by K. J. Dahlen
His mouth popped open.
I gently closed it with my fingers. “It’s because I love you, Jaxson Coltrane. I’m all in. I can’t do it any other way.” I then turned and went into the bathroom.
I jumped when I heard him yell, “Fuck!” And I heard something slam up against the wall.
I hoped he would adjust. I was trying to. But this was who I was becoming. He needed to realize it and accept it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jaxson
I was angry. I didn’t know at whom or what but my leg throbbed and my headache had gotten worse since Chloe suddenly seemed to be someone else. Her carrying a gun? Going to Church? What next? She would be smoking and kicking back whiskey? “FUCK!” I tossed a chair up against the wall.
I looked around for a shirt. There was a clean outfit on the other chair. One of the prospects must have brought it in. That was another thing. I never wanted the brothers around my woman, except for Thunder. No, they wouldn’t do anything or hit on her, cause I would beat the crap out of them. It was just me protecting her. Well, I sure as shit had failed in that. It was eating at me how she’d looked just now. No tears, no remorse. She’d killed three men for the club she’d said. But in truth, it had been for me.
I’d known her since she was a little girl. Innocent and pure. Lost after her family broke apart. Always smart as a whip though. She’d done so well in college and I always knew she would be a success.
Now look at her. I clenched the shirt in my hand and tugged it down over my torso. She was like some mafia woman. Wanting to carry a piece and willing to use it. And the way she handled Bruno! Fuck. It was astounding! If hadn’t been in such shock I might’ve felt proud of her. But shock wouldn’t let me feel it. All I felt was horrible. My Chloe turned biker woman? I put on the jeans and flinched at the pain in my leg. Fuck. Why did those goons come after us like that?
I sat down and tugged on my boots. I stared at the blood on them. Fucking normal people didn’t wear blood splattered shoes. I raised my head. That’s what she’d been fighting since the day I brought her into my world. She was normal and untouched really by the trash of the world, except for Roy, the dead loser now. Then here she was in it. All the way up to her pretty neck.
“Jax, you ready?”
I looked over at the doorway.
There stood my woman. They’d brought her a Black Devils tee shirt and some tight ass jeans. Fuck. She looked hot. Biker’s babe indeed. Still, it rankled. “Yeah and you look good enough to eat.”
She grinned at me. “So what is this church thing?’
I shrugged and grabbed her hand. “Just a meet thing, like MC clubs have these when major things are discussed. Only the Lieutenants President, Vice, Treasurer, and so on can attend.”
“Oh, so like a chairman of the board thing.”
I laughed. “Yeah but no pens or briefcases, just swinging dicks and guns.”
Her eyes widened.
I laughed. “It’s an expression. Their dicks had better stay in their pants if my woman is there.”
Her laughter erupted. “Swinging dicks!” She laughed hard with tears and all as if she were picturing it in her head. “So Bruno’s is bigger than everyone else’s right?” Her laughter pealed out of control at the thought.
“Come on Biker babe.” I rolled my eyes. “But you need to not interrupt, K?”
Her laughter stopped as her eyes narrowed.
“Look, it is an official thing like. Even most of the men won’t say much.” Damn, she was hell bent on this taking part shit.
“Okay…” She nearly pouted.
“There’s my girl.” This was the Chloe I knew. I lowered my lips and kissed her.
There was suddenly lots of noise in the club. I broke away from that sweet mouth of hers and we headed out into the hall.
I led Chloe down that hall then we entered another hall. It led to the double doors of the meeting room. This had been the room where Anthony had tried to kill me. The place where Bruno took him down. Then of course, he hadn’t stayed down.
We went in.
Thunder sat in a chair and a woman sat next to him, their backs to us. I raised my brows and looked over at Bruno.
He shook his head at me. “Prospect,” he called out.
I swung my gaze over and spotted Nikky or Demon, as he wanted to be known as.
He nodded, stepped out, and closed the doors.
“Jaxson.” Bruno nodded at me to come forth and sit at the table.
