***
“Rainn, gather the girls. Fifty Shades Darker is the remedy we need,” I called out as I walked into the room, waving the DVD high above my head. The stunningly beautiful dancer smiled wide as she nodded her head in agreement.
“Let me go get Teach and Vegas,” she said and took off for the suite of rooms on the other side of the main room. Booth’s suite was on its own, just off the war room. I knew why he chose those rooms for his own. Whether he was aware I knew or not, I didn’t know, but Booth was an intuitive man, so there wasn’t much that got past him. I wanted to talk about it with him, but I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. I could wait for him. Some things couldn’t be rushed, and I needed Booth to come to me, to want my help, to be his confidant.
“Mia? Christian?” I asked, holding up the DVD so she could see what my intentions were for the rest of the night. The sadness of the night was replaced with looks of glee. The flock loved the ‘kinky fuckery’ of Mr Grey.
“I’ll make a jug of fruity goodness,” she shouted back.
“Don’t forget a few virgin ones for Charlotte,” I reminded her. Charlotte’s pregnancy had us all giddy with excitement for a new baby. I personally couldn’t wait. Shiloh’s birth was bittersweet, and no one had celebrated too much at the time, what with Zoe dying and Jason falling to pieces. My word, I vividly remembered the day Shiloh came home to the compound. Ten men and a baby, and Tom Selleck, Deck was not. Yeah, those were some fun times, all right.
We settled ourselves into the TV area where Shiloh usually watched her cartoons and Tour of Duty DVDs. It was far enough away from the bar and entertaining area that we could have the television loud enough to hear. And far away enough so the guys couldn’t hear. Perfect really.
We were only three-quarters of the way through the pitcher of Pina Coladas, and Christian and Anna had gone into the red room when the patched members came through the door. They didn’t look so happy, but what interested me was Creed. He pushed past Steel, his huge shoulder making contact with Steel’s chest, earning him a growl from the pretty boy. Creed’s eyes searched wildly around the room.
“Mia.” The shout got everyone’s attention.
“Oh, Creed.” Mia gasped, then jumped to her feet from her perch on the comfortable beanbag, almost dumping her glass on my foot, and ran over to the broody road captain.
We all watched in fascination as she threw herself into his arms. But what intrigued me was Steel’s reaction to their display. The VP looked like he wanted to punch the shit out of his mate.
Hmm, this is interesting. I glanced slyly at Booth. “Wow,” I mouthed.
His response? A chin lift. Those men! Seriously, would it hurt to let us in on what all the chin lifts meant? Surely, they couldn’t all say ‘who gives a fuck’ or ‘thanks, brother.’
“You okay, gorgeous?” Creed asked her, holding her close against his chest, a mighty fine chest, too. His hands were rubbing slow, soothing circles on her lower back, ignoring Steel, who was standing directly behind Mia. She couldn’t see Steel, but the two men were facing each other. Two completely different expressions on their faces, but their eyes both held the same pissed-off intensity. Oh, boy, this was going to be fun to watch.
“My car blew up,” Mia said. It wasn’t necessary for her to tell him. I was pretty sure he was already aware of the fact, but he answered anyway, making me smile.
“I got that impression. Don’t worry, gorgeous. I got insurance coverage for it when we picked it out. You are more than covered to get a replacement,” he reassured her. But his eyes never left Steel, and the dig hit where it was meant to—Steel was who was supposed to take Mia car shopping. He had offered, but of course, Callie needed him for a fake emergency and left Mia waiting alone in the car yard. Creed had rescued her and helped her purchase a good, safe car.
The tension was thick between the two brothers. But honestly, where was this going? What did Steel think he was doing with the two sisters? If Creed claimed Mia, then Steel had no one to blame but himself. He kept dicking around with Callie, going to her at the drop of a hat and leaving Mia to fend for herself at the Bar and Grill or at car yards. Mia’s sister was evil and only after one thing from the club and from Steel. I didn’t trust her.
“Her name is Mia. You can use it, brother,” said Steel, referencing how Creed had just called her ‘gorgeous.’
