by London Casey
“No, you can’t.”
“I can call the cell company,” Parker said.
“Then do it,” I said. “I don’t have a car right now, Parker. Okay?”
“You…what? You have no car? Of course you don’t. That piece of shit broke down again, didn’t it? How many times did I tell you to get rid of that thing? Huh? But you won’t. Hell, you can’t. You got yourself no money I bet. Can’t even afford a fucking car that runs. So where are you, Bella? Huh? Tell me. I’ll come pick you up. We’ll deal with the car later.”
“No,” I whispered. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Yeah, you’ll take care of it. Don’t make me get upset here, Bella. I’m trying to be patient with you. Think about everything you’ve caused between us in the last year…”
I lowered the cell phone to the counter and hung up on Parker.
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever hung up on him before. It sort of felt good to do. Just to get rid of him. He called right back, but I didn’t answer. He called again. I still didn’t answer. So he texted me.
This was my fault. This was all my fault.
That’s how Parker wanted me to feel. That’s what I started to feel.
I blinked fast, trying to keep myself together.
But what did it matter to keep myself together? I wasn’t out to impress anyone right then. I was alone. In an apartment that wasn’t mine. In a town that wasn’t mine. I was stuck. I was lost.
And then I was crying.
Parker texted one more time, but I didn’t bother to read it. I could already picture the way my life would be from now on. Parker convincing me it was a one-time mistake. Doing everything to make me forget about it. But it would forever linger between us. I’d walk on egg shells, worried I was going to do something wrong to make him do it again.
I swiped my hand against the counter and sent my cell phone flying across the floor.
I lowered my head, gritting my teeth. I wanted to be angry, not sad.
But I couldn’t control my body and the way it reacted.
So I cried. Because I was alone and because it felt good.
I didn’t expect the door to open.
I looked up, tears running down my cheeks.
And there was Zayne…
9
ZAYNE
When I got the tattoo done, I was drained. I held myself together for the sake of Hannah. She was a damn trooper, wanting to finish the ink up all in one shot. Normally, I wouldn’t do that, but I had nothing but time. And as long as she was okay with staying still and fighting through the pain, then so be it. I kept the music going, she kept holding the picture, and when we needed breaks, we took them.
I threw Prick a twenty and made him get something for me and Hannah for lunch. I couldn’t remember the last time I did that with a client. At least not without the intention of taking the tattooing fun outside of the shop and into my bed.
Once the tattoo was completely done, I wiped the excess ink off her skin and showed her the finished product. She got emotional and threw her arms around me, thanking me. I hugged her with one arm and told her I needed to patch her up.
By the time she left, I looked at the clock and realized my day was done. That was fine by me. The shop was still bustling with people coming and going. Tate had turned the business into its own world. Cass, River, and Axel hung around the front, talking. When Cass saw me, he pointed at me and reached into his pocket.
“Here, I owe you this.”
He handed me a ten-dollar bill.
“What’s this for?” I asked.
“Diem called me. Said to give you ten bucks.”
“For what?”
Cass smirked. That cocky rockstar grin of his that caused more trouble than it was worth.
“What’s going on here?” Axel asked. “You two make a bet or something?”
“No,” I said.
“Diem is paying you, huh, Zayne?” River asked. “You not holding the line at home, Cass?”
Cass raised an eyebrow back at me.
“Seriously?” I asked. “Yes, Cass. I slept with Diem. She owes me ten bucks.”
“Fair enough,” Cass said. “You must have been really bad if you’re only worth ten bucks.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” I said. “She paid the rest in other ways. Ways you don’t want to know about.”
Cass stepped toward me.
I hit a button.
I smiled.
“Okay,” Axel said. He stuck his massive, tattooed hand between us. “Easy now. Idiots.”
“Our moocher here has a friend in his apartment,” Cass said.
“What?” I asked.
“Juicy,” Prick said as he walked from the back. He had his hand against a woman’s back. He then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll talk to you later, babe. Keep that iced and if anything gets too swollen, you call me. I do house calls.”
Prick then joined our little group. A group I didn’t want to be part of.
We all looked at Prick.
He cupped at his chest and bit his lip. Then he whispered, “Fucking huge. I love nipple rings.”
“Good to know,” I said. “I’m cutting out.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Prick said. “What’s this about you having someone at your apartment?”
“Yeah,” Cass said. “I’d love to hear this.”
“You don’t know a thing,” I said.
“What I know is that Diem went down to Donna’s today to get a coffee and get Paisley a cookie.”
“Fuck, Donna makes the best cookies,” Axel said.
“She does,” Prick said. “And there’s something about her in an apron with those hips. I never saw fifty look so good on a woman.”
“Point being,” Cass said. “Diem forgot her wallet. Lo and behold, some woman starts talking to her. Gives Paisley a piece of her cookie. Then hands Diem a ten-dollar bill. They get to talking…”
“Oh, shit,” Axel said. He looked at me. “A friend, huh?”
“Leave it at that,” I said.
