Chapter 6
Kristie
The lovely woman, Angie, who’d explained she was the head chef and housekeeper at the ranch, showed us around before leading us to our room.
She also scrounged up some clothes for us.
Some fit, some didn’t. She told us Sawyer had bought the place and a lot of the items were left.
Still, what did fit was clean, at least. I hadn’t exactly dressed for a bike ride, or expected to be this far from home.
Most of what little buzz I had from the bar was zapped a while ago.
Between seeing Rooster–Rick, the commotion with Bit being nearly attacked, then hopping on his bike, I was now stone cold sober and still trying to piece together how the hell my cousin and I were sitting in a ranch in upstate Jersey.
It wasn’t like either of us to be so impulsive.
“This is crazy,” I said as I slipped on a fresh pair of socks.
Bit was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. She sighed and went to answer it. “Oh,” she said as she opened the door wider. “It’s for you.”
My eyes locked with Rick’s as he stood tight-lipped outside the door.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
He glanced at Bit, who stood stiffly, her eyes flicking back and forth. He shuffled his weight to his other foot before he finally asked, “Can we go for a walk?”
My brain wanted to firmly decline. My body, however, was not on the same page and stood up from the cozy chair I was sitting in. Unfortunately, the dress boots I’d worn would have to suffice. I was able to tug them on but couldn’t zip them over the fluffy socks I was given.
Bit giggled as I grabbed my cell.
“If I’m not back in half an hour, send the search crew for me,” I said as I passed her, pecking her on the cheek.
He didn’t move as I got closer to the threshold, so I stood, finding it hard to look at his face, but wanting to at the same time.
My body felt drawn to him like a magnet, but my brain at least had the sense to hold steady.
Finally, he stepped back, giving me enough space to pass him without brushing against him.
“Where to?” I asked.
He nodded, extending his hand toward the stairs, so I walked ahead. Probably best I wasn’t behind him. My hands itched to touch him, and who knows what they’d do given such an opportunity as following him.
As we walked quietly down the stairs and out of the house, my stomach started doing somersaults.
Angie had given me cotton pjs with long sleeves and pants to sleep in, yet I still wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing them to stave off the chill in the air.
Looking down, I thought how silly I looked with the pajamas and dress boots shoved over the thick socks.
Then I remembered it was a ranch and just shrugged.
They probably all dressed for comfort and practicality.
Rick stopped, glancing around before grabbing my hand and pulling me with him. “Over here.”
I wanted to shake it free, but I couldn’t. All the times he’d taken my hand before flooded back, and it felt so right.
Finally, we stopped walking through the partially-lit yard to what looked like a barn. The door was ajar but I still worried. “Should we be poking around?”
“C’mon,” was all he said.
Following him anyway, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness once we stepped inside. There was a little light streaming in from the lights around the property, but it was still much darker than the grounds of the ranch.
I stood there, looking around at the barn filled with hay and the scattered items I couldn’t name but recognized as livestock gear, and almost forgot he still hadn’t freed my hand from his. When my wandering gaze landed on his face, though, the connection was amplified.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Finally able to pull my hand free at the loaded statement, I asked, “For what? Stranding me at a stranger’s ranch, leaving me with a stranger’s housekeeper while you did ‘biker business’,” I said with air quotes, “or for crushing my soul?” I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping to somehow control my erratic heartbeat.
“Kristie–”
“You know what. We don’t need to do this, Rick. It was a long time ago. I’ve grown up. I’ve moved on.”
“I see. Well, I’m sorry for all of it.”
His head dropped and he started to walk– right past me. What the fuck?
“Are you serious?”
He stopped, and without turning said, “You said your piece, I said mine.”
Scoffing, I said, “Unbelievable. It’s late. I’m going to bed, but I’ll be leaving in the morning.”
I started to stomp past him, but he grabbed me, pinning me to a pile of hay.
“I’m ruined, Sparrow,” he growled as his body pressed against me.
His cheek pressed to mine, his breath heavy in my ear.
“Broken. I was never the same after I left you. I feel no spark, no happiness, nothing. I don’t speak because I have nothing to say.
I’m a hollow shell. All I have is my club.
They’re the only reason I’m not a pile of bones in the dirt. ”
My heart beat wildly in my chest and my hands pressed to his, but not to push him away. “Rooster–”
His fingers threaded into my hair. “You can’t tell me I didn’t do the right thing, Sparrow.
Your life would’ve been so different if we’d stayed together.
But it doesn’t mean I didn’t hate myself for every second of every day since.
” His fingers tightened in my hair as he nuzzled into my neck.
“But goddammit if my selfish ass doesn’t want you still. ”
Pressure filled my face, forcing tears from the corners of my eyes.
“I loved you, Rooster. And you just left. You left me sobbing on the floor of my shitty little apartment. And you ignored my calls before you finally blocked me. You blocked me,” I said on a sob.
My body shook as I tried to control the tears, but it was no use.
His hands left my hair and he gathered me into a bear hug, squeezing me so tight I almost couldn’t breathe. But I didn’t want him to let go. It was stupid and made no sense, but I wanted him to hold me closer.
