Chantal Fernando (10 page)

“When are you going to surprise Anna?” I ask him, taking the seat next to him.

“You think with everything that's happened I've had time to think about that?” he rumbles in that gruff tone of his. “I'm just happy you're fuckin' okay. Let's let that settle in before I spoil Anna and give her a date she's never going to forget.”

“Someone sounds confident,” I tease, nudging him. “That's the spirit.”

He makes a sound in his throat, then stands. “We're leaving now. Stay out of fuckin' trouble while we're gone.”

“I will,” I say, smirking. “What trouble can I possibly get into? We're not leaving the clubhouse, and the kids are with us.”

“I'm sure you'll find something,” he mutters, exiting the room. When he's at the door he turns and says, “By the way, you have what looks like quiche in your hair,” then leaves. Speaking of quiche, I dust my hair off, then open the oven and pull one out, taking a huge bite. I'm a little jealous I won't be going on the ride tonight, but the men should have their bonding time, or whatever they want to call it. Maybe I'll ask Dex to take me on a ride tomorrow.

Just the two of us.

Maybe we can fuck on his bike afterward.

“Why are you making your sex face?” Dex asks as he wanders in, taking the rest of the quiche from my hands and popping it into his mouth. “Ohhh,” he groans. “That's why. These are amazing.”

“Well, yes they are, but I was thinking about us going for a ride tomorrow and then fucking on your bike somewhere.”

He stills, smiles, then pulls me up against him. “That sounds fuckin' perfect. How did I get so lucky?”

A quick kiss, and then he's gone.

Lucky indeed.

I'm like Lagertha.

TWELVE

Faye

“D
ID
you pin Steph down yet?” I ask Ronan as we watch the kids play outside the next day. “Maybe you should knock her up. Then she'd have to stay.”

When he looks like he's actually considering it, I feel the need to add, “Ronan, that was a joke.”

“I don't know what her deal is,” he says, glancing at me. “Maybe all of this is too much for her, you know? When she heard you were missing, she freaked out. She was probably imagining herself being next.”

“Yeah, you probably shouldn't have told her that,” I say, sighing. “You have to ease her into the crazy, Ronan; you can't just dump it on her. That's overwhelming for anyone.”

“Ease her into the crazy? Where do you come up with this shit?” he asks, laughing. “Fuck, but you're right. Definitely should have eased her in. I guess it was too much for her to handle. This life isn't for everyone.”

“If you break up, do you want me to beat her up?”

“Is that a joke too?”

“Do you want it to be?” I ask, grinning.

He laughs and shakes his head. “Maybe she'll come around? Who knows.”

“Do you want her?” I find myself asking him. “I mean
really
want her? As your old lady, forever, no-other-woman-will-ever-do want her?”

“Fuck. Pressure much?”

“Yes or no, Ronan. Say the first thing that comes to your head.”

“That's terrible advice,” he grumbles. “That's going with your head over your heart.”

“Well?” I fire back.

“Yes,” he says softly, so softly I almost don't hear it.

“Really?” I say, surprised. I make a mental note to have a talk with Steph when I see her next, just to see where her head is at. I do like her. I think she would fit in with us too, so I wonder why she's giving Ronan the hot-and-cold treatment.

“Mama, look at this!” Clover yells, spinning the hula hoop around her hips. She's actually really great at it, surprising even me.

“You're so good,” I call out to her, then cheer Cara on as she does the same. Little champions, the both of them. Rhett walks over to supervise but doesn't join in on the fun. Maybe it's too girlie for him. Do boys hula hoop? I'm sure they can. Genders should have no boundaries. I look at Ranger, who just sat down in the seat next to me. “Can you hula hoop?”

He looks at me like I've lost my mind. “The fuck?”

“Come on, I bet that I'm better than you at it,” I say, standing up.

“I should hope so,” he mutters, but also stands and follows me to the grass where the kids are playing.

I take one of the hoops from the ground, a pink one with green stripes, and step into it, lifting it around my hips, then moving them in a circular motion. I haven't done this since I was a little kid, and it actually feels fun. Free.

“Come on, Ranger!”

Ranger looks at me like I've lost my mind, then just walks away. I smile though when I see Dex watching me, leaning against the wall, a look on his face that I'll never tire of seeing. When a man looks at you like Dex looks at me, you feel like there's nothing you can't do. And in his eyes, there probably isn't.

“Daddy, look how good she is!” Clover, always my biggest fan, beams. Dex approaches, grabs the hoop, and uses it to bring me closer to him.

“Do you know how beautiful you look right now?” Dex murmurs.

