by Harley Wylde
I did have to wonder if I was so wrong about Garrison, couldn’t I be wrong about Outlaw too? I’d thought the church deacon was just after a babymaker, but if he had something far worse planned, and I’d never once felt like I was in serious danger, then what if I was making a mistake to stay with Outlaw? In my gut, it felt like the right thing to do, but I didn’t think I could trust my instincts right now. He was praising me for running the way I had, but I hadn’t escaped because I felt like Garrison was evil, I’d only run because I didn’t want to be badgered into a marriage I didn’t want.
“Demon said they found the woman who drugged you,” he said. “It was a regular. He assured me that she’ll be handled. Not sure what he plans to do, but I have no doubt he’ll scare the hell out of her so she keeps her distance.”
“Any more surprises?” I asked.
He sighed and tugged on his beard, seeming troubled as he stared at a blank spot on the wall. What else could he possibly need to tell me? It couldn’t be worse than all the rest, could it? Was I still in danger? Had the club told him that I couldn’t stay?
“You’re scaring me, Outlaw. Just tell me.”
His gaze jerked to mine. “Told you when it’s just us you can call me Noah.”
“Fine. Please tell me what’s wrong, Noah.”
He held out his hand and I went to him. His arms came around me, and it almost felt like he was scared I’d run if he let me go.
“Demon gave the approval for me to claim you, so as of now, you’re officially my ol’ lady. But there’s something I haven’t told you about me.” He chewed the inside of his mouth, his gaze locked on mine. Whatever it was, I wished he’d just say it. “When I came home four years ago, after I kept Lavender alive, the doc ran all sorts of tests trying to figure out what all was wrong with me. One of those tests was for fertility.”
His cheeks warmed and I tried not to smile. It was cute that he’d get all bashful talking about something like making a baby. Then the words really registered. If he was concerned about how I’d handle the news, then did that mean he was sterile? Would we never have kids if I stayed with him? While I hadn’t wanted to be barefoot and pregnant all the time, I’d always wanted a baby or two at some point.
“I told you that I knew I was clean. The reason I know is that ever since I came back, I haven’t been with a woman. I couldn’t get hard. At all. Not even with those little blue pills. Nothing worked.” He reached up and smoothed my hair back. “Until you. Just holding you in my arms was enough. It’s why you caught me jerking off in the shower. It was the first time in four years, and I wasn’t even sure my dick would work right.”
“What does that have to do with anything? It’s obvious that it works. I mean, you came in my mouth, and you got hard again after.” Now it was my turn for my face to feel like it was on fire.
“Yeah, getting hard doesn’t seem to be an issue when it comes to being with you, but there might be a little problem with getting you pregnant. I’m not sterile, but I do have a low sperm count. The doc said it would be difficult to knock someone up, but not impossible. Just might take a while.”
I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek. “Is that what had you worried? I’m okay with waiting a while. I already told you I don’t want to be pregnant all the time, or even right away. If it’s a few years before we have a baby, I’m all right with that.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “You know, can’t knock you up if we haven’t had sex. Not sure now is necessarily the time, but definitely soon.”
I pressed my lips to his, just a brief kiss, but I appreciated that he wasn’t being pushy about it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have sex with him, because I really, really did, but after everything I’d dealt with the last twenty-four hours and learned today my mind was spinning. Not to mention my stomach was growling. Loudly. I felt my cheeks warm, and Outlaw chuckled.
“Seems I need to feed you, then maybe I can introduce you to a few other people around here. I don’t want you to feel isolated or alone.”
“I’d love to meet some of the other women here. I’m sure the other club members are great, but there will be times that having another woman nearby would be nice.”
He nodded. “All right. I’ll see what I can do. Probably won’t get a chance to meet Shella since her sister ran off, but I’ll see if Meiling is free and maybe Adalia. Griz is going to have Shella on lockdown, or so I would guess. If I’d had a kid run off, I’d put the other one on house arrest. But first let’s see what’s in the kitchen. We might have to go out. Now that I know the threat to you, at least here, has been handled, I’m not so worried about leaving the compound with you. Or the house for that matter.”
