by Jani Kay
“Yeah, sure,” I lied.
We made it to the car and Angela put the dog’s bed on the back seat. “She’ll be happier here on her own cushion.”
The phone inside the house rang, its shrill tone demanding attention. “Oh, that’s probably the Senator. He’s bringing guests home to dinner tonight. Let me go hear what he wants.” She closed the back door and walked toward the house.
Fuck. I better get out of here, fast. It was still a long drive to the gate and if Angela told Walker I’d picked up the dog, I'd be busted. My heart beat wildly in my chest, but I kept going at the required speed so as not to raise any alarm.
It was killing me to go this slow. I just wanted to put my foot down on the accelerator and get the fuck away from here. I didn’t care to find out what the sentence was for abducting a dog from the Senator’s house.
The dude at the gate held up his hand for me to stop. Fuck.
“Open the window,” he demanded. What now?
I pressed the button for the front window to open.
“No, the back window—where the dog is,” he said.
I pressed my lips together and did as he asked, cursing inwardly. He stuck his hand through the window. Miu-miu growled and snapped at his fingers.
“Little bitch.” He laughed. “It's my girlfriend’s birthday next week and she wants a puppy. Was thinking of getting her one of these. But not if the fucker is going to snap at me.”
Buddy, I don’t give a fuck what your girlfriend wants. I just want to get out of here.
His mobile phone started to ring.
“Listen, we’re already running late. Open the gate before you answer that, okay?”
I pressed the button for the windows to close as I waited for the gates to swing open. He waved me out just as he put his phone to his ear. It took every bit of my self-control not to go screeching out like the house was on fire.
Chapter Sixty-Five — Eva
I heard the bark before the doorbell rang. It sounded just like Miu-miu and for a moment a pang went through my heart. I’d never thought I’d miss her this much.
Sadly, I knew it wouldn’t be her. In the middle of packing up the few belongings I wanted to keep after selling the apartment, I’d ordered Chinese takeout and now I couldn’t find my darn purse to pay the delivery guy.
Remembering the cash I kept in the kitchen drawer for emergencies like these, I bristled when the guy rang the damn doorbell again.
“I'm coming,” I yelled, and went to open the door, annoyed at his impatience and ready to give him a scolding along with a generous tip. He’d been delivering here for more than a year now, and I knew Syd was only a kid trying to earn extra money to get through college—but still, ringing twice in such a short period of time seemed over the top.
I jerked the door open, acid words already on my tongue. Tired and sweaty, with my back aching from bending over, I wasn’t in the best of moods. The aroma of the food hit me instantly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and my stomach grumbled in protest.
“Chinese takeout,” a voice said before I could get my words out.
Harrison. And Miu-miu.
“What the hell?” I took a step back to take it all in. Yep, there he stood with the dog tucked under his arm, holding out the paper bag that smelled so good, and a huge grin on his face. “Harrison?”
“That’s me, Eva. Happy to see us?”
“What? How?” I asked, stunned to see him and the dog.
He shoved the tail-wagging, yapping Miu-miu toward me and I eagerly took her from him. I hugged and kissed her, still not believing my eyes. After four days not hearing from him, I’d given up hope that he’d listened to a word I’d said. Now he stood here, in front of my apartment with my dog.
Harrison laughed. “At least you’re happy to see one of us.”
“Oh, I am. But where’s Syd? I haven’t paid him.”
“I intercepted him on his way up. He’s been paid and tipped, so stop worrying. Although you do look cute with that frown between your brows.”
I hadn’t been called cute in over a decade. “Cute? I mean . . . thank you . . . for paying Syd, not for saying I’m cute.” Three minutes and Harrison was messing with my head already.
“Can I at least come in? Or do I get a tip and the door closed in my face?”
“Um . . . it's a mess. I'm a mess.” Understatement of the year. I shrugged. “I'm packing.” I flicked the stray hairs away from my face and wiped my brow with the back of my hand, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
He peered over my shoulder. “It looks fine to me. I can help instead of going to gym? Lifting boxes is the same as lifting weights.”
Licking my lips, I covertly checked him out from beneath my lashes, taking in the tight sleeveless vest and shorts covering his perfectly sculpted muscles. Damn he was fine. My mouth watered—for the food and for him.
“Come in. How did you find Miu-miu? And don’t say the delivery guy.”
He laughed. Shit, I'd nearly forgotten how sexy his voice was. It did funny things to my insides.
“Let’s just say I used some of my privileges and leave it at that, okay?” He closed the door behind him. “Hmmm, no spanking tonight. I tested and you locked your door. Good girl.”
It was my turn to laugh. Damn, just mentioning the spanking had my hormones run rampant through my body. I squeezed my thighs together and changed the subject.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“Actually . . . that food smells good. I forgot to eat before I came. Share with me?” He cocked his head to the side, a sheepish grin on his face.
I made my way to the kitchen with the food. “Sure. I always get carried away when I order takeout. There’s probably enough food here for five people—very hungry ones.” I laughed.
Dumping the brown bag on the counter, I tended to my puppy first. She seemed lighter than I remembered, and since she’d only weighed around three pounds before she went missing, I worried that she was malnourished. I filled her water bowl while Harrison leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, not taking his eyes off me.
