Chapter Twenty-Five
GREASE AND JAY WENT to meet those assholes last night, and they were pissed as hell, because they were expecting them, and by extension, us, to provide security for a fucking hen night.
That’s right. A bunch of women out getting pissed, and they wanted us watching out for them. Apparently they were the women who actually ‘belonged’ to the men in their organisation, and they didn’t want their men near them for their night out, so they wanted ‘trusted’ security consultants instead.
Not that they’d be far away. They’d be outside in a damn van, but it was still a bullshit assignment, but one Micro felt we couldn’t say no to, because our connection to Rossi meant that we were technically responsible for a shootout at their club. Yeah, right.
By the time Caroline appeared at the shop, I was pissed off, and Rocket was annoying the hell out of me, just by breathing, and I fucking needed her.
She walked through the door, and I marched over, lifted her backpack off her shoulders, and set it on the floor, and dragged her into my arms. Fuck.
The instant I was holding her, and her sweet flowery scent was tickling my nose, I knew she was the balm my frustrated soul needed.
I felt the tension ebbing away as she nuzzled her face against my chest.
“Are you okay?” She whispered, and I kissed the top of her head as I tightened my arms, because I wasn’t ready to let go of her yet.
“I am now.”
She released a soft sigh that sounded like sheer fucking happiness to me, and maybe that’s what I needed. Her sunny warmth. Her easy smile. The fact that she struggled with so much in life, but not me. She accepted me, baggage and all, and that made me feel comforted too.
“You guys wanna get a room?”
I shot a glare at Rocket, and went right back to smelling her hair and kissing the top of her head.
“You’re… squeezing me,” she finally whispered, and I forced myself to loosen my arms, finally stepping back, but I kept my hands on her arms, because I needed that connection still.
“Fuck, I missed you,” I whispered right back to her, feeling like a pussy for even admitting it, especially after we only did it once. Once. I was like some pathetic obsessive schoolboy idiot.
“I did too. That’s weird, right? I’m weird, I know. I have to finish Rocket’s pics today, but then did you want us to work on the club thing?”
I blinked, my mind catching up with her words, but before I could hiss at her about calling herself weird, Rocket’s asshole head popped up again.
“Club thing?”
“None of your business,” I replied, grabbing Caroline’s backpack and taking it to her desk for her.
“But if it’s club stuff…”
“VP business, man. Just do your thing, so I can do mine. Can you do that?”
He rolled his eyes, and masked up, disappearing into his booth, where he was working on a custom job for Jeff, who’d been in touch since his last visit, and had arranged what he wanted.
Seems when you’re rich, you can just afford to ship the replacement parts to the spray place, and get them sprayed, so you can swap it over later when it’s convenient.
“You seem cranky today, Harley, what’s going on?” Caroline set up her laptop, and dragged Rocket’s file over, and then left it all to come back to me.
“Dunno. Lots going on, I guess. I really did miss you though, and it’s not weird, and neither are you. Is your cousin okay?”
She practically swooned at me, and why the fuck anything I said would do that, I had no idea.
“I can’t believe you cared enough to ask. She’s fine. I mean, she’s not. She’s a mess. She’s angry, she’s betrayed, she’s… the monster got her best friend, and business partner, pregnant.”
Fuck. Who the fuck does that to someone?
“What a wanker. Does he need an asskicking?”
Caroline gasped, and Rocket reappeared like a bad smell.
“Whose ass are we kicking?”
“Nobody, go away.”
He groaned, tossing his mask aside, and approaching us, when he should have been doing the damn opposite.
“I’m serious. This is a private conversation, Rocket.”
He leaned his butt against my counter. “Asskickings are club biz. You know we love that shit.”
Caroline looked edgy now he was over here with us. He was making her uncomfortable, and wasn’t this just another sign of how she wouldn’t take to my club brothers?
“Rocket, fuck off.”
He grinned, turning to Caroline. “I’m serious, love. You’re family, and if someone’s bugging you, we’ve got your back.”
“It’s not me! It’s my cousin’s ex. He’s… we shouldn’t be talking about beating him up, Harley!”
“He got another woman up the duff!”
She started to giggle, but I heard Rocket curse, and I just knew the fucker wasn’t going away anytime soon.
“Rocket. Can you do me a favour? Can you take this,” I handed him a twenty, “and go grab us something from the coffee shop? I promise, if there’s any kicking of asses, you’re top of the list, okay?”
He rolled his eyes, and left the shop, thank fuck.
