by Angel Steel
“Fuck!” Dad curses. “That would explain why he acted the way he did and also what he did to Amelia.”
Zane stiffens; his hands turn to fists at his side. “What the fuck did he do to Amelia?” he growls deep in his throat.
I take a step forward and stop. I glance up and catch my dad’s look as he shifts to Torch then Zane and back to me. He nods his head my way. “See for yourself,” Dad says.
Zane spins on his feet and faces me. Only for a second I see shock cross his face, and then it’s replaced with anger as he glances over me and lands on my neck.
“Who the fuck did that?” he yells, walking across to me.
I look at my dad. “You know?” I ask, trying to hold back the tremble in my voice.
I feel Zane’s hand on my chin, and shifting it toward him. I can see his mouth moving in front of me, but my focus is on my dad.
“Know what?” my dad answers.
I know what my dad is doing. He’s trying to act like I don’t know that I know he knows about Zane. Usually I would play the game, not now, I’m not. No one is to know about him! That’s what he told me! But my dad knew.
“You know, don’t you?” I ask again.
My dad’s shoulders sag slightly forward and I know my answer before he tells me. He nods his head once, confirming my answer.
“How long?” my voice breaks.
“About a week.”
I look back to Zane as he jerks my chin in his direction.
“Amelia,” I hear the concern in his voice.
“You told me that no one knew about you, only I did?” I say as I step away from Zane and watch as his hand drops forward.
He straightens his shoulders and stares at me. Adrenaline begins to pump through my system pushing my anger forward. A slight tingle begins to throb between my legs as my body starts to overcome the anger with lust. I clamp my thighs together, fighting the sensation. For once I’m not going to think with that part of my body. Slamming the door on my hormones, I take a deep breath and get myself under control. My hormones are not going to win this battle.
I take another step back. “You lied to me! You said no one else knew besides me, but Dad knows and before I did,” I say raising my voice, as my anger consumes me once again.
Zane glances over his shoulder and then quickly back to me. “I didn’t tell him, he found out,” Zane replies as his eyes remain solely focused on my neck.
“It doesn’t matter how Dad found out. It’s the fact that you lied about anyone knowing besides me.” I shake my head, hurt and angry. I have to get out of here and now before I completely lose it. Turning my back to them all, I take a step, but I’m stopped as Zane reaches out and grabs my arm.
I spin around, ripping my arm out of his grip. “Don’t touch me, Zane,” I spit out. “I can deal with a lot of shit, but a liar is one I can’t,” I hiss and storm out of the room.
I hear my name being yelled behind me, but I ignore them as I pick up my pace and quickly move to the front of the shop and out the door and toward my truck. I don’t stop or look back behind me as I jump into my truck and quickly start up the motor.
I don’t bother reversing and go forward, driving over the path in front of me and turn left on the main road toward home. I needed to get away, from Zane and from my dad. I’m not as upset toward Zane as I am toward my dad. He should’ve told me about Zane. He’s meant to look out of me. Not keep things from me. Especially something like this. He should’ve told me the moment he found out, but instead he chose to keep it to himself.
I turn right into my street, glad that I don’t live far away from the shop and push down slightly on the accelerator as my house comes into view. I turn sharply into my driveway and slam on the breaks, jolting my body against the seatbelt. I unclip and open the door and hop out, slamming the door behind me and head toward the front door.
As soon as I’m through the front door, I lock it and head to my room at the end of the house and straight into the bathroom, stripping my clothes in the process. Once I’m in the shower, I turn the handle and cold water spurts out from the showerhead all over me. I hiss in a breath as the cold water slides down my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Then just as quickly warm water replaces the cold and my body begins to heat up. I close my eyes and shove my head directly under the water. Why does everyone have to lie to me? Am I that bad that I can’t handle the truth, no matter what is it? No, it is the fact that I believe every word I’m told and not question it.
I knew I should’ve listened to my gut instincts, instead of pushing them away. Those little feelings you get when you know something isn’t right, but you don’t think much of it at the time and push it away till later. Then once you start to put everything together, it hits you straight on.
Tonight, I am going to forget what I heard in the office from Zane and my dad and curl up in bed and relax myself as much as I can. Then when tomorrow comes, first one on my list will be to have a good old chat with my dad and why he never told me. Next is Max. What can I say when I see him? First off, I’m kicking his ass for touching me the way he did, then I might decide to listen to what he has to say.
Then there is Zane. Well, at this point and how I feel, I don’t care what he has to say at all. First mistake, the lie! That’s enough for me. I hate it. I would rather someone tells me to my face how it is and hurt my feelings than hide it completely from me. How can any kind of relationship survive if it starts off with lies? That’s all Zane and I had, besides the great, mind-blowing sex between us. But that is only a small percentage of what a relationship entails. Trust and honesty is a big thing for me, and Zane blew them both out the window. I obviously wasn’t trustworthy enough to be told the truth up front.
Well, screw him and the white horse he rode into town on.
Fuck!
