by Sam Crescent
“I think it’s safe to say this is the worst-kept surprise welcome home party,” he said. “Are you ready to go inside or would you like me to drive around a little more?”
She wanted him to drive around a little more, but she didn’t want to be rude. “Maybe take me driving a little later.”
“You’re on.”
He climbed out of the car and was by her side, helping her as she struggled not to wince or moan.
“I really do need to get a handle on this. I don’t want to get used to having someone help me get out of a car.”
“I’ll always be here to help you.” She put her arm through his, and maybe put a little too much weight on his arm as they made their way inside.
A full round of cheers went up, and she smiled as the club welcomed her home.
Devil, Lexie, and all the kids were there. Judi and Ripper, along with their two. Everywhere that she looked were Chaos Bleeds.
“We’re happy to have you home,” Lexie said, rushing toward her and pulling her in for a hug.
It was so unexpected the pain hit her quickly, and she winced.
“Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t … ugh, this is going to be hard.”
“Mom needs to put some money in the jar,” Simon said.
Lexie rolled her eyes, but left to go and put some money in the curse jar. Natalie laughed, and each person hugged her in a way that tried not to jar her body or hurt her in any way, which wasn’t easy. In fact, it was hard for them to do, but she dealt with it.
Gritting her teeth through most of it.
With Slash by her side, she could handle it.
He gave her strength.
Devil had already lit the grill, and food was cooking. She was told to just relax, and that she didn’t have to worry about taking care of the kids or anything.
Slash left her in the garden, and she watched as men and women talked. The kids were splashing around with Ripper and Judi in the pool, and everyone was just being one big happy family.
“Hey,” Butler said.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He did it in such a way that she wasn’t in any kind of pain.
“Hey.” There were no feelings. She cared about Butler. He was a friend, but those feelings weren’t there. “How have you been?”
“Taking care of business. I’ve spent a great deal of time with Lola. We’ve been going through the footage, trying to find anything that could identify the men that attacked.”
She nodded.
“So, I was wondering if you’d be willing to go out for a ride with me later,” Butler said.
Natalie stared at him, and shook her head. “No.”
“No?”
It was the first time she’d ever refused him, or a chance to go out for a ride. She loved the fresh air and getting away from life, but this wasn’t going to happen. Not between them.
“You and I both know that you don’t want me, Butler. We’re not meant to be. There’s someone else you want and it isn’t me.”
She wasn’t good with emotions, or at least speaking them. Working on a ranch surrounded by men, she’d only seen and heard how blunt they could be. She didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but she also didn’t see a reason to pretend that something was okay when it really wasn’t.
Butler laughed. “Okay.”
“We’re friends. That’s all we’ll ever be. This is not about being a sore loser or anything.”
“Slash was there?” he asked.
“It’s not just that. Slash was always there, Butler. You weren’t. You just allowed me to speak my mind without giving any input. I see that now. Slash, he wanted what’s best for me, and that’s okay. I don’t mind.”
When Slash had started coming around to the ranch, she’d often hide because she hated blushing. He was the first guy to make her blush and feel so damn young. It was only when her father didn’t give her much of a choice and she hung out with him, that her crush really began to form. Of course, that changed after her father died, but she was grieving, so her feelings for Slash didn’t seem all that important. She’d never known such pain and guilt. The ranch was her father’s dream.
She wanted to design.
Throughout all of it, Slash had been there, and now she realized he’d not been trying to manipulate her at all.
He’d been trying to help her so she didn’t make a decision she’d regret.
Slash walked toward her, holding a cup. “I thought you were thirsty.”
“I am.” She took the drink from him.
Going on a date, and getting beat up, had kickstarted her feelings, her own desires once again.
Either that, or she needed to see a doctor, which she doubted.
****
Slash didn’t leave her side other than to get her drinks and food. She spent most of it watching everyone, and he noticed that she did that often. Even before her attack, at a party in the clubhouse, she simply stood or sat watching everyone, rarely joining in.
It had taken him some time to figure out that she didn’t have the first clue how to join in. If she didn’t wince every couple of minutes, he’d have taken her to the pool, or danced with her. He stood by her side, and talked with everyone that came their way.
When she seemed to withdraw into herself, he put his arm around her back and kept her close, offering her the comfort of his own body.
After several hours passed, people began to leave, and he took Natalie to Devil, letting him know he was taking her for a ride.
“You sure you want to go for a ride?” Devil asked, which pissed him off, but one thing he would always say about his Prez, he was protective.
They’d not gotten to where they were today without him.
“I want to go with him.”
“Okay. Let us know if you’re going to be back late,” Devil said.
“Did you get the sense that he was treating you like a daughter?” Slash asked, opening her car door for her.
“He always does. It’s how he’d want someone to take care of his little girl. I wouldn’t take it personally. He’s just taking care.” She reached for the seat belt and winced. “I hate this. I hate feeling like each movement is on fire.”
