~Peaches~
“Kinda desperate, coming here on your night off,” Eli said as I walked up to the bar. “Usually, girls just text me when they want a booty call.” His lips quirked up in a smirk.
“Go to hell,” I replied absently. Where was Gus? The place was mostly empty, just a few of the Reapers hanging out in one of the corner booths. Megan was wiping down tables, and Eli was the only one behind the bar. I frowned, boosting myself up onto one of the bar stools. “Oh, and can I have a rum and Coke?”
Eli leaned forward on his elbows. “Too late. I already did last call for the night.”
“It’s hardly past eleven,” I said, surprised.
“Slow night.” He shrugged. “Decided to close early.”
“I’ve been trying to convince Gus that we should close earlier when it’s like this for the last three years.”
Eli’s mouth quirked up, radiating smugness.
“Gus isn’t in charge anymore.”
My stomach dropped. “Does that mean you signed the papers today? I thought they weren’t ready yet.”
Eli raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t give me a direct answer. Instead, he grabbed a couple of shot glasses and set them out between us. Then he grabbed a bottle of Crown Royal from the shelf behind the bar.
“Eli, did you sign the papers?” I asked again, feeling nervous. He filled the shot glasses. This was starting to look like a celebration, which didn’t make sense.
They weren’t supposed to finalize things until next week.
“Got them today,” he said, and I heard the triumph in his voice. That fucking bastard… It wasn’t enough for him to take the bar from me. Nope. Now, he wanted me to celebrate with him. This was about him winning. Again. “Already looked everything over. We’ll sign them tomorrow morning at the title company. Grab your drink, Peaches. It’s time for us to make a new start.”
Eli caught my eye, raising his glass in a toast.
I briefly considered throwing the shot in his face because I’d be damned if I would concede defeat. If the papers hadn’t been signed yet, I still had a chance to make my offer. Eli didn’t need to know that, though. So, I gave him a strained smile and forced myself to give his glass a token tap. Together, we downed the shots.
He reached for the bottle and started pouring again.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I asked, wondering if he had a deeper game. “Because I stole bottles of this shit all the time in high school. It’ll take more than two shots.”
“Not true,” he said. “You always went for the crappy vodka. Easier to water down. Cover the crime.”
He had me. I’d totally done that.
“You liked it mixed with Dr. Pepper,” he added, lifting his glass again and grinning at me over the top of it.
“How the hell do you remember that?” I asked, startled. Eli held my gaze, and for once, he wasn’t challenging me. He looked almost…friendly. Not luring-me-into-a-false-sense-of-security-so-he-could-destroy-me friendly, either.
Friendly for real.
It freaked me out.
“I’m not trying to get you drunk,” he said. “I’m just feeling good about things. It’s been frustrating, waiting to take over. I’m ready to have it settled. I know you’re not happy about how things turned out—”
“Understatement.”
“I get it,” he continued. “The situation wasn’t fair. But we have a chance to start things over again. Do it right. Both of us love this place. You’ve been working here for seven years. And starting tomorrow, you’ll be the manager. Do you really want to be at each other’s throats for the next ten years? Don’t you ever get tired of fighting?”
I didn’t know what I’d expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. I grabbed the shot, downing it quickly. The first one hadn’t done much, but this one set my head spinning.
Or maybe that was just the sound of Eli being reasonable.
“Let me ask you this,” I said carefully. “If I’d won, would you be willing to celebrate with me?”
Eli didn’t pretend not to understand.
“Yes, I would,” he said. “But this wasn’t about winning.”
I raised a brow.
“Peaches, do you really think I want to take your dream away from you?” he asked. “I didn’t plan for you to get hurt, but Gus promised me this bar a long time before he ever talked to you about it. I have dreams, too.”
“What you mostly have is money,” I said, feeling my frustration and anger rise. “Money you didn’t even earn, for the record. I’ve spent the last seven years busting ass, and we both know I’ve been managing it for a long time. And don’t tell me this was your dream. Nobody made you go to prison, Eli. We both know you didn’t kill that guy. I was your fucking alibi. And yet, for some reason, you chose prison over staying with us—”
Horrified, I snapped my mouth shut, wondering where the hell that’d come from. Eli studied me, one of the little muscles in his jaw tensing.
