AFFLICTED: A Dark Bad Boy Romance

by Nicole Fox

  “I wasn’t going to let you do this alone,” she murmured. “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.”

  Gunner glanced down at Powers’ body. Felt Kelly start to follow his gaze. He shielded her. “Don’t look.”

  “I want to,” she replied firmly, stepping back and looking down. Her voice started to shake. “I didn’t know he’d killed Mom. I didn’t know that.”

  “Shh.” Gunner put an arm around her again. “It’s over now. He’s a fucking bastard, but you don’t have to deal with him anymore.”

  She nodded, pulling herself together with visible effort. “Let’s go free the others.”

  Gunner reached down and grabbed a utility knife off of Powers’ corpse. Then he and Kelly walked over to where the Horned Devils were tied. He freed Silverback first. The old man didn’t say much, just rubbed his wrists and the corners of his mouth where the gag had been. Then Gunner freed the others.

  “Jesus fuck,” Chevy said, standing. His swollen eye made him look vaguely lizard like. He slapped Gunner’s back. “I thought we were goners for sure. You sure do like to keep us in suspense, huh?”

  “I knew he’d come through,” Crusader said through lips cracked and bleeding.

  “Wasn’t him,” Spider pointed out. He motioned to Kelly. “If it weren’t for this one, we’d all have a face full of bullets.

  Gunner glanced at Kelly. “Gentlemen. My wife.”

  Kelly smiled shyly and nodded at the men. “Nice to finally meet you all, formally. I know there … there wasn’t much time for introductions at the wedding.”

  Gunner’s brothers all appeared speechless as they stared at Kelly. Chevy was actually gaping like a fish working hard to keep his gaze above the chest.

  “It’s, uh … yeah. It’s really nice to meet you,” Crusader said. “Thanks for, you know…”

  “Saving your asses?” she supplied.

  “Yeah,” Spider mumbled, wiping some blood from his hand onto his jeans. “That.”

  She smiled up at Gunner. “Well, I know how much trouble this man gets into. I had to check up on him.”

  Silverback stood and approached her slowly. Gunner felt Kelly sink back a little — he didn’t blame her; the man looked like the five hundred pound ape he was named for — but then she stepped forward. Silverback put out his hand, and Kelly shook it.

  “You’re part of our family now,” Silverback told her. “A Horned Devil.”

  Kelly laughed. “A dubious honor, but thank you.”

  Gunner nudged her. “Well, youcan drive a motorcycle now.”

  She raised a brow at him. “I believe it’s called ‘riding.’”

  He grinned. “Smartass.”

  She leaned against him. “It’s true. I’ll have to start thinking about getting a bike of my own. Once the baby comes, of course.”

  The other Devils exchanged glances.

  “Uh, Gunner?” Chevy said. “Were you serious about the … the baby thing?”

  “It’s true.” Gunner couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “I’m gonna be a father.”

  “God help us all,” Silverback said, looking up at the sky.

  “What?” Gunner mock-protested.

  “Come on.” Silverback shook his head. “Let’s get out of this wreck and go back to the clubhouse.”

  “Which is also a wreck,” Chevy pointed out.

  Silverback shrugged. “Eh. It’s home.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Later, after they’d ordered and scarfed down six meat-lovers’ pizzas, they sat in the shambles of the clubhouse’s meeting room, the guys talking excitedly. As though what had just happened was an adventure; something that had taken place on a movie screen. Kelly had joined in at first, but now she felt distanced from them. On the outside looking in. Did they even understand the gravity of what had happened? Or was it all a game to them?

  Kelly had killed her father.Killed him. Okay, maybe Gunner had officially ended his life, but Kelly had done the bulk of it. And not with a gun. With her hands.

  She tried to concentrate on the conversation, which had turned to Powers and what the club would do to protect themselves from any attempts at revenge.

  “He eliminated a lot of his own minions toward the end there,” Chevy explained. “He really wanted to be the man in charge. And he was paranoid other people would take that from him. We heard him inside, taking out a whole bunch of them. Lining them up, and just…”

  “Seriously,” Spider said. “I don’t know where exactly he did it, but there’s at least one room in that house that’s full of corpses.”

  “I don’t think he ever had many loyal followers,” Silverback agreed. “Just people who were either greedy or scared.” Guilt flickered in his gaze, and Kelly wondered how he was justifying his own role in this to himself. “Still, we’ll have to be cautious in the days to come. There may be another wave.”

  Kelly tuned the conversation out again. Part of her couldn’t believe that these men intended to carry on as usual, after all that had happened. Part of her wanted to get out of Romedo as fast as possible. Go somewhere and start fresh.

  But look how that turned out last time.

  She excused herself and went to the kitchen. She chugged a glass of water, but still felt a little sick. The clubhouse was a mess — broken glass everywhere, overturned furniture, ripped up floorboards.

