Rooster (Devil's Boneyard MC 8)

by Harley Wylde

  Charming gripped my chin and forced me to look at him. “Nothing to be ashamed of, pretty girl. As long as both parties are willing, it’s not wrong.”

  “Unless it’s illegal,” Scratch muttered.

  Charming nodded. “Right. Except then.”

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask what they meant by that. When would it be illegal?

  “You’re just going to let me into Rooster’s house? What if he doesn’t want me there?”

  Scratch threw back his head and laughed. “Girl, you’re a riot. Not want you there? Hell, I’m surprised that kid hasn’t tossed you over his shoulder and carried you home. Everyone here knows he’s ready to claim you.”

  “I’d told him I wanted to take things slow, but…” I placed a hand over my stomach.

  Charming let out a low whistle. “So it’s like that, huh? No fucking way he knew before he left or I’d have had a bigger fight on my hands.”

  The way he talked made it sound like Rooster would want this baby. Maybe he would. He’d said he wanted me to be his. Unless he didn’t want children, I had to assume he planned to knock me up at some point. Looked like it just happened sooner rather than later.

  “I only found out recently. I don’t know how he’ll react. I’d told him I was on birth control, and I was, but I’d forgotten the medication I’d taken almost two weeks before had made my pills pretty much useless. The doctor had mentioned it to me, and it slipped my mind.” I looked from one man to the other. “I swear I didn’t get pregnant on purpose.”

  “I’m going to send Havoc and Ashes with you,” Charming said. “Havoc is my Sergeant-at-Arms, and he’s one scary bastard. He’s also got a woman and kids. Ashes also has a family. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable with two single men going with you.”

  It was clear they thought today had damaged me. It had, but not quite in the way they believed. I wasn’t scared of these men. If they were anything like the Devil’s Fury, then I was safe here. Didn’t matter if they were married or single. If they lived by the same code, then they’d never hurt a woman or child.

  “Do you think Rooster has a place for my desktop? I could use my laptop, but I prefer my regular computer.” Not to mention, I kept my laptop bare bones. If I wanted to work on any marketing or play with some older projects, I’d need the apps and files on my desktop.

  Scratch stood and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Darlin’, you bring whatever you want. If he doesn’t have a place for it, we’ll make one. You want to pack up your entire house? We’ll see that it’s done. You get what you need immediately and make a list of anything else you want. I’ll personally see that it’s handled.”

  “Thank you.”

  Charming leaned forward. “Just so you know. When Rooster gets home, he’s not letting you move back to your house. If he wanted to claim you before, knowing you’re carrying his kid is going to make him even more determined. He won’t let you out of his sight.”

  “Great. Just what I wanted. An overbearing biker, breathing over my shoulder every second of the day. There better be orgasms and egg rolls involved, or I may murder him.”

  Scratch choked back a laugh. “I think I like this girl. You kill him, I’ll help you hide the body.”

  “Fucking hell, Scratch! Don’t encourage her! Next thing you know, we’ll have another Jordan on our hands, and one of that woman is plenty.” Charming stood. “I’ll go call Havoc and Ashes, get them here soon as they’re able. I’ll leave her in your hands until then, although I’m starting to doubt that’s such a good idea. It’s like handing knives to toddlers.”

  Scratch flipped him off, but I could tell the two actually liked each other. Someone brought a plate to the table with a salad and piece of grilled fish. The guy blushed a bit as he set it down.

  “I heard what you said, about being pregnant. Thought maybe you’d like something to eat.”

  “That was sweet of you.”

  “This is Hunter. He’s one of our newest Prospects. Good kid. Great chef.” Scratch slapped him on the back.

  “Thanks, VP.” He smiled and hurried off.

  “Why don’t we make a list of things you need right away,” Scratch said. “I’ll grab a pad and pen. With you being a bit… frazzled… you may forget something.”

  “Good idea.” I smiled. “I appreciate everything y’all are doing for me.”

  “You’re family, Alora. You and the little one inside you.”

