by S. Nelson
“And he’s hot.” I turned to look behind me and saw a girl who appeared to be around my age turn the corner. She was pretty, her chestnut-colored hair styled poker straight.
“That he is.” Braylen chuckled, not at all seemingly annoyed the girl fawned over her husband. “That’s Natalie. And if you haven’t guessed already, she’s got a thing for my hubby.”
“And every other red-blooded male,” Riley added, draping a black cape over the front of me before securing it in the back with a snap.
“What can I say? I love a hot guy. Speaking of which….” I turned to see who was in her line of sight and saw Lincoln and Kaden walking toward the salon, stopping outside on the sidewalk for a moment before reaching for the handle. The chirp of the door sounded seconds later, and both guys headed straight for us.
“Hey, guys,” Natalie sang out, and even though I didn’t know her at all, she rubbed me the wrong way. An inexplicable feeling of jealousy erupted, something I’d never experienced before in my short life, and I had to admit... I hated it.
“Natalie,” they replied in unison, but neither of them looked at her. Instead, Lincoln’s eyes were on me, and Kaden’s were on Riley.
The small victory of sorts made me smile, which in turn made Lincoln grin at me like he just heard the best news.
28
“Hey, babe.” Kaden drew my sister in for a hug right before kissing her. A few of the women hooted, but I looked away, not needing to see the display. My focus was on Maddie and no one else, not until I heard Riley ask a question I realized was bound to be brought up at some point.
“What is that?” she asked, patting his lower back. Kaden moved back a step but didn’t say anything, and if I knew my sister as well as I thought I did, there was no way she was gonna let this go. She’d press the issue and demand an answer, right here in front of everyone present. She didn’t care.
When she reached for him again, he grabbed her hand and shook his head. “Stop. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Since when did you start carrying a gun?” I supposed later was right now. I didn’t think he meant to do it, but Kaden glanced over at Maddie before returning his focus on my sister.
“Since now.”
“Why?”
“It’s only a precaution. Don’t get all bent out of shape over it. I know how to use it, and well, I might add.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want you carrying one.” She huffed, her hands finding a home on her waist.
“It’s not up to you.”
Kaden was out of his mind if he thought my sister wouldn’t dive headfirst into this argument. She pulled her eyes from him, and they soon landed on me.
“Are you carrying, too?”
I nodded.
She looked at Brick. “What about him?”
“Everyone is,” Kaden answered, shifting her attention back on him. “Nothing is gonna happen. We’re fine.”
“How can you say that? Something is obviously wrong if everyone was told to carry a weapon when they never had to before.” Riley’s face flushed, and it was only a matter of seconds before she exploded. Because I didn’t want Maddie to be caught in the middle of a potentially volatile scene, I pulled my sister away from everyone else so I could have a few words with her.
“I don’t like this one bit, Linc,” she muttered.
“I know. I’m not a fan either, but we have to protect ourselves in case something happens.”
“What’s gonna happen?” Her eyes searched mine for an answer I wasn’t allowed to give. Club business was just that… business of the club. But I would give her a tidbit of information to try and put her mind at ease. “The Reapers are gonna come back at us because I took Maddie from them. We don’t know how or when, but we need to be ready when they do.”
“I don’t like it,” she repeated.
“You don’t have to.” I realized how clipped my tone sounded when she raised her brows at me. “This is hard enough for all of us,” I confessed. “You would do well to stop giving the guy such a hard time.” My sister was stubborn and would argue until she ran out of words, a trait I never found appealing, as I was sure Kaden didn’t either. But she had a right to speak her mind, like I did, and I told it to her straight, hoping she’d back off a bit on this issue. “If you wanna give him a hard time, do it later and not in front of Maddie. I don’t need her feeling any worse about her situation than she probably already does.”
My protectiveness over Maddie grew each day. Strike that, I believed it grew each hour, and I knew one thing for sure. I’d do everything in my power to keep her safe and if that meant killing someone in order to do it…. My thoughts drifted away from me because I didn’t want to think about the details, albeit hypothetical for right now. Then again, that was the potential danger I faced, we all faced. My assumed threat could turn real at any time.
“I’ll talk to Kaden in private about this,” she finally conceded. “Because you’re right, Maddie doesn’t need any more drama in her life right now.” She walked away before I could thank her.
“So, Maddie, what do you wanna do today? Different style? Or only a trim?” Maddie’s eyes met mine in the reflection of the mirror, and I wasn’t sure if she sought my approval or genuinely didn’t have an answer for Riley.
“Um… I’ve always wanted bangs.”
“Bangs would look great on you. You have the perfect face shape to pull them off. Are you okay if I cut off a couple inches as well? You have some dead ends.”
“Sure,” she answered, her voice timid.
As Riley grabbed her scissors, she turned to look at me, then to Kaden. “Are you guys gonna hover around the entire time? Don’t you have somewhere to go?”
