She’d come out beat red, and refused to look at me, or any of my friends, for the rest of the trip.
I’d been grateful that she’d not said anything else, either.
My friends, on the other hand, had teased not only her, but me for the rest of the day.
Baylee didn’t show one single sign of embarrassment.
We were silent as I drove back to the hotel where my bike was parked, stopped for the package in my saddlebags, and still silent as I paid for a room for us to stay in for the night.
As the elevator doors closed on the busy lobby, I finally turned and looked into Baylee’s eyes. Or at least tried to.
My hat was pulled low over her eyes again, making it hard for me to see her face.
Reaching forward, I tipped the hat back until I could see her eyes, and what I saw nearly tore me to shreds.
She was silently crying.
Her eyes were leaking fat tears that trailed down her face, and disappeared down the collar of my sweatshirt that she still wore.
Closing the distance between them, I lifted my hand and dashed the tears away with the palm of my hand. “Stop crying. You’re tearing me apart.”
She nodded, closed her lips tightly, and visibly willed her tears to stop.
She wasn’t successful though.
“Come on.” I said, as I gave her hand a small tug when the elevator doors opened on the seventh floor.
I’d purchased the biggest room they had on the top floor, at the end of the hallway. I really hated the traffic outside hotel room doors.
In fact, I would’ve rather gone home, but I wanted neutral territory for Baylee, and my place wouldn’t offer that.
Once I sat her down on the bed, I tossed the package on the bed beside her and started to pace.
“Okay.” I said. “I think it’s time we had a long discussion. First and foremost, we’ll start with why you left tonight. Talk to me.”
My demand hit her hard, and she turned her face down so the hat concealed her eyes.
Frustrated, I ripped the hat off her head and threw it to the ground at her feet. “Let me see your fucking eyes!”
She flinched back from the booming sound of my voice, and then flinched again in pain.
Which made me feel like a world class shit.
“I’m sorry. Do you need another pain pill?”
At the shake of her head, I continued. “Please talk to me.”
It took her a few minutes, but she finally answered.
“You never tell me anything about your life.” She swallowed hard. “It’s like you keep that part of you separate from me. Like you don’t want me to be a part of that.”
I sighed, and dropped down to the red chair that faced the bed and let my head fall into my hands. “You never acted interested in that part of my life. I didn’t know if you wanted to be a part of it.”
She snorted.
I looked up, barely keeping my glare from taking over my face.
She looked tiny sitting there in my huge sweatshirt.
It was an old one from the very early days from my stint in the Marines.
Her blonde hair was in a messy bun at the top of her head. Her eyes were red, her cheeks splotchy.
And she was beautiful.
“When I tell you about the club, bring you in, what you do and don’t do becomes my responsibility. This isn’t something that you can just leave if it gets to be too much for you. You’ll have to stay and work it out with me. You won’t be able to talk to your mom, or your brother. You’ll have me, and the club. Sometimes my sister, but not even she knows everything. Do you think you can handle that?”
She hesitated.
Going on a hunch, I let her in.
All the way.
And when I left two hours later, I still didn’t know which way she was going to run.
Towards me, or away from me.
Chapter 17
This bitch won’t fall off.
-T-shirt
Baylee
I looked down at the leather vest again. For the millionth time.
It sure was beautiful.
The stitching was extraordinary.
And the patch that said, ‘Property of Shiva,’ gave me tingles.
I’d gone over what Sebastian had said hundreds of times.
I examined every word that had come out of his mouth over and over again, looking at it from every angle I could think of, and kept coming up with one single truth.
I loved him; did it even matter at this point whether I liked the club?
I loved the man, and if that man was part of the Dixie Wardens MC, then I was supporting that man with every bit of myself, and then some.
With shaking fingers, I picked the leather vest up, and brought it up close to my face, smelling the new fresh scent of leather.
It was soft, like butter. The stitching on the leather was a hot pink accent that really made the word ‘Property’ pop.
The design was very simple. There were only three words on the back in big bold letters, but I loved it.
With a terrifying thrill coursing through my veins, I slipped the soft vest over the tight hot pink t-shirt I was wearing, and settled it on my shoulders. The button on the front was pink, too, and I couldn’t help the smile that overtook my face as I buttoned the two buttons, and then looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.
I remembered what he’d said as he was leaving that night. You put that on, there’s no turning back. You’re mine. Forever. Your body. Your soul. Your heart. It’s all fucking mine.
With one final smile, I turned to survey the writing on my back, and walked out of the room.
Then, as if sensing the change, Sebastian’s ringtone started playing on my phone, and I plucked it up off my side table with shaking fingers, and placed the phone to my ear.
My old man.
“Sebastian?” I asked excitedly.
“Ahh, honey,” a grizzly voice said from the other end. “This is Silas. Honey, there’s no easy way to tell you this, but Sebastian was hurt while at a fire. Something happened, and they’re taking him in to Bossier Memorial.”
He kept talking, but my hearing and vision had narrowed.
With one single purpose in mind, I hit end on the cell phone, shoved it into my jeans pocket, and rushed out the door.
I forgot that I was wearing shorts that were short enough to make a nun blush.
