Innocent Ride

by Chelsea Camaron

  He pauses for Axel to tell him about school. “Good stuff, buddy. Get some sleep. I’ll pick ya up for the weekend. We’ll do the tractor pull and then take Lux to breakfast in the morning. Be good and eat your oatmeal for your mom. She likes when you do that shit.”

  He laughs again, and my heart fills with so much love. “My bad, my bad, no more cussin’. Seriously, though, your mom is all about that oatmeal for breakfast. Shooter says something about the good food balancing the bad. I’ll make sure you get plenty of bad food this weekend, so be good and do what your mom says, or I’ll start feedin’ ya oatmeal, too, ya hear me?”

  I can’t help laughing at them.

  My doorbell rings, reminding me that my mother is here, probably to tell me about my dad. My dad who never cared what I ate for breakfast. My dad who never cared if I gave my mom a hard time, if I got my homework done, or if I had a good day at school. My stomach twists painfully as I get up from the couch to go open my door.

  “I gotta run, Axel. Call me tomorrow morning before school, okay?” A pause. “Goodnight, little man.”

  Opening my door, there stands my mother. Her makeup is a mess, her hair is disheveled, and her clothes are wrinkled. I step back to allow her to come inside.

  She looks over to Rex, and her shock is clear.

  “I didn’t realize you have company,” she whispers to me.

  “He’s staying with me for a bit. Seeing as you’ve already met, I’ll save the introductions,” I state dryly as I move past Rex, who had stood to be at the door with me, back to the couch. He immediately sits beside me, putting his arm protectively around my shoulders.

  “Caroline,” she starts and the tears begin to fall from her face, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Look, Mom, Rex already told me about the governor being my dad. I need to know why you’re here. I’m goin’ through some shit right now, and I really don’t have time for your secrets. I’m not going to tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t want anything from him, and I honestly don’t care that he’s my dad. Nothing changes for me.”

  “I’m so sorry. You’re in danger and it’s my fault for not leaving years ago.”

  “What does my situation have to do with you? The governor is a selfish prick, but I don’t matter to him enough to follow me around.”

  She pales at my harsh tone.

  “If John would kill to keep me a secret, to keep you a secret, what’s he going to do when I leave him, Caroline?”

  Rex stiffens beside me.

  “What do you mean John killed to keep us a secret?”

  She sobs yet pulls herself together. “After your friend here”—she points to Rex—“left today, John told me some stuff. That man, Chad someone, he apparently had been digging into John and you. Well, he put two and two together and approached John with the information, and John panicked about his reputation. You know how he is about how he is portrayed. Well, he hired someone, and they took care of the problem. Only, they didn’t, did they? Because your man here showed up today, exposing it all.”

  I lean into Rex drawing my strength from him. My world spins. The governor had Chad killed, all to keep me a secret. What is my mom going to do? What will the governor do to me to keep his secret safe? Fear fills me.

  Rex places a kiss to my temple.

  “I’ll keep you safe, Lux. I promise you on everything inside me, I will keep you safe,” he whispers in my ear.

  I believe him. There is nothing left in my world that is solid except for Drexel Crews. He is rock solid.

  My entire life was led in the shadow of the governor and his power. My life was covered in the shame of his secrets. He has ruled everything I have ever done without me even realizing I was allowing him to do it. I made my own way through school, no matter the cost to myself. Anything to not return to his home, his world, and his secrets. His world is crumbling around him, and he had a man killed to protect a secret.

  He is having me followed for what? Doesn’t matter. The Hellions have my back and will keep me safe. Long before I ever knew they did, they had my back.

  Go ahead, Governor John Comer, do your best. Drexel and the Hellions will keep me safe and make sure you pay for what you have done.

  For the first time in my life, I realize I am not alone, and it feels good.

  “You need a place to stay, Angela—” Rex starts.

  “Angie,” my mother interrupts him.

