by A. M. Myers
“Is she out already?”
He nods and my nerves kick in again as we walk back down the stairs. When we reach the bottom, I turn to him and suck in a breath.
“Do you want to go sit on the porch? There is something I want to talk to you about.”
“Sure,” he answers as his gaze flicks across my face, studying me. I’m sure I look just as nervous as I feel right now.
He takes my hand again and we walk out onto the front porch before sitting on the swing. I curl my legs underneath me as he pulls me close and we just swing in silence for a few seconds before he nudges me.
“What did you want to talk about?”
I draw in a ragged breath and wring my hands together. “Um… I just… uh…”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he urges, rubbing his hand along my arm and a sense of calm washes over me as I glance over at him.
“The truth is, Lucas, I think I’m falling for you and you need to know what you’re getting into before that happens.”
He nods, understanding crossing his face. “The reason we’re taking things slow?”
“Yes. See… the thing is… I…” My hands tremble as I suck in another breath and focus on the feeling of his hand skating over my skin. “I don’t know who Brooklyn’s dad is…”
I bite my lip as I peek over at him and his shocked look makes my belly flip. Finally, he nods.
“Uh, okay… that’s not what I was expecting but I can’t say that I was a saint before I met you.”
Shit.
That’s not what I meant.
I shake my head, trying desperately to clear my thoughts and explain the situation to Lucas clearly. “No, you don’t understand. After I broke up with Danny, I was a little lost because all the plans I had for my life had just fallen down around me.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me, baby,” he interrupts me and I grab his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“No, I really do. It’s not what you think.”
He nods for me to continue.
“One night, about three months after we had broken up, I was feeling really down so my girlfriends talked me into going out. They said there was this new bar they wanted to try and it was supposed to be amazing. Well, when we got there, it was anything but amazing. It was run down and kind of sketchy but they were intent on trying to cheer me up so we started drinking and I got wasted. I honestly don’t remember a lot of the night but around one in the morning, I went outside to get some fresh air and that’s where he found me.”
“He who?” Lucas asks, his voice tight but I don’t have the strength to answer his questions right now. I only want to have to tell this story once.
“I was leaning up against the wall of the bar, looking up at the sky when he pulled me into the side alley. Everything from there happened so fast. One minute I was standing there and the next he was on top of me…” My voice cracks as tears well up in my eyes. “And he had shoved my dress up and cut my panties off. He was probably only on top of me for two minutes or less but it felt like an eternity and when he was finished, he stood up and smiled down at me before just leaving me there.”
“Quinn,” he whispers, pulling me into his arms as his body shakes with rage. I can feel his anger vibrating through every cell of his body but I’ve never felt safer and the tears start to flow as memories from that night come rushing back.
“My friends found me not long after that and they rushed me to the emergency room where they did a rape kit and called the police. Five weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with that sweet perfect little girl upstairs but they never found who did it.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he says, his hand threading through the hair at the back of my head as he presses his lips to my forehead.
“That’s why I needed to take things slow, Lucas. I’ve spent the last two years just trying to heal and focusing on Brooklyn because she was the best thing that ever happened to me even if her conception was the worst.”
He pulls back to lock eyes with me and wipes away my tears with his thumbs. “You don’t have to explain anything else to me, sweetheart. I understand completely and I feel like a giant ass for assuming that you slept with a lot of people.”
“It’s okay.” I laugh, gripping his t-shirt and pulling him closer to me. “I wasn’t explaining myself very well.”
“Listen, I won’t push you for anything, okay? You don’t have to talk about it and if I’ve been too aggressive at all, just tell me and I’ll back off. We’ll take this as slow as you want and I’m not going anywhere.”
“No, Lucas. The reason I told you everything is because I’m ready to move forward. I don’t want that moment to define the rest of my life and meeting you has been the biggest blessing. I’m happy again and it’s all because you came into my life so I’m ready to make this thing official if you are.”
His smile is blinding and I can’t help copying it. “Baby, I’ve been waiting weeks to hear you say that.”
“Then kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he murmurs, pulling me to his lips and when he kisses me this time, there’s no restraint. Knowing that he held back before out of respect for me and my needs makes giving him another piece of my heart the easiest decision I never had a choice in making.
Chapter Twelve
Lucas
“All right, you degenerates!” Blaze bellows as he walks into the room. “Sit down. Let’s get started.”
The noise dies down and we all settle into our usual seats as Blaze sits at the head of the table and bangs the gavel on the top.
“Where are we at with the Laney investigation?”
I shake my head. “Stalled out.”
We spent the last couple weeks pouring over the case and we can’t find anything more than what Rodriguez did. It’s gotten to the point where I’m wondering if Owen wasn’t really behind it despite the feeling in my gut that there’s more going on.
“If there’s evidence to find, we’re not finding it,” Storm adds, frustration splayed across his face.
“Keep digging,” Blaze instructs. “We promised Rodriguez some answers.”
