Julian (Steele Riders MC Second Generation #2)

Julian

Chapter One

Julian

I’m monitoring two patients while reading up on their conditions. Since I’ve just finished my fourth year of my residency, there is still a great deal for me to learn. I’d been so invested in my books that I took a bite of my lunch and I spit it back out. “Shit.” It’s ice-cold and now ruined.

Frustrated, I tossed it in the trash and snagged a cup of black coffee from the remaining pot on the counter. I don’t know how long it’s been there, but I need something, and I don’t have long before I’m summoned back to work. Being a resident isn’t an easy thing, but I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, and nothing will stop me. Nothing. Not even my other obsession.

My stomach rumbles, but a meal will have to wait until my shift ends in a few hours.

The door to the break area opens, and my best friend, soon-to-be former roommate Drake, enters. I lift my head from my readings. “Hey, how about you come over for dinner tonight at five?” Drake asks.

“Come over? We live together,” I reminded him. Since his residency programs recently ended, he’s selected where he’ll practice and has been offered a job.

My program ends next year, and I’ve already got my mind and heart made up because it’s been ingrained in me since I was a kid. There is a position waiting for me at Steeleville Medical Center alongside my mother and one of my Steele Rider Uncles, as I like to call them, Dr. Joseph Simmons or, as everyone else calls him, Doc.

“No, my mother is throwing a last-minute dinner at together to celebrate the end of my program and my departure to Seattle.” He’s taken a Family Medicine position in Seattle that pays well and gets him far away from Texas.

“At your mother’s?”

“Yes.”

Dinner at his mother’s automatically means that I’ll see Drake’s sister. God, his little sister. My dick hardens at just the simple mention of her name—Everly.

She’s twenty now. A lot older than when I first met the little temptation. Four years ago, she was a petite girl with long brown hair and light brown doe eyes that captivated me over four years ago when I was in the middle of my graduation speech.

There were no words for the way my heart leaped out of my chest. Somehow, I spotted her through the masses, and my gaze was laser-focused on her the entire time. She was too tiny to see anything besides her perfect face, but it was unmistakable that she had a profound effect on me, and when I finally barreled through that crowd, I found her in the arms of my best friend.

“Julian, Earth to Julian.” Drake waves his hand in my face. “Whoa, where the fuck did you go?”

“Sorry, I’ve been thinking about these patients,” I lied, taking a quick glance at my books and then back at Drake.

He scoffs and shakes his head. “Yeah, that’s just like you. I’m so glad my practice is going to be laid back and I’m not spending much time in the hospital, unlike you. So, what do you say? Are you coming, or are you going to hurt my mom’s feelings?”

“I’m supposed to be back here by ten for a second round.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s to cover an overflow.”

“You can still come by. It’s clear you haven’t eaten and my mom’s going to be upset if you don’t.”

What a prick. “You know my parents raised me better than that.” His father died a long time ago, so their mom was everything to them. “I’ll be there.”

My stomach turned at the idea of how I’d react when I saw Everly again. It had been at least two months since our last confrontation, and when I say confrontation, I mean it. She was pissed because I told her the outfit wasn’t appropriate for the party we were attending, and her mother and brother agreed with me, and they made her change.

Normally, it would have been fine if she wasn’t my fucking obsession, but the idea of anyone else ogling her would make me violent, something I wasn’t. Still, she was furious, calling me all kinds of names. Telling me I wasn’t her brother or her daddy.

I got the strangest arousal when she called me daddy. Maybe it’s the way she sassed the fuck out of me. There’s no way I wanted to be her brother, but damn, I was getting turned on every single time she gave me any attitude. It made my hand itch, and I wanted to bend her over and paddle her ass.

“That’s great. I’ll text my mom and let her know that you’re coming. She’ll be so excited to see you. I’ve got to go and finish packing up my shit. You know I’m scheduled to leave next week.”

“Yeah. I’m actually going to miss your stupid ass remarks, and late-night escapades.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t lie. You’ll be glad the house will have fewer female visitors.”

“Yes, especially the nurses.” Drake was bringing a woman home almost every damn day off. I’d come home to some random chick in my kitchen at least once a week. I’d be surprised if she was the same one.

All I asked was that they came out of the room clothed. He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I had to see these women and it wasn’t acceptable. Since then, I have also come out of my bedroom fully clothed.

“You’ll go to your siblings a little bit more for actual company because we know you won’t bring any women home.”

“True. Although my siblings are as busy as I am.”

