There was a girl at school I used to see a lot but I never brought her here, she would have spent the entire time blushing or hiding in embarrassment. She was a very good girl and that’s why I liked her at the time.
“No, you’re the first.”
Because I know she’ll be able to handle the guys, she faced off with Cas and walked away not in tears or frightened. She gets on with the twins and she hasn’t been fazed by Leo’s attitude.
“Well, if they think we’re together because you’re holding my hand, I don’t mind.”
She climbs out the car leaving me falling so hard for her and walks around to my door.
It opens for me and she holds her hand out for me.
“I quite like that they’re going to think we’re together, I mean, you obviously don’t mind or you wouldn’t have agreed to come and bring me with you.”
I shake my head. “I don’t mind one bit.”
“Let’s go then.”
We walk towards the clubhouse and I can hear everyone already out the back.
“I prefer it when we’re touching,” she tells me.
“So do I.”
Cas is the first one I see and he’s still looking like shit after collapsing the other day. He barely looks strong enough to be sitting around his table, Sparky sits to his left and Slade to his right. Ricky and Pope sit opposite them and Dex is here and with Libby. I can’t remember the last time I saw them around here, they only visit when Cas calls him in, and he always brings Libby along for the ride.
“Zachery,” Sparky hollers and my feet are leading us to their table.
Nina doesn’t tense, she isn’t freaking out, she either has every faith in me not to let anything happen to her or she really isn’t afraid of anyone. Not that we’re to be afraid of.
“Who’s your friend? We haven’t been formally introduced,” he says, smirking like a prick.
His voice carries all around us and now we’re the focal point of everyone’s afternoon.
“This is Nina,” I say, ignoring eye contact with my dad. “Nina, this is Cas, Sparky, Slade,” my voice dips and I see the pain on his face. “He’s Ricky, the twins’ dad and he’s Pope, their Grandpa. And that’s Dex and his old lady, Libby, and now we’re going.”
I guide her away from their table so fast I hear them laughing. I let go of her hand and sling my arm around her shoulders.
“How about I show you my room, you didn’t get a good look the other night,” I ask, wanting to be somewhere private with her.
“Zach,” Myles hollers and I groan.
There will be no time alone with her now, she’s too inquisitive to not be introduced to everyone else.
“Isn’t that your sister?” she asks, ignoring Myles and looking in their direction.
I look over my shoulder and India is sat on a blanket with Rayna on her lap as she rests her head on Leo as he lays back on the blanket. How cosy they all look.
She’s making my niece laugh and I admit, it’s the most innocent sound I’ve ever heard.
“If we go up to my room now, we can make out we didn’t hear him,” I offer.
“As tempting as that sounds, I’d like to meet your friends, and your sister.”
“First of, they’re not my friends,” I grunt but it’s a lie.
The twins aren’t so bad.
It’s just Leo.
He’s a prick, but he’s the father of my niece and my brother so I would have his back any day of the week, it doesn’t mean I have to have a smile on my face while I do it though.
She rolls her eyes and leans up on her tiptoes. She presses her lips to mine and I forget all the brothers and women around us. It’s possible to forget the world when I’m with her.
“If you want to go to your room, I’ll always want you, but I would like to meet the people in your life.”
Before I can answer, Victoria is running past us sobbing her ass off. Cutting my eyes to Ricky and Pope, they don’t catch the scene and Luca lives to see another day.
Daddy and Grandpa didn’t see, but Mason scowls at Luca as Luca ignores him and scowls at Victoria.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t care.”
If it’s to do with Luca, I’m not interested in teenage love dramas. It’s been so long since Luca and Victoria started sneaking around, I don’t take notice of them anymore.
“That’s not nice.”
Although, she doesn’t sound bothered by me.
“You’ll soon learn I’m not nice to many people here.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “It comes natural.”
“That’s not true, come on, introduce me to your family and then I’ll let you show me how nice you can be to me up in your room.”
With an offer like that, who could refuse? I fucking hope this isn’t going to take long, but then one look at India’s face and I know that won’t be possible.
“Just remember, you’re the first person I’ve brought around here, they’re going to fuck with me,” I mumble, quietly.
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Her chuckle floats up to my ears and I don’t believe she’s joking as much as she thinks she comes across.
“Nina!” both the twins holler.
“Hey,” she smiles at them and Myles nearly loses an eye when he winks at her.
“Everyone, this is Nina,” I begin. “India is my sister, Leo Jackson, and Rayna who you’ve already met.”
India, like I already knew she would, comes over and leads Nina over to the bench. All eyes follow the fresh meat around as we sit and India is quick with the questions.
“So, how long have you been seeing my brother?”
“Okay, first off, quit with the questions and secondly, it’s none of your business. Leave her alone,” I snipe at my sister, sighing because I know she’s going to act like I didn’t breathe a word.
