by Amelia Shea
Hades winked, and she averted her stare to the ground. Don’t look at him.
“You on your way here?”
“Be there in five.” She quickly gave Hades his phone, ignoring his amused gaze and spun around, making her to way to her car. This man was his brother? Saint had mentioned him once or twice. He’d left out the biker part. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
She was at her driver’s side door when she heard the crunching of the gravel, and she jerked her head over her shoulder. Hades stopped a few feet away, a smile playing on his lips. Saint was right. This man definitely got off on other people’s nervousness. She straightened her shoulders.
The corner of his mouth curled. “No need to be scared, Bailey. I mean, we’re practically family now.”
“I’m not scared of you.” She would have sounded more convincing without the hitch in her voice. A detail Hades noticed. His lips tightened, holding back what she assumed was a laugh.
“No?” He knitted his brows. “Not even a little.”
“I have to go.”
“Don’t wanna get to know Saint’s brother, huh?”
Oh hell, this was not going well.
“Okay, you scare me,” she blurted, and immediately regretted it.
He chuckled. “I scare most people.” He licked his lips and folded his arms. “And for most of them, it’s with good reason.”
Her hands trembled, and she reached out to clasp the door. The likelihood he would hurt her was slim to none. After all, she was with Saint and he was his brother.
“You really think I’d hurt you?” He raised his brows.
Did she? She shook her head.
“Like I said, Bailey, you and me are practically family. And no one fucks with my family.” He slowly cocked his brow, and his stare turned sinister. “Ever.”
She gulped. “Well, thanks.”
He grinned. “Anytime.” He walked away, and she watched as he mounted his bike. “I’ll see you in a few.”
****
Saint had spent the last fifteen minutes listening to Bailey explain the confrontation on Main Street. She noticeably left out the part where Arnett was yelling at her and chose to focus on his brother aggressively coming at the old man.
“How Arnett didn’t pee in his pants?” She shook her head and spread out her arms while shrugging. “I don’t know. My heart was racing the whole time.” She sighed.
He could imagine the interaction as he’d seen his brother go head to head with more men then he could count. Even when his opponent had a definite edge up on Hades, the bastard never backed down. He’d been that way forever. As kids, he got his ass kicked more often than not. That was when Saint would step in. If it was a fair fight, he’d let it be. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. But a few times, Hades unknowingly had been taken on by more than one boy. Saint had no problem explaining to those boys their mistake. With his fists.
Though once Hades hit his teens and well into adulthood, there weren’t many losses under his belt.
“You’re fine now?” Saint asked.
She nodded and sat in the chair at his kitchen table. She cocked her head to the side and stared. He was learning her small quirks and what they meant. She had something on her mind, most likely a question. Knowing Bailey, she was coming up with the right angle in her head.
“Just ask, sweetheart.”
She glanced up through her lashes with a small smile playing on her lips. Her amusement had him intrigued.
“Do you think he really would have,” she lifted her fingers, motioning air quotes, “beat the piss outta Arnett? And pistol-whipped his ass?”
Saint snorted. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind Hades would have done exactly what he claimed. Too many people were eager to throw out idle threats. Hades was not one of them. If he was giving a warning, it was smart to heed to it. He folded his arms prepared to answer her honestly until he was interrupted.
Another trait his brother was known for was being abnormally quiet. Hades stood at the doorway with his shit-eating grin on display, leaving no doubt he’d heard Bailey’s inquiry.
The short feminine gasp had Saint turning toward her. Hades sudden appearance had caught her off guard.
“Fuck yeah,” he smiled, staring down at Bailey, “would be the answer.”
Saint watched as her lips flattened, and she nodded her head. “Good to know.”
Hades walked over to Saint, pulling him in for a hug, which he returned. It had been a few months since they’d crossed paths. Being in Ghosttown would put them geographically closer. It was good. For him, for them, for the family.
“Good to see you, man.” He slapped Saint’s back before stepping back. “Been too long.”
“I’m closer now.”
Hades nodded. “Yeah.” He turned and walked over to the table, taking a seat across from Bailey. “Mayor, huh?”
“Yep.”
He eyed her and took a sip of the beer Saint placed in front of him. He licked his lips and pointed the neck of the bottle at her. “You’re too nice.” Saint remained silent but internally agreed with his brother’s assessment.
Bailey smiled with a soft chuckle. “So I’ve been told.” She shifted in her seat. “He’s old and a bit grumpy, but he’s harmless.”
“Don’t like how he was talking to ya.”
Bailey widened her eyes and turned to Saint. He walked over, sat next to Bailey, and stretched out his legs. “I don’t like it either.”
“Saint,” she whispered.
Hades laughed and leaned his elbows on the table. “Aw, brother, this one is trouble.”
Yes, she was. The best kind.
“I’m not trouble.” Bailey furrowed her brows.
Hades snorted. “Fuck yeah, you are. You’re gonna own this asshole, with the soft voice and your pretty, sweet face.”
Hades called it, a little too late. She already owned him. Saint grabbed her hand resting on his leg and took a swig from his beer. He turned to Hades.
“What’s going on?” Bailey had had enough for one day. It was time to turn the focus on his brother.
