“Yelling at your mom isn’t going to solve—”
Baring his teeth, he pointed his finger at Breanna. “I’ve heard enough outta you. Stay the fuck outta this.”
She blinked several times, then turned back to the stove.
“Shimá?”
His mother sighed. “I don’t like worrying you. You have so much on your mind with your club and Chenoa. Sometimes the money’s tight with all the grandkids.” She wrung her hands and quickly added, “But I love having a full house. And I didn’t eat because I didn’t have an appetite. Don’t be mad.”
He cleared his throat as the fire in him burned down. “I’m not mad. I want to help you. Did you see Pa?” She shrugged. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Breanna watching their exchange. “I know you did. You get like this whenever you run into him and he makes you feel like shit. Shimá, the asshole’s been gone for many years now. You need to let it go.”
He reached out and gently stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Her skin was smooth and soft, even at her age. He loved touching it. It was like velvet… just the way he remembered it when he was a little boy and his mother would squeeze him tight, her face pressed against his.
“I know,” she said softly. She wiped away imaginary crumbs from the multicolored oilcloth. “I still love him.”
White-hot anger ran through him. How the fuck can you still love a man who treated you like shit for years? He sucked in a deep breath. “I know, but you have to let go. He sure as fuck has.” The last few words came out much harsher than he’d intended. If he could swing it, he’d make sure his mom never saw his bastard father again.
She nodded.
A woman coughing grounded him, bringing him back to the here and now. He’d forgotten the nosy social worker was still there. “You still hanging around? Can’t get enough of me?” He winked.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here for her.” She leaned down and put a plate with a large omelet on it in front of his mother.
The glimpse down her blouse was his bonus for having to endure her insufferable cockiness. “I didn’t imagine you checking me out at the hospital. By the way, I never thanked you for making sure Chenoa got to the hospital in time.”
She raised her brows. “You’re actually saying something nice to me?”
“I’m trying to tell you I appreciate what you did, and you have to act like a smartass. Damn, woman.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You know, I don’t like being called ‘woman,’ ‘lady,’ or ‘babe.’ My name is Breanna, but for you it’s Ms. Quine. And you can stop puffing out your chest. You don’t intimidate me. I come from the other side of the tracks, so I don’t bully easily.”
He stared at her, his lips curling up slightly. She’s got a fire in her, that’s for fucking sure. I like her spirit. “I’m not trying to intimidate you. All I wanted to say is thanks for helping my little girl. You’ve got a major chip on your shoulder, Ms. Quine.”
She gazed intently in his eyes. “You’re welcome. I was just relieved that I arrived in time to help your daughter. I don’t know who called me, but I’m presuming it was someone she was shooting with. I know she always has my card with her. I’m happy Chenoa’s doing great. I stopped by and saw her earlier this morning.”
After a few seconds, he said, “Yeah, she told me. You and I both know that she’s gonna have a helluva night as she starts going through withdrawals. You don’t believe this was a one-time deal, do you?”
She pursed her lips and shook her head.
“The omelet is so delicious, Breanna. Thank you.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome, Mrs. McVickers.”
Steel kept looking at his mom’s food, his stomach rumbling. He watched Breanna turn back to the stove, and in a few minutes she placed a steaming plate in front of him.
He looked up at her. She’s beautiful. “I didn’t ask you to make this for me.” He picked up a fork.
“I know.” She moved away and went over to the sink, filling it with soapy water.
As he ate, he watched her clean the dishes and wipe the stove. Something tender stirred inside him for this woman, but he didn’t want any part of it. He shoved it down and finished off the last bite of his omelet.
Breanna dried her hands and smiled at his mother. “Mrs. McVickers, I have to go. I’ll make sure you receive a replacement card as soon as possible.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll buy her groceries.” Steel pushed his plate away.
“It’s not that easy. She and her grandkids are entitled to the benefits. Unless she fills out a form for herself requesting her benefits to stop, she’ll still receive them. Your sister is the only one who can take the grandkids off the benefits. But I think it’s very nice that you’re going to buy groceries for your mom. Her fridge is desperately in need of some food.”