I forgot that I’d not been wearing a bra.
I forgot that I was supposed to meet my family for dinner and discuss my relationship with Sebastian.
My only focus was on reaching the hospital in Bossier City, and making sure my old man was all right.
I was thankful that my car was being extra nice today, allowing me to go five miles over the speed limit without shaking too badly.
I’d noticed that my phone had started ringing again in my pocket, but right now my focus was on getting to the hospital as fast as I could. Not on trying to talk to someone who was probably only trying to make sure I was all right.
I found the hospital in less than thirty minutes, parked, and ran walked into the entrance of the ER.
I came to a halt when I was surrounded by a wall of black leather, but my eyes quickly fastened on Silas, and I barreled towards him, stepping on steel-toed boots as if they were stepping-stones along the way.
“Where is he?” I demanded.
Silas looked a little disheveled.
His beard, which was usually in a line down his chin and tamed by a ponytail, was loose and unkempt.
His hair looked like he’d been trying to run his fingers through it, but the shortness of it kept him from actually grasping it, only making it stand on end.
Murmurs rose behind her, but I ignored them, keeping my eyes on Silas as he perused my attire.
I snapped my fingers in the old man’s face, demanding his attention.
“Where. Is. He?” I said again.
He blinked, as if he wasn’t used to people speaking to him
like that, and shook his head as if to clear it. “He’s okay. Which you would’ve known if you’d have answered your fucking phone.”
“Don’t you cuss at me, old man! Now, where is he?” I snapped.
Chuckles filled the air behind me, and a nerve in Silas’ jaw started to tick. “He’s in room three. He’s been asking for you. Go through that door, and they’ll show you the way.”
I didn’t need any more direction.
I practically flew through the door, found a nurse who pointed the way, and ran towards the room that was marked with a large red three.
When I found Sebastian sitting on the bed, stripped naked to the waist, in his bunker gear, I didn’t stop to think that he may be hurt, or that my own ribs were still healing.
No, I hurled myself forward, and threw my arms around his neck, knocking him backwards until his back hit the bed with a soft thud.
I held onto his neck like a vise, shaking as the adrenaline that had fueled my flight or fight mode started dissipating. “Oh, Jesus. You scared the shit out of me. Are you okay?” I cried quietly against his neck.
“Is your ass hanging out? These shorts seem really, really short.” Sebastian’s anger surprised me.
Sitting back, I dashed the tears that were running down my face away, and laughed. “Yeah, I’d meant to change, but your dad called, and I didn’t stop to think. I was working on my flower beds.”
His eyes softened, and then lowered as they took in the gift he’d given me three days prior. “You look good in it.”
My body lowered until it was pressed up against his chest. “Yeah, fits like a glove.” I said right before I lowered my mouth to his and kissed him.
The kiss was deep and all consuming. Built up with the passion that we’d held back for the past three days. It was needy, and raw. Both of us poured our emotions into the kiss as our tongues dueled.
I hadn’t realized that I was straddling Sebastian’s hips until a very annoyed voice spoke behind us, pulling me out of my lust-filled haze.
“Excuse me, but you’re still on duty, Mackenzie.” A man growled.
Pulling away from Sebastian’s lips slowly, I looked into his eyes and saw pain.
Which I realized he must be in, but he hadn’t complained about it once; not even when I flew towards him in desperation.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry Sebastian. Are you okay? What’s wrong? Why are you here? What happened?” I volleyed at Sebastian, as I extricated myself from him.
He shrugged and sat up with me, gathering me close so my back was to his front.
When I looked at him in surprise, he leaned forward and whispered, “Your ass isn’t for every male in Benton to see. It’s mine.”
I rolled my eyes, and leaned into him as he explained.
“We had another arson, but we got there before it was fully engulfed. The arsonist didn’t like that and decided to throw a gas can through the back window when we were inside. I was the last one out before it blew; I was thrown down some stairs. I might have a couple of broken ribs.” Sebastian said hesitantly.
Kettle snorted, bringing my gaze to him. I hadn’t realized it before, but he’d been there since I’d entered the room.
He was dressed much the same as Sebastian, only he still had his shirt on.
He was smudged with dirt, his hair was plastered to his head from sweat, and he had a gash under his cheek that needed stitches.
“Of course, going down over the second floor balcony isn’t really the same as being thrown down stairs.” Kettle said dryly.
I gasped, knowing Sebastian had to be in extreme pain when I’d thrown myself at him, but he hadn’t complained even once. “Oh, Sebastian. I’m sorry.”
Instead of saying anything, Sebastian gathered me close, holding me tightly, much to the consternation of the grizzled old man that was taking up a silent vigil across the room.
Kettle, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind in the least.
He was wearing a smile that practically lit up the room.
“Stop looking at her shorts.” Sebastian suddenly growled from behind me, making me jolt.
I looked in between the two in confusion. “What’s wrong with my shorts? They’re not really that bad.” I said hesitantly.
Sebastian snorted while Kettle decided to put in his two cents. “You’re wearing black panties with pink hearts.”
I gasped, and looked down at my legs.
Okay, they were a little short, but they really weren’t that bad!
