by Amelia Shea
Saint sat up and laughed. He reviewed the document. It was all in order, prepped for submittal. All it needed was to be signed off by the mayor.
The mayor.
Bailey had become a not-so-secret obsession of his since the moment she stumbled into the town meeting. Soft, long auburn hair flying in a mess around her creamy pale skin. Dark eyes that would have seemed bland on anyone else, but for him, they lit up. She was small, maybe five-three, and while thin, she had curves which would have any man stand up and take notice. In fact, he wasn’t the only member of the club who had taken interest in the town mayor. She may not have shown skin like the usual women the club was surrounded by, but there was no denying her shape. Fucking perfect.
Her cover-up was strategic as he found out. Scars lined her body, though aside from her arm, he didn’t know the full magnitude. He hadn’t dug into her past until the club was enlightened to what had happened. Even thinking about it had him on edge and prepped to throttle the bastard through a fucking wall.
She had called it “the incident,” according to Caden. She had shared her past with a support group a few months back. Then Caden had shared with the club. It was then they took an in-depth look into her past. A little digging and the club was exposed to her past. A previous boyfriend with anger issues had doused her with acid. Psycho motherfucker. Saint gritted his teeth and fisted his hands.
It changed everything. She stopped being just the Mayor of Ghosttown, and unknowingly fell under the protection of the club, mainly Saint. He had been biding his time before making his move to claim her. He was so close he could feel her.
“Saint.”
He flicked his gaze to Kase, who was staring at him. He hadn’t openly spoken to the club about his feelings for Bailey. A conversation with Rourke had him showing his cards to his brother. Kase, being as close to Saint as he was, knew without saying a word. Even Trax had caught his interest. He, too, remained silent on the subject.
“Bringing it up at the next meeting?”
Kase smirked and shrugged. “Yeah, unless you want to have a one on one with our mayor. Maybe put in a good word for the club.”
Nice try, Kase. There was no way the first real interaction with Bailey would be him asking if a titty bar could come to Ghosttown. His brother was on his own with this little venture. Saint shook his head slowly, and Kase burst out laughing.
“Fine, I’ll fucking do it.” Kase stood, and Saint followed him out of the room and down the hall to the bar. The club was hosting another charter for the night, and from the looks of it, the party was already starting.
Saint walked past Kase and halted when he grabbed his arm. Saint glanced over his shoulder.
“Not staying?”
“Maybe.”
“Just gonna scope out the guests, see who’s still hanging out?” There was no denying the teasing in Kase’s tone. Saint ignored him.
Saint walked through the room to the bar, grabbing a beer then heading outside. He noticed Cheyenne and Trax talking to a few people. The only reason he might stay was if Bailey was around. He assumed she was long gone at this point. He made his way out back and weaved through a group at the bonfire. As he rounded the building he stopped. A few yards away, he caught Bailey at her car. He balled his fists when he noticed the man backing away from her. Fucking Dobbs. As a brother, he loved him, and his flirting never bothered Saint in the past, until he turned it on with Bailey.
He’d watched them like a hawk earlier when Dobbs was at her table. He also watched her, and her reaction was similar to most of the women. She smiled and laughed. He noticed she didn’t blush, not like she did for him. That fact was the only thing saving Dobbs from Saint’s wrath. Saint moved slowly, walking to the edge of the building, his focus on her. She seemed off. He watched as she retreated into her car, and after a few minutes, drove away.
It was his cue. He tossed his unfinished beer in the can out front and made his way to his bike in the lot.
“You leaving?” someone from behind shouted. The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t be sure which brother it was. It didn’t matter. He was done for the night. The club parties weren’t his thing. Saint wasn’t interested in meaningless sex and debauchery. There was only one woman he wanted, and she’d just left. No reason for him to stick around.
He mounted his bike and drove home.
