Scout: Tempest Elite MC

by Reagan Phillips

  All three interruptions in my sleep left me so spent and satiated, I swore he wouldn't be able to wake me again.

  I was wrong. Delightfully so.

  The light coming in from the bedroom window is bright. Once my eyes adjust to it, I roll over into the spot Scout had been occupying the last time I woke up. He's not there, but I vaguely remember him whispering something about a meeting in the morning, and he'd return soon after it finished.

  I take the alone time to shower. The warm water feels good over my spent body and sore muscles. So good, in fact, as soon as I leave the shower, I want to curl back up in Scout's bed and take a nap.

  Instead, I find a fresh shirt and boxers in his dresser, and while I'm drying my hair with a towel, I pull back the blinds and check for the Devils’ vigil outside my window.

  The Tempest Elite guards are standing in and around the gate and the guardhouse, but I don't see a car. I check again. Down both sides of the street, the coast is clear. Nothing but an empty road for as far as I can see.

  I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm not sure how long the Devils have been gone for, but it's a good sign, and my heart races with the anticipation of freedom.

  The door latch clicks, and Scout opens the bedroom door before I make it back to the bed.

  "You're up. You should have come down and had some breakfast."

  "I wanted a shower first, and that's as far as I've gotten."

  I'm not sure if he knows about the missing Devils yet. If he does, his face doesn't show it. "Have you looked outside? The car is gone."

  He nods, but his usual smile doesn't follow. "They left sometime in the early morning, according to Hawk." He drops to the bed and pats the spot beside him. "We have some things to talk over, but first, how did you sleep?"

  I want to tell him sleep is the last thing I'm interested in. For as little actual rest as I got, I feel like I have the energy of a teenager and could take over the world. "Fine, thank you." I take the spot next to him and soak in his heat. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed some of your clothes."

  Scout kisses the top of my head. "My shirts have never looked sexier."

  I laugh. "I've never felt sexier. But now that the threat is gone, I'd love to get into some of my own clothes."

  The tenseness if Scout's face returns. His mouth contorts before he answers. "That won't be for a while longer. Everly can bring you anything you need from the store. Body wash. Lotion. A few changes of clothing. Make her a list, and I'll send her a text."

  It's funny the way he thinks what I miss most is my body wash and lotion. It would be nice to have them, but I’m thinking I can do better. "I was really hoping for my own things. From my own apartment, if possible." I bounce on the bed beside him. "If it’s safe, I could stay there. Maybe you could spend the night a few days to be sure?"

  I don’t expect him to be ecstatic about me leaving, I’m having mixed emotions myself, but his expression is more serious than anything else.

  "I'll talk to Bear about someone running by your place. Give me the keys, and they can pick up whatever you need."

  I scoot closer to him, hoping the close contact will make it harder for him to argue. "I was really hoping to go. I have plants that need watering and," I pause, trying to not blush at my next comment. "I really don't like the idea of a stranger going through my personal things."

  It's not me that turns red. Scout's cheeks bloom pink, and he glares down at me as if he can't decide if answering me would be wiser than throwing me down on the bed and ripping his shirt and boxers off of my body.

  Since last night, the chemistry between us is so thick, I can't be within sight of him without feeling that ache in my core that needs to be filled. It's pulsing now, and there is only one thing that can make it stop.

  "What if I go?" Scout counter.

  I want to laugh. He's the last person I want rifling around in my underwear drawer, seeing the granny panties I wear when it's that time of the month or my colorless, shapeless simple bras with cups large enough to make a hammock for a small dog.

  "You're joking, right?"

  "No." His brow creases. "You said you didn't want a stranger in your apartment, and out of your options, I'm it."

  "What about Everly," I hedge. How can I explain to this six-foot-tall, two-hundred-and-fifty-pound tattooed beast of a man that I'm afraid seeing my apartment covered in flowers and thrift store furniture will remind him of how inexperienced I am. I'm worried what happened last night will be permanently taken off the table .

