In Too Deep (The Lovers Duet)

by Chardou, Selene

  “You can’t do that—”

  “We can and we will, darlin’.” Hardy glared at me. “Gisela is doing her best to convince her brother he should split custody of Alanna. Misty is a mess, goin’ out with a douchebag like Clooney and doin’ drugs and boozin’ it up too much on the weekends except those that she sees Alanna. Do you know how hurtful that was for her?

  “So, if your cousin has any designs about gettin’ rid of Linx just because he’s a Saints member, tell her to think again. We can and will make her life a living misery. Much as that would pain me since I actually like her and would love to get to know her better since Jaden is indisposed at the moment.”

  “You’re disgusting, Hardy.” I shifted my tea from one hand to the other and hoped my little one would give me a few hours of reprieve. “Listen, I’ll do what I can but I don’t want her to know about what happened to me at the White Knights compound. Just tell her about how we rescued Trey and that’s it. She doesn’t need to hear every gritty detail.”

  Ronan’s features softened. “Listen, if she and Jaden do end up gettin’ back together—and that is a big if—she would need to know the ins and outs of the club like you do. You already know it’s a hard life to live and your man isn’t a hard core member.”

  “Did you hear about the Vegas deal that starts in August of this year? We’ll be moving to Las Vegas. In the meantime, Talia and Co. have a concert tour planned so what happens?”

  Hardy finished his lager and put the bottle on the magazine table. “Yeah, we heard and we’ll deal with it when August gets here.”

  “And what exactly is going to change between now and August?”

  “Good question.”

  I burnt my tongue yet again on my tea as Talia and Linx walked in together. My cousin didn’t look happy at all while my hubby simply rolled his eyes. He’d obviously been getting an earful from her the whole time they were together and frankly, he was beyond exhausted.

  “A lot can happen between now and August, Talia.” Ronan looked as menacing as his voice sounded. “So think real hard about what comes from your mouth after we break everything down to you, you got that?”

  “Take a seat,” Naomi replied.

  My cousin shot the Fed daggers before she sat next to Hardy though she made sure they had plenty of room between to the two of them.

  “What do you want to talk about? I spoke to Linx and he said we would talk about it later but I wanna know why all of you are even here. I have the band’s reputation to think about and having biker gang members hanging around members of Winter’s Regret is not good for our image.”

  “Hey, we’re not a fucking gang. We are a motorcycle club, not the fucking Bloods or the Crips—”

  “So you say. And why aren’t you a gang? Because you aren’t black or Hispanic? Fuck off with that shit, Ronan. The Saints make their money from guns and drugs. You’re. A. Fucking. Gang. Full stop. Don’t give me that shit about technical terms and what you want to be called. You’re a gang to the federal government and you’re a gang in my eyes.” Talia’s pale green eyes stared them all down coldly.

  She was fearless, I would give my cousin credit for that. I didn’t know many people who would speak to a member of Lucifer’s Saints’ members that way in Northern Nevada. Even the law was afraid of them and would rather receive payoffs than speak about them in any way that wasn’t of a cautious nature.”

  “Hey, why don’t you stow that shit and listen for once in your miserable fuckin’ life,” Hardy said barely raising his voice. “Linx, I think you have something to show your self-righteous front woman of the band you helped form. That should shut her up.”

  I knew what was coming as Linx removed his t-shirt and turned his back to me. Talia’s eyes widened with surprise and disbelief.

  “You’re…one of them?” She stood and Hardy grabbed her arm before he shoved her ass back down on the sofa.

  “He had no choice if he wanted to save your cousin and our half-brother. Trista didn’t go with him to Belfast. She stayed at the compound in Birch Tree. If he hadn’t become a member, we knew we couldn’t trust him and Trista would have not only lost her family but her brother as well. Trey is all she has left and Linx made the ultimate sacrifice so before you judge him to harshly, just know he didn’t have much of a choice.” Ronan nodded at Linx and he slipped his t-shirt back on.

  Talia turned her icy eyes my way. “You allowed all of this to happen and didn’t say one goddamn word to me when you got back. How could you do this to me, Trista?”

  “What was I supposed to tell you, Tal? It was Club business and what Linx did was none of my business. He saved my brother—what choice did we have?” I stood and walked towards her before I stopped several feet from her. “What would you have done if it was your family who was in danger? I did what I had to do and before you get on that high horse of yours, remember you’re in love with a gang member too.”

  “Yeah but Jaden is different—”

  “—no, he isn’t! Linx has the same status as Kaz and Jaden. He isn’t a full member and he won’t be asked to go on runs or be involved in anything illegal. You just have to let this one go, Tal. If not, there could be dangerous consequences for you and I don’t want that to happen to you. Not after you have been so good to me and you helped save me from myself.”

