Gamble's Risk, page 18
He kissed me quiet, then set me on my feet.
When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine. “I’m buying the house from Fiona.”
I blinked. “You are?”
He stepped back from me, and his hands stroked down my sides, smoothing out my blouse. “Yeah. You said if you didn’t have student loans, then broke off from that. I spent some time here a couple months back, and thought it would be a great starter house to own.”
I nodded.
“Shit happens for bizarre reasons, Victoria. Now, like I said, I don’t want you to ‘get over’ me owning a gun. But we’ll talk about that more tonight.”
“All right, honey.”
One of his brows jumped as his lips tipped up. “All right. I gotta get out of here before I make both of us late.”
“What are you running late for?”
“Club business.”
I nodded. “Then you aren’t following me to the interview?”
“Shit,” he whispered. After a beat, he said, “Seeing as it’s the middle of the day, you should be fine. Depending on when church is over, either Mensa or I will be there when you leave.”
Gamble
Gamble walked into church surprised to see only Cynic and Block in the room. “Where is everyone?”
Block glanced at his phone. “You’re ten minutes early, G.”
“Is your text to Fiona serious?” Cynic asked.
He lifted his chin. “If she wants to sell, I got a decent down payment saved.”
Both men looked impressed, which made him feel proud. Then bitterness washed over him, because without them, he’d have no reason to feel pride. His father wouldn’t give a damn that he had a down payment for a house. No, that wasn’t true. At the first indication Gamble had money, his dad would demand his cut. Wouldn’t bother to call it a loan.
That had been happening since he was ten, when Dad’s mom would send a ten-dollar bill in his or Britt’s birthday cards. He’d take it and say he deserved half for putting a roof over their heads. He promised two fives made a ten, which was true. Except neither Gamble nor Brit ever saw their five in change.
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard against the memory.
“What brought Gamble in here so damn early?” Brute asked.
Gamble opened his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing, Veep. Thought I was right on time, but found out otherwise.”
Half an hour later, Har said, “That’s all the business we have, unless someone else has something.”
“Wait, what about the Abeyetas?” Gamble asked.
Har stared at him, but Brute asked, “What about them?”
Gamble forced himself to stay calm. “They’re out on bail. They fucked Victoria over again—”
“We’ve done what we can for her,” Har said.
He glowered at his president. Then he whispered, “Come again?”
“You haven’t claimed her.”
Block nodded. “She’s not your woman, just a—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Gamble bit out.
“You need a fine?” Cynic asked.
“She is mine. But if this chapter’s done, then I’ll deal with it.”
Har glared at him, but kept quiet.
Brute looked from Har to him and back to Har. “Didn’t you order him to stand down on this shit?”
“That was before they got out.”
Roman’s fist hit the table. “You better take a brother with you, whatever the fuck you got planned.”
Gamble’s eyes slid to Roman. “Like you had a plan with Ink?”
Roman’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We talked about that shit, man. This is different. The Abeyetas… you need a plan.”
He nodded. “You’re right.”
Tiny said, “Then we’re done here, since we aren’t gonna have Gamble’s back?”
“That isn’t what Har said,” Cynic bit out.
Tiny shrugged. “Isn’t it though?”
Gamble shook his head. Tiny liked stirring the pot, so he didn’t know if Tiny cared or if he just wanted to cause more trouble.
“She reported the break-in, she’s moved into Fiona’s old house. We do something to Luis or Ernesto, the cops are gonna come here first,” Block said.
Brute said, “No different than when they dropped her here.”
Gamble clenched his teeth. For the first time he felt like his brothers were letting him down. Yet, he knew that was a knee-jerk reaction and he tried to ignore it.
“So, no changes, or should he read between the lines?” Roman asked.
Har’s chin dipped a fraction. Then Gamble’s gaze slid to Roman, who arched his brows at him.
“Gamble, are you claiming an old lady?” Joules asked.
He didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”
Block’s head reared back. “That fast?”
“Hasn’t been ‘that fast,’ but yeah. I’m sure,” Gamble said with a glare.
Har banged the gavel. “We’re finished, until next week.”
“Hope we ain’t got to bail anybody out,” Brute muttered.
“Yo! Wait up, Gamble,” Roman yelled after him.
He turned around, halfway to his bike. “What?”
“You goin’ after them tonight?”
He crossed his arms. “No.”
“You’re not just saying that to keep me out of your business?”
Movement from the back of the clubhouse caught his eye and he noticed Mensa and Tiny ambling out. He didn’t need three brothers getting up in his business.
His eyes met Roman’s. “No, I’m not doin’ shit tonight.”
He walked toward his bike, but Roman fell in step beside him. “Then what’s the hurry?”
“You know damn well Tiny’s on his way over here, and I don’t need him stirrin’ shit up. I’m already hanging on by a fuckin’ thread, Ro.”
“We’re a brotherhood, man. You’re hurting, and I saw that look on your face.”
He shook his head. “I’m not hurt.”
Roman’s eyes widened. “Maybe not, but if it were me in your shoes, I’d feel betrayed.”
