Chapter Twenty-Six
Tank
He laid there watching her sleep. His woman. His world. He had no idea what he would do tomorrow morning when it would be time to head home.
How could he leave her again?
The thought nearly choked him. Not having her by his side nearly brought tears to his eyes. Waiting until she was in a deep sleep, Tank slipped from the bed and quickly pulled on his boxers.
He needed help.
He needed to talk.
Grabbing his phone, he sat in the chair next to the window and sent a text to the one person he knew that could give him direction.
Tank: I need help.
Diesel: That much is obvious. You just now figuring that out, brother?
Tank: I’m being serious.
Diesel: So was I.
Tank: D! I can’t lose her.
Diesel: Oh fuck! You are being serious. Talk to me, dude.
Tank: I’m in love with her. I don’t know when it happened or even how, but I am. I can’t lose her. What the hell do I do?
Diesel: Sometimes love is that way. It hits us like a bullet to the chest from a sniper we didn’t ever know was out there. If you don’t want to lose her, then don’t.
Tank: What do you mean? Explain.
Diesel: Sapphire has a club to run. The only way you can keep her is to go with her. Is she worth that? Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the people we love.
Tank: Fuck yeah, she’s worth it.
Diesel: Then why do you need help from me?
Tank: What if this doesn’t work? What if I lose her like I did Trisha?
Diesel: Okay. Stop right there. She is not Trisha. You can’t keep being afraid to move forward. You have to live, dude. If Sapphire is the woman you want, then go after her. Make a life with her and leave the past in the past. Learn to have faith. To trust in yourself again and to trust in her.
Tank sat there in the silence of the room. Could he move beyond his past? Could he have faith and trust again? Could he go forward just trusting that everything would work out, that everything would be okay, that she wouldn’t get ripped from him — completely destroying him?
If he were honest with himself, there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, Tank decided it was time. He wouldn’t allow fear to keep him from the woman he loved and the life he wanted. He would rather live life with her than without her. To him, Sapphire was worth risking it all. To him, she was his life.
Tank: Thanks, man.
Diesel: What are you going to do?
Tank: Fight for the life I want.
Diesel: Every day. Every day will be a battle until it finally clicks for you that you have nothing to fear. But if a life with Sapphire is what you want, then it will be worth the fight.
Tank: She is. Thanks, brother.
Diesel: Any time. Now, get your girl, man!
Tank looked over to where she was sleeping. Get your girl. He would. He made a silent vow to himself that he would never stop. Every day, if Sapphire would have him, he would make sure she knew just how much he loved her. How much he needed her. She would never again have to ever wonder how he felt about her.
Sitting there, looking out the window and the midday Texas sky another thought hit him. Pulling up a contact on his phone, he dialed the number and spoke quietly.
“Hey, it’s Michael. Listen, remember that thing I talked to you about a while back? It’s time. Get it ready for me. I’ll need it by the end of the coming week.”
After he was reassured that everything would be set, Tank hung up the phone with a new sense of purpose. Heart lifted, he slipped out of his boxers and climbed back into bed. If all went as he hoped, this time next week, he and Sapphire would be sleeping in another bed — together.
* * *
He felt her lips on his, just a quick kiss and then they were gone, only to come back a moment later.
Not a bad way to wake up. Not bad at all.
“Hey, beautiful.” Tank stretched.
“Hey,” Sapphire smiled. “I’m hungry. With everything that happened this morning, I never got to eat. Wanna run downstairs with me and grab some food?”
“Definitely,” Tank yawned.
After throwing on some clothes, Tank and Sapphire headed down to the hotel restaurant. Grabbing a table, they ordered their meals.
“I’m starving,” Sapphire commented. “I feel like I could eat a horse.”
“Let’s hope they don’t serve that here, please,” Tank replied.
“For real!” Sapphire giggled.
