“Is Lucias here?” I go to look around him, but he just steps in my way, making sure his whole body blocks me from seeing anything.
“Probably at the bar down the road looking for some ass. Why don’t you go down there and check?” He points in the direction of the bar.
His words hit me hard, and I take a step back as if they physically hit me. No. Lucias wouldn’t do that.
“You’re lying.” I take back the step I just retreated and square my shoulders.
“You’re right, I am. Just thought it would get you gone faster.”
“I’m here to see Lucias. I’ll wait in his office or his room.” I take another step towards the man, hoping he’ll just step out of my way, but he only tilts his head a little, raising his eyebrows like he’s saying yeah, sure.
“Pres already has a piece of ass for the night, but if you’re really looking that bad to get some, I’ll take you down the road myself.”
This time he takes a step towards me, and I go to back up, tripping over my own feet and falling on my ass, dropping my bag in the process. The gravel digs into my butt through the thin yoga pants, and the sharp pain makes me yelp out.
The man goes to help me up, and I try to bat his hands away, but he does it anyway, easily putting me back on my feet in one quick motion.
His eyes go to my chest, then he releases his hold and takes about three steps back, like he’s suddenly realized I have a disease he might catch.
“Izzy.” He says my name like he can’t believe it’s me. “Fucking shit. Why didn’t you show me the tags when you first showed up?”
I look down at the dog tags Lucias put on me after the first time we made love. He told me to never take them off, and I’d been wearing them under my shirt as habit. They must have fallen out when I fell. No one was supposed to know we were together. He’d said to keep a low profile.
He thought it was best after I had to go fill out a missing person’s report on my brother. I had to make it seem like he was really missing. I guess he was, but not like the cops were starting to think. Lucias has been sneaking into my house every night to be with me, but last night he’d said this shit is done. No more sneaking around.
That’s why I thought it would be okay to show up, and I really needed to talk to him.
I lift the tags up and shrug. “Lucias gave them to me,” I explain, not getting what the big deal is.
“Yeah. Means you’re property.”
“Property of what?” I let the tags go, and they fall back to my chest. Then I reach down and grab my bag, wiping at the gravel dust.
“Of the Ghost Riders.”
“Okay.” I’m not really sure what to say to that, and I’m kind of over this. First he tries to tell me Lucias is down the road possibly hooking up with a women, then he tells me that he’s inside with one. I feel my throat contract, the sting of tears burning my nose.
Is that what’s going on inside? Some party and he just didn’t want me to come? He didn’t invite you here, a little voice says in the back of my mind. He had stuff to handle, he said, then he’d be over late. I don’t want to believe it, but it still burns just thinking it.
I turn, heading back towards my car. I’m not going to fight to get into Lucias’ place.
“Hey, you can come in,” the man calls from behind me. Then I hear another mumbled “fuck!” from him.
I feel a tear slip free, and I wipe it from my face quickly. I can hear the man coming towards me, the gravel crunching under his heavy boots, and I only start walking faster, not wanting to face him. I just want out of here. Then I hear the roar of a motorcycle and see a light coming up the long drive.
Lucias pulls up behind my car, blocking me in. Taking off his helmet, he kicks down the stand on his motorcycle and swings himself off, coming right towards me with worry on his face. I feel a tug of relief that he wasn’t inside. That he’d been out handling something like he’d said.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” I can hear the concern in his voice. His hand comes to my chin, making me look up at him. “Something happen? I thought I was meeting you at your house.” He looks around, his gaze going over my shoulder.
“What happened? Why was she leaving?” Lucias growls at the man I’m guessing is still standing behind me.
“Pres, I didn’t know she was yours until she was already trying to high-tail it out of here,” the man tries to explain.
“Why the fuck does she look like she’s been crying?” Lucias goes to step around me, but I grab his arm to stop him.
“Fuck, I just thought she was a random sweetbutt, and I might have implied some shit.”
“Inside!” he barks at the man. Then he looks back down at me “What did he say?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s just forget it. I wanna go back to my place.”
“I don’t like that shit.”