The Fallon Brothers: Chance Read online

  CHANCE

  THE FALLON BROTHERS

  By Esther E. Schmidt

  Copyright © 2020 by Esther E. Schmidt All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Incidents, names, places, characters and other stuff mentioned in this book is the results of the author’s imagination. Chance is a work of fiction. If there is any resemblance, it is entirely coincidental.

  This content is for mature audiences only. Please do not read if sexual situations, violence and explicit language offends you.

  Cover design by:

  Esther E. Schmidt

  Editor #1:

  Christi Durbin

  Editor #2:

  Virginia Tesi Carey

  Table of contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  — Chance —

  “I’m just here for the coffee, doll.” I give the barista a wink and raise the styrofoam cup—filled with hot black coffee—she just gave me.

  The hungry smile she gives me falters slightly. “Maybe tomorrow you’ll have more time? I wrote my number on the cup, just gimme a call.” She shoots me a seductive wink in return.

  Without a single word in reply, I rudely turn my back and walk out of the diner, making a mental note not to stop for coffee here anytime soon again. My phone rings and I notice it’s Bo, the manager of the security company owned by the club.

  “I thought I had at least another three days off,” I tell him and take a sip of my scolding double espresso.

  “About that,” Bo chuckles. “I’m revoking it. I need you on a case since the client in question also requested a good PI who could look into some things.”

  I unlock my deep metallic blue Chevy Camaro and release a sigh. I balance my time working half of it with a friend who’s a private investigator, and the other half working security. He’s right, I’m perfect for this job. Though I was really looking forward to some time off.

  Recently I was patched in as a full member of the Fallon Brothers. I’ve been a prospect for over a year and found my place in this MC. They basically gave me my sanity back after I had a few shitty years after I quit my job as a cop.

  “What’s the address? I’ll swing by and talk to the client.” I take a few more sips and throw the half empty foam cup into the garbage bin.

  Away with the barista chick’s phone number, since there’s no way I would want to keep it. I have no interest in a relationship or even a one-night stand at this moment in time. I finally have my life back on track and don’t want any changes; I like it just the way it is. Bo rattles off the address and I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

  I glance down the road while locking my car. “I’m already there. Can you email me everything else you have on the case?”

  “Come again?” Bo mutters.

  The corner of my mouth twitches. I’m already standing on the road Bo wanted me to be at. It’s one hell of a coincidence, but easy enough to explain. “My mother lives a block away. I had to stop by for a visit since one of my sisters is getting married in three weeks. I stopped for a cup of coffee before I drive the hour back to the clubhouse. You caught me at the right time.”

  “Well, maybe you will be able to see your ma more often this week, ’cause I think this client needs round the clock security from what she’s told me. But you always like going in blind and hearing the client talk before you read the report. Okay, let me know what your plans are once you have gone through everything. You’ll have the report I wrote in your email within five minutes.”

  “Talk later, Bo. And you fucking owe me,” I grumble and hit the end call button before he can say another word.

  I walk down the street and my eyes travel over the buildings I pass until I see the number Bo mentioned. A large logo on the window states “Furme Veterinary Services.”

  I open the door and an elderly woman strolls out, holding a tiny dog in her arm while she murmurs, “Now that wasn’t so hard was it, sugar puff? All better now. But you shouldn’t have bitten the sweet doctor. It wasn’t very nice of you, Henry.” She smiles at me since I’m still holding the door open. She graciously nods as she passes me by.

  I step inside and let my gaze slide through the tiny waiting room. A row of chairs sits to the left and right and a reception desk sits right in front of me. A woman with red fiery hair wrapped in a bun on the top of her head is bent over, cursing as if her life depends on it.

  When I step closer, I can see why and don’t think twice before I jump into action. Rounding the desk, I grab her hand to assess the damage. Dammit that little shit got her good. From the corner of my eye I notice a treatment room with a sink.

  With her wrist still in my hand I drag her in the direction of the room and tell her, “Come on, we need to clean the wound.”

  She just gasps and when I have water hitting her hand she mutters, “I’m a vet, I know how to treat a bite wound, Dustin.”

  My whole body freezes at the sound of my given name.

  Slowly I tear my eyes away from her hand and raise them to collide with hers. I swallow hard because I sure as hell remember who she is. Violet. A blast from my past. One who indirectly is tied to the end of my career as a cop, due to her asshole stepbrother.

  It’s been twelve years since I last saw her. She is friends with my sisters. Well, she used to be. Ever since they all moved out of the house, I haven’t seen any of their friends when I come over and visit, so hell if I know because they don’t mention her to me.

  Even if anger swirls through me because of her stepbrother, it’s in the past and she isn’t to blame. Twelve years. I would say life’s been good to her, all grown up into a gorgeous woman, compared to the scrawny sixteen-year-old she was when I first saw her.

  Hot. Damn. But then again, “You look like shit,” I snap. Anger flows through me since I’m wondering why the fuck she looks like she hasn’t slept in days.

  Then I remember why I’m here and my gaze goes back to her hand. I need to focus and do my job. The soap and cold water has cleaned out the wound and with the blood gone I can see the bite marks where the little dog bit her.

