“She…” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “I…may have said something…”
Shit. Maybe Mia had something to do with the change in Allie. If they’d gotten in an argument for some reason, it explained what had been bothering Allie, which meant it had nothing to do with him. He rather not get in the middle of it, but curiosity prompted him to ask. “You get in an argument or something?”
She flushed. “I think…” Mia shook her head. “I know I upset her. I’ve been trying to call her to apologize, but…”
Damn. She seemed nervous. He’d go as far as to say a little scared. “Mia, this have something to do with me?” He didn’t know why he asked, probably those instincts he had that kept him alive for so long.
She nodded.
He fisted his hands. “What about me?”
She looked behind him then met his gaze. “We saw you on Saturday. We know.”
He tried not to react, couldn’t let on he knew what she meant. He didn’t think he pulled it off. The moment he heard, his body tensed.
“I was looking out for you. I told her if she couldn’t handle this life then…she shouldn’t lead you on.”
He couldn’t believe it. Finally, he knew the reason his beautiful Allie had been stuck in her head for two days. He had one day enjoying all that was beautiful about Allie before Mia said some fucked shit to her, warning her away, as if he didn’t have the odds already stacked against him.
Sabotage.
Betrayal.
And from his own family.
He clenched his jaw so hard the muscles hurt, seeing red. With that, logic and rationale fled. “What?” he screamed.
Looking repentant, but she held her ground. “I was looking out for you. I know you’ve been through a lot—”
“Don’t fuckin’ say shit, Mia. Don’t wanna hear your fuckin’ excuses.” He shouldn’t have said that or reacted that way. It only proved he cared about Allie, but Mia’s betrayal hurt deep. He couldn’t’ve helped it.
She paled, so much so he actually thought she’d faint. “I’m sorry. I just—”
“Don’t wannna fuckin’ hear it. You’ve fuckin’
betrayed
me. I’m supposed to be family, Mia. We don’t betray our family. So I don’t wanna talk to you, see you, or hear you. Wanna do me a favor? Make sure I don’t.”
He strode away and worked out his frustration at the gym. Two hours later, he was still livid, so he went for a ride.
****
Allie heard the familiar roar of Jace’s bike and smiled. She just gotten home from work and changed into a pair of tights, tank top, and sneakers.
For the past two days, they’d been running together. She’d never run with a partner before, but she loved it because her partner was Jace. Jace ran in a pair of shorts and no shirt, which meant she got to watch sweat drip down his chest and abs, not to mention she loved eyeing his tattoos. A distraction, but so totally worth it.
The knock on the door startled her. It wasn’t his usual tap, more like a bang. She walked to the door and slung it open. One look at him, and she knew why. His mouth tight, his jaw clenched.
“Hey, how was your day?” Stupid question, but she had to start somewhere.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he closed the door with his booted foot, dropped his cut on the couch, and faced her. “Anything you wanna tell me, Allie?” His voice rose with each word.
Nothing she could think of, which didn’t bode well for her. Obviously, he thought she needed to tell him something, something he’d found out.
She didn’t know what to say, still wasn’t sure why he was angry, and didn’t want to ask knowing he’d tell her when he was ready. Pushing it could potentially get him in a worst mood.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Talked to Mia today.”
Oh, God. He found out she had a little meltdown. Mia offended her, and she’d reacted poorly, never denying she and Jace were an item, and by saying what she had, she’d implied it.
Flushing, she said, “I’m sorry.”
The apology upset him more. The look in his eyes went feral. “What the fuck you apologizing for?”
“For what I told her. I…I was upset…”
He quirked a brow. “What
did
you tell her?”
“She said club life was hard, and I came from money, so if I couldn’t handle it, then I shouldn’t lead you on. I asked her if she told me that because she thought I’d miss the designer bags and shoes or if it was because she assumed since I came from money my life had been easy, and I couldn’t handle club life.”
This upset him more, to that degree where the vein in his neck began pulsing. “You fuckin’ kidding me?” he shouted loud and suddenly.
She jumped, grasping her chest. “I’m sorry. I know I should’ve denied there was anything going on, but I…I was offended, and I lost my temper…” Her voice trailed off when he walked toward her, the anger hadn’t abated, not a bit.
