Chapter 1 #2
It had enough juice to turn on, but I left it plugged in since the battery was still very low.
After checking on Charlie once more to make sure she hadn’t thrown up, I crashed on the couch.
Pulling one of my softest throw blankets over me, I got myself settled in the living room.
This is what I get for going out on a Friday night.
Bash
I had been trying to reach my sister all night, but when her phone started going straight to voicemail, I got nervous. She had ditched her guards and gone out without any protection. Charlie was young and rash. Partying and meeting a guy who would piss me off were her main priorities.
All the sleazeball rich boys, Wall Street wannabes, and street corner musicians pissed themselves when they found out my baby sister was protected by the Reaper’s Guard.
Born and raised in the MC life, you would think Charlie would know better, but I guess when you’re surrounded by leather and tattoos, rebelling would come in the form of a khaki-wearing man-child.
This latest stunt was getting her ass tanned, though.
Had to get Keys to track her phone, and now there I was in the middle of the night at some rundown apartment building, about to kick some fucker’s ass.
It was ridiculously simple to get into, just buzzing units until someone unlocked the door.
I quickly stalked up the four flights of stairs, unsurprised to see the elevator down.
Finally outside of the apartment where my sister’s phone was located, all my patience was gone.
Banging on the thin wood, I let the full strength of my voice carry through the door.
“Listen up, motherfucker, you’ve got two seconds to open this door before I kick it down.
” I stood back, ready to barge my way through, when I heard the telltale sound of a bolt turning.
The door opened a crack, the chain still keeping it tethered, and large eyes magnified by thick glasses peeked up at me.
I took a step back, confused at what I was seeing.
“Who are you?” the girl asked in a hiss.
“I’m looking for a girl. Blonde hair. Name is Charlotte. Goes by Charlie?” I answered, trying to get a peek into the apartment.
“That doesn’t explain who you are,” she replied, unfazed.
“Look, I don’t have time for this. I need to get my sister now. “ She stuck her hand out and made a gimme motion.
“ID, please.” I sighed. This is ridiculous.
I could kick through her door and the flimsy chain in a second, but something had me holding back. I dug out my wallet and pulled out my ID, passing it to her. She took it into the apartment. I saw a light flash, and I assumed she took a photo of my license.
Smart girl. To my surprise, instead of slipping the card back through a crack in the door, she removed the chain, and then the door opened. I stepped into the small apartment, my eyes landing on the old couch with blankets strewn across it, as if that was where the girl had been sleeping.
“You’re Charlie’s brother?” she asked me. I looked at her, surprised, nodding mutely.
The girl was barely five feet, the top of her head hitting me mid-sternum. She had fiery red hair that appeared curly, although she currently had it wrangled into a long braid down her back. She was fair-skinned and had a smattering of freckles across her nose.
From behind tortoiseshell frames, her light brown eyes shone with flecks of copper. I stood there taking her in, losing myself in her delicate features and large eyes. She had an oversized jersey over an old pair of sweatpants. It took me longer than I cared to admit to realize she was speaking.
“I found her in the bathroom at a bar. She wasn’t doing so hot, and her phone was dead. I couldn’t get an address out of her, so I brought her here for the night. She’s in the bedroom. She’s been throwing up, so I’ve been keeping an eye on her.”
Shock ran through me. That small girl had done more for my sister than I could believe.
I sure as fuck wouldn’t have looked twice at some chick vomiting in a public bathroom.
I peeked into the bedroom to see Charlie sprawled in the center of the girl’s bed, water and medicine lined up neatly on the nightstand.
“Jesus Christ. She’s a fucking mess. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for the banging. I thought you were the guy she went out with.”
“Oh, no. He didn’t seem too nice. He probably had an apartment with a working elevator, though, so apologies for the inconvenience.” I blinked down at her, unsure if she was joking or not. Everything about the girl had me off-kilter.
“Yeah, I’m sure he was a real gem. Look, I wasn’t expecting her to be this out of it.
I only brought my bike. I need to run back and get my cage.
Do you mind keeping an eye on her for another hour?
Or I can call one of my Brothers to pick her up?
” She blinked up at me, her eyes looking owlish in the large frames.
“I didn’t really catch all the words in there, but it sounds like you have a motorcycle and you’re worried about her ability to hold on right now?” I couldn’t help but smile at her tone. She was matter-of-fact, no judgment, no underlying meaning. At my nod, she continued.
“Yes, I don’t think she’s up for a motorcycle ride. Happy to keep an eye on her. Or, if you want to stay with her, I can make some coffee or something until a car gets here,” she offered.
I think I surprised both of us when I accepted the offer, excusing myself to call a prospect, demanding he get his ass over there with a car ASAP.
When I walked into the kitchen, I could see steam coming out of a kettle.
Two mismatched mugs sat on the counter. I couldn’t help but watch the girl’s movements; she seemed incredibly calm given the situation.
“Tea or coffee?” she asked me.
“What’s your name?” I replied instead, surprised to hear the words coming out of my mouth. She turned and looked at me coolly.
“Fiona. I assume you’re Bash?” I jerked when I heard the sound of my name on her lips.
“How do you know my name?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, well, when I first found Charlie, I offered to call someone for her, and she was very adamant that I not call her brother, Bash. Plus, it’s written on your vest thingy,” she said, pointing to my cut. I felt like an idiot.
