He leans in, brushing his knuckles across my cheek to dry my tears. “It’s your new nickname,” he explains. Confused, I turn around in his lap to where I’m straddling him and tilt my head to the side.
“Why Emerald?” I ask. He smiles, rubbing his thumbs under my eyes.
“Because your eyes shine like emeralds, and you’re a gem, beautiful and strong,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. “Now, what was your dream about?” He asks, making me shudder. I’d rather not think about it. About Viper’s hands touching me. His mouth everywhere. The pain.
God, the pain.
“It was about my kidnapping.” He stiffens. No matter how hard I try to get away from those memories, they always come back. Always. I wish someone or something could just wipe them out. Erase them.
His hands move to my thighs, and surprisingly, it doesn’t bother me. As his hands rest on my legs, he rubs his thumb in soothing circular patterns. “You’re safe with me,” he promises. It makes me feel better. I feel safe with him, safer with him than anyone else.
I lean forward and lay my head on his shoulder, sighing, “Thank you.” Truly, I’m so glad that I don’t have to deal with this nightmare by myself. Dominic doesn’t reply to my thanks; instead, he lays us both down and pulls me close.
I let Dominic control the moment, rubbing my back soothingly, drawing small circles on my skin, and playing with my hair.
Before I know it, I’m falling.
~*~
Giggles and squeals pull me from my deep, dreamless sleep. When I open my eyes, Dominic, Reece, and Rosaleigh are sitting on the end of the bed. Rosaleigh is giggling at something. Reece is smiling. Dominic, sitting there without a shirt, has his arms wrapped around both kids.
Propping myself up on my elbows, I watch them. They look so natural.
“Morning,” I greet. Rosaleigh looks at Reece, then at Dominic and giggles again, making me narrow my eyes a little, “What’s so funny?” I ask. Rosaleigh’s eyes widen and she closes her mouth, looking like I caught her doing something she shouldn’t.
Reece and Rosaleigh, after being nudged by Dominic, jump up and run out of the room. Once they’re gone, he turns to me and studies me.
“How did you sleep?” He asks, looking at me now. I run my uninjured hand through my hair and hope that it doesn’t look like a rat’s nest, because let’s face it, sometimes it does, and he looks like- like he always looks. He’s hot… even in the mornings.
“I slept really well actually,” I say a little surprised. I haven’t had a good night sleep in a while. With a smile, Dominic nods and stands, holding his hand out. I take his hand, letting him pull me to my feet and lead me out of the room.
As we exit the room, I notice some boxes I haven’t put away since the move. Mental note: do that later.
Dominic leads me into the kitchen, and as we walk, I can’t help but check him out. He’s muscular, like works out every day, muscular. His hair, incredibly soft looking, makes me want to run my fingers through it, and it’s very distracting. But talk about distracting. His torso is distracting. All shirtless and hard, defined muscles.
He tells me to sit and then makes me a bowl of cereal. Dang, he even looks hot making cereal. If he was here more often, I’d get nothing done. Oh god, I’ll get nothing done at the bar either.
Jeez.
“Are you done checking me out yet?” He asks, pulling me back to reality. He sets the bowl in front of me and smirks.
“No, not yet,” I mumble. His smirk gets bigger, and he poses, lifting his arms and putting his hands behind his head.
After a minute, I nod and begin eating my breakfast. He takes that as the okay to move and begins eating his own cereal. We eat silently until Rosaleigh skips into the room, singing, “Mommy had a sleepover. Mommy had a sleepover.” She stops next to Dominic’s leg, curling her arms around them and looking up, batting her eyes at him.
Puppy eyes. I hate when she does that. It’s so hard to resist.
“Can I have a sleepover?” She pokes her brother, and he follows her lead, looking up at Dominic. Laughter bubbles from me which causes everyone to look to me. They’re looking to Dominic for answers. It’s interesting.
“Who would you want to sleep over?” I ask, my cheeks heating. I didn’t think about what the kids would see when Dominic slept over. Honestly, I didn’t even think about him sleeping over. It just felt so normal.
