Once Stevie was gone, I settled into the chair next to Della’s bed. I stared at her for a while, thinking about all that she’d gone through. Losing a baby was huge. Some women didn’t get over something like that. She had a long road of healing ahead of her, both mentally and physically. She could even need therapy to get over the trauma.
I prayed that making Daryl pay for what he’d done would be a good start. Sometimes it took destroying the monster that had changed your life forever to be able to move forward. I should know. I’d run from Wildman long enough, but it had taken learning from Rebel that Wildman and the Red Devils were no more for me to relax and finally feel at peace with my life. Having Rebel back in my life was an added bonus, because I’d never really blamed him for what had happened.
The question was how long was he going to remain in my life now?
Chapter 22
Rebel
After leaving Ginger I called the Max brothers in and then met them at her and Della’s apartments to let them inside. No explanations had been necessary, they’d been around a long time and knew what they were doing. As far as cleanup crews went they were fast, thorough, and experienced. They had to be in order to do the jobs they were usually hired for, and their clients counted on them not to leave anything behind for the cops, especially not DNA. With no bodies to contend with, cleanup at the girls’ apartments was an easy job for them.
After that I’d gone to Pirate’s Cove, where I met Vinny in his office for a private conversation. He was on the phone when I opened his door. He motioned for me to come in and sit.
“I don’t care what you have to do to find him,” he growled to someone on the other end of the line. “He damned near killed one of my girls. Kidnapped another.” He was as determined as I was to find and end Daryl. He was protective over the girls working for him, and he didn’t tolerate abuse of any kind. “No, we got her back. Spread the word. I want the whole fucking town looking for that little prick.” He hung up, seemingly satisfied.
I sank down into the chair opposite him, his desk between us. “I want him,” I said firmly, leaving no doubt that I would deal with Daryl once we found him. “I just left the Max brothers at the girls’ apartments.”
“Christ.” Vinny hadn’t always been a bar owner. Twenty years before he’d been involved with some shady characters and had done some dirty dealings. He’d made use of the Max brothers on occasion, so he knew the significance of hiring them. He’d distanced himself from that kind of life since, but once you were caught up in our world you never really escaped it. It paid to keep your connections. “Stevie told me what he did to Della.” He rubbed the bottom half of his jaw. “You know, when I first met Daryl I liked him. He seemed like an okay guy.”
“Drugs, man, you know what they can do,” I said, sitting back in my chair.
Vinny nodded. “Yeah. I met Daryl in the beginning of their relationship, but he hasn’t come around lately for me to notice the changes. If he had, I would have done something.”
I believed Vinny. He didn’t take shit from anyone. “He’s using the hard stuff,” I began, thinking about how Daryl had looked that night in Della’s apartment, “and he seemed desperate for money. From what we’ve been able to piece together, he owes the Kings.”
Vinny sniggered. “Wicked is crazy, he causes trouble just for the hell of it. If that’s true, then Daryl’s got a shit-ton of bad dudes looking for him.”
“Including the Sentinels. Tanner and I go back a long way. His club is willing to help.”
“A couple of them, Ace and Skipper, came by earlier. They wanted to know if I had a picture of Daryl.” Shit, I’d forgotten to ask Ginger about that. “Said they’d been in touch with Wicked, but there’s bad blood between them, he wouldn’t help them for shit.”
“Ginger said there was another man involved in her abduction, a friend of Daryl’s named Jack. You know him?”
That news seemed to surprise Vinny. He nodded. “I know the guy. He comes in once in a while. In fact, I think he and Daryl met here one night, when Daryl came in to see Della. They were sitting at the bar and struck up a conversation, became chummy. He seemed pretty harmless, though.”
“He helped take my woman,” I snarled. “He pays for that. If we find him, he could lead us to Daryl.”
“I’ll ask around when the bar opens. Someone might know where Jack works.”
“Does Daryl have family in the area?”
He shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. You know how the girls are, most of the time they don’t know the last names of the men they date.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle and two shot glasses. “Want a drink?”
