I pushed up and stared at the empty space for a moment, before letting it go and dragging my ass to the shower to jerk off.
Once I was relieved, and clean, I headed to the garage. There was a Toyota that needed a timing belt that would take me a better part of the day, and I just wanted to get that shit done. It was Saturday, and I didn’t feel like wasting my entire day on the job.
I pulled my bike into the parking lot, still wondering how Sienna got home, when I saw her walking toward the office.
After high school, I thought I wouldn’t have to be tortured by seeing her every day, but then she started working in the office after graduation. Now, I couldn’t even avoid her if I wanted to. Today, though, the last thing I wanted was to avoid her.
It was early, and the place was fucking deserted, so I hurried into the office, so we could have a minute.
Bent over a filing cabinet, her blonde hair was loose and draped across her shoulder. The jeans she wore looked like they were painted on, but all I wanted was for them to be on the fucking floor.
I shut the door behind me, and leaned against the doorframe, watching her. She straightened, and I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. I went to her, snaking my arm around her waist and pulling her ass tight against my now hard cock.
“You left without saying goodbye,” I said against her ear, and then trailed my lips down her neck.
Her body tensed and was nothing like the willing girl from last night. She broke free of my hold, and put a good amount of space between us. “About that,” she said, and I didn’t like the way she avoided my eyes. “Last night was nice.”
“Nice?” I scoffed. “It was a lot more than fucking nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, it was amazing, but we need to forget it ever happened.”
Anger and frustration swelled inside of me, and I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep myself from yelling my objections. “Why the fuck would I want to do that?”
“Kade, don’t give me a hard time. You know shit ain’t so cut and dry. My father will fucking murder you.”
“Then, let him,” I spat, refusing to let her walk away from this so easily.
“I’m not going to be responsible for your death because you can’t control your dick.”
I raked my hand through my hair in frustration. “This has nothing to do with me controlling my dick, and everything to do with you being too much of a fucking bitch to see what is right in front of you.”
She turned her nose up at me and blinked irritation. “Call it whatever the fuck you want. It doesn’t change anything. Last night will never happen again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
She tried to walk out the door, but I refused to move aside. I crossed my arms over my chest, using my big frame to block her way. “This isn’t over,” I told her.
Her shoulders slumped, and she blinked those big blue eyes up at me. “It has to be,” she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she pushed past me.
I watched dumfounded as she walked away, knowing, once her mind was set on something, there was no fucking changing it.
2
Sienna
6 weeks later
The smell of bacon usually made my mouth water, but this morning it was making me want to vomit. Must’ve been the Chinese food I had last night. It just wasn’t sitting right. I ignored the desire to puke all the chicken and broccoli up, and finished making Dad his breakfast.
He came into the kitchen, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Morning, pumpkin. Smells delicious,” he said as he grabbed the paper and sat down at the kitchen table.
It was our routine, had been for years. Women had come and gone in Dad’s life, but none ever stuck around for more than a couple years. I didn’t mind taking on the role of his caregiver, since he took care of me after Mom died.
I put the bacon and eggs on a plate and brought it over to him, taking my seat on the other side of the table. He put the paper down, picked up his fork and stopped just shy of his food. “You’re not eating?” he asked, cocking his brow in puzzlement.
I shook my head. “Not right now. Not feeling too hot.”
He tilted his head, and his big bushy eyebrows pulled together. “You okay?”
It always made me laugh at how such a big burly guy, that could kill a man with his bare hands, could be so loving toward me. He told me once that the minute he saw my face, his life was changed forever. Most people saw him as a criminal, a killer, a badass biker who didn’t take shit from anybody, but all I saw was my soft-hearted Daddy.
I offered him a smile to assure him he had nothing to worry about. “I’ll be fine. Need to stop getting takeout from Chow May.”
“I told you that shit isn’t chicken. It’s probably fucking cats. They have enough of them roaming around the parking lot.”
My stomach churned at his words, and I had to keep myself from gagging. I held my hand up. “Please stop,” I pleaded.
He shrugged. “Just saying.”
“I’m going to go get dressed, then head into the office. Do you need anything else?” I asked, pushing a hand through my hair and trying to ignore the smell of bacon fat permeating the air.
“Just a little sugar,” Dad said, and pointed to his face.
I leaned down and kissed the apple of his cheek, the only place not covered in graying hair. “I’ll see you at the office, Daddy,” I said, and headed upstairs to shower. Dad owned the mechanic shop that employed most of the Righteous Outlaws, and I had been managing the office since I graduated high school.
I thought the hot water from the shower would make me feel better, but, apparently, that wasn’t in the cards for me today. So I sucked it up, swiped some gloss across my lips and prayed I would get through the day without throwing up on some unsuspecting customer’s shoes.
I slipped into my grey jeans and black and white plaid button up, making sure I was showing just the right amount of cleavage.
My bike sat at the far side of the driveway, and I pulled my helmet on as I walked toward it. Most girls got their first car when they got their license, but I wasn’t most girls. Dad bought me a bike, and it was the only thing I’d driven since. I didn’t understand the point of a car when you could be on a bike with your hair blowing in the wind, feeling free and untouchable.