From where I was, I could see Steel’s fists, and how tightly clenched they were. Ooh, someone is jealous. I took a sip of my pina colada. Mia was totally clueless that these two strong men were going into battle for her. She was so sweet.
Creed turned Mia in his arms so they were all standing looking at each other. Creed’s face was hard, his eyes narrowed, and if I were a betting girl, I would put fifty on Creed.
“Shouldn’t you be kissing Callie’s fake arse?” Creed taunted—the man was scared of no one, especially not his former sniper partner. Steel quickly raised his fist just enough for Creed to know what might be coming, and Creed positioned Mia so she was at his back.
Booth moved between his two brothers. “Enough! Fucking hell, Creed, stop poking the bear, and Steel, I have already told you to figure your shit out or bow out. Got it?” Booth bellowed at his men, who were still staring each other down.
Booth turned his eyes to me and tilted his head slightly towards the war room. I knew he had to get this sorted, but I could see he was torn.
“What are you up to, Honey?” he asked, eyeing the drink in my hand, and a smirk lifted at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m good, handsome. We are watching Fifty, so you go do what you need to,” I said, trying to make things easier for him. Worrying about me was the last thing he needed, but deep down inside, worry and guilt plagued me. Was this explosion my fault? Was it Gary or his sons? I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Shiloh or the baby Charlotte was carrying because of my stubbornness not to sign my mum’s house over to my stepfather.
“Cent?”
“Pardon?” My brow furrowed at Booth. What on earth was he talking about? I hadn’t been stuck in my head that long.
“Fifty Cent. Is that what you are watching?” Booth questioned. Oh, he was serious.
The girls behind me giggled. Seriously? Fifty Cent?
“No, handsome. Christian Grey in Fifty Shades Darker,” I explained, unsuccessfully hiding my smile. He was so cute yet clueless.
“Sweetness, what have I told you about that fucking dude?” Deck warned Charlotte in his growly voice. Thank you, Shiloh. Deck headed over to where Charlotte was sitting. Her morning sickness, or as she’d dubbed it, all-day sickness seemed to have left the building for a while, so she was busy munching on a disgusting concoction of lemon sorbet, chocolate syrup, and sprinkles. Ewww.
“Oh, pish posh, soldier man, I’m pregnant. Now go do your thing, then when you get back, I will let you tie me up later,” she said.
A growl left his throat as he dropped down next to his woman, his look of annoyance at the movie changing to one of heat. He pressed his face into her neck then, and I could tell he was saying something to her, but his words were muffled. If Charlotte’s blush was anything to go by, yeah, I thought one ballet dancer was going to see herself deliciously tied up tonight. Bugger it. I wanted to be tied up… I think? Maybe that spreader bar? Christian made it look hot. Not that I would know. I had yet to have anything at all between my legs.
“Honey, wanna tell me what the look is for?” Booth asked in my ear. I hadn’t realised he had moved closer to me. Damn, my drifting off needed to be brought under control. I kept missing things around me.
“Nope, not unless you want to buy us a spreader bar like in the movie and show me what ya got, military man,” I sassed back at him. I really did want him to buy the bar. I loved the idea of a man taking so much control. It didn’t mean I was weak and needed a man to control me, but I thought I would like direction as to what I might like in the bedroom. My whole body tingled from head to toe when
ever I watched these movies. I could feel my face heat up under his scrutiny.
His face was unreadable. Booth hid his emotions so well, but there were times when he let his barriers down. The night at the hospital after I’d wrecked his car, he showed me the Booth I really wanted to get to know better.
Oh, God, Dundee was dead. All I could see when I closed my eyes was his body going under the truck’s front tyres and his bike being run over. I knew the minute I saw it happen he wasn’t going to come out of it. I felt sick sitting there in the hospital bed, but Shiloh wouldn’t let me go. She was leaning against me as Deck held her hand that wasn’t in a cast, his head resting on her little chest, listening to her heartbeat and soothing himself while he waited for news about Charlotte. They had taken her away earlier and left me with a crying little girl that just wanted her mummy. I knew how she felt. I wished my mum were here, too. I really didn’t feel like adulting anymore today. I thought Shiloh had a good idea when she’d let rip with her wailing sobs.