Chapter Three
She stood next to her car for ten minutes contemplating whether or not she should go in. In the short time, she’d caught a topless drunk woman fall to her knees and start blowing a guy sitting at the fire. Another man dropped his pants and started pissing on the side of the building. She got a strong whiff of a familiar earthy scent reminiscent from her late teens.
The whole episode screamed, go home, you don’t belong here.
She dismissed her inner voice and started up the stairs. She heard the music blasting before she opened the door. Her eardrums thumped as soon as she got inside. There were definitely more people now than earlier. She had a feeling all the children were long gone, and now the adult party was happening. She weaved her way through the crowd, unsure of where she’d end up. The interior was a lot different than the last time she was there for Caden and Marissa’s wedding reception.
She hopped up on her toes. She must have been in the back of the large room because across the room a band was setting up on a small stage. Her body heaved forward when she was pushed from behind. She stumbled forward and was lucky to fall into a wall. She glanced up. Scratch that, a wall of a man. He glared down, and she backed up and circled a small group near the edge of the room.
She was out of her element. Forget being a normal, twenty-five-year-old woman. Sitting at home in her pajamas with a book was looking very appealing at the moment.
She decided unless she saw the girls in the next thirty seconds, she would backtrack and get the hell outta there. She was too busy scanning through the smoky room to see someone come up from behind her. When hands gripped her waist, she jumped, tossing her head back and nailing a hard surface.
“Shit.”
Bailey spun around. She gasped when she realized it had been Macy who grabbed her. Macy’s hands were covering her face.
“Oh my God, Macy, I’m so sorry.”
She blinked quickly and started laughing while rubbing her nose. “No, my bad, shouldn’t have grabbed ya. In a place like this, ya gotta watch your back.” She laughed and clasped her hand, as they maneuvered through a large group of men. At the edge of the bar was Rourke. When he made eye contact, he seemed surprised to see her.
Bailey waved awkwardly. He lifted his chin but kept his strange look aimed at her.
“Dobbs invited me,” she blurted as an explanation, which seemed to shock him even more as his eyebrows spiked to his hairline. Macy grinned at her.
“Really?”
She nodded with a smile.
“Very cool.” Macy glanced around. “I saw him a while ago, maybe he’s in the back, playing pool.”
“Okay.” She stayed where she was. She appreciated Dobbs inviting her, though she wasn’t overly thrilled about hanging out with him. The kiss from earlier made it slightly awkward. She was hoping to hang out with the girls like this afternoon.
“So, we’re heading out. I wish I knew you were coming.”
She bit back her disappointment and shrugged. “Last minute decision. Why ya leaving?”
Macy leaned closer, screaming over the loud music. “I’ve got a conference call.”
“Now?”
“At ten, from California.” She rolled her eyes. “Won’t get it done here with the noise, so we are gonna go stay at Caden’s place.”
“Why aren’t you staying at your place?”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “We just had the whole house painted, Trini’s too, and the fumes are wretched. Can’t stay at Chey’s because they haven’t gotten the furniture for the spare yet.” Macy cocked her brow. “And I’m too damn old to sleep on the floor.”
&
nbsp; Bailey laughed and leaned toward her ear. “I’ve got a spare if you want to crash at my place.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s on the first floor off the kitchen. Queen bed, it’s all set up.”
Macy eyed her with a grin. “You sure? ’Cause I would so much rather a five-minute drive than twenty to Cade’s. Rourke’s gotta be back early to help out Kase.”
“Absolutely. Spare key is under the large blue planter on the back porch.”
“You rock, girl.” Macy pulled her in for hug.
Bailey noticed Rourke looking out over the crowd, then pointing down to her and Macy while staring at someone across the room. When Macy released her, she got the view of who Rourke was communicating with. She watched Kase nod and turn away.
What was that all about?
She spent another few minutes chatting with Macy before they started to leave. Before they did, Macy dragged her to the hallway, where only a few people filtered around.
