by A. M. Myers
I pull into a parking spot near the door and sigh as I lean back in my seat and turn the car off. Closing my eyes and rubbing my temples, I start to feel my stress drain away and just when I think I might be able to finally relax, my phone starts ringing and I let out a shriek of frustration, resisting the urge to start punching my steering wheel. The thought of answering it and telling him off flickers through my mind but instead, I silence it before grabbing the keys from the ignition and climbing out of the car.
“There she is!” Lincoln hollers and I turn as he jogs out of the clubhouse with Tate hot on his heels. She flashes me a smile and when Lincoln reaches me, he wraps his arms around me and lifts me off of the ground in a bear hug. His familiar scent washes over me and something inside me breaks. I fight back tears as relief and pain wash through me simultaneously. I’m finally in a place where I feel safe enough to let myself feel everything that has happened during the past month. There is no way in hell I want to cry in front of them but leave it to my big brother to turn me into a total baby.
“I missed you,” I whisper and he nods, squeezing me a little tighter before setting me back on my feet.
“Ditto.”
Tate joins us as Lincoln releases me and she wraps me up in another hug before pulling away just enough to drape her arm over my shoulders and drag me into her side. “Glad you’re finally here. Maybe now he’ll take a goddamn chill pill.”
“Doubtful,” I shoot back and our eyes meet before we both start laughing as Lincoln glares down at us, shaking his head.
“I should have known y’all would gang up on me.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” I say with a smirk, nudging his shoulder. “And y’all? When did you start talking like that?”
He shoots me a look I know all too well, a look that is supposed to be a warning but it’s never really worked on me. “Don’t start.”
“So, where is all your stuff?” Tate asks, peeking in the back seat and eyeing my lonely duffel bag. I point to it and shrug.
“It’s just that and a few small boxes in the trunk.”
Lincoln scowls, inspecting the back seat as he crosses his arms over his chest. For some reason, it reminds me of Dad and I smile through the ache in my chest. “That’s all you brought? Where is all your stuff?”
“I took the important stuff,” I answer with a shrug, thinking back to the hour it took me to pack everything that meant anything to me and all the crap that I left behind. “The rest of it was just… stuff.”
“I see,” he murmurs, looking unconvinced and more worried by the second. “And your boyfriend? What’s the story with him?”
Tate watches me for a second before she laughs and playfully smacks my brother’s arm. “Jesus, Lincoln. Give the girl a second to breathe. Why don’t you take her stuff inside and y’all can catch up later? Besides, she’s got a party to get to.”
“Party?” I ask, my stomach clenching as I try to hide the disappointment from my face. The very last thing I want to do right now is be thrown in the middle of a bunch of strangers. Tate squeezes my shoulder.
“Yeah, just a little get-together with the club.”
I shake my head and press my lips together as I glance over at her. “Can I not? I really just want to get something to eat and crash. It’s been a long day.”
“Why?” Lincoln snaps, his entire body tensing as his gaze darts around the parking lot. “What happened?”
“For fucks sake, baby!” Tate exclaims, rolling her eyes. “She’s been driving all damn day, that’s all. Simmer the fuck down, you Neanderthal.”
“Woman, don’t test me,” he growls, leveling a glare at her but she isn’t even the least bit fazed. She releases me and stands a little taller as she meets his gaze, ready to throw down. I watch in fascination as they bicker with each other for a few seconds before my brother finally concedes and yanks the first box out of the trunk. As soon as he’s gone, Tate turns to me and rolls her eyes again.
“I swear, that man has been giving himself ulcers over worrying about you.”
I watch where he disappeared into the clubhouse, confused. “Yeah… he’s always been protective but this is…”
“It’s all this shit with the club, babe. Everyone is pretty high strung right now… which is why we all need this party to relax… before someone kills someone.”
I scoff, my mind racing with questions as I grab my bag out of the back seat and sling the strap over my shoulder. “Oh, I see. Guilt tripping me into my own welcome party, are we?”
“I do what I have to,” she answers with a shrug. “Now, before your brother comes back, I saw that look on your face when Linc mentioned your boyfriend. What’s going on there? Are you okay?”
Anger flares through me as I remember walking into the apartment a week ago to find him and Holly together. “I got off work early and walked in on him banging my co-worker in my bed but other than that, I am just fine.”
“Oh, shit,” she whispers, staring at me with wide eyes before nodding. “You’re better off without that ass wipe, babe, but probably best not to mention that to your brother, yeah? He would hop on a plane, like, right now.”
“Who is getting on a plane?” Lincoln asks, walking up to us. Tate turns to him and flashes him a wide smile that looks fucking suspicious.
“No one.”
He eyes her warily as he grabs another box out of the trunk. “Mmhmm.”
“Come on, Rowan,” she says, turning toward the clubhouse and starting back toward the door. “I’ll introduce you to everyone. They’re all excited to meet you.”
