Chapter 4 #2
Hell, for a time, I’d been one of those women.
I’d become addicted to the feel of the wind on my face as I gripped Roe like a lifeline on the back of his motorcycle.
Most of the women married to the members back when I was a kid got off on the club life almost more than the men.
But that didn’t seem like Lennon, at least not from the very little I’d come to know her in the past five minutes.
But I guess if there was anyone who could handle a rowdy crew of hardened bikers it would be a middle school teacher. Teenagers were nearly as bad.
“I’d be happy to rent it out to you. I’ll even give you the friends and family discount.”
Iris leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially, “Which is basically free.”
It would have been a lie if I said I didn’t give it a moment of thought, if for no other reason than the kitchen.
I didn’t know what my plans were once my father got out of the hospital.
I’d already broken the promise I made to never come back, and it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go.
But I wasn’t sure I could handle it. I didn’t know if I could do something so permanent.
“That’s really sweet. Could I maybe have some time to think about it?”
“Of course. There’s no rush at all.”
The bell over the door jangled just then as someone pushed it open, and who I saw walk in when I looked up made the blood freeze solid in my veins.
My eyes narrowed as they connected with Satan’s offspring.
If there was a family on this planet more evil than the Brady family I sure as hell didn’t want to know about them.
Generational wealth and arrogance rotted that entire family to the core.
Unfortunately, just like everywhere else in the world, money ruled over morals, so I wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see Tolliver Brady wearing a uniform and a badge that read Chief.
When I was nineteen, his father, Randy, had been Chief of Police and the entire department had been crooked as hell, each of them with a vendetta against ever member with an Iron Wraith cut and anyone involved with them. If his spoiled-ass son was in charge now, it couldn’t have gotten any better.
Tolliver had been a few years younger than me in school, but I was still unfortunate enough to have landed on his radar, thanks to our fathers’ mutual abhorrence for each other.
Where the Wraiths had a code that declared family off limits, the Brady’s didn’t have the same hangups.
If you were affiliated with my father’s club in any way, you were targeted.
As a kid, it made me even more bitter toward my dad and his friends, but as an adult I could see it through the lens of maturity and realized that anyone could have been a target, because that family was just plain evil.
As though drawn by my hatred, Tolliver’s eyes caught on mine, and it took a few seconds, but I saw the instant he recognized me. My stomach dropped to my feet as he bypassed the line in order to head our way. There was no missing the way the air chilled as Lennon’s body went stiff beside me.
“Well look at that. The prodigal daughter returns.” His slick, oily smirk was like spider legs against my skin. “Little Dakota Riley.” He licked his lips and dragged his eyes over me in a way that felt like a gross violation. “You sure did grow up nice, didn’t you?”
There was no shortage of women who liked words like that coming from a man who looked like he did, but I saw past the pretty wrapping to the ugly beneath. Some people believed that evil wore the mask of handsome or beautiful to trick people, and Tolliver Brady was the shining example of that.
“Tolliver,” I said, my voice almost a growl. “I see someone in this town was stupid enough to give you a gun.”
When I was younger Roe used to say my wild streak would get me in trouble. What he really meant but was too nice to say was that my mouth was going to get me in trouble. Back then, I had no problem speaking my mind, and that usually meant insulting people I didn’t like.
I thought that what my mother hadn’t managed to beat out of me Adam had. But apparently it only took coming back to this place to bring out my bitchy side.
It felt like everyone in the coffee shop was holding their collective breaths.
A steady pulse of discomfort was radiating off of Lennon, but any self-preservation system I might have had glitched when it came to the Bradys.
It always had. It had only gotten worse when a girl I used to know, a friend of mine, got involved with him.
My heart ached any time I thought of Layne, so I tried not to.
That mask slipped a bit, his cheeks flushing pink with anger as he leaned in, bracing one hand on the table and gripping the back of my chair with the other, caging me in. “Heard your old man made it through. It would be a shame if there was some sort of setback.”
Air puffed from my nostrils like a dragon breathing fire. I wanted to cuss him out . . . or jab him in the eyeball, but I let reason dictate instead of going off half-cocked like I used to, and kept my mouth shut.
One corner of his mouth hooked up when I remained silent. “You really have grown up well,” he repeated as he stood tall. “If you don’t feel like slumming it with those grease monkeys while you’re in town, I’d be happy to let you warm my bed.”
My lips curled up, baring my teeth in a vicious smile. “I’d rather douche with diesel fuel.”
He let out an icy chuckle as he started moving backward toward the line. “We’ll see about that.”
Three days back in Ashland and I was already stirring shit up. If I wasn’t careful I was going to get myself in huge trouble, just like Roe used to accuse. Only this time, I didn’t have anyone looking out for me.