It hadn’t been said out loud but David and Dagmar had silently managed to get into a routine. They spent every minute possible together, David even picking Dagmar up from the hospital or dropping her off for her shifts. He didn’t even blink when it was an inconvenience for him; Dagmar wasn’t about to argue with it.
In spite of herself saying she wasn’t prepared for a relationship, Dagmar had found herself drifting into one with David. David made her feel comfortable and safe, treating her like a queen. And even if she knew it was wrong and she should walk away before things got too bad, Dagmar didn’t think she could give up the sex. That part was just too delicious to give up.
“What?” Brittany looked startled at this comment. “I didn’t know you two were in a relationship.”
“I don’t know if we are, if I’m honest.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“We haven’t declared anything officially. But David asks if I want to come over and I think ‘why not?’ One thing leads to another despite myself telling it not to. Now I’ve just let it happen.”
Chapter 10
“You’re sleeping together?” Brittany squeaked. She looked like she had seen a ghost. “Aren’t you afraid he’s going to make you another notch?”
“No, I’m not.” Dagmar was surprised to find that she wasn’t afraid. “Despite the status of being a ‘bad boy’ – God, I hate that phrase – he’s actually a decent man. He just hides behind that status he made so he doesn’t get hurt. The man’s actually a teddy bear.”
“I wouldn’t know about that,” Brittany said faintly. “I thought you didn’t want a relationship after Jeremy.”
“I don’t know if it will go anywhere but if it does, I’ll go with it.”
“Oh.”
Then Dagmar saw Brittany’s expression. She was white and looked like she had shellshock.
“Are you okay, Brittany? You’ve gone pale.”
“What?” Brittany blinked and looked a little lost. Then she shook herself and coughed. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just a little rundown, that’s all. Even with the rest, a baby is still very hard work.”
“I know about that and I don’t even have kids.”
Brittany laughed but it sounded hollow. What had just happened to her? Before Dagmar could ask, the younger woman grabbed Rachelle and scooped her up, standing up and hurrying towards the door.
“I need to go and feed Rachelle. See yourself out, won’t you?”
“What…?”
But Brittany was gone. She couldn’t need to feed Rachelle, she only did it an hour ago and Rachelle didn’t look grouchy at all. What had just happened?
Dagmar was still staring at the door when the front door closed and Nick entered the living room moments later. He looked exhausted and was already unbuttoning his shirt, tugging his tie off.
“God, one of these days I’m going to tell the management where to shove it.”
“What? You’re the one who wanted to work with computers.”
“I did but why do I have to wear suits? Nobody sees me.”
“You look smart.” Dagmar stood and walked to him with a smile. “And you look pretty good in a suit.”
“Uh-huh.” Nick hugged her, kissing her cheek. “And I bet David looks pretty good out of a suit as well.”
Dagmar rolled her eyes and slapped his shoulder.
“Cheeky bastard.”
“Where’s Brittany?”
“She went to feed Rachelle.” Dagmar walked with Nick to the couch and they both sat. “Is she okay lately?”
“Why?”
“She acted rather strangely just now. I wondered if she was all right.”
Nick sighed heavily, tugging the bootlace out of his hair and flopping back on the cushions.
“I don’t know what’s going on with her. She’s not been talking to me.”
“What?” Dagmar was confused. “But she said you two had spent some quiet time together without the children. I thought things were good between you.”
“They are.” Nick made a face. “Until she shouted out David’s name during sex. That was last week. Now she refuses to talk to me about it.”
That had Dagmar’s mouth dropping open. She hadn’t been expecting that.
“What…she shouted David’s name?”
“Yep. That really takes the mood out of the moment to hear your girlfriend shrieking your brother’s name.”
“I bet it does.” Dagmar bit her lip. “Does that mean she and David…they didn’t…?”
“No, of course not. David is a cad when it comes to women but he does have some respect.” Nick held up a finger for each point. “Women who are out of bounds: in committed relationships, whether it’s boyfriend or husband, anyone related to the Mach Machines, and my girlfriends.”
“But you think Brittany wants to have sex with him?”
“What else can it be?” Nick lowered his hand with a sigh. “It would be typical. Not the first time a girl of mine wants to be with David. But David’s not going to bite. He wouldn’t do that to me. Or you.”
“Me?”
“Well, I don’t know exactly what you two have going but he hasn’t had another girl on his arm since you two came here that day Susie tried to kidnap Rachelle. He’s had several women try to get his attention but he barely looks at them.” Nick grinned and winked. “Then he sees you and nobody else matters.”
Dagmar shifted on the cushions. Heat was gathering between her legs at the knowledge David was only focused on her. She wasn’t worried about David cheating with Brittany – he was loyal to Nick and David wouldn’t do that to Dagmar – but knowing Brittany wanted to have sex with David was a little odd.
Maybe her gut instinct was right. Brittany did have a crush on David. That might explain her reaction to Dagmar admitting they had been seeing each other. Did she see Dagmar as competition?
Dagmar felt really sorry for Nick. This wasn’t fair on him at all.
Then Dagmar saw the time. She had a night shift to cover and she was going to be late if she didn’t leave in two minutes.
