Slay (Storm MC #4) (11 page)

She grinned.  “He’s an ass, but I love him.”

I snorted.  “You two really
were
made for each other, weren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“You guys talking babies yet?”

“Oh god, he keeps bringing it up, but I’m in no hurry.”  She grew serious.  “I just want to enjoy him all to myself for a while longer, you know what I mean?  We spent so many years stuffing around with what we had . . . I need more time with him before we add kids to the mix.”

“Smart move, babe.”

Harlow brought our breakfast over, and Madison spent the next half an hour while we ate filling me in on what she’d been up to.  I listened to everything she said, but my mind kept shifting to Layla, wondering how she was this morning.  Wondering whether I was ingrained on her soul as much as she was on mine.

One night, and she can do that to me
.

Fuck.

“Blade!”

I blinked.

“What?”

She shook her head at me.  “You’re so far away today, but you’re not gonna tell me where you are, are you?”

If I didn’t give her something, she’d never leave me alone.  “No, babe, it’s for me at the moment.  If it goes anywhere, I promise you’ll be the first to know.”

She slowly nodded.  “Okay.”

We finished eating and headed out to our cars after saying goodbye to Harlow.  Madison hugged me and made me promise to have breakfast again in a couple of days. 

My phone rang, distracting me from watching her leave.  “Hello,” I answered it, not recognising the number on the screen.

“Blade.”

The voice on the other end was one I hadn’t heard in years.  One I’d never wanted to hear again.  “Ricky.”

“Your father’s playing with fire. You might want to tell him to back the fuck off,” he threatened.

“I don’t have anything to do with my father so I suggest you tell him yourself.”  Even after all these years he still managed to piss me off.

“This was just a friendly suggestion between old friends.  I don’t intend to waste my time talking to Marcus.”

“You and I were never friends, Ricky.”

“It pains me you feel that way, Blade.  Way I remember it, we were.  We’ve certainly got a shitload of shared memories.  You know, like that time I lied for you to that Judge.”

His meaning wasn’t lost on me.  It was a clear threat. 

Fuck
. 

“What do you want, motherfucker?” I snapped.

“I don’t want to share my territory.  Talk to Storm,” he ordered, and he hung up on me.

I held my phone away from my ear and just stared at it.

Like fuck I’d roll over and give in to his threats.

Chapter Nine

Layla

Jess took one look at me and raised her brows.  “I take it he marked your neck.”

My hand went to the scarf around my neck.  He’d marked me in more than one place.  No way was I going out in public today without the scarf.  I scowled at her but didn’t say anything.

She’d just arrived at work and went to put her bag out in the back.  Damian had called in sick today so Jess had agreed to come in to help Annie and me.  Annie stood at the other end of the bar, stacking glasses.  I watched her for a moment.  She was doing well, even seemed to be okay with the fact Gary hadn’t come after her.  I’d given her phone back to her, and she hadn’t called him.  I checked up on that every day just to be sure.

She looked up at me and smiled.  “Who is he?” she asked.

It was the first time she’d asked anything about me since she’d moved in.  Up until this point, she’d been completely engrossed in herself and her problems to have it in her to think of anyone else.  I took it as a good sign.  “His name’s Donovan, and he’s a customer who’s been coming here for about a year.”

Jess came back out to the front of the bar and started helping us get ready to open.

Annie kept the conversation going.  “What’s he like?”  She had that dreamy look in her eyes.  Annie was a born romantic.  Probably the reason she flitted from guy to guy with hardly a break in-between.  She craved love and didn’t do well on her own.  She was so different from me.

“He’s complex.  Unlike any man I’ve ever met.”  I paused to think about him.  “I don’t know him that well yet, but I think he’s like those sour lollies you like: sour at first, but sweet when you get to the centre.”

“I can’t wait to meet him, Layla.  You deserve someone good.”

I smiled at her.  “Yeah, I do.”

Jess joined the conversation.  “When are you seeing him again?”

“I don’t know.  He said he’d call today.  We’ll see.”

