by Angel Steel
“Zane, I know you are just doing your job here, but what you’re saying is wrong. No one at the shop would do this! I will hand the books over to you in the morning, but you’re wrong with it being someone from my family that’s doing this.”
“Amelia!” He steps forward, but I stop him from talking further.
“No, Zane. No more.” I turn around and walk toward the door and open it. “I know this is your room, but I need to be alone right now. With everything you’ve just told me, it’s doing my head in,” I whisper not looking at him at all.
“You can’t be alone right now, Amelia. With the drug still in your system you need—”
“Stop, please! I’ll be fine, okay? I don’t feel it as much anymore,” I whisper. It’s a lie. I can still feel the drug coursing through my veins as we stand here now. But I need to fight it. Fight the urge of wanting Zane deep inside of me, fight the drug as it burns its way through my system. I know it’ll be painful to do, but I can’t keep allowing Zane to do it.
He huffs a breath out, then he’s standing in front of me in the doorway, my eyes on the floor. His hand grips onto my own for a second and he squeezes it. “I’ll be down the hall if you need me.” Then he let’s go and walks out of the room. I quickly close the door behind him and rest against it. I try not to allow my feelings for Zane to go any further than what they were. But it is too late – I am in love with him. And I can’t fight it either. My body wants Zane, and so does my heart. My heart only belonged to one other person, but Zane has been the one to bring it back to life and start beating again in my chest. Now all I need to decide on is whether to tell him I’m in love with him or watch him walking away for good after this mission and never see him again.
I really wasn’t up to working today with everything that happened yesterday. After Zane left his room, I never saw him again till the morning and it was only briefly at breakfast before we jumped into his truck and made our way to the shop. As I stepped out of his truck, the only thing he told me was that I needed to work, to keep myself occupied, and that’s what I’m doing now. I canceled all my jobs for today, leaving them all for tomorrow. I don’t want to pick up my spray gun and ruin someone’s artwork because I can’t hold my gun right.
I really didn’t want to talk to him either. I’m still upset that he was the one that injected me with the drug. I still can’t believe it was him. As I was thinking of him last night with what he had told me, my body betrayed me and a surge of lust burned through my veins. I fought it, trying hard to not think about all the ways that Zane could take me. I collapsed on the ground sobbing. I lost it. My heart broke for the man down the hall that I’m falling madly in love with, but also the fact that he could also destroy me completely as well.
I shifted things around in my booth to make it more practical so I can access things more easily. Then I worked on my space outside of my booth. My personal office space. Even though, I’m not in it that much because I consider the booth more as an office than that room.
Zane stopped by the booth once, on his way to the workshop out back. Not a single word was said between us as we both stood there staring at each other, then he simply turned around and walked off. Now I’m standing in my so called office waiting for the floor to dry in the booth because I gave it a complete scrub down. Staring at Max as he tries to shift me out of his way to leave the room, but I’m not having any of it.
“Why won’t you tell me what’s going on, Max?” I ask him softly, as I hold my ground.
“Nothing is going on, Lia,” he growls, and then tries to push past me yet again.
“No. You haven’t been yourself these last couple of weeks, Max. I know it, and so do you, but you won’t admit anything.”
He grips onto my shoulders harshly, pulling me directly in front of him, and further back into the room. “There’s nothing fucking wrong with me Amelia, so fucking drop it,” he shouts, as he pins me to the wall closest to the door.
My heart rate increases dramatically, thrumming in my chest, not at his harsh tone, but the way his fingers are digging into my flesh. I begin to shift in his grip, only resulting in him pressing closer into my own body.
Swallowing. “Max, you need to let go, you’re hurting me,” I whisper, holding back the tremble in my voice.
A malicious grin curls over his lips. “I thought you loved a little pain, Lia.”
I raise my hands and push against his chest… hard, with everything I have, trying to dislodge him. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I yell struggling against his hold, but he doesn’t let up.
