by Harley Wylde
“So, I guess you want to know why I was sent to prison,” I said. “I told you it was for assault, but I didn’t tell you what happened.”
“That would be a good place to start. Some college ass get too handsy?”
“Um, no. There was this blonde girl; you know the type. The ones who think they’re perfect and God’s gift to man, that their shit doesn’t stink. She was mouthing off about my youngest brother and I took exception to some of the stuff she was saying. I broke her nose, called her a few names. Next thing I know, police are putting me in cuffs because she’d pressed charges. It seems her daddy was the District Attorney.”
He winced.
“Yeah. I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting out of that one. So I was sentenced to three years. I’d been in about thirteen months when one of the male guards cornered me in a dark area. Maybe he didn’t realize there were cameras there, or maybe he didn’t think it mattered if he was caught. He groped me, then pinned me to the wall and started pulling at my pants while he unfastened his belt.”
Havoc’s muscles tensed and his cheeks flushed. I could tell he was pissed just hearing about it. Too bad my own flesh and blood didn’t seem to give a shit what had happened to me.
“The guard’s name was Mark Slater. He had my pants down my hips and stuck his hand between my thighs. When he pulled back enough to unzip his pants and get his cock out, I managed to grab the baton thing in his belt. He just laughed and asked what I was going to do.”
Havoc stared but didn’t interrupt. I could see the fury in his eyes though.
“I nailed him between the legs with it, and since his cock was partially exposed… Yeah, it wasn’t good. I don’t know if it will ever work right again, and I don’t care. If he goes around raping the inmates, or any other woman, then he deserved what he got. The warden must have felt the same. He fired Slater and offered me a chance of freedom, if I kept my mouth shut. Guess I’m voiding that now, which means he could send me back inside.”
Havoc shook his head. “I’m not going to go blabbing to anyone, not outside of the club anyway. They’re family and will protect you. I’ll see what Shade can find on Mark Slater, ex-prison guard, and we’ll go from there. If there’s dirt to dig up, he’ll find it. And if not, we have friends we can call in.”
“Dig up?” I asked.
“Shade’s a hacker, but one of other clubs has the number one hacker in the country, possibly the world. If Shade can’t find anything useful, he can call Wire and see if the Reaper has any better luck.”
Devils. Reapers. Just what kind of world had I tumbled into?
“So what do we do now? Are you going to kick me out?” I asked.
“Kick you out?” His brow furrowed. “Why the fuck would I do that?”
“Because I hit that blonde just for talking shit about my brother. They considered it an unprovoked attack and said I had anger issues. I was supposed to get help inside, learn to control my temper, but I never saw a counselor. I did learn to control myself better. I think. That was more out of necessity though.”
He nodded. “Yeah, small as you are, pissing off the wrong people wouldn’t have been smart. Since you didn’t have ties to any gangs inside, you were probably a sitting duck.”
“A woman took me under her wing. She was doing twenty years and was old enough to have been my mom. If it weren’t for her, I’m sure my time inside would have been a lot worse. She’s why I’m in such good shape. She’d been into weight training before her arrest and she used the prison gym on a regular basis, which meant I did too.”
Havoc smiled. “I think it paid off. You have to be the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and as you can tell, I’ve had trouble keeping my hands off you.”
“If you’re not kicking me out, what do we do now? Just sit and wait?”
“Want to meet the other ladies in the club? I have to warn you, they both have small kids so either house is probably in total chaos. Neither of them live inside the compound though.”
“So it’s not a requirement?”
He shook his head.
“You just choose to live inside the gates?” I asked.
“Something like that. All officers had first pick of the few houses that went up when we bought this place. Most of the money went into fencing the property, but six homes were built right off. More will go up over time.”
“And you’re an officer.” I remember his Sergeant at Arms patch. “What is it exactly that you do?”
“Think of me as an enforcer. Someone needs to be reminded of their place, I handle it. Shit gets bad, I make the problem go away. When I said I would protect you, I meant no matter the cost. If I have to get my hands bloody, I’m all right with that. Truth be told, I like putting bad men and women in the ground.”
“Just the bad ones?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I guess it’s subjective. What I consider a bad person someone else might not. Anyone who hurts women and children is fair game. Someone double-crosses the club, I handle it. Anything else is a case by case basis.”
“Why were you in prison?” I asked.
“Killed a man.” He watched me, but I just waited to see if he would say more. “I’d served time in the military so when I killed that man, even though I hadn’t used a gun or knife, they decided I had used unnecessary force. Something about me being a trained weapon. So they sentenced me to twenty-five years, no possibility of parole. I served ten.”
“Ten years?” I asked softly. “In that same prison that held me?”
He nodded.
“What happens to me now?” I asked.
“I guess that depends on you.” He reached across the table and took my hand. “You’re mine, baby. I’m not letting you walk out of here. That being said, I’m not going to keep you prisoner. You want to take college classes or get a job, I’m okay with that.”
“No one will let me near a school or decent job with a record. I fucked up my life that day.”
