“Clocks ticking kid,” Jack said his patience wearing thin.
I guided Nikki down from my shoulder, placing her on wobbly heels cursing the fucking stilettos that she had decided to wear. She looked over her shoulder squinting her eyes against the bright headlights of the bikes.
“Jesus Christ,” she murmured before turning back to me.
“These men are friends of your dad’s they are going to take us somewhere safe, okay?” I said running my fingers nervously through my hair.
Her lip quivered as she nodded her head slowly wrapping her arms around her body.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said because she looked desperate for assurance. She looked at me biting her lip, trying not to cry. She reached for my shirt clutching the fabric in her hands she closed her eyes for a moment.
“Mikey this is all my fault,” she struggled with her words, pausing before lifting her head to meet my gaze.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, not comprehending how any of this was her fault as I ran my hands down her arms slowly.
“No baby, it’s not. It’s all going to be okay, I swear to you,” I said catching the bikers flashing their lights signaling me to move it along and the sirens were growing louder. I reached around her and pulled open the door. “Get in the car Nikki we need to get out of here.”
She didn’t argue as she climbed into the back seat of the Ford Expedition. I slid in beside her before I could even close the door Jack pulled away from the curb. I glanced out the rear window watching as the first two motorcycles leading the pack passed us by so that they were now riding in front of us. The next two remained on either side of us and the last of the pack followed behind the SUV.
Nikki was sitting quietly beside me, her arms still wrapped around her body. I leaned forward and shrugged my suit jacket off.
“Lean forward,” I said. She pushed up from the seat and I draped my jacket over her shoulders. I watched her settle back into the seat before I turned meeting Jack’s eyes in the rear view mirror.
“Where are you taking us?” I asked him. His eyes left mine focusing back on the road ahead of him. I glanced out the window, trying to figure it out for myself since apparently, the Bulldog wasn’t in the mood to talk. His phone rang, and he lifted it to his ear.
“Yeah…,” he glanced back in the rearview mirror and it took everything in me not to flip him the bird. “They’re fine, but the girl looks a little shaken up and the kid may have shit his pants.”
Fuck you Bulldog. I flipped him the bird president or no president, I was not in the fucking mood for this shit. He chuckled again before looking back at the road again.
“Okay, we’ll meet you at the dog house,” he said before disconnecting the call.
“Was that my father?” Nikki asked beside me startling me by how controlled her voice suddenly sounded.
“No sweetness that was Jimmy Gold,” Jack said to her.
“Glad to know he made it out of there in one piece,” I said sarcastically. Nikki elbowed me, causing me to look over at her. “Sorry,” I mumbled and ran my fingers roughly through my hair. I looked back towards the driver’s seat and stared at Jack suspiciously. He was located in Jersey there was no fucking way he’d be able to get to Temptations that quickly not much time had passed between the first gunshot to the time we escaped the club.
“Hey, Jack mind telling me how the hell you got involved in all of this?” I was probably way out of line asking him that and to add insult to injury I knew my tone was condescending.
“Victor asked me and my club to assist in providing extra protection tonight,” he said shrugging his shoulders as if this whole shootout was no big deal. “We were close by in case shit like this went down.”
“Wait a minute, are you saying my father anticipated this was going to happen tonight?” Nikki asked suddenly sitting straight up her whole being appearing to be on high alert.
“I’m saying your old man was being cautious and you two are damn fucking lucky he did,” he fumbled with something before pulling a cigarette out of a pack with his teeth. He reached over his shoulder and offered the pack to us. Nikki leaned forward, taking the pack from his hand. I watched her intently as she plucked a Marlboro out of the pack and placed it between her lips slipping the pack of cigarettes into her bra.
“Can I have a light?” she asked.
She took the lighter he offered and lit her cigarette, taking the first pull, it seemed to instantly calm her nerves and I wondered if it was all in her head or if the nicotine really did take the edge off for me I’d need a gallon of vodka and a joint to calm my fucking nerves. She ran her fingers through her hair and cracked her window slightly. She flicked the ashes of her cigarette out the tiny opening of her window and then looked back at me.
“Rico had something to do with what happened tonight,” she stated sounding eerily calm.
“Who’s Rico?” Jack asked instantly.
She tore her gaze from me to look at Jack. “My boyfriend… or whatever… I mean he was my boyfriend,” she closed her eyes for a moment, taking another drag of her cigarette. “Before I ran into you I went upstairs to wish him luck and I saw him in the sound booth with another guy and some girl,” she laughed mockingly because there was nothing amusing about what she was saying. “I think he was cheating on me.”
“I fucking knew there was something shady about that jerk off!” I said, smacking my hand against my knee.
“I don’t really need to hear I told you so Mikey. I know you can’t stand him, but you could be a little fucking compassionate I just told you my boyfriend was cheating on me and probably had a fucking hand in the shootout we just witnessed. For all, I know someone I love could be bleeding to death in that club and I’m sitting here trying not to think the worst and hope that I didn’t have a hand in any of this.”
