Two Days Later

Julie meets me at the door, and then follows me around the house like a lost puppy dog, begging for a treat.

“Oh come on, Cami.” She collapses onto my bed, groaning. “It's going to be fun,” The enthusiasm in her voice makes me roll my eyes.

“No,” I say. She bats her eyelashes at me, and I can't help but laugh. Giving in, I shake my head.

“Fine, but I have to text Ty and let him know so he picks up Ella. God, he’s going to have to give her a bath, she’s a terror in the tub.” I stalk off into the bathroom to clean up. I put on jeans and a cute top, brush through my hair, and grab my shoes before walking into the bedroom.

Julie’s face is priceless. “I know that is not what you plan to wear, right?” she asks.

“What's wrong with my clothes?” I ask. “I thought this looked pretty damn good.” Julie rolls her eyes at me and practically drags me over to the closet.

“Hmmmmm…” she says, sifting through my wardrobe.

Towards the back, she finds a little black dress. She yanks it out and her eyes light up.

“This! This is the one!” she squeals.

The thin satin sheath slides down my skin as I put it on. The intricate lace comes up around my neck in a halter fashion, while the hemline sits at my upper thigh. The plunging neckline emphasizes my breasts, and the open back is cut clear down to my lower back.

I step out of the bathroom and she whistles at me. Feeling the blush as it covers my cheeks, I giggle as I look at myself in the full-length mirror. My silky, long legs look amazing against the black fabric, and the silver jewelry I add is the perfect accent.

“Now that, my dear cousin, is proper attire for the club. Time to talk shoes,” she says, waggling her eyebrows.

She sits down in the middle of my closet and rummages through my shoes. Coming out with a pair of strappy silver heels, she smiles. I groan loudly, knowing I'm a wreck in heels.

“Put them on,” she commands, and sits on the bed. I give her the dirtiest look I can manage and she just laughs. “Strut your stuff,” she says with a grin, “you better get used to them. We’re going to be out for a while.”

I draw in a deep breath and take a few careful steps, looking completely awkward. She jumps up, trying to contain her laughter.

“Here, let me show you,” she says, demonstrating the right way to walk in heels. I still have no faith in my ability to pull this off, but I am willing to admit that the heels make my long legs look even sexier. I feel excitement bubble within. It’s been ages since I’ve gone out anywhere like this. The last time, Ty ended up getting smashed and fighting with some dude at the club and then getting kicked out. Naturally, I left with him.

We pull up to a dingy looking bar just after 10pm.

“What the hell is this place?” There’s neon signs and bikes everywhere. I can hear the bass thumping; wherever we are, they’re throwing one hell of a party.

“This is the Brotherhood.”

“What?” I can’t hide the shock on my face. “Is this like a motorcycle club? Like a gang? Are you serious? Jules, we can’t go in there!” Ty said yes to a club, not a packed bar full of rebels.

“I got a personal invite, it’s fine. Besides, they’re an ex-military club. Good guys.”

Good guys, sure. Good guys with guns and ties to people in jail. Not my idea of good guys. “Julie, I want to go home, this is nuts.”

“Well, I drove, and I’m not taking your ass home. Let’s go.”

She leaves the car, walking across the asphalt towards the neon lights and men smoking in front of the entrance. I watch from the car as she beckons me. This is a bad idea, I know it. But I find myself exiting the car and joining her next to three guys in black leather vests.

“You lost, little girl?” one guy asks me. He’s older, maybe in his fifties. The other two are younger, taking in deep drafts of their cigarettes.

“No.”

“No, we’re not lost, Grandpa. We’re here for Shawn. He invited me.”

The older man nods. “My mistake then, go right in. Last time I saw Shawn, he was behind the bar with the new prospect. Have a good time, ladies.” He dips his head to us and another guy puts out his cigarette and opens the door for us. He pushes past us after we’re inside. And inside, it’s chaos.

“This is insane,” I say as I watch a girl lie on the bar while some guy pours whiskey into her mouth.

“It’s a prospect party, of course it’s insane.”

I cross my arms in front of my chest as I watch men with hungry eyes look me over.

She looks over at me. “You look hot,” she says with a smile.

“I think I look like fresh meat,” I say, looking down at my feet.

“Same thing. Oh look, there’s Shawn.”

“Shawn,” she says, like they’re old friends. “Julie, remember? I brought my cousin Cami. This is a great party.”

“Hey girls, hell yeah, it is, we know how to turn it up around here. Even the old guys.” He points to another leather clad member doing body shots with a girl younger than me.

“What can I get for ya?”

I order a rum and coke and her a shot of Jim Beam fire.

“Thanks!” she yells to him as she winks, and he walks away, filling some glasses with beer. I turn to hand her the shot, and she grabs my hand. I almost drop my drink, but don't say anything. I don't want to ruin her night with my moods, so I just turn and survey the crowd some more.

She makes a beeline for the two men, sticking her chest out and flipping her hair. I glance at the one sitting at the small bar table, realizing once again, that Jules has excellent taste in men. Before I can catch my thoughts, one of the men greets us. I stammer out a “Hello” and turn to Julie, who’s in her element now. This is who she is, I remind myself, and they love her for it.

