by Sadie Savage
“Well, maybe saving you was payment for bringing me lunch before!” Arrow
exclaimed.
They both paused and then burst into laughter as the absurdity of the thought took hold.
“Maybe things don’t always have to be a competition,” Ari said. “I don’t want to feel like you’re always keeping track of everything we do. We should start out even and stay that way.”
Arrow’s eyes rest upon her and a hot jolt of desire flooded Ari’s body. She looked quickly away, trying to fight the strange new feeling. She had never felt so strongly for anybody before in her life. What was going on?
“Well then, I guess we get a fresh start with each other then,” Arrow said quietly. “I like fresh starts.”
Something in the way he said it made Ari study him closely. Was there something that he wasn’t telling her? But before she had the chance to ask, a waitress came over to their table and smiled broadly.
“What can I get you to start out with? Drinks? Are you ready to order?”
“Just water,” Arrow said.
“Iced tea,” Ari said. “And I want a cheeseburger. The biggest one you got.”
“Well, don’t be modest, now,” Arrow teased. Ari grinned.
“And fries,” she added.
The waitress nodded.
“And how about yourself, Arrow? The usual?”
Arrow nodded and handed the menus to the waitress, who hurried off to the kitchen. Arrow watched her for a moment, and a flicker of jealousy surged through Ari.
“A friend of yours?” she asked.
The waitress was pretty. Really pretty. And about ten years older than Ari.
“I guess you could say that,” Arrow said, his eyes now on hers, revealing nothing.
Ari shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t like the idea of Arrow being with any woman he wanted. He was a handsome man. He shouldn’t use that to take advantage of women.
“Nothing has ever happened between us if that’s what you’re really asking,” Arrow said, his voice soft and rumbling from across the table. “I don’t know her outside of this diner. She brings me food every week. I call her Rachel but her nametag says Mary. It’s an inside joke. That’s about the extent of it.”
She felt comforted despite herself, and embarrassed that Arrow seemed to be able to sense her jealousy.
“You can do whatever you want,” Ari said, sulking, though it was clear that she didn’t want him to do whatever with whomever.
Did that mean she wanted him to do those things just with her? The thought brought a deep flush to her cheeks.
“I know,” Arrow said, grinning. “And I do. At least, with permission. Sometimes I used to get a little bit out of control though.”
“Out of control?” Ari asked.
Arrow sighed and looked down at his hands.
“I -”
“Here’s your water, Arrow.”
“Thanks, Rachel,” Arrow said with a wink. Mary laughed a little too hard, and Ari glowered. It was obvious she was interested in Arrow. She didn’t have to be so overt about it.
“And your iced tea.”
“Thanks,” Ari said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Your food will be out in a few minutes,” Mary said.
Arrow nodded, and the table fell into a long silence.
“Anyway,” Ari said. “The iced tea is good.”
Arrow nodded. “Most things here are good.”
After what seemed like a long stretch of silence, the waitress finally brought out their food, and Ari was shocked by how good it was. Arrow hadn’t been exaggerating; she hadn’t eaten out in a long time but when she did, she always went where her uncle wanted to go. And they had never gone here.
They ate, tentatively making conversation. Ari was embarrassed by the way her jealousy had come out, and Arrow was probably embarrassed for her, which made it even worse. He was old enough to be her dad, really, so wouldn’t knowing about her feelings make him uncomfortable? He sure was acting that way.
“What do you think?” Arrow finally said, his eyes flashing as he looked at Ari.
Another unwanted wave of heat surged through her. This was a much, much older man. Why was she feeling this way? She should have just stayed home. She didn’t know anything about Arrow. What if he tried to take advantage of her? And was it really taking advantage if that was what she wanted…?
“What do I think of what?” Ari asked, feeling oddly defensive despite the innocent nature of the question.
It was her own fault that she was feeling so strongly about Arrow. That didn’t mean she should be taking it out on him? It was shocking how quickly things could move from bad to worse.
“The food, kid,” Arrow said, looking at her almost as if she were stupid. But it was a look that made her laugh; she didn’t feel insulted at all. “What do you think of the food?”
“Oh, the good was great. I really like it. You were right about this being the best. I’ve never gone out for better, though I could make it.”
“You cook a lot, huh?” asked Arrow.
For some reason, the expression in his eyes seemed sad and Ari looked down at her hands uncomfortably.
“I do,” Ari said. “It’s just my way of showing people I care.”
Arrow studied her for a moment, his expression hard to read, and then smiled. “Well, I think that’s a sweet trait about you.”
“Thanks,” Ari said quietly.
They had both finished eating by then and Ari glanced at her watch.
“We should probably get back. My uncle will be wondering where I am if he’s back before I am. I don’t want to…”
“To get in trouble?” Arrow said darkly, his eyes flashing.
“I don’t want to worry him,” Ari lied.
But Arrow was right. She didn’t want to rock the boat with her uncle any further than it already was; it would just cause problems.
“Well, then we should get you back,” Arrow said, standing with a long stretch.
Ari tried to avert her eyes from his muscular abdomen, but when Arrow turned away and walked to the counter to pay for the meals, she took a long, hard look at him. The man was gorgeous. There was no getting around the fact. She had never been more attracted to someone in her life.