“You don’t think Garrison, or Bastard, whatever his name really is will come after me?”
Outlaw sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know the guy, hadn’t even heard of him before this, so I have no idea what he’ll do. I would think that trying to chase you down would take up too much time and it would be easier for him to focus on someone else.”
That didn’t make me feel much better. I might have wanted to escape the life I had, but it didn’t mean that I wanted any of the single ladies at the church to fall into his trap either. I also didn’t like that I had no idea how my foster parents were involved. They’d seemed so nice, if a bit strict at times, that I had a hard time picturing them working with a guy like that to launder money. What if they’d somehow gotten caught up in whatever illegal thing he was doing and didn’t have a way out?
I might not love the Tolberts, but they had clothed me, fed me, and treated me well. Bad language, R-rated movies, and rock music hadn’t been permitted, and I’d had to dress a certain way, but they hadn’t hurt me. I’d just felt suffocated by them. It didn’t mean they deserved to have bad things happen to them if they weren’t willing participants in whatever Garrison was doing.
Outlaw ran a finger down my nose. “I’ll see if I can figure out what’s going on with your foster parents, but no promises. I think Demon wants the club to steer clear of this as much as possible.”
“I understand, I just don’t want them hurt if it can be helped. If they’re as rotten as Garrison is, then they deserve whatever happens, but what if they’re being forced to help him?”
He nodded. “I wondered the same thing. Not much I can do if the club officers tell me to stay out of it. I know you’re worried, and I’ll try to help if I can, but you may have to let this one go, angel.”
I didn’t like that answer, not even a little. I also felt really bad about leaving them. If I’d stayed, I’d have been in trouble from the sound of things, but had I endangered them by ruining his plans? Garrison didn’t sound like the kind of man who would take kindly to me running off.
Outlaw rubbed between my eyebrows and I realized I was frowning. “Tell you what. I’ll text a few friends, see if anyone has contacts up near your foster family. Maybe they can just check on them, discreetly, to give you peace of mind.”
“Thank you.” I hugged him tight. “I know it seems silly. I was running away from them and now I’m worried they might be hurt.”
“Not silly, angel. They took care of you when you needed someone.”
He tugged his phone from his pocket and tapped on the screen for a few minutes. When he was done, he slid it back into his jeans and led me to the kitchen. I helped him search the cabinets, pantry, and fridge to get an idea of what we might eat, but it was apparent that he needed to make a grocery run. I had to wonder how he managed it when he had a motorcycle. It was a good thing I had a…
“Crap!”
“What?” he asked.
“My car! I forgot all about it.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “What do you need your car for?”
Wait. Was he trying to tell me I couldn’t have it? I mimicked his pose and narrowed my eyes, which only seemed to amuse him since his lips tipped up on one corner. “Why can’t I have my car?”
“If you need to go
somewhere, I can take you.”
Oh good grief. I knew he could be controlling and all dominant, but this was ridiculous. I rolled my eyes and huffed at him. “Are you serious right now? How are you going to take me to the grocery? Where are we going to put everything?”
His eyebrows shot up and he outright smiled. “Are you sassing me right now?”
I shifted from foot to foot, not sure if I should admit it or not. He prowled closer, sat down on the nearest kitchen chair, then before I time to move, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me across his lap. His hand cracked down my ass three times in rapid succession.
“Ow! What the hell, Noah?” Smack. Smack. “Stop it!”
“Sassy girls get spankings.” His hand cracked against my ass again. “And if you weren’t a virgin, I’d already have your pants down and be balls-deep inside you just to remind you who’s the boss in this relationship.”
I gasped in outrage, but he rubbed his hand across my aching backside, then slipped his fingers between my legs, rubbing the seam of my jeans against my clit, and it quickly turned to a moan. It wasn’t fair that he could make me feel like this. I should be furious with him. I was a grown adult, not some wayward kid who needed to be punished. He rubbed a little harder and I nearly came. Maybe being punished wasn’t exactly horrible.
