Page 9

Abby

It’s nearly eleven when Nicole walks in with two cups of coffee and a box of donuts from the bakery.

“Oh… it’s a donut day! What’s the occasion?”

A wide, friendly smile lifts her cheeks. “I forgot your birthday yesterday, so I figured you deserved a ‘please forgive me’ treat!” She hands me a cup and sets the box on the counter. “How was your night? Do anything fun?”

“I had dinner with Maci last night. You hear from her this morning? I tried texting, but she hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”

“No. We don’t really text, though. She’s a little high-strung for me.” Nicole laughs and pulls a donut from the box. “I say that, but I spent all morning researching bow and arrows.”

“You want to be a hunter?”

“I want to shoot arrows.”

“At what?”

“Targets,” she laughs. “I don’t know… just sounds fun. I need to mix things up, ya know? I mean, I’m twenty-seven this year, and what do I have to show for it?”

I glance around the shop she opened not that long ago. “You own this record store. I mean, that’s a pretty big one.”

She shrugs. “It’s cool, but I don’t know. Lately… I want to do something wilder, like have sex hanging off a mountain side, or I don’t know, something that doesn’t involve being in bed by eight o’clock and teaching my cat how to sit.”

“Your cat can sit?”

“Yeah. He can lay too.”

My brows narrow. “I didn’t realize you could teach tricks to cats.”

“They’re really smart, but you have to work on their timetable. Mr. Mellow doesn’t have the best attention span. Anyway,” she huffs, “what else did you do last night?”

I want to tell her about Maci’s disappearance, but I can’t cause alarm, so I divert the story to the one about my night with Hank.

“Oh nothing… I just hunk out with this biker guy I know.” The words come out in a sing-song pattern.

“The biker? Your brother’s best friend… the biker ? Did you… oh God, this is exactly the type of excitement I’m talking about. A big, rough, bad boy who’s desperate to teach me a lesson.” She moans as she bites into her donut. “Yes. That’s what I need. Where do I get one?”

“Still having trouble with Aaron?” Her boyfriend is a complete idiot. I still don’t understand why they’re together.

She rolls her eyes and takes a sip of coffee.

“I don’t know what his deal is. He’s totally distracted by his phone twenty-four hours a day, and when I try to initiate any type of love at all, he acts preoccupied and weird.

Then, when I say I’m going to leave, he all the sudden acts like the best guy ever for a month.

I’m completely confused about who he is and what he wants.

It sucks because he was great at first, and part of me wonders if maybe he’s just going through something, but I don’t know any more what he wants. ”

“What do you want?”

She sighs. “I want to not think about dating ever again. I want a big, giant man to show me a good time. We can leave it at that. One night of fun. Maybe two.”

“Maybe I know a guy.” I grin, thinking about Ghost and the chakra healing he’s in need of.

Hey, maybe I’m the new clubhouse matchmaker. Lord, no wonder Duke is always mad at me.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I know some biker dudes, but they’re all kind of weird. I don’t know if I’d even be messing with Hank if I hadn’t known him forever, but now that I am, I don’t know how I’m going to stop. He’s addicting.”

“Addicting how?” Nicole presses. “Like… he’s really good at his job?”

“Yeah.” I wipe my hands on a towel and grab a stack of records off the inventory shelf behind me, talking as I work. “He’s so good with his hands. Like, all that practice loosening up bolts was good for him… ya know what I mean?”

She grins and narrows her brows. “Why do you think I wouldn’t want a man like that? These other bikers, they good with bolts too?”

I laugh. “I imagine. I met one last night, but I don’t know him very well. I can get more info for you, though. Hank and I are going to lunch today.”

“Come back with pictures and a full work up,” she says with a laugh. “Not that any one of those guys would be interested in me. I mean, I spend all my time running this business, playing with my cat, and shuffling tarot cards. Which reminds me, you’re due for a reading.”

My stomach tightens at the thought of the tarot cards knowing the future for the first time ever. Usually, I love the things. It’s fun to ask silly questions and get silly responses. Now though, everything feels so real.

“Yeah.” I swallow hard and walk toward the counter where she’s shuffling. I’m not sure there’s another boss on Earth as great as Nicole. I mean, who else’s employer gives them complimentary tarot readings over coffee and donuts?

“Okay.” Nicole smiles gently, showing off her gorgeously bright smile. The girl is beautiful, and I know she’d be a great catch to so many people in town. I can’t figure out why she hasn’t had her pick of whomever she wanted. “What’s the question today?”

“Umm… give me a second.” I mull over the hundred questions rattling through my mind. She’s looking for a yes or no type of thing, nothing complex. I can’t ask if we’ll find Maci, or if the guys who took her are still nearby. I have to ask something light. “Okay… will Hank and I end up together?”

Not exactly light, girl.

She giggles and shuffles through the cards as the music playing over the speakers shuffles to the next song.

We try to play local artists as much as possible.

There’s so much talent up here, but every now then we’ll play a record that’s more mainstream.

Right now, Morgan Waylon is playing. I haven’t listened to the whole record yet, but so far it’s not too bad.

“Okay… will you and Hank end up together?” She lands the cards out flat on the counter, flipping them over one at a time.

The Fool, the High Priestess, and the Tower.

