by Bella Jewel
“Yeah.” I smile, walking towards the door. “Later.”
What the hell am I getting myself into?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I decide to visit Autumn before I go home to spend my night doing accounts. I pull up at her house and jump out of my car. I’m off in a world of my own, completely oblivious to the man standing beside her letterbox. I squeal when I see him, completely shocked that he was standing there the whole time and I didn’t notice. Wake up, Tia.
“What the hell, dude?” I yell, throwing my hands up dramatically.
The man turns towards me, and my eyes widen. Holy. Shit. This man is all rugged bad boy. He’s got dark hair that curls at the base of his neck in that messy, just-fucked kind of way. His eyes are a melty, chocolate brown that pierce right through you as if they can see into your soul. This dude is deep. He’s got a scar on his cheek; it’s only faint but it’s there. His jaw is strong and masculine.
I let my eyes move down his body. The man is huge; there’s no doubt about his strength. He looks like a linebacker on steroids. His shoulders are broad, his arms are thick and muscly, his torso is powerful and his hips narrow off in that sexy kind of way. He’s wearing all black, including the sunglasses on his head. His jacket is thick and I can see a patch that states “Prez” and another that has “1%” and then a bunch of other random ones. Interesting. He’s got on a pair of black jeans, with chains hanging from the belt loops. His boots are totally biker; they look as scary as him.
I put my hands on my hips. “Why are you standing outside my best friend’s house?”
He stares at me, narrows his eyes, and then turns and walks off. Yes, he walks right past me, as if I didn’t speak.
I notice on the back of his jacket he’s got the words Wings MC written. He’s not part of Spike or Jackson’s club, it seems.
“Hey,” I say again, my voice a little louder.
He doesn’t turn.
Oh, maybe he’s a bit deaf.
“Excuse. Me. Can. You. Understand. Me?” I yell, in my best slow voice.
He stops, turns and glares at me.
Not deaf. Good to know.
“Are you a mute?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips. “Or are you going to tell me why you’re standing outside my best friend’s house?”
He grins at me, the prick. Then he turns and walks off again.
“Yeah okay arrogant biker dude, you just walk away,” I yell after him. “No worries. I didn’t like you, anyway.”
He lifts his hand and he . . . flips me the bird.
Ohhhhh, little shit.
“Yeah, right back at ya!” I shriek and then poke my tongue out at his back.
When he disappears, I turn and rush up the front steps, suddenly worried about my friend. Did biker dude go inside? Is he a stalker?
Then it hits me—oh my God, is he the one she fucked?
That little skank. He’s smokin’ hot.
Grinning, I use my key to unlock her front door. I step inside only to stop in my tracks. She’s rushing about packing a suitcase, not even noticing me. I see then that her blinds are drawn.
“Autumn?”
She screams and spins around, pressing her hand to her heart.
Okay, that’s strange.
“What are you doing?”
Her eyes are panicked. “I, uh, I’m going on holiday.”
No, she’s not going to keep lying to me.
“Autumn, you’re clearly frightened and I just saw an extremely attractive biker out front, staring in here.”
“What?” she cries, rushing to the window and peeking out.
“You need to tell me what’s happening,” I demand. “Now.”
She turns to me, and her bottom lip trembles. Shit.
I rush over, wrapping my arms around her. She shakes violently in my arms.
“I have to go, Tia. I don’t have a choice.”
“Tell me why. You think I haven’t noticed that you’re always running? Why are you running, Autumn? Tell me.”
She takes a deep, shaky breath and whispers, “I didn’t know . . . I thought he was just a gorgeous man who gave me a good time.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Wade, or Wrath, in his club.”
“And what does he want with you?”
“I thought he just wanted me for sex, until he tried to . . .”
“What, Autumn?” I plead.
“He tried to catch me.”
Confusion fills me. “Catch you?”
