The old clunker that she dreaded driving was sitting there with the keys in the ignition. It wasn’t like anyone wanted to steal such a piece of crap. Kim climbed inside and flinched at the awful noise it made as it started and the grinding of the garage door as it came open. She hoped that Spencer was as heavy of a sleeper still as he had been as a kid or she would never find out who had sent her the message or what they wanted to tell her. And she had a sinking feeling that Spencer wouldn’t approve at all of what she was doing.
Luckily, she made it out without incident. It wasn’t a long drive to the bar where all of the MC’s activities were held, and she was surprised to see it abandoned beyond one lonely motorcycle. As she stepped out of the car, she felt a chill that didn’t go alone with the way the weather was at the moment. She clearly hadn’t thought things through. What if it was a trick and she was going to get hurt? After all, her father had been killed because of something the MC did.
But as she stepped through the back door it was way too late to worry or debate about it. She wasn’t about to turn back without the information she wanted, and she had no weapon of any kind to speak of. She would have to trust that whoever sent the text meant well.
Kim looked through every room down the hall until she stepped into the bar area which was barely lit up with the security lights. There stood the last person she expected to see there standing against the bar. Kim felt anger welling up inside of her. She was ready to burst. “How dare you lure me here to warn me off from a guy!” she called out angrily as Diesel turned to face her. “Where is she?” Kim demanded when he didn’t respond immediately.
“Where is who? Diesel asked, looking at her with a confused expression, it just field her fire.
“Where is your wife?” she screeched, certain that it was a trick she devised. “This is clearly some kind of trick so that she can tear my eyes out like some rabid cat.” Kim began looking around in every logical and illogical place for Sophia. She no longer wanted any answers from Diesel. He was clearly lying to get her there and torture her more. But as she found no one else there she become more unsure about that by the second.
Diesel grabbed her by the arm and halted her, spinning her around to look at him. “I don’t have a wife,” he said simply.” Kim shook her head, not willing to be duped. “Sophia and I have been divorced for a few months now and separated for longer than that.” Kim wasn’t sure how to take the news especially after all she had gone through in the past few hours to get over him and stay away since he was a married man. The whole reason she was there had become twisted, and she just stared at him blankly.
“So you aren’t married?” she asked so soft she could barely hear her own voice.
“No, definitely not,” he told her scratching his head. He seemed just as confused as her. Kim could feel herself losing her mind and losing control over her action. Her body involuntarily leaned forward, and her lips lightly touched his. Her heart swelled at just the tiny taste, and she was hooked. She felt like she could die happy as his musky scent filled her nose and he didn’t back away from her.
“So, sharing parents wasn’t enough for you, was it?” a familiar voice bellowed from somewhere else inside the bar. Kim looked around until her eyes met with Spencer’s. he had followed her there somehow, and she felt instantly like a criminal. Then, as she recovered, she realized what Spencer had just said.
“Wait, does that mean…” she trailed off as Diesel picked up the rest of the sentence.
“Spencer is my step brother.”
Chapter 1
Kim's cab pulled up to a large two story house in an older suburban neighborhood. She sighed as she stared out the window, dreading getting out. Most of the people she was about to have to pretend to smile and be happy about being around she hadn't even since she was about ten. She still wasn't sure how she's been "forced" into attending the family reunion of sorts by her grandfather. Sure, he'd somehow had someone come and change the locks and had Spencer pack a bag for her to set on the front steps. That had been the worst part; having to face him after he'd caught her kissing Diesel, who was also apparently his step brother. Kim still couldn’t figure that one out, and she wasn't sure her brain was ready to. So many things had happened in the past three days that she could barely keep up with it herself, and yet here she was instead of figuring things out, about to be bombarded by kisses from a bunch of old women that probably still thought of her as a child to smear their red lipstick on.
The fact that she was in a different country than Diesel made her uneasy as well. She didn’t even know if anything was really between them, and she doubted her absence was really going to make his heart grow fonder after everything that had transpired between them.
"Yo, miss!" the unattractive cabbie who was smacking gum like a little girl called rudely from the front. "The ride ends here." She shot him a glare and grumbled before daring to open her door, pulling her one piece of luggage behind her up the walkway. The cabbie drove off with squealing tires, and she took one more glance back before preceding up to the door to ring the bell.
For the fact that they were only in Chicago, the house had an awfully southern feel; like something that would have belonged on a large plantation a long time ago. It was Don's cousin June and her family that actually lived in the house. All she had left of family were them and distance cousins and great aunts. She had her mother’s family somewhere out there too, but it wasn't a big or caring one. If she thought about it, she realized it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be attending, but it was just plain bad timing. Worst of all, Spencer had been invited for some odd reason. A few fleeting thoughts had crossed her mind since the incident with the step brothers that maybe she should have been more vigilant earlier on about hoe close she had allowed Spencer to get to her and her family when they were younger. But she also knew that it was an awful thought. Until her obsession with Diesel she hadn't thought twice about being with Spencer. There had been nothing wrong with the idea besides her having only thought of him as a friend previously.