He presses his body into my own. I search his face as I push at him again. His pupils are dilated, a line of sweat building on his forehead, and he continuously grinds his teeth together.
I stop my movement. “Are you on something right now?”
Isn’t that the wrong thing to ask?
Suddenly his hands leave my shoulders and a hand wraps around my throat and I’m lifted off the ground. My feet are dangling under me and I’m pushed harder into the wall behind me. My hand shoots up gripping his wrist, trying to stop him from tightening his hold.
“You should learn to keep your fucking mouth closed, and not ask questions,” he growls and slams me against the wall hard.
I whimper as pain shoots up my spine from the contact. I struggle in his stronghold, kicking my legs out as his hand constricts further around my throat, cutting my air supply off. I start to get light-headed as the air in my lungs is cut off in my throat. I claw at his hand, trying make him release me. He shifts me off the wall and crashes me back against it hard, then his face is right in front of me.
“You need to stop snooping around places where you shouldn’t be, Amelia,” he spits in my face.
“I can’t breathe,” I wheeze out around the tightness in my throat. My hands drop to my sides as I can’t keep them up anymore.
His thumb digs into my flesh at the base of my neck, closing off my airway completely. “Maybe next time you will close your mouth and not say anything.” His hand hardens further around my throat and my eyes drift closed. I gasp once more, trying to gain air in my lungs. I struggle to lift my hand as I do, but it only rises so far and drops back down to my side. I open my eyes and stare into his as he continues looking at me.
“That’s all you got, Amelia? Come on, just try a little more,” he laughs and slightly loosens his stronghold, allowing me to take a breath. He only allows me to do so for one breath, then his stronghold is back tightening around my throat. “Now, are you going to stop harassing me and go on with your work, or do I have to shut you for good?”
My eyes goes wide at his words, he would kill me over this?
He leans forward his mouth at my ear as he whispers harshly, “It won’t take much to knock you off, Amelia. All I need do is twist my wrist this way,” he does so as he says the words and pain shoots along my neck as he twists it sharply to the left. My hand comes up out of nowhere and I dig my nails into his flesh trying to dislodge him. It doesn’t work. I try to shake my head, but can’t as he pins my head to the wall. I kick out hitting him in the thigh, but it still doesn’t stop him.
Tears stream down my face and my vision goes blurry. He steps back taking me away from the wall and throws me back into it hard, and let’s go of me and watches as I slide down it. He glares at me with hatred and kneels down to where I’m sitting on the ground and bares his teeth. “You best remember that. Keep your shit to yourself, Amelia. Because I don’t give a fuck who your father is. I will end you, and my face will be the last one you will ever see.”
He stands up fully and walks out of the room leaving me to consider what the fuck just happened. I raise my hand to my throat and wince at the pain. My whole body is trembling. I sit up straighter against the wall trying to get more air in my lungs and close my eyes and rest my head back for a moment. Placing my hand on the ground I try to lift myself up, but my legs collapse under me. A sob escapes my lips, and I push down again and lift myself up and
onto my knees. I hear heavy footsteps coming toward me. I frantically try and get up on my feet, but it doesn’t happen and I end up back on my ass on the ground. I wipe at the corner of my eyes as Torch strides into the room. Within seconds, his eyes find mine and he rushes over to me.
“Jesus, Amelia! Why the hell are you on the ground?” he asks as he helps me up off the floor and holds me against the front of his body, staring down at me. I don’t get a chance to say a word as his eyes zero in on my neck. He raises his hand and lightly traces over where Max’s hand was. “What happened?” He wraps an arm around my waist, holding me still as he turns my head to the left slightly getting a better look at my neck.
“I need water,” I rasp at him. He tightens his hold and walks me backward toward the seat in the room and gently sits me down on it. Then turns around quickly and goes over to the water cooler and fills up a paper cup then he’s back in front of me, and kneels down and hands me the cup.
