Lay It Down: Bastards MC Series Boxed Set (40 page)

“Okay. Get me a lease, and I’ll sign it, roomie.”

Rob only gave me a nod, but Cris clapped annoyingly in excitement. “Yay! I’ve been dying to do something to that room for years.”

I rolled my eyes. Cris’s style wasn’t anything close to mine, and I dreaded what it might look like.

“We can go look at paint samples and new furniture today. It’s a huge room once we take out one of the beds, and with the right colors, we can make it look even bigger. The bathroom needs to be completely redone too. Less frat boy and more relaxing day at the spa…” she trailed off, lost in her thoughts.

I glanced at Rocker. “I’ll move my stuff up when we get back.”

“Stay in Matty’s room until after yours is finished.” His tone left no room for arguments. “The guys will be gone before you know it, then you two can make all the changes you want.”

“Guys? They’re still here? I thought they were crashing last night because we got back so late.”

Rocker shook his head. “No. They’re heah for the weekend.” He stood, grabbing his cup. “I’ll get a rental agreement printed today. In the meantime, make yourself at home. Try not to max out that card, Princess.” He walked into the hallway, headed downstairs. “See ya later, roomie!”

Cris held up a credit card and gave me her boxer-dropping smile, the one that I had no doubt could bring any man to his knees. “Let’s go shopping!”

***

The day had been crazy. Cris dragged me from store to store, grabbing samples of paint, looking through special-order catalogs for linens, and taking pictures of furniture with her phone. I was relieved when I realized she was going for a comfortable, coastal cottage chic—a style, she claimed, that was perfect for me. Even more surprising was that she had some great ideas. My favorite was hanging antique shutters on the walls to give the impression of windows. I was excited to start the renovation.

We’d gotten back in late afternoon, and she ran off. I wasn’t sure if she was avoiding Rocker or if she really had somewhere to be, but it seemed like a combination of both. I changed into Matty’s T-shirt and a pair of shorts, called my kids and talked until they had to go, then I flopped on the couch to study.

Rocker strolled in a while later, and after I signed the lease, he declared it a lazy night. He changed into basketball shorts and an old beat-up tee, ordered takeout for us, and settled into the other end of the sofa to watch a movie. It was relaxing and comfortable, and I felt as though we’d been friends for years.

I barely looked up from my textbook when the elevator pinged in arrival, and when I saw Hawk, I assumed he’d come back from wherever he’d been.

“Don’t you think you two should change?” Hawk asked, as if the fact that we were lying around in comfy clothes was a crime. He leaned back against the counter wearing almost the same thing he had on last night: jeans, a gray T-shirt under a flannel, and his Bastards jacket. “They’re gonna be heah any minute.”

Rocker tensed at his words and snapped off the television as he moved his feet from the coffee table to the floor. “I told you to move the fuckin’ thing to Tiny’s.”

Hawk pushed away from the counter, standing to his full height. “You didn’t tell me to move shit, or I would have.”

Rocker swore. “I told Dean to do it and to tell you.”

Hawk looked pissed. “Yeah, well, he didn’t. I just talked to Tiny, and almost everyone is on their way heah.” His eyes moved to mine. “It’s too late to cancel now.”

I cleared my throat. “You don’t have to change your plans just because I’m here. I can go study in my room. It’s no big deal, really.”

Rocker turned to me, agitation evident in his movements. “That’s not it… it’s not yoah kinda pahty, L.K.”

“What kind of party is it?” I was trying not to laugh at their somber looks.

They both answered at the same time.

“A welcome home party,” Hawk informed me.

“A release pahty.” Rob’s eyes searched mine. “Tank was released early at the beginning of the week. Good behaviah or some shit. He got back in town today.”

Oh. As in released from jail. A “welcome back to real life” party. I could only imagine why these two thought it wasn’t my scene, and I didn’t want to stick around to prove them wrong.

I stood, gathering the takeout containers, and offered them both a smile. “Let me grab a drink, then I’ll hide in my room.” I tapped Rob’s knee on the way by. “You should go change.”

