“Rose, you’re exactly the type of woman a man like me keeps. Do you think I went through all this trouble, getting the Foleys to back off, bringing you home with me, only to let some other man have you? You’re one of a kind. When you get your heart involved with someone you throw yourself all in. I want that for myself. I’m not letting any other bastard get his hands on you. Honey, you’re mine. Like it or not, I’m not leavin’, and I’m not lettin’ you go.”
She searched his eyes for a long time. Torpedo didn’t know how to give her the reassurance she needed. He’d just bared his heart and soul to her -- at least as much as he was capable of. If that didn’t convince her, he had no idea what would.
“OK,” she finally said. Torpedo knew she wasn’t completely convinced. That would take time. Hopefully, he could to that simply by not leaving. By coming home to her every night, by bringing her fully into the circle of his club, maybe he could prove he was telling her the truth. “I’ll take your word for it. I’ll believe in what we’ve shared because it’s so beautiful and wonderful I have to believe.”
“That’s all I’m asking, baby. I’ll do the rest. You’re mine. And I’m yours. Believe that.”
She smiled up at him, a genuine, beautiful, gentle smile. “I can do that.”
* * *
The ride back to Kentucky was absolutely wonderful. Rose rode behind Torpedo with the wind in her hair and the sun on her face. Once they made it to Tennessee, the weather was a little cooler than was comfortable for her, but Torpedo put a jacket on her, and she was much better. At first, she balked at the thing. “Property of Torpedo” wasn’t really her style, but she was honest enough to admit she liked the idea it represented. She wanted to belong to Torpedo. He seemed to see her that way, so, for now, she was rolling with it.
Riding onto the clubhouse property wasn’t anything like what Rose was expecting. Actually, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but the huge, resort-like building wasn’t it. This place was kind of cool. It was spring, and the front entrance was awash in flowers. A sizable garden looked to have been recently planted and the yard freshly mowed. There were several motorcycles parked out front. Three older kids played in the yard, kicking a soccer ball. Two boys and a girl by the looks of it. One overly large man stood at one end, his arms crossed. He looked to be in his late twenties, but it was hard to tell.
As Torpedo pulled alongside the other parked bikes, Rose watched the quartet. The two young men seemed to be on one team, the girl and the older man on the other. The girl squealed and laughed as the boys kicked the ball toward the man, which he easily caught. The girl ran in the other direction, looking back over her shoulder. The big man threw the ball toward her, and she kicked it back down the yard, the two teenagers following hot on her heels. Though they got close to her, they never overtook her, and the girl kicked the ball into what had to be an imaginary goal. She cheered and jeered at the other two, running back to the big man and jumping into his arms. The man glared at the boys over his head before nodding at them, obviously approving of their tactic to let the girl win. Rose realized two things then. The boys were letting her win, and the big man was protective and devoted to the girl. It was plain to see all four of them had a close relationship.
“Is he their father?”
“Stunner? No. But he’s same as adopted Suzie. Cliff and Daniel are kind of like her foster brothers. It’s a long story, but I’m sure you’ll learn it all soon. You’ll love Suzie. She’s a brilliant little ray of sunshine. The boys are going to be good men. They’re as protective of her as Stunner is.”
Torpedo got off the bike, and Rose waited. She was excited to meet his club but wasn’t sure her legs would hold her, and the last thing she wanted to do was fall on her face first thing. He must have sensed her apprehension because he reached for her hand immediately, assisting her when she gingerly swung the other leg over the seat.
“You good?” He grinned down at her. It wasn’t a cruel smile, more like he knew exactly what she was feeling and was remembering the sensations from his first long ride.
“Yeah. Just a little wobbly.” She laughed.
“You’ll get used to it. You seemed to love the ride. Did I overdo it? Probably should’ve asked if you wanted to ride with Vicious in the truck.”
“No! It was wonderful! I’ve never felt so free in my life!”
Torpedo put an arm around her, letting her lean on him if she needed. He walked them slowly toward the clubhouse. Shadow and Vicious met them, fist-bumping as they walked up the steps.
