Chapter Sixteen
Amelia
It’s almost nine before I get home, and I’m no closer to sorting out the crazy rabbit hole my life has become. This isn’t just a casual hookup. It’s serious, and my stomach churns with nerves as I open the front door.
I know I still have to tell Gage who my dad is, but that’s not worrying me anymore. He already knows the name I grew up with, and that I’m used to the MC life. Sure, he might be pissed that I first took the job at Odin’s because I’d been sucked into Rex’s plans, but the fact he totally believed me last night, and didn’t even question me about the whole nasty “sleeping with the enemy” thing, is more than enough proof that I’m not just another chick to him.
The biggest problem is telling my mom that I’m dating Axle Reynolds’s son. She’ll never understand how I could do it. I don’t even blame her, because deep down inside I’m eaten up with guilt that I’m so crazy about Gage. I should hate him, the way I hate his dad and all the Viking Bastards for what they did, but he isn’t his dad.
He’s the one I love.
I groan and briefly press my forehead against the doorframe. What a great time to face the truth.
“Amy, honey, is that you?” Mom comes into the hall, pulling on her coat. She works part time at the mall, and if I tell her right now what I’m doing, she won’t have time to hang around to argue the issue.
“Hey.” I give her a weak smile and can actually feel my courage leaking out through my pores.
She cups my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I take a deep breath. “I’m, uh, spending part of Christmas Day with my new guy.” Okay, I couldn’t quite say his name, but one step at a time.
“Oh.” Mom stands there for a couple of seconds, and it’s as clear as anything that she’s struggling with that bombshell. We always spend Christmas here together. Well, hell, who else would we spend it with? But it isn’t as though I’m not going to be here at all. Just for half the day. “Why don’t you invite him here? It’d be nice to meet him.”
Yeah, right. I don’t think so.
“It’s a bit soon for that, Mom.” I smile to take away the sting, but really, who takes their guy back to meet their mom that quickly? And I need to get to the point. “He belongs to an MC.”
She stares at me as though I’ve just done something unspeakable. I know I have. But you can’t choose who you fall for, can you?
“I thought you said he owns the bar you’re working at.”
“He does. But he belongs to a club, as well.”
“I don’t know how you could do that, Amy. After everything we’ve been through with the Wolves.”
A hard knot forms in my chest. “I know. But I couldn’t help it.” I practically cringe. How lame is that?
“All those lovely guys you’ve dated in the past, before you started all this writing. You could be married to Lucas by now, have your own house, everything.”
“For God’s sake, I finished with Lucas three years ago.”
“He would’ve done anything for you. You would’ve always been the number one thing in his life. Not like when you’re with a member of a club. You’re never their first priority. You know that.”
Of course I do. She’s said it often enough over the years. And yet I remember when I was a kid, she and Dad were so happy together. He might’ve been a hard-ass, but he put Mom before his club. I just know he did.
“I didn’t love Lucas. He didn’t…” I hesitate for a second, because how the hell do you tell your own mother an ex-boyfriend didn’t appear to have a clue what the clitoris was for, never mind where it was located? “Light my fire.”
Her lips thin. “There’s more to life than having a guy who’s great in bed, Amy. There’s something called respect. Trust.”
I’m reeling over the “great in bed” comment. Jesus, I don’t want to talk about sex with my mom.
“Gage does respect me. I do trust him.” And if I told her about last night, Mom would understand that because she knows the code even better than I do. But of course I can’t mention the name Rex Abbott to her. Not now. I guess this wasn’t such a great idea to confront her when she’s in a rush.
“They don’t trust anyone outside of their club. They’re bad news.” She leans in close. “Remember what happened to your dad, just because he had more loyalty to the Wolves than he did to me or you girls.”
With that, she storms out.
I unclench my fist and stare at the crescents my fingernails had gouged into my palm.
Huh, that went well.
…
Gage
It takes a lot longer than I thought it would to find what I’m searching for. I’ve lost count how many jewelry shops and outlets I’ve been to, and although I don’t usually notice the suspicious looks flung my way, they’re starting to piss me off. Who knew buying a chick a present was such hard work?
I’m in the mall, checking my cell for local stores, when a hand slides down the front of my cut.
“Move it.” I don’t even bother looking up from my cell.
The owner of the hand gives a breathy sigh and obeys. “You want some company, Gage?”
I shove my cell into my pocket and give Ruby a disinterested glance. “Nah, I’m good.”
“What’re you doing here anyway? Christmas shopping?” She blinks a few times, like she thinks that’s sexy or something, and I’m about to deny it when I change my mind.
“That’s right. Getting something for my girl.”
Ruby steps back. “Amelia?” She sounds like that’s the most unbelievable thing she’s ever heard.
I stare her down until she drops her gaze to my chest.
“You don’t have a problem with her, do you?” It’s not really a question, because if she does have a problem, she’s no longer welcome at Odin’s.
She shrugs. “No. It’s just the thought of you being serious about anyone. Kind of weird.”
