by Sophia Gray
“It ain’t that much,” I snarled back. I dropped thirty dollars on the counter. “And that money is good. I didn’t steal it.”
The old man shook his head, then wrapped up the pendant in a cotton pad and a white box. “She’s a lucky girl,” he said softly under his breath as he handed me the little package. “I hope she knows how lucky she is.”
I blinked, feeling dazed. The pendant around Angel’s neck was the same one I’d bought for Angel Carringer all those years ago.
Angel’s soft voice brought me back to reality. “Are you okay?” I realized she was looking at me strangely. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I stared at her. “Where did you get that necklace, Angel?”
Her face changed. Angel’s high blush disappeared and she swallowed a lump in her throat. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffed, looking down at the ground.
“A boy gave it to me,” she said softly. “A boy I knew a long time ago.”
My jaw clenched and I set my lips in a thin line. “That’s what I thought,” I muttered. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”
Angel didn’t resist as I took her elbow and escorted her up the front walkway. It had been made from tiles of concrete but most of them were broken and shattered by now. A rage was filling me, my whole body. Angel. Angel Carringer. They were the same girl.
I closed my eyes and remembered the last time I’d seen Angel. It was the night I’d taken her home on her eighteenth birthday. We’d fought — she wanted to stay out, but I was worried about facing the wrath of her parents. They’d always hated me, but now that she was an adult, I wanted to make a good impression. After all, I loved their daughter more than anything. I loved Angel Carringer more than life itself. But I never got the chance to make amends.
“Angel! Angel!” Angel’s mother ran down the driveway and wrapped her in a bony hug, holding her at arm’s length and looking over her thin, lithe frame.
Her father followed close behind. “Just where the hell do you think you’ve been?”
“Daddy, I’m fine!” Angel protested. She twisted out of her mother’s arms and looked at me. “Trey’s been taking care of me.”
“I bet he has,” Angel’s mother simpered in a nasal tone. “Trey, thank you. Kindly leave my family alone now.”
“No!” Angel cried. “I’m an adult! Mom, Daddy, Trey is my boyfriend! We love each other!”
“Angel, stop,” Angel’s father said. He pressed a hand against his forehead and I guessed he was struggling with a hangover. “Enough of this nonsense,” he said. “Young man, thank you for bringing my daughter home. I assume we won’t be seeing you again.”
“No!” Angel cried again. She twisted away from her parents’ grip and ran over to me. “Trey is my love!” she cried loudly. “Why don’t you see that?”
I blinked, coming back to reality. The memories were too painful. Angel was silent as I guided her inside. There was a pretty young woman, who I assumed was the babysitter, and a young boy with brown hair and blue eyes. I blinked.
It was just like seeing a ghost.
Chapter 6
Angel
I was still drunk, but standing in the foyer and staring at the man standing next to Chuckie, my blood ran cold. No, it couldn’t be him. I shook my head in disbelief. When I opened my eyes, the resemblance was still there, and it was stronger than ever.
The man who had saved my life, who had taken me to a bar and tried to seduce me in public, was none other than Trey. Trey Minter. My first love. My only love. After Trey, I’d never loved again. Sure, I’d gone on the odd date here and there. I’d even had another boyfriend or two. But no one serious, no one who lasted for more than a couple of months. It was impossible. But it’s not impossible, my mind insisted. He’s right there. That’s him, all right.
A new shiver went through me when I realized who he was. Did he know who I was? Was that why he had grabbed the necklace? My heart started pounding against the walls of my chest as I recalled the angry look on his face while we were standing outside. He knew. He must have known, ever since I told him that a boy had given me that necklace all those years ago. Eight, to be precise. Chuckie’s exact age.
I cursed myself for not having asked for his name. What are you, stupid? I thought, burning with embarrassment inwardly. I’d draped myself all over him like some kind of biker slut! But then again, I hadn’t been able to resist him. I’d never been able to resist Trey. Not eight years ago, and not now. Even though I didn’t mind living like a nun most of the time, Trey brought my most hidden desires out onto the surface. It was like part of me had been dead since I’d said goodbye to him, and that part of me wasn’t ever going to wake up again. But seeing him had rekindled it. And now, I felt it stronger than ever. The worst effects of the alcohol had worn off but I was still feeling tipsy and slow.
“Get out,” I said in a shaky voice. “Get out and leave me alone.”
Trey looked at me. His face was a mix of confusion, anger, and hurt. I couldn’t even look at him without feeling like my heart was breaking in two. I didn’t want him around, he couldn’t stay, or everything would fall apart. My life, my whole life that I’d spent working to move on from Trey would crumble at my feet if he gave me one more of those heartbreaking, lopsided smiles. I blinked, feeling tears well up.
“Wait,” Trey said. His voice was deep and husky. “I need to talk to you!”
“No,” I said as calmly as I could muster. “Get out, now. Leave, and don’t ever come back. And don’t ever contact me, ever again. You understand?”