But it was wrong. She couldn’t let herself feel this way about a man she barely knew. Let alone a man old enough to have a daughter her age. It just wasn’t proper. Besides, she had plenty to deal with without having any kind of relationship on her plate.
“You ready?” Arrow asked when he finally returned.
“Yeah,” Ari said quietly, following Arrow out the door.
They drove quietly and Ari glanced over at Arrow, whose serious face was impossible to read. When they arrived back to the ranch, they stood on the porch together for a few moments. Although it felt as if the silence between them was a bad thing, somehow she felt comfortable despite it.
“So, what do you have left to do in there?” Arrow asked.
Ari knew that she shouldn’t answer, but she couldn’t help herself. Whenever he looked at her, she felt as if it was important to reciprocate whatever it was that he was giving. There was just something about him that she wanted to be near at all times.
“Well, now that I don’t have to make my own dinner, I was thinking about cleaning up the kitchen. My uncle ate not long before I came in to buy my junk food for the night.”
Ari and Arrow laughed together over this, and Arrow cocked his head.
“Do you want some help in there? I’m pretty good with a broom.”
“My uncle hates it when people are over here. And he did tell me specifically not to let anybody inside.”
“So, he’s the boss of you in?” Arrow asked, his voice deeply disgusted.
Possibly more disgusted than the situation called for, in Ari’s opinion.
“Not exactly, but I do like to respect my elders,” Ari said, glaring up at him. “You should be grateful for that.”
A
rrow pursed his lips and grinned at her. “You want yourself missy,” he said. “You don’t want to unleash a beast on yourself now do you?”
Ari studied him, another rush of heat spreading throughout her loins. Why did she feel so strongly toward this man? He was sweet, kind, and had saved her from Pete, to name a few different reasons. And not only that, but he was ridiculously handsome, even if it did look like he meant it when he said there was a beast inside of him. Somehow, instead of scaring her, it thrilled her deeply.
“Honestly?” Ari said quietly. “I’m not sure I don’t.”
She surprised herself, and Arrow too, by walking up to him and kissing him softly on the cheek.
“Good night.”
Arrow froze under her lips, and she heard him mutter “Good night” as she disappeared inside the house, closing the door firmly behind her. She sighed heavily; her heart was racing, and all she wanted to do was open the door again and look into Arrow’s eyes one last time before the night was over. But she was terrified of the way that he made her feel. She wanted to be safe, and she wanted to be cared for, but could a man like arrow truly care for her? He seemed like he had secrets of his own, and she couldn’t get herself away to him. Whether he was young or old, not if there wasn’t complete honesty between them.
Ari sighed and walked into the kitchen, to begin cleaning up the house for when her uncle came back home. It was a sad and lonely life, to be condemned only to staying in the house and doing as her uncle wished of her to do, but it was the only way that she could make this work, at least for now. It wasn’t as if she could kick her uncle out or anything. He wasn’t a terrible person; just because he got into some bad tempers every once in a while, that didn’t mean that she should be too hard on him. Even if a man like arrow could sympathize.
And so, she spent the rest of the night alone, cleaning and trying her best not to think about the strong, muscular arms that could be wrapped around her right that moment. After all, it couldn’t happen anyway, could it?
Chapter 9
Ari didn’t know it, but Arrow was outside of her house, pacing back and forth. He wanted nothing more than to stay right there, lurking in the shadows so that he could jump out at Hawk and terrorize him the way that he seemed to be terrorizing his innocent niece. And the worst part about it, was that she didn’t even realize what a horrible person that her uncle was.
In order for her to fully know the truth, Arrow would have to be honest with her about his addiction. For some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. There was something so pure and innocent about her. He didn’t want to find that she was just like the other people in the town, the ones who would drop him at a moment’s notice if they ever associated the label of “addict” with his face. Whether he was clean or not, he was tainted by his past, and his reputation was all he had.
Being with Ari was refreshing, because she had no idea what his past was like. He could be with her and talk to her about anything without her feeling like he was just trying to butter her up for drug money or try and make himself sounds like some kind of a martyr when he was really just another asshole who would do whatever he needed to in order to get what he wanted. That wasn’t the life that he wanted anymore, and it made him feel very unhappy to be stuck with such a label, especially when it came to the MC.
His friends there were more like friends than brothers ever since his addiction had been at its worst. He longed for that sense of familial comfort with his MC. He was used to having everybody’s backs and knowing that everybody there would have his back as well. But ever since she had come back, that fact had been a little bit up in the air and difficult for him to believe.
It was hard to care for someone who made such selfish and terrible decisions; he knew that better than anybody. But he couldn’t help but hope that there was some way that he could make up for it. Unfortunately, telling Ari about his addiction was the only way that she would ever understand what kind of a monster her uncle truly was. And that meant that the way she saw him would change indefinitely and he would be left with nothing. Not even her friendship.
