by Nicole Fox
“What changed?” Park was still determined to find out what had happened, but his tone had softened somewhat. He had been hoping Skid would be honest with him, and he’d gotten it.
“A few things, actually. I was curious about him, for one. Being in the army can really change a man, and I knew that even when I was discharged he had already become a completely different person than he’d been when he had enlisted. I had, too. My other concern was his men. I don’t think they knew about my relationship with Stomper, and they looked like they were ready for a fight. I didn’t want to leave our men there if something happened.”
There was a moment of silence while Park absorbed this. “That makes sense. It sounds like you have your priorities straight. But you were with him for quite some time, from what I heard. Can I ask what the two of you talked about?”
Mina scowled at the door. Her father was never so kind when he asked her about her business. Park wasn’t going to just let the situation go, but he was playing the game nicely. When he talked to her, he was demanding and angry all the time. It wasn’t fair, and someday she was going to call him on it. Of course, that meant she would have to admit she’d been hiding in the closet. It would have to wait for now.
“Mostly our time in the service. You don’t really forget about the things you go through overseas. The training they give you might prepare you for how to survive in the desert or how to handle enemy fire, but it doesn’t prepare you for the people you meet or seeing them die. Stomper mentioned that he never fit in anywhere when he got out, and that was why he started the Sons of Chaos. I hadn’t thought about it at all until that point, but that might have been the same reason I joined the Legion. I needed a place to belong, a brotherhood that could at least come close to the way I felt about my fellow soldiers. You don’t find that at a nine-to-five job or with your regular friends and family. Unless someone else has been through it, they just don’t understand.” Skid’s voice was quiet as he reflected.
Pressing her lips together, Mina realized just how important the club was to Skid. This wasn’t just some organization he had joined for fun. It wasn’t just some way to make a little money and keep a roof over his head. Satan’s Legion was like his family, just as the army had been. She wished she had understood this earlier. It now made more sense than ever that he didn’t want to tell Park about their relationship. Skid didn’t want to lose her, but he didn’t want to lose his family, either.
The sound of boots on the floor indicated that one of them had stood up and gone to the window. It must have been Park, because his voice sounded different when he spoke again. “That all sounds legit. I have to admit I was concerned that Stomper was trying to recruit you for his club. I couldn’t see any other reason why you would spend that much time with a rival leader. I didn’t like the idea of you leaving.”
Mina thought she could hear the smile on Skid’s lips. “He told me he was there if he needed me, but there was no direct recruitment talk. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Park sighed. “I’ve got enough on my hands with this issue with Mina. Of course, nobody has come forward to claim the baby. And why would they? I’m not stupid, and neither are the men. They know I’d kick their ass. I wasn’t really thinking at the time about how hard it would be for someone to admit what they’d done, knowing what the consequences would be. But I guess it’s just as well. Mina is enough to handle on her own, without some cocky biker trying to take her away from me.”
Mina rolled her eyes in the darkness. Didn’t Park understand that she was her own woman? There was nobody who was going to take her away from him, because she wasn’t a child anymore. Park didn’t have to deal with her at all. She had to smirk, though, knowing that Park had the father of her child right in front of him.
“I like to think it’s all going to work out,” Skid replied. “Mina has been a little wild sometimes, but she’s a smart girl with a good heart.”
“I agree, which is exactly why nobody is good enough for her. Well, I guess I’d better get on with the day’s business. Sorry I woke you. I heard you had company last night.”
Mina bit her tongue and nearly yelped.
“Yeah, well, you know how it is. I’ll see ya.”
Just as the door to Skid’s room closed, Mina came tumbling out of the closet. She tripped over the sheet that was still wound around her body and fell on the floor, laughing so hard that not a sound came out of her mouth.
Skid rushed to her side and scooped her slim shoulders into his arms. “Are you all right?” He looked down at her with concern in his dark eyes.
She tried to catch her breath long enough to tell him, but all she could do was point at the door and continue laughing.
It was contagious, and they lay together in a pile on the floor, enjoying their amusement over the whole scenario. “I thought I was going to die when he mentioned I’d had company last night,” Skid whispered. “If he had any idea who it was, or that you were in the closet, he’d probably have shot me on the spot.”
“At least he didn’t tell you how difficult and troublesome you were,” Mina replied, suddenly sobering up as she poked a finger into his wide chest. It wasn’t fair that the two men could have such a candid conversation.
“He wasn’t lying,” Skid argued, “but I did defend you, so you can’t really complain.”
Mina got to her feet and smiled at him. “He’s going to shit himself when he finally finds out about us. All your posturing about how things will work out, and sitting there looking so innocent when Park told everyone about the pregnancy. He’ll remember that.”
