Tanner
Tanner awoke with a start and looked around him. A thousand thoughts and recriminations raced through his head. None of this was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to end up with a woman like Star. She wasn't from his world, from the road. She didn't understand him or the boys.
If his father hadn't died, hadn't put the damn money in that trust fund, he never would have even met her. She'd have just been some girl who got turned down for a cocktail waitress job at the Old Crow. But, here he was, sleeping in her bed, with her naked body curled up against his.
She didn't want him. She wanted his money, plain and simple.
But, if that were true, why was he still lying there? Why was he pulling her warm body closer to his?
He shook his head at himself. “What in the fuck am I doing?” he murmured.
“Huh?” Star groggily asked from his shoulder. She opened her eyes and smiled when she, too, realized he was still there. “Hi, you.”
“Hey,” Tanner replied, not knowing what else to say. This was all becoming a little too real for him. He sucked in a breath and shifted his position a little.
“Sleep okay?” she asked, her hand idly playing over his chest. Her finger went down to his nipple, began to circle.
“Yeah, I guess,” he said, his eyes tracking down to her fingers teasing him. “Listen, I've been thinking . . . what do you want out of this?”
“Out of what?” she asked. “You mean us having sex?”
“No, I guess I mean life. Have you thought about it? What do you want to do with the money if you get pregnant? Do you want to have more kids after this?”
“I don't really know,” she said, her head still on his chest. “Pay off my debts, first. Then, after the baby's born, I'm not sure. Go to school? It's a lot of money, but it won't last forever.”
School. That's what she'd do with her payout.
“Would you leave town?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, I mean there's nothing for you here.”
“I – well – hmmm.” She lifted her head off his chest and looked him in the face. “What about you, Tanner Rainier? What do you want out of this?” she asked, emphasizing the word “you.”
Down on the floor, halfway between the bed and the table, his phone started to buzz and play alerts, interrupting them.
Tanner swung his legs off the bed, mumbling about how he'd better check his cell. There was a chill to the air, but the bite wasn't too bad. He grabbed his phone out of his pants and looked at the screen. Two new texts, both from the same number that he didn't recognize.
“Looks like you tragic brother is heading for an overdose any day now,” read the first. “So sad,” read the second.
Tanner growled deep in his chest and gritted his teeth together. Who the fuck was sending him this shit?
“What's wrong?” Star asked. She sat up in bed, the sheet pulled across her chest to keep away the cool air.
As he was flipping back to the home screen, his phone buzzed and dinged again. “Catch him if you can. A, Roaming Wolf.”
He clutched his phone in a white-knuckled hand. “Motherfuckers,” he screamed. He almost threw his phone across the room, but reminded himself that this might be his only link to his tormentors. Throwing the device away may destroy useful clues.
“What the hell's going on?” Star asked in a raised voice. “Is everything okay?”
He thrust the phone in her hand. “Read it,” he said and began pulling his clothes on.
“Oh, Tanner. Geez, your own brother . . .” She tossed the phone at the end of the bed. “What's wrong with these people?”
“I don't fucking know. This shit's gone way farther than just petty rivalry.” With shaking hands, he grabbed the phone off the bed and called Blade. He'd know what to do.
“Blade,” he said when the president of the Blood Warriors answered. He didn't do any of the normal phone etiquette niceties, instead just cutting to the chase and explaining the situation.
“Come down to the club house,” Blade growled on the other line. “We'll sort this shit right out, Tanner.”
“Got it. Be there in thirty.” Tanner hung up the phone and stuffed it away in his jeans.
“What's going on?” Star asked. “Where are you going?”
“To meet the guys.”
“Well, I'm coming with you.”
“The fuck you are,” Tanner said in a raised voice, brooking no argument. “This is club business.”
“Your brother didn't look like a member when I saw him!” Star yelled back. “This is your family, here.”
“I don't care,” he shouted back. “This shit's dangerous, and I don't want you in the middle of it.” He turned and stalked out of the room. He made his way into to the living room and had his hand on the door already by the time she came out of the bedroom with the bed sheet wrapped around her like a makeshift cloak.
“So now you care about me, then?” she yelled. “Is this what affection looks like in your fucked up little world?”
He didn't have time for this. His brother's life was on the line, and every minute might count. He needed to get with Blade and figure out a plan. He just looked back at her, his mouth tight, his jaw working overtime. Rather than argue with her, he did what he thought was sensible.
He just left.