by Rayne, Sara
“Hang on a minute.” Disgusted, Voo slammed his steel toes down on Bryan’s bent knee. He screamed, bones cracking as Voo ground his boot down.
“And how are things going on your end?” Coyote asked with obvious amusement.
“He won’t cause any more problems.” Voo knelt next to Bryan and looked him in the eye. “Will you, college boy?”
Bryan groaned into the wet concrete.
“We still on for tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Thanks for the assist tonight. See you in the morning.” Voo stood and snapped the phone shut. He needed to get back to Lex. In the morning, he’d drop her off at her momma’s house where she’d be safe.
The football player stared up at him from the ground.
“Sorry about the knee. Hope you weren’t on scholarship.” Voo kicked the wallet from the foul puddle into Bryan’s face. “Remember, Bryan Dawson, I know where you live now.”
Chapter Four
A few days later, Lex stumbled downstairs at nearly three in the afternoon. She held the cell phone against her ear with a shoulder as she twisted a stretched-out hair tie around a haphazard bun.
“Eddie, I don’t know what to do. My mom’s done lost it.” Lex picked her way through the mausoleum of a house as she spoke. Her mother had spent way too much money trying to make it look like a Better Homes and Garden spread. She walked into the industrially equipped kitchen Brad and Carol almost never cooked in.
“Aw, honey, parents ain’t perfect. They’re just people.” Eddie’s sweet Southern drawl was soothing. “We all make mistakes.”
“I should’ve taken Josie up on her invite to visit with her family.” She sighed. Josie had been texting her every day since the accident, and the temptation to flee was almost overwhelming.
“Josie’s the one from New Orleans, right?”
“Yep, and the Big Easy—or anything easy, really—sounds mighty good right now.” Lex switched the phone to her other ear.
“I thought your momma was leavin’ for a cruise in a couple days? Can’t you stick it out until then?”
Lex laughed harshly. “Next Monday can’t come soon enough.”
“Would it be rude for you to sneak down here for the weekend right before they left? We’d love to have you.”
“Well, I gotta pick my car up from Dani.” Yawning, Lex held the phone away from her mouth; Eddie’s phone call had woken her. “But mom’s car is in the shop for service, and an hour-long car ride with Brad is not gonna happen.”
“Why don’t I have Axel and Ryker swing by and pick you up on their way back?” Axel and Ryker were her sons. Axel had taken over as president when Lex’s dad stepped down last fall. “You could be here by suppertime.”
“I don’t know.” Carol didn’t approve of changing plans on short notice. “Where’d they go?”
“Club business,” Eddie said in a mocking baritone. “They could’ve been holdin’ a secret meeting at an undisclosed location—”
“Or they could be on a beer run.” Lex laughed.
“God only knows.”
“I want to, but things are weird with my mom right now….”
“Honey, I think some space would do you and your momma some good. Why don’t you let me play the wicked stepmother and I’ll have my minions whisk you away?” Eddie paused, and a sly tone entered her voice when she added, “You know, Voo’s along with ‘em, and I’m sure there’s room for you next to him in the backseat of the truck.”
“Eddie!” Lex blushed as she grabbed the carafe out of the Bunn coffeemaker. She set a pot to brew, hoping she’d get a cup down before her mother found her and started in with whatever today’s lecture was.
Yesterday’s lecture had been about not dressing like a hoochie-mama (apparently any combo of yoga pants and tank top qualified her as a slut) so people didn’t make the wrong assumptions about her. Especially considering her unfortunate incident.
All of a sudden, a night on Eddie’s porch with a jar of apple moonshine sounded damned inviting. “You know what? I’m in. Fix me a plate, I’m comin’ over.”
“Thought you might change your mind.” Eddie cackled. “I’ll text Ryker as soon as we get off the phone. Don’t know how far out they are, so I’ll tell him to give you a shout when they reach town.”
