Road to Hope Page 2

  “Okay.”

  I slid my phone into my pocket and followed her downstairs. I was home for spring break and watching my little brothers, Flash and Jamie, while Mum and Hatch flew to Savannah for the weekend. I was really looking forward to some quality time with my little biker boys, considering I hadn’t been home this past holiday season. I had been working and studying so hard (and avoiding Devon), I didn’t get home much anymore.

  Hatch grinned as I walked into the kitchen, holding his arms open and I walked into his hug. “Hey, baby girl.”

  “Hi, Sid.”

  He kissed my head. “You good?”

  “She wants to kill Devon,” Mum said.

  He chuckled. “Killin’ Sparky’s my job.”

  I groaned. I couldn’t believe the club had given Devon the same biker name as my dog. Funny, yes, because the reason behind it was appropriate, but it meant that every time I called Sparky (the dog), I thought of Devon. He was helping with the expansion to the clubhouse (since he had a shit ton of experience with building) and he kept forgetting to turn off the breaker box or whatever before installing a couple of lights. It happened two or three times, so the Club decided to bust his balls permanently with his new nickname.

  I wrinkled my nose. “I’m taking over that responsibility.”

  He chuckled. “What’d he do?”

  What did he do? He found out I was home, called me and insisted I didn’t go anywhere without checking in with him first. Like he had any say over my life!

  Dick.

  “Not worth talking about it. It just gives him power.”

  Hatch gave me a squeeze. “Okay, baby girl, but if he’s messin’ with you, I’ll end him.”

  “I know. I appreciate that. I’ll let you know if I need your badassery.”

  “Sounds good.”

  One of the things I loved the most about Hatch was he didn’t meddle. He was exclusively hands-off. Mum was too, kind of. She had her ways of getting information without actually asking anyone a direct question. It was witchcraft, but it worked for her.

  “Let me show you the gas and water shut-offs,” Hatch said, and I followed him into the garage.

  Hatch was the Sgt. At Arms for the Dogs of Fire Motorcycle Club, and he was highly organized... which is why he had a ‘book’ with all the information about their home in detailed myopic epic-ness.

  “I think you missed your calling, you know that, right?”

  Hatch raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”

  I flipped a sheet protected set of instructions with a thwap. “You would have made someone a very nice personal assistant.”

  He dropped his head back and laughed. “And this is why you’re my favorite daughter.”

  “I’m your only daughter.”

  “Yeah, but you’re still my favorite.”

  “That’s good to know.” I smiled. “You’re my favorite Sid, so we’re even.”

  “Glad we got that sorted.”

  “Dad!” Flash called.

  Flash’s real name was Parker, but no one ever called him that. Mum always complained how quickly he could disappear from her sightline, and since he’d been fast on his feet, so to speak, ever since he was born, Hatch always called him “Flash.”

  “Out here, bud,” Hatch called.

  “I finished. Wanna see?”

  “Yeah.” We walked back into the house and Flash handed Hatch the model airplane he’d been working on. “Great job,” Hatch said.

  Flash was holding some war bomber that he and Hatch had been building together, mostly because Flash was obsessed with airplanes and Hatch was an incredible dad and wanted to share in all of our interests. He never missed any of my school events or horse shows. Even if he had a job with the Club, he was there... we were always his priority.

  Unlike Devon.

  Devon was a dick.

  “Poppy!” Snapping fingers appeared in front of me and a grinning James Wallace came into focus.

  “Hey, Jamie.” I grinned, giving him a hug. “Are you going to play something for me later?”

  Jamie had decided he wanted to play drums this year, so he was taking lessons and I knew my parents were going to buy him a drum kit this year, because they were amazing.

  “I just have practice pads.”

  “So? You can play me something on your pads, right?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Is Devon coming over?”

  I forced myself not to curse as I shook my head. “I don’t know, bud. But probably not. He’s always got stuff to do.”

  “Aw, man,” he moaned.

