Ruthless

by Gillian Archer

  Because my mom would inspect. Inspect and pester until I was ready to scream.

  She huffed indignantly. “Fine. But soon. I want to meet him.”

  “I know, Mom.” I had to smile. “Can I talk to Dad?”

  “Just a minute. Since you haven’t been around much this summer…” She trailed off to let the guilt really sink in. “Brent is taking Kaden shopping for school clothes tomorrow, and he could use some help. I want to make sure that that boy has everything he needs.”

  “Why don’t you take them?”

  “Because I’m asking you, all right?”

  I flinched at the bite in my mom’s tone.

  “I’m sorry. I just—” She sighed. “Brent’s not letting me in. He wants to handle it all on his own and doesn’t want his overbearing mama hovering over his shoulder. I thought, hoped, he’d let you help him with this, at least.”

  The guilt continued to pile on. Even though I was supposed to be on shift tomorrow and was on thin ice with my boss, I caved. I was sure I could find someone to fill in for me. Hopefully.

  “Okay, Mom. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Great. And I expect to meet your young man. Sooner rather than later. Here’s your dad.”

  I just shook my head and rolled my eyes at Zag who was still shamelessly eavesdropping. He quirked an eyebrow and took another pull from his beer. Apparently he had set up shop and wasn’t interested in leaving to watch something more entertaining. The jerk.

  But then my father’s voice came on the line. “Hey, honey.”

  “Hey, Dad.” Better to get the guilt all over with at once. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much this summer. Things have just been crazy with work and—”

  “And you don’t need to say anything more. You’re busy living your life. I wanted you to know that’s okay.”

  My eyes filled with tears. My dad was quite possibly the greatest man on earth. He got me. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “That said, I do want to meet your guy. But when you’re ready.”

  I wiped at a tear running down my cheek. “Okay.”

  “Love you, Jess.”

  “Love you, too, Dad. Bye.”

  I ended the call and looked down at my phone. It killed me how he always knew just what to say to defuse the situation with my mom.

  “Everything okay?”

  I put my phone down on the counter, then smiled at Zag. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

  He nodded thoughtfully, then took another pull from his beer. “It sounded kinda intense there for a minute.”

  I had to laugh. “Yeah, you know how family is. One minute we’re at each other’s throats and the next we’re exchanging I love yous.”

  “I’ll have to take your word on that.”

  My heart broke at Zag’s simple declaration. He didn’t have that with his family. He’d never had that with his family. But I was afraid to acknowledge the importance of what he said because I was pretty sure it would spook him and ruin the tenuous sharing moment we were having.

  Instead, I gave him a slight smile. “Well, my mom parlayed her guilt trip into getting me to help my brother Brent with Kaden’s school shopping tomorrow. I’d better see if I can find someone to cover my shift.”

  Zag jerked his head in a tight nod, then opened his mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it as he took another pull from his beer instead. He pushed away from the fridge and was almost to the hallway when I spoke.

  “So tomorrow my friends are coming over for dinner…” I wasn’t sure how to phrase it. I didn’t want him to be pissed that my friends were coming over to see if he was worthy. I didn’t want him to think that he wasn’t. Because he was. And my friends would see it. So instead I left it hovering awkwardly and unsaid.

  The corners of his mouth curved in what should’ve been a smile, but it looked so sad. “Oh. Okay. I can hang with the boys for the night, provided you don’t leave the house.”

  “Wait, no. I mean they want to meet you.” I laughed at the mental image of what tomorrow and Nicole and Emily would bring. “Are you up for some friendly interrogation?”

  This time Zag’s smile looked more like the one I’d seen and loved before. “Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Great.” I walked over to the fridge and grabbed my own beer. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see.”

  Zag clutched me around the waist and pulled me to his side as we left the kitchen behind. I tried not to worry about what or how much of my conversation with my mother he’d no doubt overheard. And yet I couldn’t. Did he think I was ashamed of him? That I didn’t think he was good enough to meet my family? My heart broke at the thought.

