by Harley Wylde
I rubbed my hand over my beard. I hadn’t had anyone take care of me before. It was nice. I watched her ass as she hurried down the hall, her hips swinging side to side. Despite being hungry and tired, my dick hardened. I wondered if she’d understood what it meant for me to claim her. She wouldn’t be sleeping in a guest room. My woman belonged in my bed, under me, and screaming my name.
I followed, stripping off my clothes along the way. I tossed my cut onto the dresser along with my phone and dumped my boots in the closet. My clothes went into the hamper in the bathroom. Phoebe openly stared at me, and I saw her fingers twitch. I reached for her, tugging her closer.
“You can touch me, baby girl. You might be mine now, but I’m also yours.” I took her hand and placed it on my chest. “You understand what I meant when I said I was claiming you?”
“You mentioned old ladies, but the Sadistic Saints only have whores.”
“I’ll have a property cut made for you. You’re not a club whore, Phoebe, and you damn sure never will be. Any man touches you, I’ll fucking kill him.” She tensed but I held onto her. “Not trying to scare you. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, or this club. You didn’t ask how I knew Deuce wouldn’t come for you.”
“You killed him, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice nearly a whisper.
“Beat the hell out of him first. I’m the Sergeant-at-Arms, baby. My hands are covered in blood. Doesn’t make me like that shithead. I don’t kill innocent people, and I would never hurt a woman. Well, maybe not never. There are some evil bitches out there, and if one of them hurt you or our kids, I’d end her. Someone betrays this club, won’t matter their gender. I’ll handle it.”
She took a breath and seemed to be thinking it over. “You’ve never forced yourself on a woman, have you?”
I smirked at her. “Baby, do I look like I’d need to force anyone? They always fell at my feet.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious, Kraken.”
“And then there’s that. Around the club, I’m Kraken. In enemy territory, I’m Kraken. Here in our home and it’s just us? Call me Blake. No one’s used that name in a long-ass time, and only you get the privilege of saying it now.”
“Is it just you and me?” she asked. “Or will I have to share you with those other women? Is there even a reason for me to get tested? If you’re just going to bring something home to me…”
I silenced her with a kiss. “Said I’d never do anything to hurt you. I won’t fuck around behind your back. After I’ve showered and gotten some food, I’ll call Bones and ask him to stop by when he’s got a chance.”
“Bones?” she asked.
“Club doctor.” Something occurred to me. If they hadn’t cared about getting Phoebe tested, and Ember had been born at the Sadistic Saints clubhouse…”Has Ember had any shots or anything?”
She shook her head.
“Right. Well, we’ll get her taken care of too. Need to make sure both my girls are safe.” I kissed her again. Tonight, I’d take my time exploring her body. As much as I wanted to strip her bare right this fucking minute, there were other things we needed to handle first. “Get out of here, Phoebe, before I can’t hold back.”
She headed for the door, but stopped, looking at me over her shoulder. “Thank you. For getting me out of there, and for saving my daughter. It’s not her fault. I don’t want her to know, ever. Not about Deuce, or how she was conceived. She’s an innocent little girl.”
“So are you, Phoebe.” I held her gaze. “I said you were mine and so is she. No one will ever tell her different.”
Tears misted her eyes and one rolled down her cheek. “You’ll let her call you Daddy?”
Christ! She was killing me with this shit. I always said what I meant and meant what I said. Playing games wasn’t my style. I knew there was only one way for her to accept this was real. I brushed past her to get my phone. Didn’t matter what time it was. I dialed Wizard and put the call on speaker.
“I hope someone’s dying because I’m balls-deep in --”
“Shut it, asshole. You’re on speaker and Phoebe is right here.”
Wizard cleared his throat. “Right. Sorry, Phoebe. What can I do for you, Kraken?”
“You said there’s no record of Ember. I need a birth certificate, and you need to list me as her father. Understood?”
There was silence for a moment. “Right. Got it. Um… Since you seem to be taking a page from the Dixie Reapers, any other documents I need to create while I’m at it? Like say a marriage certificate?”
