by Khloe Wren
Cindy
I loved Tuesday mornings at Retro Funk. The shop was always quiet this early, so my aunt would hide away in the back after telling me what I should do. Like I didn’t know after working here for the past nineteen years. Within the first week of moving in with Grandma, I’d started to come with her into the store to help out. While I’d still been in school, I came in on the afternoons and weekends, then when I finished up high school, I’d decided against heading off to college. I loved this store and Houston. I hadn’t wanted to leave and hadn’t seen the point. Not when I had a job I loved in a shop I adored.
Retro Funk had been my grandma’s pride and joy. She’d carefully selected every piece of stock she had. From the clothes to the trinkets, it was all a reflection of her heart. And mine. Once I moved in and she saw how much I loved all the retro pin-up stuff, she started getting more of it in. Everyone who lived anywhere near the store knew us both on sight, I was always dressed up like a funky 1950s chick, while Grandma had been a hippy. Until the day she died Grandma had worn her flowing skirts and beads in her hair. I rubbed over the ache in my heart that happened whenever I thought of Grandma. We were kindred spirits and I missed her terribly.
She’d always been so accepting of everyone, no matter who they were. Even knowing that, it had still surprised me at first when she didn’t bat an eyelash at me suddenly deciding to move in with her. I never could bring myself to tell her about the threats I’d been getting. My parents and even the cops didn’t take them seriously, I wouldn’t have been able to handle my grandmother saying the same thing. I’m sure she realized something was going on, but she never asked me about it. Nope, she just opened her arms wide and welcomed me home.
I blinked away the tears that pricked my eyes. I missed her so much. She’d been gone for twelve years now, but time didn’t lessen the pain of my grief. Losing Grandma had hit me hard, and before I could even really begin to process it, certain family members decided it was best to sell Grandma’s house as quickly as possible, leaving me homeless. To top that off, I got informed that her will revealed that, despite the fact I’d worked alongside Grandma six days a week since I’d finished high school and she knew I loved the store, she hadn’t left it to me. Mom tried to explain to me that it was because Grandma loved me and wanted me to live my life and follow my dreams, not get stuck living hers. When Mom had seen how upset over it I was, she’d managed to convince my other aunt and uncles that Grandma would have wanted me to have the option to work in the store as long as I wanted to.
Honestly, I didn’t fully understand how that side of it all worked, whether my Aunt Skye signed some kind of contract when she took over Retro Funk or what. I’d asked her more than once, but she always refused to answer. Clearly, it meant my aunt couldn’t fire me. Unfortunately, it hadn’t stopped her from cutting my hours back. At a guess, she wanted me to quit and just leave her to it, but I refused. Even if I only got one and a half days a week, I was going to make the most of it, spending every moment I could in this place that reminded me of Grandma.
I’d been twenty-four years old when all that had happened. I’d been on Her Royal Hellions derby team for a couple years by then and thankfully, they’d already fully accepted me into their little derby family. I was still grateful for that when I’d gone to them feeling completely devastated about the turn my life had just taken. That I’d suddenly found myself with a double dilemma, I’d needed somewhere to live and another job. The girls had jumped to help me out. Renee offered me the spare room in her apartment, where I still lived, and they told me about Titanium for the first time.
Before that day, I’d heard the girls mention the club’s name on occasion, but I’d had no clue what type of club it was or what went on there. I’d been so excited to seemingly have all my problems solved at once, I honestly didn’t give a damn what type of club it was! Natalie, who had already been our team captain even back then, owned Titanium, and she’d mentioned she needed a reliable bartender at the club. Before she’d take my answer on the job offer, she’d told me I had to come with her for a private tour. I hadn’t realized until later that I’d been basically the only Hellion who wasn’t a member. I’d also had no clue what BDSM was. Not only had I not had sex since leaving Johnny, but I hadn’t had any intimacy at all. I couldn’t risk it and my stalker seeing. Not after the damage to my car after that one date when all we did was have a quick kiss at the end of the night. I shuddered to think what he’d do if I tried anything like that again. The note he’d left had been very clear things would escalate if I continued to defy him.
As requested, I’d gone in after hours with Natalie and she’d walked me around the entire club and answered all my questions. She’d told me that as an employee, I would also be a member and I was welcome to play in the club whenever I wasn’t working. But there was no pressure―if I wanted to stay behind the bar and never play, that was fine too. It would be completely up to me. I’d told her I was simply happy to have a job, and I’d kept my ass planted firmly behind the bar all these years, even though I often got asked to scene with various Doms. After so many years, I’d heard all sorts of rumors about why I didn’t date or scene at all.
Aunt Skye clearing her throat pulled me from my trip down memory lane. Shaking my head, I turned to face her and my mind spun while my blood froze in my veins, forcing me to grip the counter for balance. Because she wasn’t alone. Nope, he’d tracked me down. Dammit. Johnny was standing beside Aunt Skye, looking at me with an indulgent look in his gaze, like he’d known my mind had been wandering. My aunt’s expression wasn’t nearly as nice. She looked peeved off that I’d been lost in thought. Nothing unusual there.