“A bunch of nerds,” he teases. I have four siblings. Three brothers and one sister. It’s a lot, but my parents are happy that the house has always been crazy loud and busy. My parents quit making babies to focus on their careers and raising us. A houseful of small children was more than enough while still managing their work.

“That’s the truth. Although my brother Rick is a cop, working alongside my father right now. He wants to be a detective, which scares my mother, of course.”

“Well, tell him not to do undercover work and he’ll be safer.”

“That’s what I say. Besides, he’s a tough fucker,” I add. We’ve all taken training classes. There wasn’t a Steele Rider male who hadn’t been well trained to fight. After the years of gangs and drugs that came passing through town, our fathers made sure we could handle ourselves and protect our families. I’ll forever be grateful. I might be a doctor, but I’d do anything to keep those I love safe.

Love. My thoughts immediately go to Everly. She doesn’t know it, but my heart has been hers. It’s a tough struggle and I can’t even express how I’ve tied myself into knots, trying to fight the attraction while looking my best friend in the eye and telling him that I’m just not into dating. No, I want only one woman and if I could, she’d be screaming my name through the entire apartment, but he’d fucking kill me.

Drake double taps the table with his knuckles and then stands. “I’ll see you later.”

“See ya.” He leaves and I attempt to focus on the books in front of me, but my mind has lost all thoughts of medical care. Images of Everly in my arms as she begs me to fill her up, flood my brain. It’s wrong as fuck because she’s twenty and I’m turning thirty in a few weeks. She probably would think I’m a creepy old man.

The last time I saw her, she’d changed her hair color, and it had blonde highlights throughout it, making her appear more mature. She was in a cosmetology program, and it was almost over soon. She and her classmate had worked on her hair. It came out perfect. Everly looked sexy already, but this added a little extra sass to the bratty girl I knew. I wanted to grab her hair and pull her to me and shut her up with my mouth.

I wonder what she’ll look like tonight. The thoughts consumed me, and it made the rest of my shift too long.

I climb in my truck and head to our apartment to shower, which isn’t too far from Dallas General to freshen up. It’s about thirty minutes later when I jump on my motorcycle and ride over to the Mitchell’s residence in Arlington. Normally I’d drive after a long shift, but since I have to rush back and forth, I prefer my bike.

Shit, I hope Everly doesn’t cause me to do something stupid like kiss her in front of her family.

When I arrived, I’m greeted by Mrs. Mitchell. “Please come in, Julian.”

She kisses my cheek, and I give her a polite hug. She’s a nice woman who has always been sweet to me. “Thank you, Mrs. Mitchell.”

“How many times must I ask you to call me Carol?”

“Sorry, Carol. You’re looking lovely tonight.”

“Don’t hit on my mother. She’s got a special surprise waiting in the other room that won’t take kindly to it,” Drake says.

“Whoa, replacing me,” I tease, pressing my hand to my chest.

She pats my cheek, looking almost sad, as if she wasn’t hiding a grin. “Sorry, you’re too young for me.”

“Don’t make me kick your ass,” Drake growls.

“Like you could. Besides, you know damn well I’d never hit on your family, you asshole.” I shake my head and walk forward, nearly colliding with Everly, who is walking and talking on her phone. I threw my arms out and caught her before we slammed into each other.

“Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” she stammers out.

“Obviously not,” I grumble, staring at the cell phone in her hands. Who the fuck is she talking to that had all of her attention? Irrationally, I want to crush that damn thing and never let her make a call again. She’s an adult and not my property, but it doesn’t change the way she gets under my skin every time we meet.

She glares at me, huffing with her nostrils flaring and her pretty, light brown eyes staring daggers at me. “You don’t have to be a jerk about it. It’s not like you’re not built like a brick wall. You’ll survive. I’m the one who was steamrolled by a giant.”

“Still, all the more reason to be careful, little girl. You don’t want to end up on your back.” The thought of her on her back with her legs on my shoulders or wrapped around my waist as she takes every inch of me fills my head and I want to slam my fist into a wall. I’ve fought this attraction for years for good reason.

“Are you giving him shit again?” Drake says, stepping in the way, creating a divide.

“He’s just barking at me for accidentally bumping into him. I’m going to school. I’ll be back later,” she says, pushing past me as if I’m nothing but a nuisance.

“You’re not staying for dinner?” I asked, watching her backside like a damn meal itself. Damn it, Martinez, get a hold of yourself.

“No, I have a class and mom forgot. Must be the new guy. Well, I’ll see you all later or not .”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I questioned. She was old enough to move out and everything, but was she not planning on coming home tonight? Who the fuck is she going to be with? That motherfucker had a death wish. Drake told me she was single, and she didn’t date.

