Command (Storm MC #7)

by Nina Levine

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “Heard you lost some men. Also heard Griff isn’t who we thought he was.” I couldn’t figure out his tone, but that was King’s signature move; he held his cards close to his chest and often left people wondering what he was really thinking.

  “The club took a vote and majority ruled on Griff. We’re better off without those guys who chose to leave. I stand by the decision to let them walk.”

  King remained silent for a moment. “A few of them came round here, looking to join.”

  “And?” I’d suspected that would happen.

  “Fuck that shit, brother. I don’t want men in my club who can’t stand by a majority ruling. I told Hyde to show them the door.” He paused before adding, “I’ll be completely honest with you, Cole – I’ve always liked Griff and always suspected there was something more to him. I never saw his truth coming, though, but I couldn’t give a fuck about it. His loyalty speaks for itself. You made the right call.”

  King had a way of surprising the hell out of me. “Yeah.” I was thankful for his support, but it wouldn’t have bothered me if he hadn’t given it. King and I had disagreed in the past, and I’d learnt that he never let a disagreement get between you. So long as you stayed on his good side, you were okay; it was only when he felt wronged that you needed to start getting your affairs in order.

  “I’ll be in touch,” he said and then ended the call.

  “You got hold of King?”

  I looked up to find Griff in the doorway. Standing, I said, “Yeah, he doesn’t know Julio, but he’s putting out the feelers.”

  Griff nodded and then jerked his head in the direction of the bar. “Rogue’s here.”

  “Good. I’m hoping Colt will arrive later today, too.”

  “You want me to fill Rogue in about what’s going on?”

  “No, he came over to my place last night and I talked to him already.

  We headed out to the bar where Rogue had started drinking for the day already.

  Fuck.

  “Not much changes with some people,” Griff muttered.

  “My thoughts exactly,” I agreed with him. Rogue had gone nomad just over a year ago after he’d had a falling out with Marcus over his drinking and partying. He’d often let the club down due to the benders he went on, and Marcus had given him an ultimatum to either clean up or clear out.

  Rogue eyed me with a grin as I headed his way. “How’s that little firecracker of yours today? Still pissed at me?”

  “Trust me, you were the last thing on her mind this morning,” I muttered. Harlow had been annoyed with him last night and had refused to have anything to do with Rogue after I’d found her on the back deck with him. However, she hadn’t even mentioned his name this morning.

  “We should have a club get-together tonight, celebrate me and Colt coming home, and you could bring her. She and I should get to know each other better, especially if I’m gonna come back to Brisbane for good.”

  I raised my brows. “You’re thinking of coming back for good?”

  “I figure it’s time. Now that Marcus isn’t around to bust my balls.”

  Griff grunted next to me as I started to say, “We need to get one thing - ” My phone cut me off as I began talking and I ignored it until I realised it was my mother calling; she’d just keep ringing until I answered, so I cut the conversation short to speak with her.

  “Hi,” I answered the call as I turned away from Rogue.

  “Scott,” she started and then paused for a moment. Our relationship still hadn’t fully recovered after we’d had an almost falling out over Dad before his death. We’d been working on it since, but at times we were still a little hesitant with each other. “I just wanted to check on how Harlow is.”

  “You know you could call her and ask her yourself.”

  “I didn’t want to harass the poor girl when I know she’s still getting over her loss.”

  I paced on the spot. “Mum, has it ever occurred to you that this could have been the perfect opportunity for you and Harlow to establish a bond?” When Harlow and I had gotten together, my relationship with Mum had been strained, and as a consequence, Mum and Harlow had never had the chance to really get to know each other.

  “You’re right.” Her voice was soft and I heard the thought going on in her head. “I’ll call her myself. Might even try to organise some girl time with her. Do you think she’d be interested in that?”

