by Simone Elise
"I would, but..."
"But what?"
"I don't have anyone. Plus you have the keys to the van." I gave him a smile. "Come on McKenzie, this is why you love me. Wake up."
He groaned a bit more but then got up, putting his jeans on. "You are trouble." He pointed at me.
"How is getting you out of bed before nine trouble?"
"We McKenzies aren't morning people." He picked up a t-shirt.
"That's not true. Chase is always up before me."
He rolled his eyes. "Because he has an unhealthy attraction to running."
"So you lied."
He huffed. "I'll restate my statement. MOST of the McKenzie brothers aren't morning people."
I smirked. "You're dressed."
He looked me dryly in the eyes. "Thanks to you."
"Good. Now let's go get food." I clapped my hands together. Oliver made a groaning noise but followed me out.
Food. I couldn't wait.
***
I was sitting in what they called a kitchen. It was more like a giant room with four fridges, a bar, an island in the middle, and a dining table. It was huge.
I was sitting at the table with takeout that Oliver had driven to get. He had gone back to bed after getting me food and had left me to eat alone. He told me no one was up at this hour normally, so I was surprised when two girls walked in wearing little to nothing.
"Can you believe he actually took an interest?" The brunette said to the blonde head.
"I was as shocked as you, but he really took an interest, so how far did you two go?" The black head pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.
"Chase never sleeps with club women. You know him! So you can imagine my surprise when we ended up in my room." The smirk on this woman's face was huge.
The black head grabbed her arm. "Please tell me he is as good as the legacy that follows him."
I was so busy listening to them that I forgot to chew and started choking on my food.
Both heads snapped in my direction.
I cleared my throat and gulped down some water.
"Who are you?" The brunette stared me down.
"Um…Chloe. Just Chloe." I threw some words together. The fact I had just heard that Chase had slept with her didn't just bother me, it lit a fire underneath me. I hated her; I hated her clothes and I hated the fact she had somehow attracted Chase.
"And who do you belong to?" The black head fired the next question.
"No one." I felt defensive about that.
"Then how are you in the club?" The brunette crossed her arms.
"I came with the McKenzie brothers. I'm a friend of theirs." I gave them little to no details.
"So, you know Chase?" The brunette's eyes lit up and, before I knew it, she was walking closer and then taking a seat next to me. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Um, I guess." I put my burger down.
"Does he have a girlfriend?" She grinned at me.
"Not that I know of."
"Michelle, you are totally in with a chance!" The black head exclaimed and then took the seat next to her friend. "So how far did you two go?" She wanted details and I wanted some food to stay down, so I really needed to find a way out of this situation.
"Excuse me." I went to get up, but the brunette’s hand landed on mine.
"You can't leave until you tell me every little detail about Chase, cause I may just be the next Mrs. McKenzie." Michelle grinned at me.
"What, did he propose?" I looked at her, completely and utterly shocked. Did he know this woman before we came here? Was he in love with this woman? How long had they known each other? Clearly they hadn't just met.
She laughed. "God no, bikers don't propose. They put you on the back of their bike." She licked her lips. "And I sure as hell wouldn't mind riding him again."
Okay, I was going to spew.
I pulled my hand away and made a beeline for the door. How could I be so stupid to fall for a man who was clearly taken!
"Wait, where are you going?" Michelle said to my back. I heard it just in time as I pushed the door open.
Then ran straight into a hard chest.
"You okay?" Declan steadied me.
"Fine. I just need some air. Quickest way out?" I looked up at him. My mind was running wild, and, with every single second, I was cursing myself for ever falling for Chase.
"Down the stairs, through the bar. The door is on your left." Declan didn't press me with more questions, and I was thankful that I had run into one of the less talkative McKenzie brothers.
I jogged my way down the stairs, through the bar and out the door. I swear I didn't take a deep breath until I could feel the fresh air.
Now all I needed was a game plan on how to handle Chase from here on out.
Chapter 18
Chase's Point of View
"And, with that said, I close the meeting." Bones pounded the hammer. Everyone started to get up. After a two-hour meeting, everyone was happy to see the end of it. I was still hung over and needed some water.
I was getting up when Declan walked around the crowd to me.
"Hey Chase."
"Declan."
"Have you seen Chloe today?" Declan leaned on the back of the empty chair next to me.
Declan never got involved in other people's business and never had mentioned Chloe before, so I was interested.
"No, why?" I got up. She was gone when I woke up, and I assumed she was with Oliver until he appeared at the meeting.
"She seemed upset this morning when she ran into me. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but she didn't seem herself." Declan looked at me with judgment. "You didn't do anything to upset her, did you?"
"What are you trying to get at?"
"Come on. You take this girl in, basically put her on the back of your bike, and now, when we get here, you dump her for some club girls."
"What were you doing last night? Apart from watching me." I wasn't in the mood for this. Clearly Declan had taken an interest in Chloe. I didn't like it. I already had Oliver to compete with.
"Just saying you are giving this girl mixed messages. If you like her, don't be sleeping with club girls on the side."
"I didn't sleep with anyone!"
