“Sorry about that.” I offered her an apologetic smile as I crossed the room to grab the big package of chicken breasts she was about to drop. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Crossing over to the pantry, she waved off my concern. After she pulled out a bottle of vegetable oil and a jar of salsa, she mumbled, “It's not your fault. Kyle always reminds me that I need to be more aware of my surroundings.”
Huntley had drilled the situational awareness mantra into my head for years, so I was familiar with those reminders too. “Cut yourself some slack, I’m much lighter on my feet than the guys around here”—I lifted my right leg and wiggled my Chucks—“and these don’t make near as much noise as motorcycle boots.”
“Good point,” Cat chuckled, shaking her head.
“So, back to my original question.” I pointed at the food on the counter. “Do you want some help?”
She pulled out a big slow cooker. “Nah, I’m just making chicken taco meat for a late dinner since most of the guys will probably hit up the hospital before heading here.”
My head reared back in shock, as I pictured all the reasons so many of them would need to go to the hospital. “What happened? Is Link okay?”
“What?” She lifted her head to scan my face and swore, “Shit!” Hurrying to my side, she wrapped her arms around my back and gave me a tight squeeze. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Nobody is hurt. Bridget had the baby today, and I know the guys will want to offer her and Mac their congratulations. And they’ll definitely want to see Molly. That little biker princess is going to have all of them wrapped around her tiny fingers in no time at all.”
She grabbed her cell out of her pocket and pulled up a picture of the happy family. I stared down at the screen and grinned. “She’s so adorable.”
“Yeah, the guys are definitely going to have their hands full watching over her.” Her eyes filled with a mischievous gleam. “Luckily, they already have a lot of practice at it since Larissa was a handful growing up. Not that I can blame her since she had her dad and a bunch of uncles hovering over her without a mom to keep them in line.”
“Yeah, they definitely got the hang of it with Link’s daughter.” I turned so she could see the back of the vest I was wearing.
“Seeing you in Link’s cut yesterday was a bit of a surprise, but I have to admit that I’m flat-out shocked to see you in this.” Cat traced the lettering stitched into the leather. “As much as Larissa gave her dad a hard time about the threat to any man who touched her, she treasured this gift more than anything else her dad ever gave her. Him letting you wear it makes a pretty damn big statement.”
I felt my cheeks heat as I shrugged and tried to play the whole thing off as though it wasn’t a big deal. “Don’t read too much into it. Link just wanted to make sure I was safe when he wasn’t around.”
“Don’t read too little into it,” Cat retorted, wagging her finger at me. “The guys work hard to earn their cuts and handing them over to a woman means more than you realize.”
Thinking about how Link had told me I was going to be his when he took my virginity, my cheeks filled with more heat. “You may be right.”
“Uh-huh, I’m willing to bet that I am.” She flashed me a smug grin. “You didn’t seem surprised when I mentioned that Larissa’s mom wasn’t around.”
“Yeah, he told me what happened,” I mumbled, feeling a little weird talking about Link’s personal life even though I wasn’t the one who brought the subject up.
She rubbed her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet. “Hoo boy, this is going to be fun to watch.”
I rolled my eyes. “You always had a twisted sense of humor.”
“And you were always much quieter than this,” she shot back.
I shrugged and flashed her a grin. “Yeah, eventually all the snarky things I’ve been thinking started popping out of my mouth, and I realized it was more fun to just say them.”
“Feel free to do whatever you want with your mouth while I’m watching over you.”
I mimicked Cat’s earlier reaction and yelped at the deep, masculine drawl that came from behind me. Spinning around, I found a big guy leaning against the doorframe with a devilish gleam in his eyes.
“Cut it out, Dom,” Cat chided, jerking her thumb at the leather vest covering my back. “You know I’ll tattle to Link just so I can watch the fireworks when he goes after your ass.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Dom held his hands up and grinned. “I’ll try to tone it down so I don’t piss off the old man. I’d hate to have to hurt him.”
