Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ROMANIA
“Kid, you good?” Dad asked, resting his hand on my neck and giving me a little shake.
I placed my phone down on the counter in the garage break room and shrugged. “Eve and Quake haven’t got back to me in forever.”
Dad smirked. “Forever?”
“I don’t know. They’re acting weird. Maybe they don’t want to talk to me anymore. Maybe they just want to concentrate on each other. Not that I can blame them. Their relationship’s new. They don’t need me annoying them all the time with messages or calls or FaceTime.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case.”
I scoffed. “I’ve had people get sick of me in my life, Dad. It wouldn’t surprise me.”
He glared. “Fuck those people, kid. The friendship you have with Eve and Quake was somethin’ big. They’re probably just busy or somethin’.”
I hummed. “I guess. But neither of them has messaged me in like… hours. Right now, it’ll be evening there, and they’d be having dinner, or Quake would be getting ready to go to the bar, and Eve would either go with him or stay home to chat with me.
But no one is talking to me.” Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face and then took a deep breath.
“I’m overreacting. You’re probably right. They’re just busy.”
Too busy for me.
I shouldn’t be surprised. I couldn’t expect them to keep talking to me when they should be working on their relationship.
“Rommy—”
Pushing my shoulders back, I smiled up at Dad. “Nope. I’m all good. They’ll text sooner or later. I’m gonna grab a strawberry milk and head to my bay. I have a sweet car waiting for me.”
Dad thinned his lips, but he nodded. “Okay, kid. Good to keep busy.”
“Exactly.” On my way out, I took a carton of strawberry milk out of the refrigerator. Not that I really wanted it. I wasn’t in the mood for a drink or food, but I didn’t want to worry Dad more. I still opened it and drank it down before throwing it in one of the rubbish bins along the way.
“Rommy, you comin’ to see Payton in her school concert?” Billy asked as I walked by his bay where he and Pick were tinkering on their rides.
“When was it again?” I asked, smiling sheepishly. Things slipped my mind all the time, and I even forget to put it in my calendar to remind me.
“Next weekend.”
“Text me a link to the tickets. Is she singing?” Payton had an amazing voice, and I believed she could go far with it, if her dads let go of the reins. I’d have to talk to Josie to see if she thought Payton wanted a career in music.
“Yeah, got the main role in Hairspray.”
“Oh my God, I love that movie. I’ll be there.”
Pick tipped his chin up at me smiling as Billy said, “Wicked.”
I kept moving on to my bay. Knife and Beast weren’t in yet. They probably had a late one since there’d been a party at the club. I hadn’t gone. I’d worked my butt off yesterday and went home to see if Quake and Eve were free to chat, but they never got back to me.
Had I done something?
Maybe I said the wrong thing.
I tended to do that a lot.
But I thought they didn’t mind me being me.
They could just be busy.
But we’d never gone this long without talking in one way or another.
If they’d just sent one quick text, I wouldn’t be all up in my head with worry or fear that I’d lost them.
I couldn’t lose them.
In my bay, I slipped on my coveralls and grabbed my headphones.
Please let my work and music take my mind off everything else.
I just needed a breather from the achy chest and twisted gut.
Placing my headphones on, I selected a playlist and busied myself with the job.
I loved my work.
It was a puzzle most days, and it did entertain my mind.
Except today, I kept glancing at my phone to see if the screen was lit up with a new message.
It wasn’t, and the minutes were dragging by painfully.
Once again, I shoved my mind back onto business. This time I lasted another hour before I picked up my phone.
Groaning, I put the device down and felt a tap on my shoulder.
I jolted and paused the music to meet Knife’s amused gaze. “Sorry to startle, kid. Dodge wants you in the compound.”
I glanced back to the bike. “But I’ve got to get this finished.” I didn’t tell him I’d wasted enough time looking at my phone instead of working. He didn’t need to know that.
“I’ll get Fang to finish it off.” He nodded to the side. “We’ll tell him on the way.”
Sighing, I placed my headphones on the counter, ticked off what I’d completed, and then removed my coveralls, which left me in jeans and a plain black tee. I slipped my boots back on and nodded. “Okay.” As we walked, I asked, “Do you know what he wants?”
Shit. I hope I didn’t mess up on any of the jobs. I prided myself on my work. If I got a complaint right now, I’d likely burst into tears and have the brothers running for cover while I sorted myself out. Then again, I didn’t think I could sort myself out until I heard from Eve and Quake.
“Nah, don’t have a clue. Sorry.”
“How come he’s not in the office in the garage anyway?”
“Again, you’re askin’ me somethin’ I don’t have an answer to.” He spotted Fang and called, “Brother, can you finish up for Rommy.”
Fang tipped his chin up. “No problem. You marked off on the form what’s been done and hasn’t?”
“Sure did.” The forms were what Mum had made up to help me on days when my mind was a buzz and nothing would settle it. “Thanks, Fang.”
“Any time,” he called as he walked towards my bay.
Knife and I moved on, and he asked, “You all right, Rom?”
