I trust no one that uses the term about average to describe pain levels, so I mark that on my mental checklist. I shuck off my jeans and her breath catches again. I don’t wear boxers or briefs. Waste of time, those fuckers are. If I weren’t about to do a scene, I’d chuckle at her wide-eyed expression. I turn towards her, finally giving her the opportunity to see all of me more clearly.
“Good. It’s time I let my demons out to play,” I snarl as I stalk towards her.
***
Chapter Four
Tatiana
I pull a burger wrapper from underneath my passenger seat. Dammit, Piper! She’s always trashing my car. If I didn’t love her free way of life, I’d bitch at her for this. I throw it in the trash bag and stick my head back against the floorboard as I lift the flashlight to shine it under the seat. Starburst wrappers, good god! Where does all this fattening crap show up on her? If I ate this much junk, I’d be a lard ass.
When one of my favorite songs plays on the radio, I reach up from the floorboard and turn the knob so it blares louder. When I pull a Snickers wrapper from under the seat, I reach into my cup holder for my phone and send her a text message while singing at the top of my lungs.
Me: 9:08 pm – Seriously!
Piper: 9:09 pm – U must b cleanin ur car out…
Me: 9:10 pm – uh yeah wtf Pipe!
Piper: 9:10 pm - *shrugs* whoopsy
Whoopsy? Freaking whoopsy? What is she twelve?
I throw my phone onto the seat and reach blindly for the bucket of soapy water sitting outside my car door. Once I grab a wet rag, I clean up the chocolate goo stuck to the track underneath my seat. I’m going to have to take my car and get it detailed. This is ridiculous.
And they say I’m the child. I think Piper takes the cake on this one.
Someone kicking my feet startles me out of my inner bitchfest. Before I look, I already know who it is. I take a deep breath in, slowly let it out, and then reach to turn the volume down on my radio. Scooting backwards out of the car, when my feet touch the ground, I stand and look at him.
“Whatcha doin’, darlin’?”
Why does his thick southern drawl have to sound so damn delicious?
“Cleaning up after Piper.” I toss the wet rag in the bucket, and the soapy water swishes back and forth against the sides.
“She is a force to be reckoned with.” He chuckles and I smirk.
That is a nice way of saying she is a tornado, but before I can find myself happy about the reason for this little chit chat, I get a whiff of pure sex sweat. The smile evaporates from my face as quickly as it came.
“Go shower, Shadow. You smell like a two dollar hooker,” I grumble as I turn my attention back to my car.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? We can’t even talk now without you insulting me. Shit used not to be this way with us, Tea.”
I pivot back towards him with a scowl. “Nothing is wrong with me. You stink something awful. If you want to smell like a cheap lay, that’s on you.”
Shadow lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head, and I almost want to yell at him for wearing them at dusk. But when I notice his contacts are out, I stop myself. Very few times can I see into Shadow’s soul, and I’m not about to say something that will make him slide the glasses down and cut me out in the process.
“We used to be friends. What the fuck happened, Tea?”
My blue eyes search his soulless ones and I come to realize he’s hurt. He is actually upset that I’ve been standoffish. The thought makes my chest ache. He’s been nothing but good to me, and I’ve been nothing but an ass. He can’t help it that I am severely attracted to him, no more than he can help the way he is.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be less of a bitch from now on.”
He tries to move in for a hug and I swat at him.
“No way, dude. Go shower first.” I force a laugh even though it rips my heart apart to know that he just finished screwing someone else.
“Shit, sorry babe.” He chuckles as he turns and heads towards the live-in building.
I really need to go home, but Dad won’t allow it because of club business. All I want is to cry in my own damn bed until I fall asleep.
“Hey sis, what’s up?” Mace hops onto the trunk of my car.
Jesus, they’re coming out of the woodwork tonight.
“You dent my car, you’re paying to un-dent it.”
He swings his legs back and forth like a child while he tongues a toothpick back and forth between his lips. “Let’s go grab a burger. I’ll buy.”
