Page 15 of No Mercy

I grinned, recalling how had Allie loved the rain, how she’d loved to fuck during the worst of it as if the excitement of Mother Nature’s wrath had awakened a fierce need inside of her. She’d been wild and insatiable, demanding my balls as much as my dick.

It was growing darker by the minute. Sam was running his small hands over my bike, checking everything out with a concentration that caused a little frown to form between his eyes. I knew that he wanted to go for a ride, but until I got him a brain bucket that wasn’t going to happen. “You really like my bike, huh?”

“It’s awesome!” He touched the Phantom Riders MC logo that was painted on the gas tank. “This looks like the same picture you have on the back of your vest.”

During lunch I’d told Sam a little bit about what it was like to belong to a motorcycle club, when we’d played twenty-twenty. I ruffled his hair and stood away from my bike. “It’s called a cut, kid.” I indicated the vest he’d referred to. “This is our club logo.”

“Will I get a cut?” he asked with wide eyes.

I could just imagine Allie’s response to that. “Maybe some day, but you have to earn it first.”

“What would I have to do?” His eager tone indicated that he was willing to do whatever it took, and now.

I could understand and relate to his eagerness, it had taken me almost three years before I’d finally earned my place in the club. It had been a year longer than most, because I’d lost some time in jail for selling stolen car parts. I’d been young and stupid, having lived on the streets since the age of fourteen after running away from home, and I’d done a lot of stupid juvenile shit just to survive. I couldn’t say that I’d graduated once I’d been accepted into the club, but belonging to something, having a family, meant everything.

I stared at Sam as he checked out the instrument cluster, aware that he was waiting for a reply. There was no way in hell I was going to give details to an almost seven year old on the kind of shit he’d have to do to earn his way to becoming a member in Phantom Riders. “When you’re a little older I’ll tell you, okay?”

“Sure.” He nodded. “Were you serious about us moving in with you?”

“Sure.” I’d inherited from my grandparents an old, two-story farm house that had been built in the twenties. It had taken a small fortune to renovate it and update it with all the modern amenities it hadn’t had, including an indoor bathroom. With five bedrooms there was plenty of room for Sam and Allie. “I have a big house. You can pick which bedroom you want.”

“Cool!”

I felt the first drops of rain. “I think we’d better go inside now.” With a hand on his shoulder I turned him gently and guided him toward the door. “You hungry yet?”

“Yeah, I could eat, mom said there was left-over pizza. She makes it really good with extra cheese and pepperoni,” he said, as if trying to convince me that it was good. “Do you like pizza?”

“Sounds good, kid.” I closed the door behind us. Sam veered off toward the living room and I turned toward the small kitchen.

By the time I had warmed up the pizza and served Sam it was dark and stormy outside. I tried to control my anger over Allie’s absence. What kind of a fucking lunch date lasted into the dinner hour? I thought about texting her, but decided against it. Part of me was relieved that she wasn’t one of those mothers who called every five minutes when they were away from their children. It also showed me that she trusted me enough to take care of Sam.

I went to the front door and closed it when the rain began blowing in through the screen. An hour later the storm let up enough for Sam to grab a quick shower, an hour after that I was tucking him into bed. He’d said that he wasn’t tired, yet he couldn’t stop yawning while we’d been watchingTarzan. I checked him shortly after putting him to bed and he was sound asleep, in spite of the renewed storm outside.

I watched him for a moment, my heart swelling with fucking pride over how good my boy was. Allie had done a good job with him.

I’d have to remind myself of that when she finally got her ass home.

Chapter 9

Allie

It was raining cats and dogs by the time I made it home, and it was late. I knew Rock would probably be furious, but I didn’t care. He couldn’t just come into my life again and expect me to be happy with his demands. We had a life there and moving again hadn’t been on my radar, especially now that Sam was in school. Life in Cedar Key was quiet and the perfect place to raise a child.

I sighed heavily, thinking about the last seven years, and wondering how it would have been had I been patient and not moved away. People did stupid things when they were angry and hurt, and when Rock hadn’t made contact after our fight I’d been blind with both. I could only blame my rash and stupid decision to leave without at least notifying him on my inexperience in life at the time, because I knew if it were to happen today there would have been a totally different outcome. Now he just expected us to go back to Maine with him.

I didn’t want to delve too deeply into why I wasn’t fighting him harder about going.

My lunch with Tom hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped. The quiet, easy-going man that I’d been seeing on and off for the last few weeks had taken the news of my leaving confused and dejected. He’d thought that our relationship had been going somewhere, and he’d had every right to think that way. I hadn’t misled him, but I hadn’t exactly been honest with him, either. I should have made it clear to him that he would never be anything more to me than a good friend. I’d never seen Tom angry, but he’d been that and more during our conversation. I’d felt so guilty that I’d spent the entire afternoon with him, trying to make him understand why I had to go, while he’d tried to convince me that I had to stay.

In the end I’d turned and walked away from a good man, but not before promising him that we’d keep in touch, reminding him that anything could happen. After Tom and I parted ways I’d decided to head to the Krab Shack to tell my boss that I wouldn’t be back. He wasn’t too happy over my lack of notice, but I knew there was a waiting list of waitresses who wanted a job. Jenny was working a shift at the time and she took a break so that we could talk.

“You know you could probably fight this,” she said after I’d told her that I was leaving with Rock. “You’re not married. He can’t just expect you to bow to his will.”

I laughed at that. Jenny didn’t know Rock. “Maybe not, but he is Sam’s dad and he has certain rights.” We were sitting out back at a picnic table where the staff came for their breaks. A privacy fence prevented the customers from seeing us. “It’d be easier to just give in and go with him.”

Jenny’s gaze narrowed on me. “What aren’t you telling me, Allie?” She reached across the table and took my hand. “I can tell that you’re hiding something.”

There was so much about my situation with Rock that I’d never told Jenny. She was my best friend, and would be hurt if I told her now. We’d already promised each other that we would stay in touch, and visit when we could. Of course, we both knew that staying in touch meant texting and the occasional phone call. Visits would be nearly impossible, especially for Jenny and her large family. And I couldn’t imagine she’d be able to get away without her kids.

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