Emerald

by Rebekah Thompson

  Reaper is one of those men who if you see them on the street, you either walk the other way or cross the street to avoid them. He’s huge, rough looking, and he’s a biker. Anyone who saw him without knowing him would see a terrifying man.

  With a sigh, I look to Wolf. “I’m headed out,” I call. He looks up from talking to a man and nods. “See you later.” I wave and hop off my stool, making my way outside.

  The drive home is uneventful, calm, and kind of nice. I know who I’m going home to, and I still have a job to go to when I’m healed enough, or when I want to go back. I’m safe and my kids are safe. My life is finally on a straight track.

  When I pull into the apartment lot, a Harley sits there. To my knowledge, no one who lives here owns a bike. I scan the lot and the area around to see if anyone is hanging out. The familiar creeping and crawling feeling of paranoia settles over me. I try to push it away, but as I make my way upstairs, I can’t help but wonder if the bike belongs to an enemy.

  The suspicions swirl around my head as I reach for my door to find it unlocked. Lacy always locks the door and keeps it locked until I get home for me to unlock it.

  Rosaleigh’s squeal reaches my ears. The hair on my neck stands up. I bust through the door and then sigh when I see Dominic standing with Rosaleigh lifted above his head like she’s flying.

  “Dominic,” I exhale. I press my hand to my chest to attempt to slow my racing heart. “You scared me. What are you doing here?” I close the door behind me and kick off my shoes.

  “Mommy!” Reece shouts, running at me. He slams into my legs, wraps his arms around them, and squeezes tight. Then, he gently takes my casted hand in his and kisses it. A sweet gesture from someone so young.

  “Wolf called me when you left the bar, so I thought I’d come by,” he says, letting Rosaleigh down. She comes and hugs me before she and Reece run off to their room.

  Confusion fills me. Lacy wouldn’t have left the kids with Dominic if she thought he’d mess anything up. I trust her, and I’m starting to trust him, so I decide not to bring it up. He walks up in front of me and asks, “You want some food?”

  The question confuses me more. He wants to cook dinner?

  “I can make you something. What do you like?” He asks, “Dinner food? Breakfast? Something simple like a sandwich?” I watch as he lists things off while walking over to the kitchen. He pulls the fridge open and looks in, searching for something.

  “Do you do this a lot?” I ask, making him look up. He closes the fridge door, an eyebrow raising. What kind of man plays housewife to a woman he hardly knows? “I mean, do you try to get with women by being a nice guy and cooking them dinner?” The question sounds mean, I guess, but I don’t want to get into whatever this is without knowing everything.

  A man can act good and have bad intentions. A man can also have good intentions with bad actions. Then, a man can have both good actions and intentions. I really hope Dominic is the latter- good intentions and good actions. However, I don’t trust easily or quickly.

  Dominic’s eyes flash with anger, his lips thinning and eyebrows tilting downward. He stalks over to me, making me step back. “That’s not what I’m doing. There’s just something about you that draws me in,” he says, cupping the back of my neck. “You’re different.”

  “Yeah, I’m broken,” I mumble, looking down to avoid his intense gaze. His fingers lift my chin, making me look into his deep chocolate brown eyes again, “You’re not broken, just a little wounded,” he says warmly, bringing tears to my eyes.

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask, blinking the tears away. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his neck. After a second, he wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me up, sitting me on the counter, “Because I want you,” he says and I pull back, wiping a stray tear away.

  “Why me?” He sighs and brushes my hair out of my face, “Because you’re strong, beautiful, and brave,” he tells me and my breath hitches.

  That’s exactly what I told myself the other night.

  Looking down, I play with his fingers. “You’ll have to go slow. I haven’t- there are some things I’m not ready for,” I whisper. He moves closer, stepping between my legs and cupping my cheek in his hand.

  “I know, and I’m willing to wait for you… I want you, Emerald,” he whispers, his lips ghosting over mine, and I close my eyes.

  Do I want this?

  I’m still scared of what could happen if I get involved in this MC, but when I’m with him, I feel completely safe, and I’ve never felt that with anyone but my dad.

