My Darling Mayhem
: Chapter 13

My nerves were raw.

This could be because of the fifth cup of coffee I had downed or the fact that I had actually instigated a blow job this morning with my next-door neighbor. All while folding myself in half like a twenty-something-year-old to fit between his legs. My knee still had not recovered from choosing that position.

But also, I had never in my life been the person to offer to suck someone’s cock, and I certainly wasn’t the person who became obsessed and swallowed all that jizz down afterwards. I had always provided a few sucks, some licking, then we’d move on to the main course of the evening. I’d never experienced getting so enraptured by making someone feel so good that they couldn’t hold back or lose all sense that they came within mere minutes right down my throat. There was something sort of special that it had happened with Archer. I was glad it was with him, but it still had me jumpy all day.

Now, as I grabbed a ride home with Cruz, Kane, and Archer, I felt torn in half. Something was actively burning in my chest, like a fire had been lit, and part of me knew I needed to put it out, but some rebellious part of me wanted to keep feeding it.

“My mechanic will be here in about twenty minutes if you need to change or do anything before you tell him what’s happening.” Archer put the truck in park, and the boys started pulling up their backpacks and filing out of the back passenger door.

Archer gave me a warm smile before he exited as well. He looked tired, like he’d had a hard day with his suit jacket off, his sleeves rolled to his elbows and the top two buttons unclasped. He looked like he was slowly shedding this fake persona that he’d had to hide inside all day and was itching to get back into his denim and leather.

I should have let him go change so he could finally be at ease…but before I slid entirely out of the truck, I asked, “How was your day?”

Archer paused and twisted at the hips with an odd expression.

“What?”

God, this was embarrassing. “Your day…did you. I mean, how was your important meeting?”

His brows arched as he held his door open. “Oh…it, uh it went fine. Thanks.”

“Oh. Okay, well, good.” I slid out of the truck, feeling stupid for forcing him to hang back. Cruz ran over, and we headed to the house to change and get a snack.

Once in my room, I tossed my hair up in a bun, stripped out of my pencil skirt and top, and quickly showered. I donned familiar clothes that made me feel more at home in my own skin: a pair of yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt. Cruz was munching on Pirates Booty and wiping his hands on his jeans, unaware I was watching him.

I smirked, feeling too exhausted to even reprimand him. Instead, I headed toward the fridge, hoping for something to help my nerves. I had crossed a line with Archer today, and I had no idea how to get things back where they were, where I felt like I had some semblance of control over things.

The memory of how he held my face, licked along my bottom lip, and moved his mouth over mine like I belonged to him came rushing back, making my face heat. That was the best kiss I’d ever had in my entire life. I’d never really had a romantic relationship with anyone other than Matt. Still, even then, things started so hot and heavy that we’d slid into romance after we’d already hooked up.

Cruz’s cute little lilt of laughter disrupted my thoughts and brought me back to my open refrigerator. There was nothing but sparkling water and milk to settle my nerves, so I sipped on a lime-flavored water while I stared off into space, deliberating how badly I had messed things up with my neighbor. A few minutes later, a soft knock on the front door had Cruz’s head snapping over, and, in his excitement, he jumped up to answer it.

“Is it Archer?”

The hope in his voice caused a small piece of my chest to shatter and fuse back together at a speed that wasn’t good for my heart.

“Uh, let me see.” I walked over and opened the door. Archer wore ripped jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt styled under his leather cut. His wild hair was tamed at the nape of his neck, exposing his freshly-shaven jaw and blue eyes.

Beside him was a man wearing the same cut, roughly younger and shorter. He wore a brown T-shirt under his leather, and a pair of baggy jeans. His hair was a mop of brown, tight curls that framed a round face. Next to him stood an excited-looking Kane whose hands were full of little Hot Wheel cars.

“Hey, Wren. This is Buck, he’s a member of Mayhem Riot and a damn good mechanic.”

Buck waved, and I waved back, stepping down the porch steps. Kane ran past me into the house, and Cruz waved him toward his room.

“Thanks so much for coming over and helping out.”