“Yes,” I reply, winking at him. The hoop falls to the floor, and he takes my hand, then looks at the children. “Cara and Rhett, your mothers are looking for you. Time for us to go home.”

They make sounds of protest, but all follow us inside.

“I'm not getting you ice cream just because you were kidnapped last week,” Vinnie says, running a hand over his head.

“Are you saying me almost being killed is last week's news? Because that is just plain rude, Wolf.”

“That's exactly what I'm saying,” he replies, smirking. We're watching TV together, but not really paying any attention to it.

I throw a pillow at his face. “I remember when you used to take me for ice cream all the time.”

“Because I was babysitting you and had no choice.”

“You're mean,” I say with a sigh, being dramatic, as usual.

“I know.”

“I don't like you anymore.”

“Yes, you do,” he replies, sounding confident.

The jerk.

Ronan walks in and sits down on the couch. “What are you two arguing over now?”

“Ice cream and kidnappings,” Vinnie says, flicking the channel.

I ignore him and glance at Ronan instead. “I'm having lunch with Steph tomorrow. She messaged me to catch up, so I thought it would be a good chance to have a little chat with her.”

“So she messages you and not me? Just fuckin' great.”

“Have you been messaging her?”

He nods.

“And calling her?”

He nods again.

“Ronan, surely by now you know the way to keep a woman interested is to ignore her?” I say, scrunching up my nose. “Don't men learn these things?”

“So, what? You're saying not to contact her at all? Won't she think I'm not interested then?”

“She'll question your interest, which will pique hers,” I try to explain. I glance at my watch and jump up from the couch. “Fuck, I'm supposed to be at work in ten minutes.”

When I say
work
, everyone assumes I mean the law firm, but I'm actually working on a new case with the feds. A woman has gone missing, and I'm going to do everything I can to find out what happened to her. I don't know why they asked me to help with this case, but I'm thinking there must be biker ties, or something like that, for them to want me. Lines in my career are being crossed right now. The feds started off wanting me because of my skills as a lawyer, but now my curiosity is pulling me toward the investigative side of the cases. When a woman is missing, how could I not do everything I can to help find her? I say bye to the men and get in my car.

Time to be badass.

“Dude, this is delicious,” I tell Steph, practically inhaling the dessert. I look at Shayla, who also joined us for lunch. “You should have ordered what I ordered.”

“I know,” she says, pushing her dark hair back behind her ear. “Dammit. Yours looks way better than mine.”

“This is my go-to café,” Steph says, taking a sip from her milk shake. “I come here at least once a week.”

“We haven't seen you at the clubhouse in ages,” I say, not so smoothly. I just want to know where her head is at. If she isn't into Ronan at all, then the man needs to move on. Maybe I'll throw him a moving-on party at Toxic.

“Honestly, after I heard you were”—she glances around and lowers her voice dramatically—“kidnapped, I knew it wasn't the place for me.”

“You were pulling away before the kidnapping though,” I point out. “And, honey, no offense, but if you want to stay out of this world, we can't be having lunch together or be seen out in public. It's the same as being one of us. People will just assume.”

It happened before with Bailey. She was threatened even before she was back with Rake, just for being our friend.

Steph looks down at her food, and I feel like there might be more going on than she wants to let on. I decide to change the subject for now. “So if you don't have any intention of seeing Ronan again, why did you want to have lunch?”

If she's not with Ronan, I doubt we'll end up keeping in touch. Sad but realistic. I have so many amazing women in my life. I don't really need more. The only reason I got to know Steph was because of Ronan, and yes, I think she's a lovely girl, but so what? My loyalty isn't with her; it's with Ronan and the club.

“I liked hanging out with you and the girls,” she says, shrugging. “I've never met a group of women so close, and . . .”

And she wanted to be a part of it.

The Wind Dragons sisterhood obviously isn't something just anyone can be a part of. Steph got a taste of it because she was dating Ronan, but now she wants to keep us and not him.

Awkward.

I look to Shayla for help, but she just shrugs. Dammit, I should have brought Tia or Anna with me; they'd back me up.

“So it's definitely not going to happen with you and Ronan?”

“I don't know,” she says, ducking her head. “I need to meet up with him, have a good chat with him in person.”

“I think that's a great idea,” I say, even though I can tell by the way she's acting that she's just not that into him anymore. I feel like there's something she's hiding though, and it has me curious.

Maybe she met someone new?

Either way, I think it's time to throw Ronan that party.

THIRTEEN

Faye

“T
HE
Kings clubhouse is abandoned,” Dex says when we're in bed that night. “They've bailed. Bunch of pussies.”

