Busted Steel: An Age Gap Stand Alone Romance (Steel Crew Book 6)

by Mj Fields

  “You know me, all sides of me. You know me better than I know myself at times. Most of the time, you see me better than I can see myself.”

  “Ranger’s going to be pissed at you.”

  “Wait—is that a yes?” Her eyes light up.

  “If anyone else misrepresented you, I’d cut them, so yes.”

  “And you’ll go to school still?”

  “Will I have the time?”

  “Um, yes.” She grins. Tris grins. “It won’t be more than like part-time, but with full-time pay, because we want you to do Matteo’s, too. I mean, he doesn’t have a presence yet, so that may be—”

  “I can handle it. Totally. Oh my freaking God, Tris!” I grab her and hug her again. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. I’m a pain in the ass at times, but you’ll make sixty a year to start.”

  “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit,” I whisper.

  And she laughs. “When I come up with a new album, and if it hits like the last one because STD let me open—”

  “When it hits? When it doubles, and you’re the headliner.”

  “That will be up to you and Patrick to figure out.”

  “I don’t want to step on his or Uncle Xavier’s and Aunt—”

  “You’ll be my employee; it won’t affect the label or Patrick. And trust me; I know I’m a lot to handle, so they’ll be good with it.”

  “You just tell me what to do, and I’m doing it.”

  “Go home, make my social media pretty. When shit starts to hit the fan, I’ll make sure they know anything that goes out to the public goes through you first. You know me.” She places her hand over her heart. “If they don’t like it, then I won’t do another album.”

  “But you love it, and they’re family.”

  “And I know personally what it takes out of me. It will take a lot less knowing you are on my team.”

  “I’d do it for free. I will do it for free.”

  “Fuck that. I need the tax right-offs.” She laughs as I squeal while hugging her. “And trust me; when you leave here, you’ll need something else to focus on. The first cut is always the deepest.”

  Ranger.

  Leaving in the middle of the night, with him in my bed, passed out, feels wrong, but Tris promises me it’s exactly what I need to do … for me.

  My flight leaves Mexico just before one in the morning. I actually run into Zack at the airport, and he looks at me like I’m a felon about to be busted. When I see him pull his phone out of his pocket, I legit run at him like a linebacker and take it from him.

  “You get this back after I get on my flight, and if you’re a decent human being, you’ll leave it alone. He’s sleeping. He hardly does that—”

  “You fucking drugged him?” he accuses.

  “No, Zack, I rocked him to sleep with my vag, turned off his phone, and then jetted. Leave it alone.”

  “Why the hell should I believe you?” he snaps.

  “Because he’s the one who keeps my sister safe,” I snap back.

  “This is some shit. Give me back my phone. Now.”

  “And I need to do this for myself. This whole trip was supposed to be solo. It was supposed to be a whole enlightenment and spiritual growth. My first time out of the Steel womb. The best parts were about Tris and seeing her for who she is in all her beautiful glory and her realizing I still see how beautiful she is and that I’m not ever going to stop. The worst part was actually him. She knows I’m here. He doesn’t deserve to. So, no, Zack, I’m not giving you the phone, because I’m sick of being treated like a baby. And ask your buddy Ranger, I’m far from it.”

  “Give me the fucking phone.”

  I step up to him and push up on my toes so we’re nose-to-nose. “Fight me.”

  For a second, I think he might, but then he starts to laugh his ass off … at me. Pisses me off, too, but I hide it, his phone still in my hand when I’m called to board.

  When I say goodbye, his phone is still in my hand, and when he realizes it, I’m standing next to the trash can before boarding. I look over my shoulder and drop it in without looking back.

  When I get to Miami, Tris calls, laughing her ass off. Apparently, Zack went garbage picking, called to tell her about “the incident,” and then she made him promise not to tell our parents.

  She asks me how it feels being alone in the big world, traveling from one country to the next. I tell her the truth.

  “It feels like nothing can stop me now.”

  Walking into the house, it feels like I haven’t been home in years. Things look … different.

  I expected Ranger to contact them and for them to be waiting to rip me a new ass for flying all the way from Mexico to home, alone and without their knowledge, but the house is dark, not a light on.

  When an ear-piercing screech fills the massive space, I whip around and see Mom in a very revealing, crisscross strappy black leather … something. I wish I hadn’t.

  “Kitten, are you—” Dad comes out, butt-ass naked and quickly hides behind her, throwing one arm over her boobs and another in front of her vag, both framed in the crisscross, strappy black leather get-up. “What the hell are you doing home?”

  “Zandor”—Mom turns around, quickly exposing her thong—“don’t be cross with—”

  “Could the two of you kindly go put some clothes on if you want to scold me?” I can’t help but laugh. “Jesus, look at that wagon. Now I know where I got mine.”

  “Your mother has a beautiful ass,” Dad states firmly.

  Still laughing, I tell him, “I’m aware. It’s literally staring me in the face and in the reflection of my mirror.”

  “Well, that’s two we’ve ruined,” Mom snaps, taking off back toward their room.