He probably realised I was on the last fucking edge of my nerves, and he needed to not piss me off.
Working together would suck if we fell out.
Another reason you don’t go into business with friends.
Hell, Caroline’s cousin seems to have learned that lesson the hardest way possible.
“He’s getting coffee? I could just have one from the machine. You stock them for me, after all.”
I shook my head. “No. I did…”
Her face fell and she interrupted me. “I was late and you had one for me, right? It got cold? I’ll still drink it.”
“Like fuck. You’ll get a fresh one, baby. Always the best for you. Now look, when you’re done with Rocket’s stuff, I’d love to start talking about the club rebuild with you. The only people who know about it so far are the Pres, Grease, and me, okay?”
She mimed zipping her lips, and I lifted those cheeky fingers to my lips, kissing them softly.
“I wanna show you the clubhouse.”
Caroline
HE WOULDN’T LET ME tug my fingers away from his, but he knew I’d panic. He knew the idea of that place, full of big men like Rocket would terrify me. How could he ask me to go there, but then… how could we be anything if I couldn’t make the effort, at least, to be around his family?
“Breathe, baby, just breathe.”
I wasn’t breathing? A sudden sharp intake of breath was my answer. I guess I’d panicked more than I realised.
Harley steered me to my chair and crouched down beside me.
“The day after tomorrow, there’s a toy run, so that means they’ll all be offsite for a few hours. I wanted to see if you’ll come there with me then, while it’s quiet and empty. I can show you around, and we can gather whatever info you need to help me with the plans, okay?”
A toy run? I must have looked as confused as I felt, because he grinned again, teasing a curl from my temple, and bouncing it playfully.
“Yeah. The children’s hospice is having an early Christmas celebration, you know, for obvious horrible reasons. We’ve raised money, ordered in toys, which they’re wrapping today with the help of old ladies, and they’ll deliver them in costume.”
Oh my god. That’s heartbreaking. Who knew bikers did such things? I was a little bemused still by one thing he said.
“Harley?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Why are you making old ladies wrap the gifts? Wouldn’t it be easier for-”
“God you’re adorable. Old lady is the term for a biker’s wife, or life partner. So when I say old ladies, I mean biker’s wives. If I didn’t think it’d overwhelm you, I’d take you to join in. It’s at the other chapter’s compound, since it’s bigger, and they’re doing the run with us.”
The thing that struck me the whole time he was talking?
I could almost feel a sense of longing in him.
He wanted to be involved. He wanted to be doing this run with them, and helping with the preparations.
I was the one standing in his way, and I hated that.
Last night V went on and on about men being assholes, who didn’t do good things for anyone, who did nothing decent without expectations of something in return, and that they wouldn’t put their woman first in anything.
He’d just proved her wrong on all three counts with one act.
“You have to miss it because of me?” Did my voice get really small? Harley tugged on that curl again, smiling gently at me.
“I’ll get to do the next one. It’s all good, and it’s the best time to get you onsite without all those bellends around.”
It sounded like such a beautiful thing to be doing, and I really didn’t want to be the reason he wasn’t getting to do it.
“Hey, stop that,” he murmured, leaning closer and pressing his lips against mine. One of us moaned softly, and that kiss went from gentle and comforting to desperate and needy. It became the kind of kiss that should be happening somewhere private, where it could lead to more, but instead…
“Jesus fuck, can you two keep it in your pants? I shoulda knocked…”
We pulled apart as a guy I didn’t recognise walked in, and Harley groaned, nudging me behind him slightly.
“Hey, Pres.”
Pres. As in President? The man wasn’t wearing a leather cut, and he didn’t look presidential at all. He had shaggy brown hair, and a stubbly face, and a grin that I think books would refer to as ‘shit-eating’.
“Hey, Harley. This must be the lovely Caroline I’ve heard so much about.”
I noticed two things as he spoke. One, he’d started off a little brash, but seemed to notice my reaction to it, and lowered his voice.
Secondly, he had the cheekiest smile. Once he’d stopped mocking his friend, he was smiling at me like we were sharing a joke, and I felt oddly at ease with him.
It was strange. He was a big guy. Bigger than Rocket.
Maybe even a little taller, but somehow not intimidating at all.
He was wearing a dark shirt, tucked into dark jeans, and the typical biker boots, so pretty much the same way Harley dressed.
The same way Rocket seemed to dress. Maybe all of it was a uniform, and not just the leather cut they opted not to wear at the shop.