by Rye Hart
I felt my heart leap into my throat as I smiled.
“Really?” I asked.
“I mean, we gotta eat. And you gotta eat. Figured the three of us could eat together,” Tyler said.
“What my brother’s trying to say is—”
“I know what he’s saying, Tanner, but thank you,” I said. “And yes. I’d love to do lunch with you two tomorrow. But I do have one question.”
“What’s up?” Nick asked.
“Was this bullshit heart attack necessary to get to this?” I asked.
The guys chuckled around the table as a line started to gather outside the bar.
“Emma. It’s showtime,” Lindy said.
“Just one second,” I said.
“Hurry up. Everyone’s getting rowdy,” she said.
“Everything okay, baby girl?” Adam asked.
“I want to tell you guys something quickly. Well, I want to thank you first. For the money you guys have given me,” I said.
“Trust me. You already have,” Tanner said, grinning.
“Shut up. You’re going to make me blush,” I said.
“And if things go our way tomorrow, we’re going to make you scream, too,” Tyler said.
“Get it,” Jacob said with a smirk.
“Fuck. Okay. The building I put an offer in on? The business-apartment combination? It’s mine. Well, it’s mine and Lindy’s. And because of the money you guys have given us, we only have ten thousand that we owe.”
“Holy shit, they accepted your offer?” Nick asked.
“Yep. They did,” I said, smiling. “It’s official. I’m going to be a business owner soon. Lindy and I took the weekend and finalized the inventory for the store. Now I have to interview contractors so they can get working on the renovations of the store. It’s gonna be phenomenal.”
“Do you have money to do that?” Adam asked.
“We have money we saved up for it, yeah,” I said.
I watched the guys look around the table at one another, and I knew what they were thinking.
“Oh, no. Don’t do that. You guys have done enough.”
“Emma. I can’t put them off any longer,” Lindy said.
“We aren’t thinking anything,” Jacob said.
“Yes, you are. I know you guys. Don’t look around the table at each other like that. It’s not allowed.”
“And since when did you become the boss of us?” Tyler asked.
“Since the five of you swooped into my life and made me give a damn about you,” I said.
I felt their eyes hot on my skin as I stood from my seat. I walked over to the front door and unleashed the anxious crowd, seeing them all pile into the bar. I turned around and saw the guys staring me down as I walked to the bar, a healthy glow tinting my cheeks.
“So? How’d the conversation go?” Lindy asked.
“Perfect,” I said as I eyed them closely. “The conversation was perfect.”
CHAPTER 22
I met the twins for lunch at an outdoor steakhouse place. It was a cool little spot in the center of the small town. There was a small barn-looking building that housed an entire kitchen, and all the seating to eat was outside. I pulled up and parked by the twins’ bikes, and then I made my way to the table they were occupying.
“Looking good,” Tyler said.
“Gorgeous as ever,” Tanner agreed.
I hugged them before we sat down and a waitress appeared at my side. I put in my drink order and told her how I wanted my steak cooked, and then I turned my attention to the two men in front of me. Their bright blue eyes were drawing me in as their black hair accented their chiseled cheekbones. Tanner’s hair was shaggier than Tyler’s, but Tyler’s was tousled with a bit of something.
“What the fuck’s in your hair?” I asked.
“I told you she’d hate it,” Tyler said.
“No, no. I don’t hate it. It’s shiny,” I said.
“It’s fucking hair gel. Tanner told me my hair was boring.”
“Boring, huh? Well, as long as I can grab a fistful of it while you’re fucking me, it could never be boring,” I said.
I grinned as the two of them adjusted in their seats.
“Sleep well?” Tanner asked.
“I did. I have to work again tonight, but it is what it is. Lindy will be there, and I’m hoping you guys will be, too?” I asked.
“We will,” Tyler said. “Though I can’t speak for the others.”
“Wouldn’t expect you guys to,” I said. “But if you really want to know, I kind of like this tousled look.”
“Told you she’d like it,” Tanner said.
“So, any other shit kick up with your mom?” Tyler asked.
He grunted as Tanner elbowed him in his ribcage.
“Don’t try to get him to act anything other than himself, Tanner,” I said. “He’s fine to ask whatever he wants. And so are you.”
“And you can do the same with us. Whatever you wanna know,” Tyler said as he rubbed his side.
“He’s gonna kick your ass later, Tanner.”
“She knows me well,” Tyler said, grinning.
“And things with my mother are about the same. She’s still a jealous bitch, and she’s still ragging on me about sleeping with more than one guy at a time. Apparently, that’s something she’s never done, so I’m automatically a slut.”
“She called you that?” Tanner asked.
“I should beat her ass,” Tyler said.
“No beating of any asses needs to occur. I can handle my mother. I’ve had to do it my entire life. But I won’t have to soon, and that’s the good news.”
“Yes. Tell us more about this building,” Tanner said.
“When did the owner sign it over to you?” Tyler asked.
“It’s been about a week now,” I said.
