Fuck me, I would miss that woman.
“I was hoping we could talk,” I said.
“I’ll bring the coffee into the other room, you two,” my mother said.
“Follow me, son. You can tell me how your latest job went,” my father said.
He led me into the sitting room and I sat with my back to the window. It was the safest place in the house, even though my entire back was exposed to the backyard. But I could see the reflection of what was behind me in the window beyond my father’s head.
The smile on his face made me want to strangle him with my bare hands.
“So, how did it go?” my father asked.
“No one was there, so I’m giving it a few minutes. I think they might be trying to intentionally duck you,” I said.
“What’s your move if they aren’t there when you go back?” he asked.
“I have a picture and a couple of numbers I can try. Figured a little bit of old school footwork might get me some answers.”
“I knew there was a reason I sent you on those jobs. You’ve made me proud, son.”
I would’ve vomited in my own lap had I been alone.
“Do you want to know how the new buyers are going?” he asked.
“Coffee!”
I smiled as my mother sat a tray of coffee, creamer, and sugar between myself and my father. My mother bent over to give me a hug and I kissed her, but it temporarily took my eyes off my coffee. I had to be on my guard every single second I was with Daddy dearest, so instead of drinking the coffee I merely allowed it to rest in my lap.
For all I knew he put something in it.
My mother left and I finally answered my father.
“I’m assuming it’s going well. Otherwise you’d be in a shit mood,” I said.
“Correct. Things are going well. We figured out who left us that little present as well.”
“Didn’t realize you were wasting manpower when you already know who your enemies are.”
“Apparently, there’s a local gang of thugs that the Steel Outlaws are using because they are too big of pussies to come here themselves. They felt they could them to send us a message.”
“Present? What do you mean?” I asked.
“One of newer guys went missing a few days back. Just finished being a prospect. Lanky kid. Couldn’t fight worth a damn, but a hell of a shot. He turned up on our doorstep a couple days ago.”
“Another body, Dad? Are you fucking serious?”
“Another day, another dawn,” he said. “Figured it was worth checking out since the signature was the same. Same brand with a note. It’s very movie-esque, if you ask me. Been watching too many black-and-whites.”
“You talk about this like it’s nothing. Two of our people are dead, Dad.”
“No. Eighteen people are dead.”
The smirk on my father’s face made my blood boil.
“You killed them?” I asked.
“One message for another. Really, I owed them two messages. Hence, the massacre. I think they got it, though.”
“You killed the other gang? All eighteen of them?”
“Sixteen. I counted the two bodies in there that were ours in that number.”
“Yet you don’t seem fazed at all.”
“Why should I? Men these days are tame with their messages. Back when my father ran this family, he took beatings. Real, bone-breaking beatings when people wanted to send messages. Torture was used then, not killing. Killing is easy. The torture is what’s hard to stomach for some men,” he said.
“But not you, I take it.”
He flashed me a smile before he took another sip of his coffee.
“Don’t like yours?” he asked.
“Not thirsty.”
“You might need the caffeine for all that… old-fashioned footwork.”
“I’ve got plenty of energy,” I said.
“So, what brings you to the house? Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Got plans. Sorry.”
“Then to what do your mother and I owe this rare and wonderful visit?”
“I’m giving you one last chance.”
I watched my father’s face fall as he set his coffee cup down.
“I don’t think you understand with whom you are speaking, son. I give out the chances in this family. Not you.”
“Not in this case. Let me go, or I’m leaving Seattle.”
My father’s eye twitched as he leaned forward. He was surprised that I wasn’t bringing up the threat. He placed his elbows on his knees like he always did whenever he was posturing. Trying to intimidate someone. But he didn’t intimidate me. He had ordered some prospect to walk into the workplace of the mother of my child and plant a note simply to scare her.
He wasn’t walking out the victor of this conversation.
“You listen here, boy, and you listen good. Your place is with this club, no matter what happens in your life. No matter what woman you are seeing. We raised you. We clothed you. We fed you. You owe us.”
“I owe you nothing. It wasn’t my choice to be born into this club or this family.”
“But it’s your responsibility to respect it,” my dad said.
“How can I respect a man who doesn’t once flinch while talking about senseless murder?” I asked.
“It’s wasn’t senseless!” my father exclaimed. “It was necessary!”
“Killing is never necessary. There’s always another way.”
“And if you want to run the club with your pussy-like antics, then that’s your prerogative. But so long as you work for me, you will know your place.”
“All I’m asking for is a chance to create a life of my own. A life I can be proud of.”
“A proud life starts with accepting what is given to you and not bitching about it,” he said.
I set my full cup of coffee on the table before I stood to my feet.
“Thank you for seeing me, dad.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going.”
“To do some old-fashioned footwork. There’s a man who owes you money who I believe is intentionally dodging you. Do you want me to continue to sit here and argue with an old man? Or do you want your money?” I asked.
