“That’s not crazy, Allie. That’s smart. Better now than when you’re married with kids.”
“Dad showed up that night and said I should give him another chance because he was a good catch. Like I care. I mean…” Tears brimmed and spilled. “I don’t care if he’s well-off and handsome. Don’t I deserve someone who loves me enough not to cheat?” Her voice trembled.
“Yes, Allie, you do. You’re beautiful, talented, and hard-working.”
She smiled softly. “You have to say that. You’re my brother,” she whispered, wiping her tears with trembling fingers.
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”
She swallowed. “Dad said all men cheat. That it’s normal. He said—”
“All men do
not
cheat. If a man knows he’s got a good thing, he doesn’t cheat, Allie. Trust me on this.”
“Would you cheat, Ty?”
“Allie,” his voice laced in emotion. “I find a woman I love, I’ll never fuckin’ cheat. Ever. That’s a promise to you, to her, whoever the hell she is. I don’t have a woman ’cause I haven’t found her.”
“I asked Dad if he’d cheated on Mom,” she whispered.
He clenched his jaw.
“He said because I was old enough now, I should know he’s had a mistress for thirty years.” Her voice broke. Something in his eyes told her he already knew. “You knew?”
He looked away from her and nodded.
“I thought the world of him, you know. Well, except for what he did to you.” She hesitated before she said, “After he left, I sat in bed for a long time thinking, and I realized everything around me was a lie. I hate my job. Hate it, Ty. I knew I’d hate it. I didn’t want to study business. I wanted to be a teacher. I did it for Dad, and I did it because Mom agreed with Dad. I hate my big, fancy apartment in the city. I wanted to live in the suburbs, but Dad said I needed to show people I lived well. I didn’t want to meet Wyatt, but Dad said I had to. He’d given him his word, said he could meet me, and he doesn’t break his word.
“I’m a pushover and I met him, and then he asked me out. I knew that was Dad’s intention, so I agreed thinking I’d go on one date, and then blow him off. I couldn’t. Dad kept pushing him at me, inviting him over for dinner, and I started falling for Wyatt’s lies. Next thing I know, I’m planning a three-hundred-thousand-dollar wedding with a man who’s cheated on me multiple times.
“I told Dad I wasn’t going to marry him, and he said I had to because it would connect two very prominent families, and it would help the company!” By this point, she half-heartedly yelled her frustration. “The company? Really? What about his only daughter? Why am I not important enough to make my own decisions? Why doesn’t he care about my happiness?”
The tears came in droves then, streaming down her face. About damned time. Tired of hiding and suffering in silence, she wasn’t ashamed either, not with Tyler.
“It’s a lie, Ty, and I can’t live a lie anymore,” she whispered.
He grasped the back of her neck and pulled her into a hug. She cried and cried, and after a while, the tears dried.
“I’ll fucking kill Dad,” he said, angrily.
She believed him. It’s why she’d waited a week before coming and hadn’t called ahead of time. “Ty, you can’t. You’re all I have left, and I don’t want to visit you in prison.”
He chuckled humorlessly, the anger in his eyes abating. She smiled her best fake smile, then looked away.
“Did he hit you, Allie?”
Her gaze snapped back to him. He wasn’t joking. She swallowed, hating herself for what she would do next. “No.”
He lifted her chin, gaze scanning her face for endless moments, and then he released her. “I’ll call Dad. Tell him you’re with me, so he doesn’t call the cops.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
He shook his head. “No, you aren’t. I don’t want him fuckin’ with your head. I’m not telling you never to speak to him again. That’s your decision, but I’m telling you, you need time, and you’re getting that time. I’m making sure of it.”
A command, one she wouldn’t take lightly considering he never commanded her to do anything. She didn’t have the will to fight him anyway.
“Rest easy. I’ll be back later.” He then walked out the door and shut it behind him.
****
“What’s the deal, Army?”
Trigger wanted to know, but couldn’t summon the courage to ask, so he was glad when someone else did.
“My dad’s a fuckin’ dick,” Army replied snidely, still in a foul mood. Army didn’t often get angry, but when he did, it was nasty, and it could last days.
“Yeah, well, thought you knew that, bro.”
Rake. The damned brother couldn’t say anything without sarcasm. Annoying as hell, especially when you were in a bad mood, and Trig usually was.
