No Way Out

by Lila Rose

  “Fuckin’ hell,” Declan hissed behind me. “You are lucky, Malinda, that I know you take my cock every night and only think of who’s inside you, not of fuckin’ him.”

  I turned in his lap and glared. “That is crude, Declan,” I snapped. “But true. He’s just real pretty is all.”

  Lan groaned and Declan burst out laughing. “Hell, woman, you just made my day. See, cousin, you’re just real pretty.”

  “Mally, baby,” Lan said. “You could have gone with ruggedly handsome. Hell, anything is better than pretty.”

  Stepping into the kitchen, I shook the thoughts of the previous day away. Instead, I thought of how much I was sick of staying at home. I was sick of my house, and I never thought that would be possible. I loved my home. But being inside it all the time was killing me. They didn’t want me out exposed in case anything happened.

  The men were governed by their experiences involving their women. When the illustrious pussy posse went through their ordeals—Zara, Deanna and Ivy had all been taken when the men thought they had them covered—it had done things to them, making them more cautious. Clary was the only one who sent herself out there as bait, and I could see why. She had been in the same situation as me, stuck in places for long amounts of time.

  The thought of doing what Clary did crossed my mind. However, I wasn’t brave enough to attempt at being bait, even though I knew I’d have all the Hawks’ men at my back. The other reason was that I knew Declan wouldn’t go for it.

  At least one worry I had in the past month was somewhat resolved and I was so happy for it: Nary was better. What helped was that Malcolm had disappeared so she didn’t have to see his face again at school. What also helped was that wherever Nary went in school, Saxon was always following.

  I’d had him around for his cookies. He was a quiet boy a year ahead of my daughter, and graduating soon. He’d just turned eighteen last week, not that I knew at the time, because if I had, I would have done something for it. That was probably why no one warned me.

  Declan was right. The crush Nary had on Saxon was obvious, and I had an inkling that Saxon felt the same way; however, he never showed it. Even at school, when he followed her, he was quiet and standoffish. Still, I saw the way he looked at Nary when he thought no one was watching him. There was definitely something there. I could only hope he was smart enough to wait until she was eighteen or back off altogether, because I had a feeling that Saxon could break my daughter’s heart more than any other boy.

  I went into the living room after grabbing a coffee and sat down to turn on my show. Yes, I resorted to watching soap operas during the day. Why? Because I was going batshit crazy with boredom.

  The house phone rang. I leaned to the end of the couch to pick it up from its cradle on the small table that also held a lamp. “Hello?”

  “Love,” came Declan’s deep voice and my heart took off with a deeper thump, thump.

  “Hey.” I smiled.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Um, I’m about to watch Fredric tell Joyce that he has always loved her, even though she was married to his father for a year before he died.”

  “Fuck,” Declan hissed.

  “What?”

  “Expect a call soon,” he said and then hung up. I took the phone away from my ear and looked at it. That was weird.

  Next, I heard a key in the lock at the front door and then it opened. In it stood Warden. He took a step in, holding a phone to his ear. He looked at me, then the TV, then back to me and said into the phone, “It’s bad. She’s watching some shit on TV, drinking coffee and wearing some ratty old tee, Ugg boot and tracksuit pants.”

  What the?

  “Yep, call them in. Something needs to be done,” he said and hung up.

  “Warden—” I started, but didn’t finish when he held his hand up in front of him to silence me.

  “Don’t wanna hear it, Mally. You need a fuckin’ hobby while under house arrest. This can’t go on. You know I love you like a sister, but you look like shit and you’re watching it as well.” He stood there with accusing eyes and hands on his hips.

  Okay, so in the past week, I may have gone extra crazy. My routine consisted of getting up, making lunch for the kids, saying a goodbye to Declan, tidying the house, maybe have a shower and then veg out in from of the TV. I didn’t care what I wore, whether I smelled or ate. Until it came to four when I knew the children were coming home. I didn’t want to seem too out of it in front of them, so I tidied myself up a little.

