Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Erica
“I knew it!” Amber rejoices, causing a couple of people next to us to look over.
“Why don’t you just skywrite it?” I mutter.
After confessing what kind of happened between Brew and I, leaving out the sordid parts, but confessing we touched, she can’t contain her excitement.
I am reminded over and over that Brew brought me to orgasm, I felt him up and cried out his name more than once, and we never even kissed.
What does that even mean? Does he not like kissing?
“I’m sorry,” she says, quietening her tone. “Your secret is safe with me, unless you want Manny’s advice; he’s about to head over here.”
I look up, and sure enough, the club Chef is headed this way.
Manny’s smile is infectious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a bad mood.
He’s involved in a relationship with Bandit, one of the other club members, and also Lace, Riot’s sister.
I’m certainly not judging, but I don’t know how to keep one man, let alone a man and a woman, yet he seems to handle it with ease.
He’s beaming by the time he reaches our table. “Well, well, I’ve never seen two more beautiful women in this establishment.” He fans himself, and we both laugh. You can always count on Manny to make you feel better.
“Hello, Manny,” we say in unison.
He slides into the seat next to Amber. “Frankly, I’m glad you’re here. I know you probably came for the Gumbo, but I’m trying out something new and hoped you’d be my guinea pigs.”
“Shoot,” Amber says. “You know we’d never turn down anything you cooked.”
“Except turtle soup.” I screw up my nose. “I’m sorry, I just can’t eat a turtle.”
Manny shakes his head. “First, ew, second, it’s Bandit’s birthday soon, and lover boy loves his Po’ Boy; I’m trying shrimp, crawfish or roast beef.
I got a little fancy with the salad because, frankly, I don’t normally do subs, and Musos is a little more upscale than the clubhouse, but I need to know what you think of my special sauce. ”
“Sounds like we’re happily going to sample whatever you fling at us.” I smile.
Manny claps his hands together. “Eep, I’m excited! Okay, I’ll get a server to come and ply you with some soda, and I’ll be back in a few.”
He takes off like a bat out of hell.
“I love how crazy he gets over a sandwich.” Amber shakes her head. “Anyway, Brew, you were saying?”
“Ugh?” I slump forward. “I don’t know what to do. I didn’t mean for anything to happen, and now that it has, I want more, but I know that’s a really bad idea.”
“Why is it a bad idea?”
“Because we work together, plus, he’s Brew. He’s not exactly known for his happy temperament or his verboseness.”
“Who needs talking when you’ve got hands to play with?” She jiggles her eyebrows and I give her a deadpan look.
“This isn’t funny,” I whisper-shout. “I think he… No, I’m certain he wants to pursue things, and I don’t know what to do.
” I can’t tell her the dirty things he said to me this morning.
That would be inappropriate, as well as embarrassing, but facts are facts.
He made it pretty clear he isn’t done with me.
I’m not scared of you.
I know. That’s what makes my dick so hard.
What annoys me more about myself is the inability to see or acknowledge his rude comments about not liking my hair. I like my hair, and he should give me an apology for that before we go anywhere.
“Well, this could be good for you.”
I blink a couple of times. “How, pray tell?”
“Well, aside from the mind blowing sex—”
“Wait!” I hold up one palm. “How do you know that?”
She cocks her head to the side. “Seriously? It’s Brew. There’s been talk around the club, albeit not recently, it seems our lover boy is saving his cookies all for you.”
It’s true. I don’t like the thought of Brew with another woman, but it’s also a ridiculous notion.
We’re both adults, and he’s no doubt had a string of women.
I, on the other hand, had one partner, and the sex was definitely missionary and out of obligation.
My ex-husband never took care of my needs, because it was his needs that were to be met.
I didn’t enjoy sex, and I didn’t know it could be good, heck, I didn’t ever have those thoughts about Steven that I do with Brew.
It doesn’t even compare. Brew is dark, wild, untamable, and I love that about him.
He’s not afraid to be himself, no matter what.
I think about where Brew had his fingers — as well as stealing my panties — and I shudder. Then I remember what he did with said panties, and my cheeks flush.
I’m in so much trouble.
“I sincerely doubt that,” I mutter. “But this is not ideal. He’s my boss, not to mention the man has barely said more than a sentence since I started working there almost two years ago.”
She gives me a daring smile. “Clearly, his talents lie elsewhere.”
“Knock it off,” I whisper. “I need some adult advice. What am I going to do? I let him… Put his hands on me, and now he’s like a dog with a bone.”
“Of course he is. Men love sex, and Brew is no different, and look at you, E.” Amber waves her palm at me. “You’re a smoking hot mama. No wonder he wants to bone you. Just take each day as it comes.”
I make wide eyes at her as a server comes over, takes our drink order, then leaves. “Please lower your voice, I’m not discussing boning at the dinner table.”
“Ugh, you’re so boring.”
“I’m not boring. I just… This is new for me. I’ve never had anything like this happen since… well, since…”
“My brother?”
