Chapter 4

CHAPTER

FOUR

Rebel

Her face is so fucking expressive, I hope she never plays poker. I see interest, fear, excitement, and acceptance in her eyes as I wait for her to reply. “I don’t want to take time away from what you spend with Mina and Ruby, though, so we can work out how to do that, okay?”

“You’re okay with me having kids?” Her voice is quieter, almost hesitant, and I realize there’s a lot she’s leaving out about her daughters’ father. I make a mental note to have Data do a search and see what he can find out about her ex.

Looking her square in the eyes, I encouragingly convey, “Absolutely, but I know you’ll probably want to limit my exposure to them until we get to know each other better.”

The relief that crosses her face is brief but telling. She’s definitely interested in exploring something with me but doesn’t want her girls to get hurt in the process. That makes her a responsible mom as far as I’m concerned.

I see her peek at her phone before she starts cleaning up her dinner trash. “I need to go back in, Rebel.”

“Go ahead, Holly, I’ll take care of this,” I reply, waving at the picnic table.

“Are you sure?” She looks leery, as if leaving her trash behind is a hardship for her. I doubt she’s had a man willing to not only pick up after himself, but her as well.

“Absolutely.” I don’t say it because I don’t want her to be embarrassed, but she probably needs to hit the restroom before she goes back behind the bar, since she’s actually going in about ten minutes early.

“Thanks, Rebel,” she says. “See you back inside.”

Nodding my head, I tell her, “I’ll be back in shortly.”

When I go back in, I settle in the corner with a fresh beer in hand so I can keep a keen eye on the bar, as well as watch Holly do her thing. She’s intelligent and friendly while conversing with the patrons, but not to the point where they’ll get the wrong idea and think she wants something outside of what she’s currently giving them. The more I chat with her, the more I’m entranced but I know she has hidden depths beyond what she’s said; it shows in her eyes. They’re leery and cautious when an unknown person approaches her. I’m also concerned that despite the makeup she’s wearing, I can see the faint bruises that tell me she’s exhausted.

Yet… she’s a mom on a mission, and I can respect what she’s doing. Her work ethic is obvious, and Morris has bragged on her since she started working. I wasn’t kidding when I told her that she’s the best bartender we’ve ever had working for us. Morris can do basic mixed drinks, but Holly brought in some recipes for ‘specialty’ drinks, and they’ve been selling well.

What I haven’t shared with her is the fact that the club is made up of current and former first responders, from cops to firefighters to paramedics. It’s one of the reasons we’re so heavily involved in the community; folks already know us and know we’re going to do the right thing wherever possible.

My experience as both a civilian and military cop tells me that Holly was in an abusive relationship. It’s evident in how hypervigilant she is while working and in the way she expresses herself. She pulls away, not enough for anyone else to notice, but I have, whenever a customer reaches out to touch her. She smiles but the only time I’ve seen it reach her eyes is when she was with her girls. She’s friendly but not flirtatious. But the biggest tell is earlier, a customer bumped Marnie when she was walking through with a tray loaded down with two pitchers of beer and four mugs. The resounding crash when the tray hit the floor had Holly jumping in fear, until she realized what had happened.

I detest men who use their brute strength and power to abuse women, and from the sound of it, Holly was likely immersed in it for too many years. It’s something for me to keep in mind as I work to make her mine.

Because whether she knows it or not, and in spite of my own past, she’s mine. Lock, stock, and barrel. Now, I need to put in the time and prove it to her.

I switched from beer to water a few hours ago but have totally enjoyed watching Holly work. Even as busy as we’ve been tonight, she still manages to swap out the stock when needed and keep up with the never-ending requests. Now that we’re closed, I decide to pitch in so she can get out of here, go home and get some rest.

“You don’t have to help, Rebel,” she says as I walk over to a table and wipe it down before putting the chairs on top so the overnight cleaners can mop without an issue.

“Sweetheart, I know you’re exhausted, and if me helping means you get home and in bed sooner, I’m gonna do it,” I reply.

I watch her face flush at my words before she says, “Thanks. I appreciate it more than I can express.”

Wanting to keep our communication open, I try to think of something so I can get to know her even better. “How busy is your CPA business?” I ask.

As she finishes up the table she was working on, she informs me, “I’ve got ten clients whose books I regularly do, but during tax season, I do tax returns as well.”

“So, you’re pretty busy starting at the beginning of the year,” I muse out loud, planning our future dates around her busy season. I’m trying to figure out how I could be helpful and not come across as overbearing in the meantime.

“Pretty much, which is why the girls are in daycare during the day. Otherwise, I’d never get anything done.” Her giggle afterward has me cracking a grin, because just the little bit I’ve been exposed to Mina and Ruby tells me that she has her hands full. They’re little pistols, yet I want to be around to see what they become in life.

And where that might’ve put me off not too long ago, right now, I can’t see a downside. I feel confident, based on my past, that the girls were probably seeing some of the abuse, whether or not Holly is aware of that fact.

Looking around, I see that the waitress is finishing up the last table, so I take Holly by the arm and lead her to the employee break room. “Get your purse, sweetheart, and clock out.”

