Motorcycle Daddy (MC Daddies Book 1)

by Laylah Roberts

“I didn’t know he had a knife!”

  “But you saw him marking up my truck. You knew he wasn’t up to any good.”

  “I thought he’d run off!”

  “Well, you were wrong. He could have fucking hurt you! What you should have done, and what you will do if anything like that fucking happens again, is turn on your heel and get your little ass back to safety. Back to me!”

  He shook her lightly. “Nothing can happen to you. Do you understand me?”

  She might have been annoyed at his grouchy orders if she couldn’t see the fear on his face. The idea of something happening to her had really shaken him.

  Because he really does care about you.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Well, start,” he snapped then he let out a long breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry. I just. . .I can’t believe you were fucking attacked. In fucking daylight and if that old, homeless guy hadn’t been there...”

  He was almost shaking and she gathered him into her arms. “I’m all right, Duke.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She was shaken up but overall, she was fine. She nodded. “I’m sure. I’m sorry. I won’t do anything like that again.”

  He held her until they both stopped trembling then he stood and laid her on the sofa. “I want you to rest.” He moved over and gestured for her to lie down.

  “Duke, I’ve got to work. I’m not tired.”

  He just raised an eyebrow. All right, so her adrenaline rush was fading and she was a little sleepy.

  “I’ve got to make some calls about the truck and then we’re going home.” He picked up the blanket that sat on one arm of the sofa and lay it over her. Then he brushed his lips across her forehead.

  “Rest, little rebel. I’ll keep you safe.”

  She knew he would. She never felt as safe as she did when he was near.

  15

  It was close to ten by the time they left. She’d actually fallen asleep which had surprised her. Turns out, she’d been more tired than she’d thought. So sleepy, unfortunately, she’d forgotten to pee before they got in their borrowed truck. She didn’t know where the truck had come from or when Duke had his towed, she’d slept all through that. This truck wasn’t as big as Duke’s behemoth. It was a double cab with bench seats. As they paused at some lights, she took a moment to study him under the streetlights. His jaw was tense, his hands tight around the steering wheel. He’d been very intense since she’d been attacked and she wanted to do something to help ease his worry.

  She was all right. But somehow, he didn’t seem ready to believe that.

  But just as she was about to move, her bladder made itself known again.

  Sugar.

  She crossed her legs and fidgeted around. Duke turned to look at her. “Everything okay?”

  “Umm.”

  Jeez this was embarrassing. Just tell him, Sunny. Not like he doesn’t pee.

  “Sunny?”

  “I’ve gotta pee,” she blurted out.

  “Be another ten minutes until we get home, can you wait?”

  “Oh, I really wish I could. But my bladder doesn’t like car rides.”

  “It doesn’t like car rides,” he said slowly.

  “Yeah, see, I always pee before I get in the car ‘cause otherwise I need to go and I find it really hard to hold on and. . .are you laughing at me?” she asked suspiciously, seeing his shoulders shake.

  She was glad to see him smile. Even if it was at her expense. “I’m not very good at hanging on at the best of times and the motion of driving just seems to make it worse. Can we please stop somewhere?”

  “Of course, we can, baby girl. I’m sorry for laughing at you.”

  “It’s fine. I know it sounds ridiculous. I’m a grown woman, I should be able to hold on.”

  “Hush,” he murmured. “You are who you are.” He put on his indicator and pulled into a park with a public toilet. “Let’s hope it’s open or you might have to pee in the bushes.”

  Pee in the bushes? Was he insane? Her bladder was an indoor sort of bladder. She did not pee outside.

  He came around as she undid her seat belt. He lifted her down and took hold of her hand. She shivered slightly even though she was wearing one of his sweatshirts that went down to her knees. He led her inside the women’s bathroom. The light came on automatically. She glanced around. Not as terrible as she’d imagined.

  “Wait here,” he commanded then proceeded to check each stall.

  “I don’t think anyone would be peeing in the dark,” she said dryly.

