by L. Wilder
Night, Seth.
Seth:
Night, beautiful.
As I stared at the screen, I realized I had a huge smile on my face. I’d spent the entire day on pins and needles, completely terrified and on edge, and yet there I was feeling happy. Without even knowing it, he’d completely turned my day around. I looked around the room, hating the fact that I was even there, and I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming guilt. Seth was such a great guy, and it wasn’t fair of me to drag him into my mess. But I needed one tiny piece of good in my life—just something to hang on to when everything went to hell. I was lost in my thoughts when I thought I heard a noise coming from Slider’s room. Trying to keep up with my charade, I quickly removed my jeans, leaving only my t-shirt and panties on, and rushed to his door. I walked in to find his face buried in a pillow and his ass in the air. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. Everything about my new-found situation simply sucked.
I went back to the living room. After I set my alarm, I curled back up on the sofa. I needed to make sure I was up well before him and put the rest of our plan into action. It took some time, but I finally managed to fall asleep—if you could call it sleep. I spent the entire night tossing and turning, praying that he wouldn’t wake up and find me sleeping on the sofa. When I got up, he was still sleeping soundly, so I rushed to the bathroom for a shower. Again, I was surprised by how tidy it was. It was almost too clean, especially for a biker who spent all his time running with a bunch of thugs. Ignoring my reservations, I took my shower and got dressed for school. When I was done, I walked over to his side of the bed and sat down next to him.
As I placed my hand on his shoulder, I whispered, “Slider?”
He stretched and groaned as he rolled over to face me. With a sleepy smile, he said, “Hey. Where you runnin’ off to?”
“I’ve got to get to class. I just wanted to thank you for last night. It was definitely a night to remember,” I snickered, trying not to sound too sarcastic.
“Really?” Confusion crossed his face as he looked down at his naked body and the disheveled bed. “Damn, baby. I’m sorry. I was hammered last night.”
“I couldn’t tell,” I lied. I placed my hand on his chest and smiled. “I better get going. Can I get you anything?”
“Just you, baby.”
Before I could react, he reached for my hand and pulled me towards him. I tried not to gag as he pressed his lips against mine. His breath was foul, and he still reeked of cigarettes and alcohol. I gently pulled back and fought the urge to wipe away the remanence of the kiss. I gave him a quick pat on his chest as I stood up to leave. “I really need to go.”
“You working tonight?”
“Yes, but I will be coming in later. I have class, and then I’m going to the library to work on my paper.”
“I’ve gotta make a run with the boys. We’re heading upstate, so I won’t be home for a couple of days.”
Trying not to sound too excited, I replied, “Oh. Okay. Be careful.”
“Call me if you need anything, Zo. I meant what I said last night. I want to make this thing work with us.”
“I know, and so far, so good.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll leave you a key under the mat. Just make yourself at home.”
I had no intention of staying at his house, but I nodded and hurried out of the room. When I got to my car, I felt like I’d dodged a bullet as I leaned back in my seat. While I’d made it through the first night, I had no idea how I was going to keep it up. It was only a matter of time before the tricks no longer worked.
Knowing time wasn’t on my side, I decided it was time to get with Kat and put the second phase of our plan into motion.
With my mind a muddled mess, I headed to my class and tried to block Slider from my mind. I glanced to my side and found Josh staring at me. I gave him a friendly wave and smiled. “Hey, Josh.”
“Hey, Zoe.”
“Did you finish your paper?” I asked.
He shrugged and groaned. “No, but I’m getting close.”
“I’m sure you’ll get it.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” An odd expression crossed his face before he asked, “Was that your boyfriend at the coffeeshop?”
“Umm… No. He was just a friend.”
“He looked like a pretty good friend.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I didn’t like where the conversation was headed, so I reached for my textbook and said, “I guess I better catch up on my reading before class starts.”
He gave me a quick chin-lift, then turned his focus back to his laptop. Something was up with him, but I didn’t have it in me to care. The professor started the lecture, and everything else was forgotten. As soon as class was over, I felt a tingle of excitement wash over me. Seth was waiting for my message, and I was eager to see him. If the brothers hadn’t gone off on a run, I would’ve been more apprehensive about meeting him. There’d only be a few prospects and maybe Hawk to contend with. I knew Scotty, one of the last guys my father brought in, would have my back if anything came up. Even after a year or more of prospecting, he still hadn’t earned his patch. His loyalty to my father and I made the brothers wary of him. He had to work harder than the others. I often wondered why he hadn’t just walked away. I always assumed it was because he had nowhere else to go.
When he was down on his luck, my father gave him an opportunity for a better life, not knowing how things would turn out. Regardless, I liked having him around. He’d always had a soft spot for me, mainly because he loved my dad, and I felt safer having him close. Like me, Scotty missed having my father around and always tried to do what he could to help me. I hoped he’d be there for me if anything went wrong while I was with Seth.
As I walked out into the hall, I sent Seth a text, letting him know I was free. I was pleasantly surprised when he replied and suggested that we meet at the little park out by the bay.
