Edge Of Fear (Arrow's Edge MC Book 4)

by Freya Barker

  But when I notice the way his eyes drift outside and his expression becomes closed off, I’m not so sure he’s willing to share.

  Tse

  Not sure if I’m ready to get into the whole fucked-up childhood thing with her just yet, but maybe I can give her the basics.

  “Not as far as I know,” I tell her, keeping my eyes on the road outside. It’s easier. “I was told I was maybe two months old when I was found in a trash can at a roadside stop along Highway 25 south of Pueblo, and still showing signs of drug withdrawal.” I hear her suck in a breath, but keep talking. “Grew up in the system. Homes, foster care, you name it. Don’t remember much of those early years, but I was a teenager when Nosh and Ouray picked me up and took me in.” I risk a glance at her and find those luminescent brown eyes full of emotion. “My life started here, the first family I knew was the club, so I consider Durango and this whole area home.”

  “I’m sorry I asked,” she says softly, putting a hand on mine.

  “Don’t be. It’s not something you bring up casually, but I don’t see the point of hiding it either. Quite a few of my brothers have a similar background. Heck, it’s the reason we take kids off the street. Most of us have been there.”

  I flip my hand over and close my fingers around hers, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. A delicate hand with long fingers and blunt nails that looks out of place folded in my broad callused one. I hang on to it anyway.

  “Spinach, bacon, and Gruyère skillet for you.” Arlene slides a steaming cast iron skillet in front of Sophia, forcing me to release her hand. “And Tex-Mex for you.”

  The one she sets in front of me already has my mouth watering. Hash-brown potatoes, scrambled eggs, beans, tomatoes, bacon, grated cheese, jalapeño peppers, and salsa.

  “Oh my God. This looks amazing,” Sophia comments, and I catch the little satisfied smile on Arlene’s face.

  That was a good call by Sophia to let her pick. Arlene is mostly bluster, kind to people she cares about, but she can get downright mean if she doesn’t like you.

  I’m grateful for the distraction breakfast brings. It’s a temporary reprieve from the questions I expect Sophia to have about my past. Instead, she switches topics and asks me about the rally, curious to know what to expect.

  We spend the next half hour making our way through breakfast while we chat, until Sophia sits back, her hand on her stomach, and groaning deep.

  “I’m stuffed. I can’t eat another bite. I’ll be lucky if I still fit on the back of your bike.”

  I chuckle at her dramatics.

  “You’ll just have to squeeze a little closer.”

  “Don’t say words like squeeze,” she moans. “How much longer?”

  “Three hours, give or take.”

  Her eye pop open wide. “That long? I thought you said three in total.”

  “Yeah, but we took the long road. It’s prettier and I couldn’t resist having you plastered against me longer. Besides…” I wipe my mouth with a napkin and dump it in the empty skillet in front of me, while watching that easy blush color her cheeks. “…nothing much will be going on until after the noon hour. I’m pretty sure everyone is gonna need some time to recover from partying last night.”

  “Okay, well, let me go splash some cold water on my face and we can get back on the road,” she announces, getting up from her seat.

  I watch her move through the diner, taking in her long legs and hourglass figure, which look even better in the rare pair of jeans she’s wearing. When she disappears into the bathroom, I get up, pull out my wallet, and head to the counter to settle up with Arlene.

  “Pure class, that one,” she says, handing me my change, which I promptly stuff in the tip jar. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Neither did I.”

  _______________

  We stop twice more.

  Once at the Mobil station in White Mesa, and then again at Wilson Arch where I convince Sophia to climb up to the sandstone arch with me and have a lone hiker take a picture of us with my phone.

  I think I have a handful of pictures on my phone that aren’t bikes, cars, or the Habitat for Humanity build, but that may change.

  Our destination is Arches National Park, but first I want to stop off at the cabin just outside of town I was able to rent. They’d had a late cancellation and I lucked out because Moab is nuts during the rally. The place is modest, a two bedroom, but it’s right on the Colorado River and has beautiful views. We’ll drop off our stuff and freshen up a bit.