  Family. It was a foreign concept. Sure, I’d had my mom, but it had been the two of us all my life. With her gone, I didn’t have anyone except Gypsy. Although, while I’d been with the Devil’s Fury, I’d met my cousin, Meredith. I hadn’t even known about her, and she hadn’t known about me. We’d kept in touch, but we didn’t have a lot in common, other than our DNA. It made conversations a bit awkward.

  “I’m not sure I know how to be part of a big family.”

  “For starters, you’re going to let us handle Officer Dipshit. He won’t be bothering you again, not when we’re done with him.” Scratch narrowed his eyes and I imagined he was thinking of ways to gut the cop. I wouldn’t stand in the way. The asshole deserved whatever he got. If he’d tried that with me, there was no telling what else he’d done to other women.

  “I’m not too eager to go into town on my own. Or even to my house. You didn’t see the look in his eyes. He… changed.” I sucked in a breath. “I have no problem with you sending someone with me. Give me as many bodyguards as you want.”

  Scratch tapped the edge of my plate. “Eat up. We’ll work on that list while we wait for the others. You don’t have to be afraid, Alora. We won’t let Officer Murray or anyone else hurt you. We protect our own.”

  I nodded and took a bite of the fish. I had to admit he was right. Hunter was an amazing chef. I wondered if he’d be willing to share recipes. Or better yet, just come to the house and cook for us. I wasn’t a complete disaster in the kitchen, but I wasn’t going to win any awards either. The dressing didn’t taste like anything I’d had from the store and I wondered if he’d made it. The fish was nice and flaky, and seasoned to perfection.

  Scratch helped me make a list of what I’d need, including all the things I’d have to take for Gypsy too. By the time we’d finished, and I’d eaten all the food on my plate, Havoc and Ashes had arrived at the clubhouse. It seemed Charming had already filled them in on everything. Because I was so rattled, Ashes offered to drive me in his truck, after assuring me he didn’t care about Gypsy shedding all over his seats.

  Another Prospect, Carlos, offered to drive my car to Rooster’s house. I didn’t plan on going anywhere if I didn’t have to, but I didn’t exactly want to leave it at the clubhouse either. I handed him my keys and got into the truck with Ashes.

  On the way to my house, I saw my shoe lying in the road. Havoc stopped and got it for me, passing it through the window, before he took a few pictures of the grass and the marks where Officer Murray had dragged me off the road. I didn’t see the alligator and wondered if it was still lurking nearby. Havoc didn’t seem worried, even though he was on his motorcycle without any protection from a gator attack. My heart was racing when we pulled into my driveway. I took the list of items I needed and went into the house with Havoc and Ashes on my heels.

  “I’ll stay down here,” Havoc said. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll start gathering it up. Ashes can go upstairs with you.”

  “Other than the things in my bedroom and bathroom, everything else on the list is downstairs.” I handed it to him. “I can just double check the items before we leave.”

  “I’ll start with the dog stuff.”

  “Call Shade before you dismantle her computer,” Ashes said. “You break it, I’m not saving your ass when she has a meltdown.”

  Havoc snorted. “If I can live with Jordan, I think I’ll be okay.”

  “True enough,” Ashes muttered. “Only you think your psycho woman is cute. The rest of us have common sense and hide from her.”

 
“I think I need to meet this Jordan,” I said. “She sounds like fun.”

  “Oh, fuck me.” Ashes sighed. “Rooster isn’t going to be happy about this. Just keep away from Jordan until your man is back home. I’m not getting blamed for any bad habits you pick up.”

  I didn’t know what to make of these two. I decided to ignore them and go pack my things. Thankfully, my trunk of toys wasn’t see-through. I pulled it out from under the bed and Ashes carried it to the top of the stairs. I got my suitcase out of the closet and filled it with enough clothes to last me a week.

  I made sure I had my favorite shirts. I grabbed the black one that said “I like coffee and maybe three people” even though in all honesty, until now, it had been coffee and maybe one person. Looked like I’d have to socialize more now that I would be part of the Devil’s Boneyard family. I also grabbed the purple shirt that said, “I could agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.”

