“Baby, calm down. Don’t hang up, but look on your phone like Strike taught you. Check to see if the alarm’s still on.”
She pulled the phone away from her ear. Without hanging up, she searched for the app, clicked on it, entered her passcode, and made sure her house alarm was activated. Her shaking hands made it take longer than expected. She double-checked before she brought the phone back to her ear. “It’s on.”
“Okay, now, are you still in your room?”
She nodded. “Y-yes.”
“Stay there. Try to relax and breathe, Lex. It’ll be a little while.”
“For?” she asked, in part trying to get her mind elsewhere.
“Brothers are coming. They’re gonna check outside your house. Then they’re gonna knock on your door. I’ll—”
“W-what?” She wiped her face. “I’m fine. It’s nothing. You… When did you tell them?”
“While you were checking the alarm.”
That fast?
She swallowed. “You shouldn’t have bothered them, Dodge. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“It’s not fine, Lex. Someone called you and scared the shit outta you, so you’re not fine. You’re terrified thinking someone’s outside your place, and I’m across the street and I can’t do shit ’cause if there’s someone out there, I can’t leave my boy alone means I’m not fuckin’ fine either. My woman needs me, and I’m powerless to do shit, but wait, so nothing’s fine.”
God, how was she supposed to resist that? The man she loved worrying about her just because she’d gotten a stupid phone call, which was mind-numbingly frightening but she didn’t expect anyone who wasn’t in her position to understand.
Warmth spread through her chest and settled in her gut. With that, she lost her will. She couldn’t resist him and she wouldn’t, not anymore. He’d proved he was more than the mistake he’d made. He could hurt her again and that terrified her, but she’d take the chance on him, on them.
“Lex, you there?”
“Y-yes.”
“What’s wrong? You heard something?”
“No. I… Why? Did you?”
The sound of his humorless, rough chuckle came through the phone. “Naw, Lex, you were quiet a while. It’s why I asked.”
A second later, he spoke again. “They’re here. You may hear them searching around your house, ’kay? Don’t be scared.”
Easier said than done. For his sake, she mumbled, “Okay.”
Silence.
“Now, walk out to your living room, Lex, but carefully, yeah? Turn lights on, look around. You see anything out of the ordinary, you scream. They’ll bust through the door.”
Oh God. Oh God.
She pressed one shaking hand to her stomach. “But the alarm’s still on. How could anyone—”
“Just being extra careful.”
“Okay.” Hesitantly, she walked to her bedroom door, opened it, and immediately turned on the hallway lights.
“Where are you now?”
“H-hallway.” She looked around. Her master bedroom at the far end of the house, so it took a while to get to the opening leading into her living room. Luckily, she didn’t have to worry about looking into the two other rooms. The doors were closed as she kept them.
At the mouth of the hall leading to the living room, she turned on the light. “Living room.” Her stare moved, looking beyond the living area into the kitchen. Empty. She then swung her gaze to the front of her house to the seating area and last to her front door. On her alarm, a red light flashed signaling it was on.
She’d made such a big fuss for nothing. Still, as silly as she felt, even staring at that red blinking light, that fear didn’t abate, the courage to cross the expanse of the room to her front door fleeting.
“Lex?”
“Going.” She took a deep breath, ran across the room, disabled the alarm, unlocked, and opened her front door. She met Hash’s gaze first.
His went to her chest then back to her face. He cleared his throat. “You okay?”
She nodded. “It’s Hash,” she said to Dodge, stupidly considering he probably knew.
“He’s gonna bring you over to me.”
“Okay.” She looked at her phone briefly and ended the call. Her head snapped up realizing several others joined Hash. One she knew by name, he’d been there not long ago, Army, Allie’s brother. The others she knew their faces but wasn’t sure about their names. Right then, not a high priority. “Thanks for—”
“Don’t mention it,” one of the others said. “We take care of our own. You’re with Dodge, you’re part of us too.”
