Chapter Twenty-Five
It had been a little over three weeks since Ty had come back, and it had taken getting used to. Mainly, she missed Jace. While Ty had been gone, she gotten used to having Jace around. Their relationship went from easy to hard, complicated, and sometimes outright frustrating. Not because they began arguing or fighting but because a number of other reasons.
Things changed drastically. Her brother and the club still didn’t know she and Jace were an item, and Jace had to get back to his life with the club and with Della and Tina. He’d been going on “runs,” which he didn’t share with her because he couldn’t, club business and all that. He had shared he and Ty usually went on runs together. When she worried, she worried about both of them. Two to three runs a week: Mondays, Tuesdays, and sometimes Thursdays. Those nights, she spent with either Cuss or Blaze. She preferred Cuss, not only because she had a soft spot for Cuss, but also Cuss knew about Jace and her. After Jace’s runs, he’d come over and spend the night. Cuss would then leave. She had no idea where he went, but knew he didn’t go back to the compound. Otherwise, it’d blow their cover. She paid him back by making him dinner on those days.
During one of those nights, Jace came over after his run, and she noticed he carried a gun. What type? She had no freaking clue. Quite frankly, she didn’t want to know. She was terrified of guns. He caught her looking at it and told her not to worry. Right, well, it didn’t quite work out like that. She then began worrying for not only Ty and Jace, but the rest of the guys too, much more than she had before.
Usually, she saw Jace three times a week: either Monday or Tuesday when Cuss watched her, Fridays when he watched her, and Saturdays when she spent the day with him and Della. She used Della as an excuse to spend an extra day with him telling her brother she wanted to see Della. True, she loved Della, but she also wanted to be with Jace even though they weren’t free to act like a couple because they were often out in public, not to mention in front of Della. Though he often found ways to touch her or steal kisses, so it was worth it.
Apart from those days, it was impossible to see him. Ty spent Wednesdays, Sundays, and sometimes Thursdays with her, and Jace spent that time with Della and Tina. Once, she’d seen him on a Sunday at the club’s cookout.
That day, they had their second argument.
She sat with Tiffany, Mia, and Lynn planning their next shopping trip when Cuss walked up to them. She hadn’t seen him yet and smiled at him.
He nodded. “Hey, Miracle.”
“Are you volunteering to take us shopping again?”
Cuss chuckled and nodded.
The next moment, Jace stood in front of her, the muscle in his jaw jumping. “Allie. Inside. Now.”
She hadn’t known what to think, but she went. He looked like he was about to lose it, so it wouldn’t be good, not in front of the entire club. When she headed inside, he dragged her into an empty room and shut the door. He still had that angry look on his face, but he didn’t say anything.
“Is everything okay?” Another one of her stupid questions, but the silence had been too unbearable.
“No, everything isn’t okay,” he snapped. “Don’t want you goin’ anywhere with Cuss.”
Her eyes widened. It had been so absurd to hear that since Cuss often covered for them. “What? Why?”
He closed the distance between them and leaned into her. “’Cause I don’t like him calling you ‘Miracle.’ It fuckin’ pisses me off, and I’m fuckin’ tired of hearing it.”
What? If it wasn’t for Cuss, she’d hardly ever see him. She wanted more time with him, not less. “Well, too bad.” She knew the minute after she said it, she shouldn’t have.
The vein in his neck began pulsing. He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. Snaking his other arm around her waist, he crushed her against him. She didn’t bother fighting back. It would’ve been useless. Instead she let herself enjoy the moment, her body against his.
“Don’t fuckin’ play games with me, Allie.”
Taking a deep steadying breath, she chose her words wisely. “He’s taken.”
He tightened his hold around her back, his eyes narrowing to slits. “You say he’s fuckin’ taken. Does that mean he wasn’t, you’d be with him instead of me?”
“Are you jealous?”
“No fuckin’ shit,” he shot back, immediately.
Her jaw dropped. A warm feeling settled in the center of her chest. Maybe it was a little crazy, but it made her feel like he cared, a lot. Her anger melted. She softened against him. “I’m not interested in anyone but you. He calls me that because I can get Ty out of a bad mood…”
She tilted her head and explained, “He likes Tiff. A lot. I think he’s liked her for a long time, but he says she’s too good for him. I told him all a woman ever really wants is to be understood and loved, and if he thinks he can give her that, he should go for it.”
She didn’t know whether it was the way she’d melted or what she’d said, but that instant, his anger faded. He kissed her, and he didn’t stop. It led to make-up sex where they’d had no choice but to be quiet.
By now, she was tired of lying to her brother, sneaking around, and pretending she didn’t care about Jace when she knew she was head-over-heels in love with him.
She knew she was deeply in love because he hadn’t changed, not one bit. He was still the same caring, attentive, and loving man he’d been the first week. If possible, he’d grown more attentive. He called her at least three times a day, in the mornings, at lunch, and in the evenings, if he wasn’t with her. He also texted her randomly, to tell her he missed her, to tell her he was at the club or on a run. It seemed like he told her everything, except that wasn’t really the case.
