Bloodlines: Sin City Outlaws (Book #5)

by Forgy, M. N.

  Simone growls, rounding the island in the kitchen.

  “Come on poop princess, it’s time for a bath,” Simone sighs.

  “I’ll get the baby bath filled, though you might think about getting in the big tub in with her.” I scrunch my nose at her, the smell of cooling milk not pleasant.

  Simone

  Laying Catori down in her crib in my old room, I turn the baby monitor on and slowly step out.

  “She’s asleep,” I breathe heavily. I could use a nap, maybe some wine, but tonight me and Mac have plans to just relax. Just us. I can stay awake.

  “Nice. I’m going to run and get our dinner, Jillian is going to come up and keep you company until I get back,” Mac informs, slipping his arms through his leather cut. I haven’t seen him put it on in over a week. Seeing the dark leather claim his back makes him look dangerous and sexy.

  His hair is slicked back with just a few strands falling in his face. A dark blue shirt and black jeans hugging his legs well.

  “Stop looking at me like that, woman. We have three weeks before I get to fuck you, and it’s killing me.” I jump, startled I was caught staring like a horny woman. He hands me the remote, his eyes hooded. “Find a movie for us but make it a good one.”

  “What’s a good one?” I frown.

  “I don’t know, not a chick flick.” He shrugs. “Anything besides Baby Genius, please.”

  I laugh at his dramatic tone. Mac read that Baby Genius is great for soothing newborns, so we’ve been watching a lot of that lately.

  It puts me to sleep.

  A knock at the door has Mac turning around to answer it and I flip the TV on to see what movie to buy.

  “Hey, thanks for coming,” Mac says.

  “Are you kidding, I could use a break myself. I have two kids, you have one.” The familiar voice of Jillian sounds from behind me.

  Dropping the remote on the couch, I turn around to greet her.

  “Hey!” I smile.

  She has her hair up in a messy bun, a white shirt, and gray sweats with white shoes. She looks comfy, which is good because I didn’t dress up for company. I’m wearing one of Mac’s torn rock band shirts, and a pair of sweatpants myself.

  “Where is the baby?” She grins wildly. The woman has baby fever bad, I bet she’s fucking Zeek like crazy.

  “Catori,” Mac reminds her of the name and Jillian scowls in response.

  “She’s asleep, but I’m sure she’ll be awake soon,” I explain, pointing to Catori’s room.

  “Still not sleeping through the night?”

  “Not at all,” I sigh.

  “All right, I’m out.” He points at Jillian. “Watch everything.”

  “Go, everything will be fine!” she insists, waving him off.

  Mac gives me a kiss on the lips, nipping at my bottom lip.

  “I’ll be right back.” He winks, and my chest swells. I want to tell him to hurry back, but I want him to enjoy his ride.

  Both of us girls sit on the couch, and Jillian begins to explain when she had her twins, it was a nightmare. No sleeping, bathing, or sex.

  I shake my head. “I couldn’t imagine having two babies at once.”

  Then again, seeing I can’t have any more kids I guess I’ll never know.

  We grow silent, and she rests her arm on the back of the couch.

  “You know, I have to be honest. I never thought Mac would settle down. Then again, I’ve never seen Mac the way he is around you.” Her brows raise.

  Poking the stray string from the couch I laugh nervously.

  “He wasn’t a ray of sunshine when I met him, trust me.” I recall how crude he was, and how we fought constantly. I don’t really know what to say about Mac. When we met he was quiet and brooding, but slowly he came around and I see parts of him nobody sees.

  “How’d you and Zeek meet?” I ask, curious how she tamed the Outlaw of all Outlaws.

  She looks at the ceiling, her mouth open as she begins to tell me. “Uh, well. I tried to arrest him.”

  My eyes widen, a laugh ripping through my throat.

  “I would have paid to have seen that.” I can’t imagine someone the size of Jillian trying to take Zeek down.

  “It didn’t go so well.” She giggles with a scrunched face.

  “I bet not. So how’d the club take it when they found out about you two?” I can’t help but get the scoop, I live for gossip. I mean a sheriff and a biker, that is as taboo as it gets!

  “They hated me, but they came around because Zeek made them,” she shrugs.

  Knocking on the door has us both frown.

  “Someone else coming?” Jillian asks.

  I shake my head. “No, last person that showed up uninvited was one of Mac’s hos.” My tone painted with hatred.

  Jillian suddenly stands, her body going into defense.

  “Well, I’m a pro at telling hos off. Let me take care of it.”

  Jillian stands, and heads to the front door. Grasping the baby radio, I lift it to my ear to check on Catori, but I don’t hear anything. She’s still sleeping.

  Standing, I take the opportunity to go to the bathroom while Jillian tells off whoever is at the door. Shutting the door behind me, I sit on the cold toilet seat and do my business. My bleeding has let up a lot, so I’m down to normal pads now. Which is great because the other pads made it hard to walk.

  A bump in the other room makes the picture on the bathroom wall shake.

  Narrowing my brows, I nervously squeeze the toilet paper in my hand.

