Once again, my eyes strayed to the yard next door. The hammock wasn’t visible from our deck, but I knew it was there. Exhaling hard, I stood and headed into the house for a quick shower.
I was showered, changed, and on my bike waiting to leave in less than thirty minutes.
It was a fucking gorgeous day to ride, and I was almost sad that the rally was only about fifteen miles from us.
As we rode, a few of the ol’ ladies snapped pics of us with their phones. I alternated between flipping them off with a grin and flashing them the club hand sign.
By the time we’d waited on the ferry, then found somewhere to park, everything was in full swing at the rally. The streets were thick with bikes, people, and some of the weirdest shit you’d ever see.
First thing we all did was grab a beer. Then we walked from booth to booth as the ol’ ladies shopped and the guys shot the shit with other clubs and bikers.
Several times I thought I saw a flash of her blonde hair, but it was never her. Shaking off my brain’s illusions, I grabbed another beer.
“Brother, you’re the only person I know that can find some random on the beach in the middle of the night. By the way, I’m sorry for asking about Grace. I didn’t know.” In Radar’s defense, he really didn’t. He’d been in Afghanistan as a contractor for the past year. He’d just gotten back three days before the rally and had been at his parents’ place in Bastrop.
Shrugging, I realized the tenseness that I would’ve normally had at discussing her wasn’t there. Not that I wasn’t still pissed. No man liked being fucked over. “Don’t sweat it, bro. Shit happens and you didn’t know.”
“You’re right. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me.” We’d been friends a long fucking time. We’d met at our first duty station in Korea, found out we were both from Texas, and immediately became friends. He’d gotten out after his three-year enlistment and our deployment together. I’d re-upped for an additional two years for a college option and got another deployment out of the deal. Yay.
After I got out, I returned to Texas but instead of moving back to Allen, I decided to go to Austin where Radar was, and finished school there. When he’d become a prospect for the club, I had too. Then I dragged Check into it, and the rest was history.
“You didn’t need my shit on your plate while you were over there, bro.”
“I disagree, but I get it. I heard shit is still rocky with the Vagabonds.”
“Fuck them.”
He glanced around us, making sure no one had heard. “Come on, Styx, easy. We don’t need no trouble here.”
Let calmer heads prevail, I told myself, and nodded.
“Yeah, I know. It’s not their fault they had a piece of shit in their ranks. But they shouldn’t have tried to protect his lying ass.” We stepped off to a side street where there were less people but we could still see the rest of the club.
“Is it true you almost killed him?”
The only thing that had saved me from killing his ass was Truth stopping by on a whim. Tipping up my beer, I let the cold brew run down my throat. “I should have.”
“And be in jail?” Raised eyebrows followed his question as he drank his own beer.
Sighing, I knew he was right. I’d told myself that enough times over the last seven months. “Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.” Part of me was rubbed the wrong way by my actions, since I spent my life saving lives. The problem was, the other part of me hadn’t wanted to stop. I’d beat the actual living fuck out of the asshole I’d found fucking my woman in our bed.
I’d done it right in front of her.
“Almost as much as I enjoyed taking all of her shit and throwing it on the lawn as she screamed and cried. As she begged me to forgive her, I shoved her out the door naked, closed it in her face, and locked it.” Looking back, I could find a little humor in her naked, cheating ass out in the front yard screaming at me. She’d dared to call me the asshole in the situation.
“Fuck, bro, she wasn’t worth it,” Check said as he stepped up into the conversation.
“Yeah, I realize that now. But before that, I thought she was the one. Man, what a fucking idiot I was.” I hated that she’d duped me for so long. It turned out she’d been screwing the guy for weeks before I’d caught her.
“Don’t beat yourself up. You couldn’t have known. You’re not an idiot.”
The fact that I’d been holding on to an engagement ring said differently.
“Yeah, well, fuck that shit. I’ll never get that wrapped up in a bitch again.”
“Never say never, brother.” Check had the balls to laugh. Radar joined in. All I could do was shake my head at them and smile despite myself.
“I’ll say it and mean it,” I growled. Smirking, he held his tongue. Smart man.
“Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”—Def Leppard
After hearing all the bikes rev that morning, I’d almost suggested to the girls we go to the rally. Then I’d decided I probably wouldn’t see him there with that many people, so I didn’t. I’d researched it. The thing was huge.
Besides, I’d woken alone that morning and assumed that meant we’d had a fantastic night and that was all she wrote.
“Damn, girl, I don’t know what possessed you to sleep in that hammock last night. Look at you, you’re so stiff now you can barely walk.”
Um, not quite why I was stiff, but I wasn’t going to admit to Alesha or the rest of the girls what I’d done all night and with whom.
“It probably had something to do with the entire bottle of wine she drank.” Lynda smirked.
“Probably.” I winced as I sat on the barstool at the breakfast bar that wrapped around the kitchen. I wouldn’t be surprised if my hooha was bruised.
Swallowing a couple of acetaminophen, I figured it may help with the throbbing in my head and down there.
“Did you hear all that moaning and groaning? I think those bikers were fucking in our backyard last night!” Sophia looked scandalized, and my faced burned.
