Crossroads

by Chantal Fernando

  I feel the same, but I don’t voice my thoughts. Instead, I jump off his lap and take his hand, leading him to the bathroom that connects to my bedroom. Our clothes drop onto the tiled floor, and we step inside, water cascading down our bodies.

  Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

  • • •

  I’m on top, riding him hard and fast, lifting my hips up and down in a rhythm that has him on the verge of coming.

  “Fuck, Jo,” he grits out, teeth clenched, watching me. I lift my hands to my breasts, pinching my nipples and using my knees to push myself up and down on his hard cock. I can feel my orgasm building, and I know it’s going to be amazing. I move my hands to rest on his chest, and am about to lower my lips to his when my phone starts ringing. I ignore it, trying not to let it ruin the moment, allowing myself to kiss him through the sound. It eventually stops and Ranger rolls me over and continues to thrust inside of me, taking control. His lips have moved down to my neck when the phone starts to ring again, but this time it’s his. Why didn’t we both put our phones on silent? I never really thought about it, and what if there’s an emergency? Right now, I don’t even care, I’m so close to coming and really, really need to be pushed over the edge. His phone stops ringing, but then mine starts again.

  “Fucking hell,” he groans voicing my frustrations. “They’re not going to stop, whoever it is.” He slides out of me and storms over to my phone, picking it up and looking at the caller. “It’s Elizabeth.”

  We share a look.

  He passes me the phone and I quickly answer it. “Hey, is everything okay?”

  “Where’s Cam?” she asks, sounding worried. “He won’t pick up his phone, and I was wondering if he could come and stay with me tonight. I don’t want to be alone.”

  Which is completely understandable. But why him? “What about Helen?”

  “She’s around,” she says, voice going soft. “But I’d rather Cam be here too, you know? I know I’ll be safe then.”

  “Okay,” I say, looking at Ranger, standing there naked in front of me. “I’ll tell him.”

  “Thanks,” she says, then hangs up the line.

  “She wants you to stay over there tonight,” I say, putting my phone back down on the table. “She said it will make her feel safe.”

  Ranger’s expression flashes with frustration but also with understanding. “Can’t you come with?”

  “She didn’t invite me, Ranger,” I say, getting back into bed and covering my naked body with my white sheets. “Should I take you to the clubhouse now? Then you can do what you have to do and see all your friends before you go to her house.”

  “Yeah, all right,” he says, getting back on the bed with me and pulling the sheets down. “But if you think we’re going anywhere without both of us coming first, you have a lot to learn, Jo.”

  I smile when his lips slam back down on mine.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Ranger

  “WELCOME home, Ranger!” Faye says, smiling widely as she runs into my arms. “How’s our hero of the week?”

  “All that and the title only holds for a week?” I ask, raising my brow. “Tough crowd.”

  She throws her head back and laughs, auburn hair bouncing. “You know it. You gotta do more than fly across the country and save women from human trafficking to hold the title for longer.”

  “I’ll remember that,” I say in a dry tone. All the women come and hug me, welcoming me home, except Anna, who gives me a small wave and knows how to hold a mean grudge. Once upon a time Talon had ordered me to kidnap her and bring her back to the Wild Men clubhouse, and I did so, but I also knocked her out to do it. She remembers it like it was yesterday. To be fair, Talon wasn’t too fuckin’ happy with me either, but hey, I got the job done.

  “Men are all outside,” Faye says, nodding her head. “We didn’t know what time you’d be getting in, since you didn’t tell us.” She purses her lips. “Even though I texted four times to ask. But we cooked a welcome-home dinner for you.”

  “Thanks, Faye,” I tell her, flashing the women a grateful smile before walking outside. Talon is the first one to greet me, pulling me in for a hug.

  “Thank fuck you’re home, brother,” he says, grinning. “Good to have you back.”

  The rest of them surround me, slapping me on the back, all smiles.

  “You did well,” Sin says, nodding his head, looking impressed. “You should be proud of what you’ve done.”

