by Erin Osborne
Plus, I want to warn people to keep their children safe and inside if possible. There’s no telling when Diablo is going to strike again and start taking women and kids. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone. If a warning makes it less likely to happen, I’ll put the word out no problem.
Chapter Six
Chains
I’VE TAKEN TODAY off from searching for Diablo and his men. We still don’t know the numbers he has backing him. But, I know from experience they’re more than likely all tweakers. No one would be stupid enough to follow him if they weren’t. He’s out of control and a sinking ship. Once the cartel, or whoever he’s working with, realize this, he’s a dead man.
Cassidy switched shifts with Hadliegh today so she’s working the opening shift. She’s dead on her feet after working until midnight again last night, and everyone can see it. So, I figured I’d sit with her today in case she needs to go home. I know she’s going to push through, but I want to be close to her.
We don’t know if Craig is going to try anything either. Not after the beating Hawk gave him. He told me about it the night it happened after Cass went to bed. I wasn’t happy I wasn’t involved in the beat down, but I’m happy Hawk was there. The guys would’ve brought Craig to the clubhouse for us to handle, but this works too. I’m just hoping I get my hands on the sleazy fucker soon.
Knowing I’m going to be here all day today, I think it’s time to add a new tat to my collection. I’m running out of room, but there’s just enough space on my ribs for what I have planned. Ink is in the shop today, and he’s been drawing up my tat since I asked him about it. I’m just waiting for him to be ready to go.
Since Cass is so much smaller than us, I’m getting a fairy done on my ribs. The entire thing will be shaded in black to represent the pain of her past. Surrounding her will be fire. She’s stronger than she knows and she’ll make it back to the woman she once was. She just has to walk through the fire to get there.
No one knows about my newest ink other than the man putting it on me. I didn’t even have a chance to tell Hawk about it. I’ll surprise Cass with it as soon as it heals and no one will see it until then. It means I’ll have to keep a shirt on, but her reaction will be worth it.
“Cass, you need anythin’ baby girl?” I ask, knowing I’ll be going into the room soon.
“No. I’ve got my water. I’m just workin’ on rescheduling Ink’s appointments for tomorrow. He won’t be in and I need to make sure this is taken care of today. Then I’m going to work on inventory stuff,” she answers, flashing me a sweet smile.
“Okay. I’ll be back with Ink for a while. If you need anythin’ you let one of the other guys know and they’ll make sure you’re good. Corrinth is gonna bring you lunch at noon. I already called in an order for you,” I let her know, walking up to the counter and leaning over it.
I’m tall enough I can lean down over the counter and plant a kiss on her soft lips without any trouble. Cassidy’s breath hitches and I know she’s waiting for me to deepen it like the first time. That’s not gonna happen here. Not when she’s got work to do and I’m hanging on by a thread as it is.
Cass has taken to wearing small tank tops and booty shorts for bed. She’s also been walking around the house in them. Hawk and I don’t mind the visual we’re getting, but it means we’ve solving our problems with our hands more than ever.
No matter what she wears, Cass is stunning. When she’s dressed for bed, with no make-up on her face, and her hair thrown up in some bun thing, she looks like a goddess. Her legs are deceptively long for how short she is. They’re tone and lead up to an ass I want to palm in my hands. More times than not, her shirt is small enough to leave a hint of skin showing. I want to lick that piece of skin. Shit, I want to do so many things to Cass I have no idea where to start.
Hawk feels the same way. We’ve sat up at night talking about the small changes in Cass. She says more of what’s on her mind, jokes around more, and has started opening up to us. I was wondering if we should talk to her about counseling, but I don’t think she’s going to need to go that route. She just needs to realize how much inner strength she has and how Hawk and I want to protect her, love her, and help her get back to her.
That’s not to say she shouldn’t still be worried about Craig being on the loose. She should be. We have no clue what’s going through his mind. Or what he truly wants with our girl. Other than he wants to control her and break her all over again. Now that she’s getting back to her, slowly, he wants to take it all away from her again. Over my dead body will that ever happen.
