Ridge Creek Reunited (Ridge Creek Duology) (6 page)

Choices

Five hours later
, Arianna…

I faintly hear a set of Harley pipes slowing for the lights on the corner. Listening carefully, I soon convince myself the heavy rumble includes the distinct noises of multiple bikes. I instantaneously feel my heart rate rise with anticipation.

It’s Jake.

Rolling onto my back, I stare groggily at the roof. I’ve been lying on my bed out the back of the Harley Shop trying to sleep fitfully for the past three hours. The wait for Jake to get back has been agonizing and even though I’m exhausted, my anticipation of his return has kept my mind churning and deep sleep has evaded me. It’s been a long night and an even longer day. So much has happened today that I cannot process it all. I’ve received so much information that my mind’s in overdrive trying to pick through facts and decide which ones I need to keep and which ones I need to discard.

Today my life changed – again. It took a twist that I never saw coming. A twist that left me with the power to decide who I wanted to be, where I wanted to be and who I wanted to be with. Today I was handed some choices on how I wanted to spend my future. One of these choices was Jake, Ridge Creek and a not so legal life.

I chose it without a second’s hesitation.

In an instant, my mind had coursed over the landmarks of my life and I’d realized that until just a few short weeks ago, I hadn’t been living. I’d been existing. I’d been so focused on working hard to
escape
my life and find something better that I’d missed many of the good parts. I didn’t have great friends and family and I didn’t have anyone
listening
to me and treating me with care.

Realization hit that I’d been so desperate to escape my horrible mother that I’d blindly hooked myself to an asswipe who was smart enough to recognize the desperation in my eyes and use it to his own advantage. An asswipe who preyed on my vulnerabilities and fed me just enough bullshit to convince me that he was better than my mother and I was better-off with him. Why is it that hindsight is always so clear, yet most of us are blind to the things right in front of us? I’m supposed to be a smart girl and look what I was putting up with.

Which was why it took barely a minute for me to decide that Ridge Creek and its town full of strangers seemed to care more about me than my real family did. Absolute strangers had shown me more respect and taken better care of me in the few short weeks I’d been here than my family and so called boyfriend had in my entire life. I owed them
more
of myself and I’d barely had time to start giving it.

Pierre whimper
s in his sleep at my feet. I know I’m developing bad puppy habits letting him sleep with me on the bed but what the Hell. Jake isn’t here and I need the company. Perhaps I’ll teach Pierre that when Jake is around, he’s on the floor. No cuddles in mummy’s bed when the boss is in-residence. I’m sure that will work.

Aware that things are about to get interesting, I decide that I should grab Pierre and take him outside for a quick toilet stop. Scooping him up, I dart for the door with a very surprised Pierre in my arms. His surprise soon turns to joy as he wakes up fully and starts wriggling happily in my arms.

“Be still little buddy, a quick outing for you,” I murmur to him as I rub him gently and drape him over my arm to hook him against my hip.

Opening the door I get the shock of my life when I find Emma standing there, her hand reaching out to knock on my door. “I think Jake’s here,” she informs me with a grin.

“I figured that,” I reply quickly, “I need to get Pierre out for a pit stop.”

“No you don’t,” Emma announces as she leans in to pluck Pierre from my arms. “I need to take Pierre out for a
pit stop. You need to go greet your man.”

“I like the sound of that plan better,” I agree instantly as I dump Pierre into her arms before darting past her to race down the hall. Weaving my way through the maze of rooms on my way to the communal room I start to wonder if what I
’m doing right now is pure idiocy. I’m literally running to meet Jake and running to meet someone is probably not so cool and makes me look like a dork.

But who cares?

New life, new me. I can’t remember ever having even
thought
about running to meet Tony.

Ever.

He just wasn’t worth running for. Jake is.

I hit the communal room at speed before suddenly teetering to a halt. Puffing lightly from my sprint, I can
’t decide which way to go. Will he come in via the shopfront or will he come in via the garage? My question is answered almost immediately when I see the door to the garage fly open and Jake strides through.

He looks tired and dirty from once again riding many hours on the road without any sleep. There is what looks like dried blood smeared down the front of his jeans. I run my eyes over his face taking in his disheveled black hair before settling my eyes on his. His eyes are burning like dark green emeralds as they lock on mine. We both stand stock-still for a few moments before I see a small smirk twitch at the side of his top lip and his eyebrow piercing gives a little lift.

I do believe it is not lost on him that I have just been running.

Unsure how to break the ice after what can only be described as a severely fucked up day; I announce the first thing that pops into my head. “We need to talk about your sucks ass, so called security system at the house.”

A brief look of surprise crosses his face before I watch his eyes brighten just a little and his smirk morphs into a grin. “Yeah,” he agrees a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

“And I think we need to borrow or buy a fully grown guard dog. Maybe a Rottweiler
. His job will be to stand in on perimeter security detail while Pierre grows up,” I add as my mind starts to snatch at ideas for increased security to ensure we don’t end up in this sort of pickle again.

“Yeah?” He says again, this time the clear hint of a chuckle in his voice. “So I take it Pierre’s okay?” He raises his eyebrows at me questioningly and I watch as his piercing lifts. I nod, mesmerized. “Anything else we need to discuss before you get your ass over here and welcome me back?”

I nod again and for some reason find myself almost swallowing my tongue.

He wants me to go over there and greet him?

Still mesmerized I startle slightly when I see Luke and Zane push through the door to stand beside Jake. Both men run their eyes over me from top to toe and back to my face. They both nod and then give me a chin lift, seemingly happy that I’m in one piece. Their distraction snaps my mouth back into action and I swing my attention back to Jake.

