One Last Chance (Complete Series Box Set)

by Lauren Wood

  “Come on Matt. Don’t make me do it.”

  I was talking about another phone call and he finally agreed to let him go. “You need to keep him out of trouble. You’ll have to bring him home. His bike is already down at the impound lot.”

  “That was quick.”

  “Well, you know that we like to move fast at night. Gets them off the road.”

  “I hear ya. Helps that it was Frank, huh?”

  Matt didn’t answer.

  “What is it with you two?”

  “I just don’t like him, and I don’t want him back here. If you were smart Gemma, you’d stay away from him.”

  I wasn’t going to heed his warning, but I thanked him for his concern. It was just my nice way of telling him to piss off. I wasn’t worried about Frank getting me in trouble, certainly not with the law. If he got me in trouble, it would be about something else altogether. It would have something to do with Justin and my own self control when it came to him.

  There was a time when I couldn’t tell him no. I don’t think that I was there anymore, but there was a part of me that wondered if he really put it on me, made me chose, what would I do. It was hard to forget how quickly I had responded with his kiss. It was like second nature and felt damn good after all this time and a man that didn’t kiss just quite right.

  Matt took off into the back and the holding cells and I waited out on the bench out front. I never did like the jailhouse and since I’d been there so many times, I didn’t need to wait around. Matt would go get Frank because he knew that he was being a douche and I would be able to get out of here quickly. I was going to take Frank to his mom’s house and that was going to be that. I wasn’t going to make it any worse then it had to be. I wasn’t going to let my mind come up with all these scenarios that spelled doom. I had a good life now and I needed to remember that.

  It was about ten more minutes before Frank came out. He was pushing his wallet into his pocket and thanked me. The light brown hair that I remembered was darker now. I don’t know why that called out to me to notice it, but it did. I was hoping that there was going to be something to keep me from messing up, but I knew that there wasn’t. It was just a decision I was going to have to make, whether I wanted to or not.

  “You ready?”

  He grinned. “Yes, thank you again. I didn’t want to spend another minute in there with Matt. He really is an ass. I know why I didn’t like him now.”

  I told him that Matt was an acquired taste. “Anna really loves him, so I don’t say much. Most of the time he’s a really good guy. You just get under his skin.”

  “Sounds like you’re taking his side.”

  “No sides, just an observation. Bit defensive huh?”

  He waved me off and I wasn’t going to go on about it. “You’re out. Let’s go. I will take you to your mom’s. that’s where you’re staying, right?”

  “Yeah but drop me off at a hotel before there. She is not one to get woken up. I’m not even going to risk it.”

  “You’re almost thirty and you’re still afraid of her?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  It was almost laughable to look at Frank and think that he was afraid of anything. But I had met his mom and I could see why. She was a bit more aggressive than I’d ever known someone to be. She didn’t care, and I didn’t want to piss her off if she knew that I dropped him off.

  “Nonsense. You don’t need to stay at a hotel. You know the one in town sucks. Sleep on the couch at our place. It’s more comfortable than over there. Less chance of bed bugs.”

  Frank made a face and his usually serious jaw lightened with his smile. “Well that doesn’t sound good. Are you sure that Justin won’t mind?”

  “No, he trust me. He’ll be fine with it because you’re going to be gone in the morning, long before he gets home.”

  “So, it will be our little secret?”

  I told him not to think of it that way. I didn’t like the sound of it. It made it all sound so bad and it wasn’t a bad thing that we’re doing here. Instead of worrying about everything that was going on, I wanted to make sure that he understood that nothing was going to happen. It was just for him to stay the night. I really wasn’t sure if I could tell him no if he pushed and I didn’t want him to try.

  “We’re not going to do anything, so there won’t be anything for him to know about. Don’t you think that’s for the best? He saw us kissing and he’s been looking at me different ever since.”

  Everything I said was true, so why did I want him to tell me that it didn’t matter? Justin would just get over it. That’s what I told myself when I let my mind go back to Frank and what could happen between us. Me and Frank had a lot of history. It was different. It wouldn’t be like we were cheating, not really. Because I was Frank’s first.

  I was two seconds from physically slapping myself to get it together. This man left me. No matter how good he was in the sack, I had to remember that more than anything else. He wasn’t for me. He’d left, and I didn’t think I was ever going to get over it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to if I was completely honest. I had to remember.

  “Thanks for letting me stay Gemma. I’m not going to make trouble for you and your old man.”

  “Then why did you tell Matt that you wanted to punch Justin in the face until it caved in?”

  He chuckled. “Because I do. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to do what it is I want to do. I have more self-control than that. I haven’t jumped on you, even though I really want to.”

  “Well you don’t jump on me because you know that you’d get shut down.”

  He laughed a little harder and I didn’t like the sound of it at all.

  “Come on Gemma. We both know that I start playing with you and touching you, you’re going to do what you always did before. You never could say no to me.”

