Baby (Black Rebel Riders' MC)

by Glenna Maynard

  "Grim and Red is what happened. The day Red let Grim order him away he says that was the end of him and Red he knew that day that she was choosing Grim over him. That's why he let Benji kill her and Grim well he took care of Benji for him. Hell, Grim got Hook out of the way too, giving Rush control of the Devils Rejects." Lucky takes a swig of his beer and lights up a joint. "Here take a hit; it's a hell of a story to take in."

  "What does Rush want from Baby and Rumor?"

  "He wants one of them to kill Grim. Who else could get close enough to do it, and how much would it fucking hurt Grim to be killed by the person he loves more than anything in this world." Fuck, I am going to need a hell of a lot more than a joint to grasp this.

  "What are we going to do, this will devastate Baby. Something like this man, it could set Baby off in a bad way. You haven't told her any of this have you?" I am not as worried about Rumor she is tough, the girl has been through so much and yet everyday she has a smile on her face. She is resilient. Baby puts on a tough act but she has a heart of gold. I look to Trouble and he shrugs with indifference. I am afraid his feelings for Baby are going to get in the way and cloud his judgment.

  "Hell no, you and me we are going to kill Rush to protect Baby. I know you want Grim gone, but one bastard at a time. Grim is the lesser of the two evils."

  "I don't know what I want anymore." I slide my hands over my face, fuck I am tired.

  "Me either man, I just know that this shit wasn't what I got patched for." Lucky responds in a grave tone.

  "Let me handle Baby. Think you can get the Rejects to back off for a while. Baby's sister is going to be going out of town and Baby will probably go with her for a week or two. If we could wait until she is safely out of town, we might be able to pull something off."

  Trouble chimes in, "I can protect Baby, let me deal with her, and you can worry about Rumor. You know you aren't exactly on the list of Baby's favorite people lately." I know Baby is still licking her wounds over her and I not being a couple. The last time she came to family dinner at my mom's she ignored me the whole time. She spent every second with Striker; it was like I wasn't even there.

  "You are going to tell her that I was only with her for information aren't you?" Lucky looks defeated. I hate to hurt Baby again and break her heart, but it has to be done. She has to stay away from the Rejects. He may love Baby, but if we don't do this the right way, a broken heart will be the least of Baby's worries.

  After meeting with Lucky, I can't get Rumor off of my mind and the pull to see her is too great to ignore. By the time, I make it back to the Roadhouse she has gone home for the night. I walk past Grim's trailer and see the lamp is on in her room. I tap lightly on her window. I don't know what comes over me but when she opens the window, I pull her face to mine and kiss her. She pulls away and smacks me. Guess I deserved that. She is touching her lips where we kissed and she whispers, "Why." Her fingers are trembling in shock, in realization that she enjoyed that kiss far more than she wants me to know.

  "Because if I had to go one more day without doing that, without touching you, tasting your sweet lips, I was going to go crazy. I need you Rumor. Tell me you don't feel it, that you don't want me. Tell me you don't fight the pull you have for me. You yearn for me just as badly as I want you."

  "We can't do this Rebel." That's all I need to know that I still have a chance with her.

  "You know why you can't be happy with any other man, Rumor. It's because they aren't me." She stops fighting and this time it is her pulling me through the window craving my lips against hers.

  10

  Baby

  I heard Rumor come in a little bit ago. The perfect night I just had with Lucky is playing through my mind keeping me from sleeping. A loud thump comes from across the hall in Rumor's room. I peek out my door and see the light from her lamp shinning through the bottom.

  "Hey, you still awake..." I can't believe my eyes. Rumor and Rebel have a hold of one another in a death grip, making out on her bed.

  "Baby wait," my sister calls out to me. I'm not upset, I just am in shock really.

  "It can wait, we can talk tomorrow." I am about to close the door when Rebel asks me to stay, he had better not think he can have us both. I have a seat at Rumor's vanity keeping my distance; I swear if he is trying to pull some shit, I will kick his ass.

