Page 32 of Break Away (Riot MC Next Generation #2)

Chapter nineteen

We Don't Do Drama

Alexandra

Rafferty and I had a great time at On a Lark Bar and Grille, but after we got home, every so often I’d catch a whiff of the smoke in my hair from being in the bar, so a shower was a must. Rafferty was at one with my plan, and made the most of demonstrating how much fun shower sex could be.

Afterward, we got dressed for bed - pajamas for me, boxer briefs for Raff.

Rafferty stood watching me pull on my sleep shorts. “Is there a reason Lark makes you uncomfortable?”

I let my head tilt side to side ever so slowly. “I don’t know if I’d put it like that—”

“Lex.”

“I guess for the same reasons Ryan got so mad about that woman. He didn’t say it outright, but he must think she’s been involved with Lark.”

Rafferty narrowed an eye at me. “You don't know that.”

“You're right. I suppose it’s how he doesn’t mind so much attention from young women… Much younger women.”

He dragged his fingers down the sides of his mustache and down his chin. “Mickayla said he doesn’t act on it, though. That doesn’t reassure you?”

I shrugged. “Not sure that matters. It isn’t my business, is it?”

“True.”

“But it doesn’t mean I can’t be a little weirded-out.”

He came closer to me. “Fine. I take it you aren’t going to brunch, then.”

I shook my head. “I knew I forgot to tell you something. I ran into Mickayla in the bathroom before we left. She asked about brunch. Seems Mom and Dad are going, so she already texted them, and they’re my ride.”

He didn’t quite frown, but he stayed very quiet.

“You seem annoyed.”

He shook his head. “No. Not annoyed. Just realizing some things about my dad.”

I shot him some side-eye. “Care to elaborate?”

A patient grin spread on his face. “I used to think he was too accommodating of Mom and her crazy ways.”

I turned my face to the side at the word ‘accommodating.’

He continued. “Now I’m seeing you and the other women are a separate force to be reckoned with.”

I arched a brow at him. “That sounds almost complimentary.”

“I’m not being critical of you… I’m recognizing I was too hard on Dad. I expected you to be around here tomorrow, but Mickayla found a way to get you out there. I see I’m gonna have to adjust to that sort of thing.”

“Okay. Or, more likely, you and I will get more in tune with one another, and I’ll know you’d prefer me to be here.”

He shook his head. “No, it isn’t that. I can see that Lark makes you uncomfortable. Figured that would keep you home, but I’m guessing your Mom will make for a great buffer.”

I nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Is it wrong that I really want that girl to show up during brunch?”

His hands went to my hips and he pulled me to him. “We don’t do drama in this house, babe.”

I grinned. “Wouldn’t be me doing the drama, Raff.”

“Let’s hit the hay. It’s been a long-ass day.”

I put my hand on my forehead. “Oh, that reminds me! I know I agreed to stay here until the semester started again, but something slipped my mind.”

“What would that be?”

I pressed my lips together. “Text books. One of them can’t be ordered online. So, I need to get to the campus bookstore on Friday or Saturday because they’re only open until noon on Saturday and closed on Sunday.”

One of his hands on my back drew a spiral pattern. “Can’t you get by without it the first day?”

A rueful chuckle bubbled out of me. “You’d think that, but this professor hits the ground running no matter what. People a year ahead of me told me that having the book and the companion workbook are a must on day one. No mercy for anybody.”

His lips twisted to the side, his body stilled, and he was so silent, I wondered if he was angry.

“If you can’t take me, I’ll have Mom—”

He gave me a quick squeeze. “No, I’ll let Blood know what’s up. My luck, I’ll have to hang back and Beast or Tundra will take you back instead.”

I fought against a frown. “I hope not. The ride back is much better with you.”

He lowered his head and kissed me. His tongue teased mine enough to get his point across, but not enough to start anything. “That’s good to know, baby. Let’s get to bed.”

At nine-thirty, I opened Rafferty’s front door to Mom coming up the walk with Auntie Natasha.

Mom wore a pair of jeans with a fitted, aqua t-shirt sporting the logo for one of her favorite bands.

Auntie Natasha looked like she was going to a brunch downtown, not at a neighborhood bar and grille slash biker bar.

She wore black dress pants with a caramel brown short-sleeved blouse that brought out the flecks of gold in her deep brown eyes, but also accentuated her umber skin.

Her dark wavy hair was pulled back with a headband in a stylish ‘do.

While they proceeded toward the house, it struck me strange that Dad was missing.

On auto-pilot I asked, “Where’s Dad?”

Auntie Natasha aimed a supremely disgusted face at Mom.

A matching attitude laced her tone, but it was so over the top, I knew she didn’t mean anything with the attitude.

