“Really?” Smoke gave him an exasperated look.
“Kidding.” Radar shrugged. “Sort of,” he mumbled.
“How about the Mexican restaurant on the edge of town? It has that outdoor seating area by the creek.” Check was cleaning his nails with the edge of his pocketknife as he spoke.
“Sounds good. When?” Smoke directed his question to Lock.
“The sooner the better,” Lock said.
I met his gaze. “I agree.”
“I’ll call him ASAP. Let’s make this happen,” Smoke announced.
We all seconded the motion.
“I’m heading up to visit Slice. Anyone care to join me?” Smoke asked.
“Well, you know I’m in if you’re going,” Lock piped in.
I was a little irritated that I’d gotten called in when Gwen was chilling at my place. My brother was in the hospital, and I experienced a little guilt because I really wanted to go back to my girl. Instead, I gave a chin lift. “I’m in.”
We didn’t stay long, because Slice was sore and tired. When I was almost home, I caught lights flashing in my mirrors. “Are you shitting me?”
Pulling to the side, I shut off my bike and waited for the cop to get out. Being frustrated and anxious to get home didn’t help my tolerance level regarding being pulled over for nothing.
“Well, well, Mr. Wright. We meet again. I didn’t know you belonged to one of those motorcycle gangs. How does your employer feel about their employee being a gang member?” Officer Fuckin’ Warren said with a big grin on his face that was now clean shaven.
“It’s not a gang so they don’t have a problem with it. It sure sounds like you do, though.” I stared back at him with a raised brow.
“Hmm, that’s funny because by RICO act definition, you’re in a gang.” He pointed to my cut, and I wanted to punch him in his smarmy fucking mouth.
“Well, Officer Warren, that’s where you’re wrong. We don’t engage in a pattern of criminal activity for furtherance of the gang.” I tried my best not to sound snide, but I didn’t know if I was successful. Actually, I was pretty sure I sucked at it. “So how about you tell me why you pulled me over so I can get home to my woman.”
His face grew deep red, and he gritted his teeth.
“Your plates are expired,” he announced with a curl to his lip.
“What? No, they aren’t.” This asshole was pissing me off because I’d renewed them the week before. Then I remembered the new stickers were still on my kitchen table. The day I’d renewed them, the temp had bottomed out and I’d gone home, pulled in the garage, then immediately hopped in a hot shower. “Shit, sorry, the sticker is on my kitchen table. Surely you could see that when you ran my plates.”
“Hm, sorry, I must’ve missed that. Regardless, you need to actually apply them. License, registration, and insurance please.” The slight tip of his lips pissed me off even further, but I handed over the necessary info. Even though the registration I gave him was expired because the new one was on my goddamn table. Once again, I waited for him to return with my shit.
After what seemed like two hundred hours, he came back. “Your story checks out.” He handed me a fix-it ticket. “Get those stickers on and take your bike by the station to show proof that you rectified the situation.”
Fucker had the nerve to salute me in a jaunty manner before he returned to his vehicle. Grumbling, I shoved my shit in the magnetic case on my tank.
My shit situated, I started my bike and intentionally twisted the throttle. The pipes on my bike echoed under bridge that was right in front of us. Making sure I stayed under the speed limit, I roared away.
“What a fucking asshole,” I muttered to myself. Like I didn’t have enough shit to worry about, now I had Barney Fife with a hard-on for me. Fuck. Why me, Lord?
By the time I got home, the sun was going down and I was wishing I’d driven my truck. My skin was tingling and prickly when I entered the heat of the house.
It was strange to hear the TV going when I got home. For months it had been silent when I walked in. A grin curled my lips, and I dropped my shit on the table next to the stickers I needed to put on my plates.
Some ridiculous reality show was playing, but I couldn’t care less. I was too busy taking in the gorgeous sight of Gwen curled up on my couch. She was beautiful, and it sent a ripple through my chest.
