by Gemma Weir
Laughing, my anxiety begins to recede. I have no idea what my future holds but if Grits is right, then fate brought me to Daisy and the Sinners for a reason. A wave of longing for Daisy cascades through me and I hop off the bed. “Let’s go find the guys.”
Grits arches her eyebrow and looks at me with a knowing smirk, then she grabs my hand and we walk out of mine and Daisy’s room together. We enter the bar and my eyes immediately zero in on Daisy. He’s sat at a table on the far side of the room with Blade; and Echo and Liv, the couple we had breakfast with yesterday.
Grits squeezes my hand and I turn my attention to her. “Anders is over here. You want me to walk with you to Daisy, or are you good on your own?”
I glance at Anders who is sat on a group of sofas in front of the TV and then to Daisy on the opposite side of the room. “No, you go find your man, I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, Little Dove. I’m gonna be here all day with Anders so come find me later.”
Twenty steps brings me to Daisy’s side. He’s chatting with Echo, but as soon as he notices me he pushes back his chair and pulls me down into his lap. “Baby, you look hot. I love these boots,” he drawls against my lips, kissing me quickly before pulling back and continuing to chat to his friend.
I don’t listen to the conversation at the table; instead I bask in the sensation of being back in Daisy’s arms. I’ve missed him. It’s been less than an hour since Grits arrived and Daisy left but being held in his lap with his arms around me feels like I’ve come home.
My heart starts to pound. When did Daisy start to feel like home?
“You want me to go get you some breakfast, baby?” Daisy says.
“No, I’ll go get something in a minute.”
Strong fingers lift my chin and a second later I’m gazing into Daisy’s eyes. “You okay, Angel?” He asks.
“Yeah, I am now.” I don’t say anymore and sliding off his lap I head for the breakfast buffet.
“Hey, wait up, I’ll come with you,” Echo’s wife Liv calls. I wait for her and we walk together across the room. Grabbing a plate, I hand one to Liv and then take one for myself.
“I love the breakfast here. Echo and I live on the other side of town, but we ride in almost every morning just for the food. I swear the best thing about America is breakfast,” Liv says as she piles her plate with pancakes and crispy bacon.
“Don’t you have the same food in England?” I ask, grabbing a muffin and placing it on my plate.
“We do but it’s just not the same. Our bacon tastes like pig, but the bacon you have over here seems so fake, but it tastes so good,” Liv says.
Laughing, I add an apple to my plate, then follow Liv as she weaves her way through the room back to our table. She immediately sits back down in her husband’s lap and starts to eagerly eat the pile of food.
“You got enough pancakes there, Sugar?” Echo asks his wife in a teasing tone.
“I’m hungry, leave me alone,” Liv mumbles between mouthfuls. Echo’s face morphs into a scowl and he reaches up to wrap his hand around Liv’s throat and turns her face to his.
Stood by the side of the table I freeze. My muscles tense and I stare at Echo’s hand around his wife’s neck. I want to shout, to warn Liv that he’ll hurt her, but there’s a lump of fear lodged in my throat that stops the words from coming out.
The plate in my hand is suddenly gone and Daisy is in front of me, blocking Echo and Liv from my view. His eyes are full of concern and he stares at me and then over his shoulder to where his friends are. When he turns back to me he smiles and pulls me into his chest. “He worships the ground she walks on. He would never hurt her, not the way you’re thinking.”
Loud giggling pulls my attention and Daisy steps aside to reveal a laughing Liv. Echo’s hand is still around her neck, but he’s whispering into her ear and the smile on her face is radiant. Liv giggles again and Echo’s hand falls from her neck and spreads across her stomach.
“Echo, I’m hungry,” Liv admonishes him when he starts to kiss her neck. Echo emits a low growl and Liv swings her head around to face him. “Don’t growl at me, it’s your fault that I’m starving constantly. This baby is stealing all of my food, so leave me alone and let me eat.”
“Baby?” Daisy asks.
