by Naomi West
Cameron had been involving himself more and more in my life the past few weeks, asking especially about Daria. He’d wanted to know if she’d started working for me and if there was more going on between us.
I immediately crushed that possibility when it came up with him. There was no way a girl like Daria should be stuck with a guy like me. Any anyway, I couldn’t afford a distraction that big.
Cameron had been trying to convince me for days that a distraction was what I needed right now, to get my mind off the time we had to wait before we could strike.
It was strange that my uncle was being so persistent but it was nice to know that he had my best interests at heart.
Daria leaned further into me, nestling her head into the crook of my neck. She was so close, I could hear her breathing, feel her chest move up and down against mine. I looked down to see her eyes were closed, as if it were a normal occurrence for her to be resting on me. She looked as if she could drift off to sleep at any moment, giving me a strange sense of satisfaction that I could make her feel so safe.
“Does this mean you’ll stop worrying about me?” I asked, trying to make her smile.
It worked somewhat, though the smile was weak.
“Never,” she said, a fierce undertone to her words. “Rocky, you have to promise you won’t get rid of me. I know what you’ll convince yourself of later on, but you have to tell me everything. I don’t want to wake up one morning to find that you're gone and know that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me your plans.”
Gazing into her eyes, I was struck by her concern for me. It had been a long time since someone had cared as much as she did.
“I promise.”
“Good,” she said, looking up at me, her face so very close to my own.
I clenched my jaw tight against the strong desire to bend forward, just a little, to kiss her sultry lips. Instead I pulled back from her embrace.
I’d been thinking on it a while, especially since my uncle had been so adamant about knowing her and how she fit into my life. If she was going to be involved with everything, if she was going to know everything, especially considering it was club business, then Cameron had to talk with her.
“I think it’s time that you meet with my uncle,” I announced.
“Are you sure?” She seemed hesitant. “Will he care that I know? Or do I know too much?”
I laughed away her concern. “It’ll be fine. He’s been asking about you anyway. If you're getting yourself involved, Cameron needs to know. He’ll be the one to protect you if anything happens.” And I knew he would. Cameron always kept his word and I knew that if I asked him to give Daria full club protection then he would.
She frowned at my words. “Will anything happen?”
“Precautions, Daria.” I tried to sound more convincing than I felt. The truth was, I had no idea if anything would happen or not. Even with all Cameron’s planning, things could still go south and it wouldn’t take a genius to know that anyone could get to me if they used Daria.
I should’ve considered that ages ago, the fact that I was infinitely more vulnerable ever since I’d met Daria, but I couldn’t find it within me to take it back. All I could hope for now was Cameron to know what he was doing. Thankfully, if there was one person I could count on in this world, it was him.
Chapter Nine
Daria
“Come on!” Rocky urged. “You’ll have fun.”
My eyes flickered between him and the death machine he was gesturing toward and I shook my head fiercely.
“You work in a bike shop, you can’t be afraid of taking one out for a ride.”
“Don’t you have a car?” I begged.
Rocky gave me a flat look and I took another few steps back.
“I’ll ride slowly, I swear.”
I scoffed at that. “No, you won’t. I’ve seen the crazy stunts you pull, and I know you’ve never paid attention to the speed limit.”
Rocky grinned broadly at me, conceding the point.
“Come on, Daria. Please get on the bike. For me?” He widened his eyes and pouted his lip slightly, something he knew I couldn’t resist.
Damn that man.
“Alright, alright. No need to play dirty,” I muttered sullenly.
Rocky swung a leg over the bike and sat comfortably on it, gesturing with one hand for me to come closer.
I stood hesitantly by the bike a moment longer and Rocky didn’t say anything. I knew it was a death trap in disguise but some small traitorous part of me couldn’t wait to get on the bike and be pressed up closely to Rocky.
Mind made up, I strode forward and repeated Rocky’s actions, swinging one leg over the bike and sitting directly behind him.
“Arms around me,” he demanded.
I slid both hands around his waist, trying not to shiver at the close contact.
Sighing in annoyance, Rocky pulled my hands tighter around him, and, as a result, I was pulled further into his back so that every inch on me was pressed tightly up against him.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No,” I said honestly.
Rocky ignored me and started the bike, a fierce rumble sounding out and one that I could feel vibrating through me.
We took off and I wasn’t going to lie about how thrilling the ride felt. It was exhilarating. I could see immediately why Rocky loved it, though I’d never tell him that.
Besides, I had infinitely more important things to be worrying about. We were on our way to meet Cameron and I didn’t think I’d been so nervous about anything in a long while. I wasn’t even sure why. I’d met Cameron Weston before when I was a kid. He seemed nice enough from what I remembered.
