He sat beside me now, staring out the window. I couldn’t remain silent any longer. I had to know what was going through his little head. “You okay over there?” I smiled, shooting him a glance. He only nodded. “You’re awfully quiet.”
A little sigh escaped him. “I’m just wondering if daddy will like me.”
“Of course he’ll like you!” I laughed, trying to set him at ease. “What’s not to like?” I was rewarded by a small grin. “You look like your daddy, Sam. Same hair and eyes, same square jaw.”
“Is daddy a nice man?”
I sobered at that question. Was Rock a nice man? He was dangerous and rough around the edges. He belonged to a motorcycle club that had a one percent patch on their cuts. I knew he’d hurt and probably even killed before, and he looked like a badass through and through, but something told me that beneath all that he would be a nice man for his son.
“Yes, he’s a nice man,” I finally answered. “So, what else are you wondering about?”
“Do you think he’ll take me for a ride on his motorcycle? Is he gonna stay for a long time? Is he staying with us?”
I chuckled as all the questions began pouring out of him. “Well, little man,” I began, turning the corner to see Rock’s bike sitting in the driveway. He was leaning against it, texting someone on his phone. My gaze ran over him, recalling all the times he’d waited for me just like that. “Why don’t you ask him yourself? There he is.”
“Oh, man! Look at his motorcycle!” Sam’s excitement grew the closer we got. “Is that my dad?” He swung to me when he finally noticed Rock, his expression full of awe.
“Yep. He’s anxious to meet you, too, Sam.” I pulled in next to Rock’s bike. Sam was unbuckled and opening his door before I turned off the car. “Sam−” But it was too late. He’d slammed the door shut and was running around to the other side.
I opened my door, my gaze meeting Rock’s. “Sam’s as eager to see your bike as he is to meet you,” I explained. Sam’s wide gaze was running over the motorcycle as if it were a life-size transformer. “Sam--” I waited until he’d pulled his gaze away from the bike and met mine. “This is your dad.”
Sam peered up at Rock, his eyes just as round. I knew he wouldn’t speak until Rock spoke to him first. He wasn’t shy, but this was hardly a normal situation, meeting his dad for the first time.
“Hi, Sam.” Rock held his hand out to him. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
I was so proud when Sam put his little hand in Rock’s for a hand shake. “Hi.” Only I could have noticed the slight nervousness in his tone. “You’re really my dad?”
“Yep.”
“Cool! So, are you moving in with us?”
“How about you moving in with me?” Rock asked instead, giving me a wink.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the excited look in my son’s eyes had me snapping it shut again. How could I dash his hopes so soon after meeting his dad?
“Yeah! That would be cool!” Sam agreed. Then, as if remembering me, he turned and asked, “Is that okay, Mom?” I hated being put on the spot, and Rock’s smirk only infuriated me. Sam turned back to Rock. “Do you have enough room for my mom to come, too?”
“Sam, honey, this is something that your dad and I will need to discuss later, okay?”
“But I’m sure something can be worked out,” Rock added. “Have you two had breakfast?”
“No,” said Sam.
“Yes,” I said at the same time. Sam looked at me with surprise. “I, ah, had a granola bar before picking Sam up.”
“That’s not breakfast. Do you mind if I take my son for something to eat?”
I knew that he was only asking for Sam’s benefit. The Rock I knew would have just taken him and gone no matter how I felt about it. I stared at Sam, trying to gauge his comfort level. Rock was a stranger to him, yet Sam peered at him as if he were the newest action hero. “You can’t take him on your bike,” I said. I wasn’t ready for that, and I knew Rock wouldn’t have a helmet for Sam because he didn’t wear one.
“We’ll take your cage,” Rock said. “Be back within the hour.”
“Cage? What’s that?” Sam questioned.
“That’s what some people who ride motorcycles call cars,” Rock explained, holding out his hand for my keys. “Any allergies?”
I was impressed that he had thought to ask. I shook my head. “Sam can and does eat anything.” Before I handed the keys over I went to unlock my front door. On the way back I met Rock’s eyes, hoping to convey without words that I was trusting him with Sam and that he’d better not take advantage of that trust.
“Give me your phone, babe.” I dug into my back pocket and produced it for him. He programmed a number into it and handed it back. “Now you have my personal number.”
I watched them get into my car and drive away. Why did my heart suddenly feel so empty? Tears burned my eyes as I made my way back inside. All of a sudden the events of the past two days came crashing down on me. Rock showing up and threatening to take Sam away, the situation with Tom, the feelings I still had for Rock. I burst into tears and sank down against the door, thankful that no one was around to witness my meltdown.
The little life I’d carved out for me and Sam was about to unravel and become complicated. I didn’t want to give up everything I’d worked for to move back to Maine, but I knew that I would if I had to. I cried it all out, and when I was done I went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. The mirror over the sink revealed a blotchy red face and swollen eyes. My hair was piled up on top of my head like a bird’s nest. I hadn’t spent any time on my appearance before going to get Sam.
