by Rye Hart
“More or less. And we could run a wall that spans the length of the back end of the store to section it off for our customizable wear as well as our repair shop,” I said.
“I like that. Where’s the register going?” she asked.
“I figured on this wall. There are two entrances. So, we could make the main entrance the one by the dirt parking lot, but put the register by this side entrance so shit doesn’t get all clogged up. And we can always change that later if it doesn’t work,” I said.
“Where’s the entrance to your apartment? Is it on the side or do you have to go through the store?”
“That would be the biggest change. The only entrance is in the back. It would be off to the side in the repair shop in the back. But I could build an outside entrance and install a door. But that shit would be wrapped up in the cost of renovating the apartment.”
“I want to make sure we’re thinking through everything,” she said.
“And that’s fine. We’ve got a little bit of time to think about color schemes and stuff because no one will touch any of that bullshit until we have, you know, walls.”
“Yeah,” Lindy said, giggling. “I can really see it. It’s simple. It has flow. It has advertising potential.”
“You’re going to kill me when I tell you this next part,” I said.
“What?” Lindy asked. “What the hell did you do now?”
“I went on a date with the twins yesterday, and they gave me more money. I can pay off the rest of the loan on the building and use the rest for the renovation of the loft. Which means we can use the money we both saved up to start renovations on this place and stock it with our first round of inventory.”
“You must have a golden fucking pussy,” Lindy said.
“Tastes like the rainbow,” I said, grinning.
“I’m not even questioning it anymore. You’re obviously in some weird type of shit with them, but if you trust them, then I do too. Because I trust you. Do you want to renovate the loft or the shop first?”
“Can’t we do both?” I asked.
“Two construction crews out here might be a bit much. I’d start with the loft so we can keep working at the bar for money for inventory. Then, once the loft is up to code and you’ve got outside access to it, you can move your shit in, and I can help you pick out all your furniture while they’re doing up our business.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I said.
“And in the meantime, I’ll start spreading rumors about the new shop that has customizable shit and patchwork skills. You know Lucas Corner needs something like that ever since Miss Bev died.”
“I miss her,” I said.
“Me, too. But we can honor her by opening this repair shop and making a ton of cash,” Lindy said.
“I like the way you think,” I said, grinning.
The two of us sat down in the middle of the floor and started researching contractors. She was looking up teams to do the renovation of the shop as I was calling around for people who could bring the loft up to code for a living space. I found three trusted contractors who were willing to come out and give me quotes on Monday, so I set up staggered appointments with all of them to see who could offer me the best price. Lindy was calling around to other contractors trying to figure out who was the best at the business end of things, and she found only one reputable source that pretty much everyone in town used.
So, Lindy got her on the phone, and they had a conversation.
Once we were done, we had appointments set, and it was time to go set up for work. Lindy and I headed straight to the bar as we talked about appointment times and budgets we needed to stay within. We set our limits and figured out what we could do without in the store if things pushed us over budget. Then we shut our mouths once it was time to work. We knew our boss wouldn’t hold anything over our heads, but in this town, you didn’t take any chances. The longer we could work here and get decent tips, the more money we had to work with in the long run.
And that was important, especially since I didn’t want to rely on the brothers to float me when I needed it.
I expected them to come in that night, but only my mother showed up. Her eyes scanned the bar as she pushed her way toward it, then hiked her leg up and sat herself down.
“You got any of that decent whiskey?” she asked.
“You got money?” I asked.
She slapped a twenty down onto the table, and I poured her a shot.
“So. Where are those hunks of yours?” my mother asked.
“Haven’t seen them tonight,” I said.
“Interesting.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Nothing. I was wondering when they would move on is all.”
I rolled my eyes as I wiped down the counter. Lindy approached me and sighed, nodding her head over to my mother. There was nothing we could do since she was a paying customer and not drunk off her ass yet, so I shrugged and kept plugging on.
“You know what? I just had an idea,” Lindy said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Pink fucking leather. We’d sell out of that stuff in a heartbeat,” she said.
“That’s pretty expensive shit,” I said.
“Just a few pieces to see how they’d do. If we only paid five hundred out of pocket for a few items, we could easily absorb the cost and see how they sell. We wouldn't mark them down. It would be one of our high-end items.”
“The point of the store is to keep it affordable,” I said.
“But even the affordable stores have that one item that can’t be found anywhere else. Where the hell are the girls going to get pink leather in this town?” she asked.
“Nowhere. Because decent women who ride bikes don’t do pink,” my mother said.
We both turned our heads toward her as she snickered to herself.
“Can’t believe you’re still chasing that silly dream.”
“Can’t believe you’re still acting like a teenager,” I said.
“Still planning on leaving your mother high and dry?” my mother asked.
“Yep. Got contractors coming out to look at renovating my apartment Monday,” I said.
“And where the hell you gettin’ all this money?” she asked.
“None of your damn business,” I said.
“A beer. Whatever you got on special.”