Liv swings her head back to where Daisy and I are standing and slaps her hand across her mouth. “Oh fuck,” she cries, turning wide-eyed back to Echo.
Echo leans back in his chair, a smug grin spreading across his face. “Yeah. Livvy’s pregnant, only about eight weeks. We were supposed to be keeping it quiet until she’s through the first trimester.”
“Please don’t tell anyone,” Liv begs. “I haven’t told Brandi or James yet and they’ll kill me if they find out they weren’t the first people we told.”
“Congratulations,” Daisy says smiling widely, reaching over to shake Echo’s hand and drop a kiss on Liv’s forehead.
“Congratulations,” I offer with a small smile. I quietly sit down in a seat and start to pick at my muffin while Daisy chats animatedly with his friends.
I’m ashamed that I thought Echo was hurting his wife. They’re both obviously overjoyed that they’re expecting a baby. On both occasions that I’ve met this couple, Echo has been nothing but loving to his wife, holding her in his lap and finding ways to have his hands on her all the time. I’m a horrible person for thinking the worse of someone Daisy considers a friend.
A tattooed arm drapes across the back of my chair and I turn to see Blade has sat down next to me. “You okay, Little Dove? You look sad.”
I’m a little surprised that Blade is engaging me in conversation, I think this might be the first time he’s spoken to me directly. “I’m fine thanks.”
“You don’t look fine little one, you look like you’re thinking about crying. Now I don’t know what’s got you so down, but I doubt it’s worth crying over. This is a big scary world and you’re holding your own better than most people in your situation would. So don’t beat yourself up if you get a little overwhelmed, you’re stronger than you think.”
Blade’s words are quietly spoken so only he and I can hear. Lifting my shirt back into place where it had fallen to the side, he squeezes my shoulder lightly. The gesture is kind and reassuring but when I glance over to Daisy his face is angry and his eyes are zeroed in on Blade’s hand.
I don’t know what to do with Daisy’s anger. I feel like I should shrug Blades hand off me, but that seems rude and he’s not being inappropriate. Blade winks at me, stands and steps over to Daisy. I can’t hear their conversation, but Daisy’s tense posture gradually relaxes and Blade leaves offering me a smile as he passes.
“You finished?” Daisy asks coolly.
Daisy follows me as I take my plate into the kitchen, piling it with the other dirty plates that are waiting to be loaded into the industrial dishwasher. “I’m trying hard not to be a dick about this, Angel, but I really don’t fucking like seeing my brother’s hands on you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“I know. Still makes me crazy though. I’ve never had anyone I cared enough about to be jealous over until you and I don’t fucking like how it feels. You want me or him?”
“You,” I say.
“Good, now come over here and kiss me,” he orders.
Complying, I cross the kitchen and straight into his arms. His kiss is possessive and consuming, and I melt into him. When he pulls back I’m breathless and ready to return to our bubble.
“Come on, baby. Prez wants to see us.”
I groan and Daisy laughs. “I know, but we need to know what’s going on with your dad.”
At the mention of my father I sober immediately. How could I have forgotten about my father or the fact that I’m here at the Sinners clubhouse hiding from him? I shudder as the memory of my father negotiating my sale flashes through my mind. Closing my eyes, I try to force the memories away, but when I open them again my father’s words are replaying in my head. “You’ve
seen her. She’s worth way more than I owe you. She’ll make you a hell of a lot of money.”
Reality crashes down on me and I struggle to breathe. Daisy reaches for me, but I step away from him. I can’t let him hold me up right now. I need to feel my father’s betrayal and harden myself. It’s the only way I’ll survive. Moving past Daisy, I straighten my spine, lift my head up and walk to Anders’ office.
Following two steps behind Angel as she makes her way to Prez’s office, I don’t know how to feel about her rejection. On the one hand I’m fucking proud of her inner strength, she’s had to be strong to cope with her dad’s abuse. But I can’t help feeling a hollow sting that she doesn’t want to let me carry some of her burden.
Until this moment I thought she understood how I felt about her, but maybe I’ve been blind. I’m not the type of man who will sit by and let his woman suffer alone when I can protect her, it’s just not in my nature.
