“Thank you,” I said, sniffling at the emotion elicited by her kindness.
“Don’t thank me until you try them on. I didn’t know what your style was, but I didn’t figure stripper-deluxe was it. So I tried to find my most conservative things.” Her cheeks flamed, and her gaze dropped to the clothes in her arms. “It’s not much. I figured leggings would fit, since we’re close in size, then I had a T-shirt and a hoodie. Oh, the panties are brand-new. Just took them out of the package.”
If I thought her cheeks were pink before, at the discussion about underwear, she positively reddened. It made me wonder how this girl got on a stage and stripped if she was so easily embarrassed. To ease her discomfort, I teased her. “I’d say beggars can’t be choosers, but again, thank you. You’re too kind.”
We found out that her shoes were too big, but I had an old pair of running shoes in my truck that I used on the nights I cleaned. Once I was dressed, I left the room with my dirty clothes in a bag.
“Really?” Decker asked Snow and Tash when he saw the hoodie I had on. I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. I looked down at the SYLDS and frowned in confusion.
“What’s wrong? What’s this mean?” Belatedly thinking to ask, I glanced at everyone chuckling or smiling as Decker damn near growled.
Tash giggled and explained, “It stands for Support Your Local Demented Sons. I think Venom would prefer it said something else.”
Still confused, I looked to him for clarification. He huffed and said, “I’ll get you a new one when we get to Ankeny.”
That had everyone laughing.
I was still lost.
It was midafternoon by the time we got on the road toward Ankeny via Storm Lake. Everyone was quiet and on edge—constantly checking the mirrors. I tried to entertain myself looking out the window, but there wasn’t much to see. I’d been to Storm Lake, but never to Ankeny or Des Moines, so I had no idea what to expect when we arrived.
The men who met us in Storm Lake tried not to stare, but I caught them shooting me curious glances several times. As they greeted Snow and his club, I tried to stay out of the way.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Decker said to Snow as they shook hands, then embraced. I winced as Decker did at the movement of his injured shoulder. I saw a dark-haired man duck his head as he spoke quietly to Decker, who shook his head. The dark-haired man looked like he didn’t like Decker’s response.
Snow cast a look around the area we’d met up at, then spoke to Decker. “You all better get back on the road.”
“Agreed,” the man they called Voodoo said. They dropped the trailer with Decker’s truck on it, and Voodoo hooked it up to the truck they’d arrived in.
They offered me the chance to use the bathroom, but I declined, suddenly anxious to get back on the road. The men all said their goodbyes, and we headed down the highway as Snow and his guy headed back to my former home.
“Loralei? This is Voodoo.” Decker officially introduced me as he motioned to the guy driving, who met my eyes in the rearview and gave me a slight chin lift. “And that guy is Angel,” he said as he pointed to the dark-haired guy I’d noticed speaking to him earlier. If anyone had a name that didn’t fit him, it was Angel.
He was dark and seemed angry at Decker for some reason. Voodoo wasn’t much different, except maybe a little more scary intense.
Angel continued to study me curiously before he returned his attention to Decker. “Venom, I need to look at that shoulder.”
That wasn’t the first time I’d heard someone call him Venom, and I made a mental note to ask him about it.
“When we get back to the clubhouse,” he insisted. Angel didn’t look happy about that, and I wondered if that was what he’d been talking to Decker about before.
“If things go to shit, we’d be better off if you were at one-hundred percent,” Angel argued.
“If things go to shit, I need you at one-hundred percent,” Decker threw back at him. That seemed to shut Angel up, but he was definitely disgruntled.
“My grandmother said she called you, Venom.” Voodoo broke the silence as it was starting to get uncomfortable.
“Mm,” Decker grunted but didn’t really reply.
“I think we both know what that change was now,” he said, and my gaze volleyed back and forth between the two of them. They all seemed to be speaking in code.
