Fuck him.
They were all probably wondering why Jewel wasn’t coming along. They all probably thought D didn’t want her on the run. Probably thought he was being a complete asshole and excluding her. Which was far from the truth. But he wasn’t going to explain himself.
“Think you’re gettin’ the evil eye from most of the women.”
“Yeah,” D grunted.
“Shoulda asked her,” Hawk suggested.
Maybe that was his mistake, he didn’t ask, he told her she was coming.
Even so, she needed to listen to him. Ol’ lady or not.
She needed to understand she’d never become an ol’ lady if she didn’t obey her man.
D looked up the line of bikes. Almost everyone was here this morning. Even the prospects. The lineup included almost twenty bikes. Because of that, they’d need to keep a tight formation and run double.
Jag was good at organizing the runs and that’s why he’d been unanimously voted in as Road Captain for the past few years. Grizz used to do it, but with his arthritis, bursitis and every other itis that ailed him, he and Mama Bear didn’t always participate anymore.
But as much as the old man griped about Mama the other day, she was there, ready to ride. And so was Pierce’s ol’ lady, Randi.
The executive committee still needed to find the time to sit down and talk about ousting his ass. They needed a solid plan.
Without warning, his mother was standing next to him, giving him a look. D groaned silently. His gaze caught Hawk’s, who was turning away to hide his laughter. Kiki just gave him a big smile, then turned away, too.
What the fuck.
“D...”
“Ma,” he warned.
“Heard you’re getting serious with Jewel...”
Jesus fuck.
“Heard wrong.”
She lifted her brows like she didn’t believe him. “Your father says your bike’s in the pawn shop’s lot every morning and has been for a while. Sounds serious to me.”
“Ma,” he warned again. He wasn’t going to discuss his sex life with his mother. Over his mother’s shoulder he spotted Ace lifting his arms and shrugging in his direction. A lot of help he was.
Jesus fuckin’ Christ. Did the women sic his own mother on him?
“Jewel’s a gem,” she said then laughed at her own joke. “She’d be great for you to settle down with.”
“Ma!” he barked.
But that did no good because she kept going, “You find the right woman and look what happens...” Janice waved an arm toward Hawk. “Look how happy your brother is.”
“Pussy whipped,” D said under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothin’. Ma, seriously, not havin’ this conversation with you.”
“I was just telling Ace now that Z’s married and Sophie’s pregnant, the next generation of Dirty Angels has begun. The seal has been broken.”
He gave his mother a frown. Jesus. His mother thought the “seal” being broken meant everyone was going to start popping out kids.
“Not in the cards for me, Ma,” D assured her.
“Bullshit, D. Jewel would make a great mother. And wife,” she added. “Plus, she grew up in this lifestyle so she understands it. She’s your perfect mate,” she stated, then turned and walked away.
What the fuck. He didn’t need a “mate.” Perfect or otherwise. His mother had gone off the fucking deep end.
He’d never given her any indication that he would ever “settle down.” Just the thought made his chest tight and his stomach churn.
Live free. Die free.
Women were clingers and nags. And he did not need that in his life.
Fuck no, he didn’t.
Jesus fuck, they needed to get the hell out of there. He needed to feel the wind on his face and hear the roar of the sleds in his ears. He needed to think about nothing but the road ahead of him.
Keep it simple.
Fuck.
“Jag! Let’s hit the fuckin’ road,” Diesel bellowed toward the head of the formation. What should be an enjoyable ride was already turning into a shit show and they hadn’t even left the lot yet.
Just then, a vehicle came rounding the building into the lot. D twisted his head and noticed it was Jewel’s. She must have come to her fucking senses.
Thank fuck.
She pulled her Jeep close to the lineup and as soon as it rolled to a stop, Diamond climbed out of the passenger side.
What the hell? Why was Diamond here?
As Slade broke away from a few of the other brothers, Jewel’s sister rushed up to him and he snagged her waist, pulling her tight against him. She gave him a huge smile and giggled.
Diamond giggled.
What. The. Fuck.
His head spun toward Hawk. “Know ‘bout this?”
Hawk shook his head. “No fuckin’ clue.”
“Not likin’ this,” D grumbled.
“Not sure you gotta say,” Hawk answered and mounted his sled, Kiki quickly climbing on behind him.
Jag yelled out, “Okay, now everyone’s here, mount up, we’re headin’ out.”
D turned his attention back to Jewel’s four-by-four and waited for her to get out to join him.
She didn’t. She sat in her Jeep with her head turned to watch her sister get on the back of Slade’s sled.
The rumble of the engines and straight pipes filled the chilly air. D hadn’t moved toward his yet.
“Comin’, brother?” Hawk yelled over the noise.
He nodded but didn’t move, nor did he look at his brother. His gaze was pinned on Jewel sitting in her jeep. He could only see the back of her head.
And still, he waited.
She was going to get out of her vehicle and join him any minute now. Especially since she had rousted herself from bed and saw all the women who were going on the run.
She’d want to join them. Join him.
For some fucking reason, she wasn’t getting out of her Wrangler.
