Finding Charity: Red Devils M.C. (11 page)

“Is Charity not ready yet?” The man asked looking a bit puzzled.

“She’s not going out with you tonight. Or any night for that matter.” He told the man grimly.

“That so?” Travis said, his eyes narrowing. He took in Tick’s lack of shirt, and the sweat pants he wore.

“Yep.” Tick told him meeting his eyes squarely.

“I think that’s her choice, and I’m not leaving till I hear that from her.” Travis told him, glaring.

The little prat, Tick thought, wanting to strangle the bastard.

“No,” He said through gritted teeth. “She’s asleep upstairs in
my
bed. She’s a bit exhausted.” He smiled at the man. He understood, Tick could tell by the way his fists clenched, and his eyes became stormy.

“Tick, you shouldn’t have let me fall asleep. Did you call Travis or do I…“ Charity walked into the living room wearing only his shirt, her hair mussed from their recent activity, and her legs bare.

Making his chest grow heavy with glee that she’d just brought his point home with the man still standing in the doorway, and anger that the other man was seeing this view of her sweet body, which was barely hidden by the attire.

“You didn’t call him?” She demanded.

“I figured this would make my point much better than telling him to fuck off would.” Tick told her.

“You absolute bastard!” She bellowed at him. “There was no reason to hurt him by forcing him to see what we’ve been doing behind his back. You really are an asshole. This was just fucking mean, and it’s not just to Travis either. You know that this was something I was upset over doing to him. We’d already talked about it. Congratulations asshat. You’ve finally done what no other man on this earth has ever done. You’ve made me feel like a whor…” Charity was interrupted by both men who spoke at once.

“Stop, Charity. It’s okay sweetheart.” Travis said at the same time Tick said “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Charity. I didn’t think you’d be awake.”

Tick knew he’d fucked up when he saw the tears in her eyes. They didn’t fall, but they made him feel about an inch tall. Fuck, he was an asshole. He should have just called the prat.

“Charity, I’m assuming this is what you were going to talk to me about?” Travis asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry that this is how you found out. This wasn’t supposed to happen, but it just did. I really am…”

“Stop, apologizing, damn it.” Tick growled, she was making him feel even worse over this scene.

“It’s okay. I get it. There’s just one little thing I need to do before I leave you two alone.” Travis said.

Then he shocked Charity as his fist slammed hard into Tick’s jaw. Tick stumbled before he rightened himself.

“One I’ll give you, but any more and this will not end well for you.” Tick growled.

Travis snorted, “Whatever, dickhead. Just know that if you hurt her I will be back to finish you off. Now fix this bullshit.” Then the man turned and walked away, shutting the door behind him. Tick had to respect the man for that little scene, he thought rubbing his jaw. He’d deserved that. He turned looking at Charity.

She looked back at him for several moments before she asked, “Are you okay?”

That surprised him. She was asking him if he was okay? That should be his line. He walked towards her, but stopped when she took a step back from him.

“I’m sorry, baby girl.” Tick whispered.

“That’s not good enough, Tick. We’ll talk about this another day, I’m tired.” Then she turned and walked back up the stairs. He followed her, after locking up. When he didn’t find her in his bed he went to the guest room trying the door to find it locked. He sighed, yeah he’d royally fucked this one up, he thought, heading into his room after deciding to let her have tonight stew. When all he really wanted to do was break down the door and hold her.

It had been four days since the Travis fiasco and she still hadn’t forgiven Tick. He’d been groveling constantly for the first two days then he’d left stating he had some out of town business to attend to, but that she’d better be over this by then. It had pissed her off at the time, but she was realizing that she didn’t really want to be mad at him anymore. She was weak when it came to Tick and that really made her mad. The man was insufferable, but her heart was begging her to forgive him. She sighed, as she walked Max and Connor over to Colt and Maria’s.

She remembered the conversation from yesterday that she and Max had before dinner.

“Are you still mad at dad?” Max had asked, looking up at her.

“Not really. I was for a little while.” Charity had told him.

“Good. He can be mean sometimes, but he still likes you a lot.” The boy told her earnestly.

Then he’d gotten distracted by his cartoons. She sighed. Entering the house after the boys walking to the kitchen looking for Maria. She found her at the kitchen table going over some accounting. Charity itched to see what she was doing. She’d actually missed doing the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh.

“Hey, I brought Connor home.” She told the other woman.

Maria looked up smiling. “Oh, Thanks. Is Max staying with us tonight?”

“Yeah if you’re still okay with him being here.” Charity told her.

“Sure, it’s no problem. I just wish that doing these books was as easy as handling the boys was.”  Maria sighed glaring down at the books.

“What’s wrong?” Charity asked.

“Nothing really. They just won’t balance and I can’t seem to find the mistake.” She shook her head. Then continued. “There’s a thousand credits coming up missing and I can’t find the mistake. I’m beginning to think there isn’t one. Which worries me.” Getting up the woman walked to the counter pouring some tea. She offered Charity some, but she refused.

“May I?” Charity asked indicating the books.

“Be my guest.” Maria replied, sipping her tea.

It took about fifteen minutes for her to find the mistake. “Ah…see here you forgot this lumber order.” She told the other woman, pointing out the error in the ledger.

“What? Damn, you’re right. Why didn’t I see that I’ve been pouring over these things for four hours. Then you walk in and find it in fifteen minutes. I hate these damned accounts, but Colt has a lot on his plate and this is something I can do to help.” Maria grumbled.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve always been good at accounting.” Charity told her smiling.

“Books? For the club you mean?” Maria asked a pensive look on her face.

“Yes, I used to do the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh, the tattoo parlor.”

“Really? You were allowed to work at the Boom, Boom Room?” Maria asked her voice revealed her surprise.

