by Carly White
Sam grunted, still not prepared to say anything. He had not expected the man to be so nonchalant about it all and he certainly hadn’t expected the way his daughter was acting around the man. His mind went to the offensive, but he had to remind himself it wasn’t over yet. There hadn’t been enough time to really check out the surroundings to see if it was a trap. Sam hadn’t cared, he would have come anyways.
When Stella started to walk towards him, his body started to relieve itself and he could breathe again. “I am a man of my word Sam. I didn’t want none of this messy business and nothing was done to your daughter in any way.”
Neither man had to make more comment than that about Stella. She was a very pretty girl and it was what Lance had thought about for the much of the time. But he hadn’t done anything, if she would have even let him. “That’s good because I would have to kill you.”
They both chuckled a little, Stella finding their conversation pretty awkward. “Can we go now please?”
She had turned towards Sam, not wanting to meet Lance’s eyes. It was awkward for her and all of it shouldn’t have happened. “Give him the stuff so we can go. I am going to kill Carl when I see him again.”
Stella stormed towards the car and was sick of being a pawn for one night. She had never felt much danger besides in the beginning, but she was irritated that they talked like she wasn’t even there.
It took some time to transfer the money, but Stella did not look back at them. When Sam got back in the car, he looked over at her and grimaced. “I am so sorry about this Stella.”
“I just want to go to home. I haven’t really had any sleep and seven o’ clock comes early.” She didn’t know why she was so angry all of a sudden, but she was sick of dealing with the Black Riders and their business. “You know you are going to have to find someone else to take over. Tommy or Rick. It can’t be Carl. For the idiot’s own sake.”
Sam agreed in his mind, but couldn’t find the words. His mind was still on her and Lance. “Did he hurt you in anyway?”
“I told you he didn’t.”
“I didn’t know if you were afraid of him.”
She just rolled her eyes. “I have been around those kinds of guys my whole life. You see what happens. I always get roped into the middle of something that I wanted to have nothing to do with. And Carl being the one that messed it all up is just typical.”
Sam felt bad, but he did not allow her to talk to him like that. It didn’t matter how old she was. “Why were you even out to begin with?”
She paused, remembering that she had promised him she would stay in until it blew over. Stella had of course done what she wanted to do though and she did feel a little bit like it was her fault. But she was as stubborn as he was and returned his glare as they drove back to the house.
“We will talk about this later. I need to go get your brother after I drop you off. Can you please stay out of trouble?”
“There wouldn’t be any trouble if…”
“If what?”
He was fuming and she didn’t want to push her luck. “Nothing dad. I am just tired and want to go home.”
Sam took her answer as good as it was going to get and they drove the rest of the way in silence, both with their own thoughts.
Chapter 7
Lance went home and was honestly annoyed that Dottie was still there. She was miffed that he had left with Stella, but the fact that she was gone seemed to appease her. Trying to distract him with sex, Lance found himself less enamored with her. Next to Stella, she seemed crude and just a little dumb. “Come on Lance. It has been too long.”
He pushed her away softly when words and tone didn’t work. “Not now Dotty. It’s been a long night.”
In truth he wanted her to leave, but didn’t see how he could get her to go. Lance didn’t mention her finding her own place again, but he did choose to sleep in his bedroom without her. He had been lately staying in the guest room with her, but he didn’t want her. Not then and Lance didn’t know if he would want her at all. There was something about seeing the two women together that showed him that he had been barking up the wrong tree. Even at her young age, Stella was already more of a woman.
When he lay down he thought of her and the strange way that they had met and everything had worked out. Lance had a feeling it was fate and he couldn’t stop thinking that they were supposed to have met. A truce with Sam wasn’t immediately in the cards, but Lance suddenly wanted peace so that he could go for what he really wanted. He just suddenly realized who it was.
Lance was almost dozed off when his phone rang. It was Billy and he was asking questions about how everything went. There was a second that there was disappointment in his voice, after he heard that everything had went okay. Lance no longer figured that it was him being paranoid.
“Well that is good that it all worked out. We have a meeting with the Columbians around noon. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“No, I think I am going to go down there myself.”
Another pause. “Are you sure you want to go alone with everything going on with the Demons?”
“It’s all worked out. It was just a misunderstanding and everything was put right. There is no need to go any further in that direction.”
Lance was calling him off, but his second seemed to be having a hard time accepting it. When Lance thought about it, he realized that there had been some changes in the dynamic between the two of them. Lance tried to think of when it started, but he had never really questioned Billy’s loyalty.
“I just don’t get it Lance.”
“You don’t have to.”
Another long pause, but this time the silence was deafening and Lance just knew. He didn’t know the who and why yet, but he took seeing it as a blessing. Before it was too late and his friend did something that he couldn’t fix. A thought went to his mind, a gut feeling and Lance thought he knew the who. But there was still a question of the why. That was the most important question.
“Are you busy now?”
