by Aja Foxx
I punched him straight in the face.
Yet again.
I kicked out with my leg, catching him in the side of the knee. The man screamed as he bent down and grabbed for his leg. I put all my strength into the knee I brought up into his face. The man went flying backwards, landing at Bear's feet.
He wasn't moving.
I glanced up at Bear, afraid of what was going to happen now that I knocked out one of his bikers. My jaw dropped when Bear picked the guy up and carried him toward the front of the door. Another man, one covered in more tattoos than I'd ever seen in my life, ran over and opened the door before Bear got there. A moment later, Bear tossed the unconscious man right through the doorway.
When he came back, he stopped right in front of me. I took a hasty step back, afraid he was about to toss me out the door, too.
"If he ever bothers you again," Bear said, "you tell me and I'll take care of it."
I knew my mouth was hanging open as I nodded, but come on. He'd just tossed his own guy out the door instead of me.
You'd be stunned, too.
"He wanted a blow job," I said in way of explanation. "He refused to take no for an answer."
Bear snorted. “He's lucky Gunner didn't hear him."
I instantly frowned. "Gunner?"
"Our vice president."
"Big guy, beard, hair pulled back in a ponytail?"
Bear grinned. "That's him."
I nodded absently. Now I had a name to go with the really scary, very large, totally mouthwatering man who'd been in Butch's office.
"Next time," Bear said, "aim for the nuts, not the knee. A man will go down a lot faster if you kick his nuts into his throat."
I smiled weakly. "I'll keep that in mind."
Not that there would be a next time. I planned on never coming back here just as soon as I got what I wanted from Butch. A biker bar or club or whatever this place was, was not the place for me.
The door to Butch's office opened and Gunner stood there. When he gestured to me, I hurried across the room to him.
"Butch wants to talk to you."
My heart sank at the rigid set of Gunner's jaw. This wasn't going to go like I wanted to. I could feel it. The hope I had that Butch might be able to save my twin's life was going up in a puff of smoke.
I swallowed tightly and stepped into Butch's office, my gaze immediately going to the man sitting behind the desk.
"I'd like to meet your brother before I give you my answer," Butch said. "Is that acceptable to you?"
Wouldn't matter if it was or not. I'd take what I could get.
"Of course, but you'll have to go to him. Harry can't travel."
"That would be fine, but I don't want to run into your mother. I made a promise to Sarah all those years ago to stay out of her life and I intend to keep it."
"You ever think that maybe the two of you didn't have the right to make that decision for me and Harry?" I had no idea why I was arguing with him, but I was suddenly pissed. "You and Mother and Father have all been lying to us our entire lives because of shit that happened before we were even born."
"Things were different back then, Henry. Surely you understand that."
"Different?"
"Your mother was a debutant on summer vacation and I was the bad guy she used to take a ride on the wild side. We both knew going into it that it would never work. When she discovered she was pregnant, she said she would handle it and that I was never to contact her. She didn't ever want to see me again."
I winced. "Yes, that sounds like my mother."
I loved my mother, but she could be a bit prejudiced on occasion. Mostly, she preferred to have things a certain way and didn't like it when they weren't. In her mind, men like Butch were to stay on the other side of the tracks from her rose colored world.
It was an argument we'd had many times. She hated the fact that I worked in the emergency room. She felt I should have a private practice catering to her high society friends. According to her, caring for poor, and often times homeless, patients was beneath me. I should donate money and let others get their hands dirty.
"We still should have been told."
"I agree," Butch said. "When you were old enough, you should have been given the chance to meet me. I'm sorry that didn't happen, but it's not something I can change."
"Did you ever look for us or even wonder about us?"
"I actually didn't know there were an us until you told me. After your mother left that summer, I never heard another word from her. I didn't even know if you were a boy or a girl." Butch grimaced as he shoved a hand through his hair. "Hell, I didn't even know you'd been born. For all I knew, she could have had an abortion. She did tell me she'd take care of it."
I sighed as I sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "She never even contacted you to tell you we'd been born?"
Butch shook his head. "Like I said, the night she told me she was pregnant was the last time I ever saw her. I went by her bungalow the next day thinking maybe we could talk or something, but she'd packed up and gone home."
"Why didn't you track her down if you were interested enough to try and go see her the next day?"
"Because Sarah Preston did not exist."
I frowned. "Sarah Preston?"
Oh, shit.
"That's the name she gave me."
Man, I wanted to strangle my mother. "Preston is her father's first name."
"Yeah, well, obviously, she didn't want to be found." Butch grimaced. "I did try and find her, but I never got anywhere. I couldn't exactly file a missing person's report because she wasn't missing. She'd just gone home." Butch shrugged. "Besides, considering who I was, I doubted the police would have helped me anyway."
"Because you're a biker?"
Butch nodded. "We don't always see eye to eye with the police on what is lawful and what is not."
I let that statement drop between us without replying. I didn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole.
