by Harley Wylde
“Shit, Scratch! She’s a grown woman and can make her own decisions. If she has a complaint about our time together, I want to hear it from her.”
He shrugged.
“Do you know where she lives?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t tell you,” Scratch said. “They don’t want you anywhere near her.”
“We’re brothers, man. Come on. I just want to talk to her. If she’s pissed at me, fine. I want to hear it from her.”
He watched me for a moment, then nodded. “I heard she’s been living with Tank. Green two-story house about two miles down the road,” he said, nodding to the left of the compound. “But if Tank beats the shit out of you for going after his sister, you’re on your own. You’ve already been warned away.”
“I’m just going to talk to her. If she wants me to leave, then I will.”
“Don’t stir shit up, Jackal. I’ll send you packing and ask someone else to come help. You hear me?” Scratch asked.
“Yeah. I hear you.”
I got on my bike and went in search of Tank’s house. The car parked in the driveway of the green house looked to be the same one that had been outside the clubhouse that night over two years ago. I killed the engine on my bike and walked up the porch steps, then knocked on the door. A slightly curvier Josie opened the door, her hair up in a messy bun, no make-up on her face, but fuck if she didn’t look gorgeous. Her hips seemed a little wider than before and her breasts looked bigger too. She damn near took my breath away, and I knew I was staring. There were dark circles under her eyes, and there was a yellow smear on her tank top, but I ached to reach for her.
I smiled. “Hi, Josie.”
Her eyes went wide and she stepped outside, pulling the door mostly shut behind her. She cast a nervous glance into the house before facing me again.
“What are you doing here, Jackal?”
“I came to help Zipper and I wanted to see you.”
She nervously looked over her shoulder again through the crack in the door, pulling it closed a little more before looking at me. Something was up, but I didn’t know what. I knew Tank wasn’t in there, so who was? Was there a guy in there she didn’t want me to see? I hadn’t really thought about her hooking up with someone while I was gone, but I should have. A beautiful redhead like Josie? She probably had men falling at her feet.
“You should go,” she said.
“Go, but… What’s going on, Josie? Are you pissed I didn’t call?” I glanced at the door, anger burning in my gut. “Is there someone else?”
“Please, Jackal. I can’t do this right now.”
She stepped back inside, careful that I wouldn’t see into the house, then shut the door. I heard the lock click and her footsteps wander away.
What the fuck was going on?
I’d promised Scratch if she didn’t want to see me that I’d leave, but now that I’d seen her there was no way I was walking out of here without talking to her. I needed to know what the fuck was going on. If she didn’t want me, if she’d moved on, then fine. The least she could do was be an adult and say it to my fucking face. Shooing me out of here with that almost fearful look in her eyes had all my alarms going off in my head. If she was in trouble, then I wanted to know, and I was sure as fuck going to fix it.
I edged around the house, checking to see if there were any Reapers nearby who might question my motives, but I didn’t see anyone. Most of the blinds were closed in all the windows, except at the back of the house. I blinked, thinking I was hallucinating, but no. The room I was looking into hadn’t changed. Baby bed, books and toys all over the place, pink walls… and Josie with a little girl on her hip. I didn’t know shit about kids, but the girl looked like she was about a year old, maybe a bit older.
I felt like someone had hit me upside the head with a sledgehammer, and I backed away. Was that why everyone was warning me away? Had Josie hooked up with someone else? But if she was seeing someone, why did she live with Tank? My heart was hammering in my chest and fury filled me. It was stupid and irrational. I didn’t have a claim on Josie, but I felt like I fucking should. Here I’d been thinking about her for over two damn years, and she’d had a kid with someone else? Let someone else touch her, fuck her?
My stomach churned as I backed even farther away, then a shadow fell over the ground. I turned to look at Tank, who looked seriously pissed. His eyes were dark, his jaw set, and if the tic by his eye was any indication, he was about to pound the shit out of me. I just didn’t understand why. What did any of this shit have to do with me? Or did he blame me in some way? Did he think if I’d stuck around or taken Josie with me that this wouldn’t have happened? Maybe he blamed me, thinking that if I hadn’t been her first, she’d have remained a virgin longer and wouldn’t have a kid right now.