“You don’t have to stay long if you’re really that tired,” Lincoln whispers when she gets far enough away that she can’t hear him and I nod before following her, my belly flipping. I’ve spent years taking my clothes off in front of a bunch of strangers but for some reason, walking into this clubhouse and meeting all of these people is damn near giving me palpitations. Tate waits by the door for me and when I reach her, she ushers me inside. It feels like every gaze in the room turns to look at us before Tate yells at all of them to mind their own damn business and leads me over to a group of women.
“Everyone, this is Lincoln’s sister, Rowan. Rowan, this is Ali, Storm’s wife,” she says, pointing to a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair next to me and I smile.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
She flashes me a grin. “You, too, sweetie.”
“And this is Carly, Chance’s wife, Kady, Henn’s wife, and Juliette, Moose’s wife,” she says, pointing to the next three women in line who all smile and nod in greeting. “And finally we have Quinn and Piper, Smith’s wife and Fuzz’s fiancée.”
“And ex-wife,” Carly quips and the other girls laugh as I look on, confused. Am I back in high school? Because it sure as hell feels like I’ve been transported back six years and I’m the one on the outside again. Tate pats my shoulder.
“I’ll explain that one later,” she whispers and I nod before turning back to the other women, forcing a smile to my face. As much as I would love to find my room and hide in there for the rest of the night, these people are important to my brother and I need to make an effort.
“Hi,” I say, waving to all of them as my belly flips again. It’s intimidating as hell to have everyone’s attention on me and I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a real friend to hang out with but maybe I could here. My mind drifts back to how nervous I was to make this move but the further away I get from Alaska, the more I’m reassured that I made the right choice.
“I know you don’t really know any of us yet,” Ali says. “But I promise, you’re going to fit right in.”
“We’re really just a big, rowdy family,” Kady adds and I smile through the ache in my chest as I think about the family I’ve already lost and how alone I’ve felt these past four weeks. Lincoln walks into the room and I glance over at him as he carries the urn of Mom’s ashes in his arms down a hallway in the back where I assume is my room as my chest aches. It
would be so easy to lose myself in the pain of her loss but I can’t go down that rabbit hole right now. I push the thoughts away before scanning the rest of the room.
It’s fairly large with a bar at one end and several pool tables at the other. There are several round tables scattered in the middle of the room and a couple of couches against the back wall. It’s actually a pretty comfortable space which is the opposite of what I was expecting but after meeting the girls, it fits. As my gaze sweeps past the bar again, I notice one of the guys off by himself, drinking, and when he looks up and our eyes meet, my belly does a flip for a whole other reason. Even all the way across the room, I can see that he is easily the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on and a tingle races across my skin. He turns toward me, so subtly that if I hadn’t been staring at him, I would have missed it and he cocks his head to the side. I’m unable to pull my gaze away for a few heavy seconds but when I finally do, I swear I can still feel his gaze burning into me.
Jesus Christ.
“Tatum, are you going to introduce the rest of us?” an older man asks as he approaches us. He is a big guy and with his medium length gray hair and the beard covering half of his weathered face, I get the feeling that people might feel intimidated by him at first but there is something about his clear blue eyes, shining with kindness and humor, that instantly puts me at ease.
“I don’t know…” Tate muses, cocking her head to the side as she shoots him a look full of attitude. “Y’all are not exactly house trained and I don’t want to overwhelm the poor girl.”
He smirks, shaking his head as he turns his gaze to me. “Something tells me she can take care of herself.”
“Well, if she can’t now, I’ll get her set up in no time.”
“Dear God,” he whispers, shaking his head in mock horror. “Please don’t. The last thing I need is another taser wielding woman running around my club.”
I laugh, remembering the phone call with Lincoln where he informed me of Tate’s fondness for tasers. She shoots him a grin.
“You forgot about my gun.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. In fact, I specifically remember you promising to not pull it on anymore of my boys,” he says and she shrugs.
“I would say it was more of something I would take into consideration before I pulled a gun on any more members.”
“Tate,” he warns, arching a brow at her and she holds her hands up in front of her like she’s completely innocent.
“Hey, just tell your boys to stop being dumb assholes and then we can avoid this whole situation in the future.”
“Kodiak is a fucking saint,” he mutters before shaking his head and turning to me. “I’m Blaze, by the way, president of this club.”
I nod, shaking his hand. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard all about you.”
“What have you told her?” he accuses, leveling a mock glare at Tate and she takes a step back.
“Don’t look at me. I would never speak ill of my favorite member of this club.”
“What was that?” Lincoln growls, sneaking up behind Tate and scooping her up in his arms as she squeals. Blaze chuckles, watching them, before turning to me.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to all of this soon enough.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “If you say so.”
“The truth is, Rowan, this club and everyone in this room is family and there isn’t a single person here who wouldn’t drop everything to be there for you at a moment’s notice. And, yeah, we can be overwhelming at first but we really do mean well.”
“I believe that,” I tell him with a nod. “Besides, there is no way in hell my brother would have ever brought me here if he didn’t trust you all whole heartedly.”