  Hatch raised an eyebrow, but I ignored him as I gave my brother a hug. “But you owe me a do-over on that Mario Brothers game.”

  “Okay,” he said, excited.

  “After dinner,” Mum said.

  “Okay, Mom.”

  The doorbell pealed and Hatch went to answer it.

  “Shit! Hawk’s early,” Mum said. “I’m not ready.”

  “Go finish, Mum, I’ve got dinner covered.”

  “Okay, love, thanks.”

  I scooped my hair up into a ponytail then stepped to the sink to wash my hands when the air in the room changed and I knew exactly who had just walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  I grabbed a couple of paper towels and faced Devon. “Hey, asshole.”

  He smiled, but I didn’t miss the flash of hurt in his eyes. I forced down my guilt. I wouldn’t care. He didn’t deserve it.

  God, he looked good. Dark jeans, tight in all the right places, hugged his long legs and the white T-shirt he wore under his cut was fitted enough to see the ridges on his very muscular chest and stomach. He wore a chunky black watch on his left wrist and a skull ring on his right ring finger, but nothing else. He had a little stubble and I itched to run my hands (and my tongue) over it.

  Instead, I dumped the paper towels into the trashcan. “I thought you had shit to do.”

  “I do. Figured I’d come say hi first. Welcome you home,” he said, sliding onto a barstool.

  “Well, now that you got that out of the way, don’t feel like you need to hang around.”

  “I’m driving Hatch and Maisie to the airport.”

  “I thought Hawk was doing that.”

  “Hawk delegated.”

  “Cool.” I stuck my head in the refrigerator so I could hide my emotions, pulling out a plate of burgers Mum had prepped to grill.

  “Can we talk this week?”

  I set the plate on the island and lit up the burner for the grill. “About what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you could fill me in on the reason you’ve iced me out for the past however many years.”

  “I haven’t iced you out,” I countered. “I moved to Atlanta to go to school.”

  “Babe,” he said with a sigh.

  “What?”

  “Ghostin’ my calls and texts kinda indicates you’re icin’ me out, Poppy.”

  I made sure my voice dripped with sarcasm as I said, “I apologize, Devon. Truly. You know, I’ve been studying hard and doing my best to get a four-point-o GPA, which is a little harder for me than some people, but you know what? I’ll take a few minutes out of my study time to be sure to answer your phone calls and texts. Make sure you’re a priority. Does that make you feel better?” I slapped a patty onto the grill and grabbed another.

  “Whatever, Poppy.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” I grumbled. “Why do you care?”

  “No fuckin’ idea, babe,” he snapped, then slid off the stool and pointed to the burger. “Make mine medium rare, yeah?”

  I let out a frustrated squeak as he left the room.

  Medium rare. Yeah, I’ll give you medium rare, asshole. Better yet, I’ll leave out the medium part and give it to you so rare you get e-coli and worms.

  * * *

  Devon

  Goddammit all to fuckin’ hell.

  I dragged my hands down my face and took a few steadying breaths. I knew I’d hurt her feelings the night of her formal. I had to in order to keep my distance, but I didn’t realize I’d done that much damage. Fuck me, the taste of her lip gloss still lingered in my mind, and I hated that she couldn’t stand the sight of me.

  I fuckin’ missed her.

  “Oh, Devon,” Maisie said, her voice chipper. “I didn’t realize you were popping by.”

  “Hey, Maisie. Hawk got hung up, so I’m drivin’ you to the airport.”

  My uncle’s wife was a knock-out. Blonde hair, blue eyes, legs for days. It was obvious where Poppy got her looks, which made things even harder for me. They always advise a man to look at the mother to see how her daughter will age, and Maisie was so fuckin’ beautiful, there was no doubt Poppy would age just as beautifully.

  “Oh, thank you,” she said, then studied me for a few seconds. “It’s good to see you, bud.”

  She gave me a hug and I forced a smile. “You’re welcome.”

  “Did you say hi to Poppy?”

  “Sure did.”

