“No! She’s under my fucking protection, Jed. Unless Tony flat out orders me to send her away, she stays! Can’t you see what he’s done to her? Didn’t you notice the damn scars? This isn’t her first beating. I don’t give a shit who she belongs to. She’s not getting tossed back there,” the voice from my dreams replied.
“You’re a bloody fool, Seth. You’re gonna get us all killed, you damn asshole. How do you know she wasn’t fucked up, and put on our doorstep just so she can spy on us? Ol’ ladies are loyal bitches to the end. They’ll do whatever they’re asked. You can’t fucking trust her,” the one called Jed commanded.
“She wasn’t wired. She doesn’t have a damn cellphone on her. She can’t fucking get out of bed. I think we’re safe from information leaks. I promise she’ll be watched closely. I don’t want to fight you, Jed, but I will. What was done to her wasn’t right, regardless of why it happened. She’ll be questioned as soon as she can talk without pain. Hell, she was so afraid of this Jacob asshole when she woke up the first time, she begged to be shot. She spoke even though it must have hurt like shit. I say she’s not a spy,” the one named Seth declared.
“Then, you’re the asshole, man. I hate to see what’s about to happen— another shitstorm. We’re all going to die because of this fucking whore, and your blind stupidity. Remember, our deaths are all on your head, Seth. My mama will kill you, if you don’t die in the war that’s coming. She’ll cut your damn heart out, and feed it to the pigs. She a tough old bird, and she don’t take no shit,” Jed replied, then stomped out.
Seth turned and saw that my eyes were open. “I guess you heard all that. I better be reading you right, or there will be hell and more to pay for my stupidity. They’ll be watching us both, you know. If you’re not who I think you are, just know I’ll fucking shoot you myself.”
I nodded as best as I could. He had every right to suspect me, and to warn me. I was an unknown, who posed a danger to him. I knew now that I was in the Midnight Saints’ clubhouse, not a hospital. I had made it to my destination, and this one man had taken pity on me. Because of him, I had been given aid. I wouldn’t betray him.
“I was told you were once one of our whores, and that you left with those who didn’t believe in us anymore. You stuck with this Jacob piece of shit, instead of taking the sanctuary we offered. Why? Are you really a spy? Or are you just a glutton for punishment? After all, you chose to become that asshole’s ol’ lady,” Seth asked me.
I opened my mouth, ready to defend myself. He held up a hand to stop me before I could utter a word.
“Don’t speak for now. Your throat is better, but not perfect yet. I’ll ask questions, and you can answer with your fingers. Hold up two for yes, and one for no. Use the good hand, of course,” he ordered with a smile. “Okay?”
I held up two fingers, and smiled back. I felt the pull of the taut skin on my still slightly swollen face, yet I didn’t care. I needed him to see that I wasn’t a threat.
“Alright, we might as well start with the fucking big one. Are you a spy?”
I held up one finger— the middle one.
He laughed. “Okay, we’ve established that the question pisses you off. I’ll also take that as a no, for now anyway. Did Jacob do this, and has he done it before?”
I raised two fingers, including the middle one.
“Did you love him? Is that why you left?” he asked with a frown.
“No,” I croaked, even though he had told me not to speak. It just came out due to anger. I had never loved Jacob, and it pissed me off that anyone thought I did. Although, at the time I had left with him, I was a naïve child who was delusional enough to believe we loved each other. Age and experience had proven me a fool.
“Did you intentionally come here?”
I nodded, wary of his reaction.
He tensed, and crossed his arms. His tone became stern. “Were you fucking followed?”
I hesitated. No, I hadn’t been followed, but I hadn’t come alone either. How was I to answer with a simple yes or no? My hesitation cost me. He got angry, and shouted.
“WERE YOU FUCKING FOLLOWED?”
“No,” I croaked. “Savior brought me.
“What the hell does that mean?” a big, blonde man in the doorway asked. “What savior? A fucking Blue Diablo? What have you done, bitch?”
Tears ran down my cheeks. They were going to toss me out to die. I had to explain. Screw it all, I had to talk no matter how bad it hurt.