“Chains, you ready?” Ink asks, shooting a wink in Cass’s direction.
“Yeah. I’ll see you in a while, Pixie,” I tell her, letting the nickname I gave her slip out.
Ink leads me back to his room and closes the door before locking it. He knows no one knows about the new design I’m getting and won’t let anyone just barge into the room. I appreciate the secrecy he’s helping me with.
“You sure you want her inked on your skin forever?” Ink asks.
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” I tell him with no hesitation.
I may have left out the detail that the fairy I’m getting tattooed on me looks exactly like Cass. Her face is a perfect match as Ink shows me the design he drew up. I’m impressed as fuck he nailed her features and the shy look she gets when she gets caught looking at us. My friend is extremely talented, he wouldn’t have the business he does if he wasn’t. But, this is the best work I’ve seen from him.
“Let’s get this done,” I tell him, pulling my cut and shirt off.
I set my cut on the counter to the right of the tattoo chair. My shirt goes on top of it before I get comfortable in his chair and lift my arm over my head. This is gonna hurt, I’m man enough to admit the pain I’ll be in for a little bit. But, I don’t give a fuck. This is for Cass.
“Here we go,” Ink announces once he has the stencil in place and fills the needle with ink.
I’ve been sitting in this chair for four hours now. No one has bothered us and we haven’t talked. Ink gets submerged in his work when he’s concentrating and doesn’t do the whole talking from the time he starts until he’s finished. I like he’s invested that much into his work to know when to talk and when not to. Not to mention, I’ve been letting my mind wander to other things.
We have so much going on with the club right now and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Renegade, Bear, Grave, and I have a run in the next few days. It’s going to stretch our guys even thinner as they continue to search for Diablo. It also leaves almost no protection for Cass, Hadliegh, and Callie. Along with the kids.
The situation with Craig is also unnerving. He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met before. I’ve known my fair share of men that like to fuck up women and kids. Hell, I met most of them after my dad walked out on my mom. My own dad used to beat the shit out of her because she was always so drunk and high she couldn’t function or take care of me.
When my dad left, my mom decided to parade one man after another into our house. Some of them were drug addicts like her while others just came over to fuck her. A few of them tried to fuck me too. It never happened because I was always faster than the addicts, but they tried, nonetheless.
I’m not sure why my dad didn’t take me with him when he left my mom. I was seven at the time. He knew what she was like and never once checked up on me after leaving the hell I was suffering in alone. I learned really quick how to take care of myself and make sure I had clean clothes and food.
At night, when the men would come over, I’d hide until I knew they were both passed out. If the guy got up at any point, I was on my feet, and ready to defend myself the best I could. To say I went to school black and blue more than once would be an understatement. My mom and I were their punching bags and I never once opened my mouth about the abuse or string of men surrounding me. I kept the secret of my mom’s addiction to myself. No one knew the hell I lived in for years.
&nb
sp; It all stopped when I was fourteen though. I had a major growth spurt and started working out at school. The first man that tried to assault me got his ass handed to him. My mom blamed me when he took off. She tried to attack me and I walked out on her. That was the last day I saw my mother alive.
It wasn’t long before I heard she was found killed. Someone had gone to the house, killed her brutally after raping her. They stole anything in the house they could find worth money and left. The cops never found out who did it. I’m not sorry. Call me an unfeeling asshole, but she never did a fucking thing for me and I’m not about to apologize for the way I feel.
Craig wants to keep his torment of Cass going. It’s not going to work because Hawk and I won’t allow it to happen. We’ll hand him his ass until he’s buried where no one will ever find his damn body. I won’t lose a second of sleep about it either. No one deserves to be taunted and tormented the way he is Cass.
