He’d known it, and still hearing Ripper admit it riled him. He fisted his hands.
“Why?”
“Told you, ’cause I’m a dick.” Ripper hesitated then finally he said, “Besides, needed to break you in.”
“What?”
“Classy girl like you, I needed to see how you’d handle it,” Ripper replied.
“A test? Did I pass?”
“Yeah, babe, you passed.” He heard the smile in Ripper’s voice.
She laughed softly.
Trig hesitated, wondering what he should say, what he should do.
Before he realized what he was doing, he closed the distance between them, stopping six feet away, and called her name.
She tensed, straightened, and turned. The smile died, but she managed to hide the hurt he’d seen before. “Trigger.” Her voice emotionless.
Fuck. Not good. She never called him Trigger. She always called him Jace.
Ripper strode up to her. “Catch you later.” He gave him a chin lift, then left.
“I—” he began.
“You don’t owe me an explanation, so don’t bother.”
Fuck. The brush-off hurt. “I do—”
“I saw something I shouldn’t have seen. I didn’t know about your open door policy, so I was shocked.”
His brows lifted. “Open door policy?”
“Yeah, Ripper explained it to me.”
He shook his head. “Not gettin’ you.”
“You leave doors open, so the other guys can join in or use your leftovers.”
Shit. Fuck. She was right, and damn Ripper for telling her, but it wasn’t the reason he left the door open. He’d simply been in too much of a rush to forget her.
He clenched his jaw. “Not why I left it open. I’m sorry—”
“Shouldn’t you get back to your tap? I’m sure being out here is wasting her time,” she said snidely. “She probably has a quota to meet tonight, and you’re ruining it.”
The tap probably did, but he hadn’t ruined it. The only thing he’d ruined—what they could’ve been. His fault. He’d succeeded in killing whatever she felt for him. Her demeanor said it all. Her voice laced in sarcasm, her posture stiff. She wouldn’t even let him explain.
“Allie—”
“I don’t…”
Too late. She pissed him off with her icy tone and comments. Letting his anger best him, he took two menacing steps in her direction.
Her voice trailed off. Her eyes widened. She tilted her head up to meet his eyes.
Slowly, he leaned over her until he stood inches from her face. “You’ve had your say, Allie, so you’re gonna let me talk now,” he said firmly. “I didn’t leave the door open on purpose. I never meant for anyone to see it, especially you. I’m fuckin’ sorry you saw what you saw, but nothing’s gonna change it now. I’ll also point out I’m a biker, and I’m single, which means I can fuck whoever I wanna fuck whenever I want. Even men who aren’t bikers have casual sex. This shouldn’t be new information to you.”
Her face paled, and she took a step away like he struck her. He supposed he had, with words. A low blow, but she made fucked up comments of her own, and they pissed him off. Still, it was fucked, and he shouldn’t have said it, knowing it’d make a fucked up situation worse.
“If I’d wanted her so badly, I’d be in her now. Instead, I’m out here talking to you, trying to make sure you’re okay, and you’re giving me lip, not letting me fuckin’ talk.” He tried to explain, make it better, but the things he’d barked he couldn’t take back.
She swallowed, looking resigned. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Thank you for checking on me, but you shouldn’t have. You didn’t have to. I’m fine.”
She waved her white flag, agreeing only to get away from him.
He took a step in her direction, but she took another step away. Sighing heavily, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Allie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine.”
He grinded his teeth and nodded, waving his own white flag. He couldn’t trust himself to make anything better, not tonight. He tried and only made them worse. All he had left to do was pray to find a way to make it up to her.
Chapter Eleven
“How’s the new apartment?”
Allie turned and spotted Tiffany, her co-worker, a gorgeous brunette and the friend of Cuss’s who’d gotten her the interview. “Good. It’s small, but it suits, and it was ready for move in, so…” She shrugged. “Can’t complain.”
Tiffany laughed. “But Tyler had plenty to complain about. Is he still giving you a hard time?”
Tyler. Her brother. Her protector. When she told him she found an apartment, he flipped. She expected it. He wanted her to move into his house. She hadn’t been sold on the idea, considering they were both adults, and he liked to bring women home, but she told him she would consider it when he finished remodeling his house. She also agreed to stay at the compound during that time; except then, she had her run-in with Jace and his tap.
