“I don’t think he’s safe to be around. I mean, his brother is the president of Exile MC for God’s sake.” We stand as the boat comes to a stop and make our way off. Our hotel is right on the water, so we don’t have far to walk.
“Okay, stay away. Far, far, away. I heard about those boys. They’re dangerous.”
“Tanika is obsessed with the president.”
“Of course she is. Tanika loves dick,” Kat says with an eye roll.
I bump her shoulder slightly because she has Annabelle still in her arms. “Hey, be nice.”
Kat and Tanika have a weird relationship. Kat likes her but thinks she’s not stable. I think we balance each other out.
“I am. I’m nice to Tanika because you love her. No more, no less.”
“I love you more, though,” I say, leaning my head on her other shoulder as we make our way to the room. When we reach the room, we swipe in, and I see my cell ringing on the table. I forgot to take it with me, and when I pick it up, Tanika’s name is flashing on the screen.
“Hey.”
“Ohhh, so now you answer,” she slurs into the phone.
“Tanika…”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t say my name like that. What? You better than me all of a sudden?”
I look over at Kat who lays Annabelle down in her bed. She mouths to me ‘what’s wrong?’ I just shake my head and step out on to the balcony.
“Are you drunk?”
“Of course, I am. Amongst other things,” she whines.
“Why?” Tanika never used to be like this. Granted, she likes to drink, but she didn’t do it often, and I hate to think what ‘other things’ actually means.
“Because my heart is fucking broken and this is the way to fix it,” she screams.
“Tan, put the phone down and go to bed,” I hear.
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, Blaze. He thinks he’s my knight or some shit. But he won’t fuck me anymore, now he found out why I wanted to fuck him so bad.”
None of her words are making any sense, at all.
“Can you pass Blaze the phone, please?”
“What, you want to fuck him too?” she snipes, and then she disappears, and I hear her speaking, “My friend, Rochelle, wants to fuck you. Tell her no.”
“Hey.”
“Blaze,” I say his name, but he doesn’t speak. “What’s wrong with her?”
“If you were around, you’d know.” Then he hangs up on me. I look at it, not knowing what he’s talking about. Tanika and I always share everything, granted the last month or two maybe not so much, but still.
“What’s going on?” Kat asks, coming out from behind me and hugging her arms around my waist.
I shrug. “It’s Tan. I don’t really know. Can’t make heads or tails out of that phone call.”
She sighs. “I told you. It’s always something.” Then Kat walks away.
I try calling Tanika back, again and again.
Finally, it’s picked up.
“Pretty girl.”
I gasp and look back at the phone to check the number I called. “Where is she?”
“Blaze handed me the phone and said I need to take this call. Wasn’t going to until I saw your pretty face all over the screen…” He pauses, his breathing is heavy into the phone. “I’ve been thinking about your sweet cunt squeezing my cock. Have you, pretty girl? Want a repeat? I’ll drive to you.”
Butterflies take flight in my stomach. He knows where I am, as I told him, which is just over an hour away from home.
“No.”
“You don’t sound so sure. I can be quick. I need a taste.”
“Find someone else,” I tell him, just then a girl giggles into the phone.
“I have someone else on my lap right now, pretty girl, but it’s you I want.”
“Where is Tanika?”
“My brother put her to bed. Seems he has to do that a lot lately. You should pay closer attention to your friend. She’s screaming for help, and this isn’t the place she should be looking.”
“Where should she be looking?” I ask.
“Anywhere but here.” My hand grips the railing. “My offer stands, I can be with you soon, just say the word.”
“Is she okay?”
“Is that your word?” I stay silent. “Yes, my brother looks after her. God only knows why.”
“Thank you.” I end the call, and when I turn around, Kat’s standing in the doorway.
“Do you need to go?”
“Tomorrow. I’ll go tomorrow.”
Kat only nods as we head back inside and climb into bed.
Chapter Eleven
Rochelle
I head straight for the clubhouse. It’s quiet when I pull up, but the large gates open for me. I feel out of place, like I shouldn’t be here, but I need to talk to her.
Why didn’t she tell me anything last weekend when we were together? Knocking on the barn door behind the bar area, I wait. No one comes, so I knock again, this time harder until I hear footsteps. Eyeing the door, I see the crest that’s similar to the one on Blaze’s back—a tiger with a snake wrapped around it and then coming out of its mouth. A girl with white-blonde hair pulls the door open, and I recognize her as Harper, Snow’s sister. She looks me over and crosses her arms over her chest.
“You can’t be here.”
“You’re here,” I say, raising my eyebrows.
Harper holds up her hands as I cross my arms over my chest.
“I don’t want to fight you, but you really shouldn’t be here. No one is allowed, but the wives and girlfriends. Snow asked that I make you go away.”
“Look, I don’t want trouble, but I am also not leaving until I have Tanika with me.” She looks behind her, and I hear a noise, her name being called. She shuts the door a fraction then looks back at me.
“I’ll see if I can get her. Please, just wait here by the bar and don’t make a sound.” I nod because I really don’t want trouble. I just want to get Tanika, and see what the fuck is going on.
Moving back, I wait and hope she comes soon.
“You are going to be trouble for me, aren’t you?” I turn to see Blaze standing there with a cigarette hanging from his lips. My hands tighten, and I look back to the door then to the floor.
“I came for Tanika, nothing else.”
“Your friend has demons. Big ones.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Blaze pulls the cigarette from his lips, drops it to the floor and steps on it, then looks back up at me with his lips curled.
“Take her, and don’t come back. I don’t want to see you around here again. You’ve been allowed in on the privilege you are with my brother, nothing more.”
“I don’t plan on coming back,” I argue, pushing myself off the stool.
“You think you’re better than me, girl?” He shakes his head. “You may have my brother fooled, but I know better. A girl like you doesn’t fall or care for someone as fucked-up as he is.” As he’s speaking, the door opens and Harper yelps when she sees Blaze, who walks off in a different direction. Tanika rubs her eyes but leans on Harper, so I take her, and we start walking to the car. Opening the door, we both get her in.