30. Tempe

30

Tempe

I park the truck while Sonny and Reyes roll to a stop beside it. Usually, one of them drives, but since Pearl is with me and Austin, they rode ahead and behind us.

Jameson still won’t let me leave the compound without an escort, and as much as I complained about it at first, I’m thankful after everything that’s happened.

Dimitri tried to get to me at work.

My mom is alive.

I don’t know who to trust lately, but the only person who has lived up to his promises is the man I showed up here fearing in the first place.

Climbing out, I glance back at Sonny. “Give me a second.”

“I’m coming.” Austin tugs at his seatbelt.

I reach in to squeeze his hand. “I need to see if he’s busy first, okay? ”

Austin stays put, and I shut the door behind me, walking up to the open bays at the garage. Jameson said the guys were short-staffed at Kings Auto today, so he woke up early to help out.

I respect how he shows up for his club and their businesses in every way. No matter how big or small the task, he’s there for his men.

Havoc spots me first, leaning against the truck he’s working on and smiling. “Steel, you’ve got company.”

He yells for Steel, who pops out from underneath the truck.

I didn’t think anything could be sexier than Jameson in his cut, commanding a room at the clubhouse. But when he climbs to his feet wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, streaked in oil and grease, my chest flutters. His cut hangs on a hook at the side of the bay, and I guess it’s so he doesn’t ruin it because his T-shirt is stained and messy.

Jameson smiles as he wipes his hands clean with a rag. It’s so sincere it steals my heart.

“Wildfire, what brings you here?” He walks over to me, tossing the rag to the side. “Or, should I say, what brings both of you here?”

He waves at where Austin is sitting in the truck.

“Austin wanted to come see you at work, and I told him he could, but only if you weren’t busy.” I dip my thumbs in my pockets, suddenly nervous about showing up here unannounced. “Is that weird? That’s weird, isn’t it? Sorry, I should have called you first. ”

“Tempe.” Jameson reaches his hand behind my head, tangling it in my hair when I try to take a step back. “You never need to call first. If you or Austin want to see me, come see me. If I’m busy or out on a run, you’ll know about it. Otherwise, interrupt me whenever you want.”

Jameson dips his mouth to mine, claiming me in a kiss.

Soft but deep.

Intimate but quick.

And when he pulls back, I know this isn’t one-sided. That as unexpected as this is, he feels it too.

A life I didn’t see myself having with a man I would never have trusted if I hadn’t seen with my own two eyes that I could. Jameson’s world might terrify me at times, but I never feel anything but safe with him.

More than that— seen .

Good, bad, and broken; he worships every piece.

It’s like I’ve spent my life running, but with him, I take a moment to just be still. Whether it be evenings sitting on the couch with Austin between us, watching episodes of superhero shows, or mornings sipping coffee quietly with Jameson on the back porch before the sun has a chance to heat the day. I settle in those moments.

I crave more .

More smiles on my brother’s face.

More excitement in my life.

More reasons to get out of bed than the monotony of schoolwork or a shift at Dirty Drakes.

Jameson stares into my eyes, and as Austin hops out of the truck and runs over to us, I want all of this for as long as I can have it .

Austin grabs onto Jameson’s leg the second he reaches us, getting grease on his shirt. He smiles up at Jameson and sees the same man I do. Not a patch or a club leader—but a man. Someone who has survived more grief than I have.

Someone who’s been broken by love and life as much as me and my brother. And somehow, the three of us found what we didn’t know we needed in each other.

“Hey, big man.” Jameson releases my face to plant a hand on Austin’s head, tossing his hair around. “No cape today?”

Jameson glances at me; his eyebrows knit.

“He said he didn’t need it.”

“Oh yeah?” Jameson looks down at Austin.

“I’m still strong, though, right?” Austin asks him.

“You know it. Remember what I said? It’s not the cape that makes you a superhero. It’s the people around you. You still feel strong without it, don’t you?”

“The strongest.” Austin grins, planting his hands on his hips and posing like a superhero.

“Then I guess you’re all set.”

Jameson winks at me, and it flutters to my core.

Gentleness from a man who rarely shows it. A man who gave my brother the confidence to take his cape off, even in these unsettling circumstances.

I’ve been resistant, scared to let anyone help me in life. But what if Jameson’s help makes me stronger, not weak? What if nothing else felt right because nothing before this was meant to be ?

“Looks like you brought the whole crew.” Jameson waves at his grandma, who’s still sitting in the truck.

“Tempe and Pearl need dresses.” Austin’s shoulders deflate.

“Dresses, huh?” Jameson skims my bare legs in my shorts, and my skin prickles at what I’m sure he’s imagining before his attention returns to Austin. “You don’t look too thrilled about that.”

“He’s not.” I brush Austin’s cheek with the back of my hand. “Hence why I promised we’d come to see you before shopping to cheer him up.”

“Why don’t you leave him with me while you guys run your errands?”

My eyebrows pinch as I look up at Jameson. “You’re busy.”

