by Erin Osborne
“Oh, but you are our prisoner. Not only were you tryin’ to get the club arrested on trumped up charges, but you’ve been stealin’ from the club for a long time. And you poked holes in condoms to ensure you got knocked up by a man who doesn’t want you. Do you want me to continue on with why you’re our prisoner?” I ask her, my voice deadly calm. “And let’s not forget the shit you pulled more than once with Hollie.”
“You’re still on about that dumb bitch?” she asks, putting her hands on her hips. “She won’t come back after Clay threatened her.”
“Really, ‘cause she’s in town right now,” I taunt her.
“What?” she screeches. “You’re lying to me. She wouldn’t come back here. Clay will get her and make her pay.”
“He can try. But, he’ll end up dead before he can get in touchin’ distance of her. Do you understand me?” I ask her. “You’re games are over with NeNe. I will get you for your appointment later on and until then, I don’t want to hear another word from you. And I won’t be the only one goin’ today. So, keep that in mind while you sit here alone. And I already have a document with my lawyer statin’ how many times you’ve threatened to have an abortion or harm the baby. If you try to say one fuckin’ word, I’ll make sure the lawyer is there with it to prove you’re tellin’ lies.”
Slamming the door behind me, I lock it as NeNe rages and throws things inside the room. There’s nothing heavy in there, thankfully. But, I tell Shane to check on her in a few minutes. Or to come get one of the guys if she hasn’t stopped her shit. I’m leaving. I want to get out of the clubhouse. Swing by Hollie’s and see what she’s up to.
It’s late enough in the day she should be up already. So, I walk through the clubhouse and head straight for my bike. Straddling it, I start the engine and let it rumble underneath me. It’s the first time in over a week I’ve felt the sense of freedom just from being on my bike. It hasn’t been a chore to do the smallest things like it was when Hollie was gone.
I pull out of the clubhouse and make my way to the small house Hollie’s been living in. The sun is shining and warm while the breeze flows around me. I’m free and at a peace I haven’t felt in a long time, probably since finding out NeNe was pregnant, if I’m honest. The day my life turned to pure hell is that day. But, it’s also the greatest day of my life to realize I’m going to be a dad, have the responsibility of raising a little person into the kind of man or woman they’re meant to be. I’ll love my child and make sure they never know what it’s like to be hungry, cold, afraid, or anything else I can protect them from. The way I should have been raised as a child. Or anyone else who doesn’t get that kind of treatment.
As I come closer to Hollie’s house, anticipation spikes through my blood. I can’t wait to see her after a good night’s rest. To see if she still shines the way she did last night. But, the sight greeting me as I turn the corner almost has me crashing my bike.
There’s a large U-Haul parked in the driveway and Hollie is carrying a box up the ramp and loading it in the back. What the fuck? Why is she leaving? Hasn’t Raine told her we know what happened and who was behind Clay taking her?
Question after question runs through my mind as I park my bike and make my way to Hollie. I need answers about what’s going on and where she plans on taking her things. This is Hollie’s house and nothing will happen to her again while she’s here. If I have to stay outside around the clock to protect her, I will. She will feel safe here again. If she doesn’t, I’ll get her a different home. I’m already building one for my child and her.
I bought land not many people know about. It’s close to Satan and Raine’s house. I was waiting until the house was finished before I said a word about it to anyone. And Hollie was going to be the first person to know about it because it’s for her. I’m not lying when I say she’s mine and we’ll make this shit work. Apparently it’s time for us to have a conversation about things.
Stomping through the yard, I make my way to the front door of the house. Axel is inside with his shirt and cut off, helping load the furniture in the U-Haul. What the fuck? Why is he helping when he wants her home just as much as Raine and I do?
I take in the scene before me for a minute. Axel is lifting the heavier things and bringing them out to the U-Haul with Satan who just came out from the hallway. Raine and Hollie are packing up boxes in the kitchen and there’s a ton of empty boxes lining the wall going down the hallway. Her living room is completely bare while the kitchen is almost bare. They’ve been doing a lot of work in a short amount of time.
