“You weren’t finished while you were laying in the fucking hospital for three months?” Jace scoffs before letting out a breath and storming out the door.
Luke sinks back into his seat and rests his elbows on the table. His head hangs between his hands and I know that wasn’t easy. I can’t pretend like I know what it was like over there, but from the stories they’ve told, it wasn’t good.
“Hey,” Caden says as he leans forward and places a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “You did what’s right for you. We’ve got your back. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks,” he grunts as his eyes look back at the door, following where Jace had stormed out. His phone vibrates on the table again an all our eyes cut to it.
“He’ll come around,” I tell Luke. “He just needs some time.”
“I know,” he sighs.
“Do you know where you’re going?” I ask, even though I know he generally doesn’t like to talk about the details as he doesn’t want us to worry, but he should know that’s bullshit. We’re going to worry no matter where he’s going.
He looks up at me with a ghost behind his eyes. “Iraq,” he sighs. “I don’t know much more than that.”
Shit. He was in Iraq on the last tour when he and Jace got hurt in a roadside bomb. I’ll never forget the call I received from Jace’s sister. With the way she was crying on the phone, I thought I’d lost them both. They were flown home once they were stable enough, but it was a long road to recovery.
It’s a miracle how they both managed to come out the other end, but don’t get me wrong, they have their demons which they try to cover up with their carefree attitudes, but I see through it.
I reach out and squeeze Luke’s forearm to bring his eyes back to mine. “I’m proud of you, man,” I tell him. “Have you told you Mom yet?” His face scrunches up in a nasty cringe. I’ll take that as a no. “Shit, Luke. How long have you known?”
“A few weeks,” he says. “That’s why I asked you to cover the self-defense class the other week.”
Fuck. “Maybe don’t tell Jace that.”
He grunts his agreeance as Jace’s phone vibrates on the table again. “Who the fuck is messaging him so much?” Luke asks as he snatches the phone off the table and takes a look. His eyebrow raises as he reads over the texts.
“Seriously?” I ask, feeling like an ass for not snatching the phone out of his hand.
“Dude, it’s not like he’s going to tell me what’s going on with him. I’ve got to find this shit out for myself,” Luke says as Caden gets up to look over his shoulder.
“Shit,” Caden laughs. “Who the fuck is Cami?”
“What?” I grunt as I get up to look over Luke’s other shoulder. We skim through the messages and dread starts to fill me. “She’s Rylee’s friend. The shy one. It sounds like he actually likes this one,” Luke says.
“Nah, she’s too… innocent for him. He’ll crush her.”
“I know,” Luke grunts as he presses the lock button on the side and places Jace’s phone back down. He looks up at me. “You need to sort this shit out.”
“Me?” I grunt. “Why the fuck is this on me?”
“Because I’ve got too much shit on my plate right now and Caden has nothing to do with anything. You though, you’ve been hitting her best friend.”
“I’m not hitting her best friend.”
“Fuck off,” Caden scoffs. “I saw you guys out in the parking lot the other night. You’re definitely hitting that.”
I roll my eyes and wish they would drop it. “Weren’t we talking about how Luke went behind our backs and re-enlisted? Let’s get back to that.”
“What’s going on with Rylee anyway? Are you together, or what?” Caden asks, apparently not getting the hint that I don’t want to talk about it.
“Honestly,” I sigh giving in. “I have no fucking idea. She’s so hot and cold. One minute she wants me, the next she’s not ready.”
“She’ll come around,” he says.
“I know,” I tell him. “The question is; how long is that going to take?”
“Right,” he grumbles with a scoff, reminding me that something’s going on with him.
“Less about me and Rylee. What the fuck’s going on with you?” I question.
“What do you mean?” he asks, slightly alarmed.
I narrow my eyes on the secretive bastard. “You’re hiding something,” I tell him. “The last few times we’ve been at The Dark Room, you’ve had chicks all over you, but you’ve been more interested in what’s going on with your phone. You never turn down pussy, so something’s got to be going on. Is there a girl you’re not telling us about?”
“What? No.”
“That’s the biggest load of bullshit I ever heard,” Luke laughs.
Caden’s eyes flick back to mine and it’s clear he’s deeply thinking something over. “There’s definitely a girl,” I laugh. “Who is it?”
“There’s no fucking girl,” Caden says with such conviction that it makes me wonder if I’m completely making it up.
“Alright, alright,” I say putting my hands up in surrender, seeing that he’s starting to get defensive. If there’s no girl then something else must be going on. I glance down at my watch and see that one of my new fighters are due to be in shortly. “I got to go,” I tell them, certain that this little meeting is well and truly over.
I push up out of my chair and head out to the gym. I bypass Jace who’s pounding his fists into a punching bag with such force that it even manages to impress me. I should get Xander to train with Jace while he’s like this.
Five hours later, I walk out of Rebels and collapse into the driver’s seat of my truck. I’m fucking exhausted and on top of that, it looks like there’s going to be a nasty as fuck storm coming our way.
I get home to my lonely big house and make myself some dinner.
