by Nicole James
She moved back to the far bed, to the spot where she’d been sitting when Donnie had struck her. She smoked a cigarette, her eyes staring vacantly into space, but AJ knew her words were playing in Delilah’s head. She only hoped it would make a difference, because Delilah was her only hope.
Undertaker would never find her, and she wasn’t even sure he was out of jail yet. Her gaze moved to the television. She wondered if the news would tell her, she also wondered if her abduction had made the news. Surely by now, Tom had come home and found Bella and Amy.
Delilah stood, tamped out her cigarette, and began pacing the floor. AJ followed her, noting her agitation—the way she bit her lip and kept rubbing the side of her face.
AJ could tell Delilah was thinking about everything she’d said to her. And she was debating the outcome, playing “what if” with the possible repercussions of doing something versus doing nothing.
Please, Delilah, save yourself; save us!
She stopped pacing as suddenly as she’d started and changed directions, heading to the bathroom. AJ thought perhaps she was about to vomit, but instead she paused in the doorway, her eyes moving around the bathroom that AJ couldn’t see into. It was almost as if she were trying to figure something out.
What the hell is she doing? Time is running out!
AJ watched her disappear inside and heard the cabinet doors opening and closing.
“Damn it,” came the murmured curse. Then Delilah was moving to the phone on the nightstand. She picked up the receiver and pressed a button. When someone answered, she asked, “Do you have any hairdryers available?”
Hairdryers! She was worried about her hair at a time like this?
“No, that’s okay. I’ll run down and pick it up. Thank you.” She hung up the receiver and moved to the door. “I’ll be right back.”
The door closed, and AJ was alone. She thought about trying to hop the chair to the door, but how would she get it open? She was contemplating scooting to the wall and trying to bang against it when Delilah dashed back inside. She hurried to the bathroom with the hairdryer, and a moment later AJ heard water running in the tub.
This woman was insane!
She came back out, sat on the bed, and dug in her bag for a roll of antacids, popping one into her mouth. She followed that with a breath mint.
Headlights flashed across the windows as a car pulled in. They both knew who it was, and their eyes briefly met.
AJ was angry, but also losing hope, knowing there wouldn’t be another chance like the one Delilah had just squandered. She felt a well of sadness swamp over her as she thought of Undertaker; she would never see him again and her baby would never live to be born. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
It’s not supposed to end like this!
The car door opened and shut, and then Donnie was walking in, a six-pack in his hand. He gave her no more than a glance as he jerked a beer off the plastic ring, set the rest in the mini fridge, and moved to the bed, plopping down.
He’d barely popped the top, when he noticed the water running. “You takin’ a bath?”
“No, Donnie. I ran that for you. Thought you could use a nice soak in the tub. Thought it might relax you.”
His eyes latched onto Delilah, and AJ could see he was judging the truth of her words and the motive behind them. “Why would you do that?”
“Because you were right. I do wear those short dresses and the red lipstick, but I wear them for you.”
AJ could see his suspicious mind looking for a reason not to believe a word of it, but she could also see he wanted her words to be true.
“Yeah?”
Delilah nodded. “Why don’t you go in while the water’s still hot?”
“You gonna join me?”
“Of course.”
He stood, chugging down the beer, crumpling the can and tossing it on the nightstand, then he grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet, pulling her toward the bathroom.
AJ sat in the chair, wondering if Delilah did have an ulterior motive. Was she going to get him in the tub and then try to escape when he was naked? But then why wouldn’t she have just gotten out before he came back?
AJ could hear them kissing, could hear a zipper go down, a belt hit the floor, and then Delilah’s soft purr, “Get in the tub, sweetie, while I give you a little strip tease.”
Water splashed as a big body sank down.
“Nice and slow, like you know I like it.”
“I’ll give it to you good, Donnie.”
AJ’s eyes moved to the phone. If only there was some way she could call for help.
A moment later, there was a splash, a frying sizzling sound, and then the lights flickered on and off. AJ could hear a guttural sound coming from the bathroom as the sizzle continued.
Delilah dashed out of the bathroom, fully dressed, with Donnie’s pants in her hands. She dug through the pockets, taking the knife and the car keys. Then she bent and cut the zip ties securing AJ’s legs and wrists.
AJ ripped the tape off her mouth as Delilah grabbed her purse and ran toward the door, shouting in a whisper, “Come on! Hurry!”
Both women dashed out of the room and jumped in the Buick. Delilah jammed the key in the ignition and turned it; the car sputtered, the starter turning over and over without catching.
AJ said a prayer, her eyes already going to the road, wondering how far they’d get on foot, when the engine finally fired up.
“Thank God,” Delilah murmured.
“Go! Go! Go!” AJ screamed.
Delilah reversed, slammed on the brakes, and wheeled the big boat of a car out onto the highway, tires squealing as they sped away.
They’d gone four blocks before AJ dared to glance over and ask, “Is he dead?”
“I don’t know. I hope so.”
“I hope so, too.”
“It was an accident.”
AJ stared at her. “Absolutely.”
Delilah swung her eyes from the road long enough to meet hers, then she looked back at the road and murmured with a smile, “But he had it comin’.”
