by Nina Levine
As much as I had no intention of ever wearing one, I loved his determination. Or maybe it was just the fact that he really, really liked me and would go out of his way to show me. A girl needed that in her life, and it had been far too long since I’d had it.
“Put me down!” I squealed as Devil scooped me up into his arms and carried me from my lounge room to my bedroom. His eyes sparkled with devious intent as he ignored me and continued on.
We’d spent the morning together at his house, and he’d then brought me back to my place so I could get ready for work. Eleven thirty ticked closer on the clock, and I really only had five minutes until Dylan would arrive to pick me up. He’d agreed to be my chauffeur for the day.
“I’m not letting you go until you agree for me to pick you up after the wedding tonight,” Devil said as he dumped me on my bed. We’d been going back and forth arguing over this, and he was being his usual demanding self.
I shifted so I could rest on my elbows while I stared up at him. “Why do you have to keep arguing with me over this? I’ve already organised for Dylan to bring me home. I could get him to drop me off at your place if that would make you happy.”
“The only thing that’s gonna make me happy is if I come pick you up myself. Give me the address and the time, and then you can go wait for Dylan.”
“See that’s the thing. I never really know what time I’ll be done by. I mean, we’re booked until eleven, but sometimes we’re having so much fun that we just keep playing until they kick us out. So, it—”
He straddled me as he cut me off. “Darlin’, the address,” he said forcefully, and I knew it was time to just give in and give him what he wanted.
“Fine,” I muttered, “but don’t whinge when you’re sitting there twiddling your thumbs waiting for me if we decide to stay.”
“Jesus, woman, do you not think I’d happily sit for a day twiddling my thumbs while I waited for you?” His eyes searched mine before he dipped his face and caught my lips in a kiss.
I melted into his kiss in much the same way I basked in his words. And for the first time ever in my life of playing gigs with Cherry Vivid, I didn’t want to play that night. I wanted to stay right where I was in Devil’s arms.
When we came up for air, he stared down at me with lust-filled eyes. “I don’t want you to go,” he rasped. Sitting back, he shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m so damn hard for you. Always, so fucking hard. Just thinking about you gets me there.”
I reached for his shirt, gripping a handful. “I don’t want to go either,” I said, my voice just as affected as his.
After a few moments of silence, he finally moved off me and held his hand out to help me up. Slapping my ass, he said, “Come on, let’s get you outside so I don’t throw you down on that bed and fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk out of here.”
I wanted exactly what he wanted, so it was safest to do what he’d said. As I exited the bedroom, the doorbell rang.
Thank you, God.
Dylan’s timing was perfect.
However, when I opened the door, Dylan wasn’t standing on the other side. Wayne was.
“Hailee,” he greeted me with a smile.
Oh. God.
No.
No.
No.
I gripped the door while I sent at least ten urgent prayers up to God for him to give me an out. Right now. He could just let the floor cave in and allow me to slide into hell. Because that was where I should have been sent.
I was the worst person in the world.
I’d spoken to Wayne on the phone a few times while he was away.
When I’d started sleeping with Devil.
While I’d technically still been dating Wayne.
I hadn’t wanted to string him along and lie to him, but telling someone you didn’t want to see them again over the phone was a dick move. So I’d decided to wait until he arrived back home and then break the news to him.
I hadn’t expected him to turn up on my doorstep unannounced.
While Devil was there.
Standing. Right. Behind. Me.
“Uh, Wayne. Hi.” Fuck, could I sound any more pathetic? I was a tongue-tied mess. Not only that, I was sure sweat was about to drip from me. It was a hot day already, but my temperature had just doubled. At least.
Devil’s hand slid around my waist as his body moulded to mine in one of the most possessive moves I’d ever experienced from a man. If I hadn’t been so frazzled, I would have been turned on by it.
The smile in Wayne’s eyes died as he tracked Devil’s hand going around my waist and pulling me back against him. When he looked up, his gaze met mine briefly before he looked past me at Devil.
“Wayne,” Devil said, his voice deep and gruff. Dominant.
Wayne’s gaze flicked back to mine. “What’s going on, Hailee?”
Anxiety burned in my chest. I hated confrontations. But even more than that, I hated hurting people. “I’m sorry, Wayne… I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.” I stumbled all over my words again, but I managed to get them out eventually.
“So, what? You’re screwing him now?” Wayne shot his question at me like venom, and I recoiled.
Devil’s other arm circled my chest and he held me tightly to him. “You can leave now, Wayne,” he ordered. A shiver ran through me at the malevolence I heard in his tone. He was so calm, though. I wouldn’t want to be in his firing line, because that kind of calm was more dangerous than fire.
Wayne ignored him. “I want a fucking answer, Hailee. Are you fucking him?” His eyes glittered with disgust, and I realised I’d dodged a bullet with him. No way did I ever want to be involved with a man who treated me like that. Even if he did feel betrayed.
I’d hardly had time to process that thought when Devil switched our positions, putting himself in front of me. His calmness disappeared, replaced by a ferociousness I was yet to see in him.
“You ever speak to her that way again, and I’ll make sure you never utter another word in your life. Now turn the fuck around and go the fuck back to where you came from.”
