Make Yourself at Home

Chapter 1

When Amelia and Juice strolled out of the airport and into the frigid New York air they stopped, shivered and quickly continued on. They'd both lived with brutal winters before, him longer than her but it still took getting used to, especially after so long in California. Their fingers were tangled together, a suit case in each of their free hands as Juice scanned the area. Instantly he lit up as his eyes fell on Tory, the only friend he really had in New York, aside from blood but even they weren't the happiest to see him.

"Shit man." They greeted each other with a powerful hug, one she hadn't seen the likes of even with the club. "It's good to see you."

Amelia grinned and waited for them to separate before offering the short but clearly built man her hand. "Hi." She smiled sweetly.

"Tory, this is Amelia."

Using her hand, he pulled her into his chest and hugged her just as tight as he'd hugged Juice. Her eyes bulged with surprise and at the force with which he squeezed her.

"Get out while you can!" He laughed as if it were a joke but the words were heavy sigh truth. "Guy is nothing but trouble." His laugh echoed off the cement pillars around them.

"Yeah, thanks." Juice's smile faded as he opened the passenger's side door for Amelia. Slamming it shut he tossed their bags into the trunk and slipped in behind her. "He's harmless. Just trying to convert me." Juice whispered before Tory jumped in the driver's seat but Amelia got the feeling he said it for his own benefit rather than hers.

They hadn't spoken in years and both knew once Juice flew back west, they wouldn't speak again. Salvatore Katz has grown up proper, he was a prominent member of his neighborhood and a successful chiropractor. Juan Carlos Ortiz was prominent for the wrong reasons and was as far from a doctor as could be. Although they had ten years of friendship and a shared love for Juice's sister, the two best friends had painfully grown apart.

"I heard you did some time."

"Yep. Just under a year."

Tory looked at Juice in the back seat and frowned, disappointment clear in his eyes. "Wrong guy, right? That's what your mom told us."

Juice's jaw jutted out and he nodded. "Exactly."

Turning his eyes back to the road Tory drove quietly. Amelia was completely confused. When they'd first met up neither looked like they could be happier but suddenly the air was thick with tension. Maybe it was the rush of memories at first but Amelia couldn't believe how quickly they had turned.

"How'd you meet Ortiz?" The unexpected question startled Amelia and she was at a loss for words. How much did this guy know and what did Juice really want her to say? It was a standard relationship issue when meeting friends and family but the outlaw lifestyle made it exponentially worse.

"Gas station, actually." Juice chimed in quickly. "Randomly ran into each other, turned out we have some mutual friends."

Amelia snickered to herself at the memory of that night. "I was so mean to you."

"You were stressed," Juice gave her shoulder a squeeze. "But yeah you were a bitch."

Watching them interact and catching their secret glances and expressions Tory could see how well they knew each other. It seemed like every word had a secret meaning or brought up some memory.

"What do you do, Amelia?"

Another awkward question. Part of her wondered what he'd do or say if she just flat out said she laundered money but Amelia knew she could never.

"Well I'm school, I was sick and got a late start." She said as some kind of explanation. Juice could see she felt slightly intimidated by Tory's success, he hated it. "And I manage the auto shop Juice works at, it's owned by a friend of ours."

"She's a photographer too, really talented."

Amelia smiled at that and nodded. "Yes I do dabble in photography."

They chatted back and forth on the way toward the hotel. Tory wasn't shocked by the well known and obviously expensive hotel Juice had booked.

"Oil changes and lube jobs must be a pretty lucrative business."

Juice brushed it off and nodded as he shook Tory's hand. "You have no idea, doc and I don't even have any student loans. Thanks for the lift."

"That was great." Amelia giggled as she and Juice strolled up toward the lobby, a bellhop following behind with their bags. "I'm proud of you."

"They'll try to make me feel like shit but look at this; I'm staying at a five star hotel with a beautiful girl. I have cash in my pocket, no debts, clean credit, nice house, and you, it's everything I could ever want. Fuck that guy. I got no delusions."

It was the most confident she'd ever seen or heard Juice and Amelia loved it. He checked them up and rushed her to the elevator. "Take the next one." He said to the bellhop and slipped the man a fifty.

"Juicy," she squealed as he pushed her into the elevator and punched the their floor and 'door close' button. "What has the Big Apple done to you?"

Growling, he pressed her against the back of the elevator and kissed her. "Reaffirmed a lot." His fingers crawled up her thigh beneath her skirt eliciting a breathy giggle.

"Get yourself together." She pushed him back with little force. "You may be quick but even you're not that quick."

"Best thirty seconds of your life though." He said as the elevator dinged and the doors slowly opened. A few moments later the elevator to the left opened and the bellhop exited, joining them down the hall toward their room.