I roll my eyes. “You didn't give them much of a choice. Life or death. If they stayed we'd be at war, like the old days with the Wild Men. No one needs that shit.”

Dex rolls me over onto my back, pinning me to the bed. “Now we just have to deal with Eric. He's out of the hospital and back at Mom's old house.”

“He didn't leave with the Kings?”

“Nope,” Dex says, pressing his soft lips against mine. “I guess they didn't want him.”

Ouch, that has to hurt. Eric has pretty much lost everything, and he obviously isn't in a good place. He's a liability, but at the same time, we can't just kill him. I don't know how to handle the Eric situation, to be honest. Why can't he just move away? It would make our lives much easier. Classic Eric—always a selfish prick.

“So now what? We let him plot our death, like sitting ducks?”

“I don't know,” Dex says into my neck, his sweet breath sending shivers up my spine. “He clearly needs help, but he's not going to listen to me.”

“A mental institution?”

Dex chuckles, running his nose along the column of my throat. “No, I don't know. Something. He's obviously not right, and in a bad way. We've been thinking life or death with him too, but surely there's a middle ground. Maybe he needs to talk to a professional.”

“About how he kidnapped his sister-in-law for bait so he could kill his own brother?”

“Exactly. I'll handle it, Faye. Don't you worry about it.”

“Look at this new, mature Dex. Asking questions first, killing second,” I tease, squeezing his ass. “Are you gonna fuck me or what?”

“Demanding.”

“More like needy. You've had your mouth on my neck this whole time. Do you know how horny I am right now?”

“Let me see how wet you are,” he growls, running his fingers down my stomach, over my belly button, then to the folds of my pussy. He gently slides a finger inside, then groans, latching onto a nipple with his mouth at the same time. He does this thing where he hooks his finger inside of me, and it feels so fucking good; however, like I said, I'm feeling so needy right now and I want more. I spread my thighs, giving him an open invitation. He chuckles against my nipple, lifting his head, and stares at me for a few seconds. Then he rolls me over onto my stomach, lifts my knees up, and slides into me from behind in one smooth thrust.

“Yes,” I moan, pushing back against him.

This is just what I want right now.

Fast and rough.

Passionate.

Dex grips my hips and starts to fuck me.

Hard.

He slaps my ass, bringing a muttered curse from my lips, then uses the same hand to reach between us to play with my clit. I bring my hands up to my nipples, pinching them gently. Everything feels so fucking good. This is my favorite position, and with Dex's expert fingers on my clit and my fingers on my nipples, it's only a short time until I have an amazing orgasm.

“Dex,” I say as he suddenly stops, turns my head to the side, and kisses me, sucking on my bottom lip before pulling away.

“Fuck, you are so beautiful,” he says in a thick, gravelly tone. “I will never stop wanting you, Faye, ever.”

He continues to work me, and I bite down on the pillow as I come, my hips almost jerking with the intensity of the orgasm that hits me. Waves of pleasure take over my very soul, transporting me to another place. A very fucking happy place. My knees are shaky, and when I come back to myself, Dex has to put a hand on my stomach to hold me up and keep me in place. He comes shortly after, leaning over me and kissing the back of my neck. Even just the way he holds me, so possessively; yet he cherishes me at the same time. It's an addictive mix. I fall to the mattress, with Dex on top of me, bracing his weight on his arms so he doesn't squash me. His cock is against my thigh, and I can feel that it's still a little hard. The man is a machine.

“Dex?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“I breathe you.”

I hear the smile in his voice when he says, “I breathe you too, babe.”

“Why exactly are you throwing me a party?” Ronan asks, glancing at all the strippers walking past him in Toxic. “Do the women know where all their husbands are right now?”

I wave my hand in the air. “My husband is here and I'm fine.”

“Yeah, because you can keep an eye on him,” he replies, voice laced with amusement. “I'm assuming this means that your talk with Steph didn't go well?”

“It's not me, it's you,” I blurt out, which is the truth. Steph likes me, but apparently isn't so keen on Ronan anymore. You can't exactly say that to a man, but what you can do is distract one.

Men like distractions.

“What?”

“What?” I mimic, pointing at one of the women on a pole. “Oh look. Boobs.”

It works; he looks.

Phew.

I leave Ronan to get his ogle on and go sit next to Tracker and Rake. “Hey.”

“You said there'd be candy here,” Rake says, rubbing his hand on his stomach. “I don't see any fuckin' candy. Or any food for that matter. You got me here under false pretenses.”

“Rake,” I say, covering my face with my hands. “I said there would be eye candy here. Not actual candy.”

Tracker starts laughing and wraps his arm around me. “Friends that watch strippers together, stay together.”

“Is that why you and Rake have been friends for so long?”

