“Hey.” I slipped onto the stool next to Tyler. He was looking at me like he was seeing a ghost. “So, is the deal still on?” I asked.

Tyler gulped his drink, coughing and patting his chest, splattering beer everywhere “You mean to say you are still in?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t.”

“We assumed you were out.” Jackson piped in, pulling a stool up next to me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood. This was awkward.

“Well I’m not.” I stated, and chewed my bottom lip. Did Jax know that I now knew? I wonder if Cole told Jax that he had told me.

“If you’re in then, we’d better leave. We’re running late,” Jax gulped down the liquid in a small shot glass.

“Troy, Cole, Adam, we’re leaving,” Jax shot over his shoulder, and when he turned back, I finally got a look at him.

Dark shadows were under his eyes, and his face was white. If I knew Jax, he was actually broken up about breaking up with me, or something was playing heavily on his mind, keeping sleep at bay for sure.

“Did you want to ride with me Amber? Your car has been impounded,” Jax said as he pulled his leather vest on; he wouldn’t meet my eye.

The boys politely walked out of the quiet bar, although Adam shot me a small smile. Troy, however, wouldn’t look in my direction; neither would Cole. Most likely they were embarrassed that their little sister had helped them out by taking the fall. That, and they got told off by dad.

Looking back at Jax, I saw he was staring at the ground, pretending like he wasn’t waiting for my answer.

“I’ll get on with one of my brothers. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”

“Amber, look…” Jax gripped my upper arm, and leaned in.

“We should just focus on this deal Jax, and get it done,” I said as I glanced at his hand, and then looked him in the eye. I was strong-willed and I knew I couldn’t just go back to him after he dumped me. Not just yet. He had to work for it.

“You’re right,” he said. He let go of my arm. “Let’s go.” He walked past me, his arm brushing against mine.

I slowly exhaled, and then turned to follow him out.

I had a feeling this was going to be more difficult than I thought.

Jax

The deal went smoothly; Amber seemed to have everything under control. Watching her take control like that… I had never seen her so mature and switched on. She knew how to handle them. It was perhaps the only deal that I had ever attended that guns weren’t drawn and arguments didn’t break out.

No. They seemed to have an understanding and respect for Amber, and it worked in our favor. The deal took not even an hour, and we were back on our bikes with bags of cash. I glanced in my side mirror; Amber was still clinging to Troy.

She wouldn’t ride with me. I thought that maybe she would ride back home with me, but she wouldn’t; stubborn woman that she was.

Slowing down, we rolled through town. There were familiar looks and glances in our direction. The deal was done, and now we had a few good weeks off. Only local businesses, until the next shipment came in.

I signaled the boys to follow me to the clubhouse. We were all running on nothing, and falling into bed was second on the list, after I dished out the cash.

The big iron gates were open; club members were hovering around. Troy backed his bike in next to mine. Amber wouldn’t look at me, her head turned to face the other way.

“I need sleep,” Troy said as he switched off his bike, and helped Amber off.

“Yeah.” I muttered, still looking at Amber. What the heck would I have to do to get her back?

I unzipped my leather jacket, and placed my helmet on the handle bar.

“I’m going to head home,” Amber said, her hands stuffed in her jacket, staring at the ground.

“I’ll take ya,” I chimed in. “Boys, get the bags inside, start splitting the cash.”

“No, Troy can take me.” Amber’s head shot up, and looked at her brother.

“They can’t,” I said; my voice was firm. I was not letting her get out of this. I grabbed my helmet and held it out for her. I noticed the draggers she shot in Troy’s direction but he was not going to help her. Shrugging his shoulders at her, he followed the rest of boys into the clubhouse with the bags.

“So?” I nudged the helmet out to her. Stubbornly, she pressed her lips together firmly, not liking the idea but she didn’t have a choice.

She snatched the helmet from my hand and put it on. With a small smirk on my face, I straddled the bike and kicked the engine to life. Amber placed a hand on my shoulder, and slid on the back seat behind me.

She loosely placed her hands around me, trying her best to avoid touching me.

I took off quickly, and braked suddenly, sending Amber sliding firmly into my back forcing her to wrap her arms around me tightly.

“You’d better hold on,” I shot over my shoulder to her. I smiled smugly, taking off again. Amber didn’t let go of me, or push away from me. She was holding on tightly, just the way I liked it.

***

Amber jumped off the bike as soon as I pulled up to her front door, like it was burning her to be close to me. She quickly walked to the front door, and I nearly dropped the bike trying to get off to catch her in time.

“Amber, wait!” I walked up behind her.

“What Jackson?” She spun around, pursing her lips and crossing her arms. Jackson? Don’t tell me we were back to that!

“Did Cole talk to you?”

“Yes.” She cocked her head to the side, her eyes glaring holes in my face. “I didn’t know you actually were scared of Cole.”

“I’m not.” I said as I clenched my jaw.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” Her hands fell to her side, no longer holding them in a tight cross. “We’re over. Thanks for the ride.”

“Wait,” I said as I grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry,” I said. Sorry usually works, doesn’t it? That’s what I’m meant to be saying in this situation, right? Fuck, women were difficult. This is why I didn’t do relationships.

“Thanks?” She didn’t sound sure. “But it doesn’t make a different Jackson. We just aren’t well, you know… right together.” She moved uncomfortably.

She was as strong as nails. She thought we weren’t right together? I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for me. “We ARE right together,” I said.  I hated talking about emotions; she was torturing me.

“Don’t lie to yourself Jax,” she said, her face softening slightly before her head dropped. “You should go. I’ll see you later.”

“So what? We go back to being friends?” I snapped. Couldn’t she just take me back already? She knew I hadn’t meant it.

“We were never really friends,” she pointed out, and then pushed open her front door, closing it in my face.

Why was she going to make this harder than it needed to be? Lighting up a cigarette, I straddled my bike. She was going to make me work for her. Christ, just another thing I had to do, although Amber was worth it.

***

“GET OUT!” I roared, as some idiot attempted to pull me from my drunken slumber.  

“You have to get up!” Troy grunted, “SCHOOL!”

“Piss off,” I scoffed into the pillow, and rolled over the crushed beer cans scattered across my bed. The whole weekend I had slept, and drank, and slept. I hadn’t left the bedroom, let alone the Shield’s house.

“It’s Monday. Don’t want to break your parole.” I heard the smug tone in his voice. Stupid blood parole!

“Bloody hell,” I slowly dragged myself out of bed. My head was splitting.

“Amber’s already left,” Troy said, standing with his annoying smug look. I wanted to kill him. “You’re going to be late.”

I said a few curse words under my breath as I searched the floor for clean clothes. “How’s Amber?” I picked up a black t-shirt and pulled it over my head.

“Don’t know. She hasn’t been home much.”

“What?” I looked up too quickly and the room started spinning. Gripping my forehead, I attempted to calm the hurricane inside. “Where has she been going?”

“Don’t know.” Troy shrugged his shoulders. “We aren’t allowed to follow her.”

“Daddy’s orders?” I smirked, the smug look on Troy’s face disappearing.

“No, Amber’s orders,” Troy crossed his arms, “And we are respecting them.”

“Hah, for how long?”

“Not your concern. You’d better leave.”

“Yeah, yeah I know… school.” I picked up my packet of cigarettes and Troy moved out of my way as I went to walk past him. “I’ll talk to Amber at school, see where she is heading off to.”

“That would be helpful,” Troy said as he nodded his head. It must’ve been bugging the hell out of them not knowing where Amber was going, or why she was disappearing.

I pulled my sunnies out of my jacket and blocked the light. Today was going to be a long day.