“Absolutely,” AJ agreed.
They both stared at the road. After a moment, Delilah asked, “So where’s this Sunrise House?”
AJ gave her a soft smile and reached for Delilah’s hand. “Thank you.”
Delilah squeezed her hand in return. “Us girls have to save ourselves, right?”
“Right.”
The sound of a pack of rumbling Harleys drew AJ’s attention to the road ahead of them. The unmistakable sight of a line of single headlights came roaring toward them. It had to be the club; it just had to be! Something had to go her way.
“Stop the car! Stop the car!”
Delilah pulled to the shoulder, and AJ laid on the horn, blowing it like mad, screaming for all she was worth as she saw the patches on their backs fly past.
She turned to look out the rear window, seeing a dozen taillights light up. “It’s them!” She twisted, grabbing for the door handle and vaulting from the car, running to the rear and waving her hands in the air like a crazy person.
She watched as the bikes slowed and the line made a U-turn in the middle of the highway like a big snake. The lead bikes roared back toward her, the drag pipes thundering as they came at her full-throttle.
The two in the lead came to a screeching stop, their back tires sliding to the side. They were just a dark shadow outlined against the bright headlights, but she knew one of them had to be Undertaker. He dropped his kickstand and ran to her, scooping her up in his arms. The scent of leather enveloped her, and she clutched at him, breaking down into sobs.
“You’re safe. Thank God.” He pressed kisses to her temple, his palm cradling the back of her head, his fingers gently fisting in her hair. “It’s over. Breathe. I’ve got you, baby girl. I’ve got you.”
“Get out of the fuckin’ car!”
AJ pushed out of Undertaker’s arms turning to see Blood, Mooch, and Sandman all surrounding the vehicle, g
uns drawn and aimed at Delilah. “Wait! She’s innocent. Don’t hurt her; she’s not to blame!”
The men lowered their guns, heads turning to AJ.
She looked back to Undertaker. “She helped me escape. Donnie is dead, but the other man—his brother Ronnie—he’s her husband and he’s still out there.”
He smoothed her hair back and whispered, “Baby, he’s dead. He’s dead. It’s all over.”
She brushed the tears off her cheeks. “Derek, she’s terrified of him.”
He nodded. “You gonna be okay for a minute while I tell her?”
“Yes. I’m fine now.”
He grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He then let her go and moved to the car, squatting down in the open driver door, bringing his head level with Delilah’s. Their eyes met, each remembering the last time they’d met when he’d stopped to fill her gas tank.
Her eyes got big with fear, and she shook her head, anxious for him to understand. “He made me do it. I didn’t want to, I swear it.”
Undertaker nodded. “I’m sure he did. Don’t worry, darlin’. You’ve got nothin’ to fear from me.”
Her lip trembled. “I tried to help her.”
“And I’m grateful for that. Where’s Donnie?”
“Back at the motel. He… had an accident.”
“What kind of accident?” When she hesitated, he pressed. “Babe, what kind of accident?”
“The hairdryer-in-the-bathtub kind of accident.”
Undertaker chuckled, his brows lifting. “Damn, lady. Remind me never to piss you off.”
Sandman added his two cents from where he stood near the door. “Two-thirds of all injuries happen in the bathroom.”
Undertaker twisted to glare at him with a shut-the-fuck-up look.
“Sorry. Useless trivia sometimes pops out of my mouth.”
“Is that true?” she asked, frowning.
“Fuck if I know. Sounds good though.”
At least he made her smile, if only momentarily before her gaze returned to Undertaker. “If Ronnie finds out I helped her, he’ll kill me.”
“Ronnie won’t be hurting you or anyone ever again. He’s dead, babe.”
Her shoulders deflated, and she dropped her forehead to the steering wheel. He studied her reaction, not sure if it was good or bad. “You okay?”
“I hated him. I’m glad he’s dead. So yes, I’m okay.”
Undertaker nodded, his eyes moving over her bruising cheek. “They hurt you?”
Her palm lifted to her cheek. “They never will again, though, will they?”
“No, they won’t.” He gave her a soft smile.
“Your lady is smart and kind and brave. I’m sorry this happened to her. I didn’t know what they’d planned.”
He nodded again, twisting his head to look back at AJ. “She’s all those things.”
“Under different circumstances I think she and I could have been friends.”
“Nothin’ says you still can’t be.”
She nodded and stared at her lap. “Maybe so.”
“You shouldn’t go home tonight, sweetheart. Police are probably still there. You got someplace you can go? If not, you can stay at the clubhouse, or I can put you up in a hotel. Your choice.”
“I’ll be fine. I have a friend I can stay with.”
“You sure?”
She nodded.
He stood, closed her door, and stepped back, looking at her through the open window. “Thank you for what you did.”
“Thank you for… well, giving me back my freedom.”
He lifted his chin, and she pulled away.
AJ moved to his side, tucking up under his arm. “Can we go home now?”
He smiled down at her upturned face. “You hear that, boys? The lady wants to go home.”
EPILOGUE
AJ—
Undertaker lay on top of me in his big bed, stroking my hair back from my face.