“Yeah, I knew, just didn’t think he’d be a dick to my baby sister.”
Army’s sister. He couldn’t believe his luck. Finally, a girl worth something walks into the garage, and she’s related to his brother, meaning off limits.
She wasn’t just pretty. She was beautiful. All it took—one look, and she had him. On the thin side, but she had curves, fantastic legs, dark, long hair, and hazel eyes that turned olive-green in the sun. Even wearing slim-fitted jeans and a loose, white blouse, she was something. Not like it mattered; she had class and money, the type who had gone to the best private schools and took etiquette lessons. Women like that wouldn’t look twice at a biker like him. They steered clear of men with rough pasts who grew up in trailers.
Still, never in a million years would he have guessed a girl looking as sheltered as her was related to Army. He’d known Army for seven years now, and never had the brother mentioned he’d come from money. He had known he had a sister.
“Hate to break this to you, but there’s nothin’ ‘baby’ about your sister,” Dash said with a smile.
Trig thought the same thing, but he’d never in a million years say that shit aloud. Stupid considering Army’s nasty mood, not to mention, he’d just punched another brother in the face for claiming her.
Army’s eyes hardened and flared, his shoulders tensing. “You want a broken nose, too?”
Dash shrugged. “Naw, thanks, gotta tap tonight.”
Sure, he did. Bikers, especially with cuts of Hell Ryders MC, all had their share of “taps” meaning girls willing to roll in the sack with no strings attached.
Army pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialed a number, and brought it to his ear. “Asshole.” His greeting. It got several chuckles from his brothers. “I’m calling to inform you, you’re done fuckin’ with my sister. She’s with me. Don’t even think about calling the cops. She came on her own ’cause her piece-of-shit cheating, lying bastard of a father wants to fuck with her life. You aren’t fuckin’ with it anymore. You’re never fuckin’ with her again. You try, you’re dealing with me.”
Army paused, looking like he would reach through the phone and strangle his father. “She quit the company. She doesn’t want that fancy ass apartment, and you know what else? She isn’t marrying that cheating bastard either.”
With those final words, he ended the call, stormed out of the room, and into the kitchen. A moment later, a crashing sounded and echoed through the room.
Rake took a pull of his beer. “Bet you fifty bucks Army’s gonna need a new phone.”
Trig barely heard it, still thinking about the last words Army barked. He couldn’t explain why, but the knowledge of it made his blood boil. Fisting his hands, he stood and headed toward Army. At the threshold into the kitchen, he paused. Army stood with his back to the door, both hands in fists at his sides. His phone lay in pieces at his feet.
“Brother.”
Army turned.
“Looks like you need a new phone.”
Army nodded. Still, the pissed-off look didn’t abate. He headed past him. Trig placed a hand on his shoulder. Army paused. His rage-filled gaze met his.
“Let it go. She’ll be fine.” He didn’t know why he’d said it because he wasn’t sure he believed it himself. He didn’t know the whole story. In fact, he knew only what he’d heard, but if being in the service taught him anything besides being one hell of a marksman, it taught him how to read people. He had the feeling staring into Allie’s eyes she’d run. An instinct and perhaps it was nothing but nonetheless there. Following those instincts kept him alive a long time, so he’d stake his life there was much more to the story than Allie would ever admit, even to her brother.
He wouldn’t tell Army, not yet, not until he was sure, and he didn’t think it mattered. Army had instincts of his own, good ones, and he’d seen for himself how much he cared for his sister. With certainty, nothing bad would touch Allie. Her brother wouldn’t allow it.
“You coming?” Army asked.
“Always down for a ride.”
“Let me check on Allie.” Army headed down the hall and up the stairs.
He followed, unwilling to admit he wanted to check on her himself. He stood behind while Army knocked on his bedroom door. It parted, and she came to view.
Even prettier than he remembered, she wore a blue robe, reaching mid-thigh with her hair wet from the shower. Her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed like she’d been crying—a lot.
Fuck. Why did that knowledge make him want to bash her cheating fiancé’s head in? He looked away, his ears perking up to see how she sounded.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. Even her voice was fucking beautiful, soft and so feminine.
“Talked to Dad already, so you don’t have to worry about that shit anymore. If he calls you, don’t answer.”
“He can’t. I left my phone.”