  Thankfully, Dad has the sense to turn around so I’m not getting an eyeful of his baby maker.

  “Your ass is pretty spectacular, too, Dad.”

  “I know,” he calls over his shoulder proudly as he heads toward Mom.

  I set my bags down then head to the kitchen to grab a drink. I’m exhausted but excited to share the news with them in hopes it sinks in and overtakes the actual heartbreak I’ve felt since not only leaving Ranger but Tris, too.

  When Dad and Mom walk back out, Mom looks worried and Dad looks like he’s trying not to blow.

  “Last time I was right here”—I sit on the couch—“I was an emerging woman. I always wondered if I could so much as leave the state without someone taking care of me. I traveled the world and still felt like I had to be under someone’s protection. I left Mexico alone, using every tool in my arsenal of common sense you’ve both instilled in me, and I’m here right now, no longer emerging. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m a strong, capable woman, not a little girl. I’m finally confident that I don’t need someone in my life to keep me safe. I got this. I know the two of you are upset, but for the love of God, please be happy for me, because after the past few weeks, I will never need the validation of a man, like I did with Miles, to feel like a confident, strong, beautiful woman. I know who I am. Be happy for me.”

  Italy

  Post Cards From The Past

  Ranger

  Two months later

  The day I woke up in her bed to a note basically telling me I was a pussy, I quit my job every hour, only once to Troubles face. Why only once? Because she told me straight up that if I wasn’t head up my ass in love with her sister, I would be being such a dick.

  “I’m not in love with your sister. I made the mistake of taking her up on her offer to fuck around the world.”

  She slapped me across the face and I didn’t see it coming. “Don’t you dare talk about her like she’s nothing because you’re damaged goods! And don’t you fucking dare stand in front of me and talk about her like she’s nothing! She gets you, you idiot! She gets me and—”

  “Come love,” Matteo grabbed her up kicking and flailing all the way to their room.

  I was packing when Matteo came int
o the room my shit was in, the same one I woke after eight solid hours of sleep without incident. The first full eight hours without waking in years. I felt good, real fucking good. Well until that fucking note all but kicked me in the balls.

  “I’d like you to stay.”

  Shoving my tee-shirt one that smelled like her in the bag I tell him. “I’m sure your wife would disagree.”

  “Do you think I’d be asking if that’s not what was best for her?”

  “I won’t like anyone putting their hands on me.”

  His response, “She’s reactive at times. She’ll eventually apologize and when she does, she’ll never do it again.”

  I pull the shirt out of my bag and toss it on the floor.

  “Not my problem.”

  “But you care for her. You care for my Tris. Don’t let this ruin the progress she’s made.”

  “I’m not in the habit of giving a fuck Matteo, so—”

  “I’ve already deposited an additional fifty thousand dollars to your account for your trouble.”

  “I signed an NDA, I’ll send it back.”

  “So it’s not about the money. You care about Tris.”

  I neither confirm nor deny.

  “Then you’re priceless to us. Name your price.”

  I zip up my bag still saying nothing.

  “I need to know she’s safe from others, and from herself when I am not able to pay attention.”

  “I guess you better pay batter attention. I’ll get you a couple names.”

  “Stay until we’re back in Europe. Enough time to accept her apology in earnest, because I know damn well you care. How could you not? And man to man I suggest you accept that my wife wasn’t wrong about your love for her sister, not to her or I, but yourself.”

  I wanted to punch him in the fucking face as he walked out the door.

  When I walked out, bag in hand Tris rushed up to me and hugged me, puting her hands on me again. “I shouldn’t have hit you. I won’t push. Please don’t leave us. We need you.”

  The hug didn’t make me cringe, it felt a lot like the hugs from my childhood from my sister, before I basically lost her. I can’t be the reason Tris relapses.

  “I signed a contract. I’ll see it through.”

  I spent a week thinking of ways to drown Tris in the dozen cenotes that she and Matteo chose to tour, to swim in.

  If I didn’t understand why they were doing it, and God help me, didn’t see a change in their energy level and in her eyes, even if just a placebo I may have.

  By the time we’d left Mexico to come back to Europe, she seemed to be a different person. From experience I knew she was going to get low soon.

  She’s fighting it, eating healthy, her and Matteo are even running in the morning, and the music they play at night, surely calms them, because it does me now too.

  Today while they swim in a pool fit for a king, in their home that is basically a palace. I’m sitting in the office I’ve set up surrounded by monitors so that I can see them wherever they are, in front of a bag full of mail that just came from my forwarding service. I stand and dump it out dreading going through it all and paying bills, because fuck online bill pay. Too many corrupt assholes can tap into my shit on the world wide web.

  I’m surprised to see post cards mixed in the mess.

  I grab one and look at it.

  It’s from China.

  Holding it between my fingers, I sit down and look at the damn thing, pissed at Tris for dropping this in my mail. She’s been pulling this shit a lot since we got here.

  Walking around while on the phone with Brisa. Mentioning how awesome she was doing living in her new place, and even that she was starting to date. Never to me, but always in front of me.

