by Erin Trejo
“I have a plan. Not to worry, darlin’.”
***
I hated leaving her there. I don’t like that I can’t have her in my arms right now.
The ride back to the clubhouse was soothing. With the assholes that hurt her out of the way, I can breathe slightly easier. I still want the goddamn Throwers but their time will come. Pulling into the clubhouse, I spot Aria by the front door. She’s holding a bunch of flowers with a smile on her perfect little face. Roc’s good for her. No matter what anyone else says, he’s made a difference in that girl. I pull up and cut the engine before climbing off. Sauntering up toward the front door, I actually feel good about my plan.
“You’re back!” Aria screams, shoving the flowers back into Roc’s arms. He can’t help but chuckle at her. “So, what are we doing? I have so many ideas!” She’s so excited. The light in her eyes makes me smile. She’s so animated right now. Even Roc is smiling.
“I’m not plannin’ a weddin’ here, darlin’.” Her eyes widen. Yeah, she thought about it.
“Devil! What are we planning? A party? A date?” Did she just say date?
“Sweetheart, we are way past the datin’ thing.” Aria slaps me in the chest making me laugh once more.
“Come, sit with me. I need to show you somethin’,” I tell her. Aria follows me inside where I drag her to the couch. Pulling my phone out she looks at me like I’m losing my mind.
“What are we doing, Devil?” Her little whiny huff makes me laugh. She’s such a sweet person.
“I need to know which one of these you would like if you were a girl.” That came out wrong. Aria’s eyes jump to mine before she sticks her tongue out at me. “You know what I meant!” Aria grabs the phone out of my hand, scrolling through the pictures I have pulled up.
Her fingers move over the screen but when she leaps off the couch and screams, I don’t know what to do. Her hand is over her mouth but the screams are still coming out full blast. The guys all come running in, looking around, like we’re under attack.
“The fuck you screamin’ like that for?”
Dragon stands there, eyeing her like she’s insane.
“Roc, do somethin’ with that girl,” Dragon says as he walks past her.
“You’re buying her a house?” Aria screams. Her eyes are on mine, filled with tears.
I nod my head once. If this is the only way to have Angel, then that’s what I’m going to do.
“A house? Way to show us all up, motherfucker,” Roc chuckles before sitting next to me.
“She isn’t ready to be back here yet, but I need her. I need her with me, brother,” I tell him. Roc nods, totally understanding what I mean. He has Aria, and when they were apart, it was hell on the both of them.
“I think it’s great, Devil. You deserve that happiness, man,” Roc says, slapping his hand down on my shoulder, I smile. I’m glad that they understand.
“She means a lot to me.” Aria sits down slowly, her eyes traveling over the screen.
“Does she know?” She asks, I glance over at her and shake my head.
“She’s knows how I feel. We’ve talked.” Aria beams with pride. I love that look on her.
“Buying a house. God, Devil. I’m so proud of you,” She says, throwing her arms around me. I hug her back. Hearing her say that to me fills me with joy. A joy I never thought I’d have. Aria means a lot to me, too. She’s become like a sister to me. She watches out for me.
“I can’t thank you enough, Aria. I know you’re Roc’s lady–but I can tell you–you are my sister. In more ways than just blood. I’d be lost without you.” Tears spill down her cheeks before I pull her back into a hug. Roc seems to be understanding this time. He doesn’t look as pissed as usual.
“A house. Ok. Shit. Let me look at these. They are all pretty close.” She pulls back, wiping at her eyes, scrolling through the photos.
“I wanna stay close, just in case. I know she can’t be here but when I am, I want her close to me.” Aria smiles but doesn’t look up from the phone.
“This one is cute!” Cute? She just called the house cute? I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.
“Come with me tomorrow to look at it.” Shoving off the couch, I grab my phone out of her hand and head toward my room.
“A house, huh? She worth it?” Ghost walks along next to me down the hallway.
“She is. I want her happy, Ghost. Killin’ those motherfuckers set somethin’ off in me. I know Throwers are still out there. I’ll get those sons of a bitches. I just need her.” He nods his head knowing what I mean.
