by Nicole James
“If you take me back?”
“We’re goin’ to my place, and you’re gonna get a good night’s sleep.”
I give him a sad, tired smile. “You and me in a bed just sleeping? You sure about that?”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “For the most part.”
I take the helmet and strap it on while he fires his bike up, then I climb on behind him, hold tight, and press my cheek to his back. His hand pats my leg, and then squeezes above the knee. “You ready?”
I nod and off we go.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tess—
I roll over and see Gypsy on his stomach, fast asleep. I put my elbow in the pillow, rest my head in my hand, and study him at my leisure. His back is beautifully muscled and his shoulders broad. I long to run my palm over his skin, but I don’t want to wake him. I lift the sheet and peer at his phenomenal ass.
Quacking draws my eyes to the window and the view of the pond beyond where several ducks swim. Smiling, I climb quietly from the bed, slip on my panties and one of his flannel shirts, and pad barefoot into the kitchen. I find a loaf of bread and steal four slices, then slip out the sliders onto the back porch and down to the grass. It’s cool outside, and I breathe in the fresh air.
When I reach the edge of the pond I rip a few small pieces of bread off and toss them. The ducks soon swim toward me, eager for a meal.
I laugh, tossing them more.
One brave duck, a white bird with an orange bill climbs up on the grass and approaches, cocking his head at me.
“Here you go, buddy.” I toss him a piece.
I throw some more to the ducks in the lake. Soon more are climbing from the water to surround me, quacking and raising a ruckus, demanding more.
I squeal and step back, out of bread for the hungry fowl, and I back into a waiting pair of arms. I yelp and twist.
“Damn, woman, can’t a man sleep?” Gypsy is behind me, shirtless in a pair of unbuttoned jeans.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
“You’re the one out here raisin’ hell.”
“I was quiet. It’s them.” I point at the quacking ducks. “Besides it’s almost eleven.”
“Is that my bread you’re feeding them?”
“Maybe.”
“I hope you didn’t give it all away or there won’t be any toast.”
“Oops.”
He rolls his eyes, takes my face in his hands, and kisses me. It’s barely a brush of his lips, but it’s the kind of kiss that’s sweet and makes my insides melt.
“You like eggs?” he asks, lifting his mouth an inch off mine.
Before I can reply, the rumbling sound of a motorcycle carries to us. My eyes widen, and I wonder how quickly I can sprint to the house and hide. I’m already turning that way when Gypsy grabs my hand, stopping me.
“Where you goin’?”
“That could be one of your brothers.”
“It probably is.”
“Don’t you want me to hide?” I pull, but his hold only tightens.
“Nope.”
“No?”
“I’m done with that. I’m not hiding this relationship anymore.”
I go still at his words, and my head tilts. I need clarification. “Is that what this is? A relationship?”
“You gotta ask me that after last night?”
Last night he’d been sweet and tender. What we’d done hadn’t been just sex but had everything to do with expressing feelings. I dip my head. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”
He tilts my head with a finger under my chin. “We on the same page?”
I nod, the entire time conscious of the fact that the motorcycle is getting closer, and I’m standing here with just Gypsy’s shirt on. It covers me to mid-thigh, but still.
The bike pulls up to the house, and the engine cuts off.
“I’m not dressed,” I spurt out.
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Jammer won’t mind.”
“Jammer? How do you know who it is?”
“His bike’s been misfiring. Probably why he’s here. Told him I’d take a look at his carburetor last week.”
“Did you know he was coming today?”
“Nope. Sometimes my brothers just pop over, especially if they’ve got engine problems. I’m pretty good at fixing shit.”
“I need to get dressed before you let him in the house.”
We walk inside and immediately hear his brother knocking on the door. I scamper to the back and close the bedroom door as Gypsy answers it. I can hear male voices talking as I hurriedly dress.
Gypsy—
Jammer walks in, and I close the door. “You want coffee?”
“She here?”
I freeze. “Is who here?”
The look he gives me tells me he’s not in the mood for any bullshit. “Come on, man. Bandit followed you last night. You even spotted him.”
I head to the kitchen and busy myself with pouring two mugs of coffee, my brain going a mile a minute, wondering what the fuck all that means. I decide to just cut to the chase. I turn and hold a mug out to my brother. “And why the fuck, exactly, was Bandit following me?”
“Rusty ordered him to.”
I pause, my mug halfway to my lips. “The fuck? Why the hell would he do that?”
He puts a hand to the counter. “Come on, man. You’ve been disappearing a lot, and you’re distracted as hell. What the fuck is going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“That the way you’re gonna play this?” Jammer cocks a brow at me. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, there’s a woman here. Yeah, I was with her last night. What business is that of Rusty’s or fucking anybody else’s in the club?”
The bedroom door opens, and Jammer turns his head to look. Tess comes out, twisting her hair in her hands and looking nervous.
“Hi,” she says softly, then extends her hand to my brother. “I’m Tess.”