  I shrug and look out over the grass and playground, not wanting them to make a big deal about it. “What have I missed?”

  “Absolutely nothing,” Tracker replies, stretching his arms up over his head to touch the patio roof. “Businesses are running smoothly, and everyone and everything else has been quiet. Arrow has decided we’re going to open up another club, so we’re looking for a new location.”

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing,” I tease, pulling a chair out and sitting down. The others do the same.

  “Could use a little excitement,” Tracker agrees, smirking. “But you know what they say, be careful what you wish for.”

  Sin scowls in his direction. “Think we’ve had enough excitement to last us a lifetime.”

  Arrow lifts his pint of beer. “Ain’t that the fuckin’ truth? Could write a book on all the shit that’s happened here over the years.”

  “Lana probably has,” Tracker adds, taking a swig of his own beer.

  “She’d have more than enough material,” Vinnie says, running a hand over his bald head. “It’s kind of nice that things have slowed down now. Don’t worry, when the time comes to kick ass we’ll be more than ready.”

  Rake rubs his flat stomach. “No one better get a fuckin’ beer belly.”

  We laugh.

  Irish nods his head to Arrow. “If anyone is getting a beer belly it’s going to be the prez here. He’s the oldest.”

  Arrow taps his stomach a few times. “This old man will still take your ass down in the ring any time, Irish.”

  “Challenge accepted,” Irish fires back.

  I check my phone, wondering what Jo is doing right now. I can’t say no to Elizabeth, but the situation is a little bit fucked. Maybe I can talk her into being okay with having the men do checks around her house at nighttime, or something like that. What am I gonna do if she tries to kiss me or something? It’s really fuckin’ hard to reject someone who has been through what she has. Not only that, it was me she went looking for in the first place, otherwise she’d never have been inside that biker bar. At the same time, Jo is my first priority, and I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable. She wants Elizabeth to be happy, as do I, but I won’t do it at her expense.

  “Everything all right?” Talon asks, studying me.

  “Yeah,” I say, scrubbing my hand down my face. “Elizabeth doesn’t want to be alone tonight, says she doesn’t feel safe.”

  “Is that the real reason she doesn’t want to stay alone tonight?” Talon asks, frowning. “I guess it’s understandable—she wouldn’t want to be alone and you’re her friend, but she has a family to look after her, right?”

  “Apparently only I will do,” I say, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know. I saved her, maybe she just feels safer with me there to protect her.”

  “Her cousin is a cop,” Sin points out. “If anyone should be protecting Elizabeth, shouldn’t it be her? I mean, sure, maybe because you’re a big, scary biker that might make her feel safe . . . but more than likely—”

  “She just wants to fuck you?” Rake crudely supplies. “Maybe she sees you as her hero. Knight in shining armor. Women love that shit. You should probably just bone her, it would be rude not to.”

  I groan and rest my elbows on my thighs. “I’m not boning her. But I can’t exactly say no to going over there, now can I? I’ll try to show her it’s safe now, and tell her that we can drive by her house at night as a precaution or something.”

  “Not me,” Tracker mutters under his breath. Rake slaps the
back of his head playfully.

  “Whatever you need, we have your back,” Arrow says, nodding at me.

  “Thanks,” I say, standing up. “I should get there before my phone starts ringing again.”

  Talon cringes; he knows I don’t do clingy. I usually need my space, and I like my alone time. Jo seems to be the exception to that rule though, and I know that means something. She means something. The men don’t need to hear about it just yet though. I need to make sure she’s not going anywhere first, and to break the news to Elizabeth when she’s in a healthier place.

  “They closed the bar down, by the way,” Talon notifies me before I walk inside. “The biker bar where they took her. Whole operation has been shut down. Faye made sure of it.”

  “Does she think she’s the heroine of the week, then?” I joke, clapping Talon on the back and walking inside. I pass the women in the kitchen on the way out and make a stop as I smell the food. I can’t exactly leave without eating when they made everything for me. “Smells delicious.”

