The Last Check (Hell's Phoenix MC Series Book 2)

by Kristine Dugger

  He laughs, “Really?”

  “Yes!”

  “It has always been a part of my life. Growing up on the same street with the older generation of Phoenix’s, it is all I ever wanted to be. But before becoming a member, veteran status is a perquisite.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound fair. What if you didn’t want to be in the military?”

  “It didn’t matter to me. My father served. His father served. I was going to serve. And I did.”

  “What branch?”

  “Army.”

  “What did you do in the Army?”

  He didn’t answer right away. He just stares at me.

  I repeat, “What did you do in the Army?”

  His chest heaves up. It is as if he is afraid of telling me. Why?

  “Weapons expert. And that is all you need to know.”

  “Well…okay, Mr. Ray of sunshine.”

  Then there was that smirk of his. The only way I can explain it is that it was cute. Not sly and debonair, more like he is enjoying his time with me.

  Sitting next to him, his hazel eyes staring into mine, he leans in and cups my face. My heart begins to race. My blood pressure increases. He whispers, “I like you.”

  Inhaling than exhaling, I breathe, “Same.”

  Both of us leaning in closer, our lips press together, and we kiss. No urgency. Soft and delicate. I’m not sure what is going on right at this moment, but my stomach is tossing and turning. He pulls away. “Let’s finish watching this episode and then head to bed.”

  I nod in agreement.

  Avery sits back on the couch, resting his arm on the top. I scoot closer and curl up next to him. His arm falls around me.

  Snuggle time.

  Avery

  Pop. Pop. Boom. Boom. Firework bombs pop in the distance. The house starts to shake. I wake up in a panic. Sweat forms and my body starts to shiver. Another loud bang. I jump out of the bed and start to pace. I cover my ears. Fuck, this cannot be happening. Not right now. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I start to breathe heavy. Presley wakes up. She looks at me and says, “Avery, what’s going on?” Great, she is concerned.

  I ignore her.

  Presley gets up from out of the bed and comes toward me. Again, she asks, “Avery, are you okay? What’s going on?”

  Her hand rests on my shoulder. In a jerk reaction, I swing back my arm, knocking her to the floor. On her way down, she hits her elbow on the night stand. She yells, “Motha fucker.”

  It only phases her for a moment, she gets right back up and comes toward me. I demand, “Not right now.”

  Holding her elbow close, she says, “Like hell. Avery, talk to me.” She tip-toes closer to me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Leave me alone. I’m fine”

  “No. You’re freaking out.” She is standing in front of me, watching me freaking the fuck out. Another loud bang. I squint my eyes shut, praying it would stop. Before I could open my eyes, Presley pushes past my aggressiveness and wraps her delicate arms around me. We fall to the floor. I hug her body, holding on for dear life. My head falls to her chest. She whispers, “It’s okay. I’m here for you.”

  My grasp on her becomes tighter.

  Presley continues, “Just breathe. Slow and steady. Just breathe. It will stop soon.”

  My breathing starts to slow down. Her comfort is calming the storm that is my post-traumatic stress disorder.

  ***

  Once the fireworks stop, my eyes open and I look up at her. Not once did she let me go. Her soothing voice just repeated, “Just breathe. I promise it will stop soon.” I’m stricken. No one has ever calmed me down like she just did. There was no hesitation or backing away. She stayed, comforting me.

  I take a deep breath and show my gratitude, “Thanks.”

  The sapphire in her eyes darken as if she is scared. She inquires, “What happened there?”

  It angers me to say, “The fucking fireworks is what happened.”

  “They go off every Friday night. It’s family night at the ballpark.”

  “Well, that would have been good to know.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were going to freak out like that.”

  “Yeah, you should’ve said something.”

  “Look, Avery, I said I was sorry. I had no clue you were going to flip out. If I knew you suffered from PTSD, I would’ve told you to leave. You know you haven’t told me much about you.”

