by Erin Trejo
“What the fuck does the curtain mean?” I ask. Ashley looks like she doesn’t want to tell me at first, but then she softens.
“Ever since she was little, Brooke would leave me a sign. The blue curtain in the living room. When it’s open, she isn’t home. When it’s closed, she is, and if it’s half way, there’s something wrong,” she finally tells me.
I open my mouth, but I don’t have anything to say. What the hell do you say to that?
“She was afraid that someone would come after her and her sister after her dad was killed. They never found out who it was, and it bothered her. That house was her dad’s. He left it all to her, and once she turned eighteen, she moved back into it. She and Angel lived with Devon when they were younger,” she explains.
“And she still does the curtain thing?” I ask.
“Yeah. It’s our little way of making sure she’s ok. She puts up a good front, but I know things still bother her,” Ashley adds.
“Well, fuck. I need to talk to her. You know where she might be?” I ask. Ashley nods.
“You know that gym over on Alpine? She works out there most days. If she isn’t there, she’s at the club.”
“Thanks, Ashley. Not just for the information but for lookin’ out for her.” It makes me happy to know she has Ashley. She’s a good friend.
“You really care about her, don’t you?” she asks when I turn to walk away.
I glance back over my shoulder and say, “Yeah. A hell of a lot more than I should.”
Chapter 32
Brooke
I’ve pushed myself harder than I have in a long time. The trip with Declan weighs heavily on my mind. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been back. I haven’t seen him or made an attempt to, but neither has he. I know how torn he was about everything that happened while we were up there. It hasn’t slipped my mind, though. It’s a constant nagging reminder. I care about Declan, but I’m not sure if being mixed up in his club life is such a good idea.
I’m dripping with sweat when I feel the coldness hit me. I look over my shoulder and see Declan standing there with a bottle of cold water. He squeezes the bottle and shoots me with another round of cold water before I laugh.
“You have to know that feels extremely good right now,” I tease him. That cocky grin on his face is too goddamn perfect.
“Figured that much. You done?”
He nods toward the equipment before I say, “Yeah. I need to get over to the club, though.” I turn and walk away from him, remembering I’m still pissed off at him. His smile may have dazzled me for a second, but reality caught up real quick. He left me alone in that hotel room that night after our talk. By the time I woke up the next morning he was already waiting outside ready to leave. We haven’t talked in weeks, and it’s a weight bearing down on me.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” I hear Charles’ voice. I turn to see him stopping Declan as I walk into the girl’s locker room.
“I need to talk to my girl,” Declan says, his face changing from charming to deadly in seconds. Shit! He can’t do that in here.
“It’s ok, Charles. He’s with me. I was just going to change, and we’ll get out of here.”
Charles looks over his shoulder at me and shakes his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Brooke. Your daddy would roll over in his grave,” he says before walking away.
My heart races at his words. He’s right, though. My dad was against everything Declan believes in; he was the complete opposite.
“Asshole,” Declan grumbles, stepping closer to me.
“He’s not. He’s a good guy. He’s just watching out for me.” I look at him as I wipe the sweat from my neck with my towel. “What is it you wanted?”
Dec’s eyes move over me, and my body heats from the inside out. I want nothing more than to have him fuck me senseless but I won’t. He walked away from me.
“We need to talk,” he says finally meeting my gaze.
“We are.”
“Don’t be a smartass, Brooke.”
“Declan. It’s been weeks. I get it, ok? You changed your mind. It’s fine. I’m fine. I have work to do.” I start to turn when he grabs my arm. He yanks me toward him roughly.
“We’re not done,” he growls in my ear.
“Do you realize that you are the criminal in a gym that associates with cops?” I grit my teeth as he squeezes my arm tightly. I can’t help it, I’m pissed.
“Is that why you’re here? Daddy keep you in check with them?” he growls.
My heart sinks. All the color leaves my face. He knows. He knows my dad was a cop. That wasn’t something I wanted him to know. I didn’t want him to look at me differently, but now he knows.
“No. I always felt safe here. I had a connection to him here.” I shake my arm free of his grasp and hurry into the locker room, rushing to get away from him. I shower quickly and change, hoping like hell that he left. I can’t do this with him today. I don’t want to. I have too much going on at the club to fight with him about this.
I peek around the corner of the locker room trying to check if he’s still here or not. Charles’ laughing catches my attention.
“He left, honey,” he says when he sees me looking. I smile before I step out. “He bothering you, Brooke?” he asks, his tone changing in seconds.
“No, he’s a friend, Charles. We just haven’t been getting along lately,” I tell him as I set my bag on the counter.
“I could see that. Is he a good friend of yours?” I know what he’s asking me. I know that he wants to know and that it’s only for my wellbeing.
“He is. He was helping me with some things at the club. We just had a disagreement is all.”
Charles nods his head before he says, “If you need anything, you call me.”
I nod with a smile before grabbing my bag and head outside. Once outside, I have the shit scared out of me, caught off guard by his words. I was so lost in thoughts I didn’t see him or his bike.
“It’s cute how you thought we were done talkin’.”
“Jesus Christ!” I scream with my hands up, ready to fight. When I see it's him I lower them.
