I'm happy that my Chibs Telford fanfiction "Under the same rain" is going well. Because of this, I gently received a request on Wattpad for another story about him and a young girl. I don't know how many chapters it will have yet, but in the meantime, I'd like to share the first chapter with you, and then the subsequent ones.
Requested by Chcolate_preztel 💌
The small town of Charming, California, was a blessing for Miel. She had left New York, her brother Thiago and her family, her friends, in search of a better life. It broke her heart to leave Flatbush, the place where she had grown up, where she had gone to school and spent her teenage years. At night she used to leave her signature on subway walls; during the day she worked in a nail salon, saving every dollar she could.
She had many other talents too: target shooting, collecting rare spirits and vinyl records, cooking and baking, cosmetic artistry, interior design, and even motorcycle customization. She was the daughter of immigrants. Her mother was French and taught at a university, while her father was a Puerto Rican auto-body mechanic who had taught her how to put broken things back together.
Following that lesson, she had gathered all the shattered pieces of her heart and kept moving forward. Miel had a sharp, unshakable spirit that allowed her to never bend under extreme hardship. She possessed loyalty, a strong protective instinct toward the people she loved, and a fierce independence. She trusted her instincts and her senses—things that had guided her through life more than once.
Thiago had once been involved in small street operations in Brooklyn with his crew. Later, he tried to get out, becoming an independent entrepreneur in the boxing and MMA gym business—one of his greatest passions. But he owed money to some former members of his crew, and they had threatened Miel and their family.
Thiago had managed to find her some discreet contacts in California so she could escape New York for good. She packed her bags and crossed the country coast to coast in her black 1965 Lincoln Continental. The separation was heartbreaking—devastating. She cried for days while searching for places to stay.
That was when she arrived in Charming.
With help from the town's sheriff, Wayne Unser, she managed to find a temporary rental not too far from the town center. Wayne had shown himself to be immediately helpful. He was a good man, close to retirement. The two quickly became friends, and he became her emergency contact.
Miel found work in a restaurant bakery. She was good at it—she had a strong aesthetic sense. Her dream was to open a beauty salon of her own, run entirely by her, combining it with a space where people could eat and relax.
When she had finally saved enough money, she consulted a real estate agency to transform an abandoned, rundown storefront into her salon.
The Gilded Lily was the name of her shop.
She had designed the interior herself, with help from a decorator and an architect. She turned the place into something elegant: dark green walls, parquet floors, marble counters, the scent of orchids in the air, large mirrors, golden accents, and stations for clients. Women especially were drawn to the new place. That shabby-chic style was rare in a small town like Charming.
Week after week, the beauty suite began to fill with customers. Miel couldn't have been happier. Once again, she was building her own world, creating a new independent life.
Soon she even bought a house with a large garden, not far from the salon.
She and her brother wrote letters to each other. It was safer than talking on the phone. She read every single one he sent her each week, and she always found the time to reply.
It still felt unreal that she had built everything she had dreamed of.
She stood there watching her clients while her assistants handled them one by one, still struggling to fully process what was happening.
The entrance of a woman into the salon pulled her out of her thoughts.
A woman stepped inside wearing dark clothes, black hair streaked with blonde, and high heels. That was Gemma Teller and in Charming, no business opened without someone knowing about it.
Miel didn't look up immediately. She was finishing a manicure with surgical precision, hands steady, breathing slow. The vinyl record spinning on the turntable filled the room with soft soul music, something warm, almost hypnotic.
Gemma stopped just inside the doorway. Eyes always evaluating.
«So you're the new owner,» the woman said. It wasn't a question.
«Depends on who's asking.»
«Gemma Teller,» she replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with elegant ease.
The name hung in the air. Nothing else needed to be said. In Charming, that name carried weight.
They shook hands. Miel's grip was firm. No hesitation. No uncertainty.
«Charming is a small town. Things work a certain way here.»
Miel followed her with her eyes.
«I opened a salon. Not a war,» Miel said dryly.
«Women who come here without understanding how things work... usually don't last long.»
«I stay where I decide to stay. I built all of this with a lot of effort, and I'm certainly not leaving.»
Her voice was calm. Flat. No open challenge but no submission either.
«And who protects you, Miel?»
«I've never needed anyone to do that. But... for now, Sheriff Unser checks in on me sometimes.»
«I like women who can stand on their own two feet. But people survive better here when they understand which side they're on.»
Gemma studied her for another moment, as if weighing the steel beneath the surface.
«Good. Then I hope you know how heavy it is.»
She turned toward the exit, then paused at the door.
«I'll come by for a treatment. Let's see if your hands are as good as your mouth.»
The door closed, and the salon stayed silent for a few seconds.
One client exhaled softly.
Miel returned to her table, carefully arranging her tools again.
«A woman who loves to control everything.»
The girl went back to work without batting an eye.
Gemma had warned the club about the new presence in town, telling them the woman wasn't stupid and that they should keep an eye on her.
Jax, Gemma's son, and Chibs, the club's Sergeant-at-Arms, took the trouble to ride over to the beauty suite.
Their Harleys stopped in front of The Gilded Lily.
Jax stepped in first, removing his sunglasses and glancing around. At that moment he represented the club's official oversight. Tall, blond, good-looking, with a smile that was both dangerous and disarming.
The other man stayed outside for a moment, a silent observer as he finished his cigarette.
«Thank you. We also offer coffee and pastries for all our clients.»
Jax stepped forward, heavy boots against the polished parquet floor.
«Not easy starting from scratch here.»
«I didn't start from scratch.»
Miel tilted her head slightly, a faint smile on her lips.
Chibs Telford stepped inside without hurry. He removed his sunglasses slowly, his pale eyes sweeping the room quickly—exits, blind spots, clients.
Then they stopped on Miel.
His brown eyes studied the young woman. Hers, instead, lingered on the scar at the corners of his mouth. She immediately wondered what kind of story lay behind that hardened look, the slightly graying hair, and that lethal charm.
«You know, this is just a routine check. We like to know who opens businesses in Charming.»
«Oh... now I understand. Mrs. Gemma is your mother?»
«Well. Like I told her, I opened a beauty suite—not an arms depot.»
«You never know what hides behind a pretty façade,» Chibs added, his sharp Scottish accent cutting through the room.
Miel's gaze slid from Chibs to Jax.
«That goes for everyone around here,» she replied.
Chibs stepped a little closer. Not invasive.
«Distance doesn't scare me. Neither does living in the middle of biker feuds.»
Chibs watched her carefully. He wasn't trying to intimidate her. He was looking for cracks.
«No. My three dogs are my family for now.»
«Charming works because there's balance. Everyone plays their part,» Jax said firmly.
Miel looked Jax straight in the eye.
«I'm not the one carrying a gun under my jacket.»
Chibs lowered his gaze for a second, catching the detail: she had noticed the weapon. She hadn't ignored it, hadn't reacted.
She had simply registered it.
«And if problems come looking for you?» the Scot asked.
«Then I deal with them. I'm not the type to call the cops.»
«Alright, Brooklyn. Consider this an official welcome,» Jax said, stepping away from the counter.
The bikers headed for the door.
«Nice place, though,» Chibs added.
«Welcome to Charming, then.»
They exchanged one last look before the two men returned to their motorcycles and rode away from her shop.
In the quiet town of Charming, nothing stays hidden for long.
After leaving Brooklyn behind, Miel Straughn rebuilds her life from the ground
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