“Thank you,” I croak. My hand shakes as I lift the paper cup to my lips and sip at the water. I take my time doing so, as Torch continues to stare at my neck. I know he wants answers. So do I for that matter. I’ve never seen Max act like that toward anyone. He’s the most caring man you’d ever come across. The Max that was in the room moments ago isn’t the Max I know at all.
I shift my head to the side and cringe as a sharp pain pierces through my neck. I raise my hand and cover the area lightly. As soon as my fingers graze over the tender spot, I hiss and drop my hand on top of my leg and grip it.
“Amelia,” Torch grunts in front of me.
I take a deep breath and raise my eyes to Torch’s. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut,” I tell him. I feel the tears running down over my cheek and drip onto my shirt, and I don’t move to wipe them away.
Torch snorts, “Why would you do that? You never do any other time?” I can hear the humor in his voice. I know he’s trying to make me smile, but it’s hard to do and once I tell him, he won’t be smiling after what I say either.
“You know me, I like to help as much as I can, and yes I know I get into everyone’s business, but something is seriously wrong with him. I’m really worried about him, and I don’t know what to do now after what’s just happened. I’ve never seen him act that way, to me or anyone else for that matter. He really scared me, Torch,” I whisper the last part.
It is the truth. Yeah, I shouldn’t have pushed him the way I did though. If I just kept my mouth shut this wouldn’t have happened, but me being me, I opened my mouth at the worst possible time and coped the shit storm that’s made its way through the shop.
Torch glances down to my neck. “Did Zane do this to you?” he growls Zane’s name as he asks me.
I stand up too quickly and grip onto Torch’s shoulder for support. “God no,” I practically shout.
Torch stands once I’m steady on my feet. “If it wasn’t him, then who did?”
I know I have to tell him who it is, and once I do the shit is going to hit the roof big time. “He didn’t mean to do it, Torch. Okay? There’s something going on with him, he just won’t tell me what it is.”
Torch steps closer to me. “Amelia, by what I see, he meant to do it. No matter what is going on with him.”
I nod my head, realizing now that with what had happened, this wasn’t my complete fault. “It was Max,” I mumble.
He straightens his body. “That fucking little shit,” he growls and spins around on his feet.
Before he has a chance to walk away, I shift in front of him and push at his chest to stop him. “No, Torch. I don’t want any more drama, okay?”
He grips my shoulders and starts to move me out of his way. “No one touches you like that… ever,” he hisses, pointing to my neck.
“I know, okay. Can we just leave it for now and deal with it later?” I ask, stepping back in front of him again.
“Fine, I’ll drop it between us,” he grunts. “But you are telling Chopper right now what happened,” he tells me and grips my arm and begins to pull me from the room and down the hall toward my dad’s office.
What’s the point in saying ‘leave it for now?’ I roll my eyes as he practically drags me toward the office. There’s no point in fighting against him or me not saying a thing to my dad. He’ll know something’s up once he gets a good look at my neck.
Torch, slams the door wide open and barges straight in with me in tow, then drops his hold on my arm. Turning my back to my dad and moving over to the sofa I sit down as Torch walks up to the desk and stands there waiting for my dad. Dad glances between Torch and myself as he speaks into the phone, “I’ll call you back,” he says and hangs up.
“Care to share why you stormed into my office Torch, and why you’re also dragging my daughter behind you?” Chopper grunts.
Torch spins around and faces me. “Amelia,” is all he says.
I stay where I’m seated on the sofa. “Torch,” I hiss, not wanting to have this discussion again.
Dad rises from his seat and moves around the desk and leans on the corner facing me, his arms crossed over his chest.
Torch, storms over to me, and lifts me from my seating position and begins to pull me toward Dad’s desk, but doesn’t get too far as my dad pushes away from the desk and is in Torch’s face instantly, gripping the front of his shirt.
“What the fuck have I told you about manhandling my daughter that way?” he growls at him.
