“What the hell’s going on?” Nash ran fingers through his long hair, shocked by how much it had grown.
“They’re out working. Lash covered for your ass again,” Hardy said, standing up.
The respect Nash had for Hardy was high. He hated the look of disgust in the other man’s eyes. Nash was shocked by the looks his brother and now Hardy were giving him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No? I know a drug addict when I see one. I don’t like you being at the clubhouse, but Tiny’s got too many problems with Eva and the club to see your problems. We all see it, and the guys don’t like it. We’ve got women and children who visit here, regularly. Drugs are not part of the deal with us.” Hardy folded his hands over his chest, stepping close. “I’m giving you a chance to get clean, or I’m making Tiny aware of the fact.” He turned to look in the direction where Rose walked off. “My woman means the world to me. You put her in danger, and I’ll end you.”
With those parting words, Hardy left. Standing in the empty clubhouse, Nash zeroed in on Mikey’s picture. The older biker had been killed four months ago by one of their enemies. It had been that long since the old man had died, but it felt like he’d been gone far longer. Nash missed him. Mikey was the one guy who knew how to handle everything. Tiny was the leader, the guy in charge, but Mikey had been the voice of reason. Nash had been taking drugs for over two months. The fact he hadn’t been caught shocked him. Tiny really must be distracted with the rebuild of the club, Tate’s wedding, and everything else to do with their lives. Nash’s luck would run out sooner rather than later. He knew it down to his soul.
Staring at the picture Nash realized he’d been controlled by the drugs longer than he thought. Staring down at his hands, he vowed to get sober from it all. No drinking, no drugs, and no rough partying.
His hands started to shake, and the scent of booze lingered in the air. Drink was never really a problem. He could handle one drink.
****
Sophia Wright stared at the box in front of her. Ever since her landlord had been calling for her rent she’d had no choice but to get another job in the boxing factory. Between her waitressing job and the factory job she was earning enough to make ends meet. Providing nothing happened in her life like illness or, heck, actually having a life, she’d be fine. When she learned that Edward Myers, or Nash as he was known as to most people, had been paying for her place and that he’d stopped paying suddenly, she’d been shocked. She hadn’t realized he was paying for her place, and then she’d been hurt. He’d moved her into a place that she couldn’t afford, but she loved.
Shaking her head, she got back to business of making up the box in front of her. If she didn’t make up her quota her boss was going to be on her ass for more. She hated her boss. He was a fucking asshole.
Without this job I can’t live.
She kept saying the same thing over and over again. With everything that happened in her life in the last few months she’d dropped out of college. Her heart wasn’t in the studying at all. After she’d quit college, she tossed all of her books in the trash. There was no need for her to try to improve her life. Fort Wills wasn’t raving on the job front. The town was controlled by bikers, and that alone made finding work hard. For her it was difficult as Kate, her sister, had portrayed an image that many others believed Sophia to share.
Plenty of women she’d grown up with wanted to be an old lady or a sweet-butt. She didn’t want any of it. When Kate, her deceased sister, brought a Skull home, Sophia had been shocked. Edward, or Nash as he was better known, was nothing like the bikers she’d imagined in her mind. He’d been sweet, thoughtful, and the complete opposite of the biker image he portrayed. Whenever they’d been together, he’d been so nice, not once commenting on her plus size figure. In fact, she’d started to wonder what he ever saw in her sister.
“Get your head out of your ass, Sophia. Those boxes won’t make themselves,” her boss, Willy, said.
Ignoring his comments, she sped up her work.
Need the job. Need the job. Need the job.
It didn’t matter how many times she said the words, what she did was boring.
Her boss got right in close behind her. She didn’t make a sound and kept working as if he wasn’t there. “You need to keep that speed at all times if you want to keep this job.”
He threatened the end of her job every day. At first she’d been afraid in case he did take away her work, which was why she put up with his crap. She’d called him out on sexual harassment, and he’d thrown Kate in her face. Who would believe her when everyone knew how Kate was? She didn’t know why some people judged her on Kate’s actions, but it was a small town, and she knew what that meant. Her life had really gone to shit since her sister’s death and her kicking Nash out of her life.
Fight it.
Sophia didn’t fight. She dealt with the problem at hand and ignored everything else she could. There was no one else to fight for her. She was all alone in the world.
Taking each unmade box, she made them up and sent them back down the line without question. Glancing up she saw several of the other workers smirking at her. Willy put his hand on her hip, and she tensed up. There was a vibe she got from Willy that made her uneasy. He wasn’t a good man. She saw the evil lurking in his eyes, which was so dramatic that it caused her to freak out inside.
“You know, if you were a bit more open to me I could make your workplace a hell of a lot better for you.” He whispered the words against her ear.
She gasped, grabbing his hand before he could let it wander. “I’m fine where I am, thank you.”
Stepping out of his space, she tried to make the boxes up from an odd angle. Willy kept glaring at her. She knew he’d find a way to make her pay. Today was not going to be that day. He stormed off without saying a word.