  “Have a seat,” Bailey says, smiling at me. I sit down and they pass me a plate. I start piling food on it, from homemade sausage rolls to quiche, wondering what Jo is having for dinner.

  “You guys spoil me,” I say, taking a bite of a spring roll. I groan and dip it in some sauce. “So good.”

  Faye sits next to me and watches me eat. “How is she doing?”

  “She wants me to go stay with her tonight,” I say, chewing and swallowing. “She doesn’t feel safe.”

  “That would be expected,” Faye says, sadness hitting her hazel depths. “I’ll pack up some food for you to take to her, then. Will anyone else be there?”

  “Her sister, Helen, and Jo,” I say, thinking that even if Jo isn’t going to be there I can drop off some food to her on the way.

  “Three plates coming up,” she says, then adds, “By the way, this is just finger food, not the actual meal, so save some room.”

  My eyes widen. “Fuck me, you guys went all out, didn’t you?”

  She grins, flashing her straight white teeth. “Steak with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, and garlic bread.”

  I place my hand over my heart. “If you weren’t married, you would be right now.”

  “To you?” she asks, laughing. “I don’t think the cop would like that very much.”

  I stop chewing and narrow my eyes on her. “What are you talking about, Faye?”

  She waves her hand in the air. “Oh please, I know sexual tension when I see it. You couldn’t take your eyes off her. She’s a babe, so I get it. What happened with that, by the way? Did you bone—? You so did! You’re hot, as if she could have resisted that, biker or not.”

  “Did you just have a whole conversation with yourself?” I ask, continuing to eat.

  “Yes, she did,” Shayla says, kissing my cheek and then sitting down on the other side of me. “We missed you around here. You’re not going to leave again, are you?”

  “Tonight? I have something to take care of. In general? Nope, I’m done playing hero. I’m going to leave that up to Faye.”

  Faye rolls her eyes but stays silent.

  Anna sits down opposite me, green eyes narrowing slightly, but she stays quiet. I love fucking with this girl. Every time she’s around it’s always a good time.

  “Staying out of trouble, Anna?” I ask, reaching for another sausage roll. “Any recent kidnappings?”

  “Nope,” she replies, pursing her lips. “No one else has been stupid enough to try.”

  “Or smart enough to succeed.”

  “Remember the time I beat you in beer pong?” she says, smirking. “We should have a rematch. So I can see your face when you lose again.”

  “How long are you going to bring that up?” I ask, scowling. I really don’t like to lose.

  “How long are you going to bring up the kidnapping?” she fires back, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “For as long as you still hold a grudge about it.”

  “So forever, then?”

  I nod. “Guess so.”

  “Can you come and hang out tomorrow?” Shayla asks, brown eyes pleading with me. “We can watch Supernatural and binge eat.” She looks at me stuffing my face. “Again.”

  “If you bring Jordan with, then it’s a date,” I say, referring to her and Vinnie’s young daughter. I’m not much of a baby person, but Jordan is adorable. She’s a part of Shayla, and Shayla is Talon’s cousin, so she’s like family to me.

  “Deal,” she says, smiling widely.

  “Speaking of,” I say, glancing around. “Where are all the kids?”

  “They’re with a sitter tonight,” Faye explains. “We haven’t really had a night with all of us together in so long, we thought we’d try to organize one.”

  I still. “And now I have to leave. Fuck, I’m sorry. Should I call her and tell her to expect me later?”

  “And leave a scared woman waiting while we’re sitting here stuffing our faces and having a few drinks?” She shakes her head. “Definitely not. You go, don’t worry about it. We’re just happy to see you and feed you.” She stands and adds, “I’ll pack up the food for all of you.”

  “Thanks, Faye,” I say, genuinely meaning it. She cares about everyone so much, and it’s plain to see.

  “Do you want us to come with you?” I’m surprised when Anna offers. “I mean, maybe we can distract her or something. She might enjoy some female company.”

  “Her sister is there,” I explain, pushing the plate away, now full. “I think she just wants to feel a little safe, you know? I told her I’d be there for her, so I’m going to be. I’ll let her see that it’s over now, and those men can’t hurt her.”

