by Ada Stone
The only sign that she heard him was a slight nod. “I still don’t think this is good—us, I mean. What if Devlin goes after you? What if you get killed?” She pulled away from him, wiped her face, and folded her arms over her chest.
“Devlin won’t come after me. He wants the club, not me.”
“But he’s already trying to use me to get to you. I’m not that naive. I know what he was doing in that parking lot. It will only get worse once he finds out your club isn’t taking whatever he offered.”
“You’re probably right about that.” He looked around the kitchen. “It’s not safe for you to be on your own anymore. You’ll need to come live with me.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I won’t give up my life.”
“It’s not giving up your life, it’s living it, with me.”
“Because it’s too dangerous for me to live on my own?” Her eyes narrowed again, and he knew they were going back down the wrong path. It didn’t get by him, either, that she didn’t reciprocate his feelings. He’d let that go, for now. She had a lot going on in that head of hers that she needed to sort out. And at the moment, he needed her to come with him willingly, otherwise they weren’t going to be getting anywhere near the place she needed to be to understand that she loved him, too.
“No, because I can’t protect you if you’re on your own. Devlin won’t come after you. He’s not going to come looking for you, but I want you where I can see you. Where I know you’re safe.” He reached for her again, but she stepped away.
“That’s what I mean. I am not some shiny toy for you to protect and cuddle.”
“Trust me, babe, the last thing I want to do with you right now is cuddle.” His tone had deepened; his patience had run out. Her wide eyes told him she knew it, too. “Right now, I’m giving you five minutes to pack a fucking bag and get back down here. I’m taking you home. I’m not saying you have to quit your job or you can’t see your mom. I’m saying you are staying in my fucking house so I can keep an eye on you. I don’t want any more chances for Devlin to get near you.”
“He can get near me at work. I ran into him at the damn mall.” She shouted at him. The bit of fear he’d seen in her eyes was long gone. He felt almost relieved at that. Anger he could deal with. Fear made him want to kill everyone around them to keep her safe, to make her feel safe.
“Then I’ll have one of the guys hang out at your work and escort you to your mom’s after work.” His teeth were clenched, and if she didn’t start moving, she’d just end up going naked the rest of the week because he wasn’t going to pack for her. He’d just snatch her up in what she was wearing.
“Michael.” The pleading was in her voice. The way her tone softened, the way her eyes warmed up to his—she wanted her way and was going to play the lost puppy look with him. It wouldn’t work. Not on him.
“Go. Now. You have ten minutes.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen, turning it to her so she could see the timer ticking away. “When this goes off, whatever you have in a bag is what you take. Get going.”
“You’re being impossible,” she argued.
“I’m being me.” He shrugged. Softness wasn’t working with her. Trying to coddle her wouldn’t get him the cooperation he would need from her in the future. Odds were Devlin wouldn’t seek her out. He hadn’t initially, but once he received word that the vote didn’t go his way, who knew what the asshole would do? And he wasn’t taking any chances when it came to Belle. “Nine minutes.” He pointed to the timer.
She glared at him but turned and stomped her way to her bedroom. He didn’t follow her to help. Instead, he stood in the kitchen doorway listening to her mumbling all sorts of cuss words. Turned out his girl knew quite a few more than he thought. And he’d been called way worse than a SOB, so he let her rage all on her own so long as heard the drawers opening and closing.
When there was only a minute left, he went up to her room to carry the suitcase down for her. She was sitting on the bed pouting, the suitcase next to her. “As sexy as you look with that pout on your face, it won’t change anything. Come on.” He hauled the suitcase off the bed and waved for her walk ahead of him.
She didn’t say a word, just walked down the stairs, grabbed her jacket, and went for the front door. He wasn’t sure which war he was dreading more, the one with Devil’s Nest or the one in his own home.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Belle sat beside Michael in his pickup, not talking to him. Instead, she focused on trying to find out how everything got so damn messed up. Her plan had been to break it off with him, not move in with him!
She’d lost track of the conversation somewhere, probably when he told her he loved her. Love—what the hell did a biker like him know about love? She’d seen the girls at the clubhouse, seen the way the men leered at them and catcalled them. The whorehouse in the back of the lot spoke volumes as well. How many times had Michael frequented that establishment? He probably didn’t need to, when he had girls like Candy ready to drop to their knees at any given moment to suck him off when he wanted it.
No, his declaration of love was only another manipulation, a way for him to get what he wanted from her—the baby. She should have known better than to think a man could just get her pregnant and walk away. What sort of man would do that anyway? She hadn’t been thinking clearly. With her mom’s illness and her own clock ticking, she’d acted out of emotion and not reason. And now she and her baby would pay the price.
Michael wanted them because they were possessions, just things that belonged to him. And what was his stayed his. He didn’t share, and he sure as hell didn’t give away.