  “Not taking any chances with your safety.” He stood back and waved her forward. “Go pee, baby girl.”

  “Um, aren’t you going to leave?”

  “Nope.”

  “Duke!”

  “I’m not leaving, Sunny. I thought you were busting or do you need some help?”

  “No, I don’t need any help! I’ve been toilet trained since I was two. But my bladder is shy. I can’t pee with you in here.”

  “You’re gonna have to, because I’m not leaving you alone.” He folded his arms over his chest.

  “Look, I get you were worried about me today. But nothing happened. It was just a fluke encounter. I’m not going to be attacked while peeing.”

  “I’m going to start counting, Sunny and if you don’t get your butt into one of those stalls, I’m going to pull down your pants and sit you down myself.”

  She scowled at him.

  “One.”

  With a mutter, she stomped her way into the furthest away stall.

  “Just for your information, I think your habit of counting sucks.”

  “So noted,” he said dryly.

  She heard the sound of water and realized he’d turned on a tap. Whether to help her get over her embarrassment or to hurry her along, she didn’t know. But it did help. She quickly peed and got redressed. She gave him another glare as she washed her hands.

  “You’re acting crazy. That guy is long gone. He was probably just high on drugs and looking for money or something. I’m perfectly safe peeing on my own.”

  He drew her into him, holding her against his chest. “Until I can close my eyes and not think of all the ways I could have lost you today, until I can go five minutes without my heart racing with fear as I think about the fact that he could have stabbed you, that I could have lost you, you’re going to have to put up with a bit of overprotectiveness, okay?”

  Her breath stuttered out. He really had been terrified. Couldn’t she put up with a bit of overprotectiveness to give him peace of mind?

  There was only one answer.

  “Okay.”

  He let out a deep breath then lightly patted her ass. “Good girl. Come on, let’s get going. You need to get to bed.”

  She’d slept for close to two hours on his couch so she wasn’t feeling all that tired but she just nodded. He led her out of the bathroom and they’d both just gotten into the truck again when his phone started ringing.

  He swore under his breath. Then he answered the call. “What?” He listened to the other person, then swore again and looked over at her. “Fine. I’ll be there in fifteen. I’m bringing Sunny with me.”

  Bringing her where?

  “No, she didn’t see his face. Dressed all in black. Nothing distinguishing. Yeah, not a bad idea. I’d feel better with more security there. And at her house, can you arrange a security system and alarm? Great, thanks. Bye.”

  “Where are we going? Who was that? Why are you getting a security system put into my house?” she asked as soon as the call ended.

  “To Reaper’s. Ink. ‘Cause you’ll be safer.”

  “I’m not unsafe, Duke. That guy wasn’t after me.”

  “We don’t know what he was after. Maybe it wasn’t random. Maybe it was an attack on me and you got in the way.”

  “That’s a lot of maybes. And what is more likely is that it was just a random attack. Unless there’s some rea
son you think someone would want to get at you.”

  “Made a lot of enemies over the years.”

  “What sorts of enemies? Who are they?”

  He shrugged.

  She sighed. “I don’t need a security system.”

  “You’re a woman living alone. You should have one anyway.”

  “I can’t afford one,” she admitted.

  “You’re not paying for it. I am,” he said firmly.

  “You are not,” she replied, equally as firm.

  “Am.”

  “Duke!” she protested.

  He slid her a look. “You’re gonna let me do this, Sunny. Need to keep you safe.”

  She threw her arms up into the air. “I know you’re a protective guy. You warned me about that. But doesn’t this seem like a wee bit of an overreaction to you? I’m fine.”

  There were a few beats of silence. And just when she opened her mouth to ask him why they had to head to the club, he spoke.

  “Lost my family when I was eight.”

  She closed her mouth.

  “Car accident. I was staying at a friend’s house for the night. They’d just dropped me off. I had a little sister. Lost all of them. Gone. Just like that. No chance for a goodbye. No opportunity to tell them I loved them.”

