Road to Passion

by Piper Davenport

* * *

  A slobbery wet tongue woke me the next morning, and it wasn’t the slobbery wet tongue I would have preferred. “Ugh, Barney. What are you doing?”

  Barney jumped up and down on the bed, running his nose along the comforter and growling for me to get up. I pulled him close and scratched his belly, craning my head to look at the clock. I sat up. It was noon. “Mack?” I called.

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “It’s noon.”

  He walked into the room, a grin covering his face. “Well done, Darien, you’ve learned how to tell time.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me? We have so much to do.”

  “We’ll get it all done, Dare.”

  “I don’t think you understand exactly how much there is,” I countered. “We have to clean the bathrooms, make the bed, vacuum—”

  Mack chuckled, cutting off my rant. “Party starts at six, Dare. We’ve got more than five hours to take care of everything.”

  “Exactly. We’ve only got five hours.”

  Mack leaned down and kissed me. “Shower and I’ll make you something to eat when you get out.”

  “Does nothing ever faze you?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to get fazed over a dirty toilet?”

  “No, because I cleaned the toilets yesterday.”

  He laughed. “You want me to get fazed over shit we’re gonna take care of as soon as you get your cute ass out of bed?”

  “Well, when you say it like that, I sound a little dramatic.”

  “No,” he droned, sarcastically. “My Darien is never dramatic.”

  I smiled. “I love you, butthead.”

  “Love you too, baby.”

  He left the room and I decided to forego the shower for the moment. There was too much sweaty work still to be done. I hit the shower around four, and Mack and I put the final touches on the house just as Millie and Pauley arrived.

  They were both intimately aware of our home, considering they had been in it almost as much as Mack had been, so they moved straight to the kitchen to drop off wine, beer, and food.

  “Are you going to want me to chill some white, Dare?” Pauley asked.

  “Yes, probably a good idea. I don’t know who will drink it, but good to have it.”

  “Can I pour you a glass of red?”

  “No, it’s good.”

  “Darien Aherne is turning down wine? Is the world ending?” Millie asked.

  Mack raised an eyebrow and I sighed. “Um. Well, the thing is... it looks like I might be pregnant.”

  Pauley gasped. “What?”

  Mack wrapped his arm around my waist.

  “I thought you were on the pill,” Millie said.

  “I am... was. I had to take those antibiotics when I had those stitches, so I think it happened then.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Pauley said.

  “I know it’s fast,” I whispered.

  “Fast doesn’t even begin to cover what this is.”

  “Pauley.”

  “Darien, this is crazy, sissy,” she continued. “You get that right?”

  “Hm-mm,” I mumbled.

  I felt Mack’s body stiffen and then he muttered, “Excuse us,” and pulled me into our bedroom, closing the door behind us. “Dare?”

  “Hmm?” I blinked back tears.

  He cupped my cheeks and smiled. “Take a breath.”

  I took two.

  “I’m here. Pauley can make all the statements she likes, all well-meaning and shit, but I won’t allow her to ruin any of this. It’s a happy time, baby. All of this is good. Yeah?”

  I nodded my head on autopilot.

  “Darien?”

  I dropped my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. “What if we’re making a huge mistake?”

  “Then it’s our mistake to make.”

  “I don’t want to lose this.”

  “Baby.” He sighed and gave me a squeeze. “We’re not gonna lose it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “For one, people a lot less in love have babies every day. We aren’t those people. We also don’t have financial shit draggin’ us down. We’re in a really good place.”

  “That is true.”

  He lifted my chin. “Do you love me?”

  “With all my heart.”

  He smiled. “The rest is just life, honey, and we’ll figure it out as it comes.”

  I raised up on my tiptoes and kissed him gently. “Thanks, butthead.”

  “You’re welcome, Pid.” Mack chuckled and led me back out into the kitchen. I was bolstered enough that I was able to have non-defensive conversation with my sister and she apparently figured out that nothing she said was going to change anything, so in the end it was all good.