My heart beat faster as I waited for Wayne to reply. Placing my hand on Devil’s back, I found it hard as rock. He was wound so tight that I worried what his reaction might be if Wayne chose to argue with him rather than doing what he said.
“You know what I think?” Wayne spat out.
“What?” Devil’s back tensed even more, like he was ready to lash out any minute.
I wished like crazy that I’d just been a dick and told Wayne over the phone. I didn’t want Devil involved in this because it all seemed to be going to hell in a handbasket.
Wayne puffed up his chest. “I think she clearly doesn’t know how to choose men. You’re a pig, and there’s no way you’d treat her as well as I would have. You two deserve each other.”
He took a step back as if to leave, but Devil’s hand shot out and grabbed him. Moving closer to him, Devil snarled, “And you know what I think, motherfucker? I think you know nothing about me and that you shouldn’t be so quick to judge another person. I also think that if you don’t leave right now, I won’t be able to control myself much longer. My fist is fucking itching to smash itself into your face.”
I’d never dated a guy as intense as Devil. His violent outburst frightened me, and I felt the need to stop him going any further. Especially since this was all my fault.
I cut through the tense air, inserting myself in front of Devil. I ignored the way he tried to pull me back, and placed my hand on his chest as if to say, “Back off.” Eyeing Wayne, I said forcefully, “I’m sorry for the way this went down, but you need to accept my decision. And I think it would be best if you left now before this goes somewhere none of us want it to go.”
He glared at me for what felt like longer than it probably was. I was so damn tense, worried that Devil would punch him, that it screwed with my concentration. I breathed the longest sigh of relief when he finally said, “Fine. I’m leaving. B
ut don’t come crawling back to me when you realise I was right.”
A low growl sounded behind me as Devil pressed against my hand on his chest. But Wayne left us, and no harm came to pass. When I turned to face him, I found his angry eyes still following Wayne as he walked to his car.
I smacked his chest to gain his attention. “Devil.”
He grunted, and I got the impression it was taking all his restraint not to go after Wayne.
Scrunching a handful of his shirt, I pulled on it. “Devil, stop. I don’t want you doing something you might regret.”
His eyes cut to mine, still angry. “Darlin’, no way in hell would I fucking regret anything. That asshole needs to learn to shut his trap and not insult people.”
“That’s true, but honestly your response seemed a little over the top.”
“It wasn’t.” Fury still flashed in his eyes, and I wondered where it came from. I struggled to believe Wayne caused it all. There had to be something else going on here that I didn’t know about.
“You really believe that?” I knew bikers were renowned for using violence, but threatening Wayne in the manner he had seemed too much.
“We’re gonna have to agree to disagree on this one, Hailee.” He forced the words out on a harsh breath, unable to let his outrage go.
“Yeah, well I’m just telling you that I’m not a fan of unnecessary violence. You know my history with that. I don’t know anything about your club and what goes on there, but if we’re gonna keep dating, I’d rather you didn’t bring your temper home.” I pushed past him and went back inside. The confrontation between him and Wayne had really shaken me up, and I needed a moment to get myself together.
He didn’t follow me inside, so I guessed he needed the same thing. It was the first disagreement we’d had, and while we hadn’t really fought about it, I felt like this could turn into a problem for us. Devil was a biker after all and I hadn’t really stopped to think about that too much since I’d met him.
17
Devil
“So you let your temper get the best of you?” Sonya asked as she chopped vegetables for dinner.
After Hailee had left for work, I’d gone for a long ride to clear my head and then found myself at Sonya’s place. The kids had been a good distraction for the afternoon, and she’d asked me to stay for dinner.
“Yeah.” I’d just finished telling her about the way I’d reacted to Wayne when he showed up at Hailee’s home.
She glanced up at me. “Why? We worked so hard on getting it under control, and I thought you were doing better. Why all of a sudden did you snap?”
Just thinking about Wayne stirred my anger again. I took a couple of deep breaths while I tried to work through it. “I can’t explain it. Well, not the initial trigger. That seemed to come from an urge to protect Hailee. But after that, when he started badmouthing both of us, it sparked all those old feelings of being worthless that Dad used to make me feel. It put me right back there with him.” Sonya was the only person I ever spoke so honestly with about all this shit. Having been my brother’s high school sweetheart, we’d grown up together and she’d lived through my hell with me.
Anger to me was like alcohol to an alcoholic. Or at least it had been for more than a decade. I’d used it to numb the hurt and the shame of not feeling wanted by my parents.
I held Sonya’s gaze while I said, “What kind of parent wants a child enough to create them, and then abandons that child when they decide it isn’t good enough for them? How can a father do that to his son?” He’d kicked me out of home and ran me out of town when he didn’t approve of my choices in life. And I still lived with that hurt.
She stopped chopping the carrots and put her knife down. Moving to me, she enveloped me in a hug and said, “Ivan Ford is a fool, Dom. We’ve already discussed this. Why are you allowing yourself to be dragged back down by him?”
