Edge of Ashes (Sons of Ash Motorcycle Club) (9 page)

It’s all true.” I finally reply.

“And I thought I had a tough week.” She
concludes.

What should have taken twenty minutes to
recount took the better part of an hour thanks to her questions. Now I just
have to figure out a plan to stay safe. I’ll have to change the locks in case
whoever broke in found my key hidden under a fake rock near the front door. I
guess it was kind of obvious but I really never worried about someone even
wanting to get into my house in the first place. A quick check of the front
door fails to yield any clues as to how someone could have gotten in. If they
forced their way in there would be damage to the door and lock I guess. That
means they either picked the lock or found the key. A locksmith is due out here
in the morning. While I’m home I’ll make sure to keep the chain on. Jenny
volunteers to keep me company for a few days until I feel safer but I refuse. I
don’t want her to get a target on her back on account of me. It’s bad enough
having my sister here for another couple days. I decide not to tell her about
the intrusion or the doll at work. That would just worry her unnecessarily.

Jenny helps me put my room back together
and when that’s done I start to feel a little normal again. I’ve always been
pretty good about pushing things out of my mind when I don’t want to deal with
them. Jenny sticks around until my sister gets home from work then she leaves
to get a bit to eat and go to her work where she is doing an extra half shift
for a nurse who had to leave due to illness.

As little sis and I sit down to dinner I
finally feel good. She’s in an upbeat mood and it’s infectious. In no time
we’re laughing and joking around like we used to when we were kids. Finally I
am back to happy!

When I finally get around to telling Adam
about the doll bit he reacts as expected; he goes ballistic. I purposefully
told him while I was on shift to minimize the fall out. I asked him to meet me
for lunch but I really could not have eaten a thing. I can only imagine how he
would have reacted had I told him about the DVD. Adam seems to be a sensitive,
kind person, but Adam mad is Adam bad; and it’s not a side to him that I like
seeing. I guess I should be glad he’s mad on my behalf and not mad at me. Of
course that begs the question, what happens when he gets mad at me? That’s
bound to happen at some point. This is a lot of hassle for some guy I don’t
even know I want as my boyfriend. Why can’t I just be satisfied with Mike the
doctor I work with? He and I have worked together for five years now and he is
a well- respected ER physician. He’s stable and would provide a great home
environment for kids one day…if of course I wanted that. For some damn reason I
always end up with the bad boys instead. There’s just something about a man
who’d do more than talk a good game if someone hassled me. Just knowing that
Adam can kick ass is, as much as I hate to admit it, is a huge turn on.

“Why would you even consider some namby-
pamby boy doctor in the first place? Adam asks me after I bring up Doctor Mike
one too many times.

Even though I have basically arrived at the
conclusion that bad boys like Adam are a better fit in my life lately, given
that my life may actually be in danger, I still feel the need to argue in favor
of the support and stability a man like an ER physician can provide.

Adam asks me again. “Why would you even
want anything to do with someone like that doctor guy or any wimpy guy?”

“I don’t know how about, I’ll never get
shot at or be asked to shoot someone while we’re together. That’s kind of a
plus.”

“Yeah how’d that work out for you two when
your ex came calling? I seem to remember you both got your asses kicked and you
only didn’t have to shoot anyone because I came to bail you out.”

“We were doing just fine before you
arrived.”

“Try telling that to Doctor Mike.” Adam
replies. “I believe he’s still got a size 12 boot print on his face.”

“Okay fine, so he got the short end of the
stick; big deal. At least if I got hurt he’d be able to save my life.”

“Not if he’s busy getting his ass whooped
he wouldn’t. Anyway, you need someone who can protect you now and there’s no
one better at that than I am.”

“Oh I don’t know if I’d go that far Adam.
You didn’t prevent Ripper from sneaking in her with a blowup doll and you
certainly couldn’t keep him out of my bedroom!”

The instant I say that last bit about
Ripper being in my bedroom I regret it. I wasn’t going to say it but it just
slipped out in the heat of the argument.

“Wait a second…what was that last part you
said?” He asks. Suddenly his eyes narrow into slits and I can literally hear
his blood beginning to boil.

