Peg's Stand

by Manda Mellett

  Hyde quietly speaks into my ear. “Got Fergus on his way with the truck.”

  I nod. Good man. Without instruction he’s made the right call. The sooner we get this bastard out of her house, and out of the land of the fucking living, the better.

  “Hush, hush.” I rock her again, feeling my t-shirt getting damp with her tears.

  Gradually her hands loosen their hold on the sheet and come up instead to grip my cut. She hiccups again, and her sobs start to slow. Then she looks up, her eyes rimmed red and still watering. “Peg?” she asks, cautiously.

  “I’m here, darlin’. I’m here.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I see Wraith drag an unconscious body out of the doorway. Well, I hope he’s just been knocked out. I’m going to be the man who delivers the final retribution. A vow reinforced as my eyes fall on her ruined clothes lying on the floor beside the bed.

  I need to hear it. Need to know how slow I’m going to have to take it. “Darlin’, did he…?”

  I feel the movement of her shaking her head. “No, thank God. Almost. It was close. You got here in time, but…. How the fuck did you know he was here, Peg? Why do you always turn up just when I need you?”

  “Not an accident, this time. That security system? Our computer guy has it linked to our set up. A window being broken triggered it, and I came straight down here to see what was up.”

  “Thank God you did.” She voices the words I’m thinking. If I hadn’t responded so fast…. If I hadn’t looked at that text…. If I’d stopped to shoot the shit with someone….

  Wraith pops his head around the door. “Fergus is here. We’ll get this place cleared for you.”

  I nod to thank him. The last thing Darcy will want is to lay eyes on her attacker again.

  As if she’s reading my mind, she asks, “Pete?”

  “Gone,” I tell her, simply. That’s all she’ll ever need know. Well, only that he’s never going to be able to bother her, or any other woman again.

  Her body relaxes in my arms as she hears the front door opening and closing.

  “Can I get her anything, Peg?”

  She jumps as she hears another voice and then relaxes. “He was here with you, last time, wasn’t he?”

  “Yup. That’s Hyde. Would you like a drink or something, darlin’?”

  She bites her lip. “I’d like to get dressed. I, er, feel vulnerable like this.”

  Of course she would. I must remember, though in my thoughts we’ve become close, in reality this is only the second time we’ve met. “I’ll give you some space.”

  I squeeze my arms gently, hugging her for just a second, then get up and leave, closing her bedroom door behind me. I find Hyde in her kitchen, leaning back against the counter.

  “She alright? He didn’t…?”

  “No, thank fuck. But it was a close call. We got here just in time.” Hyde and I exchange glances, both of us realising how significant that is. If he’d raped her she’d have far more to recover from.

  “Wraith said he’d keep him secured for you.”

  “Thanks, Hyde. You did good, gettin’ Fergus here so fast.”

  He shrugs off my compliment. “Knew she’d want him out of her sight.”

  In the background I hear the shower running, she must be washing off the touch of his hands. I don’t blame her. Swinging around, I slam both my fists down on the counter. “If we’d taken longer, Hyde. If Mouse hadn’t been monitorin’ the system…”

  “Well we didn’t. And he was. And now that fucker’s going to be taken out of the equation.” I feel a male hand resting on my shoulder. “It’s done, Peg. Finished. She’s safe now.”

  Safe. He’s right. That’s my job’s done.

  “Is there anything you want me to do, or shall I get back to the compound?”

  “Just give it a minute, Brother. I’ll check she’s okay, and then come with you.” I’ve no right to be here, however much I feel it’s my place.

  Hyde gives me a strange look. “Peg? I think you should stay. She’s had a big shock. She’ll need someone with her.”

  But that person can’t be me. I’m not right for her. But everything that I am makes me wish that I was.

  “And,” Hyde continues, “if you don’t speak to her, what’s the first thing she’ll do?”

  Fucking new member’s got it in one. She’ll go to the cops. I’ve got to make sure she doesn’t do that. Would raise too many questions. Like just where the fucker is now.

