Chapter 9
Emerson
God, I was going to be sick. It was bad enough that I'd caught Ace and that woman getting busy on the dance floor, but I'd also consumed enough alcohol to make an elephant drunk. Jesus, I was stupid sometimes. The girls were long gone, and I was still at JJ’s with what's-his-name. Doyle--I'd learned his name around our fifth dance--seemed to be holding his liquor. Or maybe he didn't have the same unreasonable reasons that I had to drown his sorrows in booze. Seeing Ace with that woman, who he’d let fumble around with his zipper while his mouth had been against her neck, had been a hurtful, eye-opening experience that I'd needed.
I was so over the asshole.
I was moving on.
I'd been a fool for falling for a man-whore, and I had no one to blame but myself. He'd never done anything to give me hope that we'd become anything more than we were. Well, now I knew exactly where I stood with him. No telling how many women he'd been with since he and I had begun our unusual arrangement, and I'd been a fool for thinking that I was his only one. Oh, God! I leaned over the toilet bowl and threw up. The sound seemed overloud in the restroom, drowning out the thumping noise of the music beyond the door.
Once I was done, I straightened and grabbed a few squares of tissue to wipe my mouth. My vision was blurred I could barely walk, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I was sick again. I stumbled my way to the sink and turned on the water, splashing my face with handfuls. Nope. It did nothing to sober me up. I laughed, weaving slightly, my image distorted in the mirror. I was a freaking mess!
It was time to go home. I'd call an Uber, because there was no way I was going to rely on Doyle for a ride, even if he had his own car. He may not have been drunk but he'd still consumed enough to put him over the legal limit, and even though we'd spent the better part of the evening together, he was still a stranger in my book. I'd watched enough ID on TV to know that going home with strangers could land a girl missing or dead.
Suddenly there was a loud tap on the door. "You okay in there, Emerson?"
Doyle didn't sound drunk at all. How did he do it? I pushed myself away from the vanity and somehow made my way to the door, opening it to find him leaning against the wall across from me. I blinked, trying to clear my vision. "I see two of you," I giggled, stepping out. "I can't recall the last time I got this wasted."
He laughed, stepping my way. "Come on, beautiful, I'll take you home."
I immediately held up my hand, halting him. Doyle was a handsome man. He kind of reminded me of Ronan Farrow with his baby face, blonde hair, and startling blue eyes. He was at least six-two, muscular but lean. I'd felt the strength in his arms when we'd been dancing. I'd also felt the strength of his arousal against me, and while my body had reacted to it, it had been minimal. Maybe in time I'd find him more exciting …
"Not going home with you, handsome," I said firmly, trying to meet his eyes. "I watch ID."
I could tell through my blurred vision that he was grinning. "ID?"
I nodded. "Investigation Discovery. You know, Disappeared, Homicide Hunter, Your Worst Nightmare, shows like that."
"Oh, yeah. I think I've seen one or two of those shows. They can warp your mind and make you paranoid."
"Or they can educate you about the horrors in the world and prepare you to act when necessary," I countered, laughing. "I'm serious. I'm not going to let you take me home."
"Well, I'm not about to let you drive yourself in your condition."
Even in my inebriated state I picked up on the displeasure in his tone. Was he mad or worried about me? I blinked rapidly up at him, but his expression was just a blur.
"At least let me see that you get home okay by riding with you in the Uber. I promise I'll stay in the car until you're safely inside your house, and then I’ll leave."
"You're so sweet!" I gushed.
"My mama thinks so," Doyle responded. "Let me call for an Uber. You head back to our table."
I didn't question him, making my way back to the table that the girls and I had originally grabbed early on. I sank down onto the cushion and started to reach for my drink when I decided that I'd definitely had enough. I did take a big swig of water to help clean my mouth out of the after taste left behind from throwing up. Then I opened my small clutch and reached for a mint.
JJ’s was winding down. More people were leaving then arriving now. I wondered what time Ace had left. I knew that he'd hung around after his brothers had gone. I couldn't understand why, since all he'd done was plant his butt at the bar and drink all night. I hadn't seen him dancing again, but I had noticed a few women had sided up to him to keep him company. I tried to ignore him for the most part, but a man like Ace was hard to disregard. He was a big man, and sexy hot, even with his scars.
"Ready?" I smiled up at Doyle. "We got lucky, there were a couple Ubers waiting outside all ready."
Since he was holding his hand down for me I let him help me up from the booth. "I am going to sleep like a baby when I get home," I said, grabbing my clutch. I was already looking forward to crawling between the covers and sinking down into my bed.
After giving the Uber driver my address I drifted off during the ride home. I vaguely recall Doyle helping me into the backseat and closing the door. The next thing I was aware of was being gently jostled away, and removing my head from his shoulder.
"We've arrived at your castle, Sleeping Beauty."
I laughed softly, thankful that it was dark and half the lights were out in the parking lot and surrounding buildings of my apartment complex. I'd lived in better places. Daytona Terrace was an older, established complex, and it looked it. The apartments weren't bad, though, and had recently been updated. Word was that they were going to begin updating the outside soon. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you."
"It was my pleasure," Doyle replied, following me as I exited the Uber. I turned toward him where he stood between the open door and the vehicle. "I'd like to see you again."
He'd given me his number when I'd refused to give him mine. "I think I'd like that," I mumbled. "I'll call you in a couple of days, okay?" I was slightly surprised that I meant it. I liked Doyle.
His look was skeptical. "I've heard that before."
"Really? You're kidding! I can't believe any woman wouldn't call you if she said she would." He shrugged. "Look--" I stepped closer to him, "I mean what I say, Doyle. You're a nice man. I'd like to get to know you better."