He leaned forward, and buckled her seatbelt. “You’ll get better. You’re just going to have to learn to take help when it’s offered.”
She smiled. “And you’ll be the one doing the offering?”
“Hell, yeah. Of course.” He winked at her and she rolled her eyes, which made him laugh. Climbing behind the wheel, he pulled away from the house and started toward town. He wanted to take her to his place.
He’d purchased a rundown house on the outskirts of town in a small neighborhood. The yard was big, and when he first saw it, he’d wanted to fill it with kids, lots of them.
“I told Butler that I didn’t have any feelings for him other than being friends.”
He gripped the steering wheel even tighter. When he’d been getting them drinks, he’d caught sight of Butler talking to her. He’d had to stay still for a few minutes, and remind himself that it was a family gathering for Natalie, and Devil didn’t want him murdering a club brother in his garden.
“And?”
“We both know that I’m not the one Butler wants. We’re friends, and I don’t make him want to be a better man. I’m safe territory when it comes to him.”
“You don’t mind that?”
“Of course not. Butler was always safe as well.”
“You think only relationships work where the man wants to be better for the woman?” he asked.
“No. I just think that relationships are always better when both people want to try as hard as possible for the ones they love. Don’t you think that’s how it works?”
He thought about it, and in a way, yes. He wanted to be better for Natalie.
“Yeah, I do.”
She laughed. “You don’t have to keep agreeing with me.”
“I’m not. Say something I don�
��t agree with, I’ll even fight you for it.”
He loved hearing her laugh. It had been too long since she’d been relaxed enough in his company to let go, and he wasn’t going to mess it up now.
“I’ve missed this,” she said.
“What?”
“Being with you. Us talking.”
“My feelings for you haven’t changed.”
“I know, but now it doesn’t feel like I’m going to come between two brothers. I’m not like that. I don’t want you or Butler fighting, and besides, he’s not in love with me. He cares about me, and that’s about it.” She shrugged. “And no, before you even think to ask, I don’t care that he’s not in love with me.”
He wasn’t going to argue with that. Butler was out of the running, and he’d have gladly ended the fucker’s life, but he was also a club brother. Dick had survived this long, and he was a total asshole. Butler wasn’t anything like him. He’d been competition, and now he wasn’t.
Pulling up into the long drive, he parked the car and stared up at his home. It needed a lot of work.
“You bought this?”
“It was going at auction. I didn’t pay all that much. No one else wanted it,” he said.
“Erm, Slash, it’s falling down.”
“I’ve had several building contractors out. It’s structurally sound. It just hasn’t been taken care of for a long time, so it has fallen into disrepair. Nothing a bit of love and a lot of work won’t fix. I’m part of a club, and they’ll help.”
He climbed out of the car and went to her side, opening the door and easing her out.
The land was big, and every time he was here, he imagined lighting up the grill, kids running around. The club staying, maybe pitching some tents so they could enjoy a drink.
Natalie linked her arm with his, and they made their way inside the home. He’d already had several locks installed.
“The outside needs some serious paintwork, and several of the boards are missing.”
“I don’t know if I’ve told you this before, but I’m pretty good with my hands.”
“Nope, I don’t think you’ve ever said anything,” she said, laughing.
Opening the door, he reached in, flicking on the light. There were walls missing, but the electricity was sound. He’d already had all the relevant people out to check everything over. He didn’t want to show Natalie around a place that could be damaged, or put her life at risk.
“Wow, this place is huge.”
“Now close your eyes, and just imagine what a bit of time and love could do to this place.”
She closed her eyes like he asked her, and he watched as her mouth opened slightly, seconds later so did her eyes. “Wow. This is like a blank canvas.”
“We can do whatever we want with this place. I know some people would love to have a pre-made place. But this, come on, Natalie, see the potential here.” He moved away from the door, through to the sitting room. “A huge television here, and there’s even space for a fire so during those cold winter months you can snuggle up in front of it.” He took her hand, being careful as he led her through to the large dining room. “The guys and all the old ladies around here for Christmas. I know Lexie is getting tired of the constant cooking and cleanup, and not everyone wants to spend it at the clubhouse.” Next, he led her through to the large kitchen. “It needs to have everything installed, I get that, but look at it, Nat. We’ve not even gotten upstairs yet.”
“Why haven’t you started on it? I see your excitement, and this place is going to take some time to get up to code.”
He took her hand, pressing kisses against her knuckles. “I want you to help me. I want you to design this house exactly how you see it being.”
“Slash?”
“I trust you, okay. I know you won’t do something garish with it. Your clothes are amazing.”
“They’re clothes.”
“You’re telling me you’re not up to the challenge of making this place perfect?” He waited, and he saw her caving.
