by A. M. Myers
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Closing the book and tucking it under my arm, I shrug. “Getting your attention.”
“Congrats, you got it. Now give me the book back,” she snaps, holding her hand out expectantly and I search her gaze. She’s mad but not mad enough to spill the beans so I flash her a grin and shake my head.
“No.”
Pain flashes through her eyes again and she turns away from me as she stands up. “Fine. I think I’m going to go to bed.”
“Hell no,” I growl, shooting to my feet and grabbing her arm as she tries to walk away from me. I spin her around to face me but she stares at the floor and shifts her weight from one foot to the other before going back again. My throat constricts, feeling painfully tight, as my thoughts spin.
Why is she doing this to me?
“Rowan,” I whisper, cupping her cheek and she grips my hand with both of hers as they tremble. I force her head up but her eyes are closed, blocking me from her thoughts. “What is going on, baby?”
“I can’t do this.” Freeing herself from my grip, she turns to go back inside and gasps, stopping in her tracks as she looks out at the street. I scowl, taking a tentative step toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
She points out to the street and I follow her hand. There, in the middle of the crowd, stands Warren in his white mask and dressed in all black. The other protestors mill around him like he doesn’t even exist and he has his head tipped back, staring straight at Rowan and me. Eliminating the distance between us, I wrap my arms around her and press a kiss to the side of her head.
“Time to go inside, Princess.”
She shakes her head and turns back to me. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” I argue, arching a brow as I dare her to defy me with a look. Unfortunately, she does. Crossing her arms over her chest, she mimics my expression and shifts her weight to one foot as she pops her hip out. God, I love this side of her but I’m not backing down. I don’t want her out here with Warren down there, even if there is a fence, a crowd of people, a building, and the entire club between them. The thought of him even looking at her makes me want to put my fist through a wall and all his taunts about making her his come rushing back to me.
I need to get her somewhere safe.
When she still won’t back down, I shrug and grab her, tossing her over my shoulder before turning and heading for the stairs.
“Put me down!” she yells, pounding her fists against my ass but I don’t give a shit. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and she can be mad at me all she wants. Ignoring her tantrum, I carry her down the stairs and turn toward my room before ducking inside, shutting the door and locking it. Once we’re safely inside, I let her go, sliding her body down mine and when she lands on her feet, her breath catches in her throat as our eyes meet.
There it is.
Our spark, our connection is back, and it swirls through the air around us as my heart pounds in my chest and everything that has been off for the past two days clicks into place. Our breaths tangle together in the space between us and we inch closer, neither one of us able to stop it or pull our gazes away and when she places her hand on my chest, the feeling radiates throughout my entire body.
“Rowan,” I whisper, brushing my thumb over her cheek as her eyes flutter closed like she’s savoring every second of it and I lean in, letting my lips brush over hers. She gasps, jerking back and shaking her head as she grips my shirt in her fist.
“I… can’t. I’m so sorry.”
“Why?” I ask, struggling to take a breath over the ache throbbing through me at her rejection. When she doesn’t answer me, I reach for her but she releases my shirt and pulls away, her eyes shut tight as she continues shaking her head. “What’s going on, Rowan? What is happening between us? I need to know because I fucking hate this and… I miss you, Princess.”
Her eyes snap open and the tears in her eyes steal the air from my lungs. “I can’t do this.”
“Rowan,” I repeat as she turns toward the door and unlocks it. My feet are glued to the floor and as much as I want to go after her as she pulls the door open and slips into the hallway, I can’t move, too stunned to do anything but gape at her retreating form as everything inside me crumbles.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rowan
“This is hell,” I whisper to myself as I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. The sky is clear today and the sun beats down on me as the protestors on the street below continue their screaming for the fourth day in a row but in a weird way, I’m kind of getting used to their constant berating. My gaze travels over the crowd before landing on the real source of my unease – Warren.
He’s not chanting.
He’s not screaming.
He’s not holding up a sign that tells us all to leave town immediately.
He’s just standing there in the middle of the protestors and staring up at me.
Apparently, after Travis and I first saw him last night, he informed the others and Blaze called Rodriguez to go grab him but by the time he made it through the mass of people, our mystery stalker was gone. When he showed up again this morning, we called again and Rodriguez went after him but somehow, he managed to slip away before Diego could get to him and at this point, he has told us that he’ll keep an eye out but we need to stop calling him. I think the guys would be mad except there isn’t really anything Rodriguez could do if he did catch Warren. As far as anyone outside of this building is concerned, he’s just a man protesting in a mask and there is nothing illegal about that.
It would be nice to finally know who he really is, though.
