Revive (Storm MC #3) (22 page)

I eyed Scott.  “Might be worth Kick’s while to go have a chat with him.”

Scott nodded.  “Yeah, brother.  You want to hook that up?”

“Sure,” I agreed.

Scott stood.  “Anything else?” he asked Kick.  “

“Nope.  Thanks for your time, man.”

“No problem, Kick.  Just keep me in the loop.  Yeah?”

“Will do.  And like I said, the repercussions for Marcus won’t be good if he was involved.”

“Yeah, I’m hearing you,” Scott said, his concentration far away; probably sifting through his mind to find anything that might relate to this.

He left and when I heard the front door slam shut, I said to Kick, “Fuck, man.”

“Yeah, brother, fuck is about right.  I’ve never liked Marcus but I like Scott; it’ll be a lot for him to deal with if his father did this.”

I considered it.  “Mostly, I think he’ll be okay with whatever happens.  Marcus has fucked him and their family around, and Scott has nothing to do with him anymore.”

“That’s good.  I believe Marcus is guilty; it’s just a matter of proving it.  Once we have proof, my VP will move fast.  You think Scott will step up to Presidency if this goes the way I think it will?”

“Yeah.”

“And who would take on VP?”

I didn’t hesitate.  To me, it was a no-brainer.  “Griff.”

He nodded, and then grinned at me.  “We going hunting tonight, or are you pussy-whipped these days?”

I thought about Velvet, and returned his grin.  “No hunting for me anymore, brother.”

“Figured as much.  What’s the story there?  I thought you’d sworn off relationships.”

“Yeah, you and me both.  Velvet and I kinda happened by accident but I think it was inevitable.”

“She know about Gabriella and Aaron?”

“No.”  The anxiety surfaced but it was bearable; I focused on my breathing to keep it under control.

“When do you plan on telling her?  Before the end of June?”

I rubbed the back of my neck.  “Shit, Kick.  I don’t fuckin’ know.”

“Christ, Nash.  It’s been what, ten years this year?  That’s a long fucking time to carry this shit with you and not move on.  Seems to me you could do with a woman to help you through it.”

He was right.  I knew he fucking was.  I’d been dealing with this very thought the last couple of days.  The closer Velvet and I got, the more I wanted to open up to her.  “You’re a pushy fucker, you know that?”

His face remained serious.  “Yeah, and you need someone like me to push you, otherwise you’re going to end up alone and miserable.  You’ll be chasing pussy in your fuckin’ wheelchair if you don’t find someone to settle down with.”

I laughed at that thought.  “They’d be fuckin’ lucky to have me, asshole.  My cock will still be in hot demand when I’m in a wheelchair.”

He lost the serious face and grinned at me while shaking his head.  “Shit, you never shut up about your cock, do you?  Just tell me you’ll talk to her, brother.  It’s time.”

I raked my hand through my hair, and agreed, reluctantly.  “Yeah, I’m gonna fuckin’ talk to her.”

Kick stood.  He had that determined look in his eyes, the one that told me he was on the prowl.  “I’m gonna hit your club.  You coming?”

I jumped up, fucking tripping over myself to leave.  Velvet was working tonight, and although we hadn’t made plans to see each other, I’d known that wouldn’t happen.  I needed her.  Kick just looked at me and gave me that ‘you’re so gone’ look.  I scowled, and muttered, “Not a fuckin’ word, brother.”

***

V
elvet

If anymore assholes spoke to me tonight, I swore I was going to rip their fucking nuts off.  Seriously, it must have been full moon or something, because Indigo was full of them tonight.  Their filthy mouths and grabby hands seemed to be all I could hear and feel.  I sighed.  Maybe it was because I was missing Nash, maybe that was making it worse.  His presence had a way of calming me.  Having him in my life made it better, and certainly having him around while I was at work made it easier to deal when assholes got in my face.

This job was really starting to lose its appeal.  I’d always enjoyed it, but lately I didn’t look forward to coming to work like I used to.  Even the attention from men that I once craved, no longer held any interest for me.  I didn’t want it; I just wanted Nash’ attention.

“Velvet, take a break, babe.  I don’t want to see you for at least forty-five minutes.  You’ve been working your ass off tonight,”  Cody said as he walked past me to the bar.