“Yeah, I could do with one.” I noticed that it was the good stuff. He splashed some amber liquid into a glass and slid it my way.
He poured himself a shot, but before he had a chance to take a sip his phone rang. “Yeah?” he barked into the receiver. He grunted a few times before hanging up. “Well, that’s something, at least. I found out Daryl is unemployed, and recently evicted from his apartment. He’s been hanging out with one of his friends, someone who drives a black Camaro, could be Jack.”
A black Camaro. That jogged my memory back to that morning when I’d almost been side swiped by one as I’d left Ginger’s apartment complex. Fuck. It couldn’t be a coincidence. My mouth turned down in a sneer as I realized how close I’d been to Ginger.
“What’s wrong?”
My expression had given me away. “A black Camaro was leaving the parking lot of the girls’ apartment building as I was turning in this morning.”
“Shit, man.”
“Yeah.” I clenched my jaw. “Fuck.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. You got your girl back, right?” Something in Vinny’s tone made me narrow my eyes. There was an undercurrent of speculation in his comment, as if he were looking for confirmation as to the status between me and Ginger.
I couldn’t blame him, considering what had just happened. Plus, Vinny had known me for years, and he’d never seen me interested in one woman before. He had to know that there was something serious between me and Ginger for me to be there. Ginger was more than just a casual fuck, but if I pointed that out to him he probably would have tried to pound the shit out of me. That thought made me grin.
That pissed him off. “Right?” he asked in a hard, prompting tone.
Did I think of Ginger as my girl? Fuck, yeah. She was mine, and had been for years. I wanted her. I had claimed her. I didn’t want anyone else to have her, but admitting it scared the fuck out of me. I felt that once the words were out of my mouth, my fate would be sealed. I wouldn’t be able to take them back. I glared at Vinny, suddenly pissed that he was demanding a commitment from me. It was none of his fucking business, anyway.
“What’s between us is between us,” I finally said, tossing back my drink and slamming the glass down onto his desk. If he didn’t get the message that I didn’t want to discuss it, then there was going to be trouble.
“You hurt her‒”
“Don’t plan on it.” I watched as he sat back in his chair, grumbling beneath his breath. “Let’s worry about finding Daryl,” I insisted, crossing my arms. For a minute we stared each other down, but after a few seconds of thinking it over he nodded. I felt a vibration in my pocket and dug out my phone. It was Moody. “Yeah, brother?”
“Hey, I’m down here at a biker bar called The Rooster in Sanford. Caught wind of some news.”
I’d heard of The Rooster but had never been to it. I liked to stick closer to home when I was in Daytona. Moody didn’t call any place home. Like many of us nomads, he had never been part of an MC. He liked running solo, and when you hired the brother for a job, he did it, did it well, and then disappeared. I knew the only reason that he was sticking around now was to help out if I needed him.
“What kind of news?” The background noise on his phone revealed that he was still in the bar. I could hear heavy rock n’ roll, laughter, and the sound of pool balls slamming into p
ockets.
“Some of the Kings are here. Overheard one of them talking about Daryl and his skipping out on owing them money. Apparently, he called Wicked earlier and told him he had something for him in exchange for the money.”
Ginger. My gut clenched at how close she’d come to being in the middle of shit. “Are they looking for him?”
“Fuck, yeah, brother. They want their money and they’re willing to take it out of his hide.”
I snorted. “Daryl’s days are numbered. Vinny has people looking for him, too.”
“You might not get to be the one to end him,” Moody said, stating something that I was already aware of. “The only advantage you got is that Daryl doesn’t know anyone else is looking for him except the Kings.” I knew that, too. “I’m going to hang around here for a couple of days, see if I can pick up anything else.”
“While you’re at it, ask about a guy named Jack, he was with Daryl when they took Ginger.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, brother.” We’d have an easier time of finding two men with specific names than one. The call was ended and I slipped my phone back into my pocket, pinning my gaze on Vinny. “Daryl was going to trade Ginger to Wicked in exchange for the money he owed them.”
