by Sam Crescent
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s okay. You can make it up to me later.” She leaned in, kissing his lips. “I love you, Tiny, and I’m sorry for being a bitch.”
He gripped her ass, squeezing her flesh. “Love you, too, baby.”
Reluctantly she pulled away from him to go searching through the cupboards for all the alcohol. She found a trolley to load up so she could have drinks all around the compound.
“It’s hard to be happy and sad at the same time,” Lexie said, coming to join her. For once the other woman didn’t have a child on her hip. That had been two occasions she’d seen Lexie without a child, and it was nice.
“What do you mean?” Eva asked, adding another bottle of scotch to the selection.
“We’re all celebrating the return of a brother who was falsely incarcerated, but we’re all still on guard. I wonder if we’ll ever be able to simply have a get-together that doesn’t involve pain, death, or fear.” Lexie held onto the trolley handle as Eva placed the last bottle to take into the garden.
“I know what you mean. It sucks, but at least we’re all still here.” They passed Sasha and Pussy on the way into the garden. The couple was cute, and it was shocking to see Pussy utterly devoted to one woman. “I wonder how long they will last.”
“They’re going to last a lifetime,” Lexie said. “He fought Devil to keep her.”
“Why didn’t Devil want them together?”
“She’s blind, and he saw her as a problem seeing as she couldn’t take care of herself. Pussy has given her more independence than any of her family. She’s doing great, flourishing. I had to convince Devil to leave them alone.”
Placing the bottles into the cooler, Eva found it strange.
“Oh, well. Men don’t really understand true love until they live through it.” Eva finished with the bottles and started taking the trolley back into the clubhouse.
“I’ve learned a lot about Devil over the last few years. He rarely allows any man into the club who can’t take care of themselves. It means a lot to him to have them on his side.” Lexie tucked some hair behind her ear. The brown locks glistened in the sun.
Tiny and Devil were totally different considering they were both presidents of MCs. Whizz was their problem at the moment. The brother could barely take care of himself, let alone support the club in a fight. What Whizz failed with his personal problems, he more than made up for with his computer skills. Whenever Tiny or the club had a problem, Whizz delivered. They could rely on him behind the scenes, which at the moment was the best place for him. He was The Skulls’ most valuable asset. Tiny wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the brother. Whizz was part of all of them, and no one would ever vote him out.
“Have I shocked you?” Lexie asked.
“No, not really. Devil never struck me as the kind of man with patience.”
Alex grabbed her arm. “Can I borrow you?”
Looking at Lexie, Eva was about to open her mouth when Alex tugged her away. “Hey, Alex. I was talking. You’re being very fucking rude.”
He didn’t stop until he escorted her through to his room. Alex led the way to his room where Tiny wouldn’t see them. She wasn’t afraid. Alex wouldn’t hurt her. They were friends before the club.
“What the hell is going on? You’ve never acted like this before.”
“Butch is the one who fucked up Patricia’s grave.”
She gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
He placed a hand over her mouth. “He did it at the order of Gonzalez.”
“Butch is working for Gonzalez?”
“Yes and no.”
Frowning, she dropped her hands and pushed him away. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re not making any sense.”
“I’ve got it all under control. I’m the one who sent him undercover.”
“What?” None of this was making any sense to her. Tiny had already told her all of this. She didn’t know how much she was supposed to know or what Tiny had told Alex. “You’re putting Butch in danger.”
“The club is in danger. Gonzalez is not predictable, and he’s going to put us all in danger. One man is better than the whole club.”
She stared into his eyes. Eva had known Alex long enough to know when he was lying.
“This isn’t about you or the club. This is about your son, Matthew. You’re doing all of this to protect him.”
He dropped his gaze from her.
“Does Tiny know?”
“Yes, he knows, but he doesn’t want anyone else to know what we’re doing.”
Why is Alex coming to me?
“Why are you telling me?” She knew what Tiny was trying to do, even if his plan did unnerve her a little.
“Because I don’t know if Tiny knows what he’s doing and I’ve got a son to protect.”
“Tiny has the interest of the club before anyone else. You should never doubt him.” She shoved him in the chest. There was no way she’d let Alex get away with doubting her man. “He’s been president of this club for a long time, a lot longer than you’ve ever given a shit about them. You stayed away in Vegas, involved in your casino. Don’t you fucking dare try to divide loyalty! Tiny knows this club better than most.”
She turned to grab the door handle. Alex gripped her elbow.
“I’m not trying to divide fucking loyalty, Eva. Devil and his crew, that’s Tiny’s weakness. He trusts Devil, and he shouldn’t.”
Resting her head against the door, she let out a sigh. “Devil and his crew have been there for us in the past.”
“They brought this mess to us. We shouldn’t be contemplating losing men or women, let alone children.”
She saw the fear in his eyes. Never in all the time she’d known Alex had she ever seen fear. He was a man who took risks and didn’t care about the consequences of what he was doing. This man before her was not just a man, he was a scared father.
“You’ve got to stop panicking and start to put your shit together,” she said.
He ran fingers through his hair. Pity filled her at seeing the conflict in his eyes. He was lashing out without even thinking.