He hadn’t opened up to her about his past. In fact, last week she asked him about his parents, and he’d shut her down. Not that she was one to talk; she didn’t like rehashing the past, but they were an item. She should know more about him. She hadn’t hid anything about her past. Besides her father and Mia, he was the only other person whom she’d told the truth about Wyatt. Well, she supposed he somewhat guessed, but she confirmed it instead of shutting him out.
This to her, especially after realizing she was in love with him, troubled her. It made her think maybe he did, in fact, see her as temporary in his life. She could be overanalyzing and overly insecure, but problem was, after the night he told her he’d never get tired of her, he hadn’t talked about the future or about when they should consider telling her brother and the club. He didn’t even seem bothered he saw her only two to three times a week.
They hadn’t been together long. She shouldn’t be concerned about this, but she was. She didn’t know what to do. It’s not like she could ask anyone for advice. No one was supposed to know, and it didn’t feel right to let Tiffany, Mia, or Lynn know she was in love with Jace before she told him.
With these thoughts tumbling through her mind, she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked out to her car. A Friday afternoon meant the next two days she’d spend with Jace. Regardless of her many insecurities, this made her happy.
She reached her car, her eyes gravitating to the driver’s side back tire of her Camaro. The rim of her car rested on the pavement. Cursing silently, she grabbed her phone out of her purse and called Triple A. Her brother worked at a garage but she called someone else for help because without a doubt, he wouldn’t let her pay, and she wasn’t totally useless. She had a savings account and a job. She could afford a new tire. She had to do it fast before Jace showed up. He often did Fridays.
“Triple A.”
“Hi, I need a—fuck!”
Totally warranted. She caught sight of the front driver’s side tire and it, too, was flat.
“Hello?” The voice drifted through the phone.
She barely heard, rushing to the other side of her car where she noticed those tires, too, were flat.
“Hello?”
Allie stared at the tires not seeing them, but feeling a weight settle on her chest. Her eyes welled with tears.
“Miss? Are you okay? Miss?”
The voice snapped her out of her innate state. “Yes, I’m fine. I won’t need your services.”
She hated what she was about to do, what she had to do, but there was no way around it. This wasn’t a coincidence. This was Wyatt. She knew when the rock cracked her window in the middle of the night, but she’d pushed it out of her mind without ever discussing it with Jace or Ty.
She knew two weeks ago when she found a note on her car, yet convinced herself one of the guys had played a prank on her. Never mind deep down she knew neither one of them would try to scare her, especially not like that. She convinced herself because she wanted to pretend it wasn’t true. And now, she couldn’t ignore it anymore. She had to face the facts. Wyatt was messing with her life because he couldn’t let go.
She was thankful neither Ty, Jace, or the club had been implicated in beating Wyatt, but now she had the sinking feeling she knew why Wyatt hadn’t involved cops. He was seeking revenge another way.
Without further thought, she dialed Jace. Thankfully, he answered on the first ring.
“Got a problem, honey.”
****
His phone rang. Trig rolled out from under the car and dug into his pocket. Reading Allie’s name on the screen, he sat up, answered it quickly, and brought it to his ear.
“Got a problem, honey.” Her voice shaky.
Gut turning, a sour taste in his mouth, he snapped, “Where are you?”
“I-I just got out of work.”
Fuck. What time was it? He met her at the daycare every Friday. Call it being overprotective, but since he’d caught her dickhead ex there, he tried his hardest to meet her outside. The ex had been taken care of, and there hadn’t been any blowback but still.
He glanced at the clock hung on the back wall of the garage. Fifteen past four.
“Talk to me.”
“My t-tires are flat.”
A cold chill blasted through him. He shot off his butt so quickly the creeper, a wooden board with wheels he’d been laying on under the car, rolled several feet away. “All of them?”
“Yeah, Jace, all of them,” she whispered.
Fuck. Not good. First, the rock cracking her window and now this; it wasn’t a coincidence. After that night, he’d been on hyper alert. Calling the cops every day for two weeks, but they convinced him it was a prank, and after nearly a month with nothing, he believed it.
Trig opened the door leading into the compound and dashed down the hall. “Go inside the daycare. Now. Stay with Tiffany. I’ll be there in a few.”
“Um…”
He stopped in the living room, rushing to pick his keys and wallet off the couch where he dropped them. “Allie. Don’t fuckin’ fight me. Do what I say. Get in the daycare. Now.”
“Okay, honey,” she whispered in the same small voice.
The line went dead.
Guilt clogged his throat. He’d been harsh, too harsh. She wasn’t stupid. She knew who this was and what it meant. If her voice was anything to go by, she was fucking terrified, and he’d been a dick.
Army sat on the couch, several feet away, his phone in hand. “What happened?”
“Tires flat.”
Army shot off the couch, his eyes hardening. “Why didn’t she call me?”