  “Jillian?”

  Nothing.

  Wiping, I quickly stand, and hurry out of the bathroom to see what’s going on. The front door is open, and nobody is in the living room.

  My head snaps in the direction of the baby’s room.

  “Catori…” I breathe with panic. Racing to her room, I shove the door open, not caring if I wake her. Standing next to her crib is Veer. I gasp, my knees wobbling at the sight of the man that keeps me awake at night has Jillian at gunpoint. On the floor next to them is another gun, it must have been what the commotion was about. Jillian tried to fight him off.

  My chest trembles as a ragged breath gets caught in my throat. Veer is just as intimidating as I remember. His shadow on the bedroom floor creeping around my legs and stealing the very breath from my lungs.

  29

  Simone

  Veer’s white button-up shirt is without so much as one wrinkle, and his black slacks perfectly fitted.

  He runs the hand holding the gun over his black hair, a blinding smile punching me in the stomach.

  I turn quickly to grab my phone off the charger on the side table just outside the room, and Veer tsks, halting me.

  “Looking for this?” He has my pink iPhone dangling from his hands. He drops it to the floor and slams the heel of his leather shoe right into the screen. Cracking it into pieces.

  Fuck.

  “I’ve been looking for you, Simone.”

  “How did you find me?” I can’t help but ask, anger and terror battling in my chest.

  “Well, it wasn’t easy. I came here first and killed one lover only to find you not here. Then I went to the other lover from a different club, to find out you weren’t there either. “But alas a broken-hearted cop reached out in attempt to hire me to do her dirty work to off an entire club, and in return, she’d give me your whereabouts, but she went missing before we could become accomplices. So,” he takes a deep breath, looking back into the crib. “Good ol’ birth records gave me everything I needed to find you in the end.”

  “Please, don’t hurt her,” I plead, my eyes filling with tears. My body trembles and the fear in my chest is so heavy I can hardly breathe.

  His head snaps in my direction, the disgusted look pulling at his face makes my knees tremble with fear.

  “Hurt her? She shouldn’t be here, Simone! You broke the unwritten laws of our marriage agreement! You made me look like an idiot!” His face turns red, his voice shouting. That’
s when I realize this is all about pride and he’s not going anywhere without me by his side.

  I’m a statement, and he’ll stop at nothing to show everyone he knows that he’s a man of his word. I hang my head, knowing if I fight him he’ll kill anyone in his way.

  “Please, if you just let her go… I’ll- I’ll go with you.” A tear slips down my cheek. The idea of not having Catori in my life seems bleak, but I’d rather not have her next to me, than her be gone forever.

  “Simone!” Jillian hisses, but I can’t look her in the eyes. She doesn’t understand, if I don’t willingly go with him, he will kill Catori and her. I can’t let anyone else die because of me.

  “Where is your mother? Is she here?” He changes the subject, throwing me for a loop. Like my submission means nothing to him.

  “Wh-what? No,” I reply confused.

  His face turns toward mine, his dark snake eyes causing a chill to race up my neck.

  “When I killed your father, she ran. I figured she’d be with you. She deserves to die for your betrayal,” he sneers.

  “You- you killed my father?” The words sound foreign spilling from my lips. My actions have caused so much spilled blood.

  A maniacal laugh wracks his whole body, the sound making my limbs shake with terror.

  “He let you become a whore! I don’t take breaking a contract lightly,” he growls. As if I’m not a person but an object. “You’re mine, and you will learn how to be my wife if I have to beat it into you. You will redeem my last name with honor!”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you!” Jillian seethes through gritted teeth. He waves the gun at her, but she seems unfazed by the threat. Her face lax and eyes conveying boredom.

  “Jillian,” I warn. She has no idea what kind of man she’s dealing with, Veer will shoot her without warning.

  Her eyes fall to the gun on the floor and a fearing chill bumps up my back.

  She dives to the floor reaching for the spare gun, and Veer jerks as a loud boom echoes through the room. Jillian’s body suddenly going limp. Oh my God, he shot her. Catori cries, and I scream at Jillian’s lifeless body on the floor. Reaching for the wall to hold me up, I try and hold in my sob.

  “You didn’t have to do that!” My voice cracks.

  “Yeah, but she was really getting on my nerves,” he chuckles. Not able to take my eyes off Jillian, blood begins to stain the surrounding carpet under her body. Her back rises taking in a shallow breath. Oh my God, she’s alive.

  Shaky movements, I fall to Jillian’s side, trying to turn her over to see where she’s been shot.

  “You’re okay,” I lie. I have no idea. All I can think about is how cold and shaky I suddenly am. Her thigh has a massive amount of blood dripping out of a hole in her sweatpants. That’s where she’s been shot. Looking on the other side of her leg there’s no exit wound.

  I did enough in medical school to know that if I don’t slow this bleeding down, Jillian won’t make it long enough for Mac to find her.