“He will,” Jess said, adamantly, like she knew something I didn’t.

“Do you have a crystal ball?”

She winked.  “No, but I told him not to fuck you around last night, and he assured me he wouldn’t.”

“It’s so unlike you to trust anything a guy says,” I mused.

“I know,” she said, quietly.  “But there’s something about him that makes me totally believe everything he says.”

Me, too.

We finished getting the bar ready and opened about fifteen minutes later.  A couple of customers wandered straight in, and I sent a prayer to the universe that we’d be busy today.  My bank balance needed it.

The three of us worked well together and had some fun.  I loved watching Annie loosen up, and I especially loved seeing the smile on her face.  It’d been too long.

A couple of hours after opening, the day went to shit.

Mario and his goons came in, and I sucked in a breath. The look of malice on his face scared the shit out of me.

My hand went to my phone in my pocket.

I need Donovan.

Mario’s face curved into a sneer as he said, “Seems we meet again.”

“What do you want?”

He slammed his hand on the counter, making me jump.  “I want my fucking money!”

My heart fell into my stomach.  “I told you, I don’t have your money, and I haven’t heard from Dale.”

My words seemed to really piss him off.  “You’re a smart bitch, aren’t you?  Fucking feeding me lies about having no money.”

What’s he talking about?

“I’m not feeding you any lies.  Look around my bar.  Does it look like I have enough customers to make me rich?”

He leant across the bar at me, his foul breath polluting the air between us.  “I know who your family is,” he spat out.

Fuck.

My stomach rolled.

He expected me to go to my family for the money. 

He gave me a smug look as he stepped away from the bar.  “Two days, bitch, and then I’m coming for you.”

I watched him leave, my legs almost buckling from the dread surging through my body.  I staggered back against the wall behind me and clutched my stomach as it threatened to expel its contents.

“Shit.”  Jess gave me a worried look.  “You need to call Blade.”

I pulled my phone out and dialed him.  “Layla,” he answered, his voice tight as if he was distracted.

“Mario came back.”

I was met with silence and then, “Fuck.”

I waited.

“You okay?” he asked, the concern clear in his voice.

I blew out the breath I’d been holding in. 

Donovan will fix this
.

“Yeah,” I said.

“I’m gonna send someone over to stay with you until I can get there, okay?”

“Okay.”

Silence.

And then, “Call me if you need me.  I don’t care what the fuck it is, you ring me.  Yeah?”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me.  “Yes.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thank you.”

He ended the call, and I placed my phone down on the bar.  I looked up at the girls who were staring at me expectantly.  “He’s taking care of it.”

“Thank fuck,” Jess muttered. 

Annie’s eyes were wide with fear and I went to her.  I put my arms around her and pulled her close.  Smoothing my hand over her hair, I murmured, “It’s going to be okay, honey.  Donovan will help us.  We don’t have to do this on our own.”

Her body was tense.  I knew her reaction must be from remembering the shit we’d been through together.  We’d come a long way since then and I’d learnt how to defend myself.  How to defend us.

I won’t let you down again
.

She pulled away from me.  “Okay,” she whispered, but I could tell from her hesitation I hadn’t convinced her.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes.  “I promise.”

She answered me with a small smile and nod. 

It was the best I’d get out of her.

Turning to Jess, I said, “I’m gonna lock the front door until Donovan’s guy gets here.  If any customers want to leave, we’ll let them out, but no one else gets in, okay?”

She nodded.  “Good idea.”

I locked the door and we waited.

How the fuck do I get myself into these situations?

***

Banging on the front door twenty minutes later startled all of us.  The bar was empty now after the last customer left five minutes ago. 

“Might be Blade’s guy,” Jess suggested.

“Let’s hope so,” I said, and went to check it out.

Thank god for the glass panel in the door. 

Two bikers stood on the other side, staring at me.

Shit.

I hesitated, not sure whether they’d been sent by Mario or Donovan.

One of them spoke.  “Blade sent us, babe.  Open up.”

