by Skye McNeil
“I trust she’s been taken care of.” Phantom’s tone conveyed a skeptical father.
“Isa is safe and well protected,” Reaper advised, not giving Doc the opportunity to confirm it himself.
A weight seemed to momentarily lift from the Irishman’s shoulders. He wiped a weathered hand over his face. “Good. I’d come over myself, but….”
“We’ll deliver her safe once this is finished,” Rubble said. As the sergeant at arms, he’d oversee the fight should the Twelve Brothers truly make the flight for Isa.
Their president nodded in agreement. “Worry not, brother. We’ll take care of her.” He glanced to Doc. “I have my nephew on her protection detail. He’s been very attentive to your girl.”
Doc swallowed hard at the high praise. While his uncle meant every word, it also came with a double meaning.
Snoopy shot him a knowing look. The dickhead’s old lady probably knew more about his relationship with Isa than Doc cared to admit. It didn’t matter in the long run. He was tasked to keep Isa safe, and that was exactly what he was doing.
“We’ll be ready for them,” Rubble added before Reaper finished the video call.
The members began talking once more, business not pleasure this time. Macha had a job to do, and they wouldn’t rest until it was done. It was one of the draws to the MC for Doc. His father had conveyed the same throughout his young life, and he couldn’t turn his back on his brothers.
Despite being the newest member, he was quickly roped into Rubble’s strategy. The man was always prepared and had a plan drawn up before they finished church. By the end, Doc was confident Macha would keep Isa safe. Every member was about to risk their life for one of their own. It was the Macha way, and one he was proud to be part of now more than ever.
Now to tell Isa.
“What’s going on?” Isa scowled at him from her perch on the bed. Her gray eyes were skeptical, head tilted to the side. In her oversized sweatshirt—his sweatshirt—and black leggings, she couldn’t look more appealing unless she was stark naked.
“We’re moving to the lodge. Prez’s orders.” He grabbed her suitcase and stuffed clothes into it.
“Ugh, you’re doing it wrong.” She slapped his hands away and unpacked the suitcase before she started folding the clothes.
Doc took a step back and reviewed the room. There wasn’t much to take to the lodge.
His eyes landed on Isa carefully placing her belongings in the bag. If he wasn’t in a hurry, he’d take advantage of that long braid of hers. Since tasting her the other night, he’d craved no other delicacy. Staying up half the night merely talking to the Irish beauty only solidified it for him. She wouldn’t be anyone else’s. Not if he had any say in the matter. She was too special, too pure, too unique to let a stranger change her.
He shook his head. His focus had to be on Rubble’s plan. They needed to take Isa to the lodge immediately. According to Phantom, the Twelve Brothers would figure out where Isa was within the week, and then they’d come for her. To Colorado. He didn’t like the thought. The sooner Isa was safely behind armored doors, the better.
Once the bags were packed according to her standards, Doc hustled them to one of the MC trucks waiting in the parking lot. He tossed the luggage in the back and started the engine. The bright beams from the pickup lit up the dark sky. Klink and Cueball followed close behind in case Phantom’s intel was incorrect. Better to have muscle in case of the worst.
He cranked on the heat when he noticed her shivering in the passenger seat.
“Are you going to tell me why we’re leaving the clubhouse this late?” she asked.
He eyed the clock on the dashboard. He hadn’t noticed the time. After church, his sole purpose was getting Isa to safety.
“How much do you know about the rival MCs in Ireland?”
She shrugged. “Not much. Phantom mentioned an MC when I arrived. I can’t remember much, to be honest. It was all a flurry of information, and then I was on a plane.”
Doc gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “The Twelve Brothers is another MC in Ireland. Macha and them never got along, but once your dad—er, Phantom took over, they started encroaching on our territory.”
“And that’s bad?”
“When Macha livelihood is put at risk, yes, very bad.”
They passed an abandoned gas station and he noticed a sheriff on the side of the road. Boulder made sure to inform the local sheriff and police about the impending fight. Of course, the uniforms couldn’t condone any firefight, but they’d help if the time came.