“Y’all are confusing the fuck out of me,” I finally blurted out.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” Voodoo questioned, causing me to roll my eyes. Obviously I wasn’t going to get any explanations for their code talk.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I drawled out, intentionally laying my accent on thick.
“She’s from Texas,” Decker rumbled out. I glanced over at him with a narrowed gaze.
“Yeah, speaking of, why didn’t you just ask me about my past instead of having a background check run on me?”
The men in the front seat faced forward and stared intently at the snow-covered landscape. They must’ve decided they didn’t want to be involved in the conversation in the back seat.
“I didn’t have it run on you. Snow already had it from when you worked at the Shamrock for them.”
“I don’t remember signing consent for a background check,” I grumbled as I belligerently crossed my arms.
He snorted out a laugh. “You didn’t have to. The Demented Sons do what they want. You chose to work for them; everyone knows they don’t hire anyone without one.”
“Well, I didn’t. Not from around here, remember?”
A lot of the anger was sucked from me when I saw how drawn Decker suddenly looked. He was also pale.
“Are you sure we should be traveling? There’s no way you’re healed enough for this,” I murmured in worry. He laid his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
“I’ll be fine when I get home,” he replied cryptically.
“You should’ve gone to a hospital,” I grumbled.
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because gunshot wounds require police reports. Not doing that to Snow and his boys. Not to mention, with that weather, I doubt we’d have made it there. Besides, I was in good hands, and like I said, I’ll be fine once I’m home.” He sounded tired, so I decided to let the issue drop for the time being. I hadn’t slept well either, so I decided to see if I could nap.
I pulled out my dirty hoodie, wadded it up, and shoved it between me and the door.
The next thing I knew, I was being gently shaken awake. Sleepily, I blinked and then popped upright when I realized I was staring right at Decker’s crotch. I’d obviously decided his lap made a better pillow than my stinky hoodie.
“Oh, shit! Sorry!” I whispered. Embarrassment burned my cheeks as I cautiously looked around. We were parked outside of a huge building out in the country.
“I thought we were going to Ankeny,” I said through a yawn.
“We’re just north of town. Come on, sleepyhead, let’s go inside,” he said as he tenderly cupped my cheek. I wanted to nuzzle into him like a cat, but I grabbed my few belongings and climbed out of the massive truck.
The packed snow crunched under my feet as I followed the men inside. There were several that I must’ve missed coming out thanks to being crashed in Decker’s lap. Two older men were quietly behind me as I stepped into the warm interior of the building.
Color me shocked when the industrial-looking building turned out to be a big bar. It was decked out in Christmas lights, with Christmas music playing through the speakers. Surely they didn’t get a lot of business out in the country?
Realizing the men were talking and the one named Angel was helping Decker take off his jacket and shirt, I stopped gawking around and watched. When I saw the blood-soaked bandage, I was instantly pissed.
“I knew it! I knew you didn’t need to be traveling! What the hell, Decker?”
At my outburst, all the me
n looked at me strangely.
“What are you all looking at me like that for? Do I have a booger in my nose? Snot smeared across my face?” The anxiety of Decker being injured was amping me up, though I knew I needed to calm down.
“Hey, darling, it’s okay. We’re gonna get him fixed up,” the man with serious salt-and-pepper hair said as he laid a hand on my neck. He had a leather vest on that read HAWK.
Wow. I thought Decker was a silver fox, but he truly isn’t old enough. But this guy? Yeah, this guy is the definition of a silver fox.
Everyone chuckled, and Decker was scowling at me. Initially confused, I suddenly realized I’d said that out loud. But I was honestly so relaxed and chill that I didn’t care.
“You want me to show you where your room is so you can take a nap? It must’ve been a long trip and an exhausting experience for you yesterday.” The man named Hawk still had his hand on me, and I blissfully nodded.
“You make Decker better so he can come snuggle with me. Okay? I really like snuggling with him, you know. Who would’ve thought that a grumpy ol’ guy like him would like to snuggle, huh?” As I carelessly ran off at the mouth, the men in the room tried to hide their laughter and smiles, but Decker looked mad as hell.
