Reveal: A Blood Riders MC Novel (Book 2) Page 5

  Even as I took off her sweater and bra…even as I sat her on the desk and pulled off her jeans, then sank myself into her warm pussy…I thought about the cops, and how they were on my ass again. Even as I thrusted into her, going fast and hard, both of us straining to be quiet, I thought about how careful I would have to be. I didn’t want her knowing how her news had freaked me out—it would only make her feel worse. Even as I held her hips in my hands, lifting them off the desk, pulling her body to mine in time with my thrusts, I thought about how hard it was when her father was after us, always having to be one step ahead of him. And back then, it had been Jack who’d had to worry about it. Not me. It was my turn to figure out how to stay out of the cops’ reach.

  “Yes! Yes!” She clawed at my back as she came, and I grunted against her neck as I followed her.

  She couldn’t know I was worried. It would only make things worse.

  7

  Nicole

  “Nicole, I only care about your safety and happiness,” Aunt Karen insisted when I called her later that afternoon. “I mean it, sweetie. And I thought Tommy would like to know since he and your dad were so close.”

  “Okay. But I don’t see what that has to do with anything,” I said. “If Drake were a med school student, you wouldn’t call Tommy about it.”

  “You don’t know that,” she said, her voice dripping with defensiveness. Yes, I did know it. It was so tiresome, playing her little games.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way. But I really would like it if you would leave me on my own with this. Please.”

  “Nicole.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Fine, fine. I won’t interfere anymore.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, I’m glad you called,” she said, deftly switching topics. I guessed we weren’t talking about my concerns anymore. Not like it mattered. She would never listen.

  “Oh? Why’s that?”

  “I wanted to know if you would come for dinner on Sunday.”

  “Sunday?” It was already Wednesday. “Don’t you need a little time to get settled in?”

  “Nicole! We’re already settled. Oh, our moving men were a dream come true. They set everything up, put things together, I had to do almost nothing.”

  “That’s great.” I tried to make myself sound happy, but it wasn’t easy.

  “Can I expect you, then? I really want to show the place off.”

  “Sure.” Then, a fear touched my heart. She didn’t expect Drake to come with me, did she? I couldn’t imagine.

  “I’m sure Drake will be busy,” she said. “I know he works all the time.” She knew no such thing, and I winced at her clumsy attempt at extending an invitation without actually extending one. Still, it saved me the trouble of refusing on his behalf.

  “You’re right. I’m sure he will be.”

  “Well, you’ll be here. It will be so good to see you!”

  “Yeah. It’ll be a lot of fun.” I dug my nails into my palm to keep myself from screaming.

  “It sure will!”

  “Well, I better go. I have some errands to run, but I guess I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay, sweetie. See you soon.”

  Aunt Karen’s house was a cute little thing that reminded me a lot of the one I’d grown up in. I could tell just from looking at it as I pulled up across the street that it was a three-bedroom—all the houses that looked like hers were three-bedroom. An enclosed porch, a small driveway. Three floors. Probably not much space inside, but from the beaming smile on her face when she opened the front door, it might as well have been a palace. I was sure some of her happiness had to do with being home at last.

  “I’m so glad you’re here! Let me look at you!” She held me at arm’s length when I stepped onto the porch, gazing at me with a critical eye.

  “Why are you acting so surprised? We just talked to each other not too long ago.” I chuckled.

  “Yeah, but when was the last time I’ve seen you?”

  “True, it has been a long time,” I admitted. We hadn’t seen each other since she stayed with me for my father’s funeral. With him gone, she saw no reason to make the trip for Christmas. I hadn’t missed her since I had an extended family of my own. Just because they weren’t blood relatives didn’t mean they weren’t my family.

