“Yeah, he knows now. He started hanging around with Bruce and ended up as a prospect. I wanted to get him into LC and away from those assholes, but, well, looks like the guys need some time to cool down before they’ll consider Haden as a prospect.”
“Like I said, can’t blame them.”
Mickey changed the subject. “Did you give the kid the cash?”
“Yeah. Told him about the deduction.”
“Good. Look, since I can’t get him into the club anytime soon, could you hook him up with some work? His sister has a little kid to take care of and she won’t take any cash from me. I know they’re hurting for money. I’d appreciate it, man.”
Tag gave a frustrated grunt. “I’ll see what I can do. Shit, Mickey, when did you go all soft?”
“It’s not just me who wants the kid protected,” Mickey growled back. “Old Man Bear asked you to keep him safe.”
“Yeah.” Tag let out a slow breath. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Mickey promised to update him on the Nighthawks situation when he heard anything and Tag hung up. While they’d beaten the rival MC and destroyed the meth lab, Nighthawks would want retribution. Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues would have to keep their ears and eyes open for any signs of trouble or whispers of planned revenge.
Ruefully, he headed back inside the cabin. He was pissed that he had to babysit a whelp because of some old loyalties Mickey J and Old Man Bear, the president of Rebels & Rogues, held to a dead biker.
Danny Probst had been a good man. He’d been the one to first introduce the idea of getting into legit businesses to Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues. Before Mickey J became the LC’s president, he’d been Danny’s vice president, and he’d looked up to the then president as a older brother. It had been Danny who strengthened the allegiance between Rebels & Rogues and Lucifer’s Chosen, when he’d helped Old Man Bear bring down Tessa’s ex-husband—a cocaine dealer who beat her and left her for dead when he’d found out she was having an affair with Old Man Bear.
While he’d respected Danny as much as anyone in the two MC’s, Tag didn’t feel they owed his kids anything, especially when one hated bikers and the other screwed up big time. But Old Man Bear was the closest thing he had to a father, and Mickey J was his best friend since childhood, so he’d honor their wishes.
He went back into the bedroom to check on the kid.
“Tessa, you should head home,” Tag said. He knew she’d pulled an eighteen hour shift in the ER at Parker Ridge Regional where she worked as a nurse before she came to patch Haden up. Her eyes were glassy and ringed with dark circles. “Go get some shuteye. I’ll watch him.”
“Thanks, Tag.” She stood and gave his arm a squeeze. “I’ll call later to see how you two are doing.” After saying goodbye to Haden, she left.
Without all the bruises and swelling, the kid would be cute, Tag thought. He had a sharp face that was almost fae-like. His short walnut brown hair stood up in wild spikes. Almond-shaped hazel eyes gave him a mischievous and curious appearance. A sleeve of tats decorated his left arm. The work scrolled over his left pectoral and ended halfway up his neck. Under different circumstances, he’d fuck the attitude out of this sinewy twink.
“How old are you, kid?”
Haden’s gaze settled on him. “21.”
Tag shook his head. “Just a baby.”
The kid’s puffy eyes narrowed. “Can we lose this?” He rattled his handcuff.
“Nope. I need you to stay right where you are. Besides, I like my pretty boys in chains.”
Haden’s face reddened and he coughed. Tag chuckled at his embarrassment.
“Who did Lucifer’s Chosen lose?” the kid asked, his voice laced with worry and regret. “Is Big C okay?”
Tag rattled off some names as he settled in the chair Tessa had just vacated. “Big C is fine. He called a vote to keep you outta Lucifer’s Chosen. Looks like the guys agreed with him.”
The kid’s face pinched up in disappointment. His head sagged and his chin touched his chest. Tag felt a twinge of guilt for delivering the bad news. But better the kid hear the truth now than later. No sense in waiting.
“Bruce…?” Haden whispered, and tentatively raised his head to meet Tag’s eyes.
“What do you think happened to Bruce?” Tag crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Mickey J made sure that little bastard went to meet the Reaper.”
The kid appeared upset by this. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears and his mouth twisted up, as if he were trying to hold back emotions.