Hearing that reminded her of something Dodge had said to her hours ago: The club, we’re a family. We take care of our own. You’re with me, so you’re part of this family too. Here was proof. These men had been woken in the middle of the night because she got a prank call, and they were here for her, for Dodge.
She had the sudden urge to cry. Eyes watering, she looked down at her bare feet and nodded.
“Come.” Hash turned.
She followed him down her porch steps, across her lawn, sidewalk, street, and onto Dodge’s lawn. His door parted, and finally, she caught sight of him. In his usual sleep attire, shirtless with a pair of athletic shorts, his hair a mess, his gaze searing her.
She ran straight to him. His eyes widened for a split second, something she wiped out of her mind the minute she reached him. Burying her face in his chest, she snaked her arms around his waist and squeezed as hard as she could. One of his arms wrapped around her back, the other grasped the back of her neck. She inhaled, and the smell of him spread through her.
Safe.
Finally.
She held onto him for several minutes as the tension and fear left her.
His hand at the base of her neck moved, clutching her cheek and angling her face to meet his. She got on the tips of her toes, released his waist to hook her arms around his neck and tug his lips toward hers. Then she invaded his mouth.
It had been so long. She craved him so much that she surrendered completely. All she could do, cling, hold on, and pray he wouldn’t let go.
He groaned. His hand, cupping her cheek, drew her away. She whimpered at the loss.
“Fuck, Lex.” He swallowed. “You okay?”
She nodded.
His eyes flared. “You’re barefoot and half naked.”
Darn it. No denying it, and his brothers had seen her.
Her cheeks flamed.
“You hadn’t just kissed me like that I might’ve had to bend you over my knee.”
She shot him an annoyed look even though she wasn’t really.
He grinned. “Get in bed, baby. I’ll be right there.”
She nodded and walked away, knowing she couldn’t deny for a brief moment in his arms, because of him, she forgot what had happened and how terrified she’d been.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dodge had never been more afraid in his life. Nope, not true. That day Lex dove in front of a car to save Cullen beat it.
Standing immobile in his house, not able to do anything while his woman was just across the street frightened half to death, sucked. It could’ve been worse. Someone could’ve broken into her house. She could’ve been hurt, and he wouldn’t have been able to do anything but watch.
He learned his lesson. It ended tonight. He didn’t give a fuck if tomorrow she woke and insisted they were nothing more than neighbors. He’d tie her to him, but no way in hell she’d be away from him more than absolutely necessary. While she was at work, he’d have a couple of brothers outside the school on the lookout. They couldn’t, he’d do it himself. That meant nights she spent with him. His house or hers, he didn’t care as long as her ass was beside his. It was the only way he could protect her, protect Cul. He needed them together.
Finally.
Thank fuck.
He slept practically nothing all week. With someone harassing her, now threatening her, he’d been waking up
every few hours to peek out his window and check on her. That night though he hadn’t yet fallen asleep when he looked out and saw her light go on. Two in the morning, he knew something was wrong, so he called her. The first call she hadn’t answered, he’d grabbed his gun. He called again, and thankfully, she answered.
Shit.
That kiss got him heated. He needed to focus. Hash was looking at him, waiting.
“What’d you find?”
“Nothing. Brothers still looking around, but it’s dark, probably better to look again in daylight.”
He nodded. “What about the phone company?”
As soon as she told him the calls started again, he told his brothers, figuring it was a lead. When they changed her number, they listed it as private. No way anyone could’ve gotten it unless they worked for the phone company or bribed someone who did.
“Still lookin’ into it. But the phone company’s on the defensive, they’re not gonna be easy to get info from. Could take a while.”
He swallowed thickly. “What about the ex?”
By this point, Army, Blaze, and Strike had joined Hash on his front porch.
“Guy’s not even living in San Fran anymore. Neighbors say he got a job in LA. Took off two months ago,” Army said.