  “I want you too.”

  Chapter 7

  Dominic stays, makes pancakes, and passes out plates full of fluffy goodness to each of us. The kids squeal in excitement when they see the pancakes. One of their favorite times of the day is breakfast. I didn’t get to eat with them much when I worked at the diner, but now that I’m home, I get to enjoy time with them more.

  “These are amazing,” I mumble through a mouth full of pancake. Reece and Rosaleigh are making little groaning sounds as they chew and douse their pancakes in syrup.

  “Yep, yep,” Rosaleigh agrees. Reece sighs, “Oh yeah.”

  Dominic’s chest seems to expand with the compliments as he finishes up his own meal. The domestic nature of the scene doesn’t pass me by, in fact, it feels good. Normal.

  “Good. I enjoy making food for my woman,” he brags as I swallow. The food sticks, making me choke. Dominic’s eyes widen and he jumps to his feet, his hands reaching out to me. I hold my hand up for him to stop, and I take a sip of my water.

  “Sorry, I’m just not used to- to being called your… woman,” I tell him. A few bites later, I break the silence. “We should get to know each other better.” He nods, leaning back in his chair.

  The movement makes Rosaleigh look up, and when Dominic notices her eyes on him, he leans over and tickles her. Giggles bubble out of her as Dominic’s fingers wiggle around her torso. She kicks, squirms, and puts her hands out to stop him, while squealing, “Domimic, stop!”

  “Hey, that’s my sister!” Reece points out, “Don’t hurt her,” he orders. His little face scrunches up- mouth pursed, eyes narrowed, and nose wrinkled. The protectiveness in Reece, even though he’s trying to act tough, is cute. The bravery he uses to stand up to a man who is much older and scarier than him is astounding. It makes me hope that he continues to be this protective of his sister as they grow up.

  Dominic turns and crouches in front of Reece. “I’m not gonna hurt your sister, little man,” he promises, letting Reece stare into his eyes. He seems at ease with my kids, something I wasn’t quite expecting. I don’t know if he’s been around kids much, but he’s a natural with them.

  “Well, little man, can I ask you something?” Dominic questions. Reece nods and leans it a bit to listen. “Can I take your Mama on a date?”

  The question surprises me but also endears me to him. No man I know would take the time to ask one of the few people I love that question. Reece looks to me then looks back to Dominic. I watch as he taps his finger on his chin, thinking about the question.

  Finally, he answers, “Yes.”

  Smiling, I stand. The kids are done eating, as am I, so I gather our plates and place them in the sink. I can’t get my cast wet either. I’ll have to figure out how to wash them later, but honestly, I just don’t want to do them now.

  “Okay, kids. Let’s get ready for bed,” I call out. Dominic stands as the kids rush off.

  “It won’t take long if you want to stay here… or you can just do whatever.” I turn to Dominic, and he nods. If he wants to stay, he can. I’m not sure what he’ll do other than sit on the couch or make himself some coffee. It’s weird to just leave him there. Like he’s stuck.

  With that, I head off to the kid’s room to find them playing with their stuffed wolves and other toys.

  When I walk in, Rosaleigh looks up and holds her arms up, “Up.”

  “Time to wash up,” I say, nudging them towar
d the bathroom. They follow my directions, going about their normal routine. Washing up. Going to the bathroom. Brushing teeth. Changing into pajamas. It didn’t take long for them to get into a routine when they started potty training.

  “Time for bed,” I announce once they’re done. Each of them attaches to one of my legs. I trudge back into their room, stopping at each bed. “Off you go, Princess,” I say. She climbs off my leg onto her bed. I move over, and Reece does the same, crawling under his covers.

  Before I can lean over to kiss them, they jump out of their beds and race out of the room. “Reece! Rosaleigh!” I call out. When they don’t come back, I follow. I find both hugging Dominic.

  Rosaleigh reaches up, smacking her hands on Dominic’s cheeks and squishing them while saying, “Night, night, Domimic.” Reece, on the other hand, just hugs Dominic and says, “Night.”