“I mean, you two will be going home by the time I get back. Isn’t that the modus operandi?” she huffed, scowling at me.

“Sorry, we’re busy trying to become doctors, little brat.”

“Sorry, we all can’t be saving the world. Some of us are trying to keep people from aging poorly.” She reaches up and brushes the sides of my hair where the hint of gray has appeared. I started seeing the gray about six months ago. My father said it ran in his side of the family down the line, and many in their early twenties were already gray. At least I made it to twenty-nine before it happened and I’m not going bald. I had classmates that were bald at twenty-three.

“Be careful, little problem child. Do you plan on putting on a jacket? It’s not summer yet.” It wasn’t freezing out, but there was a chill in the air now that it was later in the evening. Soon it would be hot all the time, but it was about sixty-five.

“I’m not a child anymore. I just turned twenty. Just because you’re an old man, it’s not my fault, and my hoodie is by the door, daddy. Don’t get bent out of shape. I’m not going to catch a cold.” She keeps fucking with me. She’s the one who is going to get bent…bent over.

“I need a word with you, Ev,” Drake growls, walking his sister toward the door right past me.

“Come on, I’d like you to meet my betrothed,” Mrs. Mitchell says, taking me away from the woman that gets my dick hard and my heart pounding. I walk away reluctantly, but she’s wrong because I’m going to be here when she gets home. This conversation isn’t over with. Maybe it’s time that I started acting my age.

“Fiancé?” I questioned.

“Yes.”

Mrs. Mitchel lost her husband about ten years ago, but I didn’t even know she was seeing anyone seriously. Her take on relationships wasn’t like mine. I planned on waiting until I finished residency because I had a goal in mind and women were a distraction.

Drake got his dating habits from his mother. The revolving door was something Mrs. Mitchell had perfected with her men. She admitted that no one had compared to the man she lost, so she’d never marry again. I’m actually shocked.

“Yes, Drake hasn’t told you?” she asked, scowling at her son who was behind me.

“No.”

“Well, I suppose it is new.” She introduces me to this dweeb looking fuck name Harold. He’s polite, but I don’t give a fuck because as much as I was afraid of seeing Everly tonight, I’m pissed that she’s not here.

Throughout dinner, we all make small talk and then we get on to the main reason I was invited for the evening.

“So, Drake is leaving in one week and as it happens, we are leaving in two weeks.” My fork freezes mid-bite.

“You and Everly are moving?” I questioned, feeling my heart was about to explode with that news. I’ve taken for granted that she’d always be around. It never occurred to me that my little glimpses of Everly that I’ve had over the years would be stolen from me in one way or another. The idea was foolish, short-sighted, and egotistical. I could kick myself.

“No, Everly still has four months of school left in her cosmetology program, so she can’t go, but Harold lives in Florida, and I’m moving with him.” My head tilts to the side as I consider the ramifications. Everly will be here in Arlington all alone.

“So, what’s going to happen to Everly? She’s going to keep the house?”

“No, I’ve already listed the house, and she’s not working at the moment.” Drake told me she had a job at the local restaurant by their house. I came in once and, of course, it happened to be the only day she wasn’t working. A week later, she was let go due to her calling off. Drake told me it was because of her best friend. He doesn’t like her.

“Is she getting an apartment or something closer to her school?” I asked, wondering if the school actually had a dorm.

“No, there’s nothing available that she can afford. Besides, we don’t think it’s safe for her to be a single young female living alone.” I nodded. Neither did I.

Drake scoots his chair in and then steeples his fingers. “Here’s the thing, buddy. Since I’m moving out, I was thinking that she can take over my room.” My mouth falls open, but I quickly shut it and attempt to keep a neutral expression.

He puts his hand up to stop my protests. “It’s not like you party like I do and well, you don’t need the money…but I can still pay my half of the rent.” My parents owned the apartment building, so it wasn’t the issue, but I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did he have any sense in his head? Could he not sense the lust I felt for her?

“What do you mean? You want Everly to move in with me?” I asked them.

“Yeah, who better to take care of her and keep her safe while she finishes school?” Keep her safe. That was the furthest thing from my mind when it came to certain parts of her body. They weren’t going to be protected from me.

“We’re going to make some coffee,” Mrs. Mitchell says, taking her man with her, so Drake and I can talk.

“Um…I’m not sure it’s a good idea. It’s not like I’m home at all. She’ll practically be living by herself,” I say, hoping to dissuade my best friend from pestering me, but he just smiles at me, and I’m certain that I’ve only strengthened my case.

