by Harley Wylde
Stripes backed up a bit, but not much. “He said Josie and the little angel were Reapers’ property, but they’re Jackal’s woman and kid.”
Torch just stared until Stripes backed up a little farther. Then his gaze swung to Scratch, the VP of the other club. “Are we going to have a problem?”
“Don’t think so. But just so we’re clear, the little girl is both a Reaper and a Devil. Even if Jackal doesn’t claim Josie as his old lady, their daughter is a product of both clubs, and we’re laying claim to Allegra,” Scratch said. Then he grinned a little. “Think of it as joint custody until Jackal can pull his head out of his ass.”
Torch pushed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t see Jackal here. And even if he does show up, Josie doesn’t have to accept him if she doesn’t want to.”
Scratch nodded, and the Devils backed up and went back to their table. Torch patted Savior on the shoulder.
“I want you to keep an eye on Josie and Allegra while the Devils are here. Stripes doesn’t seem all that stable, and I don’t want anything bad to happen. When Tank isn’t home, I want you there, or take Josie where she needs to go. You can use one of the club trucks since I doubt you’re going to fit in her tiny as fuck car,” Torch said.
My eyes narrowed at the man who often treated me like a father would a rebellious daughter. “My car isn’t tiny. You’re just all freakishly huge.”
Torch winked at me. Tank kissed the top of my head as he passed by, and even Flicker squeezed my shoulder. They were all like brothers to me, even Savior. He tried to tug me toward the door, but I wasn’t budging. Not yet anyway.
“I want to enjoy my drink,” I said. “It’s not like we can see the doctor right this second anyway.”
He looked at me. Really looked at me. “What’s wrong? The shadows under your eyes are darker than usual.”
“Allegra had a rough night.”
“Which means you did too.”
I nodded.
Savior squeezed my waist, and we both sat down at the bar while I sipped on my frozen drink. A Prospect was standing between us and the Devils. Ivan. I’d always liked him, mostly because he was nice to me, and not in an I-want-in-your-pants kind of way. Savior signaled to him and got a bottle of water.
“Water?” I asked.
“If I’m going to drive you and princess around, then I don’t want to drink alcohol. Even if a cold beer does sound good,” he said, giving me a wink.
“Thanks, Gabe,” I said softly.
He grinned, letting me call him by his given name without a fight. I knew if a brother had done that, he’d have handed their ass to them, but I was like a little sister to all of them. He might have puffed up earlier and it made me think he preferred I call him by his road name, but I knew he hadn’t really minded. They were all big, rough, and tough to outsiders or other clubs… With me? They were like overgrown teddy bears. That’s the one thing I could say about every last Dixie Reaper. They didn’t take shit from anyone, but once they loved someone, they’d die for them. And they treated their old ladies and kids like they were precious gems.
Ryker and Laken strolled in, and I took that as my sign to leave. Not that there was anything wrong with them, but I sometimes felt like Ryker didn’t care for me too much. He’d never been overly rude, but when I’d found out I was pregnant and hadn’t told Jackal, Ryker had gotten this look in his eye like he’d disapproved. He wasn’t a Reaper, though, so I didn’t really give a shit what he thought. I just didn’t want to deal with the stress of having that disapproving stare cast my way.
“Can you come with me to take Allegra to the doctor?” I asked. “I called when they opened to see if they would take a look at her. She was fussier than usual last night, and I just want to make sure nothing is wrong.”
“Did you drive here?” he asked.
“Yeah. My car is out front.”
“Then let me grab the keys to one of the trucks and I’ll pull it around. We can move her seat over. Torch is right. There’s no fucking way I’m fitting in your damn car.”
I smiled. “I didn’t buy it with overgrown bikers in mind.”
“You should have. You know that tall, sexy, and tattooed is your type.” He winked, and I giggled. He wasn’t wrong. I’d had fun flirting with the Reapers before, knowing it would never go anywhere, but even when I’d gone out on dates, I’d always liked the bad boys.
And look where that had gotten me.
