by Shyla Colt
She shuddered and then smirked.
“You like it too, don’t you?”
She peered down as she adjusted her clothing, and he decided to let her keep her tenuous grip on modesty. He’d rid her of it soon enough.
“What do I bring?”
“As many clothes as you can fit onto my bike and toiletries you can’t live without. We got the basic shit covered, but I know women can be picky about that shit.”
“What about Paul?”
“I’ll take you to see him myself, okay? I know this is a lot to take in and coming at the worst time, but this is all to keep you and everyone safe.”
“I know. I get it.” She nodded. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”
“This is the life and whether or not we were together you’d be neck-deep in it.”
She peered at him and tilted her head. “You owe me a story.”
His heart raced. “W-what do you mean?” The thought of rehashing his fucked-up childhood didn’t sit well.
“I want to know everything you do about Levi.”
Her answer both relieved and worried him. “Why torture yourself? Can’t you take our word… He’s psychotic?”
Her chest rose and fell as she balled her hands into fists. “Because I laid down with that, I loved that. I thought it was a catch. I need to know what kind of monster fooled me.”
He didn’t agree but he’d learned to keep his mouth shut and pick the time and place for his battle.
“Rocco, I’m serious.” She added bass into her voice.
“Yeah, I hear you. Pack.”
She walked into her room and he watched the sway of her ass. I need to let my brothers know right away this shit’s off the market. Lockdown turns the most decent of them into fucking vultures. How the fuck did I end up like this? His mind drifted back to the moment everything had changed.
Two months earlier…
Strains happened. They were a part of life as a fighter, and the only remedy was rest. Untreated or ignored, you could push your body past its breaking point and end your career in the blink of an eye.
“Sorry, man, you know the drill,” the doc said and patted Rocky on the back in the locker room.
Rocky nodded. “Rest, ice packs, compressions, elevation and no gym for at least a week.”
“Yes, and when you do go back, it’s only after I clear you.” The balding man in his late fifties narrowed his gray eyes. “You hear me?”
“Yeah, Doc. I hear you.”
“Good. You’ve been working your ass off the past six months, son. Enjoy the break and call one of the boys to come get you and drive you home.”
“Fuck.” Rocky ran a hand over his face. “I’m on it.” A thigh sprain meant no riding for a while. That was like chopping his balls off. The thought of anyone driving his bike pissed him off, but being dragged around like an invalid pissed him off more. Evonne. He grabbed his phone and made a call.
“Hey, are you headed home?” Evonne asked.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m calling you actually. I, uh, pulled a muscle in my thigh and I’m out of commission for a week. I need a ride and someone to drive my bike back.”
“Oh, are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s nothing major, but if I don’t take caution it could be.”
“Okay, well, Mouth is here right now. Will he work?”
A fucking prospect, it figures. “Yeah, Firecracker, he’ll be perfect.”
“Do you need to talk to him?”
“No, tell him I said to get his ass down here with you and be prepared to drive my shit back.”
“Got it. We’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Appreciate it.”
“Of course.” The casual tone turned a knife in his gut. He’d never had a woman take care of him other than his Nona. At least not without expecting something in return or making him feel shitty about it at some point. The dial tone buzzing in his ear woke him from his stupor and he hung up the phone. Fucking pitiful. I’m bleeding out over something she didn’t give a second thought about. Embarrassment and shame made him raw. She made his mind wander to places he liked to keep locked up tight. He’d never forget the moment his mother blamed him for her downfall. He’d been twelve, and still hopeful she’d get her act together. The verbal teardown and physical assault had hardened his heart.
His phone vibrated, dragging him from the painful memory. He read the text and melted.
Might be late, stopping at store to stock up on supplies. ~Firecracker.
His resolve wavered. If he could have this all the time, would it be worth the risk? His hands shook as he fumbled with the keys.
Take your time, I still have to get dressed gimpy style. ~Rocco
Almost twenty minutes later, he locked the doors to the gym behind him and slowly made his way to the black SUV owned by the club. They hadn’t let Evonne drive her car because Levi knew the make and model, and their vehicle had a tracking system.
“Hey, man, sorry to hear about your strain,” Mouth said. A wiry man with long black hair shaved on the side and a thin, angular face, he looked about seventeen instead of his actual twenty-seven. Never at a loss for words, he could he talk himself out of almost anything, henceforth the moniker.
“Thanks. You take care of my baby or I’m going to take it out of your hide.”
“Understood, brother. You need anything else from me?”
“Nope, just meet me at the crib.”
“I got you.” Mouth nodded and took the keys from him.
“Remember, it’s your life on the line, prospect.”
“I’ll take good care of your lady,” Mouth replied.
Assured, he slowly made his way to the car. The window rolled down and Evonne leaned over. “D-do you need help?” Anxiety lined her face and turned her voice an octave higher.
The weakened wall he’d built crumbled under her genuine concern. “I got this, Firecracker.”
She frowned but nodded, sitting back in the driver’s seat.
Thank fuck for that. If Mouth saw me getting helped inside the car like a baby, he’d tell everyone.
The ride home was silent, yet not uncomfortable. They pulled up at the house. She grabbed the bags, rushed out of the car and jogged to the porch to open the front door.
