Rafe—
“Thompson is venomous against you, boy. He wants you gone.” Bubba shifts gears on the forklift. “Don’t let him get to you. You’re ten times the man he is.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. Hell, you’ve got better instincts and leadership skills.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Look at the way you’re always keeping on the guys to keep them to task and taking charge. You’d be a better foreman than that asshole any day.”
I wave Bubba forward toward the pallet of boards, and he eases the forklift into place. Once he loads the pallet onto the back of the tractor-trailer, I hand the driver the forms to sign, and he locks the back doors with a clank.
“Thanks, guys.”
We wave him off as he pulls out, the gravel crunching under the big tires.
“So, who was that girl with Sawyer?” I ask.
Bubba grins. “Don’t even think about it, Rafe.” He points toward the house on the hill. “That, son, is the boss’s daughter. Sawyer likes you, but ain’t no way he likes you that much. She’s the definition of off-limits, kiddo, and someone you need to steer clear of.”
I tug my gloves off and shove them in my back pocket, staring at the big white house. “Why haven’t I seen her around before?”
“Heard she was moving back to attend some fancy school.”
“Moved back from where?”
“Hell, I don’t know. What’s with the twenty questions?”
I shrug. “Just curious.”
“Well, don’t be. That girl is nothing but trouble to guys like you and me. She’s way out of our league.”
“Is that school high school or college?”
“College. Same one her daddy attended. Some big deal smarmy place that Ed says cost like eighty grand in tuition.”
“No shit? She must be smart.”
“Don’t think that’s a requirement. I think if Daddy can write a big enough check, they take anyone.”
“I doubt that.”
Bubba shrugs. “Why do you care? Like I said, you need to forget any ideas you’ve got churning in that head of yours about the boss’s daughter.”
Charlie Thompson trudges up with furious eyes pinned on me. I’m guessing he hasn’t gotten over what happened yesterday. A man like him hates being overruled, even if it is by his own boss.
“You. Come with me.” He jabs his finger at my chest, then turns on his heel and strides away.
I exchange a glance with Bubba, yanking my gloves back on.
Bubba makes a deep-throated chuckle. “Have fun.”
“Right.”
I follow and find our foreman standing next to the mound of woodchips and sawdust at the end of one of the sawmills.
“Here.” He holds a shovel out to me. “Clean this up.”
With that, he strides away.
Another shit job. More payback for yesterday. No, it’s more than that. The man has had it out for me since the day I started, and I’ve yet to figure it out. All I can come up with is the motorcycle I ride and the cut I put on when I ride out of here each evening.
Sawyer knows about the club, and he doesn’t give a shit, so I’m not sure why this asshole cares. I haven’t caused a bit of trouble since I started.
I’m halfway through the pile when Bubba trudges behind our foreman, following him to the next saw.
Thompson hands him a shovel. “Get to work.”
Once the foreman leaves, Bubba glares at me. “What’s his problem? I ain’t done nothin’.”
“You were my alibi. He didn’t like it.”
“He’s a fucking asshole.”
We work silently, both lost in our own thoughts.
I stare up at the big white house on the hill and think I catch the girl on an upper small balcony surrounded with intricately carved wood.
The place, with its Victorian architecture, dates from 1890.
There’s even a plaque out on the road proclaiming it, but I don’t give a damn about that.
It’s the girl who has captured my attention.
I can stop thinking about the fright and distaste on her face when we first laid eyes on each other.
Bent over that squad car, my wrists cuffed behind me, I felt something I’ve never felt in all the years I’ve been in the MC.
I felt scorched with shame to have this stranger—this girl—see me like that.
Then the anger took over. She didn’t know a damn thing about me, and yet she stared at me wide-eyed, like I was an animal.
It never bothered me before—what people thought of me.
Until now.
Until this girl looked at me like that with those dark blue eyes that took me completely by surprise. Something shot through me when our gazes locked. Something epic, something like… destiny.