I walked forward and Bruno held his hand up. Then motioned Chloe to a chair.
Just then, Thunder turned to see me. “Jaxson!” He got up and came forward clasping me into a hug. “God, mam. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I patted his back and now caught the woman’s face as she’d turned to look at us. A real looker. I wondered why he’d brought her here.
Dino stepped back and looked over at her.
I froze. There was something different about my best friend. What was it? I looked over at the girl. No way! Thunder with a woman? Nah, couldn’t be. Not a steady anyways.
“Call to order!” Marco called out.
I swung my gaze over to him. Bruno’s cousin and treasurer among other talents.
He looked upset and shuffled some papers in front of him on the table.
Chloe went and sat next to the girl.
I headed up to the table and took a seat next to Bruno. I looked around and saw our six lieutenants. Spider, Miggs, Reaper, Kane, Digger and Spencer. They sat stone faced at the long table.
Thunder remained standing even though he was VC of the club.
Bruno nodded at him.
“Well, I got out of the joint on Friday.
Several of the guys smiled and raised their fists in the air.
“Yeah. Then I went… well, I wanted to go see this girl.” He motioned to the pretty redhead.
My brows rose. He’d never said a thing about a girl to me. Then again, he hadn’t wanted me to go to the prison to visit and we hadn’t spoken much.
“Anyways, I get to where she works and there came two thugs. They went in and started to harass her trying to drag her out. I went around back and went in with my piece of course. Well, then in the altercation one huge fucker shot me in the shoulder and I reacted landing a bullet between his eyes.” He paused and looked over at Bruno.
His eyes narrowed. “What were they there for?” He already knew they were mob.
“To take her back.”
“Back?” Bruno looked her over and his eyes narrowed further. Like she looked familiar to him.
Thunder nodded. “I took off and his gorilla partner shot at us. I headed east then when we settled, I found out from… Bella.” He turned to gaze at her.
I watched and her cheeks pinkened. Well, fuck me. Dino has been busy.
“And what did the little lady tell you?” Bruno asked.
“That she is Rose Bella Bianchi.”
We all froze and looked over at Marco who’d made this announcement.
Bruno stood out of his chair. “What?”
Marco sighed and looked down at a file he had. He stood and handed it over to Bruno.
“What the fuck, Marco? You knew?” Thunder bellowed.
Marco shook his head. “Not right away. As I told you, we’d uncovered her name as Rose Weaver. But then my guys dug deeper.” He swung his gaze over to Rose. “You are Charlie’s daughter apparently. They did DNA tests and everything.”
She bit at her lip and nodded.
I looked back and forth not clear on any of it. “What does all this mean?”
“It means I shot one of the Bianchi’s men,” Thunder replied.
“So?”
So… it was a particular man.”
“No. Fuck. Don’t tell me, Dino. You didn’t!” Marco’s usual olive complexion had gone utterly pale.
Thunder sighed. “Man, I hadn’t known who he was. He shot at me hitting me. On instinct, I shot back.”
Bruno had be
en reading the file for a few minutes while we talked and he raised his head. “What are you going on about?”
“I shot and killed Vicindi,” Thunder admitted.
The men in the room all muttered to themselves or each other in shock.
“WHAT?” Bruno shouted. “You killed their enforcer?”
“So that’s why they hit us?” I stood up now.
Thunder nodded. “I didn’t know… Fuck! I was just in the wrong place with the wrong fucking guy!”
Chloe looked over at the redhead.
The woman looked back at her and she didn’t even flinch.
Chloe didn’t speak. In fact, she’d taken my advice to heart. She looked livid but remained silent.
“So, now you are saying we got a war with the Bianchis? And I have a niece?” Bruno’s voice boomed.
“And apparently… a nephew,” Thunder added.
Gasping, Bruno stared hard at him. “The fuck you say!”
Thunder nodded and motioned his head at the girl.
Her eyes bored into Dino with rage like she wanted to take a swing at him.