The tension between the two was obvious, but they apparently weren’t going to talk until I was out of earshot. I hurried around the counter, opened the fridge, and stacking our leftovers on a shelf before grabbing a bottle of water. I was closing the door when I felt someone come up behind me.

“Joes?” The voice was full of disbelief.

My heart hammered, and I forgot to breathe. I turned slowly, taking in every detail I could. I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and somehow he was even more beautiful than he had been—edgier than I remembered. Even though I’d stared at his picture and memorized every line of his face, now that he was in front of me, I couldn’t look away. Dressed in faded blue jeans that clung to his waist and made his legs look longer than they were and a navy shirt under his leather cut, he was every bit the badass biker I tended to forget he was. His dark hair was shorter than I’d seen it in years, styled in a mess that made me want to grab hold and let him take me for a ride. He hadn’t shaved in a while, and a thick layer of hair ran along the sides of his square jawbone, down his chin, and under his bottom lip. Full black eyebrows wrinkled at me over bright blue eyes as he watched me study him.

“Jesus, you look good.” I felt my eyes widen at my confession, barely resisting the urge to roll them when he chuckled. I seriously had no filter where this man was concerned.

“I was thinking the same thing about you.” He gave me that signature smirk of his before biting his bottom lip as his eyes trailed over me. “What is it with you and my shirts?”

I swallowed, remembering the last time he’d caught me wearing one, and a warmth began to grow deep in my core.

He gave me a smile but couldn’t mask the confusion etched on his face as he stepped closer. “What are you—”

The elevator ping interrupted his question, and the silence that had surrounded us was filled with loud voices and laughter. I glanced to my left, surprised that Rocker and Hawk were still there, watching us cautiously. I’d forgotten all about them as soon as I’d seen Matty. Turning back to him, I was about to explain that I needed to talk to him when my thoughts were interrupted.

“There you are! I waited, but you didn’t come back!” The voice was soft and silky, and as the owner moved in next to Matty, hand resting on his arm, I could see the fake pout.

His eyes never left me, indecision crossing his features as I watched them together, and every insecurity I had flooded forward. My thoughts betrayed me as I wondered if she was the woman who would be keeping his bed warm because I was a stubborn idiot.

I couldn’t meet his eyes, not when it felt like he could see straight through me. Instead I turned my attention to her. Of course she would be a tall, leggy, beautiful blonde who was totally rocking her mini skirt, black halter cut low to show her perfect breasts, and stilettos that I couldn’t even begin to walk in. I suddenly felt extremely underdressed and was very aware of every single ounce I’d gained over the winter.

She caught me staring and gave me a smile that could light up any room. “Hi.” She held out a hand. “I’m—”

“Well, faahk me!” Tiny shoved himself between Matty and Legs, staring at me as he dropped a giant keg on the counter and lifted me into his arms. “It’s about faahking time you came back!”

I smiled at his excitement, hugging him back. At least Tiny was always happy to see me. He let me go but didn’t release me completely, keeping an arm around me as he pulled me from the kitchen to the other side of the island, asking questions about my kids and life in general until Rocker interrupted him.

“L.K., this is Jessie.” Rocker smiled warmly at the blonde without giving an explanation of who she was. “Jess, this is L.K., my roommate.”

I offered her a small smile then gave my full attention to Rob, hoping he’d rescue me from this awkward moment.

As if reading my thoughts, he moved his hand to the small of my back and leaned in close to my ear. “We should go change.”

It was a simple, supportive gesture, and I sighed in relief; it meant the world to me that he was trying help. I could hear men talking behind me and the clink of bottles as they got ready for the party. I knew we needed to get downstairs before anyone else showed up. I glanced at Matty, intending to say good-bye, but the look on his face made my breath catch. The easy-going smile he’d worn earlier was gone, and he was clenching his teeth so tightly that the muscles in his jaw were ticking as he glared at Rocker. I half-expected Rocker to move away; instead he held Matty’s angry stare. For a few uncomfortable minutes, I watched the two of them have a silent conversation.

Finally Hawk broke the silence. “Everyone will be heah before w—”

“He’s right,” Matty interrupted, looking at me. “We’ll have plenty of time to catch up in the morning, L.K.” He practically spit out my new name.

