If he cares about me, even this much…
The strong rhythm of his heartbeat in my ear lulls me to peace.
“Maybe if I can fix all this—the club, everything—maybe I can make it up to you a little for having done this to you…”
I move then, burrowing my face in his chest. He takes me in his arms and holds me while my hands smooth the hard muscles of his bare chest.
“I’ve killed men.” He says it quietly.
I frown. “Why are you telling me that?”
“I thought you ought to get it straight in your mind about who you were saving from Rat this morning.”
“I know who.” He’s the person who saved me from death. The man I love.
“God almighty, Kara, why didn’t you call me?”
“I told you why.”
He takes my face between his hands and kisses my mouth, bruising it with what feels like remorse, but I respond willingly, forgetting my fatigue. He rolls me under him, then lifts his head to stare into my eyes.
“I love you, Kara.”
“I love you, too, Reno. So much.”
“I swear to God, baby, I’m gonna do everything I can to make you happy.”
“But Reno, you already have.”
He grins and I love that smile on him. It lights his whole face. Then he dips his head and kisses me like he’ll never stop.
He wants me. My own body aches with need and can’t answer his soon enough.
He wants me, and that’s all I need.
EPILOGUE
Two months later…
Reno—
“Babe, you ready?” I walk down the hallway from the living room and climb the stairs toward the bedroom. I hardly recognize my place anymore. Kara’s put her stamp all over it, and I gladly let her. The place looks amazing in a modern, hip sort of way. I love that she kept to mostly sleek furniture lines in charcoal grays with pops of color here and there. The neglected walls are now filled with black and white images of landscapes that I love as much as she does. It was fun letting her loose in the store. I gave her a budget, and she stayed well within it. And now this place feels like a home and not just a crash pad, as it did for so many years.
Her enthusiasm for everything she does is contagious. It’s hard not to be infected by her exuberance for life. Everything is a new experience for her, and I’m excited to share it all with her. One of her favorite things to do is go for long rides in the country on the back of my bike. It’s quickly become my favorite thing as well. We’ve even got our own special spot. It has a nice overlook and a creek that kind of reminds me of the one she’d splashed in months ago.
I’ve got a ring burning a hole in my pocket, and tomorrow I’m planning to take her up there and give it to her. But not today—today we’ve got other plans.
“Kara?” I reach the bedroom and find her putting on her riding boots.
“Almost ready.”
She’s got on a cute pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, fitted black shirt with a V-neck that laces up. It shows a good amount of cleavage, but I’ll let it slide. Today’s a special day.
She’s got on the vest I gave her with the Property of Reno patch on the back. She wears it so proudly that I know she truly is the only one for me.
She stands, a pair of sunglasses pushed up on her head. I pull her into my arms, my gaze dropping to her cleavage. I can’t resist a little teasing. “Not gonna like all the guys lookin’ at your tits today, babe. You got another shirt?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure they won’t be.”
I huff out a laugh. “You don’t know ‘em.”
“They’ll be busy with their own women, Reno. Oh, it’s going to be so much fun.”
I grin. I can’t help it around Kara. I’m always smiling like a damn fool. “We did enough work the last few weeks; it’ll be good to celebrate everything.”
“Let’s go. I don’t want to be late.” She starts to move, but I pull her back.
“Not so fast.” I give her a kiss—one I hope will keep her thinking about me all day. When I finally let her up for air, she cups my jaw, rubbing her thumb across my lips.
“I love you.”
“Love you, too, Kara.” I kiss her again. “Now we can go.”
“You just wanted to be the one to say it.”
“Yup. Gotta remind you who’s in charge, woman.”
She chuckles. “Okay, big man, I remember.”
I hope I’ve got her fooled, because the truth of it is, she’s got me wrapped around her finger.
We lock up the house and move to the bike parked in the drive. I grab my helmet off the seat and pass her the other one. I grab the KD sunglasses hooked in my shirt and slide them on.
She presses against me and rests her hands on my cut. “I ever tell you how hot you look in this?” She runs her hands over the leather, her fingers pausing over the new vice president patch over my heart.
I take her hand, bring it to my mouth, and press a kiss in her palm. “Glad you like it, darlin’. You ready to ride?”
She grins. “I’m always ready to ride.”
I chuckle, swing my leg over the bike, and fire it up. She climbs on behind me, and I love the feel of her pressed against my back, her arms around me. She puts her chin on my shoulder, and I turn my head toward her. “You holdin’ on tight, love?”
“Always, honey.”
I pat her thigh and twist the throttle. We’re soon where we both love to be, flying down the road, the wind in our faces and the bike rumbling beneath us.
Too quickly, we’re pulling into the clubhouse property. It’s an old rusted factory that the DKs have owned for years. The place has always been a depressing dark pit. That is, until Rusty was voted in as our new president and me as his VP. I still can’t believe I’ve got that patch on my chest. I’m damn proud of it, and I’m damn proud of the changes we’ve made.