She steps back, running her hands through her hair. “I can’t explain it here, but years ago I took something I shouldn’t have and gave it to the police. The man that got caught went to jail. He’s out now and I think . . . I think he’s looking for me. He knows I have information and he’s sent Wrath to get it.”
“He hired him to collect you?” I gasp.
“Yes, he’s paid him a lot of money to track me down. I have to get out of here, Tia. I can’t stay.”
“You’ve been running all this time, because of a man that was in jail?”
“Yes,” she sobs. “He won’t leave my life. I can’t escape him.”
“Oh Autumn,” I say, my voice gentle. “Let’s call the police, maybe they can help and . . .”
“Help what? I have no proof. He’s done nothing, he’s kept his hands clean. They’re not going to look into a biker that so far, has done nothing to me.”
“You shouldn’t have to run,” I protest.
“I don’t have a choice,” she yells angrily.
“So you’re going to do this forever? Run from this man? What did you do? What did you find?”
“I can’t explain it right now, I have to go. I’ll figure out a way to end this, but I can’t do it here with that biker breathing down my neck.”
“Why did he sleep with you?” I ask.
“He didn’t know who I was at the time.” She laughs bitterly.
“I don’t want you to go,” I say, putting my hand on her shoulder.
She shakes her head, swiping her tears. “I’ll finish this, I will. I have people that can help me gather what I need to bring this guy down, but I can’t do it here.”
I take her hand, gently running my thumb over it. “I can’t stop you, A, but I need to know you’re okay. That you’re not going to get hurt.”
She smiles, but it’s wobbly and terrified. “I have someone who can help me. I’m going to him. He’ll sort this out for me.”
“And if that biker gets hold of you first?”
“He won’t.”
“How are you getting to this person who can help you?”
She walks over to the couch, zipping up her suitcase. “He’s organized a car for me. I just have to get to it.”
“Open your garage. I’ll put my car in and take you in that. I’ll make sure no one follows us.”
She nods. “Thank you.”
I walk over, pulling her into my arms and hugging her close. “You need to ring me often, Autumn. I need to know you’re okay.”
She nods, holding me tight. “I swear.”
I don’t feel good about this. Not at all.
~*~*~*~
It takes me three hours to get Autumn to the car waiting for her. I see a bike following me, so I have to stop off casually at the gas station, making out like Autumn isn’t hiding in my back seat. I even stop at a local milkshake bar, getting a shake and parking at the beach. Eventually, the bike speeds off. I put my foot on it then, hurrying Autumn to the car. When we get there, I barely get a minute to say goodbye before she’s speeding off with a stranger. Well, a stranger to me anyway.
Tears tumble down my cheeks as I watch her go.
I don’t like any of this, not for a damned second.
I hope my friend is okay.
~*~*~*~
My phone rings and I force myself off the couch to reach out for it, hoping it’s Autumn. I’m worried for her; terrified something bad will happen. I see Reign’s number on the screen, so I answer it with a croak
y, “Hello?”
“Tia?”
“It’s me.”
“Shit, babe, you cryin’?”
At his words, my lip trembles. “Ah, no.”
“You’re cryin’. What the fuck happened?”
“It’s,” I swallow, calming myself, “Autumn.”
“She okay?”
“I can’t say on the phone. It’s okay, I’m just being a whiny brat.”
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
“No,” I say quickly. “It’s okay. I’m just going to get some work done.”
“I’ll be there,” he says, hanging up.
Okay then.
I lift myself off the couch and plod into the kitchen. I pull out a carton of orange juice and pour myself a glass, and then I sit up on the countertop and think.
I’m so worried about Autumn. I honestly don’t like that she’s off, alone, scared and in trouble. There must be something I can do to help. Maybe Spike, or Cade, or Jackson can help. They might know the man I saw. Perhaps they can tell me how to get her out of this mess.
She’s the only family I have, aside from my parents. If I lost her . . .
