Unruly Defender

by Schmidt, Esther E.

  The doctor keeps looking at Eddie when he says, “You can go in and see her for a few minutes but she needs to rest.”

  He holds out his arm to lead the way and Eddie follows him. I have no clue what to do. My feet are rooted to the floor and somehow Eddie notices and steps back to snatch my hand and drag me with him.

  When we get inside the room and see Maggie lying in a bed surrounded by equipment, wires, and beeping sounds, it’s Eddie who is rooted to the floor this time. I squeeze his hand and make him follow me to the bed. Maggie is sleeping and since the doctor mentioned she needed to rest we’re being as quiet as possible.

  I place my other hand on Maggie’s and lean in to tell her, “You gave us a huge scare, Maggie. Don’t do it again. Get better soon, so we can have some tea on the patio. You hear me? We need you.” My voice cracks at the end and a sob slips past my lips.

  Eddie wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close. He places a kiss on the top of my head and addresses his mother as he too lowers his voice. “Love you, Mom. Get some rest to get your strength back. The doc told us we need to leave but we’ll be back soon, okay?”

  He reaches out and lets his knuckles brush over her cheek. Eddie lets me go and steps closer to his mother to place a kiss on her forehead. He murmurs some words in her ear and I watch how his throat bobs as he swallows hard.

  “Come on, we need to leave,” he croaks and clears his throat.

  I nod warily and follow him out of the room. When we get to the car Eddie takes the keys from my hands and slips into the driver’s seat. For a split second I remind myself I should be the one driving, but I guess what happened to Maggie hit us both hard and we just function on autopilot.

  My mind suddenly does come to life when Eddie drives up to the gate of his MC and punches in a code. I’m not going inside; he doesn’t need to unlock the gate because I’m going home. I start to sputter and think of what to say but he’s already parking the car.

  I dash out of the car and rush around to face him. “What are we doing here? I need to go home.”

  “I need to handle a few things here, and I can’t go home now or I’ll just rip my mind out thinking about my mother. And I need to know you’re safe and I won’t know for sure unless you’re right here with me. Rush might have been arrested and not walking the streets, but his three buddies are out there. If they want to hurt me, they will take you, and I can’t let that happen.”

  “I don’t need to tell you I have connections, right? Didn’t you hear Yates? He basically implied it’s the whole reason you gave me that stupid old lady title. So, just let those idiots know all it was is a title, there’s nothing between us. So, excuse me, I’m leaving. And besides, I have to go to pick up Finn because he’s staying with two complete strangers for me and for him.” Spinning around, I bump right into a hard chest. “Ouch, dammit,” I snap, and see it’s Yates. “You really need some social skills, peckerwood.”

  Yates snorts a laugh. “Sorry, doll, that’s never going to work. But I’m hoping you’re going to stick around to point out the errors of my ways. You being the Pres’ old lady and all. And I’m going to start with offering you my apology because I’m a dick. A big one that didn’t think and wanted to lash out to Rush how we had the upper hand with you at our side. It came out wrong. When I met Eddie earlier today, he said he had an old lady. And when I asked who, and heard it was you...I was the one who told him he needed to ask your half-brother for help because he would because of you. So, you see, he already claimed you before everything was set into motion. He really does care about you. As a person. Not your contacts, name, whatever...you.”

  “Right.” I roll my eyes. “Nice try. If he said he claimed me first, how the hell did you know who my half-brother was, huh? It’s all a load of crap. My life is a load of crap. This whole world is crap.” My voice is shaking and tears are streaming down my face.

  Yates winces and says, “Eddie? I think you better hold her because I’m pretty sure I broke her, and I don’t know how to fix it because everything I say is coming out wrong.”

  Eddie smacks Yates on the back of his head before he takes me in his arms. “She’s not broken you idiot; she’s consumed with emotions. All the stuff going on in her life and add what happened at the clubhouse, and now my mother in the hospital. She just needs to catch her breath so back the fuck off.”