Then his gaze flicked toward something behind me before he caught my eyes again.
“Let’s talk in the office.”
Sliding off the stool, I turned and saw that Gus had just walked through the door. Gage was with him, along with more club members.
Eli rounded the bar, catching my arm.
“Office,” he repeated, tugging at me. I took a moment to consider. I’d come to see Gus, not Eli. But this many club brothers all together, right when the bar was closing…that struck me as odd.
“Are the Reapers having a meeting tonight?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We need to finish this conversation. Privately.”
Gus caught my eye and offered a casual wave before turning back to Gage. A couple of the prospects started sliding tables together.
“You’re done for the night,” Eli said, and I blinked, confused. I thought he wanted to talk some more.
“Don’t you need someone to serve the bikers?” Megan said. I hadn’t even noticed her walking up to us. I swayed a little, realizing that those shots were hitting me a little harder than they should have…
I hadn’t eaten dinner. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten lunch, either.
“I think Gus and I can handle drinks for the club,” Eli told her. “Peaches is here if we need help.”
“What makes you think I’m willing to help?” I said, tugging at my arm. His fingers tightened, and he pulled me toward the office.
“You don’t need to help,” he said as we walked down the hall. “I was just getting rid of her. Now, let’s finish that talk.”
He opened the door, then pushed me toward the couch. Part of me wanted to argue with him, just out of habit. But I also wanted to hear what he had to say. So, I sat down, crossing my arms over my chest. Eli settled next to me, right in the middle of the sofa. Typical. He had a whole damned piece of furniture to sit on, but he had to take the spot right next to me. Making himself comfortable, he leaned back and turned toward me.
“You know what the club is,” he said. “Right?”
“I know all about the club,” I replied, wondering where he was going with this. “I grew up with the club. I lived in Gus’s house before you, remember?”
“Jesus, why do you always have to bring that up?” he asked, clearly frustrated. “I was a little kid. I needed a place to live, and that room was big enough for both of us. Where was I supposed to sleep? The kitchen? Your bedroom was where they put me. I did what I was told.”
“Did they tell you to kidnap Lemur?”
He blew out his breath in exasperation. “I was ten years old, Peaches. I’m sorry I took your stuffed animal. I’ve apologized about a thousand times now, but I don’t have a fucking time machine. I can’t fix it.”
“You cut off his tail and kept it as a trophy,” I hissed.
Eli looked away. “That was shitty. Ten-year-olds do shitty things.”
“You hung it on your rearview mirror in high school.”
He shifted. Clearly, the guilt had gotten to him. I paused to savor the moment.
“Eighteen-year-olds do shitty things, too,” he admitted. “And if I remember correctly, you stole that car. Smashed one of the fenders.”
“It was a rescue operation,” I pointed out. “I had to retrieve Lemur’s remains and give him a dignified burial. The car was just collateral damage, something that never would’ve happened if you hadn’t desecrated his corpse.”
Eli closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then he opened them again.
“You know that the Reapers are more than just a bunch of guys who like to ride motorcycles together, right?”
“Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but you grew up with it,” he continued. “When we say we’re brothers, those aren’t just words… And part of that brotherhood is watching each other’s backs. That’s how this thing works.”
“Were you watching someone’s back when you went to prison for a crime you didn’t commit?”
“Do you really expect me to answer that?” he asked. “Didn’t we just cover this? You know how things are with the club. And you know we don’t talk about this shit. What the hell do you want from me?”
“I want answers!” I said, my voice rising. “You call them your brothers. Brothers love each other, asshole. When you love someone, you don’t let them throw away their lives in a prison cell!”
“That’s not what happened.”
“Then what did happen?” I demanded, shifting sideways on the couch, facing him. “Because I remember that night. We were drunk—which is the only reason I started kissing you, by the way—and you were nowhere near where that guy died. Why did you leave that night, Eli? And how the hell did you end up under arrest for something you couldn’t possibly have done?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but I cut him off.
“Don’t you dare feed me any more bullshit. I know exactly who and what the Reapers are—and what they’re not. They didn’t order you to take the fall for someone. You made that choice. You say you want us to be friends. That we should work together? Prove it. Give me an explanation.”
The words hung between us, along with a thousand memories. Eli’s eyes darkened, his expression intense as he caught my shoulders, pulling me toward him.
