Finding Charity: Red Devils M.C. (3 page)

He sneered, “Stop”.

His anger with her showing in the dark glower he turned on her. She continued to try and kick out at him. Then he caught her foot squeezing hard.

“You kick me and I will knock you out. I’ve reached the end of my patience with you, understand.” He met her eyes with his and she reluctantly nodded. She watched, seething with anger as he left. He turned in the doorway with a jaunty wave. The bastard.

It was thirty minutes later that he came back. He brought the food in and locked the door. He turned to her on the bed. Walking over he took the gag off. She glared at him.

“Asshole, why are you doing this? I can take care of myself. I’m not a freaking child. I took your ass down didn’t I?” Charity yelled at him, scowling up at him.

“That’s not something I would be reminding me of, baby girl.” He bellowed, his eyes narrowed. He un-cuffed her hand pulling it towards the other one. She fought him trying to get away, but his grip was painfully hard, as he jerked it towards the other one. Snapping the cuff on her other wrist before removing the one attached to the headboard. She rolled off the bed with her hands cuffed, headed for the door.

He tackled her to the bed flipping her over, he roared. “You try that stunt again and I will spank your tight little ass. Be good and eat. You are not going to get away, and you might as well deal with that fact. Take this bullshit up with your brother, baby girl.” 

“Stop calling me that. I am not a freaking baby! I really hate you!” Charity was panting, her eyes stung with tears. Why the hell wouldn’t he just let her go?

“Well that’s nice. Can’t say as that I like you much either, baby girl.” Tick responded, before he got up moving to sit in the chair near the door. Charity sat up with some difficulty on the bed, her hands being cuffed in front of her didn’t make it easy.

“I just want a life, asshole.  I can’t have one when my brother is always breathing down my neck. Hell, anytime I get near a man he freaks. Every man I have ever dated, has met one of you buffoons, and then they ran so fast in the other direction that I almost ended up with whiplash.” She screamed at him.

“Don’t really care, baby girl. I was just sent to collect you. I do know that if a man isn’t prepared to take on the world for you, then he isn’t worth you getting all bent over. He can’t be much of a man if he can’t stand up for you, that’s for sure.  I wouldn’t have cared at all who my Vivi’s family was. I would have taken them all on if it meant I got to call her mine. That’s what a man does. A boy runs away. Remember that, baby girl.” He told her. Then he motioned to the food that he’d taken out while talking. “Come eat, I want to get on the road. I need to get home.”

Charity felt her heart clench for the man. He had loved Vivi so much, she knew that he had been broken when Vivi had died. She wanted to hug him. Even as she wanted to plant her fist into his face. How the hell was she supposed to eat with these damned cuffs on? She also wondered if she would ever find a man who loved her that much. With her being returned to Devils Falls, and half the club afraid of her brother and the other half thinking of her as a little sister, she knew it was unlikely. Even dating outside of the club didn’t work.

As she had told Tick they took one look at the bikers she called family and she never heard from them again. It was damned frustrating. She knew that the Devils meant well, but she just wanted to have a man who lasted more than a date or two.

“I can’t eat in these cuffs, Tick.” Charity told him.

“Ah, so you know who I am. Well can I trust that you’re not going to try something stupid?” He asked glaring at her.

“I know that you will not let me go even if I managed to get away because you’re a bastard. So, yeah, fine. I will eat and act civil if you don’t act like an ass and cuff me again.”

“Sounds like a plan. Buck up, baby girl. You will be rid of me in a few days. Then you can act out as much as you’d like.” Tick told her motioning for her to stand in front of him so that he could take off the fuzzy purple cuffs.

She wanted to smack him across his smug face, but she just sat down and ate her dinner. He let her take a quick shower before they left. She was pissed that she had to stay with him, and she let him know it by taking every chance she got to delay them getting home. She whined to go to the bathroom. She bitched when he didn’t stop to let her sleep, and she made his trip as uncomfortable as possible. It still only took them three days on Tick’s hog to get back to the farm. It likely would have taken longer if she had had her way, but Tick had gotten wise to her ways on the last day. Or he just really wanted to get home to his son.

