by Harley Wylde
He didn’t even hear me as I stepped up and placed the blade against his throat. He tensed and cursed, but didn’t move.
“What do you want with Hayley?” I asked.
“You’re the one who got her dirty.” The man’s voice sounded like he’d been swallowing gravel. He was wire thin and smelled like cigarettes and alcohol. How the hell had this man ever found her?
“How do you know Hayley?” I demanded, pressing the blade a little tighter.
Snake approached from the front, with Grimm and Warden coming in from either side. The man tensed further when he realized we had him surrounded. I had a feeling we wouldn’t get much out of him, and since the cops were looking for him, I couldn’t exactly make the fucker bleed.
I dug the knife in a little deeper. “Tell me!”
He gave a wheezing laugh and turned his head, looking at me over his shoulder. I’d seen men with eyes like his. Dead. Soulless. Whoever this bastard was, he hadn’t had good intentions for my woman.
“Pretty thing,” he said then licked his lips. “She’d have been my good girl, until she spread her legs for the likes of you.”
My stomach twisted. Fuck. He’d seen us? How the hell had he watched me and Hayley? We’d been too far from the property line at the compound. Had he gotten inside somehow? I glanced at Grimm and knew he was wondering the same thing with the way his eyes had narrowed and his lips had thinned.
“You were inside the gates?” Grimm asked. “Because you couldn’t have seen them otherwise.”
“Easy enough,” the man said.
“Who are you?” Warden asked.
“Don’t matter. Do what you have to,” he said.
I glanced at Snake and gave a nod. He backed off and turned for the house. I knew he’d bring the chief, and then I’d have to hand the man over. As much as I wanted to gut the fucker right here and now, I couldn’t. I’d have to let the wheels of justice turn and put this asshole behind bars. But if he got away, if they didn’t lock him up, then he’d be mine.
I leaned in closer and dropped my voice to a low growl. “You show your face around here again, you manage to get away with a slap on the wrist, and I will be waiting. You understand? Next time, you don’t walk away.”
“You’d have to find me first.” He smiled. “And your girl because I’ll be coming for her. Now that you’ve broken her in, no reason I can’t treat her like the little whore she is.”
My hand tightened on the handle of my knife and I nearly slit his damn throat. Instead, I slammed the end of the butt of it into his head. He dropped to his knees, coughing and trying to shake it off. A well-placed kick to his temple knocked him the fuck out, right as the chief of police walked up.
“Didn’t think I might want to question him?” Chief Daniels asked, his eyes flashing with anger.
“He pissed me off. Called your daughter a whore. I decided I’d heard enough from the likes of him.” I sheathed my knife. “Could have been worse. I wanted to slice him open. World would be better off without him around.”
The chief nodded and gazed down at the man on the ground. He nudged him with the toe of his boot, but the asshole was out cold.
“Want us to dump him in your cruiser?” Grimm asked.
“Just as soon as I get some cuffs on him.” He pulled a set from his back pocket and knelt, securing the man on the ground. “He give you anything?”
I shook my head. “Other than spouting off shit about Hayley, no. He wouldn’t give up his name or say why he was following her.”
Chief Daniels watched Grimm haul the man off. “I appreciate the help apprehending him. And I know my daughter will feel safer now that he’s in custody. She doesn’t need the stress right now.”
I wanted to ask if she was all right, if there was anything I could do, but it was clear she hadn’t told her dad about me. Which meant I needed to keep my mouth shut. Even if her dad was the chief of police, and she’d said he was overprotective, I didn’t think she’d let them stand in her way of being happy. Would she? It didn’t seem likely and just solidified the fact she hadn’t wanted more than one night with me. I’d known going into it that she deserved better than someone like me. Some part of me had still hoped she’d want more.
Chief Daniels eyed me. “You know, I typically don’t let Hayley hang out with bikers, but since you’re responsible for keeping her safe, would you like to meet her? She’d probably like to thank you in person.”