  The sight of Colt entering the bar momentarily distracted me and I returned his chin jerk. “I’ve gotta go, Mum, but yeah, call her and organise that because I’m pretty sure she’d be interested.” Hell, I was interested in that because it could mean the end of my mother phoning me every second day or so to check on my woman.

  I ended the call and made my way to Colt. We greeted each other with a slap on the back. “Long time, no see, motherfucker,” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face.

  Returning his grin, I said, “About time you came home, brother.” Colt had left two years ago and we’d seen him only once since. He had no family left in Brisbane and I figured the memories he did have kept him away. Couldn’t blame the guy; if I’d survived what he had, I wouldn’t want to come back either.

  He surveyed the bar. “Things have changed around here.”

  I frowned. “Hardly.” No changes had occurred that I was aware of.

  His gaze came back to mine, and his face turned serious. “I don’t mean the fucking furniture, Scott. I’m talking about the fact Marcus isn’t around any longer, and the fact seven of our men have left, which in my opinion was probably the best thing to happen to the club at this point.”

  “The best thing because?” I needed to know where he stood on this because if I was going to assemble a team of guys ready to support me at any turn, I had to make sure I selected the right ones.

  His gaze turned sure, and when he spoke, the truth in his words rang out loud and clear. “If I’m gonna come back here and even think about taking your back, I wanna know that the men by my side support you one hundred fucking percent. When we’re out there at war with these assholes and they’ve got us by the dick, I wanna know I’m standing next to a man who would rather have his dick cut off than give up our club.”

  “Sounds about right,” Griff said as he joined us and caught the last part of the conversation.

  Colt turned to Griff. “I hope to fuck I never have to have my dick cut off, but my loyalty runs that deep. Those members that left didn’t share the same sense of loyalty as far as I’m concerned or else they’d still be here.”

  “I’m with you on that,” I said.

  Colt’s seriousness vanished and his grin returned. “You boys up for a ride? Been too long since we’ve all been out. Thought we could blow off some steam before we get down to business.”

  A ride hadn’t been on my agenda today, but I eyed Griff and said, “Sounds like the best fuckin’ idea anyone around here has had for weeks. You in?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, brother, I’m in.”

  We rounded everyone up and ten minutes later, our pipes deafened the neighbourhood.

  Best fucking sound in the world.

  4

  Harlow

  “It’s nearly seven, babe. Do you need to be at work by eight?”

  I cracked one eye open and attempted to get my bearings. Scott’s legs came into sight as the sunlight streaming through the window hit me. Squeezing my eyes closed again, I grumbled, “Why is it seven already?”

  Scott chuckled and the bed dipped as he sat next to me. His hand trailed down my back and then he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “This is why you’ve gotta stop doing those shifts at Indigo. You’re exhausted.”

  My eyes blinked open and I rolled onto my back. “I’m not exhausted; I just wish I had more time in bed this morning.”

  The way his brows pulled together told me he didn’t believe me. “When’s your next shift at Indigo?”

  “Tomorrow night.” I sat up and p
ushed the sheet off me. Swinging my legs off the bed, I stood so I could go to the toilet. Scott, however, moved fast and blocked me.

  “I’ll take you and pick you up tomorrow; you were in no shape to drive last night.”

  He was right. He’d arranged with one of his boys to get my car home early in the night so that he could pick me up at the end of my shift, and I’d been so tired when he arrived. Smiling up at him, I nodded. “I agree. Thank you.”

  “Fuck me, did I just hear that right?” he muttered.

  “No need to be a smartass about it.” I pushed him gently so I could move past him, and his eyes crinkled into a smile. God, I was a sucker for those crinkles. He could ask me to do anything and I would do it if he flashed them at me.

  I showered and got ready for work, and then met him in the kitchen where he had coffee ready for me. Taking it from him, I drank some before saying, “Your mother called me yesterday.”

  The way he said, “Yeah,” made me think he already knew this.

  “Did you know she was going to?”

  He drank some of his coffee while his gaze moved to mine. “She told me she was going to try and organise to meet up with you.”