“I remember the first time I laid eyes on you. The young girl with the red hair and the red briefcase…” He grinned. “Porcelain skin that I longed to touch and a smattering of freckles across your nose that kept you real.”
“You noticed that?”
“I noticed everything about you—your hair, your skin, your scent.” He nuzzled my neck.
“I noticed your eyes. They don’t look away and they don’t miss much. I felt like you could see right into my soul, and I fell hard for you. Even though we were the most unlikely couple ever.”
“Yeah, they do say opposites attract.”
“You, the badass biker, and me, the boisterous redhead with big dreams of saving the world.”
“There’s nothing wrong with big dreams, Allie.”
“Until your biggest one goes up in smoke. Literally.”
“It doesn’t have to be the end. You can—”
I huffed out a breath and looked away.
“Hey, hey… You can rebuild. You can start over.”
I was quiet for a while. He stroked my face, letting the silence be. I liked that about him; we never felt the need to fill the silence with mindless chatter. Eventually, though, I knew I had to tell him. “Derek?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“I’ve made a decision. I’ve decided I want to give up my practice and just run the charity. It’s what makes me happiest.”
He pulled back an inch, studying my eyes. “You sure? You worked so hard all those years.”
“My clients are leaving me in droves. There’s not much of a practice left.”
His thumb stroked my temple. “I’m sorry.”
I nodded. “The charity is where my heart is now. Besides, when the baby comes, I won’t want to work so much anymore; I’ll want to be home with the baby.”
“If that will make you happy, then I’m all for it. I want you to have your dreams, every dream you ever had. We’ll rebuild the New Horizons Woman’s Center if that’s what you want.”
“Getting to do what I want, what I need, what makes me happy? That’s only possible because of how much you love me, and that’s why I fell so completely in love with you.”
“They do say, happy wife, happy life.” He took my hand, rubbing his fingers over the engagement ring he’d put there. “You pick a date yet?”
“I was thinking we could just go down to the courthouse and take care of it.”
“You sure? You want a wedding, you’ll get one.”
“I already had a big wedding once. I don’t need that. I just need you and the baby. Anything extra is just frosting on the cake.”
“Babe, I want you to have a life where you get the frosting, too. I’m gonna make sure there’s plenty of frosting in your future, starting with pickin’ a place for our little family to live. Where do you want our home to be?”
I cocked my head to the side. “I was thinking of your grandfather’s place on the water.”
He frowned. “You kiddin’? It’s small; there’s just the one bedroom.”
“If you let me redecorate it I think it will be more than enough room for a while.”
“That’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get. Go crazy, fix it up any way you want.”
“And after we move to a bigger house someday, can we still keep that place? I’ve grown kind of attached to it. We have happy memories there.”
“We do, and since it’s been in the family for years, yeah, I’d planned to hang on to it. Maybe someday make it a weekend place.”
“That sounds great. But right now it’ll be our newlywed place. It’s the place I fell in love with you.”
“Is it?”
“I saw a different side of you there. You were easy, relaxed, at peace. I liked that. You weren’t walking around with the weight of the MC there.”
“Babe, the MC will always be part of our lives, because it will always be part of me. Those boys and I will always be brothers, but the club, the ol’ ladies, they’ll be your family now, too. You gonna be okay w
ith that?”
I smiled. “More than okay. I’m not sure if I’ll be a great ol’ lady to the President of an MC, but if I’m good enough for you, that’s all I care about.”
“It ain’t easy bein’ king, Allie, but you’re gonna be a fabulous ol’ lady. You think you’re gonna be retiring, but you’re gonna be putting all that psychology training to use dealing with those boys. Some of ‘em got some fucked up lives and could definitely use some therapy, but they’re all good people. They’ll treat you like a queen.”
“Queen of the bikers?”
“My queen.”
“What if I slip up? What if I screw up? What if I fail?”
“You can’t fail at this, and if you slip up or fall, I’ll catch you. Always. Every single time.”
“Promise?”
“My oath to you. You and our baby. I love you, Allie.”
My eyes filled with tears. I finally had everything I ever wanted. “I love you more.”
His blue eyes sparkled down at me, and he shook his head. “Not possible.”
Undertaker—
With AJ I felt a cleansing of so many meaningless fears and guilts. I let go of all the tension that had been crippling me. I thought of all those wasted years. Now everything’s changed. I could be a good husband.
At last, I found the happiness I’d searched for all my life. And it felt good, it felt damn good.
I chuckled to myself, looking down at the sleeping woman in my arms. She’d never given up on me, not once through all of it. I squeezed her and murmured into her hair. “I never realized what a stubborn woman I’d fallen for. And you were worried you weren’t ol’ lady material. Damn, girl.”
I loved that she knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ‘crack the whip’ and keep me on my toes. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need it sometimes.
I put my hand over her still flat belly. Our child grew inside. It was a child neither of us ever thought we’d get the chance to have. This was our second chance at love, at happiness, at everything that mattered.
This time around I didn’t plan to miss a minute of this child’s life. The first steps, the first words, the first day of school. I’d be there for all of it.