by Amelia Shea
He’d helped with rehab and took her in twice after she was clean. Trini had done the same. No matter how much he and Trini had done for their sister, it always ended with the same result. She was good for a few months, once she even lasted a whole year before she started using again, wiped out their places, and was back on the streets.
The way she died. Rourke closed his eyes, grasping to any image other than the vision of his little sister in the morgue.
He felt a tug on his jeans and pulled away from Trini just enough to see Emme wrapping her arms around his leg. He reached down, resting his hand on her head.
“Group hug.” She giggled, and somehow, the dark moment was over.
For now.
Trini and Emme stayed at his place for another hour before he walked them home a few trailers down. He always insisted. Usually, Trini protested. Tonight, she let him without saying a word. He needed his only sister left to be safe. She knew it, and she gave it to him without resistance.
It took him forever to fall asleep that night. He was leaving for a three-day run the next day and had to stop by the shop to make sure all the jobs were covered. He had a small garage which employed four full-time mechanics. It wasn’t making him a shit ton of money but enough to live comfortably and throw his sister some cash when she needed it. He lived fairly frugal and had a good savings. It was enough to get by. He was content. Most days.
Other times, he wondered how life would have turned out for him, Trini, and Skyla if they had a loving mother who hadn’t bailed on them, and a father who wasn’t incarcerated. Rourke refused to fall into the “poor me” mantra. He was dealt a hand, and he played it. Life wasn’t bad. But every once in a while, he did get caught up in the what ifs.
With everything on his mind, when he finally closed his eyes, all he saw was her.
Macy.
Chapter Three
Macy pulled up in front of the clubhouse, slowing down only long enough to see there weren’t any empty spots out front. She circled around and parked next to Cheyenne’s car. Her best friend was fiddling with her phone while she sat on the hood. When Cheyenne invited her to the club, Macy insisted they walk in together.
She considered canceling. It had been a week since her last visit. The “threesome incident,” as it had become known in her head, was the last time she saw Rourke. She played out every scenario in her head all day. Would he ignore her? Acknowledge her? Would she walk in to find him with a woman? Possibly the one who wanted him home for dinner.
Why do I even care?
It was absurd for her to even give thought to Rourke with another woman. It was a one-night stand. A threesome. Then a twosome. They hadn’t fallen in love. Though she had gained a new appreciation for him. Him. His mouth. His body. She blinked the thought of Rourke from her head and silently cursed herself. Oh God, I should have canceled.
Too late now. She got out of her car and swung her bag over her shoulder.
“About time, what took you so long?” Cheyenne asked, pacing around the bumper of her car.
“Bullshit at work. I need to find another job.” She really did, but she wouldn’t. She’d been going hard after a promotion at work. With all her extra hours and busting her ass, she had a good feeling she’d get it. Hell, I’ve earned it. The promotion itself wasn’t such a huge deal to her. She was interested in the pay bump. It would put her one step closer to quitting her nine to five and opening her store with Cheyenne.
Cheyenne shook her head and smirked. “No, what ya need to do is get that promotion.” Macy didn’t respond. While she appreciated her friend’s optimism, she wasn’t in the mood to think about work. All she wanted was a drink.
It had been a full week since she did her walk of shame out of Rourke’s room. She spent the last seven days wondering what would have happened if she hadn’t picked up his phone and waited for him to come out of the bathroom. It was stupid. He obviously had someone else. Thankfully, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t tell Cheyenne—the less people who knew, the better. She was hoping Gage and Rourke would keep their little threesome between themselves.
The true shame of the whole situation was she had hoped he would call. Maybe get her number from Trax. She wanted to see him, even knowing he might have someone else. I’m a shitty person. Or maybe there was a completely innocent reason why a woman was asking him about dinner. Either way, it didn’t matter. It was absurd anyway to think he’d call. A one-night stand was self-explanatory. One night.
