by Nicole Dykes
Luke tosses him his keys to his classic Nova, and Gabby gives me another hug before bouncing off behind Michael, who is already at the car.
“Passenger seat, Michael,” Luke hollers down to the street and then turns back to me. “Brooke had to go in early, and Dylan had a meeting.”
I nod my head at that information. Damn it, Brooke is always working. “Shit.”
“You okay?” Luke asks and it’s so bizarre seeing him all grown up and being considerate of others. He was Michael’s age when I met him for the first time, and he was a little shithead. Although still loveable.
“I’m fine. Just wanted to girl talk about my date last night.”
He smirks. “Yeah, I’m not so great about the girl talk.” He then adds teasingly, “I’m sure it’s all feelings and talking about how this dude likes to cuddle.”
I laugh at that ridiculous account of my talks with Brooke. “Oh yeah, Luke, sounds like me. I’m all about cuddling and feelings.”
“Ah, that’s right, you’re a dirty girl. I forgot. That’s better.” He wags his eyebrows at me, I smack his shoulder, and he laughs.
None of us have any boundaries. “Get those kids to school.”
“Will do.”
He starts to walk to his car and I ask, “Wait, why didn’t Jax take them?” He lives a lot closer than Luke does and takes them almost half of the time.
Luke turns toward me, and if I had to describe him now and didn’t know him better, I'd say he’s nervous. “Jax?”
“Yeah. Like six feet six, massive guy. Can’t say one sentence without the word ‘Fuck’ in it?”
“Right. I’m familiar,” he jokes, and we both turn toward his car as Michael honks the horn and waves at Luke to come on. Luke holds his middle finger up and then turns back to me. “He’s in L.A.”
“Oh.” It’s all I can get out at first, and then I stupidly ask, “What for?”
“Rescue mission,” Luke says, mysteriously as hell. Michael blares the horn again and he starts toward the car, calling behind him to me, “Sorry, Alex I gotta go.”
I wave bye to them as I walk to my Prius. Jax is in California. Where Shriller more than likely is, although he won’t answer anyone so who knows.
Rescue mission? What the hell does that mean? I literally shake my head, trying to get rid of these thoughts.
Why is this bothering me so much today?
Chapter 3
Shriller
I
walk downstairs the next morning and into my kitchen, where I see Jax sitting in nothing but his boxer briefs at the granite topped bar in my kitchen. My housekeeper, Keri, is acting like a schoolgirl, leaning over the counter as she makes breakfast.
I saunter in and take a seat. “What the hell? You never make me breakfast.”
Keri is in her late forties and has worked for me since I moved out here. She comes every Monday and Thursday to tidy up the place, do my laundry, and little chores here and there.
“Yeah, well you just lack my charm,” Jax says and winks at her.
She practically giggles. A woman in her forties, giggling. Fuck me. “Yeah, and you’ve been in a shitty mood for months,” Keri adds as she scoops eggs onto a plate and hands it to Jax.
I give her my best pouty look. She sighs jokingly and hands me a full plate of my own.
After I thank her, she cleans up the kitchen as we eat.
“So, who was the pissed off chick yesterday?” Jax asks.
I take a bite of toast, not wanting to answer. “My physical therapist.”
“Oh, fuck,” he laughs.
“Yeah, not the best decision.”
He takes a large gulp of orange juice and then slaps me on the back. “You gotta stop letting your cock do the thinking man. Let your brain run things occasionally.”
“Funny,” I say dryly.
“She sure as fuck didn’t look happy. What the hell did you do to her?”
“Told her it couldn’t happen again. Said it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
His large shoulders go up and down when he laughs at my predicament. “Oh yeah, that’ll do it.” He finishes chewing a big bite and then turns to look at me, all business in his demeanor. “So, how you gonna make it up to the kids?”
