by Joanna Wylde
“It’s okay, baby,” Hannah said, wrapping an arm around the little girl. “If there’s a fire, we’ll deal with it.”
“But where will we live?”
Hannah and I stared at each other—that was a detail we hadn’t had time to figure out just yet.
“Don’t worry,” I told Callie. “Your mama and I used to move a lot when we were your age. I know you never met your grandma, but she was real good at figuring stuff like this out. She taught us everything she knew. We’ll always take care of you, honey, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, shrinking into Hannah’s side.
“I have a nice, big house,” Heath said. “You guys can stay there tonight if there’s really a fire.”
Hannah’s eyes flew to his.
“What about tomorrow?” Callie asked, her voice small as my phone buzzed again.
“You can stay as long as you need to,” Heath told her. “All of you.”
Hannah looked at him like he was her knight in shining armor. Maybe he was, although the curse of the McBride women suggested we stay cautious. He was better than Randy, that was for damned sure—and Hannah made a great damsel in distress.
As for me, at least I wasn’t in jail again.
Funny, the last time my life had fallen apart, I’d gone down as an accessory for a crime I hadn’t committed. Now I was guilty as hell and a cop was covering my ass.
This kind of bullshit from the justice system is why superheroes go outside the law, Wonder Woman said, her voice accusing. You took care of your family and that was the right thing to do. Fuck everything else.
“Let’s go,” Heath said. “I just got a message from my brother. I’m very sorry, but it’s definitely your place that’s on fire.” He looked at Hannah. “We can call my mom on the way and ask her to watch the girls for a few hours, if you like.”
“No!” Callie shrieked, and heads turned toward us. “I don’t know her. I want to stay with Mommy.”
“It’s okay,” Hannah reassured her quickly. “You can stay with me. It might be scary, though.”
“Nothing’s scarier than you disappearing,” she said. “I’m a big girl.”
The drive home was tense. We kept getting more phone calls, including the hardest one—Randy’s parents. Hannah handled it well, telling them only the truth.
Yes, Randy had come over that day. No, she didn’t know where he was now or whether he’d been there when the fire started. Yes, the girls were fine. Yes, we’d be there soon.
By the time we pulled up, the fire was mostly out, although there was still a lot of noise and fuss. The firefighters were milling around, doing cleanup, and the neighbors were all outside watching. Mrs. Collins rushed over to us carrying a blanket, wrapping it around Callie.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, leaning in to me. “It all happened so fast. The flames just exploded out of the place.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “That no good man of your sister’s had just left, too—I saw him come out and get into his car, then drive away. Nearly ran over my cat. He must’ve done something to start it. I already told the police all about it.”
“That’s horrible,” I managed to say.
“Mandy, are you okay?” someone shouted. I spun around to find Sara running toward me.
“I thought you were working tonight?” I asked her, feeling confused and overwhelmed.
“Bone sent me,” she said. “Once we started hearing things, he wanted to make sure you were okay. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I told her. “We’re all fine. We were in Cranston having dinner with Heath Andrews.”
“It was Randy earlier today, wasn’t it?” she asked, pitching her voice low. “That’s why you wanted to drop off the girls?”
“He wanted to get some stuff at the house,” I said, following the script. “Hannah and I didn’t want the girls seeing him because he’s gotten more erratic lately. Heath saw the car outside and stopped to check on us. By then we just wanted to get away from Randy, so we left. I still can’t believe this happened.”
“Oh, Mandy. I’m so sorry.” Sara’s pretty eyes blinked at me, and I realized she was on the verge of crying. I gave her a hug, feeling horrible for lying to her. “You can stay with me if you want. Your sister, too. I know it’s small, but…”
“Heath already offered his place to Hannah,” I said. “But I’d feel much better staying with you, if you don’t mind.”
“It’s fine,” Sara assured me. “I’ve been considering getting a roommate anyway. You can borrow some clothes and stuff, too. We’ll help you get back on your feet, don’t worry.”
I nodded, wishing my reality was even half that simple. Over the next hour, my respect for Heath grew as I watched him talking to his fellow deputies. At some point he introduced his brother and then he sat next to me while they asked questions about what’d happened. Apparently Mrs. Collins wasn’t the only one who saw Randy leaving the trailer in a hurry right before it went up. They were looking for him now, but hadn’t had any luck.
Finally, it was time for us to go. I bundled Hannah and the girls into Heath’s car before catching a ride with Sara back to her place. She loaned me some yoga pants and a shirt, and then I was asleep on her couch.
The next day things went from chaotic to surreal. Representatives of the local Bible church—women I’d only ever met casually—got in touch to ask what sizes we wore. Later that day they brought two big boxes of clothing and toys to Heath’s house, and not just castoffs. This was nice stuff—clothing that’d been taken directly out of people’s closets.
Not only that, they set out change jars at both registers in the town’s only grocery store. Hannah had worked there for nearly six years, and apparently she was well liked. By five o’clock, they’d already collected nearly three hundred bucks, including an anonymous Benjamin someone had slipped in without comment.
