Chapter Ten
“Feels like it’s been forever since we hung out.” Lynn took a sip of her martini.
Lynn, a pretty blonde with green eyes and a sweet smile, was an “old lady,” what the bikers called their women. She was married to Wild, one of Thomas’s biker brothers. Tiffany met her and Mia, another old lady married to Stone, at the cookout.
Since then, she met with Lynn, Mia, and Allie on multiple occasions. They became friends though it had been a while since she’d seen Allie besides at work. It had also been a while since they’d gotten together. Allie’s ex-fiancé was making Allie’s life hell. Thomas told her the club voted and decided to keep close tabs on Allie. It meant Allie had a biker or two with her everywhere she went. One reason, this wasn’t the typical girls’ night either.
At the local bar, she, Lynn, Mia, and Allie sat in a booth, and Thomas, Blaze, Wild, and Stone sat at a high top table six feet from them.
“It has been,” Allie agreed.
“Well, can’t say I didn’t see it coming.” Mia sipped her drink. “I’m actually surprised you’re even here tonight, and I don’t mean because of your issues with the ex. I mean because Trig’s crazy about you and doesn’t like to share you, even with us.”
Trig, aka Jace, and Allie had officially become a couple recently. Well, technically, they hadn’t just become a couple. They’d only recently announced they were.
Allie smiled. “I don’t like to share him either, but I don’t have a choice.”
Lynn smiled. “How are you holding up?”
“Good. Jace explained some things to me about what they do. I’m not as worried as I used to be, but still, I am.” Allie tilted her head to the side. “You know?”
“Yeah.” Mia flipped her hair behind her. “It’s the way of this world. You never stop worrying, but if you love him and he loves you, it’s worth it. And we know you love him, and he loves you.”
Allie smiled.
Lynn laughed. “He gave you a cut in a month and a half. That has to be some kind of biker record.”
Wow. A cut. In a month and a half. Clue enough as to how crazy in love Trig was with Allie. Tiffany wouldn’t doubt it if he proposed next week.
She’d give just about anything to have her own cut. No, not just a cut, one that declared she was Thomas’s. She shook her head to rid herself of the fantasy.
Allie laughed softly. Then the smile died on her lips. “It’s soon, but it feels right. It feels perfect.”
“There’s no question he’s crazy about you, Allie.” Mia reached into the bowl of chips sitting in the middle of the table, grabbed one, and popped it in her mouth. “Like there’s no question you’re as crazy about him.”
Gaze glued to her drink, she found herself saying, “He looks at you the way every woman wants to be looked at.”
A hand fell over hers. She lifted her head and met Allie’s gaze.
“Open your eyes, Tiff.”
Then she couldn’t help it, her gaze slid to Thomas.
Her eyes were open. Her heart was open, too. The thing was she’d always wanted Thomas, and Thomas she could never have.
****
“Don’t know what the hell you’re waiting for.”
Cuss’s gaze darted to Blaze. He waited for him to elaborate.
“Know what I’m talking about.”
Cuss shook his head.
“Your girl.”
Tiffany. His girl, the girl who got more beautiful with time.
Blaze knew, and he’d known for a long time. Five years ago, Blaze and a few others had been there when Tiffany strode into the garage. Her tire had blown. He’d fixed it. He met her boyfriend, that prick Brad, a prick that showed up and made some fucked insinuations about bikers. She cut him loose in front of Cuss and a few of his brothers. Though she must’ve cared for him deep because when she left, she had tears in her eyes.
“Don’t know what the hell you’re waiting for, brother.”
Blaze wouldn’t get it. Even if he explained, Blaze wouldn’t understand, so rather than get into it, he snapped. “You don’t know shit.”
“Know your girl’s got feelings for you. Don’t know if they run as deep as yours, but they’re there. Know you been sitting on your ass for years not making a move.”
Of course, she had feelings. She was a magnet for shit men, and he’d saved her from shit men one too many times.
Friends. There lay the problem. She saw him like a friend.
Cuss wasn’t sitting on his ass. He was doing what he’d done for more than seven long ass years—protecting her.
“Trying to give you advice. Get what you’re doing playing the friend card. Get that’s what you been doing all these years, but it’s time you made a move ’cause time’s slipping, and tomorrow ain’t promised to none of us.”
For how much weed Blaze smoked, he sure knew how to put shit in perspective.