  “Angie, if you need a place to stay, if you need to get set up outside of John, I’ll take care of it, just say the words.”

  “I need a place to stay. I’m ready to leave. It’s something I should’ve done a long time ago.”

  “All right, let me make some calls. You can’t stay with Lux right now, though. It wouldn’t be safe or smart.”

  “Lux?” my mom questions.

  Rex slides out from under me as he chuckles and stands. “Your daughter is the deluxe model.”

  She gives him a half smile and shakes her head. “I don’t wanna know.”

  ~Rex~

  “Do you have clothes?” Lux asks her mom as I make my way into the kitchen to call Roundman.

  “He wouldn’t let me take anything other than my purse. I barely had enough cash on me to cover the cab fare to get here. I need to go to the ATM and cash out what I can before he closes my bank account, like I’m sure he’s going to.”

  Angie looks to her daughter. “I can’t tell you I’m sorry enough, Caroline. I never meant for our life to be like this. I just … I just … I thought I loved him. I’ve been so wrong. Thirty years of my life wasted. Thirty years living in lies. I don’t know what the truth is anymore.”

  I watch as Lux moves to hug her mom.

  That’s my woman: fierce, loyal, forgiving, and loving. She will be the strong one to comfort her mom through this, even though she was the one wronged.

  Grabbing my phone, I find Roundman’s burner in my contacts and dial him from my burner in my other pocket.

  “Yo,” he answers.

  “Got Angie Milton over here. She needs a safe house.”

  “Fuck, didn’t expect that. Did he beat on her?”

  “No, but he’s left her dry and scared. Apparently, he admitted to everything with Chad as a way to protect their secret. I’m not sure he’s having Lux followed, though. He let Angie leave. He never admitted to having her followed. What if we have two different angles at play here?”

  “Who could it be? We ran Higgins off years ago. If he was going to come back, it would’ve been long before now. She got problems with a neighbor? Anyone she’s dated previously?”

  “Not that I know of.” I run my hand through my hair in frustration.

  “We need to sit down and play out every angle. It could be a fuckin’ janitor at her work for all we know right now.”

  “Fuck,” I roar as the helpless feeling overwhelms me.

  “I’ll send Boomer to get Angie. You sit tight with Lux. Stay on her until we get this sorted. I’ll get you pulled off transports. You become her shadow. We’re missing something here. I just don’t know what yet.”

  “All right. I’m out.”

  I hang up just as I hear Lux yell from her bedroom. “RRReeexxx, Rex, Rex, I need you.”

  I rush into her room to see her dresser drawer pulled out and empty. “What?” I ask, not understanding the scene in front of me.

  “Someone was in here. My pajamas—all of them—are gone. My panties, all of them gone. I came in here earlier, but only got my leggings and shirt from the closet. I hang my leggings, so I didn’t go into my drawers. Mom needs clothes, so I went to get her pajamas, but they’re all gone. My panties are gone.”

  “Pack a fuckin’ bag—pack two. She’s going with Boomer, and you’re coming with me.”

  She is trembling in fear as I send the text to Tripp and Roundman, updating them with the newest change of plans and information.

  There’s no way the governor would do this, not after our visit today. We are missing
something, but what? Who is following Lux? Who stole her personal items? What kind of creepy fucker are we dealing with?

  He will fuck up. He will make a mistake. Then, when he does, I will be waiting. Forget the club, whoever this is will be dealt with by my hands. There are a lot of things someone could fuck with to piss me off: my bike, my car, my truck, my house, and my business. However, fuck with my family, my club, my son, or my woman, and the reaper will be the one to deliver less of a punishment.

  Lux is my woman. She is in my protection, in my care, and hell, five minutes ago, she was in my arms, feeling safe. Now, she is in front of me, scared out of her mind. The last thing I ever want her to feel in my presence is fear; therefore, this sick fucker will pay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Be Free

  ~Caroline~

  The walls are closing in. My mom is now staying with Boomer until the club gets a better grasp on how far the governor will go to protect his secrets. I have been staying with Rex for the last week since everything came crashing down in my apartment.