  “I need to get Finn. I’m okay,” I mutter through my sobs and try to push away from Eddie.

  He feels so right but in the turmoil of everything I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.

  “No, you’re not okay, darlin’. Come on, let me get you some water and we will take a moment to catch our breath and decide what to do.” Eddie doesn’t give me a choice but guides me into the clubhouse.

  “Rhett, give the lady some water,” Yates bellows. “Hudson, make some room.”

  Bikers left and right move out of the way and act as if I’m in dire need of all the help they can give. A glass of water is being offered from my left and tissues from my right. And there’s a hand holding out a piece of chocolate.

  I follow the arm that’s offering the piece of candy and see it belongs to a rough looking biker with reddish hair and a long beard. I can’t really tell how old he is, if I’d have to guess I would go with early thirties.

  The chocolate doesn’t look chewed and his fingers look clean. Who cares, with the stuff going on in my life, who the hell cares about germs? I reach out and take the piece of chocolate and put it into my mouth. I swear the guy is now sporting the biggest grin on his face, as if I gave him the world by picking what he offered.

  I have to close my eyes to savor the sweetness. “Damn, this is so good.”

  “I know,” the redhead rumbles and pulls the rest of the chocolate bar from his back pocket and hands it over.

  I greedily take it and ask, “Aren’t you scared it’ll melt if you have it stashed there?” I ungracefully shove another piece into my mouth.

  Laughter rumbles from his throat. “Nah, I just grabbed it when you guys came into the clubhouse. I was going to eat it right away and once I start, I don’t stop until I’ve eaten it all. It’s like you blink and it’s gone.”

  “Oh, I know about the blinking, gone instantly but then it will reappear because it will add a few pounds that will never go away. It mainly settles on my ass and thighs, but you don’t seem to have that problem.” I sigh and still eat another piece of chocolate knowing I will regret it later.

  “I happen to like those curves on you,” Eddie whispers in my ear and it makes me shiver.

  “All right, you guys, give her some room,” Eddie says and scoops me up.

  “Pres, I’ve cleaned up the first room on the left for you,” a guy says from behind me.

  Eddie mutters a thanks and stalks to a room someone from our left opens for us. Once inside he puts me down and locks the door behind us.

  Eyeing the movement, I raise my eyebrow. “This was your brilliant plan? Get your brothers to help you distract me to calm me down so you can swoop me away and lock me in here?”

  The corner of his mouth twitches. “Nah, I could have thrown you over my shoulder and do just that at any time. My brothers going crazy to make sure you’re okay was all them. A little over the top if you ask me, but, yeah. They’re good guys,” he says and releases a deep sigh.

  “You’ve missed them,” I state.

  His head slowly bounces up and down. “Yates told me some of the things that went down when I was away. Guys going head to head and not having each other’s back. I was afraid Rush killed the spirit of this MC. But this little show of support made me aware he didn’t.”

  “It would really suck if I would grow to like you more and more and then find out you in fact did use me in the end,” I grumble, getting tired of this whole situation, and I feel like I should address the head of the snake, so to say.

  “I like you. I want you. It has nothing to do with your name or who you’re connected to. Yes, it was one
hell of a convenience with the whole Rush situation, but you know damn well how fucking perfect you felt against me last night. That shit isn’t something you fake or happens when you want to get off. You burn my insides every time that lush body of yours rocks against me. The need to bury myself deep in you is overwhelming and if I didn’t give a fuck then my dick would have taken your tight pussy yesterday. But I didn’t.”

  How on Earth did we get from questioning if it’s real between us to discussing last night’s non-screw moment? I should question if he thinks he deserves a medal due to the effort he put in there to restrain himself, but like I said...I’m getting tired of this whole situation.

