He shook his head, trying to shake off the sensations. “I’m not hungry. Coffee’s great, if you’ve got it.”
“I’ll make up a pot,” Maddy said.
Thuy looked from one to the other, then took a deep breath. “I’ll leave you two to talk, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” she said. “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything, Maddy.”
Maddy rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mom,” she said, with obvious affection.
Thuy shook a small fist at her, with equal fondness, then gave Drill a look that clearly said don’t upset her. He nodded, then winked. For all her small stature, he got the feeling she was the type that would probably fight until she was a bloody pulp, and not surrender. He knew some guys like that, in the club. Or at least, he had before everything went sideways and club members started peeling off in droves.
He watched as she ascended the staircase. She was wearing jeans and a sweater. For such a slight figure, she didn’t have a bad ass, he noticed.
“Still don’t have a girlfriend, huh?” Maddy asked.
He turned back to see his sister studying him, a wry grin on her face. He shrugged. “Nobody serious,” he found himself saying.
“Have you ever had anybody serious?”
He frowned, turning one of the chairs around and straddling it, propping his arms along the high back. His father had always hated it when he did that, but with his long legs, this was the most comfortable position in the damned things. “I don’t do serious. No time, no interest.” Which was true. Some of the guys in the club had old ladies, but most just hooked up with whatever biker groupies or strippers were available. He’d done that, from time to time, always careful to wrap up. They said share everything with your brothers in the Wraiths, but VD wasn’t exactly one of the things he felt like sharing. And honestly, he hadn’t done much with the groupies because he felt, well, like a commodity. Like he could’ve been any of the bikers there, and the girl wouldn’t have given a shit.
Probably because they didn’t give a shit.
“No time for a girlfriend,” Maddy mused, shuffling across the Linoleum, reaching for the can of coffee their father kept on a shelf. “What’s been keeping you so busy?”
He was on his feet immediately, smiling a little as he reached for the can that was just out of her grasp. “Go sit down. I’ll make the coffee,” he said. “You probably shouldn’t be on your feet.”
“Now you sound like Thuy.” Still, she took his advice, sitting down with a low groan. “They tell you pregnancy is rough, but you don’t really get it until you’re there, you know? And don’t change the subject. Busy with what?”
“Club business. You know I can’t talk about it,” he chided gently. He measured coffee into his father’s old coffee maker, got water from the tap and filled the pot, setting it to percolate. “Speaking of pregnancy — what’s the deal there? Where’s the father?”
He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms, staring her down. In that minute, she looked like the stubborn tween he remembered. She might have a bob haircut instead of braids, and the freckles might’ve faded somewhat, but she still had the strong square jaw, and she crossed her arms in a movement that mirrored his.
“The father was my boyfriend,” she said.
“Was?” Drill felt his muscles tense, his jacket sleeves getting tighter around his arms as his biceps bunched. “Why isn’t he here, taking care of you?”
“Because I don’t need a man taking care of me,” she snapped.
“If you’re having a baby, you damned well do!”
“Oh, really? Because we all know what great caretakers’ men are?” Maddy snarled sarcastically.
“He should provide for you,” Drill said, hating that Maddy was being deliberately thick about this. “What happened between you two, anyway?”
“We’d been together for a few years. The baby was an accident,” Maddy said, with a sigh. “I was on the Pill, but apparently shit happens. So, I told him. And he freaked out.” Her blue eyes watered, and she brushed the tears away with her fingertips. “Anyway, he said he’d stay for the baby, and I… God. I didn’t want someone to stay just because of an accident. If he wasn’t all in, I didn’t want him. So I kicked him out. He was scheduled to go on a research trip to Australia anyway, so I haven’t seen him since.”
“You… Jesus, Maddy,” Drill said, rubbing his hand over his head as the pot bubbled behind him. “You have got to be kidding me. You’re just being stubborn.”
“I’m not being stubborn,” Maddy growled. “Would you want to be saddled to some woman out of obligation? If you knew she was just staying because she felt she had to?”
He winced. “Well, I’m really careful…”
“Oh, God, look who I’m talking to,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve probably never been in a relationship that’s lasted longer than cottage cheese. So maybe you giving me crap about my relationship choices—”
“I’m not the one knocked up, though,” he interrupted. “You’ve got a baby to think about. When I heard about it… you know how hard it’s going to be, doing this all by yourself?”
She smiled a little at that. “But I’m not by myself. Thuy’s going to help me.”
He wanted to throttle her. “That little girl looks like she’s a hundred pounds soaking wet,” he said.
“What does her size have to do with anything?”
Drill’s eyes narrowed. “Is she just your best friend? Or is there something else going on there?”
She looked at him, then chuckled, shaking her head. “She really is my best friend. She’s like my sister. We were roommate’s freshman year in college, in the dorms… both of us scared and out of our depths.”
“She doesn’t have family of her own?”
“It’s a long story. And not my story to tell,” Maddy said. “Bottom line: we bonded like family. I’d give a kidney for her. And she’s moved in with me, and she’s promised to help me. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I’m not going to be completely alone.”