“And you didn’t tell any of us?” Tyler asked.
“I didn’t really have a chance. You guys sort of blindsided me with a massive check. Anyway, I’m already packing up stuff into my car. Clothes and shit like that. Once I can get it all out of my room, I’m dumping it in the loft. I don’t care if I have to sleep in a sleeping bag. I’m not staying at my mother’s house another second longer than necessary.”
“You’re not sleeping in that place until it’s been properly looked at and renovated,” Tanner said.
“You need to be safe,” Tyler said.
“And I will be. I’m a big girl. But it’s not safe with my mother anymore. She’s become a little too much. I’m concerned for her, but I’m also concerned about her if that makes sense.”
“Plenty,” Tyler said, darkly.
“Hey, Mom did the best she could,” Tanner said with an edge to his voice.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Your mother reminds me of ours,” Tyler said.
“She wasn’t that fucking bad,” Tanner said.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“She fucked around a lot once Nick got into his teenage years,” Tyler said. “Slacked off whenever she could.”
“No, she fucking didn’t. Now you tell the damn truth, or I’m gonna bust your nose right here,” Tanner said.
“Okay, guys. Take a deep breath. I promise you, no one can be as bad as my mother. But what happened?” I asked. “To your mother, I mean.”
“She did the best she could after our dad took off,” Tanner said.
“He’s a piece of shit,” Tyler said.
“We all have the same father, but when Mom got pregnant with Nick things spiraled. They fought a lot. He wanted to abort the baby, and our mother didn’t. He missed getting out on the road with her, and he was tired of working and having to provide for four boys who couldn’t stop eating,” Tanner said.
“What a fucking shithead,” I said.
“He left before Mom gave birth to Nick and she spiraled. Depression, drugs, drinking. Jacob was only seven at the time, but that’s why he’s so father-like, as you pointed out yesterday,” Tyler
said.
“He fucking raised Nick, didn’t he?” I asked.
“He raised all of us the best he could. Mom was incapacitated practically for the first couple of years of Nick’s life. She pulled out of it a bit to usher a couple of us into our teenage years, but then she took a weekend for herself. Went on a ride with some of her friends and came back worse than ever,” Tanner said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“We found out later that she’d seen Dad at the rally getting cozy with some bitch who was pregnant,” Tyler said. “It did her in, I guess.”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“She was never the same after that. Jacob sought out a family in the Road Warriors, and we just kind of followed in his tracks,” Tanner said.
“Nick didn’t really wanna join, but he felt pressured because we all had. He’s fine now. He’s the most active member in the damn group. But it was rough there for a while,” Tyler said.
My heart ached for them. Our food was set in front of us along with our drinks, but I scooted over so I could be closer to them. I took both of their hands in mine and brought them to my lips, kissing their skin.
They each pressed a kiss to the top of my head before they wrapped their arms around me.
“Where is she now?” I asked.
“We don’t really know,” Tanner said.
“When we all left and ventured out on our own, she sold the house. We assume she’s riding around with her old friends, trying to pick up the pieces of her old life,” Tyler said.
“Have you guys seen her at all?” I asked.
“Not really. We sort of drifted apart,” Tanner said.
“Well, her from us,” Tyler said.
“Stop it. Mom had it hard,” Tanner said.
“But that defense only works so long. She had five boys that depended on her,” Tyler said.
“Okay. I think that’s enough of the family talk,” I said.
“Good, because there’s something we need to give you anyway,” Tyler said.
“You think this is a good time?” Tanner asked.
“Give me what?” I asked.
“Tanner and I own our own bike shop,” Tyler said. “All the brothers sort of set up their own deal, but we went in together.”
I narrowed my eyes, having a feeling where this was going. “We were talking last night, and we kept thinking about your business and the renovations you’ll have to do,” Tyler said.
“And with you wanting to move in so quickly, you need a lot more cash up front, especially if you want to pull inventory from your pocket,” Tanner said.
“Starting a business is tough, and starting a home is tougher. Debt is the worst thing you can have, and you mentioned something about still having it,” Tyler said.
“No, no, no. I’m not taking ten more thousand dollars from you guys,” I said.
“Well, good. Because that’s not what we’re giving you,” Tanner said.
“Good.”
“We’re giving you seventy,” Tyler said.
“What?”
Tyler pulled out a check from his pocket and handed it to me. And sure enough, it was made out to me for seventy fucking thousand dollars. That was two hundred thousand dollars these men had given me for this damn store.
“No,” I said.
“You said that last time,” Tyler said.
“And I mean it. I’m not taking any more money. Look, this is a serious amount of cash.”
“Do you not trust us when we tell you it’s a gift?” Tanner asked.
I looked up into his eyes and sighed as I swallowed hard.
“Everything is always more complicated when money’s in play,” I said.
“I agree. It always is,” Tyler said. “But we want to help you succeed. No one was there to help us, but we at least had each other. You’ve got Lindy, but no one else. And Lindy doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl to have the resources like this to help you.”
“No, she doesn’t,” I said.