  Who takes someone’s panties and pajamas? Well, that and my vibrator. Embarrassment has prevented me from sharing that with Rex. He is mad enough that someone touched my panties; as a result, I won’t go into the loss of my battery-operated boyfriend.

  We almost caught the guy two nights ago. Rex had Jag, another Hellion, park three driveways down and watch after we pulled in. Sure enough, the blue sedan slowly passed by. Rex flipped the guy the bird while lifting the waistband of his jeans to reveal the gun tucked there. Boomer followed the car, yet lost him in traffic. Rex wanted to shoot the tires out and possibly beat the shit out of the driver; however, there would be witnesses, and then the cops would definitely be involved.

  Honestly, I hope the guy will slip up sooner rather than later. I am tired of looking over my shoulder. I am tired of waiting for the bottom to fall out.

  Rex is outside on the phone, pacing his back patio. The man is so much more than I ever could have wanted in a partner, in a friend, or in a lover. He has rearranged everything in his life to take care of me.

  While I shower in the morning, he gets my coffee ready. If he is not able to stay or go pick up something for me during the day while I am at work, the badass biker packs my lunch for me. He lets me be in control in our bedroom activities. He goes out of his way to show me I am special and what we share is different than what he has had in his past.

  I have allowed myself to become comfortable, maybe too comfortable, sleeping in his arms. Other than when he has had plans with Axel, he is with me unless I am at work. Even with Axel, he makes sure I am left with Doll and Tripp so he can give his undivided attention to his son.

  Seeing him, hearing him, and watching the bond form as he grows into his role as a father is sexy, and it honestly makes me fall in love with him more and more with each passing day. Yes, I have somehow, in all the chaos, found a way to fall head over heels in love with Drexel Crews. Too bad I don’t have the first clue what to do about it.

  My mom, yeah, what an example she was. If you love a man, you do whatever he wants—that was her life. Rex doesn’t allow me to be like that even if I tried. He wants me to be happy, to feel safe, and to find myself.

  I am watching him from his kitchen window when he looks up and sees me. With a two finger wave, he smiles and goes back to his conversation. A second later, his head pops in from the back door.

  “You good, Lux?” he asks, the phone still to his ear.

  I smile at him and think about his question. I know he is worried because my mom keeps calling and melting down on the phone with me about how messed up her life is. I have also started receiving hang up calls as of two days ago. Strangely enough, with everything going on, I am good.

  I am good because of the man in front of me.

  “Better than good, Rex. I’m sorry I distracted you from your call.”

  “Never apologize, Lux. You’ll always be the best distraction I could ever have.” He gives me a wink before going back to his conversation and pacing the patio.

  A few minutes later, I am resting on his well-worn, brown, faux-suede couch when he comes inside.

  “Lux, got some good news.”

  “Okay, I could use some of that,” I reply as he sits beside me, pulls my feet into his lap, and begins massaging them, something I will say he does quite often, and I am not complaining about at all.

  “The governor has relocated. He has decided to retire in Aruba, and his house is on the market.”

  I look at Rex with the unspoken questions dancing in my mind and eyes.

  “Can’t involve the cops, sweetheart. They will want to understand the tie to Chad. That means you being put on blast and your time with Higgins, as well. It’s like opening Pandora’s Box. We need him to disappear, not bring more attention to you and your past.”

  “It just doesn’t seem fair that he gets by with murder—okay, hiring a killer.”

  “Trust me, Lux. Simply trust me. He’s going away. You’re safe. He’s a selfish bastard, but he won’t bring harm to you. It’s not right, but he did take care of you in his own way. He did protect you from Chad, even if it was more to protect himself.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that. If he admitted it, why don’t we go to the police and have him arrested? That’s what law-abiding citizens do—let the justice system do its job. That is what our tax dollars are for,” I reply, purposely snarky.