Drill rubbed his head again, then the back of his neck, pressing at the tension headache that was forming at the base of his skull. “I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but I’m betting it’s not like Green Valley,” he said slowly. “Is that how you want to raise your kid? Do you have any kind of… I dunno, support system out there?”
“We never had support systems here,” she said, with a bitter chuckle. “Dad made sure of that.”
“I had the Wraiths.”
Her blue eyes flashed at him. “Yeah. And I lost you — so maybe you don’t get to talk to me about support systems, either.”
He sighed. “I couldn’t stay here. Not with Dad. You know that.” He cleared his throat. “I kept tabs on you, though.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He paused a beat. “I had a friend take pictures of your high school graduation. Didn’t want the guys to know — Razor would’ve skinned me — but I was really proud of you.”
Tears filled up her eyes again, and she rubbed them away. “Are you happy with those assholes?”
“They gave me a place to belong when Dad kicked me out,” he said. “They’re my brothers.”
She sighed, then rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. “They wouldn’t want you here now, would they?”
He turned to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup. “No.”
“So why’d you come?”
He let out a huff. “Because I heard you were here, and pregnant with no father in sight.” He paused. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“That’s sweet. Marginally fucked up, but sweet.” She sighed. “I am okay. I’ll be okay.”
They stayed there for a second, silent, surveying each other.
“There’s a will reading Thursday,” she said finally. “I’ll text you the address. It’s at one. You should be there.”
He laug
hed mirthlessly. “Do you really think he would’ve left anything to me? He hated me.”
She shrugged. “The lawyer said we both should be there.”
He checked the coffee pot, then poured himself a cup and looked at his sister, grabbing an empty mug. “Can you even…?” He gestured at her pregnant belly with the cup.
“I’m not thirsty,” she said, and nodded at the empty chair. “Come on, sit down. If I can only hang out with you tonight, we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
Chapter Five
Thuy woke up to laughter, a sharp burst of it that was quickly shushed to quiet. She turned over in the twin bed, immediately alert. She was a light sleeper, especially when she was somewhere unfamiliar, but she’d been lulled by the voices of Maddy and her brother downstairs. There wasn’t a clock, so she fumbled her hand over the nightstand until she found her phone. Wincing at the light from the display, she saw it said 3:30 in the morning.
Feeling thirsty, she hopped out of bed, shivering a little. She was wearing sweatpants and a long-sleeved sleep shirt, as well as a pair of thick fuzzy socks. She padded down the stairs, peering at the two. “Everything okay?”
“Damn it, I was afraid we’d wake you,” Maddy said. She looked happy, happier than she had in months. Drill was smiling at Maddy fondly.
“It’s okay. I wanted some water, anyway.” Thuy walked past them, grabbing a glass and turning on the tap.
“I should go,” Drill said, his voice sounding reluctant. “It’s late, and you need sleep.”
“But I don’t know when I’m going to get to see you again.” Maddy’s smile faltered. “I’ve really, really missed you, Teddy.”
“Please don’t call me Teddy,” he countered, but without any bite to it. “It’s not like you’re going to be around anyway, Mads. Maybe I can call you more, okay?”
“I’d like that.” Maddy sounded so wistful, it broke Thuy’s heart.
They both got up, Maddy with obvious discomfort, and Thuy watched as the larger man gave his sister a long hug and a kiss on the top of her head. “You take care, sweetie.”
“Love you, Te…Drill.”
“Love you too.” He patted her shoulder. “Now, go on. Go get some sleep.”
“I’ll see you out,” Thuy said.
Drill looked surprised. Maddy had already started up the stairs to the bedroom. He nodded. She stepped into some slippers and grabbed a thick sweater, putting it on as she stepped out onto the porch with him and shut the door behind her. The early morning air was brisk. She stood on the top of the porch while he went down a few steps, to the ground.
“Something you wanted to say?” Drill asked immediately, and from the porch light, she could see the wry grin on his face. “Or did you just find me so irresistible that you wanted a few more minutes with me?”
She shook her head, smirking. “Tempting as that is, no.”
“Because I could arrange for more time with you,” he said, his grin turning ever so slightly sharper. “In fact, I’d love a chance to get to know you better.”
“Why can’t you spend more time with your sister?” she asked instead. “She doesn’t talk about you much, or your family, but I know that she misses you. I mean, it’s obvious that she misses you.”
He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
She crossed her arms, both in irritation and against the chill. “Just give me the basics. I’m a smart woman, I’m fairly certain I can figure it out.”
“I’m part of the Iron Wraiths. They’re a motorcycle club.” He paused. “Let’s just say they’re my family now.”
She grimaced. “No family but the club, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Not that complicated.” She shrugged. “It’s like a cult. They reel you in, then cut off all outside sources of support, making you completely reliant on them for all of your needs… emotional, financial, whatever.”
He frowned. “They aren’t that bad.”
“You’re one-percenter then, yeah?” One-percenters being the “one percent” of motorcycle clubs that were actually criminal.
“What do you know about one-percenters?” He was looking at her like she’d grown another head.
She thought of her brother, her parents, then shook her head. “It’s complicated,” she shot back at him.
