Scoundrel

by Keira Blackwood

  Hawke clenched his hands into fists. “I need a plan, and I need you here.”

  “I wish I could be.” And I did. I hated to leave him to deal with this shit, but my family had to come first.

  “You want out of the pack?” Hawke’s eyes were hard. I’d hurt him, and he was pissed enough to throw a punch. If he did, I’d understand.

  “No.”

  “I never should have sent you to The Meat Locker to speak to Draper.” His shoulders sank and he looked out at the setting sun in the distance, over the mountains and trees. “I shouldn’t have let you go to Greenville to talk to Briggs.”

  I laid a hand on Hawke’s shoulder. “This shit started with the roving chapter. It wasn’t your doing. Even if I’d never talked to Draper, Briggs still could have been coming after us. There’s no way to know.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

  He didn’t want a war. He didn’t want to fight. Hawke had worked damned hard at steering the Ashwood Chapter of the Silent Butchers to the right side of the law. We both had. And everything was about to go to shit, over something someone else did.

  “You don’t have to fight,” I said. “Call the other chapters, tell them about Greenville. Let someone deal with them that still wants the life.”

  Hawke’s mouth flattened into a line, and he furrowed his brow. It wasn’t the first time I’d thought about suggesting that the pack drop the MC label since we’d gone straight, but I hadn’t said anything.

  “Maybe it’s time to let the club go,” I continued. “I know I’m ready. We’re already a pack. We don’t have to be Butchers, too.”

  The words burned in my throat even as I said them, aching in my chest like the death of a loved one. That didn’t make it any less true. Pain was inevitable. Happiness required work.

  “You might be ready,” he said, “but I don’t know that I am.”

  “That’s okay, too.” I offered my hand for a shake before leaving. Hawke took it and pulled me in. He tapped my back before stepping away. We were still family, and he wasn’t pissed. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t pissed.

  “Where will you go?” he asked.

  “The cabin.”

  The look he gave me said I hadn’t mentioned that either. “Your parents’ place.”

  “I’m fixing it up.”

  He slapped my shoulder. “Never thought you’d set foot in that house voluntarily again.”

  I nodded. “Things change.”

  He took a step back. “So it seems.”

  I climbed on my bike, sure this was the right thing to do, the only thing I could do. And it hurt like hell. Feeling the weight of his gaze on me, part of me wanted to go back inside. But I couldn’t. It was time to move on.

  I drove away feeling like a fucking prick. There was more I should have said. I should have promised I’d still be there for my job, to deal with all the legal work with the security business. I should have told him that we were still brothers, no matter what.

  No, he had enough to deal with right now. We could talk later. He had my number, and he knew where to find me. After shit settled, I’d reach out if I hadn’t heard from him.

  Right now, I needed to claim my future and retrieve my family.

  I pulled up to the curb by the bed and breakfast, but Paige’s silver sedan wasn’t there. Better to wait than drive around hunting for her, so I parked my bike and took a seat on the porch step.

  There was movement in the window above me. A woman peered out before closing the curtain. I recognized her from before as the woman who owned the place.

  Streetlamps flicked on one at a time, like keys pressed on a piano. The evening glow would soon pass, the quiet street falling into darkness. Where was Paige?

  A rogue thought crossed my mind—what if I was too late? I knew it was stupid. If Greenville was already here, they’d be headed to the clubhouse, not to a bed and breakfast a few blocks away.

  But that didn’t make me feel any better.

  The door behind me opened. “You coming in?”

  “I’m just waiting for someone,” I said, without turning around.

  “In the dark? Your girlfriend will find you inside just as well as she would out here. I’ve even got a chair by the window for you to do your brooding in.”

  Ha. I liked this woman already.

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  “Fine, but don’t cry at me when someone coming in or out falls on top of you.”

  No one else was around. My guess was Paige was the only one staying here, anyway. Still, if the woman wanted to pretend, there was no harm done.