The afternoon blurs around me but it isn’t as stabbing as I thought it might be. I’m always spending time around my brothers, but it’s been a long time since I spent time with them. Nina gets along with them all and I don’t know if I like it or if I’m jealous. I shouldn’t be jealous, it’s wrong and I bite down on my tongue numerous times to stop myself from telling her we’re leaving. She eventually went off with India and after going to look for her, I found her with my mom. I took the opportunity to go for a sneaky smoke.
“I can see why you like her.”
Alannah falls on the bench beside me and takes my smoke from me, throwing it down on the ground.
“Can you see why she likes me? I can’t work her out.”
“That’s what’s so great about new relationships, Zach,” she laughs. “All the new things you learn about each other. My guess, she at first liked what she saw, you’re a good-looking guy and now she likes you, you must be doing something right. She’s here with you and she hasn’t run home.”
“She makes me laugh,” I admit to her and then she laughs.
“You are allowed to, Zach. You need to laugh in this world or it’ll drag you down into the darkness and as I keep telling you, you don’t belong there.”
“She makes me feel like I belong.”
“She shouldn’t be the only one who stirs those kinds of feelings. You’ve belonged here from the day your mom drove through our gates. She doesn’t make you feel like you belong, she’s bringing it back for you. Don’t ever confuse the two, it’ll hurt too many people and I reckon it’s time the hurting stopped.”
I hear her laugh before I see her walk around the corner and my jealousy hits sky high. Mason and Myles have her sandwiched between them and she’s letting them touch her.
I slide off the bench table and Alannah’s hand grips onto my arm.
“Hey, don’t do that shit. Look at her eyes, she’s searching you out while being friendly and the twins mean no harm, not when it comes to you. Play nice.”
Alannah’s right. She scans her surroundings searching for me all the while never show
ing the twins that she’d rather be with me.
I breathe through the jealousy and concentrate on watching her. Her eyes cut across brothers, over tables full of people and then they fall on me.
Her relief having me in her sight once again has me moving across the grass towards them and losing the urge to fight Mason and Myles.
The twins don’t see me coming and I don’t stop when I get to them. I bend and scoop my girl over my shoulder before they know what’s happening.
Her chuckle fuels me and I head for the side door, the door closes out the twin’s laughter and she weighs nothing in my arms as I take the stairs up to my room.
“Thank you for bringing me here today, I’ve enjoyed meeting your family,” she says, as she slides down my body as I put her down.
Sweeping her hair away from her eyes, she rips my top up over my head. Her eyes shine as she rakes them over my chest, giving me chills under her warmth.
“It’s one of the first things I’ve got right lately. Don’t get too comfortable here, I like it when we’re alone at your place. I’ve come to learn I don’t like sharing my time with you.”
“You’re too cute,” she grins, and traces her tongue down my chest.
She drives me wild, but I can handle her, or I’ll enjoy myself trying.
Nina
His room is void of anything too personal. A few books stacked on a unit running under the window. A chair in the corner piled with clothes, which I’m hoping they’re clean. The walls are bare of anything that could show off his personality. The only thing in the room that I’d know belonged to him would be the ashtray filled with burnt out blunts.
“What are you thinking?”
Rolling my head to the side, Zach is awake beside me. He wears more character on his skin with his tattoos than he has in this room.
“You said you lived here, but there is nothing here. Don’t you own anything?”
“I have shit, it’s at my parent’s house. When I left, I didn’t bring anything with me. This place isn’t long term, but it’s fine for now.”
Does he plan on leaving town in the future? Do I plan on leaving town anytime soon?
This is the first time in my life that I am not consciously making plans for every little thing, even when I left Willows Peak the first time around and had no idea where I’d end up, I was making plans nonetheless. Most of them didn’t come to fruition and a few of them did. When I’m around Zach there is no room for planning, for once I’m excited to go with life and see where it takes me. As long as I’m with him, of course.
“What did you take when you left town?” he asks.
“A bag of clothes, some toiletries, and cash.”
“And when I met you, you had a home, in six years you had begun to accumulate belongings. When I figure my shit out, I’m sure I’ll collect bits and bobs along the way.”
“None of that stuff mattered to me, what I brought back with me is all I cared about.”
“Is anything materialistic worth keeping?”
“Okay, Mr Happy.”
The building heat rises low in my stomach, but before I can climb on top of him, someone is banging on his door.
“What?” he yells, none too kindly.
“Cas wants everyone in the back room in the next ten minutes.”
Heavy footsteps can be heard moving away and then the person is knocking on another door and Zach is groaning, already rolling off the bed and reaching for his jeans.
I pull the sheets higher around me and sit up, leaning against his headboard.
“What does that mean? Where do you have to go?”
“I keep forgetting you don’t know the club,” he mumbles, dragging a hoodie on over his head.
“I have to go for a while, but I don’t see why I would be long. You can hang out up here or down in the bar. India might be up.”
Staying in his room on my own doesn’t fill me with joy and being down in the bar if India isn’t there doesn’t either.
“Do you always get up as soon as you’re called like that?” I ask.
“If Cas wants me, yes.”
That’s that and silence fills his room. He never talks about the club or what they do, and while it doesn’t bother me, it bugs me that he’s so curt about it.