I went outside to get Allegra’s bag from my car and left the door open so Gabe could move her car seat over. Once Allegra was buckled, Gabe helped me up into the truck, then drove us to the doctor’s office. Because of her health issues, I’d stuck with the pediatrician who had taken care of her in the hospital. Dr. Aikens was amazing, and so nice.
Gabe carried Allegra for me so I could get my daughter signed in, and then we sat and waited. Allegra rested against Gabe, clutching his cut, and I wondered if she’d do the same if her daddy were to ever hold her. My heart hurt just thinking about Jackal not wanting us. Not wanting her. How was I supposed to tell her that her daddy didn’t want her? I knew one day she’d ask.
It took an hour, but we were finally called back. Gabe had offered to wait out front, but I worried I might need moral support. Every time I had to bring Allegra in, I was anxious that it would be bad news. After her rocky start in life, part of me was always waiting on the other shoe to drop, as the saying went. I was always concerned that she’d be taken from me far too soon, and I knew my heart would break and I’d never be the same if that ever happened.
“Good morning, Josie,” Dr. Aikens said as he came into the room. His ginger hair was bright under the florescent lighting, and his blue eyes twinkled. I’d never been rude enough to ask his age, but the rumor around town was that he was younger than my brother, single, and considered the most eligible bachelor in town.
“Allegra was fussy all night, and she seems more lethargic than usual,” I said, as Gabe eased my daughter onto the paper-covered table.
“Let’s take a look,” Dr. Aikens said.
He checked her ears, looked at her throat, listened to her heart, and went through the routine stuff he always checked out when Allegra came in. When he was finished, he folded his arms and studied me.
“She has an ear infection, and her throat looks irritated. Her temperature is a little elevated, but not high enough to worry. I’ll call in some antibiotics for her, and some eardrops that will help numb the pain a bit. She might run a bit of fever the rest of the night and possibly for a few days, so give her Tylenol as needed. And of course, if it goes too high, take her to the ER or call me. You have my cell number,” he said, and I noticed Gabe look at him sharply.
“She has your cell number?” Gabe asked.
Dr. Aikens nodded, looking amused. “Yes. I gave Josie my number after Allegra was born in case she ever needed me. Though she hasn’t used it often.”
Gabe looked my way and I knew he’d have questions for me later. It wasn’t that I had kept it a secret that Dr. Aikens had given me his personal number, but I’d known my brother wouldn’t like it, and it seemed the other Reapers didn’t either. I seriously doubted that the sexy doctor wanted anything to do with a single mom who looked like she’d been dragged backward through a cat door, and hadn’t slept decently in two years. The man was just being nice, and being a concerned doctor. Nothing more.
“Usual pharmacy?” Dr. Aikens asked.
“Yes, and thank you for seeing her on such short notice,” I said.
“Anytime, Josie. Call with any questions or concerns, otherwise, I’ll see you at her next routine visit.”
Gabe ushered me out of the room, Allegra back in his arms, but his shoulders were tense. When we got into the truck, he gave me a hard look.
“What the fuck, Josie? You know Tank would shit a brick if he knew Allegra’s doctor was flirting with you. He doesn’t fit in our world, and never will.”
I sighed. “Give it a rest, Gabe. He’s just being nice and is concerned
about Allegra. Don’t read anything into it. The man has never been inappropriate, and I’m sure he treats all the parents the same way.”
He shook his head, and I had no doubt he’d pass it along to Tank that he thought Dr. Aikens was flirting with me. Like I needed them to protect me from a cultured, intelligent man who saved lives for a living. If they wanted to focus on keeping someone away from me, maybe they should concentrate their energy on asshole bikers. Like Jackal. Although, Jackal seemed to be pretty good at keeping himself away from me.
I actually couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at me as if I were desirable. Jackal had been the last man to touch me intimately, to kiss me, and he’d been the only man who’d ever had sex with me. Now I was just a tired single mom who looked like she’d last slept a few years ago, which was about right. Once my all day long morning sickness had kicked in, I hadn’t gotten much sleep, and after Allegra arrived it had only become worse. I didn’t regret having her, loved her more than anything or anyone, but sometimes I was lonely.