  Our closest friends trickled in over the next half hour or so and our home was filled with bikers which, had I been told even six months ago would have happened, I wouldn’t have believed.

  We’d thought about keeping the pregnancy news to ourselves, but (truth be told) we didn’t try that hard to keep it secret and since Mack had decreed the dress shopping bonanza a necessity the next day, I was surrounded by people who were ready to plan for a Dogs of Fire wedding. I’d also added a few to my shopping team since Dani, Payton, Cassidy, and Kim wanted to join in.

  By the time we closed the door on our last guest, set the alarm, and climbed into bed, I was wrapped in a cocoon of love and acceptance, the likes of which I’d never experienced before. Little did I know that that security would be shattered in a matter of days.

  WEDNESDAY MORNING, MACK left early and I planned on organizing a few things. My phone rang at just after ten. “Hey, Millie,” I said, as I dropped a bowl into the dishwasher.

  “Hey. I wanted to see if you had time for lunch. I’m up your way, so thought we could meet, like in an hour or so.”

  I glanced at the clock. “Um, yeah, that sounds good. You want to meet at Tommy O’s or Beaches?”

  “Ooh, Beaches. I love that place.”

  “Me too.” I grinned. “I’ll see you there.”

  “Awesome.”

  Millie hung up and I called Mack. It went to voicemail so I left him a quick message and then jumped in the shower.

  Once dressed, I sent a quick note to my editor who had some questions on my newest manuscript and then I got Barney sorted and grabbed the keys to the BMW. Mack’s car had hands free for my phone, and let’s be honest, it was a BMW and super fun to drive. I’d just buckled my seatbelt when Mack called me back. “Hey, honey.”

  “Hey, babe. You’re goin’ to lunch with Millie?”

  “Yes.” I started the car. “Is that a problem?”

  “Should be fine. Where are you going?”

  “Beaches.”

  “Okay. Keep your phone on you.”

  I exited I-5 on 14 and headed toward Columbia. “Mack, is there something I should know?”

  “No, babe. Just call me if anything feels off.”

  I sighed. “We’re in the ’Couve, honey. Nothing’s ever off. Do you want me to look for something specific?”

  He chuckled. “No. I’m just being extra overprotective.”

  I smiled. “Okay, Daddy. You’re allowed to be extra overprotective.”

  “You in my car?”

  “Hells, yes, I’m in your car,” I said, and pulled out of the garage. “I love your car.”

  He chuckled. “I know you do.”

  I arrived at the restaurant and parked right out front. “I think we should just plan on it being my car going forward.”

  “We’re gonna get something safer once the baby comes.”

  “Ugh, does that mean something bigger?”

  “Not necessarily.”

  I smiled. “Okay, I’m here, honey.”

  “Have fun. Love you, baby.”

  “Love you too. I’ll call you when I leave the restaurant.”

  “Okay. ’Bye.”

  I hung up and got out of the car, excited to
spend some quality time with my girl. Millie and I had been having a hard time connecting, mostly because of her new(ish) job. She was the new comptroller for one of the largest alcohol distributors in Portland, and her hours were crazy. Our housewarming had been the first time in months that we’d spent more than an hour together.

  She was drifting away from me and I didn’t know how to stop it. We were both independent, but we were also used to being in each other’s business constantly. It was a weird dynamic, but it was one I loved, and I was discovering that growing up meant we had to have real jobs and be adults, which honestly wasn’t very much fun.

  * * *

  Mack sat with Booker, Knight, and Hawk in his office at Blush and seethed. “What did Brock say?”

  “He didn’t say much,” Hawk admitted.

  Brock Williams was Hawk’s brother-in-law, and FBI. Mack wasn’t happy they were pulling the law in, but Hawk felt they didn’t have a choice, and they’d stalled as long as they could.

  Knight pulled out his phone. “Ace and Jax are here.”

  “Fuck!” Mack said. “I thought we had a few more hours.”

