Heart of Steel

by Cathleen Cole

  Turning I looked at the bar then groaned. I glanced back to where the driver had left and wondered if I could get him to come back. Probably not, he hadn’t seemed thrilled to have me in his car, he could probably smell the alcohol on me.

  I turned back around and stared at Lock, Stock, and Barrel. I hadn’t realized when Steel had taken me here that it had been so close to my old house.

  No helping it now, I thought and walked through the door. Maybe no one would recognize me. It was Sunday night again and last time it had seemed slow, plus it was really early. I kept my head down as I walked up to the bar and I was glad to see I didn’t recognize the bartender.

  “Hey Darlin’,” The guy said smiling at me and I returned it. “What can I get ya?”

  “Rum and coke and two shots of vodka please?” His eyebrows went up, and I inwardly groaned thinking maybe I shouldn’t have ordered all at once. He just shrugged and moved away to get my drinks. I sighed and pulled my phone out as it dinged. Ming, Bridget, Anna, and Julie had all been checking in. The last was from Uncle Caleb. I quickly checked in with everyone. Rather I quickly punched in a bunch of typos and gibberish. Slowly, I went back and corrected everything before sending out the texts then I put my phone down on the bar.

  The guy brought my drinks over and I waited for him to turn around before I downed both shots of vodka. I drummed the fingers of my left hand on the bar and wondered what I was going to do about Rhonda. Should I tell Uncle Caleb? Could the cops do anything about someone trying to get money from you? It was technically blackmail, right? Or coercion? I picked up the rum and coke and drank thoughtfully. The alcohol was finally dulling enough of the pain in my hand and my head.

  I looked down at the glass. Happy fucking birthday, I thought bitterly. Dad’s voice saying that phrase, albeit without the cussing, drifted through my head. He’d say it while waking me up by tickling me and then taking me on birthday adventures throughout the years.

  The memories had me knocking back the rest of the drink in a couple of swallows. My phone buzzed again. Sighing I picked it up. If I didn’t respond to the girls, they’d just try to come find me. I saw the text was from Steel.

  Steel: Back in town. Can we meet tomorrow?

  I frowned at the phone. I was excited to see him but now that I’d decided my course of action tonight was to drink my sorrows away, I decided to wait until tomorrow to text him back. I set the phone down. Tonight, I was going to drink, figure out what to do about my loser mother, and try to forget everything else.

  My mouth went dry. Why had dad given her so much money? Every year he gave her a hundred thousand dollars? My head spun. I wasn’t sure if that was the amount or the drinks. Maybe Rhonda was lying. I brightened at that. If dad was paying her off, there should be some kind of record for it.

  I was going to visit Mr. Jeffries down at the bank. He was the sweet old man who had helped me get all of the business and dad’s personal bank accounts straightened out after his death. Smartly, dad had put me on the accounts before he’d died, otherwise, I wouldn’t have had any access to them. Since he had, I’d never switched over to new accounts. So, the old transactions should still be there. I’d be able to verify if Rhonda was lying about the amount. Or even if he was ever paying her at all. Maybe she was lying about everything.

  The bartender leaned on the bar in front of me and I jumped. I’d been so caught up in my plan I hadn’t noticed he’d come back. “Another round?” He raised his brows and looked pointedly at my empty glasses. I glanced around, luckily Amy didn’t seem to be working tonight and I saw no one else here that I recognized.

  “Uh… Sure. Why not?” The guy nodded and swiped the glasses out from in front of me. I avoided looking at him and picked up my phone. I flicked through TikTok, just to give myself something to do. If this was any other bar, I wouldn’t be nervous. But the last thing I needed was to see any of the guys I’d met through Steel. Or Steel himself, since I’d just found out he was back in town. I didn’t want any company tonight. The bartender set the drinks down in front of me.

  I pulled up my email and typed out a request to meet with Mr. Jeffries, the manager at our bank, at his earliest convenience. Tomorrow, if possible. I hit send and realized that a different man had replaced the first guy behind the bar.