Yes, I had my brother and the Reapers, and I had Allegra, but that wasn’t the same as being in a relationship with someone. I missed having a man’s arms around me, wanted someone to lie next to me at night. Was it asking too much that I wanted a man who would love me and would love my daughter?
Gabe glanced my way a few times. “Why do you look so sad?”
“Because no one wants me, Gabe. Jackal’s the only guy I’ve ever been with, and since he left the first time, no one else has looked at me that way. And if you, my brother, and the other Reapers have a say in it, no one ever will.”
I looked out the window and watched the scenery pass. Gabe sighed, but he didn’t comment. When we got back to the compound, he drove me straight to the house and helped me get Allegra inside and settled.
“I’m sending a Prospect for her prescriptions,” he said. “I’ll keep an eye on her for a little while. You should get some rest.”
I nodded and left Allegra in his capable hands. It wasn’t the first time he’d helped take care of her, and I doubted it would be the last. Each of the Reapers had doted on Allegra since she’d come home. Even though there were a half dozen or more kids running around the compound, she seemed to be everyone’s favorite.
In my bedroom, I changed into some comfortable pajamas, then crawled into bed. Gabe was right about me needing some sleep. I burrowed into my pillow, pulled the blankets up to my chin, then closed my eyes. I could hear the TV in the living room with Allegra’s favorite show playing, and I smiled softly as I slowly fell asleep.
Chapter Four
Jackal
I stopped my bike outside the gates of the Dixie Reapers compound and let the engine idle. The Prospect watched me, but didn’t seem to be in a hurry to let me in. After the way I’d taken off, I didn’t blame him. From what Scratch had said, not only was Josie pissed-off, but the Reapers were too. I’d been a chickenshit. Instead of being the man my woman and daughter needed, I’d taken off, and somewhere along the road back to Florida, I’d convinced myself they were better off without me.
I’d hauled ass back home, and Cinder had straightened me out. It had taken me nearly a week to get things ready for my new family, though. I’d broken the lease on my duplex and used some of my savings to buy a small house. It was just a three-bedroom one-bath home in a quiet neighborhood at the end of the cove. Looked like a good place for a kid to grow up. The home was older, but looked like it had been taken care of by the elderly couple who had lived there.
The family had insisted on giving me a good deal when I told them I needed more room for my daughter. The couple had already moved into one of those assisted-living places, and the house had been vacant for months without so much as one offer on the place. The outside needed some new paint, and the roof looked like it might need replacing in another year or two, but the inside had been beautiful. Hardwood floors, neutral wall colors, and a lot of windows. I’d left two Prospects painting my daughter’s room pink and putting the furniture together. I wanted it to be perfect when I brought her home.
“Not letting you in, Jackal,” the Prospect at the gate said.
“My woman and kid are in there,” I said. “I’m here to take them home.”
“They’re Reapers. They are home.”
Like hell. “Open the fucking gate.”
He pulled a phone from his pocket and quietly spoke to someone. I didn’t have to wait long before several Reapers were heading my way, and none looked very happy that I was back. Tank was in the lead and stopped at the gate.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Jackal?” he asked.
“Came back for Josie and my daughter.”
He snorted. “You don’t even know your kid’s name, didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Am I supposed to believe you suddenly give a shit about my sister or your daughter? Because your actions up to this point have proven otherwise.”
“I had some things to take care of,” I said. “Yeah, I ran. I never wanted kids and it freaked me the fuck out that I have a daughter and no one ever told me. So who’s really at fault here, Tank? Josie could have called and said something. It’s not like no one here knows how to reach Scratch or Cinder. Either of them would have given her my number.”
“Why are you back?” Tank asked.
“I bought a house. The Prospects are painting my daughter’s room and setting up her new furniture. I came to take my family home,” I said.