  The doorbell rang and Hardy jumped up. “That’s Loire and her assistant. I have a tat to get done so I will leave you all squabblin’. Just know that if you threaten Linx with termination, you will lose Kaelan. I will make sure Dizzy hires the best attorneys and when they are done, you’ll be left with visitation rights…if you’re lucky.”

  Talia rubbed her temples. “Since when have you started taking their sides instead of mine, Trista? I’m your family for fuck’s sake!”

  “And so is Linx. We’re expecting a child so he is my husband and the father of my child. I need you to agree to this and leave everything that happened in Birch Tree three months ago alone. It’s none of your business. You got me?”

  She closed her eyes before she nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks.

  I embraced her and she reluctantly pulled her arms around my middle. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yeah but not today. I need to get Kaelan home. I hope you understand why I feel the way I do.”

  “I do but life isn’t black and white, Tal. It’s so many fuckin’ shades of gray and what you’ve got goin’ with Jaden—well, it’s no better than what it is going on here. You need to keep that shit in perspective, sweetie. And just remember, I used to think like you do now but if you’d been there…your perspective would have changed too.”

  We separated reluctantly before I grabbed the baby bag and she swiftly rescued her son from Naomi’s arms. I followed her outside to the limo that awaited her.

  “How did the radio interview go?”

  “Same old shit and same old shit questions.” Talia put Kaelan in his car seat and secured him before she faced me again. “I didn’t ever want this for you, and if you’re honest with yourself, you never wanted this either. That’s why I took you in because the very fuckin’ thing I didn’t want to happen did and I feel solely responsible because if you hadn’t met Linx then you wouldn’t be goin’ through this shit.”

  I wiped her tears with my hands before I kissed her cheek and embraced her against me yet again. “Yes, I would. I was running from the inevitable and…do you think Trey wouldn’t have done what he did if I had been dating some dickless beefcake? I have had the whole inner struggle and I’m good now. Hardy and Ronan may seem like assholes but they are good men and they’re here to protect us. I’m safer now than I was when you hired those expensive ex-SEALs.”

  “You know you can call me if there are any issues? Right?”

  I nodded. “Go home and stop worrying about me.”

  I waited until the limo pulled off before walking back inside and the only thought that crossed my mind happened to be when the hell did I become comfortable wi
th my present life to the point that I defended the very people I grew up hating? Was it because Linx was involved or had something inside of me actually changed?

  None of the questions running through my mind did I necessarily want answers to and that part really frightened me because I’d never avoided a damn thing in my life and now it was all I seemed to do.

  Chapter Eighteen

  THE DAYS EASILY slipped into weeks and before Linx and Trista knew it, she was well into her second trimester. They finally announced her pregnancy through Sasha Munsen, their publicist; Kaz and Syd decided to throw them a huge party and that meant a trip to Las Vegas.

  His life had definitely changed for the better.

  The band had a long talk with Dominic at Introspect, and he reluctantly agreed to allow them to do local shows only until they premiered in Las Vegas, which was fine with him. It meant Trista could accompany him though she was sick more often than not and he didn’t have to worry about her being alone.

  Hardy had moved out of their guest house and recently shacked up with Talia. They had an interesting relationship and although both insisted they were only friends, Linx had his doubts. However it wasn’t for him to judge what the Prez of the L.A. charter decided to do nor did he have any stake in Talia’s life either. They were both adults and could do whatever they wanted to do.

  Despite all the changes, he couldn’t help but worry about Trista because this pregnancy was harder than he ever imagined it would be for her. She’d insisted she was fine and the morning sickness wasn’t as bad as it seemed though her words did little to ease his fears.

  They’d been through so much in such a short period of time and to go from marital bliss, to full out war on another club and then back to their old life in L.A. wasn’t nearly as easy of a transition as it should have been.

  As for the Saints, they were doing better than just okay.

  The hardcore members rebound quickly. Naomi built her case against the former Prez and VP of the L.A. charter club and they were now waiting for extradition back to Nevada where they faced charges of transferring narcotics across state lines and a host of other charges. After that, California wanted a piece of them for possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute.

  The DEA was handling the case and regardless what happened, it was obvious both former brothers were looking at life prison sentences. Dizzy had washed his hands of them and allowed the law to take its course because it would take the heat off him and between delays in Cillian’s trial, he had enough on his plate to deal with at the moment.

  Linx felt elated he’d never been called on again to do anything else for the club and his focus remained on keeping his wife safe and rebuilding his frayed relationship with Talia. She hadn’t taken the news of him becoming a member of the Saints well but she had a history with the club and her only concern focused on keeping her son safe and the band climbing farther up the charts and to the top of the horizon.

  This was his train of thought as the doorbell sounded and Trista floated down the stairs. Jimi and Brady were both in residence and it gave him comfort his sons could watch their new sibling grow in their step-mother’s stomach.