He glanced over to see Isa staring out the window, legs folded beneath her on the seat. “Why do they want me?”
“Because you’d be the perfect chess piece in their fucked-up play for Northern Ireland.” He turned onto the gravel road, their destination closing in.
“I barely know my fath—Phantom.”
“Doesn’t matter. They think you’re his little princess and he would do anything for you.”
She brushed her braid behind her back. “He would.”
Doc noticed Hawk’s chopper up ahead. Klink and Cueball were still right behind him. Snoopy had left a few minutes before them on the off chance anything went awry, but no call rang out over the CB radio in the truck, so they were clear all the way to the lodge.
“Then I guess they’re right in targeting you.” He met her gaze and cursed himself for speaking so candidly. “But you’re safe. Macha will keep you safe.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I will keep you safe.”
The rumble of motorcycles got louder the closer they got to the lodge drive. He paused and rolled down his window. Hawk opened the gate and waved them through. They reached the top of the driveway in time to see Legs greet Snoopy.
“Looks like we won’t be alone up here,” Isa commented as Doc pulled into one of the garages and parked.
“Nope. We’re on lockdown until we know what’s going on.” He grinned. “But don’t worry. There’s plenty of places here to get away from everyone else.”
She didn’t respond, but then again, when he glanced the same direction she was staring, he probably wouldn’t either. Most of the members stood outside the lodge alongside their old ladies and families. He’d never seen the like of it before. Obviously they weren’t waiting around for them, already unloading their shit for an undetermined length of stay at the mountain fortress.
Doc hustled out of the cab, and then opened her door.
“I’m putting everyone in danger.”
Tilting up her chin, he shook his head. “It comes with the lifestyle, princess.”
“But—”
“None of that. Macha is a family, and we protect our own.” He grabbed her hand and guided her from the truck’s warmth. Tucking her under his arm, he nodded to two prospects nearby to get her luggage.
Leading her through a side door, Doc managed to avoid the crowd. Once they were inside, he nodded to Queenie, Dolly, and a couple more women he didn’t recognize. They were diligently working in the kitchen. Homemade bread from the smell of it.
Isa held tightly to his arm on the way up the stairs, and he feared she wouldn’t be able to handle confinement in the lodge very long. Her past was filled with happiness and no hint of MC involvement. In a short amount of time, she’d learned about her father and the club he ran. If it were him, he’d be wary too.
Doc opened the bedroom door and was grateful to see her bed already made and waiting. “Hang on.” He left her by the door and quickly checked the room. Even though he trusted his brothers, he wanted to ensure the room was safe himself. “Okay, all clear.”
Isa closed the door behind her and slowly walked over to him. “I’m scared,” she said seconds before pressing her face into his chest. He didn’t have to see the tears to understand the wetness on his shirt.
Cradling the back of her head, he rested his chin on her soft hair. “You’re gonna be all right. I promise.”
“I wish I had a different dad.”
She sniffled. “Or that he had a different job. I understand why Mum kept me away.”
Doc’s heart clenched at her words. He didn’t know how to respond. His mother had gone along similar lines when his parents split. The difference was he grew up around Macha and knew his father’s role in the club. There were no surprises for him. Isa’s childhood was sheltered. Knowing her history, everything about her life was kept hidden—for good reason. Even before Phantom took over Belfast, he protected his daughter the only way he knew how.
“I know it seems rough right now, but we’ll get through this.” He held her at arm’s length and searched for her gaze. Once it latched on to his, Doc felt his pulse quicken. Even crying, she was an angel. “It’s late. Maybe you should get some sleep.” He nodded to the bed. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”
She glanced at the bed, then back to him. “Will you stay with me?”
“Isa—”
“Please. At least until I fall asleep.”
He could say her gray eyes swayed him to agree, but it wasn’t true. He wasn’t going anywhere if he could help it. Isa was his responsibility, one he’d gladly take on any day of his life.
