by KJ Dahlen
“Guess we’d better find out,” Raine suggested. “Deke wouldn’t have called us home if it weren’t important.
Gambler watched behind them and saw his dad and brothers coming toward them. He also saw Deke and Bones coming as well. He looked over at Raine and they both were surprised. Neither of them said a word but instead, waited for everyone to get there.
Gambler called home but Paige was alone there so he told her she should join them. He waited outside for her to show up, then they both joined everyone else in the house.
“So what is this all about?” Raine finally asked looking around his living room. Cricket was standing off on her own, away from the rest of his family. His parents were standing together as were Gambler and Paige. His other two brothers were standing together at the other end of the sofa.
Dusty was also there but he was watching over the babies in the nursery along with Max. Cricket’s dog had taken on the job of being the babies’ guardian and where the babies were, so was Max.
“Cricket told us some news that we verified and now we have to tell you guys about,” Deke began. “This affects mostly your families but also us as a club as well. Dusty has been going outside the fence to a place not very far away but is hidden from the compound. He’s been getting there by a gap in the fence we didn’t know about until today. We talked to one of Mountain’s mechanics by the name of Wes and he said he went looking for his dog because the dog has been taking off and not coming back for hours. He said today, he found the dog with Cricket and Dusty.
Bones nodded and added more, “Now Wes hunts the woods for squirrels and coon, but he never takes more than he eats so we leave him alone. He told us he’s been seeing tire tracks in the woods and been hearing bikes too. He thought that was a little odd, as bikers don’t usually ride in the woods. He said he’s been hearing the bike for about the last two weeks. We checked on where the tracks are and Cricket was right, somebody is watching the compound.”
Deke nodded. “We don’t know that it’s Sinner but who else would it be?”
“Were they Avon Roadrider tires?” Raine asked.
“How did you know that?” Sam narrowed his eyes at Raine.
“Because we found the same tires outside one of our building projects the other day. The same day we found the button.”
“Fuck.” Deke swore. “I guess that pretty much confirms it then. Sinner knows where Paige and Cricket are.” He looked over at his dad.
Sam nodded. “Better tell them the rest.”
Deke exhaled heavily. Looking at the entire Moore family he stated, “Guenther called me back today. He wanted to know what happened to the money Cordy took eight years ago. I told him it was probably gone by this time but he said he was coming here to question Cricket. I told him I didn’t think that was a good idea but he didn’t really care, he said the money was only part of what Cordy took from Sinner that night. He also took a flash drive and the MC wanted the drive back.” Deke looked over at Cricket and shook his head. “I had to ask her about it. With everything that’s going on right now, I could have asked her more politely but I didn’t have time for manners.”
Raine looked at his president then looked at his wife. Her eyes were blank and that worried him. He turned back to Deke, “And did she tell you anything?”
“Yeah, she did. She told me where she’d hidden them eight years ago.” He looked at Cricket. “Guenther said to tell you thank you. The money and the drive were still where you put them.” He paused then asked, “Do you have any idea what information was on the flash drive? Guenther seemed awfully worried about that drive. Almost like he cared more about that than he did getting the money back.”
Cricket simply shook her head. She didn’t say a word or acknowledge what Deke said at all. Instead, she turned and walked down the hall to where Dusty and her babies were.
Raine turned and glared at Deke. “I know you are our President and you want to protect the club, but what the hell did you say to my wife?”
Cricket quietly closed the door behind her. Then she went over to the corner of the room and slid down the wall. Dropping her head to her knees, she didn’t say a word.
Dusty watched her for a moment then went over and sat down beside her. He didn’t try to talk to her he just sat there with her. Max came close and laid down at her feet.
After a few minutes, Cricket’s arms went around him and she pulled him close to her. They just sat there for along few while. Max tried to move closer and laid his head across her feet. Cricket reached out and ran her fingers through his fur.
The door finally opened and Raine joined them. He sat down on the other side of Cricket and pulled both her and Dusty into his arms. Max whined and he patted the floor next to him.
Max moved over and crowded them all.
A short time later, someone opened the door. Gambler popped his head in and motioned for Dusty to join them.
Cricket reluctantly let him go and then it was just her and Raine in the there.
“Mom and Dad are staying the night to help out with the babies,” Raine whispered in her ear. “Come on let’s go to bed.”
Cricket kissed her sweet babies good night and Raine led her to their bedroom. He helped her get undressed and accompanied her into the shower where he washed her up and tried to comfort her.
Kissing his shoulders and neck Cricket whispered in his ear, “I want you.”
Raine groaned. “We can’t. We still have a couple of weeks to go remember?”
Cricket sobbed and threw back her head to look at him.
Tears rolled down her face and he could read the hurt and pain in her eyes.
“I don’t care. I need to feel your skin against mine. I need to know you still love me, that I can count on you no matter what.” By this time, she was sobbing and Raine gathered her in his arms.
His heart was breaking. It would be so easy to forget and plunge deep inside her. As much as he wanted her, he knew he couldn’t have her, not yet. “Come on, let’s go to bed. I know all this has hurt you. I also know Deke needs to apologize to you as well.”
