JAX: MC Biker Romance (New Adult Contemporary Bad Boy Romance) (6 page)

“Whether I want to or not is no concern of yours,” I spat. I went into my room and closed my door with a bang, hoping the sound deafened the bastard. I knew it was a childish attempt, but he was so infuriating!

I cursed under my breath as I realized that I had just forgotten my phone outside, but I wasn’t about to go back for that now. If I know, he was holding it hostage, just begging me to go back for it. Well tough luck, David West. The last twelve years had been enlightening for me and I know each and every move you make before you even think of doing them.

I plopped on my bed, my back on the mattress as I stared up at the ceiling still grumbling about Dave’s…well, about Dave. He put himself in real danger and for what? Ten pounds of drugs? It’s not worth it. Nothing is worth getting yourself killed, in my opinion, but Dave grew up in this kind of life and was practically bred and built for it by his father. How could he have chosen a different path?

Growing up with Dave and his family led me to witness a lot of things that I shouldn’t have seen, but was expected to keep quiet about it. I watched as that little boy who begrudgingly helped an abandoned little girl out in the rain grow up so fast, hardened by the harshness of reality and more than ready to take on the mantle of running the gang of bikers that worked and followed them.

“You don’t have to do this, Dave! We could run!”

“You don’t understand, Brooke! You don’t understand anything!”

I shook my head, ridding my mind off that memory from years ago. It was too late to cry over that now since he was the one in charge. I wasn’t strong enough to stop him from going down this path no matter how much I wanted to repay him for rescuing me, and he wouldn’t listen to anyone but himself.

I’ll probably have to call Frank tomorrow and tell him I wouldn’t be able to go and meet his new boyfriend, as well as tell him why I couldn’t answer my cell. He was so strung out that night I met him at the bar that I couldn’t help but ask him what was wrong, and then we got to talking.

I knew it was the wrong thing to do, leading Dave on like that, but he deserved it. He shouldn’t act so possessive over me when there is nothing going on between us; nothing at all.

And, it was all his fault.

*****

The rain had stopped and the sun had come and gone, but Brooke’s mother never came back. The little girl tried to contain her sadness and fear for a little while, not wanting to cry in front of the little boy who was starting to get tired of waiting. But, when David finally stood up, her resolve broke and she pulled on his shirt, clutching it desperately.

“Please don’t leave me!” she cried, tears streaking down her ashen face. David’s eyes widened and he placed his hands on the top of her head and her back to comfort her.

“I’m not going anywhere,” David murmured.

When he finally got Brooke to calm down a little, he gently pulled her hand off from gripping his shirt, and instead, held it tightly in one of his own. He was still hoping she was right and that her mother would come back for her, but he knew it was wishful thinking. He was used to seeing kids being abandoned by their parents on the side of the road like dogs since the kids he played with that hung outside his father’s bar were exactly like that. He just didn’t think it was a good idea to tell her when she was still hoping her mother was coming.

“Listen,” David asked, and Brooke looked at him imploringly. “You’ll get sick if you wait here, so why don’t you stay with us for a while? Besides, I’m really hungry, so you’re probably hungry too,” he said hurriedly.

Brooke patted her stomach with a slight frown as she realized that she hadn’t eaten anything except the sandwich her mother had prepared for her earlier this morning. She didn’t like the idea of leaving this spot though because then her mother wouldn’t find her anywhere, and may leave without her.

“But I…,” she started, and David quickly cut her off.

“My dad knows a lot of people, so I’m sure he can help you out!” he said, and Brooke’s eyes widened at his outburst.

“And if you still want to come back, then we can come back every day and wait a bit, but we have to go home,” he explained. He yanked her hand a little, pleading. Brooke bit her lip.

“Well, I am kind of hungry,” she admitted. David smiled.

“Let’s go. If we’re going to be waiting again later, then we’re going to need all the energy we can get,” he said, pulling her hand and leading her to the direction of his house.

Not once did he ever let go of her hand as they walked home, and Brooke never made a move to pull away. The warmth that came from his tiny hands spread all the way to her heart, which was further intensified by how welcoming his father and mother had been when he brought her home with him.

Her trips to that corner of the street slowly became far and few in between until it merely became a habit, and a way of reminiscing not about the mother who left her in the rain, but about being found by a boy who gave her another chance at a family.

David:

I woke up to my alarm blaring in my ear, and I swatted the offending object away with my hand, hearing it crash to the floor. I sighed, putting my arm over my eyes to shield it from the light as I felt my brain want to burst out of my skull. I guess drinking all that scotch after my argument with Brooke was a bad idea.

Then again, once Brooke saw me like this, she’d probably tell me drinking all that scotch wasn’t a good idea, period.

I groaned as I pushed myself out of bed, still squinting my eyes as I trudge out of my room and into the kitchen. I was already expecting breakfast on the table, so imagine my surprise when I don’t see it there. I turn around and looked everywhere, slowly because my head still hurt, but Brooke was nowhere.

“Jesus, she’s not still mad at me, is she?” I muttered. I crossed the hall toward her room and knocked on her door; nothing.

“I’m coming in,” I called before trying the door knob and twisting it; locked.

She left the house early, then. But, she didn’t leave me a note explaining where she went like she usually does whenever she goes out to buy groceries, which means she was probably still mad at me; great.

I scoffed in disbelief because she could’ve at least fixed me an omelet or something. She knows I can’t cook worth anything. Talk about holding a grudge. I roved my eyes uninterestedly until I zeroed in on a post-it stuck on the microwave. I walked over to it and read the note scribbled with Brooke’s curly handwriting.

Smoothie for your dumbass hangover is in the fridge. Omelet is inside the microwave. Seeing Frank and will go straight to office after. BE SAFE.