“Good ride, brother,” Vicious said. “Shame I had to ride in the fuckin’ cage.”
“Yeah. Sucks to be you.” Shadow laughed. “I bet you thought Torpedo’s little woman was gonna ride with you when you volunteered to take the chase vehicle. Didn’t you?”
Vicious scowled, looking disgruntled. “Might have entered my mind.”
“Yeah. Back off.” Torpedo sounded dead serious, but Rose saw the twinkle in his eye as he clapped Vicious on the shoulder.
“Shadow!”
Suzie bounded across the yard at full speed, running straight to the big man. His smile was radiant as he knelt to catch the girl and swing her around.
“How’s my best girl?”
“Wonderful! Me and Stunner beat Daniel and Cliff at soccer.”
The boys followed at a distance, looking appropriately put out at having been beaten by a girl. “You try gettin’ a ball past that big monster.” Cliff indicated Stunner. “It’s impossible!”
“Hey. It’s not his fault you can’t kick.” Suzie laughed, obviously very happy.
“Yeah, well, you’ve been practicing, and me and Daniel have to finish our schoolwork.”
“Maybe if you’d finished it when you were actually in school, you’d have time to practice with her.” A woman with silky black hair and laughing blue eyes stood at the top of the steps, hands on her hips as if giving the rambunctious teens what-for. The boys looked down at the ground and sulkily toed the grass, looking all kinds of contrite.
“We tried, Ms. Angel,” Cliff said, looking up at the woman. “But it was so pretty out, and Suzie looked like she was lonely. You know we can’t stand to see her lonely.” Yeah. All kinds of contrite.
“Boy, you know she ain’t buyin’ it,” Shadow said quietly. “She never does.”
“Yeah,” Suzie chimed in. “You know what she always says. ‘If a child’s lips are moving about homework, they’re usually lying. You gotta check to make sure it’s all done.’ I bet you tried to tell Mama Angel you were done, didn’t you?”
Cliff gave her a withering look, but didn’t deny it.
Suzie just laughed and threw her arms around the older boy. “Don’t worry,” she whispered a little too loudly. “I’ll help you with it again.”
“Suzie! Don’t you dare!” Angel said, skipping down the stairs. “He’s supposed to be doing his own homework.”
“Huh?” Suzie looked up at Angel with wide, innocent eyes. “He always does his homework himself. I just… uh… check it for him. You know. Make sure it’s right.”
“Uh huh,” Angel said, clearly not buying it. “You know you’re supposed to be several grades behind him. Right?”
“Yeah. But you know I’m a genius. I’m supposed to be smarter than them.” She turned her attention to Rose. “I’m Suzie,” she said, sticking out her hand, clearly expecting Rose to take it. Naturally, she did.
“My name’s Rose. Pleased to meet you, Suzie.”
The girl looked from Rose to Torpedo, her face lighting up. “Are you with Torpedo? He’s a really nice guy. Bit bossy sometimes, but I’m glad.” She wrinkled her nose. “Keeps Pig and Kickstand in line.” Apparently, that pair weren’t little Suzie’s favorite members of Bones.
“Yeah, well, someone has to. They ever want to be patched members they gotta learn to toe the line.” Torpedo smiled down at the girl, winking at her.
“They aren’t club members?” Rose looked up at Torpedo.
> “Na. Prospects. You know. Working toward being members.”
“I guess I have a lot to learn.” Rose didn’t like that she was ignorant about such things. Wouldn’t she get harassed or something? God forbid she embarrass Torpedo. That would end the fantasy real quick.
“You do,” he confirmed. “But it will come. No one expects you to be an expert overnight.” Torpedo leaned down and kissed her temple.
Suzie beamed at her. “I’ll help you. We can be friends!”
“I’d like that very much.” Rose got the feeling there was something off with the girl. She seemed both a young teenager and a child. Like she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted to be. It was obvious everyone she’d met so far adored her. Rose decided right then she needed to know Suzie’s story so she didn’t inadvertently do or say something to hurt the girl.