Cricket bit at her lip and refused to talk about it.
After they dried off, Cricket walked over to their bed and curled up into a ball. She’d seen the look on Raine’s face and she knew he wouldn’t touch her. More tears fell as she felt him crawl in behind her.
His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close to him. “Darlin, as much as I would love to fuck you tonight you mean too much to me to take that chance. You’re almost healed, we only have a few more weeks to wait.”
Cricket turned in his arms and smiled through teary eyes. “There are more ways than one to skin a cat, just as there are more ways than one to make love.” With that, she pushed him on his back. She crawled over him and straddled his hips, pressing her wet pussy over his hardening cock.
Leaning over him, she pressed her lips on his and began kissing him wildly and with a whole lot of passion.
Raine felt his body harden in respond to her manipulations. He grabbed her hips and began rubbing his cock into her wetness. Cricket dropped lower and began nibbling on his neck and chest. She moved over to his flat hard nipples and began tugging them with her lips and teeth.
Raine growled and rubbed her wetness over his throbbing manhood. She was soaking them both and that made him hot. He moved so she rubbed her clit down the length of his shaft and Cricket hissed in pleasure. He did it again and again and he could see she was almost ready to explode. Raine leaned up and grabbed her hard nipple with his teeth and that was enough to send her over the edge.
Her hands dug into his shoulder and she ground her weeping pussy into his cock and that sent Raine over the edge. His hot come spurted all over her belly and his own. Raine groaned at his release and it took a while for him to stop.
Cricket leaned over him and captured his lips again.
Raine flipped them both over and crushed her lips beneath his. Their kiss was wild and Cricket could feel her blood
heat up. When he broke the kiss both of them were breathing heavy.
“Oh, my god...” she whispered.
Raine tried to slow his breathing. “That was unbelievable.”
Cricket giggled. “I think we need another shower.”
Raine slapped her ass and urged her up. They got in the shower and rinsed off and within minutes, Cricket was snuggling him lying next to him in bed.
“What happened with Deke today? What had you so upset?” Raine asked her quietly.
Cricket sighed and held him for a moment. Then she moved away and laid on her back looking up at the ceiling through the glass and up at the stars. “All my life I’ve been Cordy little sister. I should have been able to look up to her. I should have been able to call her my best friend, but that never happened. As soon as I got old enough to know what was what, I became afraid of her. Even as a little girl, she was mean and would blame everything on me. After Mom died and Dad fell apart, Cordy gained control. She thrived having me as her slave. Even after we moved to Maine she liked the control she had over me. Dad was ignoring us even more then. He just seemed so lost after Mom died and work was what got his through each day. You’ve already seen her in action. She stole Deke’s kids and that wasn’t even her worst crime. She set me up for murder, not once, not even twice but this will be the third time. She didn’t even care that she ruined Sinner’s name with his MC. She just didn’t care about anyone but herself. Because of her I’m going to be running from her past for the rest of my life, because we’ll never know what she’s done or to whom. The only way we’ll ever know is when they come looking for her.”
“So what happened with Deke?” he asked.
“When I came into the clubhouse to tell him what I’d learned about Sinner hanging around he just gave me a look I’ve seen all my life. I thought I could forget that look and I never expected to see it in his eyes but I did. He thought I was a liar and a cheat. He thought I was as bad as Cordy. Then he asked me where the rest of the money was. He told me Guenther was coming here for it and might bring trouble with him. I told him what I knew and left it up to him to relay the message.”
She paused then closed her eyes. “He just made me feel worthless. Most people would look at me the same way they looked at her and that wasn’t fair. I took the beating she gave me without telling anyone because she made me believe no one would care, and you know what? No one did care. No one did anything to stop her when she pulled me out of Maine. No one offered me a choice until I came here. Here, I finally thought I had a family, somewhere I could call home but with that one look, Deke stripped me of everything I fought so hard to finally get, my own self-worth. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
Raine wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. “Sweetheart, you got a home with me and you got a family, mine. Dusty’s here and he’s got a safe place to grow up. Cordy is gone and you never have to deal with her ever again. Most of all, you got me. I got your back and I’m not going anywhere. Me and my family will take care of you. We got our babies now too.”
“Oh, Raine,” she cried into his chest. “I do love you so much. You have given me everything I ever wanted. I just went to a bad place for a while. I’ll come back, I always do. I guess living here has made me forget for a while all the bad dreams and the hell I went through.”
“Honey, we’ll get you and Paige through this, I swear.”
She put one hand of either side of his face and looked into his eyes. “I know you will. I have all the faith in the world in you and your family.”
Raine swallowed hard. He was pissed at Deke. The man often just went head first when it came to protecting the club. It was the way Deke did things for as long as he’d known the man. It did piss him off that Cricket was made to feel that way. He’d sworn that she would never have to feel this again. He could see that she really meant her words. His heart pounded in his chest. He pressed his lips against hers and he could taste her tears. When he broke the kiss, he tucked her head into his shoulder and whispered the command to sleep.