I slam my fist into the wall and I stand there in the office, staring down the hall where Amelia ran down moments before. I didn’t get a chance to go after her when she left in a hurry as Chopper held me back. Torch was the one that went after her. Even if I did, my legs stopped moving once I reached the door. Something deep inside kept me where I was and not allowed me to go after her. I couldn’t think for the life of me what made me stop. I leaned forward, hitting a blank barrier. No matter how hard I push against it, it didn’t budge. It was like I was caged inside this room, with no way out. It never crossed my mind as I made my way into the room, that she could’ve been in there. I never once looked around to make sure the room was clear before I said anything to Chopper about Max. I was so focused on what I’d seen in the back room with Max, and the fact that we finally had the lead we needed. So, I called it in before I made my way to Chopper’s office. It didn’t hit me straight away till Chopper looked over my shoulder that I knew she was in the room, and now the shit has hit the roof.
I was ready to deal with anything from her after hearing what I’d said, but as soon as I turned around, my eyes landed on the purplish marks around her beautiful neck, my blood boiled. Someone had touched her, marked her. Touched what is mine!
Chopper slaps me on the back, breaking me out of where my thoughts were going. “Give her a little space then talk to her. Trust me.”
Yeah, space. I should really give her some space, give her enough time to think about everything and tell me to go fuck myself. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m going to do, I snort to myself. I’ll be at her doorstep within the next twenty minutes, once I explain to Chopper what’s happening.
Chopper shifts over and sits behind his desk. As I move closer to the desk, Torch walks back in and drops down into the chair in front of the desk. I don’t allow either of them to speak.
“Both Masen and Rosko will be here by the end of the week working as new mechanics as you have requested. Since you’ve been getting more orders for new bikes, they will be the extra eyes we need around here when we’re all busy.”
“Do either of them have any experience in building bikes?” Torch grumbles from beside me.
“They can build anything with their eyes closed. And they have acted the part several times in the past and can blend in real well,” I tell Torch. I glance over at Chopper. “Masen needs everything you have on every bike that has come into your shop, built or restored, and on the trucks that deliver them. He will also be placing a tap on the phone lines, computers and several listening devices around the shop, so we have ears everywhere.”
“You will have it tomorrow morning,” Chopper replies.
“Good.” I nod. “Besides Amelia, you two are the only ones here that know who I am and why I’m here. We need to keep it this way till we catch the bastard doing this. After that, I don’t care.” I look from Torch to Chopper.
“You won’t be sticking around once this all blows over, right?” Chopper asks as he leans back in his chair.
“No, I won’t be,” I answer honestly.
“If that’s the case, stop what’s happening between you and my daughter now. I don’t want to see her heartbroken again,” Chopper hisses at me.
The only thing I do is nod my head. No matter what I do, she’ll end up with a broken heart from me. I wasn’t the right kind of guy for her, but I couldn’t keep away from her. She draws me in. She pulls me out of the darkness and shows me the light. Lightness I will follow to the end of the earth, but it isn’t going to be that at all. Far from it. No matter how much I want her, to be here with her, I have to leave once we caught the asshole and move on to the next mission. It is my life, and I’m not changing it for anyone.
“Right,” I clear my throat. I had to get out of here and speak with Amelia. “I’m heading out. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” I don’t stick around to hear if either one of them say anything and make my way to my truck parked out front. First I need to change my clothes, then I need to get my ass into gear and get over to her place.
I’d already left it long enough for her to question everything about the situation. After I start the engine, my mind made up, I turn right out of the carpark and head straight for Amelia’s house instead of my shitty apartment.
I park my truck near the curb and turn the engine off and open the door stepping out. Glancing around the front of the property as I step up to the front door, there’s no evidence that anyone is home. No lights on, blinds closed, but I know she’s there. I got a glimpse of the tail end of her truck when I pulled up out front. Lifting my hand to the doorknob, I twist it slightly to the right, it doesn’t move. Locked. Pulling my phone out of my pocket I dial Amelia’s number and raise it to my ear and wait.
Ring, Ring.
I move over to the window and lean forward and look inside as I hear the ringing tone in my ear.
Ring, Ring.
A faint noise echoes slightly from inside her house. Stepping back over to the door, I drop the phone away from my ear as it keeps ringing and press my ear to the door and listen. I can just make out a ringing tone through the door. Hitting the end button on the call, I redial and wait to hear the same noise again.
Within seconds, the same sound comes through the door. It’s only faint, but it’s there. Disconnecting the call, I glance over my shoulder and look around the houses surrounding hers. As I’m doing so I reach into my pocket and pull out my vice grips and grip around the shaft of the door handle and clamp down, adding pressure, then twist my wrist up snapping the barrel inside the lock. Placing the vice back in my pocket I turn the handle on the door and quietly open it stepping inside, closing it behind me.
Light seeps through from outside the window as the curtain moves slowly in a breeze from the fan that’s in the room. Facing the hallway, I raise my foot to step, but stop catching movement to my left. I place my foot down gently and lean against the wall and wait. The body comes into view and moves from the wall and quickly shifts to the other side with ease. Moving along the wall closer to the person I wait for their next move. As soon as they step out again, I make my move. Shifting quickly behind the person, I wrap my arm around their shoulders, pulling their body flush to mine. Struggling in my grip and before I can get my other arm up to lock them in place, an elbow connects to my stomach with a hard blow. Wounded slightly, I stumble back as the person drops and rolls forward and faces me.
