Lay It Down: Bastards MC Series Boxed Set (20 page)

He chuckled. “We’re long overdue for this. Remember all those times our friends used to tell us if we didn’t fight when we were young, then we’d have brawls when we got old? You used to think that was hilarious. Well, I think this is our first brawl.”

I laughed. He was right, and for a minute, I was just me, talking to my husband who always had a great way of seeing things. “It really is a nasty one!”

“It is.” He got quiet again. “Joey, I’m not giving up. I’m going to fix this. I love you, and I’m not stopping until you realize how much. I’ll do anything.”

“Will.” I clenched the phone tightly. “You really aren’t hearing me, and I need you to listen right now. I love Matty.”

He made a disgruntled noise.

“I’m sorry if that upsets you, but I do. I don’t want to fix us. I want to be with him if he’ll have me. You can’t love me as much as you think. Not if you were able to so easily fall for someone else. Where does Rach—”

“You said you need time to figure this all out,” he interrupted. “That you need time away from me. So that means you really aren’t sure yet. That means you don’t know. I can give you time. The kids are gone for a few more weeks, and I won’t call you again. I promise. Do what you need to do, then come home to me.”

I knew what he was saying, even if he didn’t say the words. He was telling me to spend the rest of the summer with Matty, to have a full-blown affair, and that at the end of summer, I could come back to him.

Before I could argue and tell him I wouldn’t do that to Matty or him, he continued, “Call me when you’re ready. I love you, Joey.”

He hung up.

I sat in bed for a long time afterward, replaying his words. He insisted he wasn’t giving up on us, but he’d already done that. Funny how only two weeks ago, I wanted him back, and as soon as I decided I didn’t, he changed his mind. What about Rachel? He hadn’t mentioned her. He expected me to spend the summer with Matty, so was he going to be spending his with her? I knew that I should be jealous, but all I felt was relief at the notion that if he was spending all his time with her, then maybe, just maybe, he would really leave Matty and me alone.

18

We took the 2:35 train to North Station. Matty gave me the window seat, and I lifted up the arm between us, snuggling into his side as I watched the scenery fly by. Our car was filled with people, some headed to the city for the weekend, some headed home after a long work week in Portland. Their constant chatter, along with the vibration of the train, relaxed me. We hadn’t even made it to Saco before I felt my eyes start to close. I opened them once—feeling Matty’s arm come around me, pulling me into him, and his lips warm on my forehead—but he was so comfortable that I fell back into oblivion.

“Jo? Honey, we’re here.”

I could feel Matty’s breath on my neck, his soft stubble tickling my cheek. I didn’t want to wake up and instead stretched against him, smiling.

“Come on, babe, you gotta wake up.”

I groaned and sat up. We were pulling into the station. The people around us had grabbed their bags, and there was a current of excitement running through each of them.

“I fell asleep.”

Matty smiled, biting the outside of his lip. “You did.”

I frowned at him, stretching again. “You should have woken me up! I wanted to see the city.”

The train came to a complete stop, the doors opened, and everyone rushed out.

Matty stood up, offering me a hand. “You’ll see plenty of the city this weekend, I promise.” He lifted his bag onto his shoulder, grabbed the handles of mine, and holding my hand, pulled me off the train. Once we got onto the platform, he pulled me next to him. I reached for my bag, but he held it away. “I can carry it.”

I gave him a dirty look. “So can I.”

I was going to argue when I heard my name called in a way only a true Bostonian could say it. I turned, surprised.

“Lil’ Kangaroo?” the voice asked again as if I was a figment of his imagination.

We had walked into the main lobby of the station, and Rocker was standing right outside the door that led to our tunnel. He smiled at me, opening his arms as he strode toward us, and pulled me into a hug before I could even say hello.

He pulled back, hands still on my shoulders, and looked at Matty then back at me. “When you said you were bringing a surprise, this isn’t what I pictured.”

“Surprise.” Matty’s voice was almost flat.

I looked between them, feeling as though I was missing something. There was definitely an undercurrent of understanding between them—I just didn’t know what was being said. Silly boys.

I shook my head, smiling at the handsome man in front of me. “Disappointed?” I pouted for full effect.

He laughed, pulling me into another hug. “With you? Nevah!”

He let go of me then and threw a hug around Matty in what can only be described as a “man hug.” Two grown men, both intimidating in size, hugging and pounding each other on the back attracted some stares. I smiled at them.

Rocker pulled back, grabbed my bag from Matt, then tipped his head toward the main entrance. “Ready?”

Matty grabbed my hand, nodding at his friend. We followed Rocker out the door, and I instantly felt as though I was home. Matty was talking to Rob, but I tuned them out. There was insanity everywhere. We had gotten here just in time for rush hour. Honking horns and the smell of exhaust filled the air. I smiled.

Turning slightly and catching the look on my face, Matty grinned back. Still smiling at me, he asked, “Are the boys here yet?”

I didn’t know what he was talking about, and I didn’t wait to hear the response. I was far too busy taking in the sights and smells.

A cab slammed on its brakes, double parking, and the trunk popped open. Rocker threw my bag in then opened the door before climbing in the back, yanking my hand as he did. I fell into the seat next to him, suddenly crushed into him as Matty squeezed in next to me. Matty’s thigh pressed into mine, and for a brief second, I felt heat flutter through me. A sudden picture of being alone with him, naked and in a sinful embrace, crossed my mind. I gasped as I realized where my thoughts had taken me, and I leaned down, trying to hide my face.

