by Amelia Shea
“You okay?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
Bailey pushed up off the mattress. “Um…” What was the right protocol? She was weighing her options when Allie tossed her stuffed dog on the bed and crawled over to Saint’s side, slinking under the covers. Decision made.
She turned and tucked the covers around Allie and lay back down, closing her eyes. She was just losing consciousness when she felt a warm breath fan her face. She opened her eyes to find Allie inches from her face.
“You have freckles.”
Bailey nodded with a tight smile. From the looks of it, Allie wasn’t nearly as tired as she was.
Allie titled her head. “How come?”
One little question, was followed by a hundred more. By the time she’d actually fallen asleep, Cia was at her bedside waking her up. Bailey staggered out of bed giving a glance over her shoulder at Allie, who was fast asleep and would be for the next four hours.
So, this is motherhood.
After making breakfast, two times, they all showered and got ready for their day. After painting toenails. Twice for Allie who couldn’t seem to sit still long enough to allow them to dry, they played in the yard, made beaded necklaces, played a few rounds of I Spy on the front porch, and rode their bikes which ended in a small disaster when Allie fell off skinning her knee on the gravel. After twenty minutes cleaning it out through tears and seven different Band-Aids they were settled into the living room watching a movie. Cia brought out tons of pillows making a fort for them, but ten minutes into the movie, Allie grabbed her stuffed dog and climbed up on the couch, tucking herself into Bailey’s side.
Saint and Hades came back hours later. When they walked in Cia barely acknowledged them unable to tear herself away from the best part of the movie. Bailey giggled since it was the third time she declared the statement in the last thirty minutes.
“How’d it go?”
Saint nodded giving her a small smile while taking in the scene playing out in front of him. Allie had made herself completely comfortable in the nook of her arm and laid her head on Bailey’s chest, barely lifting it when they came in.
“Everything go good here?”
“Yeah, we ate, we played, even did our nails,” Bailey said, then smiled when Allie kicked her feet from underneath the blanket and wiggled her toes.
“Looks pretty, Als,” Saint said.
“My knee is broken, see?” Allie leaned forward whipping the blanket off her legs, exposing the colorful array of Band-Aids.
She heard his boots clamor down on the hardwood and caught his growl before she heard his whispered, “What?”
Bailey sat up and angled her head toward Hades who was wearing his signature scowl. “She fell off her bike, but I cleaned it out, got all the gravel, and disinfected it. The bandaging was Cia’s work. I assure you most of them are for decoration.” She laughed nervously.
Hades ignored Bailey and bent down bringing him eye level with his daughter. “You all right, baby?”
She nodded. “Uh huh, Bailey fixed it. Then I got two,” she held up her fingers, “ice pops ’cause I’m brave.” Allie glanced up at Bailey. “Right?”
Bailey hugged her into her side and smiled. “Super brave.” She laughed then glanced up at Hades who was staring at her. Allie wiggled off the couch to get her bag from the floor, packing up her dog, baby dolls and all her stuff.
“Thanks,” Hades said.
“No problem. I’m sorry she got hurt.” She lowered her voice. “She was trying to keep up with Cia.”
Hades turned and his featured softened. “Happens. Appreciate you taking care of her. She doesn’t get that a lot.”
It seemed like such a strange comment. “Get what?”
“A woman fussing over her. Her mom is shit, so when she gets it from a female, she eats it up.” He cocked a brow. “Gets an extra ice pop and shit.” He smirked.
“You saying she played me?”
He shrugged. “Probably.”
Saint laughed, hooking his arms around her waist with her back against his chest. She clasped her hands over his. Hades gaze dropped to where Saint held onto to her. There was a calm silence. He straightened his shoulders and glanced back up. Not at her, at Saint. Bailey watched but couldn’t read his expression. When Hades’ chin dipped, it felt as though he was giving some sort of approval. She couldn’t be sure.
“Uh, Hades?”