“Old man?” I huffed, narrowing my eyes. “You better not be talking about Link. I’d hate to have to hurt you if you are.”
Dom’s gaze scanned down my body and back up again, his smile widening. “Calm down, honey. Link’s used to me giving him shit. He won’t care.”
“Maybe so,” I conceded, crossing my arms over my chest and tapping my toe against the floor. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t do something about it.”
“As I said before...this is going to be so much fun to watch,” Cat chuckled as she jerked her chin in Dom’s direction. “Especially since this is the guy who’s in charge of your protection while Link’s gone.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. I’d caught his comment about watching over me, but it hadn’t really registered until now. “Hopefully he’ll be back soon.”
“Ooh, burn.” Cat licked her finger and lifted the digit in the air, making a sizzling sound just as my stomach let out a loud growl. Turning to me, she asked, “Have you eaten anything today other than the snack I brought up to you earlier?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “Nope. That’s why I came down. To find some food.”
She jerked her thumb toward the fridge. “Pull out whatever you want for a sandwich while I toss the chicken into the slow cooker.”
“Sandwiches sound good to me,” Dom agreed, running his hand over his abs.
“Of course, it does. You’re always hungry.” Cat pulled out three plates and handed them to him. “Make me one, too.”
“Sure thing,” I agreed.
It wasn’t long before the three of us sat at one of the long tables and dug into the thick sandwiches I’d made, along with the chips and pickles Cat had set on the table. It was a simple meal, but it more than hit the spot.
“I have some work to do in the garage,” Dom said after he finished off his food. “You good here while I’m busy?”
Hanging out in the garage sounded like a heck of a lot more fun than being stuck here. “Can I come with you?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Sure, but let me know when you get bored so I can walk you back over here. I don’t want you wandering around by yourself.”
“Bored,” Cat snorted, slapping her thigh.
Dom gave her a confused look that clearly showed he had no idea what she found so hilarious. That was okay. He’d figure out the joke as soon as I got my hands on some tools.
6
Link
I was pissed as fuck that this bullshit had taken all day. The Roads of Chaos MC was a fucking disaster right now. The last president had driven them into the ground, getting them involved in all kinds of shady shit, and they’d been on the verge of bankruptcy. A new set of officers was voted in a couple of months ago, but they didn’t have a clue what to do to turn things around. They were a small club to begin with, but being in such a vulnerable state, they needed backup from a strong club like the Silver Saints. No one fucked with us unless they had a damn death wish. But it turned out that the meeting wasn’t just about protection. The VP brought along their new treasurer, who told me a sob story that I didn’t even remember now. I took a look at their books out of pity, despite my urgent need to get back home. And to say they were a fucking mess was actually an understatement. I gave them some quick fixes and agreed to meet with them again in a few weeks.
Before taking off on my bike to head home, I decided to call Larissa and give her a h
eads-up so that she wouldn’t find out about me and Harlowe through Cat or Bridget. She was genuinely happy for me, which was just like my baby girl. However, she did have a few smart-ass comments to make about the fact that I was probably going to end up being a new dad and a grandpa at the same time. She was the only one who found them completely hilarious, and she’d made herself laugh so hard she had to hang up so she could run to the bathroom. I just rolled my eyes and pocketed my phone before climbing on my motorcycle to hit the road.
When I arrived back at the clubhouse, all I wanted was to take a shower—preferably with Harlowe’s wet, naked body—and order some takeout for us to eat in bed before I spent the night feasting on her.
I was focused on getting back to my girl, so I just waved my hand absentmindedly when people called out greetings. After taking the stairs two at a time, I jogged down the hall to my room. A weight I hadn’t realized was there lifted off my shoulders as I slowly unlocked the door and turned the knob. It wasn’t all that late, but I wasn’t sure how hard I’d been on Harlowe that morning and didn’t want to wake her if she had gone to bed early.