“Thank fuck she escaped when she did,” Vinny commented, his face turning red.
I couldn’t agree more. I got to my feet. “Moody’s going to hang around in Sanford for a while, keep his eyes open. I’ve got to get back to the hospital.” I didn’t want to leave Ginger alone for too long with Daryl still out there somewhere. I didn’t trust him. She’d ruined his plans, whether Wicked would have taken her or not.
Vinny pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. “I gotta get out front. I’ll let you know when I hear something.”
When, not if. With the amount of people looking for Daryl, and now Jack, someone was bound to see or hear something. Better sooner than later. I wanted to put an end to this.
When I arrived back at the hospital and Della’s room, I wasn’t surprised to walk in and find that Ginger was asleep. She was sitting in a chair next to the bed, her head lying on her crossed arms that were resting on the bed rail. She looked uncomfortable. Della was sleeping, too, which was probably a good thing. She was hooked up to all kinds of bags and monitors, but her breathing seemed peaceful. The woman had been through hell, and the thought that Ginger could have ended up the same way filled me with blind rage.
I wasn’t going to be happy until Daryl was maggot food.
I stepped further into the room. Ginger stirred slightly as I moved closer to her. She straightened slowly and turned my way, the sleepy sadness in her eyes gutting me. Once again I was reminded that I hadn’t been there to keep her safe, that I hadn’t listened to my gut when it had warned me that Daryl was trouble. I forced down the anger and instead focused on Ginger’s beautiful face. Her warm smile calmed me.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Babe.” I couldn’t help myself. I slipped my hand beneath her hair and around the back of her neck and then leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were so fucking soft and sweet, and I wanted to take the time to slip my tongue inside her mouth to taste her, but not here, not now. There would be time for that later. I drew back, my gaze dropping to the slightly swollen, dewy look that my kiss had created. “Let’s go‒”
Her eyes grew round as she whispered sharply, “No! I need to be here!”
“Babe, listen—” I crouched next to her, running my hand up and down her back. “It’s been a long day, you’ve got to eat something and get some rest. Della would want you to do that‒”
“But‒”
“Look at her,” I continued. “She’s sleeping soundly and probably will all night. We can come back first thing in the morning.”
Ginger looked at Della, but I could see the indecision in her liquid eyes. She was barely holding on. “I’m scared,” she admitted softly.
I couldn’t blame her. I dug out my phone and pulled up Tanner’s number. It took a few rings before he answered.
“What’s up, brother?”
“Hey, man, I’m here at the hospital. Can one of your brothers do a little protection duty while Della is here? I need to get Ginger home, and she’s afraid to leave her friend.”
“Anything you need. I’ll send Gabe. How’s the girl doing?” he asked.
“She’s in rough shape, but she’ll heal.” I didn’t want to get into the details. “I appreciate this, brother.”
“Good to hear. He’ll be there in ten.”
The entire time that I’d been on the phone, Ginger’s eyes had been on me while she listened in, so I didn’t need to fill her in on what had been said. Her smile and the shining appreciation in her pretty eyes was all the confirmation I needed that she was on board.
“Thank you.” Her soft words were followed with a sweet kiss that warmed my blood. I growled low, fighting the urge to pull her back to me when she drew away.
“We’ll wait for Gabe to get here and then take off, yeah?” She nodded. “We’ll grab something to eat somewhere, and then go home.”
“I am hungry,” she admitted.
I was hungry, too, but for her. I’d feed her, take her home for a long soak, and then fuck her into oblivion. I would make her forget, if only for a little while, the shit that had gone down today.
“Have you talked to anyone about how long Della will be here?”
“A nurse came in earlier, she said probably a few days.” I nodded, sensing that she wanted to say more. “Do you think he’ll try anything else?”