“Exactly.” He squats down and looks at Austin. “I could use another set of hands. You up for it?”

Austin smiles, nodding his head with excitement. “Yes!”

“Excellent. Hop on.” Jameson has Austin spin around, and he lifts him onto his shoulders.

Austin giggles as he grips the sides of Jameson’s face, steadying himself when Jameson stands back up.

“You really don’t have to do this.”

Jameson leans in, kissing the top of my head. “And let you torture this poor kid by taking him dress shopping with you? No way. Besides, we’ve got an engine to rebuild.”

I look up at Jameson, and tears sting my eyes. With the two of them looking down on me, my heart might as well collapse in on itself. I’m so overwhelmed with the rush of warmth bursting in my chest.

“Have fun, wildfire.” Jameson kisses me on the forehead before turning to walk away. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

Jameson grips Austin’s legs, carrying him back into the bay, and all the guys’ heads pop up to welcome their new helper.

How am I ever going to rip Austin away from this? It’ll break his heart as much as mine.

All I can do is grip my stomach and hope I’m not the only one feeling this way.

Climbing back into the truck, I start the engine, and Pearl glances over at me.

“Looks like we lost one to the garage.”

“It’s more exciting than dress shopping, apparently.”

She nods, smiling.

The drive to the Strip is quiet, and I appreciate how easy it is to be around Pearl. She never judges and has a calming presence. I can understand why Jameson is so close with her, and I’m thankful she was there for him after his mother’s death.

I’m pretty sure if anyone is responsible for the heart he buries beneath his cut, it’s her.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Pearl asks, climbing out of the truck and following me inside the store when we get there.

Sonny and Reyes find a spot in the corner of the shop to stand and talk while we browse the racks.

“I need a dress that’ll look good over a bathing suit.” I lift one off the rack and hold it up. “Jameson said he’s moving tomorrow’s barbeque to Lake Mead, so I thought I’d find something nice for the beach. You’ll be there, right?”

“Of course. Austin has big plans for sandcastles.”

I smile at Pearl, appreciating how she’s let us into her life.

“I should probably grab another pair of black shorts while I’m here. I need to pick up a few more shifts at the bar to afford the down payment on this apartment I’ve been looking at.”

Pearl chuckles, shaking her head as she searches the rack. “You still planning on leaving?”

I shrug. “We can’t stay forever. Besides, I’m sure Jameson is looking forward to getting his space back.”

“I can promise you that’s the last thing he wants.” Pearl quirks an eyebrow.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I know my grandson. There are very few things that he’ll protect with his whole heart when it’s easier for him to pretend he doesn’t have one. But he’ll do anything for his brothers, his club, and his family.”

“I know.”

“Then you should see that’s what you and Austin are to him now.”

I shake my head, trading one dress for another. “He’s just worried about our safety.”

“Not just your safety, Tempe. I see how he looks at you. How he looks at Austin. My grandson has never let anyone into his life the way he’s opened himself up for you two. ”

I pull a dress off the rack, holding it up to me in the mirror. “I don’t know why.”

“Because you see him for who he really is, and you accept that about him.” Pearl walks beside me and grabs my shoulder, meeting my gaze in the mirror. “Have I ever told you about when I met his grandad?”

I shake my head.

“Well, he tried to scare me away with the club just like Jameson did with you at first. He thought I couldn’t handle all that comes with it. But I proved him wrong really quick.” She smiles, and I don’t doubt it. “It takes a woman with a backbone to be with one of those guys. Especially when he’s got the president patch on his cut. But you’ve got a spine if I’ve ever seen one, Tempe. One that can handle his club. It takes a strong man to do what they do. But it takes an even stronger woman to love them.”

I swallow hard. “You really think I’m that strong?”

“I know you are.” She squeezes my arm. “What his momma did nearly ripped our family apart, and not for the reasons you might think. We all do bad things. We all make mistakes that we can’t take back. But a family heals together—fights together. She was too heartbroken to do that, and Jameson still hasn’t recovered.”

Pearl takes the dress from my hand, holding it to me and brushing her fingers over it.

“But we can’t let pain be all we are. We have to live for those we lose. Jameson doesn’t deserve to suffer his whole life because of his parents. This punishment he inflicts on himself because of what happened isn’t fair to him. You help him see that. You show him life outside the club and love greater than he grew up with. And I get the feeling he does the same for you. After all, you’re not your father, are you, Tempe?”

I shake my head, pressing my lips together and fighting back tears.

“I didn’t think so.” Pearl squeezes my hand. “Believe in yourself. All three of you deserve happiness, and you bring that out in each other.”

Pearl pats my shoulder, walking away to search the racks while I stand frozen.

Jameson and I have both spent so much time fearing the sins of our bloodlines that we’ve cut ourselves off from what we could be if we let ourselves see past them. And I’m terrified to admit I want more, but I do.

For Jameson, I want to be everything Pearl thinks I am.

I want to be his.