  Of course he was good enough. He was the best, most caring man I’d dated in a long time. It wasn’t that. I was worried our fledgling relationship couldn’t withstand the force of my family’s intense inspection. Because it would be intense. Lord knew none of my previous boyfriends had hung around long after the whole meet-the-family gig. And we already had enough to worry about with my trying to fit in with his friends. And then the whole Preacher drama. Not to mention the tension at my job. I had enough on my plate as it was.

  Baby steps.

  First he’d meet my friends and then eventually my family…eventually.

  But I couldn’t find the words to say as much to Zag. I was afraid I’d say the wrong thing and offend him. And if he wasn’t keen to bring it up, neither was I. Besides, we were fine.

  I sat back down on the couch with him, cuddling close to his side and trying to ignore my thundering heartbeat.

  Baby steps.

  We’d be fine.

  Really.

  Chapter 19

  AUGUST 2

  It took lots of text messages and more than one promise to a coworker, but I got the next day off to go school shopping with Brent and Kaden.

  It’d been a while since I shopped with Brent. We had to have been teenagers the last time we went. And he was just as much of a butt-dragging complainer as I ever remembered. Between Brent’s annoyed grunts over the prices, the other frustrated parents shopping, and Kaden’s magical ability to disappear in a millisecond, I was ready to pull my hair out. Or my brother’s.

  Finally I’d had enough and snapped, “For crying out loud, Brent, it’s not that much money. And he looks cute in them.”

  “ ‘He looks cute in them’ is not a reason to buy a pair of twenty-dollar jeans. He’ll wear them for two months before he grows out of them.”

  “Fine. I’ll buy them.” I ripped the jeans from Brent and shoved them under my arm. I was pretty sure the vein in my forehead was beginning to visibly throb. “What’s next?”

  Brent sighed as he watched Kaden play tag in the aisle with another little boy about his age. “I can’t let you do that, Jess.”

  “You can and will. Besides, you’re not the boss of me.” I stuck out my tongue at him in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  But it didn’t work; he continued to scowl back at me. “I’m his father, and it’s my responsibility to provide for him.”

  My heart twisted in my chest at the reminder of how much my brother had taken on with Kaden. His ex-wife was God only knew where and didn’t give a shit about her kid. Hell, she couldn’t remember to send a birthday card, let alone any amount of reliable child support. But I couldn’t let my brother see any of the pity I was feeling. He was a strong guy who wouldn’t appreciate it. Especially in public and in front of his kid.

  Instead, I gave him another innocent smile. “I’m his favorite aunt. It’s my duty to spoil him. I’m buying the pants and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Brent shook his head, then looked at the pile of clothes in both of our arms. “Fine. That’s got to be enough, right? Please tell me we’re done.”

  “Hey, it’s your party. If you feel like you’ve got enough clothes for Kaden, then call it.”

  I could practically see the wheels churning in his head as he weighed his annoyance of shopping ve
rsus having to come do it again all by himself. “No, we’re good. Let’s go pay for this haul, then get something to eat. I’m starving. Kaden, come on!”

  “When aren’t you hungry?” I murmured to his back before I followed him to the register.

  Brent let out another huffy annoyed grunt at the number of customers between us and the register. I had to agree. We were going to be waiting for a while.

  “So what’s the deal with you and Mom?” I asked to take my mind off our long wait.

  “What?”

  “You. Mom. Why wouldn’t you let her come clothes shopping with you guys?”

  Brent rolled his eyes. “Is that what she told you?”

  “Only after I dragged it out of her. You really shot yourself in the foot there. If she were here, she would’ve taken charge and you’d’ve been done an hour ago.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I don’t like her taking charge. Did you think of that?”

  I flinched at the bite in his tone and looked away.