Torch straightens and glares at my dad as I stand to the side of them. Torch glances my way and it doesn’t take Dad long to follow suit. His eyes glide over me and I know the second his eyes land on my neck. He drops his hold of Torch’s shirt and storms over and stops in front of me lifting my chin up and turning my head.
“What the fuck happened to your neck?” he hisses.
“Ask her who did it?” Torch says behind him.
I glare at him over my dad’s shoulder.
Dad pulls my chin back in his direction and leans down until he is level with me. “Did Zane do this?” he questions.
Why does everyone think it was Zane that did this? Was there something about him that I’m missing? Wait! Why would he think Zane did this?
“Why would you think it was Zane?” I ask.
“Do you really think you could keep it from me that you too have hooked up? Come on, Amelia. Of all the men that have worked here, you picked him?”
Torch! Who else would have said something to him?
“We are not having this discussion now,” I mumble.
“No. We will discuss that later on. But right now, you will tell me how you came about this mark on your neck.”
I huff out a breath and step back from my dad. “It wasn’t Zane.”
“Who was it then?” he growls.
“Max,” I whisper.
“Son-of-a-bitch. I’ll kill the little bastard,” Dad shouts.
I flinch at the tone of his voice and step back to the sofa and sit down, still staring at my dad.
He faces the doorway, Torch at his side. “I think it’s time to remind exactly what the rules are here… again.”
Dad turns my way. “Amelia, there are times when you need to leave things alone and let that person figure out their own shit out. But it doesn’t give them a right to ever harm you in any way what-so-ever.”
“I know that, Dad. I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place. But whatever is happening it’s destroying him and I hate seeing that. He’s like my brother, Dad,” I say defeated. I lean forward and rest my face in my hands.
“Amelia, next time, if you think at all that something is going on, come and talk to me, then we can sort it out together, okay?” I nod, knowing my dad is looking my way. “I’m still going to kick his ass for laying his hands on you. That asshole knows the rules from day one,” Dad grunts.
“I don’t want you to hurt him, please? Obviously he’s going through enough.”
“He needs to pay for what he’s done to you, Lia,” he growls from across the r
oom.
“I know that, and I will do that myself since he did it to me.” Dad glares at me. “I mean it, Dad. I will deal with it,” I say in a firmer tone.
Dad doesn’t get a chance to reply as Zane storms into the room, pulling the door closed behind him. He doesn’t see me sitting on the sofa at the back of the room as he stops in front of my dad.
Dad raises his eyebrow at him.
“It’s Max,” Zane says his back to me.
Dad glances to Torch, then me and back to Zane. “Care to explain?”
“It’s Max that’s placing the drugs in the bikes.”
What!
“How do you know it’s him?” Dad asks, staring at me over Zane’s shoulder as he shifts back behind his desk and sits down waiting for Zane’s reply.
“I found him at the bikes that are going out this afternoon. He was looking over the fuel tanks on each one of the bikes. In the exact same location, the last lot of drugs were found hidden in the bikes.”
Torch clears his throat several times, as my eyes stare at Zane’s back. Why is Zane talking to my dad about Max? And the fact that he has seen him place drugs in the bike?
Dad knows?
No, he doesn’t! He couldn’t know! Zane wouldn’t have told him! Would he? I stand from the sofa, un-moving. No! If he did, he would blow his cover. My eyes slide down Zane’s body to his side and stare out toward my dad. As my eyes seep into my dad’s, pain is staring right back at me. I know then that Dad knew about Zane. That he is undercover. I zone out completely, only hearing my own thoughts as I continue to stand there. He said no one was meant to know, even me included. But I did. As soon as I thought that, something Zane said the night before flashes through my head.
‘Your father doesn’t know who is doing it, Amelia. That’s why my team and I are here to find out who…’
I’m not the only one that knows now.
I begin to breathe heavy. I faintly feel my nails digging into the flesh of my hands, as Dad’s voice echoes through the blankness.