“No. That’s extreme. Har’s doin’ what he has to for the club. That’s how it’s always been. Club first.”
“And that’s bullshit,” Tiny said, coming in front of them.
“No, it isn’t,” Gamble said.
Tiny shot him a flat look. “Yeah? You think shit wouldn’t be all kinds of different if it were Stephanie? Think Brute wouldn’t be tearing the city down brick by brick if it were Kenzie? Neither of them would give two shits about the fuckin’ club at that point.”
“You’re wrong,” Roman said.
“The hell I am. They’d care about not getting caught. That’s about it.”
Mensa sidled up to them. “Speaking of not getting caught, what are you gonna do, G? How are you going to fly under the radar?”
He tore a hand through his hair. “I don’t fuckin’ know, man.” He glanced at Roman. “No plan means I’m not doin’ anything tonight. Brute comparing this to June reminded me that I need to let the law do its thing. Much as I hate that shit. I’ll give it a week.”
Tiny growled. “I don’t like that idea. Strike while shit’s hot, I say.”
Mensa shook his head. “Better to be safe than sorry.” He pointed a finger at Gamble. “But don’t do anything without someone at your back.”
He clenched his teeth. “I know, Mensa. Heard you motherfuckers loud and clear.”
Mensa held his hands up. “Jesus. Don’t bite my head off. Get your ass a candy bar or something.”
Gamble chuckled. “Let me get on my bike, maybe I will.”
“Forget what Mensa said, you need to get laid. That always takes the edge off,” Tiny said.
“Sex is your answer for everything, Tiny,” Gamble said.
Tiny shrugged. “Sex is never wrong. As long as it’s consensual, of course.”
“He’s got you there,” Mensa said.
“Let Gamble get on his bike,” Roman muttered.
He gave them all a chin-lift and got out of there.
Chapter 15
Again
Victoria
My stomach growled as I left the offices of Gower and Gower. It never failed: being nervous left me hungry no matter how much I ate beforehand. The empty pit of my stomach reminded me I needed to hit the grocery store before going home, but that had to wait until after swinging by my condo. I had forwarded my mail to Fiona’s address earlier that day, but nearly a week’s worth of mail should be in my box. The Gower and Gower offices weren’t that far from the condo, so it made sense to get it today.
When I pulled into the parking lot, my cell rang with Miranda’s ringtone.
I smiled and answered, “Hey, sis!”
“Hi, yourself. Mom wants to know why you haven’t responded to her texts.”
My brows furrowed. “Um, seriously?”
“Believe me, I’d rather talk to you about this man she doesn’t approve of instead, but she’s—”
“Yeah, I get it. She’s hounding you. Hang on, let me see if I have something from her. I swear I didn’t see any notifications.”
I swiped at my cell screen, and there was a text icon, but other notifications had rolled in after it.
With a head shake, I put my cell to my ear. “Okay, well, I see she wants me to call her. I’ll do that now, so she’ll get off your back.”
Miranda made a non-committal sound. “Whatever, she needs to get her panties untwisted. Did you miss her message because you were in court?”
My lips tipped up. “No. I was in an interview. My boss put me on—”
I cut myself off because that would require telling Miranda about being raped. Even if Uncle Mick said Miranda would want to know over the phone, I still wanted to tell her in person.
“Your boss did what?”
“Nothing, when do you fly in? Am I picking you up?”
“My guess is that’s what Mom wants to talk to you about. But, you’re hiding something from me.”
I shook my head. “I’m really not. So, you’re here for a week right?”
“No,” she sighed. “Flying out Sunday. Some stuff’s come up at the hospital, and well, I won’t bore you with it, but I have to cut my time short to get back to work on Monday.”
That was disappointing, but I smiled to hide it from my voice. “Well, that’s plenty of time for you to make your rocky road brownies.”
“Tori! That’s you. All you.”
Now a genuine smile curled my lips as I recalled making those brownies with her when we were teenagers. Since we didn’t have a set recipe, we’d made a huge mess, which was half the fun. After that first batch, only I had luck recreating them again. “Fine. Text me with your flight deets, and we’ll get you taken care of.”
“By we, does that mean you and your new man? Or you and Mom?”
I smirked. “How do you know about that?”
“Uncle Mick. What can I say? He keeps in touch.”
I barked with laughter. “Yeah, right! He meddles is more like it!”
She chuckled. “Seriously. I want to meet him. Is he really a biker?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
She paused. “Oh, hell. That tone –even in a whisper– you like him.”
“No. I love him.”
“L-love him? Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Uncle Mick wasn’t lying.”
“When did you talk to him?”
“Last night.”
“I’m surprised Gamble and I would be a topic of conversation.”
She chuckled. “Uncle Mick is the biggest gossip I know, and he loves watching people fall in love. You know that! It’s why he insists on being so fancy at night. Anyway, bring Gamble when you pick me up.”
“He rides a bike, Miranda. And I’m not so sure he’ll fit in my Sentra. Plus if I bring him, you’d have to sit in the backseat.”