"Not what I heard this morning. In fact, Michelle was going into details about it."
"Since when did you listen to what club girls have to say?"
"Just saying, brother." Declan put his hands up. "I've said all I wanted to say. I just wanted to give you something to think about."
He turned and walked out, leaving me alone in the meeting room. I might have been drunk last night, but I wasn't that drunk that I would sleep with a club girl. All I did was put my arm around her and walk her to her room.
I lit a cigarette and got up. I guess I needed to find Chloe and give her some facts. That's if she was even told anything to begin with.
Chloe's Point of View
"No Oliver, I'm not going." I put my hands on my hips and gave him a direct look. "And I mean it."
"Come on Ace, you have to try new things."
"I think I'll skip the going to a biker party one." I scoffed and closed my suitcase lid.
He immediately flipped it back open and kept going through it. "I'm sure there is something in here that you can wear. We need sexy."
"We don't need sexy! I'm not dressing up."
"Come on, you have girls to compete with!"
"Shut it, McKenzie."
"Well, the question stands. Do you want Chase?" Oliver gave me a pointed look.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "The last thing I want is for Chase to take notice of me. He doesn't give two shits about me. Anyway, he has a new girl."
"What do you mean has a new girl?" Oliver frowned.
"Like a new girl. Her name is Michelle." I went to shut the suitcase lid again, but Oliver pushed my hands away.
"Michelle is a club girl."
"Point being?"
"Chase doesn't do club girls." Oliver gave me a look to say as if I was stupid for not knowing that. "Never."
"Well, he did last night. Shows how much you know of him. Now get out of my suitcase."
"Who told you this?" Oliver was pressing a subject I didn't want to talk about.
"Michelle and some girl. They were in the kitchen with me, then they wanted to know all the intimate details of the McKenzie brothers. It was around the same time I had to leave because my breakfast was coming back up."
Oliver reached into his back pocket, pulling out his phone.
"What are you doing?" I looked at him in dismay.
"Calling Chase."
"LIKE FUCK YOU ARE!" I jumped for the phone, only to end up landing on my suitcase. "Oliver, please don't."
It was too late - I already heard Chase's voice say hello.
"You sleeping with club girls?" Oliver was direct and, if anything else, just plain rude.
I couldn't hear what Chase said, but it ended with, “Are you with Chloe.”
I automatically started shaking my hands and head while mouthing no.
Oliver looked at me and smirked. "Nah, I'm not, so you telling me this is just a rumor?"
I scoffed. How could it be a rumor when I heard it from the girl's mouth?
"I already told you I'm not with Chloe. I don't know where she is." Oliver rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't take her suitcase out of your room. No, you can't come in my room."
There was silence.
"Like I said, Chase. Chloe isn't with me and neither is her suitcase. It's not my fault you couldn't find her today."
He pointed at me and mouthed the word trouble. I rolled my eyes.
"Well, if I see Chloe, I'll tell her you are looking for her. Bye." Oliver hung up and gave me a smug look. "Chase is looking for you."
"I don't see why." I sat up on the bed and crossed my arms. "I'm sure he has a hundred other girls he could be searching for."
"Yeah, but he doesn't like the other hundred girls. He likes you which is why tonight, we are playing `get Chase back`."
"Maybe I don't want him."
"Well fine then, we will play `get Chase jealous` cause he sure as hell wants you." Oliver pulled something out of my suitcase and threw it at me. "Wear that. It will get everyone's attention."
"I don't want everyone's attention."
"Don't worry; I'll keep the mean bikers away from you. Anyway, there is only one biker we want to hook tonight." Oliver grinned evilly. "I always told Chase payback was a bitch."
"You really are getting a thrill out of this, aren't you?" I shook my head, not wanting any part of this plan whatsoever. I was happy to spend the night locked in Oliver's room with my laptop.
"Payback for sticking me with the van! He never let me get a bike." Oliver seemed rather angry about this.
"So, are you really a biker if you don't have a bike?" I gave him a smug expression as I watched his eyes roll. He turned around.
"Don't get the vest if you aren't a patched member." He seemed proud of his vest, and so was Chase when I thought about it. "So, you going to help pay back my brother tonight?"
I sighed, looking down at the black dress. Finally, I made my decision. What did I have to lose?
"Okay, McKenzie." I got up off the bed just in time for Oliver to wrap his arms around me.
"This is going to be fun Ace, trust me."
I wasn't so sure about that, but I owed Oliver, for if it wasn't for him, I'd be all alone on this trip and wouldn't have a place to hide out.
Chapter 19
Chloe's Point of View
I felt stupid. For the first time in days, maybe weeks, I had makeup on, freshly showered, hair straightened, and had a dress on that left not much to the imagination. I might look like I fit in, but I felt completely out of place.
"Stunning." Oliver smirked from the bed as I came out of the bathroom.
"I feel over-dressed." I stared at him. "Remind me again how you talked me into this?"
"Because you want Chase to notice you. Now come on, the party will be in full swing."
"What if he just doesn't care?" It wasn't an odd question. He might not care.