I knew I should say no. Didn’t mean I had the ability. “I’d love to meet her.”
Snake raised his eyebrows with a what the fuck expression on his face. Yeah, I wouldn’t be able to explain away this one. I only hoped no one figured out I was all messed up over this woman. Only Preacher had seen us together, and he wasn’t here. I figured I was safe, unless he’d blabbed to his brothers.
I followed the chief to his back door, and he motioned for me to follow him inside. Hayley sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in her hands, and I noticed they slightly trembled. Her eyes went wide when she saw me.
“Hayley, this is…” He glanced my way. “Sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”
“Hawk.”
“Hayley, this is Hawk. He caught the man who’s been stalking you. The guy is in my cruiser right now and I’m about to take him in. Thought you might want to say thank you in person.” The chief shoved his hands into his pockets and stared his daughter down.
Hayley cleared her throat. “It’s nice to meet you, Hawk. Thanks for helping find the guy who’s been…”
I gave her a nod. “No problem. Long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”
She sank her teeth into her bottom lip. I wished she’d say something else. Ask me to stay. Anything. Instead, she sat quietly while the chief ushered me back out the door. I looked over my shoulder one last time, holding her gaze before the door shut.
At least I now knew there would never be anything between us. She’d have done something other than sit there, right? There was a chance she was in shock because of all that had been going on in her life, but I didn’t think that was it.
No, whatever I felt for Hayley was obviously one-sided. I just had to figure out how I was going to move on. Even now, I wanted her.
The chief pulled off in his car and I climbed onto my bike, following Grimm and the others back to the Dixie Reapers’ compound. Now that the guy had been caught, I’d be heading home. Probably first thing in the morning. There was nothing here, no reason to stay. If Hayley had given me any hint she wanted me here, then I’d have stuck around another day or two. But she hadn’t.
Chapter Three
Hayley
I’d lasted two months. Or maybe my dad had lasted that long. Either way, I’d known this day would come. I hadn’t expected it to hurt as much, though. I’d thought I’d prepared myself, but I’d been wrong.
“Give me a name, Hayley,” my dad said, his voice getting harsher every time he asked.
“No, Dad. I can do this without him. He didn’t ask for a baby.”
Dad clenched his fists. “And you did?”
I hesitated. “Well, no. But… I lied to him. By omission. I implied I was on birth control. I’m not showing up on his doorstep, pregnant, because I wasn’t honest with him. It wouldn’t be right.”
My dad’s face turned purple and he looked like a cartoon character about to explode. I took a step back. It wasn’t that I thought he’d hit me. I just wasn’t sure if he’d end up doing something extreme like flipping the table over. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him this mad, not even the day I’d confessed I was pregnant.
“You will tell me who knocked you up, or you can get the fuck out. Maybe I’ve coddled you too much, been too lenient. You have a life growing inside you, Hayley. It’s time to grow up. The adult thing to do is tell the guy you’re pregnant and make him take responsibility.”
My eyes went wide. “You’re kicking me out?”
“Yes, unless you tell me who the father is. I don’t
know why you’re protecting him! He sure the hell didn’t protect you! If he had, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
My mother hovered behind my dad, reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. I saw some of the tension drain from him. She always had a calming influence on him. The look she gave me didn’t bode well. It made me think she’d already tried to talk him out of this and had failed, which meant I was about to be on my own.
“Then I guess I’m leaving,” I said.
I turned and walked out, heading down to my little apartment. I packed as much as I could, made sure I had Cuddles’ things, and loaded it all into my car. My dad stood in the living room window watching me. If he thought I wouldn’t go through with this, he was wrong. I wouldn’t let him bully me, even if he did think it was for my own good. He was being unreasonable, and I refused to cave and give him what he wanted.
He thought he was stubborn? Well, I’d inherited it from him and a bit from my mom too, which meant we were at a stalemate and it wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. I had no idea where I would go, or how I’d pay for anything. My mom rushed out to hug me.
