There was a pregnant pause. "Naw," Hawg finally grumbled in a croaky voice. "Kid was a fuck-up. I'm surprised he lasted this long."
No love lost apparently. "I want to know what the fuck is going on."
"Yeah, me, too." He released a heavy sigh. "Those dumb asses took a side job without bringing it to the club for a vote. Gonna deal with them when they get back."
Side job my ass, his men didn't piss without him knowing about it. I didn’t call him on the lie, though.
Hawg hesitated before continuing. "Did they hurt your woman?"
"She's been laid up for three days," I snarled, not going into detail. "You're fucking lucky I didn't kill Bear and Lonny, too." Bear was Hawg's brother.
"Then we would have had a serious problem," he grumbled.
"You find out what the fuck they were doing at my bar. It involves me or Bailey, I want to know. You got me, brother?" I disconnected, not waiting for his response.
I smirked, imagining what his reaction would be to me hanging up on him. Hawg would understand the disrespect in my tone and my demands, but being a nomad, I answered to no man. I'd only made the call to let him know that if the Dirt Devils' were involved in something that involved either me or Bailey that I knew about it and that I would deal with it.
My gut warned me that there was a connection between Martin Hale and their attempted kidnapping of Bailey. It made me wonder what kind of a member Martin had been for the Sacramento Reapers. The bikers I knew who'd left their clubs for any reason had a hard time giving up that way of life. They hadn't suddenly turned into clean-cut members of society. They still embraced the club way of life. Nothing about what little I knew about Martin had given me any reason to question that he wasn't who I'd thought he was.
Maybe because I hadn't had a reason to look for anything else.
Well, I had a reason now, and that reason was asleep in her bed.
Chapter 23
Bailey
I had no idea how long I'd been sleeping, but when I woke up and the cobwebs cleared, I felt alert and somewhat pain-free. The brightness of my room revealed that it was daytime, though I couldn't tell if it was morning or afternoon. It didn't matter. I had to pee something fierce, and I pulled back the covers to get up. Still naked, the first thing I did was yank out my thin robe and slip into it. I was tying the sash as I padded barefoot to the bathroom.
My apartment was quiet, too quiet. Had Moody gone then? I peed, and then decided to get a quick shower. I turned on the shower, set the temperature, and removed my robe. Next I unwound the binder that was around my ribs. I climbed into the shower and moaned at the pleasant warmth of the water as it instantly soaked me. The few aches that I still had dissipated with the massage-like setting of the showerhead.
Ten minutes later, I stepped from the bathroom with freshly washed hair and a feeling of rejuvenation that I hadn't felt in a long time. I'd wrapped a towel around me and was drying my hair with another one when I stepped into the living room. My gaze moved about the combination living room--kitchen in search of Moody. Movement drew my gaze to the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony to find him sitting in one of the chairs, a cup of coffee on the table next to him, and his phone up to his ear.
I was relieved to see him. I turned to the coffee maker to fix myself a cup, hearing the sliding glass door open behind me.
"You won’t like it."
His deep voice caused a sliver of pleasure to run down my spine, but I refused to acknowledge it. "Flavored creamer can do wonders," I responded, shooting him a smile as I went to the fridge to retrieve it.
"How do you feel?" He moved further into the room.
"Better than expected." It was the truth. "Thank you for, ah, taking care of me." I added the French vanilla creamer and took my first sip. "So good." I turned back to him. "Here, take a sip. You'll be surprised."
Moody stared at my outstretched hand and the coffee cup in it. As usual, his expression didn’t change. "No thanks."
I laughed softly. "Come on, Moody, just try it." I stepped closer to him, putting my cup up to his pressed lips. Lips that I knew could soften and give so much pleasure. "One little sip. Live dangerously," I teased. "Open wide," I coaxed, as if I was trying to feed a baby.
His lips parted and I carefully tipped my cup enough for some of the brew to flood his mouth. The whole time his dark eyes remained on mine, and while I was smiling, he looked as if he were ready for a fight.
"Tastes like shit," he grumbled.