  A smile pulls at my lips that I can’t stop. It’s so cute, them hugging Dominic and him putting up with Rosaleigh’s face squishing.

  Dominic, being the apparently sweet man that he is, stoops and picks the twins up, holding one in each arm. He carries them into their room, sets them in their separate beds, and then kisses them on their foreheads. I watch as he whispers “goodnight” to them before backing us both out of the room quietly.

  “Thanks,” I murmur, following him back to the living room. I take a seat on the couch, and Dominic follows my lead. My stomach jumps as he sits next to me, our arms touching. His knee brushes against mine, and because of the nerves running around under my skin, I pull my legs up under me.

  Butterflies… a stampede… a zoo erupts in my stomach as he turns to me. “You said you wanted to know more about me,” Dominic states, then continues. “What do you want to know?”

  I settle my injured hand on my lap and bite my lip. How much is appropriate to ask? I guess I could just ask until he becomes uncomfortable, but I don’t want him to be uncomfortable.

  “I don’t know. Anything…. Everything?” I say, but it turns out more like a question. A smile pulls at his lips, his deep eyes sparking with amusement.

  With a sigh, I lean back on the couch. Dominic turns, looks at me and smiles again. “Well, I was born into the club. My dad was Prez, my mom was his old lady. Most of my childhood was split between home and the clubhouse. My parents got married after high school and were completely in love,” he says, a smile stretching his lips.

  Like my parents… until my mom died.

  “My dad trained me for the leadership position of President and it’s a good thing he did.” Dominic rubs the stubble on his jaw. “There were times my dad would take me to meetings with other clubs. While at other clubs, he and other Presidents would teach me about honor, leadership by listening, caring for members, and loyalty,” he lists.

  The list strikes a familiar string in me. My father used to teach the same things. Show honor by doing what’s right. He’d tell me that even if the right choice isn’t easy, make it. It’s the honorable thing.

  One time he told me a story about how he didn’t listen to one of his club members, and the deal he made went south. After that, he listened to others as well as made the best decisions he could. He also cared about his club members, would lay his life down for any of them, something that links to loyalty for him. Loyalty, as my dad always said, is one of the biggest links in a relationship. You have to be loyal to people you care about. Stick with them and be there.

  “There was this one MC that he took me to; I don’t remember the name of the club, but the Prez had a daughter I’d play with during meetings. I don’t really remember much about her, but I remember the moment I saw her,” he says, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

  “I had a feeling I should protect her. When I met her, I was four, and she was two,” he says, taking a breath. An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach as he stares at the floor.

  I reach out, placing my hand on his and making him look up. “What happened to her?” I ask. This story has the feeling of one that won’t be a happy ending.

  Dominic sighs, “I don’t know. I can’t remember her name. I don’t remember the MC’s name. I used to have a picture of us, but it was… destroyed in the fire that killed my parents,” he grits out, his voice hard and his hands curling into fists.

  “She must have meant a lot to you,” I murmur. He stays silent for a minute before running his hands over his face again. Leaning back, he crosses his arms over his chest.

  “She did,” he exhales. “After a while, my dad stopped going to the MC because they stopped doing business. I never saw her again, and I haven’t felt anything serious for a girl after that,” he says, looking up at me, “Until I met you.” I gasp, my breath catching in my chest from the honesty I see in his open expression.

  “That is not what I was expecting,” I blurt, and his face pulls in confusion. My hands immediately cover my mouth, and my eyes widen. “I- I mean, I just expected something… something a little less… intense?” I stutter.

  An idiot. I’m a total idiot. Why did I say that? He’ll think I’m stupid or something. I should have said something better… something more sensitive. Now he’s going to assume I’m insensitive and rude.

  Oh god.

  “Anyway, my life was pretty much following my dad around, hanging with club members until high school when at the end of my high school senior year, my parents died,” he states.

  So much loss. First his little girlfriend, then his parents. I’m sure there were other losses for being in a club. There are always losses when clubs have the possibility to deal with one percenter clubs. Almost every club comes across a one percenter group at one time or another.

