by Bijou Hunter
“Problem?”
“More shit from the Devils. They’re pushing and we’ll need to push back. Might need to call someone in to go to Tucson to handle the problem at the top.”
“Someone?”
“Don’t you worry. Business shit.”
“Now, you’re secretive. Where was this when you were talking about jazzing your pants.”
Cooper grinned, but I could tell he was tense. “I might need to get someone out of Memphis to handle the president of the Devils. Finish this shit for good. Don’t want to go that far, but they’re making our club look bad. Making me look bad and that makes Pop look bad.”
“You’ll figure it out. You know, being perfect and all.”
Cooper grinned. “It’s a burden, but I manage.”
I shared his smile. “Thanks for sending Lark my way.”
“She was looking for an excuse to talk to you. I just gave her the money to use her tat as that excuse.” Cooper sat forward and studied me. “I know you’re a good guy. Probably the best guy I know, but Lark’s got something wrong with her. Something broken maybe. I see it around the edges and maybe you saw it too. Just be careful with her.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Kristen fucked you over and you didn’t see it coming. You think you read people and you do read them well. You just overlooked Kristen being a lying whore. Don’t let that shit make you weird with Lark. She’s a good girl and won’t bounce back if you mess with her head or make her jump through hoops proving she’s not Kristen.”
“I’m not going to mess with her head.”
“Not on purpose. Like I said, you’re a good guy. Still, you got hurt. Now, you don’t trust yourself. I just don’t want you fucking things up with Lark because you got suckered by a bitch. Lark could make you happy and I want you happy. It kills me that I found my girl before you. You need this, man. Just be careful of your issues so you don’t make them her issues.”
“Got it.”
Cooper grinned. “You’ve drawn her naked, haven’t you?”
“No.”
“Dork.”
Laughing, I threw my pencil at him. Cooper didn’t even bat it away. He just laughed harder at my lame attempt to injure him. Marriage made him happier than I’d ever seen him. It also made him think he knew everything about relationships. Like he needed another reason to show off.
Chapter Five - Lark
After ditching class and grabbing a bus, I walked into Bluegrass Tats. My breath was minty, hair decent, and I felt pretty confident. Mostly, I was just dying to see Aaron again.
A woman was behind the counter, looking bored. She glanced up at me when I entered then looked back at her magazine.
“They’re busy.”
“I can wait.”
“No.”
“Cooper Johansson said I should talk to Aaron about getting my tattoo finished.”
“I don’t care if President Obama sent you,” the girl said, still looking at her magazine. “They’re busy and you don’t have an appointment.”
“Melissa,” a woman snapped, exiting one of the backrooms. “Stop being rude.”
The second woman was black or a dark skinned Hispanic. She was beautiful with long dark hair and big black eyes. Her arms were covered in tattoos and she wore a tight vest and black jeans.
“I’m Jade,” she said, smiling and erasing much of the tension from Melissa’s attitude. “What did you need, sweetheart?”
“I have an unfinished tattoo and Cooper said I should talk to Aaron about getting it fixed. He said he would pay.”
“Let me see,” Jade said, coming around the counter.
“Don’t you have a client?” Melissa muttered.
“She needed a break. Is there a reason you need to know my business, employee?”
Melissa frowned, but kept her mouth shut. I turned to show Jade the wingless butterfly. I expected her to laugh, but she just ran her fingers over it.
“Aaron can fix that easy,” Jade said as I turned back around.
“Fix what?” Aaron asked, appearing in a white tank top and sending every nerve in my body into heat.
Jade smiled. “Her poor butterfly has no wings.”
My face flushed with embarrassment which was stupid since I knew he would see it. Aaron studied me in a really focused way then smiled. His grin sent me from beat red to a weird purple. At least, this was what it felt like.
“Hey, Lark,” he said.
“From the wedding.”
Aaron gave me a half smile like I was being dumb. “I remember.”
Jade looked back and forth between us then shook her head. “Not a good time to discuss fixing it. I mean, with our clients waiting. You’re not done, are you?”
