Cowboy (A Bad Boy Romance 4)

by Harley Wylde

  As the one who seemed to be the leader approached, he pulled off his helmet and sunglasses, and my heart stuttered and nearly stopped. Ty? My Ty was a biker? I opened the door and stepped out, not sure what to say to him or how to react. I knew that not everyone who was part of some sort of biker club was a bad guy, and Ty had never struck me as anything but good. As he drew closer, I saw the word Cowboy stitched on his vest along with the words Dixie Reapers.

  “Ty, what’s going on?” I asked, then looked past him at the other men and the motorcycles parked at the end of my driveway.

  “This is part of my past that I haven’t told you about, but it’s a part that will let me keep you safe and get you away from Beck. The men behind me are part of the Dixie Reapers, a club I belonged to for a lot of years. I walked away over a decade ago and never looked back, but I can’t protect you from Beck on my own, and it’s not safe for you to stay here.”

  I glanced at the men. They’d removed their helmets and sunglasses as well. They didn’t seem frightening, except for their size. Each of them was large and heavily muscled, as big as Beck if not more so. The one who’d gotten out of the truck came up alongside them, and I saw Prospect on his vest. I didn’t think they were called vests, though. Beck had watched one of those motorcycle shows one time, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it. I preferred lighter things that were more appropriate for a younger audience. There was enough darkness in my life already.

  “Jacey.” Ty’s voice snapped my attention back to him. “These men are here because they want to keep you safe. They’re my brothers, even if they aren’t blood. I want you to come with us. You can ride on the back of my bike and the kids can go in the truck with your bags.”

  “Your bike?” I asked and looked at the yellow motorcycle he’d ridden here. “You want me to…”

  “Yeah, babe, I really do.” He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a low growl that had my panties getting wet despite the seriousness of my situation. It was Ty. My Ty, so how could I not get turned on when he went all alpha and sexy on me? “Want to feel your body pressed close to me, your arms tight around my waist.”

  “Danica and Jackson might be scared riding with someone they don’t know,” I said.

  The man who’d been in the truck came forward, moving slowly. “Ma’am, my name’s King, and I promise to protect your kids with my life, but if they want you to ride along with them, at least for the first little bit, then I’m all right with that if Cowboy is. He’s calling the shots.”

  “And the other two?” I asked, glancing their way again.

  The tallest one stepped forward. He hesitated only a moment, glancing at the others. “My name’s Grimm. We don’t like to use our real names for various reasons, but I can tell you’re scared, and knowing what I do of the situation, I’m going to share that part of myself with you. Before I became a full-fledged member of the club, my name was Ivan Volkov.”

  “Russian?” I asked. “You don’t have an accent, other than southern.”

  He smiled a little. “My parents were Russian, but I mostly grew up here in the States. These men already know that, except Cowboy, so what I’ve shared with you is special. Not everyone knows where I came from or who I really am. Same for everyone else in the club.”

  The other one came forward and gave me a warm smile. “They call me Sarge and I’m ex-military. I will do everything I can to assure that you and your children arrive at the Dixie Reapers’ compound safely.”

  “Compound?” I asked, looking at Ty again.

  “Think of it as a gated community that is heavily protected,” he said. “Beck at work? How much time do we have?”

  My body tensed as I jerked my gaze down the road. For a moment, I’d forgotten that he’d been gone all night and could return any second. I rushed inside and shooed the kids out the front door, then tried to carry out our bags. Grimm came inside and hefted them with ease. I picked up my purse but set my cell phone on the table along with my car keys. I didn’t know if Beck could use them to track me, but I didn’t want to take the chance.

  “Jacey, leave the purse,” Ty said.

  “But… I’ll need my ID and money.” Not that I had more than forty dollars in my wallet, and that was only because Beck had asked me to pick up beer and some other things for him.

  “Get your license out of your purse, and get all your birth certificates and social security cards. You won’t be coming back here, Jacey. I don’t trust Beck not to have somehow hidden something inside your bag.”