“I’m so sorry, Hayley. I’ll keep talking to him.” I felt her shove something into my pocket, out of the view of my dad. “Call me and let me know you’re okay.”
I hugged her tighter, then got into my car. My dad didn’t budge, didn’t wave. For a brief moment, I thought I saw him waver, but it happened so quick I could have imagined it. Where the hell was I going to go? It wasn’t like I had a ton of friends.
With no direction in mind, I drove aimlessly, only stopping when I pulled up to the gates at the Dixie Reapers. I didn’t know why I was here, except it was where all this started. Will was on duty at the gate and he approached my window. I rolled it down, but didn’t know what the hell to tell him. He looked into my car, frowning when he saw it was loaded down.
“What’s going on, Hayley?” he asked.
“I, um… my dad kicked me out.”
He opened and shut his mouth before shaking his head. “The chief threw you out? What the hell did you do? Rob a bank?”
“Uh, no. I’m pregnant.”
His expression blanked and he stood up straight. I saw him tug his phone from his pocket and heard the low murmur of his voice. I didn’t know what he was saying, or who he’d called, but if it gave me a place to sit for an hour or two while I tried to figure things out, I didn’t much care. When he leaned down by my window again, there was compassion in his eyes.
“The VP said to stop by his house. Mariah is fixing you some tea.” He eyed Cuddles in the back seat. “I didn’t mention your pet, so we’ll just let that be a surprise. Pretend I didn’t see him.”
I smiled and nodded. “I can do that, and thanks, Will.”
He let me through, and I followed the road to Mariah’s house. I pulled to a stop in the driveway and shut off the engine. Cuddles chittered in the back seat and I grabbed his harness and leash. I got out of the car and opened the back door, opening Cuddles’ crate and putting the harness on him before letting him out. He waddled around the yard, and I made sure he used the bathroom before I knocked on Mariah’s door.
Her dad, Venom, answered, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw Cuddles.
“My dad threw me out,” I said. “And Cuddles too.”
He stepped back and waved for me to enter the house, his gaze narrowing on Cuddles. “That thing better be housebroken.”
“He is.” Mostly. I wasn’t sure what he’d do without a litter box available. I’d just have to watch him and make sure he went outside if I was still here in an hour. The last thing I needed was him using the VP’s floor as a toilet. I certainly wouldn’t be allowed back if that happened.
I found Mariah in the kitchen and I sat at the table. She handed me a cup of hot tea and knelt to pet Cuddles.
“So, the chief is being a jerk,” she said.
“Yeah. Although, to be fair, I don’t think he believed I’d actually leave.”
She took the seat next to me. “What happened, Hayley?”
I sighed and started at the beginning. Well, sort of. I skipped over my night with Hawk and started with telling my dad I was pregnant. When I mentioned my dad knocking everything off his desk that day, or what he’d said today, Venom growled from where he was leaning against the doorway. He’d stayed to listen, but he’d remained quiet so far. Mariah had too, just listening to everything I had to say.
“And so now I don’t have a job, or a place to live. I have no idea what I’m going to do, but I refuse to give in to him.”
Venom came closer, yanking out a chair by hooking it with his booted foot, and took a seat. “As a father, I understand where your dad is coming from. We don’t always realize just how headstrong our daughters are, but I think his heart was in the right place. He wanted to protect you, but you won’t let him. By withholding the name of the guy responsible, he feels like you’re giving this guy your loyalty.”
“Why won’t you just tell him?” Mariah asked.
Venom leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. “It’s someone he wouldn’t approve of, right?”
I nodded. It was a little odd to have this conversation with the feared VP of the Dixie Reapers. Even though his hair and beard were going silver, he still had an air of authority. He definitely hadn’t gone soft around the middle either. I’d heard women from my age to senior citizens giggle whenever he was walking around Main Street. Then again, they did that with pretty much all the bikers, even if the town didn’t necessarily trust them.