Over the last several months, Cuss made excuses not to tell her. With the club dealing with Allie’s ex, he’d been busy and put it off. He told her things that hinted it, sometimes unintentionally. When he did, she’d look away and change the subject, like she hadn’t heard it or wanted to ignore it. Every time, it made him think she didn’t want what he did.
Scared to lose her all together, being friends was better than nothing, but it’d been long enough. He’d grown tired of waiting, of ignoring how he felt. He needed to make a move or he’d never know for sure what could’ve been. The longer he put it off, the more likely she’d listen to her parents, who he knew continued to push her to date.
Blaze lifted his chin, nodding in the direction where Tiff, Allie, Mia, and Lynn sat. “That’s my cue.”
He looked to them. Allie stood just beside the table. Blaze strode away.
Fifteen minutes later, Blaze rushed them, his face hard, brows drawn. “She’s fuckin’ gone. Went into the bathroom, never came out. Called her name. When she didn’t answer, went in there, and she’s fuckin’ gone.”
His gut soured.
On instinct, his gaze shot to Tiff.
Safe.
His girl was safe.
He then faced Wild and Stone. “One of us has gotta stay with the women.”
Wild strode to the women then Blaze, Stone, and he took off in different directions. After ten minutes of searching and not finding her, they called the cops. No doubt in their minds, Allie had been taken against her will, and her ex-fiancé was responsible. Though the club handled their matters and never relied on cops, this was different. It was about one of their women, and that meant they’d get help from anyone and everyone.
When the cops arrived, they decided Wild and Stone would stay behind to handle them. He and Blaze would take the women to the compound.
His gaze shot toward the women. He only had eyes for Tiff. She looked terrified, arms around herself, brows drawn, tears in her pretty, green eyes. He closed the distance. They had to go, but he couldn’t have helped it, so he wrapped his arms tight around her, clutching her to him, and pressed his lips against her forehead.
She snaked her arms around his waist, burrowed in, and buried her face in his chest. “Oh, Thomas…”
He tucked his face against her neck and whispered, “Don’t worry, baby girl. We’ll find Allie.”
She tilted her head, looked in his eyes, and nodded.
Her hand firm in his grip, he treaded forward, following Blaze, Mia, and Lynn. They got into Blaze’s black SUV. Blaze drove to the compound.
Ten minutes later, they arrived. He hopped out, opened the door for Tiff, Lynn, and Mia. Tiff exited first, looking no better than minutes ago.
He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward him until her chest pressed against his, his arms went around her. She tilted her head to meet his stare. “Gonna be okay, baby girl. Trust me.”
She nodded. Reluctantly, he let her go, hating the breeze he now felt where she’d been. He watched Mia grab her hand and drag her away toward the left side of the garage, near the office. Lynn followed behind.
He shifted his gaze. The five garage metal doors were usually closed at this time, but now three of the five were open. Before he made it inside, he could see most of the brothers there, scattered around along with two cops.
The club knew most of the cops. Six years ago, it had been because they avoided them for legal reasons. Now, because cops knew, like the whole town knew, the club was the reason their streets were clean of drugs, guns, prostitution, and the violence that came with it, another thing the club did that wasn’t entirely legal. The cops didn’t work with them or condone what they did, but on some level were glad for it.
A roar of bikes sounded. Turning, he spotted Trig and Army, in a temper. He had every right to be. Trig, though, looked physically pained. His whole body tense, vibrating with anger, but anguish shone clear on his face. The brother, up until a couple of months ago, was always in a shitty mood. Unless his niece was around, the man never smiled. Cuss figured it had something to do with the fact Trig served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Men and women went in, but when they came back, no telling what demons they brought with them. Then Trig found Allie, who either knew how to tame those demons or she’d killed them. Whatever it was, Cuss didn’t know. He didn’t care to know either. Allie, pretty, smart, sweet, didn’t deserve a prick like her ex who beat her. Trig was his brother, rough around the edges, but hell, he treated her like a queen and even gave her a cut in a month and a half. Unheard of, and according to Hash, crazy, but Hash was a lady’s man, who enjoyed several at a time.
Cuss knowing this should’ve expected to read the anguish on Trig’s face. He did on some level. He just hadn’t expected to feel it as if it was his own. Some of that partly because Cuss cared about Allie, who at the very moment was no doubt scared out of her goddamned mind. Another part of that, one look at Trig and he knew he would’ve looked that ravished had it been his girl, a girl who didn’t know she belonged to him. It was too easy to imagine it was. God knew she had her share of problems with men.
