Twisted Asphalt (Asphalt Outlaw Series Book 1) (4 page)

CHAPTER
6

Amy cooked when she was upset. For the past week, she had
been cooking, baking, and grilling up a storm. You name it, she probably made it.
Stone had gotten all of the club brothers together, along with the Oakland
chapter, and they were working on refurbishing the store. They had it repainted
in two days, and the interior cleaned in three. No one allowed her near the
store until it had been fixed. All that was left was to restock the shelves.
Her dad even spoiled her, surprising her with a custom made espresso machine
made in Solvang.

Today’s lunch special? Grilled turkey and cheese with baked
sweet potato tots. It didn’t get better than this. Romeo sat at the kitchen
table, going over the newspaper, waiting for her to finish the sandwiches so
they could dig in.

“Does he really have to keep following me? It’s been a
week.” Amy coyly looked over her shoulder at Romeo before she pulled out the
tots. “Everywhere I turn, he’s there. It’s annoying.”

Romeo looked up from his paper, glowering at her from under
his brows. “The president said he follows you. Until he says otherwise, it’s
final. Suck it up, or do you want some cheese with that whine?”

“That is stupid!” Amy slammed the cookie sheet on the stove,
spinning around to face Romeo. She thrust the spatula toward him to emphasize
her words. “This isn’t club shit. This is family shit.”

Romeo’s brows shot up, pushing himself upright to face her.
“It became club shit when those Mexican fucks threatened your life after
trashing Mom’s store. And for your information, Amethyst James, this club
happens to be the only family we have left.”

“Whatever.” That was her answer for everything when she
didn’t like what was being said to her. She hated that her brother was right.
Sure, they had family elsewhere. Uncles, aunts, cousins, but it wasn’t like
they were there.

Amy set lunch on the table and plopped onto her chair,
tucking a leg up under her. “I’m debating throwing a party for all the brothers
to say thank you for their support and all their help this past week. The store
wouldn’t be ready this quick if it wasn’t for everyone.”

Romeo nodded, grabbing a sandwich. “That’ll work.” He
chuckled as he took a bite of the turkey and cheese. “Maybe you can get laid
while you’re at it.”

“Don’t be such a dweeb, Zen.” She stuck her tongue out at
him. He was one to talk. He was the whore between the two of them, not that she
could blame the women. They flocked to him like ants to sugar. Pale green
haunted eyes, six foot two and built like a beast, tan and bald, tatted and
pierced. Yes, he was quite the ladies’ man.

Unfortunately, he was on his second strike. One more and
they would put him away for good. First strike wasn’t his fault, she felt for
him … a little. He was caught up in a girl, thought he was in love. He was
eighteen, she was sixteen. They did the horizontal mambo and Mommy and Daddy
found out. They nailed his ass to the wall with statutory rape charges, even
when the girlfriend said it was consensual. His second strike was carrying a
concealed weapon without a permit. Dumbass. Santa Maria police department could
have waived the charges, but because he was wearing his cut, they threw the
book at him.

Now, her brother was careful with everything he did, except
women. She hoped he learned from the last pregnancy scare with Tasha, to glove
it.

“You’re really one to talk, mister
I-refuse-to-wear-a-condom-and-almost-got-Tasha-pregnant.” Amy gave him her best
fake smile, knowing she opened a can of worms.

“I wasn’t scared. She was trying to pin my ass down and gain
Ol’Lady status.” He shrugged, reaching for a tot.

“You weren’t scared? How could you not be? I’d be afraid of
STD’s from her.”

Romeo sighed, taking a sip of iced tea. Setting it aside, he
looked at her. “I knew she was blowing smoke up my ass. One, I use Trojan. Two,
I can’t have kids.”

Amy wasn’t sure she heard Romeo right. “Excuse me?”

“Did I stutter? Snip snip.”

Amy snorted tea out her nose hearing Romeo’s admission.
Coughing, she frantically grabbed at a napkin, staring at her brother in total
disbelief. “Are you serious? Why?”

“To avoid bitches like Tasha trying to get me to do the
morally right thing.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t let the girls I sleep
with know. It’s a real road block to their agenda when they come to me telling
me they’re having my baby and all I do is sit there and laugh.”

