.”
“And if Rip is making her happy, then you have no right to question her judgement,” J.T. said firmly.
I scowled at him, wanting to say something more, but I knew that it wasn't a good idea for me to get into this with the boss of the Hounds of Hades. Instead, I was just going to have to have a long talk with Jessi when she got home.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jessi
I could tell immediately when I got to the shop that there was something wrong. Dad practically flung aside his wrench when he saw me come in the door, and he was standing there, brow furrowed and hands on his hips, by the time I had set down my bag.
I instinctively glanced down at my watch, but I had come straight home after my classes, eager to avoid some sort of confrontation with Ellsmith, since I didn't know if Rip had paid the man a visit yet. I was home earlier than I normally was. There was no reason for him to be so upset.
“J.T. came by to see his bike today,” Dad said.
I frowned. “Did he not like it?” I asked. Rip had shown the man the design, and J.T. had approved it. He'd been approving the photos each step of the way. He couldn't just suddenly decide that he didn't like the projec
“He said he's seen you around the Hounds of Hades clubhouse,” Dad snapped. “Multiple times.”
“Oh.” I felt my heart drop and then begin to beat faster. I should never have been stupid enough to think that Dad wouldn't find out what I'd been up to with Rip. I had always been a good girl. I had never learned how to sneak around and do things in secret.
“Is that all you have to say?” Dad said. He sighed exasperatedly. “Jessi, you're going to college so that you can get out of here and really do something with your life. You know why I didn't want you going into automotive engineering—precisely because I didn't want you ending up with someone like Rip. He's not good enough for you, Jessi. Trust me.”
“Why, because you think he's sleeping around with other girls?” I shot back. “Because he's not. Whatever his reputation is, whatever he used to do before he and I started seeing one another”—that wasn't really what we were doing, but I wasn't about to tell Dad in as many words that we were fucking one another—“he isn't doing any of that anymore. He doesn't want to. He told me so himself.”
“And you don't think that he knows how to lie to a woman?”
I frowned. “Maybe he lies to other women,” I allowed. “But I don't think he was lying to me. And you taught me to be a pretty good judge of character. I'm smart enough not to get myself into a bad situation. I would think you would realize that by now.”
“I told you that I didn't want you to go to the clubhouse,” Dad persisted. “You keep telling me that your education and your work here at the shop is so important to you, but you've been sneaking out after curfew—and I can see the change in your attitude ever since Rip started working here. Considering that, I'm going to have to forbid you from working around the shop until J.T.'s bike is finished and Rip stops coming around here. And if I I hear that you've gone to the clubhouse again-”
“I'm not a little kid!” I interrupted. “You can't just ground me—and you can't keep me from working around the shop, not when I'm the one who designed the bike! And you can't keep me from seeing Rip.”
“Then you're going to need to find somewhere else to live,” Dad threatened. “As long as you live here, under my roof, you will abide by my rules. If you don't want to do that, then you're going to need to leave—and you're going to need to find some other way to pay for your college tuition, because I'm not going to have any part in that.”
“That's not fair,” I said. I was beginning to feel tears at the corners of my eyes, all the frustration and nervousness from the past month beginning to catch up to me. “Dad, I've been working so hard to get good grades and to keep helping out here around the shop and to be the kind of daughter that you can be proud of. And all I'm asking for myself is that I can keep seeing Rip in the few spare moments that I have. He makes me happy, and he's helping me with some things at school, and-”
“I thought you were busting your ass off to get the grades that you're getting,” Dad said. “What's this about him helping you out?”
I ducked my head a little, feeling tears begin to slip down my cheeks. “It's nothing,” I said.
“Clearly it isn't nothing,” Dad said, and I could hear a concerned note in his voice. “What's happening at school? What's wrong?” When I was silent, he sighed. “Jessi, come here,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “Ever since you started at school, you've been so distant,” he said, sounding pained. “And I'm sorry if I've hurt you by not wanting you to take over the business after me. We used to be so close, working together, but ...” He trailed off.
I shuddered a little and hugged him back, trying to quell my tears. “I'm sorry,” I said tearfully. “I've been trying to do well at school and everything else, but I just ...”
“What happened?” Dad asked. “Did you get a bad grade on one of your projects?”
“No,” I said, remembering what he had said about the internship, remembered his surety that Ellsmith wanted something more in return for the special attention that he'd been giving me. I took a deep breath and pulled away, although I didn't dare look Dad in the eyes. “Remember Ellsmith?” I asked.
“What happened?” Dad repeated immediately.
“Nothing happened,” I told him reluctantly. “But he ...wanted something to happen. Between us. Something ...” I swallowed hard, unable to admit that Ellsmith had wanted something sexual to happen between us. God, it was embarrassing to admit anything about this to Rip, let alone to my dad.