He looks at me seriously before he says, “Then, I’m all in.”
Chapter 19
I lie in my bed feeling the loneliness of not having Angel here with me. I slide my phone out and send her a text, letting her know I have a surprise for her. She doesn’t respond right away. I lay my head back and close my eyes when someone knocks.
“It’s open.” The door opens and Aria walks in with a grin on her face.
“What are you smilin’ about?” I ask her as I scoot over. I motion for her to come over to the bed. Aria walks over, dropping down next to me.
“You are really serious about her, aren’t you?” I roll onto my side so I can look at her.
“I am. Why does that surprise you so much?” The door opens and Roc casually strolls in.
“Party in my room?” Raising an eyebrow, he nods.
“You do have my girl in here.” Noted.
“Back to my question.” Looking back at Aria, she shrugs.
“I don’t want you to get hurt, Devil. Angel seems to have calmed down, but we all know what she was.” There it is. I knew that would get brought up again.
“She’s changed a lot, like me. She’s changin’ me, Aria. When I’m with her, I feel like the rest of the world doesn’t matter. She understood the reasons why I am this way. Hell, she said that she would work on it with me. No one has ever done that.” Aria watches me, not believing me from the looks of it.
“The night of your party, she gave me this.” Reaching in my pocket, I slide out the lighter Angel had made for me.
Passing it to Aria, she runs her fingers over the words.
“Always be somebody.” She reads the words that Angel had inscribed on the lighter before passing it back to me.
“That’s amazing, Devil. She’s right, you know. You need to be somebody. You let your past rule you for too long. You deserve happiness.”
“Aria. I went and sat outside my old house earlier. The past hit me like a goddamn brick. I know what will make me happy.” Aria nods before climbing over, pressing a kiss to my cheek. She crawls off the bed when Roc gets up, and he follows behind her. No one says anything else, they just leave the room.
My heart skips in my chest knowing that I have a family that cares about me now. This club is the family I’ve never had.
Angel, is my family.
***
“You have to go get her!” Aria skips around the house like a little girl in a candy store.
“I can’t just go get her. I need to get shit set up first.” The guys walk around, looking at the little house that I just bought. Living in the clubhouse, has given me the money I need to pay for whatever she wants. It isn’t a big fancy house like her parent’s–but it’s ours.
“Yes, you can! Let her help pick out stuff. It will be so much fun!” I can’t stop the smile that crosses my face. It would be perfect having her here right now.
“This what you wanna do?” Dragon crosses his arms over his chest, glaring at me.
“Yeah, it is. You’ve been there every step of the fuckin’ way with me, Dragon. You gave me a home when I didn’t have one. That shit means everything to me. This is just another fuckin’ phase of my life.” He watches me, nodding his head slowly. It’s as though he’s letting that play out in his head.
“You’re a good guy. You were dealt a shitty hand. You made this club proud of what you’ve became. I guess my question is,
are you still in, one hundred percent?” The guys all filter in the room when they hear him ask that. I knew it was coming.
“One thing I’ve always been sure of, is this club. My real family was shit. They hated me, tossed me to the side. This club–you guys–it’s all I’ve known. I’d never turn my back on it. I’m still all in, Dragon. You need me–you got me.” The killing will never stop. Can I curb it? Maybe. Killing is what I do. It’s all I know. I don’t think I could be anything else.
“I’m proud of you, Devil. As our enforcer, but more so, as a man. You stand up for what you fuckin’ believe in. You made a place in this club that could never be replaced. If this is the way you move on from that bullshit of your past, I’m here for you. We’re here for you,” Dragon says, holding his hand out, I reach for it. Dragon pulls me into a hug. If my heart wasn’t so full of ash, I’d almost cry.
“I appreciate that shit, Dragon. You’ve been more of an influence than my own father ever was.” Dragon pulls back as the other guy’s cheer.
