Custom Built

by Chantal Fernando

  Crow and I will kiss when we’re ready.

  * * *

  I’m on the phone when Crow and Temper return. It’s almost closing time, and I’m heading straight over to see Nadia after this.

  “Hey, babe,” Crow says, squeezing my shoulders from behind as I sit at my desk, and kisses my cheek.

  “Hey,” I reply, spinning around to face him. “I had a call today from a man wanting a bike as soon as possible, but I told him there’s a four-month wait. And he wasn’t happy. I wrote down his name and number.”

  Crow looks at the name and shrugs. “Unless he’s a Knight, he has to wait just like everyone else. Don’t worry about it, I’ll call him tomorrow. And if he or anyone else gives you a hard time again, tell me and I’ll handle it, all right?”

  “Okay. There’s also a reporter that wants an interview and to do a feature on you guys for their motorcycle magazine. You have to call them back, too. And I did the new parts order and sent that off, and I finished sorting all the receipts for the accountant,” I add.

  “How did we run this place without you?” he asks.

  “I have no idea,” I admit, and then blurt out, “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

  So much for being patient and waiting until it just happened.

  His eyes widen. “I was waiting for the right time.”

  “Oh.”

  “I had no idea you were waiting for it.” Crow chuckles, moving closer to me. After looking up at him through my lashes, I drop my gaze to his soft, very kissable lips.

  “I mean, I wouldn’t say no” is my eloquent reply, before he lowers himself to his knees, cups my face with his hands and presses his lips against mine. Cam and Abbie walk in and start cheering and catcalling, but the sound of them is just background noise. All my senses are on Crow, his scent, the taste of his lips. The sensation of his thumb rubbing across my cheek.

  When he pulls back, I feel dizzy, the butterflies in my stomach are out of this world, and I’m lost in those blue eyes.

  “You have been through a lot, and I was just waiting until the timing was right,” he says against my lips, kissing me again.

  “Anytime is the right time,” I say when I find my words.

  It was the best kiss I’ve ever had in my life.

  The kiss.

  And boy, was it worth the wait.

  I grab Crow’s face and pull him back down to me. He’s not getting away that easily.

  Another long, deep kiss, our tongues working magic, my legs pressing together of their own accord, unable to contain the way he turns me on.

  “Get a room!” I hear Cam call out, along with Abbie saying, “We’re still here, guys.”

  I don’t care who sees.

  Crow ends the kiss once more, a wolfish grin on his handsome face. “Bronte, fuck. You were so worth the wait.”

  He took the words right out of my mouth.

  Chapter Eleven

  I can’t stop smiling on the way to Nadia’s, to the point where my cheeks actually start hurting, but I can’t help it. My first kiss with Crow was more than I ever imagined.

  Nadia is busy with work when I arrive, surrounded by paperwork. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she says, lifting her head up. “So, I’ve got some good news, and some bad news.”

  “Hit me with the good news first,” I tell her, sitting down.

  “Well, I’ve done some research and I’ve started a suspect list just going by other drug dealers in the city and those in nearby turfs who might have wanted your dad and uncle out of the picture.”

  “Okay, that does sound promising. What’s the bad news?” I press.

  “There’s not much information I can find about them. None, even. And there’s nothing on your dad or uncle either. On paper, neither man has ever done anything illegal—your dad worked a normal construction job and Neville has several legitimate businesses he hides behind, one being a farm. I guess this is good news, really, because their tracks are so well covered no one is ever going to find out what they’ve been up to,” she continues, going through a notebook in front of her, her curly hair covering her face like a curtain. “But bad news for us because it gives us nothing to go on. I’m not sure how we are going to figure this out. I’ve tried your dad’s finances, and I’m going through the phone records now. We need to speak to your uncle, though. He’s the only one who can help, by giving us inside information.”

  “I think you might be right,” I say, sighing.

  I haven’t spoken to him since the day I left his house, and I know he’s not going to want to willingly give me any information. One, because it’s likely going to get me into trouble, and two, because it means letting me into this double life they’ve both been living. I know he doesn’t want me to have any kind of involvement with that. Without letting me see this other side of him, though, I’m not going to be able to find out who really killed my dad. And I know my uncle wants that, too. I need him to let me in, but that also means I need to let go of any judgment, because that’s not fair otherwise.

  And I know that’s why he’s not telling me, because he doesn’t want my judgment, but the time for pretense is over. “I’ll speak to him.”

  “I’m here with you all the way,” she says, kind brown eyes sympathetic. She closes her notebook and stands up. “You want to go and get coffee or something? I’ll tell you about each suspect and all the information I could get on them. I have a plan. I just hope people will talk.”

  She’s right. I need my uncle, because he’s the only insider who we have a shot at getting to speak to us.

  “Sounds good,” I say. “Thank you so much for helping me, Nadia. It feels just like the old days, except way more personal.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” she agrees. “And you’re welcome. What are friends for, right?”

