Page 12

Emma

A fter overhearing the guys’ conversation I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I felt like a stupid teenager with a crush hearing that the boy she likes doesn’t like her back. With my pride wounded, I slunk into bed with Max, vowing that I would avoid them at all costs the next day.

Max woke me up at the crack of dawn, I’m feeling decidedly unrested, having tossed and turned all night. Reluctantly, I groggily got out of bed after it became clear my excitable six-year-old doesn’t do lie-ins.

Max wasn’t thrilled about having his Saturday morning breakfast routine changed to silently eating cereal as quickly as possible before the guys woke up, but when I told him that after his bath, we were going to play a special game he perked up. The ‘game’ was mostly hiding in his room, making a fort from blankets, and playing whatever I could think of to keep an active six-year-old boy entertained in just one room. But he soon tired of it and started wanting to go outside.

“Mom, I’m bored can we go watch cartoons?” Max asks me for the tenth time that morning.

Finally, my resolve breaks. By the sounds of it, Jax and Mason left about half an hour ago and I haven’t heard them come back, so that’s something. With any luck, Ty will be as reluctant to see me as I am to see him.

“Alright, fine. But only for a little while,” I concede.

Max lets out a whoop of excitement and races out the door. “No running on the stairs, Max!” I call out after him.

I can hear Ty greeting him downstairs and Max excitedly chattering away before the sounds of his favorite cartoon come floating up the stairs. It seems I’ll have to face Ty after all. Not wanting to do so looking a mess, I quickly head to my room to shower and make myself presentable.

When I come downstairs some ten or so minutes later, Max is sitting on the sofa with Ty eating what appears to be a sandwich and chatting Ty’s ear off in between bites, explaining his cartoon to Ty with gusto. They both look up as I enter the room, Ty has the grace to look a bit sheepish so it would seem they know I overheard them last night. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

“Hi, Mom! Ty made me a PBJ sammich!” Max declares, proudly holding it up in his sticky fingers.

“I can see that, did you say thank you?”

Max nods his head vigorously.

“I hope that’s okay, he said he was hungry…” Ty says awkwardly.

“It’s fine, thank you,” I reply my tone coming out harsher than intended. “Where are Mason and Jax?” I ask, deciding to feign ignorance.

Ty contemplates how to respond for a moment, stroking his jawline in a gesture that is surprisingly sexy and has me feeling flustered. He glances at Max and me before answering.

“They went to speak to someone that Mason thinks might be able to help with… the situation,” he finishes, not needing to explain or wanting to elaborate for Max’s benefit.

“Help how?” I ask.

“The person they’re going to see has a lot of contacts all over, if anyone can find out who’s behind all this, it’s them.”

“If this person is so knowledgeable, why didn’t we go to them straight away?”

Ty again looks uncertain about how truthful he should be. “Mason has a history with her… it’s complicated. He wanted to leave her out of this if he could but well, we’re not making any progress.”

“And you want Max and I out of your hair,” I finish for him.

Ty opens his mouth to protest but I hold up a hand to silence him. “It’s fine,” I say bluntly, turning my attention to my son. “Max sweetie, it’s time to get dressed, Mommy and Ty have to go somewhere so we’re going to take you to Auntie Jessica’s to play with Ben.”

“Yay!” Max cries, happily getting up to go and get ready with the promise of a day playing with his friend and being spoiled by Jess.

“Where are we going?” Ty asks, confused.

I look at him, giving him my best no-nonsense mom stare. “If you think I’m going to sit around here while the guys speak to the one person who might actually be able to help find out who’s after my son then you are sorely mistaken.”

“I’m not sure it’s the best idea for us to…” Ty begins but again I cut him off.

“I don’t care what you think. Max is my son. So, you can take me to this person, or I can call my brother and tell him all about the ‘fun’ his best friends had with his little sister yesterday,” I threaten, though to be honest, I knew I wouldn’t follow through with it if he called my bluff.

Fortunately, I must seem more confident than I feel because Ty sighs and nods. “Fine. Emma Miller, you are a stubborn woman,” he says with grudging respect.

***

As I suspected, Jessica was more than happy to take Max for the day, though she did raise her eyebrows almost to the point of them flying off her face when she saw a different guy with me. Ty didn’t come to the door, instead opting to stay straddling his bike waiting for me. He’d insisted on riding behind me—whether it was because he found my presence intolerable, or the idea of making small talk in the car put him off, I don’t know. Probably both.

“Another friend of yours?” Jessica asks once Max says goodbye to me and runs off inside, her tone jovial yet judgmental.