Instead of trying to fight it, I let it out. The years of hurt and frustration. The years we lost. The years of not having this man who made me feel like I could conquer the world, all before he was the one who shattered mine.
“I never stopped loving you, Sparrow,” he whispered in my ear.
That choked me up even more. “Don’t–say–that–”
“It’s true. I’m sorry I hurt you, but I’m not sorry for letting you become the woman you were meant to be.”
I roared deep from my diaphragm and pushed at him. “Fuck you, Rooster. If I was so smart and strong, I could have had it all.” My arms started whipping over and over at him, my fists hitting his chest. “We could have had it all,” I said as I kept hitting him.
He didn’t try to stop me, but he didn’t let me go. Then, my blows became mere taps. Finally, my hands bunched the soft leather of his cut, pulling him even closer as I dug my face into his chest.
“You deserve better than me, Sparrow.”
Mumbling into his chest, I said, “There was nobody better for me than you.” There it was.
I finally voiced the words that kept me from having any other relationship since him.
Nobody ever stood up to him. Nobody ever made me feel the way he did.
And I never wanted anyone as badly as I wanted him. Even now.
A loud voice boomed from the doorway. “Everything alright in here?”
Clearing my throat, I said, “Um, fine. Just hashing out some personal business.”
“You sure, miss?” the man’s voice called.
Wiping at my tears, still caged in his arms, I answered, “Yes. I think if anything you should worry for his safety.”
“Alright. Well, keep it down. Can’t be scaring the animals.”
Cringing, I called out, “Oh, I’m so sorry. Will do, sir.”
Looking up at Rooster with wide eyes, I burst into laughter. He covered my mouth with his hand, smiling.
“The man just said to keep it down.”
After getting myself under control, I pulled his hand away and wiped my cheeks with both hands. “Sorry, but the whole thing was just so…”
“Yeah. I know.”
Blowing a breath through puffed cheeks, I said, “I’m sorry I hit you.”
“If it keeps you talking to me, you can do it some more.”
“Rooster, I–”
“I know. It’s been years. And I shouldn’t have told you any of that, but what are the odds I’d run into you?”
“About that, I really do need to get home tomorrow–”
“No.”
I smirked. “No? I’m sorry. You and I can work out catching up more, but we really need to get back to our side of town. I mean, assuming you want to catch up.”
He ran his thumb over my cheek. “I do. But you can’t go home until I can go with you.”
“Very cocky, aren’t we?”
“I’m serious. Those guys messing with your cousin are bad news. Had some run-ins with a few of them in Georgia. We thought they were gone but clearly, they just moved north. But I need to check your place before you go in. Even then, it may not be safe to stay there.”
“I knew I had a bad feeling. Bit never hooked up with that guy,” I shot out. “We’d just seen them there before and he was definitely hitting on her. We ended up sneaking off. I didn’t know if they’d be back again since it looked like they were from Cincy.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure why they’re so far from home either.”
Rooster’s club was in Georgia, but they had dealings up this way. I didn’t know why or exactly where. Just that it’s what brought him to Jersey to begin with. “Maybe something like you guys? But what kind of bad news?”
“Sex trafficking. So naturally I couldn’t leave you two there.”
I gasped. “Oh my God.”
“Do you understand now?”
Nodding, I said, “Yeah. But when are we going, then?” We had some dumb luck that Rooster and his brothers showed up. Imagining what may have happened turned my stomach.
“We gotta help Sawyer with a run. Should just be a day, maybe two. Then I’ll let Hawk know we gotta get y’all home.”
Nodding again, I stared up at his dark eyes.
He cupped my cheeks. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word.”
My lips parted and I looked down at his. Looking back up, he was watching me, and once our eyes locked, he leaned in. As his lips brushed over mine, I whimpered.
“Sparrow.”
My hands pulled at his leather, and finally his mouth covered mine.
My body flooded with heat as his tongue brushed mine.
His body pressed to me, and I lost all will to fight.
I let myself feel him, taste him. Maybe I was hard up, but it was even better than I remembered.
His strong grasp tilted my head back as his tongue plunged further inside.
I whimpered again and forgot where we were until we were interrupted again.
“Ah-hem.” Bit made it a point to be loud.
We both pulled away, but he didn’t let me go.
“It’s late, Kristie,” she said, her tone motherly.
He sighed. “She’s right. We gotta help Sawyer get the load ready and finalize plans tomorrow. Where’s your phone?”
Realizing it wasn’t in my hand, I panicked. “Oh, shit.”
We both started looking around and it lit up on the ground.
“Helps if you keep the ringer on,” Bit said. “That’s why I came down. I texted you three times.”
Rooster picked the phone up and touched the screen, grimacing at me. “Seriously? You don’t have a lock on this?” He shook his head, but proceeded to type something.
I went to grab it, but he held it where I couldn’t reach, punched a few more things, then handed it to me. “My number is there. And it’s under Rooster.” He stepped closer, his lips nearly on mine. “Don’t call me Rick unless we’re in private.”
“You’re not really in a position for demands.” Why did that come out so breathy?
Leaning into my ear, he said, “I want you to use my government name when you’re screaming it.”
Fuck me. My mouth went dry. But instead of acting on anything else, I turned and joined my cousin, heading back to the house.