  “Oh, Duke.” She reached over to grasp hold of his thigh. It tightened under her hold then relaxed. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but I’m so sorry.”

  “My friend’s family took me in. They were good to me. But it wasn’t ever the same. They couldn’t replace what I lost. Think that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the club. The sense of family and camaraderie. Hasn’t always been a safe place. Not with Smiley, the guy who ran the club before Reyes. But the guys there are my brothers. They were all I had. Until you.”

  He’d lost his family. He couldn’t lose her. She closed her eyes. She got it now.

  “Let me put in the security system, baby girl. Let me sleep better when you’re not right there beside me.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “I wish I could have known them.”

  “I don’t remember too much of them anymore. My dad, he liked to pick my mom up and twirl her around and she’d just laugh. She had the best laugh. They were happy. They loved us.”

  Her heart bled for the little boy who’d gone from living a life full of love and laughter to being alone. At least his friend’s parents had taken him in and he hadn’t had to go into foster home.

  “I’d take you home but I don’t want you there alone,” he explained. “And I’m needed at the club for a meeting.”

  “It’s fine,” she told him, even as she felt a little nervous at the idea of going inside the club’s bar. But Duke would be with her and part of her was slightly curious as well.

  They drove in silence but she kept her hand on his thigh. He parked his borrowed truck outside the bar.

  Duke took tight hold of her hand as they walked towards the entrance. “You stay next to me at all times and you listen to what I say, understand?”

  “Why? Is it dangerous?”

  He stopped and turned to look down at her. “Little rebel, do you seriously think I’d take you anywhere that was unsafe?”

  Well, when he put it like that. . .

  “No. But why do I have to stick close to you?”

  “Because I don’t want any of these fuckers getting any ideas about you. You’re mine.”

  Wow. That had to be about the most Neanderthal statement ever.

  She rolled her eyes. “They’re hardly going to fall on me like a pack of wild hyenas.”

  He just snorted. “They might be my brothers, but I don’t trust them not to attempt to steal you away from me.”

  “I’m not that much of a prize,” she said dryly. In fact, remembering what she was wearing, her baggy jeans and his over-sized sweatshirt she suddenly wasn’t keen at all on going inside. “Are you sure I can’t wait out in the truck?”

  “Baby girl, I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but I see someone who is gorgeous on the inside and outside. And believe me, anyone who looks closely will see what I see and they’ll know that if they got hold of you, then they’d have all that light shining so bright inside you to themselves. And no other asshole is having that light. It’s fucking mine.”

  How could he say something so sweet with one breath and then something so outrageous with the next? She just shook her head. He was completely delusional. She wasn’t gorgeous and there was no light shining from her.

  But it did feel nice that he thought so.

  He opened the door and walked in, pulling her close behind him. The noise hit her first. And the heat. There were a lot more people in here than she’d expected. Then again, it was a Friday night. Just because she didn’t have a life didn’t mean other people sat at home in their PJs and gave themselves manicures.

  The bar was old and dark, with the scent of beer and leather heavy in the air. There were tables and chairs off to one side and pool tables and more seating to the other side. They weaved their way through, people calling out to Duke as he moved through, towards the long bar that took up most of the back wall. There was a single door to the right of the bar.

  Duke nodded at people but didn’t stop, veering off towards the door.

  “Duke!”

  She looked over at the familiar voice and saw Ink striding towards him. He looked more serious than she’d ever seen him look before. Duke’s life as part of the Iron Shadows was a bit of a mystery to her.

  “Hey, man, we were just headed out the back,” Duke said to him.

  Ink gave her a small smile. “Hey, there Sunny-girl.”

  “Hi, Ink, how’s it going?”

  “Not wonderful.”

  She frowned at that and Duke squeezed her hand. “Anything I can help with?”

  Ink looked a little surprised then he smiled. “No, babe. But it’s sweet you’d ask. I heard you had your own trouble this afternoon. Shouldn’t you be home, resting?” Ink gave Duke a chiding look.