Dad swore angrily. “I knew that bastard was up to no good,” he said.
“Dad, it's fine,” I told him. “I have everything ...figured out.”
“Oh?” Dad asked archly. His face suddenly clouded, and I could tell that he had figured out exactly how I had fixed everything. “Rip,” he said.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“You're doing sexual favors to one man to get out of doing sexual favors to another.”
“Dad, no,” I said emphatically. “I like Rip, okay?
He stared at me for a long moment. Of course, that was when Rip chose to saunter into the shop after the weekend. He seemed to pick up on the tension between us in a heartbeat, and he immediately paused, looking at us. “What's wrong?” he asked.
Dad and I were both silent for a long moment.
“What's wrong?” Rip asked again, deliberately this time.
“I shouldn't be coming to the clubhouse,” I said, ducking my head a little.
Rip looked momentarily surprised and then almost ...angry? I blushed and stared at the floor, feeling embarrassed, because I bet that he'd never had a situation before where a woman couldn't go out with him because her dad was too upset about the situation. I rubbed awkwardly at my wrist, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes. “And, uh, I guess I should get out of here,” I continued, looking around the workshop at all the scattered pieces to my design dreams. As much as I wanted to fight for this, for Rip, and for everything else, I knew that there was no way I could afford to live on my own at the moment, especially not if I lost my job at the shop.
I grabbed my bag and made t
o leave, but Rip caught my arm before I could. “Jessi, come on,” he said, his voice gentle, like he was worried he'd startle me.
I shook my head, unable to even find words. I wanted to just fall into his arms, to let him soothe all of this ache, but I knew that I couldn't do that.
“Jessi,” Rip growled, and I could hear the note of impatience in his voice. “You owe it to me to at least talk to me about this,” he said. I realized suddenly that it wasn't impatience that I was hearing in his voice but rather hurt.
I shook my head again, trying to pull my arm free. “Rip, don't,” I choked out, desperate to get out of there before I started sobbing. But he wouldn't let me go, and the next thing I knew, I was bawling there in the middle of the shop, feeling totally overwrought with emotions.
“Oh, Jessi,” Rip said, pulling me into his arms, the same way he had the other night when I'd been upset about Ellsmith. I trembled there against him, wishing Dad could just see how gentle Rip was with me and how much the man cared about me. I didn't think that would make any difference, though. Dad didn't want me to have any part of this life or this lifestyle.
When Rip’s arms came up around me, I couldn't resist anymore. I buried my face in the hollow of his neck, clinging to him. But when I finally managed to collect myself and pull away, I gave him one final headshake, looking guiltily over at where Dad stood watching us, his arms folded across his chest. Then I fled from the shop.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rip
I made a frustrated noise as, yet again, Jessi's phone went straight to voicemail. She had been avoiding talking to me all week, since whatever it was that had happened with her dad, and it was driving me crazy. I hadn't seen her around the shop, I hadn't seen her around the clubhouse, and I hadn't even been able to find her around the university campus, which made me wonder if maybe she was blowing off her classes. I knew that her dad wasn't totally on board with her studying automotive engineering from the start, but I thought they had gotten over that. I couldn't imagine that he would be keeping her from her studies.
I would never have expected to be as bothered as I was by her disappearance.
Finally, I decided that I had to do something about it, and I drove over to the shop even though it was my day off. Mick was inside, working on some detailing, but he stopped and looked up when I came in, raising an eyebrow at me. “You're not supposed to be here today,” he reminded me, as though I didn't already know that.
“I need to talk to you about whatever the hell is going on with Jessi,” I told him, folding my arms over my chest.
“That's not up for discussion,” Mick told me, shaking his head. “I think you've caused enough trouble with all of that.”
“I haven't caused any trouble,” I spat. “And you know that. I told you. I like your daughter. She's smart, she's talented, and I don't know why you won't give her half a chance around this place, because I really think that she could be great. I really think she could turn your business from a little shop that caters to the Hounds of Hades into something even better. But you don't even seem to care.”
I heard the phone ring in the office, and I wondered if he would get up to answer it. But, instead, it was Jessi poking her head out the door of the office. She looked almost scared when she saw me, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “Dad, it's for you,” she said. “It's Bruce, calling about those parts that you had requested.”
I could see indecision in Mick's face. He didn't want to leave the two of us alone together. But he looked around the shop, clearly realizing that he needed to take this call for whatever project he was currently working on. Finally, he sighed and got to his feet, scowling at me. “Don't even think ...” he began, narrowing his eyes at me—as though he thought I might try to, I don't know, fuck Jessi there in the shop in the five minutes that he was on the phone.
