The fist holding the car keys made contact with the fleshy human face faster than she could realize her error.
“Holy fucking shit! Oh my God!”
Angel’s jaw dropped open, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as she watched her little sister crumple to her knees. “Rena, Jesus! Oh my God,” she cried out, horrified by her actions. She dropped down next to her, her hands fluttering across Rena’s back, pulling back her curtain of hair.
“I think you broke my face,” Rena cried.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” Angel rushed out. She had no clue how to make this better.
“If you didn’t want me here, you could have just said no. Mom always said to use your words!”
“I didn’t know you were coming! You should have given me a heads-up,” Angel scolded. “How did you even get in here?”
“Oh please, as if I can’t pick a lock,” Rena snapped, her pain morphing into anger.
Angel was feeling irritated too. The last thing she expected was to come home to find her wayward sister lurking around. Last time she’d heard from her was two years ago when she’d called collect from a jail in Utah asking her to wire bail money.
Her initial sympathy wearing thin, Angel took her sister by the shoulders and helped her to her feet. Pushing her back into the bathroom where she kept basic first-aid supplies, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?”
Lowering onto the toilet lid, Rena’s mismatched blue and green eyes squinted up at her. “I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me.”
Angel scoffed as she retrieved supplies and laid them out on the counter. “So you thought you’d just break and enter instead?” Pouring peroxide onto a washcloth, she grimaced at the mess she’d caused. Rena’s right cheek was split open just below her eye, blood staining her fair skin all the way down the side of her face and neck. She was going to have one hell of a bruise. “This is going to sting,” she informed her as she pressed the towel over the gash.
Rena winced. “Damn, you got one hell of a right hook, sis. I guess I kind of deserved that, huh?”
“Kind of?” Angel smirked as she tore open a wide bandage and started patching her up.
“I should have called first,” Rena admitted. “I just wasn’t sure…so I figured…well, surprise!”
Angel shook her head as she dropped the empty wrappers into the trash and cleared the counter. “You were always good at those.”
Theirs hadn’t been a happy childhood—no guidance, no parental figures to offer support or warmth or anything like that. They’d practically raised each other while their mother chose to split her time between a bottle of Jack and her many boyfriends.
Neither one of them were perfect, hadn’t gone on to make much of themselves after high school, but whereas Angel had chosen to keep her nose clean, Rena had gotten herself into more than her fair share of trouble. By the time she was a teenager, she’d spent more time in juvie than she had in school.
Angel had always tried her best to look out for her little sister, but the day she turned eighteen, Rena was in lockup on an aiding and abetting charge. So Angel had no choice but to move forward with her life, refusing to stay under their mother’s roof another day.
She’d moved all over the country, bouncing from one place and job to another, always doing her best to keep in contact with her sister. At some point, though, she’d lost track of her.
Now she was back…and Angel was asking herself why.
“Why do you look like you’ve been digging through a dumpster?” Rena asked as they left the bathroom.
It was then Angel remembered why she’d come home in the first place. She had errands to run, but Kade had trashed every inch of her with motor oil. Man, she loved the smell of it on his skin. Loved even more that she’d carried that smell home with her. She hadn’t had a chance to look at herself in the mirror yet, but she could just imagine what her sister was seeing.
“A story for another day,” she said, brushing the topic aside.
Leading the way into the kitchen, Angel indicated for her sister to take a seat at the little table in the corner while she got them each a glass of ice water.
“So what kind of trouble are you in this time?” she asked.
Rena looked appropriately shocked. “What, I have to be in trouble in order to visit my big sister?”
Angel shot her a look. “Yes.” In all their years, the pattern hadn’t changed. Why would it now?
Tilting her head in concession, Rena said, “I may or may not have skipped my probation hearing and now have a warrant.”
“Rena!”
“It’s not my fault! I was going to go, but then something came up, and I missed it. That damn judge is just such a ballbuster. He never gives an inch.”
“Maybe because you practically live in his courtroom and it’s his job?” Angel ran a hand through her hair. “Jesus, Rena, when are you going to get your shit together?”
Rena glared. “Oh yeah, right. As if you have your life all neat and tidy.”
Angel resented that. “At least I have a steady job, a car, and a roof over my head. And I sure as hell don’t have to worry about the police knocking on my door. Actually, I probably do now that you’re here,” she amended. Great, just another thing for her to worry about. “Why can’t you ever just be normal?”
“Normal is overrated,” Rena grumbled. She dipped a finger in her glass, chasing around a piece of ice.
“Don’t you think it would be nice to not have to constantly look over your shoulder for once?”
“Sure. I mean, of course it would be. But that’s just not how the cards were dealt.”
“We may have been dealt a shitty hand, but that doesn’t mean you had to play it.”
Honestly, she wasn’t even sure why she bothered. Trying to talk some sense into her sister was about as effective as beating her head against a brick wall. She’d done it too many times over the years to count, and look where she was now—still walking on the wrong side of the law.
“You can’t spend your whole life doing this, you know. One day, you’re going to burn all your bridges, and you’re going to be too old to start over.”