He blinked at her. “Wait a minute. How did you know about that? You weren’t in the basement. Park had called all the men down there, and I remember that Grill told you not to come.” Skid stood up and reached in the closet for a shirt.
She smiled as she tugged on her pants, amused. “Today wasn’t the first time I sat around in a closet and eavesdropped. I know more about this club than people think I do, and a lot more than I’m told.” She went to him and stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Looks like it’s time I get out of here.”
Skid pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows, but he nodded. “Okay. I’ll hang out in the hallway and let you know when it’s clear.”
Mina caught him by the arm before he could get to the door. “Don’t be silly. I’ll just leave the same way I came in.” She pulled up the sash on the window and smiled over her shoulder at him.
Shaking his head, Skid caught Mina in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. Mina reveled in his touch and the knowledge that he still wanted her even though he’d had everything from her last night. She turned in his arms so that she faced him fully, letting their kiss deepen.
“You can go,” he growled, “but be careful. That’s my baby in there, too.” He ran a thick hand across her stomach.
She slipped out the window easily and made her way along the fire escape to her own room. The sun had only just started its journey through the sky, and even in their industrial part of town everything looked beautiful. The air was fresh, the birds were singing, and the entire scene below her unfolded in crisp definition. Mina knew that it wasn’t the fact that she was so far off the ground that was making her heart soar. Skid wanted her, and that was the first time he had truly claimed their child as his. Things had been rough, but they were going to get better.
Chapter Twelve
Skid
Skid put his arm tightly around Mina, not wanting to let her go. “I think we still have a few more minutes. The guys haven’t gotten back yet.” He ran his hands down her back to cup her ass, unable to get enough of her. They had snuck out once again, finding a secluded place to be together. While it wasn’t exactly romantic to make love against the side of a building, it was safer than doing it in either one of their rooms. Skid was sure Park was still on the lookout for any man who got too close to Mina’s door. And while she might have been able to easily man
euver her skinny frame through the window and out onto the fire escape, it wasn’t a feat he felt he could achieve so easily.
“That’s easy for you to say. You can come and go as you please, but it won’t be easy for me to sneak in once everyone is back.” She laughed, her voice carrying away on the night breeze.
Leaning back against the rough side of one of the neighboring warehouses, Skid looked at her in the darkness. Her skin was pale in the moonlight, her eyes dark. “What’s so funny?”
“What’s not? Park finally left the clubhouse and who does he put in charge of me but you? He has no idea just how ironic that is.” She giggled again, brushing her curves up against him.
“You’re only making it harder for me to let you go back,” he cautioned. They had made love and hastily put their clothes back on, but both of them were reluctant to leave. In that moment, he was ready to tell Park the whole truth. He was willing to sacrifice everything he had with the club just so he could have Mina at his side every night without worrying about it. Logically, he knew it wouldn’t work that way, but he wasn’t thinking with his brain.
“I’m not sure why he wants me so well-guarded, anyway. It’s not like I could get any more pregnant than I am.” Mina ran her hand gently over her swollen stomach. The bump was still small, but he was very aware of it. The addition to her body only made it more adorable, and Skid had laughed when he’d discovered she had fastened her jeans with a rubber band.
“He’s just worried about you. Where did he say he was going, anyway? I stopped paying attention after he told me to keep an eye on you. I was too busy thinking about what I would do once he was gone.” Skid pulled her down to him and nibbled her neck.
“I don’t know, really. Something about a new recruit, or maybe they were just picking out new leathers.” She giggled and pulled away, turning her face so that he had to kiss her mouth instead.
The last few weeks had been blissfully quiet. Park had little to say about Mina. Now that she had calmed down and was no longer trying to flirt with every man in existence, the tension in the clubhouse had eased. Everything was getting better. Skid knew in the back of his mind that he still would have to confront his president and admit what he had done, but it was a dark cloud that was easier to push aside than to deal with.
“It’s not like you not to know,” he remarked. “I think you’re getting soft on me.”
“I guess I can do that since I know you’re always hard.” Mina swung her leg over his and sat on top of him, her breasts in his face.
“What did the doctor say?”
She sat back and tipped her head. “Not a whole lot. Just that I was healthy and that everything looked fine. He said I can find out the sex in a few months, but I haven’t really decided if I want to do that yet.”
He chewed his lip, wishing he could have gone with her. Mina was a tough girl, and she wasn’t afraid of doctors or anyone else, but it still felt wrong not to be with her. Truthfully, Skid wasn’t certain Mina would have let him go even if they were together openly. “Did they ask about the father?”
“Not really. Just asked if I was in a monogamous relationship.”
