“I’ll be fine, but you should have let me drive a little,” Kizzy said. “I haven’t gotten to drive the car yet. Is there a reason you don’t want me to drive? Did my brother talk to you?” She tried to give him the eye, but he just snorted and patted her leg.
“No, but do I need to talk to him?” he asked.
“Well, when I was in high school, I did have a few accidents, but they weren’t all my fault, of course.” She giggled. “That one I can actually blame on the groundhog.”
“Okay spill it. What did you do to a groundhog?”
“I didn’t do anything. I stopped to let the poor thing cross the road, but that fool behind me didn’t appreciate it,” she said. “Not only did he swerve around me and hit the animal, but the next person behind him did hit my car, sending it in the ditch.” Kizzy rested her head against the window.
“You should have seen my dad and brother. Both of them just shook their heads and had my car towed home. But I made them bury the poor groundhog before I left.”
“Only you, baby, only you.” He pulled into a Marriott hotel driveway.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as he stopped in front of the front doors.
He turned the car off and faced her. “I’ve decided since we don’t have much time left before most of this is gone, we will enjoy a nice place to sleep while we travel. Plus, we need a place with a kitchen for the baby,” he told her.
“You know there are cheaper places, right? Shouldn’t we be saving money, since we have to buy all sorts of things for the safe zone when we get to Canada?”
“We have enough money, Kizzy. We’ve been saving all the money from the casino, knowing we’d need it for something. Which reminds me. Dark Horse is going to need to set up a bank account, so we’ll be able to wire him money for his safe zone.” Running Wolf helped her out of the car. Never had she seen so many bikes. There had to be close to five hundred.
“Well, shit. When you warriors come together, you don’t do it half ass,” she muttered, as a man she hadn’t met came up to them. Kizzy stepped closer to Running Wolf. The man was exactly what she would have thought a biker would appear like. Pierced ear, a scar on his cheek, a beard—totally not what she would expect for a Native American.
“Night Wind, quit scaring my wife” Running Wolf wrapped his arms around her.
The man snorted but nodded to her. “You were always the lucky bastard when it came to women.” His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Running Wolf slapped her butt. “Only I should be sending shivers up your spine.” He nipped her neck, staring down at her nipples that were now hard as rocks. “Night Wind, this is my wife, Kizzy, and our daughter Miranda.” He took the carrier out of the back seat.
The large man bent down, peeking at Miranda. “Damn, she’s going to be a gorgeous one, too.” He winked at Kizzy. “Yep, you are a lucky bastard. It’s great to meet you, Ms. Kizzy. We’ve heard you have done wonders for our man, and I can see it is true. There is hope once more in his eyes.”
Kizzy tilted her head to side and grinned. “Your woman is coming soon.”
“What did I do to you? Is she serious?” Night Wind asked.
“I’m afraid so.” Running Wolf wrapped his arm around her and guided her into the hotel, followed by Dark Horse and Night Wind. Inside, her brother and uncles waited for them, along with Soaring Eagle.
“About time you two get here with my great niece,” Stephen said.
Her uncles crowded around Running Wolf and the baby. Kizzy couldn’t help but laugh at the big goons going goo-goo over a tiny little female.
She moved toward the counter, planning on registering them, but Dark Horse stepped up next to her. “Where are you going, Kizzy?”
“Right here, to get us a room then food.” She patted his arm. “Are you going to stay here, too? I told Running Wolf we could stay somewhere else, but I guess he wants me to be comfortable.” She leaned over close to him. “Little does he know I grew up sleeping outside more than I did inside.”
Kizzy moved up to the lady who greeted her. “We need a room with a fridge, please.” She pulled out her wallet. This time, Kizzy was going to pay for something.
“We’ll need a room next to them also, please, and you can put it on here,” the big jerk, Dark Horse, said, pushing her aside.
“Hey, I was going to pay for that.”
“No, you know better.” Running Wolf arrived at her side and tugged on her hair.
“Fine.”
“I have to say, my niece is a beauty. I’m going to have to teach my boys to keep an eye on her. So where do you want to eat?” Mason asked, holding Miranda.