Rena refused to look at her, which told Angel that she more than knew she was right, but instead of agreeing, she just shrugged. “It’s my life, sis. You do you, and let me do me. Okay?”
They fell into a tense silence after that, neither one knowing quite what to say. The sad fact of the matter was, Angel would never approve of her sister’s antics. But she also would never abandon her.
“So…” Rena said after a while. Hopeful eyes, one that matched her own and the other that matched the father she’d never met, met hers. “Can I stay for a couple weeks?”
She’d already known the question was coming, so Angel was far from shocked and already had an answer prepared. “Of course you can,” she said with a put-upon sigh.
“Yay! Roomies again!” Rena shouted, jumping from her chair and throwing her arms around Angel’s neck to squeeze her tight. “I’ll make up the couch.”
“For you,” Angel said as her sister bounded off.
“Aw, man,” she heard Rena say, making her chuckle.
Some things never changed. Maybe she’d let her sleep a night on the sofa before she offered her the spare bedroom…
While Angel waited for her sister to rejoin her at the table, she thought about her day so far. It wasn’t even afternoon yet, and she was already feeling worn out. Some of it had to do with Rena and the shock of her being there, but a whole lot more of it had to do with the zealous way Kade possessed her body earlier.
That man…he was the hottest thing walking on two legs. She’d gone into this…well, she wasn’t dumb enough to consider it a relationship, but it was something, and she hadn’t intended for it to get so intense.
But that just seemed to be who he was. Everything Kade did was done with acute focus and attention to detail. The way he tooled those bikes was a perfec
t example of that. His hands on her body were another.
She could still feel their imprint on her skin. Goose bumps pebbled her arms as she thought about what he’d done to her in that garage and the promise he’d made to her just before she left.
Shit! How could she have forgotten?
Rena, that’s how.
Angel got up from her seat and went in search of her sister. If Kade was coming by tonight, she needed the little brat to get the hell out for a couple hours.
She found Rena in her bedroom closet collecting a pile of blankets and a spare pillow from one of the shelves. “Hey,” she said, standing in the doorway, “how would you feel about running some errands for me?”
Looking over her shoulder, Rena stared at her for a moment, brows pinched, then said, “You got a hot date or something?”
“Maybe,” Angel said with a shrug.
Leaving the closet, Rena carried her pile over to the bed and set it down. “No problem. I’m sure this place has plenty of nooks and crannies for me to explore. How long you need me to go for?”
“A couple hours, at least.”
“Consider it done then,” Rena said with a brilliant smile. Gathering the blankets and pillow once again, she headed toward Angel and the door. As she brushed by, she threw over her shoulder, “But you gotta pay me!”
Angel just shook her head. Yeah, she should have seen that one coming.
three
Patching in members was an event. One Moose enjoyed a little too much. The scent of alcohol clung to his skin as he reclined back on the old sofa propped against the back wall of his garage and watched one of their newest members, Wayne, getting the final details put on his brand new center patch.
He couldn’t help thinking that his nephew, Tanner, should have been occupying that space tonight, but the little bastard who had turned against his family was no more. He’d made sure of that.
Moose kicked back the last of his beer and washed that thought right out of his mind. There was no sense giving that little shit another second of his time. After the way he’d turned on him and his brothers, bringing their worst enemy right to their doorstep and practically handing over the key to the front door, he didn’t deserve the energy expended on him.
Tonight, Cricket was playing ink slinger. And why not. The man loved his ink, was covered in it straight down to his fingertips. He’d been practicing the art in his free-time lately, from his understanding.
It was cool to have that kind of talent in-house. Meant Moose could demand the family discount, he thought with a sly smirk.
“You’re looking a little pale there, bro,” Moose observed, and Wayne glanced from his seat to catch his eye. “You’re not gonna pass out on us, are ya?”
“Man, fuck you,” Wayne said with a laugh.
It wasn’t Wayne’s first tatt, but unless he had some hiding somewhere, the only ones Moose had ever noticed were no bigger than his thumb. Going from that to a full-back tatt was a big leap, no matter who the hell you were.
“I’m stopping after I finish some of this shading,” Cricket informed them, his focus intent on his work. “Try not to keel over before then. Makes me look bad.”
Wayne shook his head, looking all exasperated. Couldn’t blame the guy. They’d all taken their fair share of turns jabbing at him tonight. Wouldn’t be a proper patch party if they didn’t.
“I, for one, hope he faints so I can call him Scarlet,” Country remarked from across the room where he was playing a friendly game of ping-pong shots with their president, Quick.
“Why do we have to wait for him to pass out to call him that?” Quick asked. “He still needs a handle. I vote we roll with it.”
“Would you all stop busting my balls? Damn,” Wayne complained. “And I will have you know that Scarlet was a fine-ass woman with some serious cajones, okay? I could do worse.”
Everyone laughed then. Moose just grinned and took stock of his family. A man couldn’t ask for a better one, blood related or not. These men were absolutely the best people to surround yourself with. They knew how to have a good time and have your back forward and sideways. As much as he sometimes wanted to beat their asses, he wouldn’t trade ‘em. And wasn’t that what family was all about?