As the words left my lips, my mind wandered to the day I met the young woman. She was already a torturous little thing, like now. I’d tried to maintain a straight face as the words had to leave my mouth so no one would be any the wiser about the effect she had on me. Only then was I standing in front of a crowd of three hundred graduates, my parents, her mom, and, most importantly, my best friend, when I first spotted the most delectable beauty in front of me.

“That’s even better. She won’t be a pain in the ass then. I know my little sister annoys the shit out of you, Jules,” he teases, using the nickname she calls me. It doesn’t annoy me; it gets me rock fucking hard. Everything she does gets me stiff, and it’s become a distraction I don’t need. For over four years, I’ve been able to keep our meetings to a minimum and avoided her at all costs, even though I’ve missed her and hoped I wouldn’t ruin a chance at a future.

“So, you decided to ask me for a favor while, in fact, annoying me as well?”

“It’s not like that. It’s only temporary. She’s finishing her cosmetology program and then getting a gig in Steeleville, thanks to the connections with your mom.” My mom? What the hell is my mom doing with Everly’s career? “Besides, I’m starting my new job in Seattle, so it’s not like I can have her with me,” he sighs.

Damn well, I know why he doesn’t want his little sister tagging along with him. He’s a fuck boy and a half. My best friend had a girl on each arm in college for all four years and it hasn’t changed. If she was following him around, he couldn’t have fun.

“Oh my God, just tell him the truth. You don’t want me cramping your style and you said he doesn’t like pussy so I shouldn’t be a problem,” my temptress storms into her mom’s dining room in nothing but a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top that should be fucking banned. That’s not what she was wearing when she left. Her hair is different, and she has on makeup. A pang of jealousy rumbles in my chest. I checked my watch, and it’s eight, so she was only gone for three and a half hours. It’s also a reminder that I need to leave.

“Now, that’s not true, Julian.” Drake tries to defend himself, but I know better. I just flipped him off because I’m never bothered by his shit talking. Hell, that’s one of the reasons we’re friends. We dig into each other, and we don’t get offended.

“Don’t lie to him,” Everly huffs, trying to protect me like the sweet girl she is. I don’t miss the tough expression in her eyes.

“Do you want to go with Mom and Harold?” he challenged her.

“No.” The resignation in her voice irritates me because she’s actually hurt by it.

“Well then, shut the fuck up.” I almost snapped on him, but then I remembered that I’m supposed to hate the little damn brat.

“Look, I hate to break up this little sibling squabble, but I’ve got to be at the hospital in two hours for my next shift, and you are both giving me a damn headache. If you’re not going to be a pain in my ass, then it will be fine if you move in.”

“Yay, thank you.” She squeals and throws her arms around me, giving me a giant hug, with her massive tits pressing against my chest. Damn, she smells incredible, and I steal a brief sniff. Fuck, I’m instantly solid and unsure how to react. I don’t put my arms around her, and I definitely keep my face away from hers because I’ll slam her lips to mine.

“Come on, Ev. Give the man some breathing room,” Carol says, coming into the room with a tray of coffee.

“Sorry, she can be a bit much, and that’s why she needs someone to watch after her—always sweet and na?ve. Julian isn’t going to let some asshole pricks take advantage of you. He’ll keep you safe from all those guys trying to score.”

“Whatever, I’m not a little girl.” I could feel it.

“You would think so, but you haven’t had a serious boyfriend.” Immediately, I’m heated and ready to bust heads. The idea of any fucks lurking around her makes my blood boil.

“You can have the spare bedroom, and you have to be tidy. Unlike this asshole” I wasn’t finished because there’s one rule I won’t let slide. “And little girl, no fucking boys in my house.” It was a hard and fast rule that won’t be violated unless a fucker wanted his bones broken.

She gasps as if that’s a deal breaker, but I’m sure that’s the reason they want her little ass in my watchful gaze. Which is fucking stupid of them because I’m the worst person to be put in charge of her purity protection. I’m like a damn wolf in charge of the chicken coop. “That’s fine,” she huffs, turning on her heel, sending her long ponytail that’s perfectly coiffed, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. And I want it wrapped in my fist.

As soon as I left, my hand was on my cell phone. “Uncle Cyber, I need a favor. I need cameras installed in my place in ten days. I’m going to have a guest staying and I need the place extra secured.”

“Secured or protected?” he questioned.

“Both.” I wanted men to be able to look over my property on occasion when necessary.

“Okay. How many rooms, exterior or just interior?”

“Both and I’m going to need a few little extras,” I add. By the time I’m at the hospital for work, I feel an ounce better about my future roommate, but then I see my mother approaching. “Dr. Martinez, good evening,” she says.

