by Debra Kayn
She pressed her lips together when the natural urge to moan and lean into him when he put his devotion out in front of her. He made it sound as if everything would be better because he stepped forward. For him, yes. For her, no.
She wasn't in a place in her life to selfishly jump into a relationship.
"Why now?" she whispered. "Why not four years or two years ago?"
"Do you think I never wanted you over the years?" He stroked her cheek. "I did."
"But, you never tried to kiss me or...Mel, you've slept on my couch and never once made a move on me. You've held me all night without a single kiss. Besides some innocent flirting between friends, you never tried to sleep with me at all." She put her hand on top of his and held it against her cheek.
His thumb swept over her bottom lip. "You never noticed, because you weren't ready."
"What do you mean, not ready?"
"Babe, you went through fucking hell losing Duke. Then you found strength to go on and take care of a baby on your own. The last thing you wanted and needed was someone pressuring you. You weren't ready and needed a safe place so you could grieve." He kissed her lips softly. "That's why I volunteered to work the bar, then a couple years later, I moved in. I wasn't going to let any man, MC brother or not, put you in a position you weren't ready for. Over the years, what we had between us became more. The more you found your way on your own, the more I started thinking of you differently."
"We became friends," she whispered.
"Babe, I don't have friends. I have brothers. I had women I'd enjoy." He tilted his head and said, "You're something different to me."
"Are you telling me you've always been attracted to me?" she said.
"You'd walk across the room, and I watched your ass sway. You'd touch me, and damn, babe, it took everything I had in me to stand still and keep my hands off you. And, I fucking took it, night after night, day after day. Walking away from you to sleep in my apartment about killed me, until the night in the bar, and I could finally see you wanted me." He shook his head. "Hell of a rush, cause I could fucking feel your thoughts and the reaction from your body. That was it for me. I understand you might be pissed at me for what I'd done claiming you, but there's no sense in fucking around. I want you. You want me. Dukie needs us both."
She had no excuse for not following what he was stating, except he'd overwhelmed her. She heard the words and had no idea what they meant because her body celebrated, turning her stupid. "You got me drunk and took me to the club."
"Babe, you were not drunk when I was fucking you and when you said you'd marry me." He paused. "You were only drunk afterward and when I took you to the clubhouse. I wanted you tanked."
"Why?"
"Because it would've been harder for you to stand in front of the members of Ronacks and look them in the eyes. They all know you. They know your life. They remember when you married Duke." He lowered his voice. "You would've seen the love they were giving you because they're proud of what you've accomplished and you would've seen their guilt at being unable to protect one of their own, and you would've gotten scared and backed out."
"I can't..." She rocked back and forth stuck in the couch cushion with Mel practically on top of her and struggled to her feet. "I need to think, and right now, I can't with you sitting beside me and saying those things. I need to go to sleep. Dukie will need to get up in three hours and right now, I need to think of him."
"No more talking, then." Mel stood. "Let's go to bed."
She nodded and stepped toward the short hallway. Mel followed her. She stopped and looked up at him. His gaze intensified and he stayed right by her. His intentions clear, she crossed her arms, holding herself back from letting him have his way. She might as well be drunk because she was sleep deprived.
"You're not sleeping in my bed," she said.
"Sleep." He turned her around and guided her toward her room. "I can wait until morning for sex."
She groaned. "Why have I never noticed what a stubborn, bullheaded, conceited, —?"
"Sexy biker, I am?" Mel slid his hands down to the edge of her shirt and worked the material up while stepping into her room with her. "It's a well-kept secret."
She turned, raising her arms as he pulled her shirt off. "Just tonight, and then you need to let me figure out what I'm doing with all of this."
"This?"
"You. Me." She leaned into him. "We're not really married."
"Claimed you in front of the club."
Her heart squeezed. She understood the importance. Bikers could swear to love a woman in court, in front of a preacher, inside a church, and his word only lasted until some meaningless conflict came between them, and the marriage was over. His word in front of his MC brothers meant claiming a woman for life and admitting his responsibilities to a woman.