Meaning they were at a standstill. It seemed the only chance of finding this guy was to wait until he made his next move and catch him in the act. That wasn’t good enough for Dodge. It meant Lex had to live with this shit until then, and he wanted to end this yesterday.
Strike lifted his chin. “Hate to point out the obvious, but since you haven’t mentioned it… You think maybe Lilliam’s behind this?”
No, he didn’t because while mind games were her thing, she didn’t care about him or Cullen enough to go to the lengths this asshole was. The constant calls and vandalism were time consuming. Lilliam liked to fuck with people’s lives, but she wouldn’t mess with her own to do it. She lied to manipulate, but aside from that, she was a bunch of hot air.
He shook his head. “I don’t think she’d do this. She doesn’t give a shit about me or Cul. She doesn’t give a shit about Lex with us either.”
Hash cocked his head. “It didn’t look like that to me.”
“She ran into Lex and Cul at the mall and made a big deal about it, said shit to Lex to make her question me, to terrify her own kid, to fuck with Cul and me, but trust me, in the end, Lilliam’s glad it isn’t her dealing with a kid even if that kid is her own. She wanted to be part of this club. When she got what she wanted, she made it clear she didn’t want it anymore.”
Blaze shrugged. “Yeah, but maybe now that she’s lost it, she’s realized she wants it back.”
Over his dead body.
He shook his head yet again. “Doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t want to be a mother or a wife.”
Strike nodded. “Still think we should check her out.”
He nodded. “We find her, I’m there. Don’t think she’s involved, but it doesn’t hurt to check, and I gotta get her to stop stalling the divorce.”
Blaze quirked a brow. “Fuck, you’re still married?”
He and Blaze weren’t as close as he and Hash were, the reason Blaze had no idea.
He dipped his chin. “Her lawyer asks for extensions, judge grants it. I’m tired of it.”
Army dug his hands in his pockets. “Right, brother, good night. We’ll keep you in the loop if we find anything.”
“Thanks for coming out.”
Hash smirked, gave him a chin lift, turned, and strode away with the rest of his brothers. Dodge watched them go thinking he was lucky he had them.
****
Lex strode into Dodge’s master bathroom and washed her feet with warm water and soap. After drying off, she climbed into his bed, buried her face in his pillow, inhaled his scent, and waited.
Catching sight of him at the doorway to his room, she sat up in bed. Instantly, her gaze shot to his hand. Firm in his grip, a gun. “Y-you have a gun?”
He strode into his closet and walked out a minute later. “Yeah, Lex. I got a few.”
“What for?”
Walking around the other side of the bed, he sat and turned to her. “Bodyguards tend to be armed. Don’t do that anymore, but I used to. When I did, I needed to be armed, so I bought several guns. I got a permit too.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist, slid her close, and laid back, taking her with him. Hooking his other arm around her neck, he angled himself toward her and released her waist to cup her cheek. “You sure you okay?”
She swallowed. “Yes. I’m okay.”
Amazing, but true. She wasn’t scared anymore because Dodge wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Even before she decided to forgive him, she trusted him to keep her safe.
“You weren’t tonight.”
She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t, but I’m good now.”
Holding her stare, he vowed, “We’re gonna find out who’s doing this and make him stop.”
He’d said this before. He hadn’t told her how the club would make whoever was terrorizing her stop, but she believed he and the club would keep her safe. She believed this not only because Dodge had thus far done anything and everything to protect her and he was part of the club but also because she’d grown close to Allie and the other old ladies. Last night after Cullen and Dodge headed home, she’d called Allie and told her the latest—that the prank calls started again, that she hadn’t told Dodge, and that when he found out, he’d been upset. Allie told her to trust Dodge, to trust the club. Then Allie went on to share something Lex would’ve never imagined. Allie said her ex-fiancé had kidnapped her, and that the club had rescued her. And so, Lex had no doubts, the club, because of Dodge, because she was his, would help her, help him, help them.
