“The FBI are in it?” I asked, in horror.
“Yeah, they are. Millie’s fallen in with some bad shit, Dare. I mean to figure out how much she knows and how far she’s in it. If I can protect her, I will.”
“Can I come with you?”
“I don’t know how late I’m gonna be, babe.”
“I’ll pack a bag and I can sleep there if I need to.”
He sighed, leaning down to kiss me gently. “I let you come, you stay out of the way.”
I smiled. “Cross my heart.”
“Go pack a bag, I’ll get the dog.”
“Thanks.” I rushed to our room and did as he asked.
I PACED THE common room of the club, all the while biting my thumbnail down to its nub. I didn’t stop until I drew blood, but by then, I was so worked up, I didn’t really care. Millie had been sequestered in a room with bikers for the last three hours.
“Darien?”
I turned to see Dani, Kim, and Payton walking in, shopping bags in their hands. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“We’re the distraction committee,” Kim said.
I sighed. “Mack’s doing I presume?”
Kim nodded with a grin and held up a bag. “Wedding planning. Pauley said she’d come by after her shift.”
“Cassidy has Lily,” Payton said. “But she said she’d bring the kids by later and we’d all cook. Susie’s picking up food.”
“That actually sounds really fun,” I admitted, albeit reluctantly.
“We know,” Dani said, and giggled. “It’s why we were called.”
I laughed. “He’s very good, my man.”
“Yes, he is,” Kim said.
For the next three hours, I was adequately distracted, and by the time Cassidy walked in with Maverick and Lily, we had planned my entire wedding, made an appointment for a cake tasting, and started a feast to end all feasts. By the time dinner was ready, there was still no sign of Millie or Mack.
I pulled out my phone and texted him. *Where are you?*
“Right behind you,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the back of my neck.
I spun in his arms. “Is Millie okay?”
“What’s for dinner?”
“Oh, hell no,” I snapped. I laid my hands on his stomach and pushed him out of the common room and onto the back patio. “Where is my best friend?”
“She’s upstairs makin’ a decision.”
“About?”
“About whether or not she wants to do the right thing.”
“Logan,” I said in warning.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Whose room is she in?”
“Knight’s.” I moved to walk away, but he grabbed my arm. “She’s gotta make a decision... on her own, Dare.”
“She’s a verbal processor, Logan. It will help her make a “decision” if she can talk it out.”
He studied me for a second and then gave me a slight nod. “I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.”
Mack took my hand and led me through the common room and up the stairs to Knight’s room. Train was sitting on a chair across the hall, watching the door.
“She’s being guarded?” I snapped.
Mack squeezed my hand (like that was going to answer my question or appease me in some stupid way) and pushed open Knight’s door. Millie stopped her pacing and scowled, but caught sight of me and looked relieved. She’d been crying. “Hey.”
“Hi, hon.” I dropped Mack’s hand and glanced up at him. “Close the door behind you, okay?”
“Dare.”
“Honey, I’m going to talk to Millie,” I said, with saccharin sweetness. “Please close the door behind you.”
He frowned, but then gave me a slight nod. “I’ll be right outside.”
I rolled my eyes and stepped into the room, pulling Millie in for a hug. “What’s going on?”
“I did something really bad, Darien.”
I pulled her to one of the chairs by the window. “Tell me.”
“I didn’t mean to do it.” Millie dropped her face in her hands.
“Millie, I know you. I’m confident you didn’t do it on purpose. But you need to tell me what’s going on? Mack’s only giving me partial information.”
She sat up. “I hate to admit it, but that’s because he’s trying to protect me.”
I smiled. “I know that, honey. He’d do anything for me and protecting my best friend falls under than mantle.”
“The simplest explanation is that I found a deposit of twelve thousand, four hundred dollars and eighty-six cents in my account and when I asked payroll about it, they said it was a signing bonus.”
“But it wasn’t.”
She shook her head. “It was leverage.”
“For what?”
“I don’t actually know,” Millie admitted.
“Okay, back up a bit. How do you know it was leverage?”
“The amount deposited into my account was the exact amount stolen from one of their clients. So, they said I had to do whatever they told me to or they would ruin me.”
“But you could have gone to the police.”
Millie shook her head. “They threatened my family. They know everything about them, Darien.”
“So what’s this decision Mack says you have to make?” I asked.
“I have to hand over everything... I kept records—” she sighed, “—or Mack turns me into the FBI.”
“You have to give Mack everything then.”
She shook her head. “They will kill my family, Darien.”
“Honey, Mack isn’t going to let anything happen to your family.”
Millie rose to her feet and paced again. “You don’t know these people.”
“You don’t know Mack.”
Millie bit her lip. “Do you really think he can protect them?”
“Without a doubt.”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“What’s the alternative?” I challenged. “If the Dogs turn everything over to the FBI, your family’s in just as much danger from these people, right?”
Millie nodded.
“Let Mack help.”
“I don’t know if he can.”
I gave her what I hoped was a bolstering smile. “You have nothing to lose at this point, right?”
