“All right. So, Poet was the VP of the Aces before my dad.”
“Okay.”
“Poet’s daughter is Brenna. Brenna married Dragon who’s our new President.”
“This is supposed to be confusing?” she cut in.
“Shut it,” I ordered, smiling. “Dragon and Brenna have two kids. Trix and Leo.”
“Leo’s the one with the scar?”
“Right. And Trix is married to my cousin Cam—you know him as Hulk.”
“And they have those cute twin boys, right?”
“Yup. So that’s their family.”
“I’m following,” she said firmly, though I knew she was probably going to have a hundred questions when I was done.
“Right. My mom and dad have Will, Me, Micky and Rose, you know that. Casper is my mom’s brother, and he married her best friend Farrah.”
“I like Farrah.”
“Everyone likes Farrah,” I replied. “You want to hear the rest or you done?”
“No, I want to hear it.”
“Farrah and Casper adopted Cam when his parents died. Then they had Cecilia, Lily and Charlotte.”
“That wasn’t so confusing.”
“Oh, and Farrah’s dad was Slider, our old president.”
“Jesus. You guys are like the Old Testament. Everybody marrying into the same family. Wait, old president? What happened to him?”
“Died,” I replied, swallowing hard. “Same day as Mick.”
“Oh,” she said, so softly I felt it more than heard it.
“Story time is over,” I announced, closing my eyes.
“Yeah, I got that,” she murmured, kissing the side of my chest. “Goodnight.”
“ ’Night, sugar.”
I took a deep breath and prayed to God I wouldn’t have a nightmare that night. Twenty minutes later, I was still awake when Heather’s quiet voice broke the silence.
“Was it you?” she asked. “Did you do it?”
“Did I do what?” I asked, stiffening.
“You know what.”
I didn’t move. Barely breathed. Of course I knew what she was talking about. I thought about it damn near every day…but I had zero remorse.
“Does it matter?” I finally asked.
She was quiet for a long time, so long that I didn’t think she would answer me. Then finally, her lips met my chest again with a sweet kiss. “No. It doesn’t matter.”
Chapter 7
Heather
Oh, man. I smiled to myself before I opened my eyes. Sex was so much better than I’d remembered. I slid my arm out, but found nothing but cool sheets next to me, making my eyes pop open.
Where the heck was Tommy? I looked around the room, but he wasn’t there. Then I realized how light it was in my bedroom and relaxed back against the sheets. He must have left for work hours before and I’d slept right through it.
I tossed back my covers and glanced down at my naked body, searching for evidence the night before. My entire body felt sore, but there weren’t any visible marks. That was a little disappointing.
I hopped into the shower and got ready for the day with a smile on my face. I’d had a good time. The best time.
I’d dated plenty over the past couple of years, but I’d never had a guy sleep over. I was glad I hadn’t protested when Tommy had shut off the lights and climbed back in bed with me the night before. I’d liked having him there. I’d even liked listening to his low voice explain his family tree. Talking quietly in the dark like that felt intimate. Too intimate, probably, which was why I’d asked him the question I’d promised myself I’d never bring up.
I grimaced as I got ready, remembering the way his body had tightened. He hadn’t been expecting it. For the past two years, I’d never said a word, not even when we were talking every day at the clubhouse.
I probably shouldn’t have said anything. No, I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. Some things were best forgotten.
Suddenly, I was afraid he’d taken off the moment I was asleep. Had I pissed him off? He hadn’t seemed angry, just wary, but maybe I’d read him wrong.
I shoved my feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed a banana off my counter. That’s when I found the note he’d written on one of my school notebooks.
“Had to work. I’ll see you after. Tommy.” Then written even smaller at the bottom of the page, “You should bring me lunch.”
I laughed and glanced at the clock. I had just enough time to grab some tacos from the truck down the street and head to the garage before lunch. Perfect.
* * *
“I’m here to see Tommy,” I told the guy at the gate as I came to a stop.