Her words cut me down to size, but instead of apologizing for offending her or saying something she didn’t want to hear I pressed on for more information.
“How would you have had a hand in any of this?” I asked incredulously.
“I brought Rico into everyone’s life thinking that he was a good guy. I thought he cared about me and that he was different none of that bullshit dating me because of who my father is. I really thought he was the one guy who saw something other than my last name. I brought him around my family I encouraged my father to hire him for tonight’s gig. I have no idea what his involvement is in any of this, but the one thing I do know is that whatever his part was in this he was able to execute because I allowed him to. I allowed him into my life and the lives of everyone around me,” she threw the cigarette out the window and leaned back in the seat.
I rubbed my face tiredly feeling like shit for making her tell me what she was feeling. I understood I lived with the guilt of my own actions every day. If I had been a better son or stepped up to be the man of the house when my father died instead of acting like an entitled selfish prick maybe my mother would be alive. It was a shitty feeling, thinking that I had a part in the abolishment of another person’s life, especially someone you loved living with the regret knowing that if you maybe had done things just a little differently none of the destruction would’ve happened.
I placed my hand on Nikki’s knee an act of comfort. “I think we’re jumping the gun here. Let’s just wait and see what happens,” I said softly, wishing I could turn the thoughts inside her head off just at least until we got to our destination.
She looked out the window. “I know what I heard,” she said softly before closing her eyes. Her fingers slowly laced with mine and she leaned her head against the glass of the window her eyes still closed. I brought her hand to my lips, placing a delicate kiss to her knuckles before I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and brought her head to rest in the crook of my arm.
I glanced at Jack he turned the radio up slightly as he pulled onto the open highway. I settled back into my seat my fingers got lost in Nikki’s hair. I probably should’ve been asking
Jack some questions trying to figure out what all of this meant and what the hell lied ahead of us but I was exhausted mentally and physically. I surrendered my trust and prayed that he’d take us to safety hoping that when we arrived, we’d have a better understanding of the battle we lived through tonight so that we would be prepared for the war to come.
I glanced down at Nikki she was sleeping so I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the guitar coming from the speakers soothe me.
When the sins of my father weigh down in my soul.
And the pain of my mother will not let me go…
Make it rain… make it rain down low.
Thunder crackled forcing my eyes to shoot open and glance out the window as it began to downpour.
Chapter Fifteen
My eyes fluttered open to the sound of pellets of rain beating against the window. I laid there for a moment listening to the tranquil sound before I realized I had no idea where I was. I bolted upright from the bed I was laying on and glanced around the tiny bedroom. The walls were covered in wood paneling giving it an older look, but there was no clutter and the room was kept clean. I threw my legs over the bed, glancing back towards the window taking in the gray sky and how heavy the rain was coming down.
Looking down at myself, I noticed I was in the same clothes from the night before reminding me of the shootout. Then it dawned on me that this was probably the safe house Jack had brought us to or at least I hoped so. I didn’t remember falling asleep much less how I made my way to bed. I ran my hands down my hair, hoping to tame the horrid case of bed head I was sure I had as I made my way to the door following the sounds of the muffled voices.
The door opened with a squeak and the voices grew hushed as I entered what I guessed was the living room of this tiny cabin. It ran straight into the kitchen that was small, to begin with, but with the two broad bikers fighting over the coffee pot, it managed to look incredibly tiny. I looked back towards the couch and Jack lifted his head from the newspaper he was reading.
“Morning sweetness,” he said, nodding towards one of his brothers. “Make the girl a cup of coffee will you.”
My eyes did another quick scan of the small space before nervously meeting Jack’s again. “Where’s Mikey?”
As if on cue, the door next to the one I had emerged from opened and Mikey stepped out holding a towel around his waist with one hand and towel drying his hair with the other. I looked him over my gaze pausing at his chest appreciating the slight sheen of water that made his skin glisten. My eyes slowly found him, and he gave me a crooked smile.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were up,” he said bringing the towel he was using to dry his hair down to rest at his side.
“How would you since you were taking an hour long shower?” snipped the biker— the nice one that handed me a cup of coffee.
“Thank you...,” I said looking down at the patch on his leather cut. “… Bones,” was that his name?
Mikey rolled his eyes before taking a step towards me. “I’m going to throw my clothes on,” I responded with a nod and watched as he studied me for a moment. I didn’t know why he was looking at me as if I was about to have a breakdown did he really think I was that unstable? He murmured something I couldn’t hear and stepped around me to enter the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
“You hungry? Bones makes a mean omelet,” Jack offered, folding the newspaper in half and shoving it underneath one of the worn cushions of the sofa.
“Not really,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee, I peered at him over the rim of the mug. “Did you hear from my father?”
“No,” he said standing up and crossing his arms against his chest. “Last I heard his lawyer was working on getting him out.”
