Two Weeks Later
When I agreed to move in with Seth, I had no idea what I was getting into. I didn’t know where he lived, what his friends were really like, or how they’d feel about me being there. I also had no idea how I was going to finish my classes. I was terrified that once I’d moved in with him, everything would fall apart and our whirlwind of a romance would be over.
Thankfully, I was wrong. When we pulled through the gate, I was greeted by his friends with bright smiles and open arms. They even took the time to get me settled into Seth’s place. It was a beautiful house right next to the ocean, and after the prospects brought my things over from my apartment, it didn’t take long for it to start feeling like home.
As I looked out over the balcony and listened to waves crashing along the coast, I thought back to the list I’d made with Kat when we were kids. One by one, my dreams were coming true. There was only one minor hiccup. Even after Seth tried pulling a few strings, one of my professors refused to let me finish his class online. Twice a week I would have to drive back and forth until I’d completed the class. Thankfully, once I’d completed my courses, I could transfer to a college closer to home.
It had been a hectic few days, so I decided to go by the restaurant and check on Kat. I hadn’t seen much of her since we moved. Cotton had arranged for her to have her own apartment downtown. He even had his friend Nitro get her a job at a restaurant downtown working with his fiancée Tristen. When I called to talk to her, I could tell she was happy, which was a relief after everything that had happened. She’d never admit it, but I know losing her father hurt, even after how badly he’d treated her. It was something that would take her some time to get over, but when I walked in the restaurant and spotted her flirting with some guy at the bar, I knew she was well on her way.
I walked over to her and said, “I hate to interrupt, but…”
“Zoe!” she shrieked as she rushed over to me and hugged me tightly. “I’ve missed you, girl!”
“I just saw you the other night at the club.”
“Just go with it,” she whispered. “You know what it does to me when I don’t get to see you every day.”
“What?”
After grabbing two bottles of water, she reached for my hand and tugged me towards the outside patio. “Come on. I need a little alone time with my girl.”
Once we were seated at one of the tables, I asked, “What the hell was that?”
“That guy has been after me for days. He’s one of the regulars, so it’s not like he’ll just go away. I told him earlier that I was a lesbian thinking he’d back off. Apparently, it had the opposite effect, and now he’s tipping me more than ever.”
“So… I’m supposed to be the girlfriend?”
“Well, yeah. Can you imagine the hard-on we just gave him? He’ll be thinking about the two of us together for the next month. You just helped me pay for my new flat screen.”
I had to laugh. “You’re terrible!”
“I know. I just can’t help myself.” She took a drink of her water, then announced, “I’ve come to a decision.”
“Okay…” I responded apprehensively.
“I’m going to take Wren’s advice and go back to school.”
“Really?” Wren suggested the idea when we were all at the clubhouse talking. It was like we’d all known each other for ages as we shared stories about ourselves. Each of the Satan’s Fury women had their own identity, their own personality—from Cass, who was a nurturer, taking care of everyone around her, to Josie, who was not only beautiful, but insanely smart and amazing with computers. All the ol’ ladies were each awesome in their own way. While Kat and I were new to the group, they treated us both like family, even encouraging Kat to follow her dreams and go to college. I could see that she was excited by the idea. “That’s awesome!”
“I figured it was time for me to start adulting.”
“Wasn’t it you who was just pretending to be a lesbian to get extra tips?”
“Exactly! A girl has to pay the bills,” she teased as she stood up. “I better get back inside. The dinner rush is about to start.”
“Okay… I’ll see you Friday night, right?” The club was having a family cookout, and everyone was invited.
“I’ll be there.” As I started for the door, she yelled, “Catch ya later, home-slice.”
On my way back to Seth’s place, I got a message from him saying he was still at the clubhouse and to meet him there. It was dark by the time I pulled through the gate, but I still noticed a familiar bike parked at the front door. It wasn’t one that I would’ve expected to see at the Satan’s Fury clubhouse, so I rushed inside to see what was up.
When I walked into the bar, I spotted Seth sitting at the bar with Scotty. I hadn’t seen him since the night he helped get us out of that cellar, so I rushed over and hugged him. “What are you doing here?”
He gave me a tight squeeze, then leaned back, taking something off the bar. As he handed me a large, yellow envelope, he said, “I was just telling Two Bit that I’d gotten a call from one of my buddies down at the fire department. When they were cleaning up from the fire down at the shop, they found the club’s safe. He owed me a favor, so he brought it over to my place. It took me some time to get the damned thing open, but I finally did. I found that buried underneath some old video tapes.”
