by Marie, Kay
“Are you okay,” Wren asks.
“Huh?” I look up at her. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. TJ just texted me.”
“Eeeek! I knew he was into you,” she says.
“He’s not really my type,” I admit. Not even close to being my type.
“Oh? And what is your type,” she asks.
Your brother. “Not rich, ivy league guys,” I tell her.
“What’s wrong with rich, ivy league guys?”
“Guys like him are looking for a woman who will make a perfect trophy wife,” I say. “I’m a wild soul that needs someone to be wild with me, not someone who will try to tame me.”
“I think you should give him a chance,” she says.
I shake my head. “There wasn’t a spark, Wren.”
“Is that even a real thing,” she questions.
I want to tell her that it is. That I felt it with Shade, but I won’t admit that. I can’t. Instead, I shrug. “I don’t know, but I want to believe it is.”
“For as much of a pessimist you are, you’re equally romantic.” She grins.
“Not a pessimist, a realist,” I tell her. I get another text.
From TJ: If you’re not busy tomorrow, I’d like to take you out.
“TJ again?”
“Yeah,” I reply. “He wants to take me out tomorrow.”
“Are you going to go,” she asks, hopeful.
“Probably not. I told Minx and Rivet we would be back to hang out with them this weekend,” I tell her. Her smile falls.
“Maybe he can come with Zack to the BBQ on Sunday,” she suggests.
“You’re really inviting him to the club BBQ after what he said,” I ask.
“Oh, you’re right. Maybe I should just have him over to Shade’s house for dinner,” she says.
“That might be a better idea,” I agree.
“Will you come for that? Please? You can be the mediator if needed,” she tells me.
“Of course,” I say. I text TJ back.
To TJ: I’m doing great. Tomorrow isn’t good. Wren and I are having a girls night with some of our friends.
From TJ: Well damn. I hope you have a good time. I’ll try again at a later date. ;)
I need to fess up and tell him I’m not interested. He’s nice and good looking, but he’s not the man I want.
10
Shade
The circuit race was a fucking rush. On average, I was going a hundred and twenty miles an hour. It was neck and neck with Grizz for a good portion until he took a turn off the route, probably thinking it would be a short cut and I never saw him again. With fifteen minutes to the finish line, the cops lit me up and I took off. I didn’t pay much attention to my speed after that, but at some point, I hit two hundred. I made it back to Esterwood, making sure to go by the diner to hit the finish line. Once I did that, I went East a couple of towns over and found an abandoned garage. Pulling in, I shut the car off and instantly hopped out so I could close the door and wait.
I sent a text to Diesel to let them know where I was and to wait forty-five minutes or so before coming to get me. While I was waiting, Ric texted me to congratulate me on my win and let me know we’d meet up later to talk. I let him know where they could pick up the Audi and that was that. Adrenaline coursed through my body. I haven’t had to run from the cops in years. I forgot how much of a rush it was.
When I saw the text from Sienna, it just made everything ten times better. She watched my race. She worried about my safety. I won’t be giving up on trying to get her anytime soon. Once Sketch came to pick me up, we headed straight for the hotel and crashed.
* * *
I wake up and check my phone— eight o’clock and a text from Ric. Starting our drive home on four hours of sleep will be interesting. I’ll be buying a few energy drinks before we go.
From Ric: Meet at the diner at 9.
I get up to take a piss and get dressed. As I’m moving around the room, Sketch starts to wake.
“What the fuck time is it?” he says, groggy.
“Just after eight. I need to meet with Ric and Axel at nine,” I tell him.
“Fuck,” he groans, getting out of bed. “Are we heading home after that?”
“Hell yeah, we are.” I call Diesel to wake him and Rascal up. He picks up on the third ring.
“What?” he grumbles. I definitely woke him up.
“Get the fuck up. We gotta be at the diner at nine, then we’re heading home,” I tell him. He mumbles something about it being too damn early.
“Rascal, wake the hell up. We gotta go,” he shouts. “We’ll be ready in ten.”
I hang up and make sure I have all my shit packed. Once Sketch and I are both ready to go, we head out to the car. Diesel and Rascal come out minutes later and we leave for the diner. We walk in to find Ric and Axel sitting in the same booth as last night. Only this time, it’s just the two of them.
“Congratulations, Shade! You ran a good race,” Axel says as we reach the table. “Come, sit, order some breakfast. All of you. It’s on us.”
“Thanks,” I reply. The four of us slide into the booth.
“Ace talked you up quite a bit before last night. You proved him right and then some,” Ric tells me. “We’d like to invite you to more races in the future.”
“I would be honored. Racing in an underground circuit had been a dream of mine since I started racing. Being invited to this one was a dream come true and it was a fucking rush,” I admit to him. “Y’all put on a good race with some good competition.”
“Here is your prize.” Axel slides a thick envelope across the table. I pull it to my lap and open it just enough to see a stack of hundreds. I look from the cash to Axel. “Ten thousand dollars.”
“Holy shit,” Diesel says. “Did you know about that?”
“No, I had no idea what or if there was a prize,” I admit.
“That makes this even better,” Ric says. “A true racer, doing it for the love and thrill of it.”