He glanced up, remaining silent. Bailey shrugged and glanced down at Allie. “If you ever need someone to keep an eye on Allie, let me know. I work from home, so I’m always available.” He continued to watch her without saying a word. She shifted against Saint. “Ya know if you ever need someone.” Her words tapered into a whisper.
His eyes squinted, and the corner of his mouth curled. “I appreciate it, Bailey.” He nodded. “Don’t have many people I trust with her beside Saint, so yeah, I’ll do that.”
She widened her eyes caught off guard by his admission he trusted her. She smiled. He turned toward the living room.
“Let’s go, Al,” Hades said.
Cia got up and hugged her little cousin. Saint unraveled his hold and bent down, wrapping his arms around Allie. She turned her head, giving him a kiss on his cheek, which for some odd reason hit Bailey hard. It was so sweet especially seeing a big man like Saint melt over a little girl. Hades grabbed Allie’s pink backpack, and she bit back her giggle. The only thing odder than Saint with Allie was Hades holding a pink bag.
“Bye Bailey.” She felt a tug on her pants and glanced down to find Allie looking up at her. She bent down to her eye level. She was so cute.
“It’s Aunt Bailey.” Cia garnered everyone’s attention. She glanced at her Dad then uncle. “Well, if Dad is her uncle, then Bailey is her aunt, right?”
Bailey licked her lips. It was extremely awkward with the adults in the room silent. Allie seemed unfazed. She threw her arms around Bailey’s shoulders, which made her smile, then leaned back and pressed her tiny lips on Bailey’s cheeks for a kiss.
“Bye, Aunt Bailey.” She turned, making her way to Hades and clasping his hand.
Bailey straightened and clamped her lips.
“We’re outta here.” Hades opened the door and glanced over his shoulder. “See ya guys next week.” His gaze shifted to Bailey, and he smirked. “Later, Aunt Bailey.” He winked and closed the door behind him.
What the hell just happened?
****
He finally had her alone.
She glanced over her shoulder, and the corner of her lip curled. “You hungry?” She bent over the counter, and the edge of her skirt inched up on her thighs. It was a tease. He eyed the hem of her skirt. It rose just high enough to catch a glimpse of her ass cheek.
He stalked forward. He grasped her hips, pulling her against his cock, which was hard just from his view. She jutted up, pressing her back against his chest and winding her hand up his neck. Just from a touch he was risking losing control with her. His fingers grazed her stomach and caught the hitch in her breath as she pressed her ass against his hardened cock, again. Fuck. She swiveled her hips.
He heard the bike pull into his driveway. Kase’s was louder than all of the brothers. Bailey moaned in frustration. Bad fucking timing, brother.
“It’s Kase.”
She dug her nails into his skin. “Make him go away.”
He nestled his face against her neck. “I can lock the door, but he’s a stubborn bastard. He’ll ring the bell until I answer.”
When the engine shut off, he backed away from Bailey, noticing her small pout as she walked out of the room. He adjusted his pants and turned to the back door.
Kase appeared, scanning the room. “Where’s the mayor?”
He jerked his head toward the doorway.
“Need to talk to her.”
“About?”
Kase smirked. Bailey came into the room and stopped at the doorway. She must have heard Kase. Her gaze flicked between him and Kase. She may h
ave pulled herself together, but Saint could see the residual heat in her eyes when she looked at him. Fuck, Kase.
“Hi, Kase. Need a permit?” She raised her brows.
“No.” Kase chuckled. “Just need to talk to you.”
Bailey arched her brow. “You want to hire me as the new bartender?” she teased, and Saint laughed.
“Need a favor.”
Bailey’s eyes widened, and she moved into the room, taking a seat at the table across from Kase. Saint was oddly surprised and relieved she showed not an ounce of uneasiness around him.
“Sure, what do ya need?”
Kase pulled out the chair from across the table. “You know the owner of the property next door to the clubhouse? Shaw?”