It always felt safe with Sonya. She was my safe place. Even though Campbell took issue with my choices in life and made it hard for me to be close to his family, she’d never once let me down. We’d spent the last few years working on my temper and angry outbursts, and she’d guided me every step of the way. Her mother was a psychologist in Tamworth, and Sonya had relied on her advice to help me. However, regardless of all that, my internal walls were up, and I couldn’t access my own damn feelings. I didn’t know why this was all surfacing.
I moved out of her embrace. “I have no fucking clue. I haven’t heard from him or even really been thinking of him lately, so I don’t know why all of a sudden he’s in my fucking head.”
She turned quiet for a moment, thinking. “Maybe it’s finally time for you to go back,” she said softly.
“You’re not serious?” She couldn’t be. “You’ve seen the way Campbell still treats me. He gets that from Dad. Campbell fucking hangs off every word Dad says, so there’s no way in hell Dad has changed his mind where I’m concerned if Campbell still thinks that way. And besides, I have no interest in going back there.
“I’m not suggesting you go back because anything has changed with your father. I’m suggesting it because maybe you need the closure. I think you’ve been holding on all these years hoping he’d come to his senses. You need to see for yourself what his thoughts on the matter are now. And then hopefully you can either close that door or decide you’re okay with still leaving it open.”
“That fucking door is closed.” It fucking slammed shut years ago when he ran me out of the town I grew up in.
Kylie ran into the kitchen then, flying straight into me. Her little arms wrapped around my legs as she squealed, “Uncle Dom, you’re still here!” Sonya had put Kylie and her brother to bed earlier, and she’d been upset at the thought of me not being there when she woke up.
I pulled her up into my arms and gave her a huge smile. “Of course I am, baby girl. I told you I would be.”
She almost choked me in a hug as she squished her arms around my neck. “I wanna go on the swing!”
I met Sonya’s gaze. “You need me to help with dinner?”
She shook her head. “No, you guys go play. It’ll give me some peace and quiet.”
“Okay,” I said to Kylie, “let’s go find your brother. We’ll play for a bit and then it’s bath time before dinner.”
Her glee was infectious. Fuck, I loved playing with kids. They made me forget all the ugly shit in the world. “Yay, yay, yay!”
That excitement and the love she never failed to give me was exactly the medicine I needed after spending the afternoon beating myself up.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead as I carried her out of the kitchen. “I love you, kid.”
She buried her face in my neck. “I love you, too, Uncle Dom.”
Exactly what I needed.
My Sunday plans to get Hailee into a bikini had to be changed when she woke with a sore throat and fever. She could hardly move, so I figured there was no getting out of bed for her.
I placed my hand on her forehead and frowned. “No bikini for me today.”
“I told you, there is no bikini for you ever,” she croaked.
I fought a smile and bent to give her a quick kiss. “Oh, there will be a bikini. I’ll make sure of it.”
She groaned and pushed me away. “Don’t come too close. You’ll get sick, too.”
I scowled. Moving my face back near hers, I ignored what she said. “What do you need, darlin’? Asprin? Advil?” I grinned as I added, “Cock?”
She smiled at that. “As much as I want your dick, and as much as I think it has magical powers, I really doubt it will cure the headache I have or ease my sore throat. But I’ll take a raincheck, okay?”
Sliding my hand down her body, I reached for her pussy. “I could just—”
She slapped my hand away. “God, you’re gonna drive me crazy today, aren’t you?”
Laughing, I admitted, “Maybe.”
“Okay, well let’s start with some Advil. If that helps, we might move onto cock.” Even th
rough her sickness, she couldn’t hide her amusement, giving me an eye-roll that was mixed with a shake of her head.
I pushed up off the bed. “I’m on it.”
When I came back to her with a glass of water and pills, I found her curled almost into a ball while she had a coughing fit. Sitting next to her, I waited for her coughs to subside before passing her the glass and tablets. “What else can I do besides the pills, darlin’?”
She sat up enough so she could swallow the tablets. “Hold me while we watch a movie together?”
I switched the television in the bedroom on, positioned her next to me on the bed, and held her close while we watched Marley and Me. It was the absolute worst movie choice because it made her cry and hurt her throat.
But it was the perfect movie choice because she snuggled against me and told me how much she loved that I’d listened to her when she told me that was her favourite movie.
Hailee was sick in bed for three days. I spent that time taking care of club business during the day and looking after her at night. I moved her back to her home on Monday afternoon after I finished up with club work. She was hardly conscious that night, so I had dinner with Jean, listening to stories of the crazy shit Hailee got up to when she was younger, before spending the night taking care of Hailee.
Tuesday night, I cooked dinner after arriving and finding Jean not feeling well. I sent her to the couch to rest after making sure she’d had painkillers. Hailee was awake in her bed but didn’t have the energy to eat dinner at the table, so I took it into her.
She hit me with a smile as I passed her a bowl of soup. “Thank you,” she croaked. She’d told me her throat wasn’t sore anymore. It had left her with a raspy throaty voice that did amazing shit to my dick.
I sat next to her. “You like chicken soup?”
She glanced at the soup before looking back at me. “Did you make this?”
“Yeah.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wow.”
“I told you my sister taught me to cook. Chicken soup was one of those things.”