Rob moved then, practically pushing me out of the kitchen and down the stairs before I could hear if anyone responded.

Matty’s never here, my ass.

Chapter 7

Jo

“Where in the hell am I supposed to sleep now?” I seethed at Rocker once we were downstairs. “I can’t stay in Sam’s room either!”

There was no telling how thin the walls were; I knew firsthand just how loud Matty was during sex, and I would not spend the night listening to the two of them. No fucking way. I fought the tears I knew were coming, pissed at myself for insisting Matty move on and heartbroken that he had. I paced the hallway. I needed to leave; there was no way I could face them in the morning. The train didn’t run this late, but maybe Teagan would drive down to get me. She wouldn’t get here for hours though.

I turned back to Rob, desperation filling my voice. “Will you take me home?”

He gave me a sympathetic look but crossed his tree-trunk arms over his thick chest. “You are home, Joey. You signed the lease and wrote me a check earlier. Remember?”

“Well, tear them both up, and we’ll forget all about this shit show!”

“No.”

“No?” I was practically screaming, my voice getting louder with each word, but I didn’t care if they heard me upstairs. “You”—I jammed a finger into his chest above his folded arms—“told me he was never here.
You
told me he’d never had anyone else in that room.”

“Jesus, you two are frustratin’ as hell. Don’t you ever talk?”

“Yes!” I snapped, suddenly pissed off at the world. I had told myself that I would be fine without Matty, repeating it hundreds of times since we’d broken up. But the last few weeks had put a glimmer of hope back in my heart. Even though I’d told him to move on, I had clung to that little sliver, believing that one day we’d find our way back to each other. I was such a moron. I didn’t fight the tears anymore. Instead, I sank to the floor and let them flow.

Shaking his head a time or two, Rob leaned back and watched me cry it out. When the tears had dried, he offered me a hand and pulled me up. Without saying a word, he led the way into his room. It was very similar to Matty’s, with two large windows and a giant marble fireplace. Instead of hardwood though, my feet happily sank into a thick plush rug. The room was practically bare: two rocking chairs sat by the windows and one bedside table flanked the giant bed. It was immaculate—no clothes on the chairs or glasses on the table—and I wondered if Rob was a neat freak. My favorite thing about this room though was that once the door shut, every noise from the rest of the house vanished.

He took one look at my tear-stained face and rolled his eyes. “I have nevah seen two people jump to conclusions like the two of you.” Shaking his head, he gave me an annoyed look. “L.K., you really need to talk to Matt and figure this shit out.”

Rob was right of course, and I knew that Matty and I would have to talk in the morning. I didn’t want my new roommate to be angry with me on our first night though, so I changed the subject. “I’m sorry you’re missing your party.”

“I’m not. It’s not my party, and I told Dean to move it because I’m fuckin’ beat. It’ll go half the fuckin’ night. I’m too old for that shit.”

“Tank won’t be upset?

“Naw. I saw him today. He gets it.” He smirked as if he was trying not to laugh at a private joke. “He won’t be there long anyway. As soon as he see his ol’ lady, he’ll forget the rest of us and go make up for lost time.”

I didn’t know a thing about Tank or why he’d been in jail. This was that line, the one that Matty had drawn a long time ago to separate me from this part of his life. The idea made me sad. “Why was he in jail?”

Deep blue eyes met mine. “Prison, Joey. He was in prison.” I didn’t know there was a difference, and Rob must have seen the confusion on my face. “Prison is jail for big boys.” He smirked. “How can I explain it?” He paused, frowning. “You get bagged doing somethin’ stupid, like driving drunk, and the cops throw you in jail until you can get bailed out or until you go to trial. Prison is serious shit. Think maximum security, convicted killers that would like nothin’ more than to shank you in your sleep or beat you until you ahh bloody if you piss ‘em off or just ‘cause they don’t like the color of your skin, and guahds that don’t really protect you unless they have a monetary reason to do so. Jail’s a fuckin’ joke, L.K. But prison, well, release is somethin’ to celebrate.”