“So, now you know,” he said.
Not exactly. I mean, yeah, she had a kid. But that’s about as much as I knew. I felt a little like I was riding one of those Tilt-A-Whirl rides at the fair. Josie. Had. A. Kid. A daughter. The little girl had her mother’s pretty red hair and pale skin. For some reason, I felt like something had been stolen from me. I hadn’t wanted kids, still didn’t. Did I? No. I didn’t. But knowing Josie had found someone to give her that little girl… that fucking hurt.
Tank narrowed his eyes. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.”
I turned and walked off, heading back to my bike. Maybe now I could get over her, put her in my past and leave her there. I hadn’t been laid in a while, thoughts of Josie always cock-blocking me. Now that I knew she’d moved on, that would hopefully change. I swung my leg across my Harley and put the key in the ignition, but a growl from Tank made me pause and look his way. I hadn’t even realized he’d followed me.
“Fucking figures,” he said. “Run away like the little shit you are.”
“What the fuck is your problem? I’m sorry I didn’t fucking call her after I left. I’m sorry I stayed away for over two fucking years, but it’s not my fault that she let some asshole knock her up.”
His expression cleared and his eyebrows lifted. He glanced at the house, where Josie was now standing on the front steps, the little girl clutched in her arms. The fear in her eyes, how damn pale and scared she looked, made my chest hurt. I hadn’t meant to yell so loud, and now I was just as bad as the asshole who’d given her a kid and probably left her, since she was living with her brother.
“So I’m a whore now?” she asked softly. “Just spread my legs for whoever and let them plant a baby in me?”
“Josie, I…”
She shook her head and turned to go back inside, but not before I saw the tears in her eyes. Fuck. Motherfucking shit fuck damn. I hadn’t wanted to hurt her.
“Nice.” Tank moved past me and headed up the steps, but he stopped before going inside. “By the way, most men don’t go around admitting they’re assholes, so at least you got that much right.”
What? My brow furrowed. I hadn’t called myself an asshole. I’d called Josie’s baby daddy an… My eyes went wide as I stared at the now-shut door and empty porch. Holy fucking hell. That little girl was mine?
My hand shook as I started my bike. I knew I should go after her, try to smooth shit over, but right now I was still wrapping my head around the fact I had a kid. A daughter no one had told me about. I drove through the compound, past the clubhouse, and right through the front gates. Pointing my bike toward the highway, I blew out of town and rode until some of the shock had worn off, then I turned around and went to the first bar I came across.
If ever there was a time to get drunk, it was the day you discovered you were a dad. Especially when you’d never wanted to be one. I tossed back shots for a while, then switched to beer so I wouldn’t fall off my damn bike when it was time to go back. But I wasn’t ready yet. Didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. I ran a hand down my face and tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do. If Josie had wanted me in the kid’s life, she would have said something, right
? Maybe it would be better if I just went home, sent someone else to help the Reapers.
I paid my tab and got back on my bike, then kept driving until I crossed the state line. The Devil’s Boneyard compound wasn’t quite as big as the Dixie Reapers’, but it was home. I pulled through the gates, and Cinder was waiting for me at the front of the clubhouse, arms crossed and expression neutral. That blank expression always scared the shit out of me.
“You get some sleep, then we’re going to fucking talk,” Cinder said. “Or more accurately, I’m going to talk while you pull your head out of your ass.”
I nodded.
“Go home and sleep, Jackal. Come find me when you wake up.”
“All right, Pres.”
