Death Ride (Blue Bandits MC Book 5) (20 page)

“Let’s leave these two babies to manage their chest beating contest while we go sit outside in the sun for a little while.” Lissa hooked her arm inside Jamie’s and led her away from the two posturing men.

Jamie glanced over her shoulder to see Death following her with his eyes having lost interest in Lake when she was pulled away from him. She watched him take a step forward intending to follow them she was sure but Reaper had come out of the room behind him and grabbed his shoulder saying something to him. He watched her, his eyes intent, but he finally nodded and turned away. Jamie let out a little sigh because she knew this overprotective streak would take a while for him to get over and it would likely get old fast despite it being cute at the moment.

Death watched Jamie disappear around the corner with Lissa, her hair falling to her shoulders in a cascade of brown waves he wished he could bury his hands in. He loved her so much he ached with it and seeing her up and about was making him nervous that something could happen to her but Reaper was right. He needed to give her some space.

It was apparent he was smothering her when she tossed him on the bed a little while ago but he couldn’t help it. Now that he had her back the thought of losing her made him crazy. It was an odd feeling for him because he hadn’t felt so connected to his emotions in years but somehow she’d reawakened that part of him and now he couldn’t put those feelings back into the box they’d escaped from.

Death rubbed his jaw, feeling the slightly scruffy beard that he needed to shave scrape across his palm. Was she really okay like she pretended to be or was she just putting on a brave front? Several days ago he’d talked to her about the babies and she’d cried in his arms for over an hour because they’d lost them but she swore she didn’t blame him. He didn’t know if it was the truth but he really hoped it was because the idea of any distance between them ripped his heart out.

“She’ll be okay, Death. We should iron out the territory rights while we’re here since we leave in three days,” Reaper muttered, his hand still resting on his shoulder.

Death glanced at him before returning his gaze to Jamie’s retreating back. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight but he knew that his clingy, almost obsessive need to watch her every move would only annoy her. “Yeah, all right,” he finally responded as she disappeared around a corner.

Reaper released him and the two of them walked down the hall to Blade’s office, entering after a brief knock to find Blade, Crook and Lake sitting on the various furniture in the room.

“ ’Bout time,” Lake said, blowing a ring of smoke into the air from the cigar he was smoking.

“Fuck you, asshole,” Reaper growled as he took a seat on the arm of the couch and glared at Lake. Death knew there was a reason he’d always been friends with Reaper and it was mostly because he was always on the same page as Death on most issues. Like the Lake being a fucking prick issue. If he had his way, he’d beat the holy fuck out of the little shit before they left here but since Jamie had asked him to be nice to him because he was like a second brother to her after she witnessed a run-in between them, he’d been on his best behavior. Reaper, however, could be an asshole for him and that was why he loved the man like a brother.

“Enough. We need to discuss the rights and then talk about the raids we need to move along,” Blade muttered from his position behind the desk.

“Fine, let’s get this shit figured out then so I can take my woman and get home,” Death growled as he took a seat across from the desk and they started discussing the rights.

“Are you sure that you want to go with him, Jamie?” Lissa asked her as they sat outside in the cool summer breeze watching the guys riding the dirt bikes across the dunes that were set up in front of the clubhouse.

“Yes,” Jamie answered, and added after a long pause where Lissa studied her intently, “I love him and I believe what he told me about leaving me to create a place I’d be safe. He’s that type of man. Protectiveness is his nature and even if it makes him unhappy, he will do whatever he has to in order to protect me and his club.”

“That’s what worries me. I don’t want him to make you unhappy too,” Lissa muttered, her hand pushing her hair over her shoulder as she watched Jamie. Jamie sighed, leaning back into the tree they sat in front of, and focused on the question. She understood what Lissa was getting at but she also knew Death would move heaven and earth to make her happy because he loved her just as much as she loved him. When he’d held her the other night after they’d talked about the babies and soothed away her tears with gentle kisses and softly spoken assurances, she’d felt the deep love he held for her like a caress. The feeling hadn’t left her since and she knew he would never do anything to make her unhappy because it would make him unhappy too.

“He won’t, Lissa.”

“How can you be sure? He seems so cold,” Lissa muttered, making Jamie smile because that was a true statement. To anyone on the outside looking in, Death likely looked like he was cold but they didn’t see him when he let the walls crumble like rocks in a landslide. She liked having that secret softer part of him all to herself.

“He isn’t cold, Lissa. He’s guarded. And I know because I know him. I promise going with him will make me happy and the worst that will happen is I might miss you guys and the wildness this club represents. I have a feeling that he runs a much tighter ship than Evert.” Jamie laughed a little because she knew that despite her brother’s overprotective streak he’d never stifled her but Death was going to be a different story. After what happened to his sister his instinct would be to shield her from everything and that was going to get old fast, but since she loved him she knew she’d put up with it.

“I think you should get to know him better before you run off with him is all I am saying,” Lissa growled, looking grim for a moment, making Jamie smile.

“No, you’re just going to miss me and you don’t want me to leave is what’s really going on. I love you but I am leaving with Death when he goes tomorrow. He’s already patched me and you and I both know he won’t leave me here.” Jamie rolled her eyes and waved at Hock, who was climbing on the bike for the next race. He winked at her and called out.