I glanced at Phoebe. Her lips parted and her eyes went wide. She’d frozen mid-step at his words. Other than shock, I couldn’t read her expression. Did she want to be married to me? Would it make her feel safer in her position here? I’d already made a commitment to her by claiming her and Ember. In my world, it was more than marriage. Once we claimed a woman, there was no going back. It was ‘til death do us part. Didn’t need a piece of paper to say so, but maybe Phoebe needed it.
“Do it. I’ll hand the phone to her so she can tell you any information you need like birth dates or whatever.”
I handed the phone to Phoebe and she stared at me. “Are you sure? You don’t have to marry me.”
“I’ll give you anything you need, baby girl. If you need us to be married, then Wizard can make it happen. I’m all in.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead and went back into the bathroom. I took my time in the shower, scrubbing better than usual. Even though I’d cleaned up before hitting the road, I didn’t want to chance even a drop of Deuce’s blood might be on me. I shouldn’t have even touched her when I came in the door.
When I got out and dried off, I wrapped the towel around my waist. A smile curved my lips when I saw she’d laid out some clean clothes for me. With my new daughter in the house, I couldn’t very well walk around naked. Looked like I’d need some sweats or something to wear around here, but if Phoebe thought I was sleeping with clothes on, she’d be in for a surprise.
I followed my nose to the kitchen and leaned against the doorway. Phoebe stood at the stove, stirring something. It had to be the most domestic thing I’d seen in for-fucking-ever. Probably since my mom died. I sat at the table as she plated some food. I hadn’t asked her to wait on me, hadn’t expected it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it.
“You eating anything?” I asked.
“I had a bite earlier. I just warmed up the dinner I’d made. Hope it tastes okay.”
I took a bite of the meatloaf and my mouth watered. Holy shit! It seemed my woman could cook! “It’s great, baby girl.”
She worried at her lower lip, her teeth nibbling at it. “About the phone call, with Wizard… He assured me you meant what you said. He’s working on the papers for Ember and our marriage certificate. I don’t understand how it all works, but he said if anyone goes looking, it will appear as if we’re genuinely married. The state will recognize it, and will show you’re Ember’s father.”
“How old is our little girl?” I asked.
“Six months.”
I paused. “Six months. Then you were with the Sadistic Saints for more than a year.”
“Ember was born a little early. I call her my miracle baby because I have no idea how she made it without being in a hospital. She was five weeks premature. But yes, I was with them a little over a year. I tried not to count. Not after the first few months. I gave up hope of ever escaping them. No point counting days or weeks.”
“We’ll get Bones to check her over, but I’m sure he can recommend a pediatrician for her. Anything she needs, she’ll have.”
“You say that a lot.” She smiled faintly. “All we’ve needed was each other, and now we have so much more. I don’t know what deal you had with Deuce, but I’m glad you were there.”
“Me too, baby girl. Only wish I’d known about you sooner.”
Chapter Five
Phoebe
I hadn’t known what to expect of a man called
Bones, but his easy manner went a long way to winning me over, and same for Ember. It never occurred to me an actual doctor would be part of a motorcycle club. I didn’t know his story, and I might never hear it, but I was glad he was here right now. He’d checked me over, drawn some blood, and even taken saliva and urine samples. If there was anything wrong with me, he’d find out.
Ember had babbled to him. Watching him hold my little girl, it was clear he’d been smitten with her. She was such a sweetheart I didn’t know how anyone could ever hate her. I might not know who her sperm donor had been, but I hoped growing up under Kraken’s watchful eye, she’d never turn into a monster like the Sadistic Saints. She deserved love and happiness, and I felt she’d find it here.
He’d written down the name of a pediatrician in town, and said he’d give the man a heads-up about our situation. I only hoped they didn’t try to take Ember from me. It hadn’t been my fault she’d been born at the clubhouse, or hadn’t received any sort of medical care since then. Would they think I’d neglected her?
Bones reached over and patted my hand. “Whatever you’re worrying about, stop. Kraken won’t let anything happen to either of you. The nightmare you were living is over. He’ll take good care of you.”