“The pool room is down there.” She pointed. “Make a right, and it’s at the end of the hall. No door so ya can’t miss it. And a word of advice, if a door is closed, do not open it. I swear you’ll be scarred for life.” She chuckled, and Bailey laughed.
Before Bailey could say bye, Macy’s face paled, and her mouth dropped open.
“What’s wrong?”
Macy jerked her head. “I-I can’t believe I just said…..” Her lips clamped, and her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink.
Said what?
She played over in her head, Macy’s words. Ohhhhhhh, you’ll be scarred for life.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Bailey gripped her arms. “And I didn’t take it that way. It’s a figure of speech. You meant it to be funny.” Bailey shook her playfully and grinned. “It was funny.”
“I’m sorry.”
Bailey rolled her eyes and gave her a push. “Stop apologizing. I’m not hurt, not offended. Now, go back to my place, make your call, and do scandalous things with your boyfriend in my spare room. My house needs to see some action.”
The color finally came back to Macy’s face, and she burst out laughing. She continued to laugh through the crowded room, and Bailey made her way down the hall. Maybe she could just hang out with Dobbs a bit, have a beer, do twenty-five-year-old things, and head home. There weren’t many people in the hall as she made her way down, following Macy’s directions. She heard loud moaning from her left. The door was half-opened, giving her an unobstructed view of three naked people having sex.
Three? Oh my God.
A man was lying flat on his back. She recognized him as a member but didn’t know his name. A naked woman was between his legs on all fours blowing him. It’s like live porn. She should have looked away. Aside from TV, she’d never seen people having sex. The man jerked his head up and reached over, grabbing a phone.
“Who is it?”
The graveled masculine voice came from deeper in the room and Bailey inched forward in the hall and angled her head. Oh shit. Behind the woman on her knees was a man fucking her from behind. The position didn’t shock her as much as the man did.
Dobbs was thrusting forward against the woman as she moaned.
“It’s Kase, Bailey’s here, wants to know if you invited her.”
She widened her eyes and raised her brows. She clamped her lips, biting back a laugh. His face became distorted, which was utterly comical. Yeah, Dobbs, this is awkward. Some women might be upset or angry. After all, he invited her and was now fucking another. Bailey just found his reaction amusing. She wasn’t interested in Dobbs for anything other than hanging out and some easy flirting.
“Fuck.” His voice was strangled, which got her attention more than Kase’s message. “Let’s finish up here.”
Finish up? Bailey covered her mouth. If she had the balls, she’d poke her head inside and tell him to meet her at the bar when he was done. The whole scene was absurd. She wasn’t sure how she could look at him with a straight face after knowing the back story here. She shook her head and chuckled. Poor Dobbs.
“You gonna ditch me for her?” the woman scoffed, glancing back at Dobbs and continued to bounce against his dick.
Her tone held a spark of nastiness, which had Bailey losing her smile.
Dobbs remained silent.
“Can you even get it up with her? God, those fucking scars, it’s like the swamp thing, rippled, scaly skin.” The woman shivered and twisted her lips. “Does she have them all over her body or what?”
Bailey staggered back a step. What did she say? Swamp thing? Rippled, scaly skin? Without thinking, she gripped her arm and pulled down her sleeve to the palm of her hand.
Dobbs slapped her ass, which seemed to get her off.
She moaned then angled her head again. “She’s false advertising, ya know. Got a really pretty face which sucks you in. Then you’re left trying to get your dick hard when ya catch a glimpse at her body. So gross, can’t believe you get off on that.”
Bailey’s breath shallowed, and her stomach twisted into a horrible ache. She reached up, touching her cheek and slowly gliding her fingers down her neck on her smooth skin. Her fingers halted at the collar of her shirt. She knew what was underneath. Apparently, so did everyone else. She gulped and fought back against her tears.
Dobbs slapped her ass again. “Can you shut the fuck up so I can come?”
The woman laughed, dropping her head to the mattress. “See, just thinking about her is making it impossible to come. You better stay here with me, baby.”