  "I need to talk to the two of you together." I raise an eyebrow at my sister, she shakes her head and shrugs, she doesn't know what's going on but I think she is drunk off that kiss they just shared. "Rumor do you remember a man by the name of Rush?" Rebel asks.

  "I have a memory of him pushing me on a swing, but I can't tell you anything else about him." She answers and I keep my mouth shut, I know who he is.

  "Baby, when was the last time you talked to Lucky?"

  "Tonight, why wait how do you know about Lucky?" I give my sister a treacherous look but she shakes her head that she didn't tell.

  "When tonight?"

  "A few hours ago, why?" I am getting annoyed, how does Rebel know about Lucky and me.

  "I hate to be the one to tell you this but he's been using you, Rush ordered Lucky to date you, to spy on you, to dig up what he could on us. He wants to use you against Grim. You gotta stay away from Lucky and the Devils Rejects."

  I try to be upset by what Rebel is saying, but Lucky warned me, he knew this was going to happen. But is what Rebel is saying the truth? "Use me how? What does he want?"

  "That's what I am trying to find out." Rebel doesn't look me in the eye when he talks and it leads me to believe he isn't being honest. Why is he bringing this to me instead of Grim? What did Rebel do?

  I go back to my room to process what Rebel just told me and I promised him that I will keep my mouth shut even though I don't like it. My phone lights up with a missed text message from Lucky.

  Lucky: I love you. Everything will work out. I promise to keep you safe.

  I guess he and Rebel are working together. I never thought I'd see the day that a Reject and a Rebel would be on the same side...

  Rumor

  "I know that look on your face Rebel, what are you not telling Baby about all of this and why did you tell Baby and not Grim. And damn, that kiss Rebel, what are we doing?" I have dreamt of this happening but never thought it would happen. Rebel kisses me again, reaching his hands around my back tightly he holds me to him. My head is resting on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. I am afraid to open my eyes, I am afraid that when I do he will disappear and this will all be a dream. I ask the question that I am afraid to hear the answer to, "What about Diamond?"

  "She was only a distraction, I don't love her, and I don't want her." Rebel kisses down my neck, my chest tightens I have never been able to get much further than this point when I made out with Tread. I don't know if I can do this. "Are you going to be my girl?"

  I feel like I can't breathe. The room is whirling and I can feel Squirrel's breath against my neck, bumps raise across my skin. Rebel is whispering in my ear, but it isn't his voice I hear, it's Squirrel's. "Love you so much Sarah, gonna make you mine."

  "Stop," I get the word out not sure, if it was audible to Rebel or not.

  "Shh, Rumor, I'm not going to hurt you," Rebel is holding my hand flush against his chest. "Breathe, Rumor and concentrate on the beating of my heart. You are safe with me. I'd never push you to go further than you are comfortable with. But just know that the way I feel about you is nothing like how it was for you in the past. When I touch you, it isn't about owning you, using you, or fuck, hurting you. I love you and when I touch you it's with love nothing less."

  I want to believe what he is saying as I listen to the slow steady thumps of his heart. I want to believe that each beat is with love for me. But tonight I just need for him to hold me. Tonight I am putting my faith in Rebel, not to hurt me. The balance of the wheel holding my heart is in his control. We lie in each other's embrace not talking nothing needs to be said. Rebel has nothing to prove, I trust him.


  **

  Rebel never told me what he was holding back with Baby that night and he was gone by the time I awoke. And for the first night in weeks, my nightmares didn't come.

  I know Baby has to be hurting; her suspicions about Lucky were true. We are supposed to have a girl's day out with Sunshine she is insisting that the three of us go out today to get ready for Baby's graduation this weekend.

  The plan is to do mani-pedi's, shop for Baby's graduation dress, and have dinner afterwards. All of the guys will be busy, Sunshine says that Grim is holding choir. I get the feeling that he asked Sunshine to keep Baby and me away today. At the last minute when we are getting ready to leave LL shows up slinging her long blonde hair around looking madder than a wet hen. She is demanding to talk to Baby in private.

