by Angel Steel
An hour later, I park my truck around the back of the shop and turn the ignition off and sit there staring out of the windshield up to the apartment where my dad lives. As I stepped out of the shower and begun drying myself, my phone had rung from within my bedroom. Wrapping the towel as best I could I made a dash for my phone, as I was reaching it, I saw the name flashing across the screen and sighed, sinking onto my bed. He never called before work unless it was an emergency or him telling me that he would be away for a day or so. But in this case I knew the reason he was calling. I didn’t want to talk to him about it over the phone. I wanted what he had to say to be done face to face. I wanted to see the pain in his eyes, the pain that he caused me from not telling me about Zane.
Sucking in a breath, I hold it, and then let it out. Wrapping my hand around the door handle, I push it open and slide out, pulling my bag with me and close it shut and step by step I make my way to the back door and all the way to the locker without seeing anyone.
After I placed my bag in the locker, I walk out and down the short path to my dad’s office, where I know he’s waiting for me. As I round the corner his door sits ajar. I slow my stride down to a steady pace as I step to the front of his door. Pushing it open I walk straight in, closing it gently behind me.
I don’t glance at my dad as I make my way over to the sofa and sit down. I lay my hands in my lap and slowly raise my eyes and stare at my dad as he sits in his black leather chair behind his desk.
He rests his hands on the desk and slowly starts to rise from his seat as his eyes stay on mine. I raise my eyebrow at him, and he stops mid-height. Tilting his head to the left, his back straightening a little and I stand from the seat instantly. He stills. I nod once and I see his fingers go white as he digs into the wood of the desk, and then he slowly lowers his body back down in the chair. As soon as he is seated, I sit back down and cross my leg over the other.
“Amelia, shit!” Dad mumbles, wiping his hand over his face. “I hate it when you’re upset with me.”
I ignore what he says and speak, “How would you feel if someone told you I wasn’t your daughter?”
“What?” he growls, harshly.
“I’d say, hurt first. Some anger in there, deception,” I say my voice trembling.
“Fuck!” dad shouts, slamming his fist onto the desk.
I jolt slightly, but just as quickly I compose myself.
“When Torch told me about you two, I wasn’t worried that much until I saw you leave your booth two weeks ago. You have feelings for him. I knew the look, yours is identical to the way your mother used to look at me,” he says smiling lovingly. “I found Zane in my office one night last week looking for some damn book he wanted so badly. We fought a little then he told me who he was. Why he was here and he asked for my help. Once he told me what was going on, you and him together never crossed my mind again. All I was worried about was to keep my family safe, and that’s all I’ve done, I promise.”
My shoulders sag a little. He always kept me and my brother safe. Even in jail. Dad had friends on in the inside that kept a close eye on my brother, Dwayne. I didn’t want to know how he knew the people in there, but I am happy that my brother has eyes looking out for him.
“I know you do,” I whisper softly. “You still should have told me though, even if it didn’t cross your mind, it was still there.”
“I know Amelia. I know,” he answers rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve seen you two together. I wanted to tell you about him then and there, but you looked so happy, Lia. I hadn’t seen you that happy since when Dante was alive. I miss hearing your laughter echoing down the hall. The silly games you play on the boys here. The weekend barbecues and the Thursday breakfast we have together. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to see you happy if only for a short time. You need a little happiness in your life and I don’t want to take that away from you.”
Tears trickle down over my cheek at hearing the sweetest things that are coming from his mouth. Although my dad is hard on a lot of people, my dad loves and cherishes both me and my brother. He would do anything for us, even if it was the stupidest thing in the universe, he still did it. He is always there for us, no matter what. Good or bad, he is there standing by my side.
I stand from the sofa and slowly make my way over to my dad. He stands from his chair and watches me warily as I stop in front of him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and lean in hugging him. I dangle for a couple of seconds as my dad stands there unmoving, then I feel his arms encase around me and tightens his embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Lia,” he murmurs into my hair.
