Aubrey

I didn't have to work the next morning, so I got up early and made Xavier breakfast. Rose was helping. She seemed a lot calmer than I'd ever seen her before and she was very talkative where as before she would hardly talk over a whisper.

"You seem happy!" I said as she threw the fresh cut apples into a bowl.

"I am! What do you think about apple pie?"

"Sounds perfect. So what's going on?" I asked,

curious and happy to see her smiling.

"Nothing, nothing is going on. It's just I'm..." She turned to me. "This is the first time in a long time I have been in this house and felt safe."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you have heard the stories about Xavier, how cruel he is. But ever since you, he has started to change. There's hasn't been any fits of rage, no yelling and throwing things, he has been so calm and I know you never saw that side of him and that's because he doesn't have it when you're here. I'm not scared to be in the same room with my own nephew anymore and it's... a blessing. Thank you!" She grabbed me into a hug.

"I didn't think I was doing anything." I muttered, hugging her back.

"You are, you have no idea how many days I'd turn on the news and see some unsolved crime on the local channel and just be devastated at the darkness in him. But lately nothing, not even a broken window." I smiled at her, as she pulled away from me. "Everyone is slowly noticing and we are very grateful." Everyone? I heard the door up stairs open and knew Xavier was awake. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned as he came into the room.

"Good morning." He moved to me wrapping one arm around me and lifting my face with his other.

"One day you will learn to sleep in."

"I made you breakfast." He smiled leaning down and kissing me before going to the coffee maker.

"Do you work today, Angel?"

"Nope,"

"Good, I want to take you to see that house so you can decide if you want to move your stuff in."

"I'm sure I'll love it, thank you for doing this for me." He nodded once moving to the table. The door opened and Sarah and Chase came in.

"Hey!" Rose beamed at Sarah, who also looked in a good mood. Chase sat beside Xavier and started talking.

"So Aubrey, we are going to the mall tomorrow just to shop around you are more then welcome to join us. I love the mall during fall all the smells and sweaters."

"I-"

"No!" Xavier cut in before I could respond. We all three looked at him. "She's not going."

"Xavier, the poor girl cannot stay locked up forever." Sarah cut in, he glared at her.

"She is not going!" He demanded.

"Actually, She has work all day tomorrow." They all turned to me hearing the aggravation in my voice. I ignored them and finished up breakfast before moving it to the table. Xavier caught my arm.

"Angel," He whispered. "Don't be mad. I just don't want anything to happen."

"Nothing is going to happen. I'm fine." He frowned.

"You don't understand," He muttered. "Please trust me on this." I sighed but nodded.

"So where is the house at?" I asked changing the subject.

"In town, its small but.."

"I'm sure I'll love it."

Rose and Sarah wouldn't let me help clean up. I ran up stairs and hurried to get changed. I ran down stairs finding Xavier waiting at the door.

"Here," He held out a jacket and helmet. I looked over him seeing his Young Guns M.C. jacket on. I looked over the one he gave me it was just plan. "I have a few." He said seeing me look at it. The house was about four minutes from his. When I saw it, I instantly loved it. It was a small, white house with a stone walkway.

"Xavier, this is amazing!" We walked inside and I felt like I had decorated this house. I wouldn't change a thing. The light was flooding in through the windows lighting up the livingroom and kitchen. The cottage house style looked like a picture from a magazine.

"Why don't you rent this out."

"So you will move in?" He said leaning against the door frame.

"Of course! Who did all this? Did you buy it this way?" I asked looking over the restored antique coffee table.

"It was my mothers." I froze looking up at him.

"Xavier, I don't have to stay here if..."

"Angel, I want you to. Someone should, and seeing how much you seem to like it, she'd have wanted you too."

We went to my apartment and talked to the landlord. I thought he would ask for me to pay out the lease but he agreed fast to end the lease. I think he wanted Xavier away from the property as soon as possible. I packed my stuff pretty fast considering all my bath and clothes were at his house. Xavier said he'd send the guys to move everything and for me not to worry about it.