“Do you hear this daughter of yours? ‘Where’s Dad?’ I haven’t seen her since the holidays, and she asks where Cal is. Are you sure you raised her right?”

Auntie Natasha was my godmother, and I grew up going to her house when Mom and I weren’t at the Riot MC clubhouse, since Natasha’s family lived about three miles away. Her sons, Nate and Derek, were like my big brothers since they were seven and five years older than me, respectively.

I padded out onto the front porch in my socks and lounge wear. “I’m sorry, Auntie Tasha. It surprised me Dad isn’t leading you two up the walk.”

I gave Natasha a hug.

From beside us, Mom said, “Your dad had to go to the clubhouse. He’s meeting us at brunch.”

I nodded. “Come on in. I can give you the tour, Auntie Tasha - Mom already saw the place yesterday.”

She waved a hand at me. “Nope. No need. This isn’t exactly your home yet. You move here permanently and put your mark on it, then I’ll get a tour. Go get dressed. I’ve got a mimosa calling my name and some waffles to judge.”

“You’re judging the waffles?” I asked.

Auntie Natasha aimed a stern look at me. “Girl, he wants honest opinions about his food. When it comes to food, I’m nothing but honest. I’m just hoping I don’t have to be scathing.” Her eyes traveled quickly up and down my frame. “Get dressed, girlie.”

I beamed at her. “In case I don’t mention it, I’ve missed you! You aren’t going to be scathing today.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, I set the alarm and locked up Rafferty’s house. We loaded into Mom’s Toyota.

Once we were moving toward I-10, I realized something was off. “Did Dad ride to the clubhouse or did you drop him off?” I asked.

Mom caught my gaze in the rear view mirror. “I dropped him at the clubhouse, then picked up Natasha. Why do you ask?”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. How’s he getting to On a Lark if he doesn’t have his bike?”

From the passenger seat, Natasha looked over her shoulder at me. “Derek’s picking him up and having brunch, too. Then Derek can take me home.”

“Really? Derek’s gonna be there? I haven’t seen him since—”

“Since the holidays when you came over for New Year’s Eve. You gotta stop being so scarce, Alexandra.”

“You’re right. And who knows, by next January, I might be finishing my degree at JU.”

Natasha twisted in her seat. “What? Did your mother’s head explode? You aren’t going to get your degree from UF? No orange and blue?” She stared at Mom for a beat. “Stop the car, I gotta check the skies for flying pigs or bovines.”

Mom gave a quiet growl and shook her head. “Cows aren’t gonna fly - and neither are pigs.”

I laughed. It was hard to say who had a greater flair for the dramatic, Mom or Auntie Natasha.

“What brought this on?” Auntie Natasha asked.

I caught Mom’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

She shook her head. “It’s yours to tell, Alexandra.”

After a deep breath, I told Natasha about everything that had happened since last Sunday.

As I went on, Natasha’s eyes went wider and wider.

When I finished, she said, “All that happened in a week ?”

I glanced out the window. “Yeah. I guess so. Seems like it’s been longer than that.”

Natasha pointed her finger at me. “Girlie, we’re gonna get this handled.”

“What are you talking about? You can’t—”

“Nate works as a police officer now.”

Mom glanced at Natasha. “You should hold off on that. At least let me tell Cal what you want to do.”

Natasha aimed a skeptical look at Mom. “Those brothers of his gonna handle it? Don’t seem like it’s very well-handled so far.”

“I’m just saying, Nate may be assigned to something else,” Mom said.

“That might be true but he can put in a word or something.”

I leaned forward. “I appreciate that, but Beast, Tundra, and Rafferty have it handled.”

That got me a full dose of side-eye. “You keep saying that, but you got a good head on your shoulders. The idea your roommate was pulling an illegal side hustle and you completely missed it? No, I do not see you missing those signs.”

I sighed, looked out the car window, and watched the trees going by as Mom drove along US 90. “To be fair, I swore Ines was set up, but from everything the brothers tell me, I really did miss the signs.”

Mom made a tsk sound. “From what your father says, Ines was good at leaving no signs, so don’t beat yourself up.”

“Easier said than done.”

Natasha shook her head. “But to find money in your bedposts? That’s crazy. I bet it was that boy Brantley. If you were still with Porter, I’d have suspected him from the jump.”

“I didn’t know you didn’t like him,” I said.

Natasha looked over her shoulder at me. “I didn’t trust him. Whether I like him is irrelevant because whether you like him matters most. Him being suspicious is a different story.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Mom asked.

Natasha chuckled. “You’d have told her. Or worse, you’d have tried not to tell her, which would make it seem like you didn’t like him.”