  Ripping Mac’s shirt, I attempt to wrap her leg tightly with it. My hand under her thigh, Jillian grips my fingers and I freeze from her sudden strength. My eyes dart to hers, and she nods, shoving something into my palm.

  Spreading my gaze across her limp body to my hand I realize she’s giving me her phone.

  Veer looks at Catori, his gun waving around and I quickly shove the phone down my shirt.

  Maybe I can get a break to call Mac and tell him where I am, or maybe he can use one of his computer programs he loves so much to trace it.

  “Get up!” Veer suddenly barks, and I jump where I kneel. His voice shrill and terrifying.

  “Get up, or I will pull this fucking trigger!” he threatens, turning the gun to the crib. A blood-curdling scream makes my throat raw. Instantly, I climb to my feet, my hands outstretched to stop him from pulling the trigger.

  “Please don’t, I’m up and listening,” I cry in a hoarse voice. I’ll do anything for him not to hurt Catori. Anything.

  “You made a fool out of me,” he seethes. His hand tightening around the trigger of the gun. “Look at her, she’s not even full Native American!” he insults.

  “Stop!” I scream. “Don’t hurt her. I know, I’m sorry. Just, please. Let’s go,” I coax, waving him toward the door. Trying to get him away from the crib and away from my baby girl.

  He looks at Catori with disgust, and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. Doom swallowing any hope that Mac and Catori sparked in my cold heart that my life may be different. He’s going to kill her and if he does, he might as well kill me too. I’ve caused so much chaos with my actions, ruined lives even. But losing my little girl will put a bullet through my brain. I’ll be a living vegetable. Breathing, but not surviving.

  “Please Veer, I will go with you if you just let her live. She doesn’t have anything to do with my betrayal,” I explain. “She’s just a baby.”

  Scratching his temple with the barrel of the gun, he contemplates my offer. Looking at Catori as if she is a baby for the first time rather than a bastard child.

  “You want to go with me?” God no, but I will go anywhere if it means Catori is safe.

  “Yes, let’s go. We can get married, we can still do everything you wanted. Just let her go.” Every word is sharp glass to my throat, but I’m scared to death he’ll hurt my little girl if I say the wrong thing.

  Waving the gun from the crib, he points it at me and I freeze.

  “Get your shoes on. We’re going home. Wife.”

  Vomit fills my mouth hearing him call me wife. Swallowing, eyes teary, I glance at the crib.

  “Can I say goodbye?”

  He looks at the crib before finally nodding.

  Quickly, I erase the space between me and crib. Catori’s in a pink elephant sleeper, crying hysterically. Placing my palm on her chest, she begins to calm down. I situate the purple dragon next to her, and she settles.

  “Hey there,” I whisper. “You be strong, okay?” I sob, trying to paint her face to memory. The smell of her baby soap, and the feel of her heart beating against my palm. I impregnate my mind with every detail of my little girl.

  Tears down her face, she looks up at me and it brings me back to when my mother had to walk away from me for my own good. Ordering me to run for my life. I wonder if it was just as hard for her as it is for me.

  “I’m doing this for your own good, but know that I love you, and always will.” My voice wavers, tears slipping down my chin and dripping on her bedding.

  “Time’s up, let’s go. We’ll have babies. Children meant to be in this world.” He growls, and I squeeze my eyes shut, the truth of me having a hysterectomy on the tip of my tongue.

  If I tell him, it will just make everything worse. I need to control myself and get him away from Catori.

  He tugs on my arm, pulling me away from the crib. I step over Jillian lying on the floor and find my shoes next to the couch. Slipping them on one by one with trembling hands.

  Mac will look for me, and if he can’t rescue me, he will be the best dad to Catori any girl could ask for.

  My heart breaks in my chest, and I can’t breathe. I feel lightheaded, as if someone is squeezing the life from my chest with their bare hands.

  Snot and tears dripping down my face I remind myself I’m doing this for Catori.

  Looking at the lamp on the side table, thoughts about bashing it against Veer’s head wavers in my mind, but one wrong move and he’ll kill Catori for sure.

  I can’t risk it.

  Standing, I lift my chin, trying to be strong like my mother.

  Letting my daughter and Mac go is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Like a little kid lifting the lid to a jar full of beautiful rare butterflies.

  Mac

  Shoving the grease stained bag of Chinese food in my saddle bag, I listen to Machete go on about how him and Raven have been fucking like mental patients gone wild. With his red hair flying in the wind he looks mental right now.


  “I tied her to the bed and painted a picture with hot wax on her back and if she guessed the picture wrong, she got a spanking.” Machete slapped his palm with his other hand, a wild grin on his face.

  I just shake my head. They’re into some kinky shit.

  Straddling my motorcycle seat, I start it and rev it up. Excitement buzzes through me needing the silence and solace the wind and the motor of my motorcycle have to offer, along with my brother by my side on the black pavement. It’s a peace I can’t explain.

  The warm air of the summer feels good against my sweaty skin, every time we hit a stop light, my boots on the ground to balance myself, beads of sweat instantly form on my back. I need it though, it’s better than the air conditioner of the suite.