Bulletproof (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #2)

by Savannah Rylan

  I patted him on the back. “Tell Aubree I said hi.”

  I watched my best friend cross the street and go into Aubree’s store. Through the storefront window, I could see her face light up when she saw him and, seconds later, jump into his arms. I was happy as shit for my best friend… if not a little envious.

  10

  Sienna

  The urge to down a beer, or light up a cigarette, was so strong after the week I had. Between the bank statements not adding up, Phil’s damn handwriting, and Kade undressing me every time I walked by him, stress was coming out of my ears.

  I scanned through another stack of invoices, thankful Kade didn’t write like a two year old who was given a pen for the first time. My head pounded, and I massaged my fingers into my temples. I didn’t even know if I could take anything. I really needed to go buy one of those baby books and figure this whole thing out.

  The thought made me miss my mom, causing a familiar pain in my heart and gut. My eyes caught the picture of her on my desk, and a battle between smiling and crying began. Fucking hormones. I forced the tears back, and forced a smile, because that’s what she would have wanted.

  It was crazy to think that I had spent more years without her than I did with her. Her image was still so bright and vivid in my mind like I could reach into the photograph and be back in that day.

  She was a complete and total contradiction that only she could have pulled off. Her blonde hair had funky black chunks that highlighted her dark blue eyes and her smile could light up an entire room. The way she could make me feel better with a single hug, yet put fear in someone like Phil. The club respected her, protected her and, when she died, I feel like a little piece of all of us did.

  If I was even half the mother my own was, I think this baby had a fighting chance. It gave me peace of mind.

  A knock on my door had me dreading another Kade invasion. My resolve weakened every time he came near me, and the only defense I had was to be a bitch. It wasn’t a stretch for me, but it was still exhausting, since really all I wanted to do was let him have his way with me again. Hand over control and let someone else take the reins for once.

  I glanced up ready to dismiss him and sighed a breath of relief when I realized it wasn’t him. Aubree stood in the doorway in a blindingly bright yellow tank top, and white pants, that I gave her credit for. I’d be scared to sit down on anything. She had her designer sunglasses pushed up like a headband, freeing her face of her long brown hair.

  “Hey,” I said, and that was all the invitation she needed. She bounced into my office and plopped down in the seat Dice dragged in here years ago and never took out.

  “You’re brave,” I said, putting the invoices in a neat pile.

  “Why?”

  “Sitting in that chair with those pants. Do you know how many greasy asses have sat there?”

  She shrugged. “They’re just pants. That’s why bleach was invented.”

  “If you say so. What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I have to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for tonight. You look like you could use a break. Want to come?”

  “Grocery shopping sounds like exactly what I need,” I said, with maybe a tad bit too much sarcasm.

  “Sounds more appealing than sitting here being pissed off and grumbling to yourself.” And that was exactly why I liked the girl. For a prissy spoiled brat, who grew up in the high life of maids and long weekend trips to some exotic location I can’t even pronounce, she was honest and outspoken. Plus, she kept Cash’s ass in line, which was a miracle in itself.

  “When you put it that way.” I got to my feet and grabbed my purse. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  “Kade picked Cash up this morning in the work truck. Maybe Kade can ride your bike to our place, so you don’t have to worry about coming back for it later.” I gritted my teeth at the thought. The last thing I felt like doing after my long ass day was asking Kade for a favor. Before I could reject the idea, Aubree yelled across the parking lot. “Kade!”

  My body stiffened, as he strutted out of the garage like a sex god covered in sweat and grease, looking even better dirty than he did clean. “What’s going on?” he asked, wiping his hands on a rag.

  “I’m stealing Sienna for the rest of the day. Can you ride her bike to my place later? Unless you have to take the truck home?”

  “It’s fine. I’ll come back for it later.” I said, and started to walk away when his strong, rough hand gently grabbed my elbow and halted me.