I glared at the note like I was willing it to catch on fire. She’s still going out with that Frank? Even after last night? Unbelievable!

I ripped the note off the microwave, crumpling it up in my fist before punching in the numbers on the timer and turning it on. Immediately, my mind goes into overdrive. I imagined them having coffee in some spiffy looking café, her laughing and giggling over the stupid shit that comes out of his mouth. I imagined him smiling and reaching over to hold her hand across the table.

I imagined stuffing my foot down his throat until it came out of his ass.

The microwave beeped and I took out the plate, not even registering how hot it was as I carried it over to the table. I pulled out the hangover smoothie from the fridge and took a long swig, the strange taste coating my tongue. It may taste weird, but it really does the trick, bless Brooke and her knack for experimenting on drinks.

Wait, I’m supposed to detest her right now, aren’t I?

I cursed under my breath. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to hate Brooke; at least, not in this lifetime. We have so much history that this Frank was just going to be one of those little fights we have, and then forget ever happened. That’s how Brooke and I have always been; we fight all the time, but we always come right back together.

But lately, she hasn’t been as forthcoming with accepting my apologies as before, not since I became the head of the West gang. I mean, I knew she didn’t want me to be involved with the family business, but I didn’t have a choice. Like Dad said, someone has to lead them, and if it wasn’t me, then who will?

I looked at my watch, wondering if I have any buys scheduled for the day. I didn’t get any calls from Mathias either, so I’m pretty sure I’m free until later tonight at the bar to meet with some prospective “clients.”

I got up and washed my plate, throwing away whatever that was left of my drink before diving to the couch and closing my eyes. Brooke’s long and straight blonde hair, hypnotic cobalt blue eyes, and sexy mouth immediately filled my brain and I sighed. The first time I thought about Brooke like this, I was horrified. She was my best friend, the closest thing I had to a sister. But, the years passed by and I became a horny individual and Brooke became every guy’s wet dream… including mine. I tried to nip that dream in the bud, but the feelings inside of me just grew until I didn’t want to fight it anymore.

That said, realizing early that I had feelings that ran deeper than sisterly affection for my childhood best friend did not mean that I stopped being a jerk. I continued sleeping around with women, mostly those who kind of looked like her, just to try to get her out of my system.

So… I kind of understood why she’d be pissed off at me for getting mad at her for not shooting down other guys. She’s not mine (not yet anyway, but she doesn’t know that), and she’s free to hang out with other guys.

That doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

I buried myself into the couch more to get comfortable. I should just try to get some sleep instead of thinking about Brooke’s date because it’s not gonna change anything. The only way to get ahead of “Frank” is by apologizing later to her tonight at the bar, during her shift.

And maybe, just maybe, she’ll be a little more interested in getting it on with me after that.

*****

Brooke:

The bar was pretty crowded tonight, so I was pretty much going back and forth behind the bar and to the booths, taking orders. I have two of the kids in Dave’s gang working in the kitchen and another serving the drinks because they were too young and I wanted to keep them off of that kind of life, which David agreed to.

One of them is going to keep working here to pay for college, and the other one is about to graduate high school. I couldn’t have been prouder of them.

I wish I could do the same for the other kids though. Most of them still want to live dangerously, only because they’re used to that life and too afraid to live another kind.

I saw Dave walking toward the bar from the corner of my eye and I stiffened, waiting for him to come closer. I felt him staring at me from across the room since he got here a couple of hours ago, and I was expecting a continuation of our “talk” already.

“Hey,” he said cautiously, and I continued wiping the glass I was holding, not looking up at him. “How was your day?”

I snorted. He wanted to know what happened when I met up with Frank. He’s just too stubborn to ask it outright.

“It was wonderful. Frank and I got our nails done and we gushed over his hot as hell boyfriend,” I told him, looking at him dead in the eye. His eyes widened and his cheeks were a little pink as he realized how wrong he was.

“Oh,” he said, and I bit the inside of my lip to keep from laughing at him. “So… he’s not…”

“No, he’s not. He’d probably be more interested in you than me,” I said, teasing him. He shook his head, smirking.

“He could try but…,” he leaned on the counter, moving his face closer to mine and my heartbeat was drumming in my ears as I looked at his teal blue eyes. “I’ve only got eyes on this girl working behind the bar,” he whispered.

My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest at those words. I’ve waited a long time for him to say something even remotely showing interest toward me. I’ve been in love with him since he gave me his jacket that day in the rain, and the only reason I’ve held back from confessing it was because he was a player. He brought girls home every night; sometimes even keeping me awake from all their moaning and screaming. I wasn’t about to turn myself into just another notch on his bed post. I was worth more than that.

My musings were cut off when I noticed a small group of men enter the bar, all wearing leather vests and jackets bearing one insignia, and carrying weapons on their holsters when I specifically posted that they should be handed over before entering the premises. I scowled. If they still have their weapons on them, that means they frightened or knocked out my guy who’s in charge of confiscation. I set this place up as a sort of sanctuary where other gangs could meet up privately and get along with each other, and they didn’t look like they wanted to be friendly.

Their presence could only mean trouble.

“Hey! Can’t you read? It says ‘No weapons allowed!’” I called out, getting everybody’s attention as they all stared at the newcomers. Dave’s jaw tensed up as he looked at them, not saying anything.

“Don’t you worry, doll. We just came here to have a little chat about what happened between one of your boys and one of mine,” he said, one corner of his bearded mouth pushed up in a weirdly sinister smirk.

“If you wanted to just talk, you could’ve left your weapons outside,” I pointed out, and he frowned, coming closer to the bar. I saw the gang tense up and ready while Dave took a step forward, blocking me from the guy’s view.