"Okay, if I can arrange for you to meet with Harry without my mother there, will you do it?" I wasn't sure how I'd arrange that. My mother hovered over Harry as if he was on the edge of death. He kind of was, but she'd been doing that since the moment he coughed wrong and she'd never let up. It drove Harry crazy.
"I will, but she cannot find out."
Yeah, that was going to be easy.
Not.
"I need to talk to someone and find out my mother's schedule, but once I do, I'll let you know when would be the best time to see Harry. It has to be soon, though. He doesn't have much time left."
Butch nodded before handing me a slip of paper with a phone number on it. "Call me when you have things set up."
"I will, thank you." I stood up and reached across the desk to shake Butch's hand before I thought about it. I was surprised when he actually shook it.
When I turned to leave, Butch called out my name.
"Before you go, are you sure you don't know who blew up your car?"
I shook my head as I glanced back. "I really don't. Things like this just don't happen to me. My life is boring."
"Well, apparently, it just got a lot more interesting."
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but..."
Butch's eyebrow went up. "But what?"
"There was this guy on a bike. He followed me from the hospital. I lost sight of him when I went into the grocery store and then my car blew up, so..." I shrugged. "I'm not sure if the two incidents are connected or not, and I'm not saying it was a biker, but..."
Butch's eyes cut to Gunner. "I'll ask around and see if anyone's been nosing around."
"I probably just should have told the police about it."
I had no idea why I admitted that.
Butch glanced back to me, but so did Gunner. I shiver ran down my back at the intensity of the two men's gazes.
"You didn't tell the cops?" Gunner asked.
I shook my head.
"Why not?"
"It didn't fe
el right." It might sound stupid, but that was the only explanation I could come up with. "The police who questioned me weren't real forthcoming about what had happened and they seemed to think whoever placed the bomb in my car was someone from my past. They couldn't seem to grasp the fact that I just don't know people like that."
Gunner snorted, which was an incredibly rude sound. "You do now."
I turned to look at the man. "Are you saying you tried to kill me?"
"No." Gunner's brown eyes were steel hard. "I'm saying you stepped into this world, and it's a hard one. Only the strong survive."
Figures.
Chapter Seven
~ Gunner ~
I pulled my bike to a stop down the street from the building where Henry was supposed to live. It was a pretty fancy building made of glass and concrete. As far as I could tell, Henry's residence was on the tenth floor. The entire tenth floor.
I shook my head. How someone could stand to live in all that concrete was beyond me. My room back at the clubhouse was as close as I wanted to come to living in this concrete hell we called the city. I much preferred the great outdoors.
I knew I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't seem to help myself. Not only was my unclaimed mate walking around free where anyone could get at him, his life was in danger. I didn't know who was after my mate, but they would have to go through me to get to him.
Even if I had to sit out here all night.
I sat there for awhile then got up and walked a little ways down the block to stretch my legs. Whoever said stakeouts were easy lied through their teeth.
They sucked.
I was headed back toward my bike, but slowed when a taxi pulled up in front of the building. My breath caught when a brown haired man climbed out. I swear I could see those beautiful blue eyes all the way across the street.
Henry looked right at me.
And then he started across the street toward me. My bear growled in appreciation of the soft sway of Henry's hips as he walked. I had to wonder if the man actually knew how alluring he was. If he knew how close he was from being jumped and claimed, he'd run.
He didn't. He just kept walking toward me.
"Mr. Gunner."
"Just Gunner," I replied.
Henry nodded. "Is there a problem?"
Oh, how to answer that?
"Just wanted to make sure you got home safe." It was the only reasonable answer I could come up with and it sounded lame even to my ears.
"Would you like to come up for some coffee?"
Being alone with Henry was quite possibly the stupidest thing I could ever do.
I opened my mouth to beg off and found myself saying, "Coffee would be nice."
Yeah, I was stupid like that.
I followed Henry across the street to his building like the man had a hook in me, and he kind of did. Henry just didn't know it and I knew he could never find out.
This was going to suck worse than being on a stakeout, but I couldn't seem to deny myself one small glimpse into Henry's life.
I scanned the building as we walked into it, looking for any signs of danger and every possible exit and entrance. I was somewhat mollified when I saw Henry needed to use a special keycard to activate the elevator to get up to his apartment.
I still wasn't thrilled he lived in a tall concrete building. If there was an emergency, there would be no way for him to escape. Maybe I could broach the subject of him moving somewhere closer to the ground.
When the elevator started up, I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back against the wall. "You ever think of living somewhere a little less...high up?"
Henry shrugged as if it was no big deal. "My parents picked this place out for me while I was doing my residency. They liked the idea of me being on the top floor. I bought it and have been living here ever since."
"Do you like it?"
Henry shrugged. "I'm not really here that often. It's just kind of a place to lay my head at the moment." His laughter had a nervous tone to it. "And it's better than living at home with my parents."
I nodded absently. "I knew about your mother, but it's still weird to think Butch has kids."
Henry cocked his head in a way that made me want to sink my teeth into his exposed neck. "You knew my mother?"