  I leant against the counter and cradled my mug with both hands. “Scott, she was so strange on the phone that I didn’t know what to say. I think I must have come across all wrong.” Just thinking about it now caused my body to tense up. Making a good impression on his mother rated high on my list of priorities, and I’d been so caught off guard when she rang that I ended up rambling like an idiot.

  “Just be you. She’s feeling as nervous as you are.”

  “That’s all you’re gonna give me?” I stared at him, hoping he’d share at least a little bit more about how I should deal with his mother.

  He rinsed his mug and placed it in the dish rack. “I don’t know much more than you, Harlow. She’s been ringing me to check on you and I suggested to her yesterday it would be a fuck of a lot easier if she just rang you direct. And then she said she’d try to organise girl time with you, or some shit like that.”

  As he tried to move past me, I put my hand on his arm to halt him. “She’s been ringing you? Like, more than once?”

  “Yes.” He seemed frustrated with me.

  “Don’t you get like that at me,” I warned. “Getting to know your mother is important to me, and I’m going to need your help.”

  His eyes crinkled again and he dropped a kiss onto my lips before swiping his keys off the counter and saying, “I’ll talk to you about this tonight because I’ve gotta head out now. When are you seeing her?”

  “We’re having lunch together in a couple of days.”

  He nodded and slid an arm around my waist. His eyes softened as he asked, “You good today, baby?”

  I knew he referred to my rollercoaster emotions. “I’m good,” I replied, my voice a little breathy because when Scott did soft, it made me a little breathless. I loved that he didn’t give that softness to everyone; he made me feel special.

  With one last kiss, he let me go and took a few steps towards the front door before pausing and turning back to face me. “That bossy shit you just pulled on me is hot, sweetheart. I’m loving the fuck out of this new side to you.”

  I watched him leave; disappointed we both had work today. It would have been the perfect day to stay home in bed together.

  * * *

  Nine hours later, I’d finished another long day at the café and had dropped into the supermarket to grab some meat for dinner when Scott texted me.

  Scott: I’m gonna be late tonight. Can you check in on Michelle and Lisa?

  Me: Sure. You okay?

  Scott: Some club stuff just went down. Will tell you when I get home.

  Me: Okay. I’ll take care of Michelle. You just concentrate on you and don’t worry about us.

  He didn’t reply after that and concern edged its way into my mind – Scott usually phoned rather than texting. However, I pushed the worry to the side and concentrated on taking care of what he’d asked me to do. I grabbed everything I would need for dinner, as well as the ingredients to make Michelle some soup because I knew from previous experience it was something she would eat, and then headed home.

  After dumping everything inside, I made my way next door.

  “Hi Harlow,” Lisa greeted me after I waited nearly five minutes for her to answer the door, and I realised she was now also sick.

  “Hey, honey. You’re not feeling well?” I stepped inside, closed the door behind me, and followed her into her bedroom where she slumped onto her bed, curling into a ball.

  “My throat is so sore.” She could barely get the words out, and my sympathy kicked into gear. Lisa didn’t get sick often and she never complained, so for her to telling me this meant she must be feeling awful.

  “You’re burning up,” I said as I placed my hand on her forehead. “Have you taken some Advil?”

  She nodded, but didn’t speak again.

  “I’m just going to get a washer and I’m also going to check on your mum, okay?”

  Again, a nod, but no words.

  I left her and found Michelle asleep in her bed. Pressing my hand to her forehead, I found that her fever seemed to have broken. Thank goodness.

  A couple of minutes later, I sat with Lisa on her bed and tried to cool her a little with a cold washer. She shifted so that she could curl into my lap, and a little while later she was asleep.

  As I sat with her, running my hand gently over her head in an attempt to help her sleep, pain sliced through my heart as I thought about doing this for my own child. I loved Lisa as if she was my own, but after losing my baby, everything felt different. Doing this for Lisa was high on my priorities, however doing it for my own child one day was something I prayed I would get to do.