“Not Diablo. Wouldn’t do that. Maid found me. Sent for brothers. Helped. Only came to back road. Didn’t bring him near. I walked, crawled. Please! Not a danger,” I begged.
An old, gray-haired man with stooped shoulders dared to shove the big man out of his way. “What in hell are you doing? She shouldn’t be talking. I damn well told you that. Can’t you fucking listen to the voice of experience, Tony? Leave her be. I’m feeding her some warm broth, then sending her back to dreamland. The questions can wait. I think she’s said enough. Both of you get out!”
Oddly, the pair of large, brawny males obeyed the old man. I assumed he was the doctor, and he was.
“Shut your trap, young lady. No more talking until I say so. I’m Doc Sanders, and you’ll best be advised to heed my orders. I don’t give a damn shit what the boys ask, you don’t talk. You got it? Now open up, and drink some of this broth. It smells like cow poop, but it’s good for you.”
I wanted to laugh, but he scared me more than his “boys” ever could. I obediently drank the broth. It tasted like cow poop too, or at least what I imagined cow poop would taste like. However, it soothed my raspy throat, and I could almost feel the swelling going down. The old, grumpy fart knew what he was doing.
He messed with my nose, then nodded with satisfaction. He checked the wrappings on my ribs, and I noticed they were fresh. They were tight, but not as tight as before. I could get a breath, which was a relief.
I was embarrassed when he uncovered every inch of me to check for bruises. He must have sensed my discomfort, because he stated, “Girl, I’ve seen thousands of pussies, and they’re all the same. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a look at yours. You were bleeding from down there when you arrived. Someone tore you good. You’ll heal, and be as good as new. Don’t worry, I don’t play with my patients when they’re unconscious. But if you get a hankering for some fucking, I can serve you well. I may be old, but my cock don’t know it.”
I choked on my laughter. He had set me at ease with his naughty sense of humor. I relaxed, and let him finish the examination.
“I’m going to give you some more of the good stuff. However, this will be the last time. I don’t want you addicted. After this, it’s only the over-the-counter shit, ibuprofen or Tylenol. Don’t work too well, but beggars can’t be choosers. See you tomorrow,” the doc said as he sent the needle full of relief into my eager arm.
I dreamed of Seth. His handsome, rugged face haunted me. In my mind, I ran my hands over his close-cropped dark hair. I imagined touching the day’s scruff on his chin and cheeks. Through my fear and pain, I must have noticed how muscular he was, because I could recount it in my dream.
I wanted him to trust me. I’d never cared whether anyone did before now, but he was different. He’d stood up against his own crew for my sake. I owed him, and that was okay with me. His hatred of Jacob’s actions had been as clear as day. I believed he would never beat a woman, unless she was trying to kill him. Even then, I suspected he would be as careful as he could without dying.
Dreams could be funny sometimes. They surpassed reality, and spoke of a desired future. In my drug-crazed ones, Seth and I rode a Harley. I clung to his strong, bare back, happiness reaching up from my toes to my head. I was his, and he was mine. It was crazy. I didn’t even know him. Drugs, the good ones as the doc had said, must have caused the hallucination. I’d blame the dreams on them anyway, though my hormones shouted a different reason.
When my eyes opened again, it was a new morning. My bo
dy ached, not from my injuries, which I was getting used to, but from my erotic dream. My hands tingled where I had imagined stroking them across Seth’s hard, muscular chest. There was a tingle between my legs, making the torn flesh inside me itch. Only Seth’s stiff member could make the tingle go away, and that was obviously a fantasy that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. I was ashamed and embarrassed by my horniness. The poor man had done nothing except rescue a damsel in distress, and yet I already was dreaming of screwing his brains out.
I must have blushed bright red from my own thoughts, because when he walked in, his hair wet from a recent shower and smelling good enough to eat, he immediately rushed to my side to check for a fever.
“You’re not hot,” he declared. “Maybe, the morphine is causing your skin to redden. I’ll ask the doc about it.”
“There’s no need. He said last night was the last dose he would give me anyway,” I replied, allowing him to believe the blush was from the meds instead of my wicked dreams about him.