  “Knew I did good recommendin’ you patched in.” It’s my way of thanking him. “Yeah, you get back, Hyde. I’ll stay here and make sure things stay quiet.”

  “What things stay quiet?” A gentle voice asks. She still sounds shaky, but stronger than when I’d left her.

  Hyde walks to the kitchen doorway and nods toward Darcy. “Glad we could help you. I’m off now, but Peg will stay to make sure you’re okay.”

  Her eyes meet his, and a tentative smile comes to her lips. “Thank you, Hyde. Thanks for….”

  “I was glad to be here.” His own grin is wide and friendly. Then he half looks over his shoulder and raises his chin toward me and then leaves. Moments later, the roar of his pipes shows that he’s gone.

  Darcy’s dressed in a loose top and a flowing skirt reaching down below her knees. She looks adorable, even though her curves aren’t showing. She doesn’t want to encourage me. She walks over, nudges me out of the way, and reaches into the fridge and pulls out two beers. Opening hers, she downs a good part in one swallow.

  She might be acting blasé, but her hands tremble around the bottle. “You look like you could do with something stronger.”

  She shrugs. “It’s all I have.” Her red-rimmed eyes focus on mine. “Now, Peg, what exactly needs to stay quiet?”

  Rolling my head back on my shoulders, I sigh, knowing this is the difficult part. She’s not part of our world, and I can’t draw her into it. “I can assure you Pete will never bother you again. I think you’ll find he’s broken the terms of his bail and skipped the state.”

  “That’s what you’ll persuade him?”

  “Too right,” I confirm.

  “Where will he go?”

  Now it’s my turn to shrug, and it’s hard to suppress my grin as I say quite truthfully, “Probably down south.” Yup, he’ll definitely be going down, but it won’t be to Mexico, it will be underground.

  She takes another swig of her beer. “You’ve got a reputation, you know. Oh, not you personally, but your club.” The hardening of her face shows she’s read between the lines.

  “What do you want, Darcy?” I put down my beer, feeling frustrated. “That man was a con man, got himself into your life. How he hid it, I don’t know, but he’s clearly got a habit. Go to the cops? They may send him to jail for a while, but they let him out last time. And he didn’t have the sense to stay away from you. Whatcha think he’s gonna do when he gets out again?”

  She frowns. “He might get help inside.”

  “He might just get something to fuel his habit.” She doesn’t understand how the world works.

  Tapping the bottle against her lips, she cocks her head to one side. “Peg, if I keep the cops out of it and leave you to sort it, can I trust you to make sure he goes away and never comes back?” She pauses, then adds, putting emphasis on each word, “But not to kill him.”

  I close the gap between us. “He ain’t never botherin’ you again, darlin’. I promise you that. Can’t promise you he’ll be left breathin’.”

  “Yes, you can.” Her face looks up into mine. “You saved me. Again.” Her gaze entraps me. “I’ve been thinking about you. I’m so glad you’ve come, and not just because you got me out of a tough situation.” As I was thinking she’s underestimating what could have happened, she repeats her request. “I can’t have his death on my conscience. You have to leave him alive.” Taking a deep breath, she raises her hand and touches my cheek. “For me. For…what might be between us.” There’s a promise in her eyes, and a th
reat.

  What might be between us? Fuck. Is she saying what I think? What’s certain is without spelling it out she’s giving me an ultimatum. I can make him hurt, but not follow through with a final solution. It’s not what I want, but I don’t want to lose the chance to explore an attraction which doesn’t seem to be one-sided. My heart leaps.

  I put my bottle down. Right now, for just the chance to be with her, I’d promise her anything. “Okay.” It’s hard to get the words out which go against everything I am, the desire to solve her problem permanently. “If that’s what you want.”

  “I want.” Her hand traces my cheek down to my beard, and with just that one touch I’m a goner. “I’ll go to the police station later today. Report he was here this morning…”

  Emphatically I shake my head. “They’ll want to know why you didn’t call 911 immediately.”

