Prue didn’t dispute him.
“I should have killed him back then.”
“Instead you tortured the man, and now he’s back intent on hurting everything you hold dear,” she said. “Sorry, maybe you should have just killed him, not maimed him.”
“I intended to kill him. I wanted to hurt him. I held Trevor as he died, and I wanted the bastard who killed him to know what true pain really felt like.” Zero glared at his hands where they held her legs. “I made every second hurt. He screamed and even begged me to stop, but I didn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to show that kind of mercy.”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Prue looked around the hospital grounds seeing the people coming and going. Their lives hadn’t changed. They were all carrying on with the mundane tasks life throws at them. None of them knew what it meant to truly suffer or to beg. Alan was out there, watching, waiting. No one was going to rush him into anything. He would take his time until he was ready.
“He’s waited ten years for this moment,” she said, holding onto Zero’s hands.
“I know.”
“Ten years of waiting. Ten years of letting his hatred fester. Whatever he’s going to do, it’s not going to be pretty, Zero. He’s going to make life hard and painful.” Tears filled her eyes thinking about the blonde he’d killed. Yes, the blonde had fucked Zero, but no one deserved to die.
“I know.” He gripped her hands, looking into her eyes. “I can’t let anything happen to you, Prue. You mean the world to me.”
She smiled. “I’m a lot stronger than I look.”
“Not many women would be so calm after being shot at.”
Prue shrugged. “What can I say? I’m perfect.”
He chuckled. The sound was hollow, and the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Leaning forward, she cupped his cheek.
“Hey, you made a mistake. It’s in the past. It’s all in the past, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” She dropped her gaze to his lips. Big mistake. She didn’t want to be thinking about his lips or wondering what they would feel like on her body. “You cannot change what happened. Neither of us can. Trevor is gone, and he wouldn’t blame you. He’d be pissed, but he wouldn’t let you hurt yourself for what happened.” Prue closed the distance, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was friendly, and she withdrew within seconds of their lips touching, trying to avoid the temptation to deepen the kiss. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re in this together like we’ve always been.”
She watched him rub the tears from his eyes. “Now I feel like a fucking pussy.”
Prue chuckled. “You’re not a pussy. You’re not even close. We’ll do this together. You’ve got the club, and you’ve got me.” She tightened her hand around him.
If she was given the chance, she’d never let go.
****
“So, let’s see,” Alan said, spreading out the pictures on the floor. Zero was back in the game, thank fuck. Hurting him was going to be fucking hard in prison. He couldn’t believe the bastard attacked a police officer and risked ruining his game. Alan would have no choice but to hurt the officer then for spoiling his fun. The Skulls had a lot more friends than they deserved.
Clicking his tongue he looked over the pictures as the three men who still served him played cards. He paid them plenty of money to remain loyal along with a couple of security guards in the hospital. It was amazing seeing what desperate men did when someone paid the right amount of money. “Angel, blonde haired bitch belongs to Lash.” Alan matched the two pictures together. The couple looked happy. “It’s a shame Lash has anything to do with Zero. It’s going to be fun watching them die.”
Next he aligned Eva with Tiny. They were going to be the hardest to kill. He didn’t want that bastard Ned Walker trying to hurt him before he was done. If he survived killing Zero, he’d finish them off for fun, maybe take out Ned while he was at it. This was fun, such a fun, delightful game to play.
He picked up Sophia’s picture. She was holding her daughter and standing next to Nash. “It’s a shame Zero felt himself in love with you, honey. Poor you. I wonder how your slut of a daughter is going to feel without a mom.”
One after the other he aligned up the picture of The Skulls with their women or left them bare. They all meant something to Zero, and that meant they all had to go.
Lockdown was going to happen. He had his sources, and it was fun being able to be overlooked. No one ever seemed to remember seeing a man with a hood sticking to the shadows. Alan couldn’t believe how easy and how much fun it was getting around Fort Wills. Then he had people who gossiped. All he needed to do was listen and he found everything he needed without any problems.
Without anyone looking for him, the town was his oyster. His obsession was Zero, that one man. The one man who nearly killed him ten years ago. The very same man who scarred up his face making him look like a fucking monster. The one man who Alan was going to hurt and then kill, slowly, making every bone shatter.
Zero was going to know what true suffering really felt like before he died.
Chapter Six
A couple days later
Zero climbed out of the car leaving Steven behind the wheel as he made his way into the hospital. In the last couple of days there hadn’t been a single sighting from Alan, and no one had turned up dead. Whizz was still checking shit out, and it was going to take some time. Locating a dead man was a lot harder than they realized. To the world, Alan was dead. No one knew where he had gone from that burning building ten years ago or where he was now. He didn’t even have a picture of the bastard to help Whizz in his search.
The club was on lockdown, the women and children forced to live within the compounds grounds. It was a tight fit, but with everyone chipping in, life was actually quite fun. Zero enjoyed waking up to the sound of all the family around him, screaming kids and all. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, of course. That was his little secret to take with him to his grave.
He went straight to Prue’s room. A doctor was talking to her about her medications. Leaning against the wall he watched her nod, tuck some hair behind her ear, and concentrate on everything the good doctor had to say.