His lips quirked upward and he shook his head. He bit back a groan as pain shot through his leg on the way out of the car. By the time he hobbled inside and collapsed on the couch, he was spent.
Evonne locked the door behind him and sat down with a broad smile. “So I got the essentials, your favorite beer, The Departed, Scarface and as soon as you’re ready, we’re ordering a pizza.”
“Mama, you are a damn miracle worker right now.”
She grinned. “I just wanted to make it easier on you. Let me take care of you for a week, tough guy. We’ll get you back to fighting shape in no time.” Leaning in, she ran her fingers down the side of his face.
Rocky leaned into her touch, inhaling the almost floral scent he’d come to associate with her. In that span of a heartbeat, he let her inside his damaged heart and vowed to keep her close.
Chapter Nine
The club and its family members had been on lockdown at the clubhouse for over a week and the cramped conditions were beginning to wear on folks. Snippy responses came from women, an extra dose of rowdiness came from the men and flat-out cabin fever took hold of the children. The compound they stayed in was on the edge of town on a decent plot of land. They could see anyone coming and be able to defend themselves without worry about the law. On the other hand, no help would be had.
The sturdy building reminded Evonne of barracks. All stone, with bunk beds and an arsenal that would make a soldier wet his pants.
There were different areas. The main one housed the living space and led into a tiny kitchen. Down the hall were big communal-style rooms for the children, split up into boys’ and girls’ designated areas and a larger one for prospects. Farther down were separate areas for higher-ups.
“God, she can’t even take her eyes off him. We’re cooped up here like wild animals and she’s totally using it as an excuse to make their room into a den of sin,” Hil grumbled.
“Girl, you did not just say that,” Juliette said, laughing.
“At least someone’s getting it,” Hil said.
Her sullen expression made Evonne’s chest ache.
“I know you don’t want to be here, Hil, but it’s for your own good,” Juliette replied, resting a hand on her arm.
“Because staying in here and doing nothing is better?” Hil whispered.
“They’re not doing nothing,” Joey snapped.
Evonne’s eyes widened and she glanced at Juliette, who winced. The two had been butting heads the past few days as Hil’s sharp tongue and Joey’s pregnancy hormones got the better of them both.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Hil said.
“Look, you’re not privy to what goes on. It’s not our place to be and you’re not officially Mayhem,” Joey snarled.
“Right, I forgot you’re the expert,” Hil said with a sneer.
“Got something to say?” Joey asked.
“Whoa, calm down, ladies,” Evonne said.
“If she thinks she’s so great, how come she hasn’t come up with anything yet?” Joey asked.
“Maybe I have,” Hil said.
“Bitch, do you think this is a game? This is my life and I have to live every day with the fact that it’s my fault all this has been brought down on everyone I care about.” Juliette stood up and stalked off, stunning them into silence.
“Jul, I didn’t mean…” Hil stood.
Joey held up her hand. “Let her go. The last person she wants to hear from is you right now. She’s damn good at keeping what’s bothering her under wraps. We forget where this originated.”
“Look, I’ll go and try to smooth things over before Shooter gets pissed. Trust me when I say no one wants to see that.” Evonne shuddered. She’d seen him angry, it was a scary sight.
A member of another M.C. they were friendly with had come in and tried to screw him over in a game of pool they’d had a healthy amount of money on. The bloodied face and bruised ego the man left with spoke for itself.
Evonne rose from the chair and hurried after her friend, who had disappeared down the hall. She caught her at the back door that led onto the deck. She slipped out beside Juliette, and they quietly soaked in the barren area around them. “Don’t pay mind to Hil, she runs her mouth without thinking sometimes and she’s pissed she’s here,” Evonne said, breaking the stillness of the moment.
“Yeah I know. I shouldn’t have gone off like that. I just kept it in so long, it came tumbling out. I feel like shit about all of this. It’s my fault. Every time another incident occurs it’s a weight on my shoulders.”
“No, it’s not. We can’t be held accountable for people with a one-way ticket on a crazy train.”
Juliette snickered.
“Hah, gotcha laughing,” Evonne said.
“Usually that’s Joey’s job,” Juliette said.
“Not these days. Man, I thought she was going to throw a punch at Hil,” Evonne said, shaking her head.
“You don’t talk badly about her book,” Juliette said.
Evonne laughed, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “I understand the guilt. Here I am out here and Paul is fighting for his life.”
“How’s he doing?” Juliette said.
“Stable, I guess. They plan on trying to wake him from the coma naturally to see what happens.” Evonne glanced down, ashamed that her parents kept her so out of the loop.
“What’s going on with you and your family? I mean—I know things have always been a bit…rocky, but that turned around after…”
“The accident. It’s okay, you can say it and that’s only because I did what they expected of me. The minute I stopped it was back to being dog shit at the bottom of their shoe. Well, Dad’s shoe. I don’t know what the hell Mom actually thinks. I often wonder if she’s a damn robot, the way she can’t think or take action for shit,” Evonne said.
“So weird,” Juliette said.
