by KJ Dahlen
The first time she watched one of the bikers get shot and die in front of her, that was it for her. But it wasn’t until she caught Talon...
“Fiona?”
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m, uh, at a motel, Talon.”
“Are you safe now?”
“I don’t know. Someone is coming for me.”
For us. Tell him ‘us’ and what that means...
“Okay. What motel?”
She rattled off the name.
“Jesus, sweetheart, you’re right in my neck of the woods, huh?”
“I guess I didn’t get too far from things,” Fiona said.
“But you still found trouble.”
“I learned from the best.”
Talon laughed. A deep, throaty laugh that came from whiskey and cigarettes. A far cry from the skinny boy she met years ago.
“I’ll be there in a little bit,” Talon said. “I’m taking this phone with me. Anything happens, you get yourself to safety and call.”
“You going to answer this time?”
“Ah, there you go, taking cheap shots already,” he joked with a chuckle.
“Had to,” Fiona said. “Just like old times.”
“Yeah. Old times. I’ll catch you soon, sweetheart.”
The call went dead.
She bit at her hand as she slowly lowered the phone...out of breath by just the sound of his voice.
She turned and put her back against the bathroom wall. The reflection in the mirror was not the same person Talon last saw. Her hair was longer. Her body was different from having a baby. Not that she was expecting Talon to come through the door and want to take her to bed. But then being together...
Shutting her eyes, she chased the thoughts away.
This was for Bret. Not her. She left the bathroom and walked to the bed.
“Hey, Bret, do me a favor?”
“Yeah?” he asked, looking at her with bright blue eyes.
“I need you to sit in the bathroom and stay quiet.”
“Bad people coming?”
“No. No. Not bad people. An old friend. I have to talk to him.”
“Is he going to help us?”
“Maybe,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll go sit in there.”
It broke Fiona’s heart as she watched Bret climb off the bed, his eyes on the TV. He didn’t deserve any of this. She thought back to taking the pregnancy test at a gas station. How romantic, huh? Squatting over a toilet that nobody should have ever thought about sitting on. Peeing on a test that she had stolen from the store attached to the bathroom. See the plus sign and quickly throwing the test out, as if that could take back everything that had happened.
Fiona went outside to have a cigarette. She’d fought the urge all mooring but now her hands shook. She shut her eyes and thought about the thundering call of Talon’s motorcycle.
It had been a distant memory for such a long time... then Fiona heard it... not in her memory... but in the present as he came to save her one more time.
He was a beautiful monster as he climbed off the motorcycle. Standing taller than she remembered, his arms massive, laced with tattoos, filling out a black t-shirt with ease. His hair messy and pushed back, thanks to his bucket helmet. Rings on all his fingers expect his one pinky. The leather cut looking too good on him, with more patches than she remembered. Including the one that said Vice President.
Fiona swallowed hard, almost overcome with emotion.
Those nights when he’d take her out to the Crooked Top and they’d sit there against his motorcycle in the dust of something like a desert, looking up to the billions of stars on a clear night. And he’d hold her and talk about the club. What it meant to him. What it was like to see his father get buried at such a young age. The things he wanted to do with the club. And how he was going to rise up until it was his time to take the gavel.
And here he was, so close to it all.
Talon approached her with a stern look on his face. “How bad is it?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Meaning you’re looking for an out right now.”
“I need it, Talon. Come inside.” She turned and Talon grabbed her arm. She looked down at those fingers of his that used to explore her body.
He turned her around. With his other hand, he touched her hair. “Your hair is longer.”
“You look bigger.”
Talon grinned. “Took a long of anger out in the gym and on the road, sweetheart.”
“You look good.”
“You look fucking beautiful,” Talon said.
He released his hold and Fiona led the way into the room. Talon stepped by her and she shut the door and locked. She caught sight of the massive logo on the back of his leather cut. The club was a dangerous thing. Freedom didn’t come easily and it wasn’t exactly free.
Talon turned and faced her. “Tell me what happened.”
“I was accused of stealing money.”
“Did you steal money?”
“Maybe.”
“Christ, Fiona. Who did you steal from?”
“This guy. He runs poker games...”
“Great,” Talon said. “You pissed of a guy with a lot of money and a lot of people around him who like money.”
“I had no choice.”
“Everyone has a choice.”
“Not this time.”
“You know, at one time you were going to be a nurse and have this normal life.”
“Yeah. And then I fell in love with an outlaw.”
Talon chuckled. “Don’t blame that on me.”
She pushed that aside as he had changed her pat, he just didn’t know it. “Talon, I need your help. But I need you to see something.”
“See something?”
“The reason why I needed the money.” Fiona walked to the bathroom door and nodded.
Talon pulled his leather cut open and touched his gun.
“No,” she said. “I have a son...” She opened the door.
Bret jumped from the toilet and crept forward. He went right to Fiona and squeezed her hard when he saw the size of Talon.