"Trust me, when he sees you in that, he'll care." Oliver opened the bedroom door. "Come on, Ace. Let's get drunk."
I wasn't much of a drinker. I took a deep breath in. "Whatever you say, McKenzie."
Chase's Point of View
I hadn't seen Chloe all day. She wasn't around the club and, as far as I knew, she had taken off this morning. Oliver was useless. He was positive he hadn't seen her although he kept his door locked and wouldn't let me in.
It was after one in the morning and the place was packed. You couldn't stand anywhere without touching someone. After last night, I was giving the beers a miss, although everyone else was already on round two.
I was standing with Bones talking shit when his daughter Amy weaved her way through the crowd to us.
"I told you to stay in your room." Bones wasn't impressed to see his barely legal daughter out in this crowd.
Couldn't blame him.
"And I told you I'm not your puppy." Her eyes floated to me. "Hey, Chase?"
"Hey, Amy. It's been a couple of years." I smiled at her. She always seemed like a nice kid, although trouble usually followed her around.
A smile lit her face. "I really like Oliver's girlfriend. She is so funny."
Oliver's girlfriend? "Who?" I stared at her in wonder. Was it possible my brother had found a girlfriend in the couple of days we have been here?
Or she couldn't be referring to....
"Chloe." She grinned. "She is so funny and can throw back more shots than me. Now that is something to be proud of."
"You shouldn't be drinking," Bones grunted.
"Not a child anymore, Dad. Am I, Chase?"
I was having my own mental meltdown. Chloe was with Oliver. Chloe was with Oliver. CHLOE IS WITH OLIVER!
I ignored the fact Amy was batting her eyelashes at me and touching my arm.
"Excuse me." I started making my way through the crowd. Last time I saw Oliver, he was at the bar. I scanned over the top of heads. Sure enough, there was his blond head. Why hadn't I noticed Chloe was with him? Because it was so damned packed and she was short.
Chapter 20
Chase's Point of View
I grabbed Oliver by the shoulder, and, as soon as he turned, there she was. I took a sharp breath in. She looked stunning; I would say the most beautiful girl in the room. Darn straight sexy. The dress hugged her body, her hair was straight and long; and, for the first time, I wasn't thinking about her age - I was thinking of all the things I could do to her once she was out of that dress.
"Chloe, can I talk to you?" My voice was rough and the need I was feeling was showing through my voice.
She spun around and, for the second time, I got a swift kick in the stomach. She was flawless.
"Oh, hi, Chase." She put her drink down. "What's up?"
"Can you let go of the shoulder?" Oliver grunted. I forgot I was gripping it - so tightly too.
I pulled my hand away.
"Can we talk?" I attempted to hide the lust from my voice. "In private." I wasn't about to have a discussion with her in front of everyone.
"Sure. I'll follow you." She gave Oliver a wink. "I'll be back."
What the hell? She was winking at him now? Had she completely forgotten about us? Was there even an us? I thought there was something. Was I completely wrong about her?
We stepped outside. There were fewer people around.
"So, what's up, Chase?" She stopped, causing me to turn back around to face her.
God, she was stunning. Even without the makeup, the clothes and heels, she was stunning. I'd been stupid to put distance between us. The last thing I wanted was for her to end up with someone else, especially one of my brothers.
Oliver hadn't jud
ged her age. Oliver wasn't scared to get her involved although he was closer in age to her.
"I just wanted to tell you something." I tore my eyes off her and attempted to look into those deep sea-blue eyes.
“Okay. Go for it." She crossed her arms and had a determined look on her face.
"I heard that you got told something about me sleeping with one of the club girls, and I wanted you to hear it from me that that doesn't happen. Ever. So I guess this is my way of telling you, nothing happened."
She stared at me for a few moments. “Okay."
That was it, okay? She had stressed me out about this all day and all I get is an okay? "So, we are good?" I looked at her a bit closer and started to notice little things. Like the way her eyes looked glassy and the small slur to her words.
"Totally fine. Why wouldn't we be? We aren't together. You made no promises to me. I'm just a freeloader."
"Chloe…"
"No, Chase. I can sleep with people too." She pointed an arm at the clubhouse. "There are a whole lot of men that I could have a fling with."
My temper was boiling; my fists clenching. "I told you I didn't sleep with anyone."
"Still doesn't matter. You're the biker, the outlaw, the bad boy and I'm the girl that can do whatever she wants." She swayed.
"Oliver got you drunk." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. My stupid brother got her drunk. Of all places for Chloe not to have her judgment skills, she chose this one to lose them.
"I'm not drunk!" She slurred and pointed a finger at me. "And if I am, it has nothing to do with you."
Just don't do anything harsh, I kept repeating to myself.
"Now, if you don't mind, I have a bar to get back to." She turned, and seeing her openly deny me flipped a switch in me. I wasn't letting her sleep with some nobody just because I had hurt her feelings. Sure it would upset me, but she would be more upset in the morning.
I grabbed her by the wrist and, in one smooth movement I threw her over my shoulder.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" she yelled.
People glanced in our direction, but I wasn't really in the mood to care.