  I heard a snicker behind me as I shoved the shirt into my bag. I eyed Ashes over my shoulder. “What?”

  “You’ll want one of those for every conversation you have with Rooster. That man will insist he’s right, even after you’ve shown him proof he’s wrong.”

  “So… he’s like every other man on the planet?” I asked, smiling sweetly.

  Ashes huffed at me and gave me a mock glare, but I saw the humor in his eyes. At least someone thought I was funny. I packed a few more shirts, including my favorite that said, “I’m not hard to please. Just do what I say.”

  I only grabbed two pair of shoes, other than the Converse I already had on. The bathroom stuff took longer, and I ended up piling it into a cardboard box.

  It took about an hour to gather everything and load it into the back of Ashes’ truck. Thankfully, Officer Murray didn’t make an appearance. My neighbors kept to themselves, for which I was grateful. I wasn’t sure I had the ability to deal with any more people for the day. I’d met my quota. Maybe I should have worn my “It’s too people-y outside” shirt.

  We pulled through the gates of the compound and Ashes took a left down the road. When he stopped in front of a two-story house, I thought he must have taken me to the wrong place. It was cute. Mint green with white trim. The windows didn’t have shutters, but there were flowering bushes along the front of the house. It didn’t look even a little like the type of home I thought a biker would have.

  “This is Rooster’s place?” I asked.

  “Yep.” Ashes got out of the truck. “He had a smaller place until a month ago. Then he asked Charming for a home big enough for a family. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. He always intended for you to move in here with him.”

  I didn’t even know what to do with that statement. Rooster’s behavior wasn’t rational. Who the hell got a bigger house for a family they didn’t have with a woman they’d never met? I knew the bikers I’d met all lived by a different set of rules. I could understand it, somewhat. But this?

  “You know that’s certifiable right? He didn’t even know me.” I wasn’t going to think about the fact he’d been following me weeks before I knew he existed. Stalking someone wasn’t the same as getting to know them.

  Ashes leaned against the side of the truck and looked at me through the window. “We tend to resist settling down for as long as possible. When the right woman comes along, that’s it. We don’t drag our feet.”

  “I wish I could be so certain of everything. Most days I feel like I’m just pretending to be an adult.”

  “Sweetheart, you have it figured out more than most. You’re successful and have your shit together. Not many women your age can say the same.” He smiled. “And men your age definitely can’t claim the same. Most the ones I’ve known, myself included, were fuck-ups the first several decades of their lives.”

  I got out and went up to the porch. The white swing on the end beckoned to me. I walked over and sat down, putting it into motion. Ashes let Gypsy out and she raced around the yard before disappearing down the side of the house. I started to stand, but Havoc waved me off.

  “She’ll be fine. Can’t escape the compound no matter how far she roams. We’ll get a fence up this week.” He hefted one of my bags and carried it to the front door, setting it inside the house. “Let her explore her new territory for now, and you should do the same. Figure out where you want your computer. I’ve asked Shade to come over and hook it up for you.”

  “Thank you. I feel like I’ve said that more in the last few hours than I have in months. I only hope Rooster doesn’t freak out when he gets here and finds his house turned upside down.”

  “Nah. He’ll love it.”

  The two of them unloaded everything. Ashes carried my bedroom and bathroom boxes to the master suite while I set up Gypsy’s items in the kitchen and pantry. I checked his fridge and wrinkled my nose. It looked like he hadn’t bothered to clean out the perishables before he’d left. I tossed out everything expired, then took stock of the cabinets and pantry.

  “If you need groceries, do an online order and ask one of the Prospects to pick it up,” Havoc said from behind me. “He’ll bring everything to the house and carry it inside for you. Hell, if you tell him where you want it, he’ll even put it all away.”

  “I think I can put my own groceries away, but I’ll keep it in mind for when I’m too fat to stand up.”

  “Holy shit,” Ashes said as he stopped next to Havoc. “You really are pregnant, aren’t you? I mean, I heard the words, but I guess it didn’t really register until now.”

