"No, having Mel along would be fine," I said mentally stepping away from my memories and getting back to the conversation. I just hoped Mel wasn't going to have trouble with me tagging along with him and what I now knew was his sponsor into the club.
"Great! We'll meet up at Hardwood's and then take it from there. You get your car back yet?" Dare asked.
"I pick it up after work today." And the repairs were only half the amount I'd originally been told. When Bishop had demanded I receive the Hellion discount, I expected to pay less but not so much less.
There were definite advantages to being a part of Hellion Construction.
It wasn't long and my day was over.
Gritty had said he'd pick me up no later than 4.45 so I decided to wait in the forecourt. Montana was experiencing what everyone was calling an Indian Summer that I gathered to mean warmer than usual autumn weather. All I knew was that it was beautiful with the changing leaves and a sky so blue, so clear it almost didn't look real.
Propping myself against the outside wall, I pulled out my phone to send Shelly a text. My dad should've received my old phone back by now and I needed to get his reaction. Forewarned with my dad equaled being forearmed. Plus, I hadn't told her about Jon's surprise visit yesterday or how it had ended. Something I knew my sister would get a kick out of since she and Jon didn't get along.
But all my intentions were forgotten when I saw the same blonde-haired, stupid horse's ass walking up the driveway towards me. Without thinking twice I scrambled into the building and picked up the phone intending to use the overhead intercom for the second time in two days.
Two arms grabbed me from behind though preventing me from moving as he began to drag me backwards.
"The only thing I can figure is that they've brainwashed you, Lucille," I heard Jon mutter from behind me as I tried to dig my heels in to stop our movements. "You know you love me and need to come home with me today!"
I started screaming even before Jon backed his way through the door.
I don't know what I said or even the language I used. All I knew is that I needed my guys and I needed them AS-fucking-AP as Trey would say.
Once outside, I changed my strategy because there was no way I was going to ruin my Manolo's even to escape the ropy arms of my ex-fiancé. Instead of digging my shoes in to stop our progress, I began using the spikes of my heels on his feet and ankles. Causing Jon to do some kind of wild lord of the dance moves as he tried to avoid the pain I was inflicting.
But within only a few yards of Jon's trajectory, men came streaming out of both HC and the clubhouse doors. Jon stopped and I felt him shift as he released one of his arms before something cold and metallic was pressed against my temple. A circle of Hellions began to surround me and my so not wanted potential kidnapper.
"She's mine and she's coming with me," Jon screamed almost wildly.
I heard the snick of metal on metal and heard Bishop's voice. "Wrong, douche bag. Fuckin' release our girl now, motherfucker." I had never heard someone speak with such strength and menace before.
"You can't win, slick," Trey added after the silence had grown almost deafening in spite of the traffic on the street. "This is Hellion property which means fucking anything and everything can happen here without anyone else the wiser."
I heard Jon's frantic pants and even felt them as he moved his face to take in the circle of bad-asses around us.
"You willing to die for Lulu, ass-wipe? I mean, she's fine 'n' all but even I don't know that I'd die for pussy, man," Dare called. What the heck? He'd been the worst of the group in trying to press me for a date. And now he was saying he wouldn't … But when my eyes caught on the big biker's deep brown ones, I saw him wink which helped me calm right the heck down.
"What. The. Fuck!" The roar that came over my right shoulder sounded suspiciously like Mel only much louder and much, much angrier than I'd ever heard him speak. All eyes were on the tableau that was unfolding in the area of his voice, a space I couldn't see. There was the fluttering of deep voices coming out of the same vicinity and I figured the others were filling Mel in on what was going on. "Oh, for Christ's sake!"
I heard the stomp and shuffling of boots on pavement before I was ripped from Jon's arms and thrust into Huff's.
I felt the big blonde man hold me close, using a hand to hold my head against his chest as he whispered at me not to look. "It ain't gonna be fuckin' something you want to see, pretty girl," he warned. "You're safe now. Uncle Huff's gotcha."
But it was the resonance of the deep thuds and Jon's screams echoing within the forecourt that I knew I'd be hearing in my nightmares. The smack of skin-on-skin and his begging for help, for mercy as someone worked him over. It was horrible and I was glad that Huff ensured I wasn't able to look although I craved it.
Craved it so I could see the man that had hurt me and who'd tried to make me feel so horrible about myself get his comeuppance at the hands of men who knew what loyalty, respect and power really meant.
"He's done, Hardwood," Bishop said quietly and I realized no other sound than the traffic and the wind were heard in the driveway.
"Drag his ass to the curb, boys," Trey instructed. "Even if the fucking car's waiting, let the damn driver take care of it. The Hellions are done."
I was again passed off and from the aroma of the t-shirt that covered the chest I was now pressed into, I knew it was Mel.