Pushing past Trey, I picked Chuckie up and held him in my arms. At eight, he was almost too big to be held. He was tall, just like Trey, and big for his age. And already, I could tell he was going to be heartbreakingly gorgeous when he grew up. I shook my head. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. I wanted a long, hot bath, and to sleep for hours. “Come on,” I told Chuckie, setting him down on the ground. “Come on, Mommy wants to take a bath. Did Lindsey feed you your dinner?”
Lindsey, the babysitter, stood up from the couch. She was a nervous-looking blonde teenager and she shook her head, casting fearful glances to the side. I laughed out of sheer anxiety. I didn’t realize it, but Trey looked incredibly intimidating.
“He was a little fussy with his dinner,” Lindsey said, trying to keep her voice at a normal tone. “He didn’t want his vegetables.”
Chuckie made a face. “Mom, she knows I hate squash,” he said in a petulant tone. “I told her when you got home, I’d have some carrots.”
“Why don’t we just wait until tomorrow, okay?”
Chuckie nodded. He swallowed, and I could tell he was scared. “Mom, who is that?” he asked in a soft, scared voice. “What’s that man doing in our living room?”
“I need to talk to your mom,” Trey said. He looked at the boy with an incredulous gaze on his face and, suddenly, I knew he knew. The resemblance between himself and Chuckie was too strong to ignore, and it was making me feel dizzier than ever.
“No,” I said too forcefully. Lindsey and Chuckie looked at me with confusion on their faces. “I mean, this man gave Mommy a ride home,” I said, looking right at Chuckie, trying to calm him. “And it was very nice, but Mommy wants to be alone now.”
Before I could react, Trey grabbed my arm. He dragged me into the next room and shoved me up against the wall. I felt my heart slamming across my ribs and I looked into his face.
“Are you Angel Carringer?” Trey’s voice came out in a growl and he glared at me.
I was too scared to speak. I could barely move, but I somehow managed to nod my head slowly.
Trey stared deep into my eyes. His blue orbs were the same gorgeous, haunting eyes they had always been. But I could tell he’d changed. Eight years and he’d become a different man. He probably had a new woman every week, and then some. I shivered. His gaze was so penetrating, I suddenly felt naked. I was all too aware of how my breasts stuck out under the sweater and how my slim waist looked in the h
igh-waisted skirt I wore. But Trey’s intense gaze never left my face, and I felt myself shivering with lust and fear.
“It doesn’t matter who I am,” I said softly. “What happened was a long time ago. That’s over now.”
Trey opened his mouth to reply, then slammed it angrily shut. I saw a muscle twitching in his strong jaw and I shuddered. He looked angry enough to rip my head off, and I knew he was strong enough to do so if he wished.
“It matters,” Trey grunted at me. “It matters, Angel.”
Hearing him say my name sent shivers through my body. It wasn’t like before wen I thought he was some sexy stranger. No, this was my first love. I had history with this man. I’d lost my virginity to him, and he’d broken my heart. Blinking back tears, I turned my head away so I wouldn’t have to look up at him. But Trey had quick reflexes and he grabbed my chin in one of his rough hands. Before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine and we were kissing roughly. His hands were in my hair and his face was smashed against mine. Trey slipped his tongue into my mouth and caressed mine with it. I knew he was angry, but the kiss was passionate and tempestuous. Part of me felt like he wanted to rip me apart, the other part of me felt like he just wanted to rip my clothes off and drag me to bed. Give me a good hate fuck, show me what I’d been missing out on for all these years.
As the kiss deepened, I was horrified to feel my pussy getting wet and soaking through my panties again. Just like at the bar, Trey’s body had an immediate effect on my own. I felt arousal brand me until I was twisting my body and pressing up against him. Trey slid his hands down my body and scooped me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. I felt his erection shove between my legs and I moaned softly — even through the layers of fabric we wore, it still felt better than I ever could have imagined. Wrapping my arms around Trey’s neck, I tangled my hands in his hair and tugged hard. Trey groaned into my mouth and slapped my ass gently with one of his hands. The sensation was enough to make me cry out and finally, I broke apart from Trey and licked my lips.
Trey set me roughly down on the ground and stepped away from me. He stared at me and I felt my heart beating faster than ever. I wiped my mouth free of our saliva and tried to catch my breath. I felt like I’d just run a marathon. My body was pulsing with lust. As we stared at each other, I silently begged him to come back and pick me back up. It no longer mattered that Lindsey and Chuckie were in the next room. The goddamn Pope could have been in the next room and I wouldn’t have cared. All I wanted was Trey, his strong arms around me, his mouth on mine, kissing me savagely. I wanted him to carry me to bed and slide my panties down my legs before spreading my thighs and diving between them with his tongue, and then his cock.
“Get out,” I said softly, shaking my head. No, I couldn’t ever be with him again. I couldn’t take that risk. I was a mother now, and I had to put the life of my son ahead of my own. Back then, Trey had been dangerous. Now, he looked even more so. He was a big, tattooed biker who’d thought nothing of showing up and punching two guys out. I shivered with lust. The conflicting urges in my body were warring, but, finally, the rational side won out. “Get out or I’ll call the cops,” I said finally.