  “You look beautiful, as always. I love what you’ve done with your hair.” She gave me a hug while I raised a self-conscious hand to my hair. I’d only braided it. She had a way of giving compliments that made a person wonder if there was something wrong with them. I had to remind myself not to let her get to me—she had no ill-intentions. She was just awkward. Meanwhile, she looked like a happy housewife, right down to her polka-dotted apron and sensible “Mom” haircut, short and easy to maintain. She was in her element and much happier than I remembered ever seeing her before. I guessed it had to do with being home, at last.

  “Come in, come in.” She led me to the living room through a wooden door with glass panels. It was cozy, filled with overstuffed furniture and covered in family photos. Karen’s boys were her world and anybody who saw those pictures would know their life story from birth to their most recent school pictures.

  “This is so sweet,” I said. “I love what you’ve done here. It reminds me of my father’s house—I can’t stop thinking that.”

  Karen chuckled. “It’s not easy, making all this furniture work in such a small space, but I managed. I have no idea how he did for so long.” Once again, she doesn’t mean anything by that. She’s not trying to insult anybody. I would have bet money she had no idea what was coming out of her mouth, the type to speak just for the sake of having something to say.

  I’d brought a chocolate cake for dessert, which Karen made a big fuss over. She led me through the sitting room and dining room to the kitchen. My heart stopped for a second when I stepped into a room that looked so much like my father’s kitchen. The kitchen where so many things had happened.

  “So. Uh, where are Uncle Joe and the boys?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation light before I had a panic attack.

  “Oh, Joe’s up in his office.”

  “His office?”

  “Yes, we use the attic as an office.” The note of pride in her voice. I smiled at it.

  “I can imagine it would get pretty hot up there in the summer,” I observed.

  “Yes, well, he’ll make do even if it means—God forbid—doing some work downstairs. The man has always been so secretive.” She shook her head. “And the boys are in their rooms, doing whatever it is twelve-year-olds do behind closed doors.”

  I bit my lip and turned away before my grin prompted any questions. Poor Karen’s hair would have fallen out if I told her what I thought her boys were probably doing behind closed doors. At that age? I would have to ask Drake what he thought when I got home.

  I offered to help make a fresh salad, while Aunt Karen called up the stairs for her brood to come down and greet me. I steeled myself, slicing crisp cucumbers with high concentration. More questions, more politeness. I wished it were already time for dessert so I could make an escape. Why had I agreed to dinner?

  “There she is!” I genuinely liked my Uncle Joe, mainly because he had more sense than his wife. He was the grounded, level-headed one in the marriage, always very reasonable and logical. I still had no idea what he did for a living, but I was sure he’d give me an earful over dinner. He engulfed me in a warm bear hug that reminded me so much of my father, it was nearly heartbreaking. Not to mention rib-breaking.

  “Hey, Uncle Joe. You look great!” And he did, with his salt-and-pepper hair, trim physique, and a dark tan. I would have thought he’d moved from California instead of Pittsburgh.

  “So do you, the bride-to-be.” He kept his voice low so Karen, still trying to coax the boys downstairs, wouldn’t hear. “I think it’s wonderful.”

  “You do?” Hope flickered in my chest. I had an ally.

  “Of course, I do. I’ve been your b
iggest cheerleader. You’re welcome.” He winked and squeezed my shoulders. “Don’t let her nagging get to you. Invest in earplugs. I did a long time ago.” We were both laughing when Karen entered the room, looking harried.

  “Oh, so the two of you are thick as thieves already. I should have known, you always got along so well.” She grinned benevolently.

  “Where are the boys?” Uncle Joe asked.

  “It beats me. I know they’re up there—I hear their video games blaring—but they can’t be bothered.

  “I’ll get them,” he said, and I listened to the grim determination in his voice. I almost felt sorry for the kids, and was just about to tell their parents that I didn’t need to see them so soon, but Uncle Joe was already out of the room.

  “How are the boys adjusting? You know with the move and all.” I asked.