“Pop the trunk,” he ordered, making me roll my eyes.
“I was just here you know,” I called out as he looked in the back of my car. “I was here for the lockdown.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he called back as I pulled the lever to open my trunk. “Still gotta check it.”
A couple minutes later I was moving slowly down the driveway to the garage, and I was sweating a little. Tommy told me to bring him lunch, so it wasn’t like I was just dropping by his work, but I still felt weird. Grease didn’t like me, and the guy was not only in charge but I knew he’d be at the garage. Maybe if I was lucky I could just slip in and give Tommy his tacos without anyone noticing I was there.
When I parked out front, I silently groaned. There were no less than ten guys standing around out front or sitting at the picnic tables in the grass. Son of a bitch.
“Hey, you forget somethin’ here?” Rocky asked as I climbed out of the car.
“No, I—”
“She’s here for Tommy,” Leo called out, making me cringe.
“Oh, yeah?” Rocky said in surprise.
“I brought him tacos,” I mumbled, shutting the door behind me, the bag of food clenched tightly in my fist. “Is he here?”
“Yeah, he’s here,” Rocky replied, nodding. “Yo, Tommy! Heather’s here!” he called toward the garage.
“Your girlfriend’s here,” one of the guys at a picnic table sang.
“She brought you luuunch,” someone else called.
The guys all laughed, and I grit my teeth in embarrassment. I could take a little ribbing. Usually I was the one doing the ribbing. But I barely knew those guys, and I was still waiting for Grease to come out at any moment and order me off the property.
“Hey, sugar,” Tommy called as he came striding out of one of the big doors. “You bring me lunch?”
The guys heckled some more, but I barely noticed them. I was too busy staring at Tommy’s smile as he crossed the pavement. He must have changed his clothes when he got to work that morning, because he was wearing a different set of work pants and a white tank-top that had seen better days. The sight made my mouth water.
“Hey,” he said as he reached me, leaning down to kiss me softly. “Whatcha got in that bag?”
“Tacos,” I replied hoarsely. Holy hell, I was turned on. I was turned on like I wasn’t standing in the middle of a bunch of bikers who were watching us closely. Shit.
“Thanks, baby,” he said, kissing me again. “You wanna eat out here or—”
“Not out here,” I grumbled, making him laugh. “Are they still staring?”
Tommy lifted his head and looked around. “Yup. Come on, we can eat inside.”
He took my hand and pulled me behind him as he strode past the guys who were still giving him shit. I followed him into the clubhouse and looked around in surprise at how different it seemed when there weren’t a bunch of women and kids filling it up, then we were moving toward the back hallway and into the room I’d shared with the girls during the lockdown.
“This is your room?” I asked in surprise as he led me to the bed and sat down, pulling me between his knees.
“Not officially,” he replied, running his hands up and down the outside of my thighs. “But yeah, it’s where I sleep most of the time.”
“Why not ‘officially’???
? I asked, trying to focus on anything but the way his fingers were sliding under my shorts with each pass.
“Not patched in. Only members get their own rooms.”
“Wait, you’re not an Ace?” I asked in confusion, glancing at the leather vest draped across the end of the bed.
“Nah.” He reached out and flipped the vest over, pointing to one of the patches. “Prospect, see?”
“Oh, so does that mean that you’re not actually a member or that—”
“You really want a lesson on club rules right now?” he asked, putting his hand back on my thigh.
“No,” I whispered as his fingers pressed further under my shorts.
“Didn’t think so,” he whispered back, pulling on my legs so I’d straddle him. “Thank you for bringing me lunch,” he said, leaning up to kiss me.
I ground my hips down against him, then froze. “We can’t do this here,” I said glancing back at the closed door.
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because they’ll hear us,” I muttered, my eyes wide.
“They’ll hear us kissin’?” he laughed. “Leo’s got some crazy good hearin’ but I’m pretty sure even he couldn’t hear that.”
