“Ready?” Knox asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I’m so excited.”
He chuckled. “Me too.”
“I’ve never been to Colorado before.”
“You’ll love it.”
“I’m just excited to see everyone. Especially, Remi. I’ve missed her.”
Remington had broken up with Thomas and moved to Portland in an effort to get away from him. She was now married to Finch, who just happened to be in the Dogs Portland chapter. I was thrilled for her, considering she’d gone to hell and back and now she’d found her happy.
Knox smiled. “You’ll get all the Remi time you need.”
“What are the other guys like?”
“The other Dogs, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know all of them. Hatch is good people. He’s the Sergeant at Arms. So are Sparky and Poppy. Poppy’s Hatch’s daughter.”
“Oh, I’ve heard all about Hatch.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Willow and Jasmine are both a little bit in love with him.”
“Not Liv?”
“Oh, no, Liv’s allotta in love with him.”
Knox laughed. “I won’t tell Doc.”
“Pretty sure she lobs that fact at him whenever she’s pissed at him.”
“So, all the time,” Knox mused.
“All the time,” I confirmed.
“She’s aware he’s very married, right?”
“Totally. But one can still fantasize.”
“Do you fantasize about Hatch?” Knox asked.
I rolled my eyes. “No. Of course not. I’ve never met him. But I’ve been told he’s kind of like a unicorn… with a big horn.”
“Jesus, women are fuckin’ weird.”
“Wait, no, that’s what Jazz said about Alamo.” I shuddered. “I blocked it out because… um… gross, he’s my brother and I did not need to know that.”
“I don’t fuckin’ need to know it either,” Knox complained.
I grinned. “We’re a team, babycakes. If I have to hear stuff that can’t be unheard, you do, too.”
“Who says?”
“No clue, but I’m sure there’s a manual somewhere.”
Knox linked his fingers with mine. “That sounds pretty fuckin’ ridiculous, but I gotta admit, you’re cute when you’re being fuckin’ ridiculous.”
I rolled my eyes, even though I couldn’t stop a chuckle. “I like that you still think I’m cute.”
“Still?”
“Yes. Because it’s lesser now. It started with the stretchmarks after Kinsey and now I’m going to get all fat with your wee beast inside of me. You know he’s going to be big.”
“Do I?”
“Honey, you only make giants. It’s why my stomach looks like a deflated balloon.”
We pulled up to a red light and Knox faced me. “First, your stomach does not look like a deflated balloon. Second, you’re beautiful and I can’t wait to see our son grow in your belly. Third, I know for a fact I’m always gonna think you’re cute. You wanna continue saying negative things about my wife, you and I are going to have a problem.”
I blinked back tears. “Okay,” I whispered.
“Okay,” he mimicked as the light turned green.
I squeezed his hand and smiled out the window. God, he was sweet.
* * *
About twelve hours later, we pulled into a motel somewhere in Missouri where we’d be stopping for the night. The girls were sacked out in the back, so we left them inside the car while we gathered with our crew to sort out rooms.
Once Dash and Willow were settled in their room, Dash retrieved Alfie while Willow hung with Kinsey for a few minutes so I could drag a few things to our room. Sage was going to watch the girls so we could join the group for a late dinner, and since Knox and I had a connecting room to Dash and Willow, it meant Sage could move between the rooms while they slept.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” I said as Sage put a movie in for the girls.
“Don’t even mention it. It was the only way Dad would let me come,” she admitted with a wink. “I wanted to see what Colorado had to offer.”
I chuckled. “In male form?”
“What? No!” she said in mock surprise. “I can’t wait to see the mountains.”
“Hmm-mm, sure.”
“That’s my story.”
“I like it.”
“Ready?” Knox asked from the front door.
“Yep,” I said. “Want us to grab you something, Sage?”
“Burger would be amazing,” she said.
“On it.”
The hotel was a dive, but it was clean, and since I have never been able to sleep in a moving car… or train… or plane, I was ready to fall into bed. But my stomach would not be denied, so I leaned against my husband and let him guide me into the restaurant next to the hotel.
* * *
The next morning, we were up and on the road before the sun, and I was dragging.
“You sure you don’t want coffee?” Knox asked as we followed the bike convoy.
“It’ll just make me pee, and I kind of feel a little sick.”
He frowned. “Did you take a pill?”
“Yes.” I linked my fingers with his. “Next time we stop, I’ll eat something and drink some coffee.”
Kinsey and Alfie were sacked out in the back seat. They didn’t even wake up when Knox and Dash put them in their car seats, so I was able to throw my hair into a ponytail, brush my teeth and flop into the front. I didn’t even bother with a bra, which Knox took advantage of as soon as we were on the road, reaching over and tweaking a nipple.
“Jesus,” I hissed. “Stop.”
“You awake?”
I slapped his hand. “I am now.”
“Sorry,” he said with a chuckle and I punched his arm. “Hey, I said sorry.”
“You didn’t mean it,” I admonished.
“No, you’re right. Your nipples are like catnip to me.” He grinned. “You want coffee?”
I glanced up and saw we’d stopped at a gas station. I hadn’t realized I’d even fallen asleep. “Yes,” I breathed out. “Stat.”
