by Rachel Cade
Movement began from the guys around him as well as Henry, whose hand was already hovering his gun.
The Sheriff stopped a few feet away but kept his eye on Tin. To his credit, he didn’t seem bothered by the gang of armed men that could have shot him to the coast if they wanted.
“This is my town. And I don’t want you here.” He spoke through his teeth. “Your little tribe has got five minutes to get out of here. Especially you.” Noa was set in his sights again, so he lifted up his shades.
He leaned forward on the bike, resting his elbows against his jeans as Durand walked up to him. “I should’ve rode you out of town the second I laid my eyes on you.”
“Like fuckin’ roaches,” Henry added.
“The fuck with this SpongeBob shit?” Chaos asked, holding his arm out wide.
In the middle of his staredown with Durand, everyone started laughing. Noa wanted to, but his face revealed nothing. Noa had seen that look before from plenty of men and he was comfortable getting off his bike because the guy wanted to go.
“One,” Tin’s voice cut into the mix, but neither man took an eye off the other. “You really don’t want to do that, Sheriff. And two, we’ll be heading on out of town now, just like you’re asking.”
Noa slipped his glasses down, cutting off eye contact as if the Sheriff wasn’t even there.
Durand stepped back, spitting on the dirt by his bike. Noa heard it hit the ground, because if a speck of it got on her…
“Out!” Durand yelled before heading back to his car. He had to push his pound puppy in the direction of his own vehicle.
Tin started his bike and everyone followed. Both cop cars followed them until they were miles out of town limits.
Chapter Eleven:
Family Ties
Two days later, Lyndie was at the diner preparing for the morning like she always did when she heard a knock at the front door right before it opened.
She looked up from the bowls of fresh fruit she’d taken out.
“No sign today.”
He was wearing that vest. As he turned to close the door behind himself, she saw the skull and flames again. Instead of his hair being out, he wore two French braids that stopped at the center of his back.
When he turned to face her, his cheeks were shadowed with hair. And his eyes were a little red.
Whatever he was wearing for a shirt beneath the heavy looking vest was barely there and he walked with ease over to his regular stool and sat.
A cigarette was by his ear.
She didn’t even know he smoked.
But it hit her just then.
This wasn’t Noa …
This was Skorpio.
“Can I get a coffee?” His voice sounded like wet gravel.
“No.”
That brought his full eye contact.
Lyndie came to another quick realization and rounded the counter in a flash, closing all the blinds.
It was a precaution she never considered taking before, but now things had changed. She would have way too much explaining to do if someone caught him here.
Lyndie turned to see he was eyeing her from the stool.
She had to climb out of the booth to stand. “You just walk in here demanding coffee and that’s it?”
“I didn’t demand. I asked.”
Lyndie pointed at him. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Noa sighed, rolling his neck back like it had kinks. Only God knew what he’d spent the previous night doing.
The spikes coning his ears glinted in the overhead light.
Lyndie passed by his back, ignoring the giant skull, and went back behind the counter.
“Will said he ran you guys out of town.”
“Oh, he did?” Noa’s brows rose before his features slanted like a Cheshire cat. “Sheriff Will should wake up earlier.”
She leaned toward him. “Noa, I don’t understand what’s going on. I told you how things were out here. Why would you all ride through town like that?”
The stool creaked when Noa stood up.
He came around the back of the counter. Like he lived there, he grabbed a mug and started the coffee maker.
Lyndie stared at him in disbelief.
Apparently with his back to her, he knew this. “I watched you do this a thousand times.”
“I don’t care about the coffee-”
“Well, I do-”
“I care about why you’re here.”
“I came to see you.” He turned with the coffee percolating behind him. There was about two feet of space separating them. “Like I always do,” he finished.
“You know what I mean.” Lyndie spoke as she read the patch over his chest. “Skorpio.”
The name sounded like an accusation from her lips.
“I told you who I am, Lyndie. I’m a Nomad in an MC.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.” She raised her hand. “What are they doing here with you?” Frustration bled out in her voice. Her worry, her fear, all of it. Because just when she thought she’d made a smart move to get her life moving in a better direction, the rug got swept out from under her.
“You told me you were on a cross country trip.” She felt stupid. She felt stupid saying the words. “I thought you were alone.”
“I was.” He turned and grabbed his coffee.
Lyndie took a hand and rubbed her forehead. She needed to get her eyes off him a minute.
“Lyndie… we aren’t a bunch of vikings planning to pillage.”
“You coming here wasn’t by chance at all, was it?”
His jaw shifted as he denied her eye contact. “No.”
“You couldn’t have told me any of this before I agreed to marry you?”
“It’s club business,” he answered simply, turning back to pour himself coffee.
“Club business?” Lyndie was taken aback and didn’t hide it. “Club business.”
“Yeah.” His cool demeanor only heightened her agitation.
“I want you to relax, alright,” he said softly before blowing on the piping coffee mug.