Although Jess has been a good friend to me these past few years and I don’t know how I would have managed without her help, she has the uncanny ability to make me feel like the world’s worst mother. Perhaps that’s why I decided to do what I do next.

“Sure is. We’re just going for a drive. Thanks again, Jess!” I reply before walking determinedly down the path.

I grab the spare helmet in the trunk of the car and stride over to Ty. “I’m riding on the back with you,” I state as I plonk the helmet on my head.

He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, which perhaps I have. I can feel Jessica’s eyes on me as she watches in shock. “Why? I mean… what about the truck?” he sputters.

“Hey, Jess, we can leave the truck here, right?” I call out, not waiting for her to answer before saying, “Thanks a bunch, you’re the best!” and swinging my leg over the back of the bike. Ty stiffens and I wonder if he’s going to insist I get off. “It will be quicker this way,” I insist.

Luckily, I’m wearing jeans, a sweater, boots, and a leather jacket today, so I’m suitably dressed since this certainly wasn’t my plan when we left the house. Honestly, even I’m not sure why I’ve decided now is the time I’m going to finally go on the back of a bike. I’ve vehemently refused for years to go on Jacobs or anyone else's, being staunchly against them, seeing as they’re so dangerous and the reckless lifestyle that being in the Iron Serpents encourages. Yet for some reason, I feel determined that I want to prove something to Ty by going on the bike, to myself too I suppose. That I am not some weak damsel in distress who needs to be looked after while the men go out and fight my battles for me.

Ty must sense that there’s no point arguing with me since he just shrugs and says, “Alright, but hold on tight, wrap your arms around my waist. Your brother would kill me if anything happened to you.”

I reluctantly press myself closer, doing as instructed, I’m pissed off at the way my body immediately responds to being so close to him. The feel of his warm, hard body as I wrap my arms around him makes me yearn for more, despite the fact that is the last thing I should be feeling right now.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I say screwing my eyes shut and bracing myself.

The bike roars to life and I can feel the immense power between my thighs as Ty pulls away from the house. He is riding carefully but it still feels like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. As we hit the highway, he increases his speed, and I hold on tighter without thinking. The experience is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, yet somehow with Ty’s reassuringly solid presence and skillful command of the bike, I don’t feel afraid.

In fact, as the journey goes on, I feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. We blaze along becoming one with the wind, the trees a blur as we fly past them, nothing but the open road ahead of us. I feel like I finally get it. I’ve never felt more free than I do right now.

Without thinking I let out a cry of sheer joy and adrenaline. Ty chuckles, seeming to enjoy my awed reactions.

All too soon. He’s slowing down as we pull into a suburban neighborhood, not far outside of Oklahoma City. We pull up outside of a simple yet homely-looking red-brick house with a garage and a bright yellow front door. Mason and Jax’s bikes are parked out front.

We dismount and I get off the bike, my legs a little wobbly, “Wow!” I say breathlessly as I remove my helmet.

“Right?” Ty replies with a knowing grin, removing his own helmet.

“Well, shit. I feel bad for telling Jacob off for all these years,” I giggle, feeling almost giddy with adrenaline. “I never believed him when he described it but boy, was he right and then some!”

“That was your first time?” Ty asks, looking stricken.

I can’t help but laugh at his expression, still in a good mood. “Relax, it’s not like you took my virginity, Ty! Of all the things we’ve done together recently, do you really think popping my motorcycle cherry is your biggest concern?” I tease, poking him in the chest.

Ty smiles back at me, looking devastatingly handsome, and without thinking I take a step closer. His eyes darken and the sexual tension rises between us. Just as I think he might be about to grab me and kiss me, something I wouldn’t stop him from doing, despite how bad of an idea it may be, a voice calls out.

“Can I help you?” a woman’s voice interrupts.

Ty jumps away from me as though scalded, looking up to the front door where the voice is coming from. A beautiful woman stands there. She’s so tall she’s almost Amazonian, wearing a white tank and overalls, but there’s nothing masculine about her. She’s all curves with full breasts and a slim waist that tapers out to her hips, she has flaming red hair and cheekbones to die for.

The woman’s face breaks into a radiant smile as Ty turns to face her, “Ty! What a surprise!” she calls out as she walks over to us.

Ty walks over with me awkwardly following behind. As we near her, I notice that she has full lips and bright green eyes that sparkle with mirth.

“Bess! It’s so good to see you,” Ty says embracing the woman fondly.

Oh great. Of course, this is Bess.