  Scout stands. His body is stiff, and his tone sharp. "I will go. I need to see if Cobra has figured out where you live and if he has anyone staked out there. It might be best I do the same with your work. Have you called in sick like I told you to?"

  "Yes." I almost feel like he's scolding me. His voice is so rough.

  "Good. If you get the chance, tell your boss you are staying with a friend while you recover. The story might throw the Devils off of your place for a while."

  "I'll send a text."

  Scout walks to his dresser, returning with a pen and a notebook. "Write down anything you need and where I will find it. I'll be taking Hawk and Gunner with me, but I'll make sure I'm the only one inside your place." He glances down as I take the notebook from his hands. "And I do know how to water plants. I'm not a complete savage."

  "I'll remember that." Though, I wouldn't mind him pretending he was the next time we're in bed together.

  "Gunner's making lunch for the crew. Most of the members will be packing theirs up and heading back to work. Give me half an hour, and I'll be back with something for you to wear downstairs. Then we can sit in the bar and eat if you like."

  I nod in answer. Two days of being locked away in Scout's bedroom, and I'm desperate for conversation and a break from the same four walls. Even if that break puts me front and center of a biker club’s bar.

  "Good." He leans down and lifts my face up with his finger under my chin. "Give me thirty." His mouth drops to mine, and as he begins to pull away, I feel myself stretching to catch every last second of his kiss.

  I know the sooner he leaves, the sooner he’ll return. This time with comforts of home. But part of me isn't ready to share Scout with the rest of the world. Part of me would be happy staying here, in his bed, wrapped in his warmth for as long as it takes to earn my freedom again.

  Part of me wouldn't mind staying with Scout forever.

  Scout

  India's apartment is about what I expected. It's cute, small, and cozy. I attend to her plants first. I don't know the first thing about keeping anything alive, but I promised. I find a little watering can by the sink in her bathroom, and I do my duty.

  Everything else I find right where she said it would be. The clothing and bathroom stuff is easy. It's the drawers in her dresser that demand my full attention. The first is socks, which she's asked for a few pairs. The second is bras, so I grab the two that look the most feminine. India has no business wearing anything plain, though her drawers are full of it. I make a note to ask Everly to check her size and order something more fitting as a surprise. Same with her panties. And a sexy sheer nightgown wouldn't hurt. Not that I plan on allowing her to wear it for long, but I'd love to take it off of her.

  Gunner is watching the front of the building, and Hawk is out back, checking for signs of forced entry and talking up the neighbors. So far, we've seen nothing to suggest it isn't safe for India to return home, though I still have a sinking feeling in my gut.

  It isn't like Cobra to leave a rock unturned or a loose string. He's as tight with his tactics as Bear is with his. They served together and under the same commander, who taught them both strategies of war and survival.

  I pull back the sheer white curtains covering India's bedroom windows to get a lay of the outside surroundings. We'll have to get her thicker shades. Blackouts would be best. I don't like the idea of anyone from the street being able to look up and catch a glimpse of her. Especially not in what I've jus
t decided to ask Everly to buy for her.

  "Scout." I turn to Hawk in the apartment doorway. "There's nothing here, man. Not a footprint or a busted door. No out of the ordinary cars or people according to the neighbors."

  I nod. “I've found exactly the same.”

  "Give it a few days and she should be good to return home."

  "We haven't checked out her work yet," I add. Maybe it’s me not wanting what we’ve started to end, but something is too perfect about this whole situation.

  "Bear and Doc are checking with the plant manager. If their check turns out clear, I think she’s ready to return home.”

  Hawk may be right. He's our tactical expert. If anyone understands the workings of warfare, it's Hawk. But he doesn't know Cobra like I do. He didn't see the side of the man I did. Cobra can't let a vendetta go. He can sleep on it. He can put it aside for the good of the club...for a while. He will wait to make a move if he has too. But he will never live down losing a bar fight to me, and that is going to eat away at him until he gets revenge.