I pull back. “Next time, I don’t care what it is, tell me, please?” Dad nods once. “No more lies. I’d rather be told straight away than hear it later on when it hurts even more.”
“Promise,” he replies.
I rise up on my tiptoes and place a kiss on his cheek. “I forgive you.”
“Thank God!” he laughs. I slap him on the chest and laugh myself. He clears his voice as he stands in front of me. “I really am sorry, Amelia. I don’t want to cause shit between the two of you.”
“We’re good, Dad,” I say. It is part truth. I didn’t know myself if Zane and I were actually good. But I’m not about to get into it with my dad right now.
“Okay,” he says and moves behind his desk and sits down. “Since it’s all sorted. I need to make a couple more phone calls and you need to get the booth ready,” he states while picking up the phone.
“I’m leaving now,” I say walking to the door. I open it and step out, but then quickly turn around. “Thursday, we’ll do breakfast, your treat,” I say.
Dad looks up from his desk, shifting the phone away from his ear. “Can’t wait, sweetheart.” He smiles, and then replaces the phone to his ear, and starts talking to the person on the other end. Leaving the door ajar, I make my way to the booth.
I need to be my happy self again. I hate being the way I am now. But being around Zane has opened my heart again, freeing me from the darkness and showing me the light. A light I haven’t seen for so long and I’ve missed it. If I wanted it to stay around, I needed to talk to Zane and see how he feels about me, praying he feels the same way.
By the time the afternoon comes, I have nothing to do. I’m bored. Really bored. I finished my last design an hour ago, and I’m waiting for the owner to pick up his bike. I have re-arranged my booth for the fiftieth time and I’m still not happy with the results. Frustrated, I stomp out of my booth and begin making my way to my dad’s office. I need to keep myself occupied and thinking about something other than Zane.
Zane. Shit!
I hadn’t seen him all morning. I had tried a couple of times asking Torch where he was, but the words never came out and I stood there with my mouth opening and closing like a damn fish. So I gave up and headed back to my booth.
I couldn’t keep thinking of him at every moment. I wasn’t getting anything done with all the thoughts of him floating around my head. It took me three hours to do one simple design, something that, never… ever… took me that long.
He was starting to take over every available spare moment I had. I was thinking of him constantly, each second I wasn’t thinking about what I was meant to be doing, he overtook my thoughts instantly, and it was beginning to piss me off.
Everything I did, no matter what it was, made me think of him. Simple things, like the design I just finished. Melinda wanted a shirtless guy, ripped jeans, faceless on the fuel tank of her Harley Davidson. I was finishing up the fine details when Zane’s face appeared on the faceless guy, giving me his sexy grin. I jumped back from the bike, slightly shocked. I dropped my spray gun and rubbed my eyes quickly and looked at the design again. Of course, there was nothing there as I glanced over the bike. I quickly finished the artwork and stepped away.
I need to get a hold of myself.
Washing of the paint that splatted all over my hands, I hear a bike engine roar to life. Holdi
ng my hands under the warm water, I turn my body slightly to where the noise is coming from and gasp.
Zane sits astride Melinda’s bike, shirtless, ripped jeans and covered in motor oil, revving the throttle as he raises his eyebrow toward me, and that damn sexy grin forms on his lips.
“Damn it,” I hiss and spin around quickly holding my hand over my mouth, taking several deep breaths and closing my eyes. There’s something completely wrong with me. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly turn around to face the bike again, and find nothing. Well, the bike still stood there, but nothing else. I was losing my damn mind. I quickly dry my hands and practically run out of my booth, slamming the large door behind me as I hurriedly walk down the hall. I have to clear my mind. I can’t concentrate on any of my work with Zane taking over my mind repeatedly.
Soft voices idle toward me as I round the corner. I look up and slow my steps down until I’m taking a step every few seconds. I stop moving completely when Zane and Tank come into view. Zane’s back is to me as he leans forward and whispers something to Tank. Neither of them sees me standing there only meters from them as they talk to one another.