“Not really boss.” It was still too early to be considered morning, but too late to be night. The man had more than likely been doing something, trying to get information from Lance to give back to whoever it was that he was working for. Or had he went rogue and was wanting to take over what he had.
“I need some information on Sam’s son.”
“Why?”
It was the reaction that he was after, the one he hoped he wouldn’t get. “Because I am not done with him yet. I want them gone. It’s as simple as that.”
Billy wasn’t saying anything on the other end and Lance waited for him to figure out what he was going to do. It was clear to Lance who his best friend was actually working for or with. Lance wondered then if Sam knew what his son was really up to. He couldn’t see the older man doing something so underhanded and Lance knew then that he was going to have to be the one to tell him. If not, it seemed like Carl and Billy were bound and determined to get the two gangs at war with each other. Lance wondered how it was going to play out in Carl’s mind. Billy at least should have known better.
“Well I will see what I can find out boss.”
“Thanks Billy. You have always been such a loyal friend.”
“You too Lance.” Was there a bit of guilt that he heard?
“Let me know if you hear anything Billy.”
“I will.”
Lance hung up and he couldn’t help but feel the sadness seeping in. He would have never thought that Billy was out to get him, but it was clear that he didn’t know what he thought he did. There were a few moments where he just sat there, trying to figure out what it was that he was going to do, but it was hard. He didn’t want to think about it and he had known Billy too long. It couldn’t just be pushed to the side, but he didn’t feel the same evil thoughts that he would if it was someone else. It wasn’t someone else, it was Billy.
He decided to make a call and see if Sam would meet up with him. Lance wasn’t expecting Stella
to answer and the sound of her voice sidetracked him. “Hello?”
“Stella, this is Lance.”
“Lance, it’s good to hear your voice.”
He paused and it was him that didn’t have anything to say. She was too direct and there was little guile in her plain manner of speak. Lance found it much easier to deal with than Dotty, a person he had never particularly wanted to talk too much. He had always found it more useful to fill her mouth so she couldn’t speak at all.
“Were you calling to take me out?”
He wasn’t, but the plan suddenly sounded a lot better than an awkward conversation with her father. “When?”
“Now. I need to get out of here. Carl is back and I don’t even want to look at him.”
“Do you want me to come get you?”
“No, you are still not the favorite person in this house. I will meet you somewhere. Is your girlfriend still at your house?”
“Dotty is just staying there until she can find another place. She had to leave her last apartment suddenly.”
“Uh huh, well regardless, I don’t really want to run into her again. I have something I need to tell you and it can’t be over the phone.”
She sounded serious and Lance wondered what it was about. The bad feeling was back and it was fighting with the feelings of elation to see her again after he couldn’t keep her out of his mind.
“We can meet where we met last night?”
Stella kind of chuckled. It was a fairly nice way to word an abduction, but she wasn’t going to argue about it. “Okay that works. See you in a bit.”
He hung up with mixed emotions, but the most common and strongest of them was anticipation to see her again. What had she done to him to make his mind so muddled and uncaring of anything else going on around him?
Chapter 8
Stella was a little nervous, but it had seemed like a perfect time when he called. She had overheard her brother talking on the phone to someone the night before after she got home. He had plans in place and it wasn’t an accident that he had taken the drugs. Carl had known who it was and who would be suspected. What he hadn’t counted on though was Lance being so quick to take her or the fact that his father had essentially fixed the problem. Carl apparently didn’t want it to work out, he didn’t want peace. What he wanted was an empire and he was quickly losing the Black Riders. He had failed too many times and he knew that their father wasn’t going to hand the reins over anytime soon.
It had been hard for her, to pick one of them. She hadn’t even told her father yet, where her loyalty should have been. Stella had known in some way that it would be better to tell Lance first. She was afraid that she would be too late to tell him and then he had called, it just felt like fate.
Not paying attention much to her appearance, she left her hair down and grabbed her keys as she was leaving. Stella didn’t see her brother standing there in the kitchen as she left. Nor did she see him before when she was on the phone. It would seem that she was not the only one that was nosy and talked a little too loud on the phone. Her mind had been thinking of the tall man that she wasn’t supposed to be interested in, yet felt compelled to go see. It wasn’t like she had forgotten about Franklin and his gentle ways. It was just that Lance was more thrilling.
When she got there and he wasn’t there, her heart raced and for a moment, Stella thought that she was too late. Then she heard the familiar sounds of his bike and she felt better. He looked as good as she remembered and Stella smiled at him for a minute before he stopped. Without saying anything she got on behind him, hooking her arms around his waist. “Just go.”
He did and it was a while before he finally stopped. There was something in the way that she felt when he moved away and got off. She wished that he hadn’t. Stella stayed on the bike. It was on its stand and she had her eyes closed for a minute. “What’s going go Stella?”