“I can’t handle this. He’s just a boy.”
“Then you know exactly how we’ve all felt the last few years. You don’t think I’m terrified about what happens to Miles and Tabitha? They’re my world, and yet I’m part of a world that could have them taken from me.” She stopped as tears filled her eyes. “The panic will come along with the fear. You’ve got to learn to trust Tiny. He’s gotten us all out of trouble so far. Trust him, and Matthew will be fine.”
She opened the door and left him alone.
Without stopping, she went to Tiny and grabbed his hand. “We need to talk.”
“I’m busy, baby. I want to get these numbers done before Gash arrives.”
Eva didn’t give him the chance of turning her down. She grabbed the paperwork and threw it over the counter. “There, the work is done.” Taking hold of his hand, she led him into the office. The club was snickering as she led him back to the main office. Closing and locking the door she turned on him and shoved him hard in the chest. “Are you fucking insane?”
“Baby? What?”
“Butch, him risking his fucking life and doing that shit to Patricia’s grave and you didn’t even tell me?” She placed hands on her hips and glared at him. Eva was so fucking angry, she was ready to hurt him.
Her body shook with anger.
“Who the fuck told you about Patricia?”
“Alex. Don’t you fucking dare!” She pushed at his chest when he made to pass her. “You’re not going to take any shit out on him. You’re the one at fault here, you, not Alex. You’re my husband, the one responsible for keeping me up to date on all the shit you’ve got planned, not him.”
“It’s club business. He had no right to tell you.”
“So I’m not club business?” she asked, yelling. She didn’t give a fuck who was listening to them. “I’m not
an old lady? I’m the one who has to look at Butch’s wife when he’s fucking murdered because you kept me in the goddamned dark!”
“Eva.” He held onto her shoulders, and she shook him off.
“No, you don’t get to Eva me and try to shut me up. You’re in the fucking wrong. I’m your old lady, Tiny. I’m your fucking wife. I knew you were doing this shit with Butch, but this, it’s going to get him killed. What are you doing to do when Gonzalez asks him to do more? How far do you want Butch to go? Desecrating Patricia’s grave is fucking mild for Gonzalez, considering he was more than happy to give the order of cutting off a woman’s head. Butch doesn’t even know you’re in on it. Alex doesn’t even know that I fucking know what’s going on. This is bad news.” She slapped his chest, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks. “You lost the right to treat me like a whore when you put a ring on my finger and twins inside me.” She stopped, licking her lips. “You should have told me everything. How can I help you if you’re only ever giving me half of it? This isn’t going to work.”
Laying a hand against his chest, she felt the pounding within her head. This thing with Butch was getting complicated, and if Tiny wasn’t careful, it was going to bite him in the ass.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t want to worry you. I never want to worry you. This is my business, and I’m risking his life—”
“Getting information from Gonzalez is a lot different than acting like a pet. Butch is nothing more than Gonzalez’s pet. It’s going to get him killed, Tiny. It’s dangerous.”
He didn’t drop his gaze from hers. “I’m doing what’s good for the club. This is our only way of getting to him from the inside. Butch acting like this has helped us stop something else.”
“What else could it have stopped?” she asked, opening her arms wide. She didn’t know what else to expect from him.
“Butch found out that a cop on the force within Fort Wills was going to start another raid on the clubhouse. We’re all in lockdown. All of us would have ended up in jail.”
“How did you stop it?” she asked. They hadn’t been woken up in the middle of the night to a raid. There had to be something Tiny and The Skulls had done.
“He’s dead,” Tiny said, whispering the words against her ear. “Whizz dealt with his car. The bastard was travelling to the city and didn’t gain control. He veered off the road connecting with a tree. We took him out.”
“Did this cop have any family?”
“No, he wasn’t even a local to Fort Wills. He was nothing but a mole put in to work for Gonzalez.”
“And him dying in his car didn’t lead anyone to you?”
“No. Butch may hit out at us, but he’s doing it to help us. I hate this as much as you do, but it’s going to work.”
“I like Cheryl. She’s good for Butch and a brilliant mother to Matthew. There are two men in the club affected by her, Tiny. She may not be anything to Alex, but she’s still the mother to his son. Two men who could be affected by any decision you make. The women are my responsibility. I can keep my shit together, but I need to know the whole truth of what’s going on. Don’t keep little pieces away from me.”
“I won’t keep anything else away from you. I’m sorry.”
She pulled out of his arms, needing the space. “You’ve got to share this stuff with me, Tiny. The club is part of you, and so it’s part of me. Please, share this with me.”
“I will.”
“What else do I need to know?” she asked.
“Nothing. I promise. I’m not keeping anything from you.”
Reaching out, she touched his cheek. “I know you’re trying to protect me. I’m telling you to stop. You don’t need to protect me, Tiny. I can take care of myself without your help.”
He took hold of her hand, drawing her knuckles to his lips. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“You’ve got to be careful. Alex thinks your friendship with Devil is going to cost you dearly. I’d watch your back around Alex until this blows over. He’s more concerned about his son than anything else. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
“I will.”