  Maybe Declan knew more than I thought he did. Rolling my eyes at myself, I should have guessed his biker brothers would rat me out eventually.

  Warden cleared his throat and snapped before he disappeared out the front door again. “Expect a call soon.”

  Again…what the?

  In that moment, the home phone rang, causing me to jump and drop the damn thing onto the floor. Once I picked it up, I answered with a suspicious, “Hello?”

  “Hey, girl,” Ivy said.

  “What’s going on Ivy?” I asked.

  “Well, this is how it is.” I sat back on the couch getting comfortable for Ivy’s long talk, “Stoke rang Killer, and in return, he rang me. But this was after Stoke had talked to Warden, Billy and Dive. They’ve all been worried about you this week. Stoke thinks you need some time out with the girls. He’s right, but it’s not like we’ve been telling him that for weeks now. I mean, it’s only so long he can keep you to yourself. I know he’s being greedy and wanting your attention for just himself at night. Anyway, I’m getting off track. He enlisted the posse to come grab you tonight for a girls’ night. Yay! Anyway, Mrs Cliff is coming to your house to look after the kids. There will be brothers there, like always, standing guard. But you me and the girls…we’re all heading to one of Talon’s strip joints to get our drink on. It’s going to be so much fun.” She stopped to take a breath and someone said something in the background. “Oh, yes, Clary also said that drunk sex is the best sex. Though, those biker boys are dang awesome just regularly, don’t you think?”

  “Um, yes.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about, sister. So, be ready at seven, girl. Your man will be there to pick you up.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yay,” she cried into the phone and hung up.

  Girls’ night.

  I was going to have a girls’ night. I’d never had one before. It had always been just Tank, his friends and me.

  Jumping up from the couch, I squealed, did a jig and ran to my room to get ready—even though it was only two in the afternoon.

  When the children arrived home, I was in my bedroom still going through my clothes. I just didn’t know what to wear. They’d come into the room, and at the same time, their eyes bugged out. So I may have had a lot of clothes thrown around. After shaving and showering, I sat in my robe looking forlorn.

  Josh slowly backed out of the room and bolted. Something any guy would do. Nary started giggling and soon I joined in.

  “I just don’t have a clue,” I said through laughter.

  “How long has it been since you went out?” I’d already texted her when she was at school and told her the night’s plans.

  Slumping back on the bed with a sigh, I admitted, “Nearly eighteen years.”

  “Wow, Mum.”

  “I know. How do I do this? Should I even go?”

  “Heck yes, you need this. At least we get out of the house for school. You’re stuck here all the time.”

  “I—”

  “Where is she?” We heard Mrs Cliff ask and then Josh mumbled something.

  I sat up just before she filled the doorway. She took one look and whistled. “Holy shit, did a bomb go off in here?”

  “Mrs Cliff you’re early.”

  “Your young boy rang me and said you needed help. You look stressed out and I can see why. What you trying to do? Pick hooker clothes for tonight? I can help with that.”

  As I took in her red sweater and brown track
pants, I wasn’t sure Mrs Cliff could help. She didn’t exactly have good choice in clothes.

  “Don’t looked freaked out. I have damn good taste. I only dress like this ‘cause my man likes it.”

  She had a man?

  “You have a man?” Nary asked as shocked as I was.

  “Several actually. The men can’t get enough of me. Now, tonight, you wear that, that and that.” She pointed to my skinny jeans, a pink silk shirt and ankle boots. “You’re going to a slutty place, but that doesn’t mean you need to look slutty like those others. My Malinda has class as well. Right, we’re done here. Girl, you come with me while your momma gets pretty; could take a while, and we’ll order some takeout.” She started back down the hall. Nary grinned at me and followed Mrs Cliff.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Malinda

  When Stoke picked me up right at seven, I took one look at him and asked if we could stay home and if the children could go to Mrs Cliff’s instead. He looked damn fine, as in Fine with a capital F. He had on dark jeans, boots and a white shirt…I had never seen my man in a white shirt. I licked my lips and asked once again if we could stay home. He laughed, eye fucked me in my get-up, and said no. After a quick goodnight to all, we made our way to his pick-up, waving at Dodge and a mad-looking Griz.