“Sounds fun.” Lex had grown fond of Axel and Ryker, who’d jumped into their stepbrother roles with marked enthusiasm since Cap and Eddie’s engagement.
“Oh, and don’t tell your dad. We’ll let it be a surprise.”
Lex smiled. Eddie’s glee at doing something nice for Captain never failed to be infectious. She wanted what the two of them had so much it made her teeth ache.
“See you then.”
Stomach growling, she raided the pantry to stave off her hunger until she could get to Eddie’s. She grabbed the blueberry Pop-Tarts she’d tucked behind all of the organic, gluten-free cardboard which made up the Tanners’ diet.
Ripping the foil package open with her teeth, she pulled up a chair and tried to shake off her morning crab-fest. Lex used to do bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed with the best of them. Hell, Josie had called her downright perky at the student center café when they met for breakfast before classes.
But waking up in this house every day pissed her off.
Looking at the walls of her childhood home reminded Lex of her own failure. She’d hated it here growing up, and now she hated it even more after having a taste of freedom. Everything about her mother’s place was stifling, from the decorative tables displaying careful arrangements of breakable knick-knacks to the oppressive judgment of her stepfather. Every neatly arranged corner made her claustrophobic.
“Finally decided to wake up, I see.”
Lex started at the voice behind her, splashing coffee down her front. “Dammit.” She rubbed at the damp spot as her mother sauntered around the table and sat opposite her.
“Language.” Wearing a heather-gray pantsuit with a pressed, white, button-down shirt and pearl jewelry, her mother was the epitome of “put together”. In the wrinkled jeans she’d found under the bed and a faded Seventh Circle Motors T-shirt, Lex felt grungy in comparison.
Carol’s gaze focused on the logo, and she sighed. “Really?”
“It’s a shirt, Mom. I’m not going to catch biker disease from it.” Lex sucked at the coffee stain, which made Carol grimace. Waste not, want not. Caffeine was necessary for every conversation she’d had with her mother since dropping out of school.
“What are you eating?” She pursed her lips as though offended by the sight alone.
“Breakfast,” Lex deadpanned.
“That mechanic called this afternoon.” Carol folded her arms. “I’ll talk to Brad about paying the bill so we can have your car picked up.”
That mechanic was code for Axel, who was apparently referred to as such because Eddie, Queen Bee of the Four Horsemen MC, was his mother. Just like Eddie had become that woman your father’s marrying. Carol hadn’t seen Axel in at least ten years, probably wouldn’t recognize him if he walked in her front door, but it didn’t stop her from despising him on principle.
“Actually, I’ll take care of it. Thanks.” Lex’s quickly draining bank account could scarcely afford it, but she’d hawk her clothes on the side of the street before she let Brad pay for anything of hers.
“I see. And who exactly will be bringing it over?” Her mom’s lips pressed into a tight line.
Lex took another long sip from her cup. She counted to ten in her head before speaking.
“I’m going to get it. Axel and Ryker are going to pick me up.”
“More bikers. Great.” Her mother sighed. “Lexus, we need to talk.”
Lex’s eyes widened. “Now’s not really a good time.”
“You’re out of time.”
“It’s only been a few days.” She breathed through her nose. Blowing up at her mom wouldn’t solve anything.
“Let’s talk about this when Brad gets home from his match.” Carol rub
bed the back of her neck as she stood.
“Mom….” Lex pushed her cup aside.
Carol turned her back, straightening the café curtains over the sink. “Brad and I were discussing your idea to stay here while we’re gone—”
“My idea?”
“—and we’re a little uncomfortable with the thought of you being alone in the house.”
“You have a state-of-the-art security system and a police station three blocks away. What’s the problem?” Her mom pressed a hand against her mouth and looked away with a hard sigh. An icy ribbon twined up Lex’s spine. “Oh. I see. I’m the problem.”
“Not exactly.” Carol faced her, clicking the acrylic tips of her nails together. “We should wait for Brad.”