But it was a lot different now. It was years later for one thing, and he was now the president of a biker club. I had also been nervous ever since Rocky had told me that Cameron had been asking after me. I racked my brains trying to think of why he’d want me but came up blank. I supposed I would find out today if anything was the matter.
Rocky and I arrived at Cameron’s house and both of us got off the motorcycle. Rocky looked at me with a raised brow and judging by the look on his face, my cover was blown.
“You loved it, didn’t you?” He smirked arrogantly.
“I hated it, it was awful,” I said stubbornly. There was no way that I would ever admit defeat.
We walked to the front door or Cameron’s large house and stood there waiting for him to answer. I’d heard the conversation on the phone when Rocky called his uncle to let him know we were coming, but Rocky was being purposefully vague in everything he said. I hoped that Cameron wouldn’t mind us coming over. After all, I was all but a stranger to him, asking to be let into his life and business. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was angry that Rocky had decided to involve me.
We only waited at the door for a few moments until it swung open to reveal who I could only assume to be Cameron. He matched my memory of him completely, though slightly older. He was middle aged, slightly shorter than Rocky with greying hair and a trimmed beard.
It struck me all of a sudden how similar he looked to Rocky’s dad, Billy. I felt a sudden wave of empathy for Rocky, knowing that every time he saw his uncle he would undoubtedly be reminded of his dad too. It had to be hard on Cameron too, looking in the mirror and seeing your dead brother.
“Daria,” Cameron greeted. “Look at you, all grown up. It’s been too long.”
“Nice to see you again, Cameron,” I replied shyly.
“Yes, hi Cameron,” Rocky interrupted. “Can we move this inside?”
Cameron narrowed his eyes at his nephew but opened the door wider and led us into the sitting room. I followed Rocky’s lead and sat on the sofa beside him. It was a wide, open space, a lot bigger than what I expected would suit a single man. I could imagine a man like Cameron living here, though I could never picture someone like Rocky here. It was too pristine and it didn’t look lived-in. Rocky was rugged and all rough edges. There was no way he would be h
appy in a place like this.
We sat in silence for a moment and it occurred to me that everyone was waiting for someone else to speak. Finally, Cameron broke the silence. “So, what’s this all about?” he asked. “Rocky didn’t say much on the phone.”
“Daria wants to know about Steele and what we’re going to do about it.”
Way to cut to the chase, I thought. Resisting the urge to glare at Rocky, I forced myself to stay calm under Cameron’s gaze. Obviously, Rocky knew his uncle better than me but I would’ve appreciated easing into the situation.
Cameron paused a moment, flicking his eyes between Rocky and me. He seemed to be studying both of us.
“Are you sure, son?”
I felt Rocky tense up beside me, and I figured it had something to do with being called ‘son.’ I couldn’t believe that his uncle didn’t realise that it was strange for him to say that so soon after Rocky’s father’s death. Although perhaps it was something he’d always said, or didn’t realise he was saying.
“I’m sure,” Rocky answered instantly. His lack of hesitation warmed me, even though he’d already demonstrated that he trusted me.
Cameron frowned, looking again between the two of us. Apparently, he had reached some sort of decision because he nodded once and continued. “Well alright then. What do you know about Jason Steele?” Cameron asked me.
“Just that he’s the president of the Nightmare MC.”
“That’s true. He’s also ruthless and dangerous. That’s important to know. A few months ago, Billy was out making a deal with the Mexican drug cartel. It wasn’t anything particularly dangerous, or it shouldn’t have been.”
He paused a moment and took a sip of his beer. Rocky was sitting stoically beside me, though he seemed a little tense. I wondered just how many times he’d heard this story, and how many times he had to relive it every time somebody asked. For a moment, I wished that I wasn’t so selfish and that I’d left him well alone. Only for a moment though, before I remembered that I couldn’t imagine what I’d do without him now.
“It was confusing for us all at the time,” Cameron continued. “I later obtained some inside information about what really happened that night. It seems that Jason Steele sabotaged the deal that night. He told Jose Garcia, the man who runs the cartel, that Billy was a snitch. You won’t know anything about Garcia, but he’s a cold-hearted bastard. He won’t tolerate much, but he especially won’t tolerate anyone who snitches. That’s the reason Billy died that night, because Jason Steele fed false intel to Garcia.”
“But … why?” I asked. “Why would he want to do that?
“Money, power. We’ve had a rivalry going with them for years, but since Garcia moved into town it’s been worse. He’s been looking to expand his drug cartel in the area and both our clubs have been trying to secure a deal with him.”
“So, what now? You're planning on killing Steele?” I asked.