Jammer’s eyes widen slightly and then sweep over her, then cut to me and back, leaving her hand hanging in mid-air. “Tess? As in Growler’s kid? Bandit told me, but I didn’t want to fucking believe it.”
Tess looks nervously at me, and I reach out and grab her hand and pull her against my side. My arm lands on her shoulders, anchoring her to me. I answer for her. “Yeah, man. Growler’s daughter.”
Jammer’s eyes cut to her, and I can see the wheels turning. “Tess, you mind if I have a word with my brother?”
It’s really not a question; he’s already stalking out to the back porch.
Tess lifts her eyes to mine. “Is this a problem?”
I kiss her forehead. “Nope. Give me a minute, okay?”
She nods, and I walk out the back door.
I sit at the patio table, take a sip of my coffee, and light up a smoke. Jammer’s already exhaling a pissed off stream of smoke from the cigarette he just lit up. His eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head.
“Brother, what the fuck?”
I take another sip of coffee, ignoring the question.
“You know who the fuck she is?” he asks.
“Of course I do.”
“How deep are you in this shit?”
“This shit?”
“You and her? Is it serious?”
“Yeah, guess so.”
“How the fuck did this come about? And how in the hell did you ever get hooked up with her?”
“Belle.”
“Belle? Fucking Growler’s ol’ lady?”
“Yeah, Belle. She needed a favor.”
“She needed a favor?”
“Quit repeating everything I say.”
“Quit sounding like a lunatic. She needed a favor. The come fuck my daughter kind of favor?”
I pierce him with a look. “Unless you want to drink coffee through a straw for the next six weeks you better watch your damn mouth.”
“I’ll shove that straw up your ass.”
“I’m serious, Jammer. Back off. I have enou
gh to do today without having to make your death look like an accident.”
“Ha ha, you’re a real riot.” He huffs out a breath, looks at the pond, and shakes his head. “You’ve lost your damn mind. Why the fuck would you mess with our ex-president’s daughter? And I emphasize EX-president, as in not any longer.”
“Know who the fuck he is, Jammer. And I know who she is. Shit just happened.”
“Oh, shit just happened, huh? Explain it to me. This oughta be good.”
“Belle asked if I’d drive Tess down to see her father. Didn’t want her goin’ alone. Thought the club owed her that fucking much, and I have to agree. Gotta admit, they were just dumped out in the cold by all this.”
“That ain’t your fucking fault, and it ain’t your fucking problem, Gypsy.”
“Not saying it is. Doin’ her that favor ain’t skin off anybody’s nose, either. So what’s the big damn deal?”
He takes another drag off his cigarette, then leans forward and tamps it out in the ashtray. “So, Tess is talkin’ to her old man down at the prison, then she’s talkin’ to you… apparently pillow talk now. And what exactly have you two been talkin’ about? What’s she tellin’ Growler? You see where this might be a problem for your new president, doncha?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Really? You sure about that?”
“Yep.”
“Club princesses are off limits for a reason, bro. And now that Growler’s in the fucking joint and not runnin’ the club, there’s even more reason to steer clear of her. She’s trouble, man. Nothin’ but trouble.”
“You don’t fucking know that.”
“You think for one damn minute Rusty’s gonna be good with this?”
I lean elbows to the table and run a hand down my jaw. I don’t know how Rusty’s going to react, and that’s the God’s truth. My silence is answer enough for Jammer.
“Exactly. You aren’t stupid, Gypsy. Far from it. I know you had to have thought twice about this.”
I can’t deny it. Every one of his arguments I’ve lied in bed at night worrying about. Now it seems I’ve been deluding myself and living in denial, thinking all I had to do was bring the relationship out into the open, and everyone would be good with it. I fucking know better.
“Rusty’s probably already heard about this from Bandit. If not, he will sometime today. Just thought I’d take a ride out here and warn you… maybe talk some damn sense into you.” Jammer stands. “Play it your way, bro. I hope she’s worth all this.”
I watch him walk off the porch and around the side of the house. I stub out my cigarette as I hear his bike fire up. I stand and lean against the post, my mug in hand. A minute later Jammer’s Road King rips down the road, his engine still misfiring.
I wonder how long I’ll have before I get a call from Rusty. Or maybe a visit. I need to get Tess home before that happens. With that thought, I toss the remainder of my coffee in the yard. And the day had started out so fucking well.
Goddamn it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tess—
I’m cleaning the destruction of my mother’s tantrum up when my phone rings. I pull it from my back pocket and look at the screen. Gypsy.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweetheart. Doc’s wife just called. She’s the nurse who helped him last night.”
“How’s my mother?” I clutch the phone tighter.
“She’s fine. The good news is Doc’s got her a spot in that rehab center he talked about, and they need to move her today. You need to go talk to Belle and get her to agree to go. Doc thought it best for you to be there when they tell her about the treatment she needs for her addictions and suicide attempt.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I’ll meet you there in an hour. I’ll get away as soon as I can.”
“All right, I’ll head over there now.”
“Babe?”
“Yes?”
“It’s gonna be okay. I promise.”