“Why the fuck are you still here?” I ask him, annoyed as hell. I thought the dick left.
“I told you we weren’t done talkin’. Get on,” he says, nodding toward his bike. I shake my head and start to walk away. His hand grabs mine, and the fire that races through me is unsettling.
“Why are you doing this, Declan?” I ask, letting my head drop. I can’t handle this. I can’t handle the unsure Declan anymore.
“I fucked up when I claimed you the way I did. I didn’t want you in my world like that. I don’t want you to be a target and get hurt, Brooke.”
Oh, that was fucking comforting! I jerk my arm trying to get away from him.
“I’m so fucking sorry you messed up! Don’t worry though; we are nothing, Declan!” I snap. In response, his eyes flash with anger before he yanks my body into his.
“Oh, butterfly. You don’t get it, do you? I said I fucked up when I claimed you the way I did, not that I claimed you. Whatever the fuck you have rollin’ around in that head of yours, get it the fuck out now. You are mine. Nothin’ is changin’ that. Now get that sexy ass on the back of my bike.”
His hand slams against my ass, making me yelp from the sting. I walk over, sling my bag across my body so I can climb on his bike, and wait. He grins like a fucking lunatic. If he wasn’t so fucking sexy, I’d slap the shit out of him. With that look in his eyes though, all I want to do is climb up his big hard body and ride him.
Chapter 33
Declan
I let her get some work done. I know she needed to. She doesn’t pay attention to me; she’s got her head in the paperwork in front of her. I take a moment to lean back with my boots kicked up on the desk and watch her. Her hair falls around her face, framing it. The little crease in between her eyes tells me she’s focusing on the task at hand. She makes even paperwork loo
k sexy as fuck. I don’t say a word, but when she starts chewing on the end of her pen, I about lose it. With a growl, I adjust my dick and say, “You’re gonna have to stop doin’ that.”
Brooke looks up at me before she smiles.
“I’m not doing anything. Why are you still here?” she snaps, the smile leaving her face. I hate that she’s pissed off. I hate that there is nothing I can do about it, either. I know that I need to ask her some more questions, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around how to do that.
“So, your dad was a cop,” I say. Just blurt it out there. That’s one way to do it. We might as well get this over with now.
“Yep.”
“How long?” I ask. She doesn’t look like she wants to talk about this. Too fucking bad.
“His whole life. Since he was nineteen.” She looks back at the papers in front of her trying to avoid my gaze.
“You didn’t think that was important information to share with me?” I ask. Her eyes come to meet mine, and I can see the loss and hurt in them.
“No, I didn’t. That has nothing to do with us.”
I huff when those words leave her mouth. Nothing to do with us? That’s a fucking good one.
“That right?” I ask her before I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “You work out at the cop’s gym. You have a secret code with a curtain. You’re fuckin’ a criminal, and you didn’t think that had anything to do with us?” I ask. My anger is boiling inside of me. She’s pushing my buttons, and she knows it.
“Do I associate with cops? Only at the gym. I don’t know many of them anymore. Do I have a secret routine I use with Ashley? Yes, I do. And as far as I can remember that criminal fucking left me in a hotel room and I haven’t seen him in weeks. So, to answer your question, no, Declan I didn’t think that information was important,” she throws back at me.
She slams her pen on the desk before shoving out of her chair. She starts for the door, but I stop her.
“You’re makin’ this harder than it needs to be.” I stand up and turn to face her. She spins around, pinning me in place with that glare.
“I am? You walked away, Declan. I took the hint! I’m not a stupid person!” she yells. I watch the fire inside of her erupt like a volcano. She’s a fucking burning inferno, and I want nothing more than to touch her flames. I let a smile creep across my face while she watches me.
“Do you know the first time I knew you were special?” I ask her, changing the subject altogether.
“No,” she snaps. Look at her. Trying to hold on to her anger but she wants to know. She wants me to tell her all about it.
“You walked up to my clubhouse gate and demanded one of my prospects give you a beer.” She brings her gorgeous eyes to meet mine, and there she is. The girl who stole my fucking heart. The one who holds it in her palms and doesn’t even know it yet. I take a step toward her, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
“I walked you home, and I fucked you against your friend’s house with my gun. You didn’t know me then. Why’d you let me do it?” I ask her. I lift my hand and wrap it around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me. Her hands land on my chest, holding herself up.
“You felt safe. I didn’t know how to explain then, and I still don’t. You felt like a safe place for me.” A single tear slides down her cheek. It’s my tear. She’s giving it to me, and I’m going to take it. I press my lips to the wet streak on her cheek before I look at her.
“And now?”
“You feel like home, Declan.” She cries harder now. I pull her into my chest and hold her tightly.
“That’s because you are mine, Brooke. This is home. Right here inside me. This is you.” I grab her hand and rest it on my chest. Her tears fall harder and faster, but I don’t let her go. I’m done fighting this thing between us. I’m done letting the outside world rule over what we have. I know in my heart that she’s all I need, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her there.
“I’m sorry, Declan,” she cries, fisting my shirt in her hands.