“I don’t know if it was him Adam. In fact
it probably wasn’t or he’d have let me know; you know, to terrorize me and
all.”

“What the fuck did he do Kari!” Adam asks.

He is getting scary. I know his anger isn’t
really directed at me but since I’m here and ripper isn’t, there’s a little bit
of the kill the messenger mentality going on right now. He is pacing the room
like a caged tiger and it’s not helping me feel any safer.

“Tell me what he did Kari. I need to know
what his thinking is before I confront him.”

“I wasn’t actually in the room with him. In
fact I don’t even know if he is even responsible or not.”

“Kari! Quit your babbling and tell me
what’s going on!”

“Whose babbling?” Asks Doctor Mike, as he
walks into the nurse’s lounge.

Oh no! His timing could not have been
worse.

“Not really your business.” Adam says,
before I can reply.

“Actually it is,” I object, since part of it
happened here at work.”

“Spill it!” Barks Doctor Mike with
surprising authority. I don’t think I’ve ever heard this tone before.

“Fine…you get the abbreviated version. I’m
tired of telling this, so here it is. I think for a second, then take a huge
breath. “Last night I walked into the nurses lounge only to find in effigy a
blow up doll with my name tag on it and even though I was quite shocked it in
no way eclipses my surprise at finding someone has hidden a video camera in my
bedroom and has been secretly recording everything from the view point of my
closet and I am pathetically saddened to report that nothing even remotely
close to romance could have been captured during that lengthy period of time
and while you may be thinking the person responsible for these intrusions is
Adam, I believe the person doing these things is Ripper, the president of
Adam’s club.”

I finish my little monologue with a gasp
for much needed oxygen and wait for Dr. Mike’s reply.

Instead Adam jumps in. “Why would he think
it’d be me?” Adam asks, obviously offended.

“Well you are an outlaw biker…”

“And you’re far too defensive to be
completely innocent.” Dr. Mike comments aloofly.

“You’d better get defensive yourself doc if
you’re gonna be talking like that.” Adam warns.

“Oh I have no problem staying safe here
biker boy.” Doctor Mike says, puffing up his chest. “You’re on my turf now and
I can protect both myself and Kari. I have the full security staff here at my
beck and call and no one gets by here without my leave.”

“Well that explains this then,” Adam
declares. 

He opens up his jacket to reveal a long
nasty looking knife strapped to his hip. As Doctor Mike’s eyes pop out, Adam
pulls back his jacket a little further to reveal a very scary looking handgun.

The doctor actually takes two steps
backwards in shock. “H-how’d y-you g-get that thing in h-here?” He stammers.
“The guards will have searched you.”  

“It’s all about the attitude doc. You walk
in like you own the place and searching you would be akin to starting the next
world war and they tend to leave you alone. And you can bet Ripper’s gonna walk
in here much the same way I did tonight and if anyone thinks they’re man enough
to get in his way he’ll just blow their heads off. Kari needs someone who can
offer her-”

“Oh please,” Doctor Mike interrupts. “You
don’t know the first thing about what women need.  All women need to feel
protected and taken care of. They need a shelter for when they want to nest.
You think everything can be solved with your fist and your size 13 boot but
that’s such a small part of the picture. They need the stability that money can
provide. All women-”

I think I’ve heard enough. “Hello… still in
the room guys. If you’re finished with your little psychoanalysis I really need
to get back to work. I only get an hour for dinner, not the entire shift. Then
I’m going to go home and forget about this business of the blow up doll slash
home invasion. They’re just trying to scare me and it’s not going to work if
you haven’t already noticed.”

“You really shouldn’t be alone,” Adam says.

.”He’s right.” Adds Doctor Mike.

“Fine, why don’t you two come by after work
and you can camp on my front lawn and continue your discussion on what women
need, but if either one of you even knocks on my front door I’m going to call
the cops.”

Having said my piece I spin on my heels and
leave the nurse’s lounge. The last thing I want right now is an over protective
man and now I seem to have two over protective men in my life whether I want
them there or not.