“We’re not leavin’,” Kaden answered before I could. There was no way I’d ever leave Maddie here alone. Not that I didn’t trust my sister with her, but if anything popped off while we were gone, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
“If you’re so worried, you could have the big guy stay behind.” Riley jerked her chin toward Brick, who was still huddled with Zoe in the corner. God only knew what was goin’ on with them, but if Ryder walked in here right now, the situation wouldn’t be pretty.
“He’s busy,” I said. As I inhaled to say something else, Chelsea came barreling into the salon, her face flushed, and looking like she was out of breath.
“’Bout time you got here,” Braylen chastised. “Your client will be here any second.”
“You know I’m usually here early, but time got away from me.” She plopped down in her chair and released a heavy breath. “What are you guys doin’ here?” Chelsea looked to all three of us, although Brick’s back was still facing the group.
“I thought Maddie could have some fun.”
She leaned forward and looked around her best friend. “Who’s Maddie?”
“Linc’s woman,” Kaden blurted, making me cringe. If we were alone, I’d punch him. Then again, if no one else was around, I’d have no reason to be upset. I immediately looked at Maddie and saw her tense, but when Riley whispered something to her, she relaxed, although only marginally.
I could’ve corrected him and told everyone, including Maddie, that she wasn’t my woman, but I didn’t want to say such a thing. I barely knew her, but something inside me prohibited the words from leaving my mouth.
Riley moved to the side so that Chelsea could see the person in her chair. “This is Maddie.”
“Oh. Hi.” Chelsea smiled before leaning back. I could see the wheels hard at work in her overactive brain, and because I didn’t want her to spew a bunch of questions or comments at me, or anyone else for that matter, I asked her something which would redirect her attention.
“Where’s Ace?”
She shifted uncomfortably, averting her gaze. “How should I know?”
“You two make up from your drunken brawl?” I knew they had, or at the very least she’d let him back into her house the night I could’ve died, still thanking whoever or what
ever saved me that night by only having the bullet graze the side of my head.
“Wha… what?”
“What do you mean what?” Kaden asked, taking a step toward her. “Which, by the way, was fucked up. That’s the last time you put Riley in that kind of situation.”
“Kaden.” A twinge of warning sliced through both syllables of his name when it escaped Riley’s mouth.
“I mean it,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets before narrowing his eyes at her best friend.
“Then you need to talk to him yourself. It was Ace’s fault all that went down in the first place.” Chelsea glared at Natalie when she walked past her toward her own station.
“What happened?” Natalie asked, completely oblivious to the aggression wafting toward her.
“Nothing,” Chelsea answered, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Fine.” Natalie huffed. “Leave me out of all the juicy convo. See if I care.” She pulled out her phone, giving the device all her attention.
Even though she and Maddie were only a year apart, Natalie being older, the difference in maturity was astounding. During the times I’d been around Natalie, she came off as self-absorbed, either making comments about lusting after guys or partying. Maddie, on the other hand, had been through stuff no one should have to go through. Her biggest worry in life was safety, not drinking and hooking up.
Consumed with the rampant thoughts firing off inside my overcharged brain, I wasn’t paying attention when Ace suddenly walked into the salon. Speak of the devil.
“Hey. What are you guys doin’ here?” No one got the chance to answer before he saw Maddie, heading straight for her. “Nice to see you outside the clubhouse.” He chuckled, touching her shoulder in familiarity. She smiled at him, and even though I realized he was only being nice, their interaction annoyed me.
But apparently, my feelings toward the two of them were nothing compared to Chelsea’s. Fire lit behind her eyes when she saw Ace touch Maddie, her posture straightening right before she unfolded her hands. The chick looked like she was ready to blow.
Ace pulled a phone from inside his cut. “You left this at my place.” She snatched it from him, looking at all of us briefly before turning her focus back on him. Her scowling at him should’ve been enough of a hint that she didn’t want to see him, but he didn’t turn and walk away. Instead, he poured gas on the fire.
“What’s wrong with you?” he growled, stepping closer to her so as not to be so obvious they were about to argue. Little did he know that all eyes were on them.
“You’re way too friendly with everyone,” she grated.
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“First Natalie and now Maddie?”
“You’re blowing things way out of proportion like usual.”
“Am I?” she asked, shoving him out of the way so she could stand. Chelsea took a few steps away from him, mumbling something under her breath, but she didn’t get too far before he grabbed her arm to stop her. His grip wasn’t strong, however, because she easily dislodged herself from his hold and briskly walked toward the back of the salon. I thought I heard her say “fucker,” but I couldn’t be sure.
“Christ!” Ace threw his head back and grunted, and I was positive if he were anywhere but here, surrounded by his buddies and other women, he would’ve flipped the fuck out. But he restrained himself.
“Maybe you should go,” I said, coming to stand beside him with a supportive pat on his back.
“Yeah.” He shook his head. “Fuckin’ women,” he mumbled before walking toward the door. But he stopped when he reached the desk, turning back to look at me. “When’s your next fight?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t heard from Rico.”
“Maybe we should talk to Marek about having you lie low for a bit.” His eyes raked over Maddie, but thankfully she didn’t notice, too busy paying attention to whatever Riley said to her.