  “I won’t,” I said.

  She went back in, and before long, a set of headlights approached. They were here.

  I rose to my feet and headed over to the curb as Paige parked.

  She threw open her door and climbed out. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  I regretted the lie as soon as it left my lips. I didn’t want to worry her, or Evelyn.

  “Bullshit.” Paige looked to my bike, at the bags attached, then back at me. “Truth. Now.”

  Better to tell her than to fight. “I want you and Evelyn to come with me to the cabin.”

  “What, right now? What happened to finishing the kitchen and bathroom first?”

  I heard Evelyn’s soft voice from inside the car. It was laced with concern. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine, Evie,” Paige replied. She reached into the car and shut off the engine. Then she shut the door and put her hands on her hips.

  I opened the back and Evelyn jumped out at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Dad! I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I’m glad to be here,” I said. “Want to try out your new bedroom tonight?”

  “Yes!” She jumped up and down. “I just need to get Mr. Stabbyface and Pokey first.”

  “Pokey?”

  “My unicorn!”

  I could feel Paige glaring at me, her eyes two flaming balls of fury.

  “Go ahead in. We need to get packed,” I said to Evelyn. Her blond hair bounced and she skipped to the door.

  Paige stepped in front of me and poked my chest.

  “This is not okay. You don’t get to show up and make demands without talking to me.”

  “I thought you liked when I commanded you.”

  I’d expected a laugh or a smile. My words seemed to have the opposite effect.

  “Seriously? No. Tell me the fucking truth right now or Evie and I are staying put. You can go. We won’t. No lies, Jett.”

  She was so upset, and that was the opposite of my intention. I wanted her not to worry.

  I reached out and touched her shoulders, easing the tension. I ran my palms down her arms, pulling her hands from her hips. “Right now, everything is okay. I just want to be cautious. I would feel better if I knew you two were safely with me, outside of town.”

  Her brown eyes softened, anger fading to concern. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” After her initial reaction, I didn’t expect it to be so easy.

  “I trust you. We’ll come with you to the cabin.”

  “Great. I thought I might have to tie you up and carry you.”

  She raised a brow and there was a hint of amusement playing in her eyes. “Is that what you thought?”

  “I hadn’t thought much about it, really. But I am now. I think you might just like that.”

  Paige’s gaze flicked over to the window, where Evelyn was watching us.

  “I still want the whole story. But for now, let’s go inside and you can help us pack.”

  Everything was going to be okay. We’d be together in the cabin, and I’d keep my family safe.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Paige

  Leaning on the frame, I watched over Evie from her bedroom doorway. The paint had only just dried, the bed was just built, and here we were moving into the cabin. It felt like a new house, even without everything complete like Jett had wanted.
But that wasn’t what bothered me. It was the rushing to get us here that left me uneasy.

  By the way Evie was sleeping, she didn’t seem to share my concern. Her chest rose and fell softly, her expression relaxed. In her arms were the unicorn I’d given her and the rhino that had belonged to Jett. I hadn’t seen her rest so peacefully since...well, ever.

  A warm sensation washed over me as the scent of spiced cider enveloped me. I couldn’t hear Jett’s approach, but I could feel it. A moment later, he leaned over my shoulder, the rough hair of his beard scratching my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.

  “Come to bed.” He wrapped his hand around my hip, and warmth coiled out from his touch.

  My first thought was to nod emphatically, follow him to the bed, and strip naked. My second thought was to protest. We still needed to talk about what was going on, and I couldn’t afford to get distracted by his big hands or his cool breath on my neck. I crossed my arms, making a stand, even if it was only half-hearted.

  I turned to him, and found his face hidden in shadow. Even though the hall was dark, I could still make out his features, but I couldn’t read his expression.

  “I don’t want to wake her.” His voice was a whisper, but somehow still deep and rough. This man could tenderize meat with that voice...tenderize me.