  “Apparently we don’t.” Knight fired off a text and his brothers breezed in a few seconds later. Jaxon, Carter, and Aidan Quinn were three of six brothers, and while two chose the law, one chose marriage, and so far, two had chosen the Dogs. Luke, the middle brother, was still moving from job to job, but he’d met the Dogs on several occasions.

  Jaxon took a minute to shake everyone’s hands and then the group moved into the bar area between Mack and Booker’s offices.

  “Brock’s lettin’ me run this,” Jaxon informed everyone. “But mostly because he’s keepin’ the powers that be out of this for the moment.”

  “What the hell does that mean exactly?” Ace asked.

  “The Kozlov’s are fuckin’ with everyone right now, so we’re attempting to bring them down without dragging you guys into it.”

  “We know who’s funneling,” Jaxon said, and handed Mack a file.

  Mack opened it and let out a breath. “Fuck me.”

  * * *

  Millie was pacing the little waiting area when I walked in and pulled me in for a long hug. “Ohmigod, I miss you so much.”

  I laughed. “I miss you too, lady. I can’t believe we get to spend some time together.”

  “I know. I’m up here checking on something for work and I have to eat, so I’m rolling everything into one.”

  “Nice.”

  “Magrew?” a hostess asked.

  “That’s us,” Millie said.

  “Right this way.”

  The pretty brunette wearing khakis and a striped shirt led us to a small table right by the window. The water on the Columbia was still today and the sun was hiding behind fluffy white clouds. I loved the weather in the Pacific Northwest and Beaches was one of the best places to enjoy it.

  “How are you feeling?” Millie asked once we sat down.

  “Good. I’m tired and I’ve been a little nauseous, but nothing major yet. I think it helps to be able to sleep when I need to sleep.”

  “Ah, the life of a famous writer.”

  I giggled. “Not so famous yet.”

  “How are the wedding plans coming?”

  Much to my surprise (and a little irritation that my very cocky man had been correct), I’d found the perfect dress the previous Saturday. It had been the second one I tried on and just needed to be let out a little at the bust. According to the shop, it would be done on Friday and then we could plan accordingly.

  Mack and I had gone down to the courthouse on Monday for our license, and he’d set the club’s president’s wife, Susie, and a few of the club women on the task of planning the party. I was allowed to give my opinions and make choices, but I was not allowed to do any of the work.

  “They’re going well, I think. Pauley’s helping to run interference. Am I picking your dress up when I get mine?”

  Millie grinned. “Yes, please. It means I won’t need to make an extra trip this week.”

  “No problem.”

  “What about the date?”

  “I think we’re set for two weeks from Saturday.”

  “Yay,” Millie said with a laugh. “That’s perfect.”

  We chatted comfortably for a while, the server having taken our order, and then Millie’s countenance changed within seconds.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Millie’s eyes darted from side-to-side and she gave me a nervous and disingenuous smile. “Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw someone.”

  I glanced around. “Who?”

  “No one. It’s fine, Darien. Seriously.”

  I frowned. “Is everything okay, Mill?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re acting weird. You have been for weeks.”

  “I have?”

  I sighed. “Honey, you’ve been distant and you were jumpy at the housewarming. Mack noticed it too.”

  “Fucking Mack needs to mind his business.”

  “Wow,” I breathed out.

  “I’m sorry, Darien... I didn’t... shit.”

  I rose to my feet. “I’m going to go before I say something I can’t take back.”

  “Don’t, Darien. Please I’m sorry.”

  Before I could respond, I noticed a familiar figure walking towards us. “What the...?”

  Mack looked relieved... then he looked pissed. He also looked gorgeous. Dark jeans, motorcycle boots, long-sleeved black, ribbed Henley, and his leather jacket was a good look for him.

  “Honey, this takes stalking to a whole new level,” I said in an effort to lighten his mood.

  He positioned himself in front of me and Millie’s expression went from apologetic to fearful in zero point two.

  “You gonna tell her or am I?” Mack growled.

