Eighteen

Dayton

The side of my fist smacked into my steering wheel while I impatiently navigated traffic to the quiet old subdivision where I lived. Today had turned out to be a whole lot of nothing, and Anderson and I were both pissed over the wasted hours.

Now, I just wanted to kick back with my girl for a bit and let her make me forget this fucking day for a bit. I wouldn't disappoint her by suggesting we stay home, though. We'd had a late night after Brennan's game and subsequent celebration over the team's win. Today, I was supposed to be having a family day with them before taking Vale to an exhibition at the botanical garden she'd mentioned wanting to see.

Not my thing, but if it made her happy, it made me happy. And I'd get even happier later when she thanked me. Yeah, it was selfish, but what could I say? There was nothing quite like making love with Vale while she writhed so nicely beneath me. Or over me. Or against the wall. I hadn't taken her on her back patio yet. Doing that while she tried to stay quiet could be fun.

For the first time in hours, a smile was curling my lips when I turned onto my street. It fell like a rock at the sight of what had to be a dozen motorcycles in Vale's driveway.

What…the…?

I practically launched from my truck as soon as I turned it off. If something was going on over there, if someone hurt her, I was going to prison or I'd be dead.

"Hey, Day." My brother calling my name was the only thing that stopped me from charging over to Vale's place. He stood on our porch, drinking a Coke and staring at all the bikes, and I hadn't even seen him since I'd been so focused.

"What's going on? You should have called me—"

"Oh that? It's just Vale's brother. You should have seen it! She made a call, and less than twenty minutes later, they all came roaring down the street. You should see their leather vests and patches—"

"Their cuts," I said in a flat voice, shock deflating me.

Holy fuck. The woman I was falling for was involved with an MC? More than involved, she was related. How deep in was she? How fucking screwed was I? Being associated with them could completely tank my career.

"Whatever they're called. They're kick ass."

"Forget about them," I ordered. "Forget about all of it."

I doubted I could. A million scenarios and consequences rolled through my head. The worst being what I'd have to do, because I might have been falling for Vale, loved when we came together, but I had a greater responsibility to Brennan. And that meant keeping my job.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"You can't get mixed up with a motorcycle club who are some…wannabe Hell's Angels."

He set down his can and crossed his arms. "Actually… They're Ghosts of Vengeance. That's what the back of their cuts said."

"I don't care if they're the Mothers of Mickey Mouse. You stay away from them. I mean it. Do you hear me?"

"You even want to know why they're over there? Why she called them?"

"No. It doesn't matter. Just do as I say, this one time."

"You're an asshole." Brennan slammed into the house, and I couldn't even argue with him. I was an asshole. A really stupid asshole who should have done some due diligence before starting up something with a woman I didn't know.

Her brother was in a fucking MC. Go figure. Just my kind of luck. I hadn't felt a glimmer of anything for a woman in years, and the first time I let myself go… This.

My feet were moving before I knew I was moving. I pounded on her storm door, wanting to see her and get answers right now. And when a smiling blond man in a black tee and a goddamn cut answered the door while eating a cupcake, I just about plowed my fist into his perfect too-white teeth.

"Dang it, Biter," Vale grumbled, pushing the guy back as she stepped between us. "Don't answer my door."

"I wanted to met the cop you've been mooning over."

"I wasn't mooning." She pushed him farther back into the house and pulled the main door shut as she stepped onto the porch with a big smile. "Hi."

"We need to talk."

She moved toward me. "What's wrong?"

I pulled back, not wanting her to touch me. I was angry, but I was weak.

"What's wrong?" I echoed. "Your brother is in a fucking MC."

"He's the prez. The president," she murmured.

"And I'm an officer of the law. You didn't think you should tell me?" I yelled. I took a deep breath and noticed several frowning faces with narrowed eyes, watching us through the big picture window.

I took another step back. God forbid they thought even an innocent touch was threatening to their president's fucking sister.

"So," she said, confusion furrowing a line between her brows. "It's not like they're criminals."

I snorted. "Right…"

She drew an incensed breath. "Every one of them has an upstanding job."

"Right," I said again. "To cover for their actual activities."

Her mouth dropped open. "Dayton Anthony Windsor. I never took you for such a judgmental asshole."

"You don't know me at all."

She stared at me. "I know you a lot more than you think. And I'm still shocked." She shook her head, sadness, disappointment and anger warring in her stare. "You should leave."

"Vale."

"You need to leave. Now!" Tears glistened in her eyes. "They're my family. They have taken care of me. Loved me. Supported me. And if you can't accept who my family is, well then…"

Her throat convulsed as she swallowed, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and comfort her and tell her I was sorry and nothing else mattered. But I couldn't, because this wasn't some rom-com movie. It did matter.

She shook her head. "If you can't accept who my family is, then… I really am dead to you. Goodbye, Dayton."

Spinning on her heel, Vale slammed into the house, taking my ripped out heart with her while at least half a dozen pissed off men glared at me. And it was my own damn fault.

This fucking day…