“Domimic, Wolf, Lacy, you, Reece,” she lists. My eyes immediately find Dominic’s, and he smiles. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I frown. I wish the kids had friends their age. Maybe there are kids in the club they could play with.
I’m about to ask Dominic when his phone rings, interrupting the discussion. He pulls it out, holds a finger up, and answers the phone.
“Hawk.” He nods and hums. “Got it… yeah. Yeah,” he growls. “I’m coming. Call Wolf,” he says, then hangs up. My stomach flips at his angry expression, and I watch as he shoves his hand through his hair.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, standing up. He steps back over to me with a sigh.
“No,” he says, “I- my club can’t find the guys you beat the other day in the parking lot. We’ve been looking, but they’re nowhere to be found.” Worry curls in my stomach, lashing out at every nerve in my body. They’re still out there.
“If- if you go to work, take the kids with you,” he instructs me. “I don’t know if it’s safe, and you’ll be protected at the bar. I have to go meet with Wolf and the guys to see if we can find the Hell Riders,” he says, kissing my forehead. The movement is so sudden it catches me off guard.
Before he gets to the door, though, he pauses. “Emerald, if anything happens, call me immediately,” he says in a serious tone.
“I- I don’t have your number,” I blurt, looking around. My phone sits on the counter, so I grab it and hand it to him. Dominic shakes his head.
“I already put it in but promise me you’ll call if something… anything happens.”
Nodding, I say, “I promise.” With that, he kisses my forehead again and rushes out of the apartment. When I close the door, I lean against it and slide to the floor. Yesterday and today have been full of emotional toil, good and bad. Sitting there, I think over everything that happened.
He wants me. He gave me a nickname, which is serious in the biker world. When a man gives you a nickname, it’s basically a promise that you’re his.
I want him. He doesn’t care that I have a bad past. My kids like him, which is a major plus.
He’s possessive... no surprise there.
He wants me safe. I didn’t have a nightmare after he told me I was safe with him, and even subconsciously, I believe him.
I think I’m falling for this man.
Chapter 8
That night, when I get to the bar, two Black Hawk members are parked out front- both leaning against their bikes talking. Lacy pulls up behind me, parks, and begins unloading the kids. I took Dominic’s advice to bring them with me. Lacy assured me that Wolf wouldn’t mind. They could play in the back room.
As I turn to go inside, the two Black Hawk members follow. Lacy smothers a laugh, ushering the kids inside while I turn to the men. “Why are you following me?”
One steps forward, “Are you Emerald?” His patch says Drax. When I look over, the other’s patch says Sniper. I nod in response. Drax smiles.
“Well, Ma’am, we’re your new bodyguards,” he states proudly. I look him over. He has blonde hair spiked up at the front with a clean-cut beard and blue eyes. Over six feet and muscular enough that his arms stretch his shirt, like other bikers I’ve seen in this club. The exaggerated wink he sends my way make me think he’s a little goofy even with the biker lifestyle.
The second man, Sniper, is a bit more daunting. He has close cropped, almost military style, hair with dark blue eyes. Tattoos snake down his arms, dark and almost covering his skin. He’s a little taller than Drax but more muscular. Sniper has the bulk of… well, a military man.
> If I had to guess, they’re both probably near my age- twenty-one- or in the early twenties age range.
They watch me, maybe expecting me to blow up or become angry that Dominic is having men follow me. I’m used to it. My father never let me go anywhere alone. The one time I did… well, it didn’t end well.
I make my way inside, grabbing an apron and wrapping it around my waist, and I see Kayden and Jayden talking with Reece and Rosaleigh. Lacy has a hand over her mouth to cover a laugh. My kids stare up at the older twins in awe.
“Yo, Emerald, who are these cuties?” Jayden asks, looking to me. I smile.
“This is Rosaleigh,” I say, ruffling her hair. “This is Reece,” I introduce.
Kayden and Jayden smirk, shoving their hands out in front of them, on on top of the other. “Twin power!” My kids giggle and each sets a hand on top of the two larger ones, forming a hand pile. I laugh as each of the older twins attaches himself to one of mine then leads them to the back room, Lacy following.