  Once seated, I turned to my man and asked, “What’s wrong with Griz?”

  “He’s not happy Hell Mouth is going out tonight, or that Mrs Cliff is in the house.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. Deanna had told me when they went over for dinner a while ago, that Mrs Cliff had tested Griz out, for her adopted granddaughter, by asking him if he wanted to sleep with her. When Griz declined, she then asked if he found Pink, the singer, spunky enough to fuck—yes, they were her words. Griz nearly choked on his beer and coughed out, “No! What the fuck, woman? I’m married and I’m very goddamn happy.” She was proud of his response so she gave her blessing for their relationship to continue.

  Talon’s strip club was all the way out near Geelong. When we pulled onto the highway, four other cars behind us joined, as well as at least ten Harleys. I looked to Declan and all he said was, “Precaution.”

  On the way there, Declan and I played twenty questions regarding mundane things.

  “Favourite colour?” I asked on my fourth go.

  “Green. Favourite sex position?”

  “Declan,” I snapped.

  “Come on, love. There’s no rules to what I can ask.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled and looked out my window, hiding my smile. “I, um, I like to be on top.”

  Declan’s deep chuckle filled the car. “You like to take charge. Sounds good to me, but don’t be disappointed if I take over in the end.”

  Flicking out my tongue, I licked my lower lip wet. “I won’t mind.” Then I giggled, shaking my head and I asked, “What about you?”

  “Is that your next question?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay,” he grinned. “With you, love, I like it anyway. Standing, lying, you on top or me; fuck, even sideways. Eating you out even works for me. I swear I could come from the sweet sounds that fall from your sexy lips.”

  Wow.

  “Is it getting hot in here?” I asked, because I was certainly cooking.

  Declan let out a burst of laughter. “Don’t worry, babe. You’ll be smokin’ later after I’m finished with you.”

  “Um…awesome.” I smiled. He laughed again.

  “We’re nearly there. You got any more questions for me?”

  I had a million. Over the last month, we’d talked and had deep and meaningful conversations, but I still found there was a lot to discover about Declan Stoke.

  “Are…ah, are you happy?”

  He took his eyes off the road to meet mine, and I saw his were soft. He turned his attention back to the road before answering with, “Yeah, love. Before I met you, I was like, ‘fuck women’. I couldn’t be bothered with them. I’d been shit on in the past, but once I got to know you, fuck, even before that, when I saw you and that first time you came to the compound…I just felt you were different you’re classy, sweet and sexy. You’re so much more than the whores I used to take. You’re special and I wanted you for me. When you finally caved, I was so fuckin’ thankful.”

  My whole body melted.

  He took my hand from my leg, picked it up and kissed it. He sat our joined hands on his leg. “What about you, love? You happy?”

  Was I happy?

  Even though I was stuck in the house, even though I had a black dooming cloud over my head, and no doubt more trouble coming my way, I knew the answer.

  “Yes,” I uttered. “I know nothing is normal right now, but…I’m happy. You’ve made me happier than I have ever been.”

  “Fuck, love,” he growled. “If we didn’t have people following us, I’d pull over and fuck you so hard right now. We’re making this night an early one. I want to go home and cherish each and every inch of you.”

  “That sounds amazing,” I said.

  The best part about it was Declan Stoke calling it home. He classed the house my children and I lived in as home. That made me smile.

  “Declan?”

  “Yeah, Malinda?” he asked and gave my hand a squeeze.

  “Where…um, before you came to live with us, where did you live?”

  “So I am living with you?”

  “Yes,” I said straight away.

  “Glad you said that, love. You worried?”

  “That it’s only new and been a little more than a month and that you could possible break my heart? Hell yes.”

  He chuckled. “So am I, but reverse that, Malinda. Still, what I know is that I don’t like being away from you. I want to continue waking up with you, seeing your kids grow and help out with shit. I like where this is going. We’re gonna have crap times, love, but I reckon we can get through them. We just gotta stick at it. You with me on that?”