  “Is that what you think? Don’t kid yourself, sweetheart. Your tax dollars are there to fatten the wallets of the politicians like your dear, old dad, not to protect and provide justice.” He stops massaging my feet and tosses them off his lap.

  “Low blow, Rex.”

  He stands up and cages me in. “Right now, I don’t give a fuck how low I have to go to get you to wake the hell up. I’m busting my ass to make sure you don’t join Stillwell in a box in the ground. I’m busting my ass to keep your past tucked away in the past where it belongs. I’m busting my ass to show you a different side to life. I’m busting my fuckin’ ass to show you what we could have together, all while some sick fuck watches from his car. I’m busting my ass to let myself believe this is real, and you aren’t going to walk away when this is all said and done to be with someone more in your class. Lux, I’m busting my ass, and all you can do is question what the fuck I’m doin’, when I’m doin’ it all for you.”

  “Rex,” I whisper as he pushes off and storms out the back door.

  Slipping on ballet flats, I follow him outside. When I make it to the garage in the back, I stop as I see a fully restored black Ford Mustang beside a black motorcycle that is in pieces.

  He goes to the small fridge in the back corner and grabs a beer without ever turning to look at me, only pops the top off his beer and drinks.

  “Rex, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s…whatever, Caroline. Go back inside,” he responds, keeping his back to me. I never thought him not calling me Lux would hurt, but it does. More than that, it kills.

  Walking over, I reach out and run my hand up his back. He tenses, but doesn’t move to look at me.

  “Rex, I’m not used to thinking outside the box. I’m not going to the cops about John. It’s all been so much information at once. Normal people don’t bully criminals into escaping or making them disappear. Normal people call the cops. I’m not used to the world where you can dish out your own punishments.”

  “Walk away, Caroline,” he warns, still upset with me.

  He is not going to push me away when it is finally registering with me what he said inside.

  He doesn’t want me to walk away. He wants to believe in what we have.

  “No.” I am not walking away, no matter how hard he pushes.

  “Listen to yourself. Normal people don’t do this; they don’t do that. Caroline, normal people don’t allow a man to force orgasms on them for money. But, hey, if putting me down makes you sleep better at night, then by all means, tell me what normal people do al
l night long.”

  “Fuck you, Drexel Crews!” I yell.

  He turns, and before I can move, he has my face in his hands, and his lips crash down on mine. Our teeth collide painfully as I reach up and pull him closer to me. He tastes of beer and cigarettes.

  Anger, frustration, desire, and compassion all run through me. Love and hate, two of the most powerful emotions, dance between us as we both paw at each other in a battle of wills.

  As he pulls away, biting my bottom lip, I grip his neck firmly to keep him from pulling completely away.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Rex. Not today, not tomorrow, not six months from now. I trust you, so now trust me when I say we have something to believe in. Don’t throw words at me you can’t take back.”

  His head drops to my neck, sucking harshly, as his hands come around and cup my ass. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I lift up onto him, wrapping my legs around him. Then he walks us over to the car and rests me against the trunk as he kisses me. My tongue moves against the ball of his piercing, relishing in the smooth feeling. I could kiss him for a lifetime and never get enough.

  It isn’t long before he slows our kiss and then gently pulls away, adding a soft kiss to the tip of my nose. “I’m an ass.”

  “You got that right,” I confirm, smiling at him.

  “I need you to trust me. Governor Comer going to Aruba is the best thing for all parties involved.”

  “I’m trying to learn an entirely new way to look at things, so be patient with me. Everything in my life has been turned upside down over the last few months. The only thing constant for me is the Hellions and you.” I trail kisses along his jaw.

  “You could do better than me and this life, Lux.”

  “What is better, Rex? Money? You have that. Maybe not millions, but you don’t struggle. Cars? I’m sitting on a pretty nice ride right now. House? Your house is the only place I have ever felt like home in my entire life. You could use a new couch, but your house is safe and comforting.