“No,” Aaron said in that wonderful deep, yet gentle voice.
“Why don’t you two meet somewhere to discuss the details?” Jade asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Since you know each other and all, I mean.”
Nodding, I stared into Aaron’s beautiful blue eyes. He said nothing, so Jade continued.
“Where could you meet?”
“I get a discount at Denny’s.”
“That would work,” Jade said. “Aaron will meet you around when?”
I thought about when I could get away from Dylan’s constant observation. On Wednesday, I usually studied at the library with my friends. Dylan dropped me off and picked me up hours later. I could ditch the library, catch the bus, and get to Denny’s to meet Aaron.
“Would seven work?”
“Oh, that would be fine,” Jade said, giving Aaron a wink. “He’ll meet you then.”
“Are you sure?” I asked Aaron.
“I’ll be there.”
Smiling, I felt awkward with the three of them watching me. Even Melissa stopped flipping through her magazine to frown at me.
“I’ll see you on Wednesday,” I said, stepping away from Jade. “Thank you for your help.”
Nodding, Jade crossed her buff arms and smiled knowingly. Aaron watched me go. He was still watching when I glanced back before crossing the parking lot to catch my bus. Even if we barely exchanged words, I felt like the visit couldn’t have gone better. Wednesday was going to be amazing as long as I could ditch Dylan.
Chapter Six - Aaron
For most of my teens, the Johanssons were like a second family. I spent most weekends at their place where we fished, hunted, played sports, and acted like two unsupervised pubescent boys. Cooper was the brother I never had, but brothers grew apart over time.
The Johansson family business was something I kept at a distance as we grew up. Years earlier, Cooper asked me to join the club and get my hands dirty. While I was his friend and would keep his secrets, the life his family led wasn’t for me. For one thing, I was just a natural born outsider. I got along with everyone, but I liked being my own man. This was something Cooper would never enjoy. He wasn’t merely a husband, friend, or college student. He was the heir to a business built in blood.
Normally, I didn’t think about Cooper as anything more than the showoff smartass man I knew since he was a showoff smartass kid. Today, he seemed bothered in a way that wasn’t about college or marriage. Farah giggled nearby with Tawny as they struggled to make pigtails in seven year old Sawyer’s long wavy hair. Laughing at their attempts, Jodi Johansson smiled at Bailey who rested against her mother’s shoulder. The family appeared relaxed, but I noticed Cooper wasn’t the only grumpy one. As Kirk worked the grill, his jaw was tight and eyes unfocused.
“What’s up?” I finally asked Cooper as we walked over to the corner of the deck.
“Business shit.”
“Don’t get pouty. Just fucking tell me.”
Cooper grinned. “You’re an asshole. How’s your love life, Romeo?”
“Don’t change the subject. What’s making you grumpy? Marriage problems?”
“Fuck you,” Cooper growled, really trying to out alpha me and everyone in a ten mile radius.
“Spill.”
Exhaling hard, Cooper glared at the sky. “The Devils hit another of our suppliers.”
“I thought you got the mole.”
“We did. The people they hit were out in the open. In a way, it’s worse. They’re mocking us,” Cooper said then glanced at Vaughn. “They want Harlow now too.”
“Why?”
“It’s a bargaining chip. They really just want Vaughn, but having him know they’re after the girl will make him edgier. A tense Outlaw makes mistakes.”
“They won’t come here though.”
“No. I don’t think so. It’s hard to know why they’re pushing so hard on this, but I think it’s ego. They couldn’t have cared about Playboy that fucking much. It’s about Vaughn making them look weak or maybe they’re fucking nuts. Who knows, but they said they want the girl now. If we give her and Vaughn to them, they’ll back off. Oh, and they promise to kill her quick. Vaughn needs to bleed though.”
“Fuckers.”
“Those fuckers wouldn’t kill her either. She’s a pretty girl and they’d make her work. Sick bastards can’t be trusted. Even if I was willing to hand over the girl and let Vaughn die, I can’t give into the Devils without looking weak.”