Talon eyed Fiona and then Bret.
“This is Bret,” Fiona said. “And Bret, this is my friend, Talon.”
Talon stepped forward and offered his massive hand. “Nice to meet you, kid.”
Bret put his hand out.
They shook hands.
Fiona felt like her heart was ready to explode. The little boy, her son and the monster, her man. “Bret, go wait for me again,” Fiona said. She didn’t close the door this time though. She pointed to the door.
Talon gave a nod.
Outside, she reached for her cigarettes.
Talon stopped her. “Allow me,” he said and offered her one of his. He even lit it for her.
They were so close but realistically so far apart in life.
“Explain, sweetheart.”
“Bret got sick,” Fiona said. “I had no money for the medicine. I only took enough to pay for the medicine. I fully planned on paying it back. Then he came looking for me last night. He was going to kill me. Well, he was going to kill Bret and make me watch. So I attacked him and bolted.”
“Still got that temper, huh?” Talon asked.
“It’s not a joke.”
“I didn’t fucking say it was. You just showed me a kid... your kid?”
“My son, yes.”
Talon’s expression looked more pissed off.
Please don’t ask the obvious... Fiona tried to calm her trembling. “I’m sorry, Talon. I have no one right now. And I can’t let anything happen to Bret. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“Neither do you.” Talon reached out and touched Fiona’s face. He closed in on her. “I’ll protect you, sweetheart.”
Fiona reached with her free hand and touched his chest. God, he’s built like a fucking steel wall. Tears filled her eyes.
“Now’s not the time to cry,” Talon said. “You have a car?”
“Pack your shit. I’ll follow you.”
“Where?”
“Do you remember how to get to the clubhouse?”
“Talon, I could never forget where the clubhouse is.”
“Good.” He nodded. “There’s one condition right now though.”
Fiona’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“You can’t fall in love with me again.”
Fiona nodded. “Okay.”
But that was already a big lie.
She never fell out of love with Talon.
CHAPTER FIVE
When she turned the last corner and saw the clubhouse in front of her Fiona got a shiver down her spine. The past came rushing into her brain and she gasped. Her hand went to her chest as the remembered pain of the last days she was here came forward.
Then she realized not all the memories she had of this place were bad. She had some good memories as well. Like the night, she gave herself to Talon. That was one very good memory.
Shaking her head, she realized she couldn’t let herself think of that night, not right now, maybe not ever again. She and Bret were in big trouble. Devin would come for her and when he did, she would either be dead or have to watch her son die.
She never would have reached out to Talon if she weren’t desperate for help. She never wanted him to know about Bret, maybe that was wrong but she didn’t want her sweet boy involved with the club. Like his father.
But to keep her baby safe from Devin she would deal with the devil himself. And Talon might just be that, but she had no real choice here. When she pulled up next to Talon and parked her car, she looked over at the man himself and wondered if she had made a deal with the devil. He was so much more than he had been all those years ago when she left. From the moment she left that crappy gas station while knowing she was pregnant, she’d known her life would change but she never dreamed it would be this hard.
She watched Talon stroll over to her vehicle and swallowed hard. Inside, she was melting into a puddle of goo. She had thought he was hot before but now, he was the kind of stuff women dream about. At least she did.
He stopped and tapped on her window. When she rolled the window down, he motioned for her to follow him inside.
She hooked her oversized bag on one shoulder before she opened her door. Fiona got out and went to the backseat to get Bret out of his car seat.
“Mama, where are we?” he asked in his scared whisper voice.
“We’re at Talon’s place, sweet bear.”
“Are we staying here now?” His dark eyes looked worried and he was biting on his lower lip.
Fiona sighed. “Yes sweetie bear, we’re staying here for a while.”
It took Bret a few minutes to work things out in his own mind. “Okay, as long as you’re here I guess I can be here too.” He stared at her with his big dark eyes. “You won’t leave me here alone will you mama? Please don’t leave me alone here.”
Fiona wanted to cry as she bit back her tears. “Of course not baby bear. I wouldn’t leave you alone anywhere.”
“I love you mama.” His sweet baby voice whispered in her ear.
“Oh baby, you are my whole life, don’t you know that?” she whispered back.
Someone behind them cleared his throat and she knew it was Talon. She turned watery eyes to him and he was frowning at her.
Talon nodded at the clubhouse and together, they all walked inside.
It was dim inside and when they entered, Fiona took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she could see everything, she took note of the men sitting around at the tables staring at her and the boy. She cuddled Bret closer to her.
Talon moved them forward. They stopped at a table where a large man sat and when Fiona met this other man’s eyes, she saw nothing but confusion.
He looked over at Talon and asked, “What’s the fuck is this?”
“Prez, this is an old friend of mine Fiona. She needs our help.”
The Prez snorted as he leaned back in his chair to stare at Fiona and Bret for a moment. “Are we now in the protection business? Why should the club protect her?”