“Want to dance?” the man says, and Julie immediately nods. She stands up, giving me a quick look before walking to the dance floor with the handsome stranger. I look up at the other man, who is standing in front of me, and I feel like I should recognize him, but I don't. I see him eyeballing me, and it makes me wonder if I do know him. Something about him is so familiar.

I glance around, trying and failing to find something that catches my interest. I sit down at the nearest table because my feet are already screaming and wait for Julie to finish dancing. The music is loud here, making it impossible to small talk. The silence between us is becoming uncomfortable. He nods his head and looks to the dance floor.

“I can't, I have a boyfriend who would freak out, not to mention my poor feet,” I yell over the music. He looks at me and smiles a panty-soaking smile. His eyes are a hazel color, but they’re hidden beneath dark bangs, and the bar’s lights aren’t forgiving, which means that out in the sun I would barely be able to stand how good looking he is. How stupid of me to let Julie talk me into this.

“What’s your name?” he asks.

“Cami,” I reply, feeling the burn in my cheeks. My thoughts begin to wander.

He smiles a knowing smile, and I feel like I’m lost. Like I should know him.

“You’re not wearing a vest?” I ask, unsure of what else to say.

“Nope, I’m still new around here, take a while to get a vest.”

“Oh, I don’t really know what that means.”

“I’m not a member yet. But I will be. These are my brothers.”

“So you’re ex-military?” Army, I think, as the strobe flashes on his eyes. They're a soft hazel hue and so familiar. For a moment, I’m almost able to place him, but then the lights shift again and we’re cast back into darkness. Maybe the combination of the strobe lights and atmosphere is causing my imagination to run wild. He is so familiar—the eyes, the face, the voice. It hits me suddenly: Jett, Jett Stewart, from high school. Holy shit.

“Jett?”

He sets his lips into a thin smile. “So you do remember.”

“How could I forget?” I wrap my arms around him in a tight squeeze. Four years ago, I was slightly obsessed with this guy, but he’s changed. Now my arms don’t reach around him; he’s taller and stockier. With a thick chest and muscles rippling beneath. Damn, he looks good.

“What have you been up to?” he asks, cutting into my thoughts.

“Oh, this and that.”

“You working, live around here?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “I work at a local hospital.” I don’t say anything more, because how can I? There’s a chance, a good chance, Ella is his. And I never told him. Hell I never thought I’d see him again.

He moves closer to me. I know he’s just trying to hear me, but it’s not good for us to stand this close. I remember the last time his hands were on me. Touching my flesh, filling me with his seed. There’s so much he doesn’t know.

I feel his breath on my cheek. “It’s good to see you again.” If he thinks he's going to seduce me, he's wrong—not only am I taken, I'm just not that kind of girl. A strange feeling hits me, a desire unlike anything I've ever felt. It causes me to panic.

“I better find Julie,” I say and turn my attention to the dance floor. Creating as much distance as I can between myself and Jett as possible.

At first I can't find Julie, but then I see her. It’s nice to see her smiling and having fun. It’s been so many years since I last saw her happy. I turn back to my table and sigh a breath of relief when I turn and realize Jett is gone. Julie is dancing and enjoying herself, so I go to the bar and order another rum and coke. From across the club, I can see Jett shooting pool with some other guys. Every so often, I feel someone's eyes on me, and I'm pretty sure it's him.

As the night winds down, I go looking for Julie and find her making out with the strange guy in a booth. I huff an impatient sigh and wait for her to finish.

“Oh, go ahead and go home, I’ve got a ride,” she says with a giggle.

“I need your keys.”

She passes them to me without ever breaking eye contact from the member she’s about to shack up with.

“Call me in the morning, ok?” She nods and goes back to sucking his face off. As I sit in the car, I laugh at the shitty situation. She dragged me out with her and then left me all alone after five minutes. Typical. I dig into my purse and fish my phone out. I scan through pictures from high school. There are a million of Jett and I, so how could I forget his face? It’s certainly not as boyish as it once was. He was hot then, but now, he’s downright panty melting. My heart stops beating when I see that I have seven text messages from Ty. “Oh shit,” I think to myself as I put the car in drive.

As I walk up to the front door, my heart is hammering loudly in my ears because I'm afraid. Quickly slipping off my shoes, I open the door, slowly, and to my surprise, there is Ty, sitting in the chair, a dozen roses in hand.

“I love you,” he says, getting up. He comes over, slipping his hands down to my hips and kissing my cheek. Wrapping my arms around him, I stand on my tip toes and place my lips on his.

“How was your evening? How’s Ella?” I ask impatiently for an update.

“She’s fine, sleeping. You can check on her if you want.”

I grab the flowers and put them in a vase. Then I watch as Ty heads to bed and I slip into Ella’s room. I climb into her twin bed with her and snuggle in.

“Mama?”

“Yes, baby?”

“You look sad. Why you sad, Mama?”

“I’m not sad, baby, just thinking, go back to sleep.” She snuggles in closer and we both shut our eyes. Except I know I’m the only one who dreams of Jett Stewart. Her father.