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Cole massaged the back of his neck. “Yeah. Yeah. The Blue Angels are a one percent club. They’re good men, though.”
I gave him a questioning look. “I have no idea what a one percent club is.”
“They’re outlaw bikers. They’re a brotherhood who don’t care about the same rules as everyone else, they live by their own laws. They’re loyal as hell to the members.” Cole squared his shoulders. “I trust them with my life, and that’s all you need to know.”
“How did you get involved with them, Cole? You have a good home, people who love you, and money. I don’t understand.”
Cole stared behind me with a faraway look in his eyes. “Don’t worry about it.”
I bowed my head, my shoulders trembling with anger. After a moment, I looked at him again. “If my life is really in danger, I at least deserve some answers, dammit.”
Cole focused on the ground and kicked at the gravel with the toe of his boot, now covered in dust from the ride here.
I released a weary sigh. Cole was wearing my patience down. “Fine. Don’t tell me. When can I go home? I want to speak to Zoe.” I didn’t miss the disapproving look on Cole’s face. “I won’t tell her about the threats. But if the MC is going to be around, then she will meet them eventually. She’s my best friend. I can’t hide this from her. Plus, I need someone to talk to. This shit got intense really fast.”
Cole hesitated before he answered. “Honestly, I don’t want us to go home. I have no idea if it’s safe or not, but we have to pretend that life is normal right now, or we risk tipping off whoever is trying to hurt me.”
From the outside, I probably appeared calm and collected, but I was struggling not to fall apart on the inside. “That doesn’t make me feel better, but it makes sense.”
Cole led me back into the house. I half expected the guys to be staring at us, but they’d replenished their beers and had settled in at the table to play a game of poker. I couldn’t help but giggle as they talked shit to each other. Unfortunately, it would be the last time I laughed for a while.
A dull ache pounded in my head. I was ready for another drink and some food. I had no idea how long I would be here, but I figured I might as well make the best of it. Grabbing a beer, I sat down with the guys and watched them play. Even though I was physically present, my thoughts were elsewhere. My attention landed on Cole, who had joined us. He laughed at the jabs and bullshit the men said to each other, appearing perfectly at ease with men who broke the law.
There was no doubt that Cole was an asshole, but maybe he would actually prove that he would protect the people who were important to him. My pulse jumped. If I was here, it meant he actually did care about me. There was that, at least. I just wished I could ignore the pull to him. It was as if every nugget of information revealed his sinister side. It was calling to me, lulling me into a false sense of security with him.
* * *
Over the rest of the afternoon, I witnessed a different side of my stepbrother. One that I thought I could get accustomed to. Dark, dangerous, and with more layers than I ever imagined possible. The more I processed what I’d learned about Cole, the more I wanted to dance in the dark with him.
After the MC left, Cole and I cleaned the house. The guys had been good about tossing their beer bottles in the recycling bin and throwing their trash in the trashcan, but that many people in a small house made a mess. Cole wiped down the countertops while he pointed me to the vacuum for the hardwood floors. He hadn’t asked me to, but I also scrubbed the bathroom. It had been a hot minute since I’d scrubbed a toilet, since Daddy had a housekeeper, but I managed. Oddly enough, as we took care of the house together, our silence felt comfortable, like we had shared a space all the time.
With a racing heart, I almost admitted ... I refused to finish the thought. It had been a long-ass week, and I suspected PMS was playing havoc with my emotions. Maybe a different type of birth control pill was in order. Maybe.
“Thanks for the help,” Cole said, running his hand through his blonde hair.
I hung the cordless Dyson vacuum on the charger, then made my way to the kitchen.
“Sure. I ... uh. I appreciate you and the guys looking after Julia and Daddy. Helping around here is the least I can do.” I looked at my knees. The skin had grown tighter over the last few hours, and I figured the ride home on Cole’s motorcycle would be uncomfortable, but I would live.
Cole’s lips thinned, and the muscles on either side of his jaw pulsed. “Whether we like each other or not, we’re family, Shae. I will always protect family, unless ... unless they don’t deserve it.” Pain etched itself into Cole’s forehead, and he looked away quickly.
Since Cole was trying to keep me safe, I assumed that in his opinion, I deserved the help. That revelation should have been what I focused on, but it wasn’t. Who hadn’t earned Cole’s loyalty? I wondered if this was part of what Julia had mentioned before.
Cole spoke and interrupted my thoughts. “Let’s head out. There’s a chance of rain, and I’d rather not take you home drenched. Samuel might not appreciate it.”
“Since when do you care about what Daddy thinks?”
Cole’s dark gaze swept over me, then landed on my eyes. We stared at each other, completely transfixed as unanswered questions and tension crackled in the air between us.
Finally, Cole spoke. “Samuel is a good man, Shae.” He tore his attention away and looked out the window. “The storm clouds are rolling in. We should go.”
Silently, he followed behind me, locked the front door, and walked to his bike. He handed me a helmet. I slipped into place, then waited for him to hop on.
“She’s a beautiful motorcycle.” I pointed to the blue and white flames on the side of the fuel tank, then leaned closer when I realized a woman’s face was woven into the fire. A crease dented the smooth skin in-between my eyebrows. Surely, I wasn’t seeing this correctly. Maybe the alcohol was still messing with me, and I hadn’t noticed it. “Cole, what’s her name?” I ran my fingertips over the artwork, warmth spreading through my chest.
Cole started the engine, the rumble cutting off my question. I climbed on, and this time I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed myself into his back. He eased down the driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires. Sadness tugged at my heartstrings. For whatever reason, I already loved Cole’s house. He was different here, and if I were truthful, most of the man I’d seen today, I could like. But I wasn’t ready to be honest because the other part of me didn’t trust him. Now it seemed as though I no longer had a choice. Confused and tired, I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and enjoyed the ride. At least for a few minutes, I could feel free. It was just Cole and me against the world, and I no longer felt quite so lonely. Funny how everything changed so quickly.
ChapterTwelve