The remainder of my shift flies by and when
I finally walk out I have completely forgotten about my lawn sitting invitation
until I arrive at home to find a Harley Davidson parked in front of my house.
Propped up against the front wheel is some sort of a duffle bag and sprawled
out on the bike is Adam, using a backpack and his handlebars for a pillow.

“Do you have to take me so literally?” I
say as I walk up. “I wasn’t serious when I said you could camp out on my front
lawn.”

“And,” He says, sitting up. “I wasn’t serious
when I said I would be camping on your lawn either.”

“Well great then. I guess you’ll be shoving
off now?”

“Oh no. What I mean is, I won’t be camping
on your front lawn because I’ll be coming inside to do my camping.”

“If he gets to come inside so do I!” Says
Doctor Mike, appearing from out of nowhere.

“No body’s coming in!” I protest.

Adam turns to Dr. Mike. “Now look what
you’ve done! I was about to go inside where I can really protect her and you
come along like some lost puppy and ruin everything.”

I’ve had enough. I hurry inside before
either of them can engage me again. Once I’m inside and they’re out there they
can argue all they want. I sit up for a bit watching CNN and eating a light
snack before deciding to just crash for a while but it’s so damn boring I find
myself nodding off with a half full yogurt cup in my lap. About the third time
my chin hits my chest I get the feeling I’m not alone. I open my eyes, sit up
and spill yogurt down the front of my tank top. Standing in my doorway is
Doctor Mike.

“Sorry,” he says, pointing to my yogurt
mess. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Really?” I reply. “If you don’t want to
scare me half to death then stay out of my room!”

“Here let me get that for you.” He replies
as a towel materializes in his hands.

He walks over to the bed and makes like
he’s going to wipe. I hold out my hands in front of me.

“Not so fast buster! I can do just fine
without your grubby paws on me.”

“Grubby paws?” He asks. He looks at his
hands like they’ve just been bitten or something. “These hands have been called
a lot of things in my day, but never grubby paws!”

“Well keep those gropers away from me.
Unless I’m lying in the ER bleeding to death you don’t have permission to touch
the goods.”

“I’m sorry he says,” offering me my own towel.
“Maybe I can get you something more comfortable to slip into?” He says,
pointing to my ruined top.

“Fine,” I reply. “Turn around, take about
fifteen steps forwards…then shut the door behind you. That’s what you can do
for me.”

His ever present smile fades as he turns to
comply and suddenly I feel bad for the guy. He is trying to help after all and
it seems I could use a protector or two these days.

“You don’t have to go,” I say.

He stops in his tracks and turns back to me.
I pat the bed beside me and smile. He comes over and sits down making sure to
keep his paws in his lap. He does offer me the towel again. This time I take it
and proceed to wipe blueberry yogurt from my top. He really does have a lot to
offer…someone. I’m just not sure I’m the person he should be offering himself
to. He is partially right. A girl does like to be cared for and protected and
such and he being a doctor and all can certainly provide that.

I look into his face and my heart does a little
flutter. He is handsome; no doubt about that. And some day all this insanity
with the biker who wants me terrified or dead will be long past and then I will
need something more from a man that just protection. The question is, can Adam
provide that or is he just the ass kicking protection guy?

The sudden touch of a pair of warm lips on
mine stops my train of thought dead in it’s tracks. My pulse quickens as his
lips part and the tip of his tongue brushes my own lips. How did we get from me
kicking him out to making out in such a short time? I seem to have zero impulse
control these days. I open my mouth to object but he takes it as an invitation
to move in and camp. The second out tongues collide I’m ready for him to lay
out his sleeping bag. Our mouths lock, my heart pounds against his chest. His
hands are everywhere and my skin vibrates beneath his touch. Who needs
protection when you’ve got this? When Doctor Mike reaches for my soiled top I
raise my arms.

“Mike,” I breathe into his ear. “I think-”

And my car alarm goes off! I freeze
mid-sentence. We both sit there on my bed motionless and waiting for it to
stop. I’m just about to give up and go out to turn it off myself when it stops
blaring. I take a deep breath and smile. Bullet dodged. I start to unhook my
bra when a loud crash outside makes us both jump about two feet.