  He came around to the front of me and smiled. “Stop being so damn stubborn and give me the damn keys.”

  “I don’t need you to do any favors for me.”

  “Why? Afraid you might actually start to like me?”

  “I’m going to wait in the car while you two settle this,” Aubs said, and gave a dainty wave as she walked away.

  “Look what you did. You scared Aubree.”

  Kade laughed in my face. “It would take a lot more than me and you bickering to scare that chick. She tamed Cash. As far as I’m concerned, that girl has fucking superpowers.”

  “Whatever. I have to go,” I said, sidestepping him, but he had my number.

  “Whoa, there,” he said, resting his hands on my hips and holding me in place. “Forget something?” He held his hand out, and I rolled my eyes before dropping my keys into his palm. “Treat her good. There better not be as much of a nick in the paint.”

  “I’ll treat her like she’s an extension of you.”

  “Don’t do that either. You might drool on her,” I said, walking by him.

  His hand settled on my arm again and he brought his lips to my ear. “You weren’t complaining when I dragged my tongue all over your body.”

  “I blame the alcohol.” This time, I didn’t let him stop me and hopped in Aubree’s car.

  “It was getting hot over there. I didn’t know something was going on with you two,” Aubs said, as soon as I slammed the door.

  “There isn’t,” I spat.

  “Yeah, okay, because that’s believable. You looked like you wanted to either kill him or rip his clothes off.”

  “He’s an annoying pain in the ass who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”

  “Not to take sides or anything,” Aubree said as she pulled onto the road. “But, if you were looking at me like that, I wouldn’t take no for an answer either. There’s crazy chemistry there.”

  “No, there isn’t. Annoyance and frustration, yes.”

  “If you ask me, that’s the making of some great chemistry. When I met Cash, I had never been so frustrated in my life. He was arrogant and rude.”

  “With qualities like that, no wonder you jumped on the back of his bike and fucked him within an hour of meeting him.”

  “Hey! Don’t judge. Besides, you’re going away from my point.”

  “Oh you have one of those.”

  “Shut up, bitch,” she said with a laugh. “My point is, sometimes the things that annoy you the most about someone are the things that make you attracted to them in the first place.”

  “That’s stupid, and I’m not attracted to Kade.”

  This time, it wasn’t a little laugh; it was a big over-the-top laugh. “You are so full of shit. How can you not be attracted to him? Have you seen the guy? He’s gorgeous. When him and Cash are together, I swear it’s the making of a magazine spread.”

  I wouldn’t put it that way, but the girl had a point. Motorcycle clubs usually consisted of overweight dirty bearded men, but the Righteous Outlaws were made up of a bunch of good-looking guys, especially the younger generation. It was probably why there were always so many whores hanging around the clubhouse… not that I would ever admit that.

  “If you think he’s so gorgeous, then you date him.”

  “I already got my man, and he’s more man than I can handle to begin with.” Crimson crept up her neck and radiated through her cheeks.

  “And, now we change the su
bject. What do you need at the store?”

  “Just a few things, but that’s not why I wanted you to come.”

  I cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

  “I wanted to do a little something for Cash, and I was scared to go alone. I thought maybe you’d come with me and hold my hand.”

  “Hold your hand?”

  “You’ll see.”

  After going up and down every damn aisle in the grocery store to pick up one roll of aluminum foil, we headed back to the car.

  “Is that really all you needed?”

  “Yup.”

  I looked at her like she was fucking crazy because it was the only explanation in the moment.

  “Onto our next stop.” Aubs tossed the bag with the one roll of aluminum foil in the car and dragged me across the parking lot to a few stores that sat within the strip. I assumed we were going into the nail salon, and she was going to get something waxed, so when she dragged me through the doors of the tattoo parlor, my eyes almost fell out of my head.

  “Seriously?”

  She shrugged and walked over to the counter.