I don’t need to be the one in charge standing at the front, but I sure as fuck plan to stand right fucking next to her and definitely not trailing behind like a useless spare part. She was doing really well until I mentioned her father and then it was like a switch flipped in her head and the mask she uses to protect herself jumped right back into place.
Angel’s an enigma; she’s so innocent and sheltered, but her will to survive is so prevalent that she can become whoever and whatever she needs to get her through life. Right now, she’s hard and trying to stand alone without any help or support. From the little she’s told me, it seems like she’s been alone since her sister died. Our histories are similar; we both understand how it feels to have no-one in your life. I was lucky, I found the Sinners; they saved me and then they led me to her.
I’m trying really hard to respect her need to stand tall on her own, but I can’t. As she lifts her fist to knock on Prez’s door I grab her hand and swing her around to face me. “You’re not going in there like this, Angel.”
A scowl crosses her face, but she clears her expression almost immediately “What are you talking about? I just want to find out what my father’s doing.”
“Bullshit, baby. I can see your mask and you need to take a minute to calm the fuck down and let it drop. You’re not alone, do you hear me? You. Are. Not. Alone. We are not going to let him get near you. I am not going to let him take you. I’m so fucking proud of how strong you are, but you don’t have to shoulder all of the burden anymore. You are mine and you need to hear this right now and understand it. When you need me, I’ll stand in front of you and shelter you from the entire fucking world. The rest of the time I’ll stand by your side and we’ll face whatever comes our way together.”
Angel stares at me and I stare back. I don’t know what she’s thinking but I know this isn’t the moment to back down. Since she showed up two nights ago, her masks have been dissolving and I’ve seen the real Angel. That’s the woman I’m falling for and I’m not prepared to lose even a moment of the real Angel because of her douchebag father.
She closes her eyes for a second and when they open they’re filled with tears. I scoop her into my arms and fold her into me. Her chest shakes with silent sobs and I carry her to a quiet corner and sink down to the floor, cradling her against me as she cries.
“Don’t let him take me, please don’t let him take me.” Her sobs muffle her words, but I can still hear them.
“Never. Never, you’re mine,” I whisper into her hair over and over until her sobs subside and her breathing calms.
“It doesn’t matter what Prez tells us or what your dad does, you’re an adult and there’s no law that says that you can’t leave his house. You’re my woman and you’re a sinner; we will keep you safe and the sooner your dad realizes that, the better.”
She lifts her tearstained face and looks at me. “I’m scared,” she whispers.
Cupping her face with my hands, I wipe the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs. “It’s okay to be scared, baby. You don’t have to be brave all the time, not anymore. You just have to tell me when you’re struggling, and I’ll be brave for you.”
“I’m so glad I met you,” she says, her voice thick with tears and emotion.
“Me too, Angel. But it wasn’t random. I knew the moment I set eyes on you. You’re what I didn’t know I was waiting for.”
Her eyes soften and rising onto her knees she kisses me. “Maybe we’re each other’s reward? Fates gift for making it this far.”
“You’re the best fucking present I’ve ever got, baby,” I say with a wink.
Angel laughs, and I wipe the last of the tears from her cheeks. Standing, I pull her upright and take her hand. “Come on, let’s go see what your dad’s been up to and then we can hibernate in our room for the rest of the day.”
Knocking on Prez’s door, we wait for his shout, then enter his office hand in hand. Prez is sitting behind his desk and Blade is slouched in his usual chair. I take the chair next to him and when I refuse to release Angel’s hand she sinks down into my lap.
“What’s the latest?” I ask Prez before he gets a chance to speak.
He raises his eyebrows at me and then focuses on Angel. “I contacted the sheriff’s department at nine this morning and informed them that you were here, living at the compound with Daisy. I explained that you’re an adult and more than capable of choosing to leave your parents’ home. Unfortunately, because your dad is telling people that you’re not capable of looking after yourself, the sheriff wants to meet with you. He needs to see for himself that you’re okay and not here against your will.”