“He was arrested?” I asked. It wouldn’t have been the first time my father was arrested and I’m certain that if he makes it through this ordeal it wouldn’t be the last either. Luckily, his lawyer is a shark and keeps him out of jail. Well, most of the time when I was thirteen he had to do eighteen months in prison, but good behavior had him out in a little over a year.
“All I know is that they cuffed him and made him spend the night in lock up my guess is that they are just busting balls looking for info. What are they going to charge him with? Shooting up his own nightclub?” Jack shook his head. “Just hang tight. He’ll be here as soon as he can.”
I ran my fingertip around the rim of the mug I was clutching in my hands lifting my head to look at him. “What about the rest of my family?”
“I don’t have all the details sweetness. I didn’t hear anything about them and if something was wrong, I’m sure I would’ve,” he said and slapped Bones on the back. “Come on,” he looked back at me. “I’m running out to get a pack of smokes,” he winked. “Some girl robbed mine last night. You need anything?”
I shook my head my lips curving slightly as I remembered the stash of Marlboros that were nestled in between my boobs. Jack “Bulldog” Parrish was all right in my book.
I’m good thanks.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I thought so. I’m leaving the prospect. He’ll be right outside in case you guys need anything.” The prospect waved his hand as he held the door for Jack and Bones he was the least intimidating out of the three.
“Tell pretty boy we’ll be right back,” Bones said, chuckling before they walked out the door closing it behind him.
I looked around the cabin suddenly feeling as if I was the leading lady in a bad horror flick and any minute some asshole was going to break down the door wearing a mask, wielding an ax and I’d scream in terror. The door behind me opened causing me to jump slightly seriously I needed to calm down.
Mikey stood in front of me wearing his suit pants and shirt from last night untucked and half buttoned.
“You scared me…,” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Sorry,” he said reaching out he tipped my chin up with his forefinger. “You still shook up?”
“You’re not?” I asked. He looked at me for a moment before he dropped his hand from under my chin using it to comb his fingers through his still damp hair.
“I don’t know what I am,” he admitted honestly.
I understood that while I had always known my father’s lifestyle was ugly, it had never actually touched me before. What happened last night was different than the usual shit we dealt with like visiting daddy in jail or having the feds outside your junior high school graduation. It was more of a nuisance than a physical threat which in the end resulted in me never having been bothered by what my dad actually did.
Until last night.
“I’m never celebrating my birthday again,” I mumbled as I threw myself back against the cushions of the small sofa. “I bet your twenty-first birthday wasn’t as exciting as mine.” I glanced up at Mikey watching as he sat down on the coffee table in front of me. “Or as terrifying.”
“Can’t say that it was,” he said hunching forward his hands resting on his knees as he looked at me. “When we get home I’ll take you out for your birthday. We’ll replace last night’s debauchery and make good memories.”
I smiled slightly. “I’m just kidding…,” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t like making a big deal of my birthday anyway, but it just sucks that it happened on my actual birthday. I’ll always remember the date this all went down.”
He cocked his head to the side fighting the cocky grin that was creeping on his mouth.
“So you’ll always remember the date you were finally kissed properly,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe the whole gunfire extravaganza has its perks.”
“Jerk,” I said, nudging his shoulder back a little as he chuckled.
“You do remember, don’t you? Or do you need me to remind you?” He questioned, as he stared at my lips.
Actually, I had forgotten he had kissed me, but his words brought back the image of us in the hallway. I guess he was right there was a distinct difference between the way Mikey had kissed me and any kiss I had ever had be
fore. His kiss was more than just his lips meshing with mine. It was consuming and something I didn’t feel with just my mouth, I felt it throughout my body down to my toes even now just remembering I could feel it in those little electric currents that felt like fire running through my veins.
“I remember,” I whispered hoarsely as he reached forward, tucking a strand of my messy hair behind my ear.
“Damn…,” he said softly, holding my eyes captive to his own. He watched me so intensely that I couldn’t look away from him. I watched him swallow before he dropped his hand and put some space between us as he cleared his throat. “Did you like the flowers?”
“The flowers?” I asked before the arrangement of pink and purple roses flashed in my head. “They were from you? How come you didn’t sign the card?”
He shrugged before standing and walking towards the kitchen. “I wanted to do something for your birthday and I didn’t know what to get you or even do for you since you weren’t talking to me. I don’t know my mother always loved flowers and even when my father was working or whatever and he couldn’t be around, he’d send her flowers,” he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Thank you for the flowers they were beautiful,” I said feeling remorseful for picking a fight with him just to put distance between us, especially since the reason I had cooled things with Mikey was out of guilt for the feelings I was having for him while I was involved with Rico. That prick. I had even defended him to Mikey when he tried to warn me off him.
“I text you before the opening, I wanted to wish you luck,” I said my words sounded like a consolation prize for being a bitch and walking away from him.
“Yeah, I saw that,” he confirmed, taking a sip of his coffee and turning around to meet my gaze. “Thanks,” his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The Tempted Series: Collectors Edition Page 16