The day moves quickly, Wolf coming in later than me and the ever-watching bodyguards circling. My day is easy, taking orders, cleaning cups, throwing out trash. The other waitress is here, so any time I need help, she takes over. I felt a little bad at first, but she assured me it was fine.
After a while, the circulation of people died down to just me, my bodyguards, Wolf, and a few men. Lacy took the kids home about an hour ago with one of Wolf’s friends following them to sit outside the apartment.
Meanwhile, I dry the final cups and glasses. A bike roars outside, signaling that someone is either leaving or arriving. Placing the towel down, I realize the only place left open to store the cups is the top shelf. A shelf two to three feet too high for me to reach. I grab a chair from a close by table and pull it over. When it’s in the spot I need, I grab two of the glasses and climb up onto the chair.
I put all but the last few cups away. I cradle them in my arm and climb up the chair, but it wobbles. I gasp, the chair cracking, and reach for something, but nothing is in range.
I fall.
“I’ve got you,” his voice says, catching me in his strong arms. He carefully places me on my feet, his hands firm and unyielding.
“Dominic,” I breathe. I lean into him, my body shaking from the scare. Wolf was in the back, my guards outside on patrol. If he hadn’t come when he did, I might have another broken bone.
A finger lifts my chin, and Dominic’s forehead touches mine. “Are you okay?” he whispers. I nod, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of him. It surrounds me, pulling me deeper into the abyss.
“Last call!” Wolf shouts, making me jump back from Dominic. His hands linger on my waist a second before stepping back.
“Angel, I’ll lock up,” Wolf says, “You can get the kids home.” I glance at the clock on the wall to see it’s not normal close time.
Dominic must notice my gaze because he speaks, “We have a run we need to take care of.” By ‘we’ I know he means the club and not him alone. I nod, gathering my things. I hesitate a moment, wanting to kiss him, but also not wanting to make the first move.
“Drax and Sniper are staying outside your place tonight,” Dominic says, breaking up my internal struggle. I glance to the men by the door ready to jump if Dominic says so and bite my lip.
Turning back to Dominic, I smile. “Don’t expect me to make them stay outside all night,” I say. His eyebrows raise, and he steps closer, leaning in a bit.
“They’re not staying in your apartment.”
“Yes, they are,” I argue, then turn to the men. “You’re staying in the apartment or you’re not staying at all.”
That said, I march out of the bar. Their wide eyes shoot to Dominic then follow me as I pass them. I hear Dominic growl something. Whatever he said was too low for me to understand.
Footsteps follow behind me as I walk to my bike and climb on. The guys follow me back to my apartment, and once we arrive, their eyes are searching. They follow me up to my apartment, and Sniper checks the locks before locking the door behind Lacy as she leaves.
“What did Dominic say to you earlier?” I ask as they search the apartment and peer out the windows.
“Oh, the usual Alpha male crap,” he says. Then he deepens his voice into a mock growl, “Keep her safe. Put your hands on her, and I’ll kill you.” He waves his hand, dismissing the threat. My insides flutter at Dominic’s possessiveness.
Trying to hide the blush that’s currently creeping up my neck, I gather pillows and covers for the guys. I watch Sniper as he circles the room two more times before walking over and studying the room. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it, I guess deciding not to speak, and instead walks out of the room.
A minute later, he strides back in looking guilty. “I forgot your kids were here,” he mumbles, stopping in front of me. “But I didn’t wake them up.” I nod.
“We’ll take turns sleeping and patrolling,” Sniper says. “I’ll take first round and if you need anything, you come to us. Do you understand?” He asks, his tone no-play, all serious.
“As long as you understand that if any danger comes, you protect my children first,” I tell him, leaning against the back of the couch. “If it comes down to protecting me or my kids, you better protect my kids,” I warn them.
Drax sighs, “But Prez said-”
“I don’t care what he said! They will not hurt my son and daughter,” I growl, shoving my finger into his chest. He winces, and I continue, “If I have to endure pain so they don’t, I will. They’re my world, and I’d rather be damned to hell than let anything happen to them.”
