Page 8 of Stella
I’m making her think she has no choice but to follow me. I know if I leave it up to her, she won’t get it fixed, and then she’ll get another ticket for driving a potentially unroadworthy vehicle.
She nods. “Okay.”
“So you feel okay to drive?”
Her shoulders are heavy when she hugs herself. “I guess.”
I get back in the car, giving Calli a pet because I left her in the truck with the air on. She practically gives me a side-eye as I shrug.
“Sorry, sweet girl, but she was having a freak out and taking her to Tag’s was the right thing to do.”
She whimpers.
“I know. Tag isn’t my favorite person, either.”
Tag is the club’s Sergeant at Arms, and probably the grumpiest man on the planet. He certifiably hates me. I wasn’t kidding when I told Amanda she’d get a fair deal. I may not like the guy, but I can’t deny he’s the best in the business. It also gives me an excuse to snoop around. Then my heart jolts when I think of the real reason I like stopping by from time to time; Stella.
I still can’t believe she’s the daughter of the club’s Enforcer. I don’t know how that man produced such a stunning daughter, and when I say stunning, I mean it.
Stella is beautiful in the extreme. The type of woman that stops you in your tracks, as well as any other red-blooded male in the vicinity. She has that way about her. If it’s not her easy laugh, it’s her kindness, and that little bit of sass she gives back as if she knows she’s being a brat. Her warm, hazel eyes draw you in, and that long, black mane of hair that hangs half-way down her back makes me want to wrap my hands in it and tug.Fuck.And I’m once again fantasizing about a woman I can’t have.
Stella’s only just turned twenty-one, she’s far too young for me, plus, the family dynamics aren’t exactly what you’d call cozy.
How her father lets her hang around the club is anyone’s guess. If I had a daughter, the MC clubhouse is the last place she’d be. While I can’t say I’ve got a hundred percent pure intentions when it comes to Stella, I’m not going to act on them. And she can trust me. Noticing how beautiful she is isn’t a crime, the last time I checked.
The fact she’s a siren and a tomboy is kinda sweet. She loves motorcycles and fixing cars. Not something you’d honestly picture if you laid eyes on her and had no idea who she was. But that’s Stella for you; always surprising you, especially when you least expect it.
Because we’re downtown and not far from the workshop, it only takes about ten minutes to get there. I don’t notice Stella’s custom Softail Harley in the lot as we pull in. Nor do I cast my mind back the last few times I’ve seen her, both of which were at the clubhouse when she greeted me, and then her father and Tag swiftly blocked me from entering when we had a complaint about noise and I went to investigate. I get that they’re protective, hell, I don’t even blame them for that. Stella is precious and she should be protected at all costs, but I’m not going to hurt her. I’d never hurt her. And for them to act like I’d do something like that is an insult. I’m bad in their eyes, and I’ll never be able to prove otherwise, not that I want to.
The NOLA Rebels will get what’s coming to them one way or the other. Motorcycle clubs always do, even the ones who aren’t outlaws. I dig that they have regular jobs, and admittedly, do a lot for the community with charity work, but I know they still hide bodies and cover shit up when it suits them. Those ‘bodies’ may have been very bad people, but it’s not up to them to deliver hard-core justice and get away with it. It’s not up to any civilian to do our job, and nobody is gonna convince me otherwise.
Amanda pulls in next to me and I motion to the door as Calli hops out to stretch her legs. “Let’s go inside, are you still feeling okay?”
She nods. She was shaken up after the whole fire hydrant episode, and maybe she shouldn’t be driving.
“If you like, I can drive you home, and you could pick up your car later, or your boyfriend could,” I add.
She looks up at me gratefully. “You’d do that?”
I should’ve noticed that her hands were shaking. “Yes, of course. If you’re too shaken up, then getting across town in traffic probably won’t be the best course of action.”
“Thanks…” she glances down at my badge. “Detective?”
I shrug. “Still a cop, let’s keep moving.”
The second we enter, the smell of oil and grease permeates my senses. There’s a buzz of activity. I see Hawk first, he’s the club’s Road Captain and works on the motorcycle part of the business. Tag is yelling at someone, no surprise there, and as I glance to my right, Stella is wiping her hands on a rag and she steals my breath. She’s wearing dirty coveralls that zip up the front. I’m not even kidding when my dick stands to attention.Holy fuck, no.
I’ve seen her here plenty of times, but not wearing those. Her long, onyx hair is tied up in a high ponytail, and she’s laughing at whatever Tag is yelling. It’s not directed at her, so maybe that’s why she’s laughing so hard. Then she turns and sees me, our eyes meet, and her hands immediately fly up to her ponytail as she fixes it. Continuing to wipe her hands, she walks towards us.
“Hey, Cale!” Yes, she’s the only one in the MC who calls me by my real name instead of Callaghan. It’s sweet coming from her lips… lips I should not be thinking about. Even dressed in coveralls, she’s a fucking sight for sore eyes. Her makeup, not that she needs any, is flawless. Her deep plum-colored lips are glossy, and her hot pink nail polish matches her eyeshadow.She’s like something out of a wet dream, only she’s standing right in front of me and I have my mouth open.
I clear my throat. “Uh, hey, Stella.” I gesture towards Amanda. I notice that the second her eyes land on the woman standing next to me, they narrow. A flash of annoyance touches her eyes, and that furrowed brow. Woah. Wait.Is she jealous?
Does she think this is my girlfriend? Jesus, this chick is way too young for me, and not my type, plus she has a boyfriend.
“This is Amanda, she was just in a minor traffic accident a few blocks away, and we need a quote to get her bumper fixed,” I say calmly.
Stella, just noticing my dog as she whimpers, regains her sunny disposition as she smiles wildly. “Please, could I?” She gestures to Calli. “I know she’s working, but?—”