  “Looks like our family is growing again,” Havoc said.

  Ashes groaned. “If she’s pregnant, that means at least one other woman around here is. Doesn’t this sort of thing always happen in pairs or flocks?”

  “We’re not chickens,” I said.

  “He’s not wrong though,” Havoc said. “Every club we know, when one woman finds out she’s pregnant, it’s not long before another one is. I know it won’t be my woman, so I’ll leave that up to the rest of you. The three kids I have are more than enough.”

  “You have three kids?” I asked, trying to picture the giant with children. Charming had mentioned Havoc was a family man, but after meeting the guy, it was hard for me to imagine. He looked scary as hell. Then again, from what Ashes said, everyone thought his wife was psycho. I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet those kids.

  “Lanie is our daughter by blood,” Havoc said. “But we’ve adopted two other children. A daughter, Salem, and a son, Taggart. They’re good kids. Most of the time. Lanie is nine now. We adopted Salem when she was three, but she turned seven recently. Taggart is the oldest at fifteen. He was twelve when we brought him home.”

  “I only have two. Oliver is six and Drake is five. Someone will show you the family areas tomorrow. You’ll probably want to settle in tonight.” Ashes rapped his knuckles on the wall. “We’ll get out of your hair, but if you need anything let us know.”

  “I don’t know how to reach anyone,” I admitted.

  “Give me your phone.” Havoc held out his hand. I gave it to him, and he tapped at the screen a few minutes and gave it back to me. “I put in my number, Ashes, Charming, Scratch, and Hunter. I’m sure Rooster will be back soon.”

  If they had family areas, how many others had children? If I did stay here with Rooster, at least our child would have friends. Maybe not any close in age, unless what they said was true and someone else was pregnant or would be soon.

  I wondered how long it would take Rooster to get here. It felt awkward being in his home without his knowledge. To keep my mind occupied, I started unpacking my things. I didn’t dare pick up my computer, but I did scout out the rooms to find a spot for it. Rooster didn’t have a computer desk set up anywhere, and I didn’t want to put it in the kitchen, which meant I’d need my desk from home. Or at least a desk from somewhere.

  Whoever Shade was, I hoped he wouldn’t be put out when he got here and realized we couldn’t set up the machine. I hated wasting anyone’s t
ime, especially since I knew how precious every minute was. I didn’t think my editor would appreciate my latest distraction. Hopefully she didn’t come after me with a pitchfork when I gave her the bad news that my writing had come to a halt again.

  Chapter Eight

  “Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man.”

  -- Mignon McLaughlin

  Rooster

  I stared at my phone, dread crawling down my spine. Get home now!

  The Pres wouldn’t send me something like that unless it was important. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Had something happened to Alora? Was the club under attack?

  I looked around and wondered if I could slip out unnoticed. For Charming to pull me off this job, I knew it had to be something big. He’d stressed the importance of this mission and sent me on my way, despite the fact I’d fought to stay with Alora. I hadn’t liked the way Officer Murray had watched her. I could only imagine what she thought of me right now. I couldn’t risk calling her, not without getting her tangled up in this mess.

  A dainty hand slid across my shoulder. The red tipped nails meant it had to be one person in particular. Simone. She wouldn’t be happy when I disappeared. No fucking way I could give her a heads up. Too risky. I hated to bail on her, but Charming would probably send someone to replace me.

  “You coming to my room tonight?” she asked, trailing her fingers down my chest. She knew to watch where she touched me. She’d found out the hard way.

  “No.” I gripped her wrist and pulled her hand off me. “Go find someone else tonight, Simone. I’ve got shit to do.”

  Like figure out how the fuck Demonic Reign had popped back up on the map, and how I was going to get away from this hellhole without being too obvious. We’d gotten word about this chapter and Charming had volunteered the Devil’s Boneyard to take out the trash. Thanks for that, Pres. Except, there were more men here than we’d realized. I didn’t know if they only had this one chapter, or if there were others. This particular group of brothers were twenty strong. Too many for me to take on single-handedly.