“What the hell is goin’ on here?” I ask, walking through the door the rest of the way.
“Hollie’s movin’. Goin’ to Steel Mills permanently,” Satan answers, looking behind him to his sister-in-law.
“The fuck?” I ask, walking toward Hollie in the kitchen. “I think we need to talk, Holls.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’ve made up my mind and this is something I need to do,” she answers, not looking at me.
“There’s a lot to talk about,” I tell her, grabbing her hand and leading her from the room for a little privacy.
As soon as I enter her room, I realize a lot more has been done than I originally thought. The room is completely empty and has already been cleaned. Man, she wants to get the hell out of here like her ass is on fire. If she thinks anyone is going to touch a hair on her head, she’s wrong.
“Hollie, you don’t have to leave. We know NeNe and Clay were behind you bein’ taken and forced from town. NeNe is locked in a room at the clubhouse until she has the baby. We haven’t found Clay yet, but we will. No one will hurt you here. I told you I want you as my ol’ lady and I meant it,” I tell her, lifting her chin up to look in my eyes.
“Capone, this can’t happen. You have so much going on. You’re about to be a first-time dad and need to focus on the baby and the club. We might have had a chance, but our time is passed. Can’t you see that?” she asks, tears filling her eyes.
“Our time hasn’t even presented itself yet. I had to grow the fuck up and become a man worthy of you. And I’ve done it. Hollie, I don’t do anythin’ except go to work and then back to the clubhouse. I bought a piece of land and I’m buildin’ a house, a home for you and the baby. No one really even knows about it other than Satan and Raine. Why are you goin’ to Steel Mills? Are you seein’ someone down there?” I ask, my tone almost pleading with her.
“No, I’m not seeing anyone, Capone. Because no one even compares to you. Can’t you see I need to be out of Willow Creek? I need time and distance to get over you while you figure out your new role in life. You need to focus on things other than me and the best way to accomplish this is for me to continue building my life in Steel Mills. Bender and the guys watch over me and make sure I’m okay, I have a job with Gloria, and I’m slowly starting to make friends. We both need this,” she tells me.
“So, you’re never gonna come back here?” I ask, a lump forming in my throat at the thought of never seeing her again.
“Of course, I’ll be back to visit. Raine and my family are here. And, I’m still going to be doing the books for the club. I’ll just be here once a month instead of every other week,” she answers.
“You have it all figured out, don’t you?” I ask her. “Hollie, you have no clue how I feel about you. You won’t even give me a chance to prove I can be the man you want and need. What do I have to do?”
“You have to keep living your life and figure the new part out. Maybe then we’ll be able to find a way to have what we want. Until then, I need separation from the situation to heal my broken heart. I love you, Capone. And I’m not afraid to admit it out loud. You’re the first, and only, man I’ve ever seen myself settling down with. Until you know what you have to do to be the best dad possible, this can’t happen,” she says, completely shocking me.
“You love me?” I ask.
“Of course, I love you,” she answers. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t be leaving tow
n to start over. See, while you need to prove you can balance being the best dad you can be and the club, I need to prove I can live away from my sister. Away from the club who’s had my back since rescuing me. I need to know I can live my life on my own and not be terrified of every shadow and noise around me. This is what we need to be able to form any kind of lasting relationship. I know you love me, Capone. I don’t like what you’ve done in the past, but I’ve seen the changes you’ve been making in your life. It’s time for me to do the same thing.”
“I do love you, Hollie. It was never about me not lovin’ you. I was a stupid fuck when I was fuckin’ those other women. Especially when I had to picture you in my head to even get hard. I just didn’t you were ready for me and I had to figure out a way to be able to be around you without wantin’ to pounce on you and take what you weren’t offerin’,” I tell her.
“Well, we’ve lost so much time because you just didn’t talk to me about it. Now, I’m going to finish packing things up and loading the U-Haul. Are you going to stay and help, or leave?” Hollie asks me.