Saint handed him a glass of bourbon and watched Bailey’s reaction. Long before they moved to Ghosttown, the club had been trying to obtain the property next door. They’d been unsuccessful. There hadn’t been much talk since the last offer was declined. Saint figured Kase had given up.
Bailey smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know Phoebe. We’re actually pretty close friends. She’s awesome.”
Kase halted in mid-sip of his drink and stared at her over the rim of his glass. Saint bit back his smile. This would be fun to watch, he assumed. He’d known Kase for a long time and was well aware of his brother’s intentions with the adjacent property.
“You want me to introduce you? You guys will like her. She mostly keeps to herself. She’s very friendly and easy-going. If ya think she’ll give you trouble, she won’t. You won’t have to win her over like some of the other residents.”
Saint snorted, and she turned to him. He had his focus on Kase. Give it a shot, brother.
Kase cleared his throat, settling back into his chair. “I wanna buy her property. Had our people reach out. She declined.” He sighed. “All six times. Need you to talk to her.”
Bailey straightened her back. “You want me to try and get her to sell?”
Kase raised his brows and nodded.
“No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“’Cause it’s her home. If Phoebe doesn’t want to sell, I’m not going to try and force her to. Besides, I don’t want her to leave.”
Of course, Bailey wouldn’t. Saint sipped his drink, enjoying the exchange between them.
“Look, let me lay it for ya. We need the property if we want to expand and keep shit close to us. She’s got four acres of untouched land and a small shack just taking up space. She can find a better place for what I’m offering her. She’ll make bank. We get the property. Everyone fucking wins. You hear me?”
Bailey bit her lips, eyeing Saint. “Yeah.”
She didn’t have to say another word. Saint was so in sync with her. He knew what her response would be. However, Kase didn’t.
Kase sighed. “So, you’ll talk to her?”
Bailey clamped her lips then slowly shook her head. Kase may reign king over the Ghosttown Riders, but Bailey wasn’t bowing down. That’s my girl.
“You’re starting to piss me off.” His lip twitched.
“I know.” She smirked.
Saint chuckled. There was a lot Bailey was willing to do for the club, but convincing Phoebe to move wasn’t one of them. She hadn’t mentioned her much, but if she was resisting, they must have been close. Saint wouldn’t play a part in this. This was Kase’s fight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bailey dried off her hands at the sound of her bell. It seemed odd since visitors rarely used the front door. She stopped at the living room hall catching the tall shadow through the curtains on her door. She groaned softly, dropping her head.
This could only be one person. She couldn’t believe Arnett had the nerve to show up at her house. Saint was right. She needed to set ground rules of some sort. Why not call? Showing up at her house past nine was completely unacceptable. She drew in a breath and marched to the door fully prepared to lay it all out for him. She had been nice for too long. She clicked open the lock and yanked the door wide.
Oh my God.
Oh.
My.
God.
Her chest tightened, and her gaze seemed off, almost fuzzy. The only sound blasting through her ears was the erratic thump of her own heartbeat. It was frantic. For as heavy as her heart beat, her body had an adverse reaction, cold and numbing, as if the blood was draining from her body and her stomach twisted.
It wasn’t over.
“You call off your dogs, ya hear me, Bailey?”
Adam stood two feet away, yet he sounded so far away, the way his voice echoed as if he was in a valley. But he wasn’t far away. He was standing here, in front of her, staring back at her with a blazing glare. He’s at my house. She stepped back in a stumble, her head felt so heavy, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. If not for her harsh grip on the door handle, she may have fallen to the ground.
I handled this.
“Bailey,” he snapped, and she winced, gasping for breath. It was as if her throat was closing. She gasped again, needing the air to fill her lungs. She blinked incessantly, the room closing in on her. Oh hell. She was going to pass out and be unconscious with him in her house.
“Jesus Christ.”
Her body was frozen with fear, only stabilizing her more when his hands gripped her forearms tight, and her feet left the ground. She shook her head and opened her mouth. Nothing came out until her back hit the couch, seemingly knocking her back into life. She choked out a cough gasping for as much air as her lungs could take. Her eyes teared up and her skin prickled then shivered.
