by Eve R. Hart
“She’s a different kind of beast,” I rushed to say so he knew I wasn’t cutting him down.
“Right…” He drew the word out as he looked at me like I was the one off my rocker. He just didn’t get it. But oh, he would see very soon.
“I’m not crazy,” I said as he started to back out of the room, his eyes locked onto mine.
“No, of course not. I would never say that.” His lips twitched like he was trying hard not to smile. Though I couldn’t tell if it was because he was being playful or trying to cover the fact that crazy was exactly what he was thinking I was. “I wouldn’t want you to punch my good eye.”
He shot me a smile and a wink before he turned and took off out of the room. A laugh bubbled up from out of my throat and I had no choice but to set it free. Oddly enough, I stood there in a strange daze, smiling for far too long.
I closed the door and turned on the balls of my feet. The still steaming cup of coffee caught my attention right away. I didn’t want to think it but…
He brought me coffee.
Sure it probably meant significantly less to him than it did to me. I mean, come on, I wasn’t going to go and get gushy over something so small. I wasn’t. Really.
I was not the type of girl to swoon over the first man to show me any type of affection and I wasn’t the kind of nut-head that would latch onto someone in the blink of an eye. It was just a nice gesture and I could let my guard down enough to take appreciation of it.
I was surprised to find that the milk was not out of date or smelled funny. I wasn’t judging, after all, I had my share of forgotten cartons in my fridge during my lifespan.
I drank the coffee and contemplated going in search of more. But decided I needed a shower to wash away all the frustration I was feeling.
Again, I found myself surprised as I pulled back the curtain and saw that the white tile and grout was still bleach bright white. Okay, so maybe men weren’t as bad as I had made them out to be in my head. This guy might have been better than me at the whole keeping things clean.
I rushed through the shower feeling insecure about being naked for too long even though Lake did tell me that I didn’t have anything to worry about and I knew I had turned the lock on the door. I had no choice but to use his soap, which I found oddly nice smelling. Like lemons and rosemary. And a hint of something darker that I couldn’t place. I didn’t really mind it or the way it actually made my skin feel silky smooth after I toweled off. I did my best to dry my hair with the towel then put it in a braid down my back. Most of the time I chose to keep it up in some way because it always seemed to get in my face otherwise.
After I was dressed, I felt brave enough to go in search of more coffee. Picking up my empty mug, I headed out the door.
I found my way back to the kitchen easy enough. There I found a full pot of coffee and the woman from last night humming at the stove while she cooked up some bacon.
“Abigail,” I said hoping that I remembered her name right.
“Oh, hey. Good morning.”
She gave me a smile and I returned it.
I knew I needed to say something because I knew I’d come off as grumpy the night before. Okay, fine. Not grumpy, a total bitch.
“Last night… I just want to say I’m sorry. I’d like to make a million excuses for being short with you, but I really am not the type of person to hide behind things. So, I’m really sorry and can we start over?”
“It’s okay,” she said genuinely. “Lake told me what happened. I don’t know what I would do if someone pulled a gun on me. I sure wouldn’t be as badass as he made you sound. Well, I guess you really were, given that I saw the black eye and all.”
She giggled almost as if she felt like she shouldn’t be laughing at that.
“Yeah, I feel bad about that too.”
She looked at me pointedly.
“Only a little,” I said under my breath which caused her to giggle again.
“Would you like some breakfast?” she asked returning her attention to the stove.
“Thanks, but I’m not much of a morning eater.”
I blamed my dad for that one, late nights sitting up going over cases the last few years had kind of shifted my meal times to not normal hours.
“I get that. I usually just have a bowl of oatmeal or some fruit. These guys eat a lot though.”
I wondered just how many of them there were. But it didn’t matter, I didn’t think I’d be sticking around here long enough to even worry about it.
“I’m going to go see how Lake is doing with my car.” I gave her a wave, snatched up my fresh cup of coffee, then headed back out to the front.
The place looked different during the day. The path that led through the trees to the garage out front was clearly visible now. Which was good because the last thing I wanted to do was get lost in a wooded area.
She went out on a case and never returned…
I saw the wording clearly on my tombstone. Not the most epic of ways to go out but hey, it was different.
I found my way back out to civilization and saw that all the bay doors to the back of the garage were open. I guessed it was almost eight so they were probably already open for business. The place was impressive even if it looked a little run down. It was clear that the original building had been added on to and pretty recently I could tell.
It looked like Lake had somehow gotten my car pulled into the place. His back was to me and he was bent over the hood. I stealthily made my way inside, mindful of the guys that were working, and stood right behind him, peering over his shoulder.
“If I tell you that your car is a piece of crap that can’t be saved, are you going to punch me?”
I laughed under my breath and was a little impressed that he knew I was standing there. I had been super sneaky after all. I was good at that. Took years to hone the skills that I had.
“No, but I might knee you in the nuts when you least expect it.”