“The tests you’re going to run… how long before we get the results?” I asked.
“A few days. No more than three, usually.” Bones glanced toward the doorway, then lowered his voice. “If you’ve already been intimate with him, the damage has been done. Assuming you have anything. Maybe you got lucky.”
Lucky. I knew what he wasn’t saying. I spent just over a year with the Sadistic Saints, and not once did they bother using a condom. It was surprising I hadn’t ended up pregnant again already. Oh, God. What if I was? What if there was already another baby inside me? Kraken accepted Ember, but would he want a second baby who wasn’t his?
Bile rose in my throat. This could all go so horribly wrong. What if I’d given something to Kraken? Panic welled inside me. What would his club think? Would they hate me? I dropped my gaze, shame overwhelming me. It was Deuce’s fault. He’d done this. Because of him, I was dirty.
“Phoebe?”
I shook my head and backed away. My back hit the corner of the room and I sank, wrapping my arms around my knees. I’d told Kraken I could have something. He’d insisted it didn’t matter. We hadn’t discussed the possibility I could be carrying another baby by those men. Why had I listened to him? This man was being nice to me right now, but would he turn on me later? What would become of Ember then?
White noise filled my ears and I tried to make myself smaller, curling in. I felt large hands gripping me and I whimpered, my eyes closing tighter. I needed to leave. It would be better if I left Ember and ran. Without me, they might take good care of her. If they never knew of my past, they couldn’t hold it against her. He’d only told one or two people, hadn’t he? No, maybe more. But still, there was a chance the entire club didn’t know yet. None of this was Ember’s fault. She was innocent.
Someone picked me up. Kraken’s scent surrounded me. I clung to him, even when I knew I should push him away. Tears soaked his shirt before I even realized I was crying. He eased me down onto the bed and crawled in next to me. Kraken pulled me against his chest, his arms banding around me.
“She okay?” Bones asked softly.
“Don’t know. What the fuck did you say to her?” Kraken asked.
“She wanted to know when the results would come back on her lab work. Told her a few days.”
“And?” Kraken asked. “I know there was more to it.”
Bones sighed. “I told her if the two of you had been intimate, the damage was done already. I only meant it as a warning. More like, if you hadn’t been together in an intimate way yet, it would be better to wait. I don’t think she heard it the way I intended.”
“You’re a fucking idiot, Bones. Go check on Ember, then get the hell out of my house,” Kraken said.
He smoothed his hand down my hair and murmured words of comfort. Slowly, I began to relax again. He hadn’t thrown me out.
“Baby girl, talk to me. I can’t make it better if I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
“Your club will hate me,” I said.
“For what?”
“If I have something and gave it to you, they’d hate me. Condoms aren’t foolproof. And what if… what if I’m pregnant? They didn’t use protection, Blake. I got pregnant with Ember right away.”
“And you think it matters to me? It does in the sense I hate they hurt you, but do you think I’d be angry over a second baby? Care for them less than Ember? Are you worried I’ll toss the lot of you out of here?”
“Something like that,” I said. “I’m scared, Blake.”
“I’ve got you, baby. No one is going to throw you out, or harm you.” He kissed the top of my head. “I will kill to keep you safe, both of you. I’ll keep telling you until it sinks in. Until you believe me. My brothers accept you, Phoebe. They’re my family, which makes them your family now too.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” I said. “I don’t know what happened. I was fine, mostly, but all of a sudden, this weight just pressed down on me and I got scared all this would disappear.”
“All what?” Kraken asked.
“You. This house. Being… wanted. I know we’re strangers, Blake, but I’m already getting attached to you.”
“Not going anywhere, baby. And neither are you. We’re a family, Phoebe. You, me, and Ember. My wife.” He caressed me, his hands making me shiver. “My lover. The mother of my children.”
“Children?” I asked.
He nuzzled me. “Once we get the all-clear, I’m doing my damnedest to put a baby in you. And yeah, I said we. I had Bones take some blood and urine to run tests on me too. Didn’t seem fair to ask you to do it without me doing the same. I always wear a condom, but can’t be too careful.”