She scanned the big area and noticed a restaurant to the left. “Why don’t we eat here? We can get settled in and come on down to eat. That way we don’t have to unhitch the car from the trailer.” Her stomach tightened and palms got sweaty. “Shit.” She moved away from Running Wolf, slowly scanning the room, but Dark Horse, Sun Bull, and Running Wolf surrounded here.
“How am I supposed to see what I need to?” Kizzy froze then flung herself at Dark Horse, kicking the back of his legs and sending him to the floor as a gun went off.
Shouts, cries filled the air as Running Wolf’s people ran after the man who took off out the door. “Are you okay, Dark Horse?” she asked, moving off of him. She flinched, her thigh hurting.
“Well crap.”
A red stain appeared on her skirt.
Running Wolf knelt down next to her and lifted her skirt, exposing her leg. He said nothing to her, but Kizzy could feel the anger radiating from him.
“I wasn’t going to let him get shot,” Kizzy said, knowing it wasn’t bad, a scratch.
Running Wolf cupped her chin and lifted her head so she was staring up at him. “They are here to help protect you.”
“I helped them protect themselves,” she said not giving an inch. “Didn’t I tell you earlier I wasn’t useless?”
Her uncle Stephan came up. “Management wants us to move on.”
“Really?” Running Wolf moved to the counter as the police showed up.
“Help me up,” she asked her uncle, holding out her hand. He ignored it and made room for Red Hawk.
“I swear you are going to be my best patient you keep this up. Let me see your leg.” Red Hawk knelt down next to her.
“It’s just a scratch.” She lifted her skirt. “I hope they caught the asshole. He ruined my skirt, and I saved for this one.”
Red Hawk pushed on the area around the wound. “Dark Horse, grab my bag. She’ll do fine if I just wrap it. You’re a bleeder. That is why there is so much blood,” he said as he took the bag from Dark Horse.
“You okay, Dark Horse?” she asked.
He turned and headed for Running Wolf.
Now what the hell did I do?
***
Running Wolf waited for Kizzy to get off the phone with room service. She hadn’t said a word to any of them after thanking Red Hawk for bandaging her up, but, then again, Running Wolf hadn’t encouraged any talking either. He was still furious the other member of the Irons had gotten that close to her.
Right now, Dark Horse was getting the information they wanted from the man, before they handed him over to the police.
“Dinner will be here in thirty minutes.” She got off the bed and went to move around him, but he gently pulled her into his arms, holding her. At first, his Little Gypsy was stiff in his arms, but soon she relaxed, resting her head on his chest and…crying. Her tears wet his shirt.
Sitting on the bed, Running Wolf lifted Kizzy up, placing her on his lap. “Why the tears? Are you hurting?”
She shook her head. “You won’t let me help, and you get mad when I try to. Dark Horse won’t talk to me. I feel useless, like a little kid.” Her tear-filled eyes lifted to stare at him. “Marriage is supposed to be about sharing, and right now….” She stopped. “Was what I did so wrong?” She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter if it was.” Kizzy wiped the
big tears dripping down her cheeks. “Because I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m sorry if I disappointed you, but Dark Horse’s life is more important than you being upset.” She lifted her chin, waiting.
“My silly Little Gypsy. I wasn’t upset about that, well, maybe a little. The thought of you getting hurt again drives me crazy. But I was more furious at myself for not finding that ass back where we were. All of this could have been prevented if—” She placed her finger on his lips.
“We learn from our mistakes. I’m glad we’re staying in the room tonight. I’m mentally and physically drained.” She placed a soft kiss on his chin. “I love you, Running Wolf.” She slipped off his lap. “I’m going to take a hot bath. I’ll rewrap the wound when I get out. I have gauze in my bag. I need a nice hot bubble bath. Baby has been fed, burped, and changed. You go do what you are dying to do.”
Running Wolf listened to Kizzy trying to sing to the soft song playing on her phone. She might be a great dancer, but his wife couldn’t carry a note at all. He pulled out his cell phone and called Dark Horse.