I didn’t think about much else yesterday. I know they look forward to my visits, so do I. After everything they’ve been through, they don’t deserve to be disappointed. “I’m not sure. Thinking my credit card is gonna take a major hit with the awesome Christmas gifts I’m going to buy.”
Keri takes Jax’s plate and after he thanks her, he turns his attention back to me. “That’s a good start. And you’ll deliver them in person, right?”
He’s not asking. Shit. Alex will definitely be there for Christmas, but I can’t miss another holiday. It’s time to man up. “Yes.”
He nods his head in approval. “Good. Maybe you can come a little earlier, like in a few days. You can stay with Charlotte and me.”
I shake my head. Pathetic. Panic sets in. Jesus, I have spent my adult life flying around all types of tracks at mind-numbing speeds with no fear, but the thought of seeing the barely reaching five feet, tatted-up, beautiful redhead that used to be one of my best friends cripples me with sheer terror. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Jax's meaty hand flies to my shoulder and grips it. “You fucked up, majorly. You owe them. Fuck, you owe it to yourself.”
“I don’t know, man.”
He removes his hand and grabs the coffee cup in front of him, before standing up. “I’ll be here for a few days, checking up on the L.A. shop, making sure it’s running smoothly. Think about it. Besides it sounds like it’s not a bad time to get out of town for a bit. Let that chick’s crazy die down a little. We can fly home together.”
“That’s your home Jax, not mine.”
“Bullshit,” is all he says before walking up the staircase.
Well, fuck me. We both know I’m going.
Chapter 4
Alex
“H
ey, you ready?” Chris asks me, standing in the hallway outside of my apartment.
He’s here to pick me up to meet Brooke and Dylan for dinner. Apparently, Brooke invited him today when she ran into him at Dylan’s shop.
I pull my heavy coat on and fluff up my red hair after it was flattened by said coat. “Yep. What were you doing at Tricked today anyway?”
I walk into the hallway, and after locking my door, we make our way to the elevator as he explains, “They’re painting my Camaro.”
The elevator dings and opens as we walk in. “You have a motorcycle, Mustang, and a Camaro?”
He pushes the button for the ground floor and answers unapologetically, “Yep.”
“Jesus.”
We reach the ground floor and he wraps one arm over my shoulder as we walk out to the snow-covered street. “I may have an addiction, but fuck it, there are worse things to be addicted to.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Oh, you’re just like them, aren’t you?”
He opens the passenger door to his Mustang and turns back to me, holding it open. “Who?”
“Jax, Dylan, almost every guy I’ve ever known.”
I climb in and he leans down so he can see my face. “Is that a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure.”
He gives me a panty-melting grin before closing the door and moving into the driver’s seat.
On the way to the restaurant, I hold his hand as he drives. I keep trying to find a flaw, just one damn thing I don’t like about Chris. So far, I’m coming up empty.
We get to the barbeque restaurant and go in. Brooke and Dylan already have a table, and we join them.
Brooke definitely came here straight from work. She’s sporting a pencil skirt, silk blouse and a blazer. She’s the only one who is dressed up. Dylan and Chris are both clad in their usual jeans and a t-shirt.
Chris and Dylan fist bump and instantly go into talking about Chris
’s car. Wow, he really does fit into our little group. Jax can’t even find one bad thing to say about him.
Brooke nudges my arm, “Luke said you stopped by the other day.”
I look over the menu. “Oh yeah, just wanted some Brooke time.”
She smiles sadly. “I’m sorry. Work gets crazy around the holidays.”
“Brooke, your work is always crazy. It’s cool.”
She laughs and when we get our food, we start eating our sandwiches, falling seamlessly into meaningless small talk.
“Hey, where’s your partner in crime by the way? He wasn’t at the shop today,” Chris asks before taking another bite.
Dylan answers knowing he’s talking about Jax, “He’s in L.A. checking on shop number three.”
I catch Brooke’s eye, but she looks away. Yeah, they are all hiding something from me and I know it has to do with Shriller. Not that I care. I’m over caring about that asshole.