I rolled my eyes and didn't respond. I could see Jessi was torn between going back into the office or talking to me. Finally, talking to me seemed to win out, and she took a hesitant step towards me. “You aren't supposed to be here today,” she said, frowning. “Did you forget something?”
“I need to talk to you,” I told her. “Look, I don't know what's going on between you and your dad right now, but-”
“He's just ...protective of me,” Jessi said. “I'm his only daughter, and since my mother's out of the picture, it's hard for him.”
“Jessi, did I do something to hurt you or upset you?” I interrupted.
“Dad said he'd kick me out if I went anywhere near the clubhouse,” she admitted. “I should never have ...” She trailed off, biting her lower lip. “Look, Dad and I have always been really close, okay? I can't ...” Again, she trailed off.
I sighed and ran a hand back through my hair. I should have seen this coming. I should have guessed what was really behind this sudden avoidance of me.
I should have been more careful. I wasn't sure how Mick had found out about Jessi and I—I was sure that she hadn't told him—but I knew I'd been careless, acting as though he would never find out about us. The truth was, I'd wanted to figure out exactly what was going on between Jessi and I before I talked to him about things.
“Has Ellsmith done anything to you since...”
Jessi shook her head. “No,” she said, her voice watery with tears. “Did you talk to him?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said grimly, thinking back to the meeting I'd had with the man. “I looked for you around campus, but I didn't see you there. You are still going to your classes, aren't you?”
“I've been sick this week,” Jessi said. Of course, that was a lie, but I couldn't really call her out on it. She ducked her head. “Look, Rip, I really like you, okay? I think you're a great guy, and I appreciate your having a word with Ellsmith about that whole situation. But there's nothing that I can say to Dad to convince him that you're not going to get me tied up in all sorts of bad situations. And I have to respect his wishes that I stay away from you.”
I shook my head. “I haven't seen you around the shop much, either. What, are you just giving up on all of this? J.T.'s bike, and-”
“Dad asked me to stay away while you were here,” she said, and that was exactly what I might have suspected as well. “He thinks it'd be best for all of us. Anyway, I'm trying to find some new hobbies or some new ...direction. I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands once this semester is over.”
“What do you mean?” I asked her. “I thought you picked your classes for the fall already and you were worried about how difficult your schedule was looking.”
“I've decided that I'm not going to continue with the program in the fall,” Jessi said, her voice barely audible. “With this whole thing with Ellsmith ...” She shook her head. “I just think that's for the best.”
I could have practically shouted at her in frustration, but I tried to keep my voice calm and level. “Jessi, you can't let your dad run your life like that,” I told her. “All you've wanted to do is design bikes. You told me that yourself. Just because your Dad-”
“Don't,” Jessi interrupted, her voice sounding raw. She looked up at me, clearly incredibly upset. “Please, Rip. Just ...don't. I know that that's what I wanted. To be honest, I've been so happy since I started my classes and since I started hanging out with you, that ...” She swallowed hard. “But he's my Dad. And I have to respect that.” She took a shuddering breath. “You're a great guy, Rip, and I'm sure you're going to make some girl very happy at some point. I really appreciate-” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
I wanted nothing more than to go to her and pull her into my arms, but I was afraid that she would pull away. When Mick came back into the shop's main room, he took one look at the two of us and frowned, putting an arm around Jessi's shoulders. But she shrugged that away.
Mick sighed. “Jessi, come on—we've been through this,” he said.
“I have to get back to work,” was all she said. “I have that big review coming up, and I
need to make sure my portfolio is ready for it.” She gave me one last look before she vanished back into the office.
“Mick-” I began, not even sure what I was about to say—where could I even start with all of this?
But Mick held up a hand. “I think it would be best if you would leave,” he said. “This is a family matter, and it doesn't concern you. I'll see you here at work on Monday morning. Just know that if I had my way and didn't need to worry about J.T.'s bike, you’d be out of here in a heartbeat.”
I shook my head. He was unbelievable. But there was nothing else that I could do without resorting to violence of some sort, since he was standing between me and Jessi now. I would have to figure out some other way to reach her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jessi
I knew I wasn't supposed to be there at the Hounds of Hades clubhouse, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from going back there. God, I had missed Rip the past two weeks, and even though things were steadily improving between Dad and I, I couldn't help feeling incredibly lonely. And things were starting to get more intense in my classes now that we had our term finals coming up soon, and I wasn't really handling things well. Again, it seemed as though everyone else was understanding things a lot better than I was, and this time, I couldn't go to Ellsmith's office hours and trust him to help me out with anything. I needed to figure things out on my own, but I didn't seem to be capable of doing that.