Bonding time with my new brother is something I am always up for having. “Let me call Dad. I’m not supposed to leave the compound without an escort.”
Mace is prospecting, so Dad should approve. I reach into my car, grab my cell phone, and dial his number. Not only will I get time with my brother, but I will also get out of this club for a bit. Dad answers on the first ring.
“What’s wrong, Tatiana?” He chuckles as Storm whispers in the background.
Oh gross, please tell me I didn’t call him during that shit. I rush to get my question out.
“Can Mace take me for a burger?”
I hear more whispering before I get my answer.
“To Ma and Pop’s, then get your asses back to the compound.” As I start to hang-up the phone, he shocks me. “Thanks for calling and asking, baby girl, instead of doin’.”
Ah hell, my dad is getting all sweet. “Uh, no problem, Dad.” I click off and stare at my phone for a moment.
“That was weird. He said yes, but we have to go to Ma and Pop’s restaurant. Let’s walk, so it takes longer,” I say as I take the keys out of my car, reach for my purse, and then shut the door.
“I’m still new around here and shit, but you tend to do just about whatever you want to do, sis.” Mace laughs as he hops off my trunk.
He’s right.
“You’re maturing, little sis,” he jokes playfully as he slugs my shoulder.
“Fuck off.” I laugh, even though I know he’s onto something.
When we come to the gate, Rap wheels himself over. The poor guy only has a few more weeks left in that wheelchair. “You guys going for food?”
I nod. “Yeah, burgers, you want something?”
Rap mumbles yes and digs his wallet out of the doggy bag that hangs from the back of his chair. He hates it, but he doesn’t have the heart to tell Storm to take it off. She feels guilty about his broken legs, and when he was cursing nonstop about how he couldn’t even lift his ass to piss or get his wallet out, they came up with his doggy bag. Storm and Winter even put temporary rails in the bathroom so the man could lift himself. “I gave the prospects a night off of gate duty because I fuckin’ can’t do anything else right now and it’s driving me fuckin’ nuts,” he grumbles as he hands me a twenty. “Where you goin’ for the burgers?”
I take the money from him as Mace tells him Ma and Pop’s.
“Thank fuck. Okay, you know my usual, then, right, Darlin’?”
An honest to god laugh bubbles from my throat. “Rap, I know you all so well, I can tell each of you when you’re going to shit, before you even know it.”
I’m not kidding, either. Since I’ve spent all my life around the club and haven’t had anything else to do but watch people, I’ve memorized their patterns, whether I wanted to or not.
Rap’s smile is blinding as he hits the gate button. I’m sad for him. He finished prospecting not too long ago, and he’s been stuck in that damn chair for months. I know he is itching to do club stuff, but he’s been patient about it all, except for his little tirade about pissing and stuff.
“Take your time, little Tea. I know your dad has had you on a short leash. My stomach isn’t rumbling yet.”
I lean down and peck him on his cheek. “For that, I’ll bring you back a chocolate shake, my treat.”
“After my heart, I see,” he teases as Mace and I walk out.
“See you in a bit, Rap.” I wave goodbye.
***
While Mace and I wait for our order, we chat about his upbringing, and how it pisses him off we didn’t grow up together. It shocks me how open he is emotionally. He’s not afraid of his feelings or of expressing them, and I admire him for that.
“So, do you think Dad and Storm will try for kids again one day?” Mace asks while the waitress places our food on the table. Before she walks away, I give her Rap’s to-go order, and then turn my attention back to my brother’s question.
“I honestly don’t know. Her pregnancy was a shock, and Dad didn’t even know about it until she was miscarrying. She was actually on her way to tell him,” I mumble around a giant bite of the juicy hamburger.
“It’s fuckin’ sad,” Mace says before slurping his Coca Cola.
See, not afraid to admit emotions. Breakneck needs more men like my brother.
“It is,” I agree. “Even though she’s only a few years older than us, she has that motherly feel already.”
I dip a fry into my chocolate shake.
