Addicted to Love (Bayou Devils MC Book 2)

by A. M. Myers

  Logan nods. “Yeah, you got it.”

  As the van door slides shut, I wrap my arms around Ivy again. “Let’s get you home.”

  “Yeah,” she whispers, her voice sounding hollow and my heart wrenches in my chest. She’s never going to be the same.

  We’re all quiet on the drive back to the clubhouse with Chance watching out the window for any sign of trouble and me focusing on Ivy, who is finally starting to calm down. When we pull into the parking lot, Chance’s phone rings.

  “Yeah, Boss,” he says and after a second, his gaze flicks over to me. “Okay, I’ll let her know.”

  “What is it?” I ask as soon as he hangs up and he sighs, looking over at Ivy.

  “Rodriguez called Blaze to warn him Julian is on his way here with the police. He told them we kidnapped you, Ivy.”

  Ivy’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. “He’s going to take me back?”

  “Hey,” Chance whispers, grabbing her hand. “That’s not going to happen. He can’t force you to go anywhere, Darlin’. When the police get here, just tell them the truth, okay?”

  She shakes her head, her gray gaze filling with panic as she glances out the window of the van before looking back to me. “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can, Vi. You are strong and you have this entire club at your back. No one is going to let anything bad happen to you.”

  After studying me for a moment, she nods and the sound of sirens fill the air.

  “Showtime,” Chance whispers, sliding the van door open and I grab Ivy’s hand as we step out of the van and walk around to the front. I sense more than see the guys fanning out behind me and I feel so incredibly blessed to have them all. I’m sure it’s an interesting picture – Ivy and I standing here with all these bikers at our back as police cars race into the lot with red and blue lights bouncing off the clubhouse.

  Ivy starts shaking and her breathing stutters. “I’m scared, Car.”

  “I’ve got you,” I whisper the same words Chance says to me anytime the fear starts to win and feel his gentle touch on my back. My heart races and a familiar panic tickles my throat but, in a way, I’ve never felt stronger. Maybe it’s just because Ivy needs me right now, but I’ll take it.

  The cars screech to a stop and police officers file out, some with their hands on their guns, others watching us curiously.

  “My name is Officer Brooks. We’re here about a woman named Ivy Mills,” one officer says, stepping forward and Ivy raises her hand.

  “That’s me.”

  “Are you okay, ma’am?” he asks and Ivy nods.

  “Yes.”

  “We have reports that you were kidnapped from a restaurant.”

  Before she can say anything, a car door slams and Julian runs through the patrol cars toward us. She instinctively takes a step back, but I squeeze her hand, standing strong as I stare him down.

  “Ivy,” he calls and her hand starts shaking again. An officer holds his arm out, stopping Julian before he can get too close. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”

  “Ma’am, can you tell us what happened?” Brooks asks and Ivy opens her mouth before snapping it shut again, her gaze glued to Julian. She’s so pale and I know all too well the fear coursing through her veins right now.

  Come on, Vi.

  You can do this.

  “You’re safe now, sweetheart. I promise I’ll protect you from these people,” Julian says, opening his arms wide. To anyone else, maybe he looks like a worried fiancé, but I see past the façade – I always have.

  “Miss Mills, I need you to straighten this out.”

  Ivy shakes her head and looks up at Officer Brooks. I squeeze her hand again and she peeks over at me before sucking in a breath. “I wasn’t kidnapped.”

  “Ivy!” Julian screams, anger making his mask slip for a second before he regains himself. “Tell the truth, baby.”

  “That man is my fiancé… or ex fiancé. I left him and my sister and her boyfriend came to get me from the restaurant. I’m so sorry for any trouble this has caused y’all.”

  “Motherfucker,” Julian hisses, slamming the door of one of the patrol cars closed and Brooks flicks an annoyed glance over his shoulder. It’s clear he’s not buying Julian’s story anymore.

  “Where did you get that bruise, Darlin’?” he asks, pointing to Ivy’s cheek and she raises a shaky hand to cover it.

  “Oh, I’m just a klutz, you know.”

  Damn it.

  He sighs, his lips pressing into a thin line. It’s domestic violence excuse number one and he doesn’t believe it for a second but if Ivy refuses to tell the truth, his hands are tied. He studies her for a moment before reaching in his pocket and pulling out a business card.

  “My number is on there and you can call me anytime. I’d like to talk to you again in a few days. Would that be okay?”

  Ivy stares down at the card for a moment before nodding. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Ma’am,” he sighs, his gaze roaming her body like he’s checking for more bruises. “If someone hurt you, you have to tell us so we can help you. They could hurt you or someone else if you let them get away with it.”

  The intent behind his words is clear and I’m glad there is someone taking this seriously. Ivy nods.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He sighs again, giving up since it’s clear Ivy won’t be talking about any of this today. I don’t blame her, though. She literally just escaped from Julian minutes ago and she needs time to process. Officer Brooks turns away and as he walks back to his patrol car, I meet Julian’s gaze across the lot. With just a look, one thing is clear.

  This isn’t over.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Carly

  I’m drifting back to sleep when Chance’s arm snakes around my belly, pulling me back into his naked body and I hum, soaking up his warmth.

