Hawk (Reckless Kings MC #2) - Harley Wylde Page 0,17
as soon as possible. You can leave your pet here while you meet with him.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you helping me.”
He gave a nod. “No problem.”
At least things were looking up a little. Just because Venom arranged for an interview of sorts for me, it didn’t mean I had the job. The guy still wanted to meet with me first. If I totally blew it, I’d still be homeless and jobless.
No pressure, Hayley. Not at all.
* * *
Hawk
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Hayley. Seeing her again had been bittersweet. I’d hoped for some sort of reaction from her. A welcoming smile? Some acknowledgment she knew me? I couldn’t blame her for not wanting her dad to know she’d been with a biker. He was the chief of police and not exactly best friends with the Dixie Reapers, much less any clubs from out of state. I’d still held out the hope she’d seek me out that night. But she hadn’t.
I’d left at first light, needing to put as much distance between us as possible. I’d always gone through women, used them and tossed them aside, but I’d never had one use me before. Or if they had, it had been mutual. With Hayley, it was different. I wanted more. Maybe it was payback. The one woman I wanted didn’t want me back. Was that how all the women had felt? The ones who’d tried to cling to me? Made me feel a little like an asshole.
Forge came into the backroom, slamming the door behind him. I set down the tool and wire in my hand, giving him my attention.
“Something going on?” I asked.
He snorted and looked at all the items in front of me. “Think I should be asking you that, VP.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Just working through some personal shit. Nothing related to the club.”
“I’ll make room in the shop for this batch, unless you’re keeping any of it.”
I eyed the pieces on the table. There wasn’t a rhyme or reason to any of it. I’d been preoccupied with thoughts of Hayley, but I hadn’t made any of it for her specifically. Even though I’d found myself sketching out an engagement ring last week, which was fucking insane since I’d never see the woman again. I was so fucked in the head right now.
“You can sell it.”
He nodded. “I’ll get it polished and packaged.”
I gathered the bracelets, ring, and necklaces before handing them over to him. No one knew I made jewelry. At least, no one except Forge. He kept my secret. I liked working with my hands, but I didn’t want to advertise it. I made a little bit of money off the things he sold. Not enough to call it a career. More of a profitable hobby.
My brothers would give me shit if they saw the dainty stuff I made. Except Forge. He got it since he worked with metals too. Although, he tended to do larger things like cups, knives, and even swords. I’d seen him make jewelry, but he didn’t do it as often as I did.
“You’ve been in a strange mood for months now,” Forge said. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
He nodded. “All right. If you change your mind, you know I won’t judge. Whatever is going on, I’ll just listen if that’s what you need.”
I snorted and punched him in the arm. “You’re such a girl sometimes.”
He waved a bracelet under my nose. “Says the man who made this delicate thing.”
“Asshole.”
He smirked and started polishing the items. He held each up, to make sure he’d gotten all the smudges, then started packaging the jewelry in the boxes we kept stocked. A customer had once asked if we’d ever think of offering handmade wooden boxes for the items I made. They didn’t know I was the one making the jewelry, but the question had been posed to me. It wasn’t a terrible idea, except none of us did that sort of woodwork. Or if a brother did, they hadn’t said anything.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re hung up on a woman,” Forge said.
“What would you know about it? Last I checked, you didn’t let any of them stick around long enough to get attached.”
“I think Beast has proven it only takes one look. The second Lyssa walked into the clubhouse that day, she was his, even if neither of them knew it right then.”
I knew he was right. Not just because of Beast, but