“Maybe not. The club owns a few businesses. You could always work at one of them, but don’t feel like you have to do anything. Money isn’t an issue.”
“Just be your kept woman?” I asked, smiling a little.
“Scratch called this morning. Gave me permission to make you mine. Officially. No club vote needed.” He grinned. “Not that Scratch or Jackal asked for permission to claim their women either. We might as well throw that idea away. Seems that when a Devil falls for a woman, we don’t give a shit if our brothers approve or not.”
“Does that mean by your club standards we’re married now?” I asked.
He tipped his head to the side and studied me. “You want a ring or something?”
“I think most little girls dream of walking down the aisle one day. Wearing some pretty dress, flowers everywhere, her best friends standing next to her. I think that dream died for me a year ago. I lost my friends, apparently lost my brothers, and a big wedding just seems stupid.”
He squeezed my hand a moment. “Need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Jameson found out that you’re not in prison anymore. He’s pissed you aren’t with the Devil’s Fury, says you belong there with him. Since he’s just a Prospect, he doesn’t really have any clout in the club, but the VP over there gave Scratch a heads up that your brother might try to cause trouble. So, at least one of your brothers does give a shit about you.”
“Doesn’t explain why he never visited. And I damn sure know he wasn’t part of some biker gang when I was arrested.”
“Club,” Havoc said. “Not a gang. Although, anyone the AMA considers a one-percent club isn’t sanctioned.”
“AMA?” I asked.
“American Motorcycle Association. The legal clubs are sanctioned through them. We aren’t.”
I wondered if I would ever understand all the lingo, or ever truly grasp what it meant to be with a member of the Devil’s Boneyard. Then again, maybe ignorance was bliss and I didn’t really want to know e
verything. I knew without a doubt that if Havoc needed me, in any capacity, I would be there, no question asked. He’d saved me when he could have left me to die, or called it in and let someone else handle the passed-out lady on the side of the road. I owed him, and as insane as it was, I was already starting to feel things for the rough biker.
I knew insta-lust was a real thing, but maybe the books weren’t far off and love at first sight was a thing too. While I wanted to climb him like a tree and let him do wicked things to me, it went deeper than that. I felt like I owed him my loyalty, and by extension the club. The thought of being his, staying with him indefinitely and being his wife or old lady, didn’t send me running off. Maybe I craved that sense of belonging, or just liked the thought of someone like him wanting to keep me long-term. Whatever it was, I knew this path I was on was the right one. My life had been derailed a year ago, or so I’d thought. Now I wondered if maybe it was just a way to set me on the course destiny had in mind all along.
“Something else you need to know,” he said.
“What?”
“The clubhouse isn’t all quiet and tame when the sun goes down. We party hard, and a portion of that includes women who like to fuck bikers. We refer to them as club sluts or club whores. They’ll do anything we ask, and have no trouble fucking multiple guys a night, sometimes more than one at a time.”
My gut tightened. “And do you partake of their services?”
“Used to.”
“You used to?” I asked.
He nodded. “Only woman I want is you, baby. But it won’t stop them from trying to get into my pants. Being an officer, they’ll covet finding favoritism with me. Think you can handle that? Some naked woman begging me to fuck her?”
The tightening turned into a burning anger as I thought about anyone touching him, putting their breasts in his face and begging for his attention. Yeah, I wasn’t going to handle that shit well. Did I lie and tell him it didn’t bother me? Was it a deal breaker? I didn’t have a clue what he wanted from me right now. What was the right answer?
“Tell you what. Tonight they’ll be partying like always. I usually head down for a beer or two, even on the nights I don’t stick around.” He leaned back in his chair, releasing my hand. “You decide what you want and come let me know. For now, I’m going to call Scratch and Jackal, see if we can meet up at one of their places so you can get to know the ladies.”
“All right,” I said.
“Don’t worry about the dishes. I’ll put them in the washer while I make my calls. Go put your things away. The right half of the dresser is yours, and there’s half a closet available. I’ve never kept much shit in the dresser and it only took a minute to shove my clothes over in the closet. If you need more room than that, we’ll figure something out.”
I nodded and pushed my chair back. By the time I’d put up everything I could, Havoc was drinking another cup of coffee and scrolling through something on his phone. He seemed relaxed at the kitchen table, and I wondered if he was worried about how I would react later tonight. If he was, it didn’t show. Either he had a great deal of faith in me, or it didn’t matter to him either way, which fucking hurt to think about.
“Josie and Clarity are anxious to meet you,” he said, his gaze locking on me. “Seems neither of them thought I’d ever settle down, so they’re curious about the woman who tamed me.”
I snorted. Tamed. Right.
He grinned. “Come on, baby. I don’t want you riding the back in those shorts and without the proper shoes, so we’ll take a club vehicle for the day. While we’re out, we’ll make a stop for the proper riding gear for you.”
Just what I wanted, for him to spend even more money on me. I didn’t think he would care if I complained, though. I’d likely just get one of those looks that said to shut up and follow orders. A lot of women would be over the moon about a guy spending so much money on them, but I’d never been one of them. I liked being able to earn my own things, probably because my parents had made me get a job at the age of fifteen for all the extra crap I kept asking for. Looking back, I really owed them for that. I’d appreciated the things I’d paid for way more than all the stuff they’d given me, and since it fell to me to pay to replace broken shit, I’d taken better care of my things.