“Are you getting Ronan a lap dance? He looks bored,” Tracker says, glancing over my head. “He's pulling out his phone. Probably texting Steph.”

“She must have vodka-flavored nipples, I swear,” I grumble. “And we need some male strippers here.”

“Why? So you women can have ladies' night and perve on soft dick?” Rake smirks, pulling a chocolate bar out of his jeans pocket.

“That's exactly why,” I say, reaching out my hand. “And I want some of that.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I was kidnapped.”

“Don't worry, they would have returned you soon enough,” Tracker adds, chuckling.

“Well,” I say, nose in the air. “I'm glad we're at the point where we can laugh and joke about it. All of you crying over me was getting old.”

We all share a grin.

Rake gives me some of his chocolate bar, then we turn and watch boobs.

I get Ronan a lap dance, but he doesn't seem interested. I don't like seeing any of the men unhappy.

Plan one might have failed, but I always have a backup plan.

I duck my head in the car, hiding as I see him leaving her house. I can't believe my eyes. I wait until he's gone, then get out and walk up the pathway to her front door. I'd come to Steph's house with cupcakes, hoping to surprise her and maybe talk about whatever she's hiding that is stopping her from being with Ronan, but then I saw
him
leaving her house. It seems this is a little closer to home than we thought. I knock on her door, but when I find it open, I decide to just walk in. She comes out of her room in the middle of redressing herself, her eyes widening in shock as she sees me.

“Faye, what are you doing here?” she asks, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Well, you said you loved girl time, so I brought you some cupcakes as a surprise,” I tell her, picking one out of the box in my left hand and showing her the delicious pink icing on vanilla.

“Oh,” she says, looking uncomfortable. “Now isn't really a good time.”

I throw the cupcake at her face, and it hits her right between the eyes. “What the fuck? Faye?”

“What a waste of a cupcake,” I murmur, getting out another one, but this time taking a huge bite out of it. “Now, Steph, you are going to sit the fuck down and tell me the truth about why Eric Black was just leaving your house.”

She wipes the icing off her face and sits. She looks anywhere except at me. She exhales, and then inhales. I finish the cupcake, waiting for her to explain what exactly her game is. We brought this bitch into our clubhouse, we treated her like family, and the whole time she was possibly here as a spy for Eric.

“How do you know Eric?” she asks quietly.

I pause, studying her. Does she really not know? What if she's actually innocent? Maybe I should stop my mental plans on beating the shit out of her until I figure that out.

“How do you know him?” I ask, flashing her a look that dares her to do anything except answer my question.

“I only just met him,” she says, a dreamy smile on her face. “He's so different from any man I've met before. I know you want me with Ronan, but I just don't feel like I do when I'm with Eric. I'm sorry, Faye. I know it makes me a bad person, but I'm just following my heart.”

I think over all the new information. “Did Eric encourage you to go out for lunch with me?”

She tilts her head to the side, like a cute German shepherd puppy, and nods. “He said I should have more girlfriends and that you sounded nice. He suggested I go to the clubhouse, because it would be good for me to have strong women as friends.”

“I see,” I whisper, putting the box on the table and wondering what the best way to handle this situation is. I decide to go for full honesty.

“Here's the thing, Steph. Eric isn't who you think he is.”

“What do you mean?” she asks skeptically, brow furrowing.

“He's Sin's brother,” I say, pausing, and then deciding to clarify. “Sin, as in my husband and the Wind Dragons' president.” She's met him before, but I don't think she's the sharpest tool in the shed. “Eric is the one who orchestrated my kidnapping.”

I pause again, this time just for some dramatic flair. “You're fucking my enemy, Steph.”

And my ex-boyfriend, but she doesn't need to know that. “Do you know what that makes you?”

“What?” she whispers, looking shocked.

“Well, besides stupid, it also makes you my enemy. And that's not a position I'd advise you to take. How did he explain being shot?”

“He said he was shot at work. His store was held up,” she says, looking miserable and on the verge of tears. “Oh my god, how stupid am I? He even told me I should plan a get-together with all of my friends at my house. Do you think he wanted to try and hurt you again? I'm so fucking sorry, Faye. I didn't know, I swear.”

A great actress, or just a dumb girl believing anything a man tells her?

Either way, a little threatening couldn't hurt. “When are you seeing him next?”

“We have dinner plans tomorrow night,” she says, swallowing hard, her lower lip trembling. “I ended things with Ronan over a psychotic kidnapper? I really know how to pick them.”

“Karma,” I mutter, stepping forward and pulling her up by the front of her T-shirt. “You don't want to fuck with me, Steph. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”