Kitty Kitty

by Vale, Lani Lynn

  I flushed harder when all eyes turned my way.

  If I could crawl into Sin and disappear, I would have.

  “Umm,” I hesitated.

  “Unfortunately,” Wyett said, looking at me with sympathy. “Six has absolutely zero filter. She says what she wants and doesn’t give a fuck. Just think of it this way, when we were out last week, she told the retail guy that he had a sexy voice and that he should do voice-over for porn. Because she would definitely come while he was talking.”

  “You did not.” Beckham gasped a laugh as she turned to Six.

  Six shrugged. “He had one of those voices. You know like that man, the one off of Roadhouse. The older one? Hot damn. That guy should do voice-over for porn, too.”

  “Or he could be an audio narrator,” I admitted. “Having a sexy sounding voice talk dirty right in your ear?”

  Sin’s hand on my shoulder curled tighter, and suddenly I found myself pressed up against the length of his body.

  “You like people talking dirty in your ear?” he asked curiously. Again, talking directly into my ear.

  His hot breath washing over my skin made me shiver.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “I do.”

  Sin’s chuckle was even worse.

  It was dry and scratchy like he didn’t do it all that often. But even better, he was laughing because of something that I’d said and did. Which made something surge through me that made me think that I might very well be euphorically happy.

  And horny.

  We couldn’t forget that.

  “I read a book last week about a priest.” Swayze fanned herself. “It was, swear to God, the hottest thing I’d ever read. I’ll bet listening to it would’ve set my panties on fire.”

  “Was that the book that had you all hot and bothered when you came into the bar and…” Trick trailed off when Swayze slapped her hand over his mouth.

  His eyes were full of mischief as he mimed zipping his lips once she pulled her hand free.

  “We should start a book club,” Beckham clapped.

  “I’m down for an erotic book club,” Laric murmured, petting a cat that jumped into his lap. I hadn’t seen the cat before, but the house we were in—Lynn and Six’s place—was massive. There was no telling what kind of animals they were hiding.

  Swayze snickered at Laric’s comment. “It’s not that I don’t like the idea of you joining our book club,” she teased. “But I highly doubt that you’d like the books.”

  His brows rose. “What’s not to like? There’s sex in them, right?”

  She nodded. “And what’s not to like about that?”

  Swayze rolled her eyes as Six clapped her hands. “Okay, our first one needs to be about that priest you were just talking about. Then we’ll have a discussion sometime next week while these losers” —she indicated the men— “have their team meetings. I like it.”

  “But what about me? I’m a part of those team meetings,” Beckham grumbled, then turned her eyes to me. “And after she quits, she’ll be a part of them, too.”

  I still wasn’t one-hundred-percent on board with it at this point. I mean… I needed benefits. I needed some ground to stand on that wasn’t wobbly seeing as I was about to have a baby.

  A baby that was going to be here before I knew it.

  A baby that was part Sin’s.

  And, sadly, he was right.

  A prison wasn’t a place for me when I was pregnant.

  Even if I might want it to be.

  I sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” Sin asked.

  Despite his conversation with the rest of the group, he’d been very much aware of what was going on with me. Hence the sigh that caught his attention almost immediately.

  “I was thinking about things,” I admitted. “We’ll talk about them tomorrow or something.”

  Sin stood up and caught my hand with his.

  “We’re going,” he announced to the group. “Let us know if you have anything else on the man or the woman connected to the kidnapping case from today. We’re going home. It’s been a long day for her.”

  We’re going home.

  I had no idea how nice those words would be to hear.

  “10-4.” Lynn stood up, but instead of his eyes going to Sin, they came to me. “I was one hundred percent serious about that job offer. I want you to take it. There will be benefits, and it’ll be a legitimate, actual job. Whether you work with him” —he gestured at Sin with his chin— “at the investigation business, or with me at my office alongside Beckham, I don’t care. They’re all under the same corporation. But one hundred percent, it’s a legitimate job offer. You have good instincts. Those same instincts saved a child’s life today, and regardless of how foolhardy your actions were today, they were good ones. Ones that changed the way that little girl will live her life. He was filling up the gas tank, Blaise. I don’t know if you know what that means but that was his last stop. If you hadn’t found her there, she would’ve been forever lost. Because these crazy motherfuckers know what they’re doing. They know how to hide and lay low. They know exactly what needs to be done to keep this out of the public eye. The world needs a few more people like you willing to take that chance on the children that are taken on a daily basis. And sometimes, they’re not nearly as lucky.”

  I shuddered. “I’ll take the job, Lynn.”

  He grinned then, his eyes going from me to Sin and back. “You should probably also tell your grandfather what’s going on. I have a meeting with him next week, and you damn well know that he’s going to ask about you since he knows you’re close to me. He’ll know that I know you’re here. And I’m not going to lie.”

  His eyes were full of mischief then.

  I groaned. “I’ll talk to them all tomorrow. I planned to go over for my dad’s birthday anyway.” I looked at Beckham, then at Zach. “Are y’all going?”