  I can’t help but wonder if Dominic’s parent’s death was an accident or something more.

  “What about you?” He asks, pulling me from my thoughts. “What was your childhood like?”

  Guilt churns my stomach, but I push it away.

  Dominic stretches, his arms going up then settling around the back of the couch. His arm brushes the back of my neck, making me freeze. His arm is touching my neck. My bare skin. His bare skin.

  Touching me.

  “Emerald?” He murmurs. I look up to find him staring down at me.

  “Oh, my childhood. Um, my mother died when I was a baby. It tore my father apart. He and my mother remade my grandfather’s club into a legit, clean group. All their friends were in the club, which sounds like your club, so I had a few friends growing up. It was pretty much the same life you had,” I tell him.

  He smiles and nods as I continue, “I don’t remember my mother, so my dad and his friends raised me.” His friends, the men I used to call my uncles, since my dad didn’t have any blood siblings, took turns watching over me and teaching me. They’re the reason I can fix cars, motorcycles, or work on things around the house. I wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t grown up with those men as role models.

  Leaning in a bit, I tell him, “My dad told me the original name of the club changed to Angel Crew when I was born.” I sit there, thinking about it. It was my mom’s idea to name me Angel, and when she died, that’s when he changed the name.

  “Nothing really happened until Viper kidnapped me, so…” I trail off, not wanting to go back into that; especially since Dominic got blood boiling angry last time. We sit in silence, until I break it again, “Do you want to watch a movie or something?”

  For a second, Dominic looks around. I do the same, wondering what he’s looking for, until I realize he’s searching for a TV. “Oh, the only TV is in my…” I trail off, heat creeping up my cheeks, “In my room. Is that okay?”

  He smirks, mischievously. “You’re asking me if it’s okay that I get to go into your room?” He questions, raising an eyebrow and successfully making me blush. Without saying anything else, I walk to my room. I can feel Dominic behind me, so I don’t bother telling him to follow.

  When we get in my room, he plops down on my bed, and I shuffle over to my stack of movies. “I
don’t really have a bunch of different genres, since most of these are actually Reece and Rosaleigh’s, but we have Disney movies, Barbie movies, Lord of the Rings, and the Fast and Furious movies,” I list and look over my shoulder at him, “So, which is your pick?”

  “You can pick,” he tells me, leaning back against my headboard. I look over the movies, wondering which he might like. In the end, I grab the first Fast and Furious movie and pop it in the DVD player.

  Grabbing the remote, I go over to my bed and climb on. I settle against the headboard, but Dominic has other plans, because he pulls me close to him and puts his arms around my waist. At first, I’m surprised, but after a second, I relax into his hold.

  About halfway into the movie, my eyes grow heavy and a yawn escapes me. Dominic asks me if I want to turn the movie off and sleep, but I say no, determined to finish the movie. I don’t like leaving movies unfinished because I rarely have time to finish it. Although, a few minutes later, my eyes close and the last thing I see is Vin Diesel’s handsome face.

  “No!” I yell, gasping for air as I shoot into a sitting position.

  “Hey, hey. Shhh, Emerald,” a husky voice murmurs, making me jump. “You okay?”

  I scramble backwards, falling off the bed with a shriek. “Please don’t!” I beg. I kick my legs to push myself as far away from the man as I can. Tears stream down my face as I bury it in my knees, hoping that whoever is here will just leave me unharmed and untouched.

  “Emerald, hey. It’s just me,” he speaks again. I look up, my thoughts clearing and Dominic coming into view. He slowly climbs off the bed. Like I’m a caged animal, he moves closer slowly until his arms are around me, lifting me from the floor.

  This time, I bury my face in his neck and hold on tightly. He doesn’t seem to mind the vice-like grip because he just tightens his arms around me. He doesn’t ask questions as I cry, which I’m grateful for, he just holds me.

  I cry until the tears dry up and my sobs fade. Pulling away, I look up at Dominic. “Wh-why do you keep calling me that?” I whisper, hoping it wasn’t another woman’s name that slipped out.