Ultimate mc romance coll.., p.195
Ultimate MC (Romance Collection), page 195
“You care. You’ve just got too much going on right now to do anything about it,” she assured me. “You’re getting out today!”
“I’ll come back to visit you,” I said.
“No!” she replied, a little too snippy for my taste. “Do not come back here! When you get out, you get as far away from here as possible and do not come back, do you understand?”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll look you up as soon as I’m free, and I’ll see you then, but you do not come back here. I’m telling you, do not. Promise me right now. Promise!” she pleaded.
She was speaking so adamantly I was almost frightened by the need in her voice.
“Alright, alright, I promise,” I said. “But I’m still worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I was here before you were, and I’m staying after. I’m going to get out of this hellhole eventually, and we’ll be friends on the outside, okay?”
“Okay,” I said uncertainly.
The routine of the day started, and I felt torn. I didn’t want to stay here, not a second longer than I had to, but at the same time, the thought of being released didn’t give me much hope, either. Mom was gone, my brothers were missing, and I had no friends.
I didn’t have a job, and with a felony on my record, I didn’t know if there was a chance of me getting one. I was walking out of the only place that I’d known for a whole year and into a life that I didn’t know how to live anymore. It was terrifying, to say the least.
When afternoon lockdown came, I was surprised when Warden Park showed up accompanied by several guards. “It’s time for you to go!”
He spoke cheerfully, but I was confused. He never showed up for releases, and I didn’t know what he was doing there for me. I wasn’t anyone special, and I really would have preferred he stay as far away from me as possible, too. I hadn’t seen him since a couple days after I was raped, and he was both cold and callous during the entire situation.
I was offered freedom in exchange for silence, and it quickly became evident that’s why he was here now.
I gave Tanya a quick hug, once again promising her I’d stay away, as long as she promised to find me when she was free. She swore up and down that she would. It was hard walking out of the cell not knowing when I’d see her again, but there was no staying. It was time for me to go, and I was leaving.
My head was spinning as we walked toward the office, but I was trying to pay attention to what Warden Park had to say. He was talking in his same, methodical manner, letting me know I was virtually a nobody.
“You remember the agreement we have. You’re leaving early because you are keeping your mouth shut about all this. I know it’s not conventional, but I must warn you, if you do try to say something about this to anyone, it’s going to come down to your word against ours,” he said.
“Ours?” I asked.
“I’m going to take the side of Guard Hanserd. He’s an upstanding man, a pillar in the community, and you? Well, you’re a criminal who shot a man in the back over makeup,” he said.
He was so blunt and matter-of-fact about what I’d done, I couldn’t help but wince. He was right, that’s what I’d done. I’d stolen a lot of shit when I was younger. It was to survive, in my mind. It was hard making ends meet, and I didn’t have anyone on my side. So, I did what I had to do.
When a robbery went wrong, I shot someone. Plain and simple. I had regretted it every day since it happened, and I never wanted to get myself into a situation like that again, but I knew it was also something that would follow me around for the rest of my life.
There was no coming back from something like that. Sure, I might get a low life job somewhere working overnight where no one had to see or deal with me, but as far as I was concerned, my life was over.
“Okay,” I said.
“Good. I’m glad we have an understanding,” he replied with a smile. We walked to the front office, where I took a seat. It had taken a long time to get me booked in when I first arrived twelve months prior, so I was surprised with how quickly I was checked out.
All I had to do was sign a few papers, and they let me go. They didn’t care if I had somewhere to go or anyone to meet me. Hell, they didn’t care what I did with myself. I could go out and live the best, most upstanding life on the planet, or I could go out and continue to be a thief and criminal.
They might see me again, they might not. To them, it was all the same. I was gone, I was done, and they were going back to the inmates who were still behind bars. It was a strange feeling, to say the least, and one that I couldn’t entirely describe.
Guard Roscoe had told me the day before there would be a ride waiting when I got out. I told him I was having a hard time reaching anyone who would help me, and being the kind man he was, he had offered to make a few calls.
He told me his friend was coming, and I was just to head outside to the parking lot, and he’d find me. I wasn’t sure who to expect or what vehicle to look for, so as I stepped blinking out into the sunlight, I felt entirely lost.
There were a lot of cars in the parking lot, and most of those cars had people in them. Some were there to visit inmates, and I was sure there were some who were there to pick up people being released. Like me.
But, I wasn’t sure who to look for, so I held my bag to my body as I set out. There was a man sitting on a Harley, watching the door. I was immediately struck by how handsome he was. Tall, muscular, tattoos, dark and brooding. There was an attitude about him that I found appealing, but one that I knew I had to avoid these days.
I had to stay away from men like that if there was a hope of me making it in life. It was those kinds of men who got me in trouble in the first place, and I didn’t want to come back here – not in a million years.
I’d think about him later when I had a moment to myself. But for now, I had to find who was picking me up. I gave him a light smile, then I started off, but I stopped short when he called out to me.