He scowled at her.
“What? I’m agreeing with you. What’s your problem?” She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder.
“You’re my problem.”
“Whatever. I’ll see you, Mrs. McVickers.” She picked up her folder and walked out of the house.
He watched her go, a part of him wishing she’d stayed. He felt a twitch in his dick when he thought of her. My cock’s talking only ’cause she’s pretty and hot. I don’t need this shit.
“Why did you act like that with her?” his mother asked.
“I don’t like the way she’s meddling in my family’s business. We don’t need her or her help.” He rose to his feet and went over to the sink to wash his plate.
“I’ve never seen you act like this before with a woman. You’re even nicer to Mika, and you know how badly she treated you.”
He put the plate away. “I don’t trust her or the government. Anyway, why’re you sticking up for a woman you barely know?” He leaned against the kitchen counter.
“She’s a nice girl.” He shrugged. “I saw the way you looked at each other. You got something between the two of you.”
“You’re seeing more than there is, Shimá. Leave it alone, okay?”
“Remember that dream I’ve had for many years about you and a woman building a life together? Forging through many things only to come out stronger?” Sighing, he nodded; he’d only heard the story a thousand times over the years. “Well, each time I have it, the woman has yellow hair. When I saw the way you looked at her when you came in, I knew she was the woman in my dreams.”
He shook his head. “If she’s the one you’ve seen me with, it sounds more like you’ve been having nightmares. Go on and get your sweater so we can get going. I have a bunch of stuff I gotta do before I go back to the hospital.”
“Are you making fun of the visions? You know we believe in them.”
The hurt in her voice made him feel bad. “I was just joking. Look, Shimá, there’re a lot of blondes running around Alina, so I doubt she’s the one you’ve been dreaming about. Anyway, you know I like dark-haired women. Now go get ready.”
His mother stood up and went to her bedroom. While he waited, he thought about what she’d said. Dreams and visions were important to the Navajo; they were believed to be prophecies for what was to come. Did he believe in them? To a certain extent. Did he think his mother’s dreams meant that he would hook up with the pain-in-the-ass social worker? No fucking way!
“I’m ready.” As they walked out of the house, his mother handed him her car keys. He backed out his motorcycle so he could get her car out, and then they drove to the nearest grocery store, Roy’s Market. It was owned by the dirtbag Mika was dating. He’d have preferred to have gone into Alina to buy groceries, but his mother had insisted on going to Roy’s. There was something about the guy Steel didn’t like. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Roy rubbed him the wrong way.
While his mother went down the aisles throwing things in her cart, he spotted a woman with long blonde hair in the distance. His heart picked up a few beats as he walked toward her. W
hen she turned around, he realized it wasn’t Breanna. He also realized he’d wished it had been.
All this talk of dreams and a hot blonde has turned my brain to mush.
He sauntered away. As he looked for his mother, he wondered if the cute caseworker had a boyfriend. Pissed that she was on his mind, he tried to push her away, but he wasn’t having any luck. He wanted to know more about her. He knew she was attracted to him, but he also knew that she wanted nothing to do with him. That suited him just fine because he didn’t want anything to do with her either.
Then why am I wondering what she’s doing right now? I have to stop whatever shit is going on with me.
I don’t want her.
I don’t have time for her.
I don’t want to get to know her.
Yeah… right.
Chapter Four
Breanna stepped down the concrete stairs from her client’s house, the third one in the last few weeks to have lost her EBT card. Once again, the client’s lost card was the fifth replacement in the past six months. Breanna had a niggling feeling that the lost cards were somehow related.
As she opened her car door, she spotted Steel driving a green Toyota Camry with his mother in the passenger seat. She ducked inside her car and scrunched down, not wanting him to see her. He drove by, glancing at her car and then back at the road. She pushed up a little and watched the car until it disappeared.