The truck stopped at a red light, and she kept her focus outside on the sidewalk. Before the light turned green, a motorcycle rolled up beside them. She recognized the patches, the rider was a Street Demon. When he turned to look into the truck, she realized it was Sniper, but the bleach blond straddling him from behind wasn’t Candy. Sniper raised a fist in greeting, which she assumed Michael returned. Once the light changed, Sniper roared off, yelling into the wind along with the girl’s screech of excitement.
“That’s not what it looked like.” Michael answered her unspoken concern.
“Not my business.” She shrugged. She didn’t believe him. Of course he would stick up for Sniper. They were brothers, not by blood, but not any less brothers because of it.
“That was Cindy on his bike. She’s friends with Candy. He wouldn’t do that to Candy, not when he made her is old lady.”
The truck drove through another intersection. The street lamps illuminated the cab of the truck as they drove along. “Whatever. Like I said, not my business.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you either, Belle. I wouldn’t take another woman to my bed while we are together.”
She turned to look at him then. He glanced her way, then went back to watching the road. He sounded sincere, but she couldn’t allow herself to believe it. Her focus had been off for the past few weeks, and she needed to get it back. Michael was paying for her mother’s care while she was with him, so she’d stick with him until she didn’t need him anymore. By then, he’d be tired of her and the baby, and they could just go back to living on their own, without him.
“I mean it. I wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t say you would.” She scooted down in the seat and rested her head against the headrest. The days were getting longer at work. Her feet hurt, and her head was throbbing. She needed a long soak in a hot bath.
“You’ll be safe at my house. You and the baby. I’ll take care of both of you,” he promised.
“I don’t want you to have to protect us. Don’t you get that?” She didn’t even raise her voice. She was too tired for that, too tired for another argument. She just wanted to sleep.
His hand rested on her thigh. No pressure, just rested there, letting her know he’d heard her, and he was there. She wanted to burrow into his chest and let him hold her, let him take all the stress and worry from her, but
she couldn’t. She needed to be stronger, needed to stand on her own two feet. She’d made a royal mess of things, but she would get it all straightened out.
“When we get home, I want you to go straight to bed. You look exhausted, and all that fighting didn’t help any.” She sensed him looking at her, but she just closed her eyes and nodded. Sleep would be best. She would think it all through in the morning.
# # #
Belle wasn’t exactly sure how she ended up in bed. She must have fallen asleep in the truck and Michael carried her inside, because she couldn’t remember walking in or taking off her clothes. When she woke, she rolled over and felt the cool sheets beside her. He wasn’t there. She blinked a few times until the alarm clock came into focus. Ten in the morning. She was two hours late for work.
Jumping out of bed she searched the room for her cell phone. She needed to call them, let them know she was on her way. In all the years she’d worked for the dental practice, not once had she been even ten minutes late.
“Hey, you’re up.” Michael sauntered into the room, wearing only a pair of jeans.
“I’m late.” She ran her fingers through her hair and started looking around for her bag and the phone. “Where’s my stuff?” She finally stopped to stare at him.
He leaned his hip against the dresser, his muscular arms folded over his even more muscular chest. Did the man even have time to work out? How did he get so fit?
“You’re not late. I called your work and explained you weren’t feeling well. You have the day off. I put your clothes in the dresser and tucked the bag away in the closet. We’ll go over to your place this weekend to get more stuff. You didn’t pack very much.”
“I wasn’t exactly given a lot of time. What do you mean you called me in sick to work? You can’t do that. I’m an adult, Michael.”
“Yep. An adult woman who, in the last twenty-four hours, has had as many tantrums as a toddler.” His eyes narrowed enough for her to see his irritation, and truth be told, she didn’t have the energy to fight him again. “I spoke with your manager. She even thanked me for making you take a day. She was worried about you. Said you’d taken extra shifts this past week?”
Belle looked away from him. It wasn’t his business, not really. “Just a few extra hours to cover for someone else. Nothing big.”
“Yeah, and that’s why you’re looking at my feet instead of me.” He chuckled. “Come here. You are all wound up, and you just got out of bed.” He walked over to her and scooped her up into his arms, taking her right back to bed. “I know you said you’re not puking anymore, but you still need to stay hydrated, and you need some damn rest. Now, you’ll stay in bed this morning, and if you’re a good girl, I might let you up this afternoon.”
“If I’m a good girl?” She grabbed the comforter from his hands and pulled it up to her chin.
“I know this is a lot for you. You didn’t see any of this happening when we met at that coffee shop. I get it. You’re used to taking care of yourself and everyone around you, and now, here I am taking charge. I know it’s new, and it’s hard, but you’ll get used to it. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to start dating someone behind your back. I’m not going to cower to your attitude, and I’m sure as fuck not letting anything happen to you, not when I’ve just found you.” The bed sunk beneath his weight when he sat down on the edge next to her, leaning over to place his hand on the opposite side of her body, trapping her nicely.