“You’re kind of bossy, Rebel,” she teases.

“Only with you, Holly. You’re wiped out and I don’t know how you’re still standing,” I reply. “Did you get your tips sorted already?”

She grins at me. “What do you think?” she retorts. “That’s the first thing I do when we close so the kitchen crew doesn’t have to hang around waiting for us to complete our end of the night tasks.”

“Then let’s go, I’ll follow you home.” The need to see her home and walk through her front door is riding me. Not because I think anything is lurking in the shadows of her home, but because I’m a man who’ll do whatever it takes to see my woman safe behind her walls and locked in for the evening.

“You don’t need to do that,” she rebuts around a yawn.

“That right there is why I’m gonna do it,” I state, not backing down no matter how much she chooses to debate with me about it.

Instead of arguing, I watch her put her apron in her locker, grab her purse and slip the wad of cash from her pocket inside, then she closes and locks it before turning to me. “I’m ready!” she sing-songs, smiling at me.

“I think I understand more why your girls are so friendly, they get it from you,” I tease as we walk through the back door to the employee parking lot.

When we took over the bar, we did a complete overhaul, putting in more lights, cameras that are around the building, as well as inside, plus a security system that probably rivals those on government buildings. It might upset those looking to hook up in the back alley, but there was no way the club was going to allow those under our employ to get mugged or hurt. They may not be in the club per se, but they’re still ours and if nothing else, we protect those we consider friends.

She hits the key fob and I open the door for her, causing her to give me a startled look. “I could’ve gotten the door,” she says, giving me a dumbfounded look.

“Not when I’m around, Holly. If I’m in the same proximity as you are, I’ll always get your door for you,” I reply, holding it open so she can slide into the driver’s seat.

“Wow,” she whispers to herself. Then, smiling up at me, her cheeks pink, she says, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’ll follow behind you.”

She doesn’t even try to argue; maybe it’s because I used a firm tone, and she recognizes this is an argument she’s not gonna win. Instead, she nods, I close the door then wait until she’s buckled her seatbelt and starts her SUV before I toss my leg over my saddle and get seated on my bike, then I follow her to her house, honking my horn when she steps onto her porch and through her front door.

I don’t stick around, however, since it’s so fucking late. Or early depending on how you look at it. I only followed her to make sure she got home safe and sound.

Back at the clubhouse, I head to the bar for a beer to relax and unwind with. It’s nearly three in the morning, but I’m not slated to go into the shop until later this afternoon, so I’ll hang in the main room with a few of the brothers who are still up then get some sleep.

“Beer, Neesie, please,” I tell the club bunny who’s tending our bar.

“Coming right up, Rebel,” she replies, turning to the beer cooler. She places it in front of me and I turn to Data once she’s stepped away.

“Need you to do some research for me, Brother,” I tell him after taking a long pull of my beer. “I want a background check done on Holly, last name is Barnes, plus I also want one done on her ex. Don’t have his last name, but his first name is Devin, his mother’s name is Myra, and he died about six months ago after an accident. Think you can find him?”

“Fuck, that’s gonna be a piece of cake,” Data replies. “Small town, remember? And I think I know the douchebag you’re talking about. He was a real tool if memory serves. Should have something later today for you, Pres.”

“Appreciate it. We need to have church once you get that information. Because Myra is making Holly’s life a living hell.”

“Someone’s captured your attention? I thought after Paula you vowed to never get serious with anyone again, Reb,” he murmurs so that Neesie doesn’t hear.

“Holly’s different, Data. Can’t explain it, but she’s the one,” I reply, finishing my beer. “Thanks for checking into all that for me. Gonna hit the hay.”

Once I’m in my room, I take a quick shower then slip into bed, grabbing my remote to find the game I recorded earlier. That ability is one of the better things to come out of technology advancements. I may end up knowing the end scores, but I can still watch my favorite teams when I want to watch them.

“She’s nothing like Paula,” I whisper to myself.

Paula was a temptress and I very nearly fell for her machinations. She saw dollar signs since all the club businesses do extremely well, and each of the brothers, depending on their role in the club, is wealthy in their own right. As the president, my cut is the largest, but what the brothers make is nothing to sneeze at. I actually had a ring and planned to propose to her and make her my old lady when Ash told me he had overheard her talking to a friend when she didn’t realize anyone was listening.

She had planned to systematically switch things from my account to hers until I was virtually broke, then she was going to leave. At the time, since I thought I was in love with her, it damn near broke my heart. Instead, I ended the relationship with her, banned her from all of our businesses, and vowed to never let another woman get close to me again.

Then I met Holly in the produce section of our local grocery store. A woman who is raising two little girls, working what amounts to two jobs, and she still has a smile on her face. Granted, it doesn’t quite meet her eyes unless she’s with her daughters or talking about her grandparents, but one day, she’ll smile at me like that, and I can’t wait.

I know it’s going to take some time, though, because of whatever her ex did to her. But I’m a patient man and one of the attributes I learned from being in law enforcement as long as I was, is that anything worth having is worth working and waiting for.

And Holly is my game changer.