Wild Child (46 page)

Marco frowned at me. "He's coming down here, Kima.”

I shot Marco a look.

He changed the subject wisely. "Your plan is a good one, better than anything I can think of. Let everyone think Rabid had a temper tantrum. Hell, he's had enough of them. Who knows what the fuck happened and who will care but his mother? We got fucking stuck here is all I know and Rabid was in a mood. Didn't have enough drugs or some shit... I'm going back and tell Bullet we need to ditch the car.”

I called back to him as he walked out the door, "I know a junkyard that will take it and maybe pay you for it. Hunter knows the place. And do me a favor - tell Veiko to stay away from me.”

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Marco walked back toward the lodge and thought of what Kima had said. She was right. Nobody had really helped her. They did what little they could but somebody should have stopped Rabid when he began to show signs of being a sociopath. It took guts to do what she did. She was right to feel the way she did. How she'd managed to cope during her time with Rabid was amazing. He didn't think another chick could do it.

He didn't really understand what she meant about Veiko though. Then it dawned on him. Kima was so deeply wounded that he didn't know if V was going to get another chance. Seemed to him the whole club had let her down when they should have stepped up. He didn't know what had gone down after her accident but he was pissed nobody seemed to be there for her.

He saw Thorn and Hunter walking up the path. Might as well see what Hunter thought of Kima's plan.

"Hunter, Kima says you know a junkyard where we can lose Rabid's car and she says we should say he took off and left us here, stranded.”

Thorn laughed. “Kima always has a fucking plan. This one actually sounds good to me for a change.”

Hunter thought long and hard. "Thorn says you and Bullet really watched out for Kima. I don’t fucking understand any of this. Elena and I leave this place for a vacation and we come back to hear that Kima's been kidnapped. Now I've got a dead body to deal with. I knew we should’ve made Kima come to Florida with us. Veiko hurt her badly.” Hunter turned to his son and growled, “Thorn, I'm pissed at you. This shit happened on your watch - I left Kima in your care, boy!”

Thorn looked shaken. “Dad, I didn't think Kima would go out that night. Every day I've been waiting to get her. You came back just in time.”

Hunter sized his son up. "My girl is hurting! She's killed to protect herself, and you call yourselves men? Bunch of pussies. I'll make the call to the junkyard but I’m going to see Kima and make sure she's ok.”

Marco tried to ease the tension, "Kima asked to be alone. She doesn't want to see anyone and doesn't want to see Veiko. Thorn was trying to get Kima out. We were trying to get a plan together but Rabid had too many guys around him. Your son was ready to take Rabid out. You saw that."

Hunter spit at their feet and walked away.

Thorn shrugged. "Veiko ain’t gonna have it easy with my old man. I haven't seen him this pissed off since he lived with my mother. Feel like helping me turn the dirt over by the target range and burn whatever has blood on it?”

Marco nodded and followed Thorn down the path.

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I had a good fire going and the little place was now toasty warm. Feeling really exhausted, I got up and went into my bedroom. I pulled the quilt down and crawled into bed. My mind was in turmoil. I laid there thinking about all that I’d given up and wondered how everything had gotten so fucked up?

I loved Veiko but I didn't think he loved me as much as I loved him. One thing my mother had told me was always be the one who loves less. It’s better than being the one who loves more. Loving more isn't worth the pain.

While thinking of my mother, I knew we had this in common. We both loved men who loved us less than we loved them. At least it sure as hell seemed that way.

Jo was expecting a baby and I was jealous but life wasn't fair. I’d still be her friend. At some point, just not right now. I was free of everyone and would go on living my life. In time, I’d go back to dancing and even riding horses.

I shut my eyes and for the first time in weeks, there were no dreams.

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CHAPTER 40
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Veiko stood there and let Hunter verbally assault him. He knew the older man was speaking the truth in every word he said. He had let his mother run his life because he’d been sick and weak. He should have told her about Kima long before all of this happened.

Thrash had married China and took her on a dream honeymoon to France. Their mother was a bully who'd lost two of her sons now.

He jerked his head up when Hunter shoved him.

"Did you fucking hear me, Veiko?
Kima shot Rabid!
She killed that fucking bastard
by herself
because you and your club were too pussy to go in there and get her out!”

Veiko was stunned.
Kima shot Rabid? He was finally dead? Fuck!
He demanded, “Where's Kima?”

Hunter angrily stared at him. "Kima doesn't want to see you. Leave her alone. She's done with you.”

Veiko stared back at Hunter. "Like hell I will!
She's my old lady!
”

He took off running to their cabin. Hunter, Thorn, Bullet, and Marco just watched.

Elena was on the deck above and called down, "Thorn, that gun she had still in the cabin?”

Thorn looked up at Elena. "I didn't take any gun out of there.”

"Serves him right if she shoots his ass," Hunter muttered.

Bullet replied, "Nah, she won't. That girl’s in love with him.”

"I don't think Kima loves anything anymore,” Marco declared seriously, looking at everyone.