Mad at herself for hiding like a criminal from the biker, she threw her purse on the floor. There was no doubt about it—Steel disturbed her. He made her feel things she had no business feeling. The absolute last thing she ever wanted was a biker.
Her father’s ruddy complexion flashed in her mind. He was a big man: six foot four and over two hundred and fifty pounds. He’d been an absent father, even though her parents were together until she was in her teens. Her dad had belonged to the now-defunct Desert Lizards MC. Even though he had a wife and four kids, his heart, soul, and body belonged to the club. He’d missed all the important events in their lives, like birthdays, holidays, and football games. When he hadn’t been in jail, he’d been hanging out with his brothers, riding his Harley, and carousing with club girls. And when he’d decided to come home, he’d always reeked of cheap perfume, whiskey, and cigarettes. Then he’d disappear for weeks on end on road trips, or would crash at the clubhouse. She’d grown to hate leather and denim, the sound of cams, and the shine of chrome.
Her mom had taken her sham of a marriage badly. Instead of showing a backbone and booting the louse out, she’d given up and let Breanna take over the household. Her mom had taken to the couch and her bed when Breanna was twelve years old. She’d become a mother to her younger siblings: cooking the meals, making sure they did their homework, washing their clothes, and taking care of them when they were sick. Her mom had done nothing but cry and stare vacantly out the picture window in their living room. The only thing her dad had done was give them a monthly stipend. He hadn’t seemed to care that his wife was in a severe state of depression or that his oldest daughter’s childhood was gone. All he’d cared about was his MC. Breanna had to raise herself and her siblings, and she resented her dad like hell. Once the club dismantled, he’d taken off with one of the club girls. He didn’t even say goodbye to her or her siblings. He just left, never to be heard from again.
Her mom had ended up in a nursing home at the age of forty. Breanna was the only one of her siblings who went to see their mother. She’d smile and talk a bit, but most of the time she’d cry about how much she missed her husband. Breanna had sores in her mouth from biting the insides of her cheeks so she wouldn’t say what she really thought. Her mother never asked how she was doing or anything about Jeremy, Nicholas, or Shelby. All she talked about was her husband.
A pickup truck sped past Breanna honking its horn, the noise bringing her back to the present. She swallowed the lump in her throat, the images from her past overwhelming her. After enduring my dad, I can’t even believe I’m spending any amount of time thinking about Steel. But she was attracted to him even though she didn’t want to be. Her brain wanted one thing and her body craved him. He’s an arrogant sonofabitch who’d break any woman’s heart. I’d bet everything I own that he’s a player. But he was so gorgeous, even with that wicked scar on his face. She shivered as she imagined how he got it.
Shaking her head, she turned on the ignition and drove to the satellite office located by the entrance to the reservation, the cool air from the air conditioner enveloping her when she entered. Goose bumps pricked her skin and she wished she’d brought her cardigan with her.
“Hey, Breanna. How’d it go?” her coworker, Joel, asked.
“Okay. Don’t you think it’s cold in here?” She rubbed her arms vigorously with her hands.
“Not really. We got a couple of investigators sharing our space. The one guy keeps sweating. He’s the one who keeps turning up the air.”
“Investigators? Why’re they here?”
Joel shrugged. “The feds sent them. Something must be going down.”
“Maybe it’s the rash of lost EBT cards. I can’t believe how many replacement cards our office is issuing. How many times can someone be that spaced out? Something doesn’t ring right. Have you noticed it with your clients?”
“Not really. I don’t really pay that much attention. I just do what I have to and wait for five o’clock to hit. I’m the stereotypical county worker.” He laughed and leaned back in his chair, running his eyes up and down her hourglass figure. “You’re looking real good, Breanna.”
Self-conscious, she pulled down her knit top. “Thanks,” she muttered. She and Joel had been working together in the satellite office for the past few months. Each time she came in, he was generous with the compliments. He’d hinted about them going out for a drink one night after work, but she’d played it dumb. Every time he brought it up, she’d change the subject. She wasn’t sure why she kept him at a distance. He was nice-looking, intelligent, and educated. Most women in the office were dying to have him ask them out, but there was something about him that put her off. She didn’t know what it was, but she was wary of him. He seemed too cheerful, too solicitous, too much of everything.
