by V. Theia
He had a feeling Grigori just wanted to stick it to Rider.
A loud alarm and ruckus outside caused the man to rise from his seat, swear in Russian and charge out of the room, yelling for his goons.
It was the opportunity Texas waited for… planned for.
That noise outside? Yeah, his doing.
He’d paid some teens to throw bricks through the fleet of Mercedes parked at the curb.
He didn’t wait, he got behind the desk, searched the drawers, saw nothing of worth and then he thumbed through the phone left out of the table, taking shots of documents, names and the calendar. The Russian had some high powered names in there.
When he got back, Texas was leaning on the wall. “Well I’m taking off. You’ve given me things to think about.”
“Be smart, Texas. This is good business.” Grigori warned.
It was when he was outside that he got the call from Roux and his whole fucking stomach fell to the floor.
Someone had roofied Poppy on their girls night.
His feet didn’t touch the floor after that, he rode his bike across town faster than was safe in the bitter snow but he got there, almost taking the door off its hinges and he hoofed it up the stairs to find Roux pacing his living room, he hardly paid her any attention, he was in front of Poppy, half wilting on the sofa.
“Who the fuck did this?” He directed to Roux.
“Tait, you’re here!” Poppy slurred and tried to smile at him but it came out as a grimace before she slumped in his arms.
“She’s been getting worse in the last twenty minutes. I think she needs to go to the hospital.”
Fuck. Fuck.
He had Poppy in one arm and his phone in the other.
“Butcher?” Fuck. He didn’t think he’d ever need to call one of his boys ever again, or even if they’d take his call. “It’s Texas. I need you.” He didn’t hesitate in asking, not when Poppy was burning up under his hand. “My girl...my friend has been roofied, she’s not really with it, been getting worse. I don’t know what the fuck to do.”
Calm as ever, especially in a crisis, the Butcher’s voice was steady on the end of the phone, sounds of a bar in the background. “Have you called the paramedics?” Shit, he hadn’t. “Are you at your loft?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I’m five minutes down the street. Make sure she’s laid on her side and her airways are clear. Is she breathing?”
“Yeah, she’s just out of it.”
“Do what I say, Texas. I’m on my way.”
He got Poppy back in his arms, brushing the hair off her forehead.
His heart was going ten to the dozen.
“I think I should… go.”
He turned dark eyes on Roux who was inching for the door. “You’ll stay where you are and tell me who the fuck did this to her.”
He got his answers because he barked the questions at her while he kept Poppy awake and waited for the sound of the Butcher arriving.
Texas was at the door waiting for him and nearly dragged him inside the minute the Butcher stepped down off his bike and took the alleyway side stairs to the apartment two at a time. Unfortunately, three of the other boys were with him but Texas hardly paid Arson, Capone or Tag any attention at all.
It was like a great electrical current went through Butcher as he got a foot through the door and saw Roux pressed to the wall, which stopped Texas behind him.
Any other time he might have laughed at the comical way their worlds came to a stop in front of each other as Axel’s girl nervously whittled her thumb nail, watching the Butcher.
Texas watched him pause in mid-step, just stopped where he was, staring at her. “Roux…”
Whatever Roux said, Texas didn’t hear because he was too busy pushing the Butcher to get moving. Fortunately he did by dragging his gaze from the other girl and he went down on his haunches in front of Poppy sprawled on the couch.
He checked her eyes and pulse.
“How long ago did she take it?”
“She didn’t take anything. She was fucking roofied.”
“When, Texas?”
“Less than an hour.” Spoke Roux.
The Butcher lifted his head, his eyes burning across at her, a tick working his jaw before turning his gaze back to Poppy. “Did you drink anything?”
“No. I was in the bathroom, a douchebag who’d tried hitting on her had drinks sent over, she’d down it before I could tell her not to. He tried to get to her outside too.”
Texas felt the growl unfurl in his chest. He knew the guy’s name now but that had to wait.
“Can you do anything, man?”
Butcher was busy taking her vitals.
The other three hovered and Texas didn’t pay them any attention, his whole focus was the girl on his couch.
“Tait.” She whined, her hand flailing and he grabbed it.
“Baby, I’m here. Let Butcher look at you.”
“So hot,” she said. “Feel sick too.”
Texas’ heart was in his mouth.
“Is she going to be okay, man?”
“It should help to empty her stomach.”
Finally he had a task and Texas was up off the floor, Poppy light as a feather in his arms and he strode off to the bathroom. Butcher came with him.
“Don’t wanna.” She whined when he got her over the toilet bowl, he was behind her, holding her chin because she was like a floppy fucking doll.
“Baby, you need to throw up, okay. It’ll make you feel better.”
“I can’t.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yeah.”
She probably wouldn’t like him in about three seconds, but he grasped her chin in one hand and forced two fingers all the way to the back of her throat until she started gagging with distressed noises. Texas had to hold her tight from knocking his hand away and on the third go she started to violently throw up.