“Listen to me, Alyssa. You don’t fuckin’ apologize to me for feeling. I’m not your fuckin’ father, and I’m not your fuckin’ ex. You fuckin’ apologize ’cause you should’ve told me this shit Monday.”
Wait, he wasn’t mad at her per se, he was mad at Mia? Feeling the need to defend Mia, she pointed out, “She was trying to protect you. I get—”
“Don’t give me lip. Don’t fuckin’ make excuses for her. As far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t exist.”
God, he was so angry he was being irrational. “I think you’re being irrational—”
He closed the distance between them and yelled, “She fuckin’ betrayed me!”
“She doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”
“She fuckin’ accomplished that shit on her own. She hurt me by hurting you.”
Her jaw dropped. After all he’d said and done, she shouldn’t be surprised. She couldn’t help it though.
“Don’t look so shocked. You think I didn’t know some shit went down, that something was fuckin’ with your head? I knew. I didn’t wanna push you to tell me. You’ve been walking around here stewing on that shit for two days ’cause of Mia.”
Still, she felt the need to add, “I could’ve handled it, and you shouldn’t get into a fight with your family for me.”
His eyes spitting fire, he took a step in her direction. Mirroring him, she took one back. He took another. She did the same and bumped into the door behind her. He placed his hands against the door, on either side of her head locking her in.
“Listen to me, and listen to me good, Alyssa. No one fucks with what’s mine, and she did.”
She’d known since the day he’d roughed up her ex no one messed with his anything, but she could handle her problems on her own. She didn’t need him to control her life. It’s what her father had done, and she wouldn’t put up with it.
Angry now, she shot back, “Listen to me, Trigger, and listen to me good. I can handle my problems. I don’t need you to do anything for me.”
“Like you handled your ex?”
Well, he had a point there, but it didn’t mean she was helpless. “I’ve given the club plenty of problems, and I’m not keen on the idea you added another. Don’t tell me I should’ve told you about a conversation I had with my friend. I don’t owe you any information about my life when I know nothing about yours.”
Eyes flashing, he shot back, “You’re mine. It fuckin’ means I handle everything for you.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t be then.”
It struck a nerve, no denying it hurt him to hear it. He looked anguished, like she’d reached into his chest and ripped out his beating heart.
She regretted what she’d said instantly, would’ve without seeing that. She shouldn’t have said it. Really, she hadn’t meant it, not at all. She’d just been trying to make a point. She wanted him, cared about him. No, she more than cared.
His eyes never leaving hers, his voice rough when he said, “You still think Mia didn’t hurt me by making you even think about leaving me?”
Her heart clenching, her eyes welled with tears. She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I…My father controlled my life. I can’t live like that again. I can’t.”
He stood there staring at her for a long moment.
She pressed her palm over his heart. She didn’t know why, maybe to make sure she hadn’t ripped it out, to make sure it still beat. “I swear I didn’t mean it, Jace.”
Finally, he cupped her face and pressed his lips against her forehead then released a breath. “It won’t be like that with me, baby. I promise.”
She exhaled, wrapped her arms around his waist, and held him while he held her.
Pulling away from the embrace to stare into her eyes, he drew his fingers through her hair. “You’re mine. I take care of you. It doesn’t mean I control you. It means I handle shit. If it’s club shit, I handle it and tell you about it later. Everything else, I’ll talk to you about first, ‘kay?”
She nodded.
They had their first fight. A big one, but it hadn’t lasted long.
She smiled and buried her face in his chest, and then she bypassed her run for make-up sex.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“We gotta talk, Allie.”
Her chest tightening, she met his stare.
Their last night together, they’d finished eating dinner. Tomorrow, her brother would be back. His return would change the relationship Jace and she had shared for the last week.
It had been amazing. She was happy, content, more so than she ever remembered. Jace was exactly the man she’d thought him to be, despite the fact he was a biker with a nasty temper, despite the fact the club was involved in illegal activities she didn’t know the extent of.
Her brother insinuated they protected people, but what they did wasn’t entirely legal. There had to be more to it, and she couldn’t know. Still, she knew little about Jace’s past, about him, but he was kind, caring, affectionate, and attentive.