“What do you want me to do, Zane?” I hear Tank say to him.
I can’t quite hear what he’s saying to Tank, but it has me slightly intrigued as to what his answer is. I step forward carefully not wanting to let them know I’m here and freeze my step completely.
“Chopper…”
They were talking about my dad.
Frowning, I glance up to where they’re both standing.
A surprised look covers Zane’s face, as Tank smirks beside him. Zane shifts away from Tank and turns completely my way.
“I thought you were finished for the day?” Zane asks staying where he is.
“Why were you talking about my father?” I ask hesitantly.
Zane looks to Tank then back at me. “I was running some ideas I have for the shop past Tank to see what he thought about them.”
I scowl. “Why wouldn’t you just go straight to my dad about the ideas instead of Tank? It’s a complete waste of time.”
I glance between them both. Zane straightens his body, as Tank stands behind him unfazed as I stand there in front of them.
“I wanted to see if they were worth telling Chopper about.”
No, that wasn’t it. It was something utterly different to what he’s just told me. It was in the slight change I saw in his body language. The way his shoulders sat higher than normal, his back straighter, and the way his right leg twitched occasionally.
Narrowing my eyes. “Really?”
Tank steps forward, slapping Zane on the shoulder. “This is all yours, bro.” He laughs and turns around heading toward the mechanic shop out back.
His eyes never leave my own as we both stand there facing each other.
“Why were you talking about my father, Zane?” I cross my arms over my chest and begin tapping my foot.
“I told you why, Amelia,” he replies sternly.
Dropping both my arms. “You still want to go with what you told me, ha?”
“That’s what we were talking about, Amelia. There’s nothing else to it.”
And that was his mistake. A lie. Another fucking damn lie. I haven’t seen him all day and the first time I do, he lies straight to my face with ease.
“Right.” I turn swiftly away from him, making my way to the front of the shop. I’m not going to stick around and hear more lies coming from his mouth. He obviously still doesn’t trust me enough to tell me the real reason he was talking about my dad. I kind of understand that, but shit, it wasn’t like I run to my dad with everything that is said to me. I’m not like that.
Zane calls out my name from behind me. I flip him the bird and continue walking. I pick my bag up from the floor near the counter and walk out the front door and toward my truck. When I finally reach my truck, I pull the door open and step up into the driver’s seat, slamming the door closed behind me and turn the ignition. The engine roars to life and I shift into reverse and begin sliding back.
Zane calls my name again once he’s in the carpark, but I ignore him and shift into first gear and push on the accelerator and begin moving forward. I hear a loud thud coming from behind me, lifting my foot off the pedal, I start to turn around to see what it is. There before me is long muscular legs beginning to slide through the passenger window, then the rest of the body follows.
“What the fuck, Zane,” I scream as he settles beside me.
“You keep walking away.”
I push firmly on the accelerator slamming the truck forward. Zane grips the dash, stopping his body from hitting it.
“You lied… again,” I growl out as I turn left sharply onto the dirt road leading out to the Walker’s farm. Zane’s body slams against the door, hard. He grunts out as he grips onto the dash and his seat, as the tires kick up behind us, flinging dirt and rocks everywhere.
“Slow the fuck down before you kill us, Amelia,” he yells beside me.
“Get the hell out of my truck, Zane,” I yell back. I turn the steering wheel left then sharply back right, doing hard zigzags up the dirt road. I don’t want him in my truck.
“Jesus, Amelia,” he growls reaching over and gripping the steering wheel with his hand, stopping me from swerving all over the road. His body shifts closer to mine, his left hand leaving the steering wheel quickly only to be replaced with his right as his left-hand grabs the hand break and slowly pulls up.
My speed slows until we are rolling down the road at a snail’s pace, then we come to a complete stop in the center of the road. I turn my body instantly toward him. I don’t get a word out before he opens the passenger door quickly and jumps out.