“This young man is here to see you, Cindy. Why don’t you take your lunch break early?”
Yeah, because heaven forbid I talk on the job. Aunt Skye was nothing like my grandmother, and it made me miss her all the more. Forgetting about my stalker for the moment, and needing to get away from my aunt and her bullshit for a while, I readily agreed and headed out the door with Johnny by my side.
“Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be.”
“Don’t get too excited. You caught me when I really needed a break, and this has to look like we’re just friends catching up. So don’t try any funny business. I can’t risk it.”
He chuckled and reached for my hand as if I’d not said a word. With a growl I pulled mine out of his reach. “I’m serious, Johnny. You can’t do shit like that, it’s dangerous.”
He stayed silent as we walked further up the street. Without touching me, he indicated I go ahead of him into a small cafe. Once inside, I followed him as he made his way to an empty table against the back wall. As I moved between the tables, I noticed that there were a few other men wearing the same vest as Johnny, sitting at the tables around the one he chose for us. There seemed to be Charons everywhere in here and it had me nervous. What the fuck was he playing at?
“What the hell is going on, Johnny? What is this?”
What was he planning? Was he going to snatch me and take me away or something? I tried to back away but he reached over and shackled my wrist in his hand and pulled me closer to him.
“No one calls me Johnny anymore, I go by Nitro now. And relax, I’m not trying to pull shit with you here. With how you acted in Austin, I figured you might be in some sort of trouble. That, together with what you said to me when we walked out of your shop confirms my suspicions. I came to find you today to get you to tell me what’s going on so I can fix it. My club brothers came with me to make sure you stay safe while that happens, nothing more. I promise.”
That had my stomach twisted into tight knots. I didn’t want to tell him anything. As much as I hoped he’d be like Natalie and believe me, what if he wasn’t? I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing a look of rejection in his eyes. I needed to get out of here, away from him before I caved. I’d been lonely for so long now, I knew deep inside it wouldn’t take much for him to get under my skin again, t
o have me telling him, giving him, everything he asked for. I tried to twist my wrist free from his tight grip, but he wouldn’t budge. His hand tightened on me, not enough to hurt but enough to make it clear I wasn’t going anywhere until he decided to let me go.
“Stop trying to run off, babe. Just sit down with me and we’ll have lunch. That’s all I’m asking for.”
No it wasn’t. He was asking for more so much more. He wanted my secrets. So he can protect you. My subconscious had always been Team Johnny. Maybe I could give him just a little of the truth and see how he reacted. If he looked like he was going to be like my mom, I’d stop talking and walk out of here. I was sure if I started to cause enough of a scene, he’d let me go. Because if he did follow my Mom’s lead, I didn’t want him back in my life. But if he was instead like Natalie, it might be nice to have someone like him in my corner for once. Maybe, just maybe, it was time for me to take a risk and attempt to start living my life again.
Chapter 3
Nitro
The flush that rose in her cheeks as she tried to free her hand from my grip had me wanting to grin, but I fought it down, not wanting to frustrate her any more than I already had. But damn, she was still the sexiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Fuck, I wanted to strip her out of her pin-up outfit right now and claim her for my own again. Wanted to get my hands and mouth onto her, get my cock deep inside her. Because, fuck it all, but this woman was mine. Always had been, always would be.
When she still hadn’t made a move to sit down, I shifted my grip onto her hand, lifting it so I could kiss the backs of her fingers. A shudder ran through me as I inhaled her scent, fresh and floral, just like it had been back in school. She must still use the same body wash even all these years later. My cock, which had been hard since the moment I saw her standing in the middle of Retro Funk staring off into space, jerked behind the fly of my jeans, growing even harder and begging for some attention. Unfortunately, since there was no way for me to rearrange things discretely, I was just going to have to put up with the discomfort for the moment. I wasn’t sure how Cin would handle knowing how desperate I was for her, but considering how skittish she was, I didn’t think it would go over well. Her behavior also made me even more determined to get her to tell me what was going on. Something that became more likely to happen when, with a sigh, she finally gave in and sat down. I followed suit, and sat opposite her at the little table I’d led us to. Not wanting to waste any more time, I asked what I wanted to know.
“Why did you really leave Bridgewater all those years ago? Does it have something to do with what has you running scared now?”
Her eyes welled with moisture, leaving me wincing. Fuck it all, maybe I should have eased into the questions rather than jumping straight in. Ah well, too late now. But I needed to get her to understand she could tell me anything, that I’d handle whatever it was.
“Cin, I’m not an eighteen year old kid anymore, I’ve spent ten years in the Navy, as a SEAL. I’m a member of the Charon MC. And every one of my club brothers will help me keep you safe, I just need you to lean on me. Let me help you, tell me what’s got you scared to live your life.”
An extremely brave waitress chose that moment to interrupt us, and after we both ordered the special, which I ordered without having a fucking clue about what it was, she left us to it.
“So many haven’t believed it.”
Her voice was small, almost a whisper.
“You know me better than that, you know I’ll always believe you. Well, except if you tell me you’re fine, that I won’t believe. Nor will I leave you alone.”
