Chapter 12
Liam
My fingers rapped on the marble bar while I waited for Nora to bring me my drink. She was taking her sweet time on purpose, but between the two of us…I was more stubborn.
I glanced over at Theo. But maybe not as stubborn as him.
She set four drinks on the bar for the paying customers and then walked toward me with my club soda and lime. Theo had gotten me onto these. They weren’t half bad. I would’ve rather had a tequila shot and licked the salt off Theo or Ren…maybe both. But this was tolerable for a night sans alcohol.
Nora handed me my drink with a sneer instead of a smile.
“I don’t want to hear it, Liam.”
“Nora, this is serious. That guy is bad news,” I growled at my sister, despite her being five years older than me. She was still my sister, and no biker asshole was going to hurt her.
“Says who? You don’t even know him,” Nora bit back, hands on her hips as she glared at me.
“Do you? Do you even know what they do inside that clubhouse? I do. I saw it with my own eyes. Those sweetbutts that hang around aren’t for show.
You really want to be another girl in the lineup of girls he’s fucking?
Can you honestly say that you trust him when he’s not in your bed? Or wherever the hell you…you know.”
I had no interest in picturing my sister doing anything that would be considered naked time and was quite happy pretending she was still a virgin.
Her face turned bright red. “Oh…you’re one to talk. You are in a relationship with a guy and a girl who is fucking four other guys. You really want to cast that stone?”
“We agreed to be in this relationship, and we enjoy it. Can you really look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t care if he’s fucking a different sweetbutt every night that he’s not with you? Can you say you haven’t lied in bed wondering what shady shit he’s up to?”
“I repeat, those in glass houses. Besides, our family was built on shady shit. You’re so quick to judge Drew when you’ve had what…three very limited conversations.”
“I don’t need to talk to him. I can fucking see it with my eyes. Jesus, Nora, you know that I have a sixth sense about people. I see what others don’t, and I’m telling you right now that if you don’t think he’s fucking around on you behind your back…you’re…well, you’re blind.”
Her jaw ticked as she ground her teeth together.
“Fuck you, Liam. Fuck you,” she growled and marched off.
“Fuck.”
Determined not to spill my drink, I stomped up to the VIP section and flopped down beside Ren on the couch.
What I wouldn’t give for a fucking cigarette right now, but I was actually trying to quit this time.
It was ironic, considering that swim was over, but it didn’t matter since I didn’t have shit on me.
“What is going on with you and Nora,” Ren asked.
“That guy she’s dating, the biker, he’s no good, but she refuses to see it,” I grumbled and took a sip of my drink.
Ren shifted on the couch and rested her arm along the back as she looked at me. Her silvery eyes felt like they were piercing the side of my face.
“I know what you’re going to say,” I growled.
“What’s that?”
“That I shouldn’t cast stones when we have a complicated relationship. Nora said the same, and I get it, but this is different.” I looked at Ren, and she shook her head.
“Not what I was going to say, but we’ll come back to that. Have you considered that Nora’s resistance to you telling her about Merlin has nothing to do with the message, but how you deliver it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Liam…the whole reason Nora is not speaking to your father is that he tried to tell her who she should love and who she should marry. He was trying to control her, but Nora is a strong, independent woman. Now here you are, trying to do the very same thing. Another male member of her family is telling her who she should or shouldn’t be with. ”
I slumped back on the couch, hating that I was so close to the situation that I couldn’t pick out the obvious.
“You’re right, but we’ve always been able to talk openly, even when we couldn’t talk to our parents.”
Ren ran her fingers along the back of my neck, calming me as she drew small circles.
“Shit, I’ve been attacking this all wrong,” I said. “I’ll find another way.”
“Or…you can let her make her own mistakes and choices even if you don’t like them. I know it’s a novel thought, but you don’t need to save Nora.”
I sipped my drink and watched my sister work. She’d always been strong-willed, intelligent, and resourceful. Maybe Ren was right, and I should just stay out of it. A guy like Merlin couldn’t hide who he was forever.
Deciding to drop the topic for now, I nodded toward the very awkward trio talking near the windows.
“Tell me something…does Sabastian know that Ivy and Zigzag are a thing?”
Ren’s fingers stilled.
“They aren’t,” she said a little too quickly.
I slowly turned my head to stare at her, and she rolled her eyes.
“They aren’t a thing. But something, and it’s not my place to say, happened. I’m trying to stay out of it because it is none of my business.”