The front of his jeans vibrated. She laughed softly, giddy from tiredness and the insanity of the day. "That's quite a humming talent you've got there."
He stepped back and dug in his front pocket retrieving his cell. "Fucking phone."
In the glow of the screen, he frowned. She stepped closer and placed her hand on his arm. "Is everything okay?"
"No." He tapped at the screen. "I need to take off."
"Now?"
He dragged her closer and kissed her deeply. Her lips softened under his mouth, and he slipped his tongue in, drawing her deeper, wanting to stay. Reluctantly, he pulled away. "It's club business."
She pressed her finger to her bottom lip and nodded.
He whispered, "I'll be back when I can."
"Be safe." She watched him walk out of the room. Listened to the door close to her apartment and the lock clicked into place.
Her stomach knotted. There was nothing good about club business in the middle of the night. Not ready to climb in bed until she calmed down, she walked out into the hall and peeked into Dukie's room. She leaned against the doorframe, her chest squeezing at the sleeping slumber of her son.
He laid on his stomach, his Superman covers pulled clear up to his shoulders. Just like his dad, Dukie loved the warmth of being fully covered while he slept. She pressed her hand to her stomach. How could she bring another biker into their lives?
The danger. The risks. The never knowing if there would be another day together or if club business would steal him away permanently. Could she put herself and Dukie through the possibilities of losing someone else they love?
Chapter Twelve
Flashing red and blue lights lit up the outside of Peggy's apartment building. Mel toed the kickstand on his Harley and joined Battery, Swiss, Rod, LeWorth, and JayJay behind the police cruiser. He glanced over to the sidewalk where four more Ronacks members stood.
The second break-in at Peggy's apartment within a few days meant the first one wasn't a random act.
"Update?" asked Mel.
Battery shook his head. "Peggy called us first. We didn't even have both legs off our bikes before the cops showed up. Apparently, Peggy's neighbor took it upon herself to call the cops."
"Where's Peggy now?' He scanned the small crowd outside the apartments.
"The neighbor took Peggy inside her place to rest until we give her the okay she can go back home." Battery lit a cigarette. "The noise from the person trying to break the deadbolt woke Peggy up. Looks like a crowbar was used on the door."
At least the new lock stopped anyone from entering. Peggy, even armed, had a disadvantage against a man, stronger and bigger than her, determined to get inside. Mel peered over at two policemen talking together by the door. Something needed to be done now. The next attempt could turn out differently.
"The manager doesn't have a key to the deadbolt, which cut off his access to the apartment in the chance he was the one who broke in the first time." Mel looked back at the Ronacks members. "Anyone know the manager?"
"His name's Henry Tracker. He's owned the place for the last five years." LeWorth pulled his cell phone out. "I ran a check on him the last time we were here.
Clean record. He's been taken to small claims court twice over non-payment of security deposits after the tenants ended their lease. Both times, he paid out."
"Not exactly traits of someone who gets his thrill breaking into women's apartments," muttered Swiss.
"Maybe the heroin addicts from across town have decided to see what they can lift." JayJay turned his head and spit on the ground. "Their activities always seem to spike in the summer."
"And, they decided to target only Peggy's apartment?" Rod shook his head. "I’m not buying it. The first time, we can chalk it up as a random crime. Twice in a week? Someone is after Peggy. This time, they expected her to be home. We need to find out why."
"We need to make sure no one is given the opportunity to get close to her. That includes while she's working at the bar." Mel stuck his hands in his vest pocket. "I'll be moving out of my apartment into Raelyn's apartment, but I'll be honest. I don't want any trouble to come knocking around my woman and Dukie."
His woman. That'd been the first time he'd been able to step forward and claim his right to make decisions for Raelyn.