“What is this?” I asked as I started to open the envelope. Before he had a chance to answer, I read the first few words typed on the paper. Tears filled my eyes as I uttered, “This is my father’s will?”
“The one and only. Looks like he’s got you quite a little nest egg put away. It should cover the rest of your classes and then some.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Your father was crazy about you. It always surprised me that he didn’t have something lined up for you.”
“I should’ve known. I can’t believe Tank had this the whole time.”
“I guess he was planning to keep it for himself.”
“What an asshole,” I groaned. “What about the tapes you mentioned? Were those…?”
“They were pretty damaged from the fire, but I sent what was left of them to the cops.”
Confused, I asked, “Why would you send old video tapes to the police?”
“There were some things on there they needed to see… some families that needed some closure.”
“Do I even want to know what you’re talking about?”
Seth wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me over to his side. “No, beautiful. You don’t. Just focus on that paper in your hand, and forget about the rest.”
“Thank you, Scotty. For everything.”
He started to stand, but Seth stopped him by saying, “Where’re you running off to?”
“It’s getting late. Figured I better be getting back.”
“It’s not that late.” He motioned for Cass to bring another round of drinks. “Have another. The boys and I have an offer you should consider.”
“What kind of offer?”
I gave Seth a quick kiss, then held up the envelope as I said, “I’ll let you guys talk. I’m going to head back to the house and read this over.”
“Okay, beautiful. I won’t be long.”
I turned to Scotty and said, “It was good to see you again. I hope I’ll see you around.”
“I guess stranger things have happened.”
I turned and headed for the door. I was walking out to my car when I spotted Wren leaning inside the backseat of her SUV. Wyatt was standing next to her, and I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was upset. Worried that something might be wrong, I rushed over to her and asked, “Wren? Is everything okay?”
When she stood up and faced me, I saw that her shirt was a mess and she smelled awful, like a dirty diaper had exploded all over her. “No! Everything’s not okay!”
Wyatt rolled his eyes as he complained, “Mia had a stinky. A bad one.”
“Wyatt, your sister is sick to her stomach. She can’t help it.”
“She needs a doctor,” he huffed.
“She needs her brother to stop being ugly,” Wren scolded.
“Um… Is there anything I can do?”
She started to remove her soiled shirt and replace it with a clean one as she asked, “Can you please get Stitch for me? I texted him that we were here, but he hasn’t answered.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.” I hadn’t even taken a step towards the clubhouse when I saw Stitch walking in our direction. “Oh… here he comes.”
Wren sighed. “Thank goodness.”
Stitch walked past me and went straight over to truck. He ducked inside and checked on his daughter. After several seconds, he stood up and asked, “Rough day?”
“Yes. Very rough day. I’m sorry to bother…”
“Wren,” he scolded. “I’ve already told you. There’s nothing more important than you and these kids. Now, let’s get them home and get their momma in the shower.”
“Are you trying to say I stink?”
“Are you sure you want me to answer that?” he teased as he helped Wyatt back into the truck.
“Just get in the truck, Stitch.” Wren looked over at me as she opened the door. “Sorry about all this.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, girl. I hope Mia feels better.”
“I’m sure it’s just a little bug. It’ll pass soon. I’ll see you Friday night.” She waved as she got in the truck. A warm feeling washed over me as I watched them pull out of the parking lot. They were proof that you can overcome the odds, and it made me realize nothing was out of my reach. With Seth at my side, there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do.
As soon as I got home, I pulled out my father’s will and started to read each and every word. He’d taken every measure to ensure my future with life insurance policies and his savings, and there were even a few stocks and bonds in his lock box. Everything was in my name, and without my written consent, no one else could touch it. Seeing that made me realize why Tank was so adamant that I hooked up with Slider. It would be the only way any of them could get to the money my father had left me. Now that they were gone, I no longer had to worry about how I was going to pay for my classes, or anything else for that matter.
I was still staring at the papers when Seth got home. He sat down on the sofa next to me. “You doing okay?”
“I can’t believe he never told me about this. If I’d just known…”
“You remember when you told me everything happens for a reason?”
“Yeah, but…”
“If you’d left the club and hadn’t been working that night, I wouldn’t have met you.”
I rested the palm of my hand on his cheek. “And you wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital.”
“For you, I’d do it again. Hell, I’d do it a hundred times over.”
“That’s because you’re crazy,” I giggled.
“You’re right.” He reached for me, pulling me into his lap as he smiled wide. “I’m crazy for you.”
He kissed me tenderly, showing me just how much he loved me. I broke from our kiss just long enough to say, “It just keeps getting better and better.”
“And it always will.”