He took a deep breath and spared a glance at Tiffany, turned toward Mia and Lynn. Her long, dark hair around her, hands at her stomach. Even from where he stood, too far away, he could see a tear trail down her cheek, a tear she wiped away instantly.
His chest clenched.
Blaze was right.
He waited too long.
****
Tiffany bit the side of her lip. She, Lynn, and Mia stood by the office, at least fifty feet from the brothers. Club business, the way the club worked. Women, even those married or related to bikers, weren’t entitled to know about club business.
Once they arrived, Thomas held her close, told her everything would be okay. Then Mia dragged her away. While Mia did, she explained this to her though she didn’t need to. Tiffany knew this already.
This wasn’t club business. It was about Allie’s abduction. Then again, the club would handle it, and so, Tiffany, Lynn, and Mia had no choice but to stand far enough away they couldn’t hear. They hadn’t, not much. Mostly, the brothers kept their voices low, except for a few, Trig, being one of them, and Army. The two men closest to Allie, it made perfect sense.
Though she couldn’t hear much didn’t mean she couldn’t see, she saw plenty.
The brothers, close to thirty, and two cops stood in a misshapen huddle. Trig, body strung tight, even from a distance she could see the ravished look on his face. Army, hands in fists, jaw clenched, anger emanated out of him, every muscle, every word, every pore. Blaze looked guilt-ridden, staring down at his feet with one hand wrapped around the back of his neck. Stone stood still, not moving, barely blinking. Wild beside him, arms crossed over his chest, scowl in place.
And Thomas… Thomas she kept looking back to. She couldn’t help it. Brows furrowed, he kept moving, shifting his feet, tugging on his cut, running his hands through his hair. Several times, she watched him pause and the expression that flashed across his face, she couldn’t describe. She just knew that staring at that look on his face physically pained her.
Her stomach, in knots since the moment she found out Allie was missing, rolled. Bile rose to the back of her throat, and she lost hold of her tears.
Shortly after the cops left, they heard loud and clear.
“Old ladies on lockdown. Two brothers stay with them plus the prospects.”
They nodded almost in unison and scattered. Thomas’s head snapped her way, and he strode toward her. He didn’t say anything, but he grabbed her hand, led her through the garage, into the compound, and down a long narrow hallway, passing a seating area with several couches and a TV. He then led her up a flight of stairs and into a room. Shutting the door behind her, he released her hand and walked into the closet. She followed. He stood at the far end. The wide expanse of his back made it impossible to see what he was doing. He turned, and she saw it, a gun. He tucked it in his waistband then lifted his head and caught her gaze. His softened.
Her gut clenched. Thomas with a gun, going after whoever took Allie. Her hands began to shake. She held them against her stomach. She had to stay strong, for Allie, for Thomas.
Hesitantly, he took a step in her direction. “Baby girl, it’s for protection.”
“You wouldn’t take it if you didn’t think you’d need it.” She knew this down to her bones like she knew he didn’t mean to lie, only wanted to settle her nerves, the fear she couldn’t hide.
He exhaled. “Yeah, you’re right. I may need it ’cause the asshole who took Allie probably has one too.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She dropped her head and nodded.
He closed the distance between them, cupped her face, and lifted it to his. “Allie’s gonna be fine. Don’t worry.”
Not so easy. “I’m going to worry, Thomas. There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s not just Allie. It’s you and the club, too.”
His hand slid across her cheek and wrapped around the side of her neck. He pressed his forehead against hers. “You gotta do something for me, ’kay?”
Anything.
“Don’t know who took Allie. We know her ex, Wyatt, is involved, but he ain’t the one who took her. Means he’s hired someone or several to do it. I’m thinking it’s more than one at least. Means they’ve been watching her. Means they know where she works, lives, who she hangs out with. Means they know where you work, and that you hang out with her. Can’t have you wandering ’round town, even going home—”
“I have to work tomorrow. It’s just Betty, Allie, Stacy, and me. I can’t—”
“If I’m not back by then, I’ll have one of the brothers take you to work, but you gotta stay here tonight…in my room. Don’t sleep anywhere but on my bed.”
She nodded and waited. Any minute now, any minute he’d go. Her chest clenched, fear making her stomach roll. Tears welled in her eyes.
He snaked one arm around her waist, the other around her back, hauled her against him, and squeezed her tight.
No. Don’t let go. Please don’t go. She swallowed the urge to say it.
He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips against the tip of her nose then kissed her forehead. “Gonna be okay, baby girl. I promise.”
Pulling away, he gave her one last look and walked past her. With her heart in her throat, she turned and watched him go.