  I reach for the paper towels and grab some to put on her hand as I walk her back to the front desk. Seems she already had the first aid kit open and was about to tend to her own wounds. With a skilled routine I get to work with cleaning and spreading antibiotic ointment on the little holes where her hand was pierced and bandage it all up.

  When I’m done, I drop her hand and glance up at her stunning blue eyes. We were teenagers when we first met. I wouldn’t ever forget since I had a hard on that wouldn’t go away. It was quite embarrassing actually, hiding it from everyone.

  Though I don’t think anyone noticed. I tried like hell to avoid her but since Barry, her stepbrother, was one of the guys some of my buddies hung out with, she was unavoidable. Then she became friends with my sisters...I couldn’t avoid her if I wanted to and we ran into each other multiple times a day. Until she left town.

  She has the bluest of eyes. I’ve read somewhere it’s rare for a redhead to have blue eyes. Hers are bright and turn stormy whenever she’s pissed. And, fuck...there’s a damn tornado building inside those windows to her soul, and I’m pretty sure she’s gonna lash out any damn second.

  CHAPTER TWO

  — Violet —

&nbs
p; “Thank you, Dustin. I’m fine now. You can leave.” I dismiss him and mutter underneath my breath, “Thank fuck the man’s crispy white shirt didn’t get tainted with blood. Imagine the drama.”

  “What was that?” Dustin narrows his eyes and gives me one of those scrutinizing looks a cop can give.

  “Your shirt and fancy pants.” I wave up and down at his appearance.

  Black slacks, white shirt, black shiny loafers. Yup, still the uptight Mr. Everything-Needs-To-Be-Right I remember from a decade ago. He might have shifted his body into a sculpted bodybuilder type, but I’m not the lovestruck teenager I was back then.

  Ugh. Maybe a little because those bulging muscles do make a girl wonder how it would feel to have his weight pressing on top of me, and...shit. Head out of the gutter, Vi.

  “Like I said, thanks, but I’ve got this.” I slam the first aid kit shut and start to clean up.

  “No, Violet, you don’t got this. You look like shit and seeing as you hired a security company and requested PI services, I’d say you’re far from having a handle on shit. And the name is Chance now. Only my mother still uses Dustin. And I just came from there since my sister is getting married in three weeks. Ma wanted a rehearsal dinner of the rehearsal dinner. Fuck knows why it was needed but I was required to dress up. I bet she’s only doing it to get a kick out of seeing us all dressed up.”

  “Alice is getting married? To Jamie?” My eyes bulge and then sadness hits me through the happy vibe I feel for my old friend Alice. “Dammit, I miss so much these days. I think I got a card...I didn’t open it...too busy...some friend I am.”

  “Naomi is getting married. To that prick Jace,” Dustin grumbles.

  Ugh. Chance, he said he goes by the name Chance these days. And why the name change?

  Wait. “Jace? The asshole who cheated on her with the neighbor who was twenty years older? Are you telling me she took him back? Oh. My. Gosh. Please tell me they have some kind of insurance to get their deposit back because that asshole will cheat on her before they even have a chance to walk to the altar. I need to call her and talk some sense into her.”

  Chance chuckles. “I kicked his ass and he still crawled from underneath his rock and into my sister’s bed. Fucking asshole. But I can’t do shit. My ma told me not to interfere, something about it being her own choice and all.”

  “You should have taped him to a chair and hid him behind a brick wall,” I mutter while I glance at my hand that’s starting to throb. “Good thing I already had my rabies shot. But I really have so many things to do and I could have done without this bullshit. Ugh. Occupational hazard.”

  Chance glances around. “Don’t you have an assistant? Vets have assistants, don’t they?”

  I swallow hard and blink a few times in an effort to keep the tears at bay. I am so close to a breakdown and I would like not to have it in front of my old crush.

  “There’s a lot of stuff going on, and I fired her. Look. I need to lock up and head home. Wait. Why are you even here? Or did you swing by to make an appointment for your pet?”

  A snort leaves me when my gaze slides over his clothes. “Never mind, you don’t have any pets, do you? Oh, gosh, don’t tell me there’s something wrong with Polly. Is she okay? I checked on her last week and she was okay. Strange. Why didn’t your mom mention the wedding thing to me?”

  Sally, Chance’s mom, always rattles about everything. Maybe it was the whole Polly being sick that held both of our attention. She was puking all morning and Sally called me to see if I could come by to check on Polly. I normally don’t do house calls unless there’s no other way, but I’ve known her for years and am friends with all of her daughters.

  “I wish I had a dog, but sadly I don’t have any pets. And Polly, the little shit, is okay. No more puking. She was biting my ankles when I left.” He places his hands on his hips and pins me with a stare. “Did you not hear me mention the security company and the PI service? Or are your problems common knowledge?”

  Shit. He did mention it but I was kinda shocked with the whole ‘sister getting married’ information. How does he know about my need for security? “I was kinda shocked due to the whole your sister getting married news. And why do you know about me? I haven’t told anyone anything, not even the policeman who suggested the security company. He only overheard me needing a bodyguard.”