She didn’t need to say his name. I knew that she was talking about Daryl, and I wasn’t going to lie to her. If anything, the truth would make her more aware of what was going on around her. Until Daryl was found, neither she nor Della was out of the woods completely. “If he’s smart he won’t, but he’s on drugs, and he owes someone money, someone bad. He may place blame for his predicament on one of you. He didn’t get what he needed from Della, so I’d like to say he won’t be back, but the truth is, when someone is desperate and on drugs, they don’t think rationally. “
Ginger nodded in understanding. “Will someone be here as long as Della is here?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t want her to worry about it. “I’ll see to it. Gabe is on his way now.”
“Did I hear my name?”
We both turned toward the door to see a huge biker with a blonde Mohawk saunter into the room. He looked like a fucking Viking. Gabe was the Sentinels’ VP and a good man to have in a fight. He was a mean, tough motherfucker, and one hit from his huge fist and you were out. “That was fast, brother.”
He grinned. “I was five minutes away when Tanner called.” He looked toward the hospital bed, his grin fading. “Damn.” That was an understatement. “I won’t leave her side,” he promised in a serious tone. He glanced down at Ginger. “And who’s this pretty lady?”
“Ginger,” she said as I pulled her to her feet. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.”
“Thank you for coming. Della is my best friend, we’re sisters really.” There was an emotional tremble in her voice.
“Don’t mention it, sweetheart. Anytime.”
I knew that Gabe meant it, but I didn’t like the look of interest in his eyes when they were on my woman. I wrapped my arm around Ginger, feeling the need to show him that she was mine. The smirk and knowing gleam in his eyes revealed that he’d gotten the message loud and clear. No other words were necessary. His slight nod satisfied me.
“Did Tanner fill you in?” Gabe nodded brusquely. “No one but her nurse and doctor get into this room. You call me for any reason.”
“Got it, brother.”
I steered Ginger out of the room and out to my bike.
We’d grab a bite to eat, and then head home.
And then I was going to fuck her brains out.
Chapter 23
Ginger
For the first time in as long as I could remembe
r I was glad to let someone take over and make the decisions for me. I was emotionally exhausted and slightly brain dead from too much happening in such a short time. Rebel’s presence was a peaceful balm that soothed more than one need. He was taking care of me. I recognized it because he’d done the same thing when we’d first met. I hadn’t recognized it then, I’d been too frightened by being thrown into a situation that was beyond my control. But looking back, I understood that he’d taken care of me then, too, in the only way that he could.
Why? I decided the only way I was going to find out was if I simply asked him. We’d stopped at a small country kitchen, the kind that was known more for the food then ambiance, and was open all night. We’d just settled into one of the worn vinyl booths and had ordered our food. I was watching the waitress walk away when Rebel reached across the table and snagged my hand.
Our gazes met and held. His strength and his concern for me registered in his sapphire eyes, the tautness of his jaw, and the firmness of his lips. There was something else there, too, but it was hard to identify what exactly it was. His thick hair brushed against his shoulders, long enough for him to pull it back with a tie if he’d wanted to. I wanted to run my fingers through it, I wanted to smooth my hands over his rugged features to draw from his strength.
“Why are you doing this, Rebel? Why are you taking care of me?” Please, God, I silently prayed, don’t let him say that it’s because I owe him money. I wanted him to have feelings for me, the same feelings that I had for him, even though I wasn’t sure what those feelings were just yet. I only knew that he was important to me and that I wanted him in my life.
He took a long time to think about his answer. Leaning against the backrest of the booth, he exhaled a deep breath and released my hand. This was not a good sign in my book. I swallowed the disappointment and schooled my features to hide how devastated that small move had left me. I forced a tiny smile on my lips, hating myself when I couldn’t control the tremble.
“Because I owe you money?” There, I’d said it, but I could see right away that my comment had angered Rebel, and I was suddenly glad that he wasn’t holding my hand any longer. I could almost feel him squeezing it hard enough to cause me pain. I felt the need to apologize, but then reminded myself that owing him money was the only thing we really had between us.
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