“Hell no,” Prick said. “What the hell are you doing with a woman in your apartment?”
“What do you think he’s doing?” River asked.
“You guys are fucking ridiculous,” I said. “Her car broke down, and I’m helping her.”
“I’ve seen movies that start like that,” Prick said. “But they never end up getting the car towed, you know what I mean?”
Cass shook his head. “And I bet you paid for that movie, too.”
“Of course,” Prick said. “I support the industry. I don’t just look for free videos.”
“Wow,” Axel said. “This conversation is something.”
“What are we talking about?” Tate asked as he approached all of us.
“Zayne has a girlfriend,” Axel said.
“He’s holding some woman captive and having his way with her,” Prick said.
“Oh?” Tate asked.
“Not even close,” I said. “Her car broke down. Gonzo’s fixing it. I told her she could stay at my place until it’s fixed.”
“She doesn’t have a phone to call for a ride?” Cass asked.
“It’s not that simple,” I said.
“Wait a second,” River said. “Let me guess…she’s on the run from her boyfriend.”
I didn’t reply.
They all started to laugh.
Tate let out a growling scoff and rubbed his chin. “Just be careful, Zayne. Women have a way…”
“I don’t need advice,” I said. “See you all later.”
I left St. Skin and got on my motorcycle.
There were about fifty things going through my mind that I wanted to say to Bella when I got home. The truth, though, was that I was the one causing this. I was the one stalling Gonzo from repairing Bella’s car so I could have more time with her. All because of some crazy thoughts going through my head. And in some ways, I wanted to help her. Save her. Keep her from getting hurt again.
So I had
to bite my tongue as I cruised back to my place.
I told myself this was the last night. I just wanted to spend a little more time with her. Find out what really happened with her boyfriend. Make sure she was okay to be driving and that she had some actual direction.
Fuck that, though…I was the one looking for direction. And I was looking for her to help with that.
The more I thought about it, the more insane it was.
The wedding invitation in the drawer. The true story about myself and what happened. Spending time between the apartment and St. Skin, claiming I was saving money to head to Miami when I was really just spinning my wheels in the sand.
So, yeah, Bella was a welcome and sort of comforting distraction.
I opened the door to my apartment and expected to find her still there.
I didn’t expect to find her crying.
There I was, though, running toward Bella. Dropping my bag. Tossing my keys to the table. She sat on the counter, and I put myself in front of her, making sure she couldn’t get off the counter. My hands grabbed at her waist like we were more comfortable together than what time should have allowed.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said. “Sorry. This is crazy.”
“Hey, crazy is what I do. Why are you crying?”
She nodded to the counter. I looked down, and there was nothing there.
“What?” I asked.
“My phone. Sorry. I threw it off the counter.”
“Your phone. Right.”
“He called,” she whispered. “Said stuff.”
I gritted my teeth. “I wish you’d tell me what happened.”
“No,” she said. “It’s not your problem.” She looked up with just her eyes and took a breath.
When she exhaled, her breath hit my face. I moved my hands from her body to the counter. I felt like tearing the counter down, I was so pent up with so many damn emotions.
“Did you hear from the garage yet?” she asked. “I don’t want to keep burdening you.”
“You’re not burdening me,” I said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so, Zayne. The things he says…he’s sort of right.”
“Right about what?”
“My car.”
“What about your car?”
“That it’s broken down. It’s a piece of shit. I should have a better job and save more money to get a better car.”
“A car? That’s what that guy is worried about? Fuck that.”
Bella laughed.
“I’m serious,” I said. “Fuck that. Let me ask you a question. And be honest.”
“Okay,” Bella said.
“Would you go back to him right now? If your car was fixed? You’re good to go. Would you go back there?”
She just stared at me. “Why?”
“I just want to know what he means to you.”
“I don’t know, Zayne. I can’t answer that.”
“But you’re not together?”
“No. No way in hell.”
“He hurt you.”
“Yeah. But maybe I hurt him too.”
“What if I give you the keys to my truck? You can do whatever you want. We can swap when your car is fixed. You going back there?”
I couldn’t get an answer out of her, and I wasn’t even really sure what the hell I was asking myself.
“Zayne, what’s your story?” Bella asked, turning the tables on me.
That’s when I tried to break away from her. I pushed from the counter, but she quickly grabbed my wrists. I was too strong for her and pulled her from the counter. She stumbled toward me and put her hands to my chest to brace herself. Her hands slid up to my shoulders and she held them here. Way longer than was needed.
“Bella…”
“You’re asking me too many questions,” she whispered. “Because you’re curious about something that happened to you.”
“No,” I lied. “I’m just trying to be nice to you.”
“Then tell me your story.”
“I have no story, darlin’. This is my life. You see it.”
“I thought you said that Gonzo guy was a good mechanic,” she said.
“I said he’s the best mechanic in town.”
“Meaning the only one, right?”
“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “But he knows what he’s doing. Trust me.”
“Trust you,” she whispered. “Sure.”