“What are you doing over there anyway?” Country asked Moose. “You’ve been all contemplative looking since that little girl walked out of here earlier. You got the feels or somethin’?”
Moose curled his lip and shifted to reach his phone tucked in his butt pocket. “Ain’t no feels involved, unless you’re talkin’ about the physical kind.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Then I got a whole lot of ‘em if you know what I mean.”
Country glanced around at the rest of the brothers, including them in the conversation. “Moose has been sporting some serious wood lately. I can’t even walk into a room without feeling violated.”
“Gotta be the girl, then,” Taco said, then tipped his head back to drink his beer, his playful gaze still set on Moose.
Moose raised his hand and slowly lifted his middle finger. “Y’all just mind your business. What I do or don’t do with my dick is private.”
“Not when it’s waving hello to everyone,” Quick chimed in, then plucked a ball into one of the plastic cups.
“No fuckin’ way!” Country shouted. “I swear, you’re cheating! No one drinks as much as you have tonight and keeps winning.”
Quick shrugged. “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game. Now shut your yap and drink up, brother.”
Grumbling, Country got down to it.
Moose checked the time on his phone. It was well after midnight, and he remembered how he’d told Mouse he’d be by later. It was probably well past “later” in her book, but he was just getting the night started.
He considered shooting off a quick text, maybe calling her to tell her to get ready for him, but then he figured why bother? If she wanted him like he thought she did, then she should be ready for him any hour of the day or night.
“Any of you bastards feel like driving me somewhere?”
“Business or pleasure?” Taco asked.
“Definitely pleasure.”
Taco vacated his fold-out chair as Moose lumbered to his feet. Slinging on his leather jacket, Taco jerked his head to the side. “I gotta head home anyway. I’ll give ya a lift.”
“Aw, you guys are seriously ditching us? The night is still young!” Country shouted.
Moose ignored the uttered complaints and fell into step behind Taco as they headed for the side door. “You assholes can crash inside if you need to. But y’all better make sure to clean this shit up before you leave.”
“Yes, Mommy,” he heard as he stepped out into the night. He didn’t need to look back to know what jerk-off had said it. The Southern accent tipped him off just fine.
He had some itching powder from last April fool’s that should clear that attitude right up.
Taco got into the little IROC first, then reached over to pop the lock on the passenger door. As Moose hunkered down into the cool leather seat, he said, “You ever think about upgrading? You know, power locks, windows, automatic tranny…”
Taco scoffed as if Moose had just said something truly offensive. “This baby is a fully-restored antique. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can trump her.”
“The new Camaros are pretty damn sweet is all I’m sayin’.” He loved old-fashioned muscle. As a mechanic, of course he did. It was practically a rite of passage, but he still had a healthy appreciation for the modern conveniences.
“And they’re all cheap plastic. Get in an accident? Totaled. This baby? She’s the one doing the totaling.”
Moose looked over the interior, considering his words. He’d known Taco was putting in some serious hours on the car, but he hadn’t really seen the befores, so he didn’t know much about the afters. All he knew were the stories, and according to the grapevine, Taco was skilled in automotive everything. They might have to trade notes sometime.
“She loo
ks great,” he offered.
Taco chuckled. “You have no clue the amount of work I put into her. Hours, man. Some days, I thought I’d never get her done. She’s a beauty though. Maybe I’ll shoot you over some pictures later so you can see how far she’s come.”
“Do that,” Moose agreed.
“So where we headed?”
Up till now, they’d been driving blindly, but Moose hadn’t really been thinking about it because Taco had unknowingly headed in the right direction. Instead of trying to count the lights and point out turns, he put Angel’s address into his phone’s GPS and took the guesswork out of it for both of them.
“So you stuck on that girl, or what?” Taco asked as they took the last turnoff.
Moose stared out the window, unsure how to answer that particular question. He’d been asking himself the same lately. To be honest, he was sweet on her, but he was also thinking maybe they were getting a little too hot a little too fast.
He wanted to claim Angel in the worst way. Wanted to make shit official so no one else could come in and scoop her up, but that wasn’t good reasoning if you wanted a relationship to last…especially when he wasn’t even sure how far he wanted theirs to go. That was a lie though. He knew, but he was struggling with himself.
Short or long-term, that was the question.
To Taco, he said, “We’re just hanging out right now.”
“So nothing serious? Because it looked kind of serious when we rolled up on you two earlier.”
Moose didn’t bother trying to explain himself. “It’s the one on the corner with the flamingo.”
They didn’t live anywhere near Florida or natural flamingo habitats to warrant that kind of lawn ornament, but Angel’s twisted sense of humor or lack of decorating sense—whatever it was—made Moose smile. She was something else…
“That’s…interesting,” Taco commented with the hint of a smile in his voice.
As soon as the car rolled to a stop at the curb, Moose was up and out. “Thanks for the ride, bro,” he said before turning to march up the lawn. Was it rude of him to just cut and run? Sure the fuck was, but he had his sights and thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only. He’d be sure to tell Taco how much he appreciated his good deed another time.
Cocky Page 2