“What can do you?”
“I need to hit them back,” Cooper said, his voice dropping. “I think it’s what Pop would do. He’s keeping quiet on the issues. If I can’t get it handled, he’ll take over and that shit can’t happen. I will never get respect if I need him to fix my problems.”
“Hit them back how?”
“Two ways. I could send my top guys, but I don’t want to rely on Pop’s guys. The old timers aren’t loyal to me like Judd and Vaughn. Of course, I can’t send my guys because Vaughn can’t be trusted to go without losing his shit. I also can’t send Judd.”
We both looked at where the enforcer stared out at the woods. Whatever he was thinking about had put him in a dark mood. However, Tawny laughed at Sawyer’s hair and the sound brought Judd out from his gloom.
“If he died,” Cooper said in nearly a whisper, “it would end Tawny. She’s a tough broad, but she wouldn’t survive without her man. As the boss, I shouldn’t care. I should focus on what’s good for the business and club, but…”
Cooper didn’t finish and he didn’t need to. We both understood how his heart belonged to Farah. Like a domino effect, Judd’s death would destroy Tawny which would destroy Farah which would weaken Cooper. Losing Judd wasn’t an option.
“The only other choice is calling in help from Memphis,” Cooper said, glancing at Farah who was watching him in that weird mating way they looked at each other lately. It was obnoxious. “I can get a big gun to take care of my problem, but it also might make me look like I can’t handle things on my own.”
“What’s Kirk saying about any of this?”
“Fucking nothing. He’s leaving it to me. When I make a suggestion, he acts like I’m an idiot. I know he’s testing me and I get that shit, but people are dying. Not just fucking loser druggies and dealers either. Kids and average folks are getting caught in the crosshair. The Devils don’t care, but I do. I’m not turning into a monster to do this job.”
“Have you asked Farah for advice?” I said when I saw her moving closer like a predator leisurely making its way towards its prey.
“She’s not…”
“Ask your woman. She might say something that helps things click for you. Trust me that Farah brings out the best in you, so maybe she can get your big fat brain to work.”
Laughing, Cooper slugged me in the arm. “Asshole.”
“Maybe, but I’m right. Oh, hell, here she comes and I sense you two will be sneaking off for a quickie.”
“Fuck sneak off,” Cooper said, still grinning. “We’re married. We just announce we’re going to fuck then go fuck. We’re in a committed relationship, so we can act mature like that.”
Now, I was the one laughing and I didn’t stop once Farah cuddled up with her beast.
“I heard you’re having dinner with Lark,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Hurry up and marry her, so we can double date and annoy Vaughn.”
“Can’t you double date with Tawny and Judd?”
Cooper and Farah laughed. “Yeah, right,” they said in unison, causing me to wonder if their brains had merged from too much sex.
“If I have my way, Lark will be mine.”
“He’s stalking her,” Cooper told Farah. “Draws pictures of her naked too.”
Farah laughed and pated my cheek. “Romantic.”
“Clearly, I’ve fucked her brains out,” Cooper said and she gave him the pissed wife look. Sighing, he lowered his gaze and mumbled, “Yes, ma’am.”
Watching them do their obnoxious married thing, I tried my hardest not to be a jealous bastard wishing I had what they did. Despite my best efforts, I failed.
Chapter Seven - Lark
As a bad liar, I struggled to act casual as Dylan dropped me off at the Hampton library. Instead of just telling me what time to wait for him, he turned off his Harley and joined me on the sidewalk.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hiding my horror.
“You seem weird. I just got a feeling I should stick around.”
“You want to come into the library while I study for a few hours?”
“Sure.”
“Why?”
“I got a feeling. I told you.”
Panicking, I glanced around. “You can’t come in.”
“Why?” he growled, fully suspicious now.
“It’s embarrassing to have my brother sitting there while I study with my friends.”
“I’m not your brother.”