She shook her head as she looked up and blinked rapidly. Dammit, I didn’t want to make her cry. The waitress brought over two glasses of iced tea before leaving us again.
“I have no idea who it is. Never have.”
My heart started to ache. I’d been right, dammit. Someone was fucking with her, and she’d been suffering through it with no fucking help all these years. I pushed down my anger that she’d not trusted me with what was going on back then, because from here on out, she was going to fucking trust me with it.
“What happened that July, when you broke up with me and left town?”
She glanced around us. My gaze followed hers and I knew my brothers at the table closest to us were the only ones who might hear what she said. The others were out of ear shot, not that it mattered. If they did hear, they wouldn’t let on. And if they didn’t, they’d be hearing the story from me at church.
“After the car accident, I got a note. It had been hand delivered to the mailbox at home. It said they’d caused the accident and that if I didn’t cut all ties with you, worse would happen. I told Mom about it and she told me it was a prank, to ignore it.” My heart clenched when she paused to use her napkin to dab at her eyes. “The next one was in my locker at school. That was on the day Whiskers died.”
I winced as I remembered that day. She’d been so upset when she’d told me she couldn’t see me anymore. I’d figured she’d just been overwhelmed with her parents’ accident and the loss of her pet, I didn’t take her request seriously. I loved her, and wanted to be there for her, not leave her hanging when she was so clearly hurting, so I’d refused to accept her leaving me.
“That’s why you left? Because I refused to allow you to break up with me?”
Her body shuddered as she pressed the napkin to both her eyes, hiding her face from me. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath, before she lowered the paper and lifted her red-rimmed eyes to mine.
“It sounds fucking stupid when you say it like that, but I was a kid. No one would believe me. Mom said cats got hit all the time by cars, that the notes were just some bully being cruel and screwing with me. The police agreed with her. I did the only thing I could think to do, and that was getting the hell out of town. With Mom being so busy, it wasn’t hard to convince her and Dad to let me move up to Houston to live with Grandma.”
“And did you get more notes after the move?”
She nodded her head before she reached for her glass of iced tea.
“It was years later before I got brave enough to risk going out on a date. We went out for a nice dinner, but the entire night I was so nervous that my stalker would do something. He ruined the night without having to lift a finger. My date gave me a brief kiss at the end of the night and I never heard from him again. Then, the next morning I discovered my car had been keyed up both sides―I had to park out on the street when I lived with Grandma―and another note was in the mailbox. He was still watching. Well, at least I assume it’s a man. I guess it could be a woman. I’ve honestly got no fucking idea.”
The waitress turned up with our food and I used the time to try to get my temper under control. This bastard had been fucking with her for nearly twenty years. She’d had basically no life outside of work thanks to his stalker bullshit.
“He leaves you alone at roller derby games?”
She picked at the fries that came with her burger for a few moments. “I’ve never received a note from him about it, so I guess he doesn’t have a problem with me being close to other women. He doesn’t seem to have an issue with me working at Titanium either, although I suspect that’s more because he’s not found his way inside, but I could be wrong.”
Her face flushed again and I didn’t think it was anger that had her suddenly very interested in her burger.
“What kind of place is Titanium?”
She just shook her head as she chewed, refusing to answer my question. Interesting. Guess I’d have to get that one out of her later.
“Do you really think you’ll be able to catch this guy?”
Of course I did. In fact, her lack of faith in me was a little insulting, to be honest, but I didn’t get mad at her over it. She didn’t know who’d I’d become since high school.
“Hell yeah, I do. One of my brothers, Keys, is really good on a computer. He’s going to be setting up some cameras outside of your apartment building
and he’s hacked access to the feeds on the cameras outside Retro Funk, Titanium and where you train for your derby thing. We’re going to keep watch for anyone who shows up at all three places more often than they should. I’m also going to have a couple of the prospects hang around near you at all times―”
She held a palm up to stop me talking as she finished her mouthful.
“Seriously? What the fuck? Not to mention all the laws this friend of yours has just broken, I will not be made to feel like a... a science experiment that is being constantly examined!”
Shocked that she’d see things that way, I tried to gentle my tone. “Cindy, isn’t that how this bastard has made you feel for the last what―nineteen years? This will only be for a little while, just until we catch this fucker. I will make sure you stay safe, babe, so you can start living your life again. Whoever this is, has stolen more than enough from us both. I won’t let them take any more.”
She went from looking hopeful to defeated. “But the cops won’t believe us, even if we do catch him doing something.”
I couldn’t prevent the feral grin that spread over my lips. “Babe, you grew up in Bridgewater. You know what my club is capable of. It won’t matter a lick what the police think, justice will be served. I can guarantee you that.”
With that, I let the topic drop and began to eat my lunch. Throughout the rest of the meal our conversation stayed light. She told me stories about her derby family and I shared a few stories from both my Navy days and my Charon family. I hoped like hell when all this was over that she’d be moving back to Bridgewater with me. I needed her in my life. She was the missing puzzle piece that had prevented me from truly being content, no matter what I did.