One You Can’t Forget

“Is that what this is about?” Her mother shook her head in disbelief. “What happened with that Wade boy? That was a decade ago.”

“A day, a decade, it hardly matters. What matters is that you’re interfering with my life! Again. Without even thinking for one moment I’m on the right side of truth!”

“Evan told us you were with some biker last night.” Her father shook his head, disgusted. “Was it that Wade boy?”

“Luke! His name’s Luke! And he’s hardly a boy. He’s a man, with his own business!” She couldn’t believe she was defending him. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Evan was the one who had created this massive problem in her life!

“I knew it!” Her mother moved to stand by her father. “He’s the one that got her into trouble!”

“For heaven’s sake, no!” Emily’s breath came out in ragged gasps. “I’m only going to tell you once. I want nothing to do with Evan Waters! And if you know what’s good for you, you will have nothing more to do with him either!” Screw them! Angela could tell them what had happened! She was done. Twenty-eight-years-and-a-decade-too-late done!

Emily grabbed her handbag and stormed out of the house.

#

“Emily?” It was Angela at the other end of the line. “What happened? Mom’s beside herself. She’s crying, Em.”

Emily sat in her living room, her knees clutched to her chest. She had been crying, too. “Evan filled their heads with a bunch of garbage. He told them about the speeding and reckless endangerment charges, but didn’t bother to tell them about the grand theft auto charges he instigated. Or that he was continuing all this shit in court.”

“Emily, you need to tell them.”

“Why?” she scoffed, her voice breaking as she fought to control the tears. “If they don’t trust me now, they never will. No matter what explanations they get, they think I’m wreckless. It’s ridiculous. The one time I do something stupid, I get caught and it turns into a massive nightmare.” She sighed. “Let’s be realistic here, Ang. I’ve done everything they wanted. I went to college, got a degree, heck, I even have my CPA license, and they still think I’m some sort of fuck-up.” Unlike their perfect daughter, Angela. Emily bit back the last comment. This was not her sister’s fault and she’d never been anything but supportive to her.

“They don’t, Em.”

“You should have heard them talk to me, Ang! It was like I was in high school again. And Evan.” She made a noise in the back of her throat to bite back the anger. “I’m so mad I can’t even think! You know what he did? He called mom and dad to tell them I didn’t come home last night! Like, what the hell! It’s none of his business!”

“What? Where were you?”

Emily rubbed her temple. “I had a date, Angela. You know, the things grown women do?”

“Really?” Angela sounded genuinely interested. It made Emily smile. “With who?”

“Never mind.” All she needed to do was open her mouth and say Luke’s name and someone else was going to curse him. “It’s none of your business.” She didn’t mean to snap at her sister, but she couldn’t take the words back.

“Now wait a minute! That’s no way to speak to me, especially how I’ve helped you.”

Oh shit! She really was spinning out of control. “I’m sorry, Ang, it’s just all this stuff—”

“I know. I don’t know how you are dealing with it.”

“Not very well.” She bit her lip. “Luke Wade. I had dinner with Luke. We bumped into each other.”

“Luke Wade!” Angela’s voice went up an octave.

Angela giggled. “Does he still have that bad-boy hot sex appeal?”

Emily smiled. Picturing Luke made her bite her lower lip. “He’s not a boy anymore. Trust me on that! He has his own motorcycle repair shop.”

Angela laughed. “So he’s still into motorcycles, ’eh? Don’t tell me he’s an outlaw biker too.”

“No. He’s in a club but they are super nice. Evan showed up drunk at the restaurant and threatened to beat Luke up. He called me a slut and suddenly a bunch of Luke’s gang were standing behind the table, ready to back Luke up.”

“Oh shit. Don’t tell me.”

“Nothing happened. Luke suggested Evan leave and he did. Luke sat back down. It was awesome. He put Evan in his place.”

“What’s the name of the club?”

“Devil something.” Emily snapped her fingers. “Hades’ Spawn. That’s it.”

The phone went silent for a moment. “Emily,” said Angela in a hushed tone. “Don’t you read the papers? That club’s in big trouble. Their president just went to prison for drug dealing. It’s been all over the news. They’re investigating the whole group. Last I heard they were all huge and heavy into drugs. Dealing, using, raping. Everything.”

Emily felt a cold chill run through her. “I’m sure Luke doesn’t—”