Prologue Two
Pru
My alarm clock goes off, bringing me out of one dream but landing me in another. Hack’s arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, letting me know everything wasn’t a dream. He’s really here, and he’s mine. The reality of the situation still seems foreign to me, and I keep waiting to wake up and go back to my normal boring life.
We first met at the diner where I work. He was a customer, and I was attracted to him as soon as he sat in one of my booths, but I was also a little scared. He’s different than most of the men around here. First of all, he owns a leather vest with the name of a biker club on the back but never wears it. That alone was scary, and his massive size only adds to his frightening persona. My fear vanished the first time he smiled in my direction. Three weeks later, he was in my bed.
I scoot away just far enough to hit the snooze button then roll back into his embrace. “I don’t want to get up yet.”
“Then stay the fuck home,” he says in voice gruff with sleep, burying his beard-covered face into my hair. “I don’t know why the hell you’re still working at the diner anyways. It pisses me off every time you go in.”
Since the night he moved in with me two months ago, he’s been trying to get me to quit my job. He says there’s no reason for me to work for tips when he’s paying the bills. I can’t do that, though. I don’t want him to think I’m using him. I spent my entire childhood watching my mother jump for one man to the other, staying just long enough to bleed them dry then moving on to her next meal ticket. I have to prove to myself and everyone else in town that I’m not a damn thing like her.
I place a kiss on his inked chest, just above the black daisy tattoo I’ve grown to love so much. “I’ll be out of school soon, and Lynn promises I can have a chair in her shop. I only have to make it a little longer.”
I’ve been in cosmetology school for nearly two years now. Everyone I started classes with has already graduated and now have jobs, but it’s taking me longer. Between working to keep a roof over my head and putting up with my mom’s constant calamities, I can only go part-time. None of that matters anymore, though. A month from now, I’ll have my license and can start making a decent living.
His hand starts to trail down my back, causing goosebumps of anticipation to prickle across my skin. “But if you didn’t have to work, we could spend the whole damn day in bed. I promise you it’ll be more fun than slinging burgers.”
I place another kiss on his chest, this one more sensual. “I can’t stay in bed all day, but I don’t mind being a little late.”
He hits my alarm to keep it from interrupting us then rolls me onto my back and settles himself between my legs. His beautiful hazel eyes bore into mine as he places a gentle kiss on my lips. It doesn’t take long for the kiss to gain momentum, and I’m wrapping my legs around his hips.
His lips move down to my chin, then he gently nips his way to my neck. Just as his hips start to move against me, his phone rings. We both freeze, surprised at the unexpected sound. In all the time I’ve known him, it’s never rung. Other than for calls between the two of us, I’m not sure he has ever even used it.
“I’ve got to take this, Pru. You go on and get ready,” he says, giving my ass a quick slap and rolling away from me.
There is no doubt in my mind that’s an order, not a request. That fact alone pisses me off, but I keep my mouth shut and do what he says. Hack and I have been going too good to screw it up just because I got my panties in a twist.
As I’m walking out of the bedroom, he answers the phone and says, “It’s been awhile, brother.”
Did he just say brother? He told me he only had two sisters. Why in the world would he lie to me about something as simple as his siblings? I wonder if he has lied to me about anything else, not that it could be much, considering the fact he hasn’t really told me anything about himself. I know he’s part of a motorcycle club, he grew up in Tennessee, and his last name is Chambers. I also know he got his name from his love of computers, but I have no idea what his real name is or much else about him.
Shaking my head at the realization of how little I know about Hack, I step into the shower and try to think about anything but the ball of tension growing rapidly in my stomach. Grandma always told me there was no reason to borrow trouble because it would find you quick enough on its own. That’s exactly what I’m doing now—borrowing trouble.
I rush through my shower and get out as quickly as possible, trying to stay focused on getting ready and not on my worries. By the time I cut the water off, the house is quiet. I dry my hair then wrap a towel around myself and quietly head into the bedroom to grab some clothes, assuming Hack has gone back to sleep. The first thing I notice walking into the room is the empty bed. Hack’s not in his spot; in his place is only rumpled sheets. Even his cut is gone from its normal spot, where it usually hangs on the bed post.
At first, I assume he has gone downstairs to make coffee. It’s not something he does on a daily basis, but it has happened from time to time. Especially on days when I’m running late. My nerves don’t shoot into overdrive until I open the closet to grab my uniform. He didn’t have much, but what little he did have is gone. Dropping the towel, I run out of the room without a stitch of clothes on.
By the time I reach the kitchen, my heart is thumping a frantic beat. When my eyes land on the table and the pile of cash spread across it, I nearly fall to my knees. Walking closer, I stare at the stack of hundred dollar bills as if they’re a snake ready to bite. The note beside them is what brings tears to my eyes.
It’s time to go back to my real life.