Talon frowned. “Like I said, she’s an old friend.”
“Then you protect her but not on my dime. She can’t stay here, this ain’t no place for “old friends.” Eagle air quoted the phrase old friends. “We got too much club business going on at the moment to have any outsiders here for a visit.”
Talon growled under his breath but didn’t say anything. He glared at his president but he knew the other man was right. Things were about to pop big and it could even be dangerous for her and the kid. He nodded and led the two of them toward the front door.
As they moved one of the members called out, “Cute kid Talon, is it yours?”
Fiona trembled but didn’t say anything. Bret whimpered in her arms but he didn’t say anything either.
Talon whipped around and glared at the man then flipped him the bird.
The men around the table chuckled.
When they got back outside, Fiona looked over at Talon and asked, “Now what?”
“Now you and the boy are going to my apartment and you can stay there for a while,” Talon grumbled. “It ain’t much and I’m hardly ever there but it’ll be a safe place for you and the kid to stay.”
Just then, Bret popped his head up and glared at Talon. “My name is Bret.”
Fiona was surprised then terrified when she caught the look between the two of them. Bret looked so much like his dad at the moment she wondered if Talon would put two and two together yet.
Two sets of dark eyes glared at each other and finally, Talon looked away and walked ahead of them. “Sure kid, whatever you say.”
Bret turned to his mother. “I don’t like this man very much. Why do you?”
Fiona took a deep breath and when she exhaled, she murmured, “I don’t know baby bear. I just don’t know but I do.”
Talon led them across the street and down a block to a small apartment building. They walked up to the second floor and Talon pulled out a set of keys. Unlocking the door, he motioned them inside.
It was a small apartment with only one bedroom, a small kitchen and a small living room. The place might have been small but it was clean, although dusty. Talon looked flushed at the condition of the place. “Like I said I’m barely here.”
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Bret announced.
At that moment, her own stomach growled loudly and Talon chuckled. “I don’t know what there is for food in here but I can swing by the store and bring something back with me.” He looked toward the boy in her arms. “What does the kid want to eat?”
“Anything is fine but he’s got an intolerance to any dairy products.”
Talon froze at her remark and swung his gaze to Bret. He studied the boy with an interest. He noted the boy’s dark hair and eyes along with his facial features to an extent that almost bordered obsession.
It was only at that moment Fiona remembered something from their past. Talon had a dairy intolerance as well. She turned to stare at him with more than a little concern in her gaze.
Talon raised his eyes to hers and seemed too stare at her hard.
She didn’t dare say anything in case she gave her secret away.
Talon’s lips tightened in a straight line and all he could do was nod at her. Instead, he turned and left the apartment slamming the door behind him.
Fiona sighed out loud and set her son down on the floor. He wandered over to the couch and climbed up onto it. She went into the kitchen and began searching through the cupboards for something for Bret to snack on until Talon got back.
She found a snack pack of cereal and opened it carefully. She dumped it out into a bowl and walked over to hand it to her son. She grabbed the remote control, turned the station to cartoons and let her son watch TV while she explored the rest of the apartment.
When she returned to the kitchen, she looked in the freezer for something to eat. When
she found nothing, there she slammed the freezer door shut and growled.
“Mama?” when she heard her son behind her Fiona wiped the irate look off her face and turned to him with a smile. “What sweet baby bear?”
“I can share my cereal with you if you want some.”
That statement broke her heart. She knelt down beside him and gathered him into her arms. “Oh baby, I’m such a bad mom. Thank you but you eat it. I can wait for Talon to get back to eat.”
Bret smiled at her. “Ok, it’s not very good anyway. Too stale.” He turned and went back to the couch to watch his cartoons.
Fiona watched him for a moment then grabbed her bag and pulled out her cigarettes. Walking down the short hall she opened a window and lit up. She didn’t like to smoke around her son but right now she needed the rush of nicotine. Her life was now and forever in the toilet. She not only had Devin waiting to find her she had Talon to deal with as well. She never thought the day she left him that she would ever see him again, never see him or have to tell him about her son, their son, but now she figured she wouldn’t have a choice unless she could fake it somehow. Her son didn’t look four years old maybe three at the most. Actually, his birthday wasn’t until three days from now so technically he was still three. Maybe she could fake it long enough for them to escape. She narrowed her eyes. But for them to really escape from the past she would need money and a lot of it. Where she would get that from she had no idea.
As she took another drag, she looked over the town below her. Bikers came and went from the compound and people mostly ignored them as they went along their business.
Ten minutes later she saw Talon return with bags of groceries and Bret’s blanket. She went to the front door and waited until she heard his footsteps coming to the door before she opened it.
Talon brushed past her and looked around the apartment for Bret. When he found him on the couch, he made his way to the kitchen area and dumped the bags on the table. Then he turned to Fiona. “I don’t know about kids much in my life, but he looks about three years old. When did...”