“I’d better go.” She stood. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“I thought you had the day off.”
“I was asked to cover the shift. Someone’s gone off with a chest infection.”
Nick chuckled and took her hand.
“Give David a kiss from me.”
Dagmar groaned and swatted his hand away.
“Cheeky sod.”
*****
Brittany wanted David. Dagmar couldn’t believe she had called that right. And it was unsettling that she had called it.
David knew about the crush and considered it harmless. But Dagmar didn’t think this was harmless. She was acting like a schoolgirl and her reaction and dismissal towards Dagmar was jealousy. It had to be.
Dagmar couldn’t contact David about it until the morning. He was in a conference and having dinner with some of the board. He wouldn’t be back until late and Dagmar thought that was more important than listening to her gossip.
Besides, as soon as Dagmar got to the hospital, she switched into her work mode and nothing else mattered until she clocked out. Especially on a night shift; Dagmar needed all her faculties for it.
Even then, it still kept trickling in and Dagmar had to force it away. That was why when they went out in the ambulance, she asked to drive. It was a lot harder to think about other things when she needed to concentrate on driving. Steve sensed something was wrong but never said a word. It was like he knew it was a bad idea.
It was just before nine when they came out to their bay after wheeling in a man who had broken his leg falling off a ladder when they heard the radio going off. Another call. Steve took it while Dagmar got behind the wheel and drove out of the bay.
“What now?”
“It’s a domestic.” Steve put the radio back in its cradle and began scribbling on their pad. “A woman’s attacked her son and he’s got a big gash to the head.”<
br />
“How old’s the son?”
“Thirty-three.”
Dagmar groaned. She hated domestics, but, unfortunately, it was the most common call. This one was going to be fun, as always.
“What’s the address?”
“I’m just putting it into the GPS.”
Dagmar glanced over as Steve leaned across and started putting the address into the navigation. Then she saw the address. It almost caused her to brake.
“What?”
“What is it?” Steve was looking at her in alarm. “Why did you nearly stop?”
“That address.” Dagmar’s head was starting to pound before the blood raced down to her feet. “That’s the house next to Callie’s.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, she’s 1246. That’s 1248.” Then Dagmar remembered. “Oh, no.”
“What?”
“She lives next door to Susie. That’s her address you just put in.”
Steve groaned and sat back.
“Great. Now we have to deal with a restraining order.”
“Do you think they’ll let me stay outside? Or we could call someone else in?”
“There’s no one else, it’s just us anywhere near it. And the caller said it was serious.”
Dagmar was torn. She had a restraining order against Susie after what Susie had threatened and this was a violation. On the other hand, she couldn’t say she couldn’t take it. It was her job. She reached for the radio.
“Call the police and let them know. If they can get Susie out of there or within the distance of the order, we should be able to treat whoever she attacked. Chances are it was Luke, he was the only one that age.”
This was not going to be a good shift after all.
Steve had finished with the police by the time they pulled up outside the one-story condo. Police cars were already outside and both of them could hear screams coming from inside. Dagmar hopped down and moved to the house next door as Steve went up to the officer on the driveway. A beautiful woman in her early thirties with mocha-colored skin and long braided hair wearing jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt stood on the doorstep watching the activity. Dagmar hurried up the path to her and the woman’s face relaxed.
“Dagmar!”
“Hey, Callie.” Dagmar hugged her little sister. “I take it you were the one who called in the problem.”
“You think Susie or Luke are going to call in their problems?” Callie nodded inside the house. “Jake woke up to the screaming and got agitated. Then I heard the breaking glass.”
Dagmar pulled back and looked over at Steve. He held up two fingers and pointed at the house. They were probably moving Susie and from the crashing and yelling, Susie wasn’t going quietly.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know what set it off but suddenly they were shouting.”
“How often do they argue?”
Callie made a face.
“Far too much. And it’s all over Melanie and wanting custody of her and Rachelle.”
Dagmar found that ludicrous. Luke was a felon and not considered a good parent by the state. Susie…well, she was a whole different story.
“Rachelle’s not even related to them and they think they have a chance. There’s a restraining order out on Susie for Rachelle and Melanie because of what they did.”
“I know that but try telling those two boneheaded idiots that. She’s been plotting away since court and I hear about all of it when she invites herself in for tea.” Callie scowled. “I think she wants to take my son as a replacement but she knows my husband will burn her house to the ground if she holds Jake longer than a second more than we said.”
“When did Luke come out of prison?”
“Two days ago. He wants Melanie back so she can be a mule again. He and Susie have been fighting about it as Susie desperately wants Rachelle but Luke doesn’t want another man’s baby, just his own to use.”
Dagmar didn’t like the sound of using a child for selfish means. And in Luke’s case it would be for drugs. Melanie wouldn’t have a chance. She urged her sister into the house.
“Get yourself inside and lock the doors. Don’t open unless it’s me, the cops, or your husband.”
Callie went inside without argument. Dagmar hurried to the fence and vaulted it. Steve was going up the path with the gear. They met halfway up.
“The cops have taken Susie out the back and they’ll get her go outside the house to the car so you two can avoid meeting. But Luke’s being belligerent.”