  Millie raised her hands in a defensive manner. “You don’t understand.”

  “What’s going on?” I demanded.

  “You’re comin’ with us, Millie, and we’re gonna sort this out at the club.”

  “I have work!”

  “I don’t give a fuckin’ rat’s ass what you have. Right now, you’re comin’ with me, and you can come easy or hard, don’t matter to me.” Mack threw a few twenties on the table and waved his hand. “What’s it gonna be?”

  The server approached with our food and I grimaced. “Could you box those up please? We’ve got an emergency.”

  “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

  She left and I took Mack’s hand. “What’s going on?”

  His eyes never left Millie. “I’ll explain outside.”

  Millie scowled up at Mack, but she did gather her things and rise to her feet. “You’re an asshole, Mack.”

  I gasped and Mack squeezed my hand to keep me from blowing up. “Outside,” he demanded.

  “What about our food?” I whispered.

  “Train’ll get it.”

  I released Mack’s hand so I could grab my purse and was sandwiched between him and Millie as we left the restaurant. We walked outside and I frowned. Five Harleys were lined up in front, which meant eight sexy bikers (three apparently arrived in an SUV) were lined up right out front. To say they received attention was an understatement. Mack talked to Train for a second and then faced Millie.

  “Go with Knight, Millie,” Mack instructed. “Give me your keys, we’ll drive your car.”

  “I can follow you,” she countered.

  “You really think we’re fuckin’ idiots, babe?”

  She scowled again and rummaged in her purse for her keys, throwing them at Mack. He caught them without issue. Knight stepped forward and “assisted” Millie into the SUV and took off.

  “What is going on?” I asked again.

  “Here you go, brother,” Train said, and handed Mack our food.

  “Millie’s keys,” Mack said, and handed them to Train.

  “I’m on it.”

  “Mack,” I snapped.

  He faced me and
slid his hand to my neck. “Babe, give me a second.”

  “I’m pregnant, hungry, and confused, bub, you wanna adjust your tone?”

  Mack smiled and kissed my nose. “In a second.”

  Hawk and another brother started their bikes and pulled out of the parking lot as Booker walked toward us. “Hey, Darien.”

  “Hey, Booker.”

  “We clocked one, brother,” Booker said. “Hawk’s following.”

  Mack nodded. “Just one?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Shit. What the hell are they up to?”

  “Millie should have answers.”

  “We’ll see.” Mack sighed. “I’m gonna drop Darien home and meet you back at the club.”

  The rest of the group dispersed and Mack walked me to the car, waiting for me to climb inside before doing the same. He set the food in the back and we headed home.

  “Spill,” I demanded.

  “Millie’s into some pretty bad stuff.”

  “What?” I squeaked.

  “She’s working for the Kozlov’s company and she’s helping to funnel money from the businesses they supply into the Kozlov’s personal accounts.”

  “How is she doing that exactly?”

  “A little here, a little there, if the client doesn’t notice, adds up.” He scowled again. “She also doctored those pictures she sent you.”

  “Millie would never knowingly do anything like that,” I argued.

  He didn’t respond.

  “Logan, Millie is one of the most honest people I know. She wouldn’t do this. You’ve made a mistake.”

  “We haven’t made a mistake.” He sighed. “I will concede that she might be caught up in somethin’ out of her control, but there’s no mistake.”

  I blinked back tears. “Honey, it’s Millie. She wouldn’t do this.”

  We pulled into the driveway and Mack turned off the car, facing me. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  I opened the door and climbed out, stomping to the front door. Letting myself in, I disarmed the alarm and dropped my purse and keys on the sofa in the front room, before heading to the kitchen.

  I grabbed a bottled water and napkins and Mack set the food on the island. “I’ll take Millie’s to her,” he said.

  “Fine.”

  “Darien.”

  I glanced at him. “You’re wrong.”

  “We’re not wrong, baby.” He closed the distance between us. “But I am gonna figure it out. We’re handling it for the moment to keep the FBI out of it.”