“What did you tell them?”
She giggled again. It was a sound he wanted to hear over and over. “What do you think?”
“I’m sure you told them the truth, that the father could be any one of a hundred bikers.” He instantly lifted his arm to block her punch.
Skid sighed, wondering how he would ever get any work done once he and Mina were allowed to be together all the time. But what she had said was right: the longer they waited, the harder it would be to get safely inside the clubhouse at separate intervals. He picked her up and put her on her feet, hauling himself up after her. “I guess we’d better get going before I try to do something about that.” He adjusted his jeans, trying to get comfortable again. Mina was able to control him with little more than a sidelong look. “You go on in, and I’ll come in afterwards.”
“Wouldn’t it make sense for you to go first?” she asked.
It was a conversation they had anytime they snuck out of the building, which had become more often over the last few weeks. Mina was always eager for more time away from her home, which had become her prison, even if she couldn’t be with Skid. While there had been a few times she had disappeared to go shopping, he liked it much better when she was with him.
“You know it doesn’t. I want to make sure you get in safely, and I can do that much better from here than anywhere else.” Skid was beginning to understand why Park felt so protective toward his daughter. He, too, was beginning to worry about her more. He found himself imagining members from a rival gang sneaking into their part of town and abducting her before she was safely inside her room. The idea made him shudder, but his brain kept gnawing at it like a dog with a bone.
“Fine, but before I go anywhere, I want you to tell me when I’ll see you next.”
“I need to see what Park’s schedule is like. He’s been busy lately, and I haven’t had any private meetings with him this week. Give me a couple days, and I’ll let you know.”
She folded her arms, and even in the darkness Skid knew she was pouting. “You’re no fun.”
“Nope. Now go.”
With a final parting kiss, Mina headed back for the clubhouse. They could see it easily from their rendezvous spot, and he didn’t take his eyes off her as the slipped along the shadows of a few scraggly trees, ducked behind a dumpster to avoid being seen through the windows, and stole in through the door near the stairs. Even at a distance and in the dark, her ass was killer.
Still, Skid sighed as he waited a few minutes before he went home as well. They were acting like children, stealing kisses out here in the moonlight. He wanted to tell Park what was happening, but he didn’t want to ruin what they had. Dragging his relationship with Mina into the open would mean they’d have to hash it all out with Park, and that was once the old man stopped throwing punches. He might have to leave the Legion, and then what would he do? It was easy to forget about reality while he was with Mina, but it always came crashing back down on him once she left.
With a heavy heart, he clomped slowly back toward the building. He didn’t have to be nearly as discreet as she did, since Skid could come and go as he pleased. Just as he came in through the side door and into the living room, Park and several of the other men came in from the garage.
“Skid, how’s everything here?” Park’s blond hair was windblown from the ride, and he smoothed it back with a weathered hand.
“All’s quiet on the home front, sir. How about you?”
“Step into my office. I have a few things to discuss with you.” Park led the way down to the basement.
Skid obediently followed. He knew he should be more concerned about club business than anything else, but his mind wandered to figuring out when he could see Mina again. No matter how many times he had her, she always left him wanting more. The way she looked at him let him know that she wanted him, and it turned him on in a way he hadn’t experienced with other women. No, Mina wasn’t just some club girl.
“I was torn when I went out to meet this new recruit,” Park began as he closed his office door and reached into the mini fridge in the corner. He retrieved two beers and set one in front of Skid. “I’d much rather have had you at my side so I could get your opinion on him as well. Grill has vouched for him, but that doesn’t mean he’s good material for the Legion. Still, I didn’t want to leave the place completely unprotected, and that’s what I want to talk to you about.”
A lump of nerves ricocheted in Skid’s stomach. Had someone spotted him with Mina that evening? “I’m listening.”
Park cracked open his beer and took a swig before he spoke. “I’ve had something nagging at the back of my mind for a while, and I finally realized what it is. The Sons of Chaos came into town a few weeks ago, that night you spoke with Stomper. I didn’t worry about it too much, at that time, but I’ve discovered that they haven’t
left. They’re just hanging on the outskirts of town, but I don’t like it. There’s no real reason for them to be here.”
Skid nodded as he used the edge of the desk to pop the lid off his beer. “That’s true. Usually when we have other clubs come through, they’re a little more forward about it. They let us know they’re passing through, and then they leave.” It was the way things were supposed to work, as long as nobody was looking for any trouble. And a club that started up trouble with Satan’s Legion wasn’t a smart one.
“Exactly,” Park agreed, tipping his bottle toward his VP. “The good thing is, I’ve got a direct link to this gang. I’ve got you.”