I kicked my leg over the seat, adjusted my helmet, and took off. The office was only ten minutes away and, sometimes, I looped through Main Street just to have a few extra minutes on my bike. I liked the convenience of my life. Everything I needed was right here in Black Hills. There was no reason for me to ever leave, except for the occasional hookup, and, unlike most people who lived in small towns and had aspirations about breaking free, I was perfectly content where I was.
Black Hills was where I grew up. Where Daddy and his club was. I knew every person by name, and could point out an out of towner in the blink of an eye. It was the feeling of control that I liked most. Because of who Dad was, nobody messed with me.
I pulled into the lot, and went right into the office. I had a few files to enter into the system before our first customer was scheduled to arrive. An oil change at eight-thirty would kick off a never-ending stream of clientele coming in and out of the office.
When my bike was in park, I leaned it on its kick stand, and shook my blonde hair free from the restraint of the helmet. I blinked up and spotted Kade across the way, opening the garage door and getting ready for the day.
The two of us were always the first ones here in the morning, but, luckily, after rejecting him numerous times, he tended to stay on his side of the lot. Still, a girl could appreciate a good sight when she saw one.
His muscles bulged as he lifted the heavy gate over his head, and thrust it the rest of the way. He was in his typical jeans and light blue mechanic shirt that, up until six weeks ago, did nothing for me. Now, every time I saw the short sleeve of his shirt stretch across those big biceps and those jeans sit low on those hip bones, I had to men
tally slap myself to get a grip.
He turned his head and spotted me, but before he could acknowledge me, I darted into the shop and right into my office. I placed my bag in the bottom drawer of my desk, and arranged the files I needed to enter into our database. It was a new system I was putting into place, so Dad wouldn’t have any more run-ins with the IRS.
Dice poked his head in, so I grabbed my pack of cigarettes, and met him outside. Most friends met for coffee every morning. Dice and I met for a morning cigarette before getting our days started.
He handed me his lighter as I leaned against the building. I held the flame to the tip of the cigarette and inhaled deeply. The smoke trailed out of my lips in a thin stream, as the nicotine did its job in easing the tension in my neck.
I looked out across the lot, and my eyes instantly connected with Kade’s. He leaned against the hood of a Honda, also smoking a cigarette, and his gaze was completely fixated on me. I quickly averted my eyes, refusing to engage in any of that puppy dog shit. “Why does he keep looking at me? If I wanted to feel like a piece of meat, I’d go walk into a bar half naked.”
“You’re the one who fucked him,” Dice said with a knowing smirk. I wanted to smack it off his face. He was lucky he was like a brother to me, and briefly was when our parents got hitched for a few years ago. The marriage didn’t last, but the weird sibling relationship we had did. It was just nice having someone around who understood the lifestyle. I couldn’t talk to my friends in school back then, and having Dice around really helped. He became my best friend, and the only person I could confide in. I told him everything… even if he made me regret it most of the time.
I shot Dice a death glare. “If I knew you were going to bring that up every chance you got, I never would have fucking told you.”
“But, damn am I happy you did. Ammunition for life,” he proudly stated before taking a drag of his cigarette.
“Fuck you.” I threw my cigarette down, and grounded it out with the tip of my boot, then started walking back to my office.
Dice flicked his cigarette and hurried after me. “What, are you on the rag or something? You’re extra touchy today.”
“No, I’m not on the rag.” I plopped into my chair, and my eyes glanced over to the hot guy calendar hanging on the wall. I figured that, if the guys could have half naked woman all over the garage, then I could have half naked men in the office. My heart stopped when I noticed the date. I wasn’t on my period, but I should’ve been.
Dice sat his ass on my desk, and started skimming through a copy of AutoBuy as I ran dates through my head. A week ago. I should’ve got my period over a week and a half ago, if not two and a half weeks ago. Panic rushed through me, and I grabbed my leather jacket. “I’ve got to go.”
Dice held up his hands. “Okay, I’m sorry. You don’t have to bail.”
I tried to keep my tone void of emotion. “I just remembered I have to run into town.”
“I’ll go with you then. I’m waiting for your Dad to show up, and I have some time to kill.”
“No! I mean. You should stay.” I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm. “He’ll be here soon. I’ll call you later,” I said, and mustered up a smile to try and hide the pure terror consuming me.
He gave me a weird look, but, luckily, he didn’t question me as I pushed through the door, and headed back outside. I draped my jacket over my bag, and yanked the strap up my arm. My head was down, and I didn’t see Kade until I plowed right into his chest.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry, sweetheart?” he asked with that silky deep voice of his. The warm cedar scent of his aftershave was faint beneath tobacco and oil, but I could still detect it. While everything else was making me want to vomit, that smell made my mouth water.
I never should have slept with him in the first place. I had one too many beers, and I made a foolish decision. I never expected him to be a fucking sex god. Now, my one-night stand had a habit of sneaking in and out of my thoughts. “Don’t call me sweetheart. I’m not one of your whores,” I spat, reminding myself that Kade and me could, and would, never work.