Instead of arguing, I crossed my arms and glared at the man.
He laughed.
The bastard.
Wanting to change the subject, I turned in Sebastian’s arms and looked at his dirty, smudged face. “Do you want a drink or something? Do you need anything?”
Sebastian shook his head.
“You’re not leaving my side. Especially not in those shorts.” He growled, sending shivers down my spine.
“Who’s the man that’s glaring a whole in my chest?” I whispered into Sebastian’s ear.
He snorted. “That’s my boss.”
His lips moved over my skin as he spoke, and I really started to feel the heat.
My nipples puckered, and I was supremely happy that I was wearing the leather vest. It concealed my nipples quite nicely.
Just as I was about to say something else, Trance, in his black BPD uniform, came through the door with a notebook in hand. “Hey, brother. How ya doin’?”
Sebastian’s boss growled and left the room, a trail of aggravation trailing in his wake.
Stepping out of Sebastian’s arms, I went to the doorway and watched as the man stomped down the hallway. Turning back around, I placed my arms on my hips. “What’s his problem?” I asked the three men.
They hadn’t been surprised at his abrupt departure, but I was. Didn’t he need to answer just as much as Sebastian did? Wasn’t he there? Wasn’t he concerned about his employee?
Three sets of Warden eyes turned to me, all three assessing.
Kettle was the one to answer, though. “He’s mad that he got reprimanded in front of the whole department. Not to mention demoted. Sebastian’s the new Captain.”
My mouth fell open, and I smiled widely. “Really?” I asked excitedly, bouncing on my toes.
Sebastian shrugged. “We’ll see. The Chief got wind of all the fires, finally, and he had a lot of questions; ones The Captain didn’t have the answers to. I did, and it made him look bad. When he reacted badly, The Chief told him to he needed to speak with him in private. The Chief showed up here about twenty minutes ago, telling me I was the new acting Captain.”
“Well...” I said, trying valiantly to control the smile that I had no hope of containing. “That’s just fucking awesome!”
“What’s fucking awesome? That you finally got your head out of your ass?” Silas growled from behind her.
I spun and glared at him.
I crossed my arms across my chest, planted my feet, and said, “What kind of woman would take on a man like Sebastian without a little hesitation? He’s vice president of a prominent motorcycle club that nearly dominates the area below the Mason-Dixon Line. I’m not stupid. I didn’t want to jump into this without having my feet firmly planted on both sides. Not to mention the fact that I only got the full picture three days ago. I think I did remarkably well, if you want the truth. You can just...suck it.”
My hand flew to my mouth, covering it, while my eyes went wide in surprise. I hadn’t meant to say that, and by the look on Silas’ face, he hadn’t expected me to speak to him like that, either. But he also looked a little...proud.
“You’re lucky we don’t beat our women.” Silas muttered as he walked fully into the room and held up the wall beside Kettle.
I turned, and was surprised to see the worried looks on the other three faces in the room. “What?” I asked.
Trance came unstuck first, glancing from me to Silas and back again. Sebastian did the same, only a little more wide eyed.
What? Had no one ever said ‘suck it’ before? What was the big deal?
***
I learned later that night, as I started cooking dinner, what the big deal was.
“Hey,” Sebastian said, walking up next to me and leaning his hips against the counter. “My dad’s old fashioned. He doesn’t like when women speak so...strongly. He also hates change. He was trying to make you feel bad, yes, but he was also worried about me. So try not to say ‘suck it’ to him anymore, okay?”
I snorted, poured one of the cheese packets into the cooked noodles, and began to stir.
I was making fake macaroni since it was one of the few things Sebastian had in the house. He’d said he hadn’t had time to go to the store in a while, and it showed. Which was why we were eating macaroni and sausage instead of a home cooked meal made by scratch.
I didn’t much like boxed food.
Then again, I’d been spoiled growing up. My mom made something homemade every night. It was very rare for the family to actually go out to dinner. Now, when I had the chance, I made sure to cook from scratch, craving that touch of home.
“Why are you massacring that box?” Sebastian asked concerned.
“I spilled the cheese out of the other one. I need another cheese, so I’m trying to get it out of this one, but the stupid ‘press here’ perforated edged shit doesn’t work. Mother of pearl!” I growled.
“Give me the box.” Sebastian snapped his fingers holding his hand out.
I glared at him, determined to do it myself.
After the next minute of struggling, I finally relented and handed him the box.
With smooth, deft movements, the son of a bitch opened it, and handed it to me with a look of incredulity. “Are you serious...you couldn’t open that?”
I snatched the box out of his hand, spilling uncooked noodles all over the ground in the process. Extracting the cheese, I poured the package into the pot and stirred.
“Why didn’t you make the third box?” Sebastian asked as he nudged me out of the way and took over the stirring portion of the job.
I glared at him. He did that easily as well.
“Two boxes seemed enough. Why?” I asked warily.
“Well, considering me and the boy can down two by ourselves, if you’d been interested in eating more than a tiny helping, then you should’ve made three. I didn’t put three boxes out just for the hell of it.” Sebastian grumbled.
Lights to My Siren Page 18