“Why you mad? It’s sexy when you’re mad, but you need to turn that frown upside down,” I said with a sleepy grin.
“Jesus, show her to the room,” Decker muttered, then said to me, “I’ll be in to check on you in a bit.”
“And snuggles. Don’t forget snuggles,” I was compelled to remind him as I happily went with Hawk into a short back hall, then turned and went to the other end.
He opened a door for me, and I shuffled to the bed before tumbling in and curling up in a ball.
I vaguely remembered someone slipping my shoes off and putting a blanket over me.
Then I drifted off to sleep, where I dreamed about doing really bad things to the man who’d gotten me pregnant.
“Mourning Star”—Gemini Syndrome
“What the fuck?” I questioned as I watched Hawk use his abilities on Loralei. Abilities that were much the same as mine, yet I hadn’t accomplished diddly shit with her when I tried. Then I shouted “Ow!” as Angel removed the dressing from over the wound Apollo had carefully stitched.
“A little warning would’ve been nice!” I grumbled at him.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he studied the wound and tried to hide his grin. “Thought you heard me, but you must’ve been too distracted by the chick.”
I glared at him and silently dared him to keep running his mouth. Wisely, he buttoned his trap, but his twisted lips betrayed his barely contained humor at my expense.
That’s when I addressed the visitor in the room. “Jigsaw,” I said as I gave him a chin lift. “What brings you here?”
“Well, you know, the weather here’s a fucking dream.” He suppressed a smirk.
“Maybe more like a nightmare,” Ghost grumbles. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was forever bitching in the winter.
“Everything okay? We didn’t know you’d be passing through.” Jigsaw was a nomad but held some ties to the Tonopah Chapter in Nevada.
“Well, I didn’t plan on it, but I’m heading back to the Crossroads, and this beautiful weather you have slowed me down a little. Then I heard rumor you ran in to a bit of trouble up north and figured I’d see if you needed my help. Since I’m here and all.” The tall nomad tipped his head, and his sandy hair fell over one insanely blue eye as he stared, waiting to see what I had to say.
“I’d never turn down an extra hand when we don’t know what’s headed our way. Hopefully nothing, but I’m not sure. I didn’t want to worry Loralei, but whoever this guy is, he’d been watching her. There’s no way he doesn’t know she’s here now.” At my reply, he gave me a slight nod.
“I’m here. Might as well make use of me.” The grin he gave me was dark, and if I dared say, hopeful that he’d be needed. If it was Loralei’s ex like Snow thought, I could use him and Voodoo to make sure the guy was finished. If Hannibal had been here it would be even better, but beggars couldn’t be choosy and all that.
Hawk returned from the back and pulled up a chair next to us at one of the tables in the common area.
“You know you could go to the infirmary so we don’t have to catch you when you fall out of that chair,” he said, also poorly hiding a grin.
“No way. I spent enough time on that uncomfortable gurney at Snow’s. When I go lie down, I’m gonna be doing it in my own fucking bed.”
“Suit yourself,” he said to me.
As Angel snipped out the stitches, I distracted myself with what had been on my mind. “How were you able to calm her down?” I asked Hawk.
He gave me a strange glance as he cocked his head. “Whadda you mean?”
Glancing around nervously, I debated whether to announce what I saw as a weakness.
“Whoa. Wait.” Hawk squinted at me before he started laughing and shook his head.
“What the hell is so funny?” I grumbled. I’d been in a shit mood for a long damn time. Pretty much since the day I drove away from Loralei. It was getting old. Something needed to change.
“Prez, I’d say you’re well and truly fucked.” He started chortling, and my teeth ground in frustration. Why did it seem like I was stuck in this weird dream where I was clueless and everyone else knew something I didn’t? Oh yeah, because I was.