“I only need to stay here for a bit. I’m in a bad spot.” Lex licked her lips. “Look, I know Brad’s not my biggest fan.”
“Don’t go demonizing him again. I told you we decided this as a couple.”
“I can’t believe this.” Her head filled with angry buzzing. This isn’t happening. “I can’t stay here while you’re gone?”
“It’d make us both more comfortable if you made other arrangements.”
“Why? What have I done wrong?” Lex held her hands out in a pleading gesture.
“Look at this from our perspective. Considering some of your recent decisions, our concerns are understandable.”
Her jaw clenched. “What decisions?”
“Lex….” Carol rubbed her temples. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t think I do.” She folded her arms on the counter. “Why don’t you explain it to me?”
“You get into a—a car accident—after partying all night, and a kid died. Instead of refocusing on your studies, your grades are in the toilet. The last time you did your laundry here, it reeked of booze. And don’t get me started on what you’ve done to your hair.” Carol placed her hands on her hips. “When you withdrew, your advisor called me to say she was concerned about your mental state. We can barely walk down the street without people whispering about you and what happened with that football player. Now you have mental health issues on your record. What are people going to say about us?”
“Nothing. Those records are confidential,” Lex gritted out.
Her mom sniffed. “What am I supposed to think, Lex? What did she mean by ‘your mental state’? Are you unstable? Should I be worried?”
“I’m not unstable.”
“You’ve been so erratic lately. You drop out, show up here without calling or telling me a thing about what’s going on until you’re on my doorstep, and then you expect Brad and I to rearrange our plans? You’ve changed, and I don’t like it.” Carol pressed her hand against her temple. “You’ve never been this thoughtless before.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Don’t talk to your mother that way.” Brad appeared in the kitchen, stern-faced, with a folded New York Times under one arm and a Starbucks cup in hand. He wore a white tennis outfit with a towel slung around his neck. “While you’re in my house, you’ll respect your mother and me—even if you’re full-grown.”
The stark contrast between Lex’s father and her mother’s new choice of mate could have filled a chapter in one of Lex’s psych texts. Captain used to call him “Brad the Boy Scout”, and he was right. Her stepdad still had the uniform—tan shorts, knee-high socks and all—framed in his home office like a gigantic sign proclaiming his wholesomeness.
“I take it the discussion is going exactly how I predicted?” Brad addressed her mom.
A muscle clenched in Lex’s jaw. She couldn’t stand the way he’d speak to her mom as if she wasn’t in the room.
Her mother nodded, all wounded dignity.
“Typical.” Brad pulled up a chair and turned to face her.
Oh, no.
Underprepared for a Brad lecture, Lex eyed the coffee. She should’ve added Bailey’s instead of cream. Playing it safe bit her in the ass lately. Brad had always been a jerk, but he seemed determined to earn his merit badge in dickishness today.
Brad and Carol exchanged a look. Lex swallowed, her gut burning. Whatever came next wouldn’t be pretty, and there was no way in hell she’d hold on to her temper. The two of them combined had the power to reduce her to a tantrum-throwing three-year-old.
She held up her hands as if she could stave off the conversation. “Look, maybe we should talk later. I’m going to my dad’s for the weekend…”
Brad’s eyebrows knitted together, and Lex swallowed. Oops. Said the D-word.
“I take it you’re going to see that biker?” her mom asked.
Alright, folks. Step on up and play our game—the Mom Wheel of Guilt and Shame.
Lex sighed. “Which biker? There’s a lot of them in Hell.”
“Don’t get smart with me.” Carol pursed her lips.
“I’m going to see Dad. Is he the biker you mean?”
Brad leaned back in his chair, king of the kitchen table. “We meant the one you showed up here with the other night—Voodoo, is it?”
The snide tone wrapped around Voo’s name was a lecture in two syllables.
“I don’t see how my weekend plans are your business.” Lex finished her coffee, already glancing towards the door. Maybe she could hide in her room under the pretense of packing until the guys showed up. “Also, while we’re at it, I’m a grown-ass woman—as you pointed out. You don’t get to choose who I hang out with anymore.”