  We stood in awkward silence for a bit, shifting from foot to foot, and had the good fortune to take a whole step forward toward the registers. This had to be the slowest-moving line in all of Reno. Of course, the suspended eternity might have had something to do with Brent’s bad mood and sharp words. Even Kaden had stopped dancing in the aisles and instead stood between my brother and me, looking up at us with big eyes.

  I gave him a big smile and winked. Kaden smiled back, then ducked his head.

  Finally, Brent spoke. “It’s just…she doesn’t know where the boundaries are. She tries to parent Kaden—and me. And she keeps pushing and pushing until…Hell, I think she won’t be happy until we’re all living under her roof again.”

  “Speak for yourself. She won’t be happy with me until I’m married to some successful lawyer or doctor and knock—” I broke off when I saw we had Kaden’s rapt attention. “Um, working on a family of my own.”

  Brent laughed. “Yeah, I heard she tried to set you up with some lawyer she met in the grocery store.”

  “Don’t remind me.” I groaned. “I’d give anything to have that memory scrubbed from my brain.”

  “Oh, poor you. Some rich guy had to buy you a fancy dinner. Boo-hoo.”

  I hooted with laughter. “Yeah, the rich guy forgot his wallet and drank two whole bottles of wine that I had to pay for, then grew tentacles when he followed me to the parking lot after. What a catch. Mom is never setting me up again!”

  “Wait.” Brent froze and his eyes took on a steely glow. “Tentacles? What did he try?”

  My eyes darted between Brent and Kaden’s wide-eyed and interested stare. Afraid of just how much he understood of our conversation, I shrugged. “In the end I had help, and it was nothing my help couldn’t handle.”

  Brent grunted, but still watched me intently as if he were weighing the truth of my statement.

  I sighed and took another half step forward while I desperately wished the line in front of us would disappear. At least then Brent would be distracted and not debating whether to press me for more information. God only knew what he’d do if he heard the truth. I remembered what he did to Paul McCormack after the junior prom. We really didn’t need a repeat of that incident.

  Brent continued to watch me while he shuffled forward as the line advanced. “At least it got Mom off your back, right? She can’t be eager to play matchmaker after her last attempt.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly tell her…”

  “What? Why not? You have the perfect excuse to get her to stop. She set you up with—” Brent broke off and looked over to where Kaden was now playing hopscotch on the tile floor a few feet away. “A scumbag like that and you don’t tell her?”

  “It was…she’d feel horrible and cry. And then I’d cry and it would be a whole thing. Besides, it wasn’t all bad—I met a pretty great guy in the end.” I don’t know why I said that last bit. I didn’t mean to—it just kind of slipped out. And Brent immediately grabbed hold of it.

  “Great guy? Who?”

  “I—he—it’s no one you know. But he’s great. He stepped in when Charlie got all handsy and made sure I was all right.”

  “Well, I’m glad.” Brent took another step forward. Now there were only two people between us and the register. “So when do I get to meet him?”

  “Why does everyone say that?” I looked down, around, anywhere but at my brother. Spying Kaden racing through the clothing racks, I took the easy way out. “Kaden! Hey, buddy, come here a minute.”

  “Wuss.”

  “What?” I gave Brent a wide-eyed, innocent look, then turned to my nephew. “Hey, Kaden, have you seen this game?” I pulled out my smartphone, loaded a game, and passed it to him. Within seconds he was engrossed in connecting the dots and not racing through the store like a wild child anymore. I ruffled my hand through his hair. He really was cute when he stood still enough that I could actually see his face. Plus he made a convenient chaperone to Brent’s probing questions.

  “So when do I get to meet him?”

  “Um…”

  “What’s the big deal? It’s not like he’s a felon or something, right?”

  I froze. Was he? I hadn’t even thought of that. Zag and his brothers had their own sense of right and wrong, but was he a felon? Wasn’t a spiderweb tattoo a sign of serving time? I frantically tried to remember if I’d seen one on his body. Or was it a clock tattoo?

  “Wait, you’re hesitating. You have to think about it? Who the hell is this guy?”