“What?” Tag snapped. “Were you two lovers, or something? Maybe that’s why he sold you out. Was he pissed you dumped his ass?”
Haden’s eyes blazed with anger now. His cheeks flamed red with rage. “Yeah, we did fuck for a while. What’s it to you? And, no, he ended it. Not me.”
Tag shrugged. “Nothing to me. I like cock as much as you do, pretty boy. But I wouldn’t waste tears on an asshole who double crossed you.”
The kid’s eyes went wide. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“What? You’re surprised I like cock or something?”
Homophobia still ran rampant through the biker community, but that didn’t mean there weren’t gay bikers. And many of the straight guys did accept them. As long as you were tough and proved you could hold your own, not too many guys in the clubs Tag was affiliated with cared who you fucked. Old Man Bear knew he was gay. Mickey J did, too. When he came out to Old Man Bear, he’d told him, “Son, I don’t give a shit what hole you stick it in. A piece of ass is a piece of ass.” But there were others who it was best not to reveal your sexual orientation too, and Tag knew who to trust and who not to. He also knew if anyone ever challenged him on it, not only would he kick their ass, Old Man Bear would be right beside him to help with the whooping.
The kid shrugged. “Guess you didn’t look the type.”
Smirking, Tag got up from the chair. “Guess you have a lot to learn.”
***
Chapter 4
As Tag got up, Haden noticed the bandage across his neck. A strange chill danced up his spine and he remembered the white bear from last night. The imaginary creature had taken a shot to the neck from the Nighthawk’s president.
“You got wounded.” Haden pointed to the bloodstained gauze.
“Just a nick. Bullet barely grazed me.”
A vision of the man he’d killed flashed through Haden’s mind. “A lot of people died last night.”
“I’ve seen worse.” Tag lingered near the bed. It seemed he could sense Haden was struggling with the prior evening’s death toll. “We got lucky, considering.”
“I killed someone. First time.” Haden’s voice cracked. He tried to keep it together and sniff back his tears.
Tag put a hand on Haden’s leg and his warmth seeped through the quilt. It comforted and electrified Haden.
“Get used to it, kid. Part of the biker life.” His words were rough, but his voice was soft.
Tag went to leave again, but Haden blurted, “I had the weirdest hallucination last night. I thought this massive white bear attacked the Nighthawks. It saved my life. Looked like a polar bear.” He didn’t know why he felt compelled to tell the biker this.
Tag’s intense eyes pierced Haden when he turned back to look at him. The big man’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Then he gave a nervous laugh. “There’s no polar bears in Parker Ridge, kid. Pain makes you see crazy things.”
***
Tag promised Haden he’d get Lisa the money she needed to pay the mortgage. He wasn’t letting the kid go anywhere until the heat from the Nighthawks died down, and he left him tied up to the bed, just in case. He wasn’t heartless, though. The kid found temporary freedom when he had to go to the bathroom or eat. And he’d extended the chain attached to the cuff, so Haden could move around the room a bit.
Tag cut the engine on his Harley, parking it near the side of the short, dirt driveway. As he approached the open front
porch of the tiny house, a quick scan told him it needed work. The porch could use a coat of paint and some of the railings needed replacing. It looked like the roof required some new shingles, too.
His boot touched the bottom stair as Lisa emerged through the front entrance. She let the ripped screen door bang shut behind her. Tag looked up to find the petite brunette brandishing a baseball bat. She stood sentry at the top of the stairs, her chocolate eyes wide and her lips set in a grim line. Tag could see the resemblance to Haden right away.
He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Whoa, hey, little girl. I’m not here to bring trouble.”
Lisa rested the bat on her shoulder, but she didn’t drop her guard. “I’m not a little girl. What do you want?” She nodded toward his bike. “Where’s my brother? He’s been missing for two days.”
She really did have a chip on her shoulder when it came to men in leather, Tag thought. “Your brother is safe. I promise. I came here to deliver something for him.” Slowly, he took the envelope of cash out of his leather jacket and placed it on the stairs. His eyes never left hers as he did so, just in case she took a swipe.