"No, that's not even an option. The bar needs to remain a safe area for the club because the women work there. No exceptions." Battery looked at JayJay. "We'll tighten security. Two members can be planted outside Peggy's building when she's home and see her to and from work until we know more. Simply riding around the complex every hour isn't enough."
"I'm on it. I'll take one of the prospects with me tonight." JayJay gathered his long hair behind his neck and tied it with a strip of leather.
Battery looked over at the police officers. "Mel, walk with me, and we'll see what is going on."
Mel broke away from the group and took his hands out of his pockets. Falling in beside his president, he looked around the area as they got closer to the door. The door frame on the side of the handle was splintered almost in half. An experienced criminal would know that it'd take more than prying the wood off to get to the deadbolt.
"I want you to keep an eye on what happens in the bar. I have a feeling we need to look closer to home." Battery slowed his step halfway to the police. "Peggy's circle doesn't extend far. She has no husband or kids. She spends most of her time working for us."
"Are you thinking it's a customer?"
"Anything is possible." Battery looked at him. "Let's go see what the cops have found out."
Deputy Hampton turned at their approach. "We've cleared the area and will be leaving."
"What's your take on the situation?" asked Battery.
"Someone tried to break into the unit and failed to gain entrance. We'll be making a report to keep it on record, but as for any idea who was behind the damage or the attempt, there's not much we can go on unless Ms. Buckson can give us names of suspects to interview or she can identify them as they're breaking in." Deputy Hampton shut off his flashlight and slid it into the loop on his belt. "We'll be leaving and filing the report at the station."
Deputy Hampton walked away, stopped, and turned. "We did find a lot of footprints on the south side of the complex. The sprinklers must run automatically on that side because the ground was mushy. It looks like a herd of elk went through for how tore up the ground is, but besides knowing it was shoe prints, there is no way to identify them without a suspect."
Battery nodded. Mel stepped closer to the door and ran his hand down the broken board. "It'll be secure enough tonight. It's mainly cosmetic. We'll replace the facial board in the morning before the manager does the job and notices the new deadbolt. I'm sure there's some fucking rule in the rental agreement that requires the manager to have access to each apartment."
"I don't think there is any worry about the manager showing up. From what I've learned he enjoys going into Missoula and hitting the casino. It's not unusual for him to stay away a couple of days." said Battery.
"Is that where he is now?" Mel looked around the area.
"Nobody knows." Battery ran his hand down his beard. "I'll get the riders on security rounds, and then I'm going home. Peggy's safe for the night. We'll meet in the morning before everyone has to go to work, and then deal with this shit."
Mel slapped Battery's back. "Talk to you tomorrow."
He walked to his motorcycle, dead tired. After going without sleep for almost forty-eight hours, he needed to crash. If he were lucky, he'd get an hour of sleep before he'd need to get up and go to the meeting.
Riding out of the parking lot, he swung around the block. He glanced over at the south yard. It was too dark to see the damage to the turf. Hooking a U-turn, he headed toward the bar. The night air relaxed him, and he pulled into the back lot and parked.
A shadow passed near the building. He pulled out his pistol and walked toward the back door. All of Haugan asleep, it was too early for someone to take a walk before daylight hit the town. Nobody should be creeping around outside.
The person stepped out into the light and raised his hands. "I hope you're not trigger happy, man."
Mel put his weapon away. "What are you doing out here?"
Carl shrugged. "You said to stay out all night if I couldn't make it back before the doors closed. So, I'm waiting. Raelyn gets up in an hour. She would've let me in."
"That'll be changing." He used his key to unlock the door. "Get in before I change my mind."
After Carl had walked inside, Mel pushed the code to stop the alarm from calling the club. Dead tired, he followed the kid through the bar, unlocked the door securing the upstairs from the main floor, getting closer to laying down and closing his eyes.
Mel stared at the back of Carl's Nike high-top sneakers as the kid stomped on each step. Raelyn was going to kill her brother in the morning when she discovered the unnecessary dirt tracked through the building.