After a long moment, he scanned her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Night, Lex.”
She smiled softly, closed her eyes, and drifted to sleep easily.
****
Dodge didn’t want to get up. His pillow smelled like Lex, and for a while, all it smelled like was him.
Shit.
Lex.
Sitting up, he swung his arm out beside him, gripping the empty sheets. Then he scanned the room and dragged a hand through his hair. This time, she hadn’t even tried to convince him they wouldn’t work. She’d just left.
Tearing the blanket off him, he climbed out of bed, intent on hauling his ass to Lex’s and bringing her back. He spared a glance at his alarm clock. Ten a.m. He hadn’t slept past seven in years. Grabbing the shirt draped over his armoire, he threw it over his head and strode into the hallway, stopping in front of Cul’s room. His boy wasn’t there and hadn’t woken him. Out of the ordinary. When Cul woke, he woke him mainly because he was hungry and he needed his old man to make his breakfast.
Nearing his living room, he heard it—the sound of Cul giggling. His chest expanded like it did every time he heard his boy laugh. He heard it so often as of late since Lex came into Cul’s life, he’d thought it wouldn’t affect him.
At the mouth of the hall, he spotted the back of his leather sectional. He couldn’t see Cul sitting there, but he saw the mass of Lex’s strawberry locks.
She and Cul burst into giggles. His gaze wandered to the TV. He thought, not for the first time, he needed to upgrade. Recognizing the movie on the screen, he smiled. Cullen’s favorite, he played it over and over again, so it wasn’t the first time Lex watched it with him.
“Dad!”
He moved his stare to the sofa. Cul now stood on it, his hands grasping the backrest.
“Morning, Cul. You sleep good?”
Cul nodded.
Lex stood. Her gaze on his boy when she said, “I’m going to make your dad breakfast, okay?”
Cul nodded.
“Be back.” She smiled and closed the distance between them.
Inches away, she got on the tips of her toes, pressed her hands against his stomach, and slanted her head back, lips nearing
his.
As of late, he’d only reached for her when he couldn’t help it. Though he’d kissed her forehead and cheek a few times since their big fight, he’d never even attempted to kiss her lips, mainly because he hadn’t thought she wanted him to. Right then and there, no denying she wanted him to, so he leaned down and took what she offered.
After a brief kiss, she drew away smiling. “What do you want for breakfast?”
His chest tightened. It happened every time she looked at him with her heart in her eyes. He hadn’t seen that since he’d fucked up. Not that he blamed her, she was scared he’d hurt her again. It hadn’t stopped him from hoping he’d earn her trust and get to see that look again, so he kept at it, talking to her, calling her, texting her, spending time with her.
This was better though. He woke one day, and there it was—that look. There she was—his Lex, unguarded, sweet, and perfect Lex.
He swallowed. “So we’re good?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
He arched a brow. “Because?”
“You need a because?”
No, but if there was one he wanted to know.
“I care about you. I always did.” Her eyes softened. “You were right. I was scared.”
“And you’re not anymore?”
She shrugged. “I am, but I trust that you wouldn’t purposefully do anything to hurt me.”
He cupped her cheek. “I won’t, Lex. Promise.”
She smiled.
He then kissed her deep, and she let him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Her phone rang.
Lex had come to hate when it did. Dodge noticed, of course, and stopped calling her altogether. On weekdays, he had her check-in with him during lunch, and when he wanted to get ahold of her, he texted. Sweet, then again, Dodge was thoughtful, always.
Sitting at her desk, half past three, the reason it wasn’t on silent to begin with was that she was expecting a call from Allie. Her phone rang for the third time. She finally garnered the courage to open her desk drawer. Spotting the number on her caller id, she released a loaded breath. Not the call she dreaded. Those came from a private number.
“Hello.”
Riding Hard (Hell Ryders MC Book 4) Page 25