My heart leaped in my chest as I heard Jacob’s voice.
“One special beer coming right up.”
I gasped when I looked up and saw him. His left eye was swollen and bruised, and I knew he couldn’t see out of it. Even my mother was gaping at him as he sat down beside her, casting her an evil glare.
“Jacob. What the fuck happened to you?” I asked.
“Yeah, salt-n-pepper. What gives?” my mother asked.
“I’m fine,” he said as he brushed my hand away. “But I could use a beer.”
“You’ll take your beer in a booth. Come with me. Lindy?”
“I got this. You go,” she said.
“Anyone gonna get me another shot?” my mother asked.
“You got money?” Lindy asked.
I dipped a clean rag down into the ice machine and gathered some in my hand. I grabbed a beer and took the cap off on the edge of the bar, then nodded for Jacob to follow me. He groaned as he slid off his chair, indicating to me that more than just his face was hurting. I sat us down at a booth in the corner, then handed him his beer.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked again as I pressed the ice to his eye.
“I’m serious. I’m fine,” Jacob said. “It’s club business.”
I didn’t like his answer, but I knew it was the only one I was going to get from him. Having spent my life around the different clubs, I knew that not even the most valued and trusted women knew everything that their men were up to. Mostly for the purposes of keeping them safe. The less they knew, the less of a target they would be.
I pressed the ice to his eye and sighed. He let me t
ake care of him, but I could tell it was new to him. And given what I knew about how he was raised, it didn’t shock me at all. He was used to taking care of people, not being taken care of.
“Where are the other guys?” I asked.
“They’re fine. Back at the clubhouse.”
“Where you supposedly got this shiner,” I said.
“Like I said. It’s business.”
I brought his hand up to hold the ice before I slid away from the booth. If he wasn’t going to give me any other answers than that, then I had a job to do. But as I got up from the booth I felt his hand grab my wrist, and instantly I was pulled into his lap.
I wrapped my arms around him and his lips crashed into mine. The ice clattered to the floor underneath the booth as my lips swelled against his. His tongue tasted like candy and his warmth was so comforting. I ran my hands through his hair, latching onto his raven locks as he groaned into my mouth.
But when I pulled away, I was met with the reality of the situation. His eye was swelling more by the minute and I knew he’d never tell me how he got it.
“I got to get back to work,” I said.
“Emma, please stay.”
“Listen, I know you can’t or won’t tell me what happened,” I said. “But it still frustrates me. I see you hurting and I want to help, but if you can’t or won’t let me, then there’s nothing I can do but go back to work.”
“I don’t want you tangled up in this. None of us do. But I had to see you. To feel you against me.”
“And now you have. I have to work, Jacob. I can’t lose my job. Not right now,” I said.
Then I got up from his lap, slid from the booth, and went back to work. Jacob sat in that booth all night, ordering beer after beer like it was water. Lindy tended to my mother while we gathered up our tips, but eventually, Jacob got up and left. He seemed to be walking fine, so I wasn’t worried about him driving drunk, but I knew things weren’t okay.
CHAPTER 24
I felt a mixture of emotions when I woke up the next morning. None of the other brothers had come into the bar, only Jacob and his black eye. I was worried for them and saddened at the fact that they couldn’t trust me. But part of me was excited. Things were about to really get moving with the business and my apartment. I was counting down the days until I had my own place, and once the renovations on the building began, Lindy and I could put in our two-week notice at work.
It was so close I could taste it.
I wanted to know what was going on with the guys, though. It felt like they only opened up when it came to sex. They were giving me all this money and fucking me into oblivion, but when it came to the important shit, they weren’t letting me in. Sure, the twins told me about their mother, but that was the only insight I had into their lives.
It made me feel empty inside.
I wanted to know what was happening so I wasn’t in a constant state of worry. Those guys meant something to me, so they had to know I would worry about them. They weren’t stupid.
My thoughts warred inside my head. I knew the lifestyle, I loved the lifestyle. I’d dated bikers before and I’d understood the rules of it. Something about these particular bikers was very different though. It wasn’t just a bunch of dumb kids having fun. It was something much more than that. The sex was mind-blowing, and the time I spent with them all outside of the bedroom had substance. I’d trusted them with some pretty intimate details of my life; good, bad, and ugly. Most importantly, I’d shared my dreams with them, and they’d done nothing but support me. I guess part of me felt like I’d earned a little more trust than they were giving me.
I reached over for my phone to check the time. I still had three hours before I had to be at work, which meant I could lay in bed and wallow in self-pity. I’d given up on my mother. For years, I’d wanted her to be decent. I wanted her to support me and not try to crush my dreams. I wanted a mother that I could talk to about boys instead of always wondering if she was going to fuck the guy I was crushing on. But she was never going to change, and I was never going to get her support. It was simply time for me to cut my losses, move on, and never look back.
I had a business that was about to get off the ground and men I would need to talk to regarding serious amounts of cash. I had renovations coming up and a new apartment to style. Plus, I had to decide with Lindy about when we were going to start ordering all the new inventory.