  “Oh, Jimmy’s a peach, as always. The sweetest, most helpful little man. Joey’s not so happy, though he’s coming around. He says we never asked their opinion on whether we should move—like he had a say in the matter.” She shook her head. “I feel sorry for him, but it’s not as though there was anything we could do. No matter how many times Joe explained it to him, there was no getting through.”

  “It’s a tough age,” I murmured, quartering juicy red tomatoes for the salad.

  “It is. Especially for a boy.” She sighed, reminding me again of her desire for a daughter.

  “Girls aren’t much better at that age. Hormonal as anything. I remember the hell I put my father through. He didn’t know which end was up for at least three years, and neither did I.” I laughed a little at the memories of slammed doors and screaming fights and the certainty that he would never, ever understand me.

  Anything Karen could have countered with was interrupted by the appearance of my cousins, both of them looking resentful at being pulled away from whatever it was they were doing. I almost felt remorseful for being the reason they had to come downstairs. They were almost perfectly identical from their curly brown hair to their dark brown eyes, the sprinkle of freckles on their cheeks, their posture. They had that strange in-between look about them, between boyhood and manhood. They were tall, too, nearly as tall as me.

  I pointed to one. “Joey.” He nodded with a faint grin. “See? I still remember. Joey has more freckles than Jimmy.”

  “They can’t even tell us apart sometimes,” Jimmy mumbled with a sarcastic grin, looking at his mother. She scowled lovingly.

  “Nicole’s much younger than I am. Her brain hasn’t been melted by motherhood.” She took the salad from me and put it on the dining room table. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  “Great, I’m starving.” Joey followed his mother to the dining room, taking a seat.

  “Excuse me, young man. Set the table. You know how this goes. Stop showing off for your cousin.”

  “I can help,” I offered, taking plates out to the table.

  “Absolutely not. You’re a guest, and you’ve already done enough. I’ll get you something to drink, and you can go to the sitting room.” She said it with great pride, and I had to smile.

  “Okay, okay.” I shrugged at Joey. “Sorry.” He shrugged, too. Karen led me to the sitting room and its deep leather recliners. She switched on the TV and handed me the remote, then busied herself with pouring me an iced tea. Uncle Joe joined me on another recliner.

  “This is where I go to get away—besides my office, of course.” I handed him the remote, and he flipped on a football game. We settled in to watch. Football, I could handle. It was only an awkward conversation that made me feel, well, awkward.

  “So, how’s Drake?” he asked. Great. That lasted all of a few moments.

  “He’s doing really well,” I said, meaning it. “Very busy.”

  “Sometimes I envy him,” Uncle Joe admitted.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. That ability to just ride with the wind in his hair, feeling carefree. Not so many responsibilities—not that I would trade my family for the world, of course. There’s something about the idea of being my own man. I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.” That was by far the deepest things had ever gotten between my uncle and me, and it didn’t make me feel comfortable. I didn’t need further insight into his life or his marriage. I didn’t know what to say at first.

  Finally, I replied, “Well, Drake has a lot of responsibilities. Don’t let the image fool you.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really. The club rests on his decisions. If he makes a poor choice, they suffer. Just like the head of any organization, you know? Only he doesn’t wear a suit and tie.”

  He chuckled. “I guess the grass is always greener.”

  “It is. And hey—if you like the idea of riding, why not buy a bike? It’s a lot of fun.”

  He laughed heartily. “Right. That would go well.” He glanced in the direction of the kitchen, where his wife was instructing her sons on how to properly set a table. I understood what he meant, but it only made me wish he’d buy a bike that much more. I’d love to see her reaction.

  “Why am I putting out six places?” Joey complained. “There’s only five of us.”

  “Hmm?” I knew Aunt Karen too well to think she was honestly not paying attention to her son’s question. I was pretty interested in the answer.

  “Do we have somebody else coming for dinner?” I looked at my uncle, who shrugged.

  “Hmm?”

  I sighed. She was up to something. I followed Uncle Joe to the kitchen. “I asked if we have another guest coming for dinner,” he repeated, folding his arms.