“Deck, Teach is coming,” Darth called from the curtain.
Deck’s head whipped up, his eyes looking hungry to catch a glimpse of his woman, but he didn’t want to leave his daughter.
“Go, Deck. She is fast asleep. Don’t wake her,” I urged him. He needed to see his fiancée.
Giving me a grateful smile, he left but not before he dropped a kiss on her head. His eyes were soft and devastated as he took her in like he didn’t want to leave her. Quickly, he turned and left the room.
“Do you have any idea what it would have done to me if you had died today?” The words came out of nowhere. Booth had been standing at attention since the guys arrived at the hospital. His stoic face gave away nothing, no emotion, but I knew he was capable of showing his feelings. The phone call between us proved that. I came so close to telling him I loved him, and he said he knew. What did he know exactly? That I loved him or that he knew because he felt the same way? Gah. I wish I were better at this game men and women played.
“Pardon?” I whispered. I’d heard him, but I wanted him to say it again.
Booth left his post at the entrance of the room and quickly walked over to me. Careful of the sleeping Shiloh, he dropped to his knees beside the bed and grabbed my hand, lifting it to his lips.
“Don’t think for one second I don’t know what you meant on the phone. Don’t think for one second I feel any different than you do. I got shit to work out, Honey, I know, but if you aren’t in my life in some capacity, then it ain’t worth it. Yeah?”
I didn’t get to answer him because Deck had returned with Charlotte in a wheelchair. Shiloh then woke up when she heard her mother’s voice, so all the attention had been on them, and then Deck declared them all ready to leave.
Booth hadn’t spoken about that night at the hospital, and then we shared that kiss in the laundry room, which was fantastic and amazing, everything I ever dreamt it could be. I sure wanted to kiss him more and soon. And yes, Booth had claimed me, but I was yet to find out what that meant exactly. So many details needed to be ironed out before I could get my hopes up too much.
“Stella, we will get there. I just need another hour, and then we will talk.” Booth gave me a chin lift, then stalked away. Dammit, I had hoped for a kiss.
“War room. Now,” he bellowed as he took off, his shoulders stiff and tense. Thank God I didn’t have to be in there for this.
19
BOOTH
My patience was wearing thin. This was the second time Stella’s life was put in danger. Fucking cars exploding in my car park. What the ever-loving fuck was going on? Shiloh could have gone with the girls to see the car, and what would have happened then? Fuck, I felt like I was losing control. I hadn’t felt like this since that hated day when my brother, my real brother, died in my arms in the middle of that hellish country. When Deck and I started up the Wounded Souls, it helped heal a small part of us. I thought I had my control back, but today, when that bomb went off in the car—and it was a bomb because Creed found the remnants planted in Stella’s car—fuck, my stress levels went through the roof.
“Pres, you want Jason in on this meet?” Deck asked. His brother was helping us since Shiloh and Teach were targeted at the park, and his help had been invaluable. It also helped Deck and Jason get their relationship back to where it should be. They still had a long road, but at least they were on the right one. I just wished it hadn’t taken something like this to get them there.
“Yeah, brother, bring him in. We need all the help we can get,” I admitted. I hated admitting I was useless to my own club. I should be the one to solve this shit, not an outsider. Even if I had known him since we were teenagers.
I sat back in my chair and rolled my head on my shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension I felt there.
“Booth?” I looked up and saw my men had taken their seats with Jason sitting next to Creed, a pile of burnt rubble sitting on the table in front of them.
Game time. Once I figured this out, I could get my woman in my bed. Finally.
“Creed,” I said, giving him the go-ahead to fill us in on what he had found.
“It was Stella’s stepbrothers. We got them on security footage from across the street.”
My blood started to boil. Those motherfuckers. They were dead. Fucking dead.
“She can’t go back there anymore,” Darth declared, his fists coming down hard on the table. This was the first time since the explosion tonight that he had left Shiloh’s side. No one had spoken aloud that our little princess could have easily gone with the women out to the car. And knowing Shiloh like we did, she probably would have wanted to jump around in Mia’s new car. Yeah, I was over this shit. I wanted it stopped.
