VENDETTA: A Bad Boy, Motorcycle Club Romance (26 page)

KEEPING YOU

One

“That son of a bitch,” my best friend Sarah shouted into the phone and I could almost hear her pulling her long blonde hair between her restless fingers. “I can’t believe he dumped you like that. You should have told me sooner, Ellie.”

“I know.” I closed my eyes and willed myself not to let anymore tears escape. I’d already cried enough over that bastard and red eyes weren’t a look I was willing to wear to work. Jeremy Wright was a low-down, scum-sucking cheating piece of garbage and I never wanted to see him again as long as I lived. Except that every time I closed my eyes I saw the cruel little smile he got when he said it was over.

I should have ripped his face off
.

“But I can’t avoid him, Sarah. If I’m not ready for the presentation next week, then I’m not going to get the funding to start working on a new project. That means his team will get the money. The lab. And I’ll get kicked down to archives.”

Jeremy and I were both pharmacology researchers who were developing a new drug. Three years of research and the key was so simple that we’d overlooked it the whole time. The active ingredient was based on the insect that acted as a vector for Chagas disease—we’d figured it out during a camping trip when I started reading a book on etymology to pass the time while Jeremy fished. The pill was designed to minimize infections when taken early after a surgery or injury. I believed that a liquid version could be developed to slow bleeding and prevent clots as well. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the sexist thing in the world—it was sure no little blue pill—but it was going to make Veixel, Inc a lot of money. A lot.

I remembered the day I’d heard about my raise—and then realized how much I’d lost all in the same breath.

“Don’t worry, Eleanor.” My boss sat back in his chair, studying me with his fingers templed together on his desk. “Now that we’re getting permission to go forward with the trials, we aren’t going to forget your input. I’m happy to tell you to expect a raise in your next check.” Given that I’d designed, developed and conceived of the idea for the treatment, I wasn’t surprised. Jeremy had looked over at me sheepishly. He’d been giving status reports to Ron for months, letting me hang back and do my work in the lab.

“When Jeremy first told us how he found a new use for the vector, I was impressed. Watching you help him mold it into a complete project has been a real treat.” I slowly turned my head to look at Jeremy. He flushed. Huge red blotches dotted his cheeks and he looked down at his knees, then back at me, silently imploring me not to tell. I gritted my teeth, but I kept my mouth closed. We were a team after all, even if I was the one who did most of the real work.

And I loved the stupid man. There would be other accolades, and if it meant that much to him…I’d let him have this one. Even if it rankled.

Except that three weeks later, he’d talked me into a quick fuck on the sofa and then dumped me before he’d even pulled out. Goodbye, so long, we’re done. He had another woman and didn’t want to let us play out anymore. Then, as his coup de grace, he fired me from his research team. My research team. And I was directed to head up another group.

I’d slapped him across the face, pulled on my clothes and stormed out. I still didn’t go to Ron and tell him the truth about who really developed the project though. To admit that I’d been stupid enough to let him claim credit for my work really made my skin sizzle, and I knew it would hurt my chances for advancement.

“Ellie, are you there?” Sarah’s voice poured through the receiver, filled with concern. I could hear the sounds of people talking and the clink of glasses in the background.

“Sorry.” I took a bite of the éclair I’d picked up at the bakery on the way home and closed my eyes as the flavors exploded on my tongue. Fuck men. I was going to commit to chocolate. At least it wouldn’t take credit for my triumphs.

“Ellie? I asked when he’s going to be over.” Jeremy was stopping by tonight to pick up the last of his things. It wasn’t much—just some t-shirts and a toothbrush, which I’d offered to drop by his new office—but he insisted. So instead of spending time with my friends, drinking margaritas and forgetting him with each quick burn of tequila on my tongue, I was stuck sitting here, waiting.

He was ten minutes late.

“Who knows? I should have just left the box out on the porch. No one would be dumb enough to take his ratty music festival relics anyway.”

“True that,” she said. “Do you want me to come over?”

“No, definitely not. Go back to your date—I’d never have poured this out on you if I’d realized you were out. I’ll deal with him alone. Just have fun.” Sarah had recently been skipping from man to man on a dating site she’d joined. Maybe that’s what I needed—some no strings, just for fun dates with a guy.

“Fine,” she said. “But call if you need me. Love you.”

“I love you too,” I said. “Goodnight.” Once I’d terminated the call, I took another éclair from the box and ate it, watching the clock. Each second that passed made me angrier, ready for a fight I couldn’t possibly win.

Finally, two hours after he was supposed to be there, Jeremy knocked on the door. I opened it and he stepped into the foyer. His hair was mussed and his collar was open; it was obvious he’d been with the intern he was dating now, but I didn’t say anything. Jeremy was a master of appearances, and he’d shown up looking exactly how he wanted to.

Oddly, the evidence that he’d been with another woman didn’t make me feel bad. It kind of helped. Seeing the shell of the person I thought I’d known made some of that anger drain away. “I’m sorry I’m late,” he said, reaching for my hands. “I got held up at work.” Had he always been such an obvious liar?