That’s an understatement, but there’s no way I’m discussing Amelia with Ruby. “Gotta go.”
There’s another shop just around the corner, not that I’m holding out much hope. Maybe I’ll just have to take Amelia out tomorrow and find something together. That’s not such a bad idea.
This last stop is a small corner shop that does piercings and tats, and in the window, I see exactly what I’ve been looking for. My cell rings, and it’s Zach. Any other time I’d answer stat, but he can wait five minutes. I stroll inside to get a better look, and he sends a text. He wants to meet at the club ASAP. Must be urgent then.
Not that I’m leaving until I’ve bought what I’ve spent half the day searching for.
…
It’s early afternoon before I stroll into the club. When I spoke to Zach earlier, he was evasive and just said there was a problem that needed sorting, which didn’t sound urgent enough for both a call and text. The only others there are Ty and Hawk, and all three of them are leaning against the bar like they’re in a bad western.
I smother my grin, since by the expressions on their faces there’s some serious shit going down.
“Heard there was some trouble with Rex Abbot last night,” Ty says as he hands me a beer.
That’s enough to wipe the amusement from my mind. “Fucking prick took aim at Amelia. If he comes near her again, I don’t care what alliance we’ve got with the Wolves. I’m dealing with him.”
The three of them exchange a glance, that does nothing to improve my temper.
“Spoke to Tanner and Zane earlier,” Ty says, referring to the Wolves who were at his club last night. “Turns out they knew Abbott was back before Zach saw him outside Odin’s the other week. He’d been stirring shit with their club, trying to infiltrate with a couple of hang-arounds.”
“Why weren’t we told?” Far as I know, after Zach passed his suspicion on to Jett, the Wolves said they’d keep an eye out, and that was it. I glance at Zach, who shrugs.
“That’s what I’d like to know.” He sounds almost as pissed off as me.
“They didn’t think there was any need,” Ty says. “He’s so wrecked they were going to let him self-destruct. There’s no way he can bring them down the way he seems to think.”
“He should’ve been put out of his misery ten years ago, same as his old man.” But instead, the Wolves banished him, since he hadn’t been directly involved in his father’s final crazy plans to wipe out the Bastards.
“Too right.” Zach finishes his beer.
Hawk places his bottle on the bar and folds his arms. “You’re not going to like this, Gage.”
Amelia’s face flashes into my mind, and an ice-cold fear stabs through my chest. “If he’s touched Amelia…” I don’t bother finishing. There’s no need. Christ, he couldn’t have gotten hold of her. I was with her just a few hours ago, but it only takes a second for a life to end.
Don’t even think it.
“No.” Zach’s voice is rough, but when I transfer my glare to him, he glances away. “She’s fine. But Tanner recognized her from ten years ago.”
He’s not making any sense. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“She’s Hank Crane’s daughter.” Ty’s voice is flat, and it takes a moment for his words to fully penetrate. “When they were tailing Abbott last month, they saw him meeting her, did some digging, and discovered who she was. She’s working with Abbott.”
I give a harsh laugh, and white-hot fury burns my guts at what they’re daring to suggest—that my Amelia’s been lying to me. “No, she fucking isn’t.”
“I know it’s hard to hear, bro.” Ty takes a step toward me but stops dead when I round on him.
“Shut the fuck up.”
For the first time, I understand how a silence can be deafening. All I can hear is the thud of my heart in my ears as my brothers face me, all convinced my girl isn’t who she says she is.
Amy Crane.
“Davis is my mom’s name.” She told me Crane was her dad’s name.
So, what. Crane isn’t that unusual.
“Abbott was using her to get to you.” There’s a hard note in Zach’s voice, and my hands clench into fists. “Same way he tried to use the hang-arounds to destabilize the Wolves.”
“No one’s saying she knew what she was doing.” Ty does a bad job of trying to sound like he means it. “But she’s Crane’s girl, and she’s been seen with Abbott before she started work at Odin’s. She’s bad news.”
“They’re talking shit.”
My brothers stare at me, and there’s a tension in the air that wasn’t there before. The Wolves aren’t the Bastards, but we have an alliance. They’re my brothers when it comes to the outside world, and loyalty is everything. Amelia is just a chick, and it doesn’t matter how great a lay she is, because no woman comes before the brotherhood.
The fuck she doesn’t.
I don’t even fight the thought. I don’t know what’s going on or why anyone would try and link her with Abbott, but when I find out the truth, there’s gonna be blood.
“She knew Abbott last night.” Hawk’s words hammer through my brain even though he doesn’t raise his voice. “Something’s going on between them, even if the Wolves have gotten it wrong.”
I exhale a long breath and forcibly relax my fists. If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to take on all three of them, and the chances of me coming out the other end without a trip to the ER are zero.
“Don’t follow me.” I take a step back and give each of them a hard glare. “I’m going to sort this shit out.”
There’s no need to say any more. The lines are drawn, and there’s no going back.