Evonne sighed. “Yeah. I’m thinking there’s more to it than dysfunction. Dad started to say something in the hospital and Mom came to life.” Evonne shook her head “Fuck, I don’t think I even want to know. They’ve been unhappy for so long, I’d believe just about anything.”
“Why don’t they just divorce?” Juliette asked.
“I’ve asked myself that for years. Mom doesn’t really have her own money, but she’d get alimony. I’d say she might be afraid to be alone, but really she has been for years now. Dad might exist in her space, but they do not engage unless necessary. It’s completely fucked up.”
“Speaking of existing in one another’s space…what’s the deal with you and Rocky?”
“Real smooth, Jul.”
“I try.” Jul grinned.
“Just between us, he’s… I guess I’m his old lady now. He, um, he wants to give me a vest.”
“Holy shit! That’s a forever brand. No matter what goes down between the two of you, you’ll be Mayhem. One call and they’ll rush to your aid.”
The immense importance almost buckled Evonne’s knees. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m stunned. I mean—what the hell did you do to that man to turn him from shagger of the year to this?” Juliette asked.
“I don’t know.” Nerves fired at once and sweat beaded up on her brow. “This is a lot of responsibility. We still have so much to learn about one another. What if we aren’t compatible enough?” The thought of letting another person down horrified her.
“If you were any more compatible you’d burst into flames!” Juliette noted dryly.
“Jul, I’m serious. Jesus. All that talk of claiming gets me hot, but for him to be this serious?” She shook her head. “Sooo much pressure.”
“Honey, whatever you were doing is enough for him. Don’t let your head fuck it up. No, let me be blunt, don’t let your father rob you of happiness. You did that long enough. I always thought your change was because of the brain injuries but now I see it for what it was. Watching you come to life has been incredible. Please don’t hide now.” Juliette reached out and grasped her hand.
Evonne nodded. “I’m terrified.”
“I think that’s a requirement for being an old lady, perpetually stuck in a state of blissful happiness and terror,” Juliette explained.
“Sounds about right,” Evonne muttered, grateful to have Juliette as her voice of reason. “We came out here to talk about you though. How’s your headspace?”
“Crowded but manageable, I don’t think we can ask for much else until this is over,” Juliette said.
Evonne hugged her friend close.
The door pushed open and they turned to see Shooter standing cautiously in the doorframe. “Everything copasetic?”
“Yeah, babe, we’re fine,” Jul responded, offering up a smile.
“Firecracker, I’m supposed to report back for you too,” Shooter said.
Evonne laughed. “Also good.”
“Okay, how about we head inside then?” Shooter suggested.
“Okay, warden.” Juliette winked.
They headed inside and Hil stood us, looking unsure and repentant.
Evonne glanced at Juliette. She’d never been the type to hold a grudge but right now Hil was pissing off everyone, which wasn’t like her. Evonne wanted to chalk it up to their situation.
When they got close to the table, Hilary rushed forward for a hug.
Shooter backed away like they’d caught the plague.
Evonne laughed, tossing him a wink.
Joey had walked over to Moose who had her wrapped in his massive arms. His hands rested protectively on her still-flat belly.
Evonne smiled. Bikers in love, marri
ed and expecting might be scarier than normal relationships.
“It’s fine, Hil. We’re all on edge,” Juliette stated.
They separated and Hil said, “I’m sorry. I was lost in my own head. Which is no excuse. I just feel so out of my element.” She toyed with a curl.
“You have to be careful with Joey. She’s sensitive now and after all she’s been through, Moose is the moon and stars.”
“Yeah, everything’s changed so much,” Hil whispered.
“You know that changes nothing about us, don’t you?” Jul asked.
“How can that be true? You and Joey are married women, and she’s on her way to being a mother. Evonne is—what are you, E?”
The women all turned toward her.
“Happy…mostly,” Evonne answered.
“Being evasive,” Hil accused. rolling her eyes.
Evonne exchanged a look with Jul. Now was not the time to drop the secret about her relationship with Rocky. Especially since she was still coming to terms with it all. “Why don’t we get up and see if we can coerce someone to take us for a walk. I think we’ve lost Joey for a while,” Evonne noted, eager to get back outside into the sunlight. She was starting to feel like a freaking cave dweller. She glanced at Rocky, who caught her gaze and lifted an eyebrow. “Walk with prospects?” she mouthed.
Rocky scowled but nodded as he returned to his game.
Evonne scanned the room and eyed her options.
Mouth would drive them crazy, but his interactions with Hil were always hilarious. He stood beside a broad-shouldered male with cropped sandy-blond hair. His blue eyes reminded her of the ocean, but it was the spark of intelligence and his degree from MIT that earned him the name Sherlock.
“Sherlock, Mouth, we want to go for a walk. Can you go with us please?” Evonne asked.
“Sure, Firecracker,” Mouth shot back, grinning.
Evonne rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“It’s your road name, so get used to it. I think it suits you.” Mouth cocked his head to the side and stepped closer.
“Don’t go flattering me,” Evonne retorted.
“See? You’re doing it right now, sparking,” Mouth said.
“Sherlock,” Rocky boomed. “You’d better help your friend figure shit out before he gets put down.”