  She was right. I do not talk about my time in the Army for a reason and that was the nightmare of losing my Army brothers. The sound of pop, boom and bang brings back all those unwanted memories. I take a deep breath and say, “I lost four of my closest Army friends to a roadside bomb.”

  The horror in her eyes explains it all. She comments, “You don’t have to talk about it.”

  I continue, “It’s okay. War is ugly. I have seen a lot a bad things and done a lot a bad things. I’m the only one who survived the attack. I should have died with them all. Instead, I was left to live with this scar as a reminder.” I maneuver away from her and show her my tattooed, scarred torso.

  Presley does not say anything. Instead, she puts her finger on my scar and then leans down and gently kisses it. What is going on here? I am not backing away from her. Relief comes over me. She gets me.

  Those beautiful sapphire eyes look up at me. She consoles, “If you ever just need someone when those moments arise, let me know. I hate that you have to go through that alone. I feel horrible.”

  Changing the subject, I apologize, “Sorry about your elbow.”

  “It’s okay. The pain I was feeling in my funny bone was nothing to what you were experiencing. Shake it off. I’m fine.”

  She was okay with my dumb ass knocking her down. Presley shook it off like it was not a big deal. It hits me right in the chest. Presley is more than the ultimate fuck. She is the woman I not only want but need. What the fuck is happening to me?

  Chapter 12

  Presley

  After last night, my mind was going a mile a minute. Avery slept fine but me, not so much. He had a panic attack last night. Was it scary? Not really. I was just more concerned than anything. What got me the most about the whole situation is how I reacted? It is like I went into comforting girlfriend mode. All I wanted to do was ease his pain. He was helpless. Granted, he would not admit it. He fought me but eventually let me win. There is something there.

  Since sleep was not going to happen, I shimmied out of his hold and got out of bed. Coffee was a must. I walk into my kitchen and straight to my coffee bar. Today is going to be a full pot of coffee day, for sure. I start to prepare the ground beans of heavenly goodness. Staring at the coffee maker as it brews, projecting a hazelnut smell. Awe, I love the smell of coffee. Rich and bursting with flavor, kind of like Avery.

  My laptop rings. I smirk, knowing it is Logan. Screw the coffee, I hurry to the laptop to hit accept. The screen flashes and there he is. I greet, “Hey, bro.”

  Logan grins, “What’s up, sissy?”

  I roll my eyes. “There you go again. Why must everyone give me these horrible nicknames?”

  “What the hell you talking about?”

  I wave my hand at the screen. “Oh, nothing. This is a great surprise. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. Just checking in to see how you are doing?”

  “Good, I guess,” I grin at him, “What’s the real reason you are calling? Max is doing great.”

  “You know why…”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Pres, you need to apologize to mom.”

  I groan, “Really?”

  “Yes. I know she is a mess but to bluntly point it out. You know better.”

  “You talked to dad, didn’t you?”

  “I talked to both mom and dad. I know they get under both of our skins, but they are our parents. You still need to show them some respect.”

  I sigh, “I know. You’re right.”

  Logan’s face went from bright to contemplating. He nods, “Who
is that?”

  I turn around to see Avery with his shirt off walking by me. I smile, “Hey, you.”

  Avery muffles, “Hey, babe.”

  My attention goes back to Logan. “That is Avery,” and I continue, “Hey, Avery, come say hi to my brother.”

  Avery comes over, looking somewhat pale and antsy. This is definitely a surprise for the both of them. But, oh well.

  Avery acknowledges, “Hi!”

  Logan squints his eyes and says, “Hey!”

  Avery looks at me, “I’m going to get some coffee. You need anything.”

  I answer, “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

  Avery walks away and into the kitchen.

  Back to my laptop I go. Logan is staring at me. Big brother is about to come out. He asks, “So…who is he?”

  “Straight to the point, aren’t we?”

  “Answer me, Presley.”

  Great! He used my full name. Not sissy or Pres. Here we go. I answer, “I guess you can say I am kind of seeing him.”

  “You either are or you aren’t. Does mom and dad know about him?”