I eyed him.  Ink pretty much covered every inch of his skin, and although I didn’t usually go for that look, I had to admit he was gorgeous.  I shifted my gaze to the other guy. He was more my type, with less ink, and had the looks sure to melt any woman’s panties.  But they both oozed a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. 

That’s what I need
.

I unlocked the door and let them in before locking it again after them.

The heavily-inked one looked at me.  “You can leave it open, babe.  We’ll stay till Blade comes.”

Gratitude overwhelmed me.  “Thank you.”  It came out almost as a whisper.

His grin lit his face and that was when I appreciated fully what he had going on.  He was breathtaking with that grin.  “You’re welcome.”  He pointed to himself, “I’m Nash, and this dickhead is J.”  He pointed at J as he introduced him.

J jerked his chin at me.  “You ladies okay?  Haven’t heard from Mario again since you spoke to Blade?”

They followed me to the bar where Jess and Annie were waiting.  “No, he hasn’t been back,” I answered.

“Good to hear,” J said as he settled on a bar stool.

“You guys want a drink?” Jess asked, her eyes roaming all over Nash.  She had a weakness for bad boys, and I figured he was hitting all her buttons.

They both declined.

Nash pulled up a stool as well and scanned the room before giving his attention to me.  “You had the bar long?”

“I’ve been part-owner for about a year now.  Before that I worked here for years.”

“You do well?”

“We used to but the last few months have been slow.”

He turned his gaze back to the far corner and then looked at me.  “Ever thought about putting a stage over there and bringing live music in?  I’ve always thought this place would do well with that.”

“You’ve been here before?”  I’d never seen him here.

J snorted.  “Highly doubt that, babe.  You don’t have any skin on show in here, hardly Nash’s preference.”

Nash ignored him.  “I’ve been here a few times over the years, but I keep up with all the bars in the area.  We’ve got a strip club not far from here so it pays to know what’s happening out and about.  Not much live music around, so you could do well.”

It paid to never judge a book by its cover.  My parents never taught me that, but once I was on my own in the world, I’d quickly discovered it.  I loved meeting people who proved it.  Smiling at Nash, I said, “Thank you, I’ll put some thought into it.”

He grinned at me again.  “Anytime.  Gotta look after Blade’s woman.”

Blade’s woman
.

I was far from his woman, and yet Nash’s words shot delicious warmth through me.  I had no idea where last night would lead, or what it meant to Donovan, but I wanted more. 

I needed more like I needed air.

***

When Donovan strode into the bar a little over an hour later, his face said it all.

Anger and concern all rolled into one.

He came straight to me.  His hand cupped my chin, and his eyes bored into mine.  “You okay?”

I am now
.

“Yes.”

His chest heaved.  “Thank fuck.”

Letting go of me, he turned to Nash and J.  “Thanks for coming.”

“Anytime, man.  You want us to tag along when you go see Mario?” Nash asked.  From the gleam in his eye, I was betting he hoped Donovan said yes.

“Heading over there now.  You got time?”  Donovan asked.  Turned out I was right because Nash jumped at the opportunity.  I didn’t even feel sorry for Mario. As far as I was concerned, he deserved whatever they did to him. 

J interrupted, “You got eyes on this place now?”

Donovan nodded.  “Yeah, two of my guys are sitting outside.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

He turned to me, and his gaze softened.  “I’m gonna give you their numbers.  You ring them first if you need them, but you
always
ring me after.  Yeah?”

It stunned me how much I loved his protective streak.  After years of looking out for myself, I hated relying on anyone or needing anyone.  Donovan was different.  I looked deep into his eyes.  “Yeah.”

He keyed their numbers into my phone, inspected the place to make sure we were secure, and then the three of them left.

To take care of Mario.

Deep down, I knew what that meant. 

And I had zero problems with it.

Chapter Ten

Blade

I pulled up outside Mario’s place.  The motherfucker lived in a dive.  Paint peeled from the house, overgrown grass hid the ground, and rubbish littered the footpath.  He’d fallen a long way from the place he used to live. 

That’s what drugs do to you, asshole
.