by Kayn, Debra
His low voice rumbled through her. She held on to him and never wanted to let go. She'd almost lost him tonight.
"Why?" She sniffed, surprised to find her throat full of unshed tears. "What did we do to them?"
"Nothing. Not a God damn thing." His fingers tightened in her hair. "I swear to you, this will not go down without retaliation."
Chapter Nineteen
Several hours after the shooting, the Bantorus first riders camped out in Slade's living room, going over what happened. Slade stood in the middle of the living room unable to get a grip on the situation and too keyed up to relax. He'd sent Taylor to the bedroom to sleep, because she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Kurt and Lee were safe and sleeping in their rooms.
One thing was clear; tonight's activities became personal when Los Li decided to single him out.
He waved off the bottle of whiskey making the rounds amongst the Bantorus members. "I have Bonnie at Franklin school making sure nobody comes on campus or asks about the boys. Bonnie and a teacher who used to date Rain in high school will escort the kids to Taylor's car after school. They know enough to realize this is serious. I didn't want to give them all the details, only enough to alert them to how damn unstable the boys' lives are right now. If word got out that I have the boys, I'd lose them for good."
Rain capped the whiskey and set the bottle on the coffee table. "We won't let it go that far."
"Really?" Slade bit off the rest of his accusation and stepped back. "So far, it's gone that far. Nothing you, the club, or me have done has stopped Los Li from coming into our territory, threatening our lives, and our families' lives. Now I have Los Li trying to put a cap in my ass and take out my woman."
Rain stood. "I've put out feelers. We should hear something by tomorrow night at the latest. You hang low, keep your kids covered, and once we find out what Los Li is coming after, we'll deal."
"Then I want to go to the table and ask for retribution. No one takes a shot at my family." Slade waited for Rain to acknowledge his request.
He wasn't foolish enough to go rogue. If he went after Los Li without Bantorus backing, he'd be on his own. His protection would disappear. It'd be him against a fucking nation of criminals.
"Wait twenty-four hours and you'll have us behind you." Rain walked toward the door. "You and Taylor stay home tomorrow. Don't come to the bar or go to work. Take your kids to school and get them away from the two of you until we know why Los Li is after Bantorus. They'll be safer there."
Slade followed him out of the house and stood on the porch. The other riders went to their motorcycles. He wanted to say something and ride out now, but he'd give Rain the time to learn more. It sucked, but he wasn't stupid.
After they pulled away, he walked inside, bolted the door, shut off the lights, and checked on his boys. Leaving their bedroom doors open a crack, he headed to bed. Luckily, he and Taylor were able to get the kids to bed without them learning about what went down tonight.
Taylor had warmed up leftovers, kept them entertained, helped with homework, and oversaw getting them both to take a five minute shower before he was calm enough to talk with the boys for a few minutes before they fell asleep. He walked into the bedroom, leaving the light off. Tomorrow, Taylor would probably find out she had multiple bruises and aches from when he'd tackled her.
He could still feel the way her body had shook in fear, and he hated that she had to go through something that never should've touched her world.
He stripped off his clothes, peeled back the covers, and slipped into bed. He rolled to his side, wrapped his arm around Taylor, and pulled her tight to his body. His hand went to her breast, and her legs molded against his. He closed his eyes, soaking in the fact she was here in his bed.
She'd stayed calm. Even after the shooting, she'd bolstered through the shock and stood by his side. He kissed the back of her head. One day soon, the realization that she could've died tonight will hit her, along with the fact if she hadn't been with him, the shooting wouldn't have been a thought, a memory, a scar.
If she were at her own home and not together with him, she would've been safe, unaffected by the crime that came his way because he was a Bantorus. He wasn't even sure she'd be able to handle a lifetime of being his woman. Most women weren't. Jodie couldn't handle the stress, the unanswered questions, and the way he'd dedicated his life to the club. All his past girlfriends also gave up and hit the highway. They hated the alienation when the MC came first in his life or the kids needed him.