“When is he ever anything else?”
Dagmar followed Steve inside. Luke was sitting on a beaten-up couch in the middle of the living room. A deep gash was over the back of his head and he looked like he had had a fight with Tito Ortiz. Dagmar was surprised he was still conscious.
Steve knelt in front of Luke and began to talk to him as he unloaded the equipment. But Luke wasn’t listening. He was focused on Dagmar as he moved into his eyeline. His eyes widened and then narrowed as he scowled.
“What the…? I’m not being touched by her.”
“Tough.” Steve didn’t even blink. He held out the blood pressure machine to Dagmar. “Take his blood pressure, I’ll check the head wound.”
Luke slapped the blood pressure machine out of his hands, letting it clatter on the floor.
“I won’t let her touch me,” he snarled, jabbing a finger at Dagmar.
Dagmar glanced at Steve. They had both dealt with racist patients and both had a policy against it. Their boss didn’t like it but Dagmar had pointed out they had a right to protect themselves against abuse, whether it was physical or verbal.
Steve began to pack away while Dagmar smirked at Luke.
“Okay, then. If that’s what you want, you can stay here bleeding away.”
“What?” Luke started when he realized Steve was leaving as well. “But you have to treat me! You can’t walk away.”
“Yes, we can.” Steve stood, slinging the back over his shoulder. “Insult my colleague and we can leave you to wallow in your filth.”
“But how am I supposed to get to the hospital?”
“Call a taxi or get a friend to drive you. We won’t be doing it.”
Then Steve followed Dagmar out the house. They could hear Luke coming after them, demanding to be seen. But he only addressed Steve. Dagmar could tell he wanted to say something about her but stopped himself in time. She kept walking until she got to the ambulance.
“What’s she doing here?”
Dagmar looked up. Susie had been dragged over to the police car farthest from them and two burly men were trying to get her in. When she caught sight of Dagmar, her eyes blazed and she started bucking against them, trying to get away.
“You bitch!” she screeched. “You absolute bitch. Give me my grandbabies!”
Dagmar rolled her eyes and ignored her. She wouldn’t report the violation of the order. The cops already knew and they had it in order. Susie was going to jail for assaulting Luke as it was.
“Ma, what is it?” Luke had reached the gate, staring at his mother and then at Dagmar. His eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”
“Nothing that she didn’t deserve,” Dagmar muttered.
Steve stepped between them.
“Go back into the house and call someone to pick you up, sir,” he said sternly. “You are not coming in this ambulance after abusing my colleague.”
“She called the cops on me, Lukie!” Susie yelled. She was still fighting with the officers. “She was the one who hurt me!”
Dagmar was walking away to the back of the ambulance. She didn’t see Luke move but the next thing she knew, Steve was yelling and then something heavy hit her from behind. Dagmar sprawled on the ground, her hands scraping on the asphalt. Then she was flipped onto her back and Luke’s hands were on her throat.
Dagmar struggled and tried to get up but Luke was sitting on her chest and his knees were pinning her arms down. She was starting to see black dots in front
of her eyes. Luke’s eyes were wild.
“No one calls the cops on Mommy!” he bellowed. “Especially not black shits like you!”
“Let her go!”
Then Steve was there with a police officer. Both of them wrestled Luke away. The moment his hands left her neck, Dagmar gasped for air. She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to stop the world from spinning. It had been a long time since she had been strangled and Dagmar didn’t miss it.
God, her throat was on fire.
“Dagmar!” Steve fell to his knees beside her. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Really?” Steve’s eyes widened as they fell on her neck. “Shit, the bruises are going to be impressive.”
Dagmar didn’t doubt it.
“I said I’m fine.” She glowered over her shoulder at Luke, who had been put on the ground and was fighting against the restraints. “Just put the restraints on him and let me ride in the back. I want to make him squirm.”
“What about Curtis?”
“Then tell him he can shove it.”
Steve grinned.
“I’d like to be a fly on the wall with that.”
*****
David knew Dagmar was at work so he wasn’t intending to entertain. After dinner with the board, he had planned to go home and watch a movie before going to bed. Going to sleep with Dagmar was difficult but there was always when Dagmar got back. Because of his position, David was more than able to take a day off.
As long as he got to cuddle Dagmar, David didn’t really care how it looked.
He was falling. Hard and fast. And it wasn’t hard to do so. Dagmar was a lovely woman. She did make him feel better just by being in the room. There was nothing false about her, no indication that she wanted his money, only him. David knew that was what attracted him the most.
Nothing had been made official yet but David was planning on doing that soon. He was going to talk to Dagmar into making this official. Maybe even with marriage down the line.
That was when David knew it was serious. When he was considering marriage with someone, even after a short space of time, that was serious. And David didn’t feel scared about proposing to Dagmar; he was actually quite excited.
But not anytime soon. Much as David wanted to. Dagmar wouldn’t be amenable to a proposal just yet. She was one of those people who wanted long-term commitment before the proposal. If she wasn’t, she would have been married to Jeremy years ago. And she was a little gun-shy after her ex-husband. David didn’t want to be put in the same category.
Fallen For A Biker_BWWM Romance Page 11