“Don’t go callin’ me daddy or nothin’ like that shit!” We all laugh. It’s a strange feeling laughing with the guys. I can’t say it isn’t an unwelcomed feeling either.
It makes sense.
“Look at that. The goddamn Devil, smiles!” Ghost yells as I shake my head.
Chapter 20
The days slowly drag by. We’ve looked for the fucking Throwers, but come up with nothing. I’m not sure how the hell that will play out later, but for now, I’m content. I texted Angel, and told her to be ready with her riding gear on. I never thought she’d look that damn sexy in it, though. I haven’t even gotten off my damn bike. I’m too busy watching her ass in those jeans. She must feel me behind her. She turns around, her hair tumbling over her shoulder. Her smile brightens. Angel walks toward me but I can’t stop looking at her body. That girl is perfect, in every way.
“Why are you just sitting there?” Her eyes come to meet mine after I finally drag them away from her body.
“I was enjoyin’ the view.” Angel slaps at me. I grab her wrist, pulling her body into mine.
“You ready for your surprise?” Whispering against her lips, I grin. Angel doesn’t, though. She smashes her lips against mine, taking what she wants from me.
“I don’t like surprises, Devil. You know that.” Pulling back a little, I look into her eyes.
“Oh, I think you’ll like this one. Come on.” She smiles but it doesn’t meet her eyes. Something’s bothering her, and I don’t know what it is.
Maybe it’s just stress. Maybe she’s still a little unsure of everything. Whatever it is, I plan to find out and fix that shit quickly. I check to make sure her helmet is on tight enough for my liking. Shifting around, I rev up the bike. Having Angel wrapped around me the way she is, is like a slice of heaven. You know they say that the Devil, was once an Angel. Maybe that’s what I’m feeling. Pulling out, I head toward the new house. Aria has been so damn helpful with everything. I almost think Roc is a little jealous. He isn’t ready for all that, though. I know Aria wants it, but she’s content just being with Roc for now.
Angel lays her head on my back, her fingers traveling under the front of my shirt. I miss her touch every single night. I miss the warmth of her. Driving through town with her holding me tightly, I feel at peace. More so than I ever have. Her fingers tickle my skin. I love every second of it, too. Just a little further and I will get my answer to my question.
Is she ready to be with me?
***
Pulling into the driveway, my heart hammers hard in my chest. I’m worried. For the first time in my life, I’m fucking worried about what she’s going to say, and how she’s going to react. I cut the engine; practically leaping off the damn bike. Angel climbs off behind me watching me suspiciously.
“Come on.” Shit, I feel like a giddy school boy. I can’t wait to see her reaction to everything.
Angel watches me but she takes my extended hand. I lead her toward the door that I left unlocked. I didn’t want her to see me pull out a key. That would give it away. Turning the handle, her fingers tighten around mine.
“It’s ok.” I can feel her body shudder, not knowing what’s happening right now. I lead her inside and her mouth falls open.
“This is so cute!” It’s the same reaction Aria had. Hopefully that means I did something right.
“I decorated it. Well, Aria helped. Fuck, she mostly did it.” Angel laughs before looking up at me.
“Is this your house? I thought you lived at the clubhouse?” She asks me. Confusion furrows her beautiful brows.
“I did. I do. Fuck. Ok, gimme a minute. I need to recompose my ass.” Angel giggles having never seen me like this before. She has my ass in a bunch over all this. Angel glances around, letting go of my hand. I watch her wander around the living room, but when she picks up the picture in the black frame, my stomach cramps. Her hand comes up to cover her mouth.
“Who took this?” She asks before glancing up at me. I smile.
“Aria did one night. I didn’t know she did it until she sent it to me. It looks good, though.” Angel nods, tears falling down her cheeks.
Aria had snapped a picture at some point, of me and Angel. We were both smiling, which was a shock to me. It was perfect nevertheless.
“Our first family picture.” The words come out before I can rethink them. Angel sets the picture back on the shelf before walking toward me.
“Is that what I am?” Gripping her hands in mine, I pull her closer.
“You’re so much more than that.”