“Oh yeah? I didn’t know you guys had a shop there.” Chris seems genuinely interested.
“Yeah, we just opened it. Jax is there making sure everything is running the way it’s supposed to.”
“Nice. You know that’s where I’m from,” Chris says casually.
I turn to him, “You’re from California?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“How the hell did you end up in Kansas?” Brooke asks with surprise.
Chris wipes his hands with a napkin and explains, “My mom married a guy that was from here. He wanted to move back to be close to his family and I went with them my junior year.”
“Wow, you chose Kansas over California?” I ask. I look out the window at the murky sky and dirty snow piled up on the streets. I hated L.A. the one time I visited, but I wouldn’t mind living somewhere warm at the moment.
He smiles when he answers coyly, “I chose living with my mom over living with my dad.”
I nod my head, not digging further. I already know from one of our conversations that his parents are divorced and he has four siblings. “Ah. I see.”
He smiles, “Yeah, my dad’s fine. I just always got along better with my mom and my stepmom is kind of a bitch.”
He just offered up personal information to us without any prodding. I’m not used to that.
I think Brooke is impressed too because she smiles over at Chris. “So, do you go to California often, then?”
“A couple times a year. I have two brothers and a sister that live there,” he answers easily.
“Any here?” Brooke asks and I laugh. If anyone is gonna prod, it’s Brooke. Dylan is half listening now that car talk is over and there is a football game on the largest screen in the restaurant.
“I have a younger sister here,” Chris answers and I feel his hand go to my thigh under the table and just rest there.
“Big family,” I say and he nods. I’m enjoying getting to know him better.
Dylan’s phone rings and he fishes it out of his pocket to answers it. “Hey, shithead. How's Cali?”
So, it’s Jax. Brooke seems to be oddly curious about the call, she’s homed in on the conversation.
“Good and what about that other thing?” Dylan asks.
He nods his head at Brooke and she smiles sitting back in her seat a little.
What the hell are they up to?
Chapter 5
Shriller
F
uck it’s cold. Why the hell did I let Jax talk me into coming back to Kansas? We’re standing outside of Charlotte’s BMW, and I’m glad I had enough sense to pack my heavy coat. She’s picking up Jax at the airport this afternoon, and I rented a car to get around.
“You sure you don’t want to stay with us?” he asks me as he tucks his hands in his pockets.
“Nah, thanks, but I’ve had my fill of adorable couple time already, and it’s only been ten minutes.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s great seeing Jax so damn happy, but it’s also annoying as fuck.
He laughs, “Alright, fucker. See you at Brooke and Dylan’s later then?”
I want to ask if Alex will be there, but don’t waste my breath. It doesn’t matter if she’ll be there or not. Instead, I simply nod in acceptance that he pretty much owns my ass for the duration of this trip and say, “Yeah I’ll be there.”
Satisfied with my answer, he climbs into the small sports car and I get into my rental. I head to downtown Kansas City to check into a hotel suite.
After I get a little settled in my room, I make the short trip to Brooke and Dylan’s house. I park the car in front and hop out, staring at the house that became my second home. That’s before I went AWOL and probably fucked that up.
I take a deep breath and walk up the sidewalk to ring the doorbell. Gabby answers the door with her blonde hair up in a ponytail, but even though it’s up, I can tell it’s grown several inches. She folds her arms as if unsure what to do.
I try to plaster a big smile on my face. “Gabby! It’s good to see you! How have you been?”
The precocious eleven-year-old who has greeted me with a huge hug every time I’ve seen her for at least the last three years just shrugs her shoulders.
I bend down to look into her eyes, still with the big grin on my face, although I’m dying a little at the clear look of hurt and confusion on her face. “No stories for me?”
She shrugs again and then shakes her head, backing away from the door. That’s fucking great. Not one word. Gabby went mute when her parents died. For several months afterward, she wouldn’t say a word.