Cautiously, Lisa bent down and scooped up the envelope. Cradling the bat in the crook of her elbow, she peeked inside and thumbed through the money. Her eyes grew wider, but when she looked at Tag, suspicion drew her face tight once again.
“Haden said you needed the cash to pay your mortgage. That you only had a few days left.”
She gave a quick nod. “You know where he is. You have to bring him home.”
Tag shook his head and edged up onto the first stair. “I can’t do that, sweetie. Your brother needs to lay low for a while. Some guys are looking for him.” Another stair, and she took a swipe with her bat. “Whoa, hey! Look, can I come in and talk?”
“I don’t let bikers in this house,” she snapped. “And don’t call me sweetie.”
Tag was getting annoyed at her prickly attitude. “You might be in danger too, you and your son. These men looking for Haden could come after you to get revenge on your brother.” Her face fell and grew pale with fear, so Tag went for the gentle approach once more. “I could have some of our guys watch the place. House looks like it could use some work.” He pointed to the shingles hanging from the roof. “They could fix it up while they’re here.”
“More bikers, right?” She sneered, but there was less aggression in her stance now. The bat slipped from her shoulder to rest against her leg. “I want to talk to my brother. Prove to me he’s all right.”
Tag walked up the final step and she moved back. “Let me come in. I’ll make a call.”
Lisa nodded and moved back toward the house. Tag followed her inside.
The interior needed some repairs as well, Tag noticed. The house was open concept, and the living room was right next to the kitchen. A couple cupboard doors were missing, but that would be an easy fix. There was a hole in the kitchen wall someone needed to patch, and a narrow staircase leading up to the second floor looked like it could use some work. Some of the members of Rebels & Rogues and Lucifer’s Chosen worked as carpenters, so patching the little home up wouldn’t take them long at all.
Tag took a seat at the round kitchen table and Lisa begrudgingly offered him coffee. He accepted and pulled out his cell phone to call Tessa.
“Hello?” Tessa voice came through rushed.
“Hey, Tessa.” Tag hoped he hadn’t interrupted her at work. “You busy right now? I could use a favor.”
“I’m just getting off work. What’d you need?”
“Could you head out to my place and get the kid on the phone? His sister wants to talk to him.”
“Give me thirty minutes.”
“Thanks, doll. Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Tag hung up and relayed the message to Lisa. They sat in uncomfortable silence, her with arms crossed over her chest and him intently focused on the black coffee in his cup.
A small cry brought reprieve, and Lisa hopped up from her seat. She headed up the rickety stairs, which creaked under her flimsy weight as she climbed. Tag wondered how safe it was to keep a baby up there, and decided he’d talk to the boys about getting this place repaired soon. Danny wouldn’t want his daughter living like this. No doubt Jesse, that deadbeat bastard, had a lot to do with the state Lisa was in. Tag could almost understand why she wasn’t so fond of his kind.
Thirty minutes later, his cell phone blared out its ringtone—AC/DC’s Highway to Hell—and Lisa descended with a little blonde boy clutched in her arms. She sat opposite Tag, watching him in obvious anticipation, as he answered.
“Hey, Tessa,” he said. “Put the kid on.”
“Hello?” Haden sounded groggy, as if he’d just woken up.
“Sorry to spoil your beauty sleep,” Tag drawled. “But your sister wants to know you’re all right. Talk to her.”
Tag handed the phone to the young woman and she took it, trying to juggle the baby in one arm as she put it to her ear. She gave him a desperate look. “Could you?”
Before he could answer, she plopped a chubby toddler onto his lap. Tag blinked down at the kid and tentatively wrapped a hand around the boy’s waist so he wouldn’t tumble from his knee. He flashed a disgruntled glance at the mother as she got up from her seat and started to pace while she talked to Haden. The boy pointed at his stubbled chin and shouted something that sounded like “Gahgroo,” then laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Ah well, Tag thought, at least he’s a happy little sucker. He smiled and bounced the boy on his knee.
“Where are you?” Lisa said as she leaned against the sink. “I’ve been so worried.”