He stiffened then ducked out from under the hood.
“Well, in that case, your car is in need of so much love right now. I’m sure if I can keep it for a month I might be able to have it running again. She is beautiful and still has many years left in her… young life…”
I could tell he was totally bullshitting me but it made me smile. Which I think I really fucking needed right now.
“Tell me the truth, doctor, will she make it?” I said way too dramatically which caused him to huff out an adorable little laugh.
“I need more time with her, but from what I can tell, it’s not looking good.”
“No, not my beautiful…” I stumbled for a name. She didn’t have one even though I knew it was a she. “Bluebell.” It was the best I could come up with on the spot. Given the fact that she was blue, it sort of worked.
“She doesn’t have a name, does she?” He raised a brow at me like I hadn’t fooled him even for a second. Damn him for calling my bluff.
“Okay, fine,” I replied blowing out a huge lungful of air. “She is just She, I guess.”
He shook his head like he was disappointed in me but I could tell he was just playing around.
Okay, so maybe the fact that he played along with my oddness was a little charming. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I found it adorable and endearing, but I did find myself liking it.
Dad always told me to be myself, even when other people didn’t get it. I was kind of… quirky sometimes and not everyone was amused by that. I had to admit that it was nice to have someone that didn’t make me feel so weird about how my brain worked.
“You okay?” he asked and it snapped me out of thoughts of my dad.
I missed him so much and I wondered if the hole in my heart would ever heal.
“Yeah, sorry.” I shook my head and took a sip of my coffee. “So what can I help with?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. What, I can’t help out because I’m a girl?”
“No, that’s not it. You just don’t seem li
ke… you know a lot about cars.”
“What makes you say that,” I shot back.
“Because I couldn’t even begin to speculate when the last time the oil was changed in this thing.”
“Oh,” I said and let out a breath of air as I deflated a little. “Sure, there’s that.”
There was a long moment where we just smiled and stared at each other. I didn’t want to over think it. Hell, I didn’t want to think about it at all. Sometimes it was best to enjoy yourself in the moment and most of the time, I knew that was all it was— a moment, nothing more and nothing less.
“Hand me something so I can tinker with things,” I said confidently even if my words displayed the opposite.
“Tinker? Oh, God. I feel like I should kick you out of my garage. And you have to put your coffee down if you’re going to… ‘tinker’ with stuff.”
“Oh, no I don’t. I’m very skilled with just one hand. Years of practice and all that.”
His eyes widened with surprise and it was then that I realized how that had come out. But it was very true. I had mastered the art of doing things while holding a cup of coffee. Not necessarily things he might have been thinking, given the slight pink that heated his cheeks, but still.
“I didn’t mean…” I stopped myself from saying anything inappropriate but couldn’t keep my eyes from shifting down to look at his crotch area.
Oh, my fucking God! What was wrong with me?
Well, honestly, there were many things. But right now I needed to get myself under control.
“I don’t know if you looking… down there is something I should be worried about or smile about. I honestly am terrified of you.”
My eyes snapped up to look at his and there might have been a tint of pink to my cheeks now.
“Let’s call a truce,” I said, trying my damnedest to get my mind to focus. “As long as you don’t pull a gun on me, I won’t hurt you in any way. Well, not intentionally. Deal?” I held out my free hand for good measure.
“Okay,” he answered skeptically but still indulged me and shook my hand.
“Lake,” I said sternly.
“Yeah?”
“You can let go now.”
“Oh, right,” he said releasing my hand and giving a little shake of his head. “So your car is in need of some serious love but I’m not sure just how much. I’ll start by giving it an oil change and checking all your fluids. Sound good?”
“How much is this going to cost me?” I wasn’t about beating around the bush. While I wasn’t thrilled about letting people know how damn broke I was, I also wasn’t stupid enough to get myself in over my head and collect more debt. Especially to a motorcycle club, no matter how nice they seemed.
“How about you tell me why you’re here, and we can talk about it after I figure things out.”
I contemplated it for a moment. I mean, I didn’t really have anything to hide so what was the harm in seeing how far it would get me. I didn’t imagine that far, but still, why would I deny him?
“I…” Well, I wasn’t really sure where to start.
He ducked back under the hood with some kind of tool while I tried my best to figure it out and not seem like I was trying to come up with a good lie at the same time.
“I am a private investigator. I came up here for a case.”
There, that was the truth, mostly. I neglected to say that I owned the firm that held the case I was looking into but not because I was trying to be shady.
I just didn’t feel like it was mine, I hadn’t earned it. My dad may have left it to me in his will, only I wasn’t ready for all that responsibility but at the same time, I didn’t want to let him down.
I also had to be careful how much information I shared. I had to keep things confidential and all.
“Really?” he asked sounding surprised but didn’t move to look at me.
“Yeah. My dad taught me everything I know.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, he paused for a long moment. I had no idea what it meant and I really didn’t want to over analyze things.