Unnerved, my hands trembled lightly while I took some extra chicken from the fridge and shredded it. My heart was beating so fast, I wondered if he could hear it above the ticking of the kitchen clock. I tried to ignore him and pretend he wasn’t staring at me as if he wanted to pin me to the wall and fuck me. If that was the reward he was after, he was wasting his time. I’d feed him too, but that was as far as it was going.
Since I’d walked out of his place, I’d done a deep introspection into my life. I'd analyzed my failed relationships and thought about what I wanted, my brain working non-stop. Eventually a clear vision of how I wanted my life to be had formed in my mind—I knew exactly what I wanted. It couldn’t be Harrison.
I simply wasn’t going to get my heart broken by a man who was unable to commit to a relationship. I wanted a family—with at least two kids, and in three months I was turning thirty-five. The biological clock was ticking hard and fast.
“You’re a good woman, Eva.”
“What? Where did that come from?” I whipped my head around to stare at him. I'd avoided eye contact since he walked in and now I couldn’t stop myself gaping.
He took a step closer, standing only a foot away. I stared at his chest, unwilling to look into his eyes. He reached out and gripped my chin, tilting my face to his. I stared at his mouth, wanting to taste it so badly. His lips curled up at the sides and made my stomach flip.
“I hope I'm not too late?” he said softly.
What did he mean?
“I tried to ignore everything you said until I just couldn’t lie to myself any longer. Can you forgive me?”
I sucked in a quivering breath, trying to slow my breathing and my galloping heartbeat.
What for?” I asked, having learned a long time ago to not make assumptions.
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “For being a total fucking idiot. I k
now it's asking a lot.”
Finally I looked into his eyes. It took my breath away. For the first time it wasn’t lust and scorn filling those blue orbs. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it made my heart sing.
“I’m the forgiving kind—if it's genuine.” I said, careful with my words. I wasn’t placing any bets on the outcome of this conversation yet.
“Eva, you drive me fucking crazy. Everything about you—I can’t get you out of my mind. I’ve tried . . . believe me.”
“Oh yeah? So why are you here then?” He confused me and I didn’t like how it made me feel.
“Too tell you that I want a chance with you. That I want to start over.” His thumb caressed my lips. “Because I miss this mouth.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over mine. An electric current ran from my lips to my core, setting me on fire.
“Because I miss you.” His breath was hot on my ear. Thousands of prickles scattered over my skin.
“You . . . you missed me?” My breath hitched.
“I did. I missed all of you.” His hand ran up my back, all along my spine, eliciting a shiver. “I missed your smile.” He pulled me to him and kissed me, slow and tender. His hand floated over my ribs until he cupped a breast. “I missed your softness.” He squeezed my flesh; I couldn’t stop the moan escaping my lips. “And I missed fucking you.” I smiled; he wasn’t holding back.
“But most of all . . . I missed just being near you.” His voice was gruff and low.
I was up so tightly against his chest, I thought he’d crush me to death with his brutal strength. “I don’t want another day without you. Not. A. Single. One.”
“Is that right?” God, every word from his mouth was exactly what I wanted to hear.
He growled. “It is. Eva, I want you to be mine. Tell me I'm not too late. That I haven’t lost you by being a fucking dick.” I liked how he wasn’t mincing words. I wasn’t one for games.
“It took you long enough to work that out,” I reminded him.
He laughed. “Because I am a man. We are sometimes stupid. We need a swift kick under the ass. You gave me that.”
“Glad I could help. I’ll send you the bill,” I teased, still trying to process everything he was saying. And besides, I wasn’t going to make it that easy for him.
“Be mine, Eva. Only mine? Because I want to be only yours.” He stared into my eyes. Every trace of doubt was erased from my mind. I saw into his soul—his truth lay bare before me.
Fuck it, who was I kidding? I wanted him as much as he wanted me. There was no denying it any longer. But this time, my heart would be safe.
Chapter Sixty-Six — Ryder
One week later.
“Cobra, it's time we started getting our funds from sources other than weapon deals. Something fucking legit that we can be proud to tell our kids about. When your kids go to school, they need something to tell their friends. And for show and tell. What do you want them to say? My father is a hardened criminal who supplies weapons so that innocent people can be killed in gang wars? I think fucking not. And now that Jade and I are getting married, I want to be able to look my kids in the eye too.”
He shrugged, a despondent look in his eyes. Dark circles underneath them and deep frown lines etched into his forehead aged him beyond his years. “I get that, but since Jamie is still missing . . .”
I swallowed hard. This was tough on Cobra, talking about kids while Jamie’s life was in the balance. But it was exactly because of all the shit that went down with the boy that it made me rethink our future. There had to be a better way and I tirelessly searched for alternatives, desperate to make a safer life for my kids. And for the other kids from my MC family—because they all deserved it.
“Stay positive, brother. We’re close to finding Jamie. Won’t it be great news for him when he comes back?”
“What are you proposing, Ryder?” He sat forward in his chair, listening intently.
“I've been thinking about that. A conversation I had with Bill gave me an idea. He was saying that in spite of tough economic times, his music business was doing just fine. I asked him how come.”
