Amber

Smoothing the wrinkles out of the skin tight black dress, I was breathing slowly. After days of doing dirty community service work, it was a relief not have to rock the orange jumpsuit. I let my hair freely swing around my face. Applying my last coat of red lipstick, I swooped up my purse and headed out of my bedroom.

I hadn’t seen Jax since yesterday, when he flatly refused to say he loved me to my brothers, and to be honest, I’d expected it, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed when he confirmed it. Although, when it came down to it, I was just stupid. What bikie would actually admit to loving a woman?

I reached the top of the stairs, chewing my bottom lip before I went down. I was making the right decision, I knew that, but it didn’t mean that I didn’t feel slightly sad at the thought of leaving Jax behind but it had to be done. I took a stand a long time ago that I wouldn’t fall in love with a criminal; that I would leave this life behind, and it was time I finally put that into action.

Walking down the stairs, I wasn’t surprised to see Troy, Cole and Jackson lounging on the stairs, shirtless. It was a boiling hot day, and the night was now only beginning to cool down.

“So, dad said you are going out with an office jerk?” Cole sniggered at me, when I finally reached the bottom step.

“You mean dad’s business partner’s son,” I corrected him, ignoring Jax all together. “I think dad would have also told you to leave me the fuck alone.” I showed Cole a dry expression before opening the front door.

“You’ll look a bit keen if you wait out in the front for him,” Cole shouted at me, before I slammed the front door.

I gritted my teeth, when I noticed Tyler cleaning his bike. “What are you doing out here?”

Tyler looked up at me, with his carefree smile. “Someone is a little grumpy tonight,” he teased.

“Nervous.” I said as I walked towards him. “This guy dad has set me up with, well, he isn’t a nobody.” Tyler was the most approachable out of all my brothers, followed closely by Adam. Actually, where was Adam?

“Yeah, don’t worry, we know… done our homework.” Tyler placed his dirty rag on the bike. “You know dad won’t care if you don’t go out with him,” Tyler’s voice softened, and instantly my face melted into a smile for him. Although he was covered in tattoos, and his hair was messy, he really didn’t suit the bad boy image he had.

“Can you keep a secret?” I lowered my voice and Tyler nodded his head, walking away from his bike, and standing at the bottom of the porch steps, looking up at me interested. “I asked dad to set me up with him.”

“What for?” Tyler’s eyes were wide, and, by his look, it was clear he thought I was crazy.

“Jackson and I broke up,” I muttered, fiddling with my purse. “But that isn’t the main reason.” I knew the boys knew about my community service, but I was overly thankful that not one of them had brought it up, and I think dad had had some role to play when it came to that. “I broke up with Blake because I wanted to get out of this life, and I guess Jackson made me forget that for a while until...”

“Until?” Tyler prompted.

“Until he reminded me why I made that decision in the first place.” I glanced at the car lights coming up the driveway. “I can’t keep making the same mistakes,” I added.

Tyler sighed, and nodded his head “The past can’t be left behind little sis. You need to remember that.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder, then he walked up the stairs, past me. “Good luck on your date.”

“Thanks,” I said to his retreating back, before he closed the front door. Nerves burst inside me, as I looked back to the car, now coming to a halt at the bottom of the porch. Why the heck was I so nervous?

The car door opened, and I catapulted into an unnatural state of panic.

“Amber!” Scott smiled at me, getting out of the car.

“Scott!” I suddenly felt a lot less nervous, seeing his easy attitude. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Well.. let’s hope I don’t let you down.” Scott smiled at me and walked to stand in front of me. “These are for you…” he handed me a bunch of long stemmed roses.

“You brought these for me?” I was astonished. First date, and he’d arrived with flowers.

“Come on. I am sure I’m not the first guy to give you flowers on your first date.” Scott smiled freely at me, catching me off guard. What was I meant to say to that? Surely I couldn’t tell him that he was actually the first guy I had dated who wasn’t a criminal; in fact, this was like the first date I had ever been on.

“”So should we get going?” I smiled smoothly at him. He offered me his hand, and I willingly took it. First date with a real guy; I was actually excited about this! Though I knew deep down I wasn’t over Jax.

“You didn’t want to put the roses in water?” Scott asked as he walked me to his car.