Lincoln nods as he sets Tate back on her feet and pulls her into his body, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re damn right I wouldn’t.”
“Come on. Let me introduce you to everyone else,” he says, motioning for me to follow him. He leads me to a group of men before introducing me to each of them before turning to a man who flashes him a scowl as he introduces him as his son, Nix, before pointing to the woman at his side. “And this is my daughter-in-law, Emma.
I nod to them and paste what I hope is a friendly smile on my face. “It’s nice to meet you guys.”
“You too, sweetie,” Emma says, her smile way more sincere than mine feels. Blaze and Nix hold each other’s gazes for a moment before Blaze sighs and turns back to me, pointing toward the bar.
“And that’s Streak. He’s also good people but he’s in a shitty mood tonight so maybe just wait until tomorrow to say hi.”
My gaze meets Streak’s across the room and I nod as a wave of warmth washes through me. It feels like his green eyes can see right through all my defenses. After all of the shit I’ve been through lately, I shouldn’t be thinking about what it would feel like to kiss him but I am. In fact, when I’m not staring at his intense eyes, I’m looking at his full lips and wondering how they would feel against mine. There is a strange fluttering feeling in my chest and my cheeks heat as I meet his eyes again and the hint of a smile shines back at me.
God, can he tell what I’m thinking?
Can he see that every time he looks at me, all I can think about is getting closer to him?
Blowing out a breath, I force myself to look away from him and turn back to the group.
“Man, I’m just saying,” Chance says, a mischievous smirk on his face as Lincoln glares at him. “Imagine if both those babies are girls. Not only are you going to have to deal with twice the amount of boys trying to get at your daughters but I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll both be just like their mama.”
Blaze rolls his eyes. “Lord help us all.”
I join in their laughter as I look over at my brother and his wife. When he called me a couple of months ago to tell me the news that Tate was pregnant with twins, I was so excited for them but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I couldn’t see Lincoln as a dad until I realized that he’s been a dad for most of his life, ever since ours died and he stepped up to do whatever it took to take care of Nora, Mom, and me. If anyone deserves the happiness he’s found now, it’s my brother.
“What about you, Rowan?”
I blink and glance over at Smith, who is looking at me expectantly. “Huh?”
“You got any plans now that you’re here?”
“Hell no,” I answer with a laugh as I shake my head. “I’m just happy to be out of my damn car.”
Moose nods, taking a sip of his beer. “See? This is why I love to ride.”
They all start talking about their bikes and how much they love the feeling of being on the open road when Tate nudges me and motions for me to follow her. We slip away from the boys and she leads me across the room to a large metal door before pushing it open. A professional grade kitchen comes into view and I let out a low whistle.
“Fancy.”
She scoffs as she pulls open a refrigerator. “It’s necessary since we usually have a lot of people to feed. Now, what sounds good?”
“What do you have?”
“There is leftover spaghetti from lunch,” she suggests and I nod. I heat up the pasta and sit down at the island in the middle of the room before digging in and she plops down next to me with a sigh.
“So, this boyfriend…” she prompts and I look up from my plate, arching a brow. “I want to hear the whole story.”
I laugh. “Why?”
“Because depending on how big of a douche he was, I may just need to hop on a plane,” she answers with a smile and I laugh again.
“I don’t think they’ll let you bring your taser or gun on board.”
She sighs. “Shit. That’s true… whatever, I can get creative. Tell me anyway.”
I relay the whole story to her, starting with the shitty night I was having at work but careful to leave out where I was working since I’m sure if Lincoln found out I was stripping, he would lose his damn mind. When I finish, she beams at me with pride
on her face.
“Well, if it had been me, things would have gotten much more violent but I am proud of you for telling him where he could stick it. It’s just a shame that none of those shards of pottery landed sharp side down in that whore’s chest.”
A startled laugh spills out of me as I look up at her and shake my head. “I didn’t feel like dealing with the blood so it’s probably for the best.”
We laugh and as I finish my food, she fills me in on how things have been around here but remains pretty tight-lipped on this threat she mentioned when I first got here. It’s annoying but if nobody fills me in soon, I’ll demand answers from Linc. When I’m finished with my dinner, we wander back out into the main room. Someone has started playing music and a few of the couples are paired off, dancing together in the middle of the room like we’re at some kind of middle school dance while others are lounging on the couch, talking. Tate tells me she’s going to find Lincoln and I nod, turning back to look around the room as memories of Ash and his betrayal flick through my mind. It’s not even that I’m all that upset about losing Ash… I mean, I am but not as much as I should be, which tells me all I need to know. I think it’s mostly a pride thing combined with the fact that I lost someone else from my life so close to my mom’s death. I don’t wish him any ill will but I am furious that he made me look like an idiot and embarrassed that I didn’t see what was really going on. And, on top of all that, to find out Holly wasn’t the first girl he cheated with was just icing on the cake.