“Okay, I’ll grab you some.”
“I need to pee.”
“Go while I fill the car up, then we’ll switch.”
I nodded and peeked in the back. Alfie was still asleep, but Kinsey was wide awake watching a movie. I slid out and opened Kinsey’s door, helping her with her headphones. “Let’s go potty.”
She nodded and I unbuckled her, then grabbed the diaper bag, guiding her inside. After doing our thing, I headed back out to the car to find Willow leaning into the backseat.
“I thought you guys were way ahead of us,” I said, helping Kinsey back into her car seat.
She shook her head. “We were actually behind you. I overslept a little.”
“Are you okay to ride?”
“Yes. Dash let me sleep in a bit, so I’m well-rested. And now Alfie’s changed and fed, so she should be a happy camper for a few hours.”
I smiled. “She’s so easy-going. She’s slept pretty much the whole way.”
“She’s always been like that. She loves to sleep. I hope it doesn’t change.”
“Well, we’ve got her.”
“I appreciate that. I’m just going to grab another hoodie from my bag. It’s getting cold, even with all the leathers.”
“I hope this compound-campground place isn’t just a bunch of tents where we’ll freeze our butts off,” I lamented.
“Right?” Willow agreed, opening my trunk and rummaging in her tote. “I am not a camping kind of girl. Even glamping’s roughing it for me.”
“You and I can escape and find a Hilton somewhere if it’s bad.”
“I’m holding you to that,” she said, and I chuckled.
I nodded toward Alfie. “She’s out again.”
Willow leaned down and kissed her daughter. “Sleep well, gorgeous girl.”
D
ash and Knox returned and Dash checked on Alfie, then waited for Willow to climb on before he did the same and they took off. Knox handed me a cup of coffee and then we followed them.
* * *
Ten hours later, we pulled through ten-foot high log-cabin-type gates and I was a little breathless. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” Knox said. “Although, I do love our barn.”
“But it doesn’t have a view like this.”
“That’s true.”
The compound was surrounded by mountains with a huge log cabin about a quarter mile from the entry gates and several smaller structures dotted throughout the landscape.
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” I asked as we climbed out of the car.
“Quin!” an excited voice called and I followed the sound.
“We’re in the right place,” Knox said as Remington made a run for me.
I moved from around the car and caught her in a hug. “Oh my god, I’ve missed you,” Remi said, squeezing me tightly.
“Me too.” I grinned as Finch shook Knox’s hand and more of the group gathered around to say hello.
Kinsey and Alfie were still asleep in the back of the car, so we left them inside while we got our bearings. Willow and Jasmine joined me and Remington as our men talked for a minute. But then I heard Willow and Jasmine sigh and I followed their line of sight to see a man walking toward us, a gorgeous blonde on his arm. He had dark hair that was pulled up at the sides, the rest falling past his shoulders.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“That’s Hatch and Maisie,” Willow provided as she walked toward the couple.
He was gorgeous, but not just because he was a good-looking man, he was obviously in love with his wife and it made him lethally beautiful.
“Hey, baby girl,” Hatch said, pulling Willow in for a hug. “Your man treating you right?”
“Absolutely,” she said, and moved to hug Maisie.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Maisie said, hugging Willow tight.
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Willow said.
“That makes me so happy.”
“That’s important,” Hatch said.
“Why?” Maisie asked.
“People who make my wife happy are smart. People who make my wife unhappy, are dumb. People who make my wife cry are dead.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Maisie laughed, stroking his cheek. “But I love you anyway.”
Knox tugged me closer to the couple. “Hatch, Maisie, this is Quin.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you.” Maisie pulled me in for a hug. “Badger talked a lot about you.”
“He has a little bit of an obsession issue,” I said, earning me a smack on my butt by my man. I pressed my finger into his chest and cocked my head. “You better be able to back that up.”
He waggled his eyebrows at me and leaned down to kiss me gently. “You know I can.”
“Get a room,” Dash ordered, and everyone laughed.
The group turned as three tall, gorgeous men walked onto the porch.
“Welcome,” the older man said. “I’m Sundance and I’m the Prez. This here’s Moses and Rocky, my Sergeant and VP respectively. We’re hosting officers and their families in the big house,” he said. “Mozart’s woman’s inside and she’s got cabin assignments for the rest of you. There’s a shit ton of food inside, so why don’t you grab your stuff and join us? We’ll help y’all get settled when we’re done eating.”
Knox and Dash went back to the car to grab the girls, and I followed everyone else inside. The inside made my little log-cabin-loving heart sing.
“Holy smokes,” Willow whispered.
“Seriously.” My gaze went up, then up some more. The great room ceiling had to be a hundred feet high, meeting in an elaborate vault with exposed beams.
“I could just see this at Christmas time.”
“The tree would have to be humongous.”
“At least forty feet,” an unfamiliar voice said.
My focus went to a woman probably in her forties, with mile-high blonde hair and tattoos up and down her arms.
She smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Janelle, uh, everyone calls me Nellie. Mozart’s woman.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said, and shook her hand. “I’m Quin, this is Willow.”