  “Oh, look, we’re next.”

  Brent clenched his jaw and nodded at the woman behind us. “You can go ahead of us, ma’am. We need a minute.”

  I swore silently as the woman stepped past us and took our spot at the next available cashier.

  “He’s a fucking felon?”

  Heads swiveled in our direction. Even Kaden looked up from his game and stared at his dad.

  “No,” I whispered to my brother. “At least I don’t think so.”

  “Don’t think so? How is that even a question? What kinda guy are you seeing?”

  “The kind of guy who cares about me. Someone who gives a damn that everything is okay in my life. I’m just…not that sure about his past.”

  Brent’s jaw flexed as he thought over what I said. Finally, he jerked his head in a tight nod. “Fine. But I want to meet him.”

  God save me from my well-intentioned family. I could just imagine how that meeting would go down. “Get in line. He’s meeting my friends tonight. You and Mom will have to wait.”

  “Damn, you’re not putting me in the same category with Mom, are you?”

  “When you’re giving me the third degree about the guy in my life—yeah. Come on, we’re up.” I nodded at the cashier impatiently waving her hand.

  “Fine. But you’re not off the hook.”

  “Whatever. Let’s go pay for Kaden’s loot and get some lunch. I’m starving.”

  Chapter 20

  AUGUST 15

  The stars had finally aligned: My girlfriends were coming over for the first face-to-face meeting with Zag. To say I was nervous was an understatement.

  Currently, I was pacing around my living room, not even bothering to hide my anxiety. What if they didn’t get along with Zag? I was really starting to fall for my big, scary biker, but at the same time I valued what my friends had to say. Emily would wait until tomorrow to tell me what she thought about him, or at least until he was out of the room, but Nicole…Nicole was a bit of a loose cannon. I really should’ve had that talk with her. What the hell was she going to say to Zag? I loved her like a sister, but the girl didn’t have a verbal filter. Like the time she told her boss his comb-over was lopsided. As if he hadn’t been frantically sweeping it over when he thought no one was looking.

  Needless to say, I was dreading the coming evening.

  “Relax, princess.” Zag threw an arm around my chest and pulled me in for a backward hug with my back to his front. He nuzzled my neck, his g
oatee tickling my sensitive skin. “I promise I won’t scare them too much.”

  I had to laugh, that was so comforting. “I’m not worried about you. At least not the way you think. I just want my friends to like you. I’ve known them since grade school. They’re like sisters to me, you know? And given everything that’s happened with us…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

  “You worry too much. It’ll be fine.” He continued to nuzzle me until I couldn’t even remember my friends’ names. His teeth rasped up my neck leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake. Then he bit down on my earlobe, and I shivered.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting our impromptu cuddle session.

  Zag pulled away and gave me a gentle push toward the door. “Besides, they’re here, so there’s no point in worrying about it now. What’s gonna happen will happen.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” I muttered on my way to the door. After taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open.

  “Hey, Jess.” Emily stepped into the living room.

  I craned my neck to look past her, but no one else lurked on the doorstep. I couldn’t hold back my sigh of relief. I needed a few more minutes to brace myself for Nicole’s arrival.

  Emily took one look at my face and enveloped me into a huge hug. “It’ll be okay. Calm down!”

  I laughed over the top of her blond cloud of hair. I must’ve looked like I needed another hug. I had to calm down. Nicole wasn’t the big bad I was making her out to be in my mind—although throughout our friendship she’d made a habit of giving me shit when she met my boyfriends. It was her way of showing affection. She needled because she cared. Much like my brothers did. So if we could get through tonight, then the meeting-the-family visit would be so much easier.

  Although that didn’t account for my mom and dad. I didn’t even want to think about that. Tonight would be a breeze compared to that theoretical meeting.

  Emily pulled back and gave me a smile. I returned it and relaxed slightly. Emily’s eyes went to something over my shoulder, and I remembered my hosting duties and the lurking biker behind me.