“We’ll be in touch.” Axel and Ric slide out of the booth. They stop to talk to the waitress before leaving. The waitress walks over to our table.
“What can I get for you fellas today,” she asks, smile beaming.
We get through breakfast as quickly as possible and are on the road by ten-thirty. We’re driving straight through today and decide to split it up. Diesel and I are both driving the first half while Rascal and Sketch nap. Then we’ll switch and they’ll drive while we nap. We stop at a gas station before we really get going to fill up and grab some energy drinks and snacks so we won’t need to stop for lunch. We’ll stop for gas as needed and dinner later. I shoot Buster a text to let him know the plan.
To Buster: I know we originally planned on being back tomorrow, but we decided to drive straight through. The four of us are coming straight to the house and we should be there around 2 am.
From Buster: Sounds good, brother. Drive safe.
It’s a long, slow drive, but music and energy drinks have been my lifesavers. I’m more than happy to pass the reigns when my half is up. We grab a quick dinner and get back on the road. As soon as we’re back on the highway, I’m out like a light. I wake up around eleven and stay awake for the rest of the drive. We pull up to mine and Buster’s house just after two in the morning. There’s a soft light shining in the living room window. The first thing I notice when I walk in is Buster sitting on the couch and Cali asleep with her head on his lap.
“Welcome home,” Buster whispers. Cali stirs a little then opens her eyes.
“Hey, you made it.” She has sleep in her voice. “How was the drive?”
“Long as fuck.” I turn to the guys. “There’s a room for each of you to crash in. I’m going to bed.”
I walk into my room and kick my door closed. I let myself fall onto my bed face first and pass out.
11
Sienna
I send Minx a text to let her know I’ll be over after my interview today. I’m so ready for a girls' night
. I love hanging out with Wren, but with her trying to push me to give TJ a try, I need fresh ears to vent to. I’m getting ready for the day when my phone vibrates. I pick it up, thinking it’s Minx.
From Mystery Man: Good to know. I’ll be here. ;)
Shit. I sent it to Shade instead of Minx.
To Mystery Man: That wasn’t meant for you.
From Mystery Man: Where’s your interview?
To Mystery Man: Wouldn’t you like to know.
From Mystery Man: Mmm, there’s that sass.
From Mystery Man: For real though, good luck with your interview. Where ever it is.
I smile to myself. I find myself wanting to tell him where I’m interviewing, but I don’t. I can’t get close to him. Even if he wasn’t Wren’s brother, I wouldn’t let myself get close to him. I would only be setting myself up for heartache. I won’t do that to myself. My mind starts to drift to thoughts of my past, but I busy myself before I get too deep. If I let myself go there, I won’t ever leave my apartment.
I get to Rosie’s Diner fifteen minutes before I was told to be here. It’s open 24/7 and is owned by the Savage Menaces. Tink and Lolita had nothing but great things to say about this place. Tink said I would be meeting with Rosie’s daughter Ruby. I walk in and it’s like I’ve traveled back in time. I head straight for the counter where Lolita is. She’s wearing a pale yellow, vintage dress with a white collar and a white half-apron. Instead of wearing saddle shoes, she has on a pair of brown boots.
“Hey, girl! You’re early.” She smiles at me. “I’ll go let Ruby know you’re here.”
“Thanks,” I respond and sit. A few minutes later, a woman dressed similar to Lolita walks over to me.
“Sienna?” I nod. “I’m Ruby. Come with me and we’ll get started.”
I follow her back to her office. She sits behind her desk and motions for me to sit too.
“So, Tink and Lo tell me you’ve worked in a bar for the past few years or so?”
“Yes, ma’am. I worked at Bluez Lounge for the last two years and a different bar for two years before that,” I tell her.
“You wouldn’t mind working nights when needed then, right,” she asks.
“No, ma’am. Not at all.” I smile.
“Fantastic. I trust those two more than anything. I’ll have you fill this out,” she hands me some paperwork, “and if you’re able to, we’ll have you start April first.”
“That works for me,” I reply.
“Great! That gives us time to get a few uniforms ordered for you. We’ll get you a couple of the yellow ones and a couple of turquoise ones, and two half-aprons. Most of the girls wear boots with their dresses,” she explains.
“Sounds good. I have a pair of boots I could wear too.” I grin. I don’t wear my boots often, but I do love them.
“Perfect! I’m sure you’ll be a great addition to the team. I’ll email you your schedule the weekend before you start,” she says. I finish up my paperwork and we say our goodbyes. I walk out of her office, back to the dining area, feeling really good about this decision. I think working at Rosie’s is going to be great.
“How’d it go,” Lo asks.
“Great! I start on April first,” I tell her.
“Eeek! That’s awesome! You’re gonna love it here,” she says.
“Are you coming to Minx’s later?”
“Yup! I’ll be there as soon as I’m done here,” she tells me.
“Awesome, I’ll see you later.” I walk out to my car and head over to Minx’s house.
* * *
“How did your interview go?” I barely make it through the door before Minx starts questioning me.
“It went great. I start on the first,” I tell her.
“You’re gonna love it there. The patrons are all really nice and most of the employees are a lot of fun to be around,” she says.