“Yeah, why?” I pulled one of the braids over my shoulder to play with the end.
He bumped his arm into mine. “You just don’t seem yourself.”
Sighing, I nodded. “My mind is elsewhere. But I’ll be fine.” I smiled up at him.
“Yeah, I reckon you will,” he told me as he opened the door to the compound.
We walked down the hall that led to the common room where I could hear Dad talking to someone. Did we have guests he wanted me to meet?
Oh hell, imagine if he was trying to set me up with someone.
He’d never tried that on me before, but he could tell I wasn’t 100 percent happy when my heart was still at the Diamond MC compound.
Actually, I doubted he’d be that silly to ever try to set me up.
He knew I’d give him a piece of my mind, and I wouldn’t wait for a quiet time to do it.
Turning the corner, I stopped.
My heart jumped into my throat, and I covered my mouth with one hand while I gripped my tee at my chest with the other.
It was a hallucination.
I’d gone and lost it and was now seeing things.
They couldn’t be real.
They wouldn’t be here.
Why was I seeing Eve and Quake in the Hawks Motorcycle Club compound?
“Kid,” Dad said.
With a shaky hand, I pointed to the ones who had stolen my heart. “Are they real?”
Chuckles started, and Eve gave me a watery smile as she nodded while Quake just grinned big.
“Sorry we didn’t text back,” Quake said.
“We were busy getting here,” Eve added.
Like an idiot, I dropped to my knees, bent over, and started crying.
Heavy footsteps rushed towards me. I was picked up by an arm around my waist, and as soon as I had my feet to the floor, Eve was there tugging my hands from my face.
“Rommy?”
“I-I thought you hated me. I thought you both had enough and wanted to stop talking to me.”
“Fuck,” Quake clipped from behind me. He touched his chin to my shoulder. “Never.”
Eve cupped my cheeks and stepped closer. “Kayson’s right. We’d never stop talking to you or hate you or have enough of you.” She smiled softly as she gently swiped my tears away. “Why do you think we’re here?”
I whimpered and shrugged.
Did I forget something?
“We can’t stay away,” Quake said.
My eyes widened, and Eve nodded before she told me, “We missed you like crazy, Rommy.”
“I missed you guys too,” I cried, then buried my face into Eve’s chest. “Sandwich me,” I demanded. They both let out a laugh, as did the others, but Eve and Quake squished me between them.
“How long are you here for?” I asked.
Already I dreaded their answer, knowing it would be too soon, and they’d leave me again.
“We’ll figure that out,” Quake said.
“Rommy,” Eve said softly. I lifted my head from her chest to meet her warm gaze that searched my face before she looked over my head to Quake. “I don’t think she gets it.”
He grunted. “Me either. Show her, sweetheart.”
Show me what?
As Eve smiled, her gaze shifted back to me, and she cupped my cheeks before slowly moving her head closer.
Holy fuck. Her gaze was locked on my lips.
This can’t be real.
It can’t be.
And yet, Eve pressed her lips to mine in a gentle caress before pulling back.
I blinked. “You kissed me.”
Eve smirked. “I did.”
“You kissed me,” I said again to make sure she knew she really had, and it wasn’t a mistake.
“I know.”
Looking over my shoulder, I told Quake like he wasn’t there to witness it, “Eve kissed me.”
He grinned. “Saw that.” Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a quick peck.
My heart thundered.
A shiver of arousal raced down my spine.
They were here for me.
Right?
When Quake lifted his head, I glanced to both and told them, “Kissing me is like claiming me. Once you’ve done it, there are no take backs.”
More chuckles sounded.
But Eve and Quake just grinned at me.
Quake’s hands rubbed up and down my sides. He kissed my neck and then Eve’s lips. “That’s what we’re hopin’ for.”
Gasping, I moved from between them and asked, “Are you completely sure? I’m a lot. You know that, but if you’re around me all the time, then it can get too much.”
“Bullshit,” Eve snapped.
“Ain’t true,” Quake said at the same time.
“Damn right,” Dad commented.
“But—”
“No.” Eve shook her head and took my hand in both of hers to hold them against her chest. “You told me not to listen to those thoughts I have about myself, and I want the same from you, Rommy. You’re an amazing, beautiful soul, who is a pleasure to be around all the damn time.”
“Know it didn’t help us not textin’ you, little devil, but we’re here in front of you to show you that you mean a fuckin’ load to us, and we want somethin’ to work between the three of us.” Quake kissed my cheek. “You willin’ to try with us?”
“You want that?”
“We do,” Eve said.
Taking Quake’s hand in mine, I leaned into Eve and slanted my mouth over hers. She whimpered into the kiss, opening up to my tongue as they danced around. With a final peck, I then turned and gripped the back of Quake’s neck to yank him down and kiss him with as much heat and want as I did Eve.
My body hummed.
I had them here.
I’d kissed them both.
They wanted something with me.
ME!
They wanted me.
I wasn’t sure how this would work out, but I was willing to put my all into making sure this relationship would work.
Call me a grade-A student when it comes to these two.