The sexy, sultry stranger knew my name.
Chapter 3
Spencer
“Brooke Hanes, right?” I asked as the blonde walked up to me with a confused look on her face.
“Do I know you?”
“Spencer Matthews,” I introduced myself. “You don’t know me personally, but I’m here to help you.”
“How do you know I need help?” The nervous question hung in the air, and I could already see this was going to be a bit of a challenge. Then again, going through what Roscoe said this girl had, there was little doubt in my mind she was going to have trust issues.
You had to be careful when you were on the inside. Not only were other inmates out to get you, but clearly, you had to be careful of the guards as well. Not all were corrupt, but the few that did abuse their power were enough to make life a living Hell every single day that was spent on the inside.
She wasn’t about to get on the back of some bike with a complete stranger, whether he knew her name or not.
“Roscoe. He called me yesterday and said that someone was getting out today and needed a ride,” I explained.
“You know Guard Roscoe?” she asked, still looking skeptical. She looked me over from head to toe, the look in her eyes telling me she didn’t believe a word I said.
“Yeah, he’s an old friend of mine,” I replied. “Really.”
I smiled. It was hard for me not to, looking at this beautiful creature standing in front of me. The picture didn’t do her justice. Even though in the photo she had been standing in a shapeless prison uniform and now she was in a t-shirt and jeans that showed off all her curves, it was her face that mesmerized me.
She looked like an angel. A beautiful, sad angel who was in need of a savior. Someone to come into her life and get rid of all the demons that threatened to take her peace. I wanted to be that savior.
She wasn’t as tall as I thought she’d be, but she was curvier than I expected, too. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in waves, and her blue eyes took in the world with a wide sort of wonder that I found captivating. Everything about her was enchanting, and once again, I briefly let my mind wander to the things I’d like to do to her.
“Here, will this convince you?” I asked. I pulled up the call log with Roscoe’s name and number, then the text that he’d sent. I knew it would help to add his name back to my phone. There was no doubt in my mind if he was sending this girl out into the world under my care, he’d want to check up on her in the future.
“Okay,” she said.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
She looked around. Clearly, she had no idea. Hell, I knew the feeling well, only when I got out, I did have somewhere lined up. All I had to do was get a ride and I was golden. But with Brooke, things were clearly a different story.
“Here,” I said, taking a different approach. “Why don’t you and I go grab a late lunch, and you can decide where you want to go while we eat.”
She hesitated. “I don’t have any money. My mother passed when I was on the inside, and she was the only one who put anything on my books. So.”
“My treat,” I said. “I don’t know how long you were in there, but I would love to be the one to treat you to something real now that you’re back on the right side of the fence.”
“I don’t have money for the ride, either,” she added.
“I’m not going to charge you for anything,” I laughed. “Really. I just want to give you a hand.”
I waited while she debated for another few moments. I knew how hard it was for her, and I didn’t want to rush her into things. She was going to need time to adjust, and I knew personally how hard it was for that to happen. Especially after all she had been through on the inside.
She could take her time as far as I was concerned. I didn’t have anything going on for the rest of the day, so there was plenty of time for me to let her choose.
“Okay,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t have another option, I knew that for a fact. So, she may as well go with me. Or, she’d be stuck walking along the highway and hoping nothing bad happened. At least with me, there was some proof that I was who I said and Roscoe really had called me.
She climbed on the back of my bike, wrapping her arms firmly around my waist. I loved the feeling of her body pressed against mine, though it wasn’t easy to feel her on the outside of the thick vest I wore. I handed her my helmet.
“The Folded Flags?” she asked.
“It’s a motorcycle club,” I said over my shoulder.
“You’re part of a gang?” Brooke asked, her voice quivering with nerves.
“It’s a club,” I said again. It was a better word to use after what she’d been through.
“Like a golfing club?”
“Sure,” I said. She couldn’t be more off base, but I wasn’t going to scare her any more than she already was. She didn’t say anything else as we pulled out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.
We pulled into the parking lot of a diner, and part of me wished I could take her to Zach’s for her first meal on this side of the wall. But, I had to make do with what I had, and this was good enough.
“Order whatever you want,” I said when we were seated. She was thin, so I didn’t expect her to go nuts with the offer, but she did. She ordered practically half the menu, and when the food came, she ate just as much.
We split the appetizers and she ordered both a burger and a chicken strip basket. Onion rings, fried cheese nuggets, a milkshake, and jalapeño poppers followed. I couldn’t help but smile. I knew exactly what it felt like to be out on the other side, and I was happy for her.
I was proud that I was the first one to be able to take her out to enjoy a meal like this since her release and happy that she didn’t have to suffer through with the shitty meals they called food in prison any longer.
“Sorry,” she said, her mouth full of food. “It’s just been such a long time, I’m not sure I even remember what a lot of this stuff even tastes like.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I know how you feel.”