  Baby

  I am getting ready for a day out with my sister and my step mom when up rolls LL like a bat out of hell demanding I go for a ride with her. She says it's life or death. I panic, I am afraid that she knows my secret. No matter what she says, I will deny it all. LL tells Sunshine she will bring me by the spa after we talk.

  I get into her BMW and wait for her to say it, to say the words—I know you fucked my husband. However, she doesn't, she pulls a pair of black lace panties, my panties out of her purse. But where in the hell did she get them. I know I didn't leave them there that night. "Baby," she wipes her nose and now that I look at her, I can see she has been crying all morning. "Do you know who these belong to, I found them in the basement, and I...if Romeo has fucked around on me, I don't think I could take it." She pulls out onto the highway her tears are flowing again. I feel like a piece of shit. How could I do that, sleep with her husband—my father's best friend.

  "They are mine, you know the last time I watched the kids, Rebel came over to fix the still, and I...I'm sorry we got to messing around down there. The kids were asleep. I wasn't thinking. Please don't tell my dad. Don't tell anyone, please." I lie through my teeth, but what am I supposed to do?

  LL wipes her tears unknowingly on my panties; she is so upset she doesn't even realize it. "Jesus, I am so embarrassed Baby; I think we have both learned a lesson today." We leave the conversation there hanging, both of us not saying anymore. I am afraid of what other lies I might tell to keep my secret safe.

  After I am dropped off at the spa, a text comes through on my phone from a private number. There is a picture of me straddling Romeo on the couch in the basement.

  Private: I know what you did.

  I feel like I am going to be sick. My stomach is queasy. My hands are sweating. My pulse is erratic; I think I am having a full-blown panic attack. Someone knows. I don' think it is from LL, no she would have beat my ass or at least tried. Someone is sending me a message, but who and what are they wanting from me? And damn it I forgot to get my panties back. Well on second thought, I don't really want them back. I do not need any other reminders of the mistake I made.

  Rebel

  Emptying my pockets into the bin, I make my way into choir alongside of my brothers. I am trying to stick with Romeo's advice and keep my mouth shut unless I know something indefinitely. I look at a poster hanging on the wall about the rules of warfare. Rule number one never show your weakness—well I sure, as shit fucked that up. Lucky already knows Baby is a weak spot for me. For all I know Lucky could be setting me up, he has no loyalty to me. Baby could just be another part of the Devils plan or it may not have anything to do with her...

  Romeo is going over the plans to set up a still in Chicago with the club. It is something Grim and Romeo have been trying to establish for a while now. "Rebel, you know how to maintain the equipment, you know the recipes. You are going to be relocated to Chicago with the Disciples. We need our own man up there; you can take one other man with you to be your second. You ride out in two days. I don't know how long you'll be up there, but it's going to be for an extended period until things are fully operational. And I am sure you know Rumor is going to be living in the city when she starts school, so I want you to keep an eye on her." I can't say no to going, Grim would want to know why I am turning it down and I can't really go against his decision. This is the promotion I have been waiting for, plus it puts me in the same city as Rumor, and now it is my job to watch over her. I would like to take Trouble with me, but he isn't a patched man yet and he needs to be here to look after Baby. Tread is not an option, I don't want him sniffing around Rumor and he is our best shine runner. I know Romeo isn't coming if he would go there wouldn't be a need for me to do it. That leaves Striker, I hate to pull him from the garage, but I don't think he is going to complain, since Aspen and Rumor are going to be living together. He plays it off like he doesn't care that his girl is moving away, but I know it gets under his skin.

  "Looks like Striker is my right hand." Grim is satisfied with my choice. Hell, he is probably happy to get the two of us away from Baby. Shit, what am I going to do about protecting Baby? I could tell Romeo, but then that means getting him mixed in with the Devils Rejects and I can't do that, he'd just take it to Grim. Looks like I am going to have to put my trust in Lucky and Trouble to keep her out of harm's way. I don't feel good about it but I am afraid of Grim learning that I was thinking of seeking my revenge for the death of my father.

