Ride Hard (3 page)

For a few seconds, he lay still, unable to grasp the meaning of the word she said. “Ok?”

“Yes, I will move in with you.”

He sat so fast that she slipped down on the rug. “You will come and live here with me. Is that what you’re saying?”

“I am.” Her smile was easy. “Why not? It would be great. We could be together all the time, day and night. I will go with you to the clubhouse and study over there, and when you are free…we could come back here. This is a nice place, a safe house.”

Nick couldn’t believe his good luck. For too long, he fought the disappointment whenever she said no. He stopped asking her. If she didn’t want it, he vowed to accept her decision – but just like that, his luck turned.

“That’s great news, baby!” He yanked her in his arms and kissed her, delirious with happiness. “I wanted it for a long time.”

“And now you’re going to get it. So remember that it was your idea when I nag you about cleaning up the place and switching off all the lights before you venture out. Or when you forget to collect the laundry from the washing machine, or when…”

He rubbed his lips over hers to stop the flow of words. She could nag him all the way to hell, and still nothing would mar the happiness that he got from her consent. She was going to live with him. Wonderful! Amazing! He was ecstatic. It was the first step in the right direction. Gabby didn’t know it, but he harbored great plans for their future and this was just one of them.

“We should celebrate.” He finally lifted his head. “Let’s do it in a big way.”

“I thought we already did.” She patted the rug on which they made wild love. “You want to go another round?”

“I meant a celebration, like a party. We haven’t had one in a long time. Let’s do it in the clubhouse. We will invite everyone.” Swept away by his plans, he explained. He could just imagine it all, and happiness bubbled inside him like a volcano. “It would be the party of the year.”

She raised a brow. “Sure, if that’s what you want. When?”

“Soon! Next week, maybe!” He promised as he bent his head to claim yet another kiss. His life was wonderful. Everything was exactly as he planned – and Nick envisioned no more troubles on the horizon.

CHAPTER THREE

Gabby believed in counting her blessings. She’d a wonderful life. Nick cared for her genuinely, without any reservations. When she was working with Joseph, she never thought that one day she would find a man who would accept and love her for who she was. This was like a dream come true for her. And she was so happy that it was hard to put her feelings in words.

But now her joy at these blessing was marred with this new threat that loomed over head.

Joseph called two days ago. Since then, she didn’t receive any more communication from him. Perhaps he’d only called to rattle her. Certainly, he couldn’t trace her location from the phone. There was a good chance that he didn’t know where the hell she was but managed to get her number. She was still debating about changing her number. Nick would want to know why she did it, and she had no clue as to what she would tell him. Maybe she should just not pick up if she received any more calls from Joseph. That would be the best move.

A knock on her door startled her. Gabby realized that she’d been standing against the window for quite some time, lost in thought. She opened the door and let Tasha and Willow in. While Willow was the Old Lady of the President of Hell Brigade, the biker’s club to which Nick belonged to, Tasha was a new girl who was working in the kitchen. Hell’s Brigade’s clubhouse was a safe haven for a lot of girls who drifted in from various situations and wanted a place where they could hole up for a while. Gabby found a sanctuary here when she ran away from her pimp, Joseph, and now Tasha was enjoying their protection after she escaped from an abusive husband.

“What’s going on?”

“You tell us, girl,” said Willow as she sat on the bed. “Nick is organizing a party, we heard.”

“Ah!” He was actually quite deliriously happy. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe that anyone could be as excited simply because she decided to move in with him. But perhaps she needed to imbue some of his exhilaration. It was a big change in their relationship. Gabby relished her independence because she got it after a hard struggle. She avoided moving in up until this point because she didn’t want to risk moving out if their relationship didn’t work out. It was hard for her to take this happiness for granted and assume that it would last forever. What if it didn’t?

What would she do now?

But now she was ready for this. And even though it was partly because she knew it would make Nick very happy but also because she would feel safer around him. The clubhouse was a good place, but she felt the most comfortable when Nick was with her. And sure, ever since they started dating, they were together more because he spent more than half of his day in the clubhouse, but now she could be with him even at nights.

“Hey, are you alright?” said Tasha as she peered at Gabby’s face.

She’d spent the last minute contemplating on her own thoughts. Shit! What was wrong with her? “Sorry, guys. I was just…thinking about something else.”

“It’s not easy planning a moving-in party. Lucky for you, we’re gung-ho about helping you.” Willow pumped her hand in the air. “Have you decided on a theme yet?”

“A theme?” She shook her head, baffled by the question. “What kind of a theme?”

Willow rubbed a hand on her forehead. “Oh, Tasha! This girl needs a lot of help. Poor thing, she is. We’ll have to rescue her from the pit of ignorance.”

Tasha grinned at the horrified expression on Gabby’s face. Her red hair was the exact color of a carrot, and her blue eyes were vibrant and bright. “Have you ever thrown a party before?”

Gabby’s heart sank. What had she gotten herself into? She’d thoughts drinks and food, but nothing else beyond that. The girls, it appeared, were looking for something more elegant, and she wasn’t sure if she was up for the task. “Nick is supposed to take care of all the details. He said he would arrange the music, and invitations, and all. We just have to take care of food here. I can do that easily enough.”

“Oh my God, girl!” Willow rolled her eyes. “A party is not about food and drinks. Sure, a man can take care of that. Your job is to create an ambiance that will invite people to sit and relax and make merry.”

Panic licked her skin. She’d no clue what Willow was talking about. “How do I do that?”

“The dress, girl.” Willow slapped one hand on another. “You’ve to get the right dress.”

Surely, she misunderstood. “The dress?”