  I take a deep breath and decide to flip it over, to make sure it’s not some mistake made by the shit show that is the US Postal service, before confronting Tris in the calmest way possible, and telling her that it’s not appreciated and needs to fucking stop.

  I flip it over to see who it is addressed to me.

  Member of the esteemed Steel fam,

  Ni hao,

  The Great Wall of China was… awe inspiring. I can’t believe that was one of the places I would have cut from this trip if I had to for the sake of time. Had I done so I would have missed an amazing experience.

  We learned that there are places along the 13, 171 miles of the wall that there is in fact, no wall. Some of the openings have mounds of dirt, and others there is no barriers at all.

  The wall itself was amazing, but tower number 24 … holy shit!

  PS- Tris and I wanted to fact check for ourselves, the ‘men’ thought it was to long of a hike.

  XOXO

  Love

  &

  Forever Steel

  Brisa

  &

  Tris too

  (2)

  I shuffle through the mail and find that she’d sent one from all the stops on the trips to not only her family, which I had known about because, but to me as well.

  Fucks with me a bit, but I did crack a smile at the mention of the tower.

  She loves you, ya dumb fuck… both the devil on the left and angel on the right scream in my ears.

  My heart begins to race, my palms sweat, and I scramble to put them in order.

  Norway, China, Egypt, Mozambique, Argentina, and Mexico.

  Ranger,

  It’s a tradition to send family postcards from all or our trips. I also send myself one so as a souvenir, because the stamps from all over the world fascinate me almost as much as the photographs and the memories made.

  I thought you’d enjoy having those as well.

  Brisa

  Member of the esteemed Steel fam,

  Hallo from Norway.

  Pulpit Rock is a sight to behold and fulfilled my Frozen fan girl heart.

  There’s a place where a crack runs across the surface. Tris was sure it would break and was adamant that we stay on the safer side. I chose to throw caution —and science— to the wind and took a chance that Steel was stronger than rock.

  Guess what? I was right.

  PS- We came, We saw, We kicked ass… That last part is a story for another time.

  XOXO

  Love

  &

  Forever Steel

  Brisa

  &

  Tris too

  (1)

  Member of the esteemed Steel fam,

  SLAM from Egypt.

  Although the Great Pyramid was a site to behold, (Dad was right, yep I said it, see I can admit when I’m wrong) the fact that it is necessary to travel with an armed guard gave off an unsettling feeling.

  Momma Joe tells us all to trust our guts and follow our hearts, this trip was cut short because we followed both.

  XOXO

  Love

  &

  Forever Steel

  Brisa

  &

  Tris too

  (3)

  Member of the esteemed Steel fam,

  Olâ! from Mozambique

  I’m not sure if it’s the beaches, the calm feeling that washes over me like waves or the gentle breeze, but of every place we’ve traveled, this is the one I’ve fallen in love with and will visit again.

  XOXO

  Love

  &

  Forever Steel

  Brisa

  &

  Tris too

  (4)

  Member of the esteemed Steel fam,

  Holo from Argentina,

  Never in my life have I seen anything so spectacular or tragically beautiful.

  Waterfalls will forever remind me of tears.

  It may be that there is never going to be anything that matches the beauty of beaches, or the calm feeling like home, or that we’re ready to we all got to much rest r last stop, and that we’re coming to an end.

  I’m sure that’s it. I will miss spending everyday with Tris, but I’m sure her and Matteo will be happy to settle into their new
home.

  I can’t wait to see you all again soon!

  XOXO

  Love

  &

  Forever Steel

  Brisa

  (5)

  Hola Ranger,

  I wouldn’t have sent this due to redundancies and the fact that I left a note already, but every story deserves a beginning, middle and an end.

  Here’s your end.

  Brisa

  (6)

  New Jersey

  The Hell-a-daze

  Brisa

  “Dad, chill. Everything is perfect. It’s Tris, not the fucking queen.” Amias chuckles.

  “Watch your mouth in front of our ladies, Ball Buster, and it is a big deal. She’s coming back for Thanksgiving, of her own accord, not because she’s being coerced. I’m hoping she and Patrick can chat and make amends.”

  He chuckles. “Tricks is busy making amends all over Savvy.”

  “Sutton,” I correct him as I arrange the veggies on the tray then bring it over to one of three tables we put together, spanning from the dining room into the living room. “And they’re staying in Boston with Aunt Taelyn’s family. Christmas, we’ll all be together. We’re all getting together Sunday for football at my new place.”

  “Are we invited?”

  I laugh when I hear Tris’s voice coming from the entrance.

  “Tris is here?” Mom yells as she runs from the kitchen.

  “I am, and I brought friends,” she says, running to Mom.

  Friends? My stomach twists up in knots, and my heart starts racing at the very thought it might be him. But she wouldn’t do that to me, not without telling me, asking me, warning me. Then again, she has been a bit on the upswing lately, so who knows?

  Part of me wants it to be him, while the other part, a much larger part of me, is pretty sure I’ll want to kick his ass.