Shaking off the feelings of him against her, he was going right to business and she had to keep up. “Um, yeah.” Sitting up, Stella tried to find the words, but it was hard to when she didn’t want to say them. How was she supposed to tell him all of the bad things that she knew? Stella had only one style and it was blunt, so she just came out with it.
“My brother and one of your guys are trying to make you and my father destroy each other. After you two are gone, they are going to start their own gang with the pieces, and the business,connections, money.”
Lance was more than a little surprised to hear all of that from her. He knew that it had taken a lot of guts and something more on her side towards him, for her to tell him. “I know.”
“You know?”
“Yeah, it’s Billy, but I didn’t want to believe it. I talked to him earlier and I knew. That is actually why I was calling.”
Her face fell into a pout. “Oh, I was hoping you did it to see me.” Stella really had wanted to see him, but that he hadn’t even called for her, bummed her out in a way that she was embarrassed to admit. Lance would be right if he thought that there was more to her feelings for him that respect and friendship. She felt almost giddy around him and Lance made her miss her old boyfriend that took what he wanted. She was sick of waiting for a man to make a move.
“It was a good surprise when you answered. Seeing you has made my day and it was a really bad day to begin with.”
“Well I do what I can. So what are you going to do about Carl?” Stella may have disliked her brother most of the time, but she still loved him and didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“I don’t know. I was going to let Sam take care of his side and I will take care of my traitor.”
She sighed and felt relief. “Good. I know that Carl is a pain, but I don’t want to see anything happen to him. Dad will take care of him.”
“How?”
Stella shrugged a little, not saying much more than that. “Well if that is all you wanted, that was all I had to say. I just wanted you to know about it before something bad happened. I just couldn’t let that happen.”
He walked towards her and tilted her face up towards him. “Were you worried about me?”
She didn’t like the way he smiled at her with his smug grin. “I just wanted to do the right thing.”
“So you don’t feel anything for me?”
Stella bit her lip and wished he would stop talking and just kiss her. It was like he was teasing her, purposefully trying to drive her utterly mad with need. Stella had been dealing with a gentle man for far too long. “Maybe something, but don’t get your chest all puffed out. I have a boyfriend.”
Lance just shook his head that she didn’t. Moving in to kiss her, Stella mewled softly against him. His lips were soft, but the kiss was demanding. It was what she had been waiting to feel for months, but it was over too quickly when her phone rang.
“Don’t.”
“I have to. It could be my dad.”
Lance growled at her as he stood back up and watched her face change when she saw the number. “It’s Franklin, I have to take it.”
Lance grabbed her phone and put it down. “You don’t have a boyfriend anymore. You’re mine.”
His words baffled her, but she was not given any time to think about anything else. The phone rang in her hand before she dropped it without paying attention. It was hard to think of anything else when he was kissing her so deeply, her body pulled hard against his own muscled body. Her phone kept ringing though, ruining the moment and Lance eventually pulled away.
“You need to take care of that, while I take care of your brother. Let’s go back so I can drop you off and talk to your dad.”
She was disappointed, even though it was her that had mentioned leaving in the first place. Stella wasn’t ready to leave yet, but she refused to beg. She had become accustomed to getting all hot for nothing. Moving back on the bike, Lance waited till she looked back up at him. “We will settle our unfinished business when this is all over Stella. I promise. In the meantime, you need to let your boyfriend go. I am
not a man that will share.”
He got on and didn’t see the red in her face as she grabbed him around the waist. His body seemed to gyrate against her more on the way back and she was almost panting when he finally stopped to let her off. “Have your dad meet me at the park where we were last night, okay?”
She nodded and waited for a second longer than she should have. Stella wanted another kiss, but Lance was again sidetracked with official business. Listening to the bike going down the road long after he was out of her sight, Stella was looking wistfully at the road. Sam came out and asked who had just left. “A friend dad, just a friend, but we need to talk.”
“Okay, come on. Your brother took off somewhere and I was just going to make some coffee.”
Chapter 9
It had been a week since Lance had first met Stella and he was still finding her on his mind constantly. There had been a couple of days after he talked to Sam, that he was out taking care of Billy and severing ties with the rest of the ones that weren’t loyal. It had been painful to see the end of such a long friendship, but there was no going back from that sort of betrayal.
He knew that Sam had it worse, the betrayal coming from his own son and he still wasn’t sure what had happened, but Carl hadn’t been seen since they had their little chat. Stella seemed to have tipped him off and it was better that way. Lance didn’t have to explain anything or prove it to him, which he couldn’t. Stella had pathed the way, making it easier on everyone. She had a way about her that made him ever thankful that he had met her in the first place.
Lance was sick of waiting though and once he knew that everything was copasetic with the suppliers and his once rival Sam was a new business partner, Lance was ready for what was next. Like a checklist, he was finally to the thing on his list that he was looking forward to. Stella was on her way over to his house and since he had demanded she get rid of her boyfriend, Lance had found Dotty a place to stay that wasn’t with him. He didn’t want her to think that she had any competition whatsoever. There was no one but her.