The thought of meeting the ladies of the club scared the shit out of me. What if they didn’t like me? What if they thought I wasn’t good enough for Havoc, or they were worried when they found out I’d done time? My stomach was knotted as we drove out of the compound, and I hoped like hell I didn’t embarrass myself and puke. That would make an awesome impression.
Was it too late to change my mind?
Chapter Six
Havoc
Jackal had offered to watch not only his kids but Scratch’s kids too, which meant the ladies were gathered in the living room of the large Victorian house Scratch owned without a kid in sight. The VP and I leaned against the doorframe, watching the women. Clarity and Josie had both welcomed Jordan without question, even though I could see my woman had been scared shitless about meeting them.
“She fits in with them,” Scratch said.
“Did you doubt it?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Being locked up probably changed her from the woman she was before all this shit went down. My Clarity has a big heart and I knew she’d welcome her, but Josie was a little iffy. You know how she gets when it comes to the club and what she calls her family. I think she adopted all of you as her brothers when Jackal brought her home. Probably makes her miss Tank a little less.”
“Any news on Allegra?” I asked. Josie and Jackal’s little girl had been through hell, and had some developmental delays. I knew they’d been taking her to some specialists in hopes of having a breakthrough. The kid was three and a half and was still barely speaking.
“The speech therapist has been working with her, but the kid just refuses to talk. I don’t think it’s so much that she can’t, but that she doesn’t want to. I have a feeling it will take something special to make her open up. Josie said she’ll say something here and there. Like calling Jackal daddy, but as for everyday shit she won’t say a word.”
“What about counseling?” I asked.
“They’re trying that now. Family sessions with all four of them, even though Levi is only a year. He’s talking more than Allegra is and it’s worrying Jackal and Josie.”
I nodded. “I’m sure she’ll talk when she’s ready.”
Scratch watched the ladies a few more moments before nodding toward the hall. We left them alone and I followed him to the kitchen. He leaned back against the cabinets, crossing his ankles and folding his arms.
“You think you’re doing the right thing?” he asked.
“About what? Keeping Jordan?”
“No. Testing her tonight,” he said. “What if it blows up in your face?”
“I have no doubt she’ll show her true colors, which is exactly what I want. She’s trying to suppress who she really is, probably because of her arrest and the fear she felt behind bars. I want her to realize she’s completely safe with the club and with me, that I welcome her true nature. Am I hoping she’ll put a club slut in her place? Hell yeah. But if she doesn’t, then I’ll know that we have some work to do.”
Scratch shook his head. “You’re a crazy motherfucker, aren’t you?”
“Did you ever doubt it?”
“Not really.” He sighed. “I guess I should have known the most hardcore member of this club would need a crazy woman. Just be careful. No one inside the gates will dare have her arrested, but if she loses it out in public then we could have a mess to clean up.”
“I’ll handle it if that happens. I’m not letting her get locked up again.”
Scratch snorted. “No, I guess you wouldn’t. You’re already trying to knock her up, aren’t you?”
“What makes you say that?”
“The way you watch her. I saw the look in your eyes when you walked inside the clubh
ouse with her yesterday. I knew then you wanted to keep her, and would do whatever it took. Just remember that kids are a lifelong commitment. Don’t get her pregnant as a way of hanging onto her, not unless you’re prepared to change diapers and get up at three in the morning to help take care of your kid. Being a daddy isn’t for everyone.”
“Never wanted kids. Never wanted a woman for that matter, not for longer than it took to get off. Jordan’s different.”
“Seems the Devils have a big problem,” Scratch said.
“What’s that?”
“We see a woman we want, and that’s it. We’re done. Head over ass in love and ready to slay any dragons that stand in the way. Just remember that forever is a long fucking time.”
“Not long enough.”
He smiled. “No, it isn’t. Not when it comes to the ladies in the other room. I’m sure Jackal feels the same, now that he’s not running scared. I’m surprised Tank didn’t rip him to shreds when he showed back up two years after knocking up Josie.”
“I can tell you right now if I ever have a daughter and some asshole gets her pregnant and runs, there will be nowhere for him to hide, and he’ll be in a shallow grave before he can draw another breath. Unless he wises the fuck up and realizes what’s important in life, and that my daughter is a damn angel.”
“More like a demon,” Scratch said. “Between your personality and Jordan’s, you’ll probably need a lot of bail money before she’s even eighteen.”
I laughed, knowing he wasn’t wrong. No, whatever kids we had were going to be strong, and be fighters. Girl or boy, I’d make sure they could hold their own and wouldn’t take any shit off anyone. I hoped like hell we had a daughter as fierce as Jordan. Maybe several of them, although the thought of multiple teen girls in my house wasn’t all that pleasant. I’d heard they were even crazier than me and twice as hormonal as an adult woman with PMS.