  “Wake up, Princess,” he whispers against my ear, nipping at it and I moan, arching my back into him. It doesn’t matter that he had me up until two in the morning moaning his name, I need him again. His lips press against my cheek before slowly dragging down to my neck and kissing me there. He licks a path back up my throat and I suck in a breath, my mind going blank. “Roll over.”

  I roll to my back and he wedges my knees apart, slipping between my thighs as he claims my lips, our tongues tangling together. His hand frames one side of my face and I grip his sides, lifting my hips off the bed. I feel his smirk against my lips, but he doesn’t give me anything more, content to just make out with me for a little bit longer.

  “Chance,” I whine and he laughs.

  “What were you saying the other day about you not being insatiable?”

  I open my eyes just so he can see me roll them. “You always start it.”

  “Of course, I start it, baby. I’m just a man and you have a body that would tempt a saint. It’s really not fair.”

  “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” I ask, the ache between my legs making me grumpy. He laughs again and leans down, trailing his nose down mine before kissing me again. I moan against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck and he pinches my nipple between his thumb and finger before pulling away.

  “Shit,” he whispers. “Don’t be mad at me but I’ve got to get going soon.”

  My arms fall to the bed and I stare up at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Why would you tease me like that if you have to leave?”

  “I just can’t resist you, Darlin’.”

  He presses one last kiss to my lips before pushing himself up and scooting to the side of the bed. As he grabs his jeans off the floor, I pull the sheet up around my chest and lean back against the headboard.

  “What are you doing today?”

  He glances back at me and one look from him is enough to make my heart skip a beat. God, I’m cheesy as hell all of the sudden.

  “We’ve got a transfer to do. Hopefully, it won’t take too long. You gonna hang out with Ivy?”

&nbs
p; I nod. We let her spend the rest of Saturday and yesterday settling into the clubhouse and relaxing but now it’s time to get some answers. I need to tell her everything we found, too.

  “Yeah. I’m ready to figure out what is going on here and I want to know how she’s really doing.”

  He stands and pulls his jeans up. “She seems good.”

  “She does but I’m worried she’s just putting on a brave face. We need to talk about going to the police, too. I’m scared she’ll never be safe unless Julian is in jail.”

  “Yeah,” he sighs. “I was worried about that, too.”

  He buttons his jeans and my mouth goes dry at the sight of him. How is it legal for the man to look so good in just a pair of jeans?

  “You’re gonna owe me for leaving me hanging this morning,” I tell him and he smirks, kneeling on the bed.

  “Oh, baby, I always make good on that.”

  “Promises, promises,” I whisper, wishing he would kiss me again. He does just that, pressing his lips to mine and I sigh, sinking into his gentle touch.

  “I love you,” he states, flicking my lips with his tongue and I groan, my skin tingling with desire.

  “I love you but I kind of hate you right now, too.”

  “You can take it out on my body later.”

  I hum, nodding. “I’m looking forward to that.”

  “Me, too,” he agrees, kissing me again as someone pounds on the door and he groans.

  “Time to go,” Smith calls and Chance glares at the closed door before standing and throwing a shirt on. He turns back to me and smiles.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? Be careful and don’t go anywhere.”

  I smile. “Go. We’ll be fine here.”

  He leans down and kisses me one last time before grabbing his keys off the dresser and slipping out of the room. Sighing, I throw the sheet off me and climb out of bed. There’s no way I’m going to get back to sleep anytime soon with this need simmering in my body. I slip on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before grabbing my phone off the bedside table and heading downstairs. As soon as my foot hits the bottom step, my phone vibrates in my hand with a text.

  Mercedes:

  How’s your sister?

  After Julian left the clubhouse on Saturday, I called Mercedes and asked her to come by. When she got here, I explained everything to her and after seeing Ivy, she was shocked and outraged. I’m pretty sure she would have beat Julian’s door down if I hadn’t asked her to stay out of it. She did, however, insist I take as much time as I needed off work. I’ve still been working on the page for the blog but she’s adamant we put it on the back burner for now so I can focus on Ivy. In the short time I’ve been working for Mercedes, I’ve realized how much she truly cares about the people that work for her and I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I was still working at the Times.

  Me:

  She’s good. Slowly getting adjusted.

  “Mornin’,” Kodiak says, kicking a chair out for me and I sit down next to him as I glance down at my phone.

  12:30 p.m.

  “More like afternoon,” I comment and he nods.

  “Yeah, you’re not gonna find a lot of morning people around here. Late nights and all that.”

  I nod, leaning back in my chair. “Have you seen my sister yet?”

  “She’s back in the TV room.”

  I spin around, trying to figure out where the hell that might be. “Y’all have a TV room?”

  “Yeah.” Kodiak laughs. “It’s on the other side of the stairs.”

  He nods to a door just past the staircase.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem, Darlin’. I’m off.” He shoves out of his chair and waves in a sort of mock salute before walking out of the clubhouse. It’s quiet here today and I assume most of the guys must be out working or home. As I stand up, my phone buzzes again.

  Mercedes:

  Good. Keep me updated.

  Me:

  I will. Thanks again.