Strawberry-blonde hair was piled on her head, loose tendrils teasing her neck, ears, and cheeks. She was snuggled up in the fuzzy blanket that Check’s mom had bought me for a housewarming present. The one I’d never used but that lay decoratively over the back of the couch.
Okay, I didn’t know if it was decoratively or not. I threw it there because I didn’t know what else to do with it.
For the first time since I’d met her, I wondered if I was doing the right thing getting involved with her. With all the shit going on, I was possibly putting her in danger. The problem was, I was greedy and I didn’t want to give her up.
Not yet.
“Away From The Sun”—3 Doors Down
It was a little crazy, but my relationship with Styx had become a wild whirlwind. Since the weekend I’d stayed at his place, I’d stayed there nearly every night. When I thought about the nights in his bed, my stomach fluttered and a million drunken butterflies banged around in there.
Looking at my list, I grabbed things off the shelf and pushed my cart on to find the next item. I was going to cook dinner for him, and my culinary expertise was limited. My grandmother’s pork chop recipe was easy, so I planned to make it. Granted, it probably didn’t fit into his strict diet plan, but one night wouldn’t kill him.
Because I was looking down at my list, I wasn’t paying attention when I turned the corner in H-E-B. That mistake caused me to run into the person in front of me.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” The guy turned around, and my stomach dropped. Of all the people to run into, it had to be Mitch’s slimy ass.
Shit, I hadn’t been thinking that this grocery store was near his house.
“Gwen. What a surprise. I didn’t expect to literally run into you here. Aren’t you a ways away from home?” my ex asked. It wasn’t any of his damn business, but we were surrounded by people, so I hated to be rude.
Pasting a smile on my face, I told him, “I stopped to get some things after work.” Which was the truth, but I didn’t bother telling him it was because I was staying in Cedar Park at Styx’s place.
When he stepped around my cart and closed into my personal space, I took a step back. We were in public, but I didn’t trust him.
He had the nerve to look hurt and ran a hand through his hair. “Gwen, can we talk? Maybe I could buy you dinner?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, I’ll have cold items. I need to get home.” I swallowed hard.
“Gwen. It’s like thirty-five degrees outside. Your cold stuff would be safe.” He gave me puppy-dog eyes that once upon a time would’ve had me doing anything he wanted. Not anymore.
“I’m sorry. I have plans.” Staying firm with him was new for me.
He dropped his voice. “I miss you. Please, I messed up. Let me have a chance to talk to you. I want another chance to make things right.”
“Not today, Mitch.” Without giving him a chance to say anything further, I pushed my cart around him and speed walked to grab the last thing on my list. Going through the checkout, I prayed he didn’t approach me again.
A quick, nervous glance over my shoulder showed he was nowhere in sight. The problem was, I didn’t trust he wouldn’t try to ambush me at my car. It seemed to take forever to get my items through the line, bagged, and my bill paid.
“Thank you,” I said to the cashier as I snatched the receipt from her and hustled out of the store. My hands shook as I fumbled with my keys and tossed everything in my trunk. I’d barely closed it and shoved the cart in the return area when he walked out of the store.
Pretending I didn’t see him, I rushed back to my
car and slammed the door. Hitting the lock button, I started my car.
Thankfully there were no cars across the row from me, so I was able to pull through and leave the parking lot without having to pass him. Heart pounding and old hurt ripping through me, I drove toward Styx’s neighborhood.
“Hey,” I answered my phone to a call from Alesha.
“Hey, girl. I’m getting coffee in the morning. You want me to pick you one up?”
“S-s-sure.” I stuttered.
“You okay?” Concern filled her voice.
“Yeah. Just ran into Mitch in H-E-B. Fucking asshole was acting like everything was no big deal. He actually wants me to give him another chance.” Laughing incredulously, a shiver ran through me.
“You told him to fuck off, right?” she demanded.
“Well, I didn’t say that, but pretty much the same thing.” I’d gotten stuck at the light, and I glanced in my rearview mirror.
No Mitch.
Yet.