“Gonna win this one.”

“Fuck no, you’re not because I will be the one to win this shit,” Red growled as he kicked the bike into gear and the two of them waited on the flag to drop. Jamie laughed.
Yeah, she was really going to miss this group of goofy men and women but that wasn’t going to stop her from leaving with her man.

“You sure you’re okay after—well, after the accident?” Lissa asked after they cheered for Hock, who did end up winning the race. Jamie knew what she was really asking and she stared up at the sky, tears stinging her eyes again as she thought of her babies who’d never gotten to be more than a heartbeat before their lives had been snuffed out like tiny candles in the wind.

“No,” Jamie whispered brokenly but then a little firmer she continued. “But I will be.”

“I’m so sorry about what happened,” Lissa said quietly.

“It’s nobody’s fault and I know I will have other children. It’s just sad that I lost them before they were even able to become more than just a happy thought,” Jamie, said a slight catch in her voice as she spoke. Jamie was glad that she had plenty of support between her family and Death but somehow it wasn’t enough to make her feel better yet. Crook had come to her and apologized two days ago and she’d told him the same thing she’d just told Lissa, that what had happened wasn’t anyone’s fault. Well maybe it was the fault of the assholes who’d run them off the road but not anyone who would have gladly given their life for her babies.

Death had been angry with her for not telling him about her pregnancy because he wouldn’t have left her if she had and he was convinced that she never would have been hurt if he hadn’t left her. He was still beating himself up over that, she knew, but life was like that sometimes. Sometimes things went the way you planned and other times it didn’t. With all the guilt flying around Jamie felt bad for being sad because she knew it hurt the people she loved who felt responsible for what had happened and that made her sadder.

“You’re really sure about going with him?” Lissa asked again.

“Yes, I am. I’ll miss you though and don’t think girls’ night won’t still be on the calendar because we are going out every three weeks like always, that will never change.” Jamie smiled wanly at Lissa, who laughed and hugged her tightly.

“We’d better or I will come over there and beat your ass!” Lissa growled as she released her.

“Ha, you and what army?”

Jamie leaned into Death’s back as they flew away from the only home she’d ever had, her heart happy and a little sad at the same time. She waved goodbye to the group of people who’d gathered to see them off before she slipped her arm back around Death’s waist to hold on to him. The new patch on her back flapped a little in the wind and it brought a smile to her face as she remembered him giving it to her last night.

He’d been a little nervous when he’d presented it to her. She wasn’t sure why but he’d handed it to her after a long speech about him understanding if she didn’t want to wear it and it not being a big deal. She knew by the way he’d said it that it would have been a really big deal if she’d refused to wear his cut but she’d allowed him to think he was fooling her.

After taking it from him she had muttered with a slightly bored tone that she guessed she would wear it if it wasn’t a big deal and the smile that had lit his face had warmed her heart. He’d made love to her then but he’d made her wear nothing but his patch, telling her more about his need for her to wear it than his words had. Having been a part of an MC for years, she hadn’t been fooled by his light easy tone or the ‘it’s-cool-if-you-don’t-want-to’ attitude he’d pretended to have. It was nice to know that although he might not say what he was feeling to her often, he loved her.

She watched her old home disappear in a flash of blurred shapes and leaned her face into Death’s back wondering what her new home would be like. By the time they pulled into the garage at the house an hour later, her face was chapped and her legs were shaking from the long ride. It had been a while since she’d been on a bike for more than fifteen minutes.

Death parked the bike in the underground garage and waited patiently for her to get off. Jamie held onto his shoulders feeling her legs tremble as she stood beside the bike, hoping they didn’t give out. Death climbed off the bike after setting the stand and she expected to follow him into the house so she cried out when she was suddenly scooped off her feet.

“Ekee…what are you doing?” she cried, clinging to his neck as he held her in a fireman’s carry.

“Carrying you inside because I know your legs are tired,” Death grunted as he neared the door. “Punch in the code for me, would you. It’s 65244.”

Jamie did as asked and after punching in the code the door clicked and opened. Death pushed it and stepped inside with her still in his arms. He didn’t put her down like she thought he would and instead began walking through the house still carrying her.

“Where are you taking me?” Jamie asked, trying to look around and see what the place looked like. She was surprised when she noted that the room was decorated with burgundy and tan tones that were similar to the ones in her room at the compound.

“To the bedroom,” he muttered, a grin splitting his face as he continued to carry her.

“Right to that, huh?” Jamie asked, a little giggle escaping her.

“It’s been ten hours,” Death growled as he tossed her down on the bed and she bounced a little before he climbed onto the bed with her.

“Not that long really,” Jamie whispered, staring at him where he hovered above her.

“Speak for yourself, babe. To me it feels like a lifetime since I touched you and it’s making me feel like a teenager with his first crush,” Death growled as his hands began removing her clothes.

“Well hopefully you don’t come as fast as a teenager with his first crush,” Jamie teased when he’d removed her patch and shirt to toss them aside and began kissing down the slopes of her breasts.