“You sound much better. The raspy croak is gone. Your neck is more yellow than blue, so the bruises are healing. Would you like to get out of bed?” Seth invited.
The idea was appealing, yet terrifying. How bad would it hurt to move? How far could I walk? Would I be forced to leave if the others decided I was well enough to be on my own?
“It’s okay. I wasn’t thinking of taking you far. Just to a chair by the desk, so you can eat a real meal. Aren’t you starving? I brought stuff from the Chicken Shack. It’s really good. I swear,” Seth calmed me. I think he read my mind.
Thank goodness, he wasn’t going to drag me out and put me on display for all the crew members. I didn’t want to leave. Where would I go? The Midnight Saints had been my only choice to begin with. Without them, I was going to be homeless and hunted.
Gratefulness overcame my soul. Seth saw into me, and had realized I was all alone. He wasn’t pushing me out. He was finding ways to gain me more time— time to find another safe place to go, or time to convince the rest of the crew I would be a loyal addition.
I gave him my best smile, one I used to wheedle sexual favors from men before I was pledged to that dickwad, Jacob. Then, I asked, “Can I have a shower, please? I feel gross, and I smell like a damn garbage heap.”
He didn’t jump at the invitation to see me naked, but he did blush. How cute! The big bear of a man, who’s dangerous tendencies were very clear, had an Achilles heel.
“After you eat something, you’ll have a little more strength. I’ll send one of the ol’ ladies who are here to help you shower. By then, the doc will be here to put on new wrappings. What did the doc say to give you for pain? I’ll bring it with the food,” he said, turning away to hide the telltale blush.
I sighed in frustration. I wanted Seth, not one of the ol’ ladies. Seduction was a game I knew well, and often relied on for protection. Part of me didn’t want him to see the rest of me. I didn’t want him to know about all my scars, some of which were purposely covered by the tattoos on my arms. However, I needed to stay here, and Seth was my ticket to a permanent placement. The idea of tricking him made me feel like a slimy, sleazy, asshole. I wasn’t sure I could do it. In fact, it was making me quite sick.
Chapter 8
Seth
Underneath the bruises, Reagen was beautiful. I watched her sleeping for hours once the doc had patched her up. The meds he gave her kept her knocked out for great lengths of time. I often checked to be sure she was still breathing. I vowed to kill the fucker who had beat her so badly. I would cut off his damn balls, and shove them down his fucking throat. Then, I’d hang him from a pole by his tiny dick, and watch it shrivel and rip off. Fun times!
My first fight, though, was the one to keep her here. Tony was pissed off by my stubborn determination to save a rival’s ol’ lady. He didn’t trust her. No one else did either. Shit, I was in a world of hurt. I was a damn pariah among my own crew all due to a woman I didn’t even know. What the fuck was I thinking?
My dick was part of it. It had stood at attention the instant I touched her. Under the dirt and blood, she was covered with from dragging herself to the clubhouse, I smelled a special scent that was all her own. Damn, it made my blood boil! A wave of protectiveness overwhelmed me. I’d fight off a tiger, or a legion of fucking swordsmen to keep her safe. I waltzed with her in my arms through my best friends, who were shouting fucking protests, like they didn’t exist. She had some kind of magical hold on me that I couldn’t explain.
Once her eyes opened, and she began begging me not to hurt her, I was more than lost. There was no return from the tunnel I was rushing down. She needed me, and I would be her hero. No matter what it cost me.
I got angry at her only once before today. For a moment, I thought she had led someone to our clubhouse, a Blue Diablo. If she had, then she was doomed. Even I couldn’t save her from that. It pissed me off that she might have gotten past my better judgment by being a damsel in distress. I fucking hated to be wrong. It was damned embarrassing. After she explained, I was vindicated.
But just now she had tried to seduce me. I was blowing steam out my nose when I walked away. I know she thought I was blushing. She was dead wrong. I knew her coquettish flirtation for what it was— a shitty way to gain a spot in our club. She was trying to use me, and that was fucking wrong on many counts. I would continue to help her, but that was all she could expect from me, especially after those shitty antics. I wouldn’t be used, and I didn’t want an ol’ lady. I was young and free. Screwing was great. I just didn’t want to belong to one woman, even one who had me staying hard as a rock all the time.