  “Because I work at both companies and I got your case assigned without knowing it was you.”

  Again, shock hits me. “You’re working security and PI? You’re not a cop anymore? But it was your whole life’s goal, dream, lifestyle, whatever. What happened?”

  “Your stepbrother happened,” he says with venom in his words and it makes me wince. He sighs and one of his hands slides to the back of his neck. “Barry and a load of crooked cops. Too long of a story and I won’t bore you with it. Let’s just keep it to the fact that I quit three years ago.”

  All my frustration and anger slips away. I know how much of an asshole Barry is. I truly hate him and my stepfather. Though my hatred for Barry runs deeper than any ocean.

  It’s for that reason I tell him in all sincerity, “Well, I’m sorry to hear. I know how much being a cop meant to you.”

  “Thanks.” He nods and shrugs. “But to be honest, I’m happy where I am at this point in my life. I have a solid brotherhood at my back, two jobs where I get some form of satisfaction from, and good people surrounding me.”

  Girlfriend? Wife? My eyes slide to his hand and it frustrates me I can’t check if he’s wearing a ring.

  “What’s the matter, firecracker?” There’s laughter in his voice and my gaze snaps to his.

  Like hell am I going to tell him what went through my head. And really? Firecracker?

  “I was sixteen when you started to call me that, I’ve outgrown the nickname, Chance.” I put an extra sadistic tone in his new name before I stalk to the door. “Okay, enough chit-chat. I’m going to lockup and I would appreciate it if you can let the security company know I won’t be needing their services after all.”

  “Not happening,” Chance simply says and doesn’t move an inch.

  I swing the door open, stomp my foot, and snap, “Out. Out now or I’ll kick your ass out the damn door myself.”

  A huge smirk spreads his face. “And here you mention you’ve outgrown the firecracker nickname. Woman, I’d say you’re double the dynamite package now.”

  I narrow my eyes and am fuming on the inside. I’m about to give him hell when he slowly starts to shake his head.

  CHAPTER THREE

  — Chance —

  “Lock the door and sit that lush ass of yours down. We’re going to have a talk and then I’m going to make sure everything is handled. You know me, Violet. There is no one more capable of handling this than me.”

  Her shoulders sag and she locks the door. She stalks up to me and jabs me in the chest with her finger. “Don’t think you’ve won if I accept to work with your company.”

  I’m fighting a smile when my eye catches movement over her shoulder and in a split second I’m able to anticipate what happens next. The window shatters while my arms circle Violet, taking her down with me behind the desk while I take the brunt of the fall. I cover her body and palm my gun.

  “Stay down,” I growl and push myself up.

  I round the corner but I know it’s useless as I rush to the door and fumble with the key to open it. The guy on the dirt bike is long gone once I’m standing on the street. I tuck my gun away and glance at the shattered window. A large brick with a note attached stating in bold letters ‘PAY’ rests on the floor. Anger builds when I stalk inside and I’m about to demand what the fuck she’s wrapped in when heart-wrenching sobs fill the air.

  “Goddamnit,” I growl underneath my breath and rush toward Violet and swoop her into my arms.

  I drag her onto my lap and slowly rock us from side to side as I snatch my phone and text my Pres, Kinney, to get a prospect or two here who can clean up and board up the win
dow. Knowing it’ll be at least an hour before they get here, I let Violet sob until she’s somewhat calmed down.

  Her body stops shaking and she freezes up as if she’s suddenly realizing where she is and what she’s doing.

  She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and points at my chest with her bandaged hand. “Now I really did manage to ruin your shirt. Ugh. This is embarrassing.”

  “Nothing embarrassing about it. And if you ask me, it was about time you unloaded. Are you ready to tell me everything or am I taking you out of here and getting you settled somewhere safe before we go over things?” She freezes up in my lap before she starts to struggle to get up.

  “Stay still,” I snap and she obliges.

  Whatever she’s wrapped in, I figure she’s been holding everything in and facing shit alone for a while now. Because her reaching out to a security company? A huge damn step. The Violet I knew back then wouldn’t reach out to anyone. She’d handle everything herself or die trying.

  The corner of my mouth twitches when a thought hits my brain. “Remember when you just turned seventeen, two days before I turned eighteen?”

  “Ugh,” she grumbles. “Don’t you dare say it.” But there’s a smile in her voice, letting me know she sure as hell remembers.

  “I’m going to save this turtle, and if I don’t succeed?” I start.

  Violet chuckles and mutters, “I’ll ink a damn turtle on my forehead to remind me of my failure.”

  “Good thing you saved it, huh?” I chuckle along with her.

  “Who in their right mind would throw a turtle out along with the trash? But, yeah, I saved him. Kept him for over four years before he died.”

  “Violet?”

  “Yeah.” Her eyes land on mine as she pushes herself upright.

  I reach for the buttons of my shirt and unbutton a few so I can drag the fabric down to show her my ink. A loud giggle flows through the air and she damn well snorts along with it. Adorable and it’s making my cock hard. Something I can’t use right now since she’s sitting on top of it, shaking her lush body due to laughter.