As for me, Bone messaged and said I didn’t need to work that night. I went in anyway. The thought of sitting alone at Sara’s house was too weird and I hadn’t heard anything from Shade. I didn’t feel comfortable messaging him, under the circumstances. Hanging with Heath and Sara sounded even weirder. All I wanted was to feel normal and in control. Waiting tables sounded like heaven.
Normal, boring heaven.
I could use a little normal and boring in my life.
Suz tackle-hugged me when I walked into the Pit, then started babbling about the clothing drive and donating tips. I thanked her, steadying myself as I came face to face with Bone.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “I mean, it sucks, but it is what it is. It’s Hannah and the girls who will have a hard time—I didn’t have much in the way of stuff, anyway.”
Bone nodded, stoic. “I can give you some extra shifts. We’ll do a fundraiser, too. This weekend.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I told him, overwhelmed.
“This is Violetta,” he said, his mouth cocking in a rare smile. “I’d do a fundraiser for anyone who lost their place, so don’t take it personally.”
“You’re a real prince, Bone,” Sara muttered.
“Get your asses punched in,” he said, ignoring her. “We’ll be busy tonight—the girls agreed to donate their tips to help your sister get back on her feet, and I’m matching them. Put the word out earlier, so people will come. The Reapers will be here too. You’ll be in charge of them, Mandy.”
I swallowed, wondering what I would say to Shade when I saw him.
The biker in question walked in just after nine. Behind him were Dopey and a bunch of others I recognized from the clubhouse, including one who’d been at the trailer. Not the guy who looked like Randy, though. Oh, wow… They put him in Randy’s clothes and had him drive the car away, I realized. That would explain how Mrs. Collins had seen him leave.
Dopey’s old lady came over and gave me a tight hug.
“So sorry to hear about your place,” she said, sounding genuinely upset. If she knew what’d rea
lly happened, she sure as hell wasn’t showing it. Dopey came up next to her, wrapping an arm around her.
“Let’s go find a place to sit,” he said. “We’re all real sorry about the fire, Mandy.”
Another biker slapped my shoulder, and then they were filing past me toward the back of the bar. Shade waited until they passed, catching and holding my gaze as he approached. His eyes were dark with desire and something else. I couldn’t tell exactly what that something else was, and I guess it didn’t matter.
He’d saved my family last night, risking his own life in the process. So far as I was concerned, he could call the shots.
“Mandy,” he said, sliding his hands around my waist.
“Shade.”
“Fuckin’ shame about your place. When we heard that the girls would be donating their tips tonight, we figured we’d ride over. Make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” I said, flushing. “I’m staying with Sara.”
“And Hannah?”
“She’s with Heath.”
Shade nodded, then leaned forward into me, his lips brushing my ear.
“You’ll be comin’ with me after work tonight.”
It wasn’t a question.
“All right.”
“We’ll talk more when it’s time for your break.”
I nodded, any resistance I’d felt toward him long gone. Shade let me go, joining his brothers at the back of the bar. I grabbed my tray and followed him, ready to take their orders.
Bone sent me on break at eleven that night. Shade had spent the last two hours watching me with that same intense stare he’d given me at that first barbecue with Rebel. When I started pulling off my apron, he stalked toward me, catching my hand and pulling me down the hallway past the office. Then we were out on the back porch and he was pushing me up against the wall, thrusting one leg between mine.
My fingers tangled in his hair as his hands caught my butt, pulling me up and into his pelvis. His mouth covered mine and his tongue thrust deep. Desire exploded through me. My nipples tightened and my legs clenched around his thigh. He shifted, hips moving against mine restlessly as his mouth dropped, sucking on my neck. I moaned and rubbed myself against his leg, desperate for sensation.
Shade dropped me abruptly, then caught my arm and dragged me over to the picnic table.
“Open your jeans,” he said, his voice heavy.
I glanced around, hoping nobody was watching from the darkness. But even if they were, would it matter? We’d already done this once. Following his order, I reached down and unbuttoned my fly.
“Now touch yourself.”
Swallowing, I slid my hand inside to find my clit, rubbing it. Sensation flooded me as Shade’s eyes held mine. I bit my lip.
“Are you wet?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“What do you want?”
“This,” I said, reaching out to cover the front of his fly with my other hand. “I want this. Inside me.”
“Right here on the porch?”
I nodded, rubbing my clit harder. I couldn’t wait to feel him deep inside. Filling me. Stretching me and making me his.
“Give me a taste.”
Pulling my hand out, I lifted my hand. Shade caught my wrist and raised it between us. Then he slowly sucked each finger into his mouth, holding my gaze the entire time. I squeezed his dick through the fabric of his jeans, then started rubbing it up and down with the heel of my hand, pressing hard. His tongue flicked against my fingertips, then he sucked them again.
Desire and tension and the need to fuck hung in the air between us—he’d committed violence to protect me and now I was his.
Something in Shade snapped, and he caught my shoulders, spinning me around and pushing me down across the table on my stomach. Seconds later, he’d jerked down my jeans and I heard the sound of his zipper opening followed by the crackle of a condom wrapper.