I scoot over to the edge of the bed and my jeans are still where Zach dragged them off last night. I don’t move fast enough, and he scoops them up before I can reach them.
“I was hoping you’d hang out up here and wait for me,” he says, clutching my jeans tight in his hand.
“You should just meet me after, I don’t feel comfortable hanging around, waiting for you to be ready for me. I have things I could be doing, I’m not the little lady you keep around for when you’re wanting some fun.”
“Hey, where’s all this coming from?”
“Nothing’s coming from anywhere, I have things to do and I can’t sit around all day waiting on you.”
My heart is pumping, hard and fast, and I’m completely overreacting, I know I am but it’s partly true. I won’t sit around for a man like I wouldn’t expect him to wait around on me.
He stands and drops my jeans on my lap and then grabs his smoking tin from yesterdays hoodie pocket.
“Do what you got to do, I hope you’re here when I’m done.”
The door softly closes behind him and I fall back on the bed. What the hell just happened? I have no idea and now he probably thinks I’m fucking crazy.
It takes me less than five minutes to locate all my clothes and get dressed. A few guys are making their way into a room off to the left and Zach isn’t anywhere to be seen. He must already be inside. India isn’t around, and I don’t recognise anyone else. Keeping to my word, I dig out my car keys and head out. He knows where I’ll be if I’m not here when he’s done. Who knows what the hell goes on in that room and how long it’ll take. I could be waiting all day.
Back at home, my mom’s things still need sorting through and after grabbing the trash bags and the cardboard boxes I found in the shed, I lug it through to her room and start going through her belongings.
It should be harder than this to pack her life away, but I feel nothing, people usually cry doing this, but my eyes are dry. Not one tear falls as I take in all her empty drawers and her empty wardrobe. Six trash bags hold all her clothes and are now out in the hall waiting to be taken to goodwill.
I pick up one of the boxes and sit at her dresser. I count seven bottles of perfume, which is strange as I only ever smelled vanilla on her. I assumed she always wore the same. There are four face creams, one to be applied at night, one in the day, one for fine lines and one for around the eyes. This brings a small smile to my face, I didn’t realise how much she cared to be rid of her wrinkles. Again, I assumed she embraced nature and aging. I don’t think I remember her buying such items. I keep her trinkets and put them in a different box, one that I’m keeping.
Once the room is empty, I grab the cleaning supplies from the kitchen and set to work cleaning behind all the furniture.
I can see myself living here, I’d love to as I spent my entire childhood here, but the furniture is outdated and in desperate need of a new home. It’s all in good condition, perhaps the church might know someone who needs it all.
Lifting two bags at a time, I take them out to the car and by the time I’m done I don’t have long before the store closes for the day.
My eyes are everywhere, focusing on the shadows that the late afternoon sun can’t reach and behind all the bushes surrounding the house.
He isn’t here, and I drive to the store and manage to catch the vicar there at the same time. We arrange for him to come by with some of his parishioners and pick up the goods.
When he started with the I-haven’t-seen-you-in-church-lately spiel, I made my excuses and left.
My heart clatters in my chest as I turn onto my street and Zachery is sitting on my porch, waiting for me.
I can’t work out why I’m so nervous to see him
, it’s not like we’ve had a fight or anything.
He walks over as I park up and he opens my door before I get the chance to.
“How long have you been waiting?” I ask, taking his hand as he offers to help me out.
My back is stiff, and I can’t wait to soak in the tub tonight.
“A while, where have you been?”
His tone is softer than it was this morning and it’s feeling strange between us.
“I went through my mom’s things and took her clothes to people who need them more than she does now.”
“Oh,” he nods slowly. “I hoped you’d be at the club, I mean, I didn’t mind riding out here, but it comes with prospects.”
Across the street is a van with two guys sitting in and I shake my head, knowing how crazy this is.
“I might have driven back later, but I don’t like being told what to do, Zach, and I didn’t like feeling I’m the one to make you happy by waiting on you.”
“I don’t want you to feel like that, I just-” He tips his head back as he tries to place his words and I wait for him to speak. “-I like you so fucking much, I don’t know how to do this. I want to rush in with you and have it all, if I get carried away I don’t mean to. I’m sorry, okay?”
His admission means everything to me, it’s exactly how I’m feeling for him. Winding my arms around his neck, he leans down and captures my mouth with his. His tenderness is new and without ruining the moment, I refrain from letting my hunger for him run out of control. Before it could be ruined, he’s the one backing off.
“I have to leave town tomorrow, some of my brothers are heading home and we’re riding with them, sort of a helping them settle in kind of thing.”
“I see,” I frown. “How will long will you be gone?”
“A few days, possibly a week.”
A week?
Shitting hell.
“Why so long?”
“It probably won’t be that long, but it could be.”
“Is this what it’s like to be with you? Never knowing anything.”
“Not all the time, at the moment we’ve got some shit as you’ve seen going on and we’re needed at another club. Trust me, I’ll be back as soon as I can be.”
His Ride or Die : Sons of Lost Souls MC Book Three Page 13
