by Rye Hart
“If we can have two that will partner with us for decent prices, that’ll be the best. That way, if something happens to one manufacturer, we aren’t completely shit out of luck,” I said.
“What do we want to do about accessories?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we’ve got all the big stuff, but there are smaller accessories, too. Earrings and necklaces. You know, shit women buy and wear to all the biker rallies to make themselves look nice.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought about that,” I said.
“Some people in town make their own jewelry. Nice shit, too. Maybe that could be something we could outsource. Take a small profit off whatever they sell in our store?”
“Then we wouldn’t have to worry about tracking down yet another manufacturer. Lindy, you should’ve gone to school for this shit.”
“Eh, I hated school. I’m much better at doing things like this.”
“You mean pulling shit out of thin air?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
I could feel the excitement buzzing between us. We were watching television and munching on chips while we talked, but we couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces. The contractor for the loft told me that once his team got started, it would only take about two weeks to get everything settled and ready for me to move in.
Two more weeks and I was out of my bullshit house.
“I talked to the guys,” I said.
“I was hoping you would. How did it go?” Lindy asked.
“Not good. Tyler and Nick were willing to talk to me about what was going on, but that was after Tanner, Adam, and Jacob got up and left.”
“Left where?” she asked.
“My house. They showed up with coffee and doughnuts. And Jacob wasn’t the only one hurt. Adam was limping pretty badly, and Tyler had a massive bruise on his jaw.”
“Shit. They’re really getting roughed up.”
“Yeah. In short, they told me that their club business was none of mine,” I said.
“I’m not sure why that shocks you,” she said.
“I told them I was worried about them. That I gave a damn about them and how they were doing.”
“Wait. You told them you had feelings for them?” she asked.
“I did. I looked them straight in their faces and told them. I said that if they couldn’t let me in, then it meant they weren’t serious about me.”
“You didn’t,” she said.
“I did. You know that ‘none of my business’ shit is just that. Bullshit. There are women all the time who date club members seriously and are privy to a lot of the things that happen. I know there are some things I’ll never be able to know, but there are some things I can know. Like why the hell they look like they’ve been used for target practice.”
“So, what happened?” she asked. “What did they say when you told them all this?”
“I already told you. Three of them got up and left while Tyler and Nick stayed behind,” I said.
“You told them you cared for them, and they still left?” she asked.
“Yeah. Lindy, it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt my heart slide to my toes as I watched them walk out. I’d never felt so vulnerable and exposed in all my fucking life.”
“Fuck me, Emma. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. And I don’t know if they’re coming back. Nick and Tyler said they would talk to the others, but I haven’t heard from anyone since yesterday morning.”
“I’m so sorry, Emma. Come here.”
I leaned into my best friend as she wrapped her arms around me. The chips fell to the floor and the television faded into the background. I knew I had so much to be happy about; so much to be thankful for. But even though my soul was on fire with happiness, my heart ached with despair. I missed my boys more than I could stand, and I was pissed that I’d allowed myself to become so vulnerable to them.
“I hope they change their minds, Emma. I really do. Because I know how strong you are, and I know you don’t settle. You’ll walk away from them, and it’ll be their loss. And I know how much it’ll hurt you,” Lindy said.
“I hope they will, too. Because I know what I can handle and what I can’t. And this? Seeing them with bruises and limps they won’t explain? I can’t handle that. I don’t think any woman could.”
“I know I couldn’t,” she said.
“What if they don’t come back, Lindy?”
“Then you’ll always have me. We’ll focus on the store, get you moved into your new place, and we’ll show them exactly what they missed out on because they were assholes,” she said.
“But they’re not assholes,” I said.
“They are if they let a smart, funny, kick-ass chick like you get away,” she countered.
I sighed as I closed my eyes and allowed myself to hurt. I let everything wash over me as tears leaked from my eyes. I let the hurt my mother caused me over the years to impact me. I let the betrayal I felt when I saw the brothers walk away trickle through my body. I let the fact that my father never really wanted anything to do with me rush over my mind.
I let everything out of my system as Lindy stroked my hair.
“It’s okay. I’m right here,” she said.
I cried for the position I had willingly put myself in, even as I wondered what the brothers were doing. Even as I wondered if they were all right.
As I wondered if they would come back.
CHAPTER 28
I opened my eyes Tuesday afternoon and sighed. Another day and still no calls from the guys. I was beginning to think they’d made their decision, that Tyler and Nick had talked with them and they had decided to back away. The thought was agonizing, but I knew I didn’t have a choice in the matter. They were going to make whatever decision was best for them, and there was nothing I could do about that.