I could have hugged him.  “Done,” I replied and immediately headed out to the staff room before he changed his mind.

The first thing I did was kick my shoes off, the second thing I did was pour myself a bourbon, and the third thing I did was knock that drink back in half a minute flat.  Then I thought, fuck it, and poured myself another drink. 

It was after two drinks in quick succession that Wilder sauntered in.  I admired his muscles.  Damn, he was built, and the shirt he was wearing did nothing to hide those muscles.  He wasn’t quite as big as Nash, but I didn’t know one woman who would knock him back if he was on offer. 

He laid a sexy smile on me, a smile that would have gotten him laid if I wasn’t with Nash.  “You seen Scott?” he asked.  All credit to him, his eyes didn’t stray from my face.  Wilder was serious about not messing with a friend of the VP’s.

The alcohol had loosened my tongue and I pursued a conversation with him even though he’d made it clear he wasn’t keen on chatting with me.  “I’m trying to work you out, Wilder,” I said as I walked towards him.

“Don’t try too hard, darlin’.  Not much here to see.” 

“I’d beg to differ.  I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who didn’t make eye contact with my chest.  I know you said you’re avoiding the VP’s friends but for you to honour that even when he’s not around tells me a lot about you.  And that intrigues me.”

No words came out of his mouth; it seemed he was doing battle in his mind with what to say or do.  His eyes flashed a warning, and when he spoke, his voice was like a delicious cocktail of danger and desire.  “Gorgeous, I’m fighting like fuck not to look at your chest.  I’ve seen that sweet body of yours and it’s a body I could spend days admiring.  I’m no different to any other man where that’s concerned.”

His sexy voice slid right through me.  It was a good thing I believed in total faithfulness when I was with a man, because if I didn’t, I’d be more than tempted by him.  “No, there’s something decidedly different about you.  And I like it.”

He sucked in a breath, and ran his fingers through his hair.  “Fuck, you’re a dangerous woman.”

I was about to tell him where Scott was when a menacing presence filled the room. 

“Wilder.”  Nash’s formidable voice boomed around us.

I turned to look at him and found him glaring at Wilder.

“Nash.”  Wilder met his glare; his shoulders tensing.

“What the fuck’s going on here?” Nash demanded to know.

I figured I needed to step in; if it hadn’t been for me, Wilder wouldn’t be in this position.  “Nothing’s going on, Nash,” I said, walking to him.  The need to touch him, to let him know he had nothing to worry about was overwhelming.

His glare landed on me; he was furious, and it scared me, but it didn’t stop me.  “Stay out of this, Velvet,” he warned, those beautiful green eyes of his full of anger.

I moved into his space and placed my hand on his chest.  “Wilder wasn’t doing anything,” I said, softly.

Nash’s chest heaved.  He removed my hand and repeated himself, “I said, stay out of it.”  His eyes didn’t leave mine and his voice was dangerously low. 

I wasn’t sure what had caused him to have such an extreme reaction but it hurt to have him talk to me like that.  I took a step back, away from him.  He watched me for another moment, and then turned back to Wilder. 

Wilder was looking between me and Nash, and when he finally figured out what was going on, he held his hands up.  “Fuck, Nash, I didn’t realise she was your old lady.”

I felt it necessary to clarify that.  “No, I’m not Nash’s old lady.”

Nash swung his head to face me again, fuming, before fixing his glare back on Wilder, and declaring, “Yeah, well now you know she is.”

Wilder looked pissed, and although I figured that was directed at me, he didn’t dare look in my direction.  Instead, he said to Nash, “Sorry, man.  There was nothing going on though.  I just asked her if she knew where Scott was.”

They were talking about me like I wasn’t even in the room, and that annoyed me.  Now we were all pissed.  Tuning out their conversation, I sat and put my shoes back on having decided I would get back to work.  Once they were on, I looked up to find Nash still abusing Wilder.  His eyes, however, were firmly on me.  I stood, checked my makeup and hair, and then attempted to get past them to leave the room.  They could continue their argument without me.

Nash watched me walk towards him, and reached for me as I tried to keep going.  His grip was firm on my wrist, and I glared at him to let me go.  He stopped talking to Wilder so he could give me his full attention.  Wilder used the opportunity to leave and Nash didn’t argue; he just kept staring at me.