  I shove my phone into my back pocket and go in search of my sister, finding her lying on a couch in the “TV room”, which is actually like a small movie theatre. A massive screen covers the back wall with three rows of couches filling the room.

  “What are you watching?” I ask. Before she can even answer, I recognize the movie on the screen and wrinkle my nose. “Titanic? Really, Vi?”

  “Hey,” she quips, hugging her knees to her chest as I sit down next to her. “Don’t diss my favorite movie.”

  “Where the hell did you find Titanic in a biker clubhouse?” I ask, imagining Smith in here with a bowl of popcorn in his lap as he watches it and I can’t help but laugh. Ivy blushes.

  “I may have sweet talked Moose into getting it for me.”

  Of course, she did. I laugh and point to the screen.

  “Well, I was hoping we could talk so you think you could pause your favorite movie?”

  She nods, grabbing the remote and pausing it just as Jack steps up behind Rose on the bow of the boat. “Yes, let’s talk because I’ve been dying to ask you about Chance.”

  I want to object but don’t. My relationship with Chance is probably a pretty good way to start this conversation. I don’t want to just dive right into the heavy stuff and upset her.

  “Okay, what do you want to know?”

  Her eyes widen. “Everything. When did you meet him?”

  “Um… you remember when we had lunch like six weeks ago – when you first told me about Julian?”

  She nods. “Yeah.”

  “I met him the day before that.”

  “And?” she questions, desperate for more. I laugh.

  “And nothing. I was not interested in anything more than hooking up…”

  “As usual,” she grumbles, rolling her eyes.

  “Shut up,” I say, shoving her playfully. “Anyway, that’s what we started out as, but Chance wasn’t really having that. He kept pushing me and knocking down all my walls.”

  “Brute force,” she muses. “I like it.”

  As soon as the words leave her mouth, her face changes and she almost seems to shrink in on herself. I suck in a breath as tears sting my eyes.

  “What happened to you over there, Vi?”

  She shakes her head as a single tear streaks down her cheek. “It was hell, Car.”

  My heart aches as I reach over and pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly as she cries into my shirt.

  “It didn’t start like that, you know?” she asks, her voice shaking and I nod.

  “I know, sweetie.”

  Pulling back, she wipes her eyes and wraps her arms around her knees again.

  “In the beginning, I was so happy. I thought I had fallen in love with the perfect guy but somewhere along the way, it had changed. I didn’t even realize it then, but he was breaking away pieces of me. They seemed so small, you know? But by the time I realized what was happening, I was too broken to do anything.”

  “You’re not broken, Vi. I know it feels like that now but believe me when I say that you’re not.”

  She meets my eyes and the pain in her gaze makes my heart wrench as my blood boils.

  “Yes, I am. He played me for a fool and when I saw the real him, it almost destroyed me. You of all people should know I’ll never be the same.”

  “You’re right,” I whisper, grabbing her hand. “You will never be the same, but it doesn’t mean you’re broken. Please believe me because it’s something that took me a really long time to learn.”

  “I don’t know if I can believe it.”

  I nod. “That’s okay. We take this one day at a time and any time you forget, I’ll be here to remind you.”

  “I really thought I was going to die in that house,” she admits, her voice cracking again and my breath stutters. I shake my head and pull her into my arms.

  “I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

  We sit in silence for a few moments, staring at the frozen screen, before she sucks i
n a breath.

  “I have to go to the police, don’t I?”

  I nod. “Yeah, Vi, you do.”

  “Does Mom know I’m here?” she asks, sitting up and turning to look at me. I shake my head. How can I possibly tell my baby sister that our mother didn’t care?

  “Anything I could tell you about Mom would only upset you more.”

  She sighs, turning to look at the screen. “She didn’t care, did she?”

  “No, she didn’t. She said Julian was a good man and I should be happy for you.”

  “Figures,” she bites.

  “Dottie’s been worried sick about you, though. I’m sure she’ll want to come see you as soon as you’re feeling up to it.”

  She wipes away a tear, turning back to me. “I wish I had listened to her. She was right about everything.”

  “Vi,” I start, unsure if I should even ask this question but I have to know. “Why didn’t you come to me earlier? I would have done anything to help you. Didn’t you know that?”

  “Of course, I did. Julian… after we moved in together and I realized I was in trouble, he told me that if I didn’t do exactly what he said, he’d go after you.”

  “He threatened me?”

  She nods. “And I believed him. For some reason, he decided he wanted me and nothing was going to get in his way.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh, not wanting to tell her this next part. “About that…”

  “What?”

  “When you sent Rosie to my apartment with that note, one of the guys, Streak, started looking into Julian and it got kind of weird. We’re still not one hundred percent sure what was going on.”

  Her eyes widen and she studies my face for a second. “What do you mean you don’t know what’s going on?”

  “So, he first saw you at the New Year’s Eve event, right?”

  She nods. “Yeah, he asked to buy me a drink and I blew him off.”

  “But, I thought… didn’t he say he didn’t talk to you that night?”

  Her head bobs up and down as she pulls her knees closer. “Yeah. I don’t know why he said that and when I asked him, he slapped me.”