I shook my head. "I knew of her, but I've never personally met her. Butch told me the tale one night after we polished off a bottle of whiskey together."
"What's he like?"
"Butch?"
Henry nodded.
"He's a pretty private person, tends to hide his emotions a lot, but being the president of the Soldiers of Fortune, he kind of has to be. Emotion can be seen as a weakness and, in our world, weakness can get you killed."
Henry shivered. "I can't imagine living like that."
"It's not all bad, and it's certainly like the movies make it out to be. I know that at any time, for whatever reason, I have a group of brothers who have my back no matter what. Butch would give his life for each and every one of us, and we'd do the same for him."
"That kind of loyalty is impressive."
"Living in an MC is a hard life, but the rewards far outweigh the danger."
Henry gave a little laugh. "I guess I always figured an MC is like that show they have on TV."
I chuckled. "No."
There were some elements that were the same, but not many. We'd laughed our asses off when we'd seen the show. It had been highly amusing. I imagined other MCs had laughed as well, although we'd laughed for a whole other reason.
The TV show never mentioned shifters.
When the doors of the elevator slid open, revealing a small lobby and a large door, my curiosity started to build. How did my mate live? Was he a slob? A neat freak? Did he enjoy sleek lines or comfy furniture?
When Henry opened the door to his penthouse apartment and we stepped inside, I got a good look into how the man lived, and it made me shiver. It was spotless. That was the first clue we had nothing common. I wasn't a slob by any means, but I wasn't a neat freak either.
Henry placed his keys and pass card in a bowl on a small table by the door then led the way into the rest of the penthouse apartment. I saw a lot of chrome and glass and leather. I didn't mind the leather, but the rest of it was kind of cold and creepy.
"Do all doctors live like this?" I asked, trying to keep my distaste out of my voice and off my face.
"I have no idea," Henry replied. "I've never been to another doctor's place."
I frowned as I glanced at the man. "Why not?"
Henry grimaced as he looked down at his hands. "I spend most of my free time trying to find a way to save my brother."
"You said he had leukemia, right?"
Henry nodded.
"I'm sorry." I didn't know much about the disease, but I knew enough to know it was a painful way to die. "You really think a bone marrow transplant will save him?"
"Truthfully? No, but it's all I have at the moment. Even if it only gives him a bit more time, that's more time I have to try and save him."
"You're close to your brother." It wasn't a question. It was an observation.
Henry's smile when he glanced up was filled his sadness. "He's my best friend."
Well, damn.
"If Butch is a match, I'm sure he'll help." Just not in the way Henry was expecting. I didn't know what Butch could do, but I knew the man would fight the devil himself to keep his kid alive, even if he'd never met him.
"I hope so," Henry replied. "He's kind of my last hope."
I felt for the guy, I really did, but there was no way in hell Butch was going to give up his blood. That just wasn't done. Henry would never understand it, but Butch had more than his son to think of. The entire shifter population would be in danger if scientists got a hold of their DNA.
"How do you take your coffee?"
"Black is fine."
Coffee was the last thing I wanted.
"Are you hungry?" Henry asked as I followed him into the kitchen. "I
haven't eaten yet. I was just going to order some take-out. If you're hungry, I can order extra."
"Or I can cook for you if you have some groceries."
Henry frowned, and for a moment I thought he was going to say he didn't want some biker cooking for him, but then his cheeks flushed. "I don't really have any groceries. I lost what I'd gotten from the grocery store when my car blew up. I'm not much of a cook anyway, so I just have things I can grab and go. I usually eat out, do take out, or eat at the hospital."
I smiled as an idea began to form in my mind. "Do you eat meat?"
Henry's head snapped back. "Of course I eat meat."
"Any allergies?"
"No, why?"
"I'll be back in twenty minutes and then I am cooking you dinner."
"Oh, no, you don't have to do that. Really. I can just order—"
I pressed a finger to Henry's lips before letting my hand slide over the side of his face. "I want to."
I don't know if Henry could see the lust burning in my eyes, but the man swallowed tightly.
"Okay," he whispered.
I almost kissed him, but stopped myself at the last second. "I'm taking your keycard."
Henry swallowed again. "It's on the table by the door."
I already knew that. I'd watched Henry drop it there.
I tortured myself by rubbing my thumb across Henry's lips. Good god, they were soft and plump and...Did I mention they were plump?
My voice rumbled in my chest as I said, "I'll be back in twenty minutes."
"I'll...I'll be here."
Henry was not unaffected by my presence. I wasn't sure that was desire I saw shining in his baby blues, but it was something.
I knew this was a callously bad idea, but I couldn't seem to help myself. Despite all of the promises I'd made myself to not get involved with Henry, he was my mate and I wanted just a little time with him before I gave him up forever.
Cooking him dinner seemed harmless enough. Besides, my bear liked the idea of providing food for our mate. It was a primitive instinct as old as time.
"I'll be back soon, Doc."
"Okay," Henry whispered again.