"How you doing, precious? Did he hurt you?" Mel's mouth was at my ear and was all that was needed to open my floodgates. I wrapped myself around him and let it all out in the form of sobs as he held me tight, his own face buried in my neck. I know he talked, just soft murmurs as one of his hands stroked my back, but I couldn't tell you what he said. Because I was soaking up all the comfort, the safety his big luscious body was giving.
When my tears had turned to hiccups, he stepped away from me and did an examination, his amazing eyes zeroing in on the bump on my temple where Jon's gun had dug in and the lightly bleeding half-moon shapes on my upper arms from where Jon had grabbed me.
"Let's get you inside, Lulu," he said gently, looking into my eyes and changing his scowl into a soft grin. "Your mascara is a little wonky."
I heard myself giggle at his words and tried to unobtrusively wipe my nose as he spoke, noticing we were the only two people left in the huge driveway.
"Here." He pulled his t-shirt out of his pants and offered the hem to me. "It's already dirty, darlin'. A little snot isn't gonna hurt it any."
"Is she okay?" I heard a teen-ager ask as I bent a bit and wiped my nose on Mel's shirt.
"She will be, Der. Probably more scared than anything."
I wiped underneath my eyes, using a different portion of Mel's hem after seeing it come away with only smidgeons of black. Thank god for waterproof mascara!
I turned and spied the young man who had spoken. One who was a shadow of Mel in both looks and soon to be size. "I'm sorry to meet you this way, but I'm Lulu," I said and held out my hand which was still shaking.
"Derek. Melvin's younger brother." The kid had a nice grip, not too firm and not too soft.
"It's very nice to meet you." I smiled and got a smile in return. They sure knew how to grow them good-looking in Texas, I thought staring into eyes that were green but darker than the ones I was used to.
"You, too." Derek looked at his brother and bugged out his eyes.
"Yeah, she's hot," Mel said with a chuckle. "I need to get her inside. You okay, Der? Need anything?"
"No, just saw what went down and wanted to make sure she was okay," came the reply. "I'm glad you're all right, Lulu. Just a warning, my sister's gonna love you."
"Uhm, thanks," I said confused. Why would Mel's sister love me and why would Derek feel the need to warn me about it?
Chapter Twenty Two
It had been a short night for Mel even though the clock said he'd gotten plenty of sleep. He had spent some time with Der and Jules both separately and alone getting caught up in what they'd
been up to since he'd been gone while sidestepping their questions back to him.
He'd showered and then with complete and total delight submitted himself to his bed. But it felt like only minutes had passed by the time the alarm had sounded.
After showering and getting dressed he moved to the kitchen to make lunches, something he'd been doing since they'd moved to Montana. Although he was aware that soon he'd only be making lunches for two instead of their three. Bishop had pulled him aside after the meeting and told him that he'd viewed portions of Derek's placement test and that his brother had more than aced it. Which had both seen his heart soaring and dropping to his knees as he realized his little brother would more than likely be leaving them in the next couple of weeks.
Perhaps it was because of his diminished sleep banks or because of his recent run, but the tedium of work—the threading of wire and splicing of connections—got on his last nerve. Big Joe, his alleged mentor and partner, seemed overly slow and tended to wanted to take time, with his mouth moving more than his hands or ass, to explain things Mel already knew. Which didn't make sense after hearing Lehman's yelling that morning. About how they were behind on the job and HC never went over when it came to their anticipated date of completion.
But even though they were told they were behind, Lehman had them go back to the yard after at only ten hours.
After clocking out and making his way to the forecourt, Mel had seen a crowd of silent and tense brothers circling around something that was still out of his view. After stowing his jacket and his lunch pail by the side of the building, he made his way to the edge of the crowd in order to ask what was going on. But the crowd had parted just as he'd gotten to it allowing him to see some pencil-necked geek in a suit holding tight to Mel's Lulu and pointing a gat at her head.
Oh, fuck. No!
Mel hadn't even thought before he started yelling and yanking at the brothers that stood between him and his Lu. No motherfucker was gonna threaten his girl and live to talk about it!
Without a qualm he'd yanked Lulu away from the sick fuck and shoved her towards the biggest man next to him, which in that case had been Huff. Casting a quick glance to Trey and receiving a nod back, Mel worked the fucking skinny panty-waist over, giving him the whopping the man should've received at a much younger age. A series of punches guaran-fucking-teed to ensure the man ached for a month and created just enough blood to shrivel the man's balls when he looked in the mirror.
Bishop's softly called, "He's done, Hardwood," hadn't really registered and it had taken Brand's hand enveloping his own to bring him back to reality. An actuality that held only one word.
Lucille.
He knew he should've been gentler when he ripped her from Huff's arms, but Mel had to touch her, had to hold her to make sure she was okay.
Dear god, that fucker had held a gun to her head!
Could've fucking killed her, for Christ's sake!
And when he curled his big body around her fragile form and she began to cry, he didn't know of any other way to comfort her but to hold. To stroke. And to tell her that it was all right. That he was there for her and always would be.