I could see the glimmer of his eyes as he stared down at me. The next thing I knew he was pulling me close and lowering his head. I stiffened without meaning to, and his hesitation revealed that he'd felt my resistance. I felt bad for having doubts about letting him kiss me goodnight. It was just a goodnight kiss. I realized that he was waiting for a sign to continue or to back away. I released a shaky breath, and just when I was about to offer him my lips, he was the one who jerked back and stared at something off to the side of us.
"Looks like we have an audience," he said. "I think I saw him at JJ’s earlier."
I glanced in the direction that Doyle was looking and caught my breath. Ace had managed to park beneath one of the only lights that was still working in the parking lot, almost as if he wanted to be seen. He was sitting on his bike, leaning back, feet braced against the ground, his eyes narrowed on us while he lit a cigarette. I watched the flare of the match light up his face as he brought the flame close. My heart began to race. What was he doing here?
"You know him? Doyle asked.
"Yes. I'm sorry." Why was I apologizing? "He's ah, ah, a friend. One of the Sentinels." I couldn't take my eyes off Ace. His silhouette was mesmerizing in a breathless and mysterious kind of way that dragged up all sorts of sexy images to mind.
"I've heard of them. The local biker club, right? Protectors of the innocent." His smile said that he was half-joking.
I laughed at his description. "Something like that." The Sentinels did a whole lot more than protect the citizens of Daytona Beach.
"Why do you think he's here, watching us?"
"I'm not sure, but I intend to find out as soon as you leave." A slow anger began to boil inside of me. How dare Ace show up as if he had a right to be here? I'd told Doyle that we were friends, but Ace and I were so far removed from that. I wasn’t sure what we were exactly, but it was nothing so simple as friends.
"I don't know if I want to leave you alone with him."
"Doyle, I've known Ace for years. I work at the bar his president owns, and this is the first time he's ever come here. I'm thinking that he has a message for me from Tanner." I didn't believe that for a second, but I suddenly wanted Doyle to leave so I could stomp over and confront Ace.
I heard Doyle’s heavy sigh. "Okay then. I'll say goodnight." Before I could guess at his intentions, he pulled me against him and kissed me. It was fast. It was gentle. It was chaste. And it was over before I could acknowledge it. When we came apart I couldn't help but notice Doyle glance over at Ace, as if to make sure that he'd been watching.
Did he hope to get a reaction out of Ace? That was silly. Anyone who knew anything about the Sentinels knew that they were a dangerous breed. You didn't taunt the members of an MC with anything. It was stupid, and didn't usually end well. The Sentinels weren't one percenters, but they ran their club under some of the same bylaws and principles, and Ace was a force to be reckoned with if you got on his bad side. I'd seen him in action.
Movement drew my attention to Ace, and I watched as he flicked his cigarette away and brought his leg over his seat. Shit! I didn't know what his intentions were, but his movements appeared somewhat angry. "Goodnight, Doyle. I'll call," I rushed out, practically pushing him into the Uber. Thank God he hadn't noticed the hulking biker making his way toward us.
I breathed out a sigh of relief as the car pulled away from the curb, and then I spun around and let Ace have it. "What the hell, Ace?!" I slammed my palms against his muscular chest so hard that he took a step back, hissing through his teeth. "Why are you here?"
"Making sure you made it home okay!" he snarled. "You're drunk!"
"So?" I hissed back. "Since when do you care about me?"
"I saw the way Casanova kept pushing drinks your way. How he couldn't keep his fucking hands off you. It was clear he had one thought on his mind, and that was getting into your pants!"
I couldn't believe him. "So?" I hissed back again. "Doyle is a nice man. Maybe I wanted him to get into my pants! Did you ever think of that? It's none of your fucking business anyway! You have no business stalking me!"
"You belong to the club! Your safety is my business!"
My jaw dropped with disbelief. "Newsflash, asshole, I work for Tanner. That is all. I do not belong to the Sentinels! What I do or who I do when I'm not working is none of anyone's business."
Ace leaned in close, gritting down into my face. "That's where you're wrong."
I backed up. "Oh, yeah?" I was too furious to heed the underlying warning in his sharp tone. All the months of being at his beck and call and getting nothing in return had taken their toll. Seeing him with that woman on the dance floor had been the last straw for me, making me realize that Ace was a user. "You're nothing but a user, Ace. You think you're the only one I give blowjobs to?" I asked him softly, realizing that I was probably making a huge mistake, but it was too late to take my angry words back now.
The silence that ensued was deafening. I hated myself for giving in to the hurt consuming me by making me want to hurt Ace in return. Tears burned in my eyes, and I could only hope that he didn't recognize them. Neither one of us moved. We just stood there, barely breathing, our eyes locked in a glare of anger and some other emotions too complex to figure out.
"I think you should leave," I finally said, wincing at the raw emotion turning my voice hoarse.
"Fucking good idea."
He pivoted, and the first tear splashed down upon my cheek. I watched silently as he stomped back to his bike and mounted it. He sat there for a minute, as if in indecision, before finally kicking it to life, and then casting a glance back in my direction.
"Go inside, Emerson."
His tone made it clear that he wouldn't move until I did as he said. Somehow I managed to make it to the door without falling flat on my face. Between being drunk and the tears clouding my vision, I couldn’t see a thing. I unlocked my door and didn't hear Ace's bike rev to life until the door was closed and locked behind me. I leaned against it with tears of losing something I'd never had falling down my cheeks. I listened to the roar of his bike move further away until it gradually vanished into the night.