  “This is so pretty!” Sophia yells in my ear when I turn onto the road that runs parallel to the river.

  She’s quiet though when I pull up to the small cabin, and for a minute I worry I missed the mark with this one. Then she gets off the bike, takes her helmet off, and does a full spin before zooming in on me, a wide grin on her face.

  “This is absolute perfection!”

  I have to say; I’m feeling pretty good about myself when I let us into the place.

  It’s basic, open concept living with a small kitchen, a rickety dining table with a couple of folding chairs, and an oversized couch facing the river. The sliding doors open onto a patio with a couple of chairs and a firepit.

  I drop Sophia’s bag in the room with the queen-sized bed, while I claim the bottom bunk in the other room. We’ll have to share the bathroom. I can’t believe I’ll be sleeping under the same roof but in a different bed. I don’t think I’ve ever tried wooing a woman before, and if my brothers knew, I’d never hear the last of it, but I’m determined not to rush Sophia into something she’s not ready for.

  Let’s hope I can scrounge up enough self-discipline to stick to that plan.

  CHAPTER 8

  Sophia

  IT’S RIDICULOUS HOW excited I am.

  My ass is still sore from the ride here and has had less than an hour to recover, but when I slip that cool helmet on my head and climb on behind Tse, I feel like I’m about to go on an adventure.

  “Hold on to me, Fee,” he rumbles over his shoulder.

  I wrap my arms around him, and this time I don’t hesitate to press myself against his back.

  The ride is short—too short—and when we pull into the visitors’ center at the Arches National Park, I see we’re far from the first ones. A virtual sea of shiny bikes is lined up in tight rows taking up half of the parking lot. The other half is fenced off, holding six or seven pavilion-like tents, a mass of bodies, and eighties rock music streaming from a couple of speaker towers positioned around the perimeter.

  As Tse cruises around to find a spot to park I scan the crowd, suddenly eager to see a familiar face.

  “You okay?” Tse asks when I hand him my helmet to store in the seat.

  “It’s a bit overwhelming,” I admit, checking out a couple of rough-looking guys appearing to admire a bike a few rows over.

  “Hey,” he draws my attention before cupping my face in his hands. “This is all good fun, Fee. As rough as we look on the outside, most of us are here just to have a good time.”

  “Most?”

  I watch as his mouth stretches into a smile.

  “Yeah. No different than any other crowd, there’s always gonna be a few assholes who like stirring up shit, just for the hell of it, but that rarely gets out of hand.”

  “Rarely?”

  I can’t help it, it’s like I’ve suddenly developed cold feet, feeling completely out of my depth. My earlier excitement has been replaced by anxiety now that I’m about to enter a world I don’t quite understand.

  Without warning Tse’s mouth covers mine.

  Not like the gentle, tentative kiss we shared in my office this past week, but one that empties my mind and steals my breath as his tongue slips past my lips and sweeps inside. My hands find purchase, fingers curling around the edges of his vest, as he crowds everything else from my awareness. The scent of man and sun-warmed leather, combined with the taste of hunger and Tse, overwhelms my senses until every cell in my body
is consumed by him.

  “Yo! Benny!”

  I’m not prepared when Tse breaks the kiss abruptly, lifting his head to whoever called out. I have to remind myself to breathe and rest my forehead against his chest.

  “Catch you later,” he yells back, the vibrations of his voice against my skin. Then softer, “Fee, baby, look at me.”

  “Mmmm.”

  I don’t want to leave this little bubble that includes only him and me.

  “Time to mingle.”

  Reluctantly I lift my head and tilt it back, looking up at him. His eyes are warm and smiling, deepening the lines on his face.

  “Who’s Benny?”

  I watch a shadow pass over his expression.

  “Ben. That’s me, but I’m gonna need a quiet night, a beer, and you in my arms before I tell you about him.”

  I note he talks about himself both in first and third person in the same sentence and I get the sense the separation is on purpose. As interested as I am to discover more, I recognize this may not be the place or time.