“You up for grabbing a bite to eat after work?” His eyes scanned her face.
“Can’t. I already made plans.” With a movie and a frozen Mexican dinner.
“Bummer.” He kept his gaze on her.
She shrugged and slid behind her desk, opening her laptop. For the next hour, she inputted all the information from the clients she’d seen the day before and earlier that day. She glanced out the window every so often, and when she saw a green Toyota Camry, her stomach fluttered. She squinted her eyes and smiled when she saw Steel behind the wheel, his sunglasses shimmering in the sunlight. From her position, she could see his arm resting on the open window, his biceps tight and muscular. For some unknown reason, she wanted to curl her fingers around them and feel their hard muscles against her skin.
What’s wrong with you? Stop it. Now. She forced herself to look back down at her open files. Maybe I should ask Joel to take on Chenoa and her grandmother. That way I won’t have any contact with him. But that wouldn’t be fair to Chenoa. Breanna had built a rapport with her, and the young lady trusted her. She couldn’t very well break the links just because the girl’s father made her body misbehave.
I definitely need to get out more.
She picked up her phone and called one of her best friends, Lacey.
“Hiya. I’m itching to go out drinking and who knows what else.” She laughed. “Do you want to go out for dinner and check out a couple of bars tomorrow night?”
“That’s too funny. I was going to call you to see if you wanted to do something on Saturday night, but Thursdays are good bar nights too.” Lacey’s laughter sounded like bells tinkling.
“Great minds think alike. I’m not sure if I’ll be available on Saturday.” Breanna lowered her voice. “I have an interview for a waitressing
job, so if I get it, I may have to start on the weekend.”
“You’re getting a part-time job? Doesn’t the county pay well?” Lacey asked softly.
“Not if I’m helping family as well.”
“Nicholas?”
“Of course. Spare me the lecture. Whatever you want to say I’ve already said it to myself. I just can’t pretend he doesn’t exist. I have to help him out.”
Lacey sighed. “I wasn’t gonna ask you why you’re doing it. Nicholas is a sweetheart. He’s your brother, and of course you want to help him. It sounds like you definitely need to unwind. This’ll be fun.”
“What time do you want to get started?”
“Seven thirty works for me.”
“Me too. I’ll come by and pick you up. I better get back to work. See you tomorrow night.” Breanna put her phone down, a sense of relief washing over her.
That’s been my problem all along. I need to get laid.
No matter what it took, she had to keep the green-eyed man out of her head.
Chapter Five
After church, the brothers shuffled to the main room where they had shots of whiskey and tequila waiting for them on the bar. They spoke in low voices, the mood somber. Even the club girls knew to keep their distance; a few of them even rose up from the couches and padded down the stairs to their rooms.
The cause for the consternation among the brothers was that heroin was in their county, and it’d affected their president in the worst way. It had slipped into the area like a thief in the night, robbing sense and self-respect from the ones who gave in to its false promises.
“We gotta find out if the Satan’s Pistons are bringing the shit into our territory,” Crow said as he threw back his shot of whiskey. Crow had been a patched member for a little over a year, but his computer skills made him an asset to the club. He used to live in Arizona and was well acquainted with the Satan’s Pistons MC. He’d had a couple of run-ins with them when he was a teen, and the long, angry scar that went from his rib cage past his belly button was his badge of honor. He’d been attacked by three Pistons one hot summer night when he was out in the desert with his girl. The bikers had stolen his car and wallet, raped his girl, and sliced his side, leaving him for dead. But he didn’t die; he grew bitter, and hatred consumed him. He crossed the Arizona border and ended up in Alina, Colorado, where he met a couple of cool bikers on Harleys. He followed them to the Night Rebels clubhouse and three years later he was a patched member.
STEEL: Night Rebels Motorcycle Club (Night Rebels MC Romance Book 1) Page 4