I wasted no time getting to my car. I was practically giddy as I headed out onto the highway. It was a beautiful day with the sun reflecting off the water. When I pulled up, he was sitting on a bench next to the water. My heart took a leap the minute I saw him. I got out of the car, and a bright smile spread across his face when he spotted me walking in his direction. I’d never felt such a strong pull to anyone, and I found it difficult not to run over to him and throw my arms around him. With each step, the anticipation became stronger, more profound, making me fight to keep control of myself. I was beginning to realize that my plan to keep things simple was going to be harder than I thought.
The moment I saw her step out of that car, I was a goner. She was absolutely breathtaking, and after just one look, I’d all but forgotten Big’s warning that something was up with her. When he’d used the tracking device in her phone, he’d noticed that she didn’t go home after work. After a little digging, he discovered she’d gone to stay with Slider, one of the Chosen. The news made us doubt Clutch’s theory about her not being happy with the club. I didn’t want to believe that she was involved with one of them, but the fact still remained: she’d spent the night in that motherfucker’s house. I thought all hope was gone until I received her text message. I’d convinced myself that if she was with Slider and if she was fucking him, then she wouldn’t have been texting me in the middle of the night. There had to be more to it, and I was determined to find out what it was.
When she started walking my way, I got up and met her halfway. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her curves and a pink top that hung off her shoulder. Absolutely stunning. “Hey there, beautiful.”
“Hi, Seth.”
“How was class?”
“It was fine. Nothing exciting there.” She smiled as she looked out onto the water. “It’s such a pretty day.”
“Yeah, it is. I thought we might take advantage of it and take a walk, if you’re up for it.”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
There were so many que
stions racing through my head, and while I wanted to ask them all, I knew I had to take my time with her. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her off, so I asked, “Did you ever get to sleep last night?”
With a slight grimace, she answered, “Eventually. I was just a little restless. I guess I had a lot on my mind.”
“Anything particular weighing on ya?”
“Not really. Just school and things at work. What about you?”
“I had this girl on my mind, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about her.”
She turned to look at me and smiled. “Oh really? Must be a pretty special girl to keep you up like that.”
“You could say that.”
“Well, tell me about this special girl of yours,” she taunted.
The wind blew her hair into her eyes. I reached out, brushing it from her face as I said, “I was hoping you could help me out with that. Why don’t you tell me a little something about yourself?”
“Okay. What do you want to know?”
“I want to know everything,” I teased. “But I’ll take whatever you’ll give me.”
“Okay, but just so you know, this goes both ways.”
“I’m good with that.”
She paused for a few minutes as she considered what she was going to share with me. We walked over to the edge of the water, and she looked up at me and said, “I was three when my mother died. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, so it was just me and my dad.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It couldn’t have been easy to lose your mom so early on.”
“No, but we did okay. My dad was really good to me.” I could see the sadness in her eyes as she talked about him, and there was no doubt that losing him had hurt her. “We didn’t have much family. Just my dad’s sister Janet and her kids. I think that’s the main reason he started the club. Everyone loved him, so it didn’t take long for him to get it together.”
“I didn’t know him personally, but I’ve heard stories. He sounded like a good man.”
“He was one of the best.” She shrugged with defeat. “There was a time when the club was something he was proud of. They were all about family and loyalty, but things have changed. It’s like they’re different people altogether.”
I could hear the anguish in her voice as she spoke, so I knew it wasn’t easy for her to talk about. It was then that I thought Clutch might’ve been right about his suspicions, but I needed to know for sure. “I take it you aren’t happy about the changes?”
“That’s putting it lightly. I hate it.” She turned towards the path, and we both started walking again. “You know how it is. They keep everything a secret, so I don’t know what’s really going on with them, but I know it’s not good. My dad started the shop so they’d have money coming into the club. They were doing really well, but it wasn’t enough for some. They kept pushing for more and more. My dad tried to convince them it wasn’t the way to go, but they wouldn’t listen. They just kept pushing. Once he was gone, they bought the strip club and started … I really shouldn’t be talking about all this.”
“You don’t have to worry. This conversation stays between us.”
“I know, but I’m no better than them if I go against the brothers.”
“Do you still consider them family?”
She stopped and turned to look out at the bay as she answered, “Honestly… no. I mean, there’s Kat. She’s like a sister to me, and there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her, but the others… No. They’re a different story. There’s no trust there, no loyalty among the brothers. Everyone is out for themselves, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process.”
“I can understand that.”
As we started walking again, she looked over at me and asked, “What about your club? Would you consider them your family?”
“Absolutely. I’d put my life on the line for any one of them,” I answered adamantly.
“I thought so. I miss that. I can remember loving being there with them. The cookouts. The Sunday rides. Birthday parties and weddings. We were always there for one another, but it’s not like that anymore. It’s all about them getting drunk and getting laid. Nothing else seems to matter.”