  Maisie cupped my face. “You’re a good man, Devon.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Devon!” Jamie said in surprise. “Poppy said you weren’t coming over.”

  Poppy probably wishes I’d fall into a hole and die.

  “My plans changed.”

  “Can we play Mario Brothers?”

  “Sure, we can.” I glanced at Maisie. “If it’s okay with your mom.”

  She waved her hands. “Yeah, go on. We’ve got an hour before we have to leave.”

  Jamie dragged me downstairs to the basement and I tried to put Poppy’s distaste for me out of my mind.

  * * *

  Poppy

  “Those smell good,” Mum said as she walked into the kitchen.

  I smiled. “Well, yeah, because you made them.”

  She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. “I’m surprised Devon’s not in here chatting you up.”

  “He’s got better things to do than watch me fry up burgers.”

  “Are you guys okay?”

  I glanced up at her, then back down at the burgers. “Yeah, why?”

  “You’ve just seemed to cool when it comes to Devon.”

  “Just busy, Mum. But we’re good,” I lied, jabbing the spatula toward the burger with swiss on it. “I’m even making him his favorite cheeseburger.”

  Sans rat poison, which Mum doesn’t keep under the sink (I looked), damn it.

  “Well, okay then, if you’re sure everything’s okay.”

  “Golden, Mummy.”

  “Hmm-mmm,” she murmured, but dropped the subject.

  Thank God.

  The rest of dinner went smoothly with me and Devon perfecting our cordial but cold interactions, and then it was time for them to head to the airport and I was left blissfully alone with my brothers.

  * * *

  Two hours later, my phone buzzed and I pulled up a text from Devon.

  Coming over.

  Why? Grrr. This was all I needed.

  I heard his quiet knock and checked the camera feed... it was in fact Devon standing on the porch, and I debated whether or not I was going to ignore him.

  I didn’t.

  I paused my favorite Ken Burns documentary (The Civil War) and dragged myself to the foyer. Entering the code for the alarm, I pulled open the door and stepped back to allow him entry, before closing the door and reentering the code. “Did you forget something?”

  “Yeah. You and I are gonna hash this out, Poppy. You’re not leavin’ for another year without this bein’ resolved.”

  “The kids just went to bed, so we need to be quiet.”

  “Not plannin’ on yellin’, are you?”

  “Don’t know yet,” I retorted, and led him into the family room.

  I sat on the sectional and Devon sat next to me, leaving a cushion between us, but turning his body sideways to face me.

  I mirrored him and said, “So talk.”

  “You wanna tell me why you hate me?”

  “I don’t hate you.”

  “Babe. Please don’t insult my intelligence, yeah? I know you, Poppy, and I’m acutely aware of your mood changes.”

  I bristled at that and frowned. “Excuse me? You think I’m moody?”

  He sighed. “Not what I said.”

  “Kind of is.”

  “Look. I just mean that I know you and can tell when your mood changes,” he said. “And your mood changed the night of your formal thing and has gotten progressively hostile ever since.”

  “Well, excuse me for not wanting to hang around someone who finds me repulsive.”

  “What the fuck?”

  I studied my hands in my lap, my face heating with embarrassment.

  “There is nothing about you I find repulsive, Poppy. Wanna break it down for me?”

  “Not really.”

  “Do it anyway.”

  I sighed. “I kissed you. You looked like you had been forced to eat shit, then you pushed me away, and every time... every time there was a club get together, you shoved a different girl in my face, driving home the fact that I would never be what you wanted.”

  “I didn’t fuckin’ shove anything in your face, Poppy.”

  “Ohmigod, Devon, you did!”

  He dragged his hands down his face. “That wasn’t my intention.”

  “Well, what was your intention? You practically fucked them in front of me.”

  “You were barely eighteen! I couldn’t touch you.”

  “Yep, got it. Just past jailbait.”

  “Goddammit, Poppy, you’re not even fuckin’ close.”

  “And what the hell was all that crap with Michael?”

  “What crap with Michael?”