  After choir, I make the trip to The Razor's Edge to meet up with Lucky. "Look man, plans are changing. I have to leave town on business, not sure, when I'll be back. We either gotta make something happen with Rush tonight, or you are going to have to get creative in keeping Baby safe. If I tell Grim everything I know, he will kill me no questions asked for not coming to him the minute I knew anything about you and Baby, let alone everything else."

  "We can't do it tonight we don't have enough time. I can try to stall Rush, but I know he is going to make a move on Baby soon. He has already started messing with her. I don't know what he has on her, like I said I am out of the loop but he is already getting things in place for when he reveals the truth to her. I don't think you have to worry about her sister. I have it on good authority that Rush has proof she belongs to Benji, not him. But Baby, I think it could be the real deal, she could be his daughter."

  "How do you intend to stall Rush?" Something isn't adding up with Lucky, I don't know what it is but I don't have time to figure it out.

  "I told him I am making progress with Baby. I will ask him to give me a little more time."

  11

  Baby

  **Graduation 18 years old**

  Trouble came to my window and got me tonight after everyone went to bed, says Lucky needs to talk to me. Trouble drives me to Lucky's apartment and drops me off promising to come back for me as soon as I call him. Trouble seemed like he was pissed, like he didn't really want to drive me to Lucky's. I don't know what crawled up his ass. He never acts ill towards me, but everything I said or didn't say seemed to set him off. I tried talking to him but he said I wouldn't understand.

  **

  "Baby, I swear I never even saw you coming, but here you are, you own me, I'd do anything to have you on my arm, marked with my brand. But there is something you don't know about me, something I can't tell you, because the more you know and the deeper I bring you into this the more at risk you become and I care too much to let it happen. I'm in too deep Baby, if I could take you away from all of this I would, but I know running can't save either of us."

  "Lucky, you don't make any sense. I don't understand what you are saying. What are you trying to say?"

  "Fuck it, I'm a cop Baby. I have been undercover for so long I don't remember who I am anymore. I got in too deep with you—I became too involved. I was never supposed to get close to you—to fall in love with you."

  "So which guy are you?"

  "I don't know, but I am the man that loves you." He tries to hug me but I can't allow him to touch me.

  "You were using me all this time. So what now that you think you love me—you have a conscious and feel compelled to bare your soul to me. Is that it Lucky? What do you want m
e to say, that it is okay, that I don't care, that I love you enough and it doesn't matter? Because I gotta' tell you, when the truth comes out I won't be by your side. So when is it going to happen, when are your men going to bust my father and everyone I hold dear, when are they coming for us? You owe me that much Lucky. I thought you were different, but you are worse than the rest, you have no idea what you have done do you?" I am livid. I am tempted to punch him, now would be a great time to have Trouble's gun for protection, though now I am not sure I would be able to use it on Lucky. Damn him for putting me in this position. Guess I know why Trouble didn't want to bring me. He must have known what Lucky was going to say to me tonight.

  "No one is coming I didn't turn over the evidence on your father. I turned over everything I have on the Devils Rejects and by the time it all goes down, I'll be gone. It will be as if I never even existed, you could come with me, and you could disappear with me. We could start over away from here away from it all. You don't have to live this life." Lucky has tears threatening from the corners of his eyes. I know a part of him believes the bullshit that is spewing from his mouth, but he isn't thinking rationally. I want to know what has him so spooked.

  "I can't walk away Lucky, I love my life. It's who I am, who I was born to be. One day you will understand why you have to let me go. Because if you love me the way you say you do, you wouldn't ask me to change who I am to be with you, you'd love me despite it all." I can't believe my ears. I pull out my phone ready to call Trouble, but then I have a thought...if Lucky is a cop, what is Trouble?

  "And Trouble, is he a cop too?"

  "No, he was my neighbor; I really did grow up around him. He knows I am undercover. He has been helping me. You can't tell anyone, Baby; you know this information could get him killed." Lucky or whatever his name is—is holding my arm pleading with me.