“You close with your dad?” I sensed a thickness in his tone like he wanted to ask but was hesitant about the subject.
“I was,” I answered honestly and I settled in a little, leaning my hip against the front of my car as I took another long sip of coffee. “He died almost a year ago now.”
Saying it out loud was like a punch to the gut. It hurt but at the same time, it almost made me feel relieved.
It was hard to talk about him. It still hurt that he wasn’t here to see the woman I would turn out to be. I might have been in my mid-twenties, but I didn’t think I had the whole adulting thing down just yet. And even though I was passed that age when you became a woman, I figured there was more to it than that. Also, up until he left me, I kind of felt like I’d always be his baby girl.
But at the same time, I was so afraid that I’d forget him. I didn’t want that and maybe the best way to keep his memory alive was to talk about him. It was a vicious cycle of hurt and pain. But there was joy in there as well because he was such an amazing man.
“I’m sorry,” he said and though his voice sounded choked, I could tell he meant those words.
“He told me to always look to the future and to never dwell on the past,” I went on, getting lost in my memories. I wasn’t a huge fan of being this open and vulnerable, but there was something inside of me that said it was okay. “I try to wake up and face each new day with hope.”
I may have been talking blindly at this point but it didn’t mean that it wasn’t the truth.
I was so lost in my head that I didn’t even realize that he had stood tall and was now looking into my eyes.
“Your dad sounds amazing,” he said and I found it hard to hold back the tears.
I wasn’t one of those girls that cried at the drop of a hat but I could admit that my dad was a subject that gutted my heart.
“He was,” I said with a strained smile. “I couldn’t have asked for a better one.”
After a long moment of us being in some kind of strange eye-lock, I cleared my throat. I felt too raw and open to this man I barely knew.
“Bathroom?” I asked dumbly.
“Through that door, go down the hall and it’s on the left.”
“Thanks,” I gave him a tight smile and all but ran away.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I didn’t really need to pee but that didn’t stop me from following his directions and hiding myself away for a few moments of reprieve.
Damn.
I couldn’t figure out what it was, but there was clearly something about Lake that made me feel safe and want to open up.
Truthfully, I didn’t have anything to hide. I mean, if you took away the fact that I had built this wall around myself because I was afraid to seem vulnerable.
I washed my face thinking that this whole thing was stupid and crazy.
I was here for a job. One that I really needed to get cracking on.
But the longer I stood there staring at myself in the mirror, the longer I wondered who the woman was staring back at me.
I left the bathroom a little pissed-off and unsure that I wanted to face Lake again. But really, it wasn’t like the guy had done anything to me. In truth, he had actually been pretty nice. He gave up his bed so I didn’t have to freeze my ass off in my car. He even changed the sheets. And even though he did come knocking on the door at the ass-crack of dawn, he did bring me coffee.
So, maybe Lake wasn’t so bad.
I headed back out with the intention to help with my car in some way. What that was, well, I had no clue because I wasn’t one of those girls that knew things about engines and hoses and such. Which was apparent by the fact that I couldn’t remember the last time I had the oil changed. Really, it was probably a miracle that she’d gotten me this far.
I passed by the check-in desk in the lobby area. The sight of scattered papers and receipts caught my eye and I couldn’t help b
ut cringe at the mess. Without even thinking, my feet were moving me to the old, beat-up chair that sat behind the desk. I glanced at a few of the papers and saw a bunch of handwritten notes. Some of the writing was neat and a little swirly while other papers held handwriting that was all kinds of crazy chicken scratch. Like wow. Could anyone even read this? I was able to make out a few letters and numbers but nothing I could put together to make any kind of sense. Dates, that was what I focused on because I could read those clearly at the top of each sheet. I found a stack of printed up papers and began to match them with the handwritten ones and stacking them in organized piles.
It was tedious work but I wasn’t even really aware of what I was doing. It kind of came naturally to me and maybe I needed something to take my mind off of all the other stuff that was going on.
Yeah, that stuff… well, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever but I figured a little longer couldn’t hurt.
It wasn’t like I was really going to be able to go anywhere any time soon.
CHAPTER SIX
Lake
She’d been in the bathroom for a while but I wasn’t about to go and ask if she was okay. I had only been half-joking when I said that she terrified me. Honestly, Bridget kind of scared me. I think a lot of it had to do with the force she had behind that punch.
As I bent over and looked around at the mess that was under her hood, my eye throbbed with a dull, annoying kind of pain. I wouldn’t forget her anytime soon, that was for sure. But I didn’t know if that was such a good thing.
I also had a feeling that the jokes from the other guys would be coming any moment now.
Yeah, yeah.
I got hit by a woman because I tried to protect my club.
While I had a good feeling that she wasn’t a threat to the club, she was still unknown at the time. Jump first, ask questions later. I often thought that was the best way to go about things. Then again, I may have had a bad habit of pulling a gun on innocent women. Not intentionally though.