We roll through the chain link gate. The grounds are cleaned up, and there’s a line of bikes out front. It’s late afternoon now and still light outside, but torches have been set up for later, and we’ve got new picnic tables and a fire pit area we built. We’ve even got a few corn hole games set up.
I park and shut the bike down. A couple of brothers stand over by the big grill we set up yesterday, tending the burgers and brats. The aroma finds its way to us, and my mouth waters.
This is the first event we’ve had since all the changes we’ve implemented. The brothers are bringing their ol’ ladies and kids—something we’ve never done before. I hope it all goes well, and I know I’m not the only one.
We climb off the bike and take off our helmets. I stash them under the bike, take Kara’s hand, and lead her inside.
The interior is no longer a dark cavernous space. Now there are lights and a new upgraded bar with some nice seating areas set up around the room. We even managed to scrounge up an old pool table.
The place is crowded, everyone drinking and talking and having a good time.
I make my way through to the bar where Rusty sits on a stool with several of my brothers, Jammer, Bandit, and Gypsy.
“So, I tell him to give me the super-size cup and—”
Jammer shakes his head, puts his empty beer down, and starts to walk off.
“Where you goin’?” Bandit yells after Jammer’s retreating back.
“You’re boring me to death, and my survival skills kicked in.”
“Ha ha. You’re a real riot, Jammer.”
Rusty and I exchange a humorous look before I turn to Kara. “What do you want to drink, baby?”
“I’ll have a cola to start with. I think it’s going to be a long night.”
I nod and get her what she wants and a longneck for me.
Rusty looks over at her. “How you doin’, Butterfly?”
She blushes and rolls her eyes at the nickname he’s given her, tucking against my side. “I’m fine, Prez.”
He grins and dips his head, acknowledging his new title.
“And t
hanks for the name,” she adds sarcastically.
“You’re welcome, doll. I’m honored to be the one to name you.”
Kara can talk shit all she wants, but she knows she’s lucky to have Butterfly for her name. Could be worse. One of the ol’ ladies is called Pee-Pie. When I told her that, she was more than happy to have the name she’s been given.
The prospect makes his way over to Rusty. “The Evil Dead just pulled in.”
Rusty nods and stands, jerking his chin toward the door. “We’ll be right out.”
The prospect turns around and heads out, and Rusty looks at me.
“Let’s go meet our guests of honor, VP. I’m ready to celebrate this new confederation between our clubs.”
I nod. “We really did something, didn’t we, Prez?”
He takes my hand in an arm wrestle grip, and we look at each other. I think neither of us can believe we pulled off what we set out to do.
“We really did, VP. Let’s go get this party started.”
We move outside and greet our guests, mingling through the crowd. I look around at what we’ve done, what we’ve saved, and what we’ve started to build. An MC is a complicated animal. It’s rough and simplistic at face value. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that the true essence and ideals that the Devil Kings were built on are still strong in this brotherhood. I take in the smiling faces of my brothers. Theirs is a love for a club that will not be denied. The same spirit that birthed the DKs is the same that will allow it to survive because here what makes us outcasts is the very thing that binds us together.
I lock eyes with Rusty across the compound. He taps his chest twice and points at me. I grin and give it back to him.
Kara—
It’s been a wonderfully successful day, and now it’s late in the evening, and Reno, sensing how tired I am, leads me down the hall to the new room he’s been given as VP. He unlocks the door and pulls me inside. It’s a large space, and he’s filled it with a big bed and even let me add a throw rug to warm it up. He said it used to be one of the factory’s offices, and it’s even got a private bathroom.
“What were you going to tell me?” he asks.
I shrug my small bag off my shoulder and drop it to the floor. I started to tell him something earlier, and we were interrupted by one of his drunken brothers coming over and slinging his arm around Reno, who introduced me to Quick.
He told Reno how happy he was that they agreed to let him stay in the club after what Rat had pulled, swearing he had no clue what their former VP had been up to.
Reno laughed him off; accepting the beer the man had brought him, insisting Quick would have plenty of time to prove his loyalty in the years to come.
Now I stand in the center of the room, biting my lip.
“Was it anything important?” he prods, slinging his cut off and hanging it on the back of a chair.
I decide to make him work for it. “No, the mood’s gone now.”
Reno grins, totally onto me. “Oh, the mood’s gone, huh?”
I nod.
“It is, eh? The mood’s gone?” He backs me to the wall and kisses me. It’s a seductive kiss that I know will lead to more. I pull back, because we really do need to talk about so much. Before I can even begin, he stares at me and confesses, “You know the first time you looked at me, I think I fell a little in love with you.”
My brows arch. “Just a little?”
He chuckles. “Maybe more than a little.”
“Baby?”
“Yeah?” He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and dips to nuzzle kisses along my neck.
“Remember when you brought me some things from my apartment—my journal and soaps and things?”
“Yeah.” He traces the line of my collarbone with his tongue.
“That was really sweet of you.” I try to concentrate on what I want to say, his touch sending tingles along my skin.
“It was, wasn’t it?” He takes my hand, backs up to sit on the edge of the bed, and positions me between his legs. His palms glide up my thighs, and I know he’s got one thing on his mind, and it’s not having a conversation. If I’m going to get a chance to talk to him about anything, I’d better do it quick before he distracts me, and he’s really good at distracting me.