It was at that moment, Mel Davis knew he began to fall in love for the first time in his life.
*.*.*.*.*
Mel hustled me back inside the building and took me first to the fridge in the conference room to grab a small ice pack for my temple. Then he led me to the restroom, setting me up on the countertop before reaching for the first aid kit that hung on the wall.
When I'd first started, there had been some hullaballoo on my part about having to share a bathroom with men. But Brand had produced a 'Broad on Board' sign that I hung on a hook outside the door whenever I needed to visit it. And I was surprised at how neat the room actually was kept. For some reason I guessed I expected a men's room, much less a biker's men's room, to be a no-Lulu-zone in terms of cleanliness but that hadn't been the case.
"We'll get you fixed right up, Lu," Mel advised pulling out antiseptic wipes and cream. "What's your take on adhesive bandages?"
"Only if they're of the cute variety. Flesh tone isn't quite up to my fashion standards," I advised mimicking his seriousness.
At his smile, I let my own break through.
He was quiet as he worked, taking studious care to clean but not hurt me. It was when his eyes hit mine as he bent to blow on the stinging antiseptic that I realized we were all alone in an enclosed space.
Just me and the man I still desired in spite of the way he'd ignored and then moved on after he'd been with me.
His eyes dropped away and I swallowed deep and hard recognizing the arousal that he'd been able to build with just a look.
"Okay, so we're doing the cream but not the covering, right?" Why did his voice sound deeper? And why was my body reacting so strongly to such innocent words?
"Yes. Cream without the covering," I answered on an outward breath. Cheese and rice! The words that came out of my mouth sounded like down and dirty sex talk when I was only repeating what he'd said!
I couldn't help my eyes as they dropped below his belt, but his untucked t-shirt prevented me from seeing anything. Maybe it was just me, I thought frantically. Just a reaction to being scared out of my wits by what Jon had threatened to do. There were all those stories about people who coupled during and after an air-raid during World War II and such.
A reaffirmation of life I thought I'd heard it called.
Yes, that was it.
That was all I was feeling.
Or it was until Mel used two fingers to rub in the cream. Rubbing in firm, slow circles as he looked me dead in the eyes. The same move he'd used between my legs to bring me to orgasm the first time we'd been together.
I swallowed the whimper that threatened and clamped my thighs together.
"Feel better, Lu?" he asked in a deep voice, his eyes hooded yet heated as his fingers continued their luscious strokes.
"Much." Was that my voice that sounded so breathy, almost panting?
I felt his large body press against my knees and without my approval they opened to let his firm, thick thighs in. His eyes dropped and I could swear they grazed my chest before moving to another packet of the antibiotic cream. He squeezed the contents out and performed the same move with the same stare into my eyes. And, just as before, my upper arm became a point of arousal with a direct line to my girlie bits as he continued to rub and circle.
I was on fire and didn't know how much more I was going to be able to take. I was already swallowing the noises that he'd caused, the electricity that was building the pressure deep within me.
"I feel like I'm gonna die, Lu, if you don't kiss me," he murmured, bending his head until our lips were aligned but had yet to touch.
"And I can guarantee that isn't going to happen, baby," I replied but my voice was a moan when it came out in breathy spurts against his lips. "Not until we've resolved something."
He pulled back and looked me dead in the eyes. "I am so sorry, Lulu."
"And what exactly is it that you're apologizing for?" I liked that he'd said sorry in text, in writing and now in person, but it didn't mean crap if it was of the vague variety.
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes searching mine. "You gave me something to treasure, darlin'. A beauty so deep and sweet it bowled me over. But I didn't take care of it. I let things get in the way instead of valuing it as I should have."
I could feel my eyebrows lift as he spoke. Maybe he did realize what he'd done wrong.
"I should've done or said something in the days afterward to let you know how much it meant to me. How much you mean to me."
I considered what he said and found his words were exactly what my heart needed to hear. But there was still another issue. "You mean instead of having sex with other women the day after?"
He sighed and hung his head. "Yeah, Lu. Especially that." He took another deep breath. "Especially fucking that."
His eyes came back to mine and there it
was, the regret I thought I'd seen shining in his face the other night in the clubhouse. "Please forgive me, darlin'."
I wound my arms around him and brought my mouth back up to his in order to murmur, "Apology accepted. But it better not ever happen again."
We were close enough that I could feel him put his hand between us and as he made an 'X' on his chest, his knuckles grazing my chest as well as he moved. "I abso-fucking-lutely swear it won't, precious. Cross my heart."
Okay, that was all I needed to hear to get the teenager within me squeeing again! And I pressed myself closer until our lips touched.
At the feel of his mouth, his tongue immediately insinuated itself and began dancing against mine. I couldn't help myself or my body's reactions to the want he'd created within me both with how his big body felt and at his words.
Reinventing Mel: A Hellion MC Novel Page 20