“I’ll do it.”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to need a lot of help, though.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’re sure you trust me with this?”
He cupped her face, careful as he did so. Her face was still badly bruised. “If I didn’t trust you, Natalie, you wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have asked. You can do this. Take photos and it can be in your file thing that I’ve seen.”
“My portfolio?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Okay, fine, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
She rubbed her hands together. “What cost are we talking?”
“Money is not a problem, but I have one condition,” he said.
“What is it?”
“I want you to make this home as if it was your own. This is your project, your home, and your dream place to live.” He held his hand up when she wanted to protest. “I’m the boss here, missy. You’ll do as I say.”
She rolled her eyes, which he adored. She always looked so cute when she did it. “I want to get started right away.”
“I don’t mind.”
This was a project he hoped would inspire her, but also bring them both together.
Chapter Six
It took several weeks for the bruising on her face to go down. During that time, Natalie stayed close to home helping with the kids, still running through designs, or accepting deliveries to make sure the standard of clothing was perfect. They didn’t want to sell clothes that were incorrectly stitched, or not up to their quality control.
When she wasn’t at home with Devil, Lexie, and the kids, she was with Slash at his home. He’d walk with her as she moved from room to room, taking measurements. At her request, he already had someone working on the top floors. They were putting the walls together, fixing the wiring, and also updating the plumbing. The bedrooms and bathrooms were all a perfect size, so she didn’t see a reason to change anything. While they did that, she focused on the downstairs.
For the longest time, she stared at the layout, wondering if there was anything that could be changed. She wasn’t sure if the dining room and kitchen needed to become one room. The builder told her the wall between them wasn’t a supporting wall, so checking with Slash first, the wall was coming out.
She loved the idea of a kitchen and dining room being all one room. That way the cook got a chance to be part of it all, even if she or he looked a little put out by the meal they were preparing. It didn’t matter, really. The moment the wall was gone, she loved it and could already see the large table she’d spotted online in the space.
“This is what you’ve been up to.”
They were into their first month when Dime, Reese, Charlie, Pussy, Devil, and Dick turned up. It was Devil that spoke.
She smiled up at them.
Slash came out of the kitchen where he’d been pulling out old units. They had a large dumpster out back where a lot of the crap was going.
“What are you guys doing here?” Slash asked. He walked up to Devil, shaking his hand.
Staring down his back, Natalie bit her lip. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and a sheen of sweat coated the back. It wasn’t just that, his muscles seemed to bulge, and his ink made him look so fucking hot.
Once again, her body was on fire, and she quickly averted her gaze, and focused on the book in front of her. She’d finished on the rough sketch of the kitchen, and how she wanted it. She’d also completed the dining area, study, and only had a couple more rooms to finish.
Yeah, so stop drooling over him.
You’ve got work to do.
“Nat, you want to come, show them around?”
She nodded, even as her cheeks heated. Avoiding the gazes of the other men, she followed close behind Slash, feeling like she was going insane as he smelled good, too.
Get a grip.
Slash showed the guys what they were doing, and how they were bringing it up to speed.
>
Devil put his jacket on the makeshift table at the same time Dick brought in his tool kit. He’d been known for making repairs on Martha’s ranch as his woman liked to brag about his mad skills.
“We’re here to help. You should have asked us some time ago. We’re all in this together, remember?”
Natalie giggled. “Actually, we were going to get all of the main work done, then get your guys’ help.”
Slash gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “She didn’t feel comfortable asking you guys for too much help.”
“Please, Natalie, you know we’re your slaves,” Dime said, giving her a wink. She rolled her eyes. Whenever he was at the shop, he complained at lifting a box.
“I’ll believe you like hard work when I see it.”
She left them to it, heading back to her sketches. Her body had finally healed by resting over the past month. Lexie and Devil made sure she didn’t do any heavy lifting, or strenuous work. There were times she wondered why they hired her at all. They took care of their kids without any help at all. She didn’t mind. Being with them made her feel part of it all. If there was anything she missed, it was that feeling of being part of a family. She always missed her parents.
Finishing the final sketches, she found Slash still in the kitchen. She paused once again as he had an old fridge, which he was pulling out of the door.
Don’t make a sound.
Don’t say anything.
He looked … hot. Not just warm hot either. No, she was starting to really like a man with muscles. They caught her eye every single time.
“What’s up, babe?” he asked, coming back into the kitchen.
She handed him the book and waited as he looked over every single page. He didn’t say anything for the longest time, and after he’d finished the last page, she was nervous. Did he like it?
“I need to get my act together, and make this shit real, don’t I?”
“You like it.”
“Love it.”
She gave a little squeal, and threw herself into his arms. Her ribs were all fixed up, but that didn’t matter, Slash was always careful with her.
He gave her a little twirl, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Staring into his eyes, Natalie felt herself falling. Her body catching alight as he held her so tightly.