  She shrugs. “Because some friends arrived and saved me. And I’d just come off a twenty-four-hour shift and was dead beat and not thinking straight.” She rubs her eyes and yawns, showing she’s not far from the truth, then gives me a determined nod. “I have to do this, Peg. Get it on record. Hopefully they’ll arrest him again. I’ll play the part of a weak woman.”

  Lifting my hand, I smooth back her hair. “You’re not weak, darlin’, certainly not that. But if you think you can pull it off, we’ll play it your way. Get a restrainin’ order too while you’re at it if you haven’t already. But I promise you this, if he ever comes anywhere near you again, I’ll put him in the ground. And nothing you can say will stop it.”

  “And I’ll help you do it.” Her vow is just as intense as mine.

  I don’t like it, don’t like it one bit. But I don’t want to talk about Pete anymore. I made a mistake when I moved so close to her. My nostrils flare as I inhale a perfume from whatever type of shampoo and body wash she uses, combined with a unique odour of her. It’s intoxicating, making me want to lean in further, put my nose to her skin so I can fill my lungs with her scent. I want to strip her naked and lie next to her, holding her so we touch from head to toe, not an inch between us.

  My cock jumps, intrigued by the aroma surrounding me, wanting to do nothing more than sink into her warm, sweet depths.

  She was almost raped.

  I take a step back, turning to hide the obvious swelling in my jeans, trying to think of anything else but the woman standing too near. The woman who’s haunted my nights and invaded my daydreams since the first time I’d seen her.

  What I wouldn’t give to be able to make this woman mine.

  I force myself to think of the night I first met her. That evening which had ended so disastrously with Lorelei’s clear disgust. That thought that brings my cock back under control. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if Darcy’s reaction was the same as hers and I haven’t had a chance to warn her.

  Without allowing myself another look at her beautiful face, I decide to do the only thing I can to retain my sanity. “I have to go,” I tell her.

  Chapter 12

  Darcy

  I can’t understand my reaction to this man standing in front of me. Is it because he’s rescued me—not once now, but twice? My own knight in shining armour. Or to put it more accurately, in a worn leather vest.

  His face is hardened by riding in the harsh Arizonian sun—and probably what life has thrown at him— but it can soften in an instant when he looks at me. His short hair makes my hands twitch, wanting to run my fingers through it, and his beard—I wasn’t sure I liked facial hair before, but his? It’s a striking feature, so long, and again today braided in two plaits. What would it feel like rubbing against my skin?

  He’s got a smell that’s all his own, a combination of soap, leather, and oil mixed with a slight tinge of sweat, the latter not overwhelming, just letting me know he’s all man. It’s a concoction that’s gone straight to my lady parts, and I feel my underwear dampening under the skirt that I put on for protection.

  Pete just tried to rape me. That should mean the last thing I want is another man touching me. But he didn’t. This man standing in front of me got here in time. My virtue’s intact.

  When I’d dressed it was to make myself unattractive, to hide any assets a man might want to take stock of. Now my mind’s changing, and I’m starting to wish I’d worn different clothes, something alluring.

  Peg’s not classically handsome, but there’s something about him that makes him extremely attractive. I want to see what he’s hiding under the material that covers him. I want him.

  Is it just a reaction? To take back the control which was stolen from me? To make the decision that I want a man and not have it forced on me? The outline of the cock under his jeans that I’d seen before he turned away shows he isn’t immune to me, and is as turned on as I am. If he stays longer, I want him in my bed.

  Is it just that he’s been so protective? That I’m making assumptions he’d take care of me in all ways?

  When he says he has to go, crushing disappointment almost brings me to my knees. The assumed promise that this day would end so much better than it started suddenly taken away. I don’t want him to go. I put my hand on his arm to physically stop him, and shiver, a tingling sensation alighting every nerve as I touch his warm skin, making the region between my legs throb. Touching him, as I am, I don’t miss the tension that runs through his body when I offer up just one word. “No.”

  He shrugs off my touch. “Darcy,” he begins, then turns around to face me. “I…” his hands rise as if to touch me, then flutter and fall to his sides. His sharp eyes must see the desire held in mine. “We can’t. I can’t.”