He wasn't immune to their feelings. Life pledged to a motorcycle club wasn't for everyone. There were times he wondered if being a citizen wasn't best for everyone. Then he looked at the support that came with being a member and the benefits outweighed the heavier stuff. Bantorus MC would always protect his kids. They had family, where most of his relatives were scattered to the four corners of the world, or had no idea he had kids. Most of all, his boys had the sense of belonging. The club grounded them to life, kept them real, and kept them honest.
Club life was ingrained in him and without the patch, without the family, without someone making him responsible for his actions; he'd probably be sitting in jail. The lack of control within himself scared the hell out of him.
"Honey?" Taylor shifted to her back. "Are the men gone?"
Heaviness constricted his breathing. Tonight would never leave her and even in sleep, she worried about Los Li returning. He held on tighter. "You're safe, baby girl."
The bed moved slightly and she touched his face. "No, Bantorus men. Are they still here?"
Maybe he should've asked a couple of them to stay at the house. He wanted her to feel protected. "No, they left."
"Good." She yawned, snuggling closer.
He opened his eyes. Good?
"We'll be all right in the house." She linked her fingers into his hand. "You need to sleep."
Her unselfishness covered him like a warm blanket. Here he was worrying about not doing enough and putting her in danger, and she was only concerned with him getting enough sleep.
"I don't deserve you," he whispered.
She turned completely, until they lay face to face. She rubbed her leg against his hip, as she wound herself around him. He ached pleasantly as her warm breath washed over his neck. "No, you don't, but you have me and I'm not going anywhere."
She meant the remark to be funny, and it only made him sad. He tilted her face and kissed her lips softly with more care, more love, more patience than he had in him. He wanted to roll her over, thrust himself deep inside of her, and let her know he couldn't live without her. To yell how much he loved her. To ease the doubts she had about them, but never voiced…because she loved him.
That gift, that all-consuming love, she gave him no matter what went on between them; he'd never take for granted. He wanted to hold on to her and never let her go. Yet his own doubts about his ability to love her back equally as strong, to keep her safe, to go forward and dream of them always having the perfect life kept him from replying. All because he was a Bantorus member that came with baggage. And, it killed him.
Chapter Twenty
Slade pinned Taylor to the bed. Hands linked above her head, she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She'd tried to get up and wake the boys for school, thinking Slade was still asleep after suffering through a stressful evening during the drive-by shooting. She'd thought to sneak out of the room, but he'd caught her.
Not that she was fighting him too hard.
"The boys will be late." She hooked her leg around his thigh and careened her neck to give him access to her throat.
He nibbled her flesh, sucking his way up to her ear. "They have plenty of time. They're boys, they don't primp."
She smiled at the ceiling as pleasure twirled throughout her body. "That's good to know."
"Yep." His lips curved against her skin.
Somehow in the middle of the night, he'd removed her panties and oversized Tee. She only knew when she woke up, she wa
s bare, he was hard, and she knew that if she would've woke him, they'd set the mattress to squeaking.
God, she hated the mattress.
First chance she got, she'd buy them a new one. One quiet and firmer, but not too firm they couldn't cuddle and get cozy.
Slade took his hand down between their bodies and stroked her sex. Her legs widened and she arched against his hand. Morning sex was underrated. She'd rarely had him during the day or in the early mornings in the past. He was in and out, leaving her house in the darkness, so nobody found out about them.
"Wet, baby girl." He shifted his hips, putting his hardness at her opening. "Warm."
He slid inside of her. Her body melted around him.
Wrapped in a cocoon comprised of arms and legs, she was hot. The temperature contradicted the tangible bite of passion doing crazy things to her. Her nipples, hard and throbbing, pressed against his chest, seeking his warmth. Her lower stomach quivered, caught between becoming a fiery furnace and an earthquake, created a mix of euphoria she was desperate to capture.
"That's it. Let me feel you." He lowered his head, taking her nipple in his mouth.