Buck moved near my car while Archer stepped next to me; he was so close that our shoulders touched.

“Can you pop the hood for us, Wren?”

I did as he asked, sliding into the front seat of my car and popping the button that released my hood. Archer felt around for the hook, then shoved the slab of metal up, securing it in place.

Both men were suddenly behind the lifted hood, discussing something I couldn’t hear. When I finally joined them, their conversation seemed to stall.

“So, any idea what the problem is?”

Buck shifted on his leg, glancing at the engine like he wasn’t sure where to start.

“Well…you’ve got uh…” He glanced at Archer, then me. “A battery issue.”

Archer snapped his head over quickly as if he was reprimanding Buck with a look. While I couldn’t see his face, I felt the mood shift.

Buck hesitated. “I mean a radiator problem that can’t be fixed. I hate to say this, but the car is done for.”

My eyes slowly trailed to my neighbor, whose strong jaw worked back and forth while his eyes sparkled. “Bummer, beautiful. Looks like you’ll need a new car.”

“But I…there’s no way it’s just done for. You barely looked at it. Can you explain in a little more detail what’s going on? I have this serviced regularly, and I just got it back from the mechanic.”

Buck started moving various wires around, which all came apart as if they’d been cut. I gasped as he started going through the list of things that were wrong. “You’ve got your intake hose here. It’s ruined. These connectors for the battery…” He held up two wires I knew had been intact last week when I checked but were now severed. “They’re done for, but the worst thing is the radiator. No clue how, but there’s a hole in it.”

“A hole?!”

Buck nodded with a wince. “Sorry, but there’s too much damage done to justify the repairs.”

Archer turned his face, but I saw his shoulder slightly shaking like he was laughing.

Was this some kind of joke between the two of them?

But it couldn’t be a prank because the hoses were really cut, and when I tried to start it this morning, it wouldn’t even turn over.

My gut sank.

“Oh.”

What was I going to do?

I needed a car to get to work. I needed a vehicle for Cruz. I was a single mom; it wasn’t like I had another person with a car I could rely on to take him to school or pick him up in the middle of the day if he had an accident at school. My savings were for that trip I wanted to take with Cruz. There was only four thousand dollars in it, which I was insanely proud of, but it had taken me so long to save that. I had my medical bill coming in for my damn ankle. Cruz had strep throat two weeks before that, so that bill was still sitting on my desk, needing to be paid. I’d just bought him school clothes and new shoes, which set me back. My credit had improved, maybe I could get a loan and add the extra payment to my monthly budget.

The idea of how tight that would make things felt like someone had started squeezing a fist around my lungs. I was going to cry right here in front of these two men.

“Uh, could you excuse me? Buck, would you mind telling Archer what I owe you, and I’ll get you cash? I just have to run inside real quick.”

Archer said something, but I didn’t hear him as I ran inside.

Heat crawled up my neck, and my throat felt tight. Tears lined my eyes as I swiftly passed Kane and Cruz, playing in the living room, and closed myself into my room. Memories of how things once were for me and how low my lows had gotten came back in a rush. I had to breathe through my nose and walk around my room to remind myself I wasn’t still there. I had a home. Cruz was safe.

I wouldn’t be homeless again.

I wouldn’t go hungry again.

I wouldn’t have to consider selling my body just to eat. I was in a good home and a good job. This was just a bump in the road.

Tears were streaming down when I heard a gentle knock on my door.

“Give me a minute,” I called out, swiping at my face.

What was I going to do?

My door cracked, and Archer’s face was suddenly there as his gaze swept me from head to toe. He didn’t wait for me to tell him if he could enter; he just walked in and shut the door behind him.

I couldn’t compose myself, so a whimper escaped my lips, and Archer crossed the space between us in three long strides. His hands cradled my face, tipping my head back. His lips pressed gently against the tears staining my face in the most tender moment I’d ever shared with anyone.

Once he’d kissed away every tear, he pulled me into his chest.

“I fucked up, Wren. I’m so sorry.”

My throat still felt tight, so I let him continue talking while I clung to the leather at his back.