  “Definitely, Declan.”

  “Good. Now to answer your question, I have a house. We’ll leave it for another six months, see how strong we’re going, and then I’ll look at selling it. You down with that?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Brilliant.” He smiled and pulled into a large gravel carpark. Just in front of that was a huge two-story brick building, one that looked like an old factory, but revamped into something else, something better. It was full of life already, lights blaring, music pumping. I could tell Talon’s business was profiting from the already busy carpark and it was only eight.

  “Right, this is how it’s gonna go down.” He pulled to a stop as the other vehicles parked around us. “You don’t leave me and my brothers’ sight. You stick with the women like glue. You don’t go anywhere on your own, no matter what. Even if someone comes up to you and says some shit, you don’t listen if you don’t know and trust them. You get me? You are with Hawks or their women, or we leave.”

  “Got it, babe.” I nodded with a smile.

  “Don’t make me regret this night, Malinda.”

  “I won’t. Promise.”

  He studied me and then grinned. “Yeah, you’re my good girl. Let’s do this before your women start breakin’ shit on my car.”

  “Com’on, dude, you get her all the time. Give her to us now,” Deanna yelled from outside.

  “Shit. If they suggest any dangerous shit, do not listen.” I giggled and kissed him quickly. He pulled back and ordered, “I mean it.”

  Rolling my eyes, I said, “I know.” And then my door opened and I was pulled from the car by an over excited Julian.

  “OMG, girl, I am so ready to get my groove on. I wonder if the strippers will let me on stage. I don’t mind taking my clothes off at all.”

  “Shit,” Declan drew out, which caused me to giggle.

  ****

  I swear there were at least twenty Hawks’ men surrounding us. Once an over-excited Julian yanked me out of the car by, I was quickly shuffled from his arms into Talon’s, wh
o walked me right in and up some stairs to the VIP area. There he sat me down in a huge-arse booth that could seat at least twenty people. The table was bigger than my kitchen, and when I looked left, I found out why. There were four other booths like the one I sat at, and the other four had girls dancing on top of them. Soon, Deanna, Ivy, Julian, Mattie, Clary, Zara and an older woman I didn’t know, sat around the table with me.

  “This place kicks arse,” Deanna said.

  “I have to agree. I’ve never been to a strip club before. I didn’t think it would be this…tasteful. Oh, goodness, yoo-hoo!” the older woman called to a waitress, who in her topless attire, waltzed over with a smile upon her face. “I just wanted to say that I think you have a wonderful body.”

  “Thank you, darling.”

  The older woman across from me then held out her hand to the waitress and said, “I’m Nancy, Talon’s mother-in-law.”

  Oh. My.

  “Well, it’s great to meet you. My name’s Teresa.” The platinum, double Fs, blue-eyed woman said as she shook her hand.

  “Can I ask, are they real?” Nancy gestured the double Fs.

  “They sure are. You wanna feel them?” Teresa placed her free hand on the table and leaned in.

  “Kitten,” I heard growled.

  But my eyes were all for Nancy as she raised her hand and probably would have went for a good squeeze if Zara didn’t quickly reach out and grabbed her wrist saying, “Mum, maybe groping one of Talon’s employees isn’t a good thing. I’m sure there’s a no touch policy or something.”

  Nancy leaned back and rolled her eyes. “Talon, you would let your mother-in-law have a feel, right?”

  “Fuck me,” was hissed. I looked up at the end of the booth to see Talon standing there with a scowl upon his face. Though the men around him seemed very amused and those men included my man, Blue and Killer. “Nancy, no.”

  “Tell me again how Mum got invited?” Mattie asked.

  “She didn’t,” Ivy whispered over me to Mattie, who was sitting on my other side. “She invited herself. Your dad tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She wanted him to come along so she could reap the benefit from it, but he said he was too old for…excuse my language, shit like this. He thinks he’d look like a dirty old pervert if he came and watched women his daughter’s age dancing around half-naked.”