“I’m staying. I want as much time with you as I can get. And why didn’t you tell me about designing book covers?” I ask her, needing to know.
“Because I wasn’t sure if I was good enough. But, I’ve got a few steady clients and I’m expanding to premade covers now too. We’ll talk about it sometime and I’ll show you more of my work. I’m done hiding who I truly am and what I truly want to do with my life,” she answers.
Before leaving the room, she stretches up on her tiptoes and brushes her lips softly against mine. It’s the first time she’s initiated any form of intimacy and I stand completely still so I don’t scare her away. Her lips on mine is nothing short of heaven. They’re soft, plump, and I want to explore her mouth more than I want my next breath of air.
Hollie deepens the kiss by nipping my bottom lip. I open my mouth and wait for her to make the next move. She tentatively slides her tongue inside and explores my mouth, tangling her tongue with mine. Bending lower so it’s easier for Hollie, I tilt my head and let her do what she wants to me. This will always be about Hollie and what she wants and needs after what she’s already been through. I want to take those memories away and replace them with my touch, my body, and the way I can make her feel.
As she continues to explore my mouth, goosebumps cover my body. It feels like I’m being zapped with electricity from the mere touch of her hand resting against my chest. I still have all my clothes on and I still feel every twitch of her fingers, the heat from her palm resting against me, and the electricity flowing between us. Never have I ever felt anything like this with another human being. Hollie is mine and will be home before she knows it.
When she finally breaks the kiss, she slowly opens her eyes they have a new sparkle to them. Her face is flushed with want and her lips are swollen from our kiss. There’s a hazy glow to her I’ve never seen before. This tells me all I need to know— she felt it too.
“Hollie . . .” I begin.
“No. Don’t say a word, Capone. I wanted to do that for so long and I have. Yes, I feel a pull to you and I want to be with you. Just give me this time and we’ll find our way back to one another if it’s what’s meant to be,” she says, turning and leaving the room.
Why does it feel like I’m losing her? Like she’s going to move to Steel Mills and forget all about us here. I can’t let that happen, not after tasting her and knowing we both feel the connection to one another. It’s not just somethin I feel and she doesn’t.
Sighing, I scrub my hands down my face and take a minute to compose myself. I adjust my aching cock in my jeans so it’s more comfortable and leave her old room. Grabbing a few boxes, I make my way to the kitchen and get a knowing look from Raine. Yeah, she’s not dumb. She knows exactly how I feel about her sister and what I want with her.
Raine and I have spent a lot of time together since Hollie’s been gone. We’ve had more than one talk about the love I feel for Hollie and how horrible I feel about fucking up so bad. She knows I want to make her sister my ol’ lady and eventually marry her. I want to have babies with her and grow old with her. Hollie is it for me and I’ll do what I have to in order for her to see that. Including giving her this time away.
I’m not going to like it, but I get where she’s coming from. Raine has always been there to have her back and make sure she doesn’t get into a mess without a way out. She’s never really had to stand on her own two feet and worry about falling on her ass. This is why she needs this so bad. Once we rescued her from the assholes holding her, Raine and the club have been there for her. We’ve made sure she’s protected, safe, and has gotten what she needs. Hollie needs to know she can do this on her own before she allows someone fully into her life and heart.
That’s the only reason I’m not having an absolute fit about her leaving Willow Creek. Along with the fact, Bender’s club is there and will step in if they need to. Especially until we can find Clay and deal with his ass. Because I’m guessing he’s closer to Steel Mills than he is here these days. He wants Hollie and thinks he’s going to move his way back in on her. It will happen over my dead body.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hollie
YESTERDAY I THINK I made the worst mistake of my life. I kissed Capone and the feeling’s I felt were unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Tingles went straight through my body while goosebumps broke out along my skin. The heat from Capone’s body spiked my own body heat. I never wanted to stop kissing him. Hell, now I don’t want to leave Willow Creek at all.