Mariah’s eyes narrowed, making her look a little like her dad. She shifted her gaze to Cuddles, staring a moment before looking at me again. There was a question in her eyes, one I wasn’t about to answer. She knew my raccoon had a tendency to wander into the compound when we went for walks, if he got off his leash. For that matter, he sometimes managed to yank the leash from my hands, and Cuddles moved pretty fast for a fat raccoon. If anyone put two and two together, they’d realize the father of my baby was a biker. He just wasn’t part of this club.
Since I knew he’d been here at least twice, it meant he was possibly well-known. If I said the name Hawk, would Venom know who I meant? I didn’t think I wanted to take the chance. I didn’t know if Venom would tell him, or if he’d care either way. Worst case, he’d be pissed I lied to the man.
“I don’t know what to do. I should have planned for something like this. It wasn’t like I could live at home forever, especially now that I’ll be a mom. But with the stalker situation, I didn’t really have time to hunt for a job, and who’s going to hire me when I’ll be having a baby before too long? Some of my parents’ friends have let me do odd jobs for them, like clean their house or run errands, but that isn’t going to support a baby.”
Venom drummed his fingers on the table. “What skills do you have?”
“I know how to use a computer. I’m good with social media. If I needed to, I could file stuff or maybe greet customers. I don’t have any experience waitressing or anything like that. Do you know of a job opening?” I asked.
“Maybe. Enjoy your tea with Mariah. I’ll make some calls and come back in a bit.” Venom reached over to pat my shoulder. “Try not to stress too much, Hayley. It’s not good for the baby.”
Mariah’s lips twisted as she watched him walk away. “Wish he’d been that supportive of his own kids.”
My mouth dropped open. “What the hell, Mariah? Your dad is awesome.”
“I know. It’s just that there’s this guy who likes me and my dad would freak if I tried to date him.” She cut her eyes my way. “It’s a cop. Tyson Clarke.”
“You like Officer Clarke?” I asked. I couldn’t help but smile. I could see the two of them together. The guy was protective to a fault, and from what I’d seen of his interactions with people, he seemed really kind. Mariah could do worse.
“I see him at the coffee shop sometimes,” she admitted. “He always flirts with me. But I know my dad wouldn’t
like me dating someone like him.”
She meant someone in law enforcement. It seemed we were on opposite sides of the fence, but we had the same problem. We both liked someone our dads wouldn’t tolerate. What a mess. If only I could have fallen for Officer Clarke and she could have been with Hawk. Things would be different then.
Mariah leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “The guy… he didn’t hurt you, did he? It was… consensual?”
“He didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to,” I said. “But I lied to him, Mariah. I told him he didn’t have to worry about a baby. I made it seem like I was on birth control, except I wasn’t.”
“We’ll figure everything out,” she promised. “And I’m sure my dad would let you stay here a few days if you need to.”
I heard Venom’s booted steps before he entered the room again. “Won’t be necessary. I think I’ve got a place for you, if you agree to work for James Gilbert. He needs some office help at the garage and said he’d include a studio apartment as part of your wages.”
I got up and hugged Venom. “Thank you!”
He patted my back before putting some distance between us. Mariah giggled as she eyed her dad, and I realized I’d made the big man uncomfortable. I’d heard he’d been something of a ladies’ man back before meeting Mariah’s mom. It seemed she’d reformed him. It made me wonder if Hawk would ever find the woman who’d make him want to settle down and have a family. My heart ached, knowing it wouldn’t be me.
I still couldn’t believe he’d helped catch the man who’d been stalking me. I’d never gotten the courage to ask anyone why he’d been in town. The last thing I needed to do was draw attention to the fact I’d known him. They would think it odd I wanted to know so much about a man I’d just met, and Preacher might remember I’d been with Hawk before.
“I’ll give you the address,” Venom said. “He wants to see you as soon as possible. You can leave your pet here while you meet with him.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you helping me.”