“Yes, the dress. It’s the linchpin on which the whole party revolves,” insisted Willow. “You’ve to pick the dress, and then you plan a theme around it. Oh, gypsies!” She clapped her hands and glanced at Tasha. “What do you think?”

Tasha pulled a face. “I was thinking Hawaiian?”

“No! That’s been done to death. Let’s do something different.” Willow pursed her lips as she vetoed the idea. “Gypsies is wonderfully liberating and…plus, I have the perfect dress for it already.”

Tasha laughed. “It’s not your party. Gabby gets to decide.”

Gabby didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. Planning a party suddenly looked like a nightmare. What was she going to do? She didn’t have any idea regarding these things. “Gypsy theme sounds good. But…I don’t have a dress.”

“You have to buy a new one.”

The thought of trying on various dresses until she found the perfect one made her dizzy. “Do I have to? I could wear jeans…and throw on layered t-shirts and maybe beads around my neck. That’s easy enough to do.”

Willow slapped a hand on her mouth. “Oh, no, no, no! You’re not wearing jeans to this party. We’re going to find the perfect dress and shoes and accessories…”

She was sure that she suffered a mini-stroke. Gabby gulped. Her head was pounding now. “That’s going to take a lot of time.”

“The more, the better,” insisted Willow. “Tasha, are you free tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yes, I could clear my kitchen duties.”

Willow stood. “Good! We will meet here at three and go for a shopping expedition. It will be a lot of fun. And I think we should buy some candles also, jazz up this place a bit, and some ornaments to hang around.”

Gabby lay down on the bed. She sucked in a deep breath of air, released it, and sucked it in again. “I am going to be sick.”

Tasha patted her on the head. “Gather up your courage. I’ll bring some coffee for you and then we can discuss the menu.”

Pizza and burgers, she’d thought. But now that Willow was on this mission, they would have to think of something more exotic. “Fine,” she managed to croak out the word. Gabby closed her eyes as the women walked out.

This party was going to suck all energy out of her body. And knowing Willow, she wouldn’t do things halfway, she would go all out and make it a night to remember. Intimidating as that thought was, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea. It would take her mind off her other troubles.

As she tried to get a handle on the list of things to do that Willow’s discussion conjured in her head, her cell phone rang. For a second, her heart stopped, but it was Nick. “Hey, you!” His voice was throaty and low. A shiver of delight careened through her senses. His voice had enough power to bring her back to life. Suddenly, nothing seemed troublesome. “What are you doing?”

Gabby took a deep breath. “Willow and Tasha came over. Apparently we need a theme and the right dress for the party or else it would be a complete disaster.”

His rumbling laughter filled her ears. “Willow loves an occasion. She will drive you crazy.”

“You brought this on me,” she accused.

“Yeah, babe! And I am ready to pay the penalty, whenever you want. I am yours to command.”

She shook her head. “I’ll have to think of an appropriate punishment. But right now, Tasha is coming back up and we’re planning the menu. It’s going to be a gypsy theme, so the menu has to reflect that.”

“Good luck then,” he said. “So when should I come pick you up?”

“For what?” She didn’t know they were going out. Did he say something and she forgot? Gabby raked her mind but she couldn’t recall making any plans with him.

“For moving to my place, of course. Are you packed already?”

Shit! She hadn’t even begun. Gabby’s eyes darted to her cupboard that contained all her worldly possessions. It wouldn’t take her all that long to dump everything in a bag. But she just wasn’t ready for the big change right now. Although she committed to the move, she wasn’t sure if it was the right decision.

What if Nick got bored with her and told her to move back?

Once more, all her fears rumbled through her mind.

“Ah…there is so much party planning to do,” she said. “Maybe I should stay here for a while so that I can discuss things with the girls. We’re going shopping tomorrow, and then the food will be made here. It will take a lot of organizing.”

“Oh!” He sounded a little disappointed. She hated to do this to him, but her doubts were relentless. “Alright, if you’re sure. When would you move in then?”

“How about the day after the party?” she suggested. Her hand clenched on the bed sheet. She hated to make him feel bad but she just needed a little bit more time. From her heart and soul, she was committed to Nick, but the fear of losing him made her wary about making the ultimatum pledge. “I mean…we’re going to be together for a long, long time so a few more days won’t make such a big difference.”

“We’re going to be together forever, babe,” he corrected her. “So yeah, take your few days. Do you want me to rein in Willow? She can be a bit flamboyant with her ideas.”

Gabby recalled the excited expression on Willow’s face. It was a long time since they all had a fun night. Lately, the mood in the club was a little down. Ever since two of their members got arrested, everyone was a little tense. This party might be a good way to bring everyone back together. “No, it’s fine. I will survive.”

“That’s the spirit,” he said.

She laughed. “Will you drop by in the morning?”

“No, actually, I’m going with Matt to figure out a new warehouse location for the goods that need to be stocked so I’m not sure when I will come back. How about we meet for dinner tomorrow around seven? Matt and I should be done by then,” he said.

“OK.” Gabby was aware that there was a lot of tension between Matt and Nick, mainly because of her. Matt thought she could be the snitch, and Nick was protecting her. Until they found the person who landed two of their men in jail, this battle would continue. Nick was conducting secret investigations to figure out who it was. And until he did that, the only two men he trusted were Matt and Ronald. And that is why he was hunting for a new location with Matt. At least, Matt wasn’t a police informant.

But then so wasn’t Gabby.

Sooner or later, Matt would realize that and this war would come to a natural end.

“Bye, babe.” Nick hung up.

Gabby felt terrible about continuously making excuses to not shift into his house, but she would make it up to him when she finally shifted. Nick was a great guy, and she intended to make him happy. And they would be, she was sure of it.

Just a week, and then they would be together.

Nothing could wrong in seven days.