“No, but—”
“Oh, you’re hopin’ for more than that,” he teased, stuffing his hands up the back of my shorts until he was squeezing my bare ass cheeks.
“Shut up,” I gasped, smacking his shoulder.
“Come on, baby. Just the tip,” he teased some more, laughing at the disgruntled look on my face. “Just a little, I’ll pull out.”
“Oh my God, you’re annoying,” I said, trying to climb off his lap. “See if I share my tacos with you.”
My mouth shut with an audible clack as I realized what I’d just said.
Then he was roaring with laughter and tossing me onto the bed.
“Come on,” he said, pulling my shorts off easily with one tug as I giggled. “Share your taco with me.”
“Knock it off,” I yelled, laughing.
“I’m hungry, woman,” he growled back, tickling my sides. “Gimme a taco.”
“You’re such a dumb ass,” I choked out, scrambling to get away from him. I rolled over to my belly then screeched as his hand connected with my bare ass.
I looked over my shoulder to see him smiling broadly, the thin strap of my g-string gripped in his palm. “Don’t you dare,” I warned, right before he snapped it in half. “Dammit, Tommy!” I hissed, rolling to my back again. “I’m wearing white shorts!”
“You’re not wearin’ anything now,” he countered smugly, pulling my underwear away from my body.
I huffed in annoyance as he leaned down to kiss me, but I let his lips meet mine. Then I reached up and twisted his nipples through his shirt.
“Ow,” he yelled, smacking at my hands as he laughed. “That fuckin’ hurt!”
He pinned my arms to my sides and nuzzled against my chest, making me freeze. Oh, shit.
“I won’t return the favor,” he mumbled as he moved farther down my body. His hands left my arms, and as soon as I was free I ran my hands over his messy hair. I tensed as he lifted my shirt, but relaxed again as his lips ran over my stomach, going lower and lower until his face was between my legs.
“Ah, lunch,” he teased, making me laugh until his lips made contact again.
He ran his tongue all over me, dipping inside then dragging it up to my clit over and over again while I tried not to make any noise. It took less than a minute before I was coming, my back arched off the bed and my short nails digging into his scalp.
He rested his head against my thigh while I caught my breath and then kissed me one more time before rising to his feet. “You brought food?” he asked, like he hadn’t just been going to town on my vagina.
“Tacos,” I said, nodding. “Where are my shorts?”
He snickered as he picked up my white shorts off the floor and tossed them to me, not even bothering to see if I’d caught them before he was reaching for the bag of food.
“Damn, these are good,” he mumbled around a huge bite as I pulled my shorts back on. “Where’d you get ’em?”
“Truck by my house,” I answered distractedly. I was staring at the front of my shorts, and without the nude colored underwear on, I was sure I could see the shadow of my fucking pubic hair.
“You look fine,” he assured me with a crooked grin.
“Yeah, until I go out in the sunshine!”
“I’ll walk ahead of you.”
I opened my mouth to bitch at him, but before I could say anything there was a knock on the door.
“Tommy, cops are here,” someone called. “Lookin’ for you.”
Tommy made an irritated noise in the back of his throat and stuffed the rest of the taco into his mouth as he got to his feet.
“Why are the cops looking for you?” I asked in confusion as he picked up the bag of food and grabbed my hand.
“Who the fuck knows,” he replied, giving me a swift peck on the lips. “Better go find out.”
He didn’t seem concerned, so I tried not to be either, but I wasn’t stupid. If the police had come all the way onto Aces’ property, they were there for a reason, and it wasn’t good. I followed him outside and forgot all about my see-through shorts as I got a good look at the patrol car parked sideways in the lot.
“You lookin’ for me?” Tommy asked, squeezing my hand before letting go completely. He handed me the bag of tacos and walked toward the officers slowly, his arms loose at his sides.
“Thomas Hawthorne?”
“Yep.”