Oh fuck, he was in deep shit with everyone. “You didn’t know Thunder. How could you know?” I appeased. I knew this man. He had honor down to the very cells in his blood. He’d always put the club first and he would never damage it on purpose.
“Still, I brought trouble to the club.” He looked down and stood stiffly.
“Fuck that!” Bruno yelled as he came forward and scooped the redhead out of her chair. Raising her up high like she was nothing but a doll, he looked her over. “Yeah. I see Angela all right. I saw it when I came in here but…” He shook his head and huge grin spread out on his face. “Damn, Charlie must’ve never known.”
Rose looked down at him with a cold hatred in her green eyes. “He knew. He paid to have me put somewhere in a life that was a living hell. He sold me in fact.” Her voice remained level and flat.
Bruno blinked and slowly set her down. “The hell you say!”
Unblinking, she nodded. “Then I don’t know what happened to my brother. He probably sold him to some sex ring.”
Bruno looked like he might explode. He raised his hand and pulled his arm back. He had idolized his brother. He never saw him as any kind of monster. In fact, he’d always believed the opposite.
Chloe stood up and got in front of Rose.
“Shit Chloe!” I yelled and jumped out of my seat.
“You’d better think about this Bruno, before you react.” She looked right into his crazed gaze.
He was breathing heavy and blinked as his arm lowered. Raising his head up, he looked over at me with his dark eyes blazing. “Lock down the club. Men up front, half in back. All weapons ready. No one enters or leaves!” He then stalked away slamming open both doors as one flew off the hinges in his forceful wake.
The door landed with a smash on the hard floor and everyone stopped to stare down at it.
The men all looked stunned and murmurs echoed around the room.
I released a sigh. “You heard him. Lock it down!”
The Lieutenants all scrambled out.
Yelling and men hustling could be heard from the main room.
I watched Chloe as she turned to the redhead and stretched out her hand. “I’m Chloe. Welcome to… hell.” She grinned.
The other womnan stared at her for a second and grabbed her hand as she laughed a little.
Thunder stared at the pair then looked over at me, shock covering his features.
I shook my head. God dammit, now there were two of them.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dino
I did it, brought the whole thing out. I’d also brought hell to the club. I knew Bella was fuming at me for telling about her brother, but she’d never said to keep that quiet. Plus, I wanted Bruno to know it all. Well, now he did and some of it was some hard shit to face up to.
Now, we were on lockdown. Shit. For how long? I walked up to Marco in the main room. “When did you know?”
He shrugged. “Just yesterday.” He then glared at me. “Why? You think I set you up or hid it from you?”
My shoulders sagged. “No. But shit, this is a clusterfuck from hell.”
Marco looked around. “Where’s your firecracker?”
I stared at him. How odd he would say that when I’d thought of her the same way. “She’s somewhere with Chloe. I think to eat.”
Marco now smiled at me. “So, this woman turned out to be more than you bargained for.”
If he only knew the half of it…she was a handful and then some. I had her in my blood I think, as I suddenly felt apprehensive whenever she wasn’t there. That could be a protective instinct though. I paused. Since when did I ever feel that for a woman? I pushed it away. I needed to stop thinking about her. “So what’s Bruno doing?” I knew he hadn’t just stormed out and was sitting somewhere pouting or something. No, the man was a mover.
“He’s calling the head of the Bianchis and trying to get a meet set up.”
“That ain’t smart is it?”
Marco shrugged. “That’s the way these organizations do things. Its old mafia rules, Dino.” He titled his head at me. “I still can’t believe you took down the Enforcer.”
I looked away. “It’s not like I meant to. To me, at the time, he was just an ugly, fat fuck that shot at me.”
Marco looked troubled. “Still, if they catch you without a truce in place, you don’t want to know what they will do to you.”
I’d thought of that, but there wasn’t much I could do.
“They may even demand that Bruno hand you over.”
I now looked over at him. “What?”
“Old rules, Thunder.”
“Do you think…?”