  “Dad met him.”

  “How did that go?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Presley, you can date whomever you want, but you know how mom and dad are about these things. Especially their image.”

  Twirling my fingers in my hair, I look down and say, “I know. He’s actually a decent guy.”

  “You know that doesn’t matter. It is all about perception. He has long hair and is covered in tattoos. Not someone you can take to the good old country club.”

  “You know I don’t care about that. I just want to be happy.”

  “Unfortunately, you can’t be happy when the rents are all over you about your taste in men.”

  “I know. But I like him.”

  “Lil sis, like isn’t going to get you far with our family. You and I both know they will make you choose.”

  “Oh, my God. There is nothing to choose.”

  “Would you give it all up to be with him?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, we are getting to know each other.” I sigh, “Can we change the topic?”

  “Sure.” And that was that. I hate that I have to be so worried about what my parents will say or do. I like Avery. Could we be more? If I wanted to, it would be a struggle. I know he is great, but will my parents see past the tattoos, long hair, and motorcycle. One would hope they could see past the image that depicts both my brother and me. I just wish they would get to know the person before they judge. It just sucks.

  Avery

  Fuck this! Does she not realize I can hear her entire conversation with her brother?

  She says, “I like him.”

  “Will you give it all up to be with him?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, we are getting to know each other.”

  Their conversation plays back in my head. I cannot expect her to give up her family for me. Family is beyond important. I have two sets of family and if someone told me I needed to choose between the three, my family always comes first. I will make this easy for her, where she will not have to decided. It is evident. Her big brother told her I would never fit in with their family. I will never be the upper class man her parents want her to be with. I know I am a good man. I fought for this country. Raised by two loving, amazing parents. But they will never get past the way I look and my background. I am a fucking ex-Ranger with PTSD on disability who does the books for my family’s bar. For the first time in my life, I do not feel adequate. I should be enough for her. But I am not enough for her family. This is fucked up.

  I hurry up and get dressed. Then I grab my cut and put it on. This is it. Time to move on from this princess. I guess I am not her knight in shining armor.

  Without saying goodbye, I stomp past Presley talking to her brother. She looks up at me confused. This is done.

  Chapter 13

  Presley

  It has been forever since I heard from Avery. He has literally dropped from the face of the planet. I have texted him a few times with no return. He reads the damn message but never responds. I do not know what happened. The last time I saw him, he stormed out of my home. I am not sure what I did. Maybe his little freak out moment in bed was too much for him. Did I overstep my boundaries by comforting him? I do not know.

  The work week was busy and of course, being with Max takes up a lot of time. Max is staying at my place for the next week. My parents are going on a mini vacation to New York. It will be Maxie and Aunt Pressie time. But before the parents leave, drama…I mean, dinner tomorrow.

  Another ladies’ night was in order. Roxy and Becks were coming over again. When the girls arrive, it is business as usual. Junk food and beer. This is what we do. Sometimes, we just do not want to go to the bar. Becks being her outgoing self brings up the fuckit list. She states, “All right ladies, I am not sure about you all, but I have grown tired of the biker scene. Yeah, it was fun, but it is time to move.”

  Rosy comments, “Yeah, so done. Not my scene at all. There is no potential.”

  I laugh, “When did you start looking for potentials?”

  Rosy again, “I’m almost thirty. Pretty much every man from here on out is potentially boyfriend material.”

  Becks rolls her eyes and says, “Blah. Relationships and feelings bring complications.” She stops and looks at me. “Pres, you ready to move on? When is the last time you saw Ajax?”

  This is the part when I am conflicted. I have not heard from him since the day he stormed out. I am never the type to reach out, but I did for him. It sucks. Honestly, I think there was something between us. It was forming. Then, bam. See ya later. Not even goodbye sex.

  I answer, “It has been a while. I guess it is time to move on. Who is next?”

  Beck smirks, “Momma’s boy.”

  Rosy sighs, “Gosh, can I just move on past this one?”