  “Aubree, how’s it going?” Chance Stevenson asked. We grew up in the same neighborhood, and went to the same school since kindergarten. He gave me my first tattoo when I was seventeen and he was just starting out. A small rose on my ankle, with a banner wrapped around it, and Mom written on it in cursive.

  “I’m finally ready. I’m not going to freak out this time. I have my friend with me.” She pointed over her shoulder and Chance smiled.

  “Sienna,” he said, coming around the counter and reaching his tattooed arms out to me. I stepped into his embrace. “It’s good to see you, S. You haven’t been in here in a while.”

  “Haven’t thought of anything else I want permanently branded on me.”

  “Oh, good, you two know each other,” Aubs said, clapping her hands together.

  “Old high school friends,” I said. “Chance gave me my first tattoo.”

  “Did it hurt?” she asked, her big brown eyes filling with concern.

  “Nah. It’s more annoying to sit still. So, what are you getting?”

  Chance went behind the counter and grabbed a piece of paper, holding it up.

  I shook my head and laughed. “It’s perfect,” I said to the sketch of a sun, Cash’s nickname for her.

  “Let’s get started.” Chance took Aubree around to his station, and she lay down on the chair, exposing her hipbone. Chance placed the artwork in place, and let her look in the mirror before he started any work.

  I held her hand and, for a little thing, she was strong as hell. My circulation was cut off over a half hour ago, and I was pretty sure my hand would fall off if Chance didn’t hurry the hell up.

  When my fingers turned bright red, Chance sat back. “And done,” he said, as he wiped some ink and blood away.

  “I want to see!” Aubree jumped up from the chair and went right to the mirror, admiring the sunshine on her hip. “What do you think, S? Do you think Cash will like it?”

  “I think he’ll love it, but I don’t think he’ll love the fact that another guy touched you there.”

  She bit her lip. “Crap. I didn’t think about that.”

  Chance held his hands up. “Just make sure Cash doesn’t come in here and try to kill me.”

  Aubree swatted her hand. “I can handle the big ogre.”

  Chance went over the directions on taking care of the tattoo, but Cash had plenty of ink. He’d know exactly what to do if Aubree happened to forget.

  “You ready?” she asked, linking her arm through mine. “I have a dinner to host.”

  “Please tell me Martha’s making her honey pineapple teriyaki chicken,” I said, and my stomach growled at the thought. Martha was Aubree’s cook from childhood, who also happened to be Stumpy’s aunt. She became a staple at Friday night dinners and her cooking was to die for.

  “I requested it just for you.”

  “There is a God,” I joked.

  An hour later, the dinner was in full swing and, after helping Martha and Aubs in the kitchen, I went to find a seat. There was a spot open next to Kade, but I ignored it and went to the couch with my plate and glass of water.

  Dice sat down beside me, and shoveled his entire plate in his mouth within seconds.

  “Did you even taste it?” I asked.

  He smiled like an idiot and nodded. “It’s fucking delicious.” He turned his head to the rest of the gang and yelled, “Martha, you’re a genius!” and everybody clapped and raised a glass to Martha who finally stepped out of the kitchen.

  “I was thinking of changing the color of the shop,” Aubree said to Miles.

  “Oh, God, not again,” Miles whined. When Aubree opened her boutique, Miles offered to paint. I’m sure that, if he knew she was the most indecisive person you’d ever meet when it came to wall color, he would have ran the other way. By the sixth time he painted the walls, she finally was happy.

  “Miles, if I were you, I would run now,” I said, and Aubree threw a piece of Italian bread at me. “Seriously?” I laughed.

  Everybody went off into his and her own conversations, and Dice leaned in close. “I see you’re avoiding a certain someone.”

  “I see it’s none of your business, so mind it.”

  “You’re going to start showing soon. How much longer are you going to keep this a secret?”

  “Not much longer if you don’t shut your big mouth.”

  “I just think he has the right to know,” Dice said, running a hand over his perfectly coiffed brown hair that he probably didn’t even run a brush through.