“Of course you didn’t. You wouldn’t say the word ‘fuck’ if the world was up in flames around you.” Alesha chuckled.
There was a night I said that word. A lot. My face burned at the memory of that night on the beach. I’d said it several nights since too.
“Why does he still get to me? I mean, he killed my feelings for him, but every time I see him it hurts.” I had a great guy right now. It shouldn’t still feel like a hot poker through the chest when I saw Mitch.
“Girl, you were with the guy for three years. You invested a lot of time and emotion into him. While you may have seen the light with him, it’s difficult to shut emotions off.” Alesha was so practical. In a way, I was envious of her carefree nature. Over the years I’d known her, she’d dated a plethora of men, and not once had I seen her develop feelings for them.
“Maybe. I wish I was more like you.” Turning into Styx’s neighbored, I sighed.
“No, you don’t. I’m a hot mess of a train wreck, I just hide it better than you.” She laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.
“I love you, Al,” I said as I shook my head.
“Love you too, babe. I’ll see you bright and early.” She was chuckling as we ended the call.
I parked in the driveway and sat for a moment to reflect.
And to avoid the cold.
We Texans were fickle creatures. We complained when the summer sun was melting our makeup from our faces, but then whined when it was cold.
“No time like the present,” I said out loud, trying to psych myself up.
Like a shot, I popped the trunk, bailed out of the car, ran to grab my bags, then dashed to the garage and pushed the code in that had the door rolling up. Once I reached the door into the house, I hit the button to close the door.
When I did that, I nearly dropped the bags in my hand and had to scramble to grab the loaf of bread that almost fell out. Breathing a sigh of relief when I caught it with minimal damage, I carefully reached for the doorknob, trying to avoid a repeat of a minute ago. The door was half closed when I saw a car go by. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve sworn it was Mitch’s Charger.
Shaking from the cold and the thought of Mitch following me, I burst into the warmth of the house.
I’d barely set the bags on the counter when my phone rang. Seeing the pic Styx had set as his contact photo had me laughing. He had his eyes crossed, his nose was wrinkled, and his teeth were bared in a creepy-as-hell smile.
“Hello, weirdo. You need to quit sneaking into my phone” was how I answered. His deep chuckle sent shivers through me, and it wasn’t from the cold.
“I take it you finally saw my pic. We’re swamped, but I wanted to hear your voice. I also wanted to make sure you made it home okay. I’ll be off in a couple of hours, do you want me to pick something up for dinner on my way home?” Twice he’d said “home” like it was my home too, and it did something funny to me. It was sweet, and it was like it came naturally to him.
“Actually, I’m making you dinner.” I tucked the phone between my ear and my shoulder so I could put stuff away that I didn’t need to use.
“Oh shit. Do I need to call the fire department now?” he teased.
“Ha. Ha. You’re such a funny guy.” Even though he wasn’t far off from the last time I’d tried to cook for him. It was only our second night together, and I’d actually started a grease fire. I panicked, but thankfully he was close by and slammed a lid on the pan and took it out back. The house had to be aired out, and we’d gone out for dinner. My face got hot at the memory.
“Admit it. That’s what you love about me.”
I froze at his words. Because I really did. I loved that and so many more things about him. Was I in love with him? I wasn’t sure, but something told me I was one action away from falling for him.
Hard.
“Uh, yeah.” Trying my best to sound unaffected by what he’d innocently said, I took a deep breath.
“Okay. Well, I need to quit hiding in the bathroom. They’re probably thinking I’m in here taking a shit.” He laughed. I rolled my eyes.
“Gross. On that note, I’m starting dinner. See you soon.”
“Later, babe.” He hung up, and I sat at the kitchen table analyzing my feelings. It had only been a week and a half that we’d been together-together. Things had moved fast, but Styx was a force to be reckoned with.
Sure, we’d known each other since the beginning of November, but I didn’t see him again until almost halfway through December. Now we were closing in on Christmas, and I’d have to go back to my place soon.