  Huh, he must have gotten off shift. I picked up the first shot of vodka and tossed it back. I was beyond buzzed at this point. I’d had to close one eye to type out that email. I just prayed it made sense when the man went to read it.

  Tossing back the second shot I pulled up the Uber app and checked for any cars in the area. Nothing.

  Damn. Oh well, I’d finish my drink and check again. I could always try Lyft or even call a taxi. I picked up the rum and coke but before I could lift it for a drink someone grabbed my wrist, spilling it all over my hand. I hissed in pain as the alcohol spilled over my split and bruised knuckles. I glared up into green eyes.

  Uh oh. Busted. Fuck… my drunk brain stammered, what was his name?

  “Remi.” He was still holding onto my wrist. His eyes narrowed on my bleary ones then looked down at my busted knuckles before returning to my face. I couldn’t decide if the way he said my name was a greeting or a warning.

  I cleared my throat. “Hey. Uh, how’s it going?” Smooth, I groaned to myself. “Nice seeing you again. I was just about to pay and head home.” I tried to tug my arm away from him, sloshing more of the drink over my hand and making me wince again. He snatched the drink out of my hand, without letting me go.

  “How about you stick around.” It wasn’t a request.

  “That’s sweet. Really. But I was just heading out.” I smiled at him.

  Fuck. What was his damn name? I dug into my pocket with my opposite hand and pulled out some cash. I tossed some twenties on the top of the bar and slid off the stool. Those green eyes narrowed on me. He didn’t look happy. What was his problem?

  “You can let go of me now.” I looked down at his hand on me then back up at him with impatience.

  “No.”

  My mouth dropped open. What the hell? “I don’t appreciate you touching me.” Okay, even I heard the slur in my voice on that one. He just tugged me closer to him. We were playing tug o’ war with my arm, but I didn’t have any hope in hell of winning when I was sober, let alone drunk. Before I could go off on him the door to the bar slammed open. Everyone inside went silent.

  The look on green eye’s face turned smug when he looked from the door to me.

  Uh oh. I glanced over my shoulder. Steel was striding across the bar and he looked pissed. This time when I tugged my arm away the guy let it go. I glared at him, snatched my phone off the bar, and tried to dart around Steel toward the door. He just snaked out an arm and wrapped it around my waist, reeling me in.

  “Thanks, Cade.”

  Cade. That was his name, I remembered finally.

  Steel nodded at him then at the original bartender who had finally come out from the back hallway. I glared at both of them.

  “Tattletale,” I muttered at them. The bartender looked surprised that I was calling him names, but Cade just looked amused. He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at me.

  Steel ignored that and turned us around, heading for the door. I stumbled a bit, but he caught me and marched me right out into the parking lot. He opened the door of a large pickup truck and I frowned in confusion.

  “Where’s your bike?” He just stared down at me then picked me up by the waist and all but tossed me into the truck. I was fuming by the time he climbed into the driver’s side. If he was going to ignore me, two could play that game. I leaned my head against the headrest. The truck had a smooth ride. I closed my eyes.

  Chapter 43

  Steel

  I looked over to where Remi was sleeping across from me and clenched my jaw. I had been at the garage trying to finish up a few things before heading home for the night when Cade called. We’d just pulled back into town about forty-five minutes earlier and
I’d texted her as soon as I’d gotten in. I hadn’t thought anything about it when she didn’t respond.

  Then Cade had called and said she was sitting at his bar, drunk, and looked like she’d gotten into a fight. I glanced over at her hand. Her knuckles were swollen, the skin split and bloodied. When I’d walked in, she’d been trying to leave, and Cade had clearly been keeping her there. I definitely owed him and Owen, the club bartender who had originally recognized her and told Cade she was there.

  I let her sleep the whole drive back to the clubhouse. I left my bike at the garage since she was plastered, and I needed to get her home. I’d borrowed one of our cage rides. Pulling into the lot I groaned when I saw my brother strolling up. I swear he and Cade were like an old married couple. What one knew, the other did. I parked and got out of the truck. Riggs leaned on the bed of the truck looking in the window at Remi.

  “She alright?”