“Where are Wren and Rivet,” I ask.
“They ran down to the clubhouse to talk to Tink,” she replies. “What’s up?”
“I need some advice.”
“About Shade,” she asks.
I gape at her. “How did you . . . “
“He looks at you the way Raze looks at me. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Wren,” she promises. “So, is he your mystery man?”
“Yeah,” I admit.
Her eyes go wide. “Holy shit.” Minx laughs. “That’s awesome.”
“Is it though? He’s my best friend’s brother,” I remind her.
“And? If she truly cares about the two of you, which she does, then she would want y’all to be happy. If it means y’all being together then whatever,” she tells me.
“What happens if it doesn’t work out between us? I don’t want her to feel like she has to choose sides,” I admit.
“Maybe don’t say anything to her until you’re sure,” she suggests and shrugs. “That way, if it doesn’t work, y’all can just try to act like nothing ever happened. Get to know him, have some fun and see where it goes.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I say. She makes a good point. If we don’t tell Wren and it doesn’t work out, she never needs to know. There’s still the fact that I haven’t let a guy close enough to even touch my heart in years.
“What’s got you in such a daze,” Rivet asks. I glance up at her. She’s wearing a goofy grin while Wren is studying my face, trying to read me. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t even hear them come in. “You’re thinking about that mystery man of yours, huh?”
I shake my head, smiling. “Something like that.”
“What are we ordering for dinner tonight?” Rivet looks to each of us. I shrug.
“We could get Chinese,” Wren suggests.
“Yes! There’s a takeout menu in the kitchen. I’ll go grab it,” Minx says before walking into the kitchen.
“The club is having their big party tomorrow instead of tonight,” Rivet states. “It’s their big St. Patrick’s day celebration. Are y’all going to come?”
“Y’all better come! It’s going to be so much fun,” Minx says to us as she walks back in, menu in her hand.
“I don’t think I will.” Wren looks at her hands.
“Why not? Have you spent any time with your brother or gone to any club parties since you’ve been with Zack,” I ask her. Her cheeks turn pink. Minx gives her a sympathetic look.
“He doesn’t go to parties with a bunch of women. I don’t need to go to parties with a bunch of men,” she says.
“Wren, they aren’t just a bunch of men. They’re your family,” Minx says.
“No, Shade is my family. The rest of them may be his brothers, but they aren’t mine.” She has bitterness in her tone. A look of hurt crosses Minx’s face.
“You might not be one of the brothers, but you’re still part of the Savage family,” Minx says in a softer voice.
“Has Zack said anything to you about you going to the club parties,” I ask Wren.
“What? No! Of course not,” she responds. She’s saying one thing, but the look on her face says something else.
“Alright, enough serious talk. We need to watch a rom-com or something,” Rivet announces. She turns on 10 Things I Hate About You while we take turns looking at the takeout menu, getting our girls night started.
12
Shade
I spent all day Friday lounging around the house and doing laundry. All the driving this week was exhausting. I don’t mind making the trip up to Colorado, but it’s nice to be back. I’m watching some random shit on Netflix when Cali comes into the room.
“Are you going to the clubhouse tonight,” she asks as she sits on the couch.
“Yup, St. Patrick’s Day party tonight. Are you and Buster going?”
“I told him I want to go, but he's weird about it. I told him if I get too tired, I’ll just sneak away to our room,” she says.
“He just doesn’t want you overdoing it. He’s trying to look out for you,” I tell her.
“I know,�
� she sighs. “And I love him for that, but I still want to have fun.”
“Just withhold sex with him if he doesn’t let you go.”
“That’s a great idea,” she shouts.
“What’s a great idea,” Buster asks. He leans over the back of the couch and kisses Cali’s neck.
“Uh uh.” She pulls away from him. “No sex for you until further notice.”
“What the fuck, sólnyshka?”
“Unless,” she pauses. “You take me to the club’s St. Patrick’s Day party.”
“You want to go that bad,” he asks her and she nods her head. “Fine, we’ll go.”
“Yes! I’m going to go get ready,” she giggles.
“I just got played, didn’t I,” Buster asks once Cali is out of earshot.
I chuckle. “Let her have some fun. It’s not like she’s gonna be around a bunch of strangers,” I tell him.
“I know, I just worry about her and the baby,” he admits.
“They’re gonna be fine. You know Minx will go Lil Mama on her if she needs it,” I remind him.
“You’re right. I better go get ready too.” With that, he walks away. I turn the TV off and make my way to my room. My wardrobe consists of primarily black, white, and gray shirts, but I do have a green tee just for St. Patrick’s Day. I get cleaned up and head out.
I pull up to the clubhouse and it looks like half the brothers are already here. Bull is opening this party up to hang arounds tonight, so it’ll be interesting. Some of the hang arounds want to be prospects for the club, so tonight will be a good night to scope them out and see who would be a good fit.
“Hey, brother,” Clutch greets me when I walk into the clubhouse. “Ace told me about the circuit. How did you like driving that Audi?”
“It was fucking badass,” I tell him. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Yeah, I bet. Those cars are sexy as hell.”
“What cars,” Hollywood asks.
