I pulled my keys from my pocket and leapt off the stool. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Have your head surgically removed from your ass?” Fox asked.
I flipped him off. “Go make sure Violeta isn’t going anywhere. I need to run make a few arrangements. Hell, tell her that there’s a surprise planned and she needs to shower and dress pretty.”
“And just what surprise do you have planned?”
“Nothing. Yet. But I’m about to.”
Without waiting to see if he’d do as I’d asked, because even I wasn’t stupid enough to make demands of my VP, I raced outside to my bike and took off. Poor Marcus was guarding the gate and barely got it open before I shot through it. I hit the town and went into the nearest jewelry store to buy a present for Violeta, along with a little something extra I hoped she would accept, then stopped to get something decent for me to wear and booked a room at the nicest hotel in the area. Before I returned home, I made a reservation at the local Italian place, taking a moment to explain the importance of tonight and leaving something behind as a surprise during the course of our dinner. I knew she liked pasta and hoped it was the right choice. My heart was pounding the entire time, and I felt like I was in a race against time. How the hell could I have not prepared something special for her birthday? Had Spider known he was taking Luciana away on a day her sister might need her? I doubted it, but I’d have to make sure they brought something back for her. With everything they’d been through, I didn’t know if Luciana had even remembered her sister’s birthday.
By the time I got home, I could hear Violeta getting ready in her room. After shooting off a quick text to Philip to leave an SUV at my house and another to Spider to remind him what today was, I shut my bedroom door, and stripped off my clothes. I took the world’s fastest shower, making sure to scrub quickly but thoroughly. My beard was longer than I preferred, and I contemplated shaving it off. I’d had the beard since Violeta came to live here, but I wanted to make tonight special for her. After another moment of staring at my reflection, I grabbed my beard kit and trimmed it down, then used the clippers until it was tight along my jaw. I washed my face, fixed my hair, and put on some cologne before throwing on my clothes.
Violeta was waiting in the living room, a white floral dress hugging her curves and heels on her feet. She stole the breath from my lungs with how stunning she looked, but then I had the same reaction every damn time I saw her. She’d left her hair down and it hung in waves down her back nearly to her waist. I’d never seen her wear make-up, but her eyes seemed to stand out more and her lips were glossy. I didn’t know what she’d done, but I liked it.
“You look beautiful,” I said.
Her gaze scanned me from head to toe. I still wore my cut, but I’d bought a pair of black jeans and a gray button-down shirt. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a step up from my usual worn-out jeans and T-shirts. I hoped she appreciated the effort I’d put in, even if it had been last minute.
“We’re going somewhere?” she asked.
“Yes. I made a reservation for dinner. To celebrate your birthday.”
Her eyes lit up. “You remembered?”
“Of course I did.” I would never admit that I’d forgotten all damn day and had nearly missed it because I’d been wallowing in self-pity. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her more than I already had. If what Fox said was true, then the way I’d been treating her had to have at least hurt her feelings.
“I had one of the SUVs brought over. I didn’t think you’d want to ride on my bike while you were dressed up.”
She smiled, her lips curving in a way that my dick twitch. I held out my hand and she came toward me, her fingers sliding along mine. Her hands were soft, something I’d noticed other times, but the glide of her silky skin against my rougher palm made me want things I shouldn’t. She seemed so small and delicate next to me, even though she’d filled out some since being here. Instead of looking like a waif, she had curves that I itched to touch. I led her outside to the SUV and helped her inside, then buckled her seatbelt. Whatever scent she was wearing teased my nose and made me want to breathe her in deep.
My gaze caught hers and I couldn’t help but get lost a moment. Pulling away, I shut the door and made my way around to the driver’s side. The Prospect had left the keys in the ignition and I started the engine. As I drove through the compound, I tried not to think about what could happen tonight. If I laid all my cards on the table, told Violeta how I felt and that I wanted her to be mine, then we could be going home as a couple. Assuming she accepted my claim. I’d never wanted a steady woman in my life. Not until her. But after everything she’d been through, if she didn’t want me, I wouldn’t push the issue.