“Move and I’ll shoot you.”
I couldn’t help but snort at Amelia’s words. Not saying a word, I step forward in her direction and that is when I hear a low pop sound then a long whooshing sound. I didn’t think much of it till I felt something hit me dead on in the shoulder which pulls me up quickly.
Shit!
I growl and lunge forward only to be stopped again by several other hits to my upper body. She stands to her full height in front of me and light fills the room. She stands before me wearing a tiny pair of shorts and a T-shirt that stops at her midriff. Her chest rising and falling rapidly pulling the shirt tight against her breasts. I can’t take my eyes from her as she continues to stare at me.
“What the fuck, Zane?” she hisses and drops her arm down beside her body and spins around and walks away from me to the kitchen.
I follow after her, ignoring the pain in my shoulder and chest. I stop in the doorway of the kitchen and watch as she throws down her weapon onto the small table and moves over to the sink.
“You shot me with that?” I say, pointing to the metallic red paintball gun lying on the table.
“You’re lucky it wasn’t a bullet,” she mumbles and reaches for the bag at her side, not once taking her eyes from me. Sliding her hand in, she pulls out a small bound book, drops her bag and throws it onto the small table between us. “I’m guessing this is the reason you’re here, Zane?” she asks, leaning back against the sink again, then crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts out further.
Not removing my eyes from hers, I place my hand over the small book and raise my hand behind my back and pushing the book into my back pocket. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Usually when someone doesn’t answer a call it means they don’t want to talk, Zane.” She steps away from the sink and moves around the opposite side of the table away from me.
I follow her movement till she stops near the fridge. “Well, I do Amelia. You left again without telling me what happened,” I grunt taking a small step toward her.
Her hands fist at her sides at my movement and I stop still.
“Why should I be telling you anything anyway, Zane? We’re not together.”
Taking a step. “One, because I care about you, and two, we are,” I growl the last part and step forward again. She shifts past the fridge and closer to the hall and I still. My eyes slide down to her neck where the purplish mark sits on her beautiful skin. “Tell me why he did it? Give me a reason not to kill him for touching what belongs to me,” I hiss low in my throat.
A gasp leaves her lips and my eyes shoot to hers.
Fuck!
A small laugh escapes from her lips. “Belongs to you? I don’t belong to anyone and I especially don’t belong to fucking liars.” She shakes her head slightly and the laughter dies in her voice, “I thought you were different from the rest, Zane. Obviously I was wrong. I must have, ‘lie to me,’ on my forehead for everyone to read. Everyone I love, lies to me in one way or another,” she whispers dropping her head forward slightly.
I don’t move or speak.
Lifting her head back up, pain stares back at me for a split second then it’s gone. “I can’t keep loving someone that lies to me,” her bottom lips trembles with her words.
Did I hear that right?
Love!
She loves me!
Her hand quivers as she raises it and points it toward the doorway. “You got what you came for, now you can leave, Zane,” her voice strains as her body sags forward somewhat.
How did I allow this to happen! I should’ve stayed away from her, but I can’t! Was this the reason my heart cracked more for her. Was it my heart opening up and allowing her inside and consuming it completely? Fuck! I need to focus on my mi
ssion more than my heart right now!
Taking a large step forward, my hands rest on the edge of the table and lean over it in her direction. “Far from it,” I growl. “Neck, now.”
She flinches at my tone but stays where she is. Her delicate throat moves as she swallows, then her tongue slides out and along her bottom lips. “Max had his hand around my throat because I asked the wrong questions,” she replies staring at me.
My fists bunch up on the table. “What did you ask him?” I hold my composure as best I can.
“If he was on drugs,” she whispers.
My fists throb as I clench them as hard as I can. Fucking drugs! It wasn’t the drug part, really, it was the fact that one of her closest friends… no family that inflicted pain on her, by wrapping his hand around her throat trying to cause her harm. That little fucking asshole was going to pay for what he’s done to her!
I straighten my body from the table and step back. “You need to stay away from him, Amelia. He’s unpredictable to be around, and you don’t know what might happen next time you’re around him, especially while he’s on the drugs.”
“I won’t leave him alone with whatever he’s going through, Zane. He’s family. He needs my help.”
I shift suddenly and I’m standing right in front of her, she stumbles back slightly and I reach out and wrap my hands around her upper arm and pull her closer to me while I lean forward. “You’re not helping him, Amelia. While he’s on drugs, I want you to stay as far away as possible from him. If you can’t do that at work, have someone with you at all times.”
Both of her hands come up and push against my chest, moving me back a little. I let go of her arms instantly and she moves right in front of me, poking into my chest as she speaks, “It doesn’t give you a right to tell me what to do because we’ve had sex more than once, Zane.” Her jabs become harder as she stands a breath away from me. “What I do, is my business, not yours,” she hisses through her teeth.