  Lisa fell into a deep sleep, and I tried to leave her a couple of times, but each time she clung to me, clearly not ready for me to leave. Eventually, I fell asleep with her, not waking until Scott touched my shoulder.

  “Harlow.” His voice broke through my sleep and I blinked my eyes open to find him staring down at me.

  I smiled up at him and this time when I moved, Lisa shifted onto her side and continued to sleep. “Hi, you,” I whispered as I stood.

  He jerked his chin at Lisa. “She sick, too?”

  “Yeah, poor baby, her throat is really sore and she has a fever.”

  His arm slid around my waist and he pulled me close so he could kiss me. “Sorry I’m so late.”

  As we left Lisa’s room, I asked, “What time is it?” The only thing indicating to me how long I’d slept was the crick in my neck.

  “It’s nearly eleven.”

  I frowned as concern snaked through me again. “Is everything okay with the club?”

  He led me into Michelle’s living room and we sat on the couch. “I’m not sure. We’ve been doing some digging on that drug dealer I mentioned to you the other day, Julio, and I’ve gotta head down to Adelaide with J and Nash to check out his connections down there.”

  My heart beat a little faster. “Should I be worried now? I mean, usually you just send the boys to look into stuff while you stay here. What’s making you go this time?”

  His eyes held mine and I didn’t fail to detect the uncertainty clear in them. “I’m not gonna say this is nothing to worry about because I believe it is something to be very concerned about. But I don’t want you to panic at the same time. Griff and Wilder will be staying in Brisbane, along with Rogue, Colt and Gunnar. Blade will also be around, as will his men, so I’m not worried for your safety. I do need you to be alert, though, sweetheart. Just keep to your usual routine because I’ve got eyes on all club members’ families now and the usual routines are important for that.”

  I blinked a few times as I took that information in. Scott will keep us all safe. “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow morning, about five. It’ll take us three days to get there, so all up we’ll be gone either six or se
ven days.” He watched me closely, obviously waiting for my response.

  I wanted to tell him not to go, and to tell him that I needed him home now, more than ever, but I didn’t. I simply nodded my understanding. And then I tried to reassure him I would stay safe – I didn’t want him spending unnecessary energy worrying over me when he clearly needed to conserve that energy for the club. “I’ll keep to my usual routines. Is there anything else you need me to do while you’re away?”

  “Yes, can you keep an eye on Madison and Velvet? I’m sure they’ll be fine, but I want us all to be looking out for each other. I don’t want to take any chances on this, not when I don’t know enough about this asshole.”

  “Will do, baby,” I promised. “And I’ll make sure Michelle and Lisa are okay, too. I think Michelle is getting better – her fever seems to have passed.”

  He stood. “We should stay here tonight in case either of them need us.” Eyeing the couch, he added, “I know it will be uncomfortable, but I don’t want to leave them when they’re both sick.”

  Standing next to him, I shook my head in disagreement. “No, you should go home and get a good night’s rest. I’ll sleep here on the couch.”

  “The couch is fine for me.”

  Of course he would argue with me, but I decided to put my foot down on this one; no way did I want Scott to attempt a long ride after a night of shitty sleep. “You need your sleep, Scott. We don’t both need to be here. I mean, chances are they won’t even wake up.”

  His brows pulled together the way they did when he was about to argue with me. “Harlow -” he began, but I cut him off.

  “No,” I said forcefully. “Don’t argue with me because I’m not backing down on this. I’ve told you I’ll do what you asked while you’re away; the only thing I’m asking is for you to get some sleep tonight.” I kept my eyes trained on his, letting him know I had no intention of giving in.

  After watching me for a good few moments, he finally caved with a raise of his brows. “Okay, sweetheart, you win. I’ll be back just before five to say goodbye.” He planted a deep kiss on my lips and then left me to head over to our house.