What was it that he cared so much about this girl? Sure, she was sweet as sugar and had the most dazzling eyes that he had ever seen, but she was practically a child. A child who knew Hawk and would do anything to protect him. Even if she didn’t know what kind of a person he was, that was still her family. There was still a chance that she would go out of her way to defend him and take Hawk’s side over Arrow’s any time. He knew how strong the bond between family could be, and he wasn’t going to joke with himself and try and pretend that Ari wasn’t a liability when it came to his search for justice.
Even if she wasn’t just a kid, it would be hard for him to reconcile opening up to her about his past. She might not even believe him and then his cover would be blown at half would know that he was there watching his every move. They still didn’t have enough information to take him out yet, but they would. And after Arrow gave him the beating of a lifetime, the Pythons were going to come out and bring their friend and law enforcement to put that piece of shit away for the rest of his natural born life.
A sudden pair of headlights began to head toward him from down the road, and Arrow cursed under his breath. He climbed into his car and drove toward the carry out with his headlights off so as not to attract too much attention to himself. When he arrived, he walked briskly behind the counter and leaned against the stool, his thoughts flooded with Ari. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted a woman in his life, even the woman he had married briefly before her passing. It had been a good relationship while it lasted, but he had been devastated when he lost her.
That’s when he had joined the MC and gained the respect of his brothers. He had worked so hard to become the man that he was. He was respected and feared, and had managed to secure his position as the vice president. But all of that changed after he met Marcia and Hawk, and the two of them proceeded to destroy his life.
Arrow spent the rest of the night staring at the house where Hawk lived, his mind intent on following the man’s every move. The headlights had passed by Ari’s house, and he sighed, unsure of whether he was relieved or disappointed. Hawks didn’t arrive back until past midnight, and by then, all of the lights in the house were off. That probably meant that Ari was at home in bed, safe and sound by the time her uncle came home. That probably also meant that she had spent the rest of the night cleaning the kitchen all by herself, dealing with the mess of the scum of the earth. The thought made Arrow’s blood boil. She was such a sweet kid. Having her living there as nothing more than a maid seemed like the biggest injustice imaginable.
“How did it go?” asked Thatcher once arrow arrived back at the MC.
“It was pretty slow,” Arrow admitted. “But he comes home alone every night, at just about the same time. When he doesn’t go out, you know that there is something going on. Probably people who are looking for him. He doesn’t like to be in the house very much.”
“So, can we go into the house and put up a camera or something to see him in the action? Get the dirt?”
“I don’t think that he does anything illegal outside of the house,” Arrow said thoughtfully. “He’s got a niece. Young girl. Probably in her early twenties. She hangs around the house most of the time and he always comes back by himself. She doesn’t seem to know anything about her uncle being a drug dealer.”
“You talk to her?” Thatcher exclaimed, looking at arrow as if he was the most idiotic man that Thatcher had ever laid eyes on.
“Well…”
Arrow trailed off, knowing that it was no use to try and defend himself. Everybody, even Thatcher, seems to be waiting on him to fail. He would just keep all of the details to himself until he was done. He knew exactly what he was trying to do, and he was going to do it. With or without the help of the MC. He could do it the easy way, using the help of his friends and brothers in the MC, or he could do it on his own. As long as it got done.
“
Anyway,” Arrow said, clearing his throat. “What did you guys find out today?”
“There’s definitely something big that’s going to happen,” Thatcher said. “It’s probably a shipment of the hard stuff. Hawk is getting nervous, hassling his men and snapping at people. I don’t think it’ll be long before whatever is supposed to be happening happens. We’ve got Boa on the scene following those guys around, trying to act like he wants some of that shit. They’ll probably let them have it. I just hope he can be careful and not open that big ass mouth of his.”
Arrow nodded, smiling vaguely. “That kid can be a dumbass, but I don’t think he’ll ever be as stupid as I was.”
Thatcher looked at Arrow darkly. “If you’re going to be hanging around the MC, from now on you probably shouldn’t keep drawing attention to your past. It’s a sore spot for a lot of us. If you’re going to hang around, we need to see the new and improved you and forget who used to be. Because you better believe that who you were really wasn’t pretty.”
The words song, but Arrow respected Thatcher for being honest with him. It had been a hard time for everybody involved, especially the people who had cared about Arrow and didn’t want him to hurt himself. The men in the MC had done everything that they could to try and get him help, but he had refused it again and again until finally he had hit rock bottom. He was lucky that they had found him when they did, otherwise, who knew what might’ve happened? He owed the MC his life, and he was going to give it to them, whether they trusted him or not.
“Thanks Thatcher,” Arrow said quietly. “I’ll be more careful about that from now on. So, you think something is going to happen within the next few days?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Thatcher said. “But I do feel like they’re gearing up and getting everything in position. Once Hawk has all his little ducks in a row, that can be pretty dangerous for everybody involved.”
“I know it,” Arrow said grimly. “The man isn’t the toughest guy I’ve ever met, but I have to admit that he is powerful in a completely different way.”
“Yeah,” Thatcher agreed. “He’s got that really dangerous charisma. A charm, you could say. But that doesn’t mean that he is tough on the outside. He just knows how to get other people to do what he wants. And what he wants is completely selfish and harmful to the entire town. I don’t know how we can go on letting him get away with it.”