  Beck argues, “Hell no!”

  I just sat there thinking of the next challenge. Something inside of me does not feel right. Like I am going behind someone’s back and being morally wrong. I know what it is. Avery. He continues to be on my mind. Maybe, it is time for the final chapter in the fuckit list. I am not saying I am stopping to be with Avery. To be honest with myself, it would never work. He is a good man and would not let me fight with my family. Family is beyond important to him. He would never be accepted.

  Then a shot to the heart, I realize what happened with Avery. He left because he heard my brother and my conversation. Fuck me! I am such an idiot. He was in the kitchen next to us. Logan being Logan, he lectured me about our family standards and Avery was right there. I am such a dumb bitch.

  I turn to Becks and declare, “Girl, I’m done with the list. Avery was the last conquest.”

  Both Becks and Rosy look at me like I ran over their dog. Rosy asks, “What? Are you serious?”

  I nod.

  Becks inquires angrily, “What do you mean he was the last conquest?”

  I take a deep breath. “It just doesn’t feel right anymore.”

  Rosy turns rosy and smiles, “You liked him a lot?”

  I look down at my fidgeting hands. “It doesn’t matter now. He has moved on past me. I can thank my brother and myself for that.”

  Becks gets serious and questions, “You really are done? What if the next guy you meet on the list is the one.”

  I stare at her. “What if the last guy on my list was the one?”

  Both Rosy and she stare at me. I have stumped them.

  I state, “It’s time to grow up.”

  ***

  The following night, I was hung over and having dinner with my family. Max was beyond excited to see me. He could not wait to show me his new dinosaur. This is typical of my parents, spoiling him rotten. The housekeeper/cook made us dinner for champions. Homemade spaghetti and meatball with garlic bread and strawberry/berry salad. It was Max’s choice and his favorite meal when he eats with Logan. I highly doubt it is homemade
but that does not really matter.

  Max was playing around with his noodles. I kept telling him to eat up or he won’t be able to stay over at my house this week. He giggles, “I’m going to throw this meatball at you.”

  I joke, “Oh yeah? Well, I am going to throw my strawberry at you.”

  “Aunt Pressie, you’re silly.”

  “Well, Maximus, you’re sillier. Now, eat your dinner.”

  “Fine!” He starts twisting his fork and slurping up his spaghetti noodles. Tomato sauce splashes on his childlike face. I smile. Red sauce on a little red head. I love this little guy.

  The doorbell rings.

  Max gets up from his chair and starts to run to the door, screaming, “I got it.”

  I yell back, “Oh, no you don’t.” I get up from my chair and chase after him. It took me no time to catch up with his little legs. I let Max open the door. Two men dressed in military outfits stand in front of us. I scream, “NOOOO.”

  Max looks up at me confused. I instantly break down.

  My father comes up from behind us. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I wrap my arms around Max. I weep, “No. This can’t be.”

  Having no idea what is going on, Max asks, “What?”

  Max has no clue what is about to happen. God, I hope it is not that. I pray that this is not horrific news.

  My mother comes to the door too. One look and she falls to the floor, crying hysterically. Our worst nightmare was about to unfold.

  The taller of the two men asks, “Are you Mr. Dalton Cooper?”

  My father answers, “Yes, sir.”

  Tears continue to stream down my cheeks. Max just holds me. I am not sure he gets it quite yet. The man asks, “May we come in?”

  My father staying stern, nods his head.

  The soldiers walk into the entryway and shut the door. My father states, “Please, follow me to the great room.”

  I pick up Max and follow my father and them to the great room. My mother, who has completely lost it, kept crying, “This can’t be.”

  I realize I need to stay strong for Max. Once they leave, my father will attend to my mother. He will have no choice. The nightmare has come to life. I take a deep breath before the tall one starts to speak again. My mother finally comes walking into the room. My father approaches her and puts his arm around her. This time, the shorter one speaks, “Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, we are sorry to inform you that your son, Lieutenant Logan Cooper, was killed in the line of duty.”