Kim heard someone holler from the inside that the door was unlocked, so she took a deep breath to prepare herself for what was ahead. She popped open the door and dragged her feet and bag inside timidly, closing the door quietly behind her. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen and dining room, so she swung around to the right and peeked her head around the corner. As foo on cue, everyone stopped talking and turned to look at her. She shot daggers at her grandfather, knowing instantly that they’d been talking about her. He must have told them about why she was having to be there and what had been going on. Hopefully he was at least kind enough not to discuss what had happened in Seattle. Being treated like a child was humiliating enough.
Her Great Aunt Marina and Cousin Alice recovered quickly and came up to her to begin the kissing fest, leaving streaks if old lady lipstick all over her cheek. They were both large women, and their soft bodies squashed hard against her making her feel like a piece of cheese on a sandwich. “Look at you all pretty and grown up!” her Aunt Marina squealed, looking her up and down, making her spin circles. She had at least had the sense to cover up her stomach and cleavage before she had gone down to see them. She figured it was going to go something like this. So, she’d settled for some torn jeans and a black tee shirt.
“Think she’s still got a little bit to go, though,” Don commented gruffly, pulling at his jeans. Kim made it clear with her face that she was not happy with the way he was behaving. It seemed perhaps that he was the one acting like a child.
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. We all know what happens when you grow up too quickly. You get old and bitter like that one over there,” Cousin Alice commented, making Kim smile a little. She had forgotten how much she liked Alice. She had always been so funny. It had been her favorite thing to be babysat by her when they had all lived in Montreal. Kim couldn’t say what had made them all pack up and go to America to live. Maybe it was the fact that Aunt Marina’s childr
en all lived and worked in the United states and she wanted to be near to them.
In fact, it was them that filled up the rest of the room; some of them with their own kids running all over the place. And there was no sign of Spence yet, so she was glad for that. She wasn’t mentally prepared for that just yet. Suddenly feeling exhausted from all the effort she took to get through the greetings with a straight face. “Can one of you maybe show me where I’ll be staying?” she asked, looking between them and trying not to cry or break down. She had begun thinking again about Diesel and Spencer and how hard it was going to be to decide what the right path was. And that was if she even still had options after everything that had gone down.
“Oh, of course. Let me show you,” Aunt Marina offered, taking the lead up the stairs. For a woman in her late sixties she was extremely agile, taking the stairs just as quickly as Kim could. Kim followed her to the left and to the second door which led them past a small guest bathroom. She could also see that across the way was a den of sorts with a second small kitchen. That was why they had bought the house is to be able to have so many people over.
“Here you are. Make yourself at home!” Aunt Marina said cheerily before running back down the stairs, probably to check on whatever they had cooking. Kim shut the bedroom door behind her and plopped down on the small guest bed. Staring at the ceiling, she found herself deep in thought about the pros and cons. It surprised her because she wasn’t that type of girl. She always followed what she felt and was able to make spontaneous choices. But this time was so different when the well-being of her family and other hearts were involved.
On the one hand she’d grown up with Spencer and knew exactly what to expect with him. He was nice and there for her, and her family already knew him and loved him. The odds on that one were in her favor, and her grandfather would stop being so rude and controlling if she just chose Spencer.
But there was something about Diesel that just called to her. She realized that everyone around her thought he was dangerous, and there was some serious baggage since his ex-wife still hung around. However, no one would tell her what they meant by him being dangerous, and the only thing she’d seem wrong with him was that he put up walls for some reason. That was why he had been so rude to her before. Being around him and remembering that kiss made her feel like her body was filled with electricity. He was sexy and exciting. He had a powerful tug at her heart and her body that she may never be able to develop with a boy she was used to seeing as her best friend.
With those thoughts she drifted to sleep without even noticing until a knock came at her door. “We’re about to set the table honey, if you’d like to come down!” It was Alice’s sweet voice drifting through the door as Kim sat up and oriented herself. Feeling like it was just family, she finger-brushed her hair and wiped at the makeup that had spread down to her cheeks before coming down the stairs. Laughter and talking filled the air once more, and it seemed that this time she was not the topic of discussion. In fact, whatever was going on had people cackling and super excited.
“What’s going on?” Kim asked as she strode into the kitchen to see how she might help. Then, she froze in her tracks. Standing there next to her Aunt by the stove was none other than Spencer, laughing and joking with everyone as if the situation wasn’t awkward at all.
“Well, hey there,” Spencer said from across the room; his eyes shining as he looked at her. The smile on his face was wide but shy, and it confused her. The last time she had seen him, he was more than pissed at her. He barely wanted to acknowledge that he cared about her any longer. He practically had thrown her bag at her.
“Hi,” she said with a curt wave, unable to look at him as she did. She wanted to run and hide but knew it would just cause a scene.
“You two kids crack me up. You’ve loved each other since you were kids. I think you can muster a better greeting then that.” Aunt Marina hit him in the back with a spatula, forcing him to walk forward towards her. Spencer’s amused chuckle reached her ears as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. She could barely get her arms to do anything but lay limply across his back. She felt her heart skip a beat and then race unnaturally as her mouth became dry. He finally pulled away and then walked into the other room. She let out a sigh of relief that she hoped nobody noticed.