“Are you Vicious?” Suzie didn’t leave anyone out. It was like she just had to talk to everyone. Almost like she was afraid she’d miss the opportunity to make a friend. “Cain said you’d be coming with Shadow and Torpedo. Did you keep them in line?”
“Tried to, cutie. But you know how our boys are. This one had to be carried down a mountain ‘cause he got too lazy to walk, and that one practically got himself hitched. I hear his first meeting with little Rose was a real doozie.”
Torpedo nearly choked on his barked laugh. Rose hid her smile with a hand.
“Yes,” Angel said, raising an eyebrow at Torpedo. “I heard it was a near disaster.”
“Got me the girl, didn’t it?” He grinned again, leaning down to kiss the top of Rose’s head.
“You can tell me all about it at supper,” Suzie said. “I can’t wait!”
Rose watched Suzie as she flounced off, taking Stunner by the hand so he followed her. The big man looked at Rose as he passed and nodded his greeting.
“Yeah, Vicious. Can’t wait to hear the G-rated version of that story.”
Vicious grinned. “Don’t worry. It’ll be appropriately embarrassing for my brother here.”
Angel looked over her shoulder as if she sensed someone approaching. A man emerged from the door before it had closed behind Suzie and Stunner.
“Torpedo,” he greeted. He looked grim and maybe a little uncomfortable. “This your woman?”
“She is.” Torpedo took two steps, meeting the other man as he descended the stairs. “Rose, this is our president and my boss, Cain. Rose came with us from Florida. We packed up her things for her, but she needs the women to take her shopping.”
“We’d love to,” Angel said, smiling warmly at Rose. “I’m Cain’s wife. I also teach the little punks over there.” She stepped close and pulled Rose into a hug. “I’m so happy you joined us.”
Rose looked up at Torpedo, unsure of what to do. “I’m lucky,” she said softly. “So very lucky to have someone take me in the way he has.”
“You can tell us all about it when we shop. It’s much less intimidating that way.” Angel sounded like she might understand what Rose had gone through. Maybe not the exact circumstances, but that Rose had baggage. God, she hoped she wasn’t the only one. While she didn’t wish anything bad on any of these people, she didn’t want to come across as high maintenance or anything. She was simply a victim of circumstances. With very bad judgment in men.
“Angel, why not take Rose around back and show her the pool and stuff? Torpedo can join her there as soon as he’s reported in.”
Something about his tone made the hair on the back of Rose’s neck stand up. She looked up at Torpedo, and that feeling intensified. They were keeping something from her. Wanting her out of the way for some reason. Rose wanted to protest, wanted to cling to Torpedo, but he patted her shoulder absently, his face unreadable. “Go on, baby. I’ll be there in a bit.”
“It’s OK,” Angel said as she guided Rose down the sidewalk around the sidewalk. “You know men. Have to get their club secrets out away from us chicks.”
Rose said nothing, but she could practically feel Torpedo pulling away from her. Something wasn’t right, and she needed to find out. Now. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was it. The end of her wonderful fairytale fantasy. If it was, what was she going to do?
She turned just in time to see a tall, slender woman with platinum-blonde hair burst out of the clubhouse and literally launch herself from the top of the stairs straight into Torpedo’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her legs around him. Rose thought she might be sick.
“I missed you so much, Torpedo!” The woman cupped his face in her hands and rained kisses over him. “So much!”
Torpedo didn’t say anything, but then the woman didn’t really give him a chance. For her part, Rose couldn’t move. She stood frozen to the spot, tears welling in her eyes. When the woman fused her mouth to Torpedo’s, Rose’s legs gave out, and she sat right down in the grass, the fiction she’d managed to weave for herself unraveling right before her eyes.
Chapter Ten
“What the fuck?” Torpedo turned his head this way and that trying to shake Mercedes Collins off him. The woman was like a fucking octopus, all arms and legs, and she had them wrapped around him so tight he could barely breathe. He struggled to find Cain around the woman trying to slowly strangle him to death. Why in the world would Cain let this bitch into the club? “I looked for you! Needed to find you!”