  I nodded. I’d had a feeling we wouldn’t be returning so I’d already packed anything important, like the kids’ shot records and birth certificates. I took my license out of my wallet and shoved it into my front pocket, then closed the front door for the last time. My hands shook and Ty reached for me. I went willingly, needing the comfort of his arms around me.

  “You can ride with the kids until we reach the next town,” he said. “Then I want you on my bike. I’ve been dreaming of taking you for a ride.”

  “The kids… they get bored on long trips.” I hadn’t had time to go buy them anything like coloring books, new novels to read, or anything that might entertain them. Nor did I really have the funds for that, but I didn’t know how long we’d be on the road.

  “We’ll take care of it along the way, Jacey. We need to leave. Now,” Ty said, his voice brooking no argument.

  I nodded and let him guide us down to the end of the driveway. The men introduced themselves to the kids and explained that we were going on a long road trip, but we’d stop soon for snacks and anything else they may want or need. I buckled into the front seat of the truck and noticed that there was already a booster seat for Jackson. Once everyone was situated, King put the truck into gear and pulled away from the curb.

  My stomach was doing somersaults as I waited for Beck to appear and go into a rage. As the blocks passed and nothing happened, I eased my hold on the door and tried to relax back into the seat. When Mayfair was in the rearview mirror and only the open highway lay before us, I breathed a little easier, hoping that just maybe we’d managed to pull it off, that we’d finally escaped Beck.

  “Darlin’, no one’s going to catch up to us now,” King said, giving me a smile. “Even if your husband has discovered you’re missing, it will take him a while to figure out where you’re going.”

  “But what if someone on the street got a good look at your…” I waved at the black vest.

  “Our cuts? It’s possible. He’d still have to do a little digging to figure out where we’re located and then get there. We have an officer who is aware of your situation and he’ll make it damn hard for your husband to get any help from the local law enforcement,” King said.

  “Momma,” Jackson called from the back seat, his voice soft and a little hesitant. “Are we leaving Daddy?”

  I swallowed hard and then turned to smile at my kids. “Yeah, baby. We’re leaving Daddy. Mr. Ty is going to take us somewhere safe, okay?”

  Danica heaved out a dramatic sigh. “Finally.”

  I blinked at my daughter. “What?”

  She fastened her gaze on me, looking far more like a wizened adult than a kid. “Jackson and I pray every day that you’ll leave Daddy and take us with you. We know he hurts you, and we don’t like it. We’ve heard you cry and scream, beg him to stop.”

  I turned to face the front and tried really damn hard not to cry. King reached over and squeezed my hand briefly. Ty was riding out in front of us and had turned to look our direction. I wondered if he’d seen the move and didn’t approve. I reached up and wiped a stray tear off my cheek, hoping my kids didn’t notice. We traveled another half hour before everyone pulled off the road and into a little town.

  We stopped in front of a diner that said Betty’s on the window. Ty helped me out of the truck, wrapping his arms around me. His lips brushed my cheek, then he placed them against my ear.

  “I see King lay another hand on you, and that kid won’t live long e
nough to patch in.”

  I gasped and blinked up at him, but he gave me a smirk that said he wasn’t serious. At least, I didn’t think he was. His lips pressed against mine and I couldn’t help but melt against him. Ty growled a little and deepened the kiss, his hold tightening on me. A throat cleared, and we pulled apart in time to see Grimm wink at us as he passed with a kid holding onto each of his hands.

  My cheeks flushed as I looked up at Ty, but he seemed rather pleased by our public display of affection. “Been waiting a really damn long time to kiss you like that, whenever I want. Expect plenty more where that came from,” he said.

  “Ty, I…” I shut my mouth, not knowing if I wanted to deter him, or beg for more.

  “That asshole is in your past now, Jacey. He’s a dead man walking, babe. The second I found out what he’d done to you, he’d sealed his fate.”

  “Y-You’d k-kill him?” I asked, my heart thumping hard in my chest.

