Chapter 7
Willow
I didn’t expect Dean—or Jigsaw, as he was now called—to make any kind of claim on me, and I never thought Ghost would be okay with any of this.
I’d been walking from the portable restrooms at the end of Main Street when those two drunk assholes blocked my path, refusing to let me pass.
They kept antagonizing me, and my smart mouth nearly cost me.
But when I felt someone touch my back and saw Dean standing there, ready to defend me, it felt right. I never wanted to be anyone’s property, but with one touch, I was beginning to change my mind.
I was sitting beside Dean as he and his club drank with my brother’s. They were telling stories of their long runs, of rallies from the past, and I swear, I hadn’t seen my brother smile this way since before our father passed away.
“So, you moved back to Rapid and decided to stay?” Bracket, one of the Phantom Renegades brothers, asked Dean.
He took a swallow of his beer and nodded before answering. “My Pappy still lived here, so if felt right to stay.”
He reached under the table and took my hand from my lap, linking our fingers together.
Hearing him say he was right to leave hurt a little, but I knew I had been the reason he left to begin with.
My father chewed my ass for months, telling me I cost the club a good brother, but Dean seemed happier now than he ever was in Minneapolis.
I couldn’t sit here and listen to him speaking about his life now when I knew his ‘claim’ on me had a time limit.
My life was in Chicago, even if it consisted of working too many hours from the tiny desk in my studio apartment and spending all my free time with my cat.
It wasn’t glamorous or even exciting, but it was all I had.
“Excuse me,” I said to the table as I stood. Dean didn’t release my hand, so I looked down at him and said, “I’ll be right back.”
He let go of my hand, and as I walked away, I heard him and Ghost begin to speak. “What’s with the shirts?” I heard Dean ask, but the music and other people’s conversations drowned out my brother’s answer.
The bar was too smokey and the music was too loud, so I stepped outside the front door and pressed my back against the brick wall.
I just needed a minute to remind myself that Dean was saving me and not claiming me.
But my mind and my heart were at war with each other.
My head said leave, my heart said stay, and there was no getting the two of them to agree.
My mother said I always made rash decisions, and I was sure she would have had a lot to say about my one night with Dean .
. . and the long-term effects spilling my guts to him had on me.
But here I stood, overthinking every choice I’d ever made and trying to will myself not to hop on my bike and ride out of South Dakota right this minute.
Almost as if someone was listening to my thoughts, I heard someone say, “You look like you’re ready to haul ass.”
I snapped my head to the side to see a beautiful woman with intricate tattoos covering three quarters of her arms and down to her knees standing beside me.
She was wearing a cut, and when I tried to read it, she turned so I could see the front.
Along with a Sinners Revenge patch, it said ‘Paige’ and ‘Property of Animal’.
She smiled and introduced herself. “I’m Paige. You must be the famous Willow.” My eyes grew wide, and her smile disappeared as she rushed to add, “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I just meant, it’s nice to meet you.”
“So, I’m famous, huh?” I asked, realizing the Sinners probably hated me for what happened with Dean and his expulsion from the Phantom Renegades.
She leaned against the wall and asked, “Would it matter that I didn’t know who you were until this morning?”
I shrugged, feeling a sting from her words that shouldn’t exist. “I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Why?” she asked.
“It’s not my story to tell,” I remarked.
“Well, Jigsaw isn’t going to say anything, so if there’s a story there, I’d love to hear it.”
“Please don’t think I’m being rude, but what does mine and his story matter?”
She chuckled. “I’ve only known Jigsaw for a few months, but in that time, he’s become like a brother to me. And in all the time I’ve known him, and all the stories I’ve heard about him, I’ve never heard of him acting like he did with you today.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, turning against the wall so I could look at her.
She mirrored me as she spoke. “He’s . . .
unpredictable but always a brother who maintains his cool.
Today, I saw him from across the street, and he was on a razor’s edge with those guys.
He publicly claimed you and didn’t balk at your president’s remarks about you being his ol’ lady.
So, that means you’re someone special to him, and I was just curious. ”
“Brother,” I said, and she appeared confused. “You said president, but I’m not a part of the Phantom Renegades. Ghost is my half-brother. He agreed to let me tag along with his club to the Rally.”
“Okay. Your brother didn’t act like Jigsaw claiming you was a bad thing, so why do you seem like you’d rather be anywhere but here with him right now?”
I wanted to answer her question but wasn’t given the chance. Dean walked outside and turned to look for us. He seemed to relax when he laid eyes on us, and as he walked down the sidewalk the few feet from the door, Paige glanced over her shoulder then back to me.