We left the apartments and headed to lunch. We took the bike into town and stopped at a small dinner. As soon as we walked inside, the whole place went silent. Everyone turned towards us and stared as we walked to an open booth near the back. I sat down and soon a waitress can over and with shaky hands put down two menus.

"W-What can I get you to drink?" She stuttered. Xavier nodded towards me.

"Just a water, please."

"Coke," She all but ran off after hearing his voice.

"Does that not bother you?" I asked him as he leaned back in his seat.

"What?"

"How people are so scared to be around you." He shrugged.

"They leave me alone." I shook my head.

"So tell me something about you." He looked at me. "Something no one in this town already know."

"You already know about my job."

"I mean something else...like your favorite...food." He chuckled.

"All the questions you could have asked and that's what you come up with."

"Well, I feel like everyone only knows the...dramatic stuff and not the small stuff."

"Well, I don't think I have a favorite food, but I do hate broccoli."

"Broccoli?" I laughed. "You're six." He chuckled.

"Here you go." The waitress put our drinks down. "Are you ready to order?"

"May I please have the chicken tender plate." She nodded then turned towards him.

"Burger plate everything on it." She hurried away again and he turned to glance over his shoulder at multiple people watching us. He took a deep, aggravated breath.

"You okay?"

"Wish people would mind their own fucking bussiness."

"So is Chase your best friend?" I asked trying to distract him from everyone else.

"I guess you could call him that. We were friends when we were younger."

"He doesn't seem to be nervous around you like most of the others."

"Neither do you."

"Maybe you aren't as scary as you think." He smiled slightly.

"I hope you always think that." The waitress came back with our food.

"Anything e-else you need?" She stuttered again.

"No thanks." I smiled at her.

"No." Xavier said sounding aggravated, but that wasn't new.

"So I do have a question." He looked at me to go on. "How did the club get its name?"

"My dad and a few of his friends joined the military after high school. He told me his lieutenant called them a bunch of young guns. I don't remember exactly why, I think they were just always jumping at different opportunities to prove themselves. When they came home the name stuck."

"What was the club originally for?"

"We are bikers, we ride, that's it."

"Then why do you all carry?" I challenged. He took a deep breath.

"It was a protection thing. It started out as security. People or small family companies would contact the club to guard their shipments or run servalane if people were giving them trouble."

"Why would they need security? Is that normal?"

"No. We were the towns protection from the Night Riders. There club has been around for a very long time and they would mess with a lot of businesses. They have always been into a lot of illegal shit and would try to force family to be covers for them."

"So your dad started the club to protect the town?" His eyes narrowed at me. "And when they didn't avenge him, you turned on them." His eyes darkened.

"My father loved this town and spent his life trying to protect it and its people. Then he was murdered and this town did nothing, acted like he was nothing!" His voice sounded deadly and his whole body had stiffened. "That showed me everything I needed to know about them. They never cared about him they used him."

"They tried, though, right?"

"They said they did."

"Maybe they just didn't have proof."

"They did." He seemed sure of this.

"How do you know?" His jaw flexed.

"Why do you need to know everything?"I shrugged. "I'm not talking about this anymore." His tone ended the conversation and he finished eating without talking to me.

"You finished yet?" He grumbled.

"You're mad at me." The waitress came back over with the check before running to the back, probably scared at the sudden tension. He threw some cash on the table. "Actually paying?"

"Figured you'd bitch if I didn't." I frowned as he leaned back in the seat crossing his arms.

"Look, I get you don't like talking about your past, I just wanted to know the truth."

"Well, I don't want you too."

"I won't ask again." He nodded.He was silent for a minute before speaking again.

"I'm going to be out of town for a few days for work. I'm leaving tomorrow, I'll have someone at the house with you." I frowned. He looked over me and his eyes were still dark from our previous conversation.

"You're leaving?" I asked. He sighed leaning forward.

"Promise me you won't run off or do anything to get hurt."

"How long will you be gone."

"Three days."