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“Oh, lawdy. You’re drinking whiskey. That’s a sure sign of heartbreak. Spill.”
Charley released a pathetic laugh. Livvie knew her too well. “What was I thinking, Liv? I could never be what Dog needed. Everything was going so well until he took me to their clubhouse. He was just supposed to shower and change, then we’d leave. But I reacted badly when he introduced me to some of the people there.”
“Why? You get along with everyone. It’s annoying as hell.”
“I know, but…the women…let’s just say that clothing seemed optional, and the women sleep with all the men. This was made clear by one who implied she’s had Dog many times. Dog didn’t deny it.”
Livvie’ssigh was loud and carried through the line. “Oh, sweetie. That really stinks.”
A whiskey buzz started in Charley’s head, and she took another sip to urge it on. “That wasn’t all of it. He has this expectation that I’m going to be alright with the life choices made by him and his brothers. By the women in their circle. But he fights in an illegal, underground circuit. I got the impression it’s brutal. He does it to raise money for club brothers, but still…it’s hard to accept.”
“That’s certainly not what you’re used to.”
Charley laughed for real this time. “Hardly. And the worst of it? He said horrible things to me about being stuck-up and a judgmental bitch, and Livvie, he was right.”
“You are not a stuck-up bitch!”
“Yeah, I kind of was. Anyway, all of this went down right after a clientfiredme for not being in Charlotte, health crisis or not.”
Charley took another sip and almost choked as a realization slammed into her. “If I’d just listened to what Daddy said about men on bikes, I wouldn’t be sitting here hurt and humiliated. I’ve let him down so badly.”
“No—”
“Yes. I knew this client was mad. I knew there was a good chance he would follow through on his threat to fire me, and I stayed anyway. This was a client Daddy had always coveted, and I’ve lost him. I have to own that.”
Livvie huffed. “I keep telling you, you can’t live your life according to what your father wanted.”
“Well, going against what he wanted hasn’t turned out all that great.”
Shelby squalled in the background, and Charley’s heart lurched at what to her was a beautiful sound, one she might never hear from a child of her own.
Livvie sighed. “I gotta go, but we aren’t through with this conversation.”
Charley’s head clouded into an alcohol haze, and she said goodbye. She was too drunk to drive tonight, but if she got home early tomorrow, at least she would get to see her little angel sooner rather than later. It’d be something good in the middle of this mess.
Someone thumped hard on the front door. Charley sucked in a quick breath. Dog. Could he have changed his mind?
She stood, swaying a little, stumbled across the living room, and yanked the door open. But instead of Dog, Nate, still in his expensive clothes, was highlighted by her front porch light.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Nate said with a wide grin. “Didn’t see Dog’s bike around, so I thought it’d be a good time for us to get acquainted.”
Charley’s shoulders tensed, but her foggy brain was slow to process. Something was not right.
A motorcycle’s engine growled in the distance, a sound she’d come to associate with Dog. Oh, how she wished he were here right now.
She positioned her body in the door opening, hoping Nate would take the hint. “Hi Nate. Thanks for dropping by, but actually this isn’t a good time for me. I’m getting ready to head back to Charlotte. Work is calling, and she’s using a very loud voice, you know?”
His smile diminished. “Aww, come on. Don’t you have a few minutes for a new friend? Especially if you’re leaving. I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again.”
The words made sense, given he’d indicated an interest in her, but Charley couldn’t unfurl the tight knot that was forming in her stomach.
“I’m really sorry, but I’ll be back soon. Maybe next time?”
No longer smiling, Nate took a step forward. “Sorry, but I can’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
The knot climbed into Charley’s throat, threatening to cut off her air. She tried to shut the door, but he shoved it and she stumbled backward.
He muscled his way in, followed by a tall, dark haired man she hadn’t realized was on the porch. He was not as big as Nate, was dressed in worn clothing, and looked sinewy and strong. He shut the door behind him and set the dead bolt.