“We need you to come down to the station and answer a couple questions for us,” one of the officers said.
“What’s this about?” Tommy asked calmly, looking back and forth between the two policemen.
“The disappearance of Mark Phillips,” the officer replied.
It took every single ounce of reserve I had not to make any type of noise. I didn’t fidget. I barely breathed.
“The teacher at the high school?” Tommy asked, seemingly confused.
“We can get into it down at the station,” the officer answered.
Tommy nodded, then looked at his dad. “Make sure Heather gets home alright?” he asked.
Grease nodded.
Then, just like that, they were checking Tommy for weapons and putting him into the back of the squad car. He didn’t even glance my way as they turned around and drove sedately back down the long driveway.
And I was frozen in place, my heart pounding in my ears.
“Heather!” Grease snapped, waving his hand in front of my face.
“Yeah?” I asked dazedly, turning to look at him.
“You got any idea what that was about?” he asked, glaring at me.
I stared at his angry brown eyes and swallowed hard. “None whatsoever,” I finally replied, my voice solid and strong. “Do you?”
He didn’t answer the question. Instead he stomped over to my car and opened the driver’s side door. “Get in,” he ordered. “I’ll follow you home.”
“You don’t have to—” I said as I hurried to my car.
“Told my son I’d make sure you got home,” he said, cutting me off. Then he walked away without another word.
I got in my car and started it up before backing slowly out of my parking spot. From the outside, I knew that I looked completely calm as I waited for Grease to pull up behind me on his motorcycle. I took off slowly and drove the speed limit the entire way home, then waved a little when I pulled into my parking lot and Grease continued past.
I walked coolly toward my front door, fit my key into the lock and let myself inside, shutting the door behind me.
Then my hands began to shake and I completely lost my shit.
* * *
“Where the hell is he?” I muttered to the universe later that night. I’d tried to do anything I could to keep myself busy. I’d finished my homework for the entire week, cleaned my apartment from top to bottom, was
hed and dried all of my laundry, and had finally dropped to the edge of my freshly made bed and bit my nails down so far one of them had started bleeding. I hadn’t heard a word from anyone all day.
When my phone rang, I sprang off the bed and grabbed it, answering without even checking who it was.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sisterbeast,” my sister’s best friend Molly said quietly.
“Hey, Moll,” I replied, reaching up to rub at my forehead where a massive headache was forming. “What’s up?”
“I know it’s kind of late, but I was wondering if Reb could come hang with you for a little bit?” She went quiet for a moment and then sighed. “Will’s family is having some sort of meeting tonight and he wants me to go with him.”
My eyes watered a little and I dropped the phone down at my side so I could clear my throat without her hearing. I raised it to my ear again when I knew I could speak without giving myself away. “Sure,” I replied easily, sitting back down on my bed. “You sure you don’t want me to come there?”
I held my breath as I waited for her answer. Rebel had Down Syndrome and was on the autism spectrum, so routines were a really big deal around their house. So even though I was waiting for Tommy to show up, I still had to make sure that having her over to my house wouldn’t set her off.
“No,” Molly answered. “Will would rather you weren’t out driving by yourself this late. We can just drop her off if that’s okay?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Okay, we’re leaving now. See you in ten.”
When she hung up I tossed my phone on the bed and scratched my hands through my hair in frustration. The Hawthorne meeting had to be about Tommy, but I still had no fucking clue what was going on. Had he been arrested? Oh, God.
Vomit burned at the back of my throat, and I raced to the bathroom but by the time I got there, the feeling had passed. “Stop,” I whispered, turning on the sink to splash water on my face. “Stop freaking yourself out.” I braced my hands on the counter and counted backward from a hundred. Then I did it again.
By the time Molly was knocking on my door, I’d mellowed enough that I didn’t look like a crazy person when I opened it.
“Hey, Sparrow,” I greeted Rebel, reaching for her before Molly and Will had even stepped inside. “You gonna hang out with me for a bit?”