They made their way across the street, and she glanced at the bikes out front. They all looked the same, chrome and black. She thought the one, second from the end, may have been his, but she couldn’t be sure. Stop! Her cheeks heated and she bowed her head in hopes Cheyenne wouldn’t see. This was ridiculous. Why did she even care? He surely didn’t, and why would he? He’d probably had ten girls in the last week and hadn’t given a second thought to her. Hell, he was probably relieved when he came out of the bathroom, and she was gone.
“You okay?”
Macy tripped on the step and righted herself, glancing up at Chey. Busted. Macy rolled her shoulders and inhaled deeply. “It’s been a long week. I just need a drink.”
Cheyenne chuckled, grasping her hand and pulling her into the clubhouse. “Let’s get you shitfaced and get your mind off work.”
The house was busy, men and women around the tables and in the back where they had a pool table. She made sure to keep her eyes moving, not focusing too long on any one group. Playing it cool had never been her strong suit. They headed toward the bar when Cheyenne stopped, and Macy bumped into her back. She glanced over her shoulder.
“Trax is in the back. C’mon.” Cheyenne grabbed her hand and pulled Macy along. Usually where Trax was, so were Rourke and Gage. Her stomach flipped and swirled. She couldn’t be sure if it stemmed from anticipation or impending nausea. Either way, she was a bundle of anxious energy.
The crowd thinned as they closed in on the pool table. A couple men were standing around the table with two half-dressed girls, one draped over one biker she didn’t know, and the other wrapped around a man she had gotten quite familiar with two nights ago.
Gage.
Oddly enough, she felt nothing. Seeing this girl with her boobs pressed against Gage’s arm and his hand on her ass, did nothing to her. No jealousy, no judgment. Nothing. Maybe she had been overreacting or over analyzing.
Or maybe because it wasn’t Rourke with a woman hanging on him?
“Hey, guys.” Cheyenne released her hand and maneuvered her way to Trax on the other side of the table. His face immediately lit up when he saw her.
Macy had called it all wrong with those two at the beginning of their relationship. She’d had a rocky start with the Ghosttown Riders as a whole. Especially Trax. Though he had proved Macy wrong and was actually a pretty decent guy. And most importantly, he made her best friend happy. They did have something special. Trax wrapped his arm over her shoulder and tugged her into his chest, gripping her jaw with his free hand and kissing her as if they were alone. No one seemed to be bothered by it. When they unlocked from each other, Chey looked over and squinted at Macy.
“Hey, you guys remember Macy, right?”
Macy sucked in a breath and balled her fists. Great! Now all eyes were on her. In fact, a few guys turned around to stare. She received a few appreciative glances her way. She peered around the area, giving them all a tight, uncomfortable smile. She scanned the men and locked eyes with Rourke, who was leaning against the wall, slowly bringing a lit cigarette up to his lips. When his lips pursed, curling over the butt of the cigarette, her chest tightened, and she gulped a hard breath. His eyes remained on her and darkened.
The man was impossible to read. A smile, a wink, hell, she’d settle for a nod. He gave her nothing. At least he didn’t seem angry she was there. He doesn’t exactly look happy either.
Oh God, this was exactly what she had been afraid of. Luckily, he didn’t have a half-dressed girl draped over him
, but his stare was going right through her, and she felt the tingling heat over her cheeks. She forced a shaky smile. His demeanor never changed and his eyes stayed locked on her.
“Of course, we remember Macy.”
The sound of his amused, playful voice knocked her focus and attention away from Rourke. Macy stiffened when Gage wrapped his arm around her shoulder, hugging her into his chest.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Not gonna forget you anytime soon, short stack.”
She blushed and bit her lip, angling her head up to Gage who was clearly enjoying her being uncomfortable. She was, no doubt, one of many threesomes he’d participated in. For a guy like Gage, it was probably a nightly occurrence. Rourke, too. Macy hadn’t been anything special to them. She sighed and scooted out of his hold, walking past the pool table. “I’m getting a drink. Anyone need anything?”
A man she didn’t know lifted his bottle. “I could use another, sweets.”
Macy smiled and nodded and turned around, walking too fast to the bar. She climbed up on the stool and waved to Nadia.