My father clenched his jaw before he stood to his feet.
“Know your fucking place,” he said.
“Trust me. I do,” I said.
I strode out of the house and made a beeline for my bike. I knew he was probably yelling after me, but I didn’t care. The other guys were still sitting on their bikes waiting for instructions. I told them to head back to the mechanic shop. When they gave me confused looks, I told them this was a job I needed to do on my own. To prove to my father where my loyalty would always be. They seemed pleased enough with the answer, and if my father started hounding them on what was going on they would have a sufficient answer he would enjoy.
But once they were out of sight in the rearview mirror, I turned around and headed local bar downtown.
I sent a text message to Parker and told him we were out. I needed everything he could give me. I parked my bike behind a dumpster, hiding it from the road, so my father or another guy in the club couldn’t find out where I was.
When I got into the bar, I took the battery and SIM card out of my phone. I tossed the remains into the trash can and stuck the SIM card in my pocket. I wanted to make sure is was fried in a microwave before I left town with Reagan.
We would have to do the same with her cell phone.
I sat in a booth in the back, my leg jiggling as I waited for Parker. He had twelve minutes to get to me before I assumed he had been made. I kept looking at my watch and crossing my arms over my chest. It was torture. Waiting for him without a way to contact Reagan was nagging at me. Was she packing? Was she okay? How was the baby? Was she following orders the way I had laid them out on that sheet of paper? I raked my hand through my hair as my eyes gazed out the window, and I breathed a heavy sigh when I saw Parker wal
king up.
And not a second too late.
He walked into the bar and made a beeline for my booth. There was a waitress staring oddly at us, but Parker then flashed her a wad of cash. There was a lot of money in this if she kept her eyes away from us and diverted attention.
Women in bars like the one we were in were good about picking up on those types of signals.
“I have what you need,” Parker said.
“Are they complete?” I asked.
He slid me two folders with two names written on them I didn’t recognize.
“From now on, you’re Max Kelly, and the woman is Aurora Walsh.”
I opened up the folders and peeked inside at their contents.
“You both have driver’s licenses, passports, social security cards, and citizenship papers.”
“Forged?” I asked.
“No. That’s why this took me so long,” Parker said.
“Everything points to Dublin.”
“Welcome to Ireland,” he said.
“We have contacts there?” I asked.
“That we haven’t ruined, yes. There are people there who hate your father, so they admire you for getting away from him. I already have a house that is being set up for you, but that will take some time. There are instructions in your folder as to where I hid stashes of money for the two of you to use.”
“There’s money in the folders,” I said.
“You’ll need that to get by in Dublin until the house is complete. When you get to Dublin, keep your head down. There is a list of hotels that will look the other way at who you are until you can get your identities established. The citizenship is real and the identities are rooted. But you have to take the time to memorize them. Everything about your lives and backstories is different.”
“Thank you, Parker. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Getting through customs is going to prove to be a challenge.”
“You couldn’t secure a private plane?” I asked.
“Not if you want to be found by your father. Don’t worry. I have explicit instructions in your folder on how to walk you through the process.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I said. “For everything.”
“If I had the guts to get out like you were, I would. Even though Nova is away from here, I refuse to leave without her. You have the option to make a life for yourself. I’m glad I can help with that.”
“Aren’t you worried about getting caught? By my father?”
“I have plans in place. One of them is about to come up. Six minutes with you, and not a minute more. Give this wad of cash to the nice redhead with the blue eyes up front. And don’t look back.”
“Got it,” I said.
He shoved the wad of cash into my hand before he made his leave. I concealed the folders with my jacket, then buttoned myself up and left. I went by the redhead and placed the cash in her apron, her eyes wide as she watched. Then I headed out of the side door of the bar and flagged down a cab.
I hated that I had to run. My mother would forever grieve over the loss of me. My father would be irate and she would bear the brunt of the backlash, but I had no other choice. If my father wasn’t going to let me out and if he was going to try and leverage my unborn child against me, I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t continue to live the bloodied and murderous lifestyle my father attempted to get me to live.
I wanted something better than that for myself.
I ditched my bike behind the dumpster hoping that might throw my father off my trail.
I hailed a cab home and when we drove up the driveway and I was relieved to see the house hadn’t been locked down. I saw the curtain of my bedroom window fluttering with the movements of Reagan passing by. I gave the cab driver an extra hundred dollars to erase the fact that he had ever been here, and he seemed more than eager to do so.
Then he raced down the driveway and left with his tires squealing.
I walked up the porch and straight into the house. I made my way for the kitchen and threw my SIM card into the microwave. I saw Reagan’s phone lying on the counter and I picked it up, then did the same thing with it that I did with mine.
Battery out, SIM card in the microwave, and the rest in the trash.
“Maddox.”