Sighing, I turn away from the crowd but Warren’s eyes seem to burn straight through me still and it makes my skin fucking crawl. A part of me wants to go back inside but the other part doesn’t want to leave this spot when going inside means being cooped up with Travis. And I can’t do anything around him without feeling like my heart is being smashed into a thousand pieces. Avoiding him takes every ounce of willpower I possess but it hurts. Every second that I spend across the room from him, telling myself not to glance in his direction is hell but being in his arms again, kissing him when I know the end is coming for us is pure agony. My mind drifts to the moment we shared in his room last night and tears sting my eyes. I can’t be with him and it kills me to be without him so I’ll just keep hiding up here on the roof, avoiding everyone, until I get a handle on my emotions.
Or hell freezes over.
I’m not sure which one will come first.
The door to the roof opens and my heart jumps into my throat as I glance over my shoulder before releasing a breath as Tate steps outside. She flashes me a smile and I do my best to return it but I know it looks forced. There is a gleam of determination in her eyes as she marches over to me and plops down next to me on the air mattress. My belly flips.
“How are you?” she asks, propping her elbows on her knees and cocking her head to the side as she studies me. I nod before turning back to the protestors.
“Good.”
She hums. “You know not a single person believes that, right? Oh, and also, I’m having a hard time keeping your brother from murdering Streak so maybe y’all could work things out already?”
“There’s nothing to work out, Tate,” I whisper, peeking over at her as she scowls.
“What do you mean?”
I take a deep breath and meet her eyes. “If I tell you, you’re sworn to the sister code… it’s like girl code but even more intense and you can’t tell a fucking soul.”
“Okay,” she agrees, nodding. Turning back to watch the people filling the street below us, I take another deep breath and try to ignore the relentless ache in my chest.
“I love him…”
“Streak?” she asks. I nod and she scoffs in return. “Well, obviously.”
Glancing back at her, I shake my head. “We agreed to casua
l. On the first night I was here, he told me we would never be anything other than sex and then I was stupid enough to fall in love with him.”
“And? Look, people say dumb ass shit all the time and then things change. Besides, I’m ninety-nine percent sure that boy loves the hell out of you, so what’s the problem?”
“He’s never had a girlfriend, Tate,” I tell her, tears gathering in my eyes as I turn back to the crowd and Travis’s words run through my mind. “He straight out told me that he was never going to fall in love with me and that he never wanted anything more than casual relationships. You don’t see this as a problem?”
She sighs. “It’s an annoyance, for sure, but he can’t control how he feels anymore than you can. And I’m telling you, he’s head over heels.”
“Stop saying that,” I plead, my heart breaking at the mere suggestion that he could love me back because I already know it’s not true. One of the things I love about him is that he’s completely upfront about everything. He’s honest, to a fault, so if he felt something more, he would have said something.
“Girl…”
I shake my head. “No. I can’t, okay? You really think someone that made such a big deal about never having anything more than casual relationships is suddenly going to decide he loves me and wants a real one? I’m not that naive and I know you aren’t either.”
“People are stupid, Row. I mean, you should have seen me before I met your brother… I was a fucking mess and then in walked Lincoln and I had no control over how he made me feel and it sure as hell wasn’t an easy road to get to where we are now but we did it and I’ve never been happier. You just have to take a chance.”
“And what if he says no?” I ask, my bottom lip wobbling at the thought. Pain pierces through me and I turn to the crowd as a tear slips down my cheek. Reaching over, she rubs her hand down my back and I peek back at her as she grins.
“Then your brother and I will make him regret that he was ever born.”
Laughing through my tears, I shake my head. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Oh, Lord,” she whispers, pulling me into a half-hug as more tears fall down my cheeks. “You’re so far gone, sweetie.”
“I know.”
Sighing, she just holds me as more tears fall down my face and even though I don’t want it to, the idea of telling him how I feel pops into my mind. I picture sitting him down in his room and saying the words and then I imagine the horror on his face afterward. My heart shatters at the thought and I bite my lip to hold back the sob as I push it all to the back of my mind and cry. After a moment of my little pity party, I order myself to get it together before sitting up and taking deep breaths as I wipe my eyes.
“How long has he been down there?” she asks and I look over as she points to Warren before rolling my eyes.
“Awhile. He’s just been watching me.”
She does a dramatic little shiver next to me. “Fucking creepy ass son of a bitch.”
“I know. Maybe it’s the mask but when I see him… I get this hollow feeling in my chest like I’ll never be happy again.”
“Hell no. You can’t think like that,” she barks and I glance over at her as she narrows her eyes at him. “We’ll figure this out and beat him and then things can go back to normal.”
I arch a brow. “You really think that will happen?”
“I have to believe it will.”
Nodding, I turn to look out at the crowd as the past month races through my mind. So much has happened and I have no idea what normal will look like for me since I was thrust into the middle of this but I’m looking forward to a bit of calm when this is all over.
“Who the hell is that?” Tate asks and I glance over to where she’s pointing. At the front gate, the guys have gathered on one side, looking intimidating as hell as they stare at a man on the other side of the fence with a police escort and I squint, trying to see him better as the gate slides open.
“Holy shit…”
Tate turns to me. “What?”
“It’s fucking Ash.”