“Look,” I said. “Call me what you want right now. But I’m just trying to do what I think is right. And I’m sorry for whatever this guy did to you. Don’t ask me why I care so much about it. I just do. I…I get it.”
Bella then moved her right hand to my face. “You’re a big mystery, Zayne. I don’t know if I like that.”
“Being a mystery means you get to make up your own ending here,” I said. “You get to make up everything about me.”
“Maybe I don’t want to make things up about you.”
“Sure you do. Your heart got broken, Bella. So now you get to live in a fantasy world for a bit.”
“Yeah.”
I had the urge to kiss her. Just staring at her. Her eyes were honest and vulnerable. I wasn’t sure many women would be in her position. Just posting up in my apartment the way she did. Which meant she really was on the run and really was trying to hide. And it fit for exactly what my mind was thinking.
There was something clicking between us. Right or wrong, good reason or not, that didn’t matter. What mattered were the moments and what those moments felt like.
“I have something for you,” I whispered.
“Yeah?”
I reached into my pocket and took out the ten-dollar bill. “This is for you.”
“Money?”
“Money.”
“For what?”
“I take it you took my truck out today?”
“Oh,” she said. “That…”
“I don’t mind, darlin’. I told you it was yours to use.”
“I saw Diem. She’s nice. Her daughter is adorable.”
“She and Cass are together,” I said. “Wild story they share. But love is love.”
“Yeah. Love is love.”
“I took a lot of shit because of this ten bucks,” I said. “Guys were ragging my ass over you.”
“Sorry. I didn’t even think…”
I tossed the ten to the table and grabbed Bella’s hips again. I gave her a one-second window to smack my hands away or to slap me across the face. She didn’t. So I kept going.
I lifted her and carried her to the counter.
She had handfuls of my t-shirt as we stared each other down.
“Right now, Bella, tell me what you want.”
“Honestly?”
“Honestly,” I said.
She half-smirked. “I want to get drunk.”
10
BELLA
I sipped the third shot because the first two were still burning in the bottom of my belly. The name of the bar was Little Mickey’s. It was half-full, and Zayne had me and him in the corner at the end of the bar. He sat sideways with his back against the wall. Everything about him screamed brooding and sexy. He did not look the part of the guy who had helped me and insisted I stay at his place.
But one thing I knew for sure—the more I drank, the less I cared about Parker. It was freaking awesome.
“That’s not water, darlin’,” Zayne said to me as I sipped the shot of whiskey.
“Then you drink it,” I said. “You pussy.”
Zayne laughed. He grabbed for his bottle of beer. “I need to make sure I get you home safe, darlin’. No wild driving for me tonight.”
“Wimp,” I muttered.
He leaned forward and said with a curled lip, “At least I’m not the one drinking away a broken heart.”
“Ouch,” I said. “Dick.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey, Zayne, my brothe
r,” someone said. “Tell me this is…”
Zayne pointed and shook his head. “That’s Axel.”
I looked and saw a monster of a man approaching us. The guy was tall, wide, maybe the biggest human I’d ever seen in my life. And that was saying something, because to me, Zayne was a huge guy too.
“Axel?” I asked.
“That’s me,” he said.
“That your real name?”
“Does it matter?”
“I’m just asking. You big jerk.”
“Whoa,” Zayne said. He touched my wrist. “Whiskey muscles?”
“I’ll fight you next,” I said and tried to give a bitchy face.
“Axel, what can I get you to drink?” Zayne asked. “My treat. My tab.”
“Payment to make me disappear, huh?” Axel asked. Then he said, “Hey, Pecker, get me a beer.”
Pecker.
That was the name of the bartender.
What a name, huh?
“So, what’s your story?” Axel asked me.
“Does it matter?” I mocked at Axel.
He laughed. “I’m just asking. You big jerk.”
“I like him,” I said to Zayne.
“Good,” Zayne said. “Go stay at his place then.”
“Oh, I’d take this one on,” Axel said and winked at me.
I felt myself blush.
But then something happened.
Zayne stood up. He stepped toward me, making sure his arm was touching me.
Being protective maybe? Because he was jealous that someone made a comment about wanting me? Or maybe he was protecting me from making a dumb mistake like having a crazy rebound night with a guy like Axel.
But that wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t my type.
I looked up at Zayne. Zayne, on the other hand…
“You missed a good one when you left,” Axel said to Zayne.
“What?” Zayne asked.
“Tate and Prick had a little discussion.”
“About what?”
“Prick said something about getting a bigger cut of what he brings in.”
Zayne laughed. “That was risky, huh?”
“Well, Tate offered to give Prick a new piercing.”
“And what was that?” Zayne asked.
“He grabbed him and put him on the counter and tried to pierce his mouth shut.”
“What?” I asked. “Where do you work at?” I looked up at Zayne again.
He laughed. “There’s a few things you learn about St. Skin. First, you work hard. Second, you play hard. Third, you don’t fuck with Tate and his vision.”
