Chapter Nine
Sapphire
Her head was swimming. She knew she should have put the bottle down a long time ago. Or really, she should have never picked it up. The moment she heard that the Iron Angel compound was attacked, she knew. She just knew. The cartel had no intention of going to the club. They went directly to the beehive where they were least expected. Where everyone let their guard down. When Sapphire had walked up to Sledge to demand answers, she heard Piper’s voice over his phone. She knew then that something horrible had happened. There was no way Piper would bypass her unless...unless...something had happened that Piper didn’t want to tell her. Like her mom being gunned down...
Swig
Out of the corner of her eye, Sapphire saw Tank sit on the barstool beside her. She waited for him to say something, but he just sat.
Maybe he’s waiting for me to say something...
Sapphire wasn’t one to talk about her feelings. She never had been. She was the one who faced life’s struggles on her own. She handled her own shit.
Swig
But the longer she sat there and the more tequila she drank, she started to wonder if it was time to let someone in.
Can I trust him? What if I let him in and it blows up in my face?
So many questions meshed with the chaos of her mind. Pain sliced through her heart and a wave of nausea hit.
Jumping up from the stool, Sapphire made a mad dash for the bathroom. Throwing open the door, she entered the first stall she came to and emptied her stomach. Feeling her hair being lifted and a cool rag pressed against the back of her neck, the nausea started to recede.
“C’mon,” Tank said quietly. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
Slowly Sapphire got to her feet and turned, finding herself flat against Tank’s wide chest. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against the hardest pectoral muscle she had never felt.
Good grief! This man is built like a fuckin tank.
“How did you get your name?” she blurted out.
“The name Tank?” He chuckled.
“Yeah.”
“Because of my size. Reaper and I were training one day and he said I was built like a tank. The name kind of stuck.”
“I can see that,” she mumbled. “It definitely fits. I feel so tiny next to you.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Tank asked.
“No,” Sapphire sighed. “It’s definitely not a bad thing.”
Standing at almost six foot, it was hard for anyone to make Sapphire feel small and delicate. But standing next to Tank, she felt that and more.
“C’mon,” Tank finally said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and escorting her out of the toilet stall.
“Wait,” Sapphire groaned. “I’m in the men’s bathroom? Eww!”
“At least you didn’t stick your face in the urinal,” Tank teased.
“That’s nasty,” Sapphire huffed. “Do you have any bleach?”
“Are you going to clean the bathroom?”
“No. I’m going to scrub my skin raw,” Sapphire replied, disgusted. “Then soak my hands and knees in it.”
“Let’s get you upstairs,” Tank laughed. “And you can get a hot shower.”
Sapphire followed him out of the bathroom and back towards the office. When she had walked back here earlier with Sledge and Reaper, she hadn’t noticed the staircase, of course she’d had other things on her mind. Walking behind Tank, she had the perfect view of his ass.
Damn! Baby got booty!
“Enjoying the view?” Tank chuckled.
“I was,” Sapphire replied honestly.
Sapphire waited as Tank unlocked the door to his apartment. Entering, she was shocked. The place was beautiful — clean, contemporary and everything put in its place.
“Surprised?” Tank asked.
“Why you ask that?”
“Because the look on your face says that you’re seeing something you didn’t expect. What, did you think you would walk into a pigsty?”
“Honestly? Yes. From my experience, most men don’t keep spotless homes.”
“I like things a certain way. Not necessarily spotless, but since I’m the only one ever here, it’s pretty easy to keep clean.”
Sapphire walked around the living room. A picture on the fireplace caught her eye.
“Your sister?”
“Wife.”
“What?” Sapphire asked, knowing she heard him wrong.
“That was my wife,” Tank replied.
“Was?” she asked.
“She was killed,” Tank relayed. “By a guy who ran a red light.”
“Oh.” Sapphire breathed. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
Silence grew between them. What else could she say? He must have loved the woman dearly to still keep a picture of her if she died a long time ago.
If Sapphire didn’t know better, a feeling close to jealousy filled her. A part of her hated that another woman had a chance to be his. Another part of her felt horrible that she felt that way about a dead person. What did that say about her? And why would she even be jealous? It wasn’t like there was a relationship between her and Tank. Shit! They barely even knew each other.
“Um, yeah,” he said, breaking the silence. “Why don’t I show you to the bathroom and then I can grab you one of my t-shirts to wear?”
“Okay,” Sapphire replied. “Sounds good.”
The bathroom was just as gorgeous as the rest of the apartment. Black and white marble was used for the counter tops and surrounded the tub and separate shower stall. Really, tub was an understatement. It could easily hold four people.
“Go ahead and jump in, I’ll be right back with that shirt,” Tank said, walking out of the bathroom.
“Thanks.”
Stripping down quickly, Sapphire turned on the shower and was immediately met with hot water. This wasn’t anything like her shower at home. There she had to wait a good five minutes before the water started to warm up. Stepping under the spray, she tried to relax. She tried to clear her mind, but just as fast as the hot water came so did visions of her mother.
Young and beautiful, raising her and her sisters. Her taking the girls to the park, pushing Sapphire on the swings. So many memories flashed in her mind until Sapphire couldn’t keep up, one faded into another. Until finally, she pictured her mother standing in the kitchen with her midnight black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, crystal blue eyes — the same as Sapphire’s smiling at her as she told her she was taking time off to come help Rachel.
“Shhh,” Tank whispered, pulling her against his chest.
She never heard him enter the bathroom or step into the shower behind her. She never even realized that she was crying. But the moment he touched her, a dam broke. Every emotion Sapphire had held in check downstairs, shattered wide open. Fear, anger, hurt — all warred inside of her and poured down her face.
“It’s going to be okay, baby,” Tank cooed. “I got you.”
“I should have gone back,” Sapphire cried. “I should have...”
“No,” Tank said. “Don’t do that. No second guessing. Going back would have changed nothing. You would have never made it back in time to change anything.”
“I know...” Sapphire hiccupped. “I just can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I am so sorry,” Tank whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.
Sapphire relaxed back into his arms. She lost track of the time they’d spent sitting on the shower floor. It wasn’t until her hand touched his leg that she realized he was fully clothed.
“Oh my goodness,” Sapphire pulled away to look at him. “You’re soaked.”
“It’s okay. It’s just water.”
“I’m so sorry!”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Tank replied. “You needed something and I was able to give it. Pretty simple.”
“Thank you,” Sapphire smiled.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Tank nodded.
As he helped her to stand, another tiny fact dawned on her. She was naked. While she should feel embarrassed, she didn’t. There was something about Tank that made her feel safe, cared for, and vulnerable — all at the same time. It was an odd combination, but if she was honest with herself, she kind of liked it.