“Rel-”
“Yes. Because the marriage stays a secret and nothing’s going to happen to you or Max. I wouldn’t allow it.”
She pointed at him again. “You put me in the middle of something I don’t want to be in. If your MC comes back here, all hell is going to break loose!”
“Listen.” He put the mug down. “When I say something, I mean it. If I tell you that you and Max are safe, that’s it. Club business doesn’t have anything to do with us.”
Noa seemed as close as he’d ever been to yelling, and instead of being afraid, she was more upset. Whether she believed him or not she was going to have to deal with the fallout of whatever his true motives were. So was the rest of the town.
Did he care about any of that?
Lyndie couldn’t let herself be humiliated a second time. Will had hurt her enough with his lies. She had to stay strong and focused, especially for Max. She was all he had.
“There is no us,” she said tightly. “Just a deal I made.” The words were for him as well as herself.
Noa’s eyes swung to her before he closed their distance, keeping his stare direct. “You think being pissed at me changes anything?”
No wonder he was after the coffee; he smelled like pure alcohol.
It changes everything, she wanted to say, because now I know you’re a liar.
Yet her mouth stayed closed as he hovered near her.
His expression wasn’t angry, but still managed to be intense. “You think it’s going to change what’s going to happen between us?”
Lyndie’s face flushed and she didn’t want to hear anything else.
“You need to go.”
Noa blinked, pulling his body back.
Then he turned back to pick up the cup from the counter. As he rounded it, he picked a cherry from the fruit bowl and popped it into his mouth, pulling back the stem.
“Tastes familiar.” H
e used his back to open the door, winking at her as he left.
“Can I get some more coffee, Lyndie?”
Her focus jumped from the random wall to the man that was speaking to her. “Of course, Mr. Baker.”
She grabbed the pot and began refilling his cup.
Carl Baker was one of the regulars; hell, everyone was a regular. He was an older man with deep brown skin and eyes the exact same color. She never had solid proof, but she was sure he dated her grandmother at one point when she was younger. They both migrated out west from the south and worked at the old car plant before it closed down.
It was the lunch rush, but instead of paying attention to customers, she was thinking about Noa –
Skorpio.
Whoever the hell he was.
What a nice way to think about your husband.
“I don’t like it. Something fishy is up.” She was giving a refill of orange juice to Mike, the mechanic. The town’s only one. He was a novelty, just like Jeff.
“Guys riding through town like that, mohawks and shit. Hell, all of ‘em are probably killers,” he continued.
“I’m just glad they didn’t stop.” This was spoken by his mom, who was eating with him. She was one of Peggy’s last regulars. “Lyndie, can I get another bowl of grits?”
“Sure, Miss Canton.”
“I got my shotgun, Ma, just in case.”
“We’re out of grits!” Jeff yelled.
“No you’re not!” Miss Canton yelled back.
Biting the inside of her lip, Lyndie went back behind the counter.
The front door opened and Will stepped inside.
“There he is,” Mike said. He started clapping his meaty hands as a few others offered Will praise.
Will took off his hat.
Lyndie continued on her task of putting the orange juice away.
“Good day to you all. I know we had a bit of commotion the other day. I just want to assure you all myself and Deputy Laurel had a talk with the motorcyclists.”
“That was a gang, Sheriff,” Mike cut in.
“We let them know they’re not wanted in our town under any circumstances and we rode them well past city limits. We’ll be upping patrols, but we doubt they’ll be returning.”
“One of them had spikes in his hair,” Miss Canton added.
“Miss Canton, as your Sheriff, I promise I won’t allow men like that to wonder over our town.”
“We appreciate you, Sheriff.” Carl nodded in his direction.
Will returned it. “Thank you, Mr. Baker.”
After Will finished his small talk and most of the patrons headed out of the diner, he sat down at the counter.
“Hello.”
Lyndie was wiping it down. “Hi.”
“Are you doing okay? You looked pretty shaken up when it happened.”
“I’m fine.” She still wasn’t used to having regular conversations with him. It was something they used to do all the time, but those days were long gone.
“Is Max alright? I know the engines must have scared him.”
Lyndie’s wiping almost came to a complete stop. “He… got a little agitated, but he’s a trooper.”
Will nodded.
Jeff had gone out for a smoke, so they were the only two there now.
“The town’s going to be safe.”
“It was kind of strange but-” She stopped.
“But what?”
“I’m sure they won’t be back.” Lyndie’s heart was pumping so hard she felt in in her throat.
Will tapped his knuckles on the counter. His eyes appeared a little tired.
“You know my instinct, Lyndie… when it kicks in.”
“And what’s your instinct saying?”
The back door sounded, signaling Jeff had come back in.
Will cleared his throat. “We’re going to have a town hall meeting Saturday. You should come.”
Lyndie made a face.
“I know that look. Don’t start.”
Lyndie turned her head a bit.
“You didn’t try to get the man a coffee?” Jeff called through the kitchen window. “You want a steak, Sheriff? You need a treat for keeping the town clean.”