I noticed her hands twisted in her lap. Tightening my grip on the steering wheel was all that kept me from reaching for her. I didn’t know why she was anxious, but I couldn’t be certain that touching her wouldn’t make it worse. Just because Fox said that Violeta was interested in me, didn’t mean he was right. Tonight could end up being a colossal disaster, or it could be the beginning of something truly great.
I pulled into the parking lot outside the restaurant and heard a slight gasp. Turning off the SUV, I faced Violeta and fought back a smile at the look of wonder on her face. For a woman who had been raised in a mansion, it was hard to believe something as simple as an Italian restaurant could bring her such pleasure.
“I made reservations for us,” I told her.
“I’ve been dying to eat here. I’ve heard it’s expensive.” She cast me a worried glance. “Rocket, it’s too much.”
“Nonsense. You only turn eighteen once. We’re celebrating, Violeta.”
I got out of the car and walked around to help her. After locking the vehicle, I looped her arm through mine and escorted her inside. The hostess eyed me up and down before smiling at Violeta. She was different from the lady who had helped me earlier when I’d made the reservation. This one didn’t seem too impressed with my cut.
“Reservation for Rocket,” I said as we walked closer.
“Of course. Your table is ready. If you’ll please follow me.” She picked up two menus and started walking across the restaurant.
Violeta gripped my arm tight as we maneuvered past the other diners. The table we were shown was small with only two chairs, which was all we needed. Soft candlelight flickered at the center of the table next to a vase with a single red rose. I pulled out a chair for Violeta and after she sat, I claimed the one across from her. The hostess placed the menus on the table.
“Your server will be with you in a moment.”
With a look of disdain cast my direction, she rushed off.
“I don’t think she liked you much,” Violeta said.
“Some people around here are more accepting of the club than others. It seems a lot of the women in town fear that we’re a bunch of murderers and rapists.” I snorted. I’d never hurt a woman, not like that. Although there was evil in all shapes and sizes. If there was ever a woman who had that darkness inside, I wouldn’t hesitate to rid the world of her presence. But the average, non-killer type of woman was safe from me.
“How could they ever think such a thing of you?” Violeta asked, her brow furrowed and her lips turned down at the corners. “Nothing could be further from the truth. You and the Hades Abyss have kept me safe. It was nicely dressed, charismatic men in suits like my father who caused me pain.”
“It’s all about appearance. Your father probably would look like a well-to-do businessman, someone of great financial worth. That would be enough to make most people ignore the ice-cold look he’d had in his eyes. They see what they want to see. With me, they see a biker who doesn’t walk the straight and narrow, and that’s fine. As long as they treat you with respect, that’s all that matters to me.”
She reached across the table and grasped my hand. “You’re so sweet to me, Rocket.”
Not always. I looked down at our joined hands. I’d been a bit col
d and distant with her, thinking I knew what was best for her, but now I had to wonder if I’d been wrong. Maybe what had been best for her all along was me.
I extracted my hand and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, though her gaze shuttered. I hated that I’d possibly made her second-guess herself. I quickly walked to the back of the restaurant and tapped on the door to the kitchen. The woman I’d spoken to earlier popped her head out, a wide smile on her face.
“Did you bring it?” she asked.
I pulled out the small jewelry box and offered it to her.
“I’ll make sure your birthday surprise is the best she’s ever had,” the woman assured me before disappearing into the back again.
I went back to the table, where Violeta was perusing the menu. A waiter came over and took our drink order. I noticed there was a slight tremor in her hand and I reached over, pulling the menu from her grasp, and taking her hand in mine.
“Violeta, I wasn’t pulling away from you. I just needed to take care of part of your surprise.”
“It’s fine.” She pressed her lips into a tight line.