Through his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Army’s body tensing. He couldn’t blame him. The thought didn’t please him either.
“Allie, Christ, Allie.” He sounded pissed again. “You traveled across the country alone without a cell phone?”
She shrugged, unfazed by Army’s temper. Luckily, because the woman raised protective instincts in him, wanting to beat the shit out of her ex and her father, wanting to hold her when she was fighting tears. He didn’t know how he’d react if Army’s temper made her start fucking crying again, and he didn’t want or need to find out.
“I know it was stupid. I just didn’t want Dad or Wyatt to call.”
Wyatt had to be the fiancé. What a stupid name. Lucky, stupid bastard.
He gritted his teeth.
Army sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. “You could’ve turned off your phone.”
“Yeah, but then when I turned it on, I’d have messages.”
“You ignore them then.”
“Ty, it’s over, and I made it okay. I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you are…Gotta get a new phone. I’m buying you one.”
“Let me give you some money—”
He shook his head. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I have money.”
“Save your money. I take care of you now.”
She laughed, softly. “I’m twenty-five, Ty. I have a lot saved, and I’ll start looking for a job Monday. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
“You aren’t gonna go anywhere, Allie. You’re living with me.”
“Yeah? Oh, what are you going to do with me when you bring a girl over?”
A teasing glint in her voice, he hid a smile.
“You let me worry about that, ‘kay?”
She chuckled.
Trig couldn’t help himself then. He looked in her direction. Her gaze met his for a brief moment, then went back to her brother.
“Take a nap. I’ll be back; then we gotta talk.”
She nodded. Army faced him, then turned back around to her. “Oh, and I’m bringing you your Camaro.”
She smiled a smile that reached her eyes then closed the door behind her.
Beautiful, classy, and she drove a Camaro.
Fuck.
****
Trig sat astride his Harley, waiting for Army who’d been inside the store for close to an hour.
“Yo,” Army shouted.
Looking up, he spotted him walking his way, a bag in hand. “Ready?”
Army lifted his chin.
He started his Harley, waited for Army to pack the bag, and start his bike. “You need more time to cool off?”
“Probably wouldn’t hurt, but I gotta get back. Have to explain some things to her. Just gotta prepare her, you know…She’s—”
He looked away from him and gazed across the parking lot. “Classy.”
“Yeah. Never told you, and you’d never guess, but I came from money.”
“I’m seein’ that.”
“I gave it up ’cause I wanted to make my own way, doing my own thing. Never regretted it. But I fuckin’ regret not telling her what I knew about that life, what I saw, and why I left. Maybe she would’ve realized it sooner. Maybe she would’ve been a teacher like she wanted. Maybe then, she would’ve never met that prick who cheated. And maybe she wouldn’t be in my room crying her eyes out.”
“Brother, she’s pretty, looks sweet and smart, too. A man lets go of a woman like that, he’s a fuckin’ idiot.”
Shit. It slipped. He had to be more careful. His gaze shot to Army, hoping he wouldn’t be the next one with a broken nose.
Army smiled, shocking him. “She is. All of it. I was serving when she was in high school, but we’d talk and write as much as we could. She’d tell me about guys. She only got real serious with one her senior year. He played her. When I got back, I paid him a visit.”
He chuckled. “Scared the shit outta him, but he never messed with her again. After that, she went to Columbia, got her bachelor’s, and worked while she finished her master’s. Sometimes, I wonder how the hell we’re related. Dad’s a dick. Mom was a pushover, and Allie’s nothing but sugar.”
Trig could see that, totally, and he could tell she wasn’t afraid of much, not even her big brother’s nasty temper.
“What I regret the most is not being there for her.” Army’s eyes had a faraway look to them, like reliving something in his mind.
“Army, from what you said, sounds like you were.”
Army shook his head. “I was, but I wasn’t.”
That, he understood. Completely.
Chapter Four
A knock sounded on the door. She parted it and found Tyler. She moved away to allow him in. “Hey.”
“Hey, you sleep?”
“Yeah, like an hour.” She was still exhausted, but she figured if she wanted to get any sleep tonight she shouldn’t sleep longer. Besides, her stomach started to rumble.
He handed her a phone. “My number’s saved. Added the garage’s and Jace’s, too. In case you can’t get a hold of me.”