I saw Matty’s hand before I felt it, moving slowly toward my leg, then he squeezed my knee before sliding his hand up the inside. It was as if he’d read my mind. We had slept together every night but hadn’t been intimate since my altercation with Will. His fingers made a pattern, burning my skin through the denim, and I stifled a moan. I was beyond turned on. I pulled my legs together tightly before he could go any farther north. He gave me a sheepish look and shrugged. I scowled back.

Rocker started to laugh, and I turned my glare on him. “You two aah cute.”

Deciding to ignore them both, I looked out the window. I hadn’t heard Rocker give the driver the address, but I assumed we were driving to south Boston. Knowing we’d be in the car for at least an hour with traffic, I immersed myself in the sights. We got lucky, hitting green light after green light, and fifteen minutes later, we stopped in Back Bay.

Both Matty and Rocker opened their doors at the same time and stepped out into the summer air. Rob shut his door, but Matty left his wide open. I looked out toward the brick-sided town houses lining the street. I didn’t know where we were, but it looked like Marlborough Street. Were we here to get something? The trunk slammed shut, and Rocker handed the driver a wad of cash.

Matty peeked his head back inside the car. “Come on, babe.”

I took the hand he offered, shutting the door behind me, and stared at the large four-story townhouse in front of us. It was taller than both of the four-story homes on either side, making it look gigantic. A black wrought-iron fence surrounded a tiny yard on the other side of the sidewalk, just big enough for a tree trunk and some shrubs. I turned around, looking up and down the road. It was Marlborough Street. Rocker was already up the steps, pushing open the door. He stopped, smiling and waiting for us.

I looked up at Matty. “Where are we?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled my hand as he went up some steps and into a foyer.

The hallway was beautiful. Marble floors and mahogany walls led to a single elevator that Rocker had called by waving a fob in front of a sensor.

I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing it was an apartment building. I laughed as we stepped into the car. “For a minute there, I thought this was your house.”

Everyone knew that the homes in Back Bay cost at least a million dollars; the homes on Beacon and Marlborough though cost millions. With an S. Not that an apartment in this neighborhood would be cheap, but for a few seconds, I’d thought I was totally out of my league.

Rocker shook his head, smiling. “Nah, it’s a duplex. We only own the top two floors.”

My mouth fell open. I knew I was gaping, but I couldn’t stop myself. I looked at Matty, who wasn’t making eye contact, but I could see him struggling not to laugh.

“Well, top two’n a half floors,” Rocker corrected himself, looking at Matty. “Wicked sweet views of the rivah on one side and the city on the othah, so I’m okay not owning the whole place. Plus, the taxes are fuckin’ brutal.”

The elevator stopped, opening into a hallway similar to the one downstairs. It was absolutely gorgeous, with dark mahogany floors and light yellow walls. This one though seemed much larger. There was a giant opening to the left that led into what I assumed was the house, a door just past that in the back left corner. Directly to the right of the elevator was another door, probably a stairway. On the right wall, there was a bright white closet, a mahogany table that matched the floor, and another white closet. In the back right corner was another door.
“We only own the top two floors
.
”

I wondered what Rocker did for work or, better yet, what the other half of the “we” did. Then I remembered what I should have asked when I first saw Rocker at the station. “Is your wife home yet? I can’t wait to meet her.”

He was a few steps in front of me, but he stopped and turned. Meeting my eyes, his eyebrows arched. “My wife?” His eyes looked over me, and I assumed he was looking at Matty. Shaking his head, he continued, “Sorry, Lil’ Kangaroo, not hitched.” He winked. “Don’t even have a girl. I’m a lot to handle.” He laughed, shaking his head and walking into the middle of the foyer.

I stopped abruptly, turning. I could hear the sounds of men talking, probably the ones Matty had asked Rocker about earlier. Matty looked at the table, at the closets, back at the elevator, then past me into the room. I stared at him until he met my eyes.

“Really?” I hissed. The sides of his mouth twitched. “You could have told me he wasn’t married, and you could have told me he lived here.” My arm stretched out. “I am totally out of my element.”

He dropped the bag he carried, snaked out an arm, wrapping it around me, and pulled me into him. His mouth found mine. My arms had a mind of their own, circling his shoulders while my hands tangled his hair around my fingers. His tongue ran over mine playfully, touching my bottom teeth, then it was gone. He pulled my bottom lip between his, nibbling on it. It was all I could do to remember to breathe, pulling him tighter against me. A throat clearing brought me back to reality, and I didn’t try to hold Matty when he pulled away.

As I turned back toward Rocker, I felt Matty’s breath on my ear. “If you think this is nice, wait until you see what I have planned for later.”

His words made a shiver run down my back, and I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for me. 

“You two gonna be okay for a minute, or should we go downstairs while you two still have clothes on?”

I felt the blush rise, but Matty just smacked my ass and grabbed my hand.

“This,” Matty said, pulling me a few steps into the room, “is the hall. Elevator, stairs to the roof.” He pointed at the open elevator and the door next to it. “The washroom is in there too.”

I raised my eyebrows at that, and he shrugged, pulling open the door. The little room was bright, surprising me, and I looked up to see the sky through a roof window. There was a circular staircase, and the marble floors continued into a little alcove that held an industrial-sized sink and lots and lots of shelves and pegs with clothes on them.

“It’s for when we come back all dirty and gross; we can change and get washed up before…”

I knew what he was going to say. Get cleaned up before going inside. The house was so nice that you couldn’t walk inside after work without cleaning up. Yep, way, way out of my league.

He tugged me back to Rocker, pointing out the closets. One was for guests, one for frequent visitors. The door in the back left was a “Guest bathroom, no shower.” And the door across from it, in the back right corner, was the stairway. “But it only goes down to the living room and then down to the bedrooms, not outside.”