“We’ll be there in two minutes. We had to wait for the jacket to arrive, and Penn sewed on my patch for her,” he said.
“Good. She’s getting in the tub, so right now would be perfect,” Running Wolf said.
Dark Horse laughed. “Only you would have us present her coat to her while she’s soaking.”
“Kizzy believes she’s not helping, that she does nothing, so this will come at a perfect time.” Running Wolf rose, shutting his phone off as he heard his men move in the hall. Soaring Eagle, Dark Horse, Penn, Night Wind, Sun Bull, would all be out there.
Epilogue
“Only time will tell how many of us survive the dark days, but our love for each other and the respect we share for what is around us will never stop, no matter how bad it gets.” He had a feeling it was going to get much worse.” Running Wolf, President, White Buffalo MC
Kizzy had just closed her eyes when Running Wolf came into the bathroom, stripping out of his jeans. “Scoot up, Little Gypsy. I want to hold my wife.” He stepped into the tub behind her.
The bubbles covered her, her favorite lavender bubble bath she made herself. Kizzy had also put a moisturizer in the soap to make her skin super soft.
“Damn, this stuff is awesome. Let me guess. You made it?” He pulled her back up against his chest.
“Yep, and I have twenty bottles in my house. I’ll have to make more, so we’ll have it stocked up. I like this, you holding me, the music playing….” It was playing until Sun Bull turned it off and barged into the bathroom followed by Dark Horse, Night Wind, and Soaring Eagle.
“Okay, this is really not a good time guys.” She slid farther down into the water.
“Actually, it’s a perfect time,” Running Wolf said, holding her still.
Soaring Eagle stepped forward and knelt before the tub. “You have honored us. Not only have you joined your life force with Running Wolf, you have proven that you are for the whole. Dark Horse is like a son to me as these men here in this room are. In saving Dark Horse’s life, you are now the daughter of my blood.” Soaring Eagle reached for the knife he kept at his waist and sliced his finger while Running Wolf lifted her hand, offering it to Soaring Eagle.
She looked back at him, and he nodded. Oh, she knew what was going to happen, but Kizzy didn’t believe it was still done.
He took her finger in his old hand and cut it, holding it as he placed his bloody one to hers, wrapping it with a leather piece Sun Bull handed him. “Please allow me, Soaring Eagle, to call this brave girl daughter, to love and protect as my own,” he said.
A light breeze she thought touched her cheek, and then Kizzy smelled him, her father. Tears filled her eyes as his spirit filled the room. The lights flickered and a pressure could be felt on her finger.
“It is done. You are my daughter now, and I’m going to go peek at my granddaughter,” Soaring Eagle said, unwrapping their fingers and leaning over to kiss the cheek her father had touched. “I’m proud to have a daughter with such strength and courage.”
Kizzy’s eyes filled with tears as she slid her hand back into the water. Dark Horse took Soaring Eagle’s spot. “I want to apologize, little sister, for not speaking to you earlier, but words could not be formed. No one but my brothers and Soaring Eagle have ever cared as much as you have.” He leaned over and kissed her lips softly, earning a growl from Running Wolf.
“Hurry up,” he said, pushing his friend back.
“This was sent to us a couple of days ago, but I have personally added your first patch.” Dark Horse accepted a leather coat from Night Wind. “A woman from one of our local tribes makes them. Don’t ask me how she knows our sizes or when we earn it, but she does. Her timing is always perfect, too.” Dark Horse stood and let the long duster unfold.
The coat was dark red, embroidered with beads of all colors. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. But when he turned the coat around, the tears she had been holding back rolled down her cheeks. A small rose heart patch was on the back, with the words My sister of the heart, I thank you. May the sun always shine upon you and the wind be at your back.
“What is that?” Kizzy pointed to the dark spot under the words.
“Dark Horse’s blood. You bled for him. He honors you with his blood. It’s also his way of showing everyone if they hurt or touch you, they’ll have to answer to him personally. But if you look below his patch, Night Wind has added the beads of our tribe or group. To receive those beads, you must have every member of our group agree on it. They value your life as part of the whole. You see, Little Gypsy, you have done something. You give us hope to go on. Right now, you are the heart of our tribe. As every woman who joins one of my brothers, your heart will only grow stronger. It won’t die out, but live. You are the beginning of our journey,” Running Wolf told her as the men left them alone.