Wide eyes stare me down. “Did he tell you what I went through?” I ask and they nod, “Then you should know that I would rather go through that than let my kids fall into the wrong person’s hands.” Again, they both stare at me.
“Do you understand?” I ask, emphasizing the word ‘you’. They both nod in response and I sigh in relief. They gave me no reason to blow up on them, but I need to make sure they know Reece and Rosaleigh come first.
I want them protected from the things I went through.
“Okay, well, I’m going to bed. There’s food in the kitchen. If you get hungry, you can help yourselves,” I tell them and turn to go to my room. I get to my door before I remember something. “Oh, and Reece and Rosaleigh will probably be awake before me. They usually wake up around six and play with their toys, so you can just let them run around. You don’t have to worry about them though, unless you’re asleep, then one of them might wake you,” I tell them, and they nod again.
“Good night,” I call, continuing into my room. Changing into a big t-shirt and pulling my pants off is the first step in my nightly routine. Quickly, I brush my teeth and pull my hair into a messy bun. I flop onto the bed and sleep consumes me.
~*~
“Help! Stranger danger!” Rosaleigh screams. I bolt out of bed and run into the living room, skidding to a halt. Rosaleigh is standing in front of Drax and Sniper with Reece protectively standing in front of her- Drax and Sniper kneeling- while Rosaleigh cries. Both men are trying to console Rosaleigh and comfort her, but she hides behind Reece who glares at the men.
“What the hell?” I exclaim, picking both kids up. Drax sighs, falling back on his heels, and Sniper lowers to his knees.
“She came in, saw us, and screamed,” Drax tells me, rubbing his face. I move over to the couch and take a seat, settling both on my lap. Reece continues to glare at my guards while I rub Rosaleigh’s back and smooth my hand over her hair.
“Guys, it’s okay. Dominic sent them to keep us safe,” I say. At the mention of Dominic’s name, Rosaleigh’s head pops up, nearly smacking me in the chin. Reece leans back into me.
“Domimic?” She asks, her teary eyes turning to Drax and Sniper. They nod, and Reece and I watch as she wiggles off my lap. She toddles over to the men. They’re still on their knees, and funnily enough, they’re still much taller than she is. That doesn’t stop Rosalei
gh though. She walks right up to them, wiping her tears off her cheeks.
She mumbles, “I’m sorry.” Again, Reece sends his fiercest glare toward the men. My heart melts. Reece’s protective nature will only grow, and I can’t be happier.
“It’s okay, little one. You did exactly what you’re supposed to do when you see a stranger,” Sniper breathes, holding his large hand out. Rosaleigh places her tiny hand in his, and he smiles at her. “See, we won’t hurt you,” he says, speaking even softer.
“I’m Rosaleigh and that’s Reece, my brother,” she says, pointing to Reece.
“Well, I’m Sniper, and this is Drax, my friend,” he says. Drax waves but is interrupted by his phone ringing. He pulls out his phone and answers it.
“Prez… yeah, they’re fine… What? How?... Got it.” He hangs up, and I lean in.
“What happened?”
“Lacy’s car was hit and-”
“Oh god. Is she okay?” I jump up, my heart hammering.
Nodding, he scratches the back of his neck. “She’s fine. She wasn’t in the car,” he tells me. I fall back on the couch and release the breath I was holding. “Prez said she went into the clubhouse this morning, and her car was parked on the street. According to Lacy, she’s been out of the car for all of five minutes before they rammed it,” he explains.
A minute passes as I lay my head back. When I open my eyes again, I find all four of them watching me. I sigh. I guess I know what’s happening next. When someone in a club is threatened, it’s like threatening everyone. Club presidents, when their members are threatened, put the club on lockdown while they figure out their next steps and find the threat. Most of the time, they get rid of the threat during lockdown.
As archaic as it might be, the men go out while the women and children stay in the clubhouse.
“I’ll go pack,” I tell them, but before I can go anywhere, Drax stops me.
“Prez wants you on lockdown here with us,” he says. I stop. Usually we’d be going to the clubhouse for lockdown. Maybe he wants us here because I’m not in the club and because the incident happened right outside the clubhouse.
Emerald Page 8