Trey looked into my eyes, an expression of wounded rage on his face. Finally, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the door. Out of my life, for the second time. And unlike the first time, this time it would be forever.
Chapter 7
Trey
I stalked away from Angel’s little ramshackle house in anger and climbed on my bike, gunning it into a high gear and driving out of Centerville. I had to be alone. I had to think. I was so angry I could have spat, so I turned up music loudly and stuffed headphones in my ears. I just wanted to ride and ride until all of the adrenaline and anger had subsided. That’ll take a billion fuckin’ years, I thought to myself in anger. Fuck!
She had a son! My son! He had to be my son. There was no way he was anyone else’s. He was the spitting image of myself at that age. I had to close my eyes and count backwards. She’d called him Chuckie. He had to be at least eight. It had been over eight years since I’d last seen Angel. That set me off all over again. I couldn’t believe she’d had my son and not said a goddamn word! Who did that woman think she was! Just because we had a past together didn’t seem like a good reason to punish that poor kid. Shaking my head, I sped up and navigated around a turn.
I’d grown up without a dad. While it hadn’t been my mom’s fault, I’d always wished I could have had a father. My old man had been a biker, too, but in a different club. A bad club, a club that was more like a gang. He got killed while my mom was still pregnant. At first, she’d vowed to make a better life for me but that was damn near impossible. She’d never even finished high school. I remembered her trying hard when I was a little kid but by the time I started school, she had started to flounder. Mom had always had drug problems and she started using again by the time I was in second or third grade. I’d come home and find her passed out, no food in the house, the TV sold for more junk. After a while, I resented that she’d never cared enough to quit for me. I mean, I was her only kid. I was supposed to be the only thing in her life, right?
My mind flashed back to Angel’s cramped little house. Even though she obviously didn’t have much money, I could tell how much she loved her son. The living room had been covered with framed pictures he’d obviously drawn, and there had been a giant pile of his crayons on the kitchen table. Hell, even the room where I’d dragged Angel was filled with his toys. Against my will, that brought a smile to my face.
I shook my head. No, I didn’t feel good about Angel right now. I was angrier than ever that she’d never contacted me. After all, she was the one who had left me! She’d never talked to me again! Not after that fateful night.
“No,” I said aloud. I couldn’t let myself get dragged back into the memories. That was only dangerous, and something that was guaranteed to bring me more pain for now. I had to stop thinking about Angel. I had to do something to take my mind off of her.
Angel’s parents had never thought I was good enough for her. Even back then, even when I was actually trying. Nothing I did was good enough. I thought it was something I’d managed to move past, but I apparently hadn’t. Now, the pain and the wound felt as fresh as they had the day that I knew it had all been over.
My phone buzzed in my pants.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Trey, dude.” I heard the voice of one of my fellow Skullbreakers, Ram. He was my best friend and my second-in-command. Without him, I wouldn’t have gotten to the top. Without him, I probably would have died six times over.
“Hey, man,” I greeted him. His gruff voice was a welcome distraction from the turmoil raging in my brain. “What can I do for you?”
“I got some bad news,” Ram said. He let out a deep sigh. “You remember Damien?”
“Oh man, do I,” I said slowly. Damien had been my best friend growing up. We’d been from the same wrong side of the tracks, and we’d gotten into a lot of trouble together. When I met Angel, Damien had always been jealous. Not because I had a girlfriend, just because it was a sign that I was doing better. Damien never would have treated a girl like a gentleman; he would have abused her and scared her off. But because I was able to date some high class girl, he couldn’t stand it. He accused me of being a sellout. I was too loyal to Angel to even want to reconsider mending things. Ever since then, we’d drifted apart. Now, he was in a rival MC, the Steel Demons. They were dirty — into guns and drugs — and they resented the Skullbreakers. After all, we’d had a hold on Centerville for a long time. They didn’t have a chance to get close.
“Well, Damien and his boys were involved in some kinda shootout on the outskirts of town. I think a lot of people were shot or injured, or something.” Ram paused and I heard the click of a lighter. “They were selling guns to the Russians, outside of town, and it must have gone bad.”
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. “Just what we fuckin’ need right
now.”
“I know,” Ram said. “I know, man.”
We were silent for a moment and I knew he was thinking of the implications of this. Even though the Skullbreakers were usually in good with the cops, no one liked a bloody shootout. Especially not the local law enforcement.
“Any word about the cops?”
Ram sighed again. “Yeah, man, they’re gonna look into us,” he said after a pause. “You want me to tell the other guys?”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it. I’m headed to the clubhouse now.”
“Listen,” Ram said. “You and Damien used to be tight, right? You used to be close?”
“Not for a long time,” I said bitterly. “Try almost ten years ago. He hates me now. He wants me dead.”
“All the same,” Ram said. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. “You should probably go talk to him. Maybe he’ll listen to you, who knows. But either way, we can’t have these kinds of attacks, you know? I mean, the cops are gonna crack down on us a lot tighter if shit like this keeps happening.”