“Aww, that’s sweet, Smith. But you don’t need to stress Fisher. He won’t be a problem.”
“I’ve heard that before.” Smith is a decent man to work for and I get he’s been burned and had drama in the past.
“I give you my word.”
“Would like to trust in that. Sweetheart, look at you. Fuckin’ gorgeous. Man has you and sees other men trying to get a piece of your beauty, he’s going to raise ten kinds of hell to keep’em away.”
“It’ll be cool.”
“We’ll see.” He shuffles into his office, and I go out to the bar to start my shift. I don’t want to argue over Fisher.
Tiffany and her trainee have already stocked my fruit. I have clean glasses and the kegs are full. The regulars are already here. Frank, Barb, and Joe.
I don’t have to strain too hard to hear the topic of their conversation. April Salyers. The girl who was found with her throat slit. The word RAT carved into her forehead. The bitch who set Fisher up and let me believe he cheated on me with her. And yet my heart breaks for what happened to her. She must’ve been so scared. To meet such a brutal and tragic end. Some would call her fate karma, but she didn’t deserve that.
“No leads. They say the list of people who’d like to see her dead is so long it’ll take weeks to question the prime suspects,” Barb says to her cohorts. “She got around if you know what I mean. Didn’t matter who long as they had money.”
My stomach churns and burns with thoughts of her with Fisher. I can’t ask April. I’d never planned to confront her. I have to accept Fisher’s word. He was with fucking Sugar and Spice. Those two have quite the reputation. Pretty sure they’ve fucked my brothers. My father too. Wouldn’t shock me if Death has been with them as well. I know they get around. More than April ever thought about doing.
“Sucks knowing you believed the worst of me,” Fisher’s words replay in my head as I take stock of the top shelf liquor.
“Damn shame though. Was a real beauty,” Joe carries on.
“You know April?” Barb looks at me.
“Not for some time.” I smile, weakly. April was once my best friend outside of my sister. We were attached at the hip. She was always chasing after my brothers, and I was chasing after Riley Fisher. He was all I ever wanted. All I ever needed.
Life revolved around loving him. And here I am falling right back in. Loving him. Needing him. Wanting him to be the man he promised to be. And yet I can’t help but think about Death. How hard losing his son will hit him. How deep it’ll cut him. I’ve been low. Cut deep from Fisher and April’s supposed betrayal. I’ve never been a parent though. I can’t compare those wounds. But my heart aches and breaks for him. Even after the things he said and the way he looked at me, I want to fix it for him. Make it better. Make him better. I want to break through those walls and show him life can be beautiful. And though we don’t think it will, the world keeps turning. Life keeps going when we think we can’t.
I never thought I’d get over Fisher. Maybe I truly never did. Only when I was with Death, he allowed me to forget. He made me think I was unbreakable. I wish I could return that favor.
He doesn’t want me to. He doesn’t want me. Fisher does. I’d be a fool to throw away everything we had when he’s here giving it all back to me. Sweet little lies are better than any bitter and broken promise.
I tune out the talk about April. We were once friends, and I can’t bear to think of her lying on a table at the funeral home. Cold and violated.
The terrible horrors she must’ve endured. I can only hope her death was quick and painless in her last moment. Otherwise…I can’t bear to think about any of it. So I don’t. I focus on thoughts of Riley Fisher. My biker. My man.
Seven rolls around and I’m counting out my drawer when Fisher strolls through the bar. All sexy, wearing his leather cut. Now he looks a little more like the old him.
Tiffany grins at me and waggles her brows. “I’ve got this one.”
I purse my lips but don’t tell her any differently. I keep counting my drawer as Fisher slides onto a stool. My skin tingles at his presence. He’s always oozed this bad ass sex appeal.
“Hey there, what can I do you for?” Tiffany practically purrs at him as she licks her lips. She’s a bit desperate and slutty but she means well. I know she wants to earn a good tip. Sadly though, she sends the wrong message to the wrong kind of men.
Fisher’s gaze drops to her tits then to me. He smirks. “Her. In. My. Bed. Under. Me.” He cocks his head in my direction. I try not to laugh as Tiffany’s mouth falls open. She’s a gorgeous girl who gets plenty of male attention with her flawless olive skin, big eyes, and full lips. Though like I said, she receives interest from the kind of guys who only want her for one thing and for one night.
She stares at Fisher then notices his vest. Everyone knows my family is in the club. “You’re a bird.”
His teeth flash. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m Freya’s ol’ man.” The way he smiles when he says he’s my man has my belly doing a warm curl.
Tiffany looks back at me with her brows drawn inward. I haven’t told her I was back with Fisher.
“Tiff, this is Fisher. Fisher, Tiff.”
“As in the Fisher?” Her green eyes brighten.
“Hope Freya only sings my praises,” he teases.