“I hate to hear that.” I had a question that I’d been wanting to ask since she started talking, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer. The last thing I wanted to hear was that she’d been claimed by one of those assholes. “With your father gone, why don’t you just walk away?”
“It’s not that easy.” I could tell by the tone in her voice that I’d hit a sore spot.
“Nothing worth having is ever easy, Zoe.”
“Let’s take a break from me for a minute. Why don’t you tell me something about you?”
I didn’t want to take a break. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on with her, but I didn’t want to push—not yet. “So, the tables have turned.”
“Yep. Tell me something about you that nobody else knows.”
“Seriously? That’s a tough one,” I chuckled.
“Spill it.”
“When I can’t sleep, I like to watch the Andy Griffith show.”
With a surprised smile, she snickered, “No way! I used to watch that all the time with my dad.”
“Been watching it since I was a kid.”
“Okay. Duly noted. What about your favorite food?”
“My mom’s gravy and biscuits.”
“Wow. You didn’t skip a beat on that one.”
“You haven’t tried it. Trust me. It’s incredible.”
We continued sharing tidbits about ourselves until we’d walked the entire path and made it back to the parking lot. When I checked the time, it was almost three. “Do you have time to grab a bite to eat?”
“I really should get to work. Could I take a rain check?”
“Sure.” I was eager to spend more time with her, so I asked, “How about a late dinner?”
“Umm… I don’t know.” She paused for just a minute, but I could tell by the way she was studying me that she was considering it.
“You’ve gotta eat sometime, beautiful.”
“Okay. I’m in.”
I wanted to kiss her, to taste her and feel her lips against mine, but the timing wasn’t right. I leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Her scent, a mix of vanilla and lavender, seduced my senses, making it even harder to step away. I opened her car door, and as she stepped inside, I told her, “Just give me a shout when you’re free.”
As soon as we left the park, I headed back to the warehouse to touch base with the brothers. I assured them that I was making headway, and even though I know she was holding something back, I truly believed I was getting somewhere with her. I just needed to find a way to get her to open up to me. It was the only way, I’d ever get the intel we needed. I knew getting the information might come at a cost. There was a chance she’d think I was only interested in information about the Chosen, but that was only half of it. I knew it was wrong, but as much as I wanted to get the goods on them, I wanted her more.
I’d only been at the warehouse a couple of hours when I got a message from Zoe saying that she’d gotten off work early. She suggested a little seafood place not far from where we’d met earlier. When I met up with her, I was surprised to see that she changed clothes and had done her hair differently. It was pulled up off her shoulders, revealing a low-cut black V-neck, making it damned near impossible to keep my eyes from drifting. I had to restrain myself as I followed her into the restaurant and sat down at a small table in the back of the restaurant. It was quiet and easy for us to talk. We’d only just met, but it was like we’d known each other forever. There was no overthinking or second guessing, and I couldn’t get enough.
“I’d like to go to the beach. I don’t even care where. Just somewhere that I can feel the sand between my toes.”
“You in a bikini? Oh, yeah. I’d definitely be down for that.”
“A bikini? Me? No, sir.”
“Umm… no.” Her nose crinkled like she smelled something bad as she motioned her hands towards her lower waist. “Seriously. Nobody needs to see all this in a bikini. I’m all about a one-piece and a cover-up.”
I never dreamed that a girl as beautiful as her could ever have doubts about her body. Every inch of her was perfect, and I couldn’t imagine why she thought otherwise. “You’re killing me, doll. A body like yours could bring a man to his knees.”
With an exaggerated eye roll, she replied, “If you say so.”
“I do say so. You’re the kind of woman men fight wars for… and not just because of your killer figure. You’re amazing, Zoe.”
“You’re sweet, Seth.”
“Nothing sweet about me. I’m just telling it the way it is.” I reached across the table and placed my hand over hers. “One day, I’ll have to show just how much I love looking at that hot body of yours… every curve, every inch. Then you’ll forget about any doubts you may have about how perfect it really is.”
A light blush crept over her face as she smiled. I knew I needed to change the subject before I said something I might regret. “Why don’t you tell me something about Kat. She’s your best friend, right?”
“Yes, for as long as I can remember.” Her eyes lit up at just the mention of her name. “She’s such a mess. There’s nothing that girl won’t do. There was this one time when we were younger and just starting to drive when she decided that we needed to take a road trip. Mind you… she didn’t tell me anything about said trip. I had no idea we were even going until she pulled out onto the interstate.”
“Where’d you go?”
“Just a few hours away in Portland. She heard one of her favorite bands was playing in some club downtown and decided we should just go. It never crossed her mind that our dads would kill us for crossing the state line, or if it did, she didn’t seem to care.”
“Did your dad find out?”
“Oh, yeah. You couldn’t get anything past him.” Her smile was contagious as she continued. “We might’ve gotten away with it if she hadn’t been so determined to use those stupid fake IDs she had made. When she went up to the bar to buy us a beer, she got busted. Of course, they called our dads. Let’s just say it went downhill from there. What about you? Did you pull stunts like that as a kid?”