The suction from his mouth seared through her soul, grabbing her womb, and tickling it into submission. She panted, reaching higher, greedily taking from him. Her hand fisted in his hair, holding him in place, wanting him to continue and never stop.
Her urgency had Slade grinding against her, then pulling almost out, before plunging back in to set the rhythm. She met him move for move, her sex pulsating with tension.
"Love that," he muttered.
She flung her arms out to the sides, searching for something to hold, and came away with a handful of blanket. He shifted angles, holding her legs up at his shoulders and the sensation…the sensation was freaking wonderful. Her body trilled in response, taking her to the edge. One more stroke of his cock, and she found the pillow beside her head and covered her face, muffling her scream.
Her body spasmed in wonderment. Each tiny jolt better than the last. Until finally, she could breathe, think, and see again.
Slade hovered over her, staring at her intently as she came to her senses. She caressed his chest, so in love with the man that gave her everything.
"I lost you there for a minute." He frowned, still inside her body, still moving, still trying desperately to give her more than she needed.
"No," she said. "You took me to the most beautiful place."
With that, he growled, plunging into her, holding still, while he found his own release and the pleasure of going to paradise. The unabashed thrill left him shaky and heaving to catch his breath. He filled her with more peace than she'd felt in the last twenty-four hours.
They must've dozed off, because a knock sent Slade rolling off her. She grabbed wildly for the blankets and looked guiltily at Slade and then the clock. The boys only had thirty minutes before school started.
Slade rushed to the bathroom and came out wearing his jeans. "Door's opened."
Lee peeked around the door, happy and smiling. Nothing got this kid down for long and he'd easily fallen back into a schedule, because he was living at home where he belonged.
"Hey, sweetheart. You ready for breakfast?" Taylor squirmed to the edge of the mattress, covered neck to toe with a blanket.
"Can I have Fruit Loops?" Lee blinked at her with lashes so long they were the envy of every teenage girl. "Please?"
They were running late. She nodded. "Okay, but I'll be in there to make you some peanut butter toast. Have Kurt pour you both some orange juice too. Oh, and don't forget to remind me to mark your sandwiches when I pack your lunch."
Lee's stuck out his tongue and gagged. "I hate tuna."
"I'll remember that this time." She laughed. "Scoot now, before we're late."
The door slammed. Slade shook his head, grinning. She smiled. "I love your boys. They're honest and adorable."
"Don't tell Kurt that, he's trying to be tough and independent." Slade sighed and slipped on his vest. "I'll go out and help them. Go ahead and get ready. We'll both go to drop them off at school."
She nodded. Alone in the room, she went about getting dressed in her old jeans, a deep purple Harley Davidson shirt with the scooped neckline, and put her hair up in a messy ponytail. She made quick work of putting liner and mascara on. After slipping on her boots, she called it good.
In the kitchen, she learned Slade was right about the boys taking no time at all to get ready. She divided their lunches—tuna for Kurt, and peanut butter, no jelly for Lee—and put the sacks in their backpacks. Then all four of them were out the door and she swore tomorrow, she'd make them a proper breakfast.
Instant motherhood was a tough job, but she loved the bustle and chaos. Kids had a way of keeping life interesting.
In no time, Slade walked the boys to the front door of Pitnam elementary slash junior high school, ignoring both the boys complaining of being too old for a chaperone. Taylor sat in the car, window half down, smiling at the way Slade ignored their words, and kept trying to put his arm around their shoulders. His teasing relationship with them softened the embarrassment of being ushered into their classrooms.
A man with a baseball cap walked around the front of Slade's truck and stopped at her window. She smiled, ready to say hello, and her body froze when she saw his face.
She'd never mistake the blond porn-stache, jumpy eyes, and general sleaziness of the man standing in front of her. Slade's ex-wife's new husband was not supposed to make contact with the kids.
"Don't yell for Slade. I only want to talk with you and then I'll leave with no trouble." Ray shoved his hands in his front pockets and glanced between her and the front door of the school.