“See, now how hard was that?” Aunt Marina asked while pursing her lips before everyone began to filter out into the dining room. Kim was the last to follow, watching Aunt Marina’s eyes on the way out. The woman looked like she was on a mission, and Kim was almost positive she knew what that mission had to do with.
Chapter 2
It was dark outside, and Kim had changed into a pair of sweatpants and put her hair up in a bun. Most of the younger guests were either gone to their own houses or playing upstairs in the den while her aunts and cousins and grandfather all played card games in the living room and laughed about the good old days. She hadn’t seen Spencer since dinner, which had been torture for her. Hints were continuously dropped about the fact that they all wanted to see her and Spencer together, and Spencer had looked rather smug at that turn of events. Kim couldn’t remember ever being truly angry at Spencer before, but she supposed there was a first time for everything.
Worst of all was that he seemed to still be avoiding her beyond large social groupings. He wouldn’t even look at her if they passed by each other. She wanted answers, and she wanted her friend back So, she decided she was going to find a way to get that.
She walked to the sliding glass door that led out to the backyard and peeked outside. She could see Spencer sitting out there, watching Alice’s little terrier run around to his heart’s content. Kim glanced back to make sure no one was paying attention in case they might come listen in before sliding the door open and shut very carefully. Spencer turned around to see who had joined him and then scowled before turning back around. Kim felt her face getting hot and her hands shaking with nerves, but she knew she had to do what she was about to do.
“Spencer,” she said, stepping in front of him, trying to sound commanding. She really just felt like a little mouse in front of a large cat, though. “We have got to talk about things at some point or they will never get better. You owe me as many explanations as I owe you.” She said the last part with confidence, her nostrils flaring.
Spencer shook his head and sighed. “I know you’re right, Kim and that you’re trying. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with any of this. And I don’t need any explanations from you. Your lips on his seemed to be pretty clear to me. Don’t worry about our family. Most of them will forget about it in a couple weeks when you aren’t around to tease anymore.” His words came out with anger, but she could tell that he was feeling hurt and vulnerable. He was just getting defensive, and she felt so guilty for being the cause of her best friend’s pain.
“I’m glad things seem to be so cut and dry for you, Spencer. I’m surprised things haven’t turned out badly before now. How could I be so close to you and not know this side of you?” she asked coldly, placing her hands on her hips. By the startled look in his eyes, Kim could tell she finally had his attention.
“What is it you want from me, Kim?” He sounded so strained when he said it, and he ran his hands through his black hair in a stressed manner. She still found it hard to believe anyone could be so worked up over her.
“The first thing I want is an explanation of how the two of you could be stepbrothers and why you never mentioned it before. Then, we can get into what you were originally wanting to tell me about Diesel; what it is that you thought was so bad because the both of you seem to think that the other is dangerous. It’s only fair I find out why.” Kim was feeling stronger and more determined by the minute.
“Diesel thinks I’m dangerous?” Kim caught a hint of amusement in his question and took a step closer, snapping her fingers in front of his face. She didn’t like the way he was delaying. For a moment, an angry expression crossed his face that looked more frightening t
han she ever believed Spencer could be capable of. He snatched her hand, and she wondered what he was about to do. But he ended up kissing it and then just holding it there. The desperation in his eyes made her think twice about pulling it away. Maybe it would help her make her decision if she just let him be affectionate.
“My mother is not my birth mother, Kim. I’m pretty sure I mentioned it to you once. My birth mother had some problems with drugs and things and ran out on us a long time ago when I was really little. I met you right after my step mother and father got married. She also had a child from another marriage; that’s Diesel. He came for very rare visits during the summer or once or twice on Christmas, I think, but that was it. He lived with his father most of his childhood until he started getting into a lot of trouble. My mother being the loving forgiver she is, was happy to take him in when he was about fifteen or so. I didn’t like him or sharing him very much, so I just never talked about him with you. And he mostly kept to himself. Then, he started getting into big trouble and eventually landed himself in jail at 17. After another string of crimes, he finally came crawling back to my mother and father for help at around age 19 or 20, and my father decided he’d make a good member of The Shadows. Our connection is really that simple. He quickly became the favorite even though he didn’t live with us, and he worked his way up at the MC doing deplorable things. It’s one thing to partake in some creative accounting or provide drinks to these people, but to actually participate in the debauchery directly… And he seems to have no qualms about it. Being involved with him is bad for you and dangerous. The people he deals with and pisses off could easily harm you or him.”
Kim lightly tugged her hand away as he finished and looked at him thoughtfully. She felt like he truly believed the things he was saying, but they were clearly tainted by jealousy that went much farther back than herself. She had to find a way to hear both sides before she could decipher and decide anything about who she would trust or want to be with. “Thank you for that, Spencer. I appreciate it. I have a lot of thinking to do, and I think it’s only fair I ask you for one more thing, though you may not want to give it.” Kim rubbed her hands together nervously, understanding what his reaction would probably be. “I need you to give me a way to contact Diesel. It’s the only way I’m going to be able to make a fair decision between the two of you.” She closed her eyes and waited for his anger to come, but it never did.
BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) Page 5