Page 56 of Chains
“Why not?”
“’Cause my old man would’ve rubbed it in my face at the brunch.”
“Maybe Bret didn’t want to tell him until he got the business off the ground.”
“Nah. He and my dad are real tight—he’d have told him.”
“Does your dad know that you have a business?” she asked softly.
“I don’t know, and I don’t give a shit if he does or doesn’t.”
“Did you tell anyone in your family?”
“My mom. I’m not really close to my blood family—they really haven’t ever been there for me. I consider my true family the club. You know, the termbrotherhoodgets thrown around a lot in today’s society, but none of the citizens have a fuckin’ clue as to the real meaning of the word. We take it to a life-and-death level. There’s no fuckin’ way I wouldn’t take a bullet for my brothers or they wouldn’t for me. There’s a closeness we got born outta loyalty, strength, and love that you don’t see in most families.” Chains crushed the water bottle, then tossed it on the coffee table. “I’ve never had one iota of that kind of trust, support, or closeness with my blood family.”
The hurt that seeped from Chains when he talked about his “blood family” squeezed at her heart. From the way Bret had spoken of his parents, she’d gathered that they showered him with praise, love, and support his whole life, but Chains had a different experience in the same household.
“You’re lucky you found the club,” she whispered.
“Damn straight. I felt outta sync with my siblings and parents when I was growing up. Being a biker is more than riding a Harley.”
“I’m sure it is,” she replied.
Chains hit his fist against his chest. “I feel it in my heart and soul. That’s what the citizens don’t get.”
His words resonated with such passion and conviction that even Cinder popped her head up and stared at him.
Chains’s gaze latched on to hers. “There’s something about you that makes me tell you things I don’t want to think about.”
The husky roughness of his voice made a sudden shiver race up her spine. Immediately, she chastised herself for feeling attracted to Chains when it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours sincehisbrother broke up with her.
“I’ve had other people tell me that too,” she said flippantly, even though every nerve in her body snapped. “I should call my friend Sadie. I meant to last night, but I fell asleep.” She rolled her eyes. “Well, passed outbefore I could give her a ring.”
“So you want me to go?” He rose to his feet.
“I don’t want to keep you from doing what you usually do. I’m really okay, but thanks for caring.”
“No worries.”
Chains walked toward the hallway, and she jumped up from the couch and followed him over to the door. Autumn turned around, and for endless moments they stared at one another until the air was thick with sexual tension.
“Autumn,” he said in a low, husky voice.
Her heartbeat raced as he took a few steps, his gaze lowering to her mouth.
Suddenly, a car alarm went off across the street, the blaring siren piercing through their arousal. Regaining her composure, Autumn gripped the knob and flung open the door. A rush of cool air burst in, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Thanks again,” she mumbled.
Chains tipped his head and then stepped out onto the porch. Autumn checked out the way he swaggered over to his motorcycle and pulled a muscular leg over the leather seat, then without another glance in her direction, he put on his sunglasses. Across the street, Mrs. Harrison sat in the driver’s seat, waving her arms around while Mr. Harrison looked under the hood of the Cadillac.
The bike’s engine drowned out the alarm, and she watched Chains pull from the curb and ride away. When Autumn couldn’t see him any longer, she immediately felt his absence. After closing the door, she went back into the family room and flipped on the fireplace. As warmth started to radiate from the flames, Autumn crossed over to the couch and sank down, pulling a Sherpa blanket around her shivering body. She glanced at the phone, and instead of picking it up and calling Sadie, she just sat there with her brain numb and her heart broken.
Cinder jumped up on the sofa and snuggled next to her, softly purring until she stuck her hand out from under the blanket and petted the cat.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered as tears spilled down her face. Cinder meowed and cuddled closer.
A sob escaped Autumn’s throat, and she pulled Cinder up against her and buried her face into the cat’s soft fur.
And as she cried, she realized that the tears weren’t for Bret or her broken engagement… they were all for Chains.
What’s wrong with me?
But she knew. It was Chains. He had come into her life and shook it up like no one ever had.
And for the first time since she’d agreed to marry Bret, Autumn suddenly felt free… andalive.