“Have her go again.” Butcher said from the doorway after the second time and only when a crying Poppy couldn’t bring anything else up, she sagged on his shoulder, Texas looked over to Butcher who nodded. “Let’s get her laid down so I can check her temp and pulse.” Poppy wouldn’t go anywhere until Texas helped her rinse out her mouth.
She was still drowsy and clinging to his shirt front, but no longer an inferno.
He vowed to the devil himself, he was gonna spank her and never let her out again.
Vitals done. He felt relieved air enter into his torso seeing color coming back into her cheeks and her chest rising and falling normally in sleep.
There was no sign of the boys in the living room, but Roux was still there, her eyes worried but fully focused on Butcher. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she will be. I’ve put her to bed,” It was Texas who answered and scrubbed both hands on his face. He needed a shower, he smelled of whatever cocktails were once in Poppy’s stomach, but he wanted to go back to her so badly he was shaking.
“I should go, will you tell her I’ll call tomorrow.”
Texas asked. “You okay to get home?”
“Yeah, I have my car outside.”
“Thanks for bringing her home.”
Roux shrugged; her long ponytail swished. “We’re friends, you don’t leave your friends.”
“Roux.” Butcher croaked roughly and the girl stopped with her hand on the doorknob before her escape but turned to look at him, equally as affected.
It didn’t take a genius to see the palpable feelings bouncing between them.
Texas almost felt like an interloper in his own house.
“You look good, Cookie.”
Tight leather pants. Heels as lethal as a knife, a rock shirt with cut off sleeves accentuating her rack. Texas would agree even as he thought Poppy was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen; he still couldn’t figure out what those two even had in common.
The tension was thick between them.
Roux half smiled. “You too, Thaddeus. Catch you later.”
/> She was gone a second later and Texas turned his eyes to his boy who bent over and rested both hands to his knees and inhaled. Hard.
“You okay, Tad?”
“No. My fucking chest is on fire.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve seen her, huh?”
Those two had serious history.
The kind that nearly got the Butcher sliced and diced into an early grave courtesy of Axel. Only with Rider stepping in did Axel let the trouble drop but he wouldn’t allow his daughter anywhere near Butcher after that.
Everyone just assumed it was a stupid hook-up.
Hook-ups don’t make a guy look like he’d just been hit with an axe.
Nah, it was a guy who saw the woman of his forbidden dreams walking out of the door.
“Yeah,” wheezed Butcher getting back upright. “Fuck.” He repeated a few times before he stepped over to the couch and grabbed the medical bag he kept on his bike.
“She should be fine now, Tex, but if she starts getting any worse, give me a call. Gina…or GHB moves through the system fast, it’s why perverts use it, by the time they’ve had their fun, the chick wakes up and realizes what’s happened, it’s already out of her bloodstream.”
Texas’ own blood turned to ice at the thought of what could have happened to her all because a dipshit wanted to have fun with her when she told him no.
He followed Butcher to the door and the guy clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t look so worried, your girl’s gonna be fine.”
Texas nodded. Not so sure. “Thanks for coming. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d told me to get fucked.”
Butcher half smiled. “Not your enemy, Tex. Missed your ugly face. We’ll have to grab a beer sometime.”
Surprise stole Texas’ voice. He was in danger of bawling his fucking eyes out, so he cleared his voice.
“She’s pretty,” Butcher said motioning his head to the bedroom. “Your girl.”
“Not really my girl.” But yeah, she really was.
“You might want to be prepared.”
His eyes snapped up. “For?”
“The date rape drug is meant to loosen you up, gets you slow. Horny, Tex. Lowers inhibitions. Your girl might wake up and not have control over her body.”
What in the fuck?
The two men parted and Texas’ feet took him back to his bedroom to see she was passed out in her petite silver dress he thought she looked stunning in earlier when she pranced around the loft getting ready.
She did it on purpose with her little girl lashes batting at him, he almost didn’t let her leave.
Now he carefully stripped her down to her underwear and tucked her under the sheets, kissed her forehead and went to grab a fast shower before he slid into the bed with her, curling around her back, holding her close to check her breathing. She was a regular temperature again at least.
His heart had finally calmed down but he wouldn’t feel right until he saw she was okay.
The buzzer alerted him not long later and he was out of the bed in seconds, yanking on jeans and a t-shirt.
He was shocked to find Tag at the door.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, seems to be for now.”
“Good. Come outside, Tex. Got something for you.”
Surprise stole through him but he pulled on boots and followed Tag down the back stairs into the alleyway.
Arson was holding a guy by the throat, pinned to the wall. When he saw Texas, he grinned and tossed the lanky guy at Texas’ feet.
“This is the dirty little maggot. Dread’s his name. Two bit dealer, which we’ll get to soon, seeing as he knows, like every other piece of scum in this town who tries to push pills, that we don’t allow that, do we, Dread?” Arson booted the guy in the ribs. “He gave your girl the stuff.”
Texas could hardly be called violent.
It was probably low on his list of traits, but something overcame his vision, red and furious as he looked down at the groaning guy.