Willow grinned and shook her hand.
“I have you in cabins next to each other.”
“So, no tents?” Willow asked.
Nellie shook her head. “Not with babies. Figured you’d want locking doors.”
“I think I might love you,” I said, and Nellie chuckled.
“Been there, done that, got puke on the T-shirt,” she said. “Our kids are now teenagers, and they can pick locks.”
“Uh-oh,” I said. “That’s what I have to look forward to?”
“In this life, you have to be prepared for anything,” Nellie said.
“I’m picking up on that.”
“Make yourself comfortable and eat something. I bet you’re exhausted. I’ll bring you keys and a map in a bit.”
“Thanks, Nellie,” Willow said.
“We appreciate it,” I added.
Nellie set off to welcome others while Willow and I headed for the buffet table. Dash and Knox joined us a few minutes later and we filled plates for ourselves and the girls.
Quinlan
KNOX SLID HIS hands around me from behind and rubbed my belly. “How’s our boy?”
I spit my toothpaste into the sink and smiled at him in the mirror. “He’s amazing.”
“Anymore spotting?”
I turned to face him, looping my arms around his neck. “No. I’m good, honey. Especially cozied up in this perfect log cabin with a fire blazing and our daughter dead asleep in her room.”
I’d had some spotting last week that had freaked Knox out, but my doctor said it was normal. It didn’t last long, and the baby’s heartbeat was strong, so the doctor wasn’t concerned.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“You wanna fuck on the bearskin rug?”
I chuckled. “I don’t think that’s bearskin.”
He leaned back slightly. “What is it?”
“Oh, I have no idea. I just don’t think it’s bear.”
“Because you’re an expert on bears?”
“No.” I grinned. “Because it’s white.”
“Could be a polar bear.”
“Pretty sure it’s not polar bear.”
“It could have been dyed.”
I shrugged. “True. I suppose it could have, but I haven’t seen a giant box of JFB laying around anywhere.”
Knox shot me a puzzled look. “JFB?”
“Just For Bears,” I replied.
He dropped his head back and laughed. “Fuck, I love you.”
“You can prove it by getting your bare skin on that rug right now, mister.”
“Jesus, woman, you’re lethal,” he said, laughing uncontrollably.
I tore off my clothes as we made our way out to the living room, pushing Knox onto the rug and straddling his naked body.
He was already hard, so I reached between us and guided him inside of me, anchoring my palms on his chest and raising myself up.
“Fuck,” he hissed out as I lowered myself again.
I smiled, leaning down to kiss him. “I’m going to like this position.”
He drew his knees up, cradling my back. “Me too.”
Knox cupped my breasts as I continued to ride him, rolling my nipples between his fingers. I dropped my head back and slowed my movement, until he slipped his hand between us and thumbed my clit.
“Knox,” I panted out, riding him faster.
“Come, baby,” he whispered and I felt his dick pulse inside of me, pushing me into a mind-blowing orgasm.
Rolling us onto our sides, Knox dragged a blanket off the sofa and wrapped it around us. His dick was still buried inside of me, and I smiled as I stroked his cheek. “More than
the moon.”
“More than the universe.”
“I want that house.”
He rolled his eyes. “Baby, it’s a shit hole.”
“No it’s not,” I argued. “It’s a clean slate.”
“It’s a money pit.”
“It’s close to Valen and Jazz.”
His expression softened. “It’s that important to you?”
“Yes,” I said. “I want something of our own, but more importantly, I want our babies to grow up close to their cousins.”
He sighed, shifting to slide out of me. “Okay, baby. Let me see if Doom can hook us up with a contractor.”
I grinned. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” He rose to his feet. “Still need to figure out what to offer and then we’ve gotta get it, but if it works out, I’m in.”
He helped me up and I followed him back into the bathroom where we cleaned up, then cuddled up on the sofa and watched a movie. Well, I watched part of a movie, falling asleep wrapped around my man.
* * *
Badger
“Why the fuck should we risk our necks just because the Burning Saints decided to start a war with the Spiders?” Mack asked. He may have been the one to say it, but I knew he wasn’t the only one in the room thinking it.
It was just past ten the next morning, and all of the officers, along with a few of us trusted soldiers, were congregated in the Howlers’ meeting hall to discuss a disturbing new development happening in Portland.
Crow, the Dogs of Fire Portland President, leaned back in his seat. “The Spiders aren’t just the Saints’ problem. Char is no longer content staying in Gresham.”
“Who the fuck cares what he wants? He’s locked up,” Flea said with a chuckle, and Hatch shot him a look.
Crow continued, “Char’s made some new friends on the inside. Friends that are more than willing to help his plans for nation-wide expansion for a piece of the action.”
“What kind of plans are we talking about?” Mack asked.
“We’re not exactly sure yet, but the Spiders have already put two members of the Howlers in the hospital.”
“Shit,” I breathed out, turning to face Moses. “Are they okay?”
Moses nodded. “Yeah. They’ll be home tomorrow probably. But they’re doin’ more than roughing members up.”
“Like what?” I asked.
Redeeming the Biker's Past (Dogs of Fire: Savannah Chapter Book 3) Page 12
