I groan, seeing it’s Trick again. Fucker is persistent, but then again, he did marry Clark.
He’s running from his life. So he tries to control mine.
“Trick,” I answer after I let my phone ring a few times, debating just hanging up, but with my text earlier, I know I can’t.
“Was it just the one?” he asks instead of saying hey, and I grunt, “Yes,” as I sit up slightly, my back aching like a bitch.
My anger and frustration keep building. I haven’t had a line or even a spliff in six months, haven’t fucked anyone either and the tension boiled over when a Charger confronted me an hour outside of town—I didn’t think about the consequences. I just stabbed my knife into his neck.
Though in my defense, the fucker had been following me for the past four months after they finally caught up with me.
Their pathetic little group knows I’m supposed to be the next Pres. Obviously, they’re leader has been told I’m wearing my cut again by his minion. Now they’re running scared. They’re hoping to gun me down while I’m off being a lone fucking wolf.
They might just want to get rid of all bikers for all I know.
“He’d been following me for around four months,” I admit.
“Fuck,” he mutters, and I sigh.
“It’s fine, I clocked him instantly, and besides, he’s floating in the river right now, nothing will come back to the club,” I try to soothe, but he growls.
“That isn’t the fucking problem, and you know it. You’ve been inside five fucking times, I won’t be the VP if you are not by my side, Cage!” he snaps, and I sigh as I look towards the door for the hundredth time, the woman coming back to me.
I’ve never had this kind of reaction to a woman before—not even with Toya before she turned batshit crazy. I thought there could be feelings for Loz, who sobbed when I said I was leaving town, but her tears only grated on me. This woman, though—fuck. The need to find her scares me. I’m not worthy of anyone, and for all I know, she could be a patch chaser. But the way she looked at me, before shying away, was fucking cute and it’s an unexpected feeling I don’t know how to handle.
“No one knows I was in the vicinity. I kept riding instead of staying the night. I’m now in Rose Hill, and I’ve booked a motelfor two nights before I keep riding. I might even stop by the Dark Angel’s MC, say hello before carrying on through,” I admit, and he grunts again.
Fuck he’s a moody fucker since marrying Clark, or more like forcing her to marry him, even though he doesn’t love her. I think he’d fall for her instantly if he allowed himself to get to know his wife more than our friend's little sister.
“Blade would be happy to see you, but while you’re in Rose Hill, call in at Rose Hill Tires, I’m sure Joel will be happy to see you,” he admits, and I hum as a knock echoes, and I frown.
“Look, someone is at my door. I’ll speak to you tomorrow, brother,” I say, and he snaps, “Ha, you called me brother!” and I groan before hanging up.
The fucker.
Shaking my head, I walk to the door and open it only to lock eyes with Joel's intense blue ones.
Speak of the devil, and he shall show I guess.
“Joel,” I nod, and he gives me a tight smile as I move to the side and allow him in.
I didn’t realize he knew I was in town.
“How are you doing, Cage?” he asks, and I raise a brow at his tone.
“Good, though I’m wondering what I did to piss you off when I haven’t even been in town for three hours yet,” I reply, then ask, “Have you spoken to my dad?”
Joel Taylor and my dad were best buds in high school, he was even talking about joining the club before he left for college, but everything changed when he met his wife. She lived here, instead of asking her to move three hours away from her hometown, he decided to relocate and has managed to put in shares in his garage instead of returning home to become a brother and work at the club’s garage.
Dad mentioned he still speaks to Joel a lot, who apparently is having quite a bit of trouble with his youngest daughter.
“I spoke to him last week, he mentioned you may ride through town and pop by. I was going to wait to come see you, but…” His words trail off, and I tilt my head.
“But?” I prompt.
I’ve never had problems with Joel, especially when I know he’s been there for my folks and was like an uncle to me before everything happened with Angie. Right now, I think he has a problem with me. I just don’t know why.
“My daughter was, I want to say, entranced by you today,” he reluctantly admits, and I look at him in shock.