  I pushed him back as he leaned closer. He was rubbing it in my face and I really didn’t like the sound or the feel of it. He was right. Of course, he was right, and I should have been thankful that he felt that way, that he wasn’t going to push because I didn’t want him to be proven right. That I somehow couldn’t handle myself. I could. I really could.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about Frank. I’ve changed. I’m not that same girl you knew a long time ago. You don’t have that sort of power over me anymore. Sorry. You just don’t.”

  I pulled into the driveway in front of the house and looked to Frank to see that he understood. He wasn’t upset though, not at all. Instead he was smiling at me in this eerie way and I didn’t know what to think about it.

  “Is that so?”

  I shook my head that it was and didn’t expect the hand that went on my thigh. He squeezed it as he leaned in for a kiss. I moaned as his hand went up the inside of my thigh and rested on my core. I was practically close to jumping up with the touch, but I didn’t move. I kissed him back and opened my legs ever so slightly to give him better access, I knew what his fingers could do, and I was encouraging it more than anything else. I needed him, badly and before long, I heard the moan that fell from between my lips.

  He pulled back, his hand leaving me, and his mouth gone. I opened my eyes, not sure when they were even closed, and I saw the grin. It made me mad suddenly and I pushed him away.

  “You’re a jerk.”

  “Yeah, and you’re wrong. You’re still mine.”

  I couldn’t believe that he’d done that. It was clear all of a sudden that he was doing it to show me I was wrong. I’d forgotten that part of Frank and I can’t say that I liked it all that well.

  “No, I’m not. I’m with Justin now.”

  I got out of the car before he could prove me wrong some more. The worst part was how damn turned on I was. I didn’t want to be, I really didn’t, especially after looking in his smug face, but there wasn’t much I could do. I knew that I was going to have to figure it out. I certainly wasn’t going to let him get the best of me. I couldn’t believe that I had.

 
He was still standing by the car. I looked back and asked if he was coming.

  “Not yet, but soon.”

  I turned back around. “You got me, for a minute, okay? Shit with you is familiar, but that’s it. I’m with Justin. He would never leave me and hurt me like you did. I don’t want that again. You’re a one-night stand, nothing more. Justin is the one that I’m going to be with for life. That’s the difference.”

  Frank

  I was seriously regretting messing with Gemma at the moment. Yeah, I’d gotten her to moan a little and proved a little point to her, but I was paying for it by her sharp tongue. How had I forgotten about that? I should have known better and now I regretted it big time. Her words cut deeper than any knife and my momentary win was painful. It wasn’t worth it.

  “You coming? You’re just standing there.”

  “Yeah, I’m coming. I appreciate the couch to sleep in.”

  “No problem Frank. Nothing less for such an old friend.”

  Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and I knew that I had really pissed her off. I should have done it, but damn it had felt good for a moment. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I would have been able to shut my mouth, but that wasn’t something that I was really good at just yet. There was a part of me that was hoping that I could somehow apologize enough for her to understand I didn’t mean for it to be this way, but she turned and went in.

  Gemma didn’t say another word. She went and got a couple of pillows and a blanket. She set the folded stack down and then looked at me for just a moment before she went upstairs. I wanted to go to her, to apologize, I don’t know, something, but I knew it was better to just let it ride and to see what happens. I shouldn’t have been so damn cocky. It didn’t work on girls like Gemma. Most girls, but not girls like her.

  The couch wasn’t as comfortable when I wasn’t drunk. Justin wouldn’t have to know about this, but the very idea of it all made it hard to sleep. I was in his house. With his girlfriend that he was going to be with. It was hard to wrap my head around it and not want to sever the ties. Now I wasn’t even sure if I had enough over Gemma to succeed. I didn’t like where this was going.

  Sun came up before sleep did and I took off, locking the door behind me and folded the blanket back up like it was when it was given to me. I’d fucked up, I knew that, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it right. Being here this morning when she woke up didn’t seem like the best idea and instead I went to get my bike. I needed to get her out of my mind. I had work to do that had nothing to do with Gemma and Justin. I needed to distance myself from all of that, so I could focus on getting the club up and running for the first shipment. It wouldn’t be long before Hartford was on the map for other reasons besides the local seafood.

  “What’s up Frank? Where have you been?”

  “I had to take care of some shit last night and then I ended up in a cell for a few hours. Had to get some sleep. Here I am.”

  It was as simple as I could make it and Flynn grinned. “Yeah, I’ve had a few of those days. Who picked you up?”

  “Matt., I knew him back in the day through school and we don’t get along.”

  “He isn’t really that bad to work with. He won’t take money, but he looks the other way from time to time when it’s for the best.”

  “Well I guess me messing up his cousin’s jaw isn’t forgiven. That’s twice in two days since I’ve been back. It’s not a good way to start things here. I didn’t want to be hush-hush with this, the club coming back, but I was thinking of a different homecoming that didn’t involve so much time behind bars.”

  “I hear that. Are you ready to go check out the cabin and the other building?”

