by Vera Quinn
Gracie doesn’t need me for anything more than protection, and that is the way it is going to stay. I could get lost in her blue eyes. I could kill the bastard that put those bruises on her beautiful body. She’s young, but her body is all woman and it is calling to me. When I was standing so close to her, I only wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go. That is dangerous territory for me. Rebel noticed my interest, and he is going to be a problem.
Rebel’s known me for years. We were best friends since childhood. Rebel, Jilly, and I are all thirty-six years old and have known each other from the day dad brought me home. I was four years old and alone. My biological mom, Amy, was a crack addict and had overdosed in a dirty motel in Quitman with me in tow.
Charlie was a deputy sheriff and on call that night. Child protective services had talked Charlie into bringing me home with him since he and Gladys fostered for the state from time to time. I was hungry, filthy, and scared. My mom wouldn’t wake up and by the time help came she was already gone.
Charlie took care of me, and he was nice to me. That’s about all I remember from that night until Charlie took me into his house and it was warm, and it smelled good. I was used to rundown houses or cheap motel rooms where we never stayed long.
I thought Charlie’s house was a high dollar place. That’s something my mom always talked about. She was always going to get us a high dollar place but instead she smoked, snorted, or shot up any money she got her hands on. The minute Gladys laid eyes on me she said she loved me. All I know is I was fed, cared for and felt safe from that night on. Two years after I moved in they finally found my biological dad, Brent Garrette, and he signed the papers for them to adopt me with the stipulation I kept his last name. It didn’t matter to my parents nor me. I know who has always loved me.
I hear knocking at my door, and I know who it is before I ever open it, Rebel. He’s not going to let it go so I make my way to the door and there he is.
“Are you going to ask me in?” I just step back into my house and wait for him to follow. It doesn’t take long until we are standing in my kitchen. I wait for him to start. “We might as well get this over with. I saw the look you had in your eye, and it is a no go. I want her and both of us going after the same woman never ends very well.” I look at Rebel, and I know I can’t let him destroy another woman.
“Just walk away from her, Rebel. You want another toy to play with and nothing more. She has a daughter to think about. Gracie has not had an easy life. Jilly told you as well as she did me.” I look at him, and he has that same shit-eating grin on his face as always. One day I will knock it off his face for good.
“Jilly sent her here to be looked out for not to be further damaged. What happens when you get bored of the newest conquest? You move on, and she has to start over again.” I lay on the sarcasm. I don’t like this asshole sometimes.
“I am glad you think so highly of me, Brody. You know she will be mine, just like I do.” He half-laughs. “Don’t worry friend, I will leave enough for you. You always have liked my leftovers.” If I didn’t know better, I would think he was trying to provoke me into a fight, but that is just his arrogance.
“You’re so damn sure she is a sure thing for you. It didn’t look like that to me.” I look at Rebel, and a funny thought strikes me, and I know what he is doing. I have grown up a lot since our last clash over a woman. He’s trying to see how interested I am. I’m up for that. “Gracie may be the woman that brings you to your knees. She loves her daughter, and she won’t throw her away like Selena did. You’re not exactly the daddy type.” Rebel looks like he could hit me and right now that is exactly what I want. I am itching for a fight.
“You still blame me for Selena aborting your child. I did not tell her to get rid of your kid. I told her I was not raising some other man’s kid.” Rebel is on the edge of losing it but I know exactly how to take the wind out of him, but I am not sure that is what I want. To feel my fist hitting his face would feel damn good right now.
“No, you just picked her up at the clinic afterward and then you threw her out on the streets a few days later.” I know Rebel feels bad about what happened, but it still didn’t stop him from doing it. Rebel rubs his hand down his face, and he can’t look me in the eye.
“Man I told you, she called me after it was over. I had no idea what she was going to do. I would have told you. I told her that because I thought she would go back to you and settle her ass down and the two of you would raise your kid.”
Rebel pauses for a minute, and I know he regrets what happened and his part in it but it was the final straw in our friendship. “Selena had nowhere to go and no one to take care of her. I was up front with her that I would only give her a place to stay to recoup and then she was out. Do you really think, even though I am not exactly your best friend anymore, that I would lie about it? That’s not who I am. I would give it to you straight. You stood in between Jilly and me for years, and it was a little payback, and that was it. I didn’t lie to you, and I didn’t lie to Selena. She was a piece of ass, and I never made her think anything else. You wouldn’t commit to her, and she came to me, not the other way around. It was her choice, not mine.”
“Really, Rebel? She was living in my house. She just found out she was pregnant. I was shuffling things around to take time off so we could plan our next step. By the time I was back in town to do exactly that, it was already done. She was mine. Why didn’t you just leave her the hell alone? I’m not going through this shit again. You and I will never be friends again. Just get out, and I will protect Gracie and her daughter. Just stay away.” I am at the end of my patience and Rebel needs to get the hell away from me.
“There you go again making decisions for the woman that is in both of our lives now. I want Gracie so deal with it. I’m going nowhere. Even though I am not a kid person, I think Shelby could grow on me. I’m not walking away.” Rebel is serious, but he turns and leaves. I don’t think I can do this again, but I also know I am not walking away. This may ruin us all.
