Shaking my head, I tell her, “I don’t know. I thought I knew him, but I didn’t know Skull, did I?” I pull up my knees, link my arms around them, and start rocking back and forth.
“Pyro’s been with the club a long time,” she tells me. “I’ve met him a few times before, when he’s come here with the club. He’s a good man, Mel. What you see with him is what you get.”
Stubbornly I again shake my head. “How would I know? I’m the dumb ass who believes anything anyone tells them.”
“Do you think Demon is stupid? Or Red?”
“Demon patched Skull in.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Her brow creases. “Or was it when Hellfire was still prez? Anyway, to the best of my recollection, I think Pyro’s been in the club going on ten years. If he had any failings, I think they’d know. Skull, though, he’d only worn his patch a few months. Talk to Pyro. You need someone on your side, hon.”
“I need my mom and dad,” I suddenly cry out, feeling like a little kid all over again.
Rosa’s arm reaches around my back, and her fingers press in. “That’s probably a good idea, hon.”
“I need to book a flight. I’ll go back to Pueblo as soon as I can.” In fact, I might go straight to Denver. What would it be like going back to the club? Will they view me as part of Skull’s deceit? Would they think I knew all along? I had been pressing Vi for info. How would they treat me? Without Skull, without Pyro, I could never return.
Her shoulders rise and fall. “Club will sort that for you, hon. Right now, you shouldn’t be travelling alone. You’re upset, and, well…”
I’m carrying a baby inside me. It has only been a week, yet it seems so long ago that Pyro and I were so happy to see our son on the screen. To know he was alive and healthy. I’d even thought I’d felt him moving, though I’ve not had that feeling again and had probably been mistaken.
My baby doesn’t deserve to have a sperm donor like Skull.
“Hon, I need to get downstairs and see about getting dinner going. You going to be okay on your own? I can get Tiffany to come up and keep you company if you want.”
But I don’t want anyone else to know how foolish I’ve been. Oh, I know she’ll already have heard, the rumour mill will be going full force. Everyone must be talking about what went on in that basement. Rosa’s been good and kind, and hasn’t let her pity or criticism show. But I know what everyone must be thinking, why hadn’t I suspected Skull wasn’t what he seemed?
“I’ll be fine.” Belatedly I dismiss her offer of company. “I’m worn out. I’d like to be alone.”
“Hon, yes, you must be exhausted. You get some rest. I’ll come up and see you later.”
I give a final small nod. She goes.
Rest? My body is tired, my mind though, it won’t stop racing. There’s a loop in my head replaying every moment from the time I first saw Skull, to that fateful morning he’d left. Little things come back to me, like how he’d wanted me to get close to Vi. I shudder, he was making me spy for him, and I hadn’t had the slightest suspicion. I feel dirty that he ever laid his hands on me.
So dirty, filthy.
I get to my feet, grab some clean clothes and a towel, and go to one of the communal bathrooms. I lock the door, turn the water hot, then get in and start scrubbing. I raise the temperature and clean myself all over, then again and again, trying to rub the memory of his touch from my skin, but it’s not working. The water grows cooler then goes cold, but still I haven’t removed all his filth, so I wash myself again.
Suddenly the door I know I locked is opened.
Pyro’s standing there. He moves forward, his arm snaking around me to turn off the water, then picks up the towel and holds it out.
“Is she okay?” a masculine voice I don’t recognise calls.
“She will be,” Pyro replies with certainty. “Come on, darlin’.”
I’m standing naked, the cold water having caused goosebumps to rise all over my skin. I’m shivering, and I hadn’t realised I’d become so cold. I let him place the towel around my shoulders unable to even feel embarrassed that this is the first time he’s seen me without clothes.
“I can’t get clean,” I tell him, through chattering teeth. “I could have betrayed the club without knowing or meaning to. I’ve got filth all over me and I can’t wash it off.”