  "Listen, man. I know you've got some feelings for this chick, and that's messing with your head."

  I stare Hawk down. I've known the man for five years, and I've never seen him with a woman. Not even one of the sweet butts even though they hang on him like leeches.

  "This has nothing to do with her."

  "Then why are you fighting so hard to keep her locked up in your room?"

  I'm not going to answer. I shove a few more pairs of socks into the duffle bag I brought and shoulder past Hawk.

  Gunner is already on his bike outside, waiting for us. He gives me the all-clear signal, and I nod. At least he isn't trying to piss me off today. He has an ol' lady, a daughter, and two grandbabies. He understands the need to protect women.

  Hawk doesn't say a word when he walks out behind me. He passes me a look, then smirks and chuckles before he is on his bike and off with Gunner on his trail.

  I'm taking my time. I need some distance between us, and I'm hoping once I reach the clubhouse, Hawk is nowhere to be found. Three nights on guard duty has turned him into a real prick.

  I'm about to kick up my stand when something soft rubs against my ankle. It's a scrappy little tabby cat, and it's rubbing its head on my pant leg. I'm a sucker for animals. Dogs mostly, but the way it’s little purrs sound like cries I feel sorry for the furrball.

  If someone owns it, they don't deserve too. I have enough room in my saddlebag to give it a ride back to the clubhouse for some milk and food. Then maybe we'll find it the right home.

  I reach down, and the little thing weighs nothing in my hands. It walks into my palm like it knows it can manipulate me. A cat and a woman, all in the same week. I’m losing my touch.

  Right below where its little feet had been is a black burn mark from motorcycle tire skidding across the pavement.

  Neither Gunner nor Hawk were parked close enough to leave the tread, and when I glance up and around the area, I'm in the perfect position to see directly into India's bedroom window.

  Fuck. Cobra had been here, and we'd missed it. Cobra had been right here, across from her window. Waiting.

  I stow what I believe to be a boy in my saddlebag, tighten the buckle so he can't escape, and I'm off.

  Everyone else may be convinced India is safe, but I know Cobra better than any of them. He won't stop until she’s paid for humiliating him.

  Chapter 6

  India

  I survey the collection of clothing Scout brought from my apartment. I gave him a list. Detailed. Pointing out where each item I asked for was located. A few pairs of jeans, a couple of tops, undergarments, socks, and a pair of shoes with a few items from my bathroom, including my toothbrush.

  He's already down at the bar, or I'd asked him why the short shorts I wear to bed were included in the bag, even though I didn’t ask for them, but not the long sleeve sweatshirt I did have on my list. I settle for the one pair of jeans he did remember to pick up and my high school cheer shirt that’s almost too small.

  He's sitting at a table with several other men when I come down the stairs. I threw my hair back in a ponytail, and the ends are curly from being air-dried.

  "Do you really think they'd waste their time tracking down one person?"

  The man from the guardhouse is sitting to Scout's right. His voice is raised, and there is tension between them. When he glances over Scout's shoulder and sees me approaching, his mouth clamps shut.

  "You have a shadow." He eyes Scout then nods to me.

  "I don't want to interrupt," I say before Scout spins around in his chair. His face is tense, but as soon as his eyes land on mine, they soften.

  "No," he answers quickly. "Hawk and Smokey were just leaving. Come on. Sit down. I promised you lunch."

  "Actually," I lighten my voice, hoping his mood will match. "You promised me the things on my list." I take the seat Hawk vacated and watch the two men walk away. "This shirt," I pull at it for effect, "was not on that list."

  "Neither were the shorts I found, but you weren't there to tell me no so."

  "You took advantage."

  Scout smiles. His whole face lights up and whatever happened moments ago vanishes. "Of course, I did."