“Yeah it was a surprise to me too. At the time I think that Trick was at his wits end. He didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I was a bit like Max, honestly. I was nineteen at the time. The Boom, Boom Room was Bone’s idea. It worked.” She laughed.

“I bet. Colt wouldn’t let me within a thousand feet of that strip club.” Maria laughed.

“I bet not,” Charity said chuckling. “Most old men don’t want their old ladies anywhere near horny men. It makes them all a bit crazy when another man is near their woman.”

“You have no idea.” Maria told her sipping her tea again, smiling fondly. Charity was sure she was thinking of Colt, her old man.

“Did you really lead Tick on a merry chase all over Bandit territory?” She suddenly asked.

“Yes.” Charity replied a little proudly. She knew she was good at disappearing. Being a former escape planner for Katie over the years had paid off.

“Good. That man needs to have his world shaken up. Ever since Vivi passed he’s been living a half-life.”

“Yeah, he really loved her. It has been hard for him and Max.” Charity felt her heart squeeze as she thought of the man’s devotion to his dead wife.

“I guess so. Frankly, it surprised me. Not that I didn’t think he loved her. They just seemed at odds most of the time. She was always the life of the party, and he was content to just sit back and watch.” Maria puzzled.

“Opposites attract, I guess.” Charity mused, her heart still aching.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. He seems more content now though, with you.” Charity looked at her sharply.

“What do you mean?” She asked the other woman.

“I don’t know. With Vivi he always seem to be on edge. Like he was always waiting on the other shoe to drop, I guess. Only with you he just seems calm.”

Charity felt like a rock was in the pit of her stomach. She knew that the other woman didn’t realize it, but she’d just confirmed Charity’s fear. She’d practically told her that Tick didn’t care about her. He was just enjoying fucking her, which meant really that almost any woman would do for him. She was fooling herself to think any different, even after that scene with Travis. That was likely just Tick being an alpha male who didn’t want anyone pissing in his sandbox.

Charity chatted with Maria for a little while before she went in and gave Max a hug and kiss goodbye. Then she headed back to the house wondering when Tick out get home. She’d missed him.

Tick returned to the house around four that afternoon, and Charity was just starting dinner when he walked into the kitchen. He was unsure how she would react to his presence, but he wanted to touch her. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. The last two days had been hell. He’d gone on a run to the city behind the wall with Ratchet and Rock. He was glad to be back, and holding his woman felt damned good.

Charity felt Tick’s arms wrap around her from behind. His lips caressed her neck and she couldn’t help but lean back into the embrace. She wanted to tell him to fuck off like she should, but she had missed him too much.

“Damn, baby girl. I missed you.” Tick whispered into her neck where he kissed her.

“I missed you too.” She whispered back, then added. “But we have to discuss what happened with Travis, and we need to figure out what the hell we’re doing Tick. This can’t stay the way it is.”

“I know, baby girl. Is Max at Colt and Maria’s?” He asked. She nodded. “Good then can all that wait till tomorrow? I just want to sink inside you tonight.”

She just wordlessly turned off the stove turning in his arms allowing him to carry her upstairs to his bedroom without another word. They could talk about this in the morning she decided. She really just needed him to touch her tonight.

Tick almost collapsed in relief when she turned off the stove, turning in his arms. He lifted her, grateful that she didn’t protest as he carried her to his room. He’d been dying to touch her for four damned days and the thought of having to wait another one had nearly killed him. He just needed to touch her.

Tick stood in the doorway of his bedroom holding his property patch, watching Charity who was brushing her hair. He was a bit conflicted by the need to patch her. He’d never thought that anyone except Vivi would ever wear his patch, yet here he stood about to patch another woman. He knew that Vivi wouldn’t have begrudged him for it, after all she was gone. He just hadn’t planned to ever do this again, but he didn’t know any other way to keep Charity. And he definitely wanted to keep her. He’d worked hard in the last few weeks to get her to fall in love with him. If she loved him she’d stay he’d reasoned.

She stood with her back to him and she was brushing her hair. He knew that giving her his patch was the only way for him to lock her down, and he was going to do it if she’d allow it. He also know that he’d never let her go once she agreed to wear it. He just didn’t think he was truly being fair to her. He was giving her his patch for selfish reasons. It wasn’t right for him to ask her for the right to own her when he knew he couldn’t give her what she deserved, but he wasn’t about to let her go so that she could find that with another man.

She would be a good mother to Max. Tick liked to think that he could give her everything she needed except for his heart, but he wasn’t sure that was truly enough. She deserved better, but he was self-aware enough that he knew he wasn’t about to step back and let another man touch her. So here he stood, watching her, about to ask her to wear his patch.

He cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned smiling at him questioningly.

“What?” She asked.

“Let’s sit.” He said indicating the edge of the bed. She sat, looking at him. He knelt down, reaching out to hold on to her knees. He heard the slight catch in her breath when she saw what he was holding.

“I know that we said at first that this was casual. Then there was the Travis nightmare a few weeks ago. It made me think long and hard about what I wanted from this. You and me.” He told her as if she didn’t already know what he meant by this. “I want you to wear this, Charity. I can’t ever give you my heart. Vivi was it for me, baby girl.”

Charity had been holding her breath since she’d seen the cut he was holding. When he told her Vivi was it for him, she flinched and almost started crying. She managed to hold her tears at bay, barely. She wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she couldn’t.

“I want you to wear this because I do care for you, Charity. I just can’t love you. My heart died with Vivi. You’re good for me, and for Max. You brought color back into our world, you know. We were still drowning without her, but you fixed that. I realize that this isn’t what you deserve, but I’m still asking you to take it.”