"Seriously, Moody, don't you enjoy anything?" I couldn't help asking as I pulled my cup away. My eyes remained on his smooth mouth, where a drop of coffee remained from the rim of the cup. I had the sudden urge to kiss it off, but I didn't think that he'd be receptive to that. So I reached up and gathered the drop on the tip of my finger and brought it to my mouth. It was an unplanned but very erotic moment between us.
There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes, of something so wild that it caused my core to clench with need. Except for that one tiny flicker how could he remain so detached, so unfeeling? His heart was either really made in stone, or Moody was so conditioned not to respond to his emotions that it came naturally to him to hide them.
"We need to talk." His gaze dropped down my body, reminding me that I was only covered in a towel. The one I'd been rubbing through my hair was draped across one shoulder. "You want to put on clothes for this?"
I knew that I probably should, but I didn't move. As Moody had pointed out earlier, he'd seen my tits and pussy before, and I was completely covered now. "I'm fine," I said, moving to the table and sitting down. I sipped my coffee while he topped off his. "What do you want to talk about?"
He sat down across from me. "Do you remember anything that was said the night you were attacked?"
I thought back to the night in question, replaying it over in my mind, right up until I threw up in the van, but nothing of significance came back to me. I slowly shook my head, meeting Moody's watchful eyes. "I'm sorry, no."
I felt relaxed, watching him over the rim of my cup. The way he was sitting back in his chair, his gaze focused on nothing, revealed that he was thinking deeply about something. As the minutes passed, my stomach began to make hunger noises. I couldn't recall the last time I'd eaten, and a quick glance at the clock on the TV showed that it was dinner time. Damn! I'd never have guessed that it was early evening.
"Are you hungry?"
I was suddenly famished. "Yes. I feel like I haven't eaten in a week."
He smirked. "You like Chinese?" I nodded eagerly. "There's a Chinese restaurant around the corner that has good food. What do you want?"
I knew the restaurant Moody was talking about. "I don’t think they deliver."
"I'll go pick it up," he said, getting to his feet and taking his cup to the sink.
It occurred to me that I was drinking coffee at five o'clock in the evening, which I never did, not if I wanted to sleep. I left my chair and followed him to the sink. "If I'd known it was this late, I wouldn't have had coffee. I'm kind of confused on my time."
The first semblance of a real smile ghosted across his rugged face. "That's normal, considering that you've slept the last four days away. I kept you drugged so you'd get the rest you needed to heal."
I wasn't sure that I liked that, but there was nothing I could do about it now. "And you stayed with me the whole time?" Moody didn't strike me as a caregiver.
He shook his head. "Not the whole time. I had business to take care of. But you were never alone."
"Do you think that Martin is still a threat to me and Holly?"
His gaze dropped down my body and came up again. The way he looked at me, the way his dark eyes grew even darker and his nostrils flared, turned me hot. Liquid heat gathered at the entrance to my pussy, a tingle there needing attention. Suddenly I felt vulnerable standing so close to him, naked but for a damp towel, his eyes missing nothing. It occurred to me that I wanted Moody. I didn't like him, but my body craved him, and how
messed up was that? Was it possible to become addicted to someone?
"What do you want?" His raspy voice was like a velvet blanket moving along my skin, leaving me tingling all over with arousal.
It was unfair, because he had no clue what he was doing to me.
You, was on the tip of my tongue, until it occurred to me that Moody was asking me what I wanted for dinner. I had just managed to keep from making a fool of myself. "Ah, spring rolls and shrimp fried rice." He walked away, and I turned and clutched the edge of the counter for support. I closed my eyes at how close I'd come to saying that one telling word. What would his reaction have been?
I could hear movement behind me, but I stayed where I was, feigning interest in something outside the small window over my sink. I heard Moody call in our order. He was getting the eggrolls and an order of hot and spicy beef. My mouth began watering at just the mention of it. I liked spicy food, but usually couldn't eat enough of it to make ordering it worthwhile.
I had pulled myself together enough to face him at about the same time that he hung up.