“Maybe we should wait. We already tempted fate before,” I said.
“I’m not going to force myself on you, baby girl. You don’t want to do more than this right here, I won’t try to push for more. But, baby, the second those results come back, you’re mine. No more holding back. Unless you really and truly don’t want me.”
I cuddled closer. “Of course, I want you, Blake. That’s the problem. I want you too much.”
“No such thing. Let’s get some rest, then we’ll go shopping in the morning. Ember needs a bed. You both need more clothes and other essentials.”
“I found the playpen when I checked out the house,” I said. “It’s brand new.”
“My brothers sent someone to pick it up. Figured Ember would need a place to sleep for a night or two until we could get a nursery set up.”
“It was nice of them,” I said. “Your President made sure we had the stuff we’d need immediately. I’m not used to all this, Blake. My only interactions with bikers were with Deuce and those who visited the Sadistic Saints. Your club was the first to show up who weren’t evil like those men.”
“Not all bikers are bad men, baby. There are completely legit clubs out there who don’t get their hands dirty at all. The Hades Abyss have legal businesses, but we also have some which aren’t so clean. What we aren’t? Men like the Sadistic Saints. We don’t hurt innocent people, or get off on being cruel, and we know a lot of other clubs like ours.” He ran his hand up and down my back. “I want to introduce you to my club, and maybe bring in some friends from the other clubs. Ones with old ladies so you’ll have someone to talk to, get a woman’s perspective on this way of life.”
“I think I’d like that.” I breathed in his scent. “I’m not tired. Not even a little. Too wound up.”
“You want to go to one of the twenty-four stores nearby? Go ahead and grab what we can? We can let Ember sleep, get someone to come sit with her.”
I knew he trusted the people here, and if I was going to make a home with Kraken, then I needed to do the same. Even if I hadn’t met many of t
hem, they hadn’t hurt me. Poison and Brick might not have been very talkative, but they’d gotten me here in one piece. Titan had even been kind to make sure we had anything we might need until Kraken arrived.
“Do any of them know how to take care of a baby?” I asked.
“I could always get Bones to come sit with her. She seemed to like him, and as a doctor, I’m sure he knows how to change a diaper and keep our kid alive for an hour or two.”
“All right. But I think I need to shower and change.”
He swatted my ass. “Get to it, baby girl. I’ll call Bones again and see if he’s willing to come back for a little bit.”
I hurried into the bathroom and started the shower. The hot water felt good as I scrubbed my body and hair. By the time I got out, the water had started to cool. I pulled on one of my only sets of clean clothes and went to find Kraken. Instead, I found Bones. He’d kicked back on the couch with Ember cradled against his chest.
“Your man went to get a club truck. Can’t carry back a lot on a bike.”
Made sense. “Um, about earlier.”
Bones watched me, waiting.
“I’m sorry for the way I reacted. It just all came crashing down on me, and I guess it was too much. It wasn’t your fault. I got scared and overwhelmed. I appreciate you coming to see us. Thank you for watching Ember tonight too.”
“This little one reminds me of what I almost had,” he said, a sad smile on his lips. “One day, maybe I’ll get another chance. For now, you ever need a babysitter for this angel, give me a call.”
A horn honked outside and I rushed out the door. Kraken got out and went around to open the passenger side. He gave me a boost into the truck, then shut the door. As he passed in front of the headlights, I admired him. The ink on his arms. The confident way he walked. Kraken was sexy as hell, and for whatever reason, he wanted me.
“Like what you see?” he asked as he slid behind the wheel.
“Just a little.” I smiled.
Kraken winked and put the truck into gear. He turned on the radio as we left the compound, a classic rock station. His choice didn’t surprise me. The fact he knew all the words and could actually sing did, however. Kraken had an amazing voice as he belted out the lyrics to “Cold as Ice.” When the song changed to “To Be With You,” and he cast glances my way as he sang, I got goose bumps, and some part of me fell for him even harder. Just when I’d thought he couldn’t get more perfect.