  Ty leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “He raped you, then filmed it and sold it. He forced you to expose yourself for pictures to line his pockets, then left you without enough money to take care of your kids. Not to mention the beatings. What else has he done, Jacey? So yes, I’d fucking kill him if given half a chance, and I wouldn’t regret it for one second.”

  I trembled and I wasn’t sure if it was because his words scared me -- that Ty could be capable of something like that -- or if it worried me more that the thought of a world without Beck sounded like heaven.

  “Jacey,” he said, his voice softening. “I will never, never hurt you or those kids, but yes, I will kill to protect you. I’m sorry if that means I’m not the man you thought I was, and I hope it won’t change the way you look at me. But I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never go through any of that again.”

  “Ty, I…” I licked my lips and then pressed my mouth to his. I didn’t know how to put into words what I wanted to say, but I hoped he understood that I wasn’t scared of him. I could never fear Ty.

  “Let’s get something to eat, then find some stuff to keep the kids busy.” He wrapped his fingers around mine, then frowned at our clasped hands. He lifted them up to eye level, then narrowed his gaze. Before I realized what had upset him, he pulled my wedding ring off and threw it in the gutter. He linked our fingers again and led me into the diner.

  I didn’t know what to do with this version of Ty, but I had a feeling I might like seeing the alpha side of him. He wasn’t scary and out of control like Beck. Even when he was speaking about killing my husband, the way he looked at me… there was still tenderness in his eyes, and something more. I’d almost go so far as to say Ty loved me, and maybe he did.

  Whatever the future held, I hoped that I would finally get a chance to find out what life would be like with Ty. Or Cowboy. Whatever he wanted to be called. And I hoped I got a chance to find out if the heat between us extended to more than just kissing. If anyone could give me an orgasm, my money was on Ty.

  Chapter Four

  Ty

  We’d been on the road for five hours by the time we reached the Dixie Reapers compound. Lots of new faces, and quite a few familiar ones too. Jacey had ridden on the back of my bike for a while, but the last hour she’d slept in the truck. As much as I wanted to introduce her and the kids to everyone, I didn’t want to overwhelm them, not after the emotional day they’d had.

  Torch gave me a hug, which surprised the fuck out of me.

  “Good to see you, boy. I knew you’d find your way home sooner or later,” he said.

  “I’m not home, Pres. This is just a layover while I make sure Jacey and the kids are safe.”

  He grinned. “We’ll see about that. If your brothers can’t convince you to stay, then the women and kids will convince your family this is where you belong.”

  “My f-family?” I asked, hating the stutter.

  “You called her your woman when you talked to Wire, which means she’s yours, and so are those kids. There are a few unclaimed homes here. Had a few of the guys make sure one was ready for you. Fully furnished, and King texted the ages of the kids, so there’s toys and shit for them too.”

  I looked around, noticing way more houses than had been here when I’d left.

  “A lot’s changed,” Torch said. “Some things are the same, but we’re a lot more cautious these days, and we have the backing of three other clubs. We’re tied to the Devil’s Boneyard, Devil’s Fury, and Hades Abyss by blood or marriage, and each club will have our backs if we need the help. What happened to you won’t ever be an issue again. Clubhouse these days is just as wild at night as it used to be, but the prospects all room there now. We’ve got nine patched members with old ladies, and ten with kids. Excluding you, unless you decide you’re ready to stay.”

  I swallowed a knot of emotion and gave him a nod. “Thanks, Pres.”

  Torch slapped my shoulder. “You’re still one of us, Cowboy. Always will be, and that makes that woman and those kids part of us too. You know damn well we protect our own. King will show you the way to the house. Get them settled and have a night with your woman. Be in Church at nine o’clock in the morning.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I got back on my bike and followed the truck to a two-story home that was a robin’s-egg blue with black shutters and a red door. No way in hell any of my brothers came up with the paint scheme for this. Must have been one of the old ladies Torch had mentioned. I knew he and Venom had settled down, and Wire had mentioned Tank recently found someone. It made me wonder who else had paired up while I was gone. I looked at the house again, and had a feeling Jacey would like it. The place looked like a nice family home, not something that should be in the middle of a biker compound. I shut off my bike and walked over to the truck to help Jacey and the kids out.