  “Don’t sit there and act all innocent,” I snapped. “Lily told me you beat the shit out of him two days before he was supposed to take me to the formal.”

  Actually, Lily had kind of told me on accident and then I forced her to tell me everything she knew. Unfortunately, Maverick didn’t really give her much, so I never fully knew why Devon would mess Michael up so badly.

  Maverick and Lily were married, and both kids of Dogs members.

  Devon sighed. “Remember the show you had a week before the formal?”

  I nodded. Devon came to a lot of my equestrian events, but I remember that one because he looked pissed off most of the day.

  “I overheard that dickhead braggin’ to one of his asshole buddies about how he was gonna fuck you the night of the formal, and they discussed how many points you’d be worth.”

  I gasped. “He did not.”

  “He did.”

  “Ohmigod.”

  “So, I made sure he understood that kind of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated.”

  “Wow,” I whispered. “That was nice, Devon.”

  “It wasn’t nice, Poppy,” he ground out.

  I met his eyes. “I’m really sorry I kissed you. I get it. You’re older and I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sure that it put you in a weird position.”

  “Still not even in the ballpark,” he grumbled.

  “Then explain it to me!” I hissed.

  “You want an explanation, Poppy?”

  “Yes.”

  “It took every ounce of fuckin’ willpower I had not to pull up your dress, bend you over some chair somewhere, and tear your panties off with my teeth. You are fuckin’ off-limits. You always have been. Then you kissed me, and I knew I had to figure out how the hell I was gonna see you without draggin’ you somewhere private so I could shove my face in your pussy. Goddamn, all I ever wanted to do was bury my face in your pussy. But I can’t. Because. You. Are. Off. Limits.”

  Holy shit, my lady bits zinged with the thought of him shoving his face in my pussy. I bet he was good at it. I squeezed my legs together trying to ease the ache.

  “So, no, Poppy, I wasn’t parading women in front of you... I was tryin’ to figure out a way not to drag you up to my room at the compound and fuck you, and the only way I knew to make that happen was to have someone else with me as a buffer.”

  “Oh,” I squeaked.

  “Yeah, babe. Fuckin’ ‘oh.’”

  “I thought I grossed you out.”

  “So far from reality, Poppy, it’s not even funny.”

  “Well... um... so, did you like the kiss?”

  “Goddammit, Poppy, stop,” he hissed. “Yeah I fuckin’ liked the kiss. That was the problem.”

  I bit my lip and met his eyes again. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “Can we start over?” I asked.

  “Kinda tough to start over when you’re leavin’ again in a week.”

  “We can still text and call, right?”

  “Yeah, babe, we can.” He smiled.

  “At the risk of inciting your irritation, can you answer something else for me?” I asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Why were you the one forced to watch out for me? Like when all that shit went down with Lily and Maverick, why did Hatch make you take me to and from everywhere? Surely, you could have refused and had someone else do it.”

  He studied me for a few seconds before sighing. “I volunteered.”

  “What?” I rasped.

  “Wasn’t lettin’ anyone else make sure you were safe, Poppy.”

  “But you always seemed so pissed.”

  “Not rehashing, Poppy.”

  I tried not to smile externally, but my heart did, and I felt that elation all the way to my nether regions.

  “I miss you, you know that?” he said.

  “I miss you, too.” I burst into tears. “I’m so sorry, Devon.”

  He sighed and pulled me against his chest. “It’s okay, Poppy. We both let shit get in the middle.”

  “When Mum and Sid get back, can we hang out before I go back to school.”

  “Yeah. Absolutely.”

  I smiled up at him. “I want at least one day, uninterrupted.”

  He chuckled. “You got it.”

  “Thanks, Dev.”

  He nodded and rose to his feet. “I gotta head out.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  I followed him to the front door and he pulled me in for a hug. I closed my eyes, taking in the scent of soap, leather, and laundry detergent... but the best was him. He was all man and I still loved him with everything I had.

  He lifted my face, sliding his hands to my neck, and leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I’ll text you.”