  “I want something real, Eddie, and I’m not afraid to say I’m not looking for just sex or a relationship because it’s convenient. I want something long-term and meaningful. There’s a lot of stuff going on in my life and a lot in yours too. Hell, you’re just taking your life back and I absolutely understand your body and mind are occupied and you’re trying to balance all of it. Believe me, I know how overwhelming things can be.” I rub a hand over my neck in an effort to release some tension.

  Eddie turns me around and presses his fingers against my shoulders, working his way to my neck and shoulder blades. Damn, that feels good. I groan and tilt my head to allow him the room to massage my neck but instead his lips caress my skin.

  “I walked out of that prison with only vengeance on my mind and then you stumbled into my life filling my head with endless possibilities to enjoy life to the fullest. Everything might have fallen into place with the people tied to you but that’s all it really was, things finally falling into place and moving forward the way it should. I claimed you. You’re mine. Not to clear up issues at hand or to benefit myself or others. I’m honest enough to admit I’m a selfish fuck when it comes to you because all I care about is having you next to me, under me, with me at all times. And my fucking chest tightens at the thought of something happening to you, I couldn’t bear it and this tells me the feelings you flared up inside me are meant to act on and let them grow because no other woman has awoken something inside me enough to claim as mine, only you.”

  Okay, then.

  The way he stares at me, allowing me to see the honesty in his gaze makes me shiver. I don’t have any words to give him in return. Leaning forward I gently brush my lips over his. He growls low in his throat and cups my face to crash his mouth against mine. Consuming. Rough, and yet so caring. He makes me forget why I was questioning our connection in the first place.

  If he’s selfish, then I can be too, and I’ll share his statement... all I care about is having him next to me, under me—with me—at all times.

  CHAPTER NINE

  — EDDIE —

  In a world swirling every second with insanity it’s in this moment where everything is turned off and my body is turned on by the single person engulfing me with her warmth. Kissing this woman gives me pulses of lust, of longing, of righteousness that she belongs to me.

  My hands slide down her body and I pull her close, I need her to feel what she does to me. She whimpers and my strength to hold back shatters. It’s either dry hump the fuck out of her or bury myself deep. It’s not really a hard decision to make. Wait. Dry hump. Finn.

  I regretfully tear my mouth away from hers and connect our foreheads. “Where did you say Finn was?”

  “Oh, gosh, Finn. I told you I needed to head home. I couldn’t leave him with Travis because he is allergic but then Chance and Aubrey showed up. You know, the ones you made me call Travis about to make a reservation. They offered to take care of Finn. You know them, right? And it’s not like I had a choice. I needed to get to the hospital and tell you and you weren’t answering your phone.”

  “My phone died when I was calling you. I’m sorry for the whole fuckup and dragging you into this.” Dammit.

  My throat clogs up and I grab her head to guide it against my chest. I don’t have any more words and I can’t have her look at me right now because the emotions running inside me are too raw and intense. With my mother in the hospital, it’s hitting me hard.

  Her arms circle around my waist and she rubs her cheek against my chest. “I’m sure it will all work out. And your mother is a strong woman, she’s going to be ordering us around again in no time at all.”

  “Yeah,” I croak.

  “We need to get home so I can pick up Finn. I’m sure your friends had other things in mind when they got here than babysit a dog.” Gracy steps away from me and I let her.

  “My home is here now, Gracelynn. I can’t take over and disappear on these guys again. I have to get back to the hospital later too. Fuck.” I rub a hand over my face and think of the best way to handle this.

  Gracy’s hand slides over my chest and it settles right over my beating heart. “Why don’t we head over to the estate, say hi to your friends so we can pick up Finn. It will also allow us a chance to pack a bag for your mother because she’s going to need a few things since they are keeping her overnight. Then I’ll get a few things for myself too, and we’ll spend the night here. Wait. Finn is welcome here, right? Am I welcome here?”

  She’s back in my arms and plastered against my body with my next breath. “Yes. To all. It’s the best solution, and why didn’t I think about my mother needing me to bring her things? You’re perfect, you know that? How you handle everything and step up when needed.”

