by Debra Kayn
Thorn glanced at him. "You don't feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"Something isn't right. It feels like something is out there waiting to bring a shitstorm down on Brikken."
"I haven't noticed anything," he muttered.
"Keep your eyes open." Thorn stepped away. "Watch your back."
"Yeah, same with you," he said as his brother jogged away.
Intuition ran strong amongst the Brikken members, and even stronger in the Stanton family. They had a long history of their enemies trying to take them out.
Taking his brother's warning to heart, he studied the area outside the clubhouse with more attention as he got on his motorcycle and rode away from the property. He needed to see Ashley.
An hour ago, he'd received a heads up that she'd left work early and went home. After finding out that she seemed okay and had changed her clothes and was out working in her yard, he'd decided to go through with his plan to stop by Shechanics.
He could use the time to get to know Elissa and Willa better while finding out who their source was for the stolen parts in their garage. Knowing Ashley was away made his job easier.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of Shechanics. Willa raised her head from the car she worked on and waved. He took that as an invitation to walk into the bay.
Carrying his helmet, he stopped beside the vehicle, admiring the lines. "Pinstriped?"
"Nothing but the best." Willa grabbed a rag from the cart and wiped off her hands. "You should've seen this baby before the re-do. It was still wearing the bubbles from the sixties."
He chuckled and squatted, looking at the undercoating. "You do paint, too?"
"Not me. Elissa." Willa smiled. "The girl's got serious talent. She was able to get our foot in at the Northwest Classics with a sweet, smoky purple on a sixty-seven Stingray. It's been straight ahead ever since."
He glanced at her. "I'm impressed."
Few men had done what Elissa and Willa have succeeded in doing, to the level of their customer's needs. That made what the women had done in a man's world more important.
Willa tossed the rag. "You're probably looking for Ashley."
"Yeah, is she around?"
"We let her leave early today. You missed her by a couple of hours."
He grunted to keep up appearances that he was here for Ashley. "Is she sick?"
"No. She's been working hard learning the ropes around here, and we've got a big job going this evening." Willa pointed to the car. "She deserved some time away."
"Good of you," he said, looking around. "I was hoping to check in with her and see if she found a part I'm looking for. She mentioned that she'd ask you or Elissa and see if one of your suppliers might have a hit on one."
Willa looked out in the parking lot. "We don't work on motorcycles."
"I figured." He exhaled loudly. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do now."
Elissa walked over. "Hey, Olin. I heard the conversation. What part are you looking for?"
"A compatible hinged rear fender for an HD fifty-eight." He raised his brows. "I'd pay a pretty penny for one."
He'd specifically picked a part that could only be purchased used.
Elissa glanced at Willa and shrugged before turning her attention to Olin. "I might know a guy."
"You'd make my fucking night." He held out his hand.
Elissa shook. "Give me a couple hours, and I'll get back to you. Do you have a number—?"
"Call Ashley's phone. I'm heading over to her since you've cleared up my night." He dipped his chin. "One of these evenings, I'm going to take you up on that beer."
Both women laughed. He raised his hand in farewell and jogged over to his Harley. If his plan came through, he could make a connection and bring in a new supplier for stolen parts before the night was through.
If he read the situation wrong and he failed to find a supplier, there was no way in hell they'd make the shipment date, and he'd need to send men out to chop the parts, putting them all at risk.
Chapter Eleven
The yellow dandelions mocked Ashley. She stabbed the shovel in the hard ground and pushed the wooden handle down, popping out the roots of the weed. Tomorrow, after work, she was going to buy a lottery ticket.
If she won, she'd buy the vacant house between her and Lindsay's home and Olin's.
The bank had foreclosed on the last owners over two years ago, and ever since, the neglected yard became an infestation of weeds. Every time the seed heads blew off, she had to fight to keep her lawn healthy.
Everyone in the Pacific Northwest, who cared about the appearance of their yard, knew rain became the super food for noxious weeds, making regular lawn care important.
She squinted over at Olin's yard. He wasn't helping her crusade to make the street weed free by going too long between mowings.
Picking up the dandelion, she placed it in the garbage bag and walked forward, picking another plant to rip out of the ground. It wasn't as if she'd set out to be an Earth Day promotor.
She drank water out of a plastic bottle, found recycling a time-consuming chore, and rather drive her car than bike to work.
Maybe pulling weeds was a challenge. Something she had control over. Since as long as she could remember, she'd lost herself in beautifying the outside of the house because inside where her parents fought, was such a mess.
"You're an idiot for even trying to conquer that yard," yelled Lindsay behind her.
She turned around. "It would go faster if you'd help."
"No, it'd go faster if you bought some weed killer and sprayed the whole area." Lindsay shook her head. "Is that really how you want to spend your free time?"
"Yes." She looked down at the ground.
"I'm meeting Johanna at the coffee shop. You should come."
She eyed the weed at her feet. "Tell her I'll call her tomorrow."
"Are you sure you won't go?"
Lifting her gaze, she nodded. "I'm waiting for Olin."