17
Doc
“Got another live one, Doc!”
Glancing up from the chessboard, Doc caught sight of Snoopy and Brewer heading his direction with a prospect loosely hanging between their shoulders. Blood soaked the prospect’s face and dribbled down his shirt.
“Isa, I need to take care of this.” He nodded to the board. “I know where my pieces are, so don’t even think about cheating.”
“Whatever you say, Doc.”
That smug little smile on her face almost made him think twice about patching up the incoming man. But he wouldn’t.
Standing, he met Snoopy and Brewer at the door. “Who’d our guy lose to?”
“Rubble.”
He chuckled and followed the trio down the hallway to the makeshift clinic he’d set up right after arriving in Snowshoe. There was one at the clubhouse too, but that one was better stocked and held medical equipment. The lodge clinic left much to be desired. He made a mental note to chat with Reaper about supplies. If a firefight made its way up the mountain, the club needed to be fully prepared.
Snoopy rested the prospect, a man in his early twenties, on the table while Brewer tugged the guy’s shirt off. The man winced but didn’t make a sound. Macha didn’t promote fistfights, but the club also didn’t discourage them.
“So, you thought it was a good idea to fuck with our sergeant at arms?” He inspected the cuts and purple bruises quickly forming.
The prospect shrugged. “A patch told me to.”
Doc lifted his gaze to Snoopy, then Brewer. Either one could’ve prompted the newbie to start a fight he definitely wouldn’t win. It was part of club life. The members often got their rocks off watching prospects earn their patches. He’d watched a time or two but would never pit anyone as scrawny as this prospect against the sheer mass of Rubble.
“How long you been with us?” he asked, threading a needle through the man’s left brow. The gash wasn’t too deep but would scar if left unattended.
“Three months.”
Nodding, he finished the stitch and moved to the next cut on the man’s shoulder blade. Typically, the prospects were given six to twelve months to patch. If they didn’t, Prez could throw them out for failing to succeed or give them another year. Thankfully, Doc hadn’t needed more than six months. Then again, the years I passed intel count for something.
He carefully slapped bandages on the stitched areas and patted the prospect’s back. “Good luck out there.”
The prospect shrugged on his shirt and nodded his thanks. Snoopy and Brewer stayed behind and watched the younger man leave.
“Think he’ll survive initiation?” Brewer asked, giving Doc a side-eye.
Doc washed his hands and patted them dry. “Dunno, maybe. How many blows did he get in before Rubble leveled him?”
Snoopy smirked. “Three. Once he drew blood, Rubble was done. You know how he gets. Doesn’t like prospects showing him up.”
“Let’s hope none ever do.”
They heard the prospect down the hallway, chatting it up with the other men in his group. There’d be an initiation at the end of summer. Macha hosted them twice a year, so if a prospect didn’t pass, he had a second chance later that year.
Snoopy pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “We weren’t sure you’d make it, you know. Ten-to-one odds.”
Laughing, Brewer nodded. “Good thing I bet on you, unlike this guy.”
Snoopy scowled. “Shut it, Brewer.”
Thinking back to his initiation, Doc had to admit he wasn’t sure either. The trials were easy, or so said every patch member. Walking barefoot over a bed of hot coals hadn’t been fun, but he’d prevailed. Letting patch members punch the ever-loving shit out of him wasn’t pleasant either.
The mountain climb, though, that’d been the bitch. No oxygen tanks and limited food. Macha abandoned the prospects, him included, at separate summits of nearby mountains via helicopter with no provisions. He was completely alone. Just him, the wilderness, and the spirit of Macha to get him to the bottom. For the next three days, he’d foraged for food and warmth while snow fell around him. Despite freezing his ass off, he made it to the base of the mountain before any other prospect.
A month later, the mandatory Macha tattoo didn’t seem so bad. He’d passed the trials and was patched right before Isa arrived.