  It’s home, Silverback had said.

  Kelly wandered out to the clubhouse’s front porch and stood facing the street. An ugly, run-down street, in the kind of neighborhood her father had warned her was a “bad neighborhood” when she was little.

  Didn’t greed often come from fear? Fear of the “bad neighborhoods,” a desire to have as many safe guards in possible so that no one would ever pity or look down on you. So that you could sleep safe each night in your gated community. A fear of bad places that was so pervasive it eclipsed your fear of becoming a badperson.

  She placed her hand on the railing.

  Strange, to know that her father was finally dead. That she’d had a hand in that. She couldn’t stop reliving the moment she’d brought the rock down on his head. Part of her was detached, watching the memory from a distance, like it was playing on a movie screen. And part of her was right there, feeling the weight of the stone in her hand, seeing her father crumple. She’d stood there without flinching as her father twitched on the ground. As Gunner finished him off with two bullets, spraying her with blood in the process. Could she ever be the same after that?

  What would she tell her child, if the kid wanted to know who his grandpa was?

  You’ll know, said a voice.When the time is right, you’ll know what to say. How to best tell this story.

  Kelly crossed her arms under her breasts.I’m scared, Mom. Scared I’ll never really trust anyone again.

  You already trust Cam, don’t you? The voice was soft and sweet.

  Yes. But I don’t always know if I should. You trusted dad, and he—

  Kelly. You can’t live your whole live closed off from love. Cut off from all the possibilities love has to offer. I don’t regret falling in love with your father. I pity what he became. But I don’t regret.

  How can you not?Kelly was shivering though it wasn’t cold.If it weren’t for him, you might still be alive.

  The world is full of might-have-beens. I wish people spent more time on the yet-to-bes.

  “God,” Kelly whispered, wiping her eyes with one hand. “What is that, some inspirational calendar quote?” But she felt the words, the weight of their meaning, deep within her.

  It’s not easy, Kelly. Love. It’s not clean, or pure, or simple. It might never look quite the way you want it to.

  Kelly nodded, placing a hand on her belly.She’s going to change everything, isn’t she? This … this life inside me.

  Yes, sweetheart. She’s going to open your heart in a way you can’t even dream of yet.

  The voice was gone, and Kelly stood on the porch, watching daylight fade to
twilight.

  Her mother was right. Love was messy. Imperfect. It was reckless. It was sometimes a high-speed chase. Sometimes a quiet night in the desert under the stars. She didn’t get to cherry-pick the best parts. She had to survive all of it. And that meant opening her heart to Gunner. Truly letting him in.

  She took a shuddering breath.It’s going to be okay. I can heal from this. I can.

  As she watched, the first star appeared in the sky.

  ###

  Gunner stood up with a loud belch that the other guys laughed heartily at. He hadn’t seen Kelly for a while. He’d thought he should let her have some time alone, but maybe that hadn’t been the best approach. Maybe she needed someone now.

  He searched the clubhouse but didn’t find her in any of the rooms. Then he caught sight of her silhouette through the front door. He opened the door and slipped outside, closing the door quietly behind him. She didn’t turn. He stepped up beside her and leaned on the porch railing.

  “You doing okay?”

  “As okay as can be expected, I guess.” She glanced at him, but didn’t smile. “I don’t want you to think I’m grieving for him. I’m glad he’s gone. I really am.”

  “But it couldn’t have been easy. To do what you did.”

  She shrugged, but he could see her jaw was trembling. “I’ll get over it.”

  “You don’t have to pretend to be tough, you know? I already know you’re tough. It’s okay to have mixed up feelings about all this.”

  She nodded. “I know. But I’m trying to focus on the future.”

  His gut clenched. The future. The baby. He was so damn excited and nervous. He didn’t know what to say.

  She turned to him suddenly. “I was never free,” she told him. “Until now.” She inhaled and let the breath out. “I want to give myself to you. I don’t want to hold back. I love you. I do. And if you meant what you said about wanting to be with me, with our baby…”

  “I did,” he said quickly, voice rough with emotion. “I want us to do this, Kelly. Trust each other. Love each other. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. And I don’t want to be alone.”

  She managed a shaky smile. “Good. Me either.”

  “I’ve never been in love before. I worry I’ll … get it wrong, I guess.”

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  “But I guess we can figure it out? Together?” he offered.

  “Together,” she agreed softly.

  He stepped over to her and put his arms around her. Held her for a long time. She turned and nuzzled him, then stepped away. “You can go back to the guys. I just … want to be out here a little longer.”

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  She smiled at him, that beautiful smile that had left him speechless the first time he’d seen it. “I’m sure.”

  He started toward the front door, but had to turn back one more time to look at her. Her borrowed blue sundress was fluttering, her dark hair still tangled, her profile regal, her lips slightly parted. She was staring at the horizon as though she could see their whole future there.