  My face falls at his rejection, and my eyes gaze at the floor, unwilling to memorise more details of his face. I must have imagined our mutual attraction.

  His fingers are suddenly there, under my chin, raising it up so once again I’m forced to look at him. “You were almost raped Darcy. It’s not the right time.” His other hand taps my forehead. “You’ve got to get things sorted in there. You’re tired. You need sleep.”

  “I’m not going to rest with thoughts of that bastard invading my head. What if I wanted you to take the thought of what Pete almost did away? Replace it with better memories.”

  He inhales sharply, and I don’t miss the widening of his stance, nor when I look down, the bulge that has reappeared in his groin. “Darcy, you’re fuckin’ temptin’ me. You’re playin’ with fire.”

  A surprised laugh comes from me, and my lips curl up. “You could say I’m an expert at that.”

  I’ve not heard his mirth before, but now he’s chuckling. “Fuck it, Woman.” Then he surprises me by letting his hands drop and, stepping away, frowning again suddenly. “You know fuck all about me. You ought to know more before invitin’ a man into your bed.”

  I raise and drop my shoulders. “In our two meetings you’ve shown me more of the type of man that I want than I’ve ever found with anyone else. You’re kind, you’re protective. I don’t think you’d hurt me.”

  “What? Fuck no. I’d never knowingly do that.” His hands tug at his beard, playing with the braids. I give him the space to think. “Fuck, Darcy, I need to tell you something.” He walks to the door as though he’s going to leave.

  My eyes narrow as I wonder what he’s going to tell me, and I’m holding my breath as I ask, “Are you married?” It hadn’t occurred to me, but it would be just my luck if he was. “Is there someone else?”

  “Fuck no,” he repeats. Though his back is turned toward me, I can tell there’s a wealth of emotion in those words. I see his shoulders pull back. “First, you’ve had a distressin’ mornin’. If I take you to bed I want you to want me. Not just a cock to take your horrific experience away.”

  “I want you.” I take the few steps that are between us and put my hand on his shoulder. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since that first time that I met you. I tried to find you, to thank you. And,” oh to hell with it, “to explore a connection that I’d felt.” Part o
f me is screaming, Why did I make that admission. Starting something with an outlaw biker is not what I should be doing. But my sensible self is being overruled by the strength of attraction I feel for him. The man who’s invaded my thoughts for weeks.

  “You tried to find me?”

  “Yes. But I didn’t have your number, and I couldn’t locate your compound.”

  Another chuckle. “You actually went lookin’?”

  “I did. But I only had a vague idea of where it was.”

  He puts his hand over mine, still resting on his shoulder, and his fingers squeeze gently. “The second thing I have to tell you.” There’s a pause before he continues. “You think I’m rejectin’ you, but when you know, you might reject me. And I tell you this now, Darcy, I couldn’t take that from you.”

  He swings around so suddenly I almost lose my balance, clutching at him to keep myself upright. His eyes crease, and he looks up at the ceiling before bringing his gaze down to meet mine. “Like that you’ve been thinkin’ about me. ‘Cause, baby, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.” His hands cup my face, and as he stares it’s like he’s memorising my features. “I’d rather leave it like this, a dream I can replay in my head, than take the next step and spoil it. I’ve been rejected before, darlin’, and if you did that it would destroy me.”

  I have no idea what he’s talking about.

  “You let me into your bed, then I’m in your life, darlin’. I’m not gonna walk away anytime soon. You’ve already had dealin’s with a fuck who wanted to own you, but, babe, you’ve not even started to see possessive yet.”

  The thought of a relationship with this intense man has me reeling. Quickly I run through all the reasons why I shouldn’t want it. I’ve obviously got a poor taste in men—and bad judgement. I shouldn’t be jumping into this.

  “Look, why don’t I go and sort business?” He’s giving me an out. “Come back when your head’s on straight. When you’re not dealin’ with what Pete did to you. We can talk some, get to know each other, without…” He breaks off.