  “Let’s go mingle,” I concede, slipping my hand in one of his as we start walking toward the crowd.

  When we finally find Brick and Lisa, I’ve already been introduced to about two dozen people. I only vaguely remember a few names, but I do recall none of those people called Tse by his real name.

  “You made it!” Lisa exclaims, wrapping me in a fierce hug that feels a little desperate.

  “Are you okay?” I ask her softly while the men greet each other.

  “Yeah. Nothing I ain’t used to or can’t handle.”

  I set her back by the shoulders and dip my head to look in her eyes.

  “What does that mean?” I have a sneaky suspicion I already know.

  “A few rotten apples in an otherwise friendly bunch. Nothing to worry about. I’m just glad you’re here.”

  I nod and turn to the guys, as I wrap an arm around her shoulders and give her a squeeze.

  “Where are you guys staying?” Tse asks.

  “Red Rock Motel,” Brick responds. “It ain’t the Ritz, but it’s got a king-sized bed so you’re not gonna hear me complain.”

  “Oh, you’ll be complaining tonight, Brick Paver,” Lisa hisses at him, and it’s all I can do to keep from laughing.

  Tse, however, doesn’t hold back, barking out a laugh as he claps Brick on the shoulder.

  “Burn, brother.”

  “Nah,” Brick says with a warm smile for his wife. “Plenty of time to turn her around.”

  “Good luck with that.” Tse grins and turns to me. “Drink, Fee? Lisa?”

  He tilts his head in the direction of the beer tent. I’m pretty sure that’s the extent of what they serve as well.

  “Sure, I’ll have a beer,” I tell him.

  When Brick ends up walking to the bar with Tse to give him a hand, I ask Lisa, “Where are the restrooms?”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  She leads the way through the crowd, keeping a firm hold on my hand. Around the side of the visitors’ center is a row of portable toilets and I’m almost tempted to turn right back around, but the pressure on my bladder is already uncomfortable. There are only three people waiting before me but something tells me as the afternoon progresses and the beer flows, that will change.

  Lisa is waiting for me when I step out, grateful for the bottle of disinfectant gel left on the small ledge inside. A line has started to form behind her already.

  “Figured I’d be smart to go now. This’ll only get worse.”

  I nod my understanding and point at a spot a few feet away from the line.

  “I’ll wait over there.”

  I notice the stares and do my best to ignore them. I guess Lisa and I make an odd pair, both of us looking a little out of place. Pulling my phone from my pocket I shoot off a quick text to Mack, who is covering for me.

  “Hola, Mamacita.”

  I lower my phone and look up at a handsome, dark-haired man with a smile blinding enough to star in a Colgate commercial, but I note the smile doesn’t reach his dark eyes. They appear to assess me. I’d guess him to be around my age, and by the leather cut sporting a patch saying ‘president’ on his chest, I conclude he’s used to getting his way.

  Not with this girl.

  I straighten my back and turn fully toward him, raising an eyebrow, something he appears to find funny.

  “My brother and I always had the same taste in women. Tits, ass, legs, a sweet pussy, and plenty of attitude. I see he hit the jackpot with you, but I’m here to tell you, you could do a whole lot better.”

  I know instinctively it was him calling out to Tse in the parking lot.

  It’s difficult not to laugh when he slightly puffs out his chest. His arrogance is ridiculous, but I also realize men with big egos can be dangerous when provoked.

  “I appreciate your input, but I think it all depends on your point of view,” I tell him sweetly, “and the way I see it, I already broke the bank.”

  With relief, I see Lisa coming this way and shoot a saccharine smile in the man’s direction. When I start moving toward her, a strong hand around my upper arm holds me back.

  “Give my brother my regards,” the asshole says before letting me go.

  “Who the hell was that?” Lisa asks when I reach her, and I glance over my shoulder to see him walking in the opposite direction.

  “Nobody I want to know.”

  Tse

  Sophia has been quiet most of the afternoon, and by the time we get ready to go out on a late afternoon ride through the park, I wonder if I made a mistake bringing her here.