She looked around the diner as she ate. It was a sort of animalistic, darting way of looking around, and I felt sorry for her. In the men’s side of prison, I knew I always had to keep an eye on my back. You never knew who was coming up behind you or what they were going to do when they did.
I didn’t know it had been the same in the women’s wing. But then, it made sense. It wasn’t usually a bunch of society ladies who landed themselves behind bars. No, these were women who had committed crimes.
And, according to Roscoe, Brooke was guilty of the crime she served time for. I still wondered what it was, but I wasn’t going to ask. That was one thing I’d also learned during my time behind bars. You never asked what anyone did. If they wanted to tell you, that was on them, but that was a question that you never brought up.
She didn’t trust anyone. That was clear. But, I knew there was another side to the story. For as much as she thought the world was out to get her, she also was sure the world would never trust her again.
When I got out after serving my three years, I thought my life was over. I was twenty-two at the time, and I was sure that no one was ever going to hire me. No one would want to be my friend. I might end up with a few people who felt sorry for me and wanted to reform me, but I’d never find anyone who accepted me for who I was.
Then I found the Folded Flags, and everything changed.
I knew things could be the same for Brooke. She just had to find where she fit in, and her life would go on to be as great as if she’d never gotten locked up in the first place.
“Things are going to get better, you know,” I said, clearly breaking into her thoughts.
“What?”
“I know what you’re thinking,” I said. “None of these people will ever like you. You’ll never make it out in the real world. You can’t trust anyone. You know, the usual things people think when they get out.”
“How would you know what I’m thinking?” she asked defensively, “Or anyone who gets out for that matter?”
“I’ve been there,” I said. She paused. I knew the same thoughts and curiosities were going through her mind, as well.
What was I in for? How long was I in? Did I change when I got out? Were there people in my life I could trust now? I didn’t want to leave her guessing, so I simply offered the information.
“It was when I was a teenager. A lot of stupid breaking and enterings, mostly. But, we got arrogant, and things got bigger and bigger. When we tried to steal a car, wrecked it, and caused two people to end up in the ER, we were finally caught and the game was up,” I shrugged.
“Wow,” she said. “I had no idea.”
“Because you never can tell about anyone, until you get to know them,” I said with a smile. She was still eating, but I noticed she’d turned her attention from the room to me. Sizing me up, seeing what I was all about. I was covered in tattoos, I was clearly the bad boy she didn’t want to hang around, but I was also intriguing and a lot nicer than anyone she’d spent time with over the recent part of her life.
I felt my skin prickle under her gaze. There was a deep seeded need inside me, and I knew it was going to be hard not to act on it. But, I wanted more with this girl. I didn’t know what that meant for me, exactly, but I didn’t want her to just be around this afternoon, then gone out of my life.
I wanted to get to know here, and I wanted to start off on the right foot. So, I opened up to her. It was difficult for me to open up to anyone about my past. One of the people had died that night I was arrested, and I’d never fully forgiven myself for it.
Sure, I was young, and I wasn’t the one driving at the time, but I was still there, and I felt responsible. It was a night that had changed my life, and whatever this girl had done, I knew she was feeling the same. She would work her way through it, and she would manage to come out stronger if she stayed on her feet.
I wanted to help her. I didn’t know why. I couldn’t explain the need running through me, but I still wanted to help her. I knew I could. I had the time and the resources, and we had things in common.
She needed someone, and I could be that someone, if I could just get her to open up to me. It would take time and patience, just like it had when I first got out, but for her, I had plenty of both.
And, I was willing to wait.
Chapter 4
Brooke
I sized up the man seated at the table across from me. I honestly didn’t know what to make of him. When he’d picked me up at the prison, I felt every alarm inside me going off. The only reason I’d agreed to get on the back of his bike and go with him was because of the message he had from Roscoe.
Roscoe was one of the only people on the planet I trusted. Him and Tanya, that was it. But now, this guy who had picked me up seemed to know a lot more about how I was feeling than I originally thought he would.
Hell, he’d done time himself. His story was remarkably close to mine from the sounds of things. Didn’t have much of a childhood to speak of, got in with the wrong crowd at the wrong time, and it didn’t end well.
I wondered if the people who were in the accident with him survived, but he didn’t say, and I’d long since learned not to ask for such information. We ate in silence for a few moments, but I couldn’t figure out why he had been so open with me.
He had shared his life story without my asking, and that was something that was unheard of. I kept all information about myself under wraps as much as possible. I never offered, and I was careful of sharing only the bare minimum details when I was asked.
I didn’t like living life that way. But then, I didn’t like living life in prison, at all.
“Thank you, for sharing all that with me,” I said. I took a bite of the pie he’d ordered as dessert, and took my time chewing and swallowing. “I want to share mine, but it’s hard for me to talk about.”
He nodded. “It was for me for way too long. Even now, I only really tell people I think are really going to benefit from hearing it.”
