And with a parting wink, I drove off down that road, leaving only my words as a memory as the roar of my bike filled the air around us.
So much for biting my tongue.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ayda
It seemed like a mutual thing between Chief Sutton and me. We both stayed unmoving, our eyes following the bike as it took off down the road, accelerating the moment it was clear of the drive. The instant it was gone, my eyes met Howard’s and I saw the unmistakable anger shining back from his gaze.
I honestly didn’t know why I felt so compelled to defend Drew. By all rights, I should have been waxing lyrical about how abhorrent he was and how much I despised his involvement in my life, but it would have been a lie. A huge, barefaced lie. I didn’t hate Drew Tucker. I feared him. I didn’t despise his involvement in my life; it was just the unknown and it was confusingme. Which, in itself, was confusing.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t say any of that to the man staring at me as though he didn’t know who I was.
“What were you thinking, Ayda?”
“I’m sorry, Chief?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, girl. That’s Drew Tucker. He wouldn’t piss on you if you were in flames, and you’re standing there defending him like he can’t look after himself.”
For a moment, I stood still, completely unsure of what to say to this man or how to say it. I appreciated his concern,mainly because I knew men in a position like that took it upon themselves to protect people they saw as weaker. However, I wasn’t weak, and I was more than capable of making my own decisions. I knew who Drew Tucker was in terms of the ex-convict who had a reputation for violence without consequence. I knew he thrived off of that reputation, too, but I was sure there was a man inside that no one else could see, and didn’t want to see. Maybe I wouldn’t ever meet that man, but it didn’t mean the whole world needed to write him off.
There was a chance, from Drew’s parting comment, that whatever rivalry or bad blood there was between them, it was personal. If that was the case then it was nothing to do with me and I’d just ended up being a pawn in their showdown. As much as I didn’t appreciate it, it hadn’t been Drew’s doing. He’d been kind enough to drive me home. That was the only reason he’d been there. Although, I didn’t really think it through when I accepted, and I felt every eye in town on me as we passed through—the falter in the steps of the pedestrians, the conversations that had turned to hanging mouths as they stared at us through the windows. Some things never changed.
“He did me a favor, Chief Sutton. I had two flat tires and no way to get home. He saved me time and money. I’m not sure why you choose to see the worst in him, and I don’t want to know, but please don’t interrogate me for accepting the kindness of someone when my pride is already wounded.”
“Let’s not be naive, Ayda. He was here last week, he showed up at the game, and you’ve been seen at their holding yard two days in a row. It’s none of my business. You’re right about that, but be careful what you get yourself into. It’s not always so easy to get yourself out again.”
He turned to walk back to his cruiser, but froze andlooked over his shoulder, his hand on his weapon as he stared me down.
“Sloane won’t be coming over here again.She ismy business, and I won’t have her around this mess.”
“Wait. You’re going to stop her from seeing Tate?”
“I didn’t say that, but it doesn’t mean I’m not considering it. Good evening, Ayda.”
I didn’t return the statement. He honestly didn’t deserve my politeness. He had just drawn a line in the sand, and whether it was smart or not, I had decided that I wasn’t going to let him bully me into making a decision about anything. The fact that he presumed to know me, or anything about my life, just pissed me the hell off. How dare he dictate where I went and who I mingled with? I was an adult, for Christ’s sake.
I stood there and watched as he backed out of my drive, his face lost in the flare of lights as he popped his brights on and off. He went the same way as Drew had, the V8 growling as he put his foot down.
I was absolutely shocked. I felt like a child that had been disciplined for her choice of friends. The police had a lot of influence in this town, but the MC had respect and fear. Did he honestly think I would cross them so he could fluff his ego and say he’d won some moral battle? It was like standing in a sand pit in a Pre-K class, watching two kids fight over a toy car. At least Drew had the decency to let me think for myself and not judge me for living my life. He could have just as easily ostracized me for not mentioning Tate’s involvement with Sloane, but he hadn’t, and in my opinion, it made him the better man.
Now all I had to do was explain to Tate why he couldn’t screw his girlfriend in the comfort of his own bed while I wasworking all the hours God sent.
“Your life is turning into a soap opera. You could charge people for this, you know.”
“Thanks, Jan. That makes me feel much better.”
She laughed and patted my shoulder as she passed, her ass hitting the swinging door. “He’s a teenager. They get pissed off about everything. He’ll get over it.”
“Oh, I don’t care about that,” I said, realizing I was talking to the swinging door.
Tate hadn’t taken our conversation well at all. Trying to explain that he was essentially to blame for his girlfriend’s banishment from our home felt harsh, but it was the roundabout truth. If he hadn’t broken into the MC, I wouldn’t be repaying a debt, and the chief wouldn’t be all preachy about who I was associating with and banishing his daughter from our home.
I’d ended the conversation when he shouted, “You want me to fuck my girlfriend in the chief of police’s house?” I might as well have been speaking to a brick wall; the muttering ofyou should have thought about that, fell on deaf ears as he slammed the door on my ass. Oh, the lesson of ramifications was a bitter pill to swallow.
“Just remember one thing,” Jan said, popping back in through the door with an empty tray. “If they don’t hate you, you’re not doing it right. Kids, they don’t always think straight. The hormones cross their wires and shit, so you have to play conscience occasionally. The fact that you didn’t give him hell for screwing his girlfriend in the first place, and justdrilled into him to be safe, well that was a generous thing and it was made possible by the fact that you knew it was gonna happen anyway.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