I thought about my lunch date with Tom. He was going to pick me up at noon and we were going to eat at one of the pier restaurants. I’d have to tell him about our plans, and hope he’d be content to remain friends. Something told me that wouldn’t be easy, though. He’d always made it clear that he wanted more from me, and I’d always made it a point not to mislead him because I didn’t want to hurt him if nothing more came of our friendship.
I decided to get a shower. By the time I’d dried off, done my hair and makeup, and dressed in a halter-style sundress, Rock and Sam had returned. They were sitting in the living room playing on the play station. I came to a sudden stop, watching them together. Sam was an expert at most of the Star Wars games, but it was clear that Rock was an amateur. He was worse than I was! His concentration on the game and the funny facial expressions he made made me grin. Watching them together did something funny to my heart, made me forget for just a moment that we weren’t a real family.
Something must have given away my presence because Rock turned my way. His gaze raked over my appearance, turning hot by the time our eyes met. He made me feel beautiful, he always had, and I felt an answering heat inside my core. Realizing that we were staring at each other, I forced myself to break away and address my son.
“You’re back,” I smiled. “How was breakfast?”
“Mom, you should have been there!” Sam rushed out, not taking his eyes off the TV. “We had a pancake contest. You should have seen the stack dad ate! It was, like, fifty!”
“Fifty?” I responded in disbelief. I knew Rock could put away food, he was a big man, but unless they were silver dollar pancakes I couldn’t see him getting down fifty. “And how many did you wolf down, little man?”
“Only seven, but they were the big ones, Mom,” he justified. He finally glanced at me. “Wow, Mom, you look spiffy.”
“Thank you, honey.” I avoided Rock’s eyes. “I’m meeting Tom for lunch. Unless Rock has somewhere to be, you can spend the time with him.” Sam nodded, but that’s all the response I got.
“No problem,” Rock said. “I’ll be glad to spend some time getting to know Sam.”
“Okay, then.” I turned to go back into my bedroom for shoes.
The sandals I wanted were at the back of the closet. They were the exact color of my sundress. I grasped them an
d backed out, coming up against something solid. With a gasp I straightened and spun around. Rock was blocking my way out of the closet, his arms on either side of the door jamb. As I bent to duck down to go under his arm he moved, crowding me against the door jamb with his body.
I raised my gaze to his. “Rock, what−”
“Don’t get yourself into any trouble today.” His gaze dropped to the swell of my breasts, which was revealed by the deep V of my dress.
“Trouble?” Thank God, I could still hear Sam playing with his game.
“Yeah,” he said roughly, leaning forward and placing a kiss at the top of my breasts. I sucked in my breath at his boldness and at the little flutter that it left behind in my belly.
“What kind of trouble?” I tried to ignore what the proximity of his body was doing to me.
“I don’t want you fucking anyone while you’re gone,” he rasped, dipping his tongue deep into my exposed cleavage.
Ohmygod! Liquid fire dripped off his tongue and I think I just had a mini orgasm!
“I mean it, Allie. No other man gets inside this pussy but me.” I moaned loudly when his hand was suddenly at my mound, cupping me through my thin dress.
I hated my body betraying my weakness to him. I quivered wildly, trying to remain detached, but it wasn’t working. “You…don’t, ah, have that right−”
“Yeah I do, baby.” He said the words between kissing his way over my chest. “You were trying to piss me off last night, but we both know you’re still mine.” I shook my head in denial, all the while panting at what he was making me feel. “Have your little lunch date with Tom, but if your pussy comes home wet, your friend is a dead man.”
He uttered the words against the side of my neck, and then bit down on my lobe. I put my hands against his chest and tried to push him away but it was like trying to move a small mountain. He chuckled at my efforts and straightened, arousal deepening the blue of his eyes.
I wanted to defy him. Show him that he couldn’t order me around, that he didn’t really know me. But he was so right about the night before, because making him jealous was exactly what I’d been trying to do. I’d wanted to push his buttons to get a reaction. He wouldn’t force himself on me. He was getting away with what I let him get away with. He had no right playing with my emotions.
In a sudden fit of anger I slapped him across the face. “Step back,” I whispered harshly, not wanting my voice to carry out to Sam.
He laughed. “Baby, you better do better than that when you come home tonight.”
I frowned, confused by his words, unsure of what they meant. He lowered his arms and I slipped away with relief. I’d planned on returning home after lunch, but coming home later tonight sounded even better. It would certainly show Rock that I did what I wanted and that he couldn’t control me.