I tried to pull out of his hold but he was too strong for me.  “Nash, you need to let me go so I can go back to work.”

“They can wait.”  He was still fuming.

“There’s no need.  We’re finished here.”  My voice was tight, harsh.  I needed to put some distance between us right now; I was worried what I would say in the heat of the moment.

“We’re not finished here, Velvet.”  The way he said my name made my skin crawl.  There was no soft in it, only hard and angry.

I tried to pull my arm free again, and this time he let me go, but his body language was clear; he had no intention of letting me walk out of the room.

“Okay then, say what you need to say so that I can get back to work.”

“I don’t want you talking to Wilder, or any of the other guys for that matter.”

My eyes widened.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  “You’re kidding, right?”  But even as I said it, I knew he wasn’t.

“No, I’m not fuckin’ kidding,” he thundered.

My body tensed, and my heart began pounding in my chest.  This was the Nash I didn’t like.  I spoke calmly, deliberately.  “If you’re not kidding, we have a problem, Nash.”

“We do have a problem, babe.  I won’t put up with you flirting with any of the boys.”

It was like a kick in the guts; he didn’t trust me.  The accusation was barely concealed in the tone he’d taken with me.  “You’re saying you don’t trust me?”

“I’m saying that if you don't flirt, then there won’t be a problem,” he said, firmly.

This was Nash laying down the law; laying down his law.  And I didn’t like it.  Not one little bit.  “Well, I’d say we will have a problem then.”  I stood my ground; there was no going back now.

His face clouded over.  He’d obviously expected he could tell me what to do without any argument from me.  “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means that I am not the kind of woman you can order around.  What the hell happened to us having a rational conversation about this?  You know, like the one we had about my insecurities.  The one where you said you hated women who automatically suspected you of cheating?  Because it sure as hell feels like it’s one rule for you and another for me.” 

“Velvet, you’re twisting my words.  I never said I didn’t trust you.  I simply said I don’t want you flirting.  Can you manage that?

“Fuck you, Nash!” I yelled, finally losing my cool.  “Yes, I can manage not to fucking flirt but what you don’t get is that I won’t be
told
to do anything.  You can
ask
me to do anything but the minute you just make a ruling and call it done, that’s not fucking on.”

He stood there, taking in what I’d said, eyes flashing anger, and his face hard.  The tension clung to the air while we remained silent, having said what we both wanted.     
Checkmate
.

My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest I was so angry.  And hurt.  He’d really fucking hurt me.  I decided to finally put that space between us I wanted to before.  “I’m getting back to work now,” I told him.  My tone made it clear there would be no argument.

He blew out an angry breath, and stepped aside to let me through.

Neither of us said another word, and the pain I felt in my chest as I walked away reminded me why I avoided getting close to men.

The Great Escape ~ Pink

––––––––

V
elvet

I pushed the doona off me, got out of bed and traipsed into the kitchen to get a drink.  Bella followed me and almost made me trip when she insisted on getting in my way.  I bent down and picked her up.  “Baby, don’t make me fall over.  I’ve had a shitty night as it is.  I don’t need to add a broken leg to my list of things I’d rather forget.”

When we hit the kitchen, I placed her back on the ground and made a cup of tea.  Nash would not leave my thoughts; I’d been tossing and turning for hours.  I checked the time.  Just after four am.

Shit.

I hadn’t heard from him after our argument, and my stomach felt sick over it.  Although I was angry at him, I wanted to work it out.  I hated the silence that fights caused between people.  And the doubting.  I fucking hated the doubting.

Shit.

I drank my tea while mentally sifting through the jobs I had to get through in the morning.  My reasoning was that if I was busy thinking about that, I wouldn’t be busy thinking about Nash. 

I was so wrong. 

“Fuck it, give up, cause you’re never gonna stop thinking about him,” I muttered to myself as I washed my mug up.  “Shit, now you’re even talking to yourself.”

I was deep in thought when there was an almighty bashing on my front door.  At least that’s where I thought it was coming from.  A couple of moments later, I peered through the curtain to see Nash standing on my verandah. 

I opened the door to find him waiting for me with an intense look on his face.  He didn’t wait for an invitation to come inside; just barged straight in and stalked to my kitchen where the light was on.  I didn’t particularly want to talk to him while he was in this kind of mood so I took my time following him.