“You’re clean,” he replies tersely, even as he’s lifting me in his arms. Before going out through the door he glances down to make sure I’m covered, moving a corner of the towel to conceal an inch of bared skin. “It’s him who’s covered in shit, not you. I won’t have you taking any of this on yourself. If we didn’t suspect him, Mel, how could we expect you to?”
We’re back in the room, and he places me carefully on the bed and then closes the door. He comes over, lying down behind me, and pulling me to him.
“That’s what people will be thinking. What did I know? Was I in it with him? Was I trying to get info on the club? Was I betraying you? I lived with him, how could I not know?”
“No one will be thinking anything of the sort,” he states, firmly. “Prospects do their time for a reason, to earn our trust. Skull was clearly in it for the long haul. He knew he’d have to start at the bottom and make his way up. He took all the shit, and a severe beating. We didn’t see anything to make us suspicious. We trusted him. The whole club trusted him, Mel. If all of us couldn’t see what was in front of our noses, why the fuck would we expect you to?”
“Then you must have doubts about me. Maybe I’ve been fooling you as well.”
“Might as well have doubts about Judge and Wills. They’ve only patched in recently. Christ, Mel, we’d tie ourselves up in knots if we let one bad apple influence our thoughts about everyone else. Truth be told, there were always some questions about the prospect we’d known as Runt. Not everyone took to him. But he took a beating and came back, was patched in and took the name Skull. That’s when we stopped asking questions. He had us fooled, Mel. In hindsight, we’ll rethink shit and see there were signs we didn’t think to note. But you? Nah. I’ve been with you every step of the way since Skull disappeared, and every reaction you’ve had has been genuine.” He pauses, then resumes, “Might as well take the blame on ourselves. You saw Skull had the trust of the club, so didn’t look further than the surface he showed to you. Yeah, if we had no doubts, why should his old lady?”
Had their faith in him coloured my views? I hadn’t looked deeper as I hadn’t expected there’d be anything to find.
I bark a mirthless laugh. Me, a woman who’d snagged herself a younger, and very fit man.
“Mel?”
“I’ve been so foolish, Ro. I believed what I wanted to. I gave Skull what he wanted dressed up in a bow.”
“Can’t argue, Mel. Skull chose you for a reason, but part of it must have been he wanted you in bed. Any man would. If you weren’t claimed, I’d be fighting off a number of my brothers. You’re a fuckin’ attractive woman, Mel, and that’s something you mustn’t forget.”
Forget? I don’t remember knowing it in the first place. But all I say is, “I’m not claimed.” Surely the club won’t still expect me to be tied to a traitor? I want no one to ever refer to me as Skull’s old lady again.
He turns me to face him, and his hand brushes the wet hair back from my face. “Mel, I’m an open book. You’re one hundred percent genuine. And I’m going to work to prove to you that so am I. This might not be what you want to hear right now, but Skull’s out of the picture and I’m free to claim you.”
If I’m no longer tied to Skull, I’m free to be with Pyro. But I can’t. I don’t want to be claimed by anyone, do I? Not now, not knowing what happened before.
But he hasn’t finished. “I love you, Mel. Love you and already love that baby that’s mine in all the ways that count. I want to claim you, if you want to be claimed. I know I can say it until I’m blue in the face, but you can trust me. I will never knowingly hurt you. Won’t say I’ll never make a mistake, but
it won’t be with any intention.”
Skull told me he loved me. He lied.
Christ, right at this moment I need to believe Pyro’s declaration is true, that his words are ones I can take at face value. To be truly loved, for me, and not what I could do. Try as I might, I can’t see Pyro has any ulterior motive.
He gives me time, and my mind loops back again. Not to Skull, I’m trying to put him out of my head, but to all the times Pyro has been there for me. From the moment Skull disappeared, Pyro’s been my rock and has been proving himself without saying the words. With Skull it was what he said, which were all lies. Pyro? Maybe his actions speak louder.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything. I’ll answer unless it’s something about the club I can’t tell you. Not because I don’t trust you…”
“Plausible deniability,” I say back, remembering what Vi had explained.
“Exactly. What do you want to know?”
