Chapter 1
“Elias.” My supervisor walks up to me, holding out a phone.
“What’s this?”
“You know the Anderson girl, right?”
“What d’you mean?” I ask him as he shakes his head.
“Like you were friends with her brothers… you know her?”
“I knew her when we were kids.”
Truth is, I hadn’t so much as seen Drew, except for occasionally in passing, for years until yesterday when I showed up at the scene of an accident.
I never expected to pull up to see Z and most of the guys from the MC surrounding the cars.
Axe had already gotten Drew out. Z was trying to pull Tate from the other car, and the guy who was driving Drew was gone, along with key members of the club.
I shouldn’t have hidden the fact that they went after him, but I did. My fucking loyalty to people who hate me is going to end up being my downfall, but I knew that from the start.
“Found her phone in Tate’s car. Said she had gotten it to call Z. The Anderson girl got released this morning; she’s back at her apartment. Figure everything she’s been through, send a familiar face over.”
I can’t help but laugh as I shake my head. “I said I knew her, not that we liked one another.” Shaking my head, I look over, seeing his irritation with me before reaching over and grabbing it. “Fine.”
* * *
Walking out of the station, finally out of uniform, I move over to my truck and slide into the front seat. Exhaling a deep breath as I get ready for the trek across the city to the university district.
Pulling up at the converted apartment building. What was once an old home is now a six-unit building.
Hers is the top-right unit.
Honestly, I’m almost surprised not to see every bike parked outside of the building, but I’m sure there’s probably some stipulation in the lease regarding that. All a landlord would need is to see her name on the application, and they would know who her family is.
Opening the front door, I walk up the stairs and stop at apartment ‘3B’. Knocking on the door, I pause, waiting for someone to answer, but I’m only met with silence.
Knocking a second time. Silence. Trying once more.
I wait for a minute before turning and moving back towards the stairs when I hear the lock turn and the door open, just enough for the chain to catch.
The sliver of the opening the door creates is enough for me to see how she’s holding up.
I shake my head. “Jesus.”
“Thanks,” she spits out. “What do you want? I already gave a statement.”
“It’s not that.” I shake my head as I look at her again. Trying to hide my reaction this time. I say nothing else, just hold the phone up next to my face so she can see it.
“Oh.” She nods again. “Hold on.” Shutting the door, I hear the chain sliding from the lock before she pulls the door open again. “Uh…” she trails off, looking around her apartment. “Come in.” She steps aside and lets me in.
I feel awkward as I stand in the foyer and just look around the room. I don’t realize she’s looking at me as I survey her home until my eyes land back on her.
“It’s not much, but it’s mine, alright.” She snaps at me again as she slides the chain back into place.
Like I said, we’ve never liked one another. I guess I should feel better knowing that she feels safer with me than whatever she’s worried about coming through that door.
“Not that.” I shake my head. “I was just thinking I’m surprised the club isn’t here watching your every move.”
She laughs. “Please, my brother has more important things to tend to.” She’s rolling her eyes now as she grabs the phone from my hands and walks into the kitchen. “You want anything to drink?”
“Nah. I can’t stay.”
It’s a lie. I have nothing else going on today, but just being here feels weird.
“Ella barely left your room.” I say, trying to veer back to my statement.
“Yeah, I told her I needed some time to be alone.” She nods her head, sighing. “I don’t want everyone making a thing out of it.” She’s shaking her head now, but I can see the emotions she’s trying to conceal.
“But you realize that this is a thing, right?”
She just stares at me, and I can’t quite read her expression.
“You know, it’s okay to feel however you feel about it.”
“I don’t think it’s any of your business.” She snaps at me before turning quickly to, I’m sure, storm off somewhere, but she pauses, wincing and grabbing hold of her side.
Something makes me move over to her as I try to help stabilize her.
“I know it’s not my business.” I’m lying because since I was the responding officer, it’s quite literally my business, but I digress.
“I’m fine.” She snaps again.
“I see why Ella went home.” I mutter under my breath.
I don’t expect her to laugh out before wincing again and looking over at me. “Ow, don’t make me laugh. Broken ribs here.”
“But are you okay, really?” I ask her, looking down at where she braces herself against the counter.
She doesn’t answer me this time; she just continues to look down at the countertop, and I can tell she’s doing her best to control her breathing. This, mixed with her locking the door behind us, tells me she doesn’t feel safe, and something inside yearns to fix it, but I stifle it away.