I whipped around and saw Reagan running at me. She had tears in her eyes and her ankles were already swollen. I started the microwave and gathered her in my arms, watching as the sparks flew. Fifteen seconds was all it took to ruin a piece of technology like that forever. I walked her over to the microwave as she cried into my neck, then opened the door so flames wouldn’t start engulfing the house.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“How do you feel about Ireland?” I asked.
“Never been,” she said with a whisper.
“Then it’s time we get you there. Have you packed?”
Reagan looked up into my eyes and I saw her fear and pain swimming around behind her eyes.
“I have,” she said dejectedly.
“Good. I’ve already packed my stuff up in the garage. I packed all of the valuables from the house to sell when we get there for money and I have all the clothes packed that I want to take. All we have to do is get to the airport and purchase two one-way tickets to Ireland.”
“Tonight? We’re going tonight?” she asked.
“I won’t let anything happen to you or our child,” I said. “And if that means leaving tonight, then yes. We will leave tonight.”
I felt Reagan’s hands running up and down my chest as she processed what I was saying.
“I’m so overwhelmed.”
“I know you are,” I said.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“You leave that to me. All you have to do is what I ask. I’ll make the decisions from here on out if you want.”
“I can’t… I don’t-”
I silenced her words with a tender kiss and felt her fall into my body. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, steadying her morphing form against mine. Her lips were soft. Warm. Inviting, even though she was shaking. I picked her up around her waist, feeling the protrusion of her stomach press into my abs.
I could feel her tears dripping onto my cheeks as I carried her into the sitting room.
Reagan’s hands ran through my hair, sending shivers down my spine. I settled us onto the rug in front of the fireplace before I rose up from her body. Her tits were poking through the fabric of her work clothes and her chest was panting. Her lips were swollen from our contact and her cheeks were flushed with desire.
But it was the panic in her eyes that made me ache.
I reached back and flipped the switch that turned the gas fireplace on. The flames began to dance as I turned off all the lights in the room. I slid my suit coat from my shoulders and slowly began to undress before her eyes, taking my time so she could enjoy it.
I wanted to do everything I could to put a smile on her lips.
And when the last piece of my clothing fell to the floor, I saw that smile.
It was faint, and it was cordoned off by shadows, but it was there.
Chapter Twenty Three
Reagan
I watched Maddox bend down to me as I opened my arms for him. Even in the hardest of moments, that man could make me smile. And while his beautiful chiseled body glowed in the light of the fire roaring to keep us warm, it wasn’t his body that made me happy.
It was him and his want to do anything to take my mind off what was happening.
As crazy as everything felt, I wanted a family with him. My life had changed so drastically, and the only person who had been there through it all was Maddox. He supported me in every decision I had made, even if he didn’t agree with it. He never pushed me to do something I didn’t want to do and not once did he try to argue with me in order to change my mind. He was a strong, steadfast man, who wanted a better life for all of us.
And I wanted to help him keep our child safe.
His lips fell to mine as my hands slid up his back. Every single muscle twitched for me as my skin touched his. His tongue massaged the roof of my mouth. The side of my cheek. Our teeth grazed together as my head tilted off to the side. I could feel my body rising to the occasion. I could feel my pussy beginning to heat. His hands ran down my sides and slid up my shirt, cupping my clothed breasts.
But I wanted to feel his body against mine.
I wanted to feel him rock against my skin.
I rolled us over and straddled his hips as a glimmer of mischievousness rose in his eyes. I allowed my clothes to fall to the floor, peeling them off me as Maddox watched. His hands rose to cup my breasts, falling to my hips and massaging my bare thighs. I dipped my lips down to kiss him. To press my chest to his so I could feel him strength humming for me.
But he flipped us back over before he removed my panties.
His lips fell to my ankle and kissed up my calf. My thigh. My hip. He nipped and sucked, drawing moans from my throat as my hands curled into his hair. I could feel my arousal already dripping down my ass crack. Pouring for him as my body yearned to get him closer to me.
“Maddox,” I said breathlessly.
“Reagan.”
His lips hovered over mine as his body sank between my legs. I could feel his cock throbbing against me. Painting the skin of my leg with his dripping precome. Our noses nuzzled together and my heart filled with all the joy in the world. I felt like I was going to burst. Like my smile was going to jump right off my body and go find a place to grow bigger and stronger than ever before.
Then, the words slipped from between my lips.
“I love you,” I said.
My eyes connected with his and a shock rolled over his features. His hand rose up to brush the hair from my face as his thumb traced my cheek. Tears rose to my eyes as the silence grew longer between us.
Then, without warning, Maddox buried his cock between my legs.
I arched into him, my nails digging into his back. His lips crashed to mine as our tongues began battle. His hips rolled and mine bucked. Our bodies moved as one as his cock filled parts of me he’d never touched before. I felt his aching desire pooling between my legs. I felt his precome slicking my walls. He pulsed against my pussy as his trimmed curls raked my clit, jolting my legs and curling my toes.
Baby and the Biker: The Ghost Riders MC Page 14