Bailey stepped back, staring at the door. Her breathing was labored, and an aching pain shot through her heart. Never in her life had she heard someone say such a vicious and cruel statement. Swamp thing? Her stomach turned and she felt the heat rise from her chest. False advertising? A cool brisk ice streamed through her blood and her head felt heavy. Just thinking about her is making it impossible to come? She stumbled away from the door and rushed her steps toward the main room. I need to get out of here. Her exit was very different from her entrance. She stormed forward, not even glancing around, and pushed through the crowds of people. When she finally made it to the door, she hurried to her car, with her only focus on getting the hell out of there.
****
Saint scanned the living room. He had boxes piled up and was in the process of unpacking. He’d set up Cia’s room and his own last weekend Aside from furniture, he’d yet to unpack most of his belongings. He raked his hand over his head, surveying the clutter. He clutched the phone to his ear.
“Minka got a full schedule?”
Marco, his lead artist, and friend, scoffed. “She’s slammed but ya won’t hear her complain. She did a full sleeve last night, fucking perfection, Saint.”
Saint smiled. He wouldn’t expect anything less from her. Minka was equally as talented though she didn’t get the notoriety as Marco received. Not yet. Her time would come; Saint would see to it. The two of them together set his shops to a higher level than others.
“Good to hear. How’s Ace working out?” He’d hired and personally trained a new office manager in hopes he’d be able to fully settle in Ghosttown.
“Good, man. Everyone likes him. He knows his shit. It’s a good fit.”
It was exactly what he wanted to hear. With setting up the shops to run without him, it gave him the time to focus on the new location in Ghosttown, among other things, mainly setting up for his life in the small town. With Bailey and Cia.
His phone beeped, alerting him to another call.
“Gotta take this call. I’ll be by next week.”
“Sounds good, man. Have a good night.” Marco hung up, and Saint switched calls.
“Yeah.”
“Left too early, brother.” Kase laughed.
“Too early for what?”
“It seems our mayor decided to come back for the after-party.”
Saint stilled. Bailey was at the clubhouse? The last place she should be was
there, without him. All the men received strict instructions that she was off-limits, however with a neighboring charter present, it was too many people to keep track of. Saint gripped his phone tightly, reaching for his jacket and stalking toward his back door.
“Guess, I’ll be seeing your ass in a few.” Kase laughed.
“I want eyes on her until I get there.”
“How come none of you assholes follow orders? Said she was off-limits.”
Saint clenched his jaw. Kase was fucking with him and knew damn well he didn’t take orders from anyone. Especially when it came to Bailey. His friend was having a good time while Saint ripped through his yard. Saint hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket.
Chapter Four
In the dim light of her kitchen, Bailey sat at her table.
She’d slithered in about thirty minutes ago. She tiptoed around her house so as not to wake up Macy and Rourke. If ever there was a time she was regretting her hospitality, tonight was it. All she wanted was to be alone.
She should have been in bed trying to forget all the happenings from tonight, but her mind wouldn’t settle. Other people’s words and thoughts couldn’t hurt her unless she let them. Unless she gave them worth and power. She couldn’t combat it tonight. She was throwing in the towel and basically giving permission to succumb to the words of some woman she didn’t even know, a woman who only saw her exterior.
It struck her as odd. This was the first time she had heard first-hand someone speak of her with cruelty and nastiness. She’d bore her scars for years but never heard the whispers. Is that what people thought when they looked at her? No amount of therapy could have prepared her for tonight.
When she went upstairs, she eyed her pajamas on the edge of the bed. It was her usual wardrobe for nighttime. A pair of lounge pants and a tank top. Usually, if she had guests, which was rare, she’d wear long sleeves. Not this time. This is my house, and I will not hide. After changing her clothes, she settled into the kitchen with a cup of tea in hopes it would relax her. It didn’t. She was left in silence to hear the vicious words play over in her head on repeat. She stared down at the napkin holder as her eyes teared up.