“So give me a little respect.”
“Fuck,” Kye said. “You know I can’t wait around for forever here. This is bad for the MC, brother. Shit, Trev already has feelers out there. It’s only a matter of time…”
“No shit,” I said.
I let Kye go and stood there, almost defeated.
“You have to tell me something, brother.”
I nodded. I trusted Kye. I trusted all the guys I considered my brother. “I served with him in Iraq. I pulled him from the blown up convoy. He was my best friend. And his sister? We have our own history.”
The look on Kye’s face said everything.
If the MC found out Belle sold land to the Hell Five… they’d vote to kill her.
chapter sixteen.
(belle)
I hadn’t heard from Duke in a few days. In that time, however, Maggie made it a point to come over to the house every single day. The first couple days were to clean but the third day she casually cooked food and talked to Jim. She stayed for dinner and even later, drinking wine with me. I convinced her to spend the night and not go out there and drive like an idiot while drunk. To my shock, Jim stepped in and cracked a joke that he didn’t lose a leg for her freedom to get drunk and drive. In his own gruff way it was funny although me and Maggie didn’t laugh.
I got up early, like I always did, and made coffee.
Maggie was shortly behind me, looking the same as she went to sleep. That meant she got up and tried to fix herself up.
“Coffee?”
“Advice,” Maggie said. She sat down and slid her phone across the table.
“Talk to me,” I said.
“I got a call last night. I’m glad I was here and drunk. But that’s no way to live.”
“You didn’t invite him over.”
“I would have if I was home.”
Jim appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. “You made coffee?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Good. I made some and it’s bad.”
“You made coffee?” I asked.
“Didn’t sleep that great. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You realize it’s just coffee grounds and water?” Maggie asked.
“And a filter,” I said.
“Oh, a filter?” Jim asked. “Maybe that’s where I went wrong.”
“Really?” Maggie asked.
Jim stood there like stone. But then he winked at Maggie.
So cute.
I got Jim a coffee. Then without even thinking I looked at Maggie. “But you did the right thing. You kept him away.”
“Kept who away?” Jim asked.
“Nobody,” I said.
Maggie’s cheeks turned red. “Nothing, Jim. Girl stuff.”
“That ex of yours?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Jim nodded. “You know, I’m not an expert on things, but I do know a lot about self-destruction. Keep pushing it, Maggie, and watch where you end up.”
With that, Jim walked away. I heard a few doors slam shut.
I was frozen for a few seconds.
“What was that about?” Maggie asked.
“I think that was Jim’s way of saying he likes you.”
“Interesting,” Maggie said. “He’s sort of become a distraction for me. I like stopping by here. Not just because you’re paying me.”
“You make it sound like I’m whoring you out to my brother.”
Maggie snorted. “When you put it that way…”
“Jim is just so…”
“It’s okay. I get it. I see it. I can navigate those waters.”
“You’re braver than me then,” I said.
A heavy pound echoed through the house. It sounded like someone was trying to smash in the front door.
I jumped and ran from the kitchen. I saw a hulking figure through the frosted glass of the front door.
When I opened the door and saw Duke standing there, I gasped. I expected him to call or something before just showing up. Or maybe just never showing up again. Even if he was still burning in my mind.
“Duke.”
“Belle, we need to talk right now.”
Behind me, Maggie said, “Everything okay?”
Duke looked beyond me, curling his lip. “Do you have something to do?”
I looked back and nodded to her.
“I’ll go check on Jim,” Maggie said.
I pulled the door shut behind me and followed Duke to the steps. He sat down and pointed to the spot next to him. Last time we sat on the steps together we made out for hours.
That was a different life.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He looked at me. “What do you do for a living now?”
“Me? I work for a real estate developing company. Why?”
“Ah, shit,” Duke said. He jumped up and down the steps. He turned and looked at me. “You’re in trouble, sweetie.”
My heart sank. “I’m in trouble? For what?”
“The house and land here,” Duke said. “That’s what your parents started with, right?”
“Yeah.”
“They bought more land?”
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No. Selling it is.”
“Selling land?” I asked. “Nobody sold land. My parents bought it all wanting me and Jim to build houses here. They had dreams for more kids too…”
“That never happened,” Duke said.
“No. It didn’t. My mother died. Remember?”