  He realized he no longer felt any fear about loving her. About spending his life with her.

  He was ready.

  He went back inside. The guys had dispersed. Spider was in the downstairs bathroom with the door open, trying to clean his split lip. Crusader and Jones were trying to get the smashed TV working in the den. Silverback stood in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water. He turned when Gunner entered.

  The two men stood amid the broken glass and overturned appliances — the toaster oven lay in pieces on the floor; the microwave had been overturned — and stared at each other for a moment, Gunner trying to get a handle on his emotions. He was incredibly fucking glad Silverback was alive. The man meant enough to Gunner that Gunner had set down his weapon back at Powers’ house, ready to die with his mentor and president. But Silverback had also made some pretty questionable decisions over the past couple of months.

  “Is your wife all right?” Silverback asked.

  “She’s a little shaken up. Understandably.”

  Silverback nodded and gulped his water. Set the glass down. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For all of this. Long ago, I promised I’d look out for you. And I did, even though you were an ungrateful little shit. But these last few months. I stopped being your mentor. I stopped being your brother. And I’m sorry.”

  Gunner swallowed. “We’re cool.”

  “Are we?”

  Gunner shrugged. “I didn’t get why you rolled over for Powers. But I benefited from the extra cash, same as everyone else. My hands ain’t clean.”

  “If I’d known what he had planned that night, I never would have let you all go.”

  Gunner shrugged again. Seemed a little disingenuous for him to suggest he didn’t have an inkling that a psychopath might not be trustworthy, but hey. He’d gone along with the mission too, despite the red flags.

  He scratched the back of his neck. “I know you done a lot for me, man. And I know I ain’t always been grateful — or deserved your help. But I know you put up with a lot. I know you didn’t want any of us getting hurt.

  Silverback nodded slowly. “What will you do now?”

  Another shrug. “Find somewhere to settle down with Kelly. I do love her, you know. At first, I wasn’t sure … everything was so crazy. But now…” Now shewashis home.

  “Kelly’s a good woman. Treat her right.”

  “You know I will.”

  “Will you still be … in the club?”

  Gunner raised his brows. “If there’s still a club, I’m in it. I mean, it’s kind of … our numbers are down. Way down.”

  “Yes.” Silverback looked as old and tired as Gunner had ever seen him. But there was still an old familiar spark in his eye. “But they’ll climb.” He dragged the corners of his lips up into a smile. “I’ve got a plan. I just need some time to put it into action.”

  Gunner returned the smile. “All right. Yeah. I’m intrigued.”

  He started as Silverback stepped forward. The old man’s boots crunched on the broken glass, and Gunner tensed as Silverback came right up to him, then put his arms around Gunner in a long, fatherly hug. Gunner relaxed slowly, then, with a surge of emotion, threw his arms tightly around Silverback.

  Silverback slapped Gunner’s back lightly and stepped away. Looked up at Gunner with kind, patient eyes. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “I think you’ve finally reached your potential.”

  Epilogue

  Nine months later

  Kelly looked down at the bundle in her arms. Her daughter was wrapped in a dark blue blanket that matched her eyes. Kelly was certain she’d never been happier in her life. The baby shut those ocean blue eyes and drifted off again, her tiny mouth working slightly, then going slack.

  “Man, she’s so bald,” Chevy said. “Is that normal?”

  Spider smacked his arm. “Shut up, dude. Of course it’s normal.” He met Kelly’s gaze, flushing slightly. “Don’t mind him. She’s beautiful.”

  “I didn’t say she wasn’t!” Chevy protested. “I said she was bald.”

  “She takes after her daddy,” Crusader said.

  Gunner grinned and rubbed his shaved head.

  “They’re supposed to be,” Jones put in. “They get hair when they’re older and their heads fuse and shit.”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure how wise it had been to let the entire Horned Devils Motorcycle club into her hospital room right after giving birth — she was exhausted and sweaty, and part of her just wanted to sleep. But she appreciated the show of support.

  Silverback was gazing down at the baby like she was a wonder. He looked up at Kelly, then at Gunner. “And you’re really gonna do it? The name?”

  Gunner grinned broadly. “It’s already on the certificate.”

  “Man, that’s badass,” Spider said.

  Gunner reached out to brush his daughter’s cheek with the back of one finger. “Durango Rose
Powers-Wilson.”

  Kelly smiled. She’d expected the nurse to look at her strangely when she’d said she wanted to name her little girl Durango, but he hadn’t batted an eye — just wrote it down on the certificate. That was Texas for you, she thought.

  “Kind of a mouthful,” Crusader said.

  “You’re kind of a mouthful,” Spider said, elbowing him. They started to wrestle, but Silverback gave them a death glare, and they stopped. Silverback looked at Kelly. “She’s going to be very much like her namesake. Brave. Bold. Kind.”