  I shrugged. “She passed out as soon as I got her in the truck.” He chuckled.

  “Need any help?” I shook my head, and he slapped me on the shoulder before he headed to his house.

  I opened the door and pulled Remi out into my arms. She mumbled something and snuggled into my chest. Kicking the truck door closed I walked across the parking lot. I entered the clubhouse through the front door and paused when about twelve sets of eyes zeroed in on us as I stepped through the door. Damn, there wasn’t usually this many people around on a Sunday. There were a lot of raised eyebrows.

  Gunnar walked up and frowned down at Remi. “Shit, what happened?”

  “Don’t know yet.”

  “Should I call Bridget?”

  “Sure, just let her know she’s here.” Gunnar nodded and went up the stairs ahead of me. He walked down the hallway first and opened the door to my apartment.

  “Night.”

  “Thanks, Gunnar.” He grinned at me as he closed the door behind us. Setting Remi down on my bed I stripped off her shoes, socks, shorts and slid her under the covers. I walked into the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit and brought it back to the bed. I stroked a thumb over her cheek.

  “Remi.” I lightly patted her cheek. When she didn’t wake up, I let her sleep.

  Digging through the kit I used an antiseptic wipe on her knuckles. She woke with a gasp, jerked her hand away, glaring blearily at me. Grabbing her hand again I went to keep cleaning it, but she put her other hand over mine. “That hurts.”

  “I’m surprised you can feel anything with how much you drank.”

  She glared. “I can drink if I want to. I’m an adult.”

  I set the wipe down and ran my thumb over her fingers, careful not to hit her knuckles. “Why were you at the bar?”

  “The stupid Uber driver didn’t tell me it was that bar,” She muttered. I frowned.

  “Why did you take an Uber across town to go to Cade’s bar?”

  “I didn’t. I was only a couple of miles away. I didn’t realize that was the closest bar until the guy had already left or I would have gone somewhere else. He wouldn’t come back for me though cause I was already buzzed.” Her eyes fluttered closed. I was trying to piece together what was going on. The girls’ house was across town from Cade’s bar.

  “Why were you only a few miles away?”

  “I was at dad’s house.”

  I hadn’t realized she still had her dad’s house. “Why were you already buzzed?” I figured out that short questions were easier right now.

  “My hand hurt. And she made me so mad.”

  I shook my head. What was she talking about?

  “What happened to your hand, Remi?”

  “Punched a wall.” She was falling back asleep. She’d punched a wall?

  Remi’s phone started ringing, so I picked it up. Bridget’s name flashed.

  “Hey, Bridget.”

  “Steel. Hey,” she said, sounding surprised.

  “I didn’t realize you were back in town until Gunnar texted.”

  “Yeah, we just got back a bit ago.”

  “Remi’s with you? She’s… okay?” I frowned at the hesitation.

  “She got drunk at our club bar, apparently punched a wall, and is passed out here at the clubhouse. But otherwise, yeah she’s fine.” Bridget sucked in a loud breath. “What’s going on Bridget?”

  “She didn’t tell you anything?”

  “That’s pretty much all I got out of her.”

  She sighed. “Steel. It’s Remi’s twenty-second birthday today.” I glanced down at her and frowned. I wondered why she hadn’t told me that? “It’s also the year anniversary of her dad’s death.” I rubbed a hand over my forehead. That would be why she hadn’t mentioned it. Jesus, she was stubborn.

  “Thanks for telling me, Bridget. I’ll take care of her.”

  “Thanks, Steel. She wouldn’t let any of us stay with her today. She doesn’t like to lean on anyone when she’s hurting. Anyway, have her call me tomorrow.”

  We said goodbye. I finished cleaning up Remi’s hand, grateful that she didn’t wake up this time. Cleaning up I stripped, climbed in bed, and pulled Remi in close to me before turning off the lights. We’d be hashing this out in the morning but there was nothing to do but sleep it off tonight.

  Remi’s moan woke me the next morning. She shifted against me and put a hand up to her head. I’m sure it was torturing her for her decisions last night. I slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom. Flicking on the light, ignoring her hiss of pain as it spread across the bed, I rummaged around in the medicine cabinet and found some Tylenol, and grabbed a cool glass of water for her.