“Yes, and even then, it wasn’t like this, not even close.”
We both sober. Amber reaches over the table to take my hands in hers. “Haven’t heard anymore about the hearing.”
I nod. I know. Ever since we heard the news that Steven may be getting out on a technicality, I’ve been worried, to say the least. We both have.
Vincent may have been the mastermind in all of this, but that doesn’t excuse Steven.
They were both in on it, and involved in some shady shit.
I had no clue that either of them was involved in human trafficking, or that Vincent had an entire setup in one of his offices that nobody was aware of.
Tears spring to my eyes when I think about the life it would have meant for my daughter.
Amber was fifteen when she was forced into a relationship with Vincent.
She was a child. A few years later, when she couldn’t get pregnant, he’d beat her black and blue for not producing a child.
I had no clue Vincent was grooming her until many years later.
I was so blind in thinking he was a good guy.
A mentor. I’ll never be blind ever again.
Bile rises in my throat just thinking about the reason we ran. I didn’t want my daughter being abused, groomed or sold.
“I’m scared,” I admit. “What if he gets out?”
“He won’t.”
I let go of her hands, retrieving a tissue from my bag. Dabbing my eyes, I’m unable to cry fully because I’ll save that for later when I have privacy. “I can’t ever see him again. I never want to see him again, Amber.”
“You won’t have to,” she reassures me. “And if by some weird misstep of justice he gets out, we’ll have the club behind us. He won’t remain free for very long.”
My eyes widen. I’ve never condoned the killing of anyone or any kind of vigilante justice… But then I think about all the people the two of them hurt. Human trafficking, and they were involved. They ran an operation that stunned authorities, and we were inadvertently part of it.
I clear my throat. “You were so brave.” I know my voice is small, but I can’t help it. “Getting us out of there. I can never repay you—”
“Stop that kind of talk,” she chastises. “You were so much braver. You had Olive to think of, and if things went pear-shaped, we both would’ve never left.”
I sniffle into my tissue, then I laugh without humor. “Remember when you punched Jude in the face?”
She laughs too. “Yep. Best day of my life. Knocked that bitch out cold.”
“It seems like a lifetime ago.”
“We will get through this, no matter what,” Amber reassures me.
When she says it, I want to believe it. But I also know how the justice system works.
Steven applied for leniency, blaming Vincent for being the mastermind and coercing him into a network he knew nothing about.
I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know if he has a case, but I do know he’s having a retrial.
“Me and Bronco told Cash about the hearing yesterday,” Amber says.
I nod. “Okay.”
“It’s best he knows, then we can plan for the worst-case scenario.”
I can’t hold back anymore tears. “What if he comes for Olive?” I shake my head, unable to fathom it. “He’ll want to see her, they might grant him access.” My worst fears could come true, and I live with that every single day.
“No, they won’t,” Amber says sternly. “No court in its right mind would do that.”
“You really don’t know these people,” I whisper. “They buy off judges all the time. Lawyers and cops are corrupt all over this city.”
“Not all of them.”
I wipe my eyes. That’s true. Mayor Cale Callaghan is doing an amazing job of cleaning up the sewer rats of this city, but even that takes time.
“You’re not running,” she warns, knowing the telltale thought pattern I have by now going on in my head. “You have a home here.”
I blink away the tears. I’m not strong like her.
I can’t fight him, physically or emotionally.
Maybe that makes me weak, but I don’t think I ever really processed the damage he did.
I never dreamed there would be a chance he’d get out, either, so I’ve lived in this little bubble that was already fractured from the start.
“I know, but the damage he did, what they both did.” I shake my head.
“Brew once told me that he didn’t believe there was a happily ever after for people like him,” she trails off, looking around before adding, “I’ve also heard you say something similar, and I want you to know that it’s not true.
What you did when you left Olive with me, while reckless, was a selfless act of love for your child. Please don’t ever forget that.”
I nod, forcing a smile. “It feels like so long ago.”
She smiles softly. “It does.”
I sit a little straighter, remembering why we’re here. “That still doesn’t help me with my Brew dilemma.”
“What Brew dilemma?” Manny makes us both jump.
He piques a brow at me before setting down a Po’ Boy in front of me, then Amber, then he sets two smaller bowls of Gumbo next to them from the server behind him.
“Girlfriend, I’m all ears. Is it man trouble?
Is that big, hairy, pin-head giving you grief? ”
I laugh, unable to help myself. “Something like that, but not in the way you think.”
He rolls his eyes dramatically. “Trust Brew to be a giant pain in the ass.”
If only that were the case. Instead, I find myself thinking about him every second of the day, and it’s becoming an unhealthy habit.
Today, for example, he’s a distraction I don’t need when I’ve got work to do.
But then, that little voice inside tells me to chill.
Let him take you to bed. Enjoy it. There doesn’t have to be any strings attached.
Maybe I really do just need to take that giant leap of faith and step out of my comfort zone.
Maybe I really do have to let the wheels just fall off.