  I agreed that I was and even though I had a lot of shit on my mind and no sleep in me to speak of, I knew that I had to take care of business no matter what. I was tired and the sooner I got this done, the sooner I would be able to get it all ready. Then I wouldn’t have to sleep on an ex’s couch when I got home late. That was already wearing thin on me considering who she belonged to.

  We got on our bikes and headed out into the country a little. It was closer to water than people and it was the perfect place to hold stock that I didn’t want anyone to be able to get to. It was perfect and soon I wouldn’t have to worry about anything at all. Once this stop was picked up, the club’s revenue would double plus and that was good for everybody.

  The ride was only about fifteen minutes or so. It gave me time to think and figure out what it was I was going to do. I wasn’t worried about the present situation. I’d ran guns longer than anything else. It’s what I did. I was thinking about a damn woman and how she could tie me up in knots after such a long time.

  We stopped at the building first and met with the owner. I’d done business with him in the past before I left and after ten years, he was even more crooked than before. For a premium, he would look the other way and let us conduct the business that we needed. It was all set-in motion, lease signed so that everything was above board and then me and Flynn made our way to the cabin. Another set-up of Morgan and it was back far enough from the road that the neighbors wouldn’t hear all the bikes coming and going.

  “Looks like we found The Reaper’s new home.”

  Flynn agreed, and we got out of there after running through the place. I was less worried about rooms and decoration, then I was the location. It would work and that was one less thing I had to do before I could get back to the real project at hand. I wanted Gemma back and I knew that I was going to have to work for it this time around.

  Justin gave me a call when he got back in town and I went to pick him up. I wanted him to meet the rest of the guys and I wanted to see his old lady. It was the real reason I was there, and I told him that we needed to grab a beer and talk. There was a lot going on in the next couple of weeks and he was to be in on it since he was going to be my second. There was going to be a vote to bring everyone together. Paperwork, that sort of thing. He had a big enough house to supply that and then we wouldn’t have to worry about fitting everyone in the cabin. For the time being, it was the best bet and I would get another crack at Gemma. I wasn’t going to mess it up this time. I was going to make sure that I didn’t let my pride get in the way of things.

  When I got to his place, he was still getting dressed. Gemma answered the door and she let me in, walking away without saying much of anything. I wanted to work out what had happened between us the other night, but she wasn’t in the mood and I wasn’t going to push it, not now.

  “He’ll be out in a minute. Do you want some coffee?”

  I told her that it would be great and watched her pour me a cup. She was pissed off at me, that much was clear, but she was still going to be a good host. It was just in her and I was thankful for that. The brew was strong and just the way I liked it. She’d remembered.

  “Are you working tonight?”

  “No, me and some of the girls are going to go out to the lake. Last hoorah before it gets cold again. Summers never last long up here.”

  “I remember.”

  I started to move towards her, but she backed away and then I heard Justin’s voice behind me.

  “Good, you’re here. I thought I heard the door. I was hoping that it wasn’t Gemma’s friends whisking her off before I got a kiss goodbye.”

  “I would never do that.”

  I just looked from one to the other and tried not to gag in my throat. It was something else to see the two of them together, but the way they were acting was more than I ever wanted to see. It was just another plan that had backfired horribly in my face. I wanted to see Gemma. I didn’t want to see this.

  I made my way out the door before they could go any further. The last thing that I wanted to see was another man with Gemma. It didn’t matter that it was Justin. It didn’t make it better. It may even make it worse in a way. Now I had to see this shit. Could I really just go on with my second getting the girl?

  Justin came out after a few minutes with
a love-drunk look on his face. I revisited words that I’d said before. I wouldn’t mind punching him in the face until it broke. Coming back home was nothing like I’d thought it was going to be. I’d never imagined that there would be so many damn distractions coming my way. It was ridiculous.

  “You ready bro?”

  “Yeah, I want to show you the new spot. The cabin is getting fixed up, so you have to look beyond what’s there right now, but the location is perfect.”

  “And the warehouse?”

  “Got that going too. It’s all going to work out brother.”

  “I told Gemma that she won’t have to work too much longer. I hate her there pushing drinks to the drunks.”

  “Life should go on as usual, as much as possible. Maybe she should keep her job a while.”

  “No, I think it’s time I make an honest woman out of her. Time to start a family and all of that shit. Now I won’t have to worry about money. The job is a good one, but it doesn’t really pay shit. Freezes on the wages. I’ve been putting off asking her for a while.”

  I just nodded my head and tried not to lose my cool. I didn’t want to hear about his thoughts on Gemma. I was having a hard time even imagining that the two of them were even together. I just had to see them suck face. The last thing that I wanted was a wedding to have to go to.

  “We will have plenty of money rolling in soon enough my friend. We need to make it official, have a party tonight. I was thinking that we could have it at your place. I’d take care of all of the arrangements, but I need a big enough space for everyone and their families. It’s going to be the first day of a whole new life for all of us.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll talk to Gemma and she’ll get with you.”

  “Sandra is taken care of it.”

  “Good enough. It will be good to see your sister. I didn’t know she was still in town.”

  “She’s not. Just here for my homecoming and to help me out. You know how she is.”