Ren was a clever little minx. I leaned in and kissed her softly, loving how she blossomed at my touch and invited me to take more.
“I see what you did there,” I said, teasingly as I ran my hand up Ren’s leg until she gasped.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said coyly.
“Yes, you do, Little Rabbit, and I understand. Keep my nose out of my sister’s relationship. Message received, loud and clear.”
With a smile, she nipped my bottom lip, the little act of defiance making me want to drag her over my lap for a scolding. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.
“Guys, knock it off,” Ivy yelled.
I looked over just in time to see Sabastian deck Zigzag, who shockingly didn’t go down, but stumbled back.
“You fucker,” Zigzag shouted and lunged at Sabastian.
“Oh my god,” Ren said, jumping up off the couch like she was going to get involved. I stood in her way and shook my head.
“I’ll deal with this.”
Putting two fingers between my lips, I whistled, and a moment later, the rest of the guys came running. Myles and Rory grabbed Zigzag, while Nash and I restrained Sabastian.
“You fucking prick. You stay away from my girl,” Sabastian growled as we hauled him back.
“Fuck you! I will do what I want. And if Ivy leaving you is a concern, then maybe look in the mirror to see why,” Zigzag snarled.
Sabastian fought our hold, trying to get loose.
“Both of you knock it off,” Ivy cried, tears running down her cheeks as she glared at them. “For now…I’m done with both of you.”
“What,” they said together, but Ivy was already on her way to the girls’ bathroom with Ren hot on her heels.
“You two need to leave,” Nash said. “Separately.”
“But he started it,” Sabastian said. “He kissed my girlfriend.”
“I have enough shit to deal with without adding your love life to the list. Just get out of here and cool off, and we’ll make sure Ivy gets back to school,” Nash ordered.
“Whatever,” Sabastian said, jerking away from us and stomping to the door.
Theo and I followed him out to make sure that he wasn’t waiting around. Sabastian glared at us as he got in his car, revved the engine, and flew out of the parking lot.
Myles and Rory waited for my signal before they escorted Zigzag outside.
“Well, wasn’t that a banger,” Myles said before going back inside.
Zigzag’s car disappeared out of the lot, and I turned to talk to Theo. He glared at me and started to walk away, but I grabbed his arm.
“What’s up with you? You’ve either ignored me or glared at me all night.”
“What the hell do you think is up with me,” Theo asked.
“I assume you’re upset about what I said in the car. But I thought you wanted to know what I’m thinking. You keep saying that I’m not sharing enough. Now I share, and you’re still angry.”
He crossed his arms and stared at me like I’d lost my mind.
“It’s not that you shared with me, it’s the fact that you dropped a bomb on me out of nowhere.”
“Theo, you’re the most logical person I know. I really didn’t think you would be surprised or this upset.”
I was really off my game tonight because I was striking out with my sister and Theo. I was worried there might be a number three.
“You thought I wouldn’t care that you suddenly don’t want to come to Boston with me? How do you want me to react to that news?”
“Okay, the delivery could’ve used some work. But I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t come at all. I just don’t want to move out there full time,” I said and ran my hands down his arms.
Tension rolled off his body.
“Theo—”
“Liam, it was always the plan for us to be together in Boston. You threw this at me without any warning and are acting like I’m supposed to be okay with it. I’ve never known you to be so…oblivious to my feelings.”
He had a point. I couldn’t argue with what he was saying, and I wasn’t even sure why I brought up the topic the way I did.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Can I at least explain why?”
“No, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m not in the right headspace,” Theo said, eyes hard and angry.
He stomped inside, and I swore like a sailor before looking up to see if there was a full fucking moon tonight. Shit felt off the rails today, and that was never good. Was it an omen for everything going sideways before it got better?
I had no sooner had the thought when a car pulled into the space Sabastian had vacated. Lo and behold, Vicky—with three other girls from school and I guy I recognized from a podcast—climbed out.
Fucking great.
As if that wasn’t good enough, the roaring of motorcycles filled the air as a line of them rode down the street. A few of the bikers waved to Vicky and the other girls, making them squeal and giggle. Merlin led the pack, shooting me a smirk and a salute.
My jaw cracked as I watched them. Mercury was rising or something, because the universe was testing my calm and control.
I patted my jeans, but no cigarettes miraculously appeared.
Fuck.