That was something Raelyn didn't need. She got enough dirt and mud brought in during the winter on customers' boots, she didn't need to deal with it in the summer, too.
Mel paused outside Raelyn's door. "Hey."
Carl stopped in the hallway. "What?"
"Where were you tonight?"
"Around," said Carl.
"Be more specific." There were probably a few places around town where the kid would get into mud, but the one he was concerned about was at the apartment complex.
"Haugan." Carl lifted his eyebrow, opened the door to his room, and slipped inside.
He'd seen the same expression on Raelyn's face many times when she wanted to stop the conversation. The whole family must be stubborn.
Mel opened Raelyn's apartment with the key she'd given him years ago, walked down the hallway, and stood outside her bedroom. He sighed in exhaustion. Curled up on her side, the covers tucked under her chin, Raelyn slept soundly. In one hour, he'd need to get up.
He turned around and went out to the couch. He might as well let one of them have a good night's rest.
Chapter Thirteen
A soft beep from Raelyn's phone interrupted the last bit of instructions to the crew working the bar today. She looked at Gia, Heather, Bethanee, Brady, and Peggy, who groaned in unison. Raelyn rolled her eyes. Obviously, her pep talk before opening failed to reach her employees.
She lacked her normal burst of adrenaline at starting the day knowing it was going to be busy. After the lunch crowd came in, they'd have the sport's crowd show up and stay for dinner, and then her mom was scheduled to sing. It'd be a crazy, chaotic rotation for all of them.
"Okay, everyone has their assigned tables. Napkin holders are loaded. The grill is hot," said Raelyn, backing up toward the front door. "Oh, and Peggy, I swapped out the special. We're going to try and push finger steaks and jojos. The freezer is stuffed because of last week's ribs special. If you need help, let me know. You're probably exhausted after having another night interrupted."
Pre-opening meetings were the only time she got to talk to the employees about the work schedule. When the customers came in, they were lucky to exchange two sentences with each other. Good for her paycheck, bad for her
feet.
"Not a problem." Peggy waved her hand in front of her. "Nothing for you to worry about, at all. I got it covered."
"Did the police catch who tried to break in?" asked Gia.
Heather reached over and rubbed Peggy's arm. "I can't believe someone would be so stupid to try and break in twice."
"Okay. Enough chitchat. Let's get to work." Raelyn turned, grabbed her keys out of her pocket, and walked to the front door.
Understandably, Peggy wasn't in her normal kick-ass mood today. The concern from everyone visibly upset Peggy.
Raelyn unlocked the door, flipped the CLOSED sign to OPEN, and peered outside through the glass door. Two couples pointed toward the building and then crossed the street. She tucked the stray strand of hair that had escaped her low ponytail behind her ear. She'd need to remind her mom about her schedule for singing tonight.
Arms surrounded her from behind and lips landed on her neck. She shivered at the rough caress of Mel's whiskers and leaned back against his solid chest. "I thought you'd sleep longer."
She'd found him on her couch of all places that morning, and he'd left for the clubhouse when she got Dukie up for camp. She'd gone back to bed and slept three hours and passed him again, dragging his boots up the stairs as she went down to let in the cleaning ladies. A quick kiss and a mumbled good morning, she'd watched him go into her apartment to go back to sleep until the bar opened.
"I was late coming back from the clubhouse. I wanted to go back to bed with you this morning after Dukie left." Mel sucked on her neck.
"You're going to leave a mark, and I have to work." She tilted her head to the side, ignoring her own warning. The familiar way he touched her needed to end. "By the way, you have a bed in your apartment. Why did you sleep on my couch when you came back?"
"I didn't use your couch," he whispered at the same time he sprawled his fingers on her stomach.
She gulped and whispered back, "You slept in my bed?"
"Yep." He nibbled her ear. "Your sheets smell exactly like you. Spices and grapes."