“Still a fucking mess, I see.” His tone was nasty and condescending. It seemed not much had changed in the last five years. She glanced up through her lashes. Adam was standing in the middle of her living room. The man who had scarred her and changed her life forever was standing in her house, insulting her.
She swallowed a harsh breath. “Get out.”
He shook his head. “You tell them to back the fuck down.”
He wasn’t making sense. “Who?”
His nostrils flared, and he moved toward her. She scurried into the couch, shifting her gaze around the room, desperate for an escape path. She was fucked. He had over a hundred pounds on her, and by the looks of him now, he’d spent the majority of his sentence working out. Oh, I’m so fucked.
“The fucking pussy squad who showed up at my work threatening me. How ya think my boss takes it when those fuckers rolled up on their bikes and started spewing their bullshit? I just got the job, and I’m on fucking probation, you stupid cunt. They show up again, and I’m fired.” He leaned in close and curled his upper lip. He always did that, coiling like a snake before he snapped. “You fix this shit, bitch, or I’ll fix you. Again.”
She didn’t know what came over her. She balled her fist and swung forward, cracking against his jaw. His head jerked back, and she gasped. Oh my God, I did it. Her small victory was short-lived. He spun, burning rage filtering through his glare.
Bailey bolted toward the edge of the couch, fully prepared to throw herself over the back and run out the back door. She was desperate, and while she wasn’t sure if she’d get away, she had to try. His hand gripped her ankle, yanking on her leg. She twisted around and heaved back and kicked with as much power as she had. He wasn’t prepared and let go of her leg. She scrambled up, her foot slipping out from under her, and tripped into her bookcase. The sharp edge stabbed into her hip bone. Her slip up gave him the time he needed to recover. She coiled around the small end table and could see the back door. Run!
She was just at the kitchen table when his hand gripped the back of her head, weaving into her hair and yanking her backward. Pain ripped through her scalp, and she tried to grasp at his hands, but her body spun, and she flew through the air, landing on the hard floor back in the living room. Her head bounced against the hardwood, and her gaze shifted. Bright white spots made it impossible to see where he was until she caught the sound of his boots. It echoed, like
a dysfunctional march—loud, hard, hurried steps pounding from all around her. Then they stopped.
A simultaneous click, a familiar sound, though she couldn’t place it. Again, and again, and again. She blinked, trying to gain back her sight. The room went from a chaotic rampage to eerily dead silence. What the hell was happening? She moved onto her side, heaving her body up to a seated position and glanced up. It was still fuzzy. Adam stood in front of her with his gaze locked overhead. Beyond his shoulder, she could make out a large man. She leaned to her side and widened her eyes. Rourke, with Trax next to him stood side by side, both aiming a gun at the back of Adam’s head.
She swiveled around and gasped, her bottom lip falling open at the sight of the front of her living room. Kase and Saint mimicking their brothers, guns loaded and aimed at her ex.
“Saint,” she whispered, her voice groggy and timid.
She’d seen a stoic, unemotional Saint before, but nothing like this. This was deadly.
A pair of boots moved forward. “Take him out back and wait for us,” Kase said.
She pushed off the ground feeling the aches and bruises setting in, and she dropped her head, trying to find her strength. Her arms were shaking, making it even harder to get up. She felt him near before she saw him and felt his touch.
“Easy, sweetheart.”
There it was, the only voice she wanted to hear. She glanced up, and Saint gently wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her against his chest and hooking his other arm under her legs. She threw her arms around his neck and completely lost it. With her fear subsiding, reality struck of what could have happened if he hadn’t shown up. She sobbed heavily, squeezing him harder. He moved them to the couch, seating himself and holding her close to his chest.
His hands drew circles over her back, and his mouth grazed her ear. “I’m here, sweetheart. Nothing’s gonna hurt you, I promise, Bailey.”