  “Oh, that. Sure, I just invited a neighbor to come over. I thought it would round out the number at the table, is all. And you know how difficult it is to size a recipe up for five people. It’s easier to convert to six servings.” She spooned sauce over the stuffed peppers.

  “So, who is it? Brenda? Joyce?” Karen had clearly been making friends, but that wasn’t a surprise. She was always in other people’s business, and neighborhoods such as hers were a throwback to the days when women spent their days cleaning house and having coffee together. A new neighbor often found herself bombarded by curious women.

  “Brenda’s son, actually.” My aunt kept her back to us, facing the sink. She was suddenly very busy.

  “Her son?” I could almost feel the waves of anger radiating from my uncle, or maybe it was my anger. I wasn’t sure. So that was why she’d invited me over—not to admire her new house, but to set me up with her neighbor’s son. My heart sank, and I went back to the sitting room. Uncle Joe followed me.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “If you want to leave, I understand.”

  I tossed him a grateful smile, rubbing my hands over my thighs to dry them. They’d gotten very clammy all of a sudden. One thing was clear: I could never, ever tell Drake about Aunt Karen’s matchmaking attempt. I didn’t think he’d ever hurt a woman, but there was a first time for everything.

  8

  Nicole

  “So, Peter, your mother tells me you’ve been doing well in law school.” Aunt Karen practically tripped over her tongue as she handed Peter a platter piled high with sliced bread and assorted cured meats. She’d gone all-out on the food—not just stuffed peppers, brown rice, and fresh salad, but an antipasto platter and roasted vegetables. I had indigestion just looking at all of it.

  “Oh, sure. It’s not such a big deal.” He shrugged, and Aunt Karen nearly dissolved in a pool of giggles.

  “Not such a big deal? Getting straight A’s in your courses while working part-time? I’d say that’s a big deal. Wouldn’t you?” She smiled at Uncle Joe, who also smiled. I could tell he was trying to be polite, but he really wanted to tell my aunt off for being so obvious. But maybe that was just because I wanted to tell her off, too. I wanted to do more than that, in fact. I wanted to know where she got off thinking she could interfere with my personal life that way. I wanted to know where she got the nerve. It was one thing to disagre
e with my choices—I could understand that. I didn’t ask her to agree with me. But trying to set me up with another man, while I wore a diamond ring on my left hand? I wanted to die.

  Uncle Joe cleared his throat. “And what about you, Nicole?”

  “Oh, everything is fine.” I smiled, wishing he wouldn’t ask too many questions. I was already appalled by my aunt. I wanted to get through the meal and get the hell out of there.

  “I thought you were thinking about going back to school for a while, Nicole,” Aunt Karen said. “For criminal justice, right?”

  “That was my undergrad major,” I confirmed wishing I could melt into a puddle and sink into the floor and never come back.

  “Weren’t you thinking about getting your Master’s degree at some point?” She popped a piece of seeded bread into her mouth, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

  “Yes, I was, but you know how it is. Life got in the way.” I shrugged it off, wishing she’d drop the subject.

  “Life? Is that what you call it now?”

  I glared at her. “Yes, life, My life.” I turned to Peter with a smile. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but he was no Drake. A washed-up looking version of him, maybe. Sort of watered down. Dark hair and eyes, sort of pale skin—the kind of man who spent most of his time studying indoors. But he had a nice enough body, and he dressed well. I wondered what Drake would think if I ever asked him to wear a button-down under a V-neck sweater.

  “See, Peter, my fiancé is a member of a motorcycle club. I’ve been helping with the bookkeeping for the past two years now and have considered going to school online to study accounting.”

  “Accounting?” I thought Karen would have a cow.

  “Yes, didn’t I tell you that?” I smiled sweetly, relishing the surprise all over her face.

  “But…but…no, you didn’t tell me. What about all your dreams, all of your plans?”