“Have we considered the possibility that the two things aren’t related?” Moose asks and Blaze turns to him.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that all the evidence points to this guy that Rodriguez locked up so are we sure that her death and her stalker are connected?”
I point at him from across the table. “It’s too neat, though. There’s no way that if this guy actually did it that he’d leave so many clues for us to find.”
“Both are a possibility,” Streak adds. “But if it’s a set-up, it's one of the best damn ones I’ve ever seen.”
“So what are you saying?”
He shakes his head, letting out a breath. “Nothing. Just that if someone did set him up and that’s a big if, they’d have to have an intimate knowledge of not only Rodriguez but the way the police work. All the clues pointed to Owen - not in an obvious way but he wasn’t exactly hiding his tracks either. It’s just believable enough that most people wouldn’t dig further.”
“Someone needs to talk to Rodriguez. Ask him if he’s had issues with anyone lately,” Blaze instructs and Storm nods.
“I’ll handle it.”
“Good,” he answers before turning to me. “What do we have going on with the P.I. business this week?”
I shake my head. “Oh, you know, just the usual.”
“Cheating husband?” Chance asks, his lip curling in disgust. Chance has made it perfectly clear in the past how much he despises working on the P.I. side of things because it seems like all we do is break up marriages but he is not exactly all that skilled with a wrench either, which eliminates the possibility of him working at the shop. I nod my head.
“Yep. I have to meet up with Tate in a few minutes for one of our cases.”
Blaze nods thoughtfully. “How’s she working out?”
“Good,” I answer as I glance ove
r at Kodiak. Tate first came into all our lives a few months ago when Blaze ordered Kodiak to watch her and it didn’t take long for things to get a little out of control. There’s still a little tension between Tate and Blaze after everything that went down but I have faith that they’ll both come around. This is a family, after all. Blaze nods again before grabbing the gavel and banging it on the table.
“That’s all I’ve got for y’all today. Get out of here.”
I check my phone, hoping for a text from Quinn, as I step out into the bar but there’s nothing and I shake my head. There was no way I was leaving her after everything she told me last night but I spent the whole night staring up at the ceiling in her bedroom as she slept cuddled up against my side. For hours, I imagined finding the monster who thought he had a right to put his hands on her and making him wish that he’d never been born. Even now, I want to go out and hunt him down despite the fact that she seemed happier, lighter this morning.
“You ready to go?”
I glance up and Tate arches a brow in my direction as Kodiak pulls her into his arms.
“Uh, yeah…”
“Everything okay?” Kodiak asks, his back straightening as he studies me and I nod, shaking off my thoughts.
“Yeah, it’s all good. Now, release your woman so we can get to work.”
He growls and pulls her closer. “Hold your fucking horses. I haven’t seen her all damn day.”
“I’m just going to wait out in the truck then,” I grumble and roll my eyes as they start kissing. They don’t even acknowledge me so I duck outside and climb into the truck before dialing Quinn’s number.
“Hey, handsome,” she answers and I grin.
“Hey, baby. What are you up to?”
She sighs and the image of her perfect pouty lips flash through my mind as my cock stirs. Fuck, it’s been so hard to hold back with her when all I want to do is bury myself inside her.
“Just working.”
“Yeah? How’s the gala coming?”
“Well, I think everything will be ready by Saturday as long as I don’t forget to pick up my dress with everything else I’ve got going on.”
“Dress, huh? I can’t wait to see you in it.”
Her husky laugh goes straight to my cock. “Why does that sound dirty when you say it?”
“Maybe because I was imagining taking the dress off you at the end of the night.”
“Lucas,” she gasps, her voice a husky whisper and I bite back a groan.
“Baby, you can’t say my name like that.”
She giggles and the sound fills me with pride. I love making her laugh. “Why not?”
“Because I promised to take things slow and I don’t want to be an ass, especially after what you shared with me last night.”
“Forget the rules and taking things slow, Lucas. I told you last night that I’m all in.”
“Quinn Dawson,” I drawl. “Are you asking me to go steady?”
She laughs and I can just imagine the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles. “Yeah, I guess I am. What do you say?”
“I suppose we could give it a shot.”
“I’m overjoyed by your enthusiastic response,” she answers and I laugh as Tate walks out of the clubhouse.
“Truthfully, Darlin’, I knew you were different right from the moment you looked at me. I’ve just been waitin’ on you.”
“You really mean that, don’t you?”
I nod as Tate opens the passenger door to the truck. “Yeah, I do. Told ya, I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
“One of these days, that might just sink in. You want to come over for dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” I reply as I feel Tate’s gaze burrowing into the side of my face. Her brow quirks in question when I glance in her direction but I ignore it and turn back to the steering wheel.
“Perfect. I get off at five and I can pick something up on my way home.”
Something about the way she says home does something to me and I can’t help but picture truly having a home with her and Brooklyn someday. Damn, that’s a pretty picture even if it’s only in my imagination.