“Gimme one sec, Mace.” She had several low-ball glasses lined up in front of her. Macy watched as she made the drinks and caught the attention of every man sitting at the bar. Even Macy could appreciate the woman’s beauty. Had Rourke also appreciated it? By Nadia’s own admission, Macy was well aware she’d slept with both Rourke and Gage before. Of course, she did. Look at her, she’s gorgeous, what man wouldn’t wanna be with her? Macy eyed Nadia again and dropped her gaze down her own body. She’d always been secure in who she was and all her assets, until now. She clamped her eyes closed and dragged her hand down her face.
Stop! One-night stands were not commitments. She hated even thinking about him.
A large frame bumped against her, taking the empty seat to her left. He smiled at her and leaned his elbows on the bar. “What’s shakin’, short stack?” Dobbs smirked and wiggled his brows. Ah, the man who’d been replaced.
She sighed. “I hate that nickname.” She smirked when he laughed. She liked him. Macy didn’t have any regrets about the players in her threesome, but Dobbs had always been sweet with her, and ridiculously flirty.
“Well, let’s come up with something new then.” He twisted his lips, feigning deep thought. His gaze slowly shifted down her body, pausing with a smile at her breasts.
She chuckled, swiveling in her seat. “If I hear anything that starts with jugs, knockers, or fun bags, I’m probably gonna punch you.”
Dobbs turned in his seat with a shit eating grin. “I like a feisty woman.”
She furrowed her brows. “Oh yeah? We’ll see how much you enjoy my feistiness when I knee ya in the nuts.”
Dobbs burst out laughing, spitting some of his beer on the bar. He shook his head. “Gonna have to work on it then.” He glanced over her shoulder. His light-hearted demeanor shifted. His smile faltered and he lifted his chin. “Hey, man.”
She felt his presence hovering at her back before she turned around. She had to angle her head up to see Rourke standing behind her, his gaze locked on Dobbs, his jaw tense and his temple pulsing. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but Rourke was not happy. He didn’t respond to Dobb and continued to stare him down even as he took a seat in the empty stool next to Macy. His thigh rubbed against her leg, and she peeked over at Dobbs who was staring back. Dobbs curled his lip and nodded.
“Yeah, so I’m gonna get the fuck outta here.” He laughed and grabbed his beer. He turned to Macy and smiled. “Think I came up with a nickname, doll.” He glanced over her shoulder and snorted. “From now on, we’ll just call ya Rourke’s.” He shook his head grinning and sauntered away. She watched him walk back to the group.
His statement was obvious, and from the way Rourke was acting, almost territorial, it made sense, but it was freaking her out. Rourke sat next to her, not saying a word. When she swiveled around to the bar, she cocked her head, and he was staring at Nadia. Macy followed his gaze and watched the bartender turn around and scan them before holding up two fingers. A brief second later, she nodded and grabbed two beers and made her way to the end of the bar where they sat silently.
“Here ya go.” Nadia placed the beers in front of them, winked at Macy, and headed back to the other side.
From her peripheral vision, she saw him lift the bottle. She turned in her stool to face him and grabbed her beer, taking a sip and enjoying the much-needed moisture to her dry throat. She swallowed.
“How’s it going?”
He took another sip and turned his head. She smiled, but it wasn’t returned. His usual scowl was locked in place, but something was different. His gaze searched her face, and she twisted her lips. Rourke glanced down at her mouth and sucked in a breath.
“Why’d you leave?”
She knew what he was referring to and considered playing coy. Somehow, she didn’t think it would have gone over well with him. It threw her for a loop he’d even ask. She wasn’t prepared for him to be upset she had left. This was a strange yet exciting development.
She shrugged.
He cocked his brow. “You always do the fuck and flee?”
“The what?” She leaned closer and snickered. “There’s a name for leaving after a one-night stand? I mean, I’ve heard of the walk of shame, which is kinda what I thought I was doing but,” she paused and grinned, “the fuck and flee? Interesting.”
He raised his eyebrows, waiting on her answer to his question she just blatantly evaded.