Chapter 5
Rebel
I knew Brody still harbored bad feelings for me. Hell, I would hate me. No, I would put me to ground but I can’t help to want to one up that son of a bitch every time. He started the shit with Jilly. I was never good enough. I was no saint, but I never claimed to be, but I was always there when my girl needed me. I never cheated on her. I may have walked a fine line between the right side of the law and the bad side, but I never let Jilly down.
Her dad may have had to haul my ass into the drunk tank more than once or taken me home and dropped me off more than once, but I was no thug. I just liked to have fun and test to see how far I could go. I brought the adventurist side out in Jilly. The first time I put her on the back of an old bike I had bought when we were in high school her parents and Brody had a shit fit but all she could do was smile. All I knew was it felt damn good.
Jilly is the only woman I have ever been in love with, and I think it happened when we were still in diapers. She was my everything, and I just knew we would always be together. Brody, Jilly and I were always together after Charlie brought Brody home, but Jilly was my girl.
Then somewhere around middle school, when Brody finally noticed the opposite sex, it started to change. I have to admit I was a hand full by then. Nothing too bad, just fights and skipping school. Javier Sanchez, my dad, was a hard man and I acted out every chance that I got. Yes, it brought the bite of his belt on my ass, but every time he hit me I was thinking of something else I could do to get under his skin. He drank, and he hit my ma, but she still loved him and until this day would defend his good name.
I don’t understand it at all. He came home smelling of stale booze and cheap women. Some people have said we are alike, but I would never hit a woman, and if I had made Jilly mine completely, I would have never cheated on her, but we will never know.
For all the hell I raised, Brody was my opposite. I barely made it through high school, it was a bore. Brody e
xcelled and was the star football player. Hell, who am I kidding? He was the star of everything.
Where I showed the world what kind of asshole I could be, Brody was quiet and respectful to everyone. Everyone thought Brody was going places and they thought I would make the most wanted list. I was okay with that until he set his eyes on my girl. They were brought up family and he wanted to blur those lines. I wanted to show Jilly the wild side, but he kept pulling her back. In the end, it tore us all apart and started this damn competitiveness.
When she had to choose, she did what she did best. She ran. She took off to college, and I am not a man to chase any woman, but I do regret that now. She was pregnant with my child. By the time I found out I had already made my way through most of the females in this one horse town and the town over. Jilly miscarried in her third month, but there were complications, and now she can never have a child of her own, and I owe that woman.
I should have manned up, but I was too much of a jealous man. I lost my girl and my best friend. Jilly came back to town to introduce her man, Kevin, to her family. He helped her when I wasn’t there, and I have to give him that, and if I am honest he seems like a good man, but he is not good enough for Jilly.
Her being the woman that she had grown into also came to fix Brody and me. It was like time had stood still when I saw her in her parents’ yard. I had already joined the Demented Revengers MC by then. Most people avoided me, but not my Jilly. When I saw Kevin holding Jilly’s hand I knew Jilly would never be my girl again. Just damn good memories. She had always been too good for me. Jilly did heal Brody and my relationship some, but it was completely destroyed over Selena.
Selena had always wanted Brody in high school, but he had his nose up my girl’s ass too much to notice. To be fair, he was also on the fast track to some damn good colleges with a football scholarship. He got a full ride to Oklahoma, but his future as a football star was cut short when he decided to join the damn Marines. He finished his education somehow, but his plans were changed.
He excelled at being a Marine. He saw some bad shit over there and finally decided to come home. Now he is a damn bounty hunter. I, on the other hand, showed my loyalty to my club and we aren’t exactly legit, but we keep our town clean of any hard drugs.
We don’t sell women against their will, and we run our territory with the way we see fit. None of our brothers are strung out on drugs, we don’t beat our women, and we love our families. I moved up in the ranks with loyalty, determination, and hard work. Some of the brothers are in prison, and some have gone to ground but I am President now, and I am not going anywhere for a long time.
I work my ass off for the club, and I party harder. I have all the easy pussy I want and plenty of good liquor. Sometimes I want more, but my life is not really suitable for an ol’ lady or a kid. To be honest, since Jilly I have never thought about having a woman to hang around for more than the time it takes for me to get off. I have a club bitch that I fuck most nights, but she knows the score, and it doesn’t stop me from getting a piece of ass from anyone that is fuckable.
I know I have needed to cut Jade loose for a while. She isn’t clingy, or I would have already booted her ass, but she gives the other girls the eye when they are checking me out, and that is when I will fuck one of them right in front of her. No one owns my cock. Yeah, I’m an asshole and don’t apologize for it. I am definitely going to have to cut her loose if I intend on having Gracie in my bed.
My trip down memory lane has made me feel old. Hell, compared to Gracie, I am old. It doesn’t matter. I know she was meant to be mine. I want her, and I will have her for as long as I want her there. If I can’t make her understand that, then I will convince her.
I know I have my work cut out for me. She is gun shy from that asshole that abused her, but I will make her forget and get her to trust me. I have to keep Brody away from her. I won’t let him cock block me. I don’t know where this will end up, but I would be a fool not to take a chance on it.