Long after he felt her relax and fall asleep, Raine found himself staring up at the stars through the skylight he’d built for Cricket in their room. His thoughts were troubling and he was angry as well but he couldn’t voice his concerns out loud yet. He told Deke, he didn’t appreciate anyone talking to his woman like that and when this was over, he’d better make it right.
Gambler tucked his son in his bed and brushed his hair away from his face. Dusty’s eyes, so much like his own stared aback at him. “Daddy, is my Cricket going to be all right?”
Gambler nodded. “Yeah, son, I think she’ll be just fine.” He sat down on the edge of Dusty’s bed. “But I need you to listen to me for a minute. I need you to stay inside the compound for a few days. You can’t go to your thinking place, at least not right now.”
Dusty began to fret. “But why? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Gambler shook his head. “No one said you did.” He thought for a moment then looked at his son. “You need to know something and I guess you’re old enough to find out what’s going on. There’s a bad man out there and he’s looking to hurt Cricket and Paige. He knows that one way to do that would be to hurt you. Both of the woman love you like crazy and if you got hurt, it would just about kill them both. You don’t want that do you?”
Dusty’s eyes got big and he shook his head. “Oh no Daddy, I don’t want that.”
“Then I need you to listen to me about this. It won’t be forever, just a few days until we can find this guy.” He hesitated then told him, “I need you to help look after Cricket and Paige, do you think you can do that? I can’t always be here but I need to know the girls are safe.”
Dusty nodded. “I can help with that. School doesn’t start for a while yet, so I can hang out here.”
Gambler smiled. “Ok buddy, you go to sleep now.”
“I will and I’ll be on duty tomorrow.” Dusty closed his eyes.
Gambler sat and watched him he fall asleep quickly.
He brushed another kiss to Dusty’s forehead and got up to look for his woman.
Chapter Nine
Gambler found Paige ready for bed sitting on the window seat in their bedroom. She was searching outside even though it was dark out there.
Kicking off his boots and peeling off his shirt, he sat down behind her, wrapping his arms around her he pulled her close and just held her. “Whatever you’re thinking about stop it.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” she whispered back.
“If you’re thinking about running let me tell you, you won’t get far. I’ll always come for you. You can’t hide, not from me.” Gambler felt her shudder so he held her tighter.
A few minutes later she whispered, “What if he is out there watching us? He told me before he went to prison he would find me one day and he’d make me pay for testifying against him. I can’t go through that again.”
“You won’t have to,” Gambler assured her. “We got your back and we’ll always have your back. He won’t get near you or Cricket.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I’ve been racking my brains about that time in my life. I never wanted to remember it before but I’m trying to remember it now.”
“Why?” Gambler asked with a frown.
“Because there’s something I need to remember. Something Sinner used to tell me time and time again. But back then, I was just too scared to listen. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say back then. But he kept trying to make himself bigger than life. Then when he went on trial, he kept looking at me with murder in his eyes. A week after he went to prison, I got a letter in the mail. It was a shooter’s target with a single bullet hole, dead center.”
Gambler felt a chill run down his spine. “You think he’s a sniper?”
“I think he told me he was an enforcer for his MC.” She reached up and began rubbing her fingers along her brow. “The only thing is I don’t know if that w
as true or not. He used to brag about a lot of things. Things I never wanted to hear so I really didn’t listen.”
Gambler hugged her closer. He could tell she was close to losing it. “Calm down sweetheart. You won’t remember if you push yourself too hard.”
“But this is important,” she insisted, turning in his arms.
Gambler could see just how upset she was. Grasping either side of her face, he stared at her eyes. “Sweetheart stop... just stop.”
“Oh Gambler, I’m so scared.” She began to shake.
“I can see that. You have to have faith in us. That we won’t let anything happen to you or Cricket.”
“Don’t forget about Dusty,” She reminded him. “Sinner wouldn’t think twice about using your son to get to one of us.”
“We’ll do some more checking into Sinner’s past. Maybe we can find something in his past that could help us defeat him now. We won’t give up, not until the man is gone and you’re safe. He won’t lay his hands on either of you again. I promise you that.”
Paige looked up into his eyes for a moment then asked, “Will you make love to me, one more time?”
Gambler closed his eyes at the finality in her voice. “Babe, please have faith that we can protect you. You can’t give up, not on me and not on us.”
Paige smiled through her tears. “I’m not giving up. I’ve decided that Sinner isn’t going to get me, not again. I’ve decided that I want a good long life with you and Dusty. I want to have your babies and watch them grow into good strong men like their daddy. I wanted you to make love to me one last time because starting tomorrow you and me, we’re a team. No matter what happens, we’re a team. Tonight is for the woman I am right now, tomorrow will be for the woman I want to become.”
Gambler smiled. Her words meant something to her and he decided they meant the world to him. The woman she was tonight would become the woman he wanted her to be, come sunrise. He never thought of it like this. He knew she’d harbored this fear and this secret and she never told him. Fear wouldn’t let her.