A good question. He needed to think fast. “It’s Friday. I watch her Fridays.” He turned to Blaze. “Need you to finish the oil change and see about getting tires for Allie’s Camaro, four of them.” To Army, he said, “You comin’?”
Army nodded.
As they headed into the garage, he shouted orders to Trick, telling him to bring the flat truck to haul Allie’s car. He then jumped into his SUV, Army hopping into the passenger side. Trig drove to the daycare in record time, illegally parked in front. Leaving the keys in the car, he rushed inside and spotted her immediately in the corner talking to Tiffany. Her beautiful, color-changing eyes big and gleaming, fighting tears. It fucking did him in. The guilt strengthened and compounded with anger. His chest would rip in two.
He headed toward her. Her gaze met his. She released a loaded breath. For a split second, he thought she’d put him out of his misery, run to him, and wrap her arms around him. Instead, her gaze darted behind him. She walked up to Army, who now stood at his side.
“Hi, Ty.”
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“Should’ve called me,” Army said.
He’d known Army a long time, and knew when Army asked the same question twice, he wasn’t convinced. It meant Army knew something was up, and that meant Army would keep Allie close, not just because her tires were flat, probably slashed. The little Trig had of Allie he’d lose, unless they told Army they were together. Fucking sucked. He didn’t think she was ready to tell her brother. She hadn’t mentioned it and didn’t even seem bothered by the fact they barely spent time together.
“I knew Jace was on his way to my house though. He watches me Fridays,” she said smoothly.
Army spared a glance at him, then nodded. He wrapped his arm around Allie’s shoulders. “Let’s get to the compound where we can talk about this in private.”
He didn’t know if Army referred to them or the slashed tires, but he didn’t let his worry show. He followed behind.
They arrived at the compound minutes later and headed into the garage’s office to talk.
Army, wasting no time, cut to the chase. “Tell me what happened.”
She sighed heavily, pulling her dark hair behind her ear. “I guess I should start from the beginning… The first night you were gone, while Jace was with me, someone threw a rock at my bedroom window. It was loud enough it woke me, and then another rock was thrown hard enough, and it cracked the glass—”
Army’s gaze sliced to his. “Why didn’t you fuckin’ tell me?”
“Considering two days before we’d beat the shit outta him, I didn’t think he could’ve pulled it off. I went outside, checked it out. I found no one, so I called the cops. They filed a report. I called them every day for the next two weeks. They told me shit like this happens, kids playing stupid pranks. Nothing happened after that, so there was no need to tell anyone.”
Army’s gaze went to Allie. “Go on.”
Her eyes watered. She pressed her shaking hands against her stomach. “Two weeks ago, I found a note on my car—”
“Fuck.” He ground his teeth. His whole body tensed. He didn’t give a flying fuck she didn’t tell Army because Army always flew off the handle, but why hadn’t she told him? He would’ve handled Army. He would’ve done it with pleasure because she was his. Instead she said nothing and waited for something bigger to happen, something she had to know would eventually happen, something that could’ve been much worse.
“What the fuck?” Army roared, taking a step in Allie’s direction.
Without thought, he jumped between the two, facing Army. The heat of her hand at his lower back calmed him. In public, around people who didn’t know about them, she found ways to touch him. He loved it. Right then, he loved it more because he needed her touch. “We’re not gonna do this shit again. Take a breath. She’s fuckin’ shaking and scared. Do not fuckin’ make her lose it.” He had to say it, knew it was bound to piss Army off more, but he couldn’t handle watching Allie break down now. He’d want to hold her, and then and there, he couldn’t.
Army took a deep breath. Only then did he move away. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this, Allie?”
She blinked, and two thick tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry…”
His heart clenching, his whole body ached, wanting so desperately to pull her against him and comfort her like she deserved.
She wiped the tears quickly. “Ty, it was meaningless. I mean the note was on a scrap piece of paper and said, ‘I’m watching.’ I didn’t…” She shook her head. “No, I knew. I guess I didn’t want to believe it.”
Army grasped her around the back of her neck and tugged her against him, rubbing his hand against her back. “Should’ve told me. Should’ve fuckin’ told me this shit when it happened.” After a brief moment of silence, he said, “Need to move you into the compound.”
Fuck. Army was right. It was the right thing to do. Nothing was more important than her safety, but it’d suck, big.
She drew away from Army. “No, I’m not going to let him rule my life, Ty. I can’t—”
“Sleep on it, Allie,” Army said, firmly. “You’ll see it’s the right thing to do.”
“I have a lease and—”
“I’ll get you out of the lease. I’ll move your shit, too, like I did the first time.”
“But—”
“Alyssa, don’t fuckin’ fight me. Not on this. I’m pissed as fuckin’ hell with you. You didn’t tell me any of this. Means now we’re on defense. Don’t like being on defense, especially not when it comes to you. You’re moving in if I got to carry you kicking and screaming.” Army shook his head. “Sleep on it, and tomorrow you’ll realize I’m right.”
Turning to him, Army instructed, “Take her home.”
He did.