Charity climbed off the bike her thighs trembling so hard she almost fell. Tick reached out a hand steading her, but she jerked away. He was such a jackass. When he figured out what she was doing he had ignored her. She had tried to tell him five hours ago that she needed a break and the dickhead had ignored her.

“I was just trying to steady you.” Tick grumbled, stretching.

“I didn’t need help, asshat.” Charity shot back, glowering at the man.

“Damn am I glad I can get rid of your bitchy ass tomorrow.” He growled.

The door to the farmhouse they’d pulled up to opened and Ratchet stepped out onto the porch. “Thank Christ your finally home. Trick’s on his way here, called him when you called me to let me know you were ten hours out. I’m out of here.” He said, moving down the stairs headed to his own farmhouse.

Charity watched as the night swallowed the man up. He was acting as if he couldn’t get away from the house fast enough, which was odd. She was too tired to really care though. She was walking up the stairs onto the porch when they heard the roar of a bike coming their way. Sighing, she turned knowing it was her brother. He pulled the bike into view turning into the drive so hard he sprayed gravel up with the quickness of his stop. 

He got off the bike already yelling. “Damn it, Charity. What the hell were you thinking running off like that? You could have been hurt.”

Charity wanted to cry, she was too tired for this. She wondered too why Katie wasn’t here with her brother. If she knew her friend and she did, then she was going to be pissed when she discovered that he had took off without her.

“Where’s Katie?”

“At home sleeping, Charity. I didn’t wake her because you were acting like a naughty child.” He told her with a grim expression.

“Uh-huh…what time did you leave?” She asked, knowing that Katie would likely be right behind him. Her brother’s bike was loud it would have woke her up.

“Eight, but what the hell does that have to do with anything?” Trick demanded, looking at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Explain to me why the hell you took off to Bandit territory when you know damned good and well I said no to you taking that job? I told you it wasn’t safe, and I wasn’t allowing you to do it.”

Charity looked at her watch, seeing that it was nine thirty she hoped Katie got here soon she needed a voice of reason to try and calm her brother down.

“I was doing just fine taking care of myself until this buffoon showed up.” She told him jerking her finger in Tick’s direction.

Tick had been silently watching the show. It was damned funny watching the little brat get yelled at. He would have enjoyed it more if he wasn’t so fucking tired. He had pushed for the last two days trying to get home. He was tired of the annoying little witch, and her whining. He knew damned good and well that she was doing it to piss him off, and he had tried not to respond. It was hard though, the little brat was almost as annoying as Max. It made him kinda crazy. He was damned glad he was finally getting rid of her.

She made a snide comment and jerked her finger in his direction, making him glare at her before saying. “Watch it, baby girl.” He added because he knew she hated when he called her that. Then a car was careening into his yard. Katie got out moving towards them, when she stopped in front of Trick, she demanded.

“Why the hell didn’t you wake me?” She glared at the man her hands resting on her hips. Before he could answer she growled, “Damn it, Trick. I told you to wake me before you left.”

“Sorry, sugar. You just looked so peaceful lying there. I didn’t want to wake you.” Trick tried to wheedle his way out of trouble. Tick wanted to laugh at the ridiculously whipped look on the other man’s face. He was a bit mad that he was so tired and couldn’t enjoy this drama.

Katie didn’t fall for his story at all. She glared. “You aren’t really trying to tell me that’s why you didn’t wake me, are you?”

Charity almost burst out laughing at the expression on her brother’s face. If she wasn’t so tired this would be funny. Her brother was always taken down a peg or two by Katie, who refused to allow him to browbeat her.

“Look we’re all tired. Why don’t you and Katie take the spare room, and Charity can have the couch. We’ll settle this in the morning.” Tick interrupted.