"You need to call Holly," he said, pulling his keys out from his pocket. "Sax has had a hard time keeping her ass there." His gaze captured mine. "I'll be right back."
I found my phone on the counter next to the toaster. Moody had charged it for me. Holly was probably beside herself with worry. I wondered what she'd been told. I didn't have to wait long for her to pick up, and the sound of her voice revealed just how panicked she was.
"Bailey! Oh, my God! Honey, what is going on? I've been so worried about you! Moody is like a closed book, and all Sax said is that you were involved in an accident and that you would be okay! I—"
"Slow down, honey, and take a breath," I cut in before she ran out of breath. "I'm okay. I was in a minor accident."
"Why wouldn't that jerk let me talk to you?"
I laughed softly. "Apparently I was kept sedated so that I could rest. Other than sore ribs, a slight concussion, and some bruises, I am good."
"A concussion! Honey, I've heard about them. Did you get looked at by a doctor? I've heard of people ignoring bumps on the head and then die later on."
"Honey, breathe," I said again, calmly. "Yes, a doctor looked at me. I'm sorry that you've been so worried." I went to my bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I promise you that I'm okay." I decided not to tell her about the attack by the Dirt Devils.
I could hear Holly's breathing calming down. "Oh, God. With what's been going on with us lately, I don't know how much more I can take." I fully agreed with her. "Have you heard anything more from Martin?"
"No, nothing. Maybe he's gone," I prayed. Moody had never answered my question.
"Do you think that's possible?" she asked with hope in her voice.
"Sure," I lied. "How are things going for you there, honey? Are they treating you right?"
"Absolutely! Sax has been a knight in shining armor," she giggled. "Only he wears leather and rides in on a Harley."
"Don't move too fast, Holly, promise me. It's easy to think that the man who takes your virginity is the one, but it doesn't always work out that way. I don't want you to get hurt."
I heard her sigh. "I know. But you have to remember that I've had boyfriends before Sax. Men that I allowed to do almost everything but stick it to me. I wasn't an innocent, eighteen-year-old virgin, Bailey. Like you were."
"Ouch!" I shot out, laughing at her reminder at how naive I'd been back then. Holly was right. She'd had a lot more experience with men than I'd had before losing my virginity.
"Sax has been wonderful. And I like his club. I've met some of the other women here, what they call ‘old ladies,’ and they've been very friendly and welcoming."
"Has there been any more trouble?"
"Nope. It's been quiet." Thank goodness. "Sax even took me for a moonlit ride last night."
I wondered if that was smart, considering the circumstances, but I couldn't help smiling at Holly's enthusiasm. She was clearly smitten by the biker, but if he hurt her, he may not survive the Irish temper in me. "Honey, I hear the front door opening. Moody went out to get us Chinese for dinner. We'll talk again tomorrow, okay?"
"Chinese, oh, that sounds good. Okay. Talk to you tomorrow."
I got up and went to the closet for something to wear, but since it was almost night time I decided on slipping into a cropped top and pair of boy shorts. It exposed a lot of skin, but what did I have to be worried about? Moody had already seen me naked, we'd had sex, so I wasn't concerned that seeing me in what I usually slept in would turn him into a horny, ravishing beast. I combed my dry hair and then pulled it up on top of my head in a messy bun before leaving my bedroom.
Moody was already putting food on some plates. The aroma was mouthwatering. He barely spared me a glance as I walked toward him, and by the time I arrived he held a plate out to me.
"God, this looks good." I was starved.
His eyes briefly took me in before dropping back to his plate. "Did you call your friend?"
"Yes. Hey, I have some beer, do you want one?"
"I'll get it," he said when I made a move to step around him to the fridge. He turned, opened the door, and pulled out two.
We took our plates and beers to the table and ate and drank in silence. Later, Moody disappeared out onto the balcony where he smoked and downed another beer. I cleaned up, and then spent the rest of the night in my bedroom watching TV. I never did hear Moody come back inside, but the way he moved sometimes, I wasn't surprised by that. For a big man he could be as silent as a cat.