Amy knew her jaw was hanging, but she didn’t care. When had
her brother become so jaded and calloused? Who had hurt him that bad? “But—but
what if you find the right girl, Zen? Someone you want to have kids with?”

Romeo stared at her like she had lost her mind. “Won’t
happen, Ames. Look at the life I live. Do I really want to bring a wife and
baby into it? Fuck no. Now let it go.”

Wow. She was just schooled by her own brother. He had never
shut her down like that. Amy would have to ask her dad what the hell happened,
or Maggie. Being gossip central, she’d know.

“Anyway,” Romeo washed down his grilled turkey and cheese
with his iced tea. “I’ll barbeque for the party, you just make sure all the
sides get made.”

“I can do that.” Amy tried to smile, but her heart wasn’t in
it.

“I know you can, but I’m not done yet.” He nudged her under
the table with his foot. “I’ll do it, only if you make Mom’s famous dirt cake.”

That got Amy to smile. Both she and Romeo lived for their
mother’s dirt cake. It made the worst day always bright and cheery. “Oh what?
You want some worms now? Some little gummy worms?”  She made squishing motions
with her fingers at him.

“Duh.” Romeo countered with a low laugh. “What gave you the
first clue, Sherlock?”

“Your total sarcasm, Watson.” Sticking her tongue out, she
scooted off of the chair, picking up the plates to put them in the sink. “I
cooked, you clean.”

“Bitch.”

“Ass.” Flipping him off, she glanced at her phone when it
rang. Antonia. She picked it up and answered. Listening to Antonia, she watched
her brother move around the kitchen, her mind unable to really process how hurt
he was. He had a heart of gold, and it killed her knowing someone had taken it
and wounded him so bad, that he wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to him ever
again.

“I’ll be there in a few.” Hanging up, she let out a huge
sigh. Grabbing her keys, she made her way to the back door.

“Uh, where do you think you’re going?” Romeo gave her a
sidelong glance.

“Antonia needs me. He can’t match the herbs up. They got
sent without labels, again.” Rolling her brown eyes, she opened the door and
tried to leave once more.

“I’ll call Mace.”

Amy groaned in exasperation. “Look, I’ll text you when I get
there, okay? If they were going to make another move, they would have already.
I’m going directly to the shop.”

“Amy, don’t argue.”

“Gah!” She slammed the door behind her, with no intention of
giving her guard dog a chance to follow her.

* * * *

Amy’s mind barely focused on driving to the store. Her
brother’s secret had blown her away. She wasn’t sure why it bothered her so
much. Maybe because he was the last of the James line for the family. Direct
descendants from the outlaw Jesse James, their name meant everything to them.
Her father was proud to carry on the legend of the James exploits. It hadn’t
been planned either.

Alan James and his best friend, David Younger from the Cole
Younger line, had grown up together since they were babies. They were born just
days apart from one another; the longest they had ever been separated was
during sleep. When one did something, the other followed, and vice versa. They
even joined the Marines together, went through boot camp and were stationed at
the same base. Once they completed their tour, they settled in the Santa Maria
Valley and loved the life of ranching. David bred horses and Alan cattle.

Eventually, both got married and had children. One fateful
night, an accident changed everyone’s lives forever. The boys were at Elmer’s,
in Old Orcutt, shooting pool with a couple of bikers. The bikers had too much
to drink, tried to instigate a fight with the two friends. Neither one took the
bait.

At the end of the night, Alan and David went their separate
ways, but David never made it home. He was gunned down at a stop sign, by what
witnesses said was a gang, leaving David’s wife and his son, Colin, alone. Alan
was able to give the deputies what information they needed to make arrests, but
nothing ever came of it.

Alan then embraced his lineage and became what a James
really was, an outlaw. Approaching several friends that were in the military,
they formed their own club, the Six-Gun Outlaws, and went to war with the Temer
Gallo. It was a three year war, but in the end, Alan “Stone” James came out on
top. Alan killed their president with his own hands.

Peace reigned after that for eighteen years.

Until now.

Shaking it off, Amy pulled into the shop’s parking lot. She
texted Romeo to let him know she arrived without incident, and headed for the
door. Her phone buzzed and she paused, checking the reply text from her
brother.
No biggie
. Looking into the windows, she frowned, seeing Maggie
and Antonia in what looked like a huddle.