That was what I could do.
I could call Lindy to get my mind off shit.
“Hello?”
“Morning,” I said.
“I’m not even up yet. Can this wait?” Lindy asked.
“Now you know how I feel every damn morning you come over. Stretch and listen. I want to talk shop,” I said.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. You mentioned pink leather the other night. About it being our one high-end item, and I like that idea. You got any others?”
“Oh, yeah. Tons. I’ve actually been drawing up some designs for clothes.”
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. They’re basic things, but I figured giving the manufacturers something to look at would be easier than trying to explain shit. Hold on. I’ll text the pictures to you.”
My phone started pinging as picture after picture came through. I put Lindy on speakerphone and scrolled through them, astounded at what I was looking at. Customized lace-up boots and cut-off jeans with rhinestone designs. Ideas for the pink leather items and all sorts of fucking logos and shit for the backs of leather jackets.
“Are those fucking leather leggings?” I asked.
“You like them? They’re beyond easy to make. Cheap, but not cheap, if you get what I’m saying. They can come in different colors and sizes, not to mention adorned with different patches and stuff,” Lindy said.
“People would eat this shit up. Lindy, I had no idea you could design like this. What the fuck?”
“It’s only something I’ve dabbled in,” she said. “Nothing spectacular.”
“Lindy, all of this shit is phenomenal. I’m not so sure about the leather trench coat, but these leggings and that pink leather shit? Priceless. And look at these boots! You’ve got them customized down to the fucking rings the laces go through. And what’s this? Fucking leather coats with lace ruffled shit?”
“I didn’t know if you’d like that, honestly,” she said.
“Lindy. All this stuff is incredible. You’re definitely in charge of the customizing-slash-repair shop. That’s clearly your thing,” I said.
“Oh. I meant to tell you. The contractor who's coming by to look at the business portion of the building called me early as fuck this morning.”
“Sucks to be you,” I said.
“She wants to come by Sunday instead of Tuesday. Something with her kids and doctors or whatever. So, I’m gonna be meeting her there for the walkthrough. Wanna be there for it?” she asked.
“Sure. What time?”
“It’s not until five. She said the estimate should only take about an hour. Then we can talk budget, plans, and schedules if we decide to hire her. But I’m telling you, she’s the only reputable one in town. All the rest are pretty skeezy,” she said.
“Well, we won’t let her know we know that. We’ll stick to the budget and see what her best offer is,” I said.
“Good. Now, why the hell did you actually call?”
“I told you, I wanted to talk about the store,” I said.
“Might work with others, but not with me. I’ve known you for years, Emma. I know when something’s up. It’s about Jacob’s eye, isn’t it?”
“They won’t tell me what’s going on. None of them will. First the shootout we heard about, then the secrecy. Then the black eye last night. They won’t tell me anything, and I’m fucking worried as hell,” I said.
“It’s shit with their crew. You know that. And you know men are fortresses when it comes to that life. They want to protect you, but some shit they can’t talk ab
out without risking the safety of their entire network. Come on, Emma. You know how this goes.”
“But something, you know?” I asked. “I mean, they’re very open when it comes to sex. And they trust me with their money. Money, Lindy. Two hundred fucking thousand dollars of it. But Jacob can’t tell me where he got his black eye?”
“I’m not saying you don’t have a point, but what I’m thinking is why the fuck you’re telling this to me. You need to be telling this to them,” she said.
“Because you asked, you nosy bitch,” I said.
“Because you needed to talk, you clingy asshole.”
“How the hell do I even bring up a conversation like this? And when’s the right time? Things are going well, and I don’t want to ruin it,” I said.
“Look, I’m the last person to be taking relationship advice from or whatever, but in the relationships I’ve seen? There’s always going to be shit going down. Buck up, suck it up and be an adult. Voice your concerns and don’t let shit fester. That’s when things get out of control, and you start saying shit you don’t mean.”
“Ugh. Fine. See you tonight at work?” I asked.
“Don’t like it? Don’t ask. See you tonight.”
CHAPTER 25
The Saturday shift came and went without a peep from the guys. Mom came into the bar, got shit-faced, and went home with some guy in his car. Her beat-up piece of metal was still in its parking space when I left, so I went home and crashed without a care in the world. I was too exhausted to worry about the guys, and I was too inundated with stuff that had to get done. I had tips overflowing in my coffee can and I had to go put them in the bank. Also, I had the to pay off the rest of the building loan now that the check had cleared in my account. And I had to get rest for the appointment Lindy and I had with the contractor on Sunday.
But when I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the front door, I knew my day was about to change.
I opened the door in my robe and saw the guys standing there. Jacob’s eye was still bruised but it wasn’t nearly as swollen as it had been. Tyler had a bruise on his jaw, and Adam was limping a little bit as they came into the house. They were holding coffee and doughnuts and had darkened expressions on their faces.