My gaze narrowed as I studied her. She was paler than she’d been earlier, and the outer rims of her irises were darker. I’d noticed that happened when she was upset or stressed. What the hell? She hadn’t looked like this when I walked away. Had my leaving the table bothered her that much?
“Talk to me,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing.” She forced a smile to her lips, and it was far from the easy genuine smile I’d seen so often since she came to stay with me.
“I call bullshit. Now tell me the truth.”
For a moment, I thought she’d balk, but I watched as her shoulders seemed to slump and her head bowed a little before she held my gaze.
“The woman who seated us came back. She had a few words to say to me. It’s fine, Rocket.”
“What kind of words?” I asked, trying not to gnash my teeth together in annoyance. This was supposed to be a good night. A night she’d always remember. I wasn’t about to let someone ruin it.
“She said only whores would be with men like you,” she said softly, her gaze now locked on the table.
Whores. That bitch had called my woman a whore? I stood so fast my chair fell over and I stormed off to the kitchen door. This time, I didn’t gently knock. I slammed my fist into the damn thing so hard I nearly knocked it off its hinges. The woman who had helped me set up this night stared at me, her lips parted, her eyes wide. A man in a suit simply lifted his eyebrows as he approached.
“Is there an issue?” he asked, his tones clipped and crisp.
“Yeah, there’s a fucking problem. Your hostess just called my woman a whore.”
The man blinked once. Then twice. He turned to face the lady who now looked even more shocked, her face having gone nearly as pale as Violeta’s, her eyes so wide she looked like a damn owl. The man gave a nod of his head and turned to face me again.
“I’ll handle it, and I apologize for her behavior. We don’t tolerate such nonsense in this establishment. Please allow me to cover your meal, including our best dessert and perhaps a bottle of wine?”
“My date doesn’t drink.”
“Of course. Then please permit me to give you a complimentary meal at any day or time of your choice in the future. I’ll go handle the issue immediately.”
The man brushed past me and headed to the front of the restaurant. I watched from the kitchen doorway as he pulled the hostess aside and spoke with her. The woman’s cheeks turned red, and her mouth and jaw tensed. She cast a furious look in my direction, pointed, and then started ranting at the man in the suit.
“Well, that just sealed her fate,” said the other lady.
“Pardon?” I glanced at her.
“Mr. Richards is not only the manager of this location, but he’s also a co-owner. Not many people know about the ownership part, only that he’s the manager. She not only won’t get a good reference, but I can assure you that Mr. Richards will have her blackballed at every restaurant in town, even the fast food places.”
“I don’t understand. I’m just a biker, and now that he’s comping my meal, I’m not even a paying customer.”
She smiled softly. “Perhaps I should properly introduce myself. I’m Carrie Richards. His niece. I told my uncle of your plans for the young lady you brought with you, and he’s a romantic at heart. There’s also been gossip in town since all those men were shot out at the airfield. Someone managed to snap a few pictures, not only of your President standing up against the mobsters, but also of one of your men ensuring the safety of a woman.”
“Luciana,” I murmured. “She’s married to my President. Her father was the mobster, and he’s also Violeta’s sperm donor. There’s no love lost between them.”
It wasn’t my place to tell Ms. Richards the horrors that Violeta had been through, and yet I wanted her to understand exactly how bad it was the other woman had called Violeta a whore. I hesitated, not wanting to break my woman’s confidence, and yet wondering if doing so might garner her more protection and understanding. If the community had a hint of what had happened to her, then when they saw her out somewhere they might be more inclined to keep an eye on her. Small southern towns had to be good for something other than gossip.
“Violeta was badly abused by her father and his men. The fact your hostess called her a whore was…” I bit my lip. “It’s not far off from what they forced her to do. Do you understand?”
She gasped softly. “Oh, no. That poor girl.”