“Peaches, if there was any way to tell you, I would,” he said, holding my gaze.
“You’re a liar,” I whispered. “You don’t care about this bar, and you don’t care about me.”
“That’s not true.”
We stared at each other for long seconds, at an impasse. Then he shook his head slowly, muttering, “Fuck it.”
Suddenly, his mouth was on mine, and I felt his hand sliding into my hair, gripping it tightly as his tongue thrust into my mouth. Sensations exploded through me—need and desire and just a hint of triumph. Because whatever it was that we’d felt for each other all those years ago, I hadn’t imagined it.
We’d been frantic that night, ripping at each other’s clothes, years of sexual tension driving us into a frenzy. This time, Eli’s kiss was different. Not the crazed, sloppy mouth-fucking he’d given me at that party. This was deep and hungry.
As if he were starved for my taste.
The office door opened.
“It’s time for the meet—oh, shit…”
I jerked away from Eli to find Gus standing in the doorway. He wore a strange expression. Not upset or angry, exactly. I’d have said he was pleased if he didn’t look so uncomfortable.
“Give us a few?” Eli asked, his voice husky.
“Yeah,” the old man said, glancing back down the hall. “You got ten minutes. People still need drinks, and I’ll take my time pouring them. Join us after you put her in her car. She shouldn’t be here tonight.”
Gus shut the door, leaving Eli and me sitting next to each other. I felt stunned. Almost raw. I’d come here to make Gus an offer on the bar. Not to do…this.
“I don’t suppose you want to pick up where we left off for another eight minutes or so?” Eli asked, trying to lighten the mood. I reached up and touched his face.
Remembering.
“You hurt me,” I said after a long pause, forcing myself to drop my defenses. “You really hurt me, Eli. And setting whatever was between us aside, I could’ve saved your ass. You wouldn’t let me, and you still won’t tell me why. How can you not see how fucked-up that is?”
He swallowed.
“Yes, I did,” he replied, and his voice was more serious than I’d ever heard it. “It was a shitty thing to do to you. Not to mention, stupid as hell. I’d give anything to go back to that night and change things. Wasn’t like I planned it, Peaches. Nobody ever thought it would go that far.”
His eyes were dark. Haunted, even. He was telling the truth.
“So, now what?” I asked.
“That’s up to you,” he said. “We can keep fighting. Try to run the bar together. Probably go crazy until you end up slitting my throat for real. Either that, or I’ll lose my shit and fire you. Regardless, it’ll get ugly.”
“And what’s the alternative?” I asked. “Let me guess. I walk away from the Starkwood?”
He gave a short, dark laugh.
“Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.”
Fair enough.
“We could try making peace,” he said. “For real. Neither of us has to give up on our dreams if we work together. It doesn’t matter whose name is on the deed, Peaches. We can be partners.”
For an instant, something melted inside of me. If we were partners, then I wouldn’t have to be on guard all the time. He drove me crazy, but it always left me feeling more alive.
What would it be like to truly work together?
Wait.
“It doesn’t matter whose name is on the deed?” I asked, forcing myself to think things through.
“Not really,” Eli said, catching my hand. Tingles danced across my skin where he touched me. I forced myself to ignore them.
“So why does it have to be your name?” I continued, keeping my tone casual. Eli raised a brow. “If it doesn’t matter, I mean?”
“Um, because I have the money to buy it?” he said.
“How much?”
“How much, what?” he asked, and I caught the first hint of suspicion in his eyes.
“How much money did you get from your dad’s settlement?” I asked, pulling away from him. “And how much is Gus charging you?”
Eli frowned. “Where are you going with this?”
“Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that I have enough money to buy the bar from Gus,” I said slowly. “Do you think he’d sell it to me? If I could beat your price, I mean? Seeing as it doesn’t really matter whose name is on the deed…”
Eli studied me.
“You’ve got money from somewhere, don’t you?”
I took a deep breath, hoping I wasn’t ruining everything. Eli was right. We couldn’t go back and undo what’d happened in the past. But if we could make peace now… I thought about that kiss again, and how good it’d felt to be open with him.
“Yeah,” I said slowly. “I’ve got money. I’m going to make Gus a cash offer. You say you want to be partners. Prove it. Tell me what you’re paying him, and I’ll tell you if I can beat it.”