  Faye places two giant trays on the table, filled with food for half-a-dozen people. “There you go.”

  “Thank you,” I say, looking around the room. “To all of you.”

  “We take care of our own,” Anna says, flashing me a little grin. “Plus, apparently you’re some kind of hero.”

  “Apparently?”

  She shrugs. “To me you’ll always be the man who knocked me out and kidnapped me. Sounds more like the bad guy than anything else, but to each his own.”

  I throw my head back and laugh. That does sound more like me.

  TWENTY-THREE

  “WHAT are you doing here?” she asks as she opens the door, sounding surprised but pleasantly so.

  I step inside and close the door behind me. “I brought you some food so you don’t have to cook, and I was also hoping to get you to come along with me to Elizabeth’s.”

  She’s wearing tight-fitting black sweatpants and a tank top and I momentarily get distracted, before offering her one of the trays. “The women cooked up a storm, and I wasn’t sure if you had anything planned for dinner.”

  She takes the tray and wrinkles her nose. “Which women made this for you, exactly?”

  Does she think we have club whores cooking for us? The Wild Men always did, but there are none that I’ve seen at the WDMC because everyone has an old lady except for me. And if club whores could cook this, well, they’d probably become old ladies. I don’t say that out loud though.

  “Faye and the other old ladies cooked. A welcome-home thing for me. You can meet them all if you like,” I say, following her as she heads into the kitchen.

  “Tell them I said thank you, please,” she says, placing the tray down on the table. “That’s very nice of them, and of you for bringing it to me. Are you always this thoughtful?”

  I don’t think I’ve ever even been called thoughtful before, but I’ll take it. “I could be.”

  “I appreciate the food, but if Elizabeth wanted me there, Ranger, she would have asked me. She didn’t, so I’m assuming she doesn’t. Trust me, I wish you were staying here tonight, but we can just wait until tomorrow night.”

  “Okay, that sounds reasonable,” I grumble, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her. I nuzzle her neck and say, “I’m going
to be thinking about you the whole time.”

  “How do you know that?” she asks, letting her head stretch to the side to give me more access to her slender neck.

  “Because it’s all I seem to be doing lately,” I admit with full honesty. No games, just the truth. I kiss her cheek, then bring my hands to rest on her hips. “Can I come over in the morning?”

  “I’ll be leaving for work pretty early,” she says, but smiles at me.

  “I guess I’ll have to get here pretty fuckin’ early, then,” I reply, not fazed. My phone starts vibrating in my pocket and I can only guess who it is. “I better get going, babe. Text me or call me anytime if you need anything, or if you just want to chat, yeah?”

  She nods. “Will do. Thanks again for the food.”

  She walks me to the front door, and I kiss her before I leave, a lingering, hungry, passionate kiss. I let the kiss tell her that I’d rather be here with her than doing anything else right now, and it’s important to me that she knows it.

  “Lock the door,” I say, ignoring her eye roll. I grin as I walk to the car, forgetting that she can damn well protect herself, but still. I wish I could have ridden my bike, but bringing her food meant that I had to sacrifice that. It’s okay though, because I’ll get to ride tomorrow, my bike and Jo. With a smirk playing on my lips I drive to Elizabeth’s house.

  • • •

  I really wish Jo was here, I think to myself as I watch Elizabeth stroll around the kitchen in nothing but a silk robe. Has she always been like this? I don’t remember it. I remember her laugh, her good humor. The way she’d tease me about everything and anything. She was always so bubbly. It’s almost like I have to get to know her all over again. But this new woman—I don’t know if it’s because of the abduction or because time has passed—is not the Elizabeth I knew. It’s actually kind of weird.

  “What movie do you want to watch?” she asks, sitting down, the silk split, exposing her thigh.

  “Whatever you want,” I tell her, glancing around her house. “I’m actually going to do a security check of all the doors and windows, maybe install some new locks if you need them.”