Fuck, it’d be really nice if there was someone here to come home to each night. I never noticed it so much over the past few years as I’d be bringing chicks home left, right, and center, but now, all I can think about is bringing Rylee home with me and never letting her go.
I should kidnap her and tie her to the fucking bed until she gets that sick disease where they come to love and rely on their kidnapper. I think it’s called Stockholm Syndrome. It might take a few years, but at least I’d eventually get what I want. I’d be so damn easy to take her from the club.
Fuck. I’m a sick bastard.
I let out a sigh. Rylee will come around eventually, and when she does, it’ll be magical.
I can’t fucking wait to get to know her.
I lay down on my couch and put my feet up. I had three sessions with my fighters this afternoon, then covered two classes for Jace who disappeared after he and Luke faced off in the ring. It was bad, but it was also entertaining as fuck.
Neither won the fight and Jace took off afterward as the fight did absolutely nothing to help calm him. Like I said to Luke this afternoon, he’ll come around, it will just take a little while. Jace is the most carefree of all of us, but he also gets hit the hardest. Not to mention, he’s a stubborn mother fucker.
With a sigh, I flick on the television and get stuck into my dinner.
The rain starts outside and I head to the fridge to grab a beer. I flick the television off on my way and head straight out the door. I sit out on my deck, listening to the rain as it falls heavily on the concrete before me.
There’s always been something so soothing about watching the rain. As a kid, Imogen and I would always watch the rain from the window. We desperately wanted to go outside, but Mom had this fear that we’d get struck by lightning. Absolutely ridiculous, right? So, as we got older, it became a tradition that eventually moved outdoors when Mom realized we were too big to stop. I can only imagine that she’d be doing the same thing right now.
The thunder and lightning eventually join the rain and I relax back into my chair. My phone beeps from my pocket and I pull it out.
Im
ogen – You watching this?
I grin as I hash out my reply.
Cole – Sure am, kid.
An hour later, when the wind is gushing the rain right into me, I decide it’s about time to head in. I bypass the bathroom and hit the shower before collapsing into bed so I can do it all again tomorrow.
I fall asleep listening to the sound of the heavy rain on the roof, once again wishing I had a certain perky brunette to enjoy it with.
Chapter 13
Rylee
The sound of the wind howling through the small crack in my window has me waking way before my alarm. I throw my blanket off and trudge over to the window to close it. I was at the club late last night and had to drive home through that raging storm. It was absolutely crazy. I pulled over four times to wait while the rain was at its heaviest. I swear, I must have been driving like a little old grandma.
The morning light streams through my window, but it’s not as bright as it would usually be, though that’s most likely because of the black clouds that still cover the sky.
I look out the window up into the storm above and my eyes widen at what I see.
Holy shit.
The sky is near black with a strange greenish tinge to the sky. My stomach drops. This can’t be happening again. Denver is situated right along Tornado Alley which stretches from Texas to Nebraska.
We get hit with tornadoes all the time and I have no doubt that today will be the same. I dash over to my bedside table and grab my phone. I open up the weather app and have a good look. We’re only forecast for major storms, but I can feel it in my gut. The way the clouds are sitting so low is a pretty good indicator, besides the fact they look as though they’re screaming at me.
Today’s the day that the whole town has been dreading. I just know it.
I slam the window closed and look around the room for something I can shove in front of it, but there’s really nothing that will work. I’m just going to have to leave this window unprotected. I have bigger things to worry about than my bedroom window.
I race around my room and pull on some clothes before dashing into the living room. I slide my bookcase up against the window and double check the kitchen window is locked. Feeling that my home is as safe as it can possibly be, I grab my car keys and my phone off the charger and make a run for it.
I make it out to my car and jump straight in, ignoring the new car smells that I absolutely love. I pull out of my building parking lot and fly down the street. My phone connects through the Bluetooth in the car and I give Cami a call.
“Hey, you’re up early,” she says. “What’s up?”
“Cam,” I yell over the sound of the rain on my windscreen. “Are you at your shop? There’s a tornado coming.”
“What?” she shrieks in fear. “I didn’t hear the warning.”
“There hasn’t been one yet. I just feel it.”
She lets out a breath. “Shit, Ry. You scared me to death.”
“I’m not kidding, Cami. I feel it. Look at the sky. Can’t you feel it? It’s coming. It could be this morning or it could be later. I don’t know, but it’s definitely coming.”
“You really think so?” she questions.
“Are you at your shop?” I repeat. “You need to start moving everything away from the windows and board them up. Protect your shop then get somewhere safe,” I tell her. “Call me crazy if you want to, but I feel it. I’d rather look like a dickhead going to these crazy lengths and be wrong than be right and not do anything to protect ourselves.”
“Shit,” Cami says. “You’re really serious.”
“Yeah, Hun. Have I ever been wrong before?”
“No,” she groans, though I hear the panic entering her voice. “Ok, um. What should I start with.”
I go through the list of things that I have building in my head for the club and she picks out the few that’s relevant for her shop. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”
“I wish it wasn’t,” I tell her. “Listen, call me when you’re done, alright?”
“Yeah, sure. Are you heading to the club?”
“You know I am,” I tell her.
