It’s only a minute to what will soon be my driveway and I tap Tse on the shoulder.
“Slow down into the bend, there’s a driveway just on the other side on the right. Pull in there.”
I’m guessing Meredith will be at work, but either way, I’m sure she won’t mind me stopping by to show my new place.
Tse stops the bike in the driveway and stays when I climb off.
“What is this place?”
“My new house as of this coming weekend. I get the key on Friday and the moving truck will be here on Saturday afternoon.”
He looks at me with eyebrows raised.
“No shit? This is yours?”
“Well,” I rush to correct him. “I’m renting. It belongs to Meredith Carter; she’s the county coroner. She’s moving in with her man.”
“Jay VanDyken,” Tse surprises me by saying. “I heard they were an item.”
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the fact everyone seems to know everyone here.
“Yes. She’s not ready to sell yet, and I was looking for a slightly more permanent place than Sandra’s garage apartment.”
He swings one leg over the handlebars but keeps his butt on the seat. Then he reaches for me and pulls me closer, his hands on my hips.
“This is going to be convenient,” he says, smirking.
I grin back. “Oh yeah?”
“You’ll have to get a dog, though.” He nudges his head to the A-frame. “Great place, but it’s a little remote for a girl by herself, and I can’t be here all the time.”
My smile disappears and I try to take a step back, but his hands hold tight. I manage to twist free anyway.
“I don’t even know where to start, there are so many flags going off at the same time right now.”
“I don’t get it.”
He looks genuinely perplexed. He doesn’t even recognize the misogynistic crap he just spouted, but I don’t mind enlightening him.
“I’ve made this mistake once before, let myself get swept off my feet only to turn around and find every aspect of my life controlled. Took me six months to be rid of him. Took me six years to work up the guts to try once more. I’m not going down that rabbit hole again.”
He pushes off his bike, removes his helmet, and closes the distance between us. He doesn’t touch me though, just stands really close but I hold my ground.
“I’m glad you told me about the asshole or I’d be seriously pissed right now. We’ll get to the asshole and the six years later, but for now let me clear something up.”
Last thing I want is to discuss Dave, but I let that genie out of the bottle myself. Still, I lift my chin in a touch in defiance.
“What?”
It doesn’t deter Tse.
“What I said comes from a place of concern. Some of it ingrained reflex, I’ll admit, but let me remind you about the attack on your employee, the drug deals taking place behind your restaurant, the fact the cops are still actively investigating both, and you are smack in the middle of all of that.”
Shit.
It says a lot about the weekend, and the company I kept, it was so easy to let those facts slip my mind.
“And, Fee? This is who I am. I’ll always be protective, but don’t mistake that for control, and if you can’t deal with that maybe I’m the wrong guy for you.”
Wow. Talk about putting it out there. Yesterday at this time we were still dancing around each other and had separate bedrooms we fully intended to use. This morning I woke up to this man worshiping my body, washing my hair in the shower we shared, and already I may have brought this budding relationship to a screeching halt.
A dog is not that far-fetched, and neither is the assumption he’ll spend time here for whatever his reasons may be. Although, I guess that entirely depends on the response he gets from me. Judging from the scowl on his face, I’d better not make him wait too long.
“I can deal.”
“You sure?”
I nod. “If you can deal when I get defensive, I can deal when you get protective.
He pulls my body flush to his and wraps me tightly in his arms.
“Good fucking answer, Fee,” he mutters right before he kisses me.
Tse
“How was the ride?”
Ouray is leaning against the side of the clubhouse, smoking. It’s where he hides from Luna, who’s been hounding him to quit.
“Good. Nice couple of days for it.” I shove my helmet in the seat and take the strap of my bag. “Red was asking where you were.”
“I’m sure he was, never mind I told him last week I wasn’t gonna be there. He just doesn’t like my reasons.”
I’m sure he doesn’t since he called Ouray pussy-whipped, but I’m not about to share that remark.
Luna, who is an FBI agent, had to work and Ouray won’t go to rallies without his wife anymore. As far as I’m concerned that’s their business, although there was a time I might’ve agreed with Red’s assessment.
“Everything quiet here?”
He stubs out his cigarette in the sand-filled bucket and looks up at me.
“Had a little scuffle in the boy’s dorm overnight. Ravi got into it with Maska. Hit him over the head with a crowbar.”
“What?” I’m shocked, Ravi is a quiet kid but he’s not violent. He’ll avoid conflict if he can. “How’s Maska?”
“He’ll have a scar he can brag about. Fourteen stitches above his ear. Damn proud of them too.” He chuckles.
“Ravi?”
“Looks like he’s about to bolt. Trunk’s been trying to talk to him, but he’s not saying much. Kid was sleeping with a crowbar in his bed. Remind you of someone?”
Damn.
We didn’t know much of Ravi’s history when he came to us, and he hasn’t shared, but I’m starting to get a better picture.
“Where is he?”
“Yuma’s old room in the back.”
Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I start toward the door, my step a little heavier than normal.
Lisa’s already back in the kitchen getting dinner ready, and