Staying had no longer been an option. She couldn’t control her growing attraction, and it had already gotten her hurt. She reacted stupidly and felt guilty about the way she treated him. He had every right to react the way he did. She’d been a bitch, and he was right. He was a single man. He could sleep with whomever he wanted, when he wanted. She knew better than anyone men did this regularly, even some who were engaged and married.
She made a decision to avoid him at all costs. To do that, she had to move out, regardless of her brother’s disapproval.
She smiled the fake smile she’d perfected. “Yeah.”
“I love it.”
She laughed. “Easy for you to say since he’s not
your
brother.”
“I think it’s adorable. Wish I had a brother like that. Actually, I wish I had a sibling period.”
Her phone vibrated. She plucked it out of her back pocket and read the caller ID. “Speaking of the devil,” she mumbled under her breath, bringing the phone to her ear.
“Allie, need a favor.”
At least, he wasn’t calling to list the reasons she should move back in, which he had done several times. “Ty, don’t know if you realize this, but I’m at work.”
“Aren’t you off in a half hour?”
She glanced at her watch, a half hour to four. “Guess you’re right.”
“You remember Della?”
Jace’s niece, she wouldn’t forget. “Yeah. Did something—”
“She’s fine, but her mom didn’t pick her up from school, and she isn’t answering her phone. The school called Trig. Must be on his bike ’cause he isn’t answering either, so the school called me to go get her, but I can’t. Do you think you could?”
“Ty, I don’t think they’ll let me pick her up. I’m not related, and they don’t know me—”
“I’m on her emergency contact card, and I told them you’re my sister. All you need to do is show them your ID.”
“Um, okay, but by the time I get out—”
“Don’t matter, Allie. She’s been there a while already.”
“What school is it?”
He gave her the information. She jotted it down and hung up. Her gaze swung back to Tiff.
“What’s up?”
“Jace’s sister didn’t pick up her daughter at school. They called Jace and couldn’t get a hold of him. Then they called my brother and he can’t, so he needs me to go when I get out.”
“How old is she?”
“Five.”
“You think something bad happened?”
She hadn’t, but now…
Since the night she caught Jace with his tap, she’d avoided him by working overtime, then heading straight into her room and staying there. On her days off, she had plenty to do. Namely, getting her California driver’s license, the plates for her car, and so on, it had been easy to avoid him. When she’d moved out, it became that much easier.
It was harder to avoid thinking about him, but she tried daily. Sometimes, thoughts crept in regardless of her attempts. Now, she was too worried about Della to even consider Jace, but Tiffany had a point. Something must’ve happened, if not to Jace, then possibly to his sister.
“She’s been waiting for an hour. The poor girl’s probably wondering if her mom forgot her. You should go now.”
She wanted to go the moment she heard, too. “You think Betty will mind?” Betty, her boss, the best boss ever, had a special way with kids.
“I highly doubt it. You come in early and leave late every day.”
She smiled and headed into her boss’s office. The moment Allie entered, Betty, sitting behind her desk, greeted her. Allie explained the situation, and Betty immediately hurried her out.
Arriving at Della’s school fifteen minutes later, she rushed inside, straight into the main office. When she parted the door, her eyes gravitated to the child wearing the school uniform, sitting silently, her head bowed.
“Della, sweetie?”
Della lifted her head. Her eyes, red and puffy, met hers. With a tightening chest, Allie strode to her and squatted so they were eye to eye.
“Hi, Allie.”
She wiped Della’s cheeks and whispered, “Hey.”
“Do you t-think something bad h-happened?” Della’s voice cracked, her little body trembled.
She wrapped her arms around Della, hugging her tightly. “I’m sure nothing bad happened,” she whispered, then sent a silent prayer she hadn’t lied.
“Ms. Holden?”
Drawing away, she focused on the secretary behind the desk.
“I need to see your ID, and then I need you to sign this,” she said, pointing to a paper.
She smiled, and signed Della out of school. Together, she and Della walked to her car. Once there, she situated Della in the back seat, buckling her seatbelt.
“Thank you, Allie,” Della whispered.