“Yeah.” I gave a short answer because I honestly didn’t know how I was gonna handle entering a fight so soon after what happened at the last one. I had no doubt the Reapers would show up, and God only knew the outcome this time around.
29
“Wow! This look certainly fits you.” Riley fiddled with my hair before stepping to the side, her eyes on mine in the mirror to see my reaction. When I pried my attention from her and onto me, my mouth fell open. How could something as simple as bangs change my look, almost completely? Even the whites of my eyes looked brighter. She cut a couple inches off, so now the length of my strands hit slightly above my collarbone. Whereas earlier my hair appeared lifeless and dull, it looked vibrant, rich.
“I love it, Riley,” I gushed, working to keep my unshed tears at bay. She had no idea what her simple act had done for me, and while I didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of her and everyone else here, I couldn’t stop my emotions from barreling to the forefront.
“Oh, please don’t cry. ’Cause then you’re gonna make me cry, and I don’t feel like fixing my face.” She laughed, giving me a side hug before motioning for her brother. Every now and again, I’d caught Lincoln looking over at me, smiling whenever our eyes met. He was talking with Kaden and Brick when Riley waved him over. “What do you think?” she asked, moving out of the way when he stepped closer. His hand brushed my arm, a tingle of excitement swirling deep in my belly, and possibly someplace else.
“You look even more gorgeous than before.” His voice dipped. “I didn’t think that was even possible.” The compliment threw me even though he’d previously told me he thought I was beautiful. I’d been drinking then, my boldness pouring out of me before I could think better of it, even going so far as to kiss him.
I looked away for a moment, the intensity in his stare borderline too much. “Thank you.”
Lincoln traced his finger over the top of my hand, the touch triggering heat to bloom beneath my skin. I jerked my head up, catching the smile on his stunning face the same time he winked at me.
“You ready?” he asked, holding out his palm to me.
“Yeah.” I glanced at my reflection one last time before exiting the seat, placing my hand in his and allowing him to help me stand. He didn’t step back, which caused me to bump into him. “Sorry.” Only then did he back up enough to give me space, but not enough to allow me to breathe without inhaling his smell. If we were alone, I’d bury my nose in the crook of his neck and never leave. But we weren’t alone. We were surrounded by his sister and his friends. If I acted in such a way, they would definitely think there was something wrong with me, if they didn’t think that already.
“Thanks again, Riley. I love my new hair.”
She leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Anytime.” She then looked to her brother. “Don’t keep her hidden away in the clubhouse. Bring her by the house for dinner soon.”
“Whose house?”
“Mom and Dad’s,” she replied.
“I’ll bring her by there if you invite Kaden, too.”
Riley squinted at him, her teeth toying with the corner of her bottom lip. “Yeah. Can you imagine?”
“I can,” Kaden interjected. “And that’s not somethin’ I wanna experience again right now.”
Instead of trying to decode their conversation, I focused on the part where Lincoln tried to barter with his sister about bringing me to their house for dinner. Was that his subtle way of telling her he didn’t want me there, without blatantly saying it in front of me? Was he embarrassed of me? I thought his mom liked me, so I doubted she was the issue.
Normally, I would keep my mouth shut, but as we walked toward the door, I pulled my hand from his.
“You okay?”
I gave him a halfhearted shrug. Again, I wouldn’t typically question anyone’s statements, but his resistance to take me to his house hurt my feelings.
“Why don’t you want to bring me to dinner?”
With the door held open, he gestured for me to walk outside ahead of him. “Let’s go,” he said to Bric
k and Kaden, allowing them a moment to say goodbye to Zoe and Riley. Turning his attention to me, he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to take you home for dinner, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Oh.” I was right. He was embarrassed of me. “I understand. I thought since your mom was so nice to me, she liked me.”
Lincoln pulled me to the side as his friends passed and headed toward their bikes. “Maddie, what are you talkin’ about?”
I looked down at my feet. “You’re ashamed of me. Which is okay. I understand. I’m just thankful you saved me.” I felt the tears brewing, but I didn’t want to break down in front of him, especially out in public where I would have no shield whatsoever if things really turned south.
“I’m not ashamed of you.” He shifted his feet. “Maddie.” I kept my eyes lowered, my emotions whirling through me faster and faster. “Look at me.” Still, I kept my eyes averted. “Please.” I didn’t know if it was the pleading in his voice or the pain I thought I heard, but I lifted my head. “I’m not ashamed of you,” he repeated. “I just don’t think it’s safe. We don’t know what the Reapers are gonna do, so I don’t want to take any chances. The only reason I brought you here today was because I have backup with me,” he said, pointing toward Kaden and Brick, who were looking at us with interest. “Do you understand?”
“Yes.” His explanation soothed my ego. “I do.”
“You okay?”
I nodded, taking a step around him and heading toward his bike. Once we stood next to the impressive machine, I touched his arm as he clipped his helmet in place.
“Do you want me to ride back with one of your friends?” I could’ve been mistaken, but I thought I saw the muscle in his jaw flex.
“Absolutely not. Why would you ask me that?”
“Because I made you uncomfortable.”