“My father is the sheriff’s boss; he’ll try to force me to go home.” Angel says, her body rigid against mine.
Both Prez and Blade chuckle. “Dove, honey, the sheriff has been on the Sinners’ payroll for the last fifteen years. Your dad might be the mayor, but Sheriff Matthews isn’t stupid; we keep this town clean and safe and we have for a very long time. This is just a formality; he’ll be here in a minute and then you’ll no longer be a missing person. I doubt your dad will give up, but it’ll knock the wind out of his sails for a while. There are only three more days until the exchange date. This will all be over soon.”
A knock at the door ends all conversation. “Come in,” Prez shouts and the door opens to reveal the sheriff, with Smoke lurking ominously behind him.
“Sheriff, come on in,” Prez says, a bright smile on his face.
The sheriff, a middle-aged man with a gut and a combover, enters the room. He’s a slimy, fucking weasel but he comes in useful on occasion and he makes sure that any of our less legal dealings are overlooked.
Prez stands up and offers his hand to the sheriff. They shake and the sheriff settles into the seat next to me and Angel.
Prez sits back down behind his desk. “Thanks for coming in, Bob. Like I said over the phone we don’t really understand why such a fuss has been made over two kids moving in together. This here is one of my boys, Daisy, and his Old Lady, Dove, though I suppose you’d know her better as Angelique Jefferies.”
The sheriff turns his attention to Angel. “Angelique Jefferies,” he says.
“Yes, Sir,” Angel replies and leans forward to offer her hand to the sheriff. Outwardly she looks calm and happy, but I can feel how stiff her body is when the sheriff takes her hand. They shake briefly and Angel quickly pulls her hand away and places it against my thigh.
“You’ve caused a whole heap of trouble, young lady. Your parents are beside themselves, worried out of their minds. Would you mind explaining why you ran away?” the sheriff asks her.
“Sir, with all due respect, I’m an adult. I didn’t run away. I wasn’t happy living with my parents, so I made the decision to move in with my boyfriend. I don’t have a particularly good relationship with my father and his resentment toward the Sinners is well known, which is why I chose not to tell him where I was. Honestly, I’m embarrassed that my father has blown this so far out of proportion. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, but I have no intention of r
eturning to my parents’ home.” Angel’s voice is level and strong and only I can feel the tremors that are running through her body.
The sheriff stares at Angel for a moment and then with a sigh he turns back to Prez. “That’s good enough for me. Sorry I had to come down here like this, but you know what a dick our fine mayor can be. I’ll go break the news that his daughter’s shacked up with a biker, that should make for a fun afternoon. I’ll let him know that as she’s over eighteen she can live wherever she pleases, but I can’t guarantee he won’t turn up here.”
Prez nods his head, “Don’t worry about it, Bob. I know how it is. We’ll keep an eye out for him, but you might want to let him know that Dove is Daisy’s old lady—she’s a Sinner and we won’t tolerate any bullshit.”
The sheriff visibly swallows, then purses his lips and nods slowly. “I’ll pass that along.”
Prez rises from his seat and the sheriff hurries to follow suit. “Thanks again, Bob. Blade can show you out.”
Blade crosses the room, holds open the door and the sheriff scurries through it. Blade turns smirking, before he follows, closing the door behind them.
“My father won’t give up,” Angel says.
“I know. I imagine he’ll be here banging on the gate in a matter of hours. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to get Carduccio to retrieve you. This isn’t over, Little Dove, but don’t worry, we haven’t even started to play our hand yet,” Prez says with an excited grin.
“What should we do now?” Angel asks.
Prez laughs. “Go enjoy the peace and quiet; this is the calm before the storm.”
“Come on, baby, let’s go hibernate,” I suggest and hand in hand we walk back to our room. Closing the door behind us, Angel wanders across the room. “What do you want to do, baby? We could watch more of that show you picked? We can take a nap, talk? Whatever you want.”
“I want to have sex,” Angel says, her face expressionless.
“What?” I splutter.