Unlike the Dixie Reapers, all our homes weren’t inside the compound. The officers all had places inside the gates, but the rest of us fended for ourselves out in the world when it came to housing. My duplex wasn’t the best, but it kept me dry when it rained, cool when it was hot, and warm those rare times it was actually cold enough in Florida to turn on the damn heat. Then again, I wasn’t a native, so fifty wasn’t cold to me. That was T-shirt weather where I came from.
I went inside and looked around the place, really studying my surroundings for once. My couch was old and beat-up, the leather torn in spots and I’d just duct-taped over it. My coffee table looked like it was ready to collapse and was covered in stains and scratches. I did have a kickass TV, though, not that a woman would give a shit about that compared to the rest. I’d never really thought about my future before, other than knowing it was with the club. But if I had a kid out there, maybe I needed to re-evaluate a few things. Just not right now.
My head fucking hurt, my chest ached, and I was bone-deep tired. I kicked off my boots, and stripped off my clothes on the way to my bedroom, where I face-planted on the bed and was out before my body even landed on the mattress.
Chapter Three
Josie
He’d left. Again. That damn asshole just up and left without a fucking word. I was so angry that I was ready to beat the shit out of someone, and maybe a little hurt too. All right, a lot hurt. He’d seen our precious daughter and had just ridden off like it was no big deal. I should have expected it, which is why I’d never told him about Allegra. He’d made it clear he never wanted kids, and I hadn’t wanted to force a daughter on him. Now he knew she was here, though, that she existed, and he’d still left. I was glad that Allegra was too young to ask questions about the strange man who’d stopped by a few days ago.
Since another Devil had shown up at the gates, I was going to assume that Jackal wasn’t coming back. I wasn’t going to hide Allegra from his club, though. Now that Jackal knew, I could move about the compound like I normally would, even if his club was here. Every time a Devil had been on the premises, even Scratch coming to see his daughter, I’d stayed hidden, making sure no one saw Allegra. The Reapers had been sworn to secrecy. All that careful planning, and now Jackal knew anyway. It had to happen sooner or later, but I hadn’t been prepared for it. Hadn’t even known he would be here.
It was daytime, so there weren’t club sluts hanging around the clubhouse when I walked in with Allegra on my hip. She was nearly two and didn’t have as much energy as most kids her age, but she kept me busy. We’d been through a lot, from me nearly losing her before she’d even been born, then her showing up way too early, to another scare after she was here. She was small for her age and had been through hell, but we were hanging in there, and Tank and the Reapers had been wonderful through it all. Without my family, I didn’t think I’d have survived. I’d never thought about being a mom, but if Allegra hadn’t made it, they probably would have had to bury me next to her.
The Devils were sitting around a table near the bar and eyed me as I came through. Scratch didn’t seem all that surprised as he looked Allegra over, and I worried that Jackal had already told them all, and they would be pissed I’d kept her a secret. I didn’t know if it would cause problems between the clubs, that I’d kept Allegra from the Devils, and had asked the Reapers to help me. Technically, my daughter was a product of both clubs, and the Devils had every right to get to know her. I’d kept her from them, from her family, even if I’d thought I had a good reason.
One of the Devils was standing at the bar, a beer in his hand, and he eyed me up and down a moment before moving a little closer. He didn’t look all that old, but the closer he got, I realized he was probably around my brother’s age. Fine lines fanned out around eyes that had seen far too much. The man looked Allegra over before his gaze clashed with mine again.
“Is this why we never see you when we visit?” he asked, his voice thick with an accent. Russian maybe? He sounded like the Russian mobsters on the movies I sometimes watched.
“This is Allegra. My daughter,” I said.
“I’m Stripes,” he said, then grinned. “Like the big jungle cat, yes?”
I bit my lip. I could see him being a predatory kitty, with the way he moved and that sharp gaze. Ladies probably dropped their panties when he entered a room. If my poor stupid, battered heart wasn’t still mooning over Jackal, I likely would have joined their ranks. But the asshole who had given me Allegra had done a number on me. I hadn’t been interested in even eyeing a guy too closely since he’d left.
“And this little angel is not just yours, no? Perhaps she’s part Devil?” he asked.