“No shit. She won’t be going back. She is moving to the club as of tonight. Darth, take some prospects with you and go pick up her belongings, and make sure you get everything. Show these fucks who we are and what Stella has in her corner. It isn’t a good idea for me to be near them at the moment.”
Darth nodded his head. If I laid eyes on one of those arseholes, I would kill them, so Darth was the next best choice. He had more restraint than I did, plus I knew there would be no keeping him from going, so I might as well give him my permission. The big prick would do whatever he wanted anyway, and he wouldn’t stop until we got whoever killed Dundee and hurt the girls in the accident, breaking Shiloh’s arm.
“Anything else on Rogue?” I directed my question to the Johnston brothers and Ford.
“He has gone quiet. Lincoln can’t get a lead on him, and there haven’t been any blue trucks on the cameras lately. Basically, he has gone under,” Deck said with a frustrated growl. His woman had been Rogue’s focus, but during the phone call from Rogue at the clinic, he told us he would be picking a new target. We just don’t know who. All we knew was he was picking the women. That did not sit well with me.
“Ford, have you found all the members of Creed and Steel’s old sniper team?”
“Yeah, Pres, apart from Creed and Steel, all the others are still active. Two are active over in the sandpit, and the other three are on special assignment loaned out to the SEALs and one to the British Special Forces. There have been no signs of them entering the country.” Ford looked over at Creed and Steel. “Is there anyone on the team you see as a potential?” Ford asked them both. It was not a question anyone wanted to be asked. My team had my trust, and I would have never gone into battle with them if the opposite were true. Picking out one guy capable of going after women and children? No, thanks.
“Fuck, brother, no way! I trust them all. They are the best in the business, and none of them would pull any of this shit or ever go after Shiloh,” Steel said with much conviction. Creed gave me a curt chin lift, approving everything Steel had just said, but I picked up on some hesitancy. Creed had a great poker face, and though he may not ever smile, the man’s eyes never lied.
“Creed?”
“There was another member of our team, Booth. It is possible it
’s him.”
“Do not say another fucking word, Creed,” I shouted.
My whole body coiled with hot fury. Creed should have known better than to bring him up. For the first time, I wanted to hit a brother. The other guys stared at both Creed and me, shocked but curious. They obviously expected me to lose my shit and throw something. Not tonight. Control was needed. Sending Creed a signal that I was done with this line of questioning, I focused back on the task at hand.
We needed to change tactics. Something was telling me we were looking at the wrong team members. Our guy was not active, of that I was sure. This guy had no integrity, no honour. Guys like that weren’t active, and they didn’t leave the military voluntarily. Not the men I’d served with, anyway.
“Ford, get me a list of guys with a dishonourable discharge that served with us at the same time in Afghanistan. Something tells me this guy was bad to start with.”
When Ford nodded his head, I looked over to Jason.
“Jason, were your guys able to find anything at all on this fucker?” It was good having the local cops and their resources on our side. As a club, we always stayed on the right side of the law, kept our noses clean, but that hadn’t earned us any special treatment from them—ex-military or not.
“No, Booth, sorry, man. But I have a bit of disturbing news on Stella’s stepfather.”
I looked at him and waited. I was sure I looked calm on the outside, but the on the inside, it was a different story. I loved Stella. If I was sure of one thing, it was that. That stunning blonde owned me. Yeah, I had been a prick to her, but I was pulling my head out of my arse and changing that, and I was going to spend the rest of our lives together making it up to her.
Knowing what had been happening to her at the hands of fucking law enforcement officers, I wanted to take my Bowie knife and gut them all.
“Seems Gary has a gambling problem—I’m talking he owes money to loan sharks. It’s no secret around the precinct that he was sure Gail would leave the house to him when she died. Rumour has it, Booth, a big developer wants that land,” Jason told us, but it was his next words that had me clenching my fists. “He looks to be getting desperate. Stella is stronger than he gave her credit for. She should not have withstood so many beatings. It’s only a matter of time before he hurts her bad… or worse,” Jason finished with an ominous tone.
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