She chuckled. “If he’s anything like Uncle Mick described, you’ll have to sit in the back seat because he’ll insist on driving.”
I felt my lip curl a little because she was probably right. With a shake of my head, I said, “Whatever. I doubt he’s going to be able to break away from work, but you’re going to meet him, don’t you worry. Hell, you could stay in the guest room—”
Again, I had to cut myself short.
“He has a guest room?”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, so I said, “Yes. And if Mom gets to be too much, you could stay there.”
“I’ll consider it, but you need to call Mom. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Love you, too!”
I ended our call and dialed Mom while I still had a smile on my face.
“It’s high time you called me, Victoria.”
“Hello, Mom. I was in an interview when you called earlier.”
Her tone was just shy of condescending. “You mean an interrogation, don’t you?”
I took a deep breath. The easy thing to do would be to lie, but I didn’t have it in me. “No. I had a job interview. Miranda said you needed to talk to me. Are you picking her up tomorrow? Or do you want me to handle it?”
“I would appreciate it if you picked up Miranda, but don’t tell her about your father and me separating.”
I clenched my teeth for a moment. Then it struck me that if Uncle Mick kept in touch as well as Miranda indicated, then she might already know something’s up. “No problem, Mom. That’s not mine to tell.”
“Good. And don’t tell her about your problems from last month either.”
My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe my ears. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No, Victoria. And you can stop with the —”
“I can stop with the what? Attitude? The drama? Forget that! I learned all that from you. And as two men I love pointed out to me, if ever there were a time when I need my sister –hell, need my family– it’s after being brutally raped! Miranda deserves to know because I’d be pissed as hell if she kept something like this from me for too long.”
“This should not be a stressful trip for her.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t tell her you’re leaving Dad. But I will let her know about my attack because that isn’t going to be stressful for her. She’ll be more than happy to help me, be a shoulder for me to lean on, but I’m not keeping her in the dark any longer, Mom.”
There was a lengthy silence. Then Mom said, “I should have known your father and Mick would—”
“It wasn’t Dad,” I put in. Immediately I realized I should’ve kept my trap shut.
“It wasn’t… oh, was it your biker who said you need your sister?”
Between the way she enunciated the word ‘biker’ and her using the word ‘need’, I itched to hang up. “No, Mom. He couldn’t believe I’d kept it from her. Purposefully. Because of you, no less. He has an older sister, and he knows I needed my sister to help me out.”
“Well, you’ve gone this long. You’re a very strong young woman, Victoria.”
“Good God, do you hear yourself?”
I heard her sharp inhale. “Not everything has to be unloaded, Victoria.”
My words slipped from my lips. “Maybe if you’d unloaded years ago, you and Dad would still be together instead of separating because you can’t see past your own self-centeredness.”
Mom gasped. “Victoria Hazel! Do not speak to me that way.”
“So, will Dad be around… or are you going to lie to Miranda about that?”
“Young lady, show some respect.”
“Mom. I’m picking up my sister from the airport tomorrow. If you come down on her like a ton of bricks or put her in the middle the way you normally do, she won’t be around this visit. I’ve got a room she can stay in, and she knows it.”
“We’ll just see about that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Talk to you later.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“Love you, Mom.”
“I love you, Victoria.”
I ended the call, got out of my car, and went to my mailbox. There was plenty of junk mail wadded up in the small box. I tucked it under my arm and had just locked the box when a heavy body shoved me up against the wall of mailboxes.
I felt someone’s hot breath against my ear. “Drop the fuckin’ charges, bitch.” As the man spoke, I smelled beer on his breath.
I croaked out, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pulled me back only to push me up against the metal boxes again. “Bullshit. You don’t know who broke into your condo. Drop the fuckin’ charges.”
I wanted to ask, ‘or what,’ but someone else answered that.
A lower pitched voice said, “If you don’t, you’ll be dead. One less dumb bitch to fuckin’ shut up.”
My body went tense as the man at my back shoved me again. “Yeah.”
It took a while before I realized they’d left.
With care, I backed away from the mailbox console. I felt where the boxes had pressed into my cheek.
Then an older woman said, “Are you okay, dear? My daughter tells me I get worked up about my mail, but you seem quite shaken.”
Rather than look at this woman, I shook my head while lowering it. “No, not shaken. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
As I walked away, I stumbled and dropped the mail. I stooped over, grabbed the bills, and scurried back to my car. Thank heavens for my key fob, I was able to unlock the doors while my hands shook like leaves. Once I was in the car, I locked the doors and took some deep breaths.
While I couldn’t see Ernesto or Luis, I didn’t assume they’d left. I started my car and drove back to the bungalow.
For some stupid reason I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the car after I turned it off. I hit the garage door clicker so the car wouldn’t be visible from the street and rested my forehead on the steering wheel.
No sooner had the door slammed closed than it rolled upward again.
My head whipped up. “What the fuck?”
Then Gamble walked his bike inside the garage.
In the rear-view mirror, I caught sight of myself. There was a pink line on my face from a mailbox door. Otherwise, I didn’t look any different. I took too long examining my face because Gamble whipped my door open.