“Just my life... or freedom.”
“You’re not going to lose your life or your freedom, Mill.” I rose to my feet. “I’m going to get Mack, okay?” Millie grimaced, but nodded, so I didn’t hesitate and pulled open the door. “She’s ready, honey.”
Mack walked back in and raised an eyebrow. “Where’s the info, Millie?”
She sighed. “In my purse.”
“Which is...?”
She crossed her arms.
“Millie?” I urged.
“I need to know my family will be protected.”
“Babe, we’ve had recruits on every one of them for the last six hours.”
“You have?” Millie and I said, in unison.
“Not my first rodeo,” he grumbled.
I smiled and slid my arm around his waist. “How about, Millie gets you what you need and then we have some food?”
“That sounds good, babe.” Mack smiled. “Millie?”
Millie nodded and rummaged in her purse, pulling out a flash drive. “This has everything I did, along with all the money the company was siphoning and the clients they were stealing from.”
Mack took the drive and stepped into the hallway, handing it to Train who walked away. “I’m hungry,” he said. “Let’s eat.”
“It’s going to be okay, Mill,” I promised.
“I hope so.”
We followed Mack downstairs and spent the rest of the day attempting to enjoy the company.
Since the club was the safest place for us and I could work anywhere, we holed up with Millie and a few of the recruits for a few days. Mack had to run home for more dog food for Barney, but for the most
part, we were set.
When it was time to turn in, I made sure Millie was comfortable in Knight’s room (he was staying with Ace and Cassidy for the night), and then joined Mack. I closed and locked the door and turned to find Mack walking out of the bathroom, buck naked.
I giggled. “What if it wasn’t me?”
He grinned. “Then someone else would’ve been as lucky as you.”
I raised my hand. “Don’t move.”
Mack gave me a slow smile. “Why?”
“Because I want to taste.”
His cock hardened immediately and I knelt in front of him, wrapping my hand around him before sliding my lips over his tip. Mack’s hands slid into my hair and I moved my mouth over him, using my tongue and my hands to bring him to the brink.
“Dare, we’re at the point.”
I nodded and took him deeper. He let out a hiss, gripping my hair tighter, his hips bucking. I reached behind him and grabbed his ass to hold him still and then focused again on the task at hand.
“Fuck, Darien,” he hissed, and then his body went rigid as he came.
I grinned and made a smacking noise with my lips as I rose to my feet and kissed him quickly. “I love that.”
“I can tell.” He slid his hand to my neck and chuckled. “The lip smackin’ might be a bit much, though.”
“Nope, it’s about right.”
“Get your clothes off, baby... it’s my turn.”
“To return the favor?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“What? No, you don’t have to do that,” I droned sarcastically, deadpan.
Mack laughed and smacked my bottom, and I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
* * *
Something evil swirling in my stomach woke me at an ungodly hour, and I took several deep breaths, while shoving Mack’s arm away from my body. I shot out of bed and slid in front of the toilet just as I emptied said evil.
“Babe?” He gently pulled my hair back from my face. “You okay?”
“No, your child is killing me.” I didn’t look back at him, just spoke into the bowl. “Obviously.” My hair was released, I heard the faucet, and then Mack knelt beside me and laid a cool cloth on my forehead. I sighed. “That feels so nice.”
“When you feel like you can handle it...,” he stroked my cheek, “...I have some Sprite in the fridge and saltines ready for you.”
I licked my lips. “You bought saltines and pop?”
“And Ritz.”
I smiled. “I love you.”
“I know, baby. Come and see if we can’t get this under control.”
I stood slowly and flushed, then washed my hands and face, brushed my teeth, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail before I contemplated stepping away from the toilet.
I walked into the bedroom and sat in one of the chairs by the window where Mack had opened a Sprite and laid out some crackers. “Just sip, Dare.”
His over-protectiveness, although unnecessary, was sweet and made me feel squishy inside. He’d taken the time (and put thought into) buying things that are supposed to calm a pregnant woman’s morning sickness, and he was awake with me while I tried them.
After a couple of nibbles on a saltine square, the queasiness started to ebb a bit. I took another sip of pop and felt even better. Mack sat on the end of the bed and watched me as I smiled and drank a little more.
“Better?”
I nodded with a sigh. “Much.”
“You think you can sleep?”
I laid my hand on my belly. “As long as your little parasite can quit digesting all of the vitamins and minerals in my body for a few hours, yes.”
He slid off the bed and held out his hand, pulling me up and kissing me gently. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For going through all of this.” He stroked my cheek. “I love you.”
“Wow, that’s such a coincidence.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “Because I love you too.”
Mack grinned and took me back to bed.
* * *
Mack’s cell phone buzzed on the nightstand and he reached for it before he’d fully awoken. “Yeah?” he whispered.
“We got trouble,” Train said.
“Here?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, be right down.” He scrubbed his hands down his face and sat up.
“Honey?” Darien whispered, rolling over and reaching for him.
He pulled on jeans, T-shirt, and boots, and grabbed his gun. “No matter what you hear, you stay in this room with the door locked.”