Marco shook his head. “Nah. He wouldn’t. Like how many times have you put yourself in the line of fire for him? Then, you are the VC and one that Jaxson trusts. No. I don’t think he will. But…”
I stared at him, waiting for the… but.
“They may ask for him to hand Rose over.”
My hands clenched into fists. She’d run from them and I still didn’t know why. But if she had. It was for good reason. Like why would she otherwise? Growing up poor like that. Then offered a life of luxury. Then she runs? Didn’t make sense and it was something I needed to find out.
“Don’t like that idea do ya?” Marco watched me closely.
“No. I don’t. Why would I rescue her and kill Vicindi if I’d thought for a minute she’d wanted to go with them. No, she was fighting them. Something was up with that. I just don’t know what yet.”
“Up with what?” a soft voice asked from behind us.
I turned and there she stood.
“Up with why you ran from the Bianchis,” I told her flat out.
“Why? You’ll just blab all of it to Bruno.” Bella scowled at me.
I glared at her.
Marco cleared his throat. “This is my cue to go and find Bruno.” He walked away.
I grabbed Bella’s wrist and dragged her down a hallway to my room. I pushed the door open and forced her in.
She turned and glared at me. “Manhandle much, Biker man?”
Oh dammit, she was pushing too many buttons at once. I locked the door behind me and stared at her. Come on, Dino. Pull back. I tried to calm but couldn’t. “You are using that mouth again and not for what I want it for.”
Her eyes dilated with lust suddenly. “And you got a big mouth. You never should have—”
That did it. I rushed her and turned her around face first to the wall next to the door. “I told you to bring it down, Bella,” I breathed the words to her neck.
“Or what?” she challenged.
I was fighting my devil. Fighting her. Fighting my lust for her. I knew what she was doing but it didn’t matter. I was fucking raging. I tore her tee shirt off and yanked her bra from her torso. Then I ripped her jeans away with such force they ripped.
She said not a word as she panted
heavily.
I leaned up against her and unbuckled my belt. Shoving my pants down, I rammed my bare skin up against her and lowered my mouth to her neck sucking on her tender skin. Then I reached around and put one hand over each breast, pinching and twisting her nipples.
Moaning, she raised her ass up. “Yes, yes…”
Suddenly, the red haze removed itself from my gaze as I heard her panting for air. Fuck if I would allow a woman to lead me around by my dick. I was no better to her than the men she’d rufied so they wouldn’t fuck her. I removed my mouth then my hands and finally, my body.
Bella was breathless as she stiffened up. “No, no…”
I tugged my pants up.
Turning to face me, she looked livid. “Why?”
I buckled my belt and gazed into her eyes.
She looked like a woman who’d been ready to be fucked senseless. She’d definitely wanted it. Her face was flushed and she looked mussed.
I’d wanted to muss her up even more before good sense had taken over. “I don’t like games. I won’t be manipulated either.”
Her eyes widened. “But…I want you to—”
I grabbed her wrists. “Want. Not need. Now, tell me why you ran from the family.” I realized I was still wound up and might bruise her wrists so I let go of them.
Her eyes narrowed at me as she bent over to retrieve her t shirt and bra. “Why does it matter?”
“Answer the question, Bella.”
She sighed. “They wanted me to marry some guy. No, they were forcing me to.”
I stilled. “A mafia boss?”
She shrugged. “Yeah, some guy name Balemi or something.”
“Mario Balemi?”
Her gaze met mine. “Yeah. I was sort of okay with it at first, well maybe not but when they found me it was all a shock, so I didn’t argue until…” She raised the jeans up. “Thunder! What am I going to wear now?” She looked disgusted.
I couldn’t help but smile. I could keep her nude in my room locked up. It was an idea I liked.
“Not funny. I can’t parade around naked in an MC club.”
My smile faded. No, she couldn’t and what would I do if some brother did hit on her while we were here? Fuck, I never thought of this. My insides burned at the thought. Another man touching her? I might go ballistic. But if she stayed here, one of them is sure to think they could.