Licking her lips she continued working only stopping for lunch when needed. She didn’t make friends with anyone at work. She hadn’t been at the boxing factory long, and a lot of them didn’t like her. Kate had a reputation that spread far wider than Sophia anticipated.
Get over it. Your sister does not control everything.
In her mind’s eye, Kate did.
When work was finished she went to the room where her coat and bag were stored. On the way out another man, Gill she thought his name was, stepped in front of her. He reminded her a lot of Willy. The danger he posed terrified her. Chancing a look around the room she noted that no one was around to witness their interaction.
The past couple of weeks she’d been stopped by many people intent on talking with her or to say something horrid about her sister.
“What do you want?” she asked, getting angrier by the second at being forced into a corner.
“What’s the rush, babe?” A couple of his friends had stayed behind to smirk.
“Got work to do.” Hitching her bag on her shoulder she made to go to the door. Gill stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“I didn’t say you could go.”
Her heart started to pound. The grip on her arm was too tight. Biting her lip she stared up at another man wanting something she wasn’t prepared to give. His gaze wandered down the length of her body.
Seriously? Her body was huge. She enjoyed cooking and eating, and her shape proved that. Kate liked to remind her every day how men hated women with curves.
“Kate was a game girl. She loved to party, and I’m thinking you’re the same.”
Rolling her arms, Sophia shook her head. “You’re wrong. I’m nothing like my sister.” She tugged her arm out of his hold, glaring at him.
“You’re not being very nice.”
“I’m not a nice girl,” she said, glaring at him.
“I don’t like your attitude.” The man before her was stronger than she was. She cried out as he slammed her against the lockers pushing his body against her. “I think it’s time you showed me the same attention Kate liked.”
His breat
h was rancid. She cried out as his hand covered her mouth, muffling the noise. No one could hear her, and his other hand was caressing down her body.
As suddenly as he’d trapped her, she was free. What was it about these men? They had come to Fort Wills over a month ago. She saw only them at the factory but never around the town. Did any of The Skulls know them? Sophia cursed her lack of knowledge. She didn’t even know what was going on in her own town.
“I believe the lady said no.”
There was her answer. The Skulls didn’t know them. Sophia looked up hoping to see Edward. His brother, Nigel, was stood in his place. The cut of his leather jacket was showing off The Skulls’ emblem clearly. She took a deep breath loving the fact she could relax. The Skulls always made her feel safe.
Then why did you send Edward away?
“We’re not looking for trouble,” Gill said.
“Good, get out.” Nigel let him go, shoving Gill out the door.
“Thank you,” she said, gaining Nigel’s attention.
He turned to her scowling. “Has Nash been to see you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve not seen him in a long time.”
Lash took a step closer to her. The man before her was not the man Edward described as his brother. Lash was entirely Skull. His real name left her mind as she stared up at him.
“Something happened between you and my brother.”
“Nothing happened.” She stared down at her feet. The lie felt bitter on her lips. She’d been a bitch and pushed him away. When he’d walked out of her apartment all those months ago she wished she could take back what she said.
“No? Well my brother is using, so I’m guessing something happened,” Lash said.
At his words she looked up. “Drugs? Edward is using drugs?”
“His name is Nash, and yeah, he’s using.”
“Are you sure?”
“He’s off his face all the time. Whatever set him off, you better fix it.” Lash rested a hand on the locker beside her head. “I don’t know you, and it won’t be a problem to me to get rid of you. Fix my brother, or I’ll fix you. Do you understand me?”
She nodded, gulping past the panic inside her. Crap, she’d just been threatened, and she’d not seen Nash in so long.
“Good.” Lash turned away and walked out.
Leaving the room she headed in the direction of her apartment. She couldn’t afford a car, and walking wasn’t a problem to her. Keeping her head down she tried to think about everything Lash said.
Don’t call them by real names. They’re not Edward and Nigel anymore. They’re Nash and Lash.
Whenever she thought of Nash she felt an answering pulse between her thighs. He’d been the only man to make her yearn. She’d watched him with Kate and felt jealous of her sister. The guilt swamped her as she recalled the feelings consuming her at her sister’s presence and now she was dead. She and Kate had been as different as chalk and cheese. They were not alike at all. They didn’t even like the same stuff, but Sophia was attracted to Nash. He was the only person she’d ever felt anything for.
And I pushed him away.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her keys and looked up. She paused when she saw Nash leaning against his bike.
This was the first time she’d seen him since sending him away that day. He looked thinner than she remembered, and his locks were dark with grease.
Stepping close, she felt her heart speed up.
“Hello,” she said.
Chapter Two
Sophia was more beautiful than he remembered. The sun was shining down on her giving her an air of innocence that took his breath away. Her dark midnight hair was bound together with a band at the back. Glancing down her body he noted the plastic bangles on her wrist. He’d bought her several of those bangles when he realized she liked wearing them. She wore a pair of jeans and a checkered shirt. The leather jacket was a new addition. He’d never seen her in clothes like these before. She looked a little hard around the edges. Her face was clear of any make up.
“Hello, Sophia,” he said.