I stepped back to avoid his reach and gestured for him to follow me down the hall. In the kitchen, I picked up the cardboard box and handed it to him. His eyes traveled from the large bay windows to the black marble counters and then to the statue of a turtle I’d placed in the middle of the table.

“That turtle,” he said, pointing at it. I smiled.

“I pulled it back out once you were gone. You won’t have to look at it anymore.”

“It would be nice to be friends, Ellie,” he said. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I’m sure you didn’t.” I smiled at him, pushing my long, dark hair out of my eyes. “But I’m not going to stand here and pretend to want to continue knowing you. You took credit for my work; why would I want to be around the kind of person who would do that?”

“It just happened,” he said lamely.

“Sure it did. How much money are you going to make off the bonus?”

“A lot,” he said, looking down into the box. “Look, if you do me a favor and help me finish the presentation, I’ll share it with you. I’ll give you ten percent.”

I raised my eyebrows and stared at him until he cleared his throat. “Fine,” he said. “Twenty.”

“I did most of the work that needed to be done before you kicked me off the team. What else could you possibly need to be ready?” The handouts, presentation and speech were all written.

“I need a live sample insect to show off.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s a bunch of suit-wearing executives, not a show-and-tell in kindergarten. Just show them one of the photos we took.”

His mouth tightened, but he didn’t argue. “Whatever, Ellie. If you want the money, bring me a sample before tomorrow’s meeting.”

I stewed internally, but kept my face calm. On one hand, the bug that we’d used for the research wasn’t hard to catch, and honestly, the money would go a long way toward helping me tackle those final student loans that still haunted me. On the other hand, the idea of doing any favors for the man who’d dumped me rankled.

“Fine,” I said at length, my desire for money winning out over my desire to thwart Jeremy. “I’ll have it with me in the morning. I’d better get going if I’m gonna drive all the way out to Green Lake State Park tonight.”

“I have a trapping kit in the car,” he said. “I was planning to go myself, but I’d rather have the evening free for—um—research.” A sly grin curled up the corners of his lips.
Son of a bitch.

“Put it in the back of my car and go.” I turned away and looked through the large windows over the sink into the forest behind my home. The sun had set completely and the deep dark that surrounded my house grew even blacker under the trees. The idea of going into the state park at night made me nervous, but the money would be good. Navigating the winding roads and steep trails was worth it.

“I’ll miss you,” Jeremy said quietly. I didn’t respond—he’d dumped me. I didn’t want to hear anything about how he felt. Finally I heard his footsteps leave the kitchen. A moment later, the front door slammed behind him. I went to find a pair of jeans, a tank top, a sweater and my hiking boots. It was time to get out and turn over a few stones.

The full moon was high in the sky as I pulled through the gates that stood at the entrance to Green Lake State Park. They were more elaborate than most other parks, made of twisted pikes or iron. Luckily, no one had pulled the gates closed, so I was able to drive into the woods, instead of having to hike all the way in like I feared.

The insects we used for our research liked water and tended to live near flowing streams or under rocks at higher altitude. I could park by the trailhead and hike up to our old camping spot. Jeremy and I had been here together at the beginning of our project, trapping bugs to use while we waited for the research samples to arrive. Back then, I’d loved him madly. He’d spontaneously make up poetry, wrap his arms around me and tell me that I was his inspiration. A year into our relationship, I’d seen his browsing history and realized he was taking other people’s poems and presenting them as his own. By then, though, I’d seen his other good qualities and figured at least he was trying.

Sarah always said I had a yen for men who needed to be fixed.

I should have left him, but the relationship felt safe. I didn’t have parents or anyone, really, except Sarah. Jeremy was a good research partner and my project, the drug, was more important than his temper or silent sulking. A pang of loss ripped through me at the thought of my research going through testing under him instead of me.

Of course, if my biggest regret was losing my own project, then I hadn’t lost that much in the relationship to begin with, I mused as the minutes ticked by. Putting my ex out of my head, I took a long sip of the coffee with caramel creamer I’d brought along. It was going to be a long night and I needed a caffeine buzz to stay with it.

The upper parking lot near the trailhead was completely deserted. I pressed my foot on the brake to turn off the road and move into it. Instead of pushing in gently, the pedal slammed straight to the floor. I gasped, my hands going wet and gripping the wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. The car accelerated, heading downhill toward an s-curve and I screamed, forcing one clenched hand off the wheel so I could pull the emergency brake.

It didn’t catch. My trusty sedan steered straight into a tree, coming to a jarring halt. My vision went fuzzy. Before I slipped into unconsciousness, the scent of gas teased my nostrils.

I wanted to get out of bed, but couldn’t. Someone had trapped me in the covers. My face was under them, too, and I couldn’t breathe. Hot, stagnant wind filled my nose and I choked, breathing in dust. Why was there dust in my bed?

What?

Forcing my eyes open, I saw white. Just white. Then, at the corner of my eye, a flicker of flames. I couldn’t see straight, felt blood dripping from my scalp and down into my mouth where it pooled, thick and coppery. I gagged, pulling back and reaching out with my hands to push the air bag from my face while I spit out my blood.