“Would someone quit beating around the goddamn bush and tell me what they think is going on? I’m tired. I found out I’m gonna be a father, survived a goddamn fire, got shot at, chased through a blizzard, rear ended, shot twice, then traveled my ass back here. My patience is a little fucking thin.” I ended my angry tirade to see Hawk, Raptor, Voodoo, Angel, Ghost, and Chains all staring at me in various stages of disbelief.
Then all hell broke loose with demands from them.
“What the hell?”
“Why didn’t you say you needed our help?”
“A kid?”
“Why didn’t you let one of us go with you?”
“Who the hell is the girl?”
“We shouldn’t just now be hearing about all of this!”
“We thought this was connected to something with Snow!”
“Enough!” I roared, and they all snapped their jaws shut. Glancing at my shoulder, I saw the trickle of blood running down my skin but ignored it. “I went back to get the rest of the stuff for Grams. While I was there, I got some unexpected news that changed my plans a little. Unfortunate shit went down. Snow has his boys looking into some of it, but I want to talk to Facet. Bottom line is, Loralei is mine.”
My words shocked even me. Though I’d told her she was coming back with me and I’d take care of her, in my mind I’d convinced myself it was only because she was pregnant. The truth hit me like a sledgehammer to the balls.
Because inexplicably, I’d found myself wanting something I’d sworn to never have.
I was going to have a family.
And Loralei was going to be my ol’ lady.
Jesus, I was fucked.
Angel slid his fingers along my wound, and I experienced the burn of his touch as it shot through me, rapidly replaced by the rippling tingle. My vision blurred, and my mouth refused to cooperate. Warmth followed like a current flowing through me.
Then I passed out.
When I came to, I was in my bed, flat on my back. Everything was stiff as I fought to roll over. My head was pounding, and I waited for it to split open. After a few deep breaths, it began to ease, and I realized I wasn’t alone.
Disoriented, I began to panic for a second until I remembered I was in my own bed and I’d told them when we got there that Loralei would be sleeping in my bed. Her dark hair was next to me, and I pressed my face into it, instantly experiencing a lightness and calm.
Finally in control of my body, I turned to my side. The lack of excruciating pain to my shoulder at first surprised me. Then I wrapped my arm aroun
d her and pulled her into my body as I curled into her warmth.
Tempted to go back to sleep, I instead chose to reflect on the last couple of days. Never in my life would I have imagined things would change so drastically and so rapidly.
The woman in my arms made me a possessive asshole, but I was amazingly okay with that. Now that the shock had settled, I realized it didn’t matter that I was nearly twelve years older than her. She was a gift, and so was the baby growing within her.
“You’re up early,” she croaked in a voice froggy from sleep.
“Mmm,” I said as I nuzzled into her neck and gave her body a squeeze.
“Careful of your arm!” she chastised. Cautiously, she turned to face me, covering her mouth with her hand. “I have morning breath,” she mumbled in explanation. In the dim morning light filtering in through the curtains, she gave a confused frown to the injured area of my shoulder. Her fingers tentatively reached out to assess if what she was seeing was the truth.
I grabbed her hand before she made contact.
“We need to talk,” I explained. She bolted up in the bed and searched the bedside table for a light. Once she’d clicked it on, she whipped her gaze back to my shoulder. Dissatisfied with what she was seeing, she got to her knees and leaned down. Nose damn near touching the healed tissue of my injury, she blinked rapidly.
“What the hell?” She cast a startled stare at me, suddenly oblivious to the morning breath I didn’t give a shit about to begin with. “You… that… how?”
“Like I said, we need to talk.”
“How long have I been asleep?” she asked incredulously as she looked down to see she was still in the same clothes she’d traveled in. Which reminded me… “Take this off.”
I tugged at the hoodie she’d been wearing since we left up north.
“This is no time to get frisky!” she sputtered, wide-eyed and flabbergasted.
A Very Venom Christmas: RBMC: Ankeny IA Page 10