“Thinking about renting a place here.”
“Yeah?” This was a first. It was hardly a place where he could envision his brother hanging out. However, the club would be a draw. Hades’ club was about an hour away.
“Talk to Kase?”
“Not yet, figured you could get me the list. If they still got shit available.”
“We do.”
Bailey cleared her throat. “If you can’t find anything, I can give you the number and contact for the McMillian property company.”
Hades laughed and grabbed his beer. Oh fuck me.
“What? They own all the vacant land. I’m sure they’d have something for you.”
Hades glanced up at Saint. “She doesn’t know, does she?”
Saint sighed and turned his attention to Bailey who was staring at him with a confused stare. It hadn’t been a secret since the club moved into Ghosttown. It also wasn’t public knowledge. It was time to come clean, and he wasn’t sure how she would take the news.
“The McMillian LLC? It’s the club.”
Her eyes widened.
“We’ve been buying up the property for the past few years under an LLC. Ghosttown Riders own three-quarters of the town.”
Her jaw dropped, and her gaze skittered back and forth between him and Hades. “Why?”
He shrugged. “We wanted to make sure we had control.”
Her back tensed and her eyes went wild. She was misunderstanding what he was saying. He tightened his grip on her hand. He needed to explain himself.
“We wanted a place to settle down. For the club. A safe place where the members and their families could plant roots. If we purchased all the land, we could control an outlaw element coming to the town. We have plans for it, Bailey. All good things.” He leaned closer. “Got no intention of driving anyone out.”
She nodded. He assumed there would be a l
engthier discussion in their future. It was fine. He’d share everything.
“Except that old fucking asshole.” Hades piped in. Even Saint had to agree. Arnett Collins would not be missed.
Bailey snorted. “Good luck. Even an assault couldn’t scare him away.”
“What?” Saint snapped. Assault? What the hell was she talking about?
He saw the slight panic in her face, and her cheeks flushed. She shook her head. “Nothing.” She was back peddling. An assault? Saint opened his mouth, and Bailey lifted her hand.
“Don’t ask, I’m not talking about it. All I’ll say is,” she glanced at the table and mumbled, “Arnett had it coming.”
“Bailey.” Saint wasn’t ready to let it go, but she was. She darted her eyes around the room with a small shake of her head.
He tightened his grip on her hand. “If your safety is involved, I need to know.”
She burst out laughing. “Then you definitely don’t need to know, Saint. I’m in no danger, not even a smidge.”
Hades chuckled. “Smidge?” He grabbed his bottle. “Too nice and too cute, Saint. She’s fucking trouble.”
Bailey rolled her eyes. “So, back to the properties. If the club owns everything….” She turned to Saint. “Then who is McMillian?”
His lips slowly curled into a smile. “Meg.”
Her eyes turned the size of saucers. “What?”
“Meg McMillian, it’s her maiden name. Needed someone we could trust.”
She squinted her eyes and curled her lips. “Very smart.”
“Yes.”
Bailey asked a few more questions, which he openly answered. He wasn’t trying to keep it from her. This was the first time since they’d been together it had been brought up. He trusted Bailey to keep the information to herself. He knew she would. Once the properties had been purchased, the secrecy wasn’t necessary. As a club, they voted to remain silent. They didn’t want the town to get the wrong impression of them coming in and trying to take over. It was never their intention.
The next few hours went more smoothly than he expected. It seemed Hades had taken an instant liking to Bailey. It shouldn’t have surprised him. His brother just wanted the best for him, and vice-versa, though settling down wasn’t on Hades’ mind anytime soon. Or is it? His interest in taking up residency in Ghosttown had Saint wondering. It would be a discussion for another time. Right now, he was enjoying his brother and his woman sharing the same space.
Bailey wasn’t completely comfortable, he noticed, though she tried. Hades had a presence which could be construed as overpowering. After dinner, they continued drinking and sat around the table. It had been forever since they’d done this as brothers. Saint missed it.
Their lives had taken them in different directions of sorts. While Saint couldn’t wait to be rid of the illegal element, Hades thrived in it. Something had changed recently, though. He didn’t know what, as Hades refused to share. There was definitely something happening that had Hades wanting distance from his own club. They were due for a talk. Now, was not the time, not in Bailey’s presence.
He settled back into his chair and smiled as Bailey grilled him about Ghosttown East, the charter where Hades served as VP.
“Same club, different charter.” Hades sipped his beer and settled in the chair across from her. “When we split ways years back, Saint went one way, and I went the other.”
“That’s good, right?” Bailey asked, peering between the two men. “Then you don’t have to duke it out for who gets to be VP.”
He glanced over at Hades, who had a similar reaction. Of course, Saint merely smiled while Hades snickered.
“Did she just say duke it out?”
Saint lifted his brow in amusement. So cute.
Hades smirked and turned to Bailey. “I think you’re confusing us with a gang, babe.”
Her cheeks turned a sweet shade of pink.
“It’s a vote, sweetheart. Both of us were voted in by the club for the position. No fistfights,” Saint explained.
“Well, that’s good, right?”
Saint smiled.