Flicker threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Oh my God, that’s fucking priceless. Your family? You were a one-night stand that lasted a few days, and a sperm donor. Then you take one look at your kid and run like a little bitch. Family? Family sticks by you. Where the fuck were you when Josie was put on bed rest so she wouldn’t lose the baby? Where were you when your daughter was premature and nearly died?”
I could feel the blood drain from my face. My daughter had nearly died? Josie had nearly lost her before she was even born? If I’d felt like an asshole before, it was even worse now. Josie had fought for our daughter, and I’d taken off the second I’d seen her. Not my finest moment. I didn’t seem to have any fine moments when it came to Josie. Yeah, we’d had a fucking great time at that motel, but then I’d left and never called or come back to see her. Left her pregnant and alone.
Fuck me. Maybe the apple really didn’t fall far from the Goddamn tree since my old man had done the same to my junkie whore mother. Not that she’d ever known who the fuck my dad was since she’d been with so many men. When she’d died and left me alone at the age of twelve, a family had taken me in. It was their name I carried. I’d lived with them for two years when they’d decided to adopt me, and I’d asked if they would change my name.
No one knew that, though, not even my club.
“I need to see Josie. Need to talk to her,” I said.
“She’s resting,” Tank said. “Savior finally convinced her to go to bed yesterday, and she’s been asleep for nearly twenty-four hours.”
My jaw tightened. “What the hell is another man doing sending Josie to bed? Is he in it with her?”
A red haze settled over me and fury flooded my veins. Maybe if I’d been calmer, I would have asked why she was sleeping so long. But all I could think about was Josie and some guy staying with her. If some Reaper had his hands all over Josie, I’d rip them off and beat the shit out of him. My fingers tightened on the grips of my bike, and my teeth ground together.
“Holy shit. I think I might actually see steam coming out of his ears,” Flicker said. “Maybe we should let him in before he has a stroke or a heart attack out there and dies in our driveway. Moving the body in broad daylight could be an issue.”
Tank sighed and motioned to the Prospect. “Let him in.”
The gate slid open and I eased my bike through. Tank motioned for me to stop just inside the gate as the Prospect locked the compound down again. Tank, Flicker, and Rocky surrounded me. All of them were big bastards, but if they t
hought I would be intimidated, they were wrong.
“You can wait at the bar until Josie is awake. No guarantees she’ll let you through the front door, though. That’s all on you,” Tank said.
“Fine.”
I parked outside the clubhouse and went in for a drink. Stripes was already at the bar with a full beer in front of him, so I slid onto the stool next to his. I didn’t see the rest of my crew, but I knew they were around somewhere. Scratch was probably visiting his daughter and grandson. Stripes gave me a nod, but didn’t say anything.
I asked the Prospect manning the bar for a beer, then sipped at the cold brew while I waited. According to the clock on the wall, it was nearly nine in the morning. With a little girl in the house, I hadn’t thought Josie would be the type to sleep in. Tank had said she’d been asleep twenty-four hours. Was Josie sick? Who was watching my kid? Savior? I didn’t like the thought of him playing house with my woman and daughter, but until I convinced Josie to go home with me, there wasn’t much I could say or do. Not without having every Reaper on my ass.
Another hour crept past and still no word that Josie was up. When it was getting closer to eleven, I’d decided I’d waited long enough. No fucking way she was still passed out, not unless she had the damn flu or something. I slapped Stripes on the back, then headed for my bike. No one tried to stop me, but then Tank wasn’t around. Josie’s car had been at the clubhouse, and since she wasn’t up there, I hoped that meant she was home. I killed the engine and walked up to the door. In case my kid was napping, I knocked softly at first, then louder. After a few minutes, I was getting pissed.
“Josie! Open the fucking door!” I pounded on it again.
“They’re not home,” a voice said behind me.
I turned and saw a young Prospect walking past. I couldn’t remember his name, but I’d seen him at the compound before. He was a favorite of Torch’s from what I recalled.
“What do you mean they aren’t home?” I asked.
“Allegra was sick. They took her back to the doctor.”