  “We need to talk,” I whispered back, maintaining my resolve.

  He nodded and gestured for me to lead the way. Had I read him wrong? It seemed like he wanted to talk too.

  I stepped into the master bedroom, our bedroom, and took a seat on the edge of the bed, our bed. I’d never lived with a guy before. This was uncharted territory. It left me hopeful and uneasy at the same time. I wanted to enjoy all of our firsts, to appreciate the little moments that were the start of our life together, but there was a dark cloud hanging over us, tainting everything. Even if there wasn’t, this didn’t feel like home. It didn’t smell like home, either. Not yet, at least. It would take actually having my own belongings here, and Evie’s. And it would take time.

  Jett shut the door and turned to me. I watched as he toed off his shoes and unfastened his pants. Part of me wanted to tell him to stop, that being pantsless was dangerous business. But we could talk in bed without pants. It didn’t have to mean we weren’t going to talk.

  He emptied his pockets onto the dresser and dropped his jeans in the hamper. I may have been staring at the way his ass looked in those boxers. And maybe I wasn’t. But I definitely noticed his package when he sat down beside me. I couldn’t even try to deny that.

  Jett laced his fingers in mine on the comforter. My breath caught in my chest. Would he always have this effect on me?

  “How are you holding up?” His deep blue eyes sucked me in, and I couldn’t look away.

  “Okay,” I said. I blinked hard, trying to break the spell. “No, not okay. I need to know what’s going on.”

  “One of the guys fucked up.” He looked away. “With the Butchers engaging...I don’t know if it can end peacefully.”

  Leave, I thought. Leave the Silent Butchers. But I couldn’t say the words. It wasn’t fair. This was his family we were talking about.

  “I told Hawke to let the MC go.”

  “What?”

  “Being a part of the Ashwood Pack should be enough. I don’t want the shit that other chapters do to fall down on...my family.” He looked at me and a flutter of hope filled my chest.

  “What did Hawke say?” It seemed like too much to expect, too easy a way out. I always thought motorcycle clubs had a til-death-do-you-serve policy, like a really fucked-up marriage.

  “Nothing.”

  “That sucks.” He must have had no idea what his friend was thinking. Harder than getting out, was probably convincing a bunch of die-hard bikers to just let it all go.

  “Yeah.”

  “But you’re still part of the pack, right?” Stepping away shouldn’t change that. Well, for Jett’s sake, I hoped it didn’t.

  “We are.”

  “Me?” I already had familial bonds to another group of shifters, back in Frozen Peaks. But it wasn’t like I actually wanted to belong there. I’d given up that dream before I’d finished grade school.

  “You’re my mate. You and Evelyn are part of the pack now.” A sad smile crossed his face. “So long as you want to be.”

  Why wouldn’t I want to be? I wanted everything with Jett. I wanted to know the people he cared about, to be a part of his life. At least, part of a safe life. “Of course I do. If the rest of them are anything like Shaundra, I’ll be lucky to know them, and even luckier to call them family.”

  “It’s settled then. Welcome to the Ashwood Pack, Paige Greyson.”

  We hadn’t talked about changing my last name, but it had a finality to it, one that made me giddy. “Thank you, Jett Greyson.”

  His thumb flicked over my palm, and his eyes darkened, revealing the predator within. My breathing quickened in response.

  In one quick movement, he pulled me onto his lap, capturing me in his embrace. His hard cock pressed up between us, barely covered by the thin cotton of his boxers. It seemed this time I had him at a disadvantage, me completely clothed, him partially unwrapped for me.

  “I want to make you come in every room, so all I can think about when I’m in this place is the little whimpers that you make, the image of your bare skin. So all I can remember is the taste of you on my tongue.” His lips captured mine as he held me flush against his chest.

  As hot as it was, my heart broke for him that he needed new memories to overwrite the bad, that home had never been a warm fuzzy feeling for him. But my childhood wasn’t something I looked back on in a positive light, either.