  I asked her a few times if she was okay, was having fun, and she’d smile at me and assure me she was, but I didn’t miss the furtive glances she cast around all afternoon.

  It was good to catch up with some of the guys I haven’t seen in a while, but I’m eager to get back on my bike, with only Sophia for company. Other than that quick glimpse earlier in the parking lot, I haven’t seen Manny around. I fully expected him to make his presence known but I wasn’t about to go seek him out. A former brother, he tends to bring out the worst in me and that’s not something I want to expose Sophia to.

  We have quite a history, he and I, going back decades. For part of that history I was Ben, a fact he likes to remind me of. He’s always been Manny, while I embraced the name the club awarded me. For me it was a way to leave the rocky start I had in life behind. Manny’s hadn’t been much better, but he seemed to use those darker days as justification for who he is now, which is why our relationship has been strained since he left the club.

  I catch sight of Brick and Lisa getting ready to get on his bike and turn to Sophia, who is already fastening her helmet.

  “Are you up for this? We can go back to the cabin, or home, if you prefer.”

  She seems genuinely shocked.

  “Are you kidding? I’m looking forward to this.”

  I’m relieved to hear her say that and bend down to brush her lips with mine.

  “Good.”

  The ride is north along Arches Scenic Drive to where it loops around Devil’s Garden. Then we take smaller side roads to take us back to Highway 191 and south to Moab. The entire loop takes about two hours including a stop or two, and the vastness of the scenery is perfect to take in from a bike. It’s one of my favorite rides, especially when the sun is starting to set in the sky.

  Sophia snaps a few pictures on our stop at Devil’s Garden, including one of Brick and Lisa with their arms wrapped around each other as they take in the rock formations.

  “Now you two,” Lisa says, reaching for the phone and taking a few steps back from us.

  Sophia lifts her face to me, smiling without reservation this time, as she places her hands on my chest. Even with my shades on, I note the waning beams of sunlight give her skin a golden glow and set her eyes alight. I’ve never seen something so beautiful in my life.

  Slipping my fingers in the short hair on the side of her fac
e, I use my thumbs to lift her chin, and touch my nose to hers.

  “Perfect!” Lisa calls out, interrupting the words threatening to spill from my lips.

  Instead, I kiss Sophia’s upturned face.

  Brick and his wife opt out of a late dinner in Moab and instead turn off at their motel when we pass it on the way back. I don’t particularly feel like eating out, but I drive into town anyway and stop in front of a Mexican restaurant I’ve been at before.

  “You good with Mexican?”

  “Absolutely. I’m starving,” she announces, but then she looks at me hesitantly. “Would you mind very much if we did takeout? I’d love to enjoy the view at the cabin before the sun is completely gone.”

  “Wouldn’t mind at all. Let’s go place our order and then we’ll pick up a few beers at the liquor store down the block while they get it ready.”

  Half an hour later I’m outside on the patio, building a fire from the wood stack at the side of the cabin, while Sophia is inside putting the food on some plates. The only noise you hear out here comes from the river. It’s quiet and peaceful, a welcome change from the decibels that were ringing my ears all afternoon.

  I glance up when she steps outside, carrying two plates with one hand, two beers in the other, and a smile on her face.

  “Waiting tables pays off,” she jokes when I rush to relieve her of her load.

  Then she sits down balancing her plate on the armrest and turns her attention to the view.

  “This is perfect,” she mumbles.

  I couldn’t agree more.

  I wish we were staying for a week and not just tonight.

  CHAPTER 9

  Sophia

  “ANOTHER BEER?”

  I twist my head back to see Tse standing in the door opening.

  He’d taken the dirty dishes inside earlier—I could hear the water running in the sink—while I put my feet up on the edge of the firepit, leaned back in my chair, and watched the stars slowly appearing in the sky.

  Tse in just a white T-shirt stretched over his chest and a pair of well-worn jeans low on his hips, casually leaning against the door, makes for an equally excellent view.