“But we do. Look, you all but admitted to us that you cared about us last night. All of us. So, let us show you that we give a damn about you too,” Tanner said.
Tyler thrust the check into my hand, and I found my fingers closing over the piece of paper.
“I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you guys,” I said breathlessly.
“It’s not a loan. It’s a gift. An investment in your happiness. That’s what people do when they are,” Tyler hesitated, “doing whatever the hell it is we’re doing. They invest in their person.”
“That check will pay off the rest of the debt you have and it’ll renovate your loft. Because it sounds like the money we originally gave you to do that got put towards another use,” Tanner said.
“We had debt to pay off and I thought it would be better if we did that first.”
“You don’t owe us an explanation,” Tyler said.
“You are handing me seventy thousand dollars. I owe you whatever the fuck you want,” I said.
“Look. I know you’ve operated like this your whole life, without much trust in the people around you. But we want to help you because we believe in you, not because you can give us something in return. I know that’s a new concept, so please, roll with it for now,” Tanner said.
“Thank you so much,” I said in a whisper.
I turned and kissed each of them before we dug into our food. The rest of the afternoon was wonderful, and the three of us sat and drank until the sun set below the trees. We ordered a late dessert to help me sober up so I could get to work. Then, the two of them followed me on their bikes back to the bar. I was excited when I saw Nick standing at the door. It made me wonder if Jacob and Adam would show up for the night.
But before I could get to the bar to hug Nick’s neck, my mother emerged and began flirting with him.
The twins stood behind me as my mother stroked her finger down Nick’s chest. I felt my jaw tightening as the twins wrapped their hands around my balled-up fists. Nick was staring down at my mother with a stoic expression on his face, trying to keep his cool while she continued to throw herself at him. She was pressing her hips into him and caressing his cheek, cupping his face and bringing her lips dangerously close to his.
“What’s going on?” I asked as the three of us walked up.
My mother looked at the twins holding my hands before she tried to take Nick’s.
“Just having a bit of conversation with tonight’s bouncer,” she said.
“Bouncer?” I asked.
“Dee called in sick, and Lindy asked me to fill in,” Nick said. “I came by the bar to see if you were around setting up. I was going to offer to help.”
“Ever the sweet one,” I said.
“And strong underneath these clothes,” my mother said.
She pressed her hands into Nick’s chest, digging her fingertips into his skin. Nick was growing more and more irritated, but I understood why he wasn’t moving. Being a bouncer was a different kind of mindset. You had to guard the bar and make sure the rowdiness stayed out, but you couldn’t discourage people from coming in. My mother had officially become a paying customer, so there were no grounds to toss her out.
But I could tell she was getting on Nick’s nerves by the way he scrunched up his nose at her.
“Mom?” I asked.
“What?”
“We don’t open for another hour. Could you please stop groping our bouncer?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I think he kind of likes it.”
My mother went to move her hand to his crotch, but he snatched her wrist and twisted it up toward her face.
“What the fuck, dude?” my mother asked.
“Get out,” I said. “Go get drunk somewhere else tonight.”
My mother spat at my feet before she yanked herself away from Nick. The twins immediately took up their spots in front of me, blocking me from my mother. I raised my hands and placed each one on the small of their backs, silently thank
ing them for their support and their protective natures. I felt my body warm from my toes to my nose as I heard my mother’s footsteps fade away from us, carrying with her the stress I would’ve encountered that evening had she stayed.
“You okay?” Tanner asked.
The twins turned around and took stock of me as I nodded.
“Just fine. Though I should get inside and help Lindy set up,” I said.
“We can help if you need any,” Tyler said.
“If you guys could take care of the chairs, that would be nice,” I said.
They followed me into the bar and gravitated toward the tables as I found my way to the back. I got to cleaning glasses and making sure all the liquor bottles were ready for the night. I noticed the twins looking at me from time to time as Nick peeked in through the door, winking at me whenever I caught his stare.
“You lucky bitch,” Lindy said.
“Damn straight,” I said with a grin.
CHAPTER 23
I met Lindy at the warehouse Friday afternoon so we could take our first walkthrough as owners together. I wanted to solidify the plans we had to make this place great so I could start contacting contractors. The sooner we could get people in here building, the sooner we could get the store up and running. Lindy said she would take over advertising and getting the word out about the place, and all I had to do was worry about bringing the store to life.
Which was great, because Lindy could sell the shit out of anything.
“What do you think about walls that sprout out from the middle?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” Lindy asked.
“We could have a big pole in the middle of the warehouse, with like, some padding or shit on it. And the walls could jut out and go straight back. People could walk in a circle-like figure to get to all the rooms, which means they’d have to go through other rooms full of awesome stuff to get what they wanted.”
“Good way to advertise shit and get it in their eyesight,” she said.
“And it would make things easier on the construction crew,” I said. “The pole in the middle could be massive and each room would have a section. It could be like an advertising pole or some shit.”
“Need a roommate, take this number kind of stuff?” she asked.