I grabbed the bag of food I’d left in the kitchen, then went in search of assistance. I discovered Janice, the ol’ lady of one of our older men. Her blonde hair, with streaks of gray running through it, was braided down her back. I would guess her to be fifty or older. She was a permanent fixture around here. She and Dan had never had children, so last summer they sold their house and moved into the clubhouse. They took care of it, and all of us. We referred to them as Mom and Pop.
“Hey, Mom. How’s it going?” I asked.
“The old man’s still got the moves, so I’m feeling frisky this morning. He rocked my world a few times last night. How’s it hanging for you?” she replied.
I was used to her crudeness. It was kind of endearing. To me, it meant I’d still be fucking women in my old age, and they’d be enjoying it. More power to all horny old men!
“I need a favor. Reagen wants a shower, and I’m not the one to give it to her. Can you help me out?” I asked hopefully.
“I assume Reagen is the broken bitch you found on the doorstep. Why can’t you wash her down? You both might get a climax from it.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t do it,” I answered.
“Ah, I see. She’s got plans for getting her hooks into you. She figures she can lead you around by your dick, and find herself a new home. You’re both too stupid to realize she’s already hooked you,” Mom laughed.
“I’m not fucking hooked, and I’d be a fool to let her play me. I’m just giving her a safe refuge to heal in, nothing more. Will you do this or not?”
“I’ll help, but more as a chaperone than a nurse. You have to be there. She’s weak, and I’m too fucking old to catch her if she falls. You’ve got to help her get to the shower, hold her up while I undress her, and stick around to get her back to bed. If you see some things you want to touch, be my guest. I like a good, steamy, porn show. Of course, I’ll have to hunt Dan down for a little relief of my own afterward. The pair of you are welcome to watch, or join us. Tit for tat,” Mom laughed uproariously.
Dear lord, horny women were going to be the death of me someday.
“Give her thirty minutes to eat, then come on in. It’s the third door on the right,” I told her.
“I’ll knock first, just in case,” she cackled.
Tony stopped me in the game room. “Whatever you’ve got planned for t
his afternoon, cancel it. You’re going with Austin, Vince, and me to meet with the Prez of the Crypt Keepers. It’s a command performance at two o’clock sharp.”
“No problem. Reagen will be fed, washed, and back to sleep before then anyway.”
“You’re tying up too much of your time with her, Seth. Turn her over to the women, and walk away. We have a fucking war brewing. Coddling bitches isn’t where you’re needed,” Tony announced.
To placate him, and soothe his ruffled feathers, I told him, “I’ve asked Mom to give her a shower.”
“Good,” he replied, believing I was letting Reagen’s care go to others as he’d asked.
Reagen held her arms out to me, so I could pull her into a sitting position without making her broken ribs hurt too much. I was careful of her broken wrist as well. The bandages reminded me that she was really hurt, and not pretending, despite the obvious ploy she had made earlier. A small amount of my anger slid away, but not all.
With my arm around her waist, she shuffled her way to the chair at the desk. I presented her with the bag of food, then ran like the chicken shit I was. My dick was at full mast. It didn’t care whether she was using me or not. It wanted a good fuck.
Thirty minutes later, I ran into Mom as she was about to knock. Once again, she cackled, eyeing me as if she could read my mind. She proved she could with her first words.
“Trust me, Seth. It’s only going to get harder,” she said, patting my crotch. “Don’t fight it. Blue balls are damn painful.”
I choked on my own spit, as she opened the door. Reagen was frowning.
“Are you getting sick?” she asked.
“Not the kind of sick a doctor can cure,” Mom told her. “He’ll be fine soon enough. Let’s get your smelly ass in the shower, girl. I’ve got shit to take care of. I’m not a fucking wet nurse.”
“Charming,” Reagen whispered when I went to help her up.
Abandon (Midnight Saints MC Book 1) Page 5
