by Debra Kayn
"Enough." He kissed the top of her head. "Let it go."
She sighed in defeat. All those years of knowing him, knowing Chief through Johanna, and being around Brikken members, she had no idea what happened on the rides or why they were important to the club. Yet, she partook in the parties celebrating each return and could feel the good moods when a ride was successful.
Slipping her hand in his, she left the house and got in the car. She was just as much guilty in what would transpire over the next week surrounding Olin because she understood that whatever went down, skirted the edges of the law.
And, it had to do with the motorcycles that left the clubhouse garage in a semi-trailer. It had to do with Olin working long hours in the garage. It had to do with supporting over three hundred and fifty members.
She turned on the headlights of her car and drove away from the house. Olin kept her out of Brikken business. Nothing bad could touch her because she knew nothing.
Yet, she knew.
She tried to ignore the week he was gone because she loved him. She loved him because he wasn't perfect. He wasn't conventional. He wasn't like every other man who worked nine to five and pretended life was rosy while having an affair on his wife and breaking his children's hearts.
"Be careful driving home on this road. It'll still be dark when you return." He rested his arm on the back of her seat and caressed her nape.
"Johanna texted me before we left. I'm going to walk over to her house and have coffee since she's up." She caught sight of the sheet metal fence signaling the beginning of Brikken property and slowed down, not wanting to arrive and leave Olin. "Is Chief going on the ride?"
"No."
She had a feeling Olin's father would stay home. Chief hadn't ridden on the longer rides lately but stayed active within the club after he stepped down from being president.
The gate opened. She drove forward.
"I'll make sure to check on Karla a few times this week." She pulled off into the grassy field and shut off the engine.
"Appreciate it." He pulled her halfway to him and kissed her deeply.
Her chest tightened. It was easier to fight with him than see him leave.
He pulled back. "I'll call."
"Every hour." She ran her hand over his jawline, tugging on his beard. "On the hour."
"Right." He opened the door. "I need to go look over my Harley and listen to her run."
"I should be jealous," she mumbled.
He chuckled. "I probably ride her more often than you.
"So unfair." She stuck out her lower lip. "You better work on giving me more, honey."
"As soon as I get home."
She hurried out of the car, the grass still damp from the lower temperature at night. Together, they walked toward the clubhouse and veered left to the garage.
Olin stopped at the path between the two buildings. "I'll see you next week."
She nodded, unable to speak. He kissed her wooden lips. She couldn't say goodbye. Goodbyes were too final.
Olin walked away from her, looking back over his shoulder as he rounded the corner out of sight. She lifted her chin and swallowed. One week. 10,0790 seconds.
Chapter Sixteen
Friday night, Ashley walked out of Shechanics with more energy than she'd had all week. She had tomorrow off to clean the house in anticipation of Olin coming home Sunday.
She looked up from searching for her keys in her purse to see Johanna parked beside her vehicle.
"What are you doing here?" She leaned down and looked in Johanna's car, spotting the girls. "Hey Jackie, Stassi."
"We're kidnapping you. Hop in. I've already talked to Lindsay, and she's going to meet us for a paint and wine night after I drop the girls off at Connie's house. I've already reserved a spot for you."
"I have my car—"
"Leave it. I'll bring you back." Johanna checked her phone. "We're running late, so get in. Chief's busy at the clubhouse, so I have a few hours to go out, and I want you with me."
Hopping in the back beside Stassi, Ashley tossed her purse at her feet and put her seatbelt on. "What's going on at Connie's house?"
"I'm spending the night with Lyana and Jackie's babysitting Brian." Stassi strained against the seatbelt. "She's getting paid. I'm not."
"Connie's not going to get back until late, so she asked me to spend the night." Jackie texted on her phone. "Because apparently, I have nothing better to do on a Friday night."
She caught Johanna's gaze in the rearview mirror and had to hold in her laughter. Friday nights were important to a sixteen-year-old's social life. She remembered being that age, though she wouldn't pay to go back and do it all over again.