I clutch the phone to my face. “Yes. It has to be.”
“See ya soon.”
“Okay. Bye.” I pull the phone from my face and wonder if I’ll be able to make my mother agree to treatment.
Half an hour later, I walk in the Keel Center and am greeted by Doctor Scott Keel’s pretty wife. She comes around the counter and takes both my hands.
“She’s doing great. I know you’ve been worried. Follow me.”
She leads me down a hall, past all the normal exam rooms to a back room. There are several beds with curtains. “What’s this for?” I ask.
“My husband is a reconstructive surgeon. We often do cosmetic procedures here in the office. Face lifts and such. This is where he does that as well as where a patient would spend the night if they needed to.”
I frown. “It’s odd he would be doing Gypsy a favor like this, then.”
“I understand your confusion, but his brother was once in the MC. The black sheep of the family, you might say. We have a daughter. When she was a teenager years ago, she was kidnapped and the MC got her back for us. Ever since then, well, Scott feels indebted to the club.”
“I see.”
She takes me to the farthest bed and pulls the curtain back.
My mother is resting, but she turns her head and opens her eyes. When she sees me, her face lights up.
“Tess! Thank God. Get me out of here. They won’t let me leave.”
“Mom, you were sick. You overdosed—on purpose. That’s not something we can just sweep under the rug.”
“I was upset. I’m fine now.”
Mrs. Keel touches my arm. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
After she leaves, I sit on the edge of the bed and take my mother’s hand. “Mom, you’re not fine. You’re hurting, I know. But you have so much to live for. Dr. Keel has found a place that will help you with the addictions, and there are people you can talk to about all of this. They can help you, Mom.”
“Rehab? You want to stick me in some rehab center?”
“Mom, please.”
Boot steps approach, the curtain parts, and Gypsy stands there.
“Hey.”
I slide off the bed and hug him. I don’t even care that my mother sees. She might as well know.
“What’s this?” I hear her ask, and I turn back to her. “You two a thing now?”
“Mom, he helped me last night. He rushed over with no hesitation. So, watch what you say.”
She glares at Gypsy. “That so? You want to tell me what’s going on with you and my daughter?”
“We’ve gotten close, Belle. I care about her. A lot. So you’re gonna have to get used to seeing me.”
She arches a brow. “You better treat her right.”
“I plan to. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I turn from my mother to study Gypsy. I like the way he’s telling her how he feels, and I can’t help my smile.
“Your daughter tell you where we’re takin’ you?”
“Rehab? Fat chance.”
“Belle, you helped me once. Remember? Talked me out of this very same shit. Kept me from eating a bullet. Now I’m helpin’ you. Doc found a nice place. So you’re going to shut up and go. You’re going to do what the doctors over there tell you, and you’re going to clean your act up. Then you’re going to tell Growler to fuck off and get your life together.”
She stares at the wall.
“You hear me, Belle?”
She turns back. “Who are you to tell me what to do?”
“I’m a friend. I think you could use a few of those right now, don’t you?”
She folds her arms but stays quiet, and I’m stunned. I’ve never seen my mother not put up a fight.
“You gonna get dressed, or we gonna argue some more?”
“Well, I can’t get dressed until you leave, can I?”
It’s as much of a capitulation as I could have hoped for.
He winks and nods to a door. “We’ll take my truck. I’ll pull ar
ound to the back exit.”
An hour later, we have her checked in and settled. It’s a nice place, and the people are very caring, which floods me with relief. I can feel good about leaving her here and know she’ll be well taken care of. She’ll receive treatment and counseling, proper nutrition, and plenty of fresh air and activities. It’s such a load off my mind. I’m sure they’re giving me a discount on the rate due to Dr. Keel, but maxing out my credit card is only a dent in the charges. If I have any hope of coming up with the balance, I know there’s only one way I can get it short of selling the house, which I’m not even sure is possible with Growler in prison.
Gypsy drives me back to my mother’s place. I’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do.
He pulls to the curb and shuts his truck off. “You okay?”
I turn and paste on a smile. “Yes. Thank you so much for what you did today. You have no idea how much you helped. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m grateful she listened to you.”
“Sure. No problem.” He adjusts in his seat and lays a warm palm on my leg. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
I try to brush his concern off. “I’m good. Just tired and dreading the mess I have waiting for me inside.”
He looks past me to the house. “I’d help you out, but I’ve got some club business I can’t put off any longer.”
“Of course. I understand. You’ve done so much already. I shouldn’t be monopolizing your time.” I fidget with the strap on my purse and don’t meet his eyes.
He takes my chin in his hand and tilts my face to his. “Hush. Nothing I want more than to be with you. I just can’t swing it today. But don’t apologize for wanting me around, Tess. We clear on that?”
I nod.
“I might be able to get a prospect to come and help you if you give me an hour.”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary. Really, I’ve got this.”
“You sure? I hate leaving you alone right now.”
“Yes. Go. I’ve kept you long enough. I’ll probably call Hayley. So don’t worry about me.”