  We head out to catch up. “These men are good at what they do. Fake names, fake addresses, the whole shebang. It’s going to be hard but not impossible,” she murmurs as we sit down at a café and order some coffee.

  “I know, it’s definitely not an easy one,” I reply, sighing. “But it will all come together. It always does. What is your gut instinct telling you in regards to the suspects?”

  She points to two names. “These two are the ones that keep sticking out to me. They both live in the area, and I know territory is a big thing with drug dealing. So I’m going to research them first. And if your uncle can confirm any of them, that would be a big help. We can work down the list and anyone he is familiar with we can make a priority.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” I say.

  We discuss our plan of action before we each head home. By the time I get there, Crow is just pulling up at the same time.

  “Where did you go?” he asks, bag of groceries in his arms. Is he going to cook for me? First the kiss, now dinner?

  Today has been a pretty damn good day.

  “I went to see Nadia, and we went out and had some coffee. And now apparently a sexy man is going to cook dinner for me,” I reply, wiggling my brows at him. I unlock the door and he steps inside after me, putting the groceries on the kitchen counter.

  “Prepare to be amazed,” he says as he pulls out all the ingredients and sets them on the table.

  “I was already amazed today,” I say softly, but I know he hears me from the twitch of his lips.

  “Me too,” he fires back, lifting his hand and resting it on the side of my neck. “Do you know how badly I’ve wanted to kiss you? Ever since I first laid eyes on you. The timing was never right, and then you lost your dad and... I don’t know. I was waiting for you to be ready.”

  “And I appreciate that,” I reply, resting my head against his chest and wrapping my arms around myself. “I like how thoughtful you are. It’s really different. And unexpected.”

  He laughs. “Didn’t think a bi
g, bad biker would be so emotionally adept?”

  “Exactly,” I admit, lifting my face up to him. “You’re just...more than I’d ever imagined.”

  He kisses my forehead, my nose, and then my lips. “You came out of nowhere, Bronte, but I’m glad you’re here. You’re more than I ever expected,” he replies, resting his forehead against mine. “Now let me feed you. And then you can tell me what you learned with Nadia, because hell if you aren’t keeping me up to date with this whole thing.”

  I grin.

  He makes me rib eye steak with creamy prawns on top, potato salad and garlic bread, and I tell him what I learned today, and what the new plan is. “So I’m going to speak with my uncle tomorrow after work.”

  “Do you want me to come?” he asks, but I shake my head.

  “No, this is something I need to do by myself.” For the sake of my relationship with my uncle.

  Crow nods, and doesn’t say anything else, which I also appreciate. I know he’s the alpha male type, but he should let me sort through all of this myself.

  When I need him, I’m going to ask, because at some point I know I’m going to be in way over my head. But for now, with my uncle, I’m going to do this how I need to.

  Let’s just hope he’s willing to cooperate and give me the inside information I need.

  * * *

  “What are you guys doing?” I ask as I step into work. They’re all sitting around my desk watching something on my computer. Skylar and Izzy are also here, which is weird because I’ve never even seen them at Fast & Fury before.

  “Nothing,” they all say, a little too quickly.

  I step closer and peer behind the screen as they attempt to shut it down. “Oh my God, are you watching security footage of me and Crow kissing? You perverts!” I start laughing at the sheepish looks on their faces.

  “Abbie said it was like a damn movie, and we were sad she was here but we missed it, so we wanted to watch a replay. Is that so bad?” Izzy says.

  “You two are so cute,” Skylar adds, placing her hands over her heart. “This is just a whole different side of Crow we are seeing. And I’m sorry, but I don’t regret driving over here, making a complete detour from work just to watch this.”

  I shake my head at them. “You should all be ashamed.”

  Abbie glances between me and the screen. “Well, we might as well all watch it once before we have to go to work.”

  I throw my hands up in the air.

  “Don’t look at me,” Cam adds, grinning. “I didn’t even know we had cameras in here. That’s how much I pay attention. But I am glad I got to see that again, not going to lie.”

  Crow steps in and I call him over. “You guys can tell him what you’re all doing here, you creeps.”

  “What are they doing?” he asks, giving me a hug and kiss before addressing them. “What are you doing here, Sky and Izzy?”

  “We came to watch some important security footage,” Sky replies with a straight face.

  Crow seems to understand straight away. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You all need hobbies.”

  They smile at him. “You’re both cute, and now we’re invested,” Izzy says, standing up and wrapping an arm around me and Crow. “Keep it up, guys. We think you’re both perfect for each other.”

  “Thanks,” Crow replies in a dry tone. “It’s like having three extra sisters, ones you didn’t want or ask for.”

  “You love us,” Sky calls out as she follows behind Izzy. “We’ll see you all soon!”

  We all say bye, and then I turn to Crow. “We are pretty cute, though.”

  He laughs, and kisses me, giving the rest of them a live show.

  I’m sure the girls will be in at some point for the replay. I think it’s sweet how close they all are, and how easily they’ve accepted me. They really are a great bunch of people to know, and I’m blessed to have them in my life.