“I wanted to do something nice for you and Cruz. I thought I was—” He trailed off, his own voice catching with emotion. “I am so sorry. I went about this the wrong way.”

Pulling back from him, I swiped at my face. “What do you mean?”

His blue eyes were dark, remorse had transformed his features into something soft and unsure. “I didn’t like how fast that mechanic worked, and I did some research on the year, make and model and realized you were going to need a new car within the next year if not sooner…and I just⁠—”

“What, sabotaged it?” My voice rose as shock splintered my chest. Who the fuck would do such a thing?

His face shuttered as his hands dropped to my waist, trying to pull me back.

“Yes, I did, but only because I have a car ready for you. It’s one the club owned and was fixing up to sell.”

I pulled away from him and brought my hands up to rub at my forehead, confused and frustrated.

“What do you mean, you have one ready?”

He looked helpless as he watched another tear trail down my face. “I figured if I impaired your car, made it seem like it was beyond hope, and then swooped in with your new car, you’d be okay. I didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed by it. When you ran into the house, I was about to offer you the new car.”

“Archer…” How did he think this sort of thing would be okay with me? I was so confused by his actions. “I can’t afford to buy a new car from you. That’s why I’m stressing out…I just need a little time to wrap my head around what you did, it’s⁠—”

He was back in my space, cradling my jaw and tipping my face up to his. “It’s not being sold to you; it’s being given to you.”

Shaking my head, I tried to push at his chest, but he only held me firm.

“Please, Wren. Let me give this to you. It’s in excellent shape, and it’s going to be better in the snow for you and Cruz. I need⁠—”

“I need to understand what made you think this was acceptable? It’s crazy, Archer. I can’t…this is too much.”

“Taking care of you and Cruz, that’s too much?” His voice pitched, and it made my heart feel frantic. It was like we were about to touch something precious, and it might break, but if it didn’t, then it would be the most wonderful thing we’d ever experienced.

“It’s the way you went about it, Archer.”

He moved so he was closer to me again, and how his eyes flashed with concern made my stomach flip. “You have to remember who I am, Wren. I’m not one of those guys who will call a tow truck if you need it. I’ll call my club. We operate outside of the laws of normal society. You, of all people⁠—”

His mouth suddenly snapped shut, and I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was too frustrated to focus on it.

“That may be how you’re used to doing things, but you’re trying to get custody of Kane. You have to start thinking like someone who would call a tow truck. Someone who doesn’t press the tip of a knife into someone’s arm simply because they keep flirting with someone who⁠—”

“Someone who what?” He was in front of me again, his hands fastened at my hips.

My palms went to his chest as his familiar scent wrapped around me. “Someone who might mean something to you.”

His forehead pressed into mine. “Might?”

“Archer.” I started to pull away, but his lips caught mine in a firm kiss before pulling away once more.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I do need to start realizing I’m living here not as a motorcycle club president but as a citizen. I don’t want to handle things like I’m used to and scare you off. Will you forgive me while still allowing me to protect you?”

Sunshine found a way to wind through my chest, warming my heart unfamiliarly. To have someone care for us, to need to protect us…that has never happened to us. It had been just Cruz and me against the world from the start…What would it be like to accept something like this from a man like Archer?

My gut screamed at me not to get attached to him or let him inside the safe space of my heart because if he walked out, I’d never be okay.

“Say something, please,” Archer whispered against my forehead, then pressed a kiss there.

“I—” my hesitation circled my head as effectively as a drain, there and gone again. Reality hit, leaving me confused, standing there in his arms. I didn’t hate that he wanted to take care of us. “I, well, I want to pay you something for it. Please.”

I felt his smile against my skin.

“Do you want to see it first?”

I shook my head. “No. I trust you, but in the bill of sale, charge me something, please. I can afford a little bit, just not a ton.”

I felt him laugh, and then I raised my hand to stroke his chest, near his throat, so I could memorize it.

“Okay, I’ll charge you something, but you can’t argue with what I put on the paper.”

I smiled, letting him wrap me in another hug. “Fine.”