The conversation between them was easy. Diesel was right. Tank would never tell him that, but the man was definitely right. Sometimes, in life, you find that one person that you just click with. When you’re with them, everything seems easier, brighter. For Tank, that person was Sapphire. Now, he just had to figure out a way to keep it going.
“Listen,” Tank said as their food arrived. “I’ve been thinking...”
“Oh boy,” Sapphire smiled. “This could be dangerous.”
“Seriously,” Tank grinned. “Just hear me out.”
“Okay,” Sapphire replied. “What’s on your mind?”
“I would like to continue this relationship,” Tank blurted out. “I mean, after we leave here. I would like to see where it goes.”
For a moment Sapphire didn’t speak. She just looked at him.
Did he make a mistake?
“I would actually like that, too,” she finally said. “But it’s kinda hard to make a relationship work with us living in separate areas. I mean, you’re in Dallas and I’m in Houston. Not even remotely in the same vicinity.”
“I have already thought about that,” Tank smiled. He hoped he wouldn’t freak her out with what he was about to say. “I am going to buy a place in Houston.”
“What?” Tank could see the genuine shock on her face.
“Yeah,” he continued to smile. “I had been looking at it for a while. About a year ago, I thought about building another Brickyard over there and had spoken with a real estate agent about a house.”
“Wow,” Sapphire said.
“Is that a good wow?”
“It’s...” Sapphire paused, thoughtful for a minute. “Yeah, it is.” An honest smile took over her face. “It really is. If you’re sure that’s what you want?”
“It is,” Tank smiled back. “I have been thinking a lot the last couple of days. Seeing you again... I don’t know. Something just hit me. I know you will think I’m crazy...but, I’d like to build a life with you.”
There. He said it. Now, he only prayed that Sapphire wouldn’t pick it up and just hand it back to him.
“I...” She stammered. “Um...”
Tank felt like he was going to puke. He should have waited. He spoke too soon.
“I think,” Sapphire paused again.
“It’s okay,” Tank sighed. “If you don’t feel the same way, it’s okay. Really.”
He literally felt like his heart was breaking. His chest hurt and what little he had eaten, felt like it was about to come up.
“Can I finish what I was going to say?” Sapphire asked.
“Babe, it’s okay,” Tank repeated. “I know it’s sudden and I spoke too soon. I shouldn’t have even...”
“Michael Williams!” Sapphire said. “Will you shut up for two seconds and let me finish a sentence?”
“Sorry,” Tank replied. “Go ahead.” He really did not want to hear this. Silent rejection was one thing, to verbalize it was completely different.
“As I was going to say,” Sapphire pinned him with a look daring him to interrupt her again. “I would love to have you move to Houston and for us to explore our relationship. But only if that is something that will make you happy. I know Dallas has been your home and the Henchmen have been your family for a very long time. I don’t want you to do anything you may regret later.”
“I won’t,” Tank said honestly. He wanted Sapphire. A life with her. He would miss Dallas. He would miss not seeing his family every day, but Sapphire was worth it. And it’s not like he couldn’t go back to Dallas and visit. So, there would definitely be no regrets.
“Okay then.” Sapphire smiled. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his lips.
Sappy or not, Tank thought he would melt. If the guys only knew...
* * *
Tank and Sapphire spent the rest of the day sightseeing — walking the streets of downtown Austin, visiting the state capital, the natural springs that ran through the city, and eventually stopping at a small Asian restaurant for dinner. They told stories of the past, shared their dreams for the future, and so much more. And the entire time, with every new piece of herself that Sapphire revealed, Tank fell even more in love with her.
He didn’t want the night to end. Come morning, they would each have to head back to their own cities. Tank had some things he needed to get done before he could move to Houston. He had to get stuff in order so he could move forward.
After making a quick stop by Tank’s hotel room to get his bag, they went back to Sapphire’s room. It was getting late, but neither wanted to go to sleep. Deciding on a Netflix movie, Tank and Sapphire snuggled in close and before the third scene ever began, they were once again naked and intertwined.