  Biker women or not.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d come back to see me or not,” Uncle Neville admits, gesturing for me to have a seat on his expensive beige couch.

  “Of course I was going to come back and see you. I was in shock, but that doesn’t mean I was going to pretend you didn’t exist. You’re family. And you’re all I have of my dad now,” I say, sitting down and waiting as he joins me. “I’m not going to judge you for what you do.”

  I knew coming here tonight that the only way this is going to work is if I let go of all the judgment. I’m not here to question his life decisions, I’m here to find answers.

  “You want to know who could’ve killed him?” Neville guesses, leaning back and staring straight ahead.

  “You don’t think he overdosed either,” I say, glancing at his profile.

  He shakes his head.

  “I’m working with my old boss Nadia, to try to figure out what happened to him. I think between us we can get to the bottom of it. Does this mean your life is also in danger? I don’t want anything to happen to you,” I tell him, wringing my hands as the thought hits me. What if whoever did this is planning on taking out both brothers? I mean, my uncle seems to be the one more in the lifestyle; my dad was just following in his brother’s footsteps to make sure he was financially secure.

  That I was financially secure.

  “I’ve upped my security,” he admits, bringing his intense eyes to me, eyes just like Abbie’s. “Don’t worry about me, Bronte. I can look after myself. Especially now that I know I’ve got to watch my back. Your dad wouldn’t have thought anything of it. He was unprepared. Not many people knew of his involvement. It was mainly me that people dealt with.”

  “Tell me, please. Anything that can help. I won’t rest until I know the truth. And I have the Knights at my back, and Nadia—I’m not just going into this alone and without a plan,” I explain, because I know what he’s thinking right now. He’s wondering if telling me anything is the best idea, because I could potentially end up in trouble, hurt, or even dead, like Dad. And I understand he doesn’t want anything to happen to me. I feel the exact same way about him.

  He takes a deep breath before answering me. “We were trying to get out of the business, and a war started over our turf. I...control a lot of the drugs that come in and out of the city, Bronte. So with me gone, it changes a lot for many people. There are some players who want to be where I am right now, standing on top of an empire with money, power and control. Certain people don’t want to see others on top, and there are repercussions of whatever decision I make. Lives could be destroyed. People will become enemies. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next, but before we even made the decision, we lost Freddy. And now I’m wishing I never even told him the truth about me, because he might still be alive then.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “Dad made his own choices. He didn’t have to join you, but he did.”

  “He said I couldn’t trust anyone else, so he wanted to be at my back. And he was right. He was the only person I could trust. This world is...brutal. It’s so sobering to take a good look at yourself, and to realize that because of who you became, you lost the person you loved the most in this world.”

  I swallow hard, emotion hitting me. “There’s no point blaming yourself.”

  “That’s nice of you to say, but I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive myself,” he admits, ducking his head. “All we can do now is find out who did this and then try and survive the grief. There are three main players fighting for the top. I’ll give you their names, but I need you to promise me not to do anything stupid. If you need people, I have people. Backup, numbers, guns, whatever you need. Call me, I’m here for you, all right? I want to see this asshole gone, too.”

  Guns?

  I realize now what Crow has been trying to tell me: I’m way out of my league. I’ve never used a gun in my life, and I don’t know what th
e hell I’m doing.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  I need to reassess this plan, and work smarter, not harder.

  I leave his house with a list of names, and I know if this list got out, there would be a shit storm, so I’m not going to share it with anyone except Crow and Nadia. I get home and have a long shower, and by the time I’m dressed and ready for bed, Crow still hasn’t shown up. I’ve gotten used to him being around here, even though we never formally discussed it, and now that he’s not here I miss him.

  Where are you? I ask via text.

  He replies instantly. At the clubhouse. Is everything okay??

  Yeah, it’s fine.

  I type out, I just miss you, then delete. Then type out, Are you coming here tonight? Then delete that too.

  It’s so hard when you’re at that stage. You know the one. We’re both into each other but we’re not a couple, so I don’t want to act needy when he’s not even my boyfriend yet.

  You miss me?

  I smile down at my phone. Trust him to just put it out there and call it like it is. I reply to him with one word. Yes.

  Be there in thirty.

  I am falling hard for this man.

  Shit.

  I don’t think I’ve really ever fallen in love before. I mean, I thought I did at the time, but looking back, my past relationships have been nothing but lust. I’ve never felt like this before, and it’s a little overwhelming, yet at the same time I’d fight if someone tried to take it away from me.

  I’m lying in bed reading a book when I hear the knock.

  “Hey,” I say, letting him in. “You smell good.”

  “So do you.” He grins, pulling me against his hard chest. “How did it go with your uncle?”

  “Good. I have some leads, and we’re all going to work together to try to find out the truth,” I explain, telling him everything in detail. I don’t know what to do with them yet, but I guess that depends on what Nadia can dig up and on what Crow suggests that I do with the information.