I’m jerked out of my thoughts when my front door opens and Reign steps in. He’s still in a suit, but the first two buttons of his shirt have popped open. He’s not wearing the jacket and his sleeves are rolled up, showing me the mass of muscles cording up his forearms. He lets his eyes scan over me and then he walks forward.
“Hey,” he says, stopping in front of me, placing his big palms on my legs.
I smile. “Hey, yourself.”
“What’s goin’ on?” His eyes are intense, watching my every movement.
“Something is up with Autumn; I just don’t know what. When I showed up at her house today, there was a strange biker outside. He left without a word, but when I got inside she was beside herself, packing her bags and running. She told me she got herself into some trouble a few years back and put a man in jail. Now that man wants to make her pay and has hired this biker to bring her in.”
Reign’s eyes narrow. “Was the biker part of my security team’s club?”
I shake my head. “No, at least, I don’t think he was. He had Wings MC on the back of his jacket.”
He runs his hand over his jaw, and then pulls out his phone.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
He gives me a onceover before muttering, “Callin’ Jackson.”
“No, you can’t do that. Not until I know that she’s not going to get hurt.”
He leans in close. “She’s run off. There isn’t time to fuck around on this, Tia.”
I bite my lip as he presses the phone to his ear.
“Yeah, Jackson, it’s Reign.”
Silence.
“Got a bit of a situation, would you mind heading over?”
More Silence.
“I’m at Tia’s house.”
He prattles off my address, and then hangs up the phone. I put my head in my hands, groaning. “This can’t be good.”
“If anyone is going to know who that biker is, it’ll be Jackson and the boys.”
What if this is a mistake? What if they’re somehow involved? What if I end up getting Autumn hurt, or worse, killed?
“Hey,” Reign says softly, taking my chin in his hand and tilting my face up. “We’ll find her.”
“She’s in danger, Reign. I don’t like not knowing.”
“We’ll work it out.”
I hope he’s right.
~*~*~*~
I stare at the group of bikers standing in my living room. Reign said one, not four. I blink a few times, recognizing only Cade, Spike and Jackson. The other man has dark, red hair and, surprisingly, is extremely attractive, like the rest of them.
“Tell us what you saw,” Cade says, dropping himself down onto my couch.
I fumble my fingers together, but Reign reaches over and takes my hand.
“There was a biker dude standing out the front of her house this afternoon. When I spoke to him, he refused to answer me. He just walked off,” I mutter. “After he flipped me the bird. Jackass.”
Spike snorts and I lift my head, realizing I said that out loud.
“Anyway,” I say, flushing. “I saw on the back of his jacket, he had a patch that said Wings MC.”
Jackson’s eyes narrow and he turns to Cade. “You heard of them?”
“Nah, new to me.”
“I have,” the red-haired man says. “They’re a smaller chapter south of here. I forget which town they claimed.”
Cade nods. “Obviously he’s been hired by someone to take out your friend; the problem is finding out who.”
“She said it was a man she put in jail years ago, because she told on him for something. She was sketchy on the details.”
Jackson turns to the guys. “Muff,” he says to the red-haired man, but he can’t get anymore before I snort loudly.
They all turn to me. “I’m so sorry,” I say, fighting back a giggle. “Did he just call you Muff?”
Muff grins. “He most certainly did.”
I release my giggle and press a hand to my mouth. “Oh God, that’s fucking hilarious. You’re named after a vagina.”
Muff snorts, Spike roars with laughter and I even see Reign crack a smile.
“Why don’t you ask him how he got that name sometime, love?” Jackson says, winking at me.
“I don’t even want to know.”
Cade claps his hands. “Back to it.”
“Right,” Jackson continues. “Muff, you find out about this MC club, see if you can get any information. Spike, you and Cade see if you can find out anything on her friend.”
“What’s her full name?” Spike asks.
“Autumn Leigh,” I say. “I have her keys. Maybe you can find something in her house.”