They were all standing there waiting to hear if Kima had shot V but there were just the usual sounds of the woods.

Finally Hunter told Bullet to get ready to follow him to the junkyard.

Bullet pulled Thorn aside, "We need to clear the trunk of the car out. There's guns and drugs in there. You got a place to stash em?"

Thorn looked around for his father and didn't see him. "Yeah, go up the road and dump it all behind some bushes. I'll take it to a deer stand I have out there. I'll follow you; we gotta be quick. It can't be left here for long though, or Hunter will flip.”

"It won't be. There's gonna be a huge search to find out where all of Rabid's hiding spots are for drugs and money. I know of a few. We've got a lotta of work ahead of us to get this club back on track."

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Veiko walked into the cabin and saw Kima sleeping on the bed. His heart ached. She looked at peace and still like his girl. His wild child, his beautiful fallen angel, the love of his life.

This woman had been through so much and he'd fucked up. But that was going to change, beginning right now. Rabid had needed to die but Kima shouldn't have had to kill him! Kima had the balls to actually do it, when no one else had. He ached inside for all his woman had been through.

He didn't deserve her, but he'd sure as hell spend a lifetime proving to her how much he loved her.

He sat down beside her and stroked her hair. He'd let his angel rest for now. He removed his colors and leather and laid down beside her. She was sleeping so soundly she never moved as he cuddled up to her.

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CHAPTER 41
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I knew Veiko was in my bed. I felt his warm body and I smelled all his familiar scents. Damn the man! Why didn't he leave me alone when I asked him too? My head ached and I was not in the mood to see Veiko! I felt him put his arm around me. It felt like old times.

“Babe, wake the fuck up. I've been missing you for too damn long. You belong to me!"

“Veiko, I can't do this! You want to go back to where we were and I am a fucking mess!”

Veiko leaned over me looking into my eyes. “Babe - just give me a chance and I'll balance out the club and our life I swear to you! Just give it a chance. You promised me, we'd love each other forever!”

I sighed, “I do love you forever V - I just don't love
me!
Look at what I did! How am I going to live with myself?"

He grabbed my face gently. “
You
did what you had to do, that is how! Kima, together we'll get through this. Just give yourself some time to recover. You're strong and together we can get through anything. We already have babe, why can't you see it?”

I sighed again. “
We're done!
I can't do this! Why can't you understand that? My head is fucked up! I don't know if I will ever be normal! I can't even think straight! I just blew holes into a crazy scumbag president of your club! You need to go away! Why would you even want to be with me?"

He stroked my cheek. “Nah, Babe. We've just begun...again. I'm sorry for everything. I was working on getting you away from that fucker. It killed me each day he had you. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Kima, you have to understand; this
life,
you chose to come into it with me. You knew. I told you all about it. Just as you chose to dance. You chose to enter this life of mine with me. Life sometimes sucks, but we were both lucky. We made it through a lot of shit and we're meant to be together!”

V was staring at me intently. I didn't know what to say to that. I knew he wasn't capable of doing much lying in a hospital bed. But what about the rest of his club? Where were they? It hurt they'd left me to deal with Rabid while they were trying to get a plan together. What the hell had they waited for? I knew I'd never get answers to those questions! I watched him get up and grab his leather jacket. Seeing Veiko dressed and in bed was a shocker, I'd never saw that before!

“I've had something in my leather since the night of the accident.”

Veiko stroked my arm. I pulled away fast. Oh no, he wasn't touching me again.

V handed his leather jacket to me. He looked at me with a hopeful smile. “Inside pocket.”

I sat up. "Why do I care what's in your pocket, Veiko? Is the baby I lost in there?” If the words hurt V, I didn't care. Maybe he'd finally go away.

There was a flash of pain in Veiko's eyes. "Just gimme a chance, babe. We'll have more babies. You want a baby, we'll start making one right away.”

I looked at V, dumbfounded. "I shot the president of your fucking club. Aren't you supposed to kill me or something?”

V laughed. "We needed him dead. Your plan worked better than ours. I heard Rabid left you, Bullet, and Marco down here to go find some drugs or a hooker. Rabid hasn't been seen yet. Isn't that the story? Babe? I need to ask you something though. Do you want to be with Darko?”

My eyes widened. “Darko? We're just friends. He was my friend when nobody else was, but I never slept with him. How
dare
you ask me that? He's more of a friend to me than
my so called friends!
I'll
always
be friends with Darko. Don't even go there, Veiko!"

Veiko had a slight smile. "Open that pocket, Trouble. I'm not telling you
not
to be friends with Darko. I just needed to know if it was more then that. Truly Kima, I don't care if you were with him. But I never cheated on you, babe!"

I unzipped the pocket. A small square box fell into my hand. "I told you, V. I didn't sleep with anyone! What Rabid did to me isn't my fault! See, this won't work! Now you think I slept with Darko! Screw you, V! Yeah, we dated and maybe it would have been something but it didn't happen! Darko knew I was still in love with you even when I hated you!"