Between Embers (Lost Kings MC #5.5): A Companion to White Heat: Three Short Stories (4 page)

“Sure.” I nod at one of the stone benches and she perches on the edge, then tips her head back to stare at the sky.

“You want to go for a ride?”

“No.”

One of these days, I’ll get her to say yes.

People drift in and out of the clubhouse. Some stop and talk to us.

“Hi, Marcel,” my sister shouts. Next to me, Mariella laughs softly.

Heidi excitedly explains that Axel’s taking her for a moonlit ride. I’m less than thrilled, but Axel promises to be careful.

After they leave, Mariella sighs. “She’s so sweet. You’re lucky to have each other.”

“I didn’t always think so.” I wish I’d chosen better words. As I finish the sentence, I remember Mariella’s brother was a dirtbag who sold her off to the Vipers MC to pay off a debt. Reaching over, I take her hand and squeeze.

“Don’t feel bad for me, Teller.”

“I don’t.” I glance over at her. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“So am I.” She lets out a soft yawn.

“You want to head upstairs?”

“I think so. I was up early.”

I’m not ready to say good night to her when we reach her door, but I do. Leaning over, I lay a swift kiss on her cheek, then back away.

Outside, I stroll the grounds by myself for a while. When I return, Axel’s bike’s still in the parking lot.

“Tha fuck?”

“You seen Heidi?” I ask Murphy. If anyone seems to always know where she is, it’s him.

“A little while ago. Why?”

“She was supposed to be going for a ride with Axel. But his bike’s still here.”

A flash of anger, hurt, jealousy, something like that flashes over his face and he jerks his chin toward the door of the room she uses when she stays here. Storming over, I bang on it a few times. When I look for Murphy he’s all the way down the hall going into his room. “Big help,” I grumble.

There’s rustling, a low murmur, and noises on the other side of the door, so I bang on it again.

Heidi throws it open, nervously running her hands through her hair. “Oh. Hey, big brother, what’s up?”

Yeah, Heidi never greets me like that. Obviously, they were up to something. Looking past her, I find Axel sitting on the bed, staring at his feet.

“I thought you two were going for a ride?”

“We are. We were just hanging out.”

I’m torn. No doubt, in a couple hours, the party will move to the clubhouse. I don’t want Heidi around here for whatever dirty shit my brothers get into. But I also don’t want her taking off and spending the night with this little punk.

“It’s gettin’ late.” Axel hasn’t been riding long enough that I feel comfortable with him taking my sister out on the back roads around here. I think the little shit realizes that’s what I’m implying.

“I’m always careful with her,” he says.

Heidi’s jaw clenches, but she doesn’t argue with me, thank fuck.

“All right, all right, we’re going.” As she turns around, I swear she mumbles something that sounds like, “Rather do it in my bed anyway,” but I ignore it.

I ever actually
catch
them in the act, it will be a different story. One where Axel ends up with bullet in his crotch.

Axel stands, and she grabs her leather jacket. “Are you going to stand in my doorway the whole time?”

Christ, she makes me crazy. Even if she’s almost an adult, she’ll always be my baby sister.

I follow the two of them downstairs, but instead of being annoyed by my overbearing ass, Heidi turns before getting on Axel’s bike and wraps her arms around me. “Are you going to get some rest? You look tired,” she says softly. Her eyes search my face and she doesn’t seem to like what she sees.

“I’m fine. I won’t rest until you call and tell me you’re home safe, though.”

“Are you coming home?”

“I gotta stay up here and make sure things don’t get out of control.” I look past her and point at Axel. “That’s not an invitation for you to stay over.”

He holds his hands out in an innocent
who me?
way that doesn’t fool me one bit.

“I’ll send someone by to check on you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t you dare. I’m fine.”

Shouting from the woods keeps getting closer. Party’s moving toward the clubhouse. I want to get inside and check on Mariella. Maybe I should insist Heidi spend the night here instead. If I thought she’d stay in her room and out of trouble, I would.

“Would you rather stay up here?” I ask her.

Her mouth twists and she cocks her head to the side. Toward the noise in the woods. “Normally, I‘d say yes, but…”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

She grabs me again for another hug, and I hang on to her longer than I’m sure she’d like me to in front of her boyfriend, but I don’t give a fuck.

Axel shakes my hand, and they take off.

I’m not sure why I have such an ache in my chest watching her go.

As I push through the crowd in the living room to get to the stairway, Sparky waves me over. Not surprisingly, he’s high as fuck. “Heidi okay?” he asks. He’s always had a soft spot for Heidi. Not in a creepy way. More like the protective way he worries over his plants.