“Is that any good?” my brother asks.
“Really good. Here try it.” I push my shake towards him. “Rap actually got me addicted to doing it. That’s why I told him I’d bring him one. That reminds me. We should probably go to the corner store and get him some smokes and rolling papers, too. He doesn’t like asking people to do stuff for him.”
Mace dips a few fries into the chocolate goodness and shoves them into his mouth. “That is so fucking good.” He groans.
“Yeah, it is.” I smile at him.
“So, you really do know all the brothers well.” He dips more fries into my shake. My heart squeezes when I realize how comfortable we are around one another.
“I do. Rap is one of my favorites, because of our ages being so close. Well… now I have a new favorite,” I tease as I steal my shake back.
“I’m your favorite now?” he says as he takes a bite out of his giant burger.
“Of course, you are. You’re my brother, my twin. I always felt like I was missing a piece of myself until you came along a few months ago. Now I know why,” I say as I shy away. I don’t want to scare him off.
“I get what you’re saying. It’s gotta be that weird twin shit.”
Oh good. I didn’t freak him out. “So you felt it too?”
He nods. “Yeah, and being adopted didn’t help. It’s probably why I was the black sheep.”
I don’t know what to say. I’m pissed off at the useless woman who gave birth to us for even giving him up in the first place. The only thing that keeps me from going to her and strangling the hell out of her is that my brother had good adoptive parents.
“I don’t know what to say, Mace.”
His shoulders shrug as he finishes off his last bite. “They’re good people. It ended up being okay, sis, honest. It was a good life.”
I fight to smile. “And now you’re here.”
“And now I’m here, where I belong.”
Mace pays our bill, and even pays for Rap’s order, so I shove the twenty back in my pocket and decide to use it on his smokes and rolling papers. I tip the waitress even though Mace protests, and I tell him it is the least I could do after him buying me dinner.
We talk about how he used to race street bikes and get into all kinds of trouble with his adoptive parents. He says he’ll always love them, and will check up on them, and even visit them every few holidays, but as far as he is concerned, he belongs here.
When we get to the corner store, Mace buys his smokes and I wait behind him.
“Well, hello, Tatiana. Don’t you two look alike,” Donald says as he eyes my brother and me up and down.
“About that… he’s my twin. You know how the bitch is.” I shrug. Everyone in town knows my mother if they’re close to her age. She was a slut back then and probably still is. “Rap’s usual, please.”
“You got it, suga’.” Donald smiles at me. “Oh, before I forget, can you let Braxxon know the club order came in? Save me the phone call.”
I nod. I’m surprised someone hasn’t picked up the alcohol delivery yet. They’re usually on that like clockwork. I shoot Braxxon a text so I don’t forget to let him know.
Me: 10:37 pm - @ Don’s, orders n
Not a minute passes before he replies.
Godfather: 10:37 pm – Send prospects n mornin’ it’s late daughter
“Godfather,” Mace asks from behind me.
I laugh. “Yeah, your new Prez is my Godfather. If something happens to Dad, he’ll take care of me. Don, Braxxon will send some prospects in the morning. This knucklehead will probably be one of them.” I gesture to Mace with my cell phone as I type a reply.
Me: 10:39 pm – I know, Mace is w/ me, headed home
Godfather: 10:40 pm – k
After I pay for Rap’s stuff, we say our goodbyes and head back to the compound. I thank Mace on the way for getting me out of there. I can leave whenever I want, but I’d rather not stress my dad or Braxxon out too much right now. When we get back, Rap lets us in the gate. Mace hands him his food as I dig his smokes, papers, and change out of my purse.
“Mace bought us dinner, so I figured I’d use your money for smokes and papers,” I say as I put it all in his doggy bag.
“Good call. Thanks, you two,” he says as we walk away.