  “Negative.” Beckham shook her head. “The last time I went down there, everyone gave Trouper the cold shoulder for half the day. I’m going to give it a few months for things to level out and them to get over whatever has their panties in a wad right now.”

  That was a story for another time. Suffice it to say, Beckham and Trouper had never really gotten ‘approval’ for their relationship.

  At least, they hadn’t had approval until lately.

  “Next time, I want to see Hiro,” I ordered.

  She grinned then. “Zach is bringing him back for me tomorrow. My parents have him.” Her eyes gleamed then. “Y’all could always bring him home. See what it’s like to have to deal with a baby on a long-ass road trip.”

  Sin snorted. “As much as I’d like to say that’s a great idea, I have a feeling I’m not getting out of there easily. If you want to see your kid in a timely manner, you might want Zach to continue bringing him home. Let’s go.”

  After a round of goodbyes from everyone, Sin once again led me to his bike.

  A thrill went through me at getting on the back of it again.

  Picking up the helmet that he used, he turned and placed it on my head, being sure to strap it down as best he could before stepping back to stare at me.

  The day was just giving way to night, and we were in that in-between stage where the light was disappearing very fast, but you could still see fairly well.

  And what I saw in Sin’s eyes made my breath hitch.

  “Sin…”

  “You scared the absolute piss out of me today,” he said.

  I swallowed, not saying anything because really, there was nothing to say.

  I’d scared the shit out of myself.

  But, God.

  The look in that little girl’s eyes?

  I’d been a goner.

  “I don’t want to ever experience that again,” he admitted. “On one hand, I want to run far and fast. I want to leave you behind and never look back.”

  My heart started to pound at his words because I could hear the sincerity in them.

  “Because maybe if I r
an, maybe if I didn’t give in to what I know is going to happen between us, maybe I could save myself the constant bone-rattling fear that I feel at the thought of anything ever happening to you,” he rasped.

  He then moved forward and placed both of his big hands on the helmet on either side of my head.

  When he was close enough that all I could see were his eyes, he said, “But then, the thought of leaving you? It scares the absolute piss out of me, too. The thought of not being here in case you need me literally makes my fucking heart race. And I think, in the end, the anxiety of not knowing if you’re happy and well would end up killing me. So for now, forever, I’m here to stay. You’re mine, and I’ll do anything, absolutely anything, to make that happen. Make you realize that. So if you need time, I’ll give it. If you need distance, I’ll allow it. But just know that I’m always going to be right here. With you. Anytime you ever need me.”

  I swallowed hard, then took the leap.

  “I don’t need time or distance,” I whispered. “After today. After sitting in that car… I don’t need it. I know what I want. And that’s you.”

  I didn’t have flowery words right then. Not after the bombshell he’d just dropped on me.

  But he didn’t seem to need them.

  “You’re moving in,” he declared. “And tomorrow, I go with you to meet your family. As your man.”

  I gave him a small smile.

  “And I’m sorry not to do this the right way, but you’ll marry me. On the way to your parents’ place tomorrow, we’ll stop and get you a ring. That way this baby, when he or she is born, is both of ours. And you’ll have that knowledge that you’re mine as well.” Then he stepped back and got onto the bike. “Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Why don’t we have Heinz Big Saucy Bangers in the United States like the UK has?

  -Text from Blaise to Johnny

  BLAISE

  “Yeah, what did the kid say?” I looked up at Sin who was standing beside his truck with me at his side.

  Hunt had called with some information a little bit ago about the kidnapping case that we’d thwarted, and he’d paused in his trek toward my parents’ front door to take the call.

  He frowned hard. “That’s all she remembers? The fingernails?”

  “That’s it,” I heard Hunt reply. “Have a good time meeting the in-laws.”

  Then he was gone, leaving Sin looking at the front door of the house.

  “What about fingernails?” I asked.

  Sin dropped the phone from his ear and then pocketed it. “The kid—the girl—she remembers nothing. The only thing she could remember clearly were the woman’s fingernails. She said that they were really long, and scary looking like a witch’s.”

  “Huh,” I said softly. “Well, that sucks. I was hoping for more.”

  He looked at me like he completely agreed. “Same.”

  Then he turned his eyes back to the house.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I followed his gaze, then allowed my eyes to travel over the bikes in the front yard, parked on the street, and even in the side yard. “Yep.”

  He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in tight to his chest.

  “It’ll be okay,” he promised.

  Would it? I’d brought one man, and one man only, home to meet my family. Him.

  Why?

  Because I had the vice president of the Dixie Wardens MC as my dad. The president of the Dixie Wardens MC as my grandfather. A cop for a brother. Badass black ops former-Army uncles that would do anything they could to ensure that I was safe. Then there were the men of my father’s MC. Men that I’d grown up with just as much as I’d grown up with my own parents.

  “Just… don’t leave me because of them, okay?” I pleaded.

  He looked at me worriedly. “I’m not going to leave you because of something your family does.”

  I wasn’t so sure.

  “Just remember your promise, okay?” I pushed.

