Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
Haze
Present Day
“So?” I stare down at her annoyed face. “Tell me that I’m wrong, that you’ll be pullin’ the bullets out of me when you shoot.”
“There’s paramedics for that,” she fires back. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come around here anymore.”
“Now that’s just mean, and I don’t ever remember saying those words.”
“After New Year’s,” she whisper-shouts.
“Yeah? And February, March, April, until you realized we’re onto a good thing. That’s what you do, sweet cakes, but I won’t hold it against you.”
“You left that morning,” she fires back. “And never even called, so don’t give me that shocked face. We had an agreement.”
“We did, but you decided to change the rules. I’m good enough to have in your bed, but not be seen in public with.” It hurts, to tell the truth, and I know that isn’t how she thinks, but it’s certainly how she’s behaving now she’s got this big promotion.
“That isn’t true and you know it.”
“Really? Let’s examine the evidence since we’re gonna do this here, shall we?
” I tap the pad of my pointer finger. “Being seen with a biker isn’t good for your reputation.
” I tap the middle pad next. “You’re worried about what the commissioner will think.
You don’t want a spectacle but you dragged me away in front of everyone — hereby causing a scene — oh, and lucky last, you brought a date, who looks shady as fuck by the way and probably couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag. ”
She glares at me. “What I do in my personal life is none of your business.”
“So he is your date?”
“Goodbye, Haze.”
I grab her elbow as she goes to push past me. “Deny it, deny what I just said and I’ll leave quietly.”
Her face is livid as she turns to face me. “You’re delusional, do you know that? I don’t mind you being here one little bit, but arriving in club colors, Aust? It’s like you’re just trying to stir up trouble for me.”
“Good enough to bone, but not good enough to show on your arm, I get it.”
“You never asked to be on my arm, so stop being belligerent,” she scoffs.
“I came to support you,” I sigh. This isn’t going how I planned. Usually, I can sweet talk or joke my way out of any situation, but this is Willow. She’s smarter than me. “That’s the truth.” I thumb behind me. “Even brought Brew and Sawyer, they say hi by the way.”
“Haze, you can’t go around threatening people just because you don’t like I’m here with someone.”
“Who the fuck is Connor, anyway?” I demand. “Callin’ you babe? I mean, how come he’s allowed to be here and I’m not?”
“He’s a friend, not that I have to answer to you.”
“A friend… or a friend?”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Did you tell him you’re still married?”
“I said goodbye, Haze.”
“It’s just a question,” I call after her. I don’t like seeing her walk away, but she started it. I wasn’t here to cause trouble, and I don’t see why I should remove my cut just to make her life more comfortable.
Willow has made it very clear we’re not a thing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t support her victories. Granted, I probably shouldn’t have flipped that asshole the bird, but he had it coming.
“Way to go.” Sawyer slaps me on the back. “I can see you may need to brush up on your fraternization skills in a public setting, but it could’ve been worse.”
“She won’t shoot him in front of people,” Brew mutters.
“She’s ungrateful if you ask me,” I say, watching her cross the floor, back to the podium. “Which reminds me, Sawyer, I need to find out who that douchebag is in the blue suit right there. Goes by the name Connor.”
Sawyer’s eyes drift across the room until he’s nodding. “Got it.”
“That her new boyfriend?” Brew asks, but I don’t acknowledge him.
“I’d say our work here is done,” I say. “Gettin’ eyes from too many cops.”
“It was your idea to come,” Brew reminds me. “Not the most genius of plans, but you never think things through.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I run a hand over my face, giving one last look at Willow as we start to walk. Her eyes flick to mine, but she looks away. No matter what she says — I saw the look of horror on her face when she saw me. I know where I stand now, and I stand absolutely nowhere.
I don’t see her parents here. No doubt her father would’ve found a million excuses not to come and cheer her on and celebrate her success, and her mom? Don’t even think about it. She remarried a few years back and spends half her time in Europe.
I know it must hurt not having them here, which is why I wanted to show solidarity. Fat lot of good that did me.
“No need to snap at me,” Brew says, falling into step beside me. “Maybe you just have to finally get it through your thick skull she ain’t comin’ back.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I shake my head. “Who even said I want her back? It isn’t illegal to come to your wi—”
“There you go again,” Sawyer sings. “With the ‘my wife’ thing. Play a different tune, old man.”
If we weren’t surrounded by a few hundred cops, I’d turn around and punch him in the face.
“Who are you callin’ old?” I throw back.
Brew thumbs at me.“Yeah, and I’m older than him, so what does that make me?”
“Ancient?” Sawyer snickers.
The ride back to the office is uneventful.
Sawyer splits to keep tabs on Connor and find out where he works.
I can’t stop thinking about Willow and what she’s doing with that Connor guy.
Granted, we haven’t been intimate for a long time now.
I didn’t agree it was best to take a break, but that’s what she thought was best. My girl, always overthinking things.