By the time they dropped off the girls and found a parking spot at the pub where the painting class was held, Lindsay waited outside the door.
Ashley got out of the car. "Have you ever been to one of these before?"
"No." Johanna slung her purse over her shoulder. "I've heard it's a blast. The woman who organizes and teaches us how to paint is going out with Dave. He's the one with the shaved—"
"I know Dave and Monica. I had no idea this is what she did." She stepped up to the door, and one arm hugged her sister. "I can't paint."
"And, you think I can?" Johanna laughed, opening the door. "I'm here for the wine and a night away from the club."
Ashley's stomach rolled. She'd give anything to be at the club with Olin.
The next half hour was total chaos with women picking out the picture they were going to paint out of the two options given to them, getting their wine, and talking. By her second glass of wine, she squinted at the canvas wondering if she somehow missed part of the instructions. "Mine looks nothing like a sunset over a field."
"The grass looks like weeds." Lindsay leaned toward her. "Mine's worse than yours. Johanna, show us your painting."
Sitting across from them, Johanna lifted and turned her painted picture. Ashley oh'd, and Lindsay ah'd. The sunset glowed in yellow and orange over a wide grassy field.
"Yours looks like the field looking away from the clubhouse." Lindsay pointed. "You only need to add some trees there."
"Well, we know who has artistic talent out of the three of us." Ashley lifted her glass, sipped, and set it down. "I need to lay off the drink."
"Did you eat lunch?" Lindsay wiped her hands off one of the rags on the table.
"I barely took two bites out of the sandwich I brought." Ashley dropped her paintbrush into the cup of water. "Fridays are always busy."
Johanna stood and whispered, "Want to go back to my house? I can make us all something to eat."
Ashley glanced at her sister, then back at Johanna. It wasn't normal for Chief to be away from Johanna for long.
"Isn't Chief going to want you for himself tonight?" asked Lindsay.
"He's doing stuff for Brikken." Johanna looked around the room at the other's paintings and whispered. "He'll be back late tonight. With the girls gone, I don't feel like being at the house by myself."
"I'll go back with you." Lindsay picked up her purse. "How about you, Ashley?"
"No, I think I'll go home." She'd been stifling her yawns for the last two hours.
"Are you sure?" Johanna pouted.
"Yeah, I want to be home to talk with Olin when he calls," she said.
"Come on, you can talk to him on your cell phone anywhere." Her sister dug her keys out of her purse. "You haven't hung out with either one of us for a while. Olin would understand. You don't need to talk to him tonight when he'll be home on Sunday. Be strong, sis."
Her spine stiffened. "Why does loving someone make me weak?"
"It should make you stronger." Lindsay's gaze softened. "He loves you. Believe in that."
"I do, but it's that love that makes me feel like I'll wither away without him," she whispered. "I love you and Johanna, but what I really want is to go home and talk to Olin, even if it's over the phone."
"I understand. I do. We'll get together when Olin
comes back, and we can all be together." Johanna straightened her shoulders. "Okay, let's say our goodbyes to Monica, and I'll run you back to your car, then I'll meet Lindsay at the clubhouse."
Once outside, she lugged her painted canvas into Johanna's car and then checked the time on her phone. Happy to have wasted a few hours after work, it was late enough to call Friday a success and look forward to tomorrow.
Four bikers showed up behind Johanna's car on the way to Shechanics. Ashley turned from looking behind her. Even as children, she was used to bikers being around Johanna. Once she got together with Olin, she felt closer to her childhood friend and understood her more.
"Chief talked to Olin earlier—well, all the boys." Johanna glanced over at her.
Her pulse beat. To Johanna, who'd grown up with Jett, Olin, Thorn, they would always be the boys to her. Her make-shift older brothers.
Ashley said, "Everything okay?"
"Yep. They're on schedule." Johanna turned left. "Chief's real proud of Olin."