No woman has gotten under my skin this way since Jilly. Everything leads back to Jilly. I have to put it away, or it will consume me. I make my way over to my bike and get on and let it free my mind while I ride away.
Chapter 6
Gracie
The last three and a half months have been a whirlwind. Two weeks after I arrived I found a job in a plant that makes harnesses and such for animals. It’s not a glamorous job, but it has insurance and benefits. I can’t ask for more than that. It pays my bills with the forty plus hours a week. Audie and Gladys took turns caring for Shelby until a spot in a good daycare became available. Shelby has been there for a couple of weeks now, and everything has been going smooth.
Kaden helped me find an attorney, so I filed for full custody of Shelby. Mr. Lemons explained why I had to file official papers. He explained since I had to use my social security number to get employment that I could be found, so it would be better to go ahead and get the paperwork started.
I had pictures Jilly had taken of me of from all my hospital trips, and she had documented everything so it should go smoother. Thank goodness for Jilly being so smart about these things.
Kendall signed the paperwork and didn’t even fight me on anything. As long as I don’t expect child support or any help, then he is fine with signing away his rights. He wants those pictures to stay buried away. It seems too easy to be true. Kendall wanted nothing to do with Shelby, and I am good with that. I would hate to have to pack her up and send her with him every other weekend.
I hate it for her, but I will just have to love her enough for both of us. I know he did not inform his parents and that is something I will have to think of later. I had to wait ninety days to file the papers, but now I am just waiting on the judge to sign them. Fingers crossed nothing happens in the next few days. We are due in court next week.
Charlie helped me find a good used vehicle. Nothing fancy but it is reliable. As long as it gets me to work and gets me to anything for Shelby, then I am happy. I don’t need new, expensive, or flashy. Something that gets good gas mileage, is safe, and is paid for is all I need.
When I have to work late usually Audie or Gladys picks Shelby up, so she stays at daycare for only eight hours a day. They have become surrogate grandparents to her along with Charlie. He dotes on my daughter, and I have to say he treats me the same way, as do the women. I couldn’t ask for better friends. They are just like our family and I like it. I think all children need that extended family.
Jilly leased me her mom and dad’s house for the next year. Kaden agreed with it. I know I am not paying what it is worth, but they at least let me pay something. Mr. Lemons drew up the paperwork, and we signed right after I got my job. So for the next nine months, we have a home to call ours.
I know that Jilly is trying to keep me close to her family and I love her for it. I love the house, and Jilly’s family is just like my own now. Laura, Kaden’s wife, comes to visit at least two or three times a week. She loves my Shelby. She and Kaden have been trying to have another child for the last two years but no success so far. She said she always wanted a daughter but would be happy with another boy if that was what they were blessed with. I am just thankful for the help when she is here. My Shelby is walking and getting into everything.
I have avoided Rebel and Brody at all possible costs. I still see the motorcycles patrolling my street, and I have to admit it makes me sleep better at night. We have run into each other at Audie’s, but I get out of there fast. Brody is much easier to avoid. He has been in and out of town for work Gladys says, but I think he is avoiding me as much as I am avoiding him. That is exactly what needs to happen.
If I can just keep this up everything will work out just fine for Shelby and myself here. I have to admit I have started to relax. I know I shouldn’t because just when things start going right in my life is when they usually mess up.
I am driving to pick Shelby up at the daycare and start our weekend. Tomorrow I am going to the mall in the cit
y. I love the small town life, but I miss being close to a mall if I need anything. The biggest store we have is a bargain store. I can get the necessities but Shelby is outgrowing all her clothes, and I could use a few pair of jeans and a better pair of work shoes. It’s not long until winter gets here and Texas is warmer than most states, but we have to start over in the clothing department.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts of what the weekend holds and park my car outside of the daycare. I get in and out without too much trouble. Shelby has a sleepy look in her eyes, and I know she will be out before I get home. We only live a couple of blocks away, but I doubt she lasts that long.
I drive into the driveway at our house, and I know this is not good. There is a very shirtless and sweaty, sexy ass man mowing my yard. Brody sees my car and stops not far from it.
Please don’t let me drool all over this man. His big biceps and broad chest almost take my breath away. I can do this. My mind needs to stay on the task of getting Shelby out of the car and into the house. I get Shelby out of her car seat, and Brody is standing right behind me. I turn to go in the house, and he clears his throat.
“Babe, you have a problem with me cutting your grass?”
Of course, I don’t. I have a problem with keeping my eyes off those hard abs with sweat rolling down them. “Gracie, did you hear me?” I bring my eyes up to his, and he has a knowing smile on his face. Yep, I just got caught checking Brody’s sexy body out. I still try to cover.
“No, uh no. I mean no I have no problem with you cutting my grass. Thank you, but don’t you own a shirt?” I can’t believe the shirt question just came out of my mouth.
“I usually don’t wear a shirt when it is this hot. Have to catch some sun before it is gone for the year. The way you were watching me, I didn’t think you minded me being without a one.”