Laying his hand flat on the small of my back, he pinned me as the head of his cock touched my center. Then he thrust hard, filling me in one stroke, and I gasped. Shade stilled, breathing deep. I felt him throbbing inside me.
“Fuckin’ love this pussy. Squeeze.”
I did, clenching tight. His hips bucked into mine before pulling back. Then he slammed home again, and this time he didn’t stop to savor the moment. His hands caught my shoulders, holding me down and steadying me for his thrusts. Faster and faster he moved, the head of his cock hitting my G-spot with every stroke. Wild desire flared and I heard the sound of our bodies coming together. Raw. Dirty. Wet.
“Next time, you damned well call me if you get in trouble,” Shade said, his voice like gravel. The words were punctuated with his thrusts, like he was punishing me for trying to handle Randy on my own.
Maybe he was.
I should piss him off more often, because despite the brutality of it, I’d never felt anything more amazing. I’d loved it when he’d gone down on me, but this rough and wild sex was somehow better.
Maybe it was the way it hurt a little…the way his hands held me tight, forcing me to hold steady for him, taking everything he had to give, no matter what that meant. Whatever it was, the tension spiraled through me fast and hard until I hovered right on the edge of oblivion.
Shade convulsed, groaning as his hot seed blew into me. I felt the pulse of his cock as he buried himself. That was enough to push me over the edge.
My world shattered into a spiral of stars and streaks and blessed relief.
Shade leaned down over me, catching my hair and turning my head for his kiss. He was marking me, I realized. I wasn’t sure why or for how long, but until he said otherwise, I belonged to him and there was no going back.
Maybe there never had been.
He’d seen me and he’d wanted me. Ultimately, he found a way to have me. That should’ve pissed me off, but when I thought of Randy and Hannah and the whole horrible situation, I didn’t have any room left for anger.
Shade pushed himself back up, then pulled out of me, leaving my ass on full display. Suddenly self-conscious, I grabbed my jeans, pulling them up.
“I should probably get back to work,” I said.
“That’s fine,” Shade replied. “Just don’t forget who you’re going home with at the end of the night.”
I nodded and turned to the door. Then I stopped.
“Shade?” I asked hesitantly, staring at my feet like a chicken.
“Yeah?”
“Will you tell me what happened last night?”
“Your sister’s dumbass ex left a lit pipe in the trailer,” he said. “Whole damned place burned up because of it. Fuckin’ shame.”
“And Randy?”
He didn’t answer for long seconds. My chest tightened.
“Last I hear, he took off in that little car of his,” Shade said. “Asshole made a big mistake, setting that fire. I’d think a man like that would disappear if he could. Probably won’t see him around again. Him or his friends. You and Hannah don’t need to worry.”
“Okay,” I whispered, wondering why I didn’t feel guilty.
Because he was a drug addict who endangered his family, Wonder Woman reminded me. And his friends were worse. They hurt Hannah and threatened Callie. There’s no room for guilt here.
“Don’t forget—you’re with me tonight,” Shade said quietly. “No more games, Mandy.”
“No more games,” I agreed.
We left the bar half an hour after closing.
Riding with Shade at night felt familiar by now. We were in a pack, surrounded by his fellow Reapers and their women. I wasn’t sure how many of them knew what’d gone down.
What I did know was that they’d given, and given generously.
The girls had kept a running total of their tips and sure enough, Bone had matched it. He’d also handed me the five hundred that’d been sitting there waiting all this time. There was more than enough to get a new apartment, I realized. Assuming Hannah wanted one… Heath seemed to think she should
just stay at his place.
We’d figure it out later.
For now, I decided to enjoy the feel of the bike between my legs and the fact that I’d already gotten laid once. Odds were good I’d be getting laid again soon.
In four weeks, I’d be done with probation.
Life was good.
I woke up the next morning to find the bed empty, just like last time. This was a bummer because I’d been hoping for some morning nookie. On the other hand, he’d given me four orgasms total last night, so it wasn’t like I was suffering.
I let myself drift back to sleep, waking when I heard voices out in the corridor. Men talking. Then the door opened and Shade stepped in.
This time he wasn’t holding coffee.
“I have to go,” he said. I frowned because he was in full-on biker badass mode—all leather and patches, with a knife sheathed against his leg and a distracted look on his face.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied, walking over to the dresser. He opened the top drawer and dug around, tucking something in his pocket before turning back to me. “I can’t give you a ride home. Pepper will take you.”
Then he started for the door without a second look.
“Wait,” I said, sitting up.
Shade turned back, obviously distracted. “What?”
“Is this it, then?”
He frowned at me. “What do you mean?”
“I guess… Is this good-bye?” I asked, and the words sounded so pathetic that I could’ve kicked myself. I forced a smile, determined not to look disappointed. “Is our one-night stand over now?”
Shade’s expression softened. “Have I taken you to breakfast yet?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Then it’s not over yet,” he replied. “But I really do need to go, babe. Nothing to do with you—club business. I’m the president, which means sometimes I have to handle shit.”
“Okay, then,” I said, my smile genuine. “Go handle shit.”
“I’ll text you later. Let you know what tonight looks like.”