“Noah.” I nearly sighed his name. “Don’t stop.”
He laughed softly. “A moment ago you were yelling at me to stop.”
“You’re not playing fair and you know it.”
He shifted me so that I was sitting on his lap, his arms around me. The way he looked at me, I could feel it all the way deep down. No one ever had seen me as anyone important, but when Outlaw’s gaze held mine, it was like I was the only person in his world. I reached up and ran my finger along some of his scars. He didn’t flinch away, just let me touch him.
“I’m glad it was you who brought me home last night.”
“I was heading your way before you started to fall out of the chair at the clubhouse. You looked cute sitting in the corner trying to read. And completely out of place. Then I noticed something didn’t seem right.”
“My white knight.” I smiled. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met before.”
He placed his hand at the back of my neck and tugged me closer until his lips pressed to mine. He kissed me slow and soft. I’d have never imagined someone who looked so tough could be this gentle. When he licked at my bottom lip, I opened and let him in. He tasted like coffee, and his beard tickled a little. All too soon, he was pulling away.
“Food, Elena, or I’ll take you to the bedroom. You need to eat, and I need time to cool down.”
I kissed him again, then stood up. Even though I’d dressed earlier, I hadn’t put on shoes yet. Rushing to the bedroom, I grabbed a pair of tennis shoes and socks, and slipped them on. He was waiting by the front door when I was finished. I reached for his hand and when he led me outside, I stopped and stared at the shiny gray truck parked in the driveway.
“That wasn’t there before,” I said.
“Had a Prospect drop it off. We’ll take this to get groceries, but I’ll have someone bring your car over by tomorrow night. I don’t want to keep you under lock and key, but I do want to keep you safe.”
“How many girlfriends have you had?” I asked.
“Are you really asking me that?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I’ve never dated anyone before. I just didn’t know how many…” I stopped. Maybe I really didn’t want to know. If he’d been with twenty women, fifty, did I really want to think about that? He’d picked me. That should be enough.
“Get in the truck, angel.” He gave me a stern glare. “No discussing past women. I told you there hasn’t been anyone for four years. It’s just you and me in this relationship, and it’s staying that way. Anyone else is such a distant memory I don’t even remember their names or faces.”
Good answer. Didn’t know if it was true or not, but it did make me feel a little better. From what I’d witnessed at the clubhouse, it was obvious the guys were complete whores and slept with anyone who’d bend over and offer. I didn’t think all men were like that, but it wasn’t like I had the experience to know for sure.
I climbed into the truck and Outlaw reached in, fastening my seatbelt for me. To some, it might have made him seem high-handed, but I liked that he was trying to take care of me. I’d never felt special in my entire life, until now. His bossiness didn’t make me feel like he looked down on me. I could imagine it would turn off some women, but I liked it. I couldn’t say for sure if I only liked it when Outlaw did it, or if I was just more submissive than some. I’d met women who were loud, brash, and charged after whatever they wanted. I’d never been like that and probably never would be, and that was fine. My one attempt to take control of my life had landed me here.
Outlaw got in the truck and started it, then backed down the driveway and headed to the front of the compound. Now that it was daylight, I could see everything more clearly. A lot of the homes were really cute, and something you’d find in any blue-collar subdivision. Although a few were larger, and I wondered if those belonged to the men he mentioned were officers. Sounded important, even if I didn’t quite grasp the difference in whatever part Outlaw played with the Devil’s Fury.
I’d just have to learn things along the way, and hope I didn’t screw up so hugely that I would embarrass him, or get him into trouble. If I did get to meet the other women, I hoped they could help me out. Lavender had explained how things worked with the Dixie Reapers, but that didn’t mean the Devil’s Fury handled stuff the same way.
He reached across the console and took my hand, threading our fingers together. It felt right, being here with him. I knew I had to be crazy. No one met someone and just decided to live with them forever. Life didn’t work that way. Or I’d never thought it did. Maybe all those sappy romances I liked weren’t so fictional after all.