  He rolled his eyes and tugged me in close. “Are we going to tell them you’re pregnant?”

  I immediately started shaking my head. “Not today. Next time. This time… we just need to get through it.”

  His lips twitched. “Honey, I’ve already met your father and your grandfather. It’ll be okay.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  He may know my father. He may, at some point, have served with my dad in some capacity. But he’d never met my father as the man that was dating his little girl.

  My father was in a motorcycle club. He was rough, gruff, and abrasive.

  And he loved his family fiercely.

  He would not, under any circumstances, like any man that his daughter brought home. I was his baby girl.

  Except… I was wrong.

  My dad… loved him.

  There were no other words.

  The moment that Dad saw Sin, his face lit up like he’d just seen his best friend that he hadn’t seen in years.

  Which, I guess, was kind of true.

  At least, somewhat.

  When Sin had done what he’d done, my father hadn’t gotten a chance to thank him because the military had stepped in and taken things over.

  One second, he was at the hospital with me, and the next he was in prison at Leavenworth.

  One thing I did know for sure, my father and grandfather had worked some kind of magic and gotten him out of military prison and into regular prison. He’d been moved to Huntsville State Penitentiary within a year.

  No longer part of the military—again, he’d been let go with dishonorable discharge at some point—the opportunity for my dad to see him hadn’t come to pass.

  Until now.

  The moment we breached the door of my childhood home, and my father who’d been walking by with a beer in his hand saw us—saw Sin—he all but froze.

  Then he was all man-hugging Sin in the next instant, spilling his beer all over the ground in his exuberance.

  “Holy fucking shit.” My dad groaned as he stepped back, a very wide smile on his face. “I’m glad to see you breathing free air.”

  Sin’s lips quirked. “It’s definitely different. Free air. You don’t realize it when you’re inside, but the moment that you get out from behind those bars, it’s like your lungs fill up with something that you haven’t had since you went in.”

  Actually, I somewhat knew what he meant. There was just a difference in how you breathed when you were in a prison. I couldn’t tell you how many times that same feeling, though I was sure was quite a bit muted in comparison, stole over me the moment I left a particularly bad shift behind.

  “Baylee!” Dad called loudly. “Come out here!” He looked from me to Sin then. “Not that I’m not super fucking happy to see you here, but what the fuck are you doing here? And at that, how are you even out?”

  Sin gave me a look that clearly said ‘time to go’ so I rolled my eyes and went in search of my mother.

  I found her in the bedroom lying on the bed to get her jeans zipped.

  Been there, done that.

  I didn’t judge.

  “Mom,” I said. “I, uh, need to talk to you.”

  Just then I heard the front door slam and my brother’s voice fill the air, followed by June’s.

  Seconds later, I heard the soft pitter patter of June’s shoes coming down the hallway.

  “We’re in here,” I called.

  June showed in the doorway just as my mother got her button done up.

  Standing up, she did that little shimmy shake that all women did when they were trying to get everything to fit just right in their jeans, then looked at me.

  “What do you need to talk to me about?” my mother asked, grinning at me.

  I bit my lip and looked at June, who did in fact know what I needed to talk to my mother about.

  She gave me wide eyes and mouthed, “You can do it.”

  I could do it.

  I just wasn’t sure that I wanted to.
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  She might or might not freak out.

  I raised my hand and pushed a few flyaway hairs out of my eyes, and the movement caught my mother’s attention.

  Her eyes widened, and then she was leaping toward me, her hand going toward mine as she all but yanked me closer so she could get a look at my hand.

  “What is this?” she whispered, sounding fierce.

  “Uhhh,” I hesitated. “I’m getting married.”

  She glanced up at me. “To who?”

  My parents didn’t really know about my obsession with Sin.

  They also didn’t know that the reason I moved around the country was because I was in love with the man.

  At least, I didn’t think they did.

  But the moment that Sin’s name came out of my mouth, her hands came up to her face and she burst out crying. “I just knew that you were going to marry him.”

  I looked over at June in confusion.

  “What?” I asked.

  When I returned my gaze to my mom, she was swiping at her tears.

  Then she rocked my world.

  “A man doesn’t go that crazy over someone he doesn’t care about,” she told me. “Imagine if you would, a man slapping me across the face and two men seeing it. One being some man that knows me but doesn’t know me that well. Then one of those men being your father.”

  I did imagine it.

  My father, obviously, would’ve murdered the man right then and there. The other man would’ve probably made sure that the guy didn’t hit her again, but not much more than that before calling the police.

  I felt a lump start to form in my throat.

  “A man that doesn’t have feelings for my baby girl doesn’t just up and hurt someone the way Sin hurt Brees,” she pointed out. “We’re not dumb, baby girl. There were major feelings there.”

  I blew out a sigh of relief, thinking that this might go easier than I expected if they knew that there’d always been something there for me.

  “Not to mention, we’re curious people. And when our baby girl moves halfway across the country to work at a jail, and that same jail is the jail that her savior happened to go to, we tend to put two and two together and get four,” she continued, amusement showing on her face.