When they were done, he passed the doctor going to her bedside. She wore a pair of jeans and a plain white shirt.
“Hey, you. I was worried you’d forget about me,” she said, smiling.
Her bags were all packed, and she was no longer hooked up to several machines. She had pulled her red hair back in a ponytail leaving some wisps of hair to fall around her face. The clothes were a little large on her, but it all worked. She looked revitalized and fresh.
“How could I forget you? You nag me enough.” He walked into the room, grabbing the bag from the bed. “Are you good to walk, or do you want me to grab a wheelchair?”
“Nah, I’m going to walk out of this hospital.” She linked her arm through his, and together they made their way toward the car. Nurses stared at him, but Zero only had eyes for the woman by his side. He was going to make sure she walked out of the hospital the way she wanted.
Alan wasn’t darkening their days here, and he wasn’t going to let the other man’s presence spoil this moment. He had Prue in his town and about to be inside his club. Zero knew once the men got to know her, they would fall for her. She was easy to like.
He kept her away all these years to protect her. Trevor always wanted her to finish school and have everything her heart desired.
“Oh, you brought the car to collect me?” she asked.
Steven was waiting with the door open. Blaine was in the passenger side, and Zero would be sitting beside her.
“This is such a bummer. I was hoping to have a ride on your bike.” She smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders.
“Come on, stop trying to push your luck. You’ll be riding a bike in no time. I know what you’re like.” Zero helped her inside the car, taking extra care to secure the seatbelt across her lap. He brushed across her breasts, and he pulled away before he was temp
ted to do something else.
Moving around to the other side, he climbed in, and Steven was driving away.
He grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together.
“Wow, you’re all so morbid. Come on, we’re all alive still. We’ll get there. I know we will,” Prue said.
The men slowly relaxed and were talking about football. Zero wasn’t ready to start talking to the others. He wanted Prue all to himself. When they got to the clubhouse he’d have to fight to get her to himself. Eva liked her, and so did Angel and Kelsey. Prue hadn’t met Tate yet.
Zero inwardly groaned thinking about the other woman. Tate was one of those women you either loved or hated. He was still on the fence of loving and hating her. She was Tiny’s daughter, but apart from that, there was nothing special about her.
He hoped Tate didn’t piss Prue off. She had grown up with him and Trevor, and not once did she learn how to keep her opinion to herself.
The drive went by quietly in the back with Blaine and Steve talking between themselves. The gate to the compound was being manned by Butch and Tiny, who opened the gate when they came into view.
“This is the security?” she asked.
“Yeah, everything is locked up. Alan will not be getting inside, and we also have plenty of security cameras in place.” The car came to a stop, and he climbed out, going around to Prue to help her out.
She looked tired, and he wanted to make sure she got plenty of rest.
“Welcome to the clubhouse,” Tiny said, pulling her in for a cuddle. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around the large man. Zero felt jealousy hit him square in the gut. What the hell was wrong with him? Tiny was taken and wouldn’t want Prue.
The jealousy didn’t stop as the men greeted her, either hugging her or kissing her hand. She was tugged into the main house where Eva took over, leading her around the group of women. Kids were running around, and babies were being held. The clubhouse was in total disarray. The sweet-butts were on their best behavior being forced to wear clothes that covered every inch of flesh. The men knew not to push their luck in trying to get them naked as well. Any kind of sex would be done behind closed doors, away from kids and family.
“So, you’re Prue,” Tate said, standing in front of his woman.
Zero fisted his hand at his side.
“And you are?” Prue asked.
“Tate, I’m Tiny’s daughter, and Murphy’s old lady.”
Prue nodded. “Okay.”
“What are your intentions?” Tate asked, stopping Prue from moving away.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re all in lockdown because of you. I want to know what your game is.” Tate was glaring at his woman.
Glancing around he saw Eva looked annoyed while Tiny was making his way toward them.
“Tate, baby, not here,” Murphy said.
He saw her hesitate, but Prue finally spoke up.
“First of all, you’re Tiny’s daughter. Eva is his woman. She knows why I’m here. Both of them know why I’m here. You got a problem then take it up with them. If you still want to be a bitch, I’ll show what it’s like to take an ass whooping because I learned from the best.” Prue took a step closer getting up close to Tate.
“Who did you learn from? I’m Tiny’s daughter. He’s the best.”
“He’s a leader, but I learned from an experienced fighter. You want to fuck with me let’s do this, but lose the kid. I don’t fight mothers with kids on their hip.” Prue wasn’t backing down.
This was the first time a woman had stood up to Tate.
Tiny looked impressed. “Tate, honey, your ass has been handed to you. Back down, and her presence here has nothing to do with you. You’re going to get along just fine.” He tapped Prue on the back, and Tate backed down.
The two women stared at each other a long time.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Tate said.
“And you. I hope we can be friends.” Prue shook Tate’s hand before moving around. Zero introduced her to Rose and Hardy then to Blaine and his woman and kid. They were at the clubhouse over three hours before he finally got her to his room.