What the fuck!
Suddenly, my door is ripped open then Zane’s in my face. “Move your ass over now, Amelia,” he growls out.
“No fucking way!” I reach for the handle on the door to close it, but Zane isn’t having any of it.
Zane shoves me across the bench seat to the passenger side and climbs in behind the steering wheel and restarts the engine. I grab a hold of the handle ready to get out of the damn truck myself, when Zane reaches over and grips onto my other hand, pulling me to his side, firmly.
He places my hand on his thigh, close to his crotch as he changes into another gear. I start to dig my nails into his leg and grin slightly as a pained look crosses his face. His hand shoots back to mine then his grip hardens as he holds my hand in place. I shift against the seat next to him and remove my other hand from the door and turn to face him, but I can’t. His hand tightens on my own, stopping me.
“Don’t even think about it,” he grunts out.
“Let go of me,” I hiss at him, pulling at my hand.
“Move your hand and I’ll spank your ass so hard, that you won’t be able to sit down for a week,” he tells me.
“You have no right to tell me what to do, Zane,” I scream at him, pulling my hand away from his leg and putting the seat belt on. Zane’s eyes shift from the road in front to the mirror, the truck begins to slow down as he continues to stare at the mirror.
“Why are you slowing down?” I question from across the seat. I turn around and look behind us, but don’t see anything other than the dust that’s kicking up from the tires. I glance back to him and watch on as he frowns and then quickly changes back a gear and takes off along the road.
“What’s going on?”
He glances between the rear view mirror and the side mirror as our speed accelerates down the windy road.
“Will you please answer me, Zane? You’re scaring the shit out of me,” I shout as I grip onto the front of the seat.
“Do you know anyone that owns a black SUV?” he asks, abruptly turning left onto a smaller road.
“Um, no. Not that I know of. Why?” I answer.
“There’s one following us now,” he grunts out as he tightens his hands on the steering wheel.
I turn around in my seat, and sure enough, there is a huge black
SUV flying down the dirt road behind us. I unclip my belt to turn around and get a better look at the SUV. Nothing about the SUV is familiar. Zane grips onto my leg, pulling me forward, but I stay where I am.
“Will you turn the fuck around?” he yells over the roar of the engine and the little rocks hitting the undercarriage. I ignore what he says, and squint my eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun. I can’t see through the windshield because it’s tinted very dark. Whoever it is behind the glass obviously doesn’t want to be seen. I’m ready to tell Zane that I couldn’t see anyone, when the passenger window slides down and a male body edges their way out holding something in their hand. With the amount of dust flicking up behind us, I lose sight of the guy in the SUV.
I tap on Zane’s shoulder to get his attention, not taking my eyes from the SUV. I couldn’t see a thing out the back of my truck as we sped down the road. Dust flies everywhere behind us as we continue along the road. My hand tightens on Zane’s shoulder as the dust clears behind us for a split second, the black SUV comes into view directly behind us, and the same guy is hanging out of the passenger side, looking our way. I sit up more on the seat and slide the back window open and that is when I see it.
I dig my nails into Zane’s shoulder. “Um, Zane,” I whisper as I watch the guy raise the weapon. I can’t take my eyes from it as the SUV gains closer to us. I turn and face Zane. His eyes are glued to the road in front of us, not on the SUV or the guy hanging from the vehicle.
“Zane,” I shout at him again trying to gain his attention while I turn my body around completely facing the road in front of us. Not worrying about placing my belt back on, I shift closer to Zane and glance over my shoulder toward the back. All I see is a huge cloud of brown dust behind us and the SUV hidden somewhere within it now.
I grab a hold of his leg as he pushes harder on the pedal and we advance faster down the road. The stretch of road in front of us comes into view. I don’t know these parts very well, but I do know that there is a sharp right around the next bend. As Zane changes into fourth gear, he obviously knows the same thing.