So he waited longer.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jag look his way in confusion. Then after a quick glance at Hawk, Jag lifted his hand and circled it. Giving his bike gas, he circled the lot and headed out, the line of bikes and their riders following him.
“Comin’, D?” Hawk shouted again.
His gaze slid to his brother. “Yeah, I’ll catch up,” he shouted back. Hawk pulled his skull bandana up over his lower face, pulled down his goggles, gave him a chin lift, twisted his throttle, and then he, with his woman hugging his back, rolled out.
The parking lot now was deserted, the rumble of the Harleys fading more and more every second he didn’t move.
He finally unfroze his feet and stalked to the driver’s side of her Jeep, which was still running.
Jewel rolled her window down, her stomach churning as Diesel stared down at her, looking a bit grumpy.
“Ain’t gettin’ out,” he grumbled.
“Nope. I’m not coming. Di called me last minute since her car had a flat. She told Slade she’d meet him here, so she asked if I could do her a favor and drop her off.”
She knew it was going to be a bad idea for her to show up at church to drop off her sister, but Diamond had begged. Slade had asked her if she wanted to come along and she was excited about riding on the back of his bike.
And Slade was hot, so Jewel didn’t blame her sister for being thrilled about the invitation. Plus, Diamond seriously needed to get laid, so Jewel hoped that would work out. If sleeping with Slade would take some of the sting out of Diamond, then he would become the club hero.
“Got outta bed an’ came here for Diamond.”
“Yes, because she’s my sister and she needed my help.” And the bitch needed to get laid so the world would be a better place again.
“Couldn’t get outta fuckin’ bed to come on the run with me.”
Shit. Did she actually hurt his feelings? No. Couldn’t be. That meant he actually had some. “I w
as out of bed, D. I went back to bed because I told you I’m not coming on the run with you. I made that clear.”
“Woman,” he growled.
“We already had this conversation. Now I’m heading back home.”
“The fuck you are, woman. Dressed. Here. No reason not to go.”
“Yes, I’m going to go as in go home.”
Diesel closed his eyes for a moment, and if she leaned out of the window she was pretty sure she’d see his hands balled into fists.
She was pushing his buttons, she knew. But she was trying to make a point.
Most of the DAMC women fought against becoming ol’ ladies and here she was, fighting to become one. Of course, she had to pick the most stubborn shit out of all of them to do that with.
But, now, there was no one else but Diesel for her and she doubted there would be again. The heart wanted what the heart wanted.
What a stupid fucking saying that was. But unfortunately it was true.
Only, she wished her heart had picked someone more easygoing. Less pigheaded. More loving. But then D wouldn’t be D. He’d be totally different and she’d probably want nothing to do with him.
Diesel ripped open her car door and for a moment when he leaned into the Jeep, she thought he was going to physically pick her up and haul her over to his bike.
And she was certainly not dressed warm enough for a long bike run in this weather.
But instead, he turned the ignition key to off and yanked it out, tossing it onto her lap. With a hand gripping her upper arm firmly, he said, “Get on my sled.”
If she had been smart, she should have just dropped Diamond off in the front lot of The Iron Horse and made her walk around back. D never would’ve known she was there. And then they wouldn’t be in their second standoff of the day.
But it was too late for that. Even so, she was determined not to give in to his demands.
“No,” Jewel said softly. She needed to stay strong.
Stick to your guns.
But, if she was honest with herself, there was really nothing more that she wanted but to cling to D’s back as they went on a club run. She wanted to be on the back of his bike with her arms wrapped around him. But not in the capacity that he wanted her there...
As his regular piece, and not his ol’ lady.
And to her there was a big difference. Maybe other women didn’t care, Jewel did.
She wasn’t asking for a ring; she wasn’t asking for a wedding. She wasn’t asking for a white picket fence. She only wanted Diesel to claim her as his. And not just when he was fucking her. She wanted to be claimed at the table.
And, for fuck’s sake, she had no idea why this was so important to her.
It shouldn’t be. In the real world, being an ol’ lady meant nothing. Here, in her world—hell, their world—it meant everything. At least, to her.
It meant more to her than anyone would ever know or could understand.
And he needed to understand that, too.
“Woman,” his chest heaved suddenly as if he was struggling to breath, “get on the back of my bike.”
Jewel closed her eyes slowly, let the burn in her stomach subside and tried to control the quiver of her lower lip when she said, “I’m not your ol’ lady, D.”
She couldn’t see it on his face but she could hear the anger mixed with what sounded like desperation in his voice. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Jewel, get the fuck on my bike.”
“Diesel, no. I’m not your ol’ lady.” This time she said it loudly, more firmly. She wasn’t going to bend to his will, to be broken.
She sucked in air, trying to fight the instinct to just do what he said, to make it easy on herself. Make it easy on him. But she couldn’t.
Because if she did, she lost. She would never get what she wanted from him.
No. Needed.
His words came rough, low, gravelly. “Last time, woman. Get—”
She snapped. “No, Diesel!” Her eyes popped open. “I’m not your ol’ lady!”
His face turned hard, his eyes like coal, his jaw tight. He reached into the Jeep and grabbed her other arm.