I glanced at the table of Devils and slowly nodded as I faced Stripes again. “Yes. She’s Jackal’s daughter.”
He nodded. “This explains much.”
With a wink, he rejoined his brothers and some of the tension left me. Maybe they wouldn’t be angry that I’d kept Allegra a secret. I still didn’t know what to make of Jackal appearing after so long, then taking off again. He’d seemed almost happy to see me, a playful smile on his lips, until he’d found out about his daughter. Then he’d taken off like his tail was on fire.
The newly patched Savior, who I’d known as Gabe the last few years, came over with a sippy cup in his hand for Allegra, and a virgin daiquiri for me. Ever since I’d had her, I’d given up alcohol except for an occasional glass of wine when a day had been exceptionally difficult. Tank was letting me live with him and had insisted I stay home with Allegra instead of getting a job. It meant he had to cover all our expenses, which I hated, but I loved having this time with my daughter. Especially when she’d been in the hospital for weeks after her birth, then was sickly the first few months she was home. Even now, she got sick easier than most kids.
“Thanks, Gabe,” I said, giving him a smile.
His brow arched and my cheeks flushed. “Sorry. Savior.”
I patted his cut, touching the stitching of his road name. He’d earned it, giving his all to the Reapers any time they’d needed help. Although, I think it had more to do with the medals someone had found hidden in Gabe’s things. The man was a decorated war hero, several times over. He’d only been patched in for a few months, but he’d made the transition seamlessly, and hadn’t seemed to get a big head over it. That was saying something. From what I’d heard, Coyote, formerly known as Prospect Pete, had acted like a jackass the first few months after he’d been patched in.
The Reapers always had a handful of Prospects hanging around. Some stuck it out and some didn’t. Poor Johnny had been a Prospect for as long as I could remember, and he still hadn’t been patched in, but I had a feeling it had more to do with his age. I’d heard he’d been prospecting since he was seventeen, and even now, he was only in his early twenties.
Savior placed his hand over mine, and I heard several chair legs scrape across the floor, then I had a bunch of Devils at my back. The one who had called himself Stripes growled and leaned toward Savior.
“Um, what’s going on?” I asked, glancing at the Devil’s Boneyard members.
“You’re Jackal’s,” Stripes said. “This Reaper needs to keep his hands to himself.”
Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows as I
stared at them incredulously. “Wait. The Jackal who ran off when he found out he was a dad? The Jackal who knocked me up and rode out of here without ever looking back, or calling? That would be a no. A big fucking hell no. I don’t belong to him. We have a daughter together, but that’s it.”
The Devils didn’t look too pleased with my words, and Savior’s hand tightened on mine. I knew he wasn’t romantically interested in me, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wanted to fuck with them. His gaze met mine before he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his side, the three of us looking a little too much like a loving family. Ah, hell. He was going to start a fight and Tank was going to be pissed at me. Somehow, he’d lay the blame for it at my feet, even though the testosterone in here was so thick even my sharpest knife wouldn’t cut it.
“Josie and Allegra are Reapers’ property,” Savior said. “Unless your boy Jackal wants to man the fuck up and say otherwise. But since I don’t see him here… Oh, wait. That’s right. He left. Again.”
Stripes snarled at him and I bit my lip, hoping that if fists were going to fly, they’d let me and Allegra move out of the way first.
More booted steps came our way and I looked over Savior’s shoulder to see my brother, Torch, and Flicker heading our way. Torch didn’t look like he was going to put up with any shit today. I’d heard that since Isabella had come home and made him a daddy that he’d mellowed a little, but right now, he was every inch the Pres of the Reapers, and he looked a little pissed.
“What the fuck is this shit?” Torch asked. “You’re guests in my fucking house, and you’re going to bow up to a patched member?”
Stripes backed up a bit, but not much. “He said Josie and the little angel were Reapers’ property, but they’re Jackal’s woman and kid.”