  I crash my mouth against hers and relish in the way she drowns me with pleasure coursing through my body. She’s my serenity. The eye of the storm where there’s a moment of peace in this turmoil they call life.

  “Come on, let’s go, there’s much more I need to handle before we head back to the hospital.” I’m about to stalk to the door but the concerned look on her face stops me. “What’s wrong?”

  “More we need to handle,” she murmurs. “I think there’s something I need to handle...I’m not sure but it was something Rush said. The whole ‘time is ticking, Spencer will have it all’ thing he mentioned and how he’s working together with Spencer. He would need someone to invest, right? Cough up the cash to fire up his drug business? Well, I left Spencer and everything connected to it behind me almost nine months ago. I’m fairly sure this is about my mother’s inheritance because there was an appointment set to go through my mother’s will. This is about money, money Spencer will get his hands on, but it belongs to my family, not his. He married my mother for her money and now he’s going to get it. Wait. Can he get it if I don’t claim it or something? He can’t, right? Wouldn’t it automatically be mine? I know for a fact my grandfather made Spencer and my mother sign papers before they got married, a prenuptial agreement. I mean, they threw it in each other’s face lots of times during many of their fights. I don’t know any of this legal stuff, but what I do know is that I have to do something about it to make sure...but what? I have no idea. And I also have zero interest in facing that scumbag.” Her shoulders sag and the rambling of words might not make sense to her but it does to me.

  “You need to call Clemente. Not because he practically runs this state but because he has the best lawyers. You don’t have to go anywhere near Spencer because the lawyer will represent you.”

  Gracy groans. “Clemente is pissed at me for choosing you, and now you want me to call him so he can do me a favor? Great.”

  I cup her face and soften my voice. “You have to understand that family holds more meaning to Clemente than it would to anyone else. He would see it as an honor to handle this for you. Hell, I know for a fact he’d be pissed if you would keep this from him.”

  The storm of emotion clouding her eyes as she reaches for her phone is hitting me in the chest.

  I take the phone from her hands and tell her, “Let me make the call for you.”

  She nods warily and I tap a few buttons and find Clemente’s number. He picks up on the second ring. “Clemente, it’s me, Eddie. Listen. Rush implied a few things when he was dragged off and it made Gracy think that Spencer might
have something in the works to get his hands on her mother’s inheritance. Could something like this be possible? Can you get her a lawyer and find out what’s going on? Oh, and I’m ratting her out to you. She’s going to be angry with me for telling you this, but she thinks you’re pissed at her. She also was under the impression you wouldn’t be happy if she called you to do her a favor.”

  I’m holding the phone at a safe distance from my ear because Clemente is throwing out one curse after the other. Gracy’s eyes are wide from shock and I give her a smile and a wink before I give my attention back to the phone call.

  “Yeah, Clemente, I mentioned to her what family means to you. I might not have used the shit you just threw out because I respect my old lady.” A chuckle slips from my mouth when Clemente adds some more curses but he calms down and thanks me for reaching out but asks me to put Gracy on the phone.

  I hold it out for her to take and when Clemente starts to talk, I can see the concern slipping out of her. Clemente will make sure to handle this for her, one way or the other. The man has some issues himself with Spencer so I’m pretty sure he’s rubbing his hands with glee to finally have something to sink his teeth in.

  Gracy ends the call and tucks her phone away. A sigh of utter relief rips from her body. “He made me promise to call him right away next time. You were right. And he’s not angry at me, or at you for that matter, because he appreciated the way you stood up and called him for me. It’s just so weird. I was alone for such a long period of time with just my job to fuss about. And really, there’s nothing to fuss about because I love running the estate with your mom and living with her. Shit. I hope she’s going to be okay and can come home soon, I already miss her so much.”

  “Come on, let’s get going and handle everything so we can check up on her, okay?” I tell her and take her hand.

  We stroll back into the main room of the clubhouse and I make sure to grab my phone from the charger.