“Well, if they were, I was already passed out in the hammock.” Shrugging and doing my damnedest to appear unconcerned, I reached for a banana. If it were possible, my face might have been on fire. “I can’t believe none of you came looking for me. I could have drowned in the ocean. Thanks, assholes.” Not true, because they would have found me naked with a sexy-as-fuck biker.
A round of “oh shit” and “I’m sorry” rang out from all the women. There were twenty-eight of us there for the weekend. It was the only way we could afford the place. So some of the women I didn’t know well, but others were my best friends.
“Hey, do any of you want to go to that rally thing in town? I heard all those bikes fire up this morning and I remembered reading about it.”
I almost choked on my banana at Alesha’s suggestion.
“Ooo, maybe there will be some hot bikers there!” Lynda’s eyes grew bright.
“Hell, there are a bunch of them next door. Why don’t we just go introduce ourselves when they come back?” Kristi waggled her eyebrows.
Chugging from the bottle of water, I tried to wash down the food I’d nearly died trying to eat. My eyes were still watering. “Actually, it looked like there were a bunch of their wives or girlfriends there. I saw them from the beach last night.”
“Bummer.” Lynda sat next to me with her toasted bagel and began eating.
“I’m good with just chilling here with my bottles of wine today. This is the first time in at least a year that I’ve had peace and quiet,” Barbara piped in. She was married with four kids and taught preschool. I’d never understand that. Teaching preschoolers was like herding cats.
Then again, people thought I was crazy for teaching math to seventh graders.
“Hell, girl, me too,” I agreed.
That was the general consensus.
We ended up having cold sandwiches for lunch and chilling on the patio. Every time I saw someone sit where Styx and I had been the night before, I
chuckled inside.
Finally I had to leave because my thoughts had become too X-rated as I remembered his every touch. So I joined several of the girls who said they were going to walk the beach and collect shells.
Carrying a red Solo cup to collect my treasures, I laughed and walked with the girls. By the time we headed back, all our cups were brimming with a variety of shells.
As we closed in on the beach house, I smelled the grill before I saw all the bikers milling around down on their patio and up on the deck.
Surreptitiously, I looked for Styx amongst the bikers. It was hard to tell them apart from that distance, so I wasn’t sure if any of them were him.
“The bikers are back.” Kristi nudged my shoulder with hers. “We should go say hi. Surely there are one or two that aren’t taken.”
As we got closer, I studied the rowdy crowd. My heart dropped to my stomach when I saw Styx with his arm thrown around a woman with tattoos and dark hair. She was holding a drink and laughing up at him.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I could use a glass of wine, though. How about you?” My stomach churned at the thought of what I’d seen. I really didn’t want any wine, but I also didn’t want to think about him.
“Sure, babe. Maybe I’ll go over there later.”
I didn’t know what I’d expected. He hadn’t made any promises to me. Hell, he hadn’t actually said he was there alone. I felt sick thinking he might have cheated on the dark-haired woman with me. Or maybe he’d picked her up at the rally, which made me feel a teeny bit better. But not much.
For the rest of the weekend, I drank a hell of a lot of wine and did my best to forget about the best night of my life.
When we left Sunday morning, I kept my face averted from the neighboring beach house because I didn’t want to risk seeing him and that girl. I wavered between feeling like shit and being angry when I wasn’t reliving every glorious moment he was inside me.
Alesha, Kristi, and I had carpooled so that we could split the gas and the drive. It was when I was driving and eating from the bag of pretzels next to me that she squealed, scaring the shit out of me.
“Look!” Alesha pointed out the window.
A pack of about seven bikers passed us. They rode two by two, except the last guy who rode at the back but in the center. A few had women riding with them. It was when the last guy passed our car that I realized they were wearing the same patch as all the guys who’d been next to us all weekend.
You know… the same patch as Styx.
Of course, that had my heart flip-flopping and my legs clenching together, wondering if any of them were him.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
I was on my way back to my world. That night was a memory for the female spank bank and not to be mentioned in the light of day.
Besides, he could have been one of the ones with a chick on his bike. Ugh!
I’d been back at work for almost two months. Lordy, was I ready for another weekend getaway. I’d been stressed as hell since coming back. Okay, maybe it was only a little over a month, but it felt like months.
The first week back was the worst. Every time I’d gotten called down to the office for something, I was afraid they were going to have me take a drug test. I couldn’t believe I’d been so drunk that night that I’d smoked weed. I’d never done that before in my life.
And like a dumbass, I really missed Styx. He starred in my every fantasy, except good old BOB didn’t deliver near as good as he had.
Honestly, it left me more frustrated than satisfied.
My job itself—usually fulfilling—hadn’t helped either. The kids had been forces to be reckoned with. I wasn’t sure if it was because they’d had their Thanksgiving break and Christmas break was closing in fast, or if it was the unusually cold weather for Central Texas. Whatever the reason, I was ready to scream.
And if I didn’t get my coffee soon, I was going to be dangerous.
The drive-thru line at my favorite coffee shop was moving slower than molasses. Deciding it might be faster to just go inside, I pulled out of the line and parked.