The room was dark and quiet, but the light shining in from the window showed an empty bed. Frowning, I stepped inside and looked around, wondering if she’d fallen asleep on the couch or was in the bathroom. Both spots were also empty. I was only slightly mollified that the vest I’d told her to wear was nowhere to be seen either.
Irritated at having to chase her ass down, I whipped out my phone and called Dom’s cell. When he didn’t pick up, I growled in frustration and gripped my phone hard to keep myself from pitching it at the wall. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d cracked it, but I didn’t give a shit about anything other than finding my girl.
As I stomped out of the room and down the hall, I tried Dom one more time. I was going to beat the shit out of that fucker for not answering. I wasn’t worried...not exactly…but the punk should answer his damn phone while watching someone else’s property.
Cat was coming out of the kitchen when I got to the bar, and she stopped when I called out to her.
“Cat. You seen Harlowe?”
Cat cocked her head toward the far wall where the clubhouse connected to the private garage, which had the custom shop on the other side. “She and Dom headed out to the shop after we ate. He wanted to work on his bike, and she offered to help.”
I nodded as I started toward the exit. “Probably felt comforted by watching like she used to do with her dad,” I mused. Cat laughed, and I glanced back with a confused frown.
“Yeah, that’s why she went with him. To watch.” I waited for her to explain her comment, but she just kept laughing and strolled toward the back offices.
“Does every woman in my life have to be a pain in the ass lately?” I muttered to myself. Rider was in the garage cleaning tools, and I grunted in response to his greeting as I stalked to the other side and the entrance to the shop bays. I yanked the door open and marched inside. The lights were on, and there was hard rock blasting from the speaker system. My gaze swept around until it finally landed on Dom.
He was squatting next to a lift that had his ride parked on it. Even bent down like he was, he was hard to miss. Dom was a big guy. Not only was he at least six and a half feet, but he was also a former UFC fighter and kept himself in top shape. Women seemed to fawn over him, and even though I knew he would never betray a brother by going after his girl, I made a mental note to tell Dax not to assign him to Harlowe when I couldn't be with her.
I crossed the garage, but he didn’t hear me approach over the music. I glanced around, expecting to see my girl standing or sitting in a chair nearby, watching. But when I didn’t spot her, I was about to demand to know where the fuck she was when I heard her voice from the other side of the bike.
“Your lube is shit, Dom.”
My eyebrows shot up at her comment, then furrowed at his reply.
“Had to try something new. Spit just wasn't getting the job done, honey.”
Harlowe snorted and a wrench came flying over the seat. It would have hit Dom in the head if he hadn’t been squatting down. “Hey! That almost hit me!”
There was another loud snort before Halrowe popped up holding a torque wrench and grinned at Dom. “Don’t be so anal.”
He bursted out laughing so hard he stumbled backward, and I found myself fighting a grin at Harlowe’s cheeky response. I already felt less stressed from my day, just being in her presence, but her sass was sexy as hell and had my cock hardening to steel.
“By the way, if you hadn’t been so impatient and started at three-quarters of the final torque, then went back around, you wouldn’t have ended up with a loose head bolt.”
If it was possible, my jaw would have been on the ground and my dick would have busted through my zipper.
“It’s hot as hell that you know more about building an engine than I do,” Dom teased.
A red haze played at the edges of my vision as the Neanderthal inside me growled with possessive jealousy. I didn’t like the way Dom was admiring my girl, and I was just enough of a bastard to want all of Harlowe’s smiles directed at me.
“Your phone broken, brother?” I barked, startling them both.
Dom’s eyes widened at my expression, and he instinctively backed up a step. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and cringed when he looked at the screen. “Shit. Sorry, man. I had the ringer on, so it didn’t vibrate, but I didn’t hear it over the music.” He winced again as he scrolled through his calls. “Fuck, Dax called four times in the last hour. He’s gonna kick my ass.”