“So, Bailey, if we had to duke it out? Who do you think would win?” Hades was teasing her.
Saint watched as Bailey twisted her lips in thought. She nailed Hades with her stare. “Saint.”
That’s my girl.
Hades scoffed. “You’re biased.”
Bailey laughed.
A warm rush heated his blood. He liked this scene. His brother and the woman he loved. He was exactly where he was meant to be.
They hung out together for the next hour before Bailey retreated into the living room while Saint grabbed another beer for himself. He grabbed the extra key off the hook and tossed it to Hades.
“This for tonight?”
Saint shrugged. “Keep it. You always got a place here. I’ll reach out to Kase for the updated list of the properties.”
Hades fisted the key in silence before he spoke. “I’m heading to the clubhouse now. I’ll get it from him. Thanks, brother.” Hades grabbed his cut and walked into the living room. When he veered right toward the couch, Saint moved to the doorway. Hades stopped in front of Bailey and held out his hand.
“Gimme your phone.”
Her expression was adorably caught off guard, showing similar traits with a deer caught in headlights. Her bottom lip bobbed as though she was at a loss for words. He could have stepped in. Saint refrained. He knew exactly what Hades intentions were and wanted to watch the exchange. She would spend the rest of her life around his brother if he had it his way. She needed to grow accustomed to his abrupt attitude.
“What?” She sat up and straightened her back.
He cupped his hand, gesturing for her phone. “Give it to me.”
Bailey slowly handed it to him and carefully watched. He knew Hades was putting in his number. He’d serve as a back-up for her if she ever needed something and couldn’t get in touch with him. For as rough and dangerous as Hades was, family was his core, though he didn’t let on to that little secret to any outsiders. He kept up a good front, but Saint knew him better than anyone. With Hades, his family came first, beyond anything else. And Bailey was family now.
Hades hit a button, and his own phone buzzed. He reached out, handing her phone back to her, which she took, watching him with suspicion.
“You got my number. Now I got yours. You ever need something, can’t get ahold of Saint,” he leaned closer, “you call me. Ya feel me?”
She tightened her lips with a slow nod. Then she glanced down at her phone, and her brows knitted together. Saint watched as her lips curled and he heard a small giggle emit from her lips.
“Scary motherfucker?”
Hades laughed. “It fits, right?” He walked past her heading toward the door. He lifted his chin, smirking.
Saint smirked. Welcome to the family, sweetheart.
Chapter Fifteen
He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. It had been a busy and exhausting weekend. After spending a few days with his brother and Bailey, his daughter arrived the following morning for his weekend with her. He’d made a point of making it an active two days. He was trying to make up for her disappointment when he explained she wouldn’t be meeting Bailey this time. Again.
Saint heard the door creak from the counter at the kitchen. He glanced up at the stove catching the time. He should have had her pack up earlier, but they were too enthralled with binge-watching the zombie show. He sighed and waited for Tara.
“Hey.” She sighed and slumped against the doorframe. Her hair was a mess and the bags under her eyes aged her a few years. She was still beautiful, always had been, but definitely in need of rest.
“How you feeling?”
She snorted. “Like I’m cooking up an alien with insomnia.” She pushed off her shoulder and took a seat at the wooden table. “I hate the first trimester.” She rested her clasped hands on her belly. “And I hate the bitches who say they love being pregnant.”
She curled her lip in disgust. “Liars, every single one of them.”
Saint chuckled and took the seat across from her. “Thought you liked being pregnant?”
She scoffed. “Does this look fun to you? I like having babies, it’s the incubation period that sucks.” She smirked and eyed him quietly.
They’d spent many years together, and even after they separated, they remained close. Tara knew him well, and he knew her, which was how he knew she had something on her mind. He also knew she wouldn’t come right out and say it if it was a sensitive subject. She’d slowly come at him. Which was exactly what she did.
“You two have a good time?” Her emphasis on two was not lost on Saint. He sipped his coffee then rested the mug on the table.
“Yeah, went hiking yesterday, took her to that place she likes to eat with the games, and then took her to Turnersville for a movie. We hit the diner for breakfast, then a ride to the water, and spent the afternoon binge-watching her show.” He narrowed his gaze. “Still don’t think she should be watching that shit.”
Tara rolled her eyes and then sighed.
“So, no Bailey, huh?”
There it was…
Saint folded his arms and settled into his chair. “No, didn’t work out this weekend.”
Tara flattened her lips and nodded, glancing around the room. This was far from over. She was just planning her next move. Even with Tara, he never offered up more information than was asked. A trait which thoroughly annoyed her when they were together.
“Three times in a row, Saint.”
There it was.
“I’m aware, Tara.” He clenched his jaw. “Didn’t mention meeting her this weekend.” He purposely didn’t. However, it was the first thing she asked when she arrived. He didn’t miss the disappointment in her face when he said Bailey was busy.
“I know.” She sighed loudly and twisted her lips. “She called me.” She pointed to the ceiling, and he knew she was referring to Cia. “Last night before bed. She said you told her Bailey couldn’t make it, but maybe next time.”
He nodded. He knew his girl was disappointed. He hadn’t known she reached out to Tara. That piece of information drove a stab through his heart.