“Yeah, Axel just took her home.”

“Oh, good. She’s good for him.”

“Yeah? He good for her?”

“Don’t know yet, man.”

I hold my hand out and he misses bumping my fist by about a foot. Shaking my head, I sprint up the stairs. At the top, I hesitate. I want to check on Mariella, but I don’t want to bother her if she’s sleeping.

A muffled cry comes from her room. Jesus Christ, if something happened to her when I was supposed to be watching—

I knock on her door. A few light taps at first. With all the noise going on, the cry could have come from somewhere else.

There’s another one, and this time it’s definitely from her room. I knock harder.

Her door swings open. Light from the hallway spills over her face, red and tear-stained.

“What’s wrong? Did someone bother you?”

“No,” she answers softly.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought I heard something.”

Her cheeks turn even redder. “I still have…I still can’t.”

Reaching out, I place my hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer. “What?”

“Nightmares. Every night. Even though today was such a good day. They never stop.”

Shit.

“I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head and tries to back away. I hate knowing she’s suffering like this. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You’ve already done so much for me. Thank you.” I tighten my hold on her shoulder and turn to check the hallway.

“Do you want to come stay in my room? Not for…just for…you know, tonight?” Christ, I’ve never had so much trouble getting a woman in my room before. Getting them
out
, sure.

“No. You don’t want me. What if you…?”

I snort because she’s the only girl who’s interested me since she moved in. I know how traumatized she still is from her time with the Vipers MC, so I won’t
do
anything about it. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to.

Right now, though, I just want to do something to give her some peace. “Come on. You know you’re safe with me,” I say, piling on what Blake always calls my “Teller charm” by lowering my voice and pulling her a little closer.

“If you’re sure? I do think I’d feel better.”

She ducks back in her room and grabs her pillows and a blanket, then lets me lead her down the hallway.

My room’s neat and clean, the way I left it. Mariella crawls into bed immediately, tucking herself in the corner with her back to the wall. “Good?” I ask.

“Yes, thank you.”

A few minutes later I slip under the covers. It kills me, but I keep my distance. I’m hovering around the edge of sleep, when something soft bumps against me. Startled, I open my eyes. I can’t make anything out in the dark, but I feel Mariella next to me. “You okay?” I whisper.

She doesn’t answer.

Christ, she smells good. Like cinnamon and coconuts. I want to bury my face against her neck and kiss—

This is a problem.

Afraid she’ll wake up with my morning wood tucked against her ass, I stuff an extra pillow in the space between us. I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

Somehow I will myself to go to sleep.

For the first time in a very long time, I feel safe.

In my sleep, I must have twisted and found my way next to Teller. As if my body trusts him to keep me from harm.

“You okay?” he whispers.

I don’t know how to answer him, so I pretend to be asleep. His warmth soaks into my back, relaxing and comforting.

He shifts and something soft presses into my back.

A pillow.

A barrier between us.

Did he do that so I’d feel protected?

Or does he think I’m used and disgusting and wants some distance between us?

I have my answer a few seconds later.

He gently pushes the hair off my cheek and kisses my temple, murmuring, “You’re safe with me, Mariella.”

Today’s a big day for the Upstate charter of the Lost Kings MC.

Our Prez found his Queen and he’s locking her down tight. It’s the first wedding we’ve held at our clubhouse and everyone’s working to make sure things are perfect for prez and his first lady. I was up early discussing our agenda for church with Rock and then rounding up the brothers for the meeting.

Now I’m waiting for my best friend to get his ass to the clubhouse. I really want to see Heidi before we get swept up in all the wedding stuff.

I catch a glimpse of Teller’s truck through the front window.

Finally
.

Heidi walks in first. A dress covered in plastic draped over her arm. Like an idiot I stare at her for a minute without saying anything. I swear she’s more beautiful every time I see her. “Ready for your trip down the aisle, Bug?”

The corners of her mouth lift as she approaches and lets me wrap her up in a hug. Behind her, Teller rolls his eyes and points a finger-gun at his head. I’m guessing Heidi gave him grief this morning. As her eighteenth birthday’s barreling down on him, he’s finally realized trying to control her is a battle he won’t win.

“You’re walking with me?” she asks.

I’m so caught up in the feel of her against me. Her scent surrounding me that it takes me a second to process the question and answer it. “Hell, yeah. You didn’t want to walk with your brother, did you?”