Why the hell wasn’t he offering her, a guest, his room to sleep in? This was why the man was a damned asshole. She looked daggers at him as she demanded, “Why can’t I have you bed? I’m a damned guest.”

“Baby girl, after what you did to me four days ago you’re lucky I’m letting you sleep in my house at all.” He bellowed, glaring at her.

Shit, shoot a man in the groin one time and he took it so personally. He was such a fucking baby. That was four days ago, he should get over it already. She opened her mouth to tell him just that when her brothers harsh voice broke in.

“What the hell did you do now, Charity?” Trick demanded.

“Stop using that tone of voice with her, Trick. She’s a grown woman, not a child. I told you that you need to stop suffocating her, and then she wouldn’t want to get away from you so damned badly that she ran away.” Katie yelled at her brother throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“Okay, this is getting way out of hand for me tonight. I need to sleep, your sister does too. We’ve been on the road for twelve hours straight. This can wait until the morning.” Tick told them.

Trick nodded. “Fine.” he growled taking Katie’s arm and guiding her into the house. Charity watched them enter the house and grudgingly looked at Tick.

“Thanks.” She said, grateful that he had gotten her brother to drop the conversation at least for the moment. She was almost to the door when she heard him say quietly.

“Oh, I didn’t do that for you, baby girl. I’m too tired tonight to enjoy the reprimand you’re going to get. I wanted to enjoy it.” He chuckled as he followed her inside. She wanted to turn around and beat the bastard over the head, but she was just too fucking tired.

The next morning she awoke to the sounds of shuffling feet and hushed whispers. Sensing that something was going on she sat up looking around. She heard the shuffling noise again. Huh, that was strange, she thought getting up. She walked into the kitchen where she’d heard the shuffling and whispers from. She saw two small boys, one was dark haired with deep blue eyes and looked to be about six. The other was a bit larger, with brown hair, and green eyes. He looked to be closer to ten. They both looked up with guilt on their faces when she entered. Humm…she thought looking around the kitchen for whatever they had been up to.

“So, what’s going on in here?” She asked, watching their eyes dart around before they looked at her innocently. Yeah, she wasn’t buying that, these two were up to no good.

“Nothing.” The one who looked like his annoying father, only smaller and a hell of a lot cuter, said.

“Uh-huh…you sure there is nothing going on?” She asked, knowing from experience that they had likely set up some kind of prank. She heard Trick ask Tick about it last night. She also knew that he was quite familiar with children who acted out. She had been a lot of trouble when she was younger.

“Yep, nothing.” Max replied solemnly.

Tick walked into the kitchen, seeing his son and his friend, he smiled. “Morning, son. Connor. Morning, baby girl.”

Max looked at her with a strange dark scowl. Huh, what was that all about? Tick stared the coffee, then turned to Max giving him a hug. Charity decided to make them all some eggs. Her brother was always in a better mood if she fed him. Going to the fridge she got out eggs and cheese and a few other condiments. She decided she was going to make omelets instead. She still wondered what the boys had been up to. She knew that they’d eventually give themselves away. She just need to wait for them to tip their hand.

“Anyone want an omelet?” Charity asked, as she approached the stove.

“Yeah!” Max and the other boy, who apparently was named Connor, yelled sitting down at the table.

“You can cook, right?” Tick asked, earning a dark scowl from Charity.

“She can. Makes the best damned omelets I have ever tasted.” Trick told him as he walked into the kitchen sitting down on the stool. Katie followed looking blurry eyed and unhappy.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked her best friend as she sat down at the table.

“Don’t ask.” Katie told her grimly. Shit, what was wrong with her, she wondered.

Tick asked if anyone wanted coffee, and she noticed that the boys were smiling awfully wildly. Humm….she continued to watch them as Tick poured his coffee. Then he poured one for Katie and Trick who’d both asked for the coffee. She waited, what were they up to? Then Tick took a spoon and got some sugar bumping it into his coffee. The boys snickered, then smiled at each other. Ah, so that was what they had done. She saw Katie reach from the spoon, but she kicked her chair.