I lay there in bed and thought through everything regarding the business. If it was going to take two weeks for the loft renovations and six to seven weeks for the business renovations, then in less than two months the place would be finished. That meant the painting, the decorating, and everything else that was necessary to open our store. The only thing Lindy and I were responsible for now was getting the interior decorator the pieces we wanted to decorate with, the cash register we wanted hooked up, and any clothing racks and shelving we wanted to be set up or mounted.
Then, we would be ready to open.
I was working with the manufacturers now while Lindy was taking care of the advertising. We were putting up flyers around town that showcased pictures of the place Lindy had sketched. It was amazing, the talent she had been hiding, and I was happy to put it to good use. Lindy was getting things printed off today so we could put them up around town this week. Then all we could do was sit back and wait.
I hadn’t spoken to my mother recently, and I was glad. The last thing I wanted to do was witness her antics or deal with her bullshit. I slid out of bed and got myself cleaned up so I could get ready for work, but when I stepped into the shower, it reminded me of the brothers.
The shower I had taken with Nick and Tyler had been fantastic. Nick held me close as the two of us swayed underneath the warm water and Tyler had helped me wash my body down. It was their way of helping me recuperate from our passionate and intimate session. I could feel how much they cared for me when I was with them. I could tell I made them happy. I could feel it when they kissed me
And while I loved all the attention, it served as a bitter reminder that something bad was going on inside the Road Warriors.
I washed myself down and got out of the shower. I took my time getting ready, hoping my mother would wake up and leave before I had to emerge. I dried my hair and styled it for the night, hoping to get some coffee somewhere before I had to make my way into work.
But a knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Coming!”
I slipped on my work clothes and rushed dow
n the stairs. My hair was flowing behind me, and the house was silent. My mother wasn’t here, which meant I could take my time getting into work, and the thought made me smile.
The less time she spent here, the less time I had to deal with her for the next couple of weeks.
I pulled the door open and was shocked to see the brothers standing there. Jacob with his black eye, Adam with his limp, and Tanner with his guilty conscience. I stared at the three of them, my eyes darting around as I took in their haggard forms. Just looking at them was a dark reminder that I felt nowhere near as important to them as they were to me.
And the thought made me ache.
“Could we talk?” Jacob asked.
“I’m actually about to leave for work,” I said.
“It’s only five o’clock,” Tanner said.
“I’m getting coffee beforehand. We’re out,” I said.
“You look nice, baby girl,” Adam said.
I cringed at the nickname, cursing myself for buckling when I knew I needed to be strong. Jacob’s voice rumbled in my ears, and Adam’s nickname weakened my knees. Tanner’s dazzling blue eyes held mine as tears crested my eyes, and I looked away before my emotions built any more than they already were.
“Emma,” Tanner said.
“I can’t do this right now,” I said. “I have to go.”
“We’re sorry,” Jacob said. “For how we acted.”
“And for walking out after you insinuated we were just using you. We should have told you how wrong you were,” Tanner said.
I shook my head as I bit the inside of my cheek. That was what I wanted. An apology. Something to show me that they knew what they did was wrong. But it wasn’t a permanent fix. Only a temporary band-aid that was ripped off the moment I looked up into Jacob’s eyes.
“What you have to understand is that we keep from you what we do to keep you safe,” Adam said. “We have enemies. This lifestyle breeds it.”
“Is that what happened? An enemy came after you?” I asked.
The brothers looked around at each other but stayed silent. Their walls were going up again. I could see it. They were building them faster than I could plow through them, and I was growing tired. The sex was fun, sure. And the money was nice. But there was something deeper with them. At least on my end, there was.
“We need to keep you safe,” Tanner said. “If something ever happened to you, we’d never forgive ourselves.”
“No one’s coming after me if you guys don’t care about me,” I said.
“You’re an idiot if you think we don’t care.”
Jacob’s voice hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked over at him and focused on what I saw beyond the bruising and the swelling. Beyond the yellow-tinted skin of his fading bruise, there was sincerity behind his eyes. A vulnerability I’d never seen in any man that lived this sort of life. I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest as someone reached for my hand.
And when I looked down, I saw it was Adam’s hand.
Only it was bruised and bloodied and scabbed over.
“Holy fuck,” I said in a whisper. “Adam.”
“The money we’ve been giving you was stolen from us,” Adam said. “A rival club decided to raid our shops and took it for their own use. We had to go after it.”
“We’ve been hunting them down ever since the shootout,” Tanner said.
I lifted my gaze to meet Tanner’s eyes as I swallowed hard.
“The same crew that took your money were the ones that shot you guys up?” I asked.
“They are,” Jacob said. “They’re ruthless, and the club’s trying to take them down and put them in their place, but it’s taking a while. And everyone’s a target until it’s finished. Even you.”
“Why me?” I asked.
“Because you’re our weakness, Emma,” Tanner said. “You have been since we laid eyes on you.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt a tear cascade down my cheek as Adam released my hand. He brought his fingers up to my skin and wiped my tear away, causing me to nuzzle into his hand. He opened himself up to me, just for a second, and brought my lips to his as he kissed me softly.