Will stood up from the stool. “Nope, Jeff, I’m good. I need to head back to the station. Lyndie.”
*
Noa was pretty sure he’d fucked up.
As walked up the hot hill behind Tin, he kept thinking about Lyndie.
Any trust they’d built up was gone. Why the hell would he go and see her without any sleep in close to twenty-four hours and a decent portion of Jack Daniels twisting around his gut?
All he remembered was it was morning, he needed to see her and not giving a shit about being banned from town. Not only had he probably scared the shit out of her, she might not even like him anymore.
He failed big time trying to put words to what was between them.
It wasn’t necessary because he felt it.
And she did too.
She also had the right to be pissed.
She was his fucking wife. The how and why didn’t matter.
When he arrived in town, he never thought his time here would get complicated so quick and he’d find himself in a situation where he was obligated to someone that wasn’t a Death Skull. Lyndie had trusted him, been vulnerable with him, and she hadn’t lied to him.
She was his babygirl.
But for the last ten years, nothing came before the club; it was all Noa knew.
He had no idea how to balance things out.
Noa and Tin finally made it to the top, with the huge dark brown house a few feet in front of them.
The others were waiting nearby discreetly in case some shit popped off.
“Nice place you got here.”
“Thank you.” Hugh Langley’s chair creaked as he sat behind his desk.
Tin took a seat after it was offered with a gesture from Hugh.
He was old in a way where Noa couldn’t really guess a number. But he opened the door himself, which had been a surprise.
“And thank you for agreeing to meet us so soon.”
Hugh gave a slight nod. “Your appearance in town upset a lot of residents.”
“It always does.”
“Amber Falls is a small town. As you can see from the welcome sign, less than five hundred people live here. They’re used to peace and quiet.”
“Understood. We’re here to talk business about some property. We hear you’re the man to speak to about that.”
“I understand your man over here already spoke to my daughter about some property.”
“He did.”
“What’s your proposal?”
“The warehouse property and the land behind it. We’d like to purchase it. The plan is to run a couple of businesses.”
“What couple would that be?”
“Automotive repair and construction. We’re willing to offer more than the selling price if all that pesky contamination stuff can get taken care of.”
“And you’re planning to relocate here, I presume.” He leaned forward to read Tin’s patch. “From Tallahassee? That’s a long ways away.”
“We’ll keep to ourselves. Trust.”
Hugh smoothed his tie with a liver-spotted hand. “What are your numbers?”
Noa pulled the paperwork from his cut and placed it on the desk.
Hugh grabbed a pair of reading glasses before looking over the papers.
“You realize the town folk won’t want you here?” he spoke as he read.
“What do you want though, Mr. Langley? Your asking price was ninety-five thousand. We’re offering close to two.”
“That is in fact what the number said. What guarantee would I have that you would only be fixing cars in that warehouse, Mr. Jeffries?”
“This is the part where you let me know what would ease your mind, Mr. Langley.”
Hugh lowered the paperwork. A small grin touched his lips.
Chapter Thi
rteen:
Hypnotiq
The next day, Lyndie’s shift ended at two. It was strange leaving in the middle of the day without closing up, but she was about to pick up her baby and spend the afternoon watching TV with him.
When Lyndie arrived home, she shuffled with Max in the car seat at the door when something red caught the corner of her eye. Resting against the porch was a decent sized red gift box wrapped in a gold ribbon.
Lyndie stared at it for a moment before getting Max inside.
Once he was safe in the living room, she came back outside to the box, looking up and around to find nothing but a quiet street.
When she picked up the box, it was surprisingly light, and she quickly went inside with it.
Something dropped as she closed the door, and when she put the box down to see, she realized it was a card.
Her name was written across it in neat cursive letters, and inside of it was a note.
“I saw this and thought of you. Happy Birthday, Babygirl.”
The air she took in should have bust her lungs.
Lyndie slid the note in her back pocket and ripped at the ribbon.
Her heart swelled as she pulled back the lid.
Inside was another box.
“Okay.”
She opened that one.
Another freaking box.
“Oh shit,” she whispered.
Lyndie opened two more boxes, each one smaller to fit in to the last.
The final box was a circle, and this one was tied with a deep red ribbon.
She peeled it away, prepared to throw it if it was another box.
Inside was black velvet.
As soon as she lifted it out, she realized it smelled like him, and her idiot heart started beating faster.
Lyndie mumbled something under her breath and sat on the couch by her baby.
“What is this, Max?”
He only shook one of his fists in the air.
With a stiff back, Lyndie opened the box.
On white satin lay a silver necklace, a Ferris wheel charm at the bottom. Lyndie realized it wasn’t silver, but white gold. Each of the seats were cuts of rubies and the wheel beam was plated with diamonds.
Lyndie’s sigh was loud and shaky.
“Max,” her voice was almost a cry. She pressed her lips tightly together, holding the box as she lowered her hand to the chair.