She reached out and squeezed my arm and then rushed to her uncle’s side, whispering in his ear before turning and hurrying to where I’d left Violeta. I went to join them and saw her hunkered down next to Violeta’s chair.
Ms. Richards held my gaze as I righted my chair and retook my seat.
“I was just apologizing to her for what happened and letting her know we don’t tolerate workers like that one.”
“I told her an apology wasn’t necessary,” Violeta said, but her accent had grown thick, which meant the altercation had bothered her far more than she was letting on. It was only during times of high emotion that happened.
“Sweetheart, they damn sure did need to apologize. I brought you here to celebrate your birthday, and to give your present to you. I wanted tonight to be special and that bitch ruined it.”
“No!” She reached out and grabbed my hand. “No, Rocket. It’s still a special night. She didn’t ruin it.”
“Did the two of you get a chance to order?” Ms. Richards asked.
“Not yet,” I replied.
“Would you permit me to surprise you both with our best dishes?” Ms. Richards asked. “Unless either of you have food allergies?”
“I don’t,” I said.
“I don’t either,” said Violeta.
“Very well. I’ll bring you the best we have to offer. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll start you off with our Caesar salad, the best rolls you’ve ever had with our homemade raspberry butter, and a bowl of cheddar potato soup.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Violeta with a soft smile.
Ms. Richards hurried off, leaving us alone. I hoped that Violeta was right and the spiteful words of that hostess hadn’t ruined her evening. The last thing I ever wanted was for someone to hurt her, even with words. She was too precious, too sweet. Too mine.
The food arrived and I had to admit it was the biggest and prettiest salad I’d ever seen, with tons of shredded parmesan on top, and the perfect amount of croutons. Violeta smiled widely as she picked up a fork and dug in. A platter of steaming rolls was set down in the center of the table, with the special butter which had a slight pink tinge to it. Then the bowls of soup, which were also piled high with shredded cheese and green onions.
“Everything looks wonderful,” I assured Ms. Richards, who had delivered the food herself.
“I’ll be sure to let my uncle know. Enjoy! If you
need anything, please let me know. Your main course will be ready shortly, and we have something decadent for dessert.”
Silence reigned at the table for several minutes before Violeta finally spoke up.
“Why did you decide to do all this for me?” she asked.
“It’s your birthday.”
“Yes,” she said slowly, letting the word draw out. “But you’ve hardly spoken to me the last few weeks. When you left earlier, I figured you’d be gone most of the night.”
I cleared my throat and knew it was time to come clean. She’d either be thankful that I’d finally pulled my head out of my ass, or she’d tell me that Fox was dead wrong and she really did have a thing going with Teller, which would gut me, but I’d respect her decision. It would be hard not to stomp him into a mudhole, but I’d refrain. He was a decent guy, worked hard, and if that’s who could make Violeta happy, then who was I to stand in the way?
“Fox mentioned that things with you and Teller might not be as they seemed.” I toyed with my fork, twirling it between my fingers. I suddenly felt like I was in junior high and couldn’t find my words. “I didn’t want to be in the way of your finding happiness.”
“But…”
I held up my hand. “When Fox told me that you and Teller were only friends, and then asked if I was ready to pull my head out of my ass, I realized that I was done waiting. I want you to be mine, Violeta. The way Luciana belongs to Spider.”
“You want to ink me?” she asked.
“Not exactly.”
A throat cleared and I saw Mr. Richards standing just behind me, one of the presents I’d brought clutched in his hand. He handed the long thin box to me before disappearing.
I slid the box across the table toward Violeta. “Happy birthday, sweetheart. I hope you’ll accept this, and what it means.”
Her hand hesitated a moment before she picked up the box, removing the silk ribbon, then she pulled out the dainty bracelet. But it wasn’t just any bracelet. The delicate silver links held a rectangular silver plate with filigree edging, and the words Property of Rocket etched across the center.
Rocket (Hades Abyss MC 2) Page 3