  I lean in closer to him and stop myself from pecking his cheek. It's a natural instinct, but with his members standing and sitting all around us, I'm not sure how public displays work. I'm also not sure what we are to each other or if Scout has reservations about me outing his personal life.

  As soon as I begin to move away from him, Scout comes forward, wraps his hand around my back, and pulls me in until his mouth covers mine, and the room spins a full rotation from the surprise.

  "I've seen you naked," he whispers when his lips are free again. "That means you can kiss me anytime you want."

  I can't help the crooked grin that plays on my face or the heat in my cheeks. "I've seen you naked too," I interject. "What does that get me?"

  Scout's mouth hovers over my ear. "It gets you off, Hopefully."

  He's in a playful mood. Not what I expected after the conversation I overheard. "What were you and the guys talking about when I walked up?"

  "You don't get to change the subject." He grabs my side and tickles me until I laugh.

  I may be inexperienced with sex, but I know when a man is hiding something. I have lots of experience in that department. "What did you find in my apartment? Other than my one lacy bra?"

  "You didn't tell me you had one," he starts.

  When I lift one eyebrow and pout, he straightens up. "Nothing to be worried about. Mostly we found nothing. Your neighbors haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. No forced entry in your place. You could use some thicker window coverings, and how in the heck do you sleep in such a small bed?"

  "It is just me." I'm blushing. Before last night I never would have thought having a single bed was an issue. My room is small and having a smaller bed is practical. But now, I see Scout's point.

  "Well, when things are safe again, we have a member who can build anything from wood. King size should do."

  I laugh. "I don't need that much bed, Scout. I don't have space."

  "Well." He lifts his beer bottle to his lips. "We have a guy who rents apartments too. You're going to need a bigger one if you plan on fitting me in your bed."

  "Scout." I glance around the bar, picturing all eyes on us after that conversation, but no one seems to notice.

  "India."

  He's mocking me.

  "If you found nothing…" I trail off, hoping he'll pick up my lead and finish without me asking the question I know he hates.

  Scout shakes his head side to side. "No. We didn't see anything, but that doesn't mean it's not there. You're not safe going back yet."

  "Your friend didn't seem to think that was the case."

  Scout’s brows furrow before he looks off in the direction of the two men who walked away. "Hawk? He's just ready to give up guard duty. Bear will switch him out with so
meone else, and all will be fine."

  "You maybe?" I feel horrible that I'm keeping people from sleeping at night. Maybe if it's Scout that takes over the guard, he'll see there is no need to worry.

  "That's a possibility." Someone calls Scout's name, and he lifts his head to see over the crowd. "I'll be right back. Don't leave this table."

  His voice is demanding, but then he leans over and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and I know it's his fear talking.

  "I'll be right here." Hoping for the food he promised me. I'm starving. Who knew hiding out from vendettas could give you an appetite?

  I don't have to wait long before the man I know as Gunner appears at my table with two hamburgers with fries and water.

  "Scout said you'd be hungry, so I went with my specialty, but if you'd rather have something else…"

  I cut him off. "No." I take in a huge whiff of the food, and my stomach growls so hard it aches. "This looks great. Thank you."

  "No thanks needed," he says. "As a guest of Scout's, you're welcome to anything we have."

  "That's very nice of you."

  "That's how we treat our membership." He smiles and disappears into the crowd.

  I'm on my first bite of the best hamburger I've ever eaten when Scout shows back up at the table. He sits and digs into his food with one hand while the other is in his lap. There's something about the way he's grinning that has me intrigued.

  "What?" I ask when I finish chewing.

  "What, what?" he asks, shrugging his shoulders.

  "Okay." I lean back and cross my arms over my chest. "Now, I know you're up to something. I can't take many more surprises, Scout. If it's bad, just tell me."

  He chuckles and swallows his food before he lifts the hand he's had in his lap, and the cutest brown and orange kitten appears. It's so small in his massive hands. So protected. My heart melts at the image of the rough and rugged man holding this tiny little vulnerable animal so gently.