Doc finished cleaning up his small work area. The clinic hadn’t been too busy; with the Twelve Brothers dilemma, Rubble made sure the men didn’t harm themselves in juvenile fistfights.
“Any word from Phantom?”
Brewer shook his head. “It’s all quiet in Ireland. I’ve a mind to tell Reaper to send one of our men over there to keep tabs on Phantom and his crew.”
“Wouldn’t do any good,” Snoopy said, flicking ash on the table Doc recently sterilized. He narrowed his gaze but didn’t bring attention to it. “Phantom would send the asshole back within a week. He’s had a snake in the grass before. Wouldn’t let another one in.”
“When was that?” Doc asked, suddenly interested in Macha’s previous traitor.
Snoopy cleared his throat and closed the door. “We don’t speak of traitors once they defile Macha’s name.” His eyes narrowed. “The man was lucky to be able to walk away from the club with his balls intact. If it were up to me, they’d be smashed.”
“Snoop, where you at?” a voice called from the hallway.
“Uh-oh, somebody’s old lady is looking for him,” Brewer teased, nudging Snoopy’s arm.
“Fuck off.” He straightened his cut. “At least I have an old lady.”
Brewer rolled his eyes. “And a fuck nymph.”
Snoopy took a step closer to Brewer and waved his cigarette in the other man’s face. “Don’t be jealous I can satisfy two women.” He nodded to Doc. “He knows how to do it too.”
“Not lately.”
Doc winced at the slight jab. It was true he hadn’t been with a nymph since Isa arrived. He didn’t feel the urge.
“Give it a bit. Once the Irish girl leaves, Doc will be back at the nymph lair.” Snoopy patted his back. “We’ll have to tear him away then.”
“Snoopy, I swear to God….”
Brewer and Doc glanced to the shorter man.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He crushed the cigarette on the table, then opened the door. “Que pasa, bebe?”
A string of Spanish words came out of Snoopy’s old lady, and neither Doc nor Brewer cared to translate. One thing Doc knew for certain; he was damned glad he didn’t know any Gaelic. Surely Isa would curse him out in the ancient dialect if he pissed her off enough.
“Where you off to?” Brewer asked, hanging onto the door.
“Chess with the princess.” He let a smile escape. She was horrible at the game, but the way her brows furrowed when she was losing was too cute to give
up.
“You really have changed, haven’t you?”
He met Brewer’s curious eyes. “I think I have.”
18
Isa
The lodge was everything she could dream of for a mountain retreat. Waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread didn’t hurt either.
Isa glanced over to where Doc had slept all night. He wasn’t in bed with her but in the reclining chair instead.
At first, she’d been cross about his choice of location, but she quickly learned that he was looking out for both of them. If an emergency popped up during the night, his MC brothers may not look kindly on Doc spooning her under the covers.
Pulling on a fresh pair of socks, Isa eyed the made bed. Doc was assigned to protect her, she knew that, but her body craved something physical with him despite that fact.
She opened her door and peeked down the hallway before stepping outside. Voices drifted from below, and not-so-subtle moans from the room two doors down made her roll her eyes and hurry to the elaborate staircase. The first time she’d seen it didn’t do it justice. The wooden railings curved all the way down to the bottom, one on each side. She ran her hand over the Macha emblem carved on one side.
Following her nose, she kept walking until she reached the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the sheer size. There was a walk-in pantry, rows lined with canned and boxed foods. The appliances were top of the line, and the quartz countertops were spotless. Barstools lined the island, an eat-in table long enough to fit twelve people comfortably next to it. In all, the entire space could hold twenty people, and there was also a formal dining area in the room to the left of the kitchen.
Isa smiled at the counter full of breads and streusel. She’d missed the mass of hungry bikers, but plenty of food was leftover for stragglers such as her.
“Eat as much as you want,” Queenie said, stepping out of the pantry, arms full of canned vegetables. “Lunch isn’t for a few hours, and I’m sure Doc will make you work up an appetite.”