“This is all I wanted,” I said breathlessly. “All I wanted was for you guys to open up. I’ve never had that before.”
“We know,” Jacob said.
“Not from my mother, or my father, or any of the fucking assholes I dated before.”
“We know, sweetheart,” Tanner said.
“And I know that’s only a fraction of what’s going on. But thank you for at least telling me what you just did.”
“It’s the least we could do after everything you do for us,” Adam said.
“What do I do for you?” I asked, honestly confused. They gave me endless orgasms and large sums of money. What did I give them?
“Are you kidding me?” Adam asked. “You are incredible. You give us you, all of you. You tell us your dreams, and you give a damn about us.”
Adam dropped his hand from my face, and I already missed his touch. I drew in a deep breath as my eyes danced from brother to brother. I felt a bit of relief coursing through my veins. Relief at the idea that they had talked and that they weren’t walking away. I didn’t care if they had only told me a fraction of what was going on. The point was that they opened up to me. They showed me that they were willing to make this a serious thing.
And my heart was elated.
“Now that that is all cleared up, we have something for you,” Jacob said.
I looked over at the eldest brother as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.
“You gotta be kidding me,” I said.
“We got it back from the club. It’s all legal money. There’s nothing for you to worry about or pay back, okay?” Jacob asked.
He held the check out for me as my eyes scanned it quickly. Another one hundred thousand dollars. That was it. That was everything we needed. For the loft and the renovations. For the inventory and for starting up. For advertising and the trial runs with the manufacturing plants.
The brothers had completely funded my business venture.
“You’ve given me three hundred thou—”
“We know, baby girl,” Adam said.
“But why do you guys want to? I don’t understand,” I said.
“It kills my soul that you don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Tanner said.
I whipped my eyes over to him as he reached out for my hand.
“We want to see you succeed, Emma. Does that not register? We want you to be happy and chase your dreams.” Tanner asked.
I shook my head as more tears streamed down my cheeks.
“I don’t understand why anyone would give this kind of money to someone else, no strings attached,” I said.
“Then get used to it,” Adam said. “Because you’re going to be taken care of as long as you’re with us.”
“This business is not your responsibility,” I said.
“But it is your passion,” Jacob said. “And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, Emma, you’re our passion.”
I was stunned as I took the check from Jacob’s hand.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said breathlessly.
“Then don’t say anything. Just take it, cash it, and use it,” Tanner said.
I threw my arms around Jacob and planted my lips against his. He wrapped his arms around my back, our tongues dancing together in ecstasy. I pulled away breathless and stepped over to Adam, feeling his hands descend onto my hips. I cupped his cheeks and drew his face toward mine, our lips pressing together fluidly. Tears were streaming down my face as I shook against his body. Then, I stepped over to Tanner and wrapped my arms around his neck. I peppered kisses up his neck until our lips met, feeling his hands massaging my back. I melted into his embrace as my legs grew weak, his body holding me upright and close to his chest.
“Do you still have to go to work?” Tanner asked.
“Yes,” I said as I
pulled back. “I still have to go to work. And I wasn’t lying about the coffee. I’m meeting Lindy so we can go over some things.”
“Well, don’t let us keep you from your business meeting,” Adam said.
Tanner helped me steady myself on my feet before the three of them escorted me to my car.
I drove right to the bank with the check and deposited it. I didn’t want to carry around something like that all night. Once I got the deposit receipt, I took it and set it right in front of Lindy.
“Coffee’s on me today,” I said with a grin.
“Let me guess. Things with you and the guys are better now?” she asked.
“Not only that, but they let me in a little bit. Apparently, the rival club that shot them up a few weeks ago went around stealing from their shops. The money they’ve been giving me was money they stole back from them,” I said.
“Wait, is someone going to come after this money?” she asked.
“No. The guys assured me that everything is clean and clear,” I said.
“You’re absolutely positive?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Okay. Because the last thing we need is getting caught up in whatever bullshit’s going down with their crew.”
“I promise you, this money’s good. And with this check, we can fund everything with no debt. All the things we need, the best cash registers, all of the stuff we’d need to stock for repairs. We can open everything all at once. We won’t have to wait to open the repair shop later.”
“I cannot believe how lucky you got,” Lindy said.
“They also said something else.”
“What?”
“They also told me they cared about me,” I said.
Lindy got up from her chair and wrapped her arms around me. I held her close as I smiled, my cheeks aching from my own happiness. We embraced in the middle of the coffee shop as I giggled like a schoolgirl.
I couldn’t remember the last time I was this happy.
“It’s about damn time you found yourself someone good,” Lindy said.
“I found more than a ‘someone,’” I said.
“We aren’t talking about that. I’m still jealous,” she said.