“Why do you wear both a vest and a jacket? That seems like a lot of layers. Does it help protect you when you’re on the bike?” she asked, studying my outfit.
It was a strange experience for me. It was the first time a woman was staring at me and doing the exact opposite of undressing me with her eyes. Everything that came out of the girl’s mouth surprised me, kept me on my toes, and I liked it.
“I don’t ever take the cut off. Lets people know I’m in the Reaper’s Guard. The jacket depends on the weather, but it definitely is safer to ride with a jacket. Road rash is a bitch.” While I was talking, she was moving around the kitchen, filling a mug with coffee and passing it to me.
“Milk? Sugar? You didn’t answer before, but you seem like more of a coffee guy rather than tea,” she said before she dug through a box of teabags to set her own cup up.
“Black is fine, thank you.” I took a sip of my cup, grateful for the burn. It forced me to keep my mouth shut for a moment—something I seemed to have a hard time doing around Fiona.
“So, which bar did you find my sister at? What were you doing there?” I asked, trying to get back on task. Charlie specifically went to a bar she knew she wouldn’t see any of my Brothers at. I had to eliminate that spot for her.
“Murray’s Pub, off 5th street. It’s near my office, so I was there for a team celebration.”
I didn’t want to think too much about the feeling of warmth that spread through me, knowing she wasn’t there on a date. If I was being honest, she looked pretty upset about the whole thing.
“I’m sorry if you had to leave early or missed something to take care of Charlie.”
“Oh, please, it was sort of a blessing. Well, not Charlie getting sick. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I was desperate for a reason to leave, though. I only went because the big boss was going, and I felt like I had to.” She shrugged, and I laughed.
“Not a fan of the big boss? Or the bar?”
“Neither? Both?” she replied, shrugging. I laughed again, and this time, she joined in.
We both took a sip of our drinks, a brief silence hanging in the air. I looked back at the bedroom, catching sight of my sister’s clothes, folded in a plastic bag, with her purse and shoes together in a neat pile.
“Thank you. For looking after Charlie. Not a lot of people would have done what you did,” I said, the immensity of that statement hitting me.
Charlie was incredibly vulnerable. She had grown up in the club, and always had a brother at her back, protecting her. Passing out in a bathroom in the middle of the city was not a safe move. Anything could have happened to her.
“You’re welcome. She seems like a good person, just a little naive. Don’t be too hard on her. At first, when she mentioned you, I thought it was because she was afraid of you. But the more she muttered about it, the more it sounded like she was afraid of disappointing you.”
“What did she say?” I asked, surprised at that take.
“That you’ll never take her seriously when you find out about this.” I was stumped by that.
I had fully planned on ripping Charlie a new one as soon as she sobered up, but now, because of a short conversation with that girl, I was rethinking everything. What is she doing to me? Before I could dig into the feelings deeper, my phone buzzed, letting me know the car was downstairs.
“Our ride is here,” I said, a wave of hesitation hitting me at the thought of ending the conversation.
“Do you want help getting her down the stairs?” she asked. I couldn’t help but snort at the idea of her helping me carry anything. Our height difference alone would make it a difficult task.
“I think I can handle it. Do you mind if I go grab her?” I asked, pointing at the bedroom.
“Oh, of course. Here, I’ll follow you down with her stuff.” I nodded and walked into the bedroom.
I wanted to look around, study the space, but forced myself to focus on my sister. I scooped her into my arms, and her head lolled against my chest. She looked so sweet when she was asleep—not like the demon she could be when she was awake.
In coordinated silence, we exited the apartment together.
At some point, Fiona had thrown a puffy jacket over the pajamas she had on and held the doors open for me to get Charlie in and out of the building.
I put her in the back seat of the SUV, the prospect driving giving me a weird look, but I shook my head to stop any questions.
“Here, her stuff,” Fiona said in a hushed voice, passing my sister’s clothes and purse over to me. I placed them on the floor of the car before closing the door and patting the roof to let the prospect know he could go.
My Brother knew where to take her, and that I would follow on my bike.
I was left standing alone with Fiona, in the middle of the night in the parking lot.
The temperature was in single digits now that February was upon us, and the urge to make sure Fiona got back upstairs and warm was gnawing at me.
“Let me walk you back up,” I said, unwilling to leave her alone like that.
Fiona looked like she was going to hesitate, but something in my expression must have stopped her because she gave a small nod before turning to head back inside. We climbed the stairs in silence, and when we got to the door, I waited until I saw she was inside.
“Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope Charlie’s feeling okay in the morning,” she said sweetly.
“She deserves whatever hangover she has, but I’ll let her know you wished her the best. Thank you again for helping her.”
“You’re a good brother,” was all she said, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. “Have a good night, Bash. It was nice meeting you.”
With a soft smile, she closed the door, and I stood there, listening as she bolted and chained it. After a few minutes passed, I had to force myself down the stairs and out of the building.
Climbing onto my bike, I put my helmet on and enjoyed the hum that went through me as the engine kicked on.
Usually, as soon as I was out on the open road, I felt better.
This time, with each mile that took me further away from Fiona, the more uncomfortable I felt.
Somehow, she had already gotten under my skin.