It disgusted me that we were talking about this so casually, as if another man’s life wasn’t on the line. I’d said I was on board with whatever Rocky was planning and I meant it. I just wasn’t quite ready to accept all the facts.
“He killed my brother. I won’t rest until he’s dead.” Cameron was in full biker mode now, making me understand why he had taken over the role of president. This was the first time I’d seen him come close to Rocky’s desire for vengeance and it was a little frightening. I shuffled closer to Rocky and he instinctively put an arm around me.
“But we have to be patient,” Cameron continued. “I don’t want a war between our clubs, we have too much to lose and I value our men. Steele will be expecting our retaliation immediately so we’ll have to lay low for a while. When enough time passes and he lets down his guard, that’s when we’ll strike.”
It made sense, but I wasn’t too confident that Steele would just let down his guard after a while. I mean, killing a club president was a big deal. Surely, he would be on guard for many more months, years even. But maybe he was cockier than I thought him to be.
We talked for a bit longer about lighter topics but I was too preoccupied by what Cameron had said.
Sensing that I wasn’t in the mood to stay longer, Rocky excused us and we left his uncle’s house.
I was quiet on the ride home, still mulling things over. If Mom could see me now, I had no doubt that she would be so disappointed. But it was my choice. And I’d decided to put my faith in Rocky.
“Daria?”
“Hmm?” I said absentmindedly, turning to Rocky.
“I know that it isn’t easy for you to stay by me. I know what you’re sacrificing, with your mom and everything. I just wanted to say thank you.”
It was times like this that I knew I’d made the right choice. It didn’t matter what people in town said about Rocky. I knew he was the kindest man I’d ever met, and I would stand by him no matter what.
As much as it pained me to admit, I respected Rocky for his determination. And I understood vengeance. I understood a strong desire for retribution, even if that meant hurting people in the process. But I also knew that Rocky needed to rise above it.
In a perfect world, justice would be meted out without revenge, and I knew Rocky could learn to live with that. If only he could realize that not everything was so black and white.
But at the moment, I think Rocky needed something to keep him going, and if this was that something, then I wouldn’t stand in his way.
Chapter Ten
Rocky
I was glad I’d taken Daria to meet Cameron, though she’d been quiet ever since. I knew how she felt about going after Jason Steele and I felt a strange amount of guilt about how I’d roped her into it. Though, selfishly, I was glad I did.
She was moving around in her office, trying to shake off the heat. Usually in this weather, she would come out of the cramped office and sit in the fresh air. Maybe she was still processing?
That didn’t really sound like Daria, though. Once she made up her mind, she was pretty set on it. And I knew without a doubt that now that she’d become as involved as she was, she wouldn’t go back on her word. Still, I couldn’t take the risk that she’d changed her mind or was having second doubts. I knew I had to see if she was still on board with the whole thing. She was part of my life now, whether she liked it or not.
“What’s wrong, Daria?” I asked.
She looked up from the computer, wide-eyed and apparently having not noticed that I’d stepped into her office. That was another indicator something was wrong. She was never that immersed in her work.
She shook her head blankly, lips struggling to form words before she blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s my mom,” she said finally, looking down even as she said it.
I frowned at that. I couldn’t believe that Corinne was so against Daria associating with me. Didn’t she remember how club life used to be? Didn’t she remember how I used to be? It hurt to think she had no trust in me at all anymore, though I supposed I deserved it. After all, I did drag her daughter into a mess that she had no right to be involved in. It had been over a decade since my promise to keep her out of club business, and I’d finally broken my promise. It was irrational, but I’d hold that against myself forever.
“So, she’s still not happy with you?” I asked.
Daria winced and looked away. “I haven’t really told her how involved I am yet. I’m scared she’ll assume the worst. We already have a rocky relationship, I don’t want to tear it apart.”
Damn. That would be rough to explain. I’d assumed that Corinne and Daria would have a strong relationship considering all the things they’d been through together. Though, some people thought that about my dad and I, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I’m sure she’ll understand once you explain. She’s your mother. Besides, talking with Cameron cleared things up for you, why don’t we get your mom to meet up with him too?”
Daria paused for a moment, thinking. “Do you really think that’s a good i
dea?” she asked.
“Well what do you have to lose?”
“I suppose you're right,” she conceded.
Not having thought of it before, I just realized that tomorrow would be the first time I’d see Corinne in years. It was a small town but I still hadn’t been by the diner where she worked, though I definitely should have. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see her or that I’d been too busy because I really could have made time if I wanted.
Frankly, I was scared to see her again. Especially now that I’d gotten her daughter dragged into things that she had no business being dragged into. It wasn’t even entirely club business that I’d dragged her into, though I didn’t know if that was better or worse.