I want to ask her more questions, but I don’t want to push her.
Instead, I wait patiently.
She doesn’t answer me, but instead she looks up, tears filling her eyes. I swear, I’ve known her almost her entire life, and I think this may be the first time I’ve seen her on the verge of tears.
“It’s okay not to be okay right now.” My voice lowers as I say it to her. “You were drugged last night, and if it wasn’t for Tate…” I trail.
“You think I don’t know that?” She whispers through a shaky breath. “But I don’t want to think about it, because if I think about it, I have to deal with it, and if I deal with it, then it’s real.” Her chest is rising more quickly now.
“But it is real.” Pausing as I step closer to her, the moment becoming weighted. “And you should deal with it.”
“No.” She steps back, glaring at me again. “I don’t.”
“Drew.”
“Stop. Eli, don’t come in here and tell me how to deal with shit.
I don’t need my overprotective brothers telling me how to live my life, and I sure as hell don’t need their once upon a time bestie’s opinion either.
That’s why I moved out of the compound; they have an out of sight, out of mind mentality. ”
“I’m sure they’re worried about you.”
“Please,” she laughs out. “My brother’s at Tate’s, and he can’t even put the shit between him and Zeke aside to let him know what happened.”
“He did, actually.” I don’t mean to take his side, but I motion down to the phone sitting on the counter in front of her and, for the first time, she looks at the screen. “It rang the entire way here. Zeke’s worried about you.”
“He just feels obligated.”
“He called me late last night, too. I’m pretty sure as soon as he got offstage.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “I haven’t spoken to him since he left. It sounds like Z left him a message telling him what happened, probably assuming he was on stage. Told him you were in an accident, but not much else. I guess Z said I was there, so he called me.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I told him you were okay. They were keeping you overnight for observation, and they were releasing you this morning, hence the calls.” Almost as if it were on command, the phone rings again.
Without even looking at the screen, Drew silences it, turning it over onto its face, and just continues to stare at me while I finish.
“Now, why are you forcing everyone away from you?”
“Because I can’t stand the pity looks.” She groans. “Just like you’ve been looking at me since you walked in. I don’t need anyone’s pity. I wasn’t raped.” Her words are so blunt that they take me back a bit.
“Not for lack of trying.” Trying to make sure she understands the severity of the situation. “And it’s not pity here.”
She rolls her eyes.
“It’s not. Concern. Maybe?”
“Why are you even concerned? It’s not like you ever liked me, anyway.”
She’s got me. I’m assuming it’s the loyalty I still feel to Z… to Ash… to Zeke, but something inside me needs to make sure she’s okay.
“Well, you were a pain in the ass, so…”
Her mouth drops open before a laugh starts, and then she winces, grabbing at her sides.
“You’re five years younger than us and a girl. Of course, you annoyed us. And if I remember correctly, you never liked me either.”
“You used to call me Sketch.”
I can’t help but laugh out this time, remembering the nickname, as a smirk spreads on her lips.
“Because you hated it.”
“I always hated you.” She mutters, looking up at me. A smirk lingering just behind her eyes.
A part of my brain tells me I need to leave.
“That tracks. I was always an asshole to you.”
Obviously, I’m not listening.
“But now you’re being nice?”
“I’ve changed.” I can’t stop myself.
“Hmm,” she huffs, “that’s unfortunate.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Sketch.” I tease her.
“I still fucking hate that name.” She shakes her head.
Her lips slam down onto mine. It stuns me, but I don’t stop her, my hand falling down, finding its way to her hip, pulling her into me.
She slips her tongue past my lips, and I taste her.
My hand now sliding over and gripping the curve of her ass.
A whimper comes out as her body presses flush against mine.
Her hands slide to my belt as she unbuckles and pops the button on my jeans.
Pressing onto her shoulders, pushing her away, I look down.
“What is happening?” I’m gasping, realizing what’s playing out.
“I’m processing.” She smirks back at me.
I wish my dick wasn’t responding the way it is. I stand dazed, looking down at her, not sure how to react.
“I don’t know if this is a healthy way to process.” It comes out low and breathy.
“I don’t think your cock agrees.”
She’s right, and it reminds me as it throbs at her use of the word.
“Drew, I…” I pause. “I…” another pause as I try to clear my head of the sudden sex-fueled haze.
“You don’t want to fuck me?”
“I didn’t say that.” Smirking as I say it, trying to avert my eyes from her so I can think straight.