Angel stands in front of me looking as beautiful as ever.
“You mean it?” She asks. Nodding my head, how could she not believe me? How could she not see how much she means to me?
“I know you aren’t ready to be back at the clubhouse full time. I know it will take time for you to get back into bein’ there, but I need you, Angel. I can’t fuckin’ breathe when you’re not here. I bought this for you.” She doesn’t understand. I can see it in her eyes.
“What? Bought what?” Pulling back a little, I laugh at her. The look on her face is priceless.
“This house. Everything in it. It’s all for you. I just need you.” Her mouth falls open. Her eyes are full of tears.
She’s beautiful.
“What about you? Are you staying?” The laughter that erupts from me surprises her.
“I wouldn’t leave you again if I had to. I want this for us.” Angel swallows hard before leaning into me.
“You did all of this, for us?” Nodding my head, her hands come up to cup my cheeks.
“I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, Devil.” Her lips claim mine. Her tongue pushes its way between my lips. I lift Angel in my arms, heading toward our new bedroom. I need this girl naked and under me. Breaking our kiss, I strip her clothes in record time. She watches me intently as I strip out of mine.
“You’re beautiful, Devil.” My grin couldn’t get any bigger.
“You’re my, Angel.” I climb up the bed, settling between her thighs. I grab my dick, rubbing it around her wetness before sliding in slowly. Leaning over her body, I brush my lips over her neck.
“You are everything I’ve ever dreamt of. I never knew I could want someone the way I want you.” Sucking her flesh into my mouth, she moans.
“I know you’re scared, and I know Throwers are still out there, but I promise to protect you with my life–Angel. Just be with me.” Rocking my hips, I slide in and out of her.
The slowness is torture for me but Angel needs to feel special, and loved.
“I will never give up on you, Devil.”
Chapter 21
With all good, there comes bad. That’s the way it has always been. It didn’t surprise me that my happy time was cut short.
“They say anything?” Dragon shakes his head as I walk into the clubhouse. Pissed–would be an understatement. My nerves are firing off one by one.
“I want this shit done!” The ro
ar that rips through me scares Aria. I saw her jump. Pacing the room, Dragon had called me in here tonight. He said there was word that the Throwers were moving in. He didn’t say where or when, though. These assholes have been missing for a while now. I’m ready though. I’m ready to take them out one by one, if I have to. I want that blood.
“We’re takin’ a vote, Devil,” Dragon says. My eyes snap up to meet his as he walks toward me.
“A vote on what?” I grunt. Ghost runs his hand through his hair, not looking happy either.
“Our next move. We move in within the next few days and hunt these motherfuckers, or we walk.” Fuck that. Walking isn’t an option.
“They have hurt way too many people to walk, Dragon!” I roar. He nods his head in understanding.
“We vote.” Dragon yells. The words come from his mouth once more but that does little more than ignite a fire inside of me.
I don’t give a shit what the vote is, I’m going after them, even that means going alone.
“Who wants to go after them?” Roc speaks up this time before I can even open my mouth.
“I’m in.” His eyes come to meet mine, and I know the silent agreement we just made. If they vote no–we still go.
“In.” Ghost speaks this time.
“You know I’m in.” They didn’t even need to ask me.We go around taking votes from the rest of the guys. Everyone’s in, much to my surprise.
“We don’t go in all insane. We plan it out. I got guys lookin’ around right now.” I take a deep a breath, running my hand through my hair. I’m ready for this.
“Go home. Be with your girl. Let her know what’s comin’.” Dragon slaps a hand down on my shoulder.
“I’m goin’ all in, Dragon.” His grin lets me know he already knows this.
“Wouldn't expect any less.”
***
Watching her walk around the kitchen in nothing but a t-shirt does something to me. She doesn’t notice me behind her either, and I’ll be damned if I say a word. The view is too nice. Angel moves around, cracking eggs into a bowl while she sways her hips, to the music that’s playing. I cross my arms over my chest, leaning against the door frame. When she finally turns around, she jumps slightly when she sees me.