  After months of the back and forth in the court system, he and Cassidy had finally agreed to joint custody for their children’s sake. He continued to pay her alimony but she no longer received a child support check, not that she needed one. She was engaged to James Martín, a very well paid Introspect executive and Dominic Stenfeldt’s best friend. Soon, the alimony checks would stop as soon as they were married and she would become another man’s problem.

  He had to admit she’d changed over the months and seemed more peaceful and settled. As long as she was happy, it was good for everyone, including the two children they shared together.

  “Are we expecting company?” Trista inquired and he nodded because all he could do was stare at how beautiful his wife was and wonder how the hell he’d gotten so lucky.

  Pregnancy suited her and now that they were mere weeks away from spring, she wore a long, white linen peasant skirt and a pale gray tank top that emphasized her slight bump. She looked healthy with her olive skin, bright blue eyes and long dark hair. He fell in love with her all over again as he stared at her with a longing he was afraid to physically express due to the issues she continued to have during her pregnancy.

  They hadn’t made love to one another in over a week and that was a record for them but they continued to have their deep conversations and he felt as close to her now as he ever had. Their love was far from ordinary and he wouldn’t dare trade places with anyone in the world.

  She answered the door and Niko walked in with a stunning, dark haired woman who had her back to them. It took a few moments for him to realize the woman was his sister, Trinity, and they were obviously more than just friends.

  His heart began to pound in his chest as he thought about all the ways he could torture Niko for tainting his young, beautiful sister.

  Although she was over twenty-one and firmly an adult, he couldn’t rectify why his best friend would have gone there without consulting him first. They’d been close since the beginning therefore the “cloak and dagger” act was completely unnecessary.

  “Hey, brother. Trin and I were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.” His smile was playful and devilish, hence the reason why Linx couldn’t figure out why he was playing with his sister’s heart. She should have been any other woman but Trinity and the murderous thoughts and violent rage wouldn’t have been there at all.

  “Of course it’s not an issue—Trin called to tell me she planned on stopping by. We were just tryin’ to decide if going to this Vegas party for us is worth it. I mean, no disrespect to Kaz but I’m not sure if Trista is up for it.” Linx’s cornflower blue eyes turned icy before he smiled though the expression held little mirth on his face. “I was gonna go get a beer. Why don’t you join me in the kitchen?”

  Niko glared at him with a mixture of confusion and anger written all over his face. “Okay, let’s go.”

  They’d barely made it to the kitchen before Linx grabbed his best friend by the neck and shoved him against the wall. Niko didn’t bother to fight back and that was a good thing because he surely would have broken his nose if he’d tried.

  “What the fuck are you doin’ with my sister and what kind of brass balls do you have between your motherfuckin’ legs? Do you think I’m okay with this? Trinity is barely in her early twenties and she’s had one serious boyfriend who fucked her life upside down and inside out. I don’t need my best friend doin’ the same shit to her. You feel me?”

  “Damn, bro, what’s your problem?” Niko shoved Linx’s hand away and stood his ground. “I came here because I wanted you to be the first to know that your sister and I are beyond the whole ‘dating’ thing. I really dig her and I want to be with her. I thought you—of all people—would understand. Hell, you were courtin’ barely legal pussy—not to mention the woman in question was Talia’s fucking cousin—and I covered for your dumb ass the whole time. Do you think I would have seriously brought your sister over to your house if it wasn’t serious?”

  Linx calmed down a little as he grabbed two Heinekens from the fridge and handed one to Niko. “Sorry man. I have just been a little touchy lately and after the whole ‘nanny’ incident, I just assumed my sister was nothing to you but a piece of ass. I’m sorry about that.”

  Niko popped the cap off the Heineken with the bottle-cap opener, and swigged from the bottle before his green-gray eyes looked at his best friend again. “Does this have anything to do with you goin’ to Belfast to rescue Trista’s brother? You’ve been back a while now yet…you aren’t the same Lennon I grew up with and knew. You act more like your father now than ever before and you swore you wanted nothing to do with that son of a bitch so what the fuck is going on? What the hell happened out there?”

  Linx swigged from his lager and almost finished half the bottle in on
e long swallow. “If I could share it with you, I would but…some things you can’t unsee and some changes…well, when you run from something your whole life and then embrace it…realize it fits you like a glove, you’ve gotta go with the flow.”

  He paused and sighed out loud. “I only wanted to be different from my father because that meant I wouldn’t be a criminal. Didn’t matter that we did some pretty heavy shit when we came to L.A. but we weren’t the hard core type. Now that I have met that type and realize I’m not so different from my old man, I have a better understanding for him and I don’t hate him the way I used to. He put food on the table and clothes on our back. He provided financially for my mother and he worked damn hard even if his methods were rarely legal. He was…an ordinary decent criminal. His crimes were victimless and once I realized that, I understood my childhood could have been very fuckin’ different.”