Aside from when she was at work, they’d spent every waking hour together. Every night when he got home, he kissed her thoroughly then asked about her day. He didn’t just hear her, he listened. She could see him thinking, analyzing as if she’d said something significant. Afterward, he ran with her and later showered. While she cooked, he sat on the counter, sipping a beer or drinking a shake, and talked with her.
When they sat on the couch to eat, he shifted her until he’d nestled her as close as possible. He insisted on doing the dishes, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. They watched TV, he kept her close, running his hands through her hair or touching her in some way. He was always like that, trying to find ways to touch her, even innocently.
They went to bed, and he’d make love to her, soft and slow. Only when she begged or when she teased him and he lost control would he take her hard. Afterward, he’d press her close, and when she woke, she’d still be that way.
But with Ty’s return, everything would change, and the fact he often showed up at her house unexpectedly didn’t help. The guys would still watch her, which meant likely Ty would arrange for others to watch her. Meaning, Jace couldn’t come and stay. Another one of his brothers would be there, and they were supposed to be at most friends.
More than likely, he wanted to talk about this, but the way he said it and what he said sounded so ominous. In her experience, that phrase was usually followed by “this isn’t working out,” and so, she held her breath and waited for him to speak.
“Baby, come here.” Standing against the wall in her kitchen, he opened his arms wide.
She walked over to him and fell into his embrace.
He kissed her forehead, then cupped her cheeks, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. “Things are gonna change. Nothing we can do about it. Don’t wanna hide this from your brother, from the club. Don’t wanna hide you, but we gotta for a little while.”
She nodded.
“I’ll do what I can, Allie, to be with you every chance I get, but I gotta get back to club business, and I gotta get back to Tina and Della, too.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He sighed heavily. “Fuckin’ hate this shit.”
She hated it, too. She wanted things to stay the same, wanted to wake beside him, make him dinner at night, and sleep beside him. Call her selfish, but she wanted to stay in the perfect bubble they’d created for themselves where there was no club business and no responsibilities beside the two of them.
She nodded.
“I’m gonna try to arrange to watch you as much as I can, and maybe one night or two a week you can go to Tina’s. We can eat together or you can make dinner here, and I’ll bring them over. Friday nights, we can meet at the club and try to sneak out.”
She nodded.
He ran his thumb over her lips. “It’s gonna be hard. Seeing you and not being able to touch you, but we’ll do it until we’re ready, ‘kay?”
“Yeah.” She looked away from him. “Do you think anyone will say anything?”
His eyebrows lifted in question. “About?”
“Mia said Cuss, Tiff, and Lynn knew about us. I didn’t deny it, and if you were as angry at me as you were at her, you probably confirmed it too.”
He shook his head. “Wasn’t angry with you, Allie. Was just fuckin’ angry.” He paused for a moment, his gaze scanning her face. “Cuss won’t say shit ’cause I’m his brother, and it isn’t any of his business. Besides, he’s a man. Men don’t fuckin’ gossip. He’ll warn Tiff not to say anything, not that she’s around the club much anyway. As far as Mia goes, think she knows better than to say shit after I talked to her, and she’ll warn Lynn to stay out of it.”
“Okay, honey.” She’d never before called a man any form of endearment, but she was glad it slipped.
His eyes widened. He broke out in a wide grin and looked so beautiful smiling, staring down at her that she lost track of thought. Not the first time he’d smiled, but every time he did, she got lost.
“So glad you fuckin’ kissed me. Totally worth it.”
She didn’t understand the last part of his statement, but too lost admiring his grin, she didn’t bother to ask.
****
The door unlocked then opened. Tyler strode through, opened his arms wide. “Missed me?”
She smiled and nodded then gave him a big hug. Pulling away, she walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “How’d it go?”
He followed behind and sat beside her. “Work’s work. Same shit. Different day.” He shrugged. “How was your week, Allie?”
A tough question. She and Jace had sex, fought, became exclusive, fought again, and then made up. They’d spent the week living together and acting like a married couple. She’d also gotten in an argument with Mia, whom she still hadn’t spoken to but needed to, sooner rather than later. None of this, she could admit.