  Duke growled back at him. “I’m not leaving her home alone.”

  Ink nodded. “Understood. I’d feel the same. But she can’t come back with us. Reyes will have a fit.”

  Duke’s jaw grew tense. “I’m not leaving her out here alone.”

  “Leave her with me, I’ll keep the wolves at bay.”

  Sunny turned at the female voice and her mouth dropped open as one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen swayed towards them. She wore a tight, white, sleeveless top, high-waisted black jeans and a wide belt with a large silver buckle and dark boots. It all looked simple, but combined with her dark hair and lush lips and high cheekbones she was simply breath-taking.

  “I don’t know, Jewel,” Duke said hesitantly.

  Her name was Jewel? How awesome was that?

  “You’re beautiful,” Sunny said.

  The woman stilled and stared at her for a moment then a smile graced her lips. “I think we’ll get along fine, Duke. Run along.”

  “I’m Sunny.” She held out her hand and Jewel took it with another grin.

  “Hi, Sunny, I’ve heard about you.”

  “I can’t believe your name is Jewel. That totally suits you.”

  “Yeah, I can see your name suits you too.”

  “It’s caused me all sorts of issues growing up.”

  “Get that too,” Jewel commented. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

  “Cool. How do you get your hair so straight and shiny?” Sunny asked, about to follow the other woman.

  A throat cleared behind her and a large arm wrapped around her waist. “Forgetting something?”

  “Oh, right, sorry.” She turned and placed a kiss on Duke’s cheek. “Have fun at your meeting. Don’t rush, I’ll be safe enough with Jewel.”

  The other woman slipped her hand in Sunny’s and tugged her gently over to the bar. Just as she was about to slip onto a bar stool, a loud whistle filled the air. Everyone in the bar suddenly
stopped talking and turned to look at her.

  She blushed bright red and glanced up at Duke who stood beside her, his arm back around her. He’d been the one to whistle.

  “Listen up. This is Sunny.” He pointed at her. Actually, pointed at her. Her mortification grew. What was he doing? She looked over at Jewel, noticing the huge grin on the other woman’s face.

  “She’s mine. Anyone touches her and they’re dead.”

  A series of grunts and nods accompanied that statement.

  “Now, you’ll be safe.” He kissed the top of her head and strode away with Ink, who sent her a wink over his shoulder.

  “He didn’t just do that, did he?” she asked Jewel, feeling slightly dazed.

  “Oh, he certainly did. He just claimed you in front of the entire bar.”

  “It was completely caveman, wasn’t it?”

  “Yep,” Jewel agreed, signaling the bar man.

  “I suppose I should be upset about that.”

  Jewel shrugged. “Up to you. Personally, I like my men as possessive as fuck. Not jealous, petty-minded little fuckers, but the type of guy you know will have your back, no matter what. Who’ll fuck up anyone who harms you. Who you can call to bury the body and they’ll just ask if you want a shovel or some acid?”

  Sunny gaped at the other woman who grinned and winked. “Joking.”

  Sunny shook her head. Somehow, she wasn’t so sure. “It is nice having someone who cares about me. I’ve never really had that. I’ve always been the person looking after everyone else.”

  Jewel nodded. “I get what you’re saying. What’s your poison?”

  “Uh, beer please.” She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she figured in this sort of bar, beer was a safe choice.

  Jewel ordered them both beers and when they had them, she linked her arm with Sunny’s, and led her off to a quieter corner. The guys sitting at a table, jumped up to give them their seats. Jewel nodded her thanks.

  “That was nice of them,” Sunny said as they sat. “I have to say, I think I had some misinformed stereotypes about how bikers would behave.”

  “That so?” Jewel drawled. “Well, some of them have manners and some of them are pigs. Like most men. You get the good and the bad. Plus, Duke just claimed you in front of everyone and no one wants to go up against him. He’s a tough bastard.”