When he started to drag her out of her seat, she shouted the first word that exploded through her head. “Beast!”
D froze, his nostrils flared, his eyes blinked slowly.
He released her so quickly it was like he had touched lava. He jerked himself two steps back, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he practically panted. A look Jewel didn’t recognize crossed his face and he shook his head, as if to clear it.
Without another word, he stiffly spun on his heel and stalked to his bike. After swinging a leg over, he kicked it to a start and heeled the stand up. He never looked her direction again.
She watched him tear out of the lot, his Harley’s engine roaring. The longer Jewel sat there, the more the sound drifted off until she could no longer hear him.
She needed to move. She needed to leave in case he came back angrier than ever.
She’d return later, when the run was over and everyone came back to party. He’d be cooled off by then.
Hopefully.
If not, she may very well be sleeping by herself tonight. And that was the last thing she wanted.
As much as she wanted Diesel, as much as she loved him, she really needed him to feel the same way.
Chapter Fifteen
Jewel was halfway up the steps to her apartment when her cell phone dinged.
She paused and read the text.
Yo! Diesel wiped out his sled. All fucked up. Askin 4 ya.
What the fuck!
Her heart raced as she reread the text. The only problem was she had no idea who sent it to her.
This Slade? she quickly texted back. She didn’t have his number programmed into her phone yet. So, it would make sense that his would come up “unknown.” And Diamond had been with him, so maybe she made him text her.
Her phone dinged again. Yeah.
Holy fuck. Her mind spun and she felt panic seep into her bones. She wondered how hurt he was.
Where, she texted back. Running down the steps, she rushed back to her car, fumbling with the key fob as she tried to unlock her door. Finally, the locks beeped and she jerked the door open and climbed in.
She still needed an address. Her phone dinged again.
Church was the one-word answer.
Fuck. If he was hurt, why didn’t they take him to the hospital?
She turned the key in the ignition and her Jeep roared to life. After shoving the shifter into reverse, she texted, how bad? Because she needed to know.
Hurry was the only answer she got. With a shaking hand, she shoved the gearshift into first gear and popped the clutch, spinning the tires as she raced out of the pawn shop lot and headed back to church.
Within ten minutes, she was hauling ass through the front lot of The Iron Horse, around the side of the building and through the open gate to the back lot of the clubhouse. She slammed on the brakes and her Wrangler skidded to a stop.
What the hell? The lot was empty.
Not one bike, and a few empty vehicles still sat where they had been left earlier before the run. She shoved her Jeep into neutral and jammed her foot on the emergency brake.
Maybe they left and took him to the hospital. Which was something they probably should’ve done in the first place.
A chill ran through her. Something wasn’t right.
She couldn’t place what it was. Maybe someone had been left behind to give her an update and were waiting for her inside.
Though, they should have called or texted first. She picked up her phone and saw she didn’t miss any calls or texts on the ride over.
When she glanced back up, she screamed. A head appeared in her window. One she didn’t recognize.
Before she could hit the automatic door locks, her door flung open. “Diesel’s ol’ lady?”
What?
“You Diesel’s ol’ lady?”
Who the fuck was that? He wor
e no colors. Maybe he was a new hang-around? “Is he okay?”
“No. Needs you.”
“How bad is he? Where’s he at?”
“Lemme drive,” the guy demanded.
What? “Uh, no.” This guy was creeping her out. He looked like a biker, he talked like a biker, but he didn’t wear a cut. He definitely wasn’t DAMC. And hang-arounds weren’t allowed at the club without a club member.
“Yeah, get out an’ lemme drive.”
What the hell was going on? “Who the fuck are you?”
“Get out!” the guy screamed, leaning into her vehicle.
Jewel smashed the clutch to the floor and before she could shove the Jeep into first gear, she was dragged out of the Jeep and thrown to the ground. She landed on her hands and knees on the pavement.
Holy fuck! This is what happened to Kiki!
When she tried to push to her feet, she flinched as something flew toward her head.
A boot, was her last thought, then everything went black.
Diesel followed the line of bikes back into the parking lot. One by one they parked and everyone dismounted. He shut his bike down then crab-walked it backward into an open spot between Hawk’s and Zak’s sleds and kicked the stand down.
After ripping the goggles off his head, he tugged his bandana down as he watched Kiki stand in front of his brother’s bike stretching her legs and arching her back.
“Sore?” Hawk asked her.
Kiki rubbed her ass. “Ass hurts,” she answered with a smile. Hawk let out a low chuckle.
D had a flashback from this morning. He and Jewel practically had the same conversation, though for quite a different reason.
His temper had cooled off twenty minutes into the run. And after an hour, his thoughts had cleared.
The second hour into the long ride through the back roads of southwestern Pennsylvania, reality had fucking hit him. By the third hour, he knew what he needed to do about Jewel.
And, fuck him, he had expected to clear his head on that ride, not complicate his life.
But that’s exactly what happened.
The fourth hour made him anxious to return and find her ass, tell her what he decided and judge her reaction to what he had to say.
Down & Dirty: Diesel (Dirty Angels MC Book 4) Page 17