I tried to get him off my mind.
But that was impossible with him just outside my door, sleeping on my couch.
Chapter 24
Moody
I could hear Bailey's restless movements coming from her bedroom. Every once in a while she would release a groan of annoyance, and I figured that she was having a hard time falling asleep. The sound of the TV came on, and then minutes later she flicked it off again. I lay with my eyes closed, trying to ignore her, but knowing that that would be impossible. Thoughts of her wiggling around in her bed, trying to get comfortable in that little bit of nothing that she'd worn to dinner earlier kept dancing around in my fucking head.
Kept my fucking dick hard, too.
She was a complication that I didn't want or need. I'd been running solo for a long damned time. I was used to it, and I liked the buffet of different pussy that I had at my disposal. The trouble was, lately, when I'd been in the mood, it had been for her pussy. I knew that I should just take what I wanted and fuck Bailey out of my system. I knew that it wouldn't take much for her to forget her hands-off demand. She wanted it, too, she couldn't disguise the arousal that I'd seen in those emerald eyes when she looked at me, but she was just too fucking stubborn.
I realized that the sounds coming from her room had finally stopped. She'd finally dropped off to sleep. I punched the pillow beneath my head and sought a more comfortable position myself, which was hard to do on the small sofa. Plus, my dick was in full fuck-mode and throbbing for release beneath the light sheet covering it. I slept in the nude. I didn't wear underwear. I'd tried to sleep in my jeans the first night that I’d spent on the couch, but years of going without had made it impossible to get comfortable.
I was halfway between sleep and consciousness when Bailey entered the room. It was dark, but I could clearly see her outline as she quietly made her way toward me. I remained silent, interested to see what she was going to do. She scooted down to where my head lay, and the first thing I noticed was how good she smelled. I sucked in a deep lungful of clean, fresh, jasmine, quietly, so that she wouldn't know that I was awake. My depleted hard-on was renewed in an instant.
"Moody," came her soft, hesitant voice. It was almost funny, the way she whispered as if she didn't want to wake me while she was waking me. "Moody, are you awake?"
I didn't move.
Her hand came up and she gently, tentatively touched my bare chest. Chr
ist, her touch was like an angel's caress against my skin, teasing me into wanting more. "Moody," she whispered again, this time a little louder. What the fuck did she think she was doing, smoothing her hand up and down my chest?
My dick was standing straight up. I couldn't take any more. "What?" I groaned.
"Are you awake?" she asked, her hand still moving over me in a caress that had my dick weeping pre-cum.
"Bailey-—" Christ, she was tempting me to lose control, and my tone had come out a little threatening. "What the fuck do you want?"
Apparently my gruffness didn't bother her. "I just remembered something."
"And it couldn't wait ‘till morning?" I snapped, instinctively thrusting my hips up so that my dick had some contact with the sheet and hopefully a little relief from being touched.
"No," she was still whispering. "I didn't want to forget it." Her tiny hand moved further down my body, and I had to wonder if she was aware of what she was doing.
I released a harsh breath, ready to grab my dick and rub one off. I was so fucking turned on.
"Are you okay?" she whispered, moving in closer. There was real concern in her tone.
"No I'm not okay, Bailey," I gritted out in an ugly voice. "I'm fucking hard as granite right now, and you being here isn't helping."
I heard her sharp intake of air. The hand that had been roaming up and down my abs stilled, dangerously close to my dick. My balls were so full they were tight and aching, damning me for not taking up the invitation for a quick fuck in the back room of a Chinese restaurant that I’d received earlier from a little Asian beauty.
Soon the only thing I could hear was our heavy breathing. Soon her hand moved, not away, but beneath the edge of the sheet, over the rough hair surrounding my dick, and then she was closing her fingers around it. I sucked in my breath, my hips jerking upward in a reaction that I couldn't help. Her tiny moan didn't escape me. I closed my eyes, reaching for control to not grab her and fuck her into tomorrow.
Furious (Nomad Outlaws Trilogy Book 3) Page 18