From the driver’s seat, she turned and smiled. “You don’t need to thank me, Della.” Wanting to make the beautiful, bright girl smile, she asked, “Are you in the mood for ice cream?”
Della smiled and nodded.
****
Trig pulled his phone from his front pocket. Noticing ten missed calls, his eyes widened. Riding, he hadn’t heard it ring.
“Fuck.” He scanned through the missed calls from Della’s school and Army. Just then, another call came in. He answered it.
“Brother,” Army greeted. “Where you been?”
“Riding.”
“Don’t know what’s up with Tina, but she didn’t get Della at school.”
“You get her?”
“Couldn’t man, on a guard.”
He checked his watch. “Fuck, brother. It’s four—”
“Allie got her.”
No, it couldn’t be. Allie hated him. She had reason to considering he’d hurt her, then been a dick. After that night, he’d wanted to make things right, but she hadn’t given him the chance. She hid out in her room, and the first chance she got, she moved out, into some crappy apartment in a crappy apartment building too close to the wrong side of the tracks. Army, in his fashion, pitched a fit, but there’d been no way to convince her. He settled for installing a deadbolt.
“What?”
“Allie got her. School called Tina. When they couldn’t get a hold of her, they called you. When they couldn’t get a hold of you, they called me. I called Allie.”
Allie. He’d been a dick to her, but beautiful Allie with her color-changing eyes had gone to pick up his niece.
“You there?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here.” He swallowed. “Where’re they now?”
“She called about half hour ago and said they were getting ice cream.”
Allie. Fucking beautiful Allie with her fantastic legs and full lips hated him, but she’d taken his niece to get ice cream.
“Bro, you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“‘Kay, so you know what’s up with Tina? You goin’ to handle that before you head to the compound?”
“Probably should, but I’m not. Gonna make sure Della’s good first. Then I’ll handle whatever needs handling at home.”
“Right, later.”
He hung up, revved his bike then rode off.
Twenty-minutes later, he parked outside the garage and quickly strode inside. He found Bud and Blaze under the hood of a ‘76 Mustang. Both of them wearing white grease-stained shirts.
“Della and Allie?” he asked without stopping.
Blaze took a puff of his cigarette. “Livin’ room watching cartoons or some shit.”
Giving half-assed greetings along the way, he quickened his pace until they came into view.
Allie sat, her back against the couch. Her eyes cast downward, looking at Della whose head lay on her lap. Allie’s fingers in Della’s hair, Della giggled.
Beautiful Allie, smiling softly at his niece made her much more beautiful. Made him think if he hadn’t screwed up, he would’ve enjoyed the same picture several times a week.
The sight left him breathless, sparking a deep, fiery ache in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t do anything but stand there, watching them, waiting for the ache to dull.
“Trig!” Army shouted.
Allie turned and spotted him. Della sat up, then bolted off the couch, dashing toward him. Her body slammed against his legs, she wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled. Bending over, hands under her arms, he lifted her, pulling her against him for a hug. He then pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“How’s my favorite girl?”
“Scared,” she whispered.
He drew away to look into her eyes. They watered. “You remember what I told you, Del?”
She nodded.
“You don’t need to be scared ever again. You call me, and I’ll come and fix it.”
“You think Mommy’s okay?”
He hated this, hated his niece worried about her mom, hated his niece knew what it was to worry. At five-years old, she should be worried about dolls and school, not her parent. “I’m gonna check on her now. I wanted to make sure you were okay first.”
“But Mommy—”
“Del, I’ll take care of it, ‘kay?”
Slight and small, but she nodded.
He set her on her feet. “You stay here with Army.” “Naw, bro, I’m with you.” Army patted his back. “Allie can stay.”
Allie’s head shot up, her gaze darting to her brother.
“Don’t mind. Right, Allie?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t mind.”
Army rested his weight on one knee. “Del? You gonna say hi or what? Didn’t miss me?”
She smiled widely, walked to him, and hugged him. “Hi, Ty.”
Army released her, stood, then winked at her. A second later, he met his gaze. “Meet you at the bikes.” He strode away.
He closed the distance between himself and Allie. “Thanks for getting her. Thanks for watching her, and thanks for staying.”