“Lex, sweetie, don’t be defensive.” The sound of her mother’s voice raked Lex’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard. It made her physically twitch. “I was once where you are—out of control, no job, scaring my family, worried about the future. I understand. And we know this mess isn’t completely your fault, bless your heart.”
She rolled her eyes.
Carol crossed the room to put a hand on her shoulder. “At the time, a cute boy on a bike sounded like a good escape from my troubles, but it was the worst mistake of my life.”
“Your life, Mom. Not mine. And the mistake you’re talking about happens to be my father.” She ducked away, screwing her eyes shut against the unexpected prickle of tears.
If you regret him, how can you not regret me?
“Who knows what could happen if you wind up with a guy like him?” Brad the Boy Scout chimed in. “You could be dragged into something illegal or get an STD. Or wind up pregnant.”
The words like your mother hung stiff and resentful in the air.
She swallowed. “Still not seeing how this is any of your business, Brad. And believe me, you’re the last guy I’d ask for relationship advice. Not like you’ve got the perfect marriage.”
Tension swelled in the room. Now she’d gone and done it. She’d referenced That Which Shall Not Be Spoken—early in their marriage, Carol had cheated on Brad with her ex and gotten pregnant with Lex. The dirty secret no amount of luncheons, tennis matches, or Boy Scout uniforms could undo. Lex was the child of an affair.
“Your mother and I worked through our trouble. That’s what a marriage is. And this is my house, so it most certainly is my business. You can’t drop out of school to come here and ‘hang out’ with your biker boyfriends, expecting us to support you. The world doesn’t work that way, Lex.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Figure things out like the adult you keep telling me you are. I’m sorry, but with the way you’ve been acting, I don’t trust you in our home without our presence. Certainly not if men like him will be ‘visiting’ all the time.”
“It’s only the one man. What? You think I’m gonna steal from you or something?” Lex shook her head. “Get drunk and trash your place?”
“Well, we don’t know what to expect from you anymore.” Smugness rolled off Brad in waves. “Maybe if you were still acting like the girl we raised, none of this would’ve happened.”
“So I’m to blame for all of this?”
“No one said any such t
hing, sweetie.” Her mother held up a hand. “But even you must admit if you hadn’t been partying during finals…”
Brad smirked and tilted his head as if to say, See? She’s on my side.
Lex snapped.
“Fine. You can’t leave me here alone, then cancel your vacation. Stay and ‘chaperone’ me, keep an eye on the good silver and whatnot. Since you never liked me anyway, giving up the Bahamas to babysit me and the bikers should be a fuckin’ hoot, huh?”
Carol folded her arms, impatience on her face. “Lex, don’t be ug—”
“I ain’t bein’ ugly!” Lex could hear the three-year-old in her tone, stomping her feet and trying to get the adults around her to make sense. Dammit. She tried for a more adult tone.
“I’m tired of not telling the truth. Sitting here and pretending I’m not your love-child won’t make Brad like me, the same way ‘bless her heart’ doesn’t excuse you from sayin’ something mean.”
“I don’t understand why you’re acting this way.” Carol winced, her eyes widening with hurt. Great, there’s the side of guilt I ordered. “You know who you’re starting to sound like?”
And there it was—the worst insult Carol could lay at Lex’s feet and her favorite trump card to play. Taking after Captain was the deadliest of sins in the Tanner household, right up there with eating gluten.
“Go ahead and say it. I sound like Dad.” Lex thunked the coffee mug down on the table and stood. “I’m not ‘acting’ any way. I am doing my level best to keep it together and figure out my life. It’s not about you.”
“No, it’s not. It’s about you, Lexus,” Brad snapped. “Your behavior this afternoon has done nothing to convince me I should let you stay.”
“I didn’t know coming home would be such a problem!” Her face stung as blood rushed to it.