“Who are you, Pyro? I don’t even know how old you are, what you did before you joined the club.”
“I’m thirty-seven. Hopefully not too old for you.”
Huh. Is that a dig at me having had a boy toy before? “Well I’m not going for a younger man again.”
“We’ve been talking about Skull, Mel. Not sure he’s as young as he says.” He sees the expression of disbelief on my face. “Yeah, well, to get where he has and do the job that he does, he must be older. Must have been part of his ploy, thought we’d not suspect a younger man of being what he was, an undercover cop.”
Another lie he’d told me. When will it stop?
“Anyway, getting back to me. I went into the Army straight from high school. Became a munitions expert. I used to blow shit up.”
“That’s why you’re called Pyro?”
“Yeah. I can start fires and I can put them out.” He winks.
“Did you do any tours?”
His arms tighten slightly around me, and his face grows tense. “Too many. I don’t usually talk about it. But if you want to know…”
I place my fingers over his lips. “I don’t.”
He breathes out and relaxes. “When I got out, I wasn’t sure what to do. Served with a guy who rode with a motorcycle club, and he’d shared some of the details with me about the camaraderie and the family. The idea stuck with me. When I got home, I was, I don’t know, lonely? I no longer had a team around me. I’d toyed with the idea of buying a motorcycle, had learned to ride one in the Army, but hadn’t seriously thought about joining a club. I went to the Harley store in Pueblo. There was a guy there wearing a Satan’s Devils’ cut, he was picking up something for his bike. He looked about my age. We got chatting, he was giving me advice about various models. His name was Demon, and he was the VP. He invited me along to one of their parties, and, well, the rest is history.”
“Have you ever been married? Sired any kids?”
“You’re looking for skeletons where none exist. My dad died when I was a kid, my mom moved out of state to be with family when I joined up, and we sort of drifted apart. She’s married again now, and I don’t get on with her husband. He doesn’t approve of MCs.”
“Siblings?”
“Nah. Oh, they were planned, but a drunk driver took my dad out when I was two, so it never happened. So, only a mom who I don’t see, no ex-wife or ex ol’ lady, and definitely no kids. Won’t lie, there’s been a few ladies over the years, but nothing serious, and no one to think they have a claim on me.”
Suddenly I realise how patient he’s being. “Thank you.”
“No worries, darlin’. I know why you pushed me away. I don’t blame you. Now, do you want me to get you something to eat?”
I couldn’t force anything down. I’m feeling nauseous after this dreadful day. “I just want to sleep.”
“Then, sleep darlin’. I’ll be here with you.”
Chapter Thirty
Pyro
Mel had been in that shower for ages, long enough for a prospect to come find me when the sound of water kept running and didn’t turn off. I’d asked Twister to use his lock picking skills then he’d stood back, and I’d stepped inside.
She looked broken.
I can’t get clean.
I’d had to swallow hard to suppress the fury I’d felt that she was the one left feeling dirty and violated, and not the man who’d walked away from her. She shouldn’t be feeling like that. She’s the innocent victim.
It had been my first sight of her gorgeous body with those generous curves that were hidden under her clothes, but my cock didn’t even twitch. I just wanted to stop her tears, and, when I saw her shivering, lend my own body heat to her.
Somehow I knew she wasn’t going to send me away, especially when we started talking. If she’d have asked me for proof of my service, I’d have given it to her. Got Red to vouch for the length of time I’d been with the Devils and dug up my birth certificate to prove my age. Fuck, after what Skull did to her, how does she know who to trust?
People say actions speak louder than words, but Skull was such a good fucking actor, he’d had us all fooled. He’d lived and breathed his cover. If we couldn’t tell he was rotten, fuck knows, she couldn’t have known.
I’m a bit worried she hasn’t eaten tonight, but the day’s taken it out of her. She’s pregnant and has been through the emotional wringer. If she can rest, get her brain to switch off, that will do her the most good.
My stomach growls, reminding me I’ve not eaten either. When it growls again so loudly I’m worried it will disturb her, I gently ease myself away from her sleeping form. She rolls over and settles again. It’s safe to leave her. I won’t be far.