She grabbed her beer and took a sip, staring down at the bottle and peeling at the label. “I thought you’d appreciate me gone when you came out of the shower.”
“I didn’t,” he lowered his voice.
She jerked her head. “You didn’t say you wanted me to stay.”
“Did I say I wanted you to leave?”
She snorted. “No, you didn’t exactly say anything, remember? I assumed that’s how it worked. You leave the room to shower, you expect me to be gone when you come out.” She raised her brows, thinking she may have assumed wrong. She chuckled nervously. “I mean, c’mon, it’s not like you were gonna buy me breakfast or anything.” She snorted but stiffened when he didn’t respond. She grasped his forearm resting on the bar. “Wait, were you?”
He angled his head, glancing down at her hand on his arm. She was tempted to yank it away, but she forced herself to leave it. His eyes lifted, and his lip twitched in amusement. “Guess you’ll never know.”
Is he flirting with me?
She squeezed his arm and then dropped her hand in her lap and smirked. “Well, that sucks ’cause I was hungry.”
The soft rumble from her right was undoubtedly a laugh. Nothing full-fledged and hearty, but something she hadn’t gotten from him ever. She side glanced to catch a small curve of his lip. She jerked her gaze back to the bar, and her chest expanded. A smile from the man who never smiled. Yeah, he is definitely flirting. It had been forever since a man excited her as much as him. Even her ex, who she thought she loved, never gave her the butterflies she was feeling for Rourke. It seemed so strange since he wasn’t at all her type. Rourke was intimidating, a man of few words, he was rough and scary. And he’s taken, remember Trini?
Macy drew in a breath, and her chest deflated like a popped balloon. Rourke’s presence had a way of making her forget a lot of things.
“You all right?” His voice was gravelly and sent chills rolling over her skin. No, she wasn’t all right. It was a split decision, and if given more time to contemplate, she probably wouldn’t have done it. She settled back in her stool.
“I have a little confession.”
She swiveled in her stool to face him. His gaze hadn’t left her.
“Yeah, so I figured I’d call an Uber, ya know, the morning while you were in the shower?”
He didn’t respond, but she had his full attention.
“My phone was dead from the night before.” She was rambling. “Anyway, I tried your phone, but I didn’t have t
he code.” She glanced up. “I saw the text.”
He raised his brows, and she gulped.
“Asking if you’d be home for dinner.”
She expected some kind of reaction, a confirmation or denial. Instead, she got silence.
“From Trini?” She cocked her head.
The corner of his mouth curled. “My sister.”
She flickered her lashes and darted her eyes around the bar. She hadn’t considered the woman to be anyone other than a girlfriend or lover.
“Oh.” She released a nervous giggle, which sounded shaky even to her own ears. This was awkward.
“You think I would spend the night and morning inside you if I had a woman at home waiting on making me dinner?”
There was a sharp edge to his tone. He never raised his voice, but she sensed he was offended. Well, of course he’s offended. Her insinuation was he had sex with her while another woman was waiting for him at home. She swiveled her stool to face the bar in hopes he wouldn’t catch the heated remnants of her embarrassment.
“Hey.”
Macy sighed in relief when she heard Cheyenne’s voice. She needed saving at the moment. Cheyenne was standing behind her as she swiveled her seat.
“Hey.”
Cheyenne smiled and darted her gaze between them, then smirked. “So, I’m gonna run over to Trax’s house. I’ll be back in thirty…ya wanna come or stay?”
Here was her out. She could just leave the awkwardness and her embarrassment behind and go with Cheyenne. She glanced over at Rourke, who was staring at her. His gaze set her heart skipping. He didn’t seem mad, but he did seem to be waiting on her answer like Cheyenne. He raised his brows, and she smirked.
“Uh…I’ll stay. See you in a bit.”
“Okay, bye.”
She watched Cheyenne meet up with Trax by the door. Trax stared back, and his gaze traveled to Rourke then back to her. She couldn’t get a read on him other than he seemed a bit confused. They turned and walked down the hall, and Macy turned to Rourke.