“Good evening, Mother.” I know she gets a thrill out of calling me doctor and I love it too. “Are you done with your shift?”

“Just some administrative paperwork and then your father is picking me up for a late-night dinner at the steakhouse. Do you want us to bring you something to eat?” she asked. That sounds delicious right now. I rub my stomach and nod.

“That sounds good. I’ll be working overnight, and I was in a bit of a rush and didn’t pack another meal. I rode my motorcycle into work today after I stopped by the Mitchells for dinner, but you know I could eat more,” I confessed, with my build, I burned an excessive amount of calories and the only meal I managed to scarf down was the one Mrs. Mitchell made.

Her brow cocks up, and she dips her head with her lips curled. “Oh really? How did that go?”

“From the look on your face, you probably already know.” Like my body and brain are fighting an all-out war.

“Well, considering you’re obsessed with little Everly, I’m sure it’s never easy leaving without her over your shoulder like a damn caveman.” She pats my cheek.

“She’s my best friend’s little sister, and they’ve just made that shit way worse.”

“What happened?”

“They’ve asked me to watch after her, letting her move in with me for at least four months until she finishes school and then gets a gig.”

“Are you serious?” she says as she begins to grin and bounces on her heels like she’s a teen again. If my father saw her right now, I’m sure she’d be over his shoulder and carried into the nearest unoccupied room. Those two are bad, even in their older ages. They love the idea of love so much that it makes it hard not to share their sentiment. Maybe it’s why I’ve waited for the right girl, and why I’ve never given up on the idea that maybe one day Everly and I will be right for each other.

“Why? Are you happy?”

“She’s twenty now and you’ll have her feet away from you. What are you waiting for?”

“It’s not that simple. Have you forgotten that I’m nearly a decade older, and that Drake wants me to keep men away from her, not fuck his innocent little sister?”

“Yes, I suppose you have a point there, but I guess you need to decide what’s more important to you. Your happiness or his. You’ll have time to decide, and you have patients that need your attention.” She slaps my chest with a stack of patient records. “Get to it, Dr. Martinez.”

I roll my eyes and grumble, “Yes, Mother.” She leaves me and then I’m met with Nurse Matteson for a run through. We’re about to get started when we’re called in for a GSW, a gunshot wound to the chest. This is going to be a long night.

I work through my twelve-hour shift without allowing Everly to cloud my thoughts. It’s one of the good things about being an Emergency Medicine doctor in a major city like Dallas. There is always something keeping you on your toes, especially on a Friday night. Still, the second I get on my motorcycle, Everly is in my head again.

After my shift was over, I drove to my parents’ house. They were sitting on the porch drinking some tea and smiling at me when I got to the steps.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Are you tired?” she asks, pulling out of my father’s relaxed embrace. Exhausted, actually.

“Nothing, Mother.” I raise my hand up to stop her from rushing to my side. I love her concern, but I’m fine.

“Don’t bullshit us, son. Is this about what your mother mentioned to me earlier?” I should have known that she would tell him. They have no secrets. It’s midday on Saturday and the Texas sun is blazing down on me. The warmth doesn’t help my fatigue.

I sigh and rub my hand over my stubble. “Of course, there’s not much I can do.”

My father stands up and meets me at the bottom of the steps, pressing his hand on my shoulder. “There’s a lot you could do, but I bet you’re full of tension and pent-up energy for her.” He raises his brows with a knowing look. He knew I was suffering sexually.

I wanted her beyond belief. At my age, I should be getting pussy regularly, but that wasn’t the case. My parents didn’t know the truth, but he knew at the very least I’d been waiting for Everly, which is stupid since I’m not even sure she’s a virgin. As much as I was obsessed, I hadn’t kept track, and Drake had implied she had some boyfriends.

“Come on, sweetheart, we’ll make you some food.”

“No, I should probably go home and get ready. There’s a lot to do in the house before she comes to stay next week.”

“Next week? So soon?”

“Yes, that’s what Drake said before I left, after reminding me not to have anyone touch his sister.”

“And you suppose that anyone includes you as well?”

“Of course it does. Is there a brother out there who will throw his sister at his friends?”

“No, but son, you’re a hell of a catch. If there was a friend that a man was going to send his sister to, it would definitely be you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you guys later. I just stopped by to say hello.”

“Take care and let me know if you need any help to get the rooms ready.”

“I probably will have a lot of work this week, but I’m sure you’re busy as well.”

“Actually, I have the next couple of days off. So, if you need me, I’m all yours.”

“I’ll make a list tonight because I work tomorrow.”