I go downstairs. “Prospect?” Meat immediately comes over.
“Go stand outside Mel’s door. If she wakes…”
“I’ll come get you.”
I nod.
“Pyro? How’s Mel?”
“Calmer, and asleep,” I tell Sparky.
“All this can’t be good for her or the baby. You taking her back to Pueblo?”
“Yeah. I wanted to have a word with Demon. See what he wants us to do.” I glance around the room.
“Prez and Beef have already gone back.” Sparky realises I hadn’t known. As I raise my eyebrows he continues, “Yeah, this will have shaken the club hard. He thought he needed to be there.”
Of course. I can just imagine all the questions flying around in Pueblo, not least the concern the feds might come knocking at the door. I rake my hands through my hair.
“Have you been able to speak to her, about doing this legal?”
“Not yet. But I think Red’s right. This can be her revenge. She needs it, Sparky. Right now, she’s spiralling out of control. But,” I warn him, “I’m putting the idea of killing Skull on hold, not putting it off indefinitely.” My eyes flare.
“I hear you, Ro, I hear you.”
“Now I need a beer and some food.”
When he nods, I make my way past him and go into the kitchen. Rosa’s cleaning up. When she offers to get me something to eat, I tell her gently I’m more than capable of cooking myself some bacon and eggs. While I do just that, she busies herself making a sandwich then wrapping it in Saran Wrap for Mel, she tells me, in case she wakes and is hungry later.
“You know, she wants her parents,” Rosa confides, when I thank her for staying with Mel earlier.
I didn’t, but I nod. It’s not hard to understand why. “I’ll take her to see them when we get back to Pueblo.”
Rosa sighs as she puts the last of the things she’s been working with away. “Well I’m off to bed.”
I notice she looks tired herself. “It’s been a long day.”
She gives a feminine snort. “Getting my two horrors, Tristan and Tom off their X-Box and into bed wasn’t fun tonight. Teenage boys, who’d have them?”
Me, I hope. Well, one at least in a few years’ time. Maybe it’s best not to be warned in advance. Though I do lean over and joke with her, �
�It’ll be you worrying about them bringing girls home next.”
“Don’t tell me that.” She laughs as she leaves me alone.
I reckon she’ll be fine. She might not have a man, but she’s got a club full of members who’ll keep her boys on the straight and narrow, or not, as the case may be.
Mel’s still asleep when I get back to the room. Having dismissed Meat who was still standing guard outside her door, I undress as quietly as I can, making sure my boots don’t thump on the floor. Leaving on my jeans, I lie down on the bed beside her.
As I close my eyes, all I can see is that motherfucker telling her to get a DNA test, his malicious words and dismissal of her winding me up. I don’t think I’ve heard anything so spiteful in my life. Finally, fuck knows when, my mind eventually switches off, and I fall asleep.
It’s still dark when I awake to find her moving beside me.
“You okay?”
“I need to pee,” she explains.
“Put the light on. I’m awake now.”
She leans over and switches on the lamp on the table next to her side casting a dim illumination across the room. She swings her legs off the bed, then walks across the room and disappears into the hallway.
The clubhouse is deathly quiet, all I can hear is the hum of the air conditioning. It’s that time of the night between the late-nighters having at last taken to their beds, and the early risers not yet stirring.
My door opens again. One look at Mel’s face, and I know there’s something wrong. Immediately I’m out of bed and moving toward her.
“Darlin’?”
“I’m bleeding.”
Oh fuck. No.
“Much?” I try to keep panic out of my voice.
She nods. “Too much, Pyro.” Her voice is shaking. “Pyro…”
“Get dressed, darlin’. I’ll wake someone and take you to the emergency room.” I’m already pulling on my boots as I’m speaking.
I realise I have fuck all idea whose room the door that I’m banging on belongs to.
“What the fuck?” Crash pulls it open.
Devil's Dilemma: Satan's Devils MC Colorado Chapter #4 Page 26