Running Wolf lifted her so she was facing him, placing her on top of him, careful of her leg. He cupped her cheeks and kissed each eye. “Never let us hear you say you do nothing. I love you, my Little Gypsy and I need you by my side for however long we have. You and that little girl out there are the beginning of our journey.”
Kizzy said nothing. She couldn’t if she’d wanted to, so she leaned forward, hugging him tight, hoping he understood how much this meant to her.
“You have a new name. Soaring Eagle has agreed if you don’t want to be called it, you don’t have to, but you are now called, Dancing Hearts. With your new name, our life begins anew.”
The Heart’s Dark Hunger
Book 2
Dark Horse’s Book - Texas
“Dark shadows can always be pushed away by the sun, but when the sun itself is damaged, only time will heal the wounds,” Dark Horse, Enforcer, White Buffalo MC
The wind blew against his skin. He wore no helmet. If he was going to die, then so be it. Dark Horse peeked in his rearview mirror and snorted. Dancing Hearts was bobbing in her seat in the car behind him. His sister of the heart was most likely singing, too, and he was so glad he wasn’t in the vehicle with Running Wolf.
Would his woman sing off key? He had dreamed of her last night. She was stunning, with long blonde hair and big green eyes, but the sadness in them haunted him now.
The knife scars on her cheek and neck were not the only scars on his woman’s body, but, like him, she had survived. But those who have hurt her would know no mercy. Where Running Wolf had been gentle with those who hurt Dancing Hearts, his enemy would know this warrior believed in old-time punishments.
Fire ants, staking a man in the middle of a fire would be just the beginning. To hear his yelling, pleas would be music to his dark soul, but could Lark hold on until they got there? Lark. Just saying her name made her sound so real.
“Only one more day, my Dark Rose,” he said to the wind, ready to destroy any Irons that stepped in his way.
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Chapter One
Gypsy rover came over the hill, down through the valley so shady
He whistled and he sang ’til the greenwoods rang and he won the heart of a lady.
Erin Braddock slipped into the ill-lighted bar through the back door, squinting against the darkness, and found her way to a tiny booth in the corner. The area was so small, a second person would be hard pressed to find room in the space, but that suited her fine. She hadn’t come here looking for company. Unless it was the cowboy up on the postage-stamp sized stage, alone in the spotlight with his guitar and his smoky voice. Ebony hair curled down to the nape of his neck, and a work shirt and worn jeans clung to his lean body like a second skin. The muscles in his arm flexed as he picked at the strings of the guitar, coaxing a tune from it.
The lights were dim in the smoky club, a sea of black with the man in the searing white glow of the spotlight a stark comparison. The air was heavy with expectation as he strummed the melody of a love song that whipped its sound over the crowd, only to slow like the stroke of a lover’s caress.
You are so out of your mind for doing this.
So what else was new?
She’d had to get out of the house. Away from the ranch. Away from…everyone. Her father, Rance, who was suffocating her with his protective kindness. T.J. Elliott, the fiancé she couldn’t seem to break away from. The houseful of people all gathered to celebrate a wedding tomorrow.
Hers.
A wedding she didn’t want.
The memories of the nightmare with Cal hadn’t yet faded, and her father was suffocating her with his protective kindness. The far too wealthy Rance Braddock was like a tidal wave swallowing people up. And then there was T.J. Elliott, her father’s choice for a “safe” and well-connected husband. A way to guarantee her future. No danger there.
Not like Cal, the worst mistake she’d ever made. And she’d wanted safe. Needed it. Her father and T.J. treated her like some child too fragile to be let out on her own. Well, maybe she was. Look what she’d gotten herself into. And didn’t want to get out of, until she’d had no other choice. Now, at thirty, she suddenly didn’t seem to be able to put one foot in front of the other anymore.
Hunger of the Heart (White Buffalo MCs Book 1) Page 15