“What if something happens to the baby, Michael?”
His eyes darkened at the suggestion. “Nothing is going to happen to him. But if, and it’s a big fucking IF, something happens, then we’ll deal with it. I’m not just in this for the kid, though I’ll admit he got us together. If something goes wrong, we’ll figure it out. But it’s not going to. You’re safe here. Devlin is just pounding his chest right now. Once he cools off, the club will figure out what to do with him and the rest of his crew. We aren’t going to allow all his shit to come into our town, though. That can’t happen.”
Maybe it was the way he vowed to stick by her through bad shit and good, or maybe it was his dedication to protecting their community, but the anger she’d been putting foremost in her mind started to wane. A day off of work didn’t sound so bad, especially with his half naked body to stare at.
“Will you be here, or are you leaving?” she asked.
He smiled, his confidence showing again. “I’ll be here for a few more hours. I have to meet up with Sniper this afternoon. The part for that engine came in, and we need to get it done today. I’d like you to come with me, hang out at the garage or the clubhouse or wherever. Bring a book and just chill out while I’m working.”
“You mean you don’t have a babysitter lined up for me here?” She smirked, feeling good about teasing him.
“I can arrange one if you want.” he said with all seriousness. She knew he would, and it would beyond what she could tolerate.
“No. I’ll go with you.” She sunk down under the covers.
“Sleep some more, then you can shower up.” He pressed his warm lips to hers and pushed off the bed. Standing over her, he seemed like an immovable giant, and she was glad he was on her side of things. “Sleep.”
“My phone—”
“I have it.” He patted his back pocket of his jeans. “You won’t need it. I’ll get you if it’s important.”
She didn’t argue. It was nice having someone take care of her for a change, even if it wasn’t real, and she knew it wouldn’t last. Just for a little bit, she’d let him take charge. Just for a little while longer.
# # #
Michael didn’t like leaving Belle alone, not even with two other members watching the house. Between her mood swings and her obvious lack of faith that they would make things work between them, he wasn’t sure if he was more afraid of Devlin getting to her or her running off and getting herself in a situation too dangerous for her to comprehend.
The first thing he needed to deal with was Devlin. Talking to Belle was bad enough, but that asshole had put his hands on her, touched her—touched what was his. By now, he had to have heard how the vote went. Craig would have reached out first thing to get that shit off our table. Now we had to start looking for blowback.
As he walked away from his bike and headed up to Craig’s office, he was stopped by Candy rushing out of the clubhouse, looking as though she were in tears.
“Hey! Candy!” He tried to stop her, but she only looked at him with red-rimmed, swollen eyes and ran around him to her car.
He watched her pull out of the lot, wheels squealing as she turned onto the main road.
“Fuck.” Sniper ran down the steps of the clubhouse and met Michael, seeing the taillights just before she disappeared around a corner.
“What the hell happened?” Michael asked.
“That girl has more crazy ideas than I can handle sometimes.” Sniper pointed to the gates that were closing, keeping unwanted traffic out of the lot. “I was talking with Joanie in the back room, and Candy walks in. She starts accusing me of all sorts of shit.”
“Was Joanie dressed and standing upright at the time?” Michael didn’t even hide the accusation. It wasn’t uncommon to have an old lady and still get action on the side. Girls like Candy knew that, but not all of them accepted it.
“Yeah. She was.” Sniper answered with a hard tone. “She was asking me about Candy. I guess Candy had gone to her a month or so ago about working in the house, but since she heard about my claiming her, she wanted my okay before she approached her. I was telling her fuck no, but Candy didn’t stick around to hear me. She didn’t fucking let me say a goddamn word. Joanie hightailed it out of the room, and I was about to take Candy in hand when she bolted. Told me to fuck off and ran.”
Michael shook his head. “I think I remember why we decided NOT to take any girl as an old lady or otherwise.” His own woman was back home, probably pouting when she woke up to see him gone and her stuck at home.
�
�No way was I letting her work the house, and I wasn’t doing anything with Joanie in that room. She just went all crazy on me.” Sniper looked back at the locked gates.
“You could just forget about her.” Michael tested the waters. Sniper had only just claimed Candy, and he could cut her loose. No one would give a shit. Michael thought about how easy it would be to tell Belle she was on her own after her little fits or her, more than vocal, doubts about them, but no way could he. He’d told her he loved her, and those weren’t just words to him. For the first time ever, he knew what love felt like, and he had it with Belle. Did Sniper feel the same about Candy?
“No way.”
The deep conviction in Sniper’s tone told Michael everything he needed to know. Sniper said he wasn’t just fucking around with Candy, but the look his eyes at that moment told Michael he was in deeper than that. He fucking loved her, too. Sniper pulled out his phone and tapped hard on the screen.