Chapter Eight
Outlaw
I ended up taking Elena to my favorite restaurant in town, a steak place that had baked potatoes so big they almost needed a separate plate. Her eyes had gotten so wide when she saw the food that I’d nearly laughed. It had been nice going out with her. I hadn’t been on a date for so long, not even before the incident. Dating and the club didn’t really go hand in hand. If I wanted to get laid, all I had to do was head over to the clubhouse any night of the week. No bullshit drama. It had been fun for a while, then I’d started getting tired of the easy pussy.
After dinner, I’d stopped by one of the twenty-four-hour stores and grabbed a few groceries. Elena helped fill the cart, then I made sure she had everything she needed to be comfortable at the house. It hadn’t looked like she’d packed much. Getting her to spend money hadn’t been easy. I’d always thought women loved to shop, especially with someone else’s account, but not my angel. She’d worried that it would cost too much.
I wasn’t exactly hurting for money. There weren’t millions in my account, but I did all right. I didn’t have to pay for my house so my bills were minimal. At any given time, there was at least ten grand in the bank. Not buying a lot of computer shit had helped, even if the reason I didn’t sucked. I’d watched more TV the last few years than I ever had before. The basic shit I was able to do didn’t require much of an upgrade to my system. I didn’t have to stay on top of it like I had before. In fact, tech gadgets just didn’t appeal as much these days.
Never thought my sixty-five-inch TV would be used for romantic comedies, but Elena seemed to enjoy them. She giggled at something one of the characters said, but I’d tuned it out about ten minutes in. As long as she was happy, that’s all that mattered to me. I could watch action movies, horror, or anything that wasn’t this sappy shit when she was otherwise occupied. I got the feeling even her TV time had been limited by her foster family.
Just watching Elena was entertaining enough. I loved the way her face lit up when she laughed. She had a beautiful smile. Beautiful everything r
eally. I knew I was a lucky bastard that I’d found her last night. If any of my brothers had reached her first, I might have lost my chance to make her mine. Even though we didn’t really know much about each other, I got the feeling that she was the one woman meant for me. Why else wouldn’t I have had a reaction to a woman in four years? Nothing else made sense. The doctor had said there was no medical reason I hadn’t had an erection. Looked like I’d just needed the right woman.
“You’re staring,” she said, her gaze swinging my way.
“Just admiring the scenery.”
She rolled her eyes and went back to her movie. It was cute. I might have spanked her earlier, but I liked her sass. It meant she was getting comfortable around me. Of course, she hadn’t exactly been timid from the moment she’d woken in my bed. I found her curiosity and honesty refreshing. No games with my angel. She said what she meant, and if she had a question, she asked.
I hadn’t told her yet, but Dingo was bringing Meiling over soon. I wanted her relaxed when they got here. It wouldn’t surprise me if the visit was short. With Meiling expecting their first child, Dingo was even more protective than usual. He watched Mei like a damn hawk, and stayed glued to her as much as possible. When he wasn’t by her side, her mother was.
I hadn’t even thought about Mei’s mom when Elena had asked about the women at the club. Everyone called her China, the nickname Blades had given her, but she was still reclusive. It was rare to see her outside of their home, except for when she went to Dingo’s place. She and Mei had become close. As far as I knew, China didn’t even speak much to Adalia, Shella, and Lilian.
Fuck. Lilian.
I checked my phone, but still no update on the Pres’s daughter. I didn’t know if she’d been found, or if she’d managed to leave the entire state before they realized she was missing. If anything happened to her, Griz would lose his shit, and it seemed like Dragon might as well. I’d have never pictured the two of them together. Lilian jumped at shadows and Dragon had always been front and center with everything. Although, I could admit he’d changed some since the day several members of nearly every club across the southern states had been taken. He’d almost died during the altercation, and only Grizzly’s reluctant acceptance to let drugs come through our territory had saved the guy.