  As his tongue caressed mine, as I ran my hands over his massive arms, I realized—these were the memories I wanted, too. Home could be the place we fucked, the place we made love, the memory of his commands and his sweetness. It wasn’t a place at all. Home was Jett.

  I rose to my feet and tore off my shorts. I wanted those memories to start here, in our new bed. And I wanted them to start now.

  Jett stood with me and lifted the hem of my shirt. His fingers brushed over my stomach, a touch of contact that left me wanting more. Heat pooled in my core. We needed this. I needed him.

  His lips were soft, his hands gentle. Last time, I’d wanted rough and fast. I’d been desperate to seal our connection, but this time there wasn’t the same urgency. This time, I knew he was mine.

  The patterns of ink on his chest were swirled and wild, like the flow of the wind. I followed them with my fingers.

  Jett flattened my hand softly over his heart. “I love you, Paige.”

  “I love you, too.”

  His lips were soft, his touch gentle as he laid me down on the bed and showed me. He kissed me, he filled me, and together we were one. Soft and slow, deep yet gentle, I didn’t want to blink and miss a second of staring into his deep blue eyes. I was lost in him, one with him, forever in love with this man.

  The build-up was sweet, and the orgasm was all the better for it. Our fingers laced, our bodies in sync, we found release together. And soon after, contentment and rest.

  “Paige.” Jett gently shook my shoulder, but it was his tone that startled my eyes open. It was still dark, and it felt like the middle of the night.

  “Wha...what is it?”

  “Do you smell that?” Jett jumped out of bed and threw on his boxers.

  I blinked hard and sat up. “What’s going on?”

  “Wolves…Protect Evelyn.”

  “Yeah, of course.” My voice sounded totally calm, a robot on auto-response. By the time I climbed out of bed, Jett had already left the room. I threw on underwear and a t-shirt and raced toward Evie. Jett was in the living room, peering through the curtains. I wanted to go to him, to look outside and see what was going on. But I needed to guard Evie.

  I found her sleeping peacefully in her bed, totally unaware that something was wrong.

  What the fuck was ha
ppening? I sat on the edge of her bed, and only then did I realize my hands were trembling.

  The air was cool and tinted with the wild scent of shifter. Wolves. Jett had said it was wolves, and now that I was awake enough to process, I knew without question he was right.

  I tried to tell myself that everything was fine. Jett knew lots of wolves. But if this was a friend, they wouldn’t be arriving without notice in the middle of the night. No, this was the trouble Jett had run away from. It had followed us here...right to our doorstep.

  There were sounds outside, engines, voices.

  “Call Shaundra and don’t open the door for anyone,” Jett said from the other room. A slam and click told me he was gone.

  Let him be okay.

  I glanced at Evie, then headed back to the master bedroom. I needed my phone. I grabbed it from the nightstand, then returned to the hall, outside Evie’s door, and made the call.

  It rang twice before a groggy voice answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, It’s Paige. I’m sorry to call so late.” What time was it anyway? I pulled the phone from my ear just enough to check. 2:48. Very late.

  “It’s okay. What’s wrong?” There was a sharpness to her voice that suggested Shaundra was able to wake up a lot more quickly than I was.

  “We’re at Jett’s cabin. Something’s wrong. There are wolves here, and he told me to call you.” My voice was shaking. My whole body was shaking.

  “Everything’s going to be okay. Backup’s on the way.” With that, she hung up.

  I turned around and found Evie in the doorway. I must have been too loud on the phone. Her eyes were hooded, still half-asleep, and her hair was a tangled mess. Her little body swayed, like she might just collapse where she stood.

  “Hey, sweetie.” I knelt down and steadied her shoulders. “Let’s get you back to bed.”

  “What’s happening?”

  “Everything’s okay.” I hoped she couldn’t hear the lie in my words. To me, it stood out, though I kept my voice soft and even.

  “Where’s Dad?”