Finally, we have no clue what Diablo’s next move is. We can’t find him either. That’s the worst part. Not knowing where the potential threat lies. At this point, he could be in our fucking backyard and we have no clue. I’m ready to end his pathetic excuse of a life and the rest of the club feels the same way.
“All done, man,” Ink says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I stand up and stretch the tightness and kinks out of my body from being in one position for so long before walking to the mirror. As soon as my gaze hits the new ink, the breath is sucked from my lungs. The fairy surrounded by fire is amazing. I’ll carry Cass on my skin with me for the rest of my days and never be able to put into words how much I love this piece. It’s honestly my favorite tat by far.
“Ink, I don’t know what to say,” I tell him honestly. “It’s fuckin’ amazin’.”
“I’m glad you like it. Let me put the ointment on it and wrap you up so you can lay eyes on her. I know you’re goin’ crazy,” he tells me, laughing because he knows he’s right.
As soon as he’s done doing his thing, I put my shirt and cut back on. Opening the door, I almost run into Cass who is about to knock.
“What’s up, baby girl?” I ask her.
“Oh, well, I was going to let you know Hadliegh’s here and I’m ready to leave. If you’re not finished, I can wait or have a Prospect take me home,” she says.
“No, I’m ready to go now. We’ll stop for dinner before headin’ home. Hawk won’t be back anytime soon. He’s on another run,” I tell her, grabbing her hand and making our way out to my bike. “We’re gonna spend the night relaxin’. Maybe watch a movie or somethin’. That sound good?”
“Yeah. I’m ready to go home and crash early. No lesson today, please,” she tells me, letting me know it will be an early night for her.
“I got ya. Always,” I respond before helping her on my bike.
I really didn’t think this shit through. She’s going to have to wrap her arms around my side. That’s going to feel excellent on new ink. Fuck!
Chapter Seven
Cassidy
CHAINS HAS BEEN acting weird the last few days. He’s sore as hell from something and I can’t find anything on his body to figure out what’s going on with him. That might be because he won’t take his shirt off in front of anyone right now either. Hawk walks around shirtless all the time, but not Chains. Hawk’s even been looking at him weirdly. This tells me he doesn’t know what’s going on any more than I do.
They dropped me off at the shop a few hours ago for work before they went to take care of club business. I know Chains is leaving with a few guys tonight and won’t be home for a few days. I’ll miss him, but I still haven’t told him that. Every time I get up the courage, one of them walks into the room and my courage evaporates.
“Cass, you busy?” Snake, one of the artists asks.
“Nope. What do you need?” I ask, walking to his room.
“You wanna make a lunch run? I already called in an order and told Corrinth you were workin’ today. She’s makin’ your usual.”
“Oh, um are one of the Prospects here?” I ask nervously.
“No. You’re just goin’ there and back. You’ll be fine, Cass,” he tells me like I’m a child.
“Okay.”
Walking back to my desk, I grab my keys and purse. Snake knows I’m not supposed to go anywhere alone because he’s a member of Satan’s Anarchy. And because Hawk and Chains have let everyone here know I’m not to go anywhere alone. I don’t question him; I just make my way out of the back door and head for my car.
The closer I get to my car, I see something on the hood and ground surrounding the front end. My steps falter as I realize rose petals have been crushed and placed on the hood. They’ve either fallen off the hood or been thrown on the ground around my car. What the fuck?
Looking around, I don’t see anyone around. Rounding the hood of my car, I get to the driver’s side door and my window has been smashed. A knife is plunged into the seat of my car and the steering wheel is at an odd angle. Sitting in the middle of the seat is a piece of paper. Carefully, I pick it up and open it.
I told you you’re mine. You won’t have another chance to send your guard dogs after me. I’m done waiting and playing games. Cassidy, you’re coming home.
There’s several pictures scattered in the backseat as I look at my car closer. From what I can see the pictures are all of me doing different things and in different places. There’s even pictures of me outside the house I share with Hawk and Chains. My tires have also been slashed.