With that being said, I know I have to do this. It’s the only way I’m going to prove to myself, and those around me, I can stand on my own two feet and take care of myself. If I can’t do that, then I’m not going to be very good to anyone else in my life. Especially a man like Capone. He’ll be gone at times on club business and needs to know I’ll be able to take care of his child and protect him or her with my life. Up until I was told to leave here, I’ve never had to do that.
Raine and the men of the Blazing Outlaws MC have had my back since getting rescued. If I need something, they want to get it for me. They try to break me out of my comfort level by going to the clubhouse and getting used to the men in the club. It took a while, but I can be around larger groups of people without worrying or being scared to death everyone is out to get me. They helped me get to this point. Without them, I’m afraid I’d still be cowering in my room and hiding from the world because I don’t trust anyone in it anymore.
While I know I’ll still have Bender, Raven, and the rest of the men in the Steel Mills chapter of Blazing Outlaws, they don’t hover over me like here. Raven is the main one I see and he still gives me the space I need. But, he’s there when I need him too. It’s the freedom I crave while still knowing someone will have my back if I absolutely need them to step in.
We managed to finish loading all of my things in the U-Haul yesterday in a matter of hours. I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom and gave the key back. Raine made me up a room at their house and Satan drove the U-Haul to the clubhouse. They’ll help me load my truck up before I head out tomorrow morning.
Axle is trying to talk me into letting him ride out with me, but I don’t think I need him to. I’m sure Satan is going to come up with some sort of plan and isn’t going to tell me about until it’s too late to stop him. Raine will make sure I have an escort for at least some of the ride home tomorrow. I know my sister good enough to know it’s going to happen, just like I know Satan enough to know he’ll do whatever he can to make my sister happy.
Tonight, however, is a going away party for me. We’re having a cookout at the club and Raine is bringing in the new girls for the men. I’m not going to stay long because I don’t want to witness all the sexual acts going on after Raine and the kids leave. It’s not my scene and I know it. I’d rather my sexual acts be kept private and not in view of a group of people to critique. Or watch while they get off. However, I ha
ve also heard about what needs to happen when a member of the Blazing Outlaws claims an ol’ lady. I’m not even sure I could do that.
I’m just pulling into the clubhouse parking lot when I see Capone taking NeNe back inside. She’s pissed and yelling at him. I can hear her over the radio in my truck. He’s not paying attention to her as he continues to walk inside as she rants about something. NeNe’s almost through the door when she turns around and spots me pulling her. Her entire face contorts into a mask of rage and vengeance. Now, I’m worried about what she’s going to do because I know Raine and the twins are already inside.
I hurriedly park my truck and run into the common room. NeNe is standing in the middle of the room with a gun in her hand. She’s waving it around like a damn lunatic as Satan pushes my sister behind him. I see the twins on the floor in their car seats about the same time NeNe notices them too.
“NeNe, I’m the one you want. Why don’t you try taking on someone your own size instead of looking toward innocent babies?” I call out.
She turns toward me and raises the gun toward my head.
“You’re not supposed to be here. Why can’t you fucking listen to what your told? You were supposed to stay gone or your sister and her kids would pay for your sins,” NeNe yells out.
“And what sins are those?” I ask, trying to keep her attention on me long enough for someone to get the gun from her.
“You made Capone love you when I was here first. After getting yourself kidnapped and spreading your legs for those men when you could have had a good man like Capone all along. Instead, you’re a slut, yet I’m the one condemned for what I’ve done. I’ve lost everything while you keep getting whatever you want. How long is it before you’re in Capone’s bed?” NeNe yells out as Capone and Wrath move closer to her by the inch.
“I’m not going to be in Capone’s bed. Haven’t you heard? I’m moving to Steel Mills. I have a man there who’s in the club down there. I just had to come back and get my things so I can have it all there. I’ve got a house, a job, and everything already set up. It’s just waiting for me to get back there,” I tell her as I hear a gasp from my sister.