Taylor willed Slade to turn around before he walked through the door. She worked her lip in worry, and wanted Ray gone far away. "What do you want?"
"You and Ramchett are sitting pretty with the kids now, and Jodie's getting restless." He sniffed hard, making his mustache come away from his upper lip. "I need more money to keep Jodie from contacting Slade and demanding her kids back. She's talking about going to her lawyer and letting him know Slade's got the boys."
"Slade already worked out something with you to keep Kurt and Lee." She wasn't going to admit to anything else. The guy wigged her out.
"Well, see now, I thought since you and he were together, we could leave Slade out of our little talk. He can continue taking care of the kids. I don't want them," Ray said.
Her jaw fell open and she clapped her teeth together to keep her shock over Ray's admittance from showing. "I'm not going to talk with you alone. If you want to deal with Slade, call him."
Ray shook his head. "Fine, but he'll lose the kids permanently. I'm sure our lawyer can go after him for non-custodial kidnapping. He's kept them hidden for the last two weeks. He's failed to make contact with Jodie. He also lied to his lawyer and went against a court ordered decision. Not only will he lose the kids, he'll spend time in jail."
Taylor searched for Slade, but he'd walked into the school and hadn't returned yet. Dammit, what was she supposed to do?
"I'll talk to Slade," she said.
Ray leaned over and braced his hands on the window. "No, I need money to keep Jodie quiet and away from her kids. If that doesn't happen, I'll have no other choice than to let her talk to her lawyer."
She glared. "How much?"
"Twenty grand."
"What?" She snorted. "Slade gave you plenty of—"
"Twenty or Jodie goes to the lawyer, and you kiss your slapped together family goodbye," Ray said.
A dirty gambler who lived off debt and Jodie, Ray would do anything to get his way, even if he threatened and sought the police. According to Kurt, Ray rarely spent time with the boys, only used them in his sick custody battle game. If Slade came outside and spotted Ray talking with her, he'd kill Ray, and then he'd lose his kids anyway. Everyone would find out Slade had his kids illegally. The school officials would have no other choice than to call the
cops.
"Fine, but I need to get the money out of my bank account." Her stomach cramped. "I need the day to do that."
"Three o'clock," he said.
She shook her head. "No way. Slade isn't…"
Shit. She wasn't going to work, and there was no way Slade was going to let her go run errands without him today. He still wasn't positive Los Li wouldn't come back around.
"Tomorrow's Friday. I'll get the money and meet you on Saturday. I'll call you when it's safe to meet you." She gripped the armrest, digging her nails into the leather. "Now go, before Slade comes out here."
"You have my number?" Ray stepped away from the car.
"Yeah, it's on the fridge at Slade's in the kids' emergency contacts," she muttered, hating every bit of today.
Ray hurried away, got in his car, made a quick U-turn, and then drove off the school property. Her stomach soured and she laid her head back on the headrest of the seat. It wasn't the loss of money out of her savings that made her feel ill, but the fact that Ray was using the children to feed his addiction.
The buses at the end of the parking lot pulled away, one by one. She gazed at the front door and found Slade taking the steps two at a time toward her. Disgusted with herself, she pressed a hand to her upset stomach. There was no way she could tell him what she'd done. Not now with the trouble with Los Li and their safety in question. Besides, Slade was finally getting a grip on having his kids back.
She'd pay off Ray and hope he stayed away for good and left Slade alone. Later, she'd figure out how to come clean with Slade, once she'd secured his future with his kids.
Chapter Twenty One
Cactus Cove, despite closing to outsiders at eleven o'clock on a Friday night, remained full. Bantorus members congregated in the bar, and the children of the members slept in the room down the hall after struggling to stay awake to watch the movie Tori put on to keep them away from the adults talking business. Taylor glanced at her phone again, looking for the return text that Ray got her message about meeting him in the morning at nine o'clock.