“That’s how they see you,” I said then added, “It’s how I see you.”
Dylan’s frown darkened. “I was nineteen when our parents married. You’re not my sister.”
Staring up into his angry dark eyes, I wished he was angry enough to storm off. “If you’re not my brother, why are you treating me like your little sister who needs babying?”
“I’m protecting you.”
“I don’t need protecting. I need to study with my friends without you watching us like my warden.”
Grumpy now, Dylan glanced around then stepped closer. “I’m keeping you safe. Now, you said you needed to study, so let’s go.”
Walking with Dylan, I felt depression rising up inside me. I had dreamed of spending time alone with Aaron. Did the handsome artist feel like I did? Could we be something special together? Now, I wouldn’t know because Aaron wouldn’t forgive me for standing him up.
Inside the library, my study buddies waited. Nick and Selena frowned when Dylan appeared.
“He’s keeping me safe,” I said, answering their questioning looks.
Dylan grunted, clearly irritated to see me studying with a guy. His jealousy gave me an idea.
“Nick, you need a haircut,” I said, pushing his long dark bangs out of his green eyes. “You look like a cute little puppy.”
Staring at me, Nick took a moment to figure out my sudden flirty interest in him. He smiled and reached for my bangs.
“I like how you’re growing your hair out.”
Selena ignored us both, but I saw her grin as if in on the joke.
“This is what you call studying?” Dylan muttered, sitting closer now.
Nick and I smiled then I stood up. “I want to get cleaned up. You know, before we study,” I said, grinning at Nick again.
Dylan focused his glare on Nick who only smiled. “Your sister is hot, but I’m sure you’re used to guys saying that.”
“She’s not my sister,” Dylan growled.
Leaving the men to eye one another, I hurried to the bathroom. Dylan never followed, just like I hoped. As he focused his jealous attention on Nick who was likely ignoring him now, I slipped out a backdoor and ran for the bus. If I missed it, I’d need to walk three miles. No way could I reach Denny’s before Aaron left.
Even running full speed,
I reached the bus stop in time to see it disappearing around a corner. Panic and depression ate at me, but I started walking towards the restaurant. I was going to see Aaron tonight and I wasn’t letting Dylan or fate stop me.
Chapter Eight - Aaron
I’d been stood up once in my life and it was a girl I didn’t really like. We’d both been pretty drunk when we agreed to meet the next day for lunch. I hadn’t wanted to see her again once the beer goggles wore off, but didn’t have the heart to stand her up. She hadn’t suffered from the same weakness and never showed.
Getting stood up that day was a relief. Having Lark not show was like someone kicking me in the balls while tearing out my heart and crapping on it.
My muse might have a million great reasons to stay away. I focused on the one reason I couldn’t bear. She hadn’t wanted me. Despite all the smiles when Jade set up this dinner, Lark might only be playing along. Maybe she knew I wanted her and she simply wanted a finished tattoo. Was this her not so subtle way of making a point?
As I waited for nearly an hour, the waitress must have asked me thirty times if I wanted something or if my friend was coming. The place was dead, but she clearly wanted me to put up or get out. I just smiled and played on my phone. Anyone would think I was content getting stood up. Inside, I was pissed and hurt and pissed some more. Not even pissed at Lark, but at myself for pining for a girl I didn’t know. Over the last few weeks, I’d affixed so many qualities onto her face and name. Lark could be anyone, but I’d made her my muse. My ideal girl who won my heart before our first kiss.
I was pissed at myself for being a fool. A weird obsessive fool to boot. No wonder the girl played it safe and stayed away.
A part of me wanted to go home and trash all of the paintings I’d made of her, but I knew I wouldn’t. Even if I couldn’t win her heart, she still inspired me. Despite her disinterest, Lark was still my fucking muse and I wasn’t trashing anything with her lovely face on it.
Eventually, I gave my waitress what she wanted and left. My Harley was the only vehicle in the main parking lot and it looked as lonely as I felt. Hell, I’d really hoped Lark was the one.