I didn’t bother commenting since we both knew it was true. I was tempted to get the beating started, but then my eyes landed back on my girl. I started toward her, and to my surprise, her hazel eyes were wary as she watched me come closer.
“Been looking all over for you, angel.”
She raised an eyebrow and stared me down, that saucy attitude sparking to life. “Sounds familiar,” she snipped. I cocked my head to the side in question, and she huffed a breath before marching around the lift and tossing the wrench on one of the worktables that stretched the length of the room, separating the bays. “What happened to a couple of hours?”
I nearly smiled at the put-out tone of her voice. I didn’t see Harlowe as the kind of girl who pouted for effect, which meant she’d missed me. “Got held up with club business, angel. I’ll make sure to call next time.”
“Thanks.” Harlowe nodded. And just like that, she was back to smiling at me, her irritation already forgotten. Damn, I loved her. And I had no fucking clue what I’d done in my life to earn having her by my side, but I wasn’t going to question it because I was never letting her go.
She walked toward me with her curvy hips swinging, and the burning need to be inside her ratcheted up several degrees.
“Hey, honey,” Dom called out suddenly. My eyes swung to him, my hard stare promising pain and suffering, and he gulped. “I mean, uh, Harlowe.”
“Yeah?” she asked sweetly, seeming completely unaware of the violence simmering in my body.
“Uh, just wanted to ask about the fuse we talked about.”
“Follow your wiring harness with your fingers in all directions. I’m guessing there’s a kink.”
Dom grinned and opened his mouth but then shut it real fast when I threw him a dark glare and growled, “Don’t even fucking think about it. Take another hard look at her cut before you say another word.” He held up his hands as though surrendering and started cleaning up.
“Oh!” Harlowe snapped her fingers as a thought came to her. “Don’t forget about the gasket maker I told you about! It’s magic.”
Fuck. If Harlowe said one more thing like that, I was gonna come in my pants like a damn teenager. The fact that she knew her way around a bike was hot as hell.
I snatched her hand and dragged her behind me as I stalked toward the garage door and through it, back into the clubhouse. It was barely another five minutes to get to o
ur room, but I had lost all control. With a determined stride, I led Harlowe to a door that was only a few feet away. I released her hand and yanked it open, then gave her lower back a slight push. The room was dark, and she hesitated for half a second, throwing me a curious look. I didn’t bother to address her silent question. I just nudged her in and followed right behind. The door swung shut behind us, leaving us with no light except what was leaking in from the crack at the bottom. My breaths were coming out in choppy pants as I flipped the lock and spun around to face my girl.
“What are we—”
I swallowed the rest of Harlowe’s inquiry when I placed a hand on the back of her neck and hauled her close to slam my mouth down over hers. By the time I’d kissed the ever-loving fuck out of her, she was clinging to me like a second skin and was ready to explode.
The room we’d ducked into was a storage closet, lined with shelves mounted on the wall. They were strong as fuck because they had to hold the weight of kegs and crates of liquor. They were perfect for what I had in mind.
I disengaged Harlowe’s arms from around my shoulders, and she let out a whimper of protest when I set her a few inches away from me. “Patience, angel,” I rasped. I dropped on to my haunches and snapped the button on her jeans. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy it is that you know your way around an engine?” I asked as I helped her out of her shoes and then grabbed the sides of her pants and dragged them down so she stepped out of them. “I hate that I found out because you were helping someone else,” I snarled, the jealousy burning in my gut.
She had on tiny pink underwear, and I easily snapped the elastic and shoved them in my pocket so that she was naked from the waist down. I placed a soft kiss on her mound, then surged to my feet. I kissed her again as I backed her up to one of the shelves. When she bumped up against it, I tore my lips away and despite the dim lighting, locked my gaze with hers. “Tell me who you belong to, Harlowe,” I commanded while I quickly undid my pants and freed my big cock.
LINK: A Silver Saints MC Novella Page 4