  I sat next to her on the bed as she slowly sat up and handed the pills and the water to her.

  “Thanks,” She murmured.

  “Feeling pretty shitty?” She just nodded and sipped the water. I glanced over at the clock. It was eight a.m. but I had closed the blinds so the sunlight wouldn’t wake us up too early. I wanted her to be able to sleep off some of her hangover.

  “Think you could eat?” She shook her head then winced. I got up and went out into the kitchen. Popping some bread into the toaster I grabbed eggs from the fridge for myself. I needed to get something into her because whether she was hungover or not, we had a few things we needed to discuss. What happened last night was one. The other was what had sent me to California for the better part of last week.

  Glancing over I watched as she slowly walked into the kitchen and sat on a stool at the island, silently watching me. She looked like hell and I watched as she rubbed her knuckles. They didn’t look much better this morning. Her hangover seemed to take precedence over them though. I was impressed that she hadn’t thrown up yet, but she was looking a little green. The toast popped up, and I slid it onto a plate and set it down in front of her. She stared down at it. I filled a glass with ice then water and set that in front of her as well.

  “You should try to eat.”

  Her eyes met mine then she picked up the toast and nibbled on it. Satisfied I turned around and stirred my eggs. When they were finished, I sat across from her and started eating.

  “How did Cade know I was at the bar last night?”

  I paused, fork halfway to my mouth, and looked at her. She looked curious but not angry like she had been last night.

  “Owen recognized you.”

  She frowned. “Who is Owen?”

  “The bartender.”

  “How do these guys know who I am when I don’t know them?”

  “They know who you are because you’re mine.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me and started to speak but her phone started ringing and cut her off. She flinched at the sound but answered it after checking the caller ID.

  “Hello?”

  I ate my breakfast, listening to her half of the conversation.

  “Yes, this is she.” She paused, a frown marring her face.

  “Yes, that’s correct. What is this concerning?”

  I grinned at her formal, boardroom voice. Who knew I’d find that hot?r />
  “I can meet you there at ten a.m.” She listened as the other person spoke. “Well, I understand that, but I will not be able to meet you before then. So, you can either meet me at Mackenzie’s at ten a.m., this morning or I won’t meet you at all and you can feel free to track me down and arrest me if that’s how you’d like to play it.”

  I froze and looked up at her. Fuck. Her voice was ice cold, and she didn’t sound nervous, but her hand was shaking as she listened again.

  “Wonderful. Ten a.m., it is. I’ll see you then Special Agent Flynn.”

  God damn it. My time to warn her had run out. She ended the call, and I started to speak but she’d already dialed another number.

  “Preston. Sorry for the unexpected call but I just got a call from the FBI. Apparently, something happened, and they want to meet me at Mackenzie’s at ten. Could you meet me there? Absolutely. Thanks, Preston.” She sighed as she hung up and she furiously typed away on her phone.

  “Hey, about that…” She looked up at me.

  “Thank you for taking me home last night, Steel. I have no idea what’s going on, but I need to get back into town, get my car, get home, so I can go meet this Agent. Could you drive me back to my dad’s house?”

  I swallowed; my mouth was dry because I needed to tell her what I knew. “Listen we should talk.

  She sighed. “I know. I’ll explain what happened last night, but I don’t have time right now. Could you please take me back?”

  I nodded and like a fucking coward I took her back to her car and didn’t tell her why I’d gone to California. I knew it was going to bite me in the ass later but there was no way I’d have time to properly explain it to her on the thirty-minute drive into town. I’d have to take my chances and make her hear me out later.

  Chapter 44

  Remi

  At nine forty-five, I walked into Mackenzie’s and let out a sigh of relief when I saw both Preston and Uncle Caleb standing there. I’d texted Uncle Caleb after I’d gotten off the phone. I hadn’t had the patience to go over it again with him, plus my head had been killing me. After the bombshell, Rhonda had dropped on me and the hangover this morning, this was the worst morning for something like this to be happening.