"Ugh. Olin. That's the reason you're taking your aggression out on those poor, defenseless flowers." Lindsay opened her car door. "Punch him for me."
Lindsay's relationship with Olin bordered on love and hate. The two of them went at it like brother and sister. A brother and sister who couldn't be in the same room for five minutes without picking on each other. Yet, let anyone else try treating the other the same way and fists would fly.
Literally.
She'd been in the middle of Olin fighting other men who dared put the moves on Lindsay and had to hold her sister back when someone insulted Olin. All because of her. They both felt responsible for her happiness.
"Oh, don't forget, I'm spending the night with him. I won't be at the house tonight. Make sure you lock the doors," she yelled right before Lindsay shut the door and started the engine.
Her sister honked twice letting her know she'd heard and backed out of the driveway. Ashley set out to attack another weed when the rumble of Olin's motorcycle broke the silence. Peering into the half-full bag, she looked around the overgrown yard. Her shoulders sagged. She hadn't even put a dent in the work that needed to be done.
Lugging the bag toward her house, she waved at Olin who pulled into her driveway. She waited for him to reach her and then kissed him before he had time to shut off the engine.
She pulled back and smiled. "Good day?"
"Just a day. Nothing special." He got off the bike, took the bag from her, and carried it over to her trash can. "You?"
"It was good." She brushed her hands off on the back of her shorts. "I got off early."
"Know that." He stalked back, kissed her, and patted her ass. "Hop on. You can ride home with me."
She laughed. "I could cut across the yard of the vacant house and beat you there."
"You can put your hands on my body if you ride." He sat the bike and cocked his eyebrow.
Unable to deny the temptation of holding him, she slid onto the seat and ran her hands down his stomach, pressing her br
easts against his back. He rolled the bike down her driveway, creeping along. She laughed over the noise of the engine at his attempt to keep her holding on to him longer.
Several times, he almost killed the engine and had to put his boots down because the Harley was going too slow. She sucked on the side of his neck, giving him a hickey.
She worked on the third mark when the front of his garage stopped him from delaying their arrival. He rubbed her thigh.
"I've got something else you can put your mark on." He gave her a squeeze.
She patted his stomach and slid off the Harley. "Be nice to me and maybe I will."
He gathered his duffle. She slid her fingers into his free hand and kept him by her side. "Can I borrow two hundred thousand dollars?"
"You can have everything I have," he said.
As soon as she asked the question, she regretted it. Olin would give her the money if he had it, and maybe he had it sitting under his bed. They'd never talked finances because that had to do with Brikken business which was off-limits to her.
"I'm only joshing." She pointed to the yard between their houses. "That empty house is ruining our street."
Olin grunted. "It's better vacant. I rather deal with an eyesore than asshole neighbors."
The previous owners had been a middle-aged couple. They hated noise, the garbage truck, and the stray cat that Lindsay always fed. Not to mention the bikers that came to see Nene, a woman Chief kept on the side years ago before Olin bought the house.
She followed him into the house. Needing to wash her hands, she went into the kitchen and scrubbed the stains from the weeds off her fingers.
"What do you feel like having for dinner," she said loud enough he could hear her from the other room.
"I grabbed dinner."
She shut off the faucet and wiped her hands off on the dish towel. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."
He walked into the kitchen carrying a Subway sack. She moistened her lips. "It's like you read my mind."
"Turkey and bacon for you." He handed over dinner.
She grabbed a few paper towels and dished the sandwiches out, reaching back in the bag to find the chocolate chip cookies she knew would be there.
"I am so glad tomorrow is Friday." She peeled back the paper around the sandwich and took a bite. "Mm."
"Any chance you'll get off work early?"
She shook her head and swallowed. "Only reason I came home early today was that they were having deliveries made. Elissa and Willa are..."
"What?"
"Private." She wrinkled her nose. "I guess it's because they were used to running everything by themselves before they hired me. I think they're afraid I'm going to mess up. Their previous books are meticulous, not even a white-out mistake on the pages. Oh, speaking about the books, I was looking at the last quarter accounts, and it's weird. The expenses are the same each month. Now, how could that happen? I mean, the same cars aren't getting worked on, and every job is something new. One day it could be a transmission rebuild with upholstery changes and the next day it could be a basic lube with new plugs. The expenses should be different. Even when I worked for Derek, two divorce cases weren't charged the same. Different proponents came into play."
"Do you think they're cooking the books?"
"I don't know what that means. I bill insurances when it's needed, and the more basic maintenance and upgrades are privately paid for."
He put his sandwich down. "The last thing you need is to get tied into some dirty business dealings."
She waved her hand and finished chewing. "I wasn't insinuating that things weren't on the up and up. I just believe they need me more than they realize. Obviously, doing the books isn't their strong suit, and maybe they can't see that. Once I figure out where they're going wrong, I can clear things up. Who knows? Maybe they overestimate, and at the end of the year, they're in the black. It would be better than coming out in the red."