“No, baby. I am. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I shouldn’t have let things get out of hand.” Before I can finish what I was saying, the sounds of shattering glass explode around us. Brooke jolts but doesn’t scream. That’s my girl!
“What the hell is happening?” She looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Stay down and stay close to me,” I tell her. I pull out my phone and call Blu.
“Yo, Declan.”
“We got shots bein’ fired down at Leggs.”
“Be there in ten.” The line goes dead.
“Guys are comin’. Look at me, Brooke.” When she brings her eyes to meet mine, I see it for the first time. Fear.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you. You trust me?” I ask her. She nods her head as I smile.
“Good girl. Stay behind me,” I warn her.
Chapter 34
Brooke
It sounds like fucking explosions going off. I hang onto the back of Declan’s shirt like I was told to do. We creep down the hallway toward the back door. There’s a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t like it.
“Oh, Brookey!” I hear my name being called, but Declan keeps us moving. He turns quickly when he hears something behind us. His gun is trained on the man standing at the end of the hallway that I didn’t even hear come up.
“You picked the wrong club, asshole,” Declan growls. The man smiles while Dec pushes me farther behind him.
“No, this is our club,” the guy says. I can see his finger nearing the trigger. My heart starts to race as I gasp. Dec fires, the man falling to the floor and before I can register anything else, Declan spins us around, pushing me behind him in one swift move.
The back door had opened at some point, and a man is firing at us. Declan pulls the trigger on his own gun but instantly falls back, crushing me to the ground.
It all happened in slow motion. The ringing in my ears is so loud. My eyes flutter from hitting my head on the floor. A wave of nausea overwhelms me. I can faintly hear screaming around me, but every time I blink my eyes, I see spots.
“Brooke!” It’s Declan’s voice that snaps me out of whatever fog I’m in. He hovers over me. The lights are blinding.
“You’re ok, baby,” he says. I nod, but I feel sick. I turn my head and heave, but nothing comes out. I’m scooped into Declan’s arms before he passes me off to someone else.
“Get her back to the clubhouse. Lock it the fuck down!” Declan roars. I can feel myself being carried out of the club. The night air hits me and a new wave of nausea hits.
“I’m going to be sick,” I grumble under my breath.
“It’s ok, darlin’. I’ve been puked on before.” The chuckle comes out of his mouth before I realize it’s Mayhem.
“Where’s Dec?” I ask as a new wave of panic sneaking its way in.
“He’ll meet us at the clubhouse. Let’s get you back and let Doc check you out.”
My eyes flutter shut again. I can feel myself being put into the back of a car, but that’s about it. I can’t open my eyes. My head pounds. The ringing in my ears is almost too much to handle. I can feel the car moving and vaguely hear Mayhem rambling on about something, but my head is swimming. I keep my eyes closed tightly thinking that may help hold the nausea in.
“Mayhem?” I ask out loud. Or I think I did.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Am I dead?” I don’t know why I asked. I feel dead. Maybe I am.
Mayhem chuckles before he says, “No, you ain’t dead and don’t go dyin’ on me on the way back either. Dec will kill me, and then you’ll be stuck in the ghost world with me.” His words aren’t very reassuring. In fact, they are downright scary.
Would Declan kill for me? I have no doubt in my mind that he would. He promised to take care of me and protect me. Why would I think he wouldn’t kill for me, too?
Chapter 35
Declan
“Come on, brother. Let him stitch it up!�
� Tic says, shoving me back onto the bed.
“Fuck off, Tic. I need to see her,” I say as I try to shove myself back up.
“She’s fine. I took care of her. She’s probably asleep anyway. She’s got a concussion from hell,” Doc says.
I relax a little knowing that she’s going to be ok. I just want to see her. Touch her. Know that she’s ok. I need to see it with my own eyes.
“Went straight through,” Doc says as he stitches my arm up. I already knew that. The adrenaline racing through my body right now will surely wear off and remind me of how bad it hurts later.
“You sure she don’t need to go to the ER?” I ask Doc, watching him place the needle through my skin.
“No. I think she’s ok, Declan,” he reminds me again. I close my eyes as Doc continues to stitch my arm up.
When he’s done, he says, “I’d tell you to keep it clean and all that shit, but you won’t listen.” He shoves off his chair and heads toward the door.
“Thanks, Doc.”
Blu walks in eyeing me. “You good?” I nod once before he sits in the chair. “This shit got too close to home, brother,” he says. I agree there.
“You get a good look?” I ask. Blu nods before he leans forward, resting his arms on his knees.
“It’s Dragons. The one you shot is dead. So are a few others. They were all wearin’ those goddamn Dragons colors.” Blu huffs out a breath.
“What do we do now?” I ask, ready to take on the goddamn world. They shot at my girl. My fucking girl! That shit isn’t going to be left alone until I kill the motherfuckers.
“Got Mystic checkin’ security. Seein’ which way they went. Prospects are out searchin’ the streets to see if they are lingerin’ around anywhere. Mayhem went out with Bones to check on the warehouses. This doesn’t look like it was comin’ at us,” he says, blowing out a breath.
If they weren’t coming for us, then they were coming for her.