I cringed when I heard the front door open. Scott naturally turned around to see who it was, still holding my hand. I slowly turned around and I met Jax’s eyes.

“You must be Scott?” Cole jumped down the porch steps and reached a hand out towards Scott, which Scott shook. ”Cole,”  he introduced himself. “Amber’s brother.”

“Nice to meet you,” Scott said politely, but I noticed the change in his voice; it was more businesslike now, far from soft and carefree.

“We’re leaving,” I said through gritted teeth to Cole, and shot a deadly look up at Jax and Troy, who were still standing on the porch. Why the heck couldn’t they put a top on? There bikie tattoos were on display for the world to see.

“No worries, I won’t be a minute,” Cole said as he shot a dry smile my direction, before stepping into Scott’s personal space. ”Just wanted to make sure that Scott here knows a few things.”

I crossed my arms. “I think he knows a hell of a lot more than you Cole so we best be going,” I announced.

I was surprised to see that Scott was actually not backing down to my brother; instead, he let go of my hand, crossed his arms and spoke up. “As Amber said, we have somewhere to be.”

“Do you know who we are?” Cole’s voice had dipped into a threatening hiss. “We just want to make sure that you know Amber is very important to us.”

“Messaged received.” Scott said dryly, and my insides were on fire with hate right now. Who did Cole think he was!

“Cole…” I started, but Cole being the rude person he was, just cut me off.

“Hurt her, and we will find you,” Cole said, his lip curving in a nasty manner, “And trust me when I say, you don’t want to get on our bad side.”

“Cole, get back in the house now!” I shouted and pointed to the mansion behind him. I did notice Jax looking too smug for his own good.

“Actually, Amber...” Scott said, taking a few steps away from Cole, “I think tonight was a mistake.”

“What!?” I watched Scott move around to the driver’s side of the car.

“I just wanted to take you out for a nice meal, and I was hoping something more would develop in time,” Scott said as he smiled at me pitifully. “I just wanted a simple relationship. This...” he glanced at my brothers, “Is not something I’d like to get involved in.”

“Please Scott, come on! They won’t do anything!” I could not believe I was begging this guy to take me out!

“Sorry Amber, but I just don’t have time for drama,” he said as he glanced at my brothers once more. He shot me a smile and got into his car.

I stood there gobsmacked, my mouth hanging open as I watched Scott pull away. I turned around to see Cole with a large smirk on his face. “How dare you!” I said, and pushed him hard. “Who the heck do you think you are!”

“I’m doing you a favor!” He grunted at me. “You don’t really want to end up that man’s trophy wife.”

“Oh piss off Cole!” I shoved past him and stormed up the porch steps. “And you!” I pointed at Jax, who was sitting on the window ledge, looking smug. “Wipe that grin off your face!”

“Don’t take your hormones out on me,” he said calmly as he looked up at me. “Not my fault you got dumped.”

I clenched my fists, shaking with rage. Not his fault? He was the one standing on the porch acting like the muscle. “God you are insufferable!”

“Just go inside already Amber,” Troy said as he put out his cigarette. “We actually have other things to do tonight.”

I shook my head. How dare they! They had things to do, and he was getting annoyed as if I was stopping them from doing them! Well for his information I had plans tonight too, until he helped ruin them!

I stepped up to Troy, straightening up to my full height, challenging him. “Tonight was the last time. Consider your stay here over,” I announced. My voice was like a calm threatening storm. “I’m going to make sure that by the end of the week, dad has all of you kicked out, including your mutt.”

Jax scoffed at my reference to him, but I didn’t turn around to look at him. I was dead serious; I had had enough. I had dealt with them being there, but I was done.

“Get out of my sight,” Troy said as he gave me a hard look, which I brushed off easily. He thought he was the one with the most influence over dad. Being club President had gone to his head. He walked around with authority, and, for a while, I let him push me around. But not any longer.

“Gladly,” I barked, and opened the front door, slamming it with great force behind me.

Maybe it was time to face facts; I’m not the good girl. I’m the girl who carries a gun in her handbag.

Taking my heels off and bolting up the stairs, I thought - if the boys were fighting dirty, I could too.

Time to get back to business, and the first thing to do was to get dad to kick these good-for-nothing- bikies out of the house so I could return to doing what I did best.

Behave like a criminal.