Chapter 8
Rock
With Sam’s concentration on Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean, I decided to give Hawk a call. I stepped outside, where a storm was brewing. The wind had picked up, and the sky had darkened. A glance toward the ocean side revealed rough surf crashing against the vacant, sandy beach. I hit the number and brought the burner up to my ear.
“Yeah?”
The noise of the kids and the TV in the background revealed that Hawk was at home. I didn’t know how he kept his cool with the racket surrounding him, but he did. He was a changed man since Audra had entered his life. She made him happy.
“Just checking in.”
“How’s it going?”
I snorted. “About what I’d expected.”
“She was that happy to see you again, huh?” There was humor in his tone, and I could hear the background noise lessen as he walked away from the kids. “How’s your boy?”
A smile came naturally to my face. A few hours with him, and I already loved the kid. “Looks like me. He’s terrific, smart as a whip, and easy going. Allie’s done a good job with him.” I had to give her that. She’d done a good job raising him on her own.
“So, have you given any thought to what you’re going do?” He must have stepped outside because it was quiet now.
“Yeah, that’s all I’ve done.” I paused, looking back to make sure that Sam wasn’t standing at the screen door listening. “Fuck, brother, I want the kid in my life. Him living in Florida and me living in Maine isn’t going to cut it.” I didn’t add that I wanted Allie around, too.
Hawk laughed softly. “You going to leave Phantom Riders and move down there?” He’d asked, but we both knew that that option wasn’t on the table.
Just in case he had any doubt I growled out, “Fuck, no.” Phantom Riders was my family, as much as it was his. We’d been through shit together and come out on top. I was glad to see Hawk happy again after what that bitch Sonya had done to him all those years ago. Fuck, we both deserved to be happy. He’d found Audra and she’d popped out a couple of kids for him. Maybe a woman who loved me wasn’t in my future, but at least I had Sam now.
And with Sam came Allie. They were a package deal. I still wanted her ass, which had filled out nicely since I’d last seen her. I doubted she’d appreciate my observation. Remembering that I was on the phone with Hawk, I shook my head to clear it. “Look, we should be home in a couple of days.”
“I have a feeling when you say ‘we’ that you’re not just talking about BK and Big John.”
“We might never get those two fuckers home,” I said, thinking about the half-naked and very accommodating beauties at the Moonshine. “They’re having too much fun at the Moonshine.”
“I’ve heard of that place,” Hawk commented. “Make sure you tell them any tabs they run up are on them.”
We both laughed at that. We had our own club girls at home, and never had to pay for sex. But after a while the same old pussy got stale and less attractive, so when the opportunity came to try out fresh meat the boys took it. “I’m sure the girls at the Moonshine made it clear that they didn’t put out for free.” I thought about Holly, the little black beauty who’d offered herself to me that first night. I’d been tempted. She would have been worth the hundred bucks. But Allie’s face kept interfering with my fucking libido, and I’d turned to whisky instead of pussy.
“I’m bringing Allie and Sam back with me. I’ll set them up in my house.”
“I figured as much when you began looking for her again.”
Every time I thought about the years I’d wasted when I could have been raising my kid I wanted to destroy something. In the beginning, after reading her note, I’d given up, thinking that if that was what she wanted I’d let her go. I’d convinced myself that I was better off. But I’d only been fooling myself. My brothers had known it, too. They’d all known what I hadn’t back then, what I had refused to acknowledge--that Allie had been more important to me than I’d admitted. And our fucking situation had messed with my head.
Anger and hurt had pushed her away, while I’d drowned my frustration in pussy and booze and a good fight every fucking chance I got. By the time I’d got my head out of my ass and asked Fox to start looking for her nearly five years had gone by. Too damned long I’d wasted on feeling sorry for myself.
“Yeah, she’s not too happy about it either, but she’s not going to let Sam go without her. Can’t say I blame her, she’s all he’s known.”
“How do you feel about that? Having her around?”
I grinned. “Can’t say I’m opposed to it. Fuck, she’s stunning.” Christ, I was getting hard just thinking about her, and then I thought about what she might be doing that very minute with her boyfriend. It was late afternoon and she still wasn’t home. I shook off the growing anger. “Allie was pretty at eighteen, but at twenty-six she’s a curvy little piece that keeps my dick hard without half-trying.” I reached down to rearrange it.
Hawk’s rumble of laughter came across the line. “Might as well face it, brother, you never got over her. I remember how it was with you and her back then. You couldn’t keep your hands off her, and sh
e was sweet, naïve, and worshipped the ground you walked on.”
“Yeah, well now she’s independent, mouthy, and definitely not innocent.” Once again I thought about her with Tom. If he touched her I would end him without a problem. Hopefully Allie remembered that I didn’t make threats that I didn’t follow through on. My dick was aching with the memory of how good it felt being inside her body.
“Fuck. One of us might not make it through the next few days alive,” I growled, trying to get my dick under control.
No Mercy Page 5