“Yes, there’s more to discuss. There’s
tonnes
to discuss in fact. One of the main ones is that I think I need a bigger gun. The gun you gave me didn’t, when called to action, take anyone down. I’m pretty sure it’s a sissy gun and I want a badass gun for my next shoot out. Something that knocks any would be attackers
on their ass.
Although, as it turns out, it was sort of lucky I didn’t have a bigger gun
this time
because if I had have accidentally killed this particular attacker, it would have been
bad
.”

I watch as a look of confusion crosses Jake’s face before he shakes his head and lifts his hand to his forehead to rub his temple. I’m not sure whether he is rubbing his temple in frustration or he’s just tired. “Right. Security upgrade,
another fucking dog,
a bigger gun. Fuck me, she’s
still
not moving,” Jake mutters as he pierces me with an annoyed look and starts to move.

Okay, so he’s
annoyed.

Mesmerized at the speed at which he moves, I watch him cross the room with huge long strides. With his eyes locked on mine, I feel an involuntary shiver course down my spine as my feet finally spring to action. Within an instant I push off and pelt towards him, slowing only briefly to launch myself into the air and hit him with the full force of my body.

Instinctively his hands fly to my butt, my legs wrap around his waist, my arms wrap round his neck and our mouths smash together. I briefly register that Jake emits a slight hiss and a grunt before my lips lock with his. “Better,” he murmurs against my lips and I find myself lost in a blissful state somewhere between overjoyed and rapture.

Hitting his mouth with all I have, I revel in his taste and sigh with contentment. “Hello,” I murmur against his lips.

“
Much
better,” he announces as he pulls his lips gently from mine. Feeling lost without his mouth, I instinctively hug him tighter with my arms and legs and let my head fall to his shoulder. Now I’m back in his arms, I plan to stay here.

I hear him grunt again as it dawns on me that we have not stopped moving. He’s backtracking my previous path and we are headed back out of the communal room. I lift my head just long enough to wave to Luke and Zane before we disappear into the maze of rooms adjoining the communal room.

As I cling to him, Jake carries me through the building to the bathroom. Kicking the bathroom door shut behind him with his heel, he carries me to the shower. With another grunt, he reaches out and turns on the taps and fiddles with the water temperature.

“Gunna need to put you down so I can undress babe,” he announces as he finishes with the taps and backs away from the shower again. “I need a rinse, and I think you popped my Steri-Strips.”

“Steri-Strips?” I ask confused and then it hits me.

He was shot.

Instantaneously letting go with my legs and arms I drop to the floor with a look of horror on my face. “Oh my God Jake. I’m so sorry, I totally forgot…”

Jake cuts me short with a growl. He is not happy about my fast departure. He shows this by reaching out to grab me by the back of the head, his fingers knotting in my hair. With a tug, he pulls me back towards him muttering, “I’m fine,” before scorching me with a hot, wet kiss. I feel myself melt a
s I start molding myself against his front again.

Attacking my mouth like there’s no tomorrow, Jake starts undressing as we kiss. Heeling his boots off, he shucks his leather jacket to the floor.
I hear him grunt again.

“Jesus, you’re in real pain,” I murmur as I drag my lips from his. “Let me help you.”

“Don’t fuckin’ move a muscle woman,” Jake snarls as he sways back slightly to grab his shirt from behind his neck and yanks it over his head.

Now it’s my turn to hiss at the sight of the bandage wrapped around his chest underneath his armpits. I cannot however, see any blood. “Where?” I ask softly.

Chosing to ignore me, he undoes his button and unzips his jeans. It is only when he turns sideways and leans forward to push them down his legs that I finally see the bright red stain of blood now spreading along the bandage as it runs across his back.

Ohmigod.

“Jake,” I hiss as I stare at the continually growing stain. “You’re bleeding…”

Big time.

I’m not just talking a little dribble of blood like you see out the bottom of a Band-Aid after you cut your finger chopping vegetables. This is a
river
of blood that’s seeping its way quickly along the bandage. You can see that very quickly the bandage is going to reach maximum absorption and then it’s going to start dripping blood on the floor.

“Later,” he growls again as he straightens to stand before me, butt naked and
all man.
Almost blinded by the wall of shapely muscle before me, my eyes wander downwards to find a
very aroused
little Jake standing to attention. No longer blinded, I find myself stunned as I swing my eyes back to his. With my brain slightly addled, I try to remember
why
I was worried about his bullet wound. Which I know is bad of me,
but oh my God.

Jake grins as he realizes my concentration is slipping. Holding my face in place as his eyes drill into mine, I receive a clear message that he has something to say and I need to listen.

“I’ll live. Now quit your fuckin’ fussin’ and get the fuck undressed. It’s been a fuckin’ long day. We’ve both been dragged through the shit. Thankfully, you’re back where you should be and I’m back where I wanna be. Part of me getting back to where I wanna be is locational, but a fuck of a lot of that is emotional as well. The only thing that has been on my mind the entire ride home has been you. That means I’ve done about four hours of thinking. Some of that thinking is gunna mean we need to do some talking. Some of that thinking means we need to do some fucking. Right now I’m choosing the fucking part. Right now what I
need
is to be balls deep inside you so that I can be fuckin’ sure your right back where you should be. After that, we look at my bullet wound. After that I need some sleep and then after that, we talk. We talk about what happened to you today, we talk about what happened to me today. We also talk about what’s gunna happen tomorrow and the days after that. We also talk about my bitch of a wife. To have
that
conversation I need to be mellow so we might need to fuck again before I do that. Now get the fuck undressed and in that shower woman, I
need
you.”