“You think Wills is mad about her parents not bein’ there?” Brew asks as we’re about to pull into the lot.
“They’re assholes, why would they care?”
“It just kinda sucks for her. I know we don’t love cops around here, but she’s one of the good ones.”
“I know that, hence the reason I wanted to go. She’s worked hard.”
“I can see her point of view. The cuts were probably not a smart idea.”
“If they were so worried, we wouldn’t have been let in,” I grumble.
Erica, Brew’s ol’ lady, and Nova greet us when we head inside.
Brew plants a kiss on his ol’ lady's head, giving Nova a chin lift. “Anythin’ eventful happen while we were gone?”
“Nope, but someone called Cameron Sinclair called and left a message for Haze,” Nova says, her eyes still on the computer screen.
I halt in my tracks.
Brew turns to look at me. “What the fuck?”
“Cameron Sinclair?” I balk. “Are you yankin’ my chain, cuz, because if you are, that ain’t funny.”
“I’m not!” she says, scowling as she waves a post-it note at me. “See for yourself.”
I glance at the paper like that is going to give me any insight into what the fuck Willow’s father is doing calling me. It’s clearly about today, and I’m not in any mood to put up with his bullshit.
“He seemed quite insistent,” Erica adds. “He rang a couple of times.”
“I’ll bet he did,” I mutter, striding to my office to think about what the fuck I’m going to say to this dingleberry that hasn’t already been said before.
He doesn’t own Willow, and he certainly doesn’t own me.
If I want to attend a goddamn fucking public ceremony, then I will. I don’t need his advice or permission.
Before I’m even in my seat, Brew’s standing in the doorway. “Little coincidental, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, just what I need, a showdown with the bastard who never shows up.”
Brew folds his arms over his chest. “Maybe he was there?”
“Wouldn’t be like Cameron Sinclair to be anywhere except up his own ass,” I mutter.
He gives me a chin lift. “You gonna call him back?”
“What’s it to you?”
“I just like seein’ you squirm.”
“Fuck off.”
Brew tuts. “Just because your ex blew you off, doesn’t mean you have to take it out on the rest of us.”
I glance up from the note, rolling my eyes. “Just because you’re all fuckin’ loved up and shit, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to suffer.”
“Bite me.”
“I’ll leave that to Erica.”
“Seriously, that asshole’s gonna ream your ass, bro.” Brew gives me a rare smile. “If you need backup, you know where to find me.” He takes off, laughing as I flip him the bird.
I don’t want to talk to Cameron Fucking Sinclair, not today, not ever. I crumple up the Post-it and toss it in the trash. The last thing I need today is another tirade. I already got today’s fair share from his daughter. The one thing Willow did inherit from her old man is his temper.
I start working through the job orders when my phone vibrates. Normally, I’m not attached to my phone, but I know it’s from Willow because of the chime.
I pick it up and glance at the message.
Wife
I’m sorry about earlier. I was rude. There’s stuff going on, Aust. It’s not you, ok?
I stare at the message, my eyebrows knitting together as I read her words over and over. Willow rarely apologizes, and usually when she says what she thinks, she means it and there’s no going back.
I don’t know if to tap out a reply, or keep her on read, but my conscience gets the better of me.
Me
What’s goin’ on?
It takes another few minutes of radio silence.
Wife
Talk later. Busy. Dad’s in town
So the prick really is here, wonders will never cease. I’m half tempted to tell her about him calling me, but I don’t want to upset her further. She’ll be in a pickle already with him being in town.
I’m amazed he even gave enough of a shit to actually show. Maybe my instincts are getting rusty in my old age.
Me
Hand him a medal
Wife
I would but it would go to his head
I chuckle at our inside joke and get back to work.
A few moments later, my office intercom chimes. “Haze, it’s Mr. Sinclair again,” Erica says. “Should I put him through?”
Holy fuck.
I run both hands through my hair, then press the button. “Sure, Erica,” I say, steeling myself for a showdown.
The scumbag just doesn’t let up. Instead of concentrating on his daughter and her special day, he’s too busy hounding me. His audacity never ceases to amaze me.
I pick up the receiver, hitting line one. “Cameron,” I say, unable to call him Mr. Sinclair. Using his first name only will annoy him more. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You’re a hard man to track down, Austin.
” Of course, I wouldn’t expect him to call me by my biker name.
He probably doesn’t even know I’m part of the Rebels MC.
His tone is gruff, like he’s got better things to be doing than making this phone call.
“My daughter tells me you have a security business.”
“Good news travels fast.” I clear my throat. “Let’s cut to the chase. What do you want? If you’re callin’ me to tell me to stay away from your daughter, then you’re gonna lose that battle every single time—”
“For once, that isn’t why I’m calling,” he says.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, waiting for the onslaught… but it never comes. I check the line to see if he’s hung up, but it’s still connected. “Spit it out.”
“My daughter’s in trouble,” Cameron says. A silence hangs between us and I’m dreading whatever he’s going to say next. “And I need your help.”