I sighed, trying not to think about what day it was. Blinking back tears, I took a deep breath. Years of therapy couldn’t make that day not hurt.
“It’s going to be okay. You’re going to get through this day just like you have for the last six years.” The words rang hollow, but I repeated them to myself, then raced out of my car toward the building.
Fighting the bitter wind, I barged in the door with a shiver.
As I headed to the register where there was only one person waiting, I started to unwrap my scarf, and of course while it was over my face I ran smack-dab into a solid wall of man.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” As I raised my eyes to the poor guy I’d damn near tackled, my breath caught in my throat. “You!”
“Well, hello, beautiful.” That sexy drawl that had haunted my dreams poured over me like warm caramel. Except remembering the dark-haired girl, I bristled.
“Don’t you ‘hello beautiful’ me.” I quickly turned my back to him and placed my order.
“Add a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha to that.” A large tattooed hand reached over my shoulder and handed the barista some cash.
“No! Don’t you let him pay for my drink!” I turned to him in a mixture of outrage and shock. “And what the hell kind of drink is that for a big bad biker dude?”
“You’re judging my manhood by the coffee I drink?” The mock offended expression on his face had me scowling. He turned to the barista, who looked like she had no idea what she should do. “Add a Red-Eye to that too.”
“No!”
“Yes.”
“Umm….” The poor young girl at the register kept glancing from me to him. Back and forth before I finally had pity on her.
“Whatever.” Crossing my arms in front of me, I just wanted my damn peppermint mocha. I needed my peppermint mocha or I might lose my shit. Ugh! He had me cussing in my head.
As our coffees were being created, I stepped back to wait. Though I tried my damnedest to ignore him, my eyes strayed to his tall form. They darted sneakily in his direction, and my body reacted embarrassingly to his proximity.
What the hell was he doing here?
“You never said you lived in Leander.” That voice. Oh muh Gawwwd.
Panties. Melted.
“It never exactly came up. You didn’t say you lived here either.” Dry sarcasm was heavy in my tone.
“Actually, I don’t. I live in Cedar Park. But I’m heading up to Liberty Hill to our shop.”
Again my mouth hung open. “You live in Cedar Park?” I worked in Cedar Park. Jesus. I began to wonder how many times our paths had crossed before that night in November, and we’d had no idea.
“Oh, so the frou-frou drink must be for your girlfriend.” The snide tone that snuck out had me mentally kicking myself. Telling myself it didn’t matter, I still wondered if she was waiting out in a vehicle for him.
“Girlfriend? I don’t have a fucking girlfriend.” He snorted.
“Oh my God, watch your language!” I was too worried about his vulgar words in public to allow what he’d said to really sink in.
When he stepped into my space and his hands wrapped around my waist, I sucked in a surprised breath. Just as a hand slid across my ass, the barista called my name. Rushing over to the counter to collect my steaming cup of goodness and sanity, I couldn’t have been more relieved.
As I made to move around him to exit the store, he stepped in my path again. “Jesus, would you move? I have to get to work!”
With a sexy smirk, he held up a phone. I narrowed my eyes as I realized it was mine. “Asshole!” I hissed.
“Tsk! Tsk! Language, remember, Miss Gwen? Besides, you didn’t seem to mind my language the last time I saw you.”
Scrunching my face up at him, I barely resisted the urge to stick my tongue out as I snatched it back and stomped toward the door.
Just as the door was
closing behind me, I heard him say, “I’ll be seeing you around, beautiful!”
“Argh!” Spinning, eyes wide and angry, I stamped my foot. “Fat chance!”
The whole way to work, I fumed. And panted. And groaned. Because it had sunk in that he’d said he didn’t have a girlfriend.
Fuck my life.
Why?
Why did my one-night stand have to live here in my damn backyard?
Why did he have to be so freaking sexy?
What would my friends think of me dating a biker? A big, Viking-looking, sexy as hell biker.
Who said we were dating?
Why did I still have to want him so bad?
These were only a few of the questions I asked myself as I went through my day. The only good thing to come of that random meeting was that I was too preoccupied to become angry at the students’ less than exemplary behavior.
During my last class of the day, my watch buzzed with a message. That was one awesome thing about my Apple Watch. I could still get messages and shit during class without having my phone out.
Except, as I cautiously looked at it while the students worked on their assignment, I didn’t recognize the number.
Unknown: Hello beautiful. What are you doing tonight? I want to take you to dinner.
I could only respond with a questioning emoji. Wait a minute, only one person ever called me beautiful.
“Ms. Kelly? Are you okay? Your face is all red.” Startled by Heaven, one of my students, I never got a chance to look at the next message.
“What? Oh! I’m not sure. I’m not feeling too hot, but I think I’ll be fine. The day’s almost over.” Giving her a bathroom pass, I ignored the other two messages that came through.
The final twenty minutes of class were the longest of my life. I swear I could’ve been mistaken for one of my students, counting down the minutes until I could pull my phone out.
Finally, the bell rang and the wild seventh graders poured out of the classroom in a cacophony of laughter and raised voices. Thank God it was Friday.
Scrambling to dig my phone out, I’d just unlocked it when Alesha poked her head in my door.
Styx and Stones: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 3