Dad would strip him of his cut faster than he could blink, if not kill him. He would lose everything because of me, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.
The realization was like a brick to the face as I remembered why I was in such a hurry in the first place. I looked up into his hazel eyes, a beautiful mix of amber and gold, and flashes of what our babies would look like popped into my head. No! I wasn’t pregnant. There was no fucking way. I was stressed out. It was common knowledge that stress could interfere with the timing of your period. There would be no baby, and I did not need to imagine what Kade and my offspring would look like.
He reached out, taking my elbow in his hands. My body betrayed me as sparks shot through it, reminding me of all the things he had did to me. “Let me take you out,” he said, for the hundredth time since we slept together.
“Is your ego not bruised enough?” I asked. “You’re back for another beating?”
“Just hoping that one of these days luck will be on my side and you’ll finally say yes.”
“What makes you think I will ever say yes?”
He shrugged with ease and confidence. “I got you to break once. It’s only a matter of time before I can get you to break again.”
“Well it’s not today,” I said, and pushed past him. I needed to get away from him. Being near him made me want to pin him against the car and rip his clothes off. It was completely ridiculous, and so unlike me. I didn’t lose control. I prided myself on self-restraint and power, but, when it came to Kade, all of that went out the fucking window.
What had always worked for us was that I had the upper hand. I called the shots. I didn’t let him get his way, and we both could go on to live another day. But, ever since I let my guard down and let him have complete and total control of my mind and body, I was having a hard time with the whole self-restraint.
After that night together, it was all I thought about. All I wanted. He was right when he said he was going to blow my mind. He wasn’t kidding. I’d never felt pleasure like that. Never felt so worshipped in my life.
Goosebumps rose on my skin as I remembered his finger sliding in and out of me. The feel of his tongue swirling around my nipple before he took it between his teeth. No. I shook my head, ridding myself of the memories. It was only supposed to be one night. Nothing more. Nothing less. Sometimes, I just had to remind myself of that.
Besides, there was a real possibility that there might be another reminder of that night. A real live reminder that I wouldn’t be able to shake away. The panic from earlier washed back over me, and it took all that I had to get on my bike with steady feet and drive off.
I couldn’t go to a local store. There were too many people who knew me, and I didn’t want to risk running into anybody. No, this was something that had to stay a secret. I couldn’t let it air out there like dirty laundry. The one downside of small town life. So, I drove three towns over to make sure I was far enough away from home and any chance of randomly bumping into someone I knew.
I took off my helmet, and hurried into the store, making sure to scan my surroundings. It was a habit from being so closely related to the club, but, right now, I also needed to make sure I was completely in the clear from any familiar faces.
Inside, I walked up and down the aisles not exactly sure where they would keep pregnancy tests. As I was passing through the over the counter meds aisle, a young guy in khaki pants and a red polo shirt stepped in front of me.
He had a name tag that said George.
“Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with today?”
“I’m looking for a p…pr…” The words got lodged in my throat and I sputtered, trying to get them out. But no matter how hard I tried to force them they wouldn’t come out. “Never mind. I got it, thanks,” I said, and moved by him as fast as I could.
“Are you sure?” he c
alled after me, but I kept walking, refusing to look back.
My mouth was on the same level as my head, in complete and total denial. I just had to find this test, prove I wasn’t pregnant, and let my world go back to the way it was. I turned down the next aisle and found the pregnancy tests.
There were so many to choose from, so I grabbed two different ones and held them closely to my side, the sleeve of my leather jacket slightly sliding over them. I didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to steal them, but I didn’t want anyone to see them either.
I got to the register and tossed them on the counter, impatiently waiting for the girl to ring me up. She had purple hair, with a nose piercing, and picked up the boxes to scan. She eyed me in a way that made me think she pitied me. Like she knew this was a one-night stand gone wrong. I wanted to jump across the counter and knock her out.
She gave me the total, and I handed her cash. There was no way in hell I would leave a trail by putting the purchase on my debit card.
She handed me my change with a sympathetic smile. “Good luck,” she said, and my lip curled in annoyance.
I snatched the bag off the counter, and took off toward my bike. For ten minutes, I sat on my bike debating if I should go home and take the test. Finally, I decided it was too risky, so I pulled into the parking lot of the closest fast food joint and headed inside.
Peeing on a stick was not as easy as it seemed, and I had to do it twice. I fixed myself, placed the two tests down on some toilet paper on top of the dispenser and waited. And waited. And waited. It was like time was at a fucking standstill. Every time I checked the clock, it was exactly the same. I turned my phone off and back on, sure the damn thing wasn’t updating. When it flashed back to life, it was only a minute later.
It was hard to pace in such a small stall, so I just sat down on the toilet and continued to wait. After what felt like a century, the alarm I set went off. My heart battered my chest, and I hadn’t been this nervous about something since the time I lost my virginity in the back of Bobby Houston’s car junior year.
Bulletproof (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #2) Page 2