My parents were coming up from Florida for Christmas. Thankfully they’d only be there a few days, because mom had to work. My mother was a lot to handle.
My phone started ringing. Speak of the devil.
“Hey, Mom.” Inwardly, I sighed.
“Gwendolyn. I wanted to call to let you know your sister is coming with us for Christmas. Is that going to be a problem?” Rhetorical question. Because if I gave her the truth, she’d be pissed and jump to my sister’s defense.
“Umm, sure. That’s fine. You and Dad can have my bed and Darla and I can share the futon. What about Tony?” I was fishing like a mofo, but I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
“They broke up. She’s staying at the house until she can get back on her feet. I tried to tell her months ago he was too demanding.” She continued on her rant about everything negative regarding my sister’s now ex-boyfriend.
I rolled my eyes. Of course she was staying there. Mom was probably footing all the bills for her too. It was part of the reason I chose to stay in Texas when my dad got transferred to Florida right before his retirement. It got under my skin how Mom enabled Darla, but God forbid I say anything against my mooching drama queen of a sister.
“Mmm.” It was easier to keep my responses noncommittal.
“Okay, well, I only called to tell you we’d be bringing a plus-one,” she said as she laughed. “Can’t wait to see you, sweetheart.”
“You too, Mom,” I said.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The call ended, and I exhaled roughly. Great. Christmas with my entitled sister. Fun times. I hadn’t mentioned to Styx that my parents were coming. It hadn’t ever been the right time.
Okay, that was crap. I’d been hesitant. Not because I was ashamed of him, but because I knew how they’d react when they saw him. Even though he was a nurse and a great guy, all they’d see was his tattoos, his hair, his club, and it would be all assumptions and stigma.
Now to top it off, Darla would be coming. With the way she was, it wouldn’t surprise me if she made a move on him. It wouldn’t be the first time. I didn’t want him around them. What we had seemed special, and I wanted to hoard every moment to myself.
In a funk, I got my butt moving on dinner. By the time the garage door opened, I was pulling the pan out of the oven.
A brief peck on the cheek was what I got before he stripped nake
d in the laundry room and took a quick shower. The urge to join him was nearly overwhelming. If I did, I knew what would happen, and the food would get cold.
Forcing myself to be good, I was dishing up the plates when he came back out.
“Hey, beautiful. That smells great. What’d you make?” His arms snaked around my middle from behind, and his chin rested on the top of my head. He smelled amazing, and I couldn’t help but lean back into him and breathe him in.
“Pork Chops O’Brien.” I grinned.
“Mmm, looks good too.” He nuzzled my neck. My head tipped to grant him better access.
“We need to eat,” I finally rasped out.
“Do I get dessert, too?” His lips curled against my skin.
“Of course.” I knew he was hinting at something else, but I actually had picked up a cream pie for dessert.
“I can’t wait,” he murmured as I turned to him and gave him a quick kiss.
“Let’s eat.”
He gave me a wicked grin.
“One Step Closer”—Linkin Park
“Something bothering you?” We’d finished our meal and were eating nice, fat slices of coconut cream pie. She’d been unusually quiet.
Wide eyes met mine. “Umm, no. Why?”
Eating another bite of pie, I studied her. Her pretty flush gave away something was going on. Another bite, and I silently chewed as she fidgeted with her fork.
“I won’t be able to spend Christmas with you,” she blurted out. Her eyes stayed trained on her plate where she was mutilating what was left of her pie.
Suspicion crept over my face despite my best effort. I pressed my lips together before I drew out, “Okay?”
“My parents are coming for Christmas, and my mother can be kind of difficult, and then she told me my sister is coming and that’s a whole ’nother ball of wax because she’s… well, she’s Darla, but my mother always makes excuses for her, and my dad doesn’t like to say anything or he gets ganged up on by them, and God forbid he ever stand up to my mother because that always ends in a big family argument.” She paused in the rapid spiel for a gulping breath, and I used that as my opportunity to reach across the table and rest my hand on hers.
Styx and Stones: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 8