Mace and I say our goodbyes and part ways when we get to the home building. The lights are off, and if it weren’t a weekday, I’d wonder why everything is so quiet tonight. Everyone that’s awake must be over in the clubhouse. The warm food in my stomach has made me sleepy and with no energy left, I slowly trudge up the stairs to my floor. When I reach the landing, I am relieved. I unlock my door, go in, and flop onto my bed while I kick off my shoes. It has been the longest day of my life today. I’ve caught up on homework, got to know my brother more, and dealt with Shadow on two separate occasions. I’m wiped.
***
Chapter Five
Shadow
As I smoke my cigarette in the dark at the picnic table, I can’t help but grin as Tatiana comes in with her brother. She looks happy right now, and I haven’t seen that smile of hers in forever. Most of the time, it’s forced. This one, however, is natural and real, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I watch her after she gives Rap his food, and she walks into the main building. When she looks like that, I find it extremely difficult to keep my eyes off of her. I put out my smoke as my Prez comes out of the clubhouse.
“She looked happy,” he says as he sits next to me.
“Were you watching her or somethin’?” I ask.
He nods. “She sent me a text from Don’s. I wanted to make sure she got back in okay.”
The protection around Tea is extreme, and she wonders why I won’t let my demons loose on her.
“She’s only my goddaughter, and yet it makes me ill to the fuckin’ stomach, brother, to think of something happenin’ to her,” he grumbles as he lights up a joint. “I can’t smoke this shit up in my room around Winter, so I’m getting it outta the way before heading up there.”
I’m in agreement with that. It pisses me off when people do drugs around pregnant women or children. “Think you’ll have your own to worry about soon enough.”
He puffs and then passes the joint to me. “Yeah, if her hormones don’t kill me first, man. I shit you not, sometimes I think she’s possessed.” He whispers the last word.
“Afraid Winter might hear ya, Prez?” I chuckle.
“Fuck yeah, I’m afraid. You haven’t seen what this pregnancy is doing to her,” he mock whispers.
I don’t say anything to that. She seems like the same Winter I’ve known since I arrived.
“You can finish that off, brother. I got a wife to fuck.”
I put the joint in my mouth and stand as he does so we can bro-pat, and then I walk to the clubhouse. I’m exhausted, but I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts. When the door slams shut behind me, I hear laughing.
I puff one more time, long and hard, because I won’t get it back once Sniper gets a hold of it, and then I pass it to her.
“I can play pool how the fuck ever I wanna play pool. What are you, the pool referee?”
She smacks him with her free hand as the other brings the weed up to her mouth. “No, but shit, you’re never serious,” she says as she puffs.
I roll my eyes.
“You’re never serious, is she, Shadow?” Sniper brings me in on it, and I think what the hell. I need to have some entertainment.
“He’s got you, Pipe. A few hours ago, Tea was digging all your stash trash out of her car. You’re free as a bird, darlin’,” I respond.
“I may be free, but I know that the white ball doesn’t go into the damn holes,” she grumbles.
Sniper and I laugh as we both say, “Cue ball.”
She throws her pool stick up onto the table, huffing as she flops down on the sofa. “Whatever.”
“Ah, babe, don’t be like that.” Sniper laughs as he flops down next to her.
I’ll never understand those two. We all wonder if Sniper and Piper are fucking and not telling anyone about it.
I walk behind the bar as he continues trying to get her to stop sulking.
“I have something that’ll make you feel better, Piper.” I chuckle as I get the ingredients for bomb pops out. All the women here love them.
“Bomb pops,” she squeals.
“Mhmm, get your sulking ass over here, and I’ll make you a few.”
My eyebrows pull together when I can’t find the grenadine. I’m searching high and low for that shit when the door slams and in comes Pyro. He takes one look at the ingredients on the counter and knows what I’m looking for. He holds up one finger as he says, “make me one,” and opens the top cabinet, revealing a bottle of the red liquid. As I pour enough to get us all hammered, the door slams again, and in walks Tatiana looking fucking hot as hell in her small shorts, tank top, and slippers. Oh hell, this is going to be a long night.
Shadowing Me (Breakneck Series, Book Three) Page 3