Before I can pull out my phone to call anyone, I hear the rumble of bikes pulling into the parking lot. I can’t even turn my head I’m so shaken by what I’m looking at right now. My entire body is shaking and I can’t hear the rumble of bikes anymore. I can hear muffled shouts and hear a commotion, but that’s about it.
My breaths are coming out in short pants while my entire body trembles. I feel my heart racing. I can’t pull my eyes away from the mess in my car. At the same time, I want Hawk and Chains, but I can’t seem to find my voice to call out to them. My vision becomes blurry and I feel like I might pass out.
Finally, someone touching my shoulder brings me out of my trance. On instinct, my fist comes up as I lash out at the person behind me. Chains training automatically kicking in.
“Fuck!” I hear Ink yell.
Turning around, he’s holding his hands to his nose and I can see blood already starting to leak through his fingers. I can’t believe I hit Ink. Tears run down my face as I apologize to him. This is gonna get me fired for sure. And I can’t even think about what Hawk and Chains will say for me hurting one of their club brothers.
“Cass, stop. You did nothin’ wrong. I’m glad you didn’t just accept someone touchin’ you. I should’ve thought,” Ink tells me. “You need to pull yourself together though. I’ve already had to call Hawk to get his ass here. Chains is flippin’ out. I don’t want you goin’ in the shop until Hawk says you can. Sit in my SUV and lock the doors behind you.”
I take the keys in his hand and run to his SUV. When he opens the back door of the shop I can hear Chains swearing and breaking things. I want to go to him, but I’ve never seen him like this before. I’m not sure what my reaction would be if I were to go in there right now.
While I wait for Hawk to get me, I see Snake standing outside in the back. He’s covered in blood and I don’t have to guess at the reason. Chains found out he asked me to go pick lunch up. This shit with Craig is messing everything up. Men in the club are going at one another and I brought this here when I came looking for a job.
Finally, I see Hawk walk around from the front of the building. Opening the door of the SUV, I run straight for him. Tears are running down my face as I launch myself into his arms. He wraps his arms around me after wrapping my legs around his waist. I bury my face in his neck and breath in the scent of him. Hawk smells of leather, oil, the wind, and something uniquely him.
“Pixie, look at me,” he urges me as I burrow further into him. “Co
me on, Cass. You gotta look at me, baby girl.”
Taking a deep breath, I look up into Hawk’s eyes. They’re filled with concern, rage, and something else. Without any warning, Hawk’s head lowers and he captures my mouth with his. His lips are soft and full, pressed against my own. His tongue swipes against my lips, asking for entrance before I open for him.
Hawk deepens the kiss and I forget about everything surrounding us. His kiss is so different from Chains’. Where Chains is demanding and confident, Hawk lets me lead. Other than deepening the kiss, he’s not pushing me but guiding me to show me what he likes. Each man is so different but I like what they do to me the same amount.
Pulling away from Hawk, I take a minute to look in his lust-filled gaze. I can feel his cock and I want nothing more than to give into the temptation of being with the men that have captured my attention, make me feel safe, and men that make me want to feel like the old me again. Worthy of someone like them.
“Where’s Chains?” I ask as soon as I can think rationally again.
“He’s inside,” Hawk answers.
“Take me to him,” I say, needing to see the other man in my life.
Hawk nods and leads me back to the front of the shop. I don’t want to think about why we can’t go through the back door right now. I’ll find out sooner or later. For now, I just want to get to Chains and make sure he’s okay. To reassure him I’m okay. I was just startled by what I saw.
As Hawk leads me in the shop, I see Chains sitting at the desk. I run to him and wrap my body around his in the chair. He breathes me in while holding me close. Different than Hawk, but something I need. I need both of these men and it’s time I stop hiding from it. I’m going to embrace the need I have for them and open up to the men I fall in love with a little more every day.
“Are you okay?” I finally ask him.
“Yeah. I’m sorry if I scared you, Pixie,” he says, looking into my eyes.