He grunted. She finished half her sandwich. At least Olin listened to her, even if he had no idea of how a business was run. Over time, he'd feel better about her working at Shechanics when she got a better grasp of what was expected of her. She really believed there was a chance for improvements and more responsibilities for her.
"Are we staying home or going to the clubhouse tomorrow night?" He picked up his cookie after having finished his whole foot-long sub.
Getting an idea, she asked, "Celebration party or party-party?"
There were two different kinds. After a run, the parties were closed to only those connected to Brikken. While the other ones allowed women from the outside to hang out and have a good time.
"It's open. Why?"
She leaned against the table. "What do you think about me inviting Elissa and Willa? They're both single, fun, and they do like to party."
He rubbed his hand over his beard. "I don't know, Ash."
"I've been out with them a couple of times. Trust me. They'll fit in with the guys."
"It's not that." He cupped his whiskered chin and planted his elbow on the table. "You shouldn't mix work and play."
Amusement hit her. That was his excuse when she'd gone out to the dance club with them. They were all women. It worked. They knew how to keep things professional at work and not carry over the fun from a night out.
"I think it'll be good for me to get to know them even more away from work." She stood, leaned over the table, kissed him. "Please?"
"Go ahead." He stretched and latched his hands behind his head. "If that'll make you happy."
She walked to the fridge and put her half of a sandwich away for tomorrow's lunch. "You make me happy."
At that moment, everything she wanted was within her grasp. When they were alone, no club, no girlfriends, no men around, they fell into a routine that had her imagining making their life together at his house permanent.
She walked over, skipping her chair, and slid onto his lap. "What did you do today?"
"Worked in the garage." He caressed the curve of her hip. "Hung out with Stassi during lunch."
She melted. Olin's relationship with his baby sister always filled her with love. No matter what he was doing, he always found time to spend with Stassi and Jackie. While he was old enough to be their father, he continually treated them like his sisters. He teased. He protected. He supported. He guided them through growing up. They were lucky girls to have all the Stanton men active in their lives.
"You'd make a good father," she whispered before she could stop herself.
His hand went to her stomach. She swallowed down the disappointment of not being able to give him what he wanted.
"I only need you, Ash." He reached up, turned her face, and captured her lips.
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, tasting him. Swallowed up in all things Olin, she knew without a doubt that he could totally wreck her regardless of what happened in the next day, next hour, next second.
She was foolish to believe she could live happily keeping her distance. There was no such thing as pulling back from him. He was her life.
"I was trying to remember when I first decided I loved you today," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
She held his gaze. "I think I loved you before I fell in love with you."
"Huh?"
"I think I was thirteen or fourteen and Johanna was over at my house hanging out with Lindsay and me. Karla had sent you over to tell Johanna it was time for dinner." She looked down at his chest and rubbed her hand over his heart. "My sister and I followed you down the driveway, planning to walk Johanna halfway home like we always do, and I tripped on the curb. Do you remember that?"
"You skinned your knees," he said.
"I was more embarrassed than hurt." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth before she continued. "You sat on the curb with me and used your thumb to wipe the blood dotting my skin. You didn't carry me back to the house to my mom or ask me what I needed to feel better. You just sat beside me until the embarrassment wo
re off and the stinging stopped, then you helped me to my feet."
"What should I have done?" He pushed her hair away from her face.
She smiled softly. "Exactly what you'd done. You took care of me until I could take care of myself. You never asked anyone else to help me, and you stayed. Because of the way I grew up with my parents pawning me back and forth to each other, it was the most wonderful feeling to have this gorgeous, older boy, take care of me."
"That's silly girl thinking, Ash," he murmured.
Ashley cupped his face. "I'll move in."
His body tensed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She laughed softly, happily. "I think it's time, don't you?"
"Past time." He pulled her down and kissed her. "You and me, Ash. That's how it's supposed to be."
"If I get hurt, will you still stay with me until I can stand on my own two feet?" she asked.
"Always."
She kissed him. "I love you. Then, and now."
"Love you back, Ash."
It wouldn't be a big move. Half her clothes were already in his bedroom. She'd picked out the furniture all through the house years ago. Most nights, she spent in his bed.
But, the decision was more than moving down the street to be with him all the time. She physically and emotionally was giving everything to Olin, and if she disappointed him, there was always a chance he'd stop loving her.
Chapter Twelve
Shore sat on the pool table at the clubhouse watching Elissa dance with Lindsay. On the other side of the room, Greggy had his hands full with Willa, who held her fifth or sixth drink.
Ashley talked with Johanna, Deana, and Sydney, who leaned against Jett, by the table of food. Going by the laughter and hugs given to his woman, Olin suspected Ashley filled in her friends on the news of her moving in with him.
Olin, standing by the front door, kept his gaze on what was happening inside the clubhouse while making sure Ashley stayed in view. Before the night was over, he was going to make contact with Lester, the man who supplied Shechanics with their hot parts. Willa had given him a phone number to the supplier after gaining consent for Olin to contact him about the motorcycle part.