“What?” she whispers, turning back to Ash as he walks into the parking lot with all of the guys around him. “Cheating, piece of shit, scum-bag ex-boyfriend Ash?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“Come on,” she says as she jumps up and grabs my hand, pulling me up with her. “You go see what he wants and I’ll go get my gun and taser.”
Despite the situation, I laugh. “Is that necessary?”
“Is breathing?” she calls over her shoulder as she practically skips toward the door and I laugh as I follow behind her, trying to figure out what the hell Ash is doing here in Baton Rouge. Did I ever even tell him where I was going? Thinking back to the last time I spoke to him when I was in Texas, I shake my head. I don’t think I did but I guess it wouldn’t have been that hard for him to figure out since Lincoln is the only family I have left. That still doesn’t explain why he’s here, though.
The clubhouse is quiet when I step into the bar and I groan. Everyone is going to be outside to witness whatever the hell this is but I can’t really say that I blame them. We’ve been practically climbing the walls for the past four days so at this point, anything is entertainment. But that doesn’t mean I want it to be at my expense. The sun blinds me as I step outside and I blink at the harsh light but I still can’t see Ash because everyone has their back to me as they crowd around him.
“I’m here to see Rowan.” His voice drifts over the crowd and I hear my brother’s answering grunt. Oh, boy, that’s not good.
“Yeah, you said that but you still haven’t told me who the hell you are.” Lincoln is in full-on protective brother mode and Ash should probably be happy that he doesn’t already have his balls in a vise grip. The clubhouse door opens and Tate steps out, a huge grin on her face and her taser in her hand.
“No gun?” I whisper and she winks at me as she pulls up her shirt, revealing the holstered gun at her waist before she shakes her head at me.
“Of course I brought the gun.”
“I’m Ash.” His voice is shaky, pulling my attention back to the hidden confrontation, and I release a sigh.
Shit.
I need to get over there.
After nodding to Tate, I work my way through the crowd, hoping to reach them before any guns or tasers are pulled out.
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Lincoln asks, his voice unwavering and if I was Ash, this might be the point where I pissed my pants. My brother is an intimidating man even when he’s not trying but when he wants to be scary, I don’t know why anyone would challenge him.
“Y-Yeah,” Ash answers. “I’m Rowan’s boyfriend…”
“Ex-boyfriend,” I snap as I finally get to the front of the group and step up next to Lincoln. He flashes me a look of annoyance and arches a brow but I glance over my shoulder, meeting Travis’s gaze as he stands a few feet behind us. A hint of a smile tugs at his lips and color rushes to my cheeks before pain swarms my body and I turn away from him, training my gaze on Ash again.
“Row,” he whispers. Relief splashes across his face as he takes a step forward and reaches for me. Lincoln shifts his body in front of mine, acting as a barrier as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Hold up. You mean to tell me that my sister broke up with you and you followed her thirty-six hundred miles to Louisiana? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kick your ass into next week, you little fuck.”
Ash holds his hands up like that is somehow going to calm my brother down and I bite back a laugh. Honestly, after what he did to me, it’s not even close to what he deserves but Lincoln doesn’t know about that. Ash should probably thank his lucky stars for that small miracle.
“I just want to talk to her.”
Lincoln takes a menacing step forward. “So you stalked her?”
“No!” he shouts, his voice cracking as he takes a step back and looks at all the other people around us like they’re going to help him. “It’
s not like that.”
Sighing, I loop my finger through Lincoln’s belt loop and pull him back as I move to his side again and he flicks an annoyed glance down at me. Oh, well, he can just get over it.
“What do you want, Ash?”
His gaze snaps to mine and he smiles. “Hey, baby… can we go somewhere to talk?”
“Right here seems fine.”
“You…” he murmurs, glancing between my brother and me before he looks at all of the guys standing behind us. “You want to talk right here? In front of everyone?”
I nod, mimicking my brother’s pose as I arch a brow. I may not want Lincoln to kill him but that doesn’t mean I forgive him for what he did or trust him. “Sure. Why not?”
“It’s just that we need to talk… about what happened…” he says, running his hand through his hair as his gaze continues to bounce around the group. Tate steps up on the other side of Lincoln and he glances over at her, studying her for a moment, before turning back to glare at Ash.
“What happened?” he asks, his voice booming and full of threat as he turns and stares down at me with questions in his eyes. Shit. Maybe I should have been honest with Lincoln and told him what happened with Ash as soon as I got here but it seemed like the best move at the time. Then again, I’m not the one who brought it up so what do I have to feel guilty about? “Rowan. Don’t fucking test me. What happened?”
“I walked in on him banging my co-worker,” I admit, leveling a glare in Ash’s direction as he drops his gaze to the concrete before turning back to my brother. “But I don’t need you defending me, Lincoln. I can handle this.”
“Bull fucking shit. This little pissant is not going to disrespect my baby sister like that and then show up here like he has any fucking right to you. I’m done with this whole fucking conversation.”