Haden was so relieved to hear his sister’s voice. Guilt over leaving her wondering washed over him. He hadn’t expected to talk to her today, but he was grateful Tag let her call him. At least he could put her mind at ease.
“I can’t tell you where I am, sis. Sorry.” He picked sleep from the corner of his eye as he sat up in bed. “But I’m safe. Don’t worry. Tag and the others are taking good care of me.”
She grunted at this. “What MC’s he with?”
“Rebels & Rogues. You can trust him. I promise.”
“When will you be home? Colton misses you. I miss you.”
“I don’t know. Look … there are some guys who want me dead. I have to stay outta sight for a while.”
Her worried sigh filtered through the line. “That’s what he said. He also wants me to let some bikers watch the place, and fix it up.”
“Take him up on it,” Haden said. “Please, Lisa. These guys could come after you. You need the protection. I’m sorry I’m putting you through this.”
Silence lingered and his stomach tied in knots. He felt like such an asshole for proving his sister right. He had brought trouble through his biker ways. But this was who he was.
“Well…free house repairs would be nice,” she finally said, and he slowly exhaled in relief. “Okay, Haden, I’ll let them. I won’t like it, but I’ll let them.”
Haden couldn’t believe she’d agreed, but he was damned grateful she had. “Thanks.” Tessa nodded at him to indicate they should cut the conversation short. “I better go. I’ll call again when I can.”
***
Chapter 5
Tessa checked Haden over, asked him if he needed anything, then left. He was alone with his thoughts and he didn’t like it. He needed to distract himself before the guilt crushed him.
So he turned his mind to the big biker who had rescued him. Tag. A shiver ran through his belly and his cock twitched in his boxer briefs.
The guy was gruff, but he was a biker. Not exactly a life that lent itself to pleasantries and tenderness. Sure, Tag could be an asshole, and at times he rankled Haden, but the man was also protecting his ass. He had to be grateful for that.
Plus, the big biker was smoking hot. There was no denying that, or the fact Haden was attracted to him. Over the two days he’d spent with Tag, h
e’d also seen a gentler side to his roughness. He’d helped Haden out of bed and to the bathroom, fed him, and now he’d made sure Lisa got the money she so desperately needed. He’d also loaned him some clean clothes, even if they were way too big for Haden. Better than wearing his smelly, mud and bloodstained stuff.
Haden pictured Tag’s chiseled face, his sculpted body in a tight white t-shirt and equally tight jeans. The guy had a classic V shape, and his muscles looked like they were carved from marble. What would it be like to run his tongue over those perfectly toned pecs? Or lower, over that flat stomach, moving down…
His cock twitched and hardened. Haden let out a tiny moan.
Deciding he needed relief, he slipped the blankets back and tucked his hand beneath the waistband of his underwear. The chain attached to his cuffed wrist rattled as he coiled his fingers around his stiffening penis. He sighed as sensation flooded him when he slid his hand up from the base of his shaft. The velvety skin covering his cock grew taut as he grew harder. His balls felt heavy with the need to cum.
A fantasy solidified in his brain as he jerked off. One where he and Tag kissed roughly, tongues entwining. Then the big man bit his way along Haden’s chin, down his neck. Hands explored curved biceps, tight pecs. Haden could almost feel the giant biker’s chest hair under his fingers.
The head of his cock throbbed as he soared closer to climax. Pearly pre-cum trickled from the hole and drizzled over his fingers when his touch lingered beneath the thick ridge. His balls tightened and his hand pumped faster, faster. He knew he was close.
“Want some help with that?”
Haden’s eyes flew open as the rough voice invaded his daydream.
Tag stood in the doorway with a gym bag in one hand. He tossed it to the floor at the end of the bed. “Brought you some clean clothes.”
The biker strode into the room, his eyes never leaving Haden as he approached. The gaze he raked up and down Haden was filled with dark desire. Haden trembled and his erection throbbed. He blushed, but his hand remained coiled around his penis.
Shifters & Bad Boys Bundle (Shifters & Bad Boys. Man love, bdsm, and rockstar romance. Book 1) Page 49