Page 16 of Coty

Why? Why did he call me that? Why do I care?

Chapter 8

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Kayla

I’ve managed to avoid Coty for over a week. The first half was easy. Coty was out of town with Jack and his father for five days. True to his word, Coty texted me several times from the road that night and every day. My replies were a sentence or less if I could manage it. Not replying wasn’t an option. Jack needed him. The club needed his help with Harley. He’ll never walk away from his duties for the Vikings.

No one has said where they took Harley. It’s further than I expected with the guys being gone as long as they were. If Jack has told Lily where they went, she’s not sharing the details. As I promised Jack, I stayed with Lily while they were gone.

Once we knew they were almost home, I left Lily with Jack’s mother and disappeared. I knew Coty would show up at my apartment if I went home. He managed to crack the wall I put between us before he had to leave. He’ll want more now. He said as much in his text messages. If I don’t mend the crack, he’ll create a doorway in no time. He’s harder to resist than I let on. Eventually, I’ll cave. Hopefully, it’ll be on my terms and not his.

I have all kinds of nervous energy today. You can only avoid someone for so long, especially when you live in the same small town. My time of running is almost up. I can feel it.

The committee for Ariel’s candlelight vigil this Saturday night is meeting today. Mondays are slow in Willow Creek. Well, it probably is everywhere. This committee isn’t official, but I’ve been a part of it almost every year. This time of year is sad for us. The rain today just adds to the gloominess.

“Hey, Kayla. Good to see you.” Angie greets me the moment I step inside the restaurant.

“It’s good to see you, too.” I happily hug her.

Angie will stop what she’s doing to hug her favorite people. She hugs every Viking Warrior who walks through her doors. She’s one of the few business owners who is a true friend to the club.

“You’re the first to arrive. Follow me.” Angie has two long tables pushed together in the back dining area for us. Silverware and menus are already on the table. “You want a glass of sweet tea while you wait?”

“Absolutely.” She knows me well. I’d never turn down her sweet tea. That’s unheard of.

I look over the lunch specials while I wait. Usually, I’m the last to arrive for just about everything. The last thing I want today is to be stuck with my back toward the door with Coty Michaels lurking around. It’s best to see him coming.

Lily’s the first to arrive. Surprisingly, she’s alone. That’s not possible. There’s no way Jack let her off club property without an escort. I stand and hurry to her.

“Don’t worry, Hendrix is with me, and Jack’s on the way.” She pushes me back to our table after a quick hug.

“What’s going on?” I don’t like the way she keeps looking over her shoulder.

“Nothing,” she whispers, taking the seat next to mine. “Well, maybe. I don’t know.”

“I love you, girl, but you’re going to have to explain better.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” She waves her hand up and down.

Is she telling me to be quiet? I’m not sure. She’s acting really weird. Her behavior has me even more on edge. No message went out to club friends about a possible problem. Coty hasn’t texted an update. Yes, he gives me one every day, even if it’s to say things are fine at the Viking Den. The bell over the door jingles. Hendrix walks in. He walks to the front counter and settles on the stool closest to the back dining room.

“Whew. At least he listened.” She sighs with relief and turns to face me.

“What’s going on? You’re freaking me out.”

“Sorry. I got here early because I was hoping to see you before everyone else arrived.” She pauses while Angie brings her a glass of sweet tea.

“Can I get you ladies anything else while you wait?” Naturally, Angie hugs Lily, too.

“No, ma’am. We’ll wait for the others.” Lily smiles sweetly at her.

I grab Lily’s arm and pull her back to her chair when Angie walks away. “Now. Spill, girl. What happened?”

She leans close, keeping her voice low, even though no one is sitting close enough to hear us. “I don’t know what’s wrong. Everything’s weird at the clubhouse. Things changed after New Year’s Eve. The entire clubhouse is quiet. It’s creepy.”

“Yeah.” I sigh and press my lips together. It happens every year.

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