“Wow, you’ve inherited a lot of family.”
“It’s the club,” he said, opening his door.
“They’re your family. They all care about you. I think they’re a little pissed at you for taking matters into your own hands.” She shrugged, entering his bedroom behind him. “This is your room?”
“All the guys have their own room. The sweet-butts usually share, but when the family is in, they’re sent to a section of the house away from the men. They do mingle when needed.” Zero closed the door behind them. The temptation to lock the door was there, but he ignored it and watched her look around his room. She tugged the pants up, wriggling her ass. His gaze landed on her rounded curves.
“I can’t believe you handed it to Tate. She’s a bitch and puts a lot of people through their paces.”
She moved toward the picture of the two of them with Trevor on top of his drawer. “She’s used to being the alpha. I bet she’s pissed at being in lockdown and all because of me. She doesn’t know what’s going on?”
“It’s up to Tiny and Murphy to make her aware of what’s going on.”
Prue shrugged. “I would have whooped her ass if she didn’t back down. I’m not going to have a bitch in my face. I didn’t take it in school, and I’m not taking it now.”
“You earned a lot of respect down there.”
“Tate’s a woman. I imagine Tiny won’t let any guy hurt his little girl even if she does need it.” She sat down on the edge of his bed. “This is a nice room. Don’t you have a house or anything?”
“No, this is my home. I’ve never needed a house.”
“Where will I sleep?” she asked.
Moving to sit beside her, Zero enjoyed the heat of her closeness. “We’ve shared a bed before. I really need to hold you right now, Prue. I need to know you’re going to be okay.”
“You presume too much. I’m not that easy.” She nudged his shoulder, chuckling. “Of course I’m fine with it.”
He followed the direction of her gaze. She was looking at the picture of the three of them.
“I really do miss him,” she said.
“I do as well. It’s not the same without him.” Zero rubbed his hands together wanting more than anything to hold her close.
“What do you think he’d say to us now?” she asked, leaning back on the bed to look up at the ceiling. The way she lay exposed a strip of her stomach. Why did that strip of skin seem more tempting than anything else he had the pleasure of seeing?
“He’d be pissed at putting you in danger. Trevor was a lot of things, but he loved you, Prue. He did everything he could to protect you.”
He heard her sigh. Leaning back beside her, he was shocked when a few seconds passed and she curled up against him. “I wish he was here.”
At that moment, Zero was really pleased he wasn’t.
****
Later that night Prue sat around with the women of The Skulls, eating one of the nicest pies she’d ever tasted in her life. It was a meat filled pie, and she’d piled her plate high with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and drowned the plate with gravy. After the crap food at the hospital, she was starving.
She dove in as the men ate and drank, playing pool or shooting darts. Every time she looked toward Zero he was staring back at her. Each time she caught his gaze she felt an answering pulse between her thighs. What was going on?
“Zero keeps staring at you as if he wants to eat you,” Sandy said, leaning in close to whisper against her ear.
“What?” She jerked away from the other woman. Zero wanted to eat her?
Looking toward him, he was talking with Steven. No, he didn’t want to eat her. He was putting up with her because of Trevor.
“I’ve seen that look on Zero’s face before. He’s wondering what you look like naked.”
“We’re friends.” Tucking some hair behi
nd her ear, Prue continued to eat her food. Her appetite wasn’t so ravenous anymore.
“He wants more.”
She shook her head turning to Sandy. “No, he doesn’t. We’ve been friends all of our lives. It’s not going to change overnight.”
“Maybe not tonight, but I bet you, you snuggle up close and you’ll feel his need nestled against your ass.” Sandy stood, going to the bar.
Prue watched the other woman pour herself a drink while talking with Stink. She saw the way the other man looked at Sandy.
“Sandy used to be a sweet-butt,” Eva said, leaning in close.
“What?”
“She’s fucked half of the club. Something happened a year ago, and she’s now the club doctor and she doesn’t need to put out for the men.” Eva was eating from her own plate. Tiny took a seat beside her, wrapping his arm around his wife. “I’m eating here.”
“Keep eating, baby. I’m not doing anything to stop you.”
Eva rolled her eyes and finished off her plateful of food.
For the next hour Prue listened to the women talk. Kelsey was expecting her first child with Killer. It was early days, and the woman was nervous. Angel wanted another child, but Lash refused to put her through another birth yet. Tate remained silent throughout it all.
When she finished her dinner, Prue made her way into the kitchen. She wanted the silence and started washing the dishes.
“I want to know what’s going on,” Tate said, moving into the kitchen.
Letting out a sigh, Prue took her time cleaning the plates. Grabbing a towel, she dried her hands and turned toward Tate. When was this bitch going to learn to back the fuck down? “Why don’t you ask your dad or even your man?”
“They’re not telling me anything. I want to know what’s going on.”
“You’re used to getting what you want?” She knew their friendship was going to be stretched to the limit. Tate was a strong woman, but so was she. Their personalities were going to clash. Prue wondered how they were both going to get along. The other women clearly gave into Tate. She wasn’t going to do it. Tate was going to learn the hard way.
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