She sat up with a gasp. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” Pulling open his nightstand, he grabbed his Glock. “I want you to keep this close.”
“No!” Darien argued, and jumped from the bed, holding her hands as though to ward off evil. “Ohmigod, Mack, I’ve never seen a gun in real life, let alone shot one.”
“You won’t need to shoot it, Darien... unless someone other than one of us comes in.”
“You’re freaking me out,” she snapped, and yanked on a pair of sweats.
Mack closed the distance between them and pulled her against him. “Just keep your wits about you and if someone comes in that is not one of the dogs, pick up the gun. The safety’s off, so don’t pull the trigger unless your life is threatened.”
“Oh, that’s helpful, honey, thank you,” she snapped.
Mack kissed her quickly and walked out the door, making sure it was closed, and listening for the top lock to click. He rushed downstairs and heard the distinct sound of Crow’s voice coming from the common room.
“I wanna know who let them in!” Crow bellowed.
“Put the gun down, Crow.”
“Shit,” Mack muttered to himself, and walked into the fray. Jaxon, Brock, and Dallas stood backs together, guns drawn, in an effort to protect themselves against no less than fifteen club members doing the same. “Crow.”
Crow spun, his gun raised, and he scowled. “What the fuck, Mack?”
“Put the gun down, Crow.” Mack holstered his own. “We’re tryin’ to sort this shit out with the Kozlovs’ and Brock and his team are helping make it permanent.”
“You think that might be something your Prez needs to fuckin’ know, Mack?” Crow snapped, lowering his gun, but keeping it cocked.
“Yeah, well, I was supposed to get a phone call before anyone came by,” Mack said to Jaxon.
“I called Carter and Aidan,” Jaxon said, unapologetically. “Neither of them picked up.”
“Yeah, well, Ace and Knight aren’t here,” Mack said. “Brothers, lower your guns. No one’s gettin’ shot today.”
Mack’s brothers lowered their guns, which meant Jaxon’s team did as well, and the situation was diffused... for now.
A phone pealed in the silence and Jaxon put his to his ear. “Yeah? Well, we’re here, where are you? Yeah, Carter, I told you we’d come by this morning if we had anything. Well, la dee fuckin’ da, little brother, I’m sorry you missed out on some beauty sleep.”
While Jaxon and Ace hashed it out, Mack texted Darien to let her know everything was okay and she could come down whenever she felt like it. She arrived a few minutes later, Barney in tow. She stalled when she entered the room, her head moving from Jaxon’s team to the Dogs.
Flick called Barney over and scooped him up before heading outside with him. Flick was one of the older members, a soldier through and through, with a failed marriage and four old ladies behind him. He wasn’t much for niceties or patience, but Darien’s dog had wrapped Flick around his paw so to speak and Mack found it hilarious.
Mack made his way to Darien, leaning down to kiss her gently. “How are you feeling?”
“A little nauseous and a lot confused.”
“We got some business to take care of.”
“I picked up on that,” she said. “Where’s Millie?”
“Upstairs.”
&nbs
p; Darien frowned and crossed her arms. “Is she allowed to come downstairs?”
“She is now that it’s safe.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Darien relaxed and bit her lip. “I thought something else.”
Mack chuckled. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”
She gave him a contrite smile. “Do you want some breakfast?”
“If you’re up to makin’ breakfast, babe, I’d love some.”
“I ate some crackers before I came down, which helped.”
“You gonna call the doctor today?”
She smiled, the one that made Mack want to take her back to bed for a few hours. “Yes, honey, I’ll call the doctor.”
“Thank you.” He leaned down and kissed her gently, and then let her go.
He took a minute to tell Train he could release Millie, and then joined the agents. Ace and Knight walked in a few minutes later and they headed back to the conference room.
I DECIDED TO make two large urns of coffee, figuring the men would be a while and would probably appreciate it being available. I knew for a fact they’d drink it, so I wasn’t worried about making too much.
“’Morning,” Millie said as she walked into the kitchen.
“Hey, honey. How did you sleep?” I hugged her with a smile.
“Honestly? Better.”
Millie had pulled her hair back into a bun and wore sweatpants and a tank under her zipped hoodie and she looked beautiful.
“Good.” I giggled. “Want to help me make breakfast?”
She glanced around the room. “Are we feeding an army?”
“Kind of. We’ve got about twenty guys here, either just because or dealing with your stuff.”
Millie blushed. “Shit, sorry, Dare.”
“Don’t be sorry, Mill. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
“I can do that all by myself.” She smiled. “It’s all good. What do you need me to do?”
“Do you want to make the eggs and I’ll handle the bacon and hash browns?”
“Sure.”
Millie stepped to the sink, washed her hands, and we worked on making the breakfast of bikers.
I’d mixed up pancakes, but decided I wouldn’t pour them on the griddle until I knew when the guys would actually eat. I texted Mack, didn’t hear back immediately, so figured they were in the thick of it.
Road to Passion Page 17