“Hmm… they’re all facing you, which means good things, but the last card, the Tower, says that you’ll see some chaos,” she grins, “which is kind of fitting, all things considered.”

The doorbell over the front door rings and a man steps inside as though the tarot has sent an omen of chaos straight through the universe. It’s my brother, and he doesn’t look happy, though what else is new?

I consider calling Hank, but it’s quarter to twelve and he should be walking in any minute. I can handle fifteen minutes of Duke, right?

Nicole nods toward me, picks up her cards, and heads toward her back office, leaving my brother and I at the front of the store. God, this is embarrassing, and I’m really dreading whatever this is about to be.

“What’s up?” I swallow hard, holding the coffee cup in my hand for warmth and comfort.

He glances down at the ground and up again. “We haven’t talked in almost a year.”

My eyes widen. “Because you’re insane. Anything else?”

“I’m insane, but Hank isn’t?” He laughs. “You don’t even know the kind of shit that dude has done.”

I probably don’t, and I don’t want to either.

“Hank is helping me.”

“I’d have helped you, if you called.”

“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t call. I didn’t think you’d be interested. Besides, last night you sounded against the whole thing.”

“What’s going on with you and Hank? I know the noises I heard last night weren’t cards.”

I shrug, my stomach tied in knots. I know my brother. I know who he’s become. He’s not the guy I thought he was. He’s different. Rougher and more judgmental. “We were watching a movie while we played cards. Maybe you heard that.”

His jaw clenches tight. “Why are you lying to me? You really think I’m that dumb?”

“Dumb? No one said you were dumb. Are you okay? You’re acting so weird.

Please tell me you haven’t gotten yourself messed up in something crazy.

You’ve got the ranch, this biker thing, and the whole killing people for money schtick.

You can’t be messing around with the law too.

What would Dad think? You used to care what he thought about you. ”

He narrows his brows, and his eyebrow twitches. “Dad would’ve wanted justice.”

“No, Dad would’ve wanted you to be happy and safe. He would’ve wanted us to be a family. You’re stuck, Duke. Let me help you!”

“Everything okay?” Hank steps into the shop and glances toward me then toward Duke, he hasn’t said anything, but he’s expecting the worst. I can sense it in his shoulders.

“I don’t know, man. Is everything okay? ” We both know what my brother means by the inflection, though neither of us cop to it.

“What?” Hank tucks his hand into his pocket. “If you’re talking about the guys who kidnapped Maci, my guys… our guys, found them. They don’t have the girl.”

My stomach twists into a tight knot, and my heart squeezes so hard the air is sucked out of my lungs. “What? What do you mean they don’t have her? Where would she be? She has to be with them. They took her. She left at the same time.”

I grab my phone out of my back pocket and text her again and again.

Me: Where are you?

Me: Pick up!

My brother groans under his breath and shakes his head. “We’re not here for a fuckin’ kidnapping. We’re here to lie low. This isn’t lying low. I want the guys off the bikers, now ! Get your head out of your ass and start fixing those bikes we have piled up in the shop.”

Hank draws in a heavy breath and lets it out slowly before he speaks. “What the hell is your problem, man? You don’t answer your phone, you’re barking out demands, and you’re acting like a lunatic. I thought you wanted to help your sister.”

Duke steps forward, his fists clenched. “You seem to want to help her an awful lot too, don’t you? The two of you locked in a room, making all kinds of noises. Sounded like she was getting all the help she could need.”

“I love him!” I blurt the words out as though they’re going to fix what’s happening. As though the power of love itself would save us all from this argument.

Surprise… the words don’t help. Not one bit. Also, I’m a little embarrassed that I said them. Hank and I only had one night together. We just now confessed our attraction. He never said anything about loving me.

My brother’s face turns dark red and a haze of something dark and sinister waves over him. “I’m sorry… you what?”

“I know it’s not easy to hear,” I shrug and stare at him, “but I love Hank. I’ve loved him for a while now and I know it’s—”

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you.” He steps toward Hank, his fists balled, his jaw locked. “You were fuckin’ her last night, weren’t you? My best friend? Some fuckin’ best friend! She’s twenty-five!”

“Stop!” I step between them, desperate for him to calm down, but he’s on fire. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s… I’m sorry. I can’t… I don’t want to be without him, Duke.”

My brother stops in his tracks and turns toward me with a clenched jaw.

I’m not sure he’s ever looked this scary.

“You have a choice, little sister. You want him in your life, or me? You’ve got twenty-four hours.

” He glances toward Hank. “I expect your stuff out of the clubhouse by morning. I’ll stay away until then.

If I see you again, I’ll fuckin’ kill you. ”

My stomach turns as he steps outside into the warm afternoon sun. Who the hell is that guy? I don’t know him.

Hank leans into my side and holds me close to his chest as Nicole returns to the room.

“Hey, darling, why don’t you take your lunch. I’ll see you in a bit.”

I hate making a scene more than anything in the world. Nicole is the nicest person ever, and she doesn’t need this shit in her shop, but here I am, spreading my weird everywhere I go.

I hate my brother.

“Thanks, babe.” I lean into Nicole and hug her tight before heading out the front door with Hank, desperate to figure all this out for real this time.