"For?"
Johanna smiled. "He never said why. But, I can tell. I thought you should know. It means he's safe and coming home."
That was good enough for her. Olin was a proud Brikken member. He lived his life in respect of Rollo, his grandfather, and honored his father's wishes for the club.
She and Johanna never talked about club business. Not that it never hit her how odd it was that the one thing they shared —loving Stanton men—would become an unspoken secret in their otherwise open friendship. Both of them accepted the lifestyle because the men they loved expected it of them. They had no other choice than to conform to the lifestyle.
That lack of communication should've added a divide but only brought them closer.
"Is that a light in the window?" Ashley took off her seatbelt as Johanna pulled into the parking lot of Shechanics.
Johanna turned off her headlights. "Sure looks like it. Isn't the business closed?"
"Yeah, Elissa and Willa were getting ready to leave when I left at five o'clock." She opened the car door. "Maybe they left the light on."
"Do you have the keys to shut off the light?"
She shook her head. "No, they're always at work before me and close up after I clock out."
Headlights flashed on them. She raised her hand and blocked the glare from her eyes. A white cargo van drove out into the lot coming from the back of the building.
"That's strange. There were no deliveries scheduled," she said. "I hope nobody broke in."
"Uh, Ash. I think you need to go home. This doesn't feel safe." Johanna's brow wrinkled. "I'm sure your bosses will figure it all out."
"I'll just text them and let them know." She got out her phone, sent the text, and instantly got a reply that everything was okay at the building. "I guess they know what is going on."
"That's good," whispered Johanna.
She reached over and hugged her friend. "I'll talk to you later. If not, I'll see you on Sunday."
"Okay." Johanna glanced at the cargo van pulling out onto the street. "I'll wait until you're ready to leave."
She hurried over to her car, unlocked the door, and started the engine. Waving to Johanna, she backed out of the lot and drove home.
Limb broke off from the other riders and followed her clear into the driveway. She waved to the Brikken prospect while hurrying to the front door.
The moment she stepped inside, her cell rang. She dropped the painting, her purse, and answered.
"Olin?"
"Are you home?" he asked.
"Just walked through the door." She sat down on the couch and kicked off her sneakers. "It's been the longest week ever. I'm so glad you're going to be home on Sunday."
"Need to see you, Ash." He paused. "I'm riding through the night. I should be there tomorrow around three in the afternoon. Wait at home for me. I'll be riding straight to you."
Her heart pounded. He'd never broken away from the Brikken members during a ride. Not even for her.
She pried her tongue off the roof of her mouth. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Ash. That's why I'm coming home."
The silence of the house caved in on her. She pulled her feet up on the couch and tucked them under her hip.
"I don't understand. Are you...not safe?"
"I’m good." He paused. "Chief called and had some info from Johanna. I want to talk to you before you go to work."
Johanna? Work?
"Olin?" She swallowed. "You're scaring me. I was just with Johanna. She never said anything to me about...anything. I don't know what's going on."
"It'll be okay, Ash. Just stay at the house. I'm going to be there as soon as I can. Hear me?"
"Y-yeah." She looked around the room. "Can I call Lindsay? I want her to come here and stay with me."
If something was going down, she wanted her sister.
"She's on her way to you. I had Chief call Johanna back, and he told your sister to stay with you."
"Chief's with you?"
"No," he said. "I need to get back on the road."
"Okay, be careful. I love you."
"Love you back."
She disconnected the call and heard a car door slam outside the house. Jumping from the couch, she rushed to the window and spotted Lindsay jogging up to the house. She opened the door and pulled her sister inside, locking the door.
"What is going on?" She held on to Lindsay.
"Johanna recognized the van Shechanics uses for deliveries as someone questionable. She mentioned it to Chief, and Olin wants me to stay with you tonight, and he'll be here tomorrow." Lindsay stepped over and turned on the lamp beside the couch. "Why is it so dark in here?"