His hands were shaking. He’d taken three shots of whiskey before heading out to see her. Getting a chance to be with her, Nash was debating his decision to drink at all. He also thought Lash had been here minutes before, but he wasn’t sure.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’ve missed you and wanted to see how you were doing.” He’d gone to the college and been unable to find her.
“I’m doing good. You?”
Everything seemed stilted between them. Looking down at the floor he nodded. “I’ve been great.”
He watched as she looked past his shoulder. “It’s been too long since I last saw you. I don’t like not seeing you.”
“You sent me away, Sophia. I’m not the kind of guy who sticks around after being kicked to the curb.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. So, how have you been?”
“Shit has been busy. I went to the college, and you weren’t there. Is today a free period or something?” he asked, needing to hear her voice.
She shook her head. “No, I quit.”
“What?”
“I don’t need college anymore. I’m working to keep my apartment.”
Nash frowned. “Keeping your apartment? You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”
A mask came over her. Her hands went to her hips. “No, you haven’t. I can’t believe you started paying for my apartment.” She stopped, and he watched her close her eyes.
He’d seen her do it several times while he’d been with Kate. When he’d asked what it was about, Kate told him Sophia had a problem with her anger. Nash didn’t believe it. In the years he’d known her, he’d never once seen Kate lose it.
“I don’t need your money, Nash. I never did.”
When she used his Skull name, he winced. She’d always called him by his given name. “This wasn’t about the fucking money, Sophia. I was helping you out.”
“Why? You didn’t owe me anything. We don’t owe each other fuck all. You were with Kate, and now she’s dead.” She brushed past him, ending their talk.
Leaving his bike, Nash followed her inside the building, refusing to back down even as his stomach turned. Fuck, he could do with a high.
“What the hell are you trying to say?” he asked.
She kept walking up the stairs. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering to the curves of her ass. Nash wanted to reach out and touch her. He wondered what she’d do if he caressed her tempting body. Doing so would probably get him into a lot of trouble.
Sophia opened the door to her apartment heading inside. She tried to close the door on him, but he wouldn’t let her. Nash was stronger than she was, and he used his strength to push his way into her space, determined to get answers.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I want answers. I was with Kate, but there was nothing else between us. Kate meant nothing to me.”
“So my sister was just a bit of fun for you to have on the side.” She pushed some hair off her face, and he saw her cheeks were red.
“Kate knew the score. Besides, she was a first class bitch to you. Kate didn’t like you. She sure as shit didn’t care about you.” He stepped closer, wanting, no needing, to touch her.
“It doesn’t matter what was between Kate and me. We were sisters.”
“I never cared about Kate.”
She shook her head, stepping back. “Why are you here?”
“I came to see you.”
“Why?”
Because I can’t breathe, and I need to know you’re all right.
“We’re friends.”
“No, you wanted a hell of a lot more than friendship. My sister was gone, and you were moving onto the next girl.”
He felt his anger growing with her accusations. “That was not what happened, and you know it,” he said, growling.
&n
bsp; “It wasn’t? You could have fooled me. You kissed me, remember?” Her arms were folded. She’d dropped her bag to the floor.
Nash was speechless by what he was seeing. Sophia had always been quiet, sweet around him. The woman before him was not sweet or light. There was a dark edge to her that he couldn’t describe or understand. What had he been missing?
“What’s going on with you?” he asked.
“Nothing. You’re here trying to get answers. I want you to answer my question.” Her voice rose, yelling at him.
“I kissed you because I wanted to, Sophia.”
“Why? Are you giving the fat girl a pity fuck?” she asked.
The anger spilled out. Grabbing the picture frame from the drawer unit beside him, he threw it across the room. The frame landed against the wall, smashing. Sophia didn’t flinch. She looked startled. Her gaze moved from the frame to him.
“Don’t ever say shit about yourself like that. I never thought of you in that way, Sophia. I kissed you because I wanted you.” He stopped, putting his shaking hands on his hips. “Fine, you want answers, then I’ll tell you the truth. “I was fucking your sister so I could be closer to you. I couldn’t stand Kate. I was with her for the easy fuck she was. When I wanted to get my dick wet, she was there. Satisfied?” he asked.
Tears were streaming down her face. “Get out.”
“No. I was with Kate for you.”
“What?”
He laughed. “Shocked you, have I? Guess what, baby? I wanted you. I couldn’t give a shit about Kate, and I don’t even miss her. I’m sorry she’s dead. She was your sister, and I know that’s going to be hard to deal with, but I don’t give a shit about her being gone or not. You were the one I wanted.”
Nash let it all out without leaving anything left between them. She looked a little pale from his outburst. For too long they’d let their situation slide. He wasn’t going to let Sophia mistake his feelings again.
“You used my sister to get to me?” He nodded. “Why?”
Taking a step closer, she took a step back. Nash stalked her until she was trapped by the kitchen counter. Putting his hands either side of her on the counter, he leaned in close. “You make me ache, Sophia. When I look at you, I want to make you mine all the time. You’re all I can think about. I want you badly.”
Nash (The Skulls) Page 2