She whispered, “See? Unpredictable.”
I wasn’t sure why him coming to look for us was labeled as unpredictable, but she knew him better than I did.
She’d spent more time with him, and even though she seemed to be claimed by another Sinner, the thought of her being around him made me unreasonably angry.
And that in itself pissed me off. I had no right to be jealous of her or any other woman.
He wasn’t mine, and I had no rights to him.
Hell, I’d been with other men since him, and I could guarantee he had bedded countless other women.
Dean stepped up to us and asked, “Are you okay?”
I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to me or Paige, but she patted him on the shoulder and remarked, “It was nice meeting you, Willow. I’ll see you soon.” Dean never took his eyes off of me as she walked back inside.
I couldn’t speak as I stared into his beautiful green eyes, and when he raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer, the strong-willed woman inside stepped up to speak. “I’m fine. Just needed some fresh air.”
The sun was high in the sky and it was hot outside, but my insides felt like ice. Dean reached out and placed his hands on my upper arms and the chills deep inside erupted into fire. Stepping closer until we were almost face-to-face, he began to speak.
“Why didn’t you stay last night? I tried looking for you, but you’d disappeared.”
My gaze shifted to the side as guilt flooded me. “I shouldn’t have followed you.” Then, a brief panic set in as I rushed to add, “Please don’t tell Ghost about me going out to your clubhouse. I don’t want him to get pissed at me.”
His face furrowed as he asked, “Is Ghost not treating you right?”
“He’s fine. I don’t see him that often, and I don’t want him to get upset that I did something so reckless.”
Dean chuckled as he released me. “But that’s us, isn’t it, Willow? We’ve always been reckless when it comes to each other.” He paused then asked, “How did you find me?”
“I . . . I saw you yesterday and decided to follow you. I know it was crazy, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Why?” he asked. I shook my head, and he leaned forward so his lips were barely brushing mine as he asked again, “Why did you follow me, Willow?”
“I missed you,” I rushed out then felt my face grow hot.
I knew I was blushing, and when I tried to turn away, he placed one hand on the back of my neck and brought his lips to mine, kissing me softly. Pulling back, he whispered, “I’ve missed you too. So much.”
The rash decisions that my mother said were going to either put me ahead in life or drag me down overtook any rational thought. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer to me and kissed him, needing the connection. His lips parted as our tongues swirled together, reacquainting.
All too soon, the hoots of passersby drew our embrace to a conclusion, and I reluctantly withdrew my arms from around his neck. He felt right pressed up against me, but I needed to remind myself that he lived in South Dakota and I lived in Chicago, and that long distance wouldn’t work.
“Do you want to go back inside for a drink, or would you like to go for a ride?” he asked.
I smiled and asked, “Your bike or mine?”
The feral grin on his face was beautiful as he responded, “Let’s both ride and then we can park your bike and take mine.”
I smirked. “Are you sure you don’t want to ride with me?”
He leaned over and said, “I’ll let you ride me anytime you want.”
Licking my lips, I felt the desire for him growing. He must have felt it too as he took my hand and led me back into the loud, smokey bar. The Sinners and the Phantom Renegades were having a great time as we walked up to the table.
Dean looked down at a man with longer hair and a patch that said ‘Raven’. “Are you good to get the brothers back to the clubhouse?”
Roughstock looked over with a smile and asked, “Going somewhere?”
He pulled me next to him and draped an arm over my shoulder as he announced, “Willow and I are going for a ride. We’ll see everyone back at the Sin Den later.”
Ghost stood, and I expected him to raise a fuss, or at least demand I stay near him. I nearly fell over in shock when he bumped knuckles with Dean and said, “Keep the rubber on the road, brother.”
Dean guided me outside, and we began to walk down the sidewalk, passing countless vendors selling overpriced goods to the unsuspecting bikers in attendance.
There were patches from all over the country on display, as well as every color, shape, and style of bike imaginable.
The lot where the Phantom Renegades bikes were parked was up on the left, and when we got to the entrance, I stopped and looked at him.
He smiled and said, “The Sinners have a space a block up on the other side. I’ll meet you there and we can take off.”
I nodded, and when he leaned over and took my face into his hands before gently kissing me, I knew I was about to fall in love with him all over again.
This time, there wasn’t anyone telling me I couldn’t be with him, and if anyone tried, I may have run them down with my bike.
I was never anyone’s property, but for Jigsaw, I was willing to change my mind.