  “You’ve already said that and, to be honest, I’m getting sick of hearing it, so can you just drop it.”

  “Fine. I’m done trying to talk some sense into your stubborn fucking ass. Do what you want. But don’t come to me when it blows up in your face.”

  Kade and his perfect timing took that as the moment to walk over and hand my keys to me. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I didn’t want to forget to give these to you.”

  “It’s fine. I was just leaving,” Dice said, pushing up from the couch with his empty plate.

  Kade sat down next to me on the couch, taking up more space than Dice did. His large frame overwhelmed me, and I shifted away from him. Still, no matter how much distance I put between us, that delicious scent of his cologne would now follow me.

  “You look pissed off for a change.”

  “Fuck you,” I said, focusing my attention on my last piece of honey pineapple chicken teriyaki.

  “You’re always such a delight.” He reached his arm for my glass. “Since when did you start drinking vodka?” He took a sip, and shocked confusion flashed through his hazel eyes. “Water?”

  “Yes, water.” I grabbed the glass out of his hand, and took a sip to help get down the last of the chicken.

  “Since when did you stop drinking?” he asked, and the conversation I just had with Dice started replaying in my head like a nagging old lady forcing me toward something I wasn’t ready for. “Afraid you’ll get too drunk again and wind up jumping my bones?” Kade said, leaning too closely. His warm breath skated across my skin, causing a shiver to shoot down my spine. His cologne wrapped around me like a comforting blanket and, if I wasn’t careful, I’d get sucked in again.

  I jumped up from my spot. “No, I just wanted water, okay?” I spat and Kade leaned back on the couch, holding his hands up. Aubree looked in our direction, but, luckily, nobody else did. I went to the kitchen, put my dish in the dishwasher, and then snuck out the back door.

  I couldn’t deal with him right now. He was so persistent, and he was pissing me off. Maybe Aubree was right about one thing; I wanted to rip his fucking head off. If only he would just be like every other one-night stand I had, and just take it for what it was. One night of fun that meant nothing more than getting each other off. My life would be so much easier right now.

  “Running from me?” Kade’s voic
e drifted across the driveway, and I had to take a deep breath or I would pull my gun on him.

  “Look you’re not getting any so just stop trying.”

  “I don’t want any.” He pushed off of Aubree’s car and came toward me, taking my arm in his grasp. I hated that it made me feel anything at all. That no matter how much I tried to not let him affect me, he did. “I just want to be with you.”

  What was the fucking point? Relationships never lasted. People cheated, died, got sick of each other. Relationships were the epitome of hell, and I wanted no part of that. I watched Dad suffer for years after Mom died. I watched him go through wife after wife, each relationship ending for a different reason. Nothing was meant to last forever and, the minute you got swept up into that notion, you were hopeless. Pathetic. You would never truly be happy again. And, if you were one of the lucky ones who beat the shitty odds, life would find another way to strip you of your happy ending. No, thank you. Fairytales were for the weak, and I was far from that. Once I got past this little bump in the road, things would be back to the way they should be.

  I went to blow him off for the millionth time when his hand moved to my waist and pulled me tight against him. Heat rolled off of him in powerful waves, his scent engulfed me causing my mouth to water with desire. “Stop resisting this. You know you want it. That’s why you were drinking water tonight. You don’t want to lose control, and let your desires takeover.”

  I shoved his chest hard and, before my brain could stop my mouth, I shouted, “I’m pregnant, you asshole!”

  11

  Kade

  The world ceased to exist, as I tried to comprehend the words that just flew out of Sienna’s mouth. It was like a smack to the fucking face. Pregnant. Did she really just say she was pregnant?

  Thoughts bounced around in my head, as I desperately worked to form a coherent sentence. Days raced through my mind as I attempted to do the calculations. It had to be mine. The way she’s been avoiding me, doing everything in her power to resist me. She’s scared shitless, and she doesn’t know what to do.