“There was just one thing you forgot to bring. One important thing.”
He frowns up at me. “What didn’t I bring you?”
I pull the case from the back pocket of my jeans and hold it up. “My birth control pills.”
His eyes shift to the case. “Shit,” he whispers and looks at my face, and then his gaze drops to my stomach.
“Remember how I didn’t feel so good yesterday and the day before?”
“Yeah. And you wouldn’t drink tonight. Babe, are you pregnant?”
“Well, I bought a test, but I haven’t taken it yet. The box is in my purse.”
He sets me aside, moves to dig it out of my bag, and shoves it in my hand, pushing me toward the bathroom door.
“Reno!”
“Don’t come out until you have that stick in your hand, and I get to know if I’m gonna be a daddy.”
I do as I’m told. It takes me a few minutes, and I hear him pacing by the door. Eventually, I’m able to pee, and now I have to wait for the results.
“Well?” he calls out, tapping on the door.
“Give me a minute, Mr. Impatient.”
Finally, I open the door, the stick behind my back. His eyes drop to where my hand isn’t, and he orders, “Show me, sweetheart.”
I hold it out. He squints to read it, and then his eyes lift to mine. I don’t know which answer he truly wanted, but when he scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bed, I guess I have my answer. He comes down on top of me, and I smile at him. “I take it you’re happy about this?”
“Yeah, I’m happy.” He brushes the hair from my face. “You made me happy, Kara. How could I not be happy you’re havin’ my baby?”
“I’m happy, too.”
He lifts a brow. “Question is, how’s your father gonna feel about this?”
I bite my lip. “He’s probably going to want his grandchild’s parents to be married.”
“I know you want a grand wedding and all—”
I shake my head. “I’m thinking maybe something simple.” My eyes get big. “Or we could elope to Vegas! I’ve always wanted to see it.”
“Babe, you sure that’s what you want?”
“I don’t care about a big fancy dinner party. I just want to be with you. Think we could take the bike?”
“All the way to Nevada? And you with morning sickness? You’ve lost your damn mind, woman.”
I bite my lip again. “Hmm, I suppose that would ruin it.”
“Besides, I’m not shaking my baby up and down for a thousand miles.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
He chuckles at my snit. “We could fly if a doctor says it’s okay.”
“So, I still get to see Vegas?”
“Yeah, just not from the back of my bike.”
“Well, there’s always next year, I suppose.”
“We’ll see.” He shakes his head, chuckling. “You’re gonna be a lot of work to keep happy.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Babe, that doesn’t scare me. I’m up to the task.”
“I’m a task now.”
“Keepin’ you happy is gonna be a task. But I look forward to the challenge, sweetheart.”
“Reno?”
“Hmm?”
“What did you think of me when we first met?”
He gets quiet for so long that I think he isn’t going to answer.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes. Why, is it bad?”
“I thought, that’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. More than that—someone who’d make a better man out of me, if she could love me. If she didn’t mind that I was a biker.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“A
nd now?”
“Now I know you’re the love of my life—the one I’ve been waiting for even though I’m not sure I even realized it.”
“I’m glad you waited for me.”
“Me too.” He taps the end of my nose with his finger, but frowns. “You really happy about being pregnant?”
I smooth my thumb over those worry lines that form between his brows. “I’m very happy.”
“What about the shop? You have all those plans. That’s your dream, and I want you to have it.”
“There’ll be time for that. We’ve got our whole lives.”
“We do.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “You’re not gonna regret being with me, Kara. I promise you. I’ll make sure you’re never sorry.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Dante DeLuca.”
“I want to take you for a ride up to our spot tomorrow. You gonna be okay to ride?”
“You mean because of the baby? I’m fine, silly. Besides, soon enough I’ll have to give up riding. I want to get in a few more before that happens.”
“I love you, my sweet, little, soon-to-be mama bear.”
“I love you, too, papa bear. I can’t wait until our daughter has you wrapped around her finger.”
“Our daughter, huh? Is that what you want?”
I shrug. “I wouldn’t mind a little boy who looks just like his father.”
“If our daughter looks like you, she’s gonna give me hell when she turns sixteen. I’ll have to lock her up in a convent.”
“You’ll do no such thing. She, or he, will live free and know all the happiness life has to offer.”
“You’ll make sure of that, I know.”
“Damn straight.”
He rolls us until I’m on top, and I squeal.
“Now show your ol’ man all that you’ve got to offer,” he orders.
I grin, shimmy out of my vest, and pull my shirt over my head.
His eyes drop to my lace-covered breasts, and he closes his big hands over them. “I think these are bigger already.”
I giggle and wiggle on top of him. “Hmm. That’s not the only thing that’s getting bigger.”
He cups the back of my neck and drags me down for a kiss. It’s long and deep and filled with everything he feels for me. When he pulls back, he bumps his nose to mine. “I’m all yours, babe.”
Dirty Deeds Page 22