“Ok,” she says. “I’ll come there after I’m done with Style Me Crazy.”
What? She’s kidding, right? “No way,” I tell her. “You need to get down to your mom’s place afterward. Make sure she’s safe and her silly little dog is inside. You know how she gets,” I add, knowing that her mother is hard headed and believes she’s indestructible.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she says. “I’ll give you a call in a little bit. If I don’t see you beforehand, be safe, ok. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I tell her.
She hangs up and I focus all my attention back on the busy road before me. All these dickheads are diving off to work when they should be at home and making sure their families are safe. Hell, even if I’m wrong, this storm is bad enough. Nobody should be driving in this.
Shit, I really hope I’m wrong, but like I told Cami, I’ve never been wrong. When I feel it, I feel it. I should be a fucking tornado weather girl.
I pull up at The Dark Room and drive right around back where I have undercover parking. It’s not going to protect my car very well, but it might prevent it from damage if we get hailstones.
You know what? Fuck it. The club is empty and I’m in the spirit of protecting what’s mine.
I drive right up to the front doors and hop out. I move a few things around and unlock the big double doors. It’s going to be fucking tight, but it’ll make it. After all, my car is brand new.
I get back in my car and slowly roll forward through the double doors. I have to reach through and fold in the side mirrors, but I eventually make it and park the shiny little she-devil in the center of the dance floor.
I stand back and admire my handiwork before I get serious. Now, that my car is protected, it’s time to protect everything else.
I look around the club and the realization of just how massive this job is hits me. There are hundreds of windows through this whole place that need to be boarded up, there’s the rooftop bar that needs to be completely emptied and every last bit of furniture dragged inside.
I have the outdoor grill on the ground floor with hundreds of couches, tables, and chairs, and not to mention, the outdoor dance floor. Shit, the sail will need to be dismantled otherwise that’s bound to fly away.
My only issue is that I have absolutely no idea what time frame I’m working with here. It could be hours or it could be minutes. Hell, it might not even be at all, but I’ve poured my heart and soul into this place and I’m not about to see it ruined.
Shit, I have to warn mom and dad.
Crap. Where the hell do I start? I need to prioritize. What’s easily replaceable and what’s going to cost me a bomb? I try to mentally go over my insurance, but I’m too flustered to really concentrate.
I put my plan into place and head outside. I need to be smart about this. There’s a whole lot of furniture that I’m not strong enough to carry by myself, so I won’t waste my energy or time on that.
I head for the bar first before changing my mind and dragging all the smaller furniture in. I dump it in the middle of the dance floor, right next to my car and go for the next thing.
In, out, in, out. I’ve been at it for like fifteen minutes and my arms are already starting to kill me. I’m petty much drenched from being outside, but I can deal with that for now.
I close the door to this outdoor area and sulk at all the things I was unable to move, but I don’t have time to dwell on it. I head for the next outdoor area and get started.
The radio plays over the sound system to help keep me going and so I can listen out or the tornado warning, but all I can think about is how fast I’m going to be able to reopen if this tornado actually shows its ugly face, and not to mention, what kind of damage is it going to do.
Shit, half an hour in and I still haven’t even touched the windows or the rooftop terrace. As I list
en to the radio, I pay attention to every word the news guy is saying. They’re talking about the storm and there’s lots of chatter about a possible tornado, after all, we were put on a tornado watch late last night, but so far, the warning hasn’t come. Though, that doesn’t ease the feeling in my gut. I’m certain it’s coming and until that feeling goes away, I’m going to keep going.
I’m in the middle of dragging a table inside when I hear a voice screaming out through the club. “Rylee?” Cami yells. “Where the hell are you?”
“I’m back here,” I yell back over the sound of the music. “What are you doing here?”
I pull the table just inside the door and search out Cami. “I came to help,” she says.
I walk around the corner into the main part of the club and come to a standstill as I see Cami surrounded by all the guys from Rebels Advocate. “Um, what the hell is this?” I ask her as my eyes come to a stop of Cole who watches me like a hawk.
“I brought a little help, I hope that’s ok,” Cami says.
“Um, yeah,” I smile as relief instantly begins to fill me.
“Cami said you have this weird twister gift,” Jace says as his eyes flick to Cami with a strange longing.
“Yeah, I’ve never been wrong,” I tell him when I remember their gym. “Shit,” I gasp. “You guys need to be at your gym.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Cole says as he steals my attention. “That thing was built to withstand a nuclear explosion. It’s just the signage I’m worried about, but that’s seen worse days than this.”
“Are you sure? What about your homes?”
“Babe,” he demands. “It’s fine. Where do you want us?”
I search his eyes, looking for anything to tell me that it is indeed fine and all I see is absolute honesty. I hardly know the man and from the few short times I’ve met with him, he’s always come across extremely intelligent. I’m sure if there was other more important shit for him to be doing, he would have done it.
“Ok,” I start as I put on my project manager’s voice. “I need everything brought in from the rooftop terrace. The outdoor areas are nearly done but need the bigger furniture needs to come in. If there’s time, all the windows need to be boarded up then I think it’s just out the front and whatever’s left out by the kitchen.”
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