“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’ll grab something before I come over. What are you in the mood for?”
Tate sighs from the other side of the cab and I shoot a glare in her direction. The woman has no patience whatsoever..
“Surprise me,” Quinn answers and I nod.
“Okay. See you tonight.”
We say good-bye and I hang up before tossing my phone in the cup holder and reversing out of the parking spot.
“Who was that?”
I glance over at Tate and shake my head. “None of your business.”
“Oh, Lukie,” she teases, grinning. “Have you forgotten that I could just make you tell me?”
“Do you remember the conversation we had about not causing bodily harm to the people you care about?” I say, narrowing my eyes at her and she laughs. I’ve never met anyone quite like Tate and she’s quickly become one of my best friends, especially after Kodiak suggested that she try working for the P.I. side of the club. It’s honestly been a perfect fit with her skill set but she’s still a little too hot-headed to be out on her own. Tate has more of an act first, ask questions later attitude that can get her into trouble but that’s the reason that Kodiak fell in love with her.
“Of course I do. Now, tell me who that was.”
I sigh. “Quinn.”
“Ohh, the girl from the car accident,” she teases with a giggle. “Ali was telling me all about her. I take it from the part of the conversation I heard things are going well?”
“Yeah.”
She leans across the cab, inspecting my face. “What’s wrong? Is it not going well?”
“No, it’s not that,” I answer before sighing. “It’s just that she told me something last night about her past… something traumatic, and it’s just driving me crazy today. I want to fix it for her.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” she exclaims, leaning back in her seat as she shakes her head. “Freaking men. You all want to fix everything but she didn’t share that part of herself with you so you could fix it.”
“I know…”
“No,” she interrupts. “You don’t know if it’s still bugging you. When she told you whatever she told you, she was giving you a piece of herself, of her heart, and the only damn thing you need to do is protect and cherish it. Believe me, if she needs you to fix something, she’ll let you know.”
“How am I supposed to just listen to it, knowing that she’s in so much pain and not do anything about it?”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be dense, Luke. It’s not a good look on you. By listening to her and holding her as she breaks down, you are fixing it. If she feels safe enough to open up to you, then you are fixing it every fucking day you’re with her so all you gotta do is not fuck it up.”
“Right,” I say with a nod. “Don’t fuck it up. Any other advice, nosey?”
We pull into Sunrise Diner where Tate used to work and where we’re meeting our client, Kayla. Tate shakes her head. “Not right now but I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”
“I’m sure you will.”
She grabs the file of photos and receipts we’re presenting to Kayla today and opens it, skimming through the shots I got last week.
“Shit,” she hisses when she gets to a particularly lewd shot of Kayla’s husband, Bobby, getting his dick sucked. “What an asshole.”
“You ready to do this?” I ask and she nods. I scan the parking lot as we climb out of the truck and spot Kayla’s car on the far side of the lot. I never like these kinds of meetings but I get the feeling that Kayla’s just looking for an excuse to leave her husband and that’s exactly what I’m bringing her today. I’m not delivering terrible news or breaking someone’s heart and it’s a nice change of pace.
Tate nudges me as we walk into the diner, pointing to the back corner where Kayla is sitting, gazing out the w
indow. She waves to a few of the employees as we make our way through the tables and Kayla looks up as we approach her table.
“Hi,” she says, standing and shaking both of our hands.
“How are you doing, Darlin’?” I ask as we sit down and her lips part as she shrugs.
“Oh, you know… just going a little crazy. Did you guys find anything?”
I nod, sliding the folder across the table. “Yes, ma’am. We did.”
She opens the folder, anger replacing her smile as she flicks through the photos. Finally, she slaps the folder closed and nods.
“Well, I suppose that’s that, then.”
“We’re very sorry,” Tate tells her. “We know no one likes to get this information.”
Kayla shakes her head, seemingly shaking off her anger at the same time. “Please don’t apologize. This is what I hired you guys for.” She reaches across the table and lays her hand on mine. “And I appreciate all your hard work.”
“You’re welcome,” I answer, pulling my hand away.
“There’s just the small matter of payment,” Tate cuts in with a grin on her face.
Kayla nods. “Oh, yes, of course.”
As she pulls out some cash and counts out enough bills for our fee, her gaze keeps drifting up to me and when she sees me looking at her, she smiles before tilting her head to the side slightly to expose her neck. I know exactly what she’s doing but it’s never going to fucking happen - not with a client and especially not with Quinn waiting at home for me.
* * * *
“Lucas,” she whispers as she opens the front door, a bright smile lighting up her gorgeous face and everything inside me urges me forward until I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.
“Hey, gorgeous. Miss me?”
She nods, pressing her hands flat against my chest as she looks up at me. Fuck, the adoration in her ice blue eyes is a punch to the gut and I don’t know how I will ever walk away from her. How the hell do I ever get anything done during the day when I know this is what is waiting for me?
“Terribly.”