Spike nods, exposing his palm. I rush into the kitchen to get Autumn’s spare key. I hand it to him and he tucks it into his pocket.
“Right,” Jackson says. “We’ll see what we can find out.”
“I appreciate it,” I whisper, giving him a weak smile.
He gives me one back, only his is broad and stunning.
“Later.”
All of them nod at me and disappear out the door. A moment later I hear the loud rumbling of Harley pipes as they speed off down the road. Before I can turn, Reign is behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips to my ear. “She’s going to be okay. We’ll do anything we can to make sure of it.”
I nod, leaning back into him. “Thank you for calling them.”
He presses a kiss to my neck and I close my eyes, shivering with delight.
“All I’ve been able to think about today is your sweet cunt, and how good it tasted.”
I bite my lip as his hands slide under my shirt and over my breasts.
Then, as if my day couldn’t get any worse, his phone rings, loud and annoying, cutting my sex drive in half. He makes a grunting sound and pulls back. I turn just in time to see Slutena’s name flashing on the screen. Great. He gives me a look, before lifting it and pressing it to his ear.
“Selena.”
He’s silent a moment, his face falling.
“I’ll be right there.”
He ends the call and turns to me. “I gotta go.”
My heart sinks. It falls to the floor and shatters into a million pieces.
“Oh, okay,” I manage.
Reign cups my cheek, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry, I’ll call you later.”
He lets go of me and walks towards the door. I don’t move, I just watch him leave with a sad expression on my face. He turns to look back at me before stepping out, and his jaw grows tight.
“Don’t look at me like that, Tia.”
I turn away and disappear down the hall.
It’s in that exact moment that I realize I’ve fallen in love with Reign Braxton.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
What can I say about my mom and dad? The
y’re crazy, loveable, and the reason I am the way I am. I love them to bits—but there are only so many hours I can spend with them before wanting to rip my own hair out. Today is one of those days. They’ve only been here four hours, and already my mother is starting with the lectures.
“Why aren’t you dating?”
“Why haven’t you got a decent job?”
“Why do you keep going for the wrong men?”
So I sit, legs crossed on my couch, pretending to be listening when really, I’m not. When she’s finished, I will smile and assure her I’m trying and then quickly change the subject. My dad is reading a newspaper at the table, rolling his eyes every so often at my mother’s whining. Go Dad.
“I think you should get a job at a real accounting firm,” she says.
I sigh loudly. “Mother, it is a real firm, I just do it from home.”
“How are you supposed to socialize when you’re not out in the public eye?”
I raise my brows at her. “It’s called clubs, bars and strip joints.”
My father chuckles.
“It’s not funny,” Mom snaps, pursing her round lips.
My mother looks a whole lot like me. Tall, long blond hair, pretty eyes . . . You wouldn’t be able guess my mom’s age, not with the amount of make-up she wears, or the designer brands of shoes and clothes. The only thing I seemed to get from my father was my olive skin-tone.
“Come on, Mom,” I groan. “I’m happy, can’t you just be happy for me?”
She crosses her arms and I catch sight of her gorgeous, red nails. “Fine, but you know I worry about you, Tia. You’re not getting any younger.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom. Next you’ll be asking how many of my pubic hairs are turning grey.”
She gasps. “Tia, watch your mouth.”
My father bursts out laughing, leaning back and wrapping a hand around his stomach. His blue eyes sparkle when he looks over to me. He loves how I wind Mom up. Shaking his head and trying to contain his laughing after Mom gives him the stink-eye, he runs his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair and gets back to his newspaper.
“How are things back home?” I ask her, trying to change the subject.
“Same as always. Betty next door is still trying to get her claws into your father.”
Here we go.
Betty, our life long next-door neighbor, has always had a thing for my dad. What can I say? The man is handsome. This has always riled my mother up, and every time I see her, she has another story about what Betty has done to try and ‘steal’ dad off her.