Panic soars through me and I’m praying that’s not happening again. But then again, I’m sure Jax would have told me.
I’m still standing outside the door when Michael walks down the hall and nods when he sees me at the door. Jesus. The kid grew up a lot in almost six months. He must have gotten contacts because his glasses are gone, and he’s almost my height. He looks like a slightly younger version of Luke, but with darker hair. “Hey Michael.”
He just grunts and walk past me heading toward the kitchen. Well honestly, that could mean he’s pissed or just be his typical greeting.
Dylan comes to the door shortly after that, and Gabby disappears into the kitchen. He seems happy to see me. “Holy shit, it’s Shriller the Thriller! In my house!”
He’s laying the sarcasm on pretty thick, but that I can handle. “Yeah well, I figured I’d come check on you all.”
He laughs and opens the door further. “Well, you coming in or you gonna chicken out?”
I don’t say anything to that and just walk in, putting my coat on the hook by the door.
“It’s good to see ya man,” Dylan says and smacks my back before heading toward the kitchen.
I’m guessing that’s where everyone else is, so I follow behind him. We walk in and I see Jax and Charlotte sitting at the table and Brooke in the kitchen. Some things never change.
Jax gives me a big greeting, “Finally, asshole. Took you long enough.”
“Traffic.” I say as I walk in a little further and am standing close to Brooke who is holding a big ass knife. I don’t think she’s as happy to see me as the guys.
I take one step back and her face softens a little. “I’m not going to stab you,” she chuckles. “Well, this time, anyway.”
I crack a small smile. “Good to know.”
She points the knife at me, “But don’t ever disappear on us again.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “I promise.”
She finally goes back to chopping vegetables and I decide to sit with Jax and Charlotte in safety.
Michael and Gabby set the table. Michael has in ear buds and I can hear his music, so I decide to try Gabby. I catch her eye and ask, “How is school? You on Christmas break?”
She just nods her head in an answer. I catch Jax’s eye who looks pissed off. Charlotte, who is sitting next to him, just looks sad.
I turn back to Gabby and swallow my pride a little. “I’m sorry I missed Thanksgiving, that was shitty.” I got her attention and s
ee Michael turn more in my direction. “I should have been here.”
Michael did hear me because he takes the ear buds out. “So, why weren’t you?”
I don’t want to go into the details of it, but I owe them something. “I was being a selfish asshole.”
Brooke doesn’t look pleased by my explanation, but Michael shrugs, “I guess it happens.”
“It shouldn’t,” I respond quickly not wanting to downplay anything. I add, “I’m gonna do my best to make it up to you guys. It won’t happen again.”
I turn to Gabby who has tears in her eyes. Fuck.
“You promise?”
I nod my head. Although I don’t have the best track record for keeping promises. I’d rather die than cause them pain ever again. “Yes.”
“I thought you forgot about us.”
I shake my head in total disbelief. “It’s impossible to forget about you guys. This was all on me.”
She nods her head and places the last fork on the table before leaving the room in what seems to be a much better mood.
“So, since you guys are out of school I thought I could take you guys out. Maybe catch a movie or go to an arcade,” I offer.
“Only if I can drive,” Michael says.
“Holy shit, you can drive now?” I ask.
He nods, “Yup, turned sixteen and got my license that day.”
“Shit, I missed your birthday?”
He just shrugs his shoulders trying not to show emotion. “No biggie.”
“No. That’s a huge deal. I should have been here or at least sent a card or something. I’ll make it up to you.”
He takes the seat across from me, all jittery. “You mean that? Because if you do, you can teach me to race.”
I stare at him and can feel Brooke has latched onto our words with intensity. “Race?” I ask cautiously.
He nods, “Yeah. I want to race motorcycles.”
“Over my dead body,” Brooke declares sounding like momma bear, talking to someone fucking with her cub.