The bell gave her away when she entered the shop, the
culprits jumping clear of each other.  Amy looked between the two. She couldn’t
tell if they looked suspicious or guilty, but they were up to something. She
knew them too well not to think so.

Antonia smoothed down his bright red blouse before pushing
the honey colored braids out of his eyes. The diva changed his hair style and
color more than she changed her panties. “Oh babe, I just texted you.”

Maggie nodded, knocking her jean clad hip into Antonia’s
black legging-covered one. “I figured it out. It was hard to tell the
difference between the moss and unicorn root.”

Arms crossed her arms over her chest, single manicured brow
lifted as she eyed the two of them. “Uh huh. What are you two up to?”

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Amy pulled it out and
peeked at it. It was the text Antonia had sent. Lifting up her phone, she
smiled. “Just got it.”

Antonia’s decorated eyes widened, ‘I sent it just before you
pulled in. Network must be slow.”

Amy had a snarky retort for Antonio, but the bell over the
door jingled, saving Antonia from a proper ass chewing. Turning around, she
called out, “Sorry, we’re…”

Oh. My. God.

Why did Mace have to be so damn good looking? He stood in
the doorway like he owned it. Boots, tight jeans, tight black sleeveless tee
with his cut over it, allowing the world to see just how muscular he was.
Strawberry blond hair was slicked back, a folded handkerchief wrapped around
his forehead and tied off in the back, sunglasses hiding his chrome eyes.

“It just got hot in here.” Antonia whistled and acted like
he was about to faint right in front of everyone.

“No shit,” Maggie breathed, slumping into Antonia.

Amy glared at her two friends over her shoulder, then looked
back at Mace.

He sported a lopsided, almost bashful grin as he peeled of
his sunglasses.

He looked like shit. His eyes were bloodshot and had bags
under them. Strolling toward the three, his five o’clock shadow became more
visible, and his voice spoke volumes on being tired. “Please tell me y’all have
coffee?”

“Oh!” Antonia snapped his fingers, his face scrunching up
like he was trying to remember something. Popping his lips, he rolled his eyes.
“What is that place you like to go to?”

Maggie piped in, “The 801 in the Inn.”

Amy stared slack jawed at the two and their antics. She
would get even with them for this. “That’s across town. We can make him a cup
here.”

Antonia grabbed Amy by the shoulders and gave her a gentle
push toward Mace. “You need to take this poor man to the coffee shop and let
him get some food and caffeine in his system. He looks like death warmed him
over and enjoyed it. Lord knows I would. Mmhmm.”

“He can find it without me. It’s not like he hasn’t lived
here for a while.”

“How’s this? We can go for a ride on my bike. I need food
and coffee and The Girls is sounding pretty damn good right now.” He rubbed his
eyes before he looked over to Amy.

Talk about being put on the spot. Not only was Mace staring
at her, but so were Maggie and Antonia. “Fine! I’ll go, as long as you two get
off my back. Geez.”

She tried not to grin at them for pushing her. It had been a
while since she’d been on the back of a Harley. She used to ride with Stone all
the time, when her Mom wasn’t riding. It relaxed her and she missed it. Was she
going to let them know that? Hell no.

“I’ll get my helmet.” One thing that she always had, was a
helmet in her jeep. One never knew when someone might need it.

While she ran to the Jeep, Mace followed, going over to his
Street Glide. She made her way over, getting a better look at the bike and
letting out a low wolf whistle. His bike was beyond beautiful. It was flat
black with a glossy deep maroon design that fanned out over the fairing, gas
tank. Fenders and saddle bags were outlined in a thick white pin striping.
Inside the maroon paint job were lighter colored realistic flames, some
ghost-like, some darker. All of the chrome had been blacked out, and it was all
Mace.

“She is beautiful, Mace.” Amy loved bikes as much as she loved
her jeeps, and she knew how to appreciate the beauty in them. When he started
it up, she got instant lady-wood. It was that deep sexy rumble that only a
Harley with true duel exhaust had, and when Mace racked the pipes, she all but
jumped his bones right there. There was nothing like the sound of a Harley.
Period.