“And what did he say?”
“Told me there were a few things people always needed and spent money on, regardless of the economy. One was music—pretty obvious, because it makes people feel better. And apparently women spend a fucking fortune on lipstick. Go figure.” I didn’t always understand how people’s minds worked, but I wasn’t going to argue with smart and successful businessmen who obviously knew what they were doing.
“So, what the fuck does that have to do with us? I can’t sing for shit, and we ain’t making lipstick.”
I actually laughed. It felt good. “Nope, asshole, I’m getting to my point.”
“Hurry up then.”
“The other thing is food. Everybody needs to eat.”
He didn’t appear impressed with my revelation. “Yeah, so?”
“Well, I was thinking what a mean steak Ox makes every time we have a barbeque. I think it's time we open a steakhouse.”
He looked at me as if I needed to be locked away. “Have you lost your fucking mind? Just because Ox makes a great steak doesn’t mean we know the first thing about running a business.”
“Yes, we do. Planning . . . negotiating . . . managing. It's all the fucking same, regardless of what business we are in. Think about it.”
Cobra rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I see your point. But we’d need help.” At least he was warming up to the idea now, and listening to me without the frown between his brows.
“Just happens to be that I’m connected to two fucking ace businessmen. Max and Bill will gladly help us if we decide to do legit business. I’ve already spoken to them about it, and both think it can work.”
“Who’s going to manage it?”
“Me. I want to. Now my leg is fucked, I don’t wanna do long bike runs any more. And I don’t want to go anywhere without Jade. I'm talking about opening a chain of steakhouses all over the country, so it needs full-time management.”
“You have thought about this, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. Since what happened to Mia and Jade . . . and Jamie, I can’t stomach the thought of my family being in harm’s way. I know I’ll never be completely out of the danger zone. Some crazy fuckers will always be after me because of my past, but hey, I'm willing to give it a shot.”
“Starting a business in these economic times is risky. And where do we get the funds, Mr. Moneybags, if we don’t do the weapons deals? Thought of that?”
“Yes, in fact, I have. Both Bill and Max are prepared to put up money in exchange for shares of the business. They think we can turn our notoriety into a success story. I mean, who wouldn’t want a steak cooked for them by a mean-ass biker?”
“I know Mia will be relieved. She’s been nagging me to slow down. Says she doesn’t care about the money—she’ll live in a shoebox if that means I stay alive.” He sucked on his cigar, the guilty pleasure he still indulged in from time to time.
“Exactly. That woman of yours has been through so much shit in her life. She needs some security. If you won’t do it for me, do it for Mia . . . and the kids. Hell, do it for all of us.”
“I’ll talk to Mia tonight. Ask her what she thinks. If it will work.”
“Jesus, brother. Grow some balls. Who’s running this fucking club? We both know Mia will jump at the chance. Quit stalling. I've set up a meeting with Bill and Max for next week, so just say yes already.”
“You’d decided before you even spoke to me,” he accused.
“Yeah, I had. Going on my own is second choice, but I will if I have to. I’ve got backing by two brilliant men. My soon-to-be wife is a lawyer; she can help me with all the legal shit. I think I can make it work. Max has always said I’ve got it in me, and finally I believe him.”
“You’ve always been a smart fucker, Ryder. That’s why I've always trusted you with my life.” He embraced me and we hugged like brothers do, patting
one another’s backs at the same time. “I trust your instincts. Let’s do it.”
“I’m not even going to tell you about Max’s other idea for us to do legitimate business until we have the steakhouses up and running. It's going to take all our resources at first to get that going.”
“Nah, please don’t. I can wait. My fucking head is hurting already, and I think I’m getting an ulcer too, so save that revelation for another time. I'm still digesting how you fucking steamrolled me into agreeing to the chain of steakhouses.” He patted my back good-naturedly. Yeah, we were solid again. Till our next fallout, at least.
Chapter Sixty-Seven — Jade
I’d had enough of hospitals for a lifetime. Ryder was picking me up at eleven and taking me home.
Home. Where exactly that was, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t belong back at my parents’ place, and although a lot of my stuff was at the house in Malibu where Ryder stayed most of the time, I felt unsettled that I didn’t really have a place that was mine.
I’d dressed in the jeans and shirt Mom had brought me, and brushed my hair. I had to tuck the shirt in to fill the gaps so that the pants didn’t look too big on me. I tightened the belt an extra notch and smiled. Now I knew where to come if I needed to lose weight. Hospital food did it to me every time.
I applied lip gloss, smacked my lips, and waited, my bag with my few belongings by my feet. I checked my watch—only two minutes had passed since I last looked but it felt so much longer than that.
Where is Ryder?
Tapping my foot, I flicked through a magazine, only looking at the pictures. A few minutes later I smiled and looked up toward the door—heavy boots squelched on the tiled floors and were getting closer.
At last.
“Hey, babe, ready to get out of here?” Ryder sounded as happy as I felt.
He leaned down to kiss me. I placed my arms around his neck and he hauled me up into his arms, lifting me off the floor.
“Sparrow. You’re fading away.”