MICHELLE

 

Katrina worked in a small flower shop. Just like most of the other businesses in Ivory, she ran it herself.

She wasn’t like most women. She was smart enough to get by on her own even though she was engaged to a club member who I knew was making good money. She didn’t care about being with a patch either. That wasn’t to say that she had life figured out. But with her own business, a beautiful baby daughter, and a man to take care of her, all in the town she grew up in, there wasn’t much for her to worry about.

It was the middle of the day when I stopped by her shop.

“The florist,” I said. “The green thumb gets no rest.”

She giggled softly as she arranged another bouquet of flowers.

“I get plenty of rest,” she said, her eyes focused on the flowers before her. “I’ve got a big event coming up.”

“Do you?”

“Local wedding. They wanted me to come up with a nice arrangement for them. What do you think?”

She turned the bouquet toward me. I turned my head and examined it for a moment before shrugging.

“It looks nice,” I said. “Ivory has the nicest orchids I’ve ever seen. But you’d know better than me.”

“Just because I’m a florist doesn’t mean I know everything. It’s the people who don’t know anything that it has to appeal to.”

“I’m sure they’ll love it either way. I mean, has there ever been anybody who complained about an arrangement you’ve done for them?”

“Now that you mention it… There hasn’t. I guess folks in Ivory are just too kind to say what’s on their mind.”

“I know that’s not true.”

We shared a laugh. Even though I’d only known Katrina for about a year or so, I was as comfortable around her as anybody else.

She pushed the flowers aside and leaned forward across the counter.

“What’s up?” she asked. “Something on your mind.”

“Well…”

I hesitated for just a second. That was enough time for her to realize that something was up.

“Oh, this must be a juicy piece of gossip,” she said.

“Take it easy,” I said, giggling softly. “I’m telling you because I know you’re not one to gossip.”

“You know I don’t have anybody to talk to. Anna and Gina are the only ones I’m close to and they’re ol’ ladies just the same as you and me. You’ve got nothing to hide.”

“I know.”

“So…?”

“I just wanted to say thanks.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“The other night… When I was holding Bella. I realized that maybe there was something missing in my life. I talked to Declan about it. And…”

Her eyes widened. The tight-lipped smirk she had told me everything without saying a single word.

“You’re pregnant,” she said.

“It doesn’t happen that fast,” I said with a laugh.

“It does. It just takes you a few weeks to realize it.”

“Well, maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. But we’re certainly gonna try.”

“It’s the best, isn’t it?”

Katrina sighed. Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head like her mind had gone somewhere else.

“I remember what it was like being with Blake,” she said. “The first time, he was just tearing into me. I wasn’t planning on it but damn if I didn’t want him inside of me. We weren’t making love. He was just fucking me and it was amazing.”

“It’s not like that now?”

“No, it’s just as good. Blake satisfies me. He knows what to do to keep me coming back. We’re both addicted to each other. Who knows? Bella might end up with a brother or sister. But compared to other guys I’ve slept with… The sex with Blake wasn’t just better. It was different.”

“Right…”

Katrina’s glossy-eyed stare went away as she came back from whatever memories she was having. She looked at me with that same tight-lipped smirk. I couldn’t help but laugh at her.

“You’re gonna be a great mom,” she said. “You’ve been babysitting the club for how many years now. What’s another son or daughter?”

“You’ve got a point.”

We both burst into laughter. Even though Declan was the only person I needed by my side, it was nice having someone like Katrina to talk to about it.

“Is that why you came here?” she asked. “Just to let me know.”

“That’s it,” I said.

“Good. You should probably find Declan and see what he’s up to.”

“Club business, no doubt.”

“Club business can wait. I’m sure he can give you a few minutes of his time.”

“After the other night, I’m not sure I can give him a few minutes.”

“Oh, Gina will be so jealous that you came to me first.”

Katrina giggled. I rolled my eyes at her, shaking my head even though I was grinning right back at her.

“I’ll leave you to it,” I said.

I turned around to leave the flower shop when the door opened. It was a small shop so I was only a few steps away from the entrance.

When I saw the man that had entered, my heart suddenly stopped in my chest.

No… It can’t be…

I blinked my eyes to make sure that I was seeing things right. But it was him. There wasn’t a man in the entire world that looked like him.

I turned my head and looked away from him but it was already too late. He’d already spotted me.

“Michelle?”

I hadn’t heard his voice in years but it still sounded the same.

I looked up at Katrina and she gave me a confused look.

“Michelle, is that you?” he repeated.

I slowly turned to face him.

He looked the same as he did all those years ago. His head was shaved with tattoos in place of hair. His skin pale but dirty with smudges of grease like he’d just been working on his ride. One of his eyes was white. The scar along his face made the blindness in one eye that much more obvious. When he smiled, you could see his split front teeth along with the gold row on the bottom.

The leather kutte, jeans and boots weren’t enough to make him look like some ordinary club member. Even from a mile away, he stood out.

He only had one good eye but that was more than enough to see how psychotic he was.

He smiled at me, his tongue out.

“It is you,” he said.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Tony?”

“Of all the luck—”

“I asked you a fucking question.”

He pulled his tongue back into his mouth but the smile was still on his lips.

“I came here to pick up some flowers,” he said.

“Not here. I mean here. In Ivory.”

“Oh, like you don’t already know. I’m here for you.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Listen to that mouth. That’s what I always liked about you. Not some weak woman so willing to bend over for me. You always put up a fight.”

He put a hand to my cheek and I knocked it away.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” I said.

“Feisty. Just like I remember. You know…”

He took a step back and started looking around the shop.

“…I was here because I thought I’d pick up some flowers for you before I visited you. Since you’re already here, you can pick the flowers out for yourself. Go ahead, Michelle. Pick out anything you want.”

I held my hand up and showed him the diamond that was practically a part of me.

“Do yourself a favor,” I said. “Leave. Leave before you regret it.”

“Oh, as long as you’re here, I’ll never regret it.”

He eyeballed Katrina for a second before turning back to me.

“I’ll see you soon, Michelle.”

He stuck his tongue out at me as he backed out of the flower shop. I walked after him and watched as he got onto his bike. He was surrounded by four other men who were all dressed in the same leather. I kept my eyes locked on them until they disappeared in the distance.

“Michelle?”

Katrina had the most confused look on her face.

“What the hell is going on? Who the hell was that?”

“Shit…”

I muttered to myself as I thought about it. I shook my head, not wanting to believe he was real.

“Michelle?”

“His name’s Anthony Cross. I knew him… A long time ago. Before I met Declan. When I left Ivory, I…”

“Ex-boyfriend?”

I stared at Katrina. The concern she had in her eyes wasn’t enough. If this really wasn’t a nightmare, I knew better than anybody how serious it was that Tony was here in Ivory.

“Michelle—”

“All right,” I said. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything. But you have to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You can’t tell Declan.”

“If this guy is dangerous, Declan has to know. I know what kind of man he is. I know how much he cares about you. Declan would kill this guy for you—”

“I know. I know he’ll put his hands on Tony.”

I looked out into the distance, trying to shake off the image of the man who was just standing in front of me, as I muttered to myself.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I have to get to Declan now. Before something happens.”