  King carried their bags inside, placing them just beyond the door, then he gave me a quick salute and made himself scarce. The kids looked around and seemed hesitant. I could understand. Their lives had been turned upside down today. Even if Beck was a monster, he was still their dad. It had to be confusing, just packing up and walking away without a word. And while I’d spent a lot of time with them at the stable and occasionally going to eat or out somewhere fun, leaving town together like this just wasn’t something they would have expected. Not to mention the fact I’d kissed their mom every chance I’d had once we were free of Mayfair.

  Yep, I needed to sit down and have a talk with everyone.

  “Everyone inside,” I said, motioning toward the house. “Have a seat in the living room and I’ll try to answer some questions.”

  The kids scampered inside with Jacey moving at a slower pace. I shut and locked the door, knowing my brothers were the type to come barging in unannounced, especially when they were curious. I stood in front of the three of them, my arms folded as I studied my little family. Yeah, Torch wasn’t wrong. They were mine, even if I hadn’t officially claimed them. Jacey’s marriage wasn’t a deterrent at this point, not with my current knowledge of what Beck had done to her. If I’d known what she’d been suffering all this time, I’d have gotten her away from him sooner.

  “I’m sure you kids are confused right now,” I said, addressing Danica and Jackson.

  “Not really,” said Danica. “You’re trying to save our mom, right? Because you love her?”

  My eyebrows rose as I looked at Jacey. I knew Danica was smart, but I hadn’t realized just how smart until this particular moment. The kid saw more than I gave her credit for, which made me wonder what she knew about her dad. Her brother didn’t seem bothered by Danica’s question. I just wasn’t entirely certain how to answer her. I could tell her the truth, but I didn’t know exactly how much they knew. I didn’t want to bad-mouth their dad if they admired him like the public did, or if they knew exactly what their mother had been through.

  “Yes, I’m trying to save your mom, and both of you,” I said.

  Jacey dropped her gaze and squeezed her hands toge
ther. It made my heart ache, knowing she wanted more from me. I just hadn’t wanted to tell her how I felt in front of the kids. Not for the first time anyway.

  “And yes, I love your mom. I would do anything for her, and for the two of you,” I said. “Your dad isn’t a nice man, and I --”

  “They know,” Jacey said. “Danica said they know he hurts me. You don’t have to hide it from them.”

  “Are we going to live here?” Jackson asked. “Are you our dad now?”

  Danica eyed her brother. “It doesn’t work that way.”

  Jackson looked disappointed, his lower lip protruding and his gaze shifting away. I wanted to tell him that I would be honored to be their dad. Even more, that I wanted their mom by my side for the rest of my life, but I knew now wasn’t the time. It might never be the right time. Once I handled Beck, Jacey might very well see me as every bit as monstrous as her husband and take off. I wouldn’t blame her in the slightest.

  “Why don’t the two of you go upstairs?” I suggested. “There are two bedrooms that were prepared for you. I need to talk to your mom a minute.”

  The kids shot off the couch and went running for the stairs. When I heard the squeals as they found their bedrooms, I focused on Jacey. She rubbed her hands up and down her thighs before standing and coming closer to me.

  “Ty, what you’ve done for us… I can’t ever repay you.”

  “I didn’t ask you to. All I want is for you to be safe and happy. If you’re talking about the expense involved in all this, don’t worry about it. Money isn’t a problem.”

  She looked around, then her gaze focused on my cut. “The money you used to open the stable, and for all the things you’ve bought the kids… It wasn’t all from the rodeo, was it? I know champions can make a good amount, but it goes beyond that, doesn’t it?”

  “No, I didn’t just use rodeo money. When I was an active part of the club, I earned a cut of the profits like the others. Didn’t touch much of it and just added it to my winnings. I may have done some bad things in my life, Jacey, but I’m not like Beck.”