"I just got home but never mind about that." She planted her hands on her hips. "Is this Olin being jealous? Cause that's really stretching it. I don't deal with deliveries at work. Why does it matter if Johanna knows the delivery people or not?"
"Don't know." Lindsay yawned. "I just know Chief ordered me to spend the night here with you, and I wasn't going to argue with him."
Ashley groaned. "Now Johanna is alone."
"Nah, Chief is on his way, and Deana showed up before I left."
When the men of Brikken wanted something done, they moved mountains. She motioned for Lindsay to follow her. "You can borrow something to sleep in while I change the sheets on the bed in the guest bedroom. I have no idea how long it's been since someone has slept in there."
While she got her sister settled, she thought of Olin. Usually a calm man, he only lost his head when she was involved. Her body ached, tired and wired over her worry about him racing home by himself without his club.
Chapter Seventeen
Ashley ran out of the house. Olin toed his kickstand on his Harley and barely got his ass off the seat as she reached him. He held her close, tilting her head, and kissing her deeply.
She sobbed into his mouth. He held her tighter. The last twenty-four hours on the road was pure hell getting back to her.
The adrenaline coursing through his body made each mile seem like two. The asphalt started to look the same, and he had a hard time concentrating.
She pulled back, running her hands over his face, his beard, his chest. "You're okay?"
"Right as rain, Ash." He inhaled deeply, not ready to let her go. "I need a cold beer and some food."
"Come inside, I'll take care of you." She hugged his middle, walking with him to the house.
His body stiff from the long hours on the seat welcomed her beside him, giving him the motivation to go in the house and receive some comfort. Past the door, he made it to the couch in three strides. He plopped down with a groan.
She kneeled at his feet and undid the laces of his boots. "Do you want a hot shower first or —?"
"Food, shower, and then you in bed."
She stood and walked to the kitchen. From the other room, she said, "I'm not sure how I feel about coming in third."
"Number one, Ash." He rubbed his hands over his face, feel
ing the grime and dust from the road. "Fuck, I need a shower. Give me five minutes. I need to knock the dust off."
"Take your time. I'm going to sear the steak."
His stomach gnawed, and he headed to the bathroom. It took him longer than five minutes to feel refreshed, and he walked back out to the kitchen wearing only a pair of jeans.
Ashley looked over her shoulder at his approach. Her smile faded as she ogled his bare chest. Damn, he wanted her to always look at him that way.
"Smells good." He gripped her hips and leaned down, kissing her on the cheek. "Potatoes, too?"
"They're in the oven, staying warm." She took the steak out of the pan.
He moved out of her way and sat at the table. Rubbing the dampness off his chest, from his beard, he planted his elbows on the table.
She always served him the meal on a plate when she cooked for him. He rolled his lips over his teeth, taking in the way she moved around the kitchen. She made him feel like a fucking king.
Ashley carried two plates to the table. He took in the meal at a glance, noting she'd cut off the end of his steak and put it on her dish.
"Sour cream?" she asked.
He nodded. "Thanks."
Digging in, he used the knife and cut the meat into bite-size portions. Ashley sat down and ate with him.
Halfway through the meal, he paused with the fork in his hand. "Johanna recognized the delivery van at Shechanics as someone Brikken used to do business within the past."
Ashley wiped her mouth off with the paper towel. "I got that between your phone call and talking with Lindsay, who was at Johanna's house when she talked to Chief on the phone. I don't see what that has to do with you rushing home on your own and asking me to stay inside until you arrived."
If he had his way, Ashley would never know what was involved with running Brikken. Not because he feared losing her. He wanted to keep her far apart from the illegal activities in case the Feds raided the club. The police could question her, but she couldn't compromise herself if she were innocent about the happenings.
"The men supplying Shechanics with parts are selling Elissa and Willa stolen items." He rubbed his jaw. "I don't want you working there. I don't want you connected to Willa and Elissa. As of now, you're done. If anyone asks, you've never worked there."