He grinned broadly. “Thanks. For looking out for Maddy.”
“She’s my best friend. Trust me, it’s not a hardship.”
“She’s pregnant and alone, and that’s not easy.” He frowned. “What the hell happened to the guy?”
She let out a deep huff, seeing her own breath in the cold air. “Also complicated,” she muttered. “I think he really loves her, but everything happened too fast. He’s a ‘by the plan’ kinda guy, and this was definitely not in his plan this soon. And Maddy didn’t want to get into a marriage where the guy felt trapped.”
“He set the damned trap himself,” Drill pointed out.
She shook her head. “Maddy’s got a point. She couldn’t trust him to stick. What’s the point in having him stay, only to cut and run later?”
They were quiet for a minute.
“She could really use your help,” Thuy said. “This house is going to need to be emptied, and sold. And like I said, she’d like to stay in touch with you, even when she’s in California.”
He sighed. “I can’t help with the house. But I’ll try to come to the will reading. She gave me the address. Maybe from there, I can see about calling her sometimes. Okay? Best I can do.”
“All right.” She got the feeling it really was.
He took a step closer to her, zipping up his leather jacket. He was smiling at her, his blue eyes warm. “You never answered my question.”
She felt her heart beat a little faster, and immediately felt annoyed with herself. “What question?”
“Want to spend a little more time together while you’re here?”
She blinked at him. “You can’t be serious.”
He was crowding her. Not in a bad way, necessarily. But he was slowly moving towards her, where she stood on the porch. His hand went up to the post, and he leaned towards her, his eyes at her level. They really were a startling shade of blue.
“Why can’t I be serious?” He sounded amused. “Hard to believe guys aren’t all over you, sugar. Those dark eyes of yours, that hair… that tight little body.”
She rolled her eyes. “And, amazingly enough, I have a mind, too.”
“I’ll bet you’re smart,” he said, surprising her. “You’re my sister’s friend, went to that fancy school. You probably are used to hipster jackasses hitting on you with their fucking micro craft beers and their ‘aren’t I bored’ talk.”
She bit her lip, fighting back a smirk. The damned thing was, he wasn’t wrong. Her last two boyfriends had fallen perilously close to the “hipster” mold, and it seemed like all she found these days were guys who waxed their mustaches and were better able to pick out an antique typewriter at a flea market than find her G-spot. So that was disappointing.
Drill’s eyes were mesmerizing. “I’m not like them. You’re not here for that long. I’m just saying I could make the time you’re here… memorable.”
She could smell his cologne, as well as leather and motorcycle oil or whatever it was that made him smell unbearably male. Maybe it was primitive, or chemistry, or pheromones. It was definitely stupid. But that handsome face, the intensity of his eyes, the sheer presence of that utterly built body of his, made her hormones bounce around like bingo balls.
He’s Maddy’s brother.
She leaned forward, just a little. Surely one stupid kiss wouldn’t kill anyone? And Maddy wasn’t squeamish…
He’s a criminal.
Hadn’t she had enough of that for one lifetime?
Just before her lips could touch his, she yanked back. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” she said, hating how breathless she sounded.
His eyes blazed. “Teasing me, sugar?”
&nbs
p; She shrugged. Let him believe that, if he wanted. She didn’t owe him anything, not even an explanation. “Just come to the will reading.”
“Are you going to be there?”
“Maybe. If Maddy wants me there, or needs my help.”
His smile was slow and sensual and damn if it didn’t make her body just melt. “Then I’ll be there,” he said. “Just to see you again.”
“This isn’t going to go anywhere,” she warned him.
“You keep telling yourself that,” he replied, his grin kicking up on one side. “Not going to kiss me goodbye?”
“Don’t make me get the shotgun again.”
He laughed, then stepped down from the porch step, moving away from her. For a second her knees felt like buckling just from the release of tension. Good grief, what the hell was that?
He walked over to his bike, getting his helmet off the back. “See you soon, pretty girl,” he promised.
She watched as he strapped the helmet on and climbed on the bike, kick starting it easily. He drove down the driveway, kicking up dirt in his wake. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as the cold she’d barely been aware of seemed to crash in on her all at once. She walked back inside, locking the door carefully behind her. Then she kicked off her slippers and went back upstairs, stripping off the sweater and climbing back into bed.
Still, even as late as it was and as tired as she was, she found sleep hard to find. All she could picture was Drill’s blue eyes, and the sheer heat of his gaze. Her shivers had nothing to do with the cold.
Damn man, she thought, and pulled the covers over her head. An inappropriate attraction was the last thing she needed. Please God, they wouldn’t be here long enough for her to do something truly stupid.
Chapter Six
On Wednesday afternoon, Drill found himself in the back room of the Dragon, sitting across a desk from Catfish as Dirty Dave fidgeted and leaned against a wall. Even after all this time, it still felt weird to be in what was essentially their war room, only without their president Razor, or vice president Darrell, or top lieutenant Repo. Catfish sat behind the desk now, frowning as he glanced over handwritten ledgers, looking like the world’s toughest accountant. Drill smothered a smile.
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