“Another one? You know I don’t do favors for free, Mr. Wright,” Vincenzo replies. “And your club still owes me for the last favor of playing Santa Claus.”
“I’m aware. But this is personal. Not club related. The debt will be mine alone.”
“Very well. Meet me at the Pearl tomorrow night and we will discuss this favor, and I will determine whether you have something of value for me in exchange.”
“Deal. I’ll see you then.” I hang up, tossing my head back against the seat of the truck.
“You have lost your fucking mind going to Parisi for anything,” Declan warns.
“I know what I’m doing.”At least I hope I do.
“You know Pres can pull your cut for this. Going behind his back and making deals the club has to honor.”
“You heard what I told him. This isn’t about the club. This is personal. It’ll be my debt to pay.”
“You think Gabe’s going to care? You still went behind his back. He’s going to be pissed, and your ass is going to pay the price. I just hope for your sake it’s fucking worth it.”
This better fucking work.
5
EVERLY
Pulling into the driveway, I can’t wait to put on comfy clothes and pour myself a glass of wine while Kaylie gets ready for our nightly routine. Only, tonight we’re skipping her bath time and going straight to watching a movie on the couch, since my legs and back are screaming at me for sitting on the floor so long today while cleaning and packing up all the bottles of product that were spilled.
Kaylie was only slightly disappointed about missing her bath until I bribed her with a treat on the way home. Vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge soothed her hurt feelings.
Girl after my own heart.
“Go get your jammies on and pick a movie, baby. I’ll be right out.” Kaylie heads into her room, slamming drawers as she searches for the perfect pair of pajamas to wear. I walk past her room and into my own, closing the door behind me, fighting the urge to fall face-first onto my bed and stay there until morning. If I hadn’t already promised Kaylie to watch a movie, I wouldn’t. We’re both exhausted. It’s been a long, stressful day. Thankfully, Kaylie typically falls asleep early.
I make quick work of changing clothes and head back to the kitchen, start the load of dishes in the dishwasher from this morning and pour myself a glass of red wine. It’s not the good stuff the girls have at the clubhouse, but it’ll relax me all the same. By the time I reach the couch, Kaylie is back with her DVD in hand.
“I want to watch this one.” She hands me her current favorite movie. One about a group of high school girls who look like monsters and have special gifts and powers. I put it in the DVD player and turn the TV on. Grabbing the remote, I head back to the couch and take my spot. Kaylie gets us a blanket off the wooden ladder on the wall and climbs in between my legs, pulling the blanket up over both of us. She snuggles down, shifting around until she finds her comfy spot, putting her head on my thigh. I push play on the remote.
Thoughts of today flood my mind. My ruined storefront. The faulty security system. The bitchy insurance lady who gave me some song and dance about it taking up to thirty days to process my claim. That I have no more money to pour into my business to get it looking somewhat normal and open for business anytime soon.
Why did I think I could make a life here? Why didn’t I just take Kaylie and start over somewhere else?
The answer is simple. I couldn’t afford it.
This house was bought by a rental company a few years ago. Mama had been renting it ever since. The Royal Rental company was gracious enough to transfer Mama’s lease agreement to me so I wouldn’t have to move Kaylie into a new home just yet. Eventually, we will get our own place, but the rent here is cheap enough that I can afford it.
I’m just grateful they let us stay and I’m even more grateful to Mason for all the repairs he did to the porch and windows. This house has never been so warm in the winter.
More than anything, I wanted to take him up on his offer to go back to the clubhouse where I know I’d have slept peacefully in his bed instead of with one eye open like I do here.
You would not have slept in his bed. You would’ve fucked his brains out.
Just one time wouldn’t be so bad, would it? No.No!Stop it.
He seemed genuinely concerned about us. I never meant to tell him about the feeling of being watched, or the man Kaylie said she saw outside her window a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to ignore it. To pretend it was just a little girl who had a nightmare. But I was scared, and apparently one night of alcohol and being in the safety of Mason’s arms gave me the courage to spill my guts about it.
I never expected him to go digging into the past. Everyone knows who and what my mother was, but my father was always a mystery. I heard rumors and a road name, but I never met the man in person or saw any pictures of him.
It was hard for me to turn Mason down tonight. Wishing I could find comfort in his bed, in his arms. But it would only lead to more heartbreak. Being with him, making love to him, would only make me want things I can’t have.
Eventually, he’d leave. Just like last time.