Stepping closer, she placed a kiss to his lips. “Tonight?”
“You’re back in my bed?”
“Yes, I’m back. Don’t give me a reason to leave it again.” She licked his lips, and he opened up for her to deepen the kiss. His hands moved around to her ass, drawing her close. The length of his cock pressed against her stomach, making her moan. “I need you now,” he said.
“We don’t have time.” Pulling away, she smiled at him.
“You sure you don’t want me to take care of your needs?” His gaze was on her breasts.
“All you think about is sex.”
“It’s not the only thing I think about, but when I’m around you, it’s all I can think about.”
Laughing, she left the room, feeling happier than ever before. She made her way out to the compound where the tables were set.
She spotted Devil and Lexie with their heads together talking. The seriousness on Devil’s face alarmed Eva. When he glanced over at her, she made sure to make herself busy. Checking the time she started to fire up the coals for the barbeque. Within the next half an hour, Gash would be arriving, and she didn’t want to have him waiting around for food.
“Hey,” Lexie said, approaching her.
“Hey. Is everything okay?” Eva asked.
Don’t give anything away.
“Club stuff. Devil’s always worrying about something.”
Glancing up, she saw Devil talking on the phone. She didn’t like the way the two clubs were going. Between Alex and Devil’s suspicions they could tear apart the bond the Chaos Bleeds crew and The Skulls had formed in the last few years. She liked the crew, but The Skulls would always be her home.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Eva asked.
“Yeah, Devil’s missing home. He wants Gonzalez taken care of as much as you do.”
Something wasn’t right, but Eva didn’t have a clue what to do about it. Her gut was telling her that Devil was going to cut away from them and get this done on his own.
Running fingers through her hair, she went to talk about her fears with Lexie. Before she got a single word out, the commotion of the men returning cut off all conversation.
“We’re back, and we’ve brought him home,” Nash said, yelling for all to hear.
Pushing the troubled thoughts to the back of her mind, she entered the clubhouse to greet their new arrival.
****
Tiny laughed as Gash lifted Tabitha up easily. Considering the guy had been in jail for the last five years he was looking good. It had been too long since he saw the other man. The anger wasn’t present in his eyes as he swung Tabitha in the air. Miles was next in line. The children were flocking toward him as if he was some kind of light and they were moths.
“Fuck me, I turn my back a moment and you’re all breeding like rabbits,” Gash said.
“This is my woman.” Tiny tugged Eva to his side.
“Finally, you decided to lay claim to her. I thought I was going to die before you laid claim to this peach.” Gash pulled Eva into a hug. “Lovely to see you again, darlin’.”
Eva chuckled. “You’re a charmer like always.” She took Tabitha out of his arms. Miles was next, and Tiny moved away while Lash introduced Angel to Gash.
“Well, I never thought I’d see the day I’d have an angel in my midst. Hey, baby, this bastard treating you well?”
“He’s treating me how he knows best.” Angel shook Gash’s hand. Tiny tensed as Gash pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on the lips. Lash tensed, but Angel pulled back, looking startled.
“Keep your hands and lips to yourself, Gash. I don’t want to beat the shit out of you before you get settled back at home,” Lash said, pulling his woman to his side.
“Sorry, I’ve got to get as much action in as possible.”
Tiny stared at Angel. There was a time when she’d be terrified of
such attention whereas now she looked more taken aback than scared. Her hands were steady as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. He’d never seen her look so calm and relaxed.
What had happened to the scared woman who only felt safe around Lash?
“What’re you thinking about?” Eva asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Nothing.”
“You can’t lie to me. You’re thinking something while you’re staring at Angel.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You never miss a thing. I was wondering when Angel changed.”
“What do you mean?”
“There was a time she’d be crying or shaking at Gash’s attention. She’s taken it all in her stride and is even laughing about it. What did I miss?”
Eva tapped his chest. “She’s been through a lot of crap to get where she is. Be happy that she’s gotten this far without breaking down again.”
A few years back Angel was attacked and she’d been pregnant but had lost the baby, sending Angel into a mental breakdown. Since then, Lash had been very protective of his woman, to the point of over-protective.
“It just opens up possibilities.” He reached into the cooler and grabbed himself a beer. Opening a beer for Eva, he snagged another for himself but didn’t let his woman go.
“Are we okay?” she asked.
Glancing down at her, he nodded. They were more than okay. She had a right to be pissed. If Butch died because of this job then he’d get Eva to talk with Cheryl. Alex had told him everything about what Butch had to do to get on Gonzalez’s good side. What Tiny didn’t like was wondering what was going to happen next. Gonzalez wasn’t the kind of man who just let things slide for the hell of it. The bastard had a plan and Tiny’s along with Devil’s crews were the targets.
Sipping at his beer, he watched as Gash made the rounds and shook hands with Devil. Gash had seen Devil a couple of times before he went inside. It was good to have him back.
“We’re more than okay, baby. I don’t have a problem with you in the slightest or anyone else for that matter. Alex telling you simply cleared the air.”
“You sure? You don’t look happy.”