“Mercedes, get the fuck off me!” He tried to extract himself, to shove her off him, but there was no way to do it without hurting her. While he didn’t have a problem taking a bitch out if he had to, she wasn’t trying to hurt him or any member of his team, and she didn’t even know about Rose yet. It wouldn’t bother him in the least, but Rose might see him differently if he actually hurt a woman.
“You don’t mean that, Torpedo,” she purred. “I know you don’t. You running from me was just a ploy to make me realize how much I really wanted you.” She put her face right next to his, her lips brushing against his ear. “You want a submissive, don’t you? A woman to beg for your attention.” She sucked on his earlobe even as Torpedo still tried to pry her arms from around him. “I’m that woman, baby. I’m the woman who can please you in everything sexual you can imagine. I’ll fuck you right here, in front of your club. I’ll do anything.”
“Would someone please get this bitch the fuck offa me?” Torpedo was getting desperate. He just knew Angel hadn’t gotten Rose away from the drama.
Cain and Shadow set to work prying the woman off him, but she wouldn’t budge. Like him, they didn’t want to hurt a woman who wasn’t trying to hurt them or their families. It just went against everything they believed as men.
“Mercedes, if you don’t get off me --”
She covered his mouth with hers again, cutting off his words.
Enough was enough. Torpedo jabbed his thumbs into her armpits. It wouldn’t do permanent damage but would hurt like a mother. As expected, she gave a shriek, loosening her grip on him enough for him to shove her away from him. Luckily, Cain and Shadow were there to keep her from falling on her ass, though Torpedo noted Shadow helped catch her out of reflex. He immediately let her go. He even went so far as to shove his hands behind his back and step away so he didn’t have to touch her again. Likely he was remembering his trek down the mountain being carried by two Sherpas. All because this woman was a first-class bitch.
“Ouch! Why the fuck’d you do that?”
Torpedo leveled a look on her. “You touch me again, I won’t be so nice. Now, what the fuck are you doing here? Your daddy know you’re here?” He put a sneer in his voice, letting the woman know he had no respect for her whatsoever.
“Of course Daddy knows. He said I’d be safe here.”
“What the fuck, Cain?” If looks could kill, Torpedo knew Cain would be dead. Torpedo had never felt so murderous in his life. “Why’s this little bitch here? Were you going to just give her room and board until she actually figured out a way to kill me, Shadow and Vicious?”
Cain held up
a placating hand. “She got here maybe an hour ago. Started to send her off, but knew you were on your way back. Figured if you wanted her gone, you should be the one to say so. Didn’t figure she’d get the message any other way.” Cain shrugged. “She ain’t exactly the brightest bulb in the box, brother.”
“Goddamnit,” Torpedo muttered. “Congratulations on your bad fuckin’ timing award.”
Cain turned to address Mercedes. “Daddy ain’t payin’ for your protection this time, Mercedes. We don’t do freebies.”
She waved that away. “It’s not as if I’m like a job or anything.” She smiled brightly. “I’m Torpedo’s woman. You biker types take care of your own. Right?”
“Just how many women do you have, Torpedo?” Rose’s quiet voice seemed to ring out loudly for Torpedo.
He turned his head and spat on the ground before wiping his mouth on his arm. “One, Ambrosia. And that’d be you.” He didn’t waste his time telling her to come to him. Torpedo went to her, pulling her into his arms. Her body was stiff and unwelcoming, but she didn’t pull away. He framed her face in his hands. Looking down into the tears glistening in her eyes nearly gutted him. “You listen to me, Ambrosia. You’re mine. I’m yours. The end. Remember when we first met, and I told you I’d been in a bad mood for a month? She’s the reason why.”
“The woman you were hired to protect?”
“Yes, sweetheart. The very same.”
Rose glanced at the woman arguing with Cain and Shadow. Mercedes tried to stomp in Torpedo’s direction, but Cain snagged her arm and held her there.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“I don’t sleep with clients. Ever. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have fucked her. Nothing is worth that kind of grief.”
Again, she studied the other woman. Rose appeared more composed, though a single tear dripped from her lashes and she batted it away impatiently. “I’m still yours? You don’t want anyone else right now?”
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