He couldn’t quite say what he did in the next few minutes, only that the guy got the beating of a lifetime and Texas’ hands were busted in places and sore in others.
It was only when Tag got hold of his shoulder and pulled him back a step before Texas could land another boot in.
He was huffing through his teeth, snarling to get back to ripping the guy apart.
“He hurt my girl. My fucking girl.” Texas rasped, pained.
“You’ve had enough, bro. We’ll take the trash out. Get back to your lady.”
“Way to go, Rocky.” Arson laughed grabbing the motherfucker up from the floor by the back of his shirt and Texas watched him bodily drag him to the Rig they had at the end of the alleyway.
Capone stood in the shadows, watching.
“Go on, Tex.” Advised Tag and pushed him gently in the direction of the stairs.
“Yeah.” adrenaline flooded his system.
He never knew he had that in him.
“Thanks for that, Tag. Tell Arson too.”
“Any fucking time, bro. Can’t stand scum who need to drug a chick. Almost put a bullet in him myself but knew you’d want to deal with it. He’s got a pocketful of pills, gonna do the upstanding citizen thing and dump him outside of the sheriff’s office.” Prince Charming flashed a wide smirk that got Texas laughing.
He was back in the loft, just kicked his boots into the corner and yanked his shirt off as he looked down at his two hands, not too bad, they’d probably be killing him tomorrow.
“Tait…”
His head snapped up to see her in the bedroom doorway.
In just her tiny blue underwear and his stomach turned over, his mouth dried.
He was a deviant pervert to get hard right now after what she’d been through.
“Baby, you need to be asleep. Do you wanna puke?”
“No,” she shook her head and looked like she wanted to head to him, so he moved his feet and with no more ceremony she crushed into his arms and stole his breath.
“I feel funny.”
“Funny sick?”
“No. I … Tait.” She wasn’t doing anything other than standing in his arms with her face crushed to his chest and he knew.
He just knew.
His dick knew.
Then she stopped his heart.
“I need to come.”
Fucking.
Hell.
TWENTY-TWO
“No forbidden love is bloodless. He’d bled for her. Would always bleed for her.” – The Butcher
That had been some bad shit with Texas’ girl.
It could have been so much worse for her if not for Roux being with her.
That tough cookie could look after herself and now she’d taken care of Texas’ girl too.
The bad shit was why Butcher was riding like a maniac across town.
His destination set even before he swung his leg over his vintage Harley.
There was no other choice.
When he came out with the boys tonight, he had no idea the night would end here and when he took the turn into the Red Roof Mountain motel, his heart rate kicked up several notches because he didn’t need to hope her Jeep would be there.
Parked outside of room 13.
Like it always used to be.
Unlucky for some.
Never for him.
He knew behind that door the room would be painted white with a few pictures on the walls. There’s two double beds with matching brown and white comforters. Two chairs, a dresser, a flat screen TV mounted on the opposite wall and through the sliding door was a clean bathroom.
In his head he could already see and smell the room.
On first arrival it would smell of cleaning products, whatever the maid service used to tidy up after the last guests.
By the time they left it would smell of their heady sex and need clinging to his nostrils.
He’d spent enough time in this very room. With her. To know the aesthetics by memory. But none of it regi
stered when he knocked only once and it opened immediately like she’d listened out for the rumble of his Harley.
There she was.
Butcher stepped into the carpeted room without delay even as he watched her rapidly inhaling, and then had his hand hooked around Roux’s nape and kicked the door closed behind him, walking her back with their eyes clashed, until he got her against the wall.
“Tell me those assholes didn’t give you anything.”
“Tad…”
“Tell me, Cookie,” he grated, “tell me you’re okay, that no bastard has ever tried to roofie his way into your fucking pants, tell me I don’t have to go looking for those fools and kill them tonight.”
Unhinged, the blood roared in his head, made his bones heavy with worry for what could have happened to her.
His Roux.
It didn’t matter that they weren’t together.
Or could ever be together.
She was his Roux.
His tough cookie.
Always.
He pressed their foreheads together, soaking in her scent.
She preferred masculine colognes to girlie shit, as she called it and she smelled good.
“Tad..” she said again and then inhaled as her hands came up to hold both of his wrists, her forehead leaned into his. “I’m okay, nothing happened. I would have kicked his ass.”
He chuffed a laugh. She would too.
His Cookie was a hellion in heels and he’d always loved that about her.
She was gung ho.
And fearless.
And she terrified him.
He forever worried she’d find trouble and he wouldn’t be there to get her out of it.
“You shouldn’t…” she breathed, not doing anything to break the hold he had on her.
“I should.” He grated.
Where the fuck else would he be other than here checking she was okay.
He could ask her why she was here.
She didn’t live in a motel; she didn’t even live in this town.
This was half way between her place and his place.
They always met in the middle.
“You knew I’d come, Cookie.” He almost whispered painfully, saw how she fluttered her eyelids down and started to nod. “You fucking knew, didn’t you?”
“Tad…”
That was it.