Wounded (Dogs of War MC Book One) (10 page)

“I’ll stand at the door and make sure no one goes in.”

“Thanks,” she shut the door behind her and turned the water on its hottest setting. It’d take more than hot water to cleanse away everything that had happened, but it couldn’t hurt to try. 

The clothes Red had found her seemed to be for someone three sizes smaller and with tastes that ran contrary to her own. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, she reminded herself as she pulled up the stretchy skinny jeans and the tank top. It wouldn’t leave much to the imagination but at least keep her covered.

Red, true to his word was still standing outside of the door when she emerged.

“Would you mind taking me home now? I know you’re tired too but all I really want in my life right now is to be in my bed.”

“My bed will have to do.”  The blurry image of him pressing down on her in her own bed rose to the forefront of her brain and brought the blood rushing to her face, he probably knew exactly what she was thinking.

“I, uh…”

“Until we get the situation settled with the Hellhounds, I think you’d probably do better staying here. With us.”

She hadn’t thought about that, the last thing she wanted was another run in with those people but sharing a bed with Red seemed to be asking for trouble, “Ok but, I don’t know if…”

“What, you shared a bed with me all week and it didn’t seem to bother you,” his handsome face grinned down at her and he leaned in a little closer.

“I didn’t know you were a man!”

“No, you thought I was a wolf, which clearly shows a lack of common sense on your part. Wouldn’t you rather share a bed with a man, like me, than a hairy old wolf?”

His gaze traveled up and down her, she could almost feel his eyes touching her as they moved across her body, “I, uh…” His mouth descended closer towards hers and she lost all train of thought. She felt his breath mingle with hers, felt his chest press her closer to the wall, and she looked up into those golden eyes and forgot what she’d wanted to say in the first place.

Red’s lips captured hers and molded themselves to her, teasing with their softness, moving gently with hers, driving the growing fire deeper into her belly. It wasn’t the kind of kiss she would have expected from a man like him. Exploring, tongue teasing the sensitive areas of her mouth, gently sucking her bottom lip.

A sigh escaped her and the kiss deepened, became more demanding, questing. She answered him with her own demands, wanting to get lost in the kiss and never resurface.

But with low groan he released her and stepped back, “I’ll sleep in the commons tonight. You probably need some rest after everything you’ve been through.”

She nodded, the loss of the kiss was almost a physical pain, but she didn’t want to be rash about anything, and inviting him to share a bed was something she’d probably regret. At the moment, however, the only thing she regretted was that he wasn’t staying with her.

He walked her to his room and stood at the door, looking uncomfortable to even be there, “In the second drawer there, you’ll find some tee shirts. Those might be more comfortable to sleep in,” he gestured to what she had on, “than that.”

She nodded, unsure of what to say, scared she’d beg him to stay with her if she said anything at all. Scared that he
would
stay with her if she asked. So she just nodded and watched as he turned around and went down the hallway. Leaving her alone with everything that had happened that day, everything she’d learned, and all the misconceptions she’d had shattered along the way. The biggest one being that her world was safe and sane. Neither of those things were true anymore and Sidney wasn’t sure how she was going to cope with that knowledge. 

Red had not had the best of nights. The old couch in the commons was not the most comfortable place to sleep anytime, but when his mind was full of doubts about the Club, worries about the Hellhounds, and the memory of Sidney in that skin tight top that showed every curve of her voluptuous body, including the memory of two rock hard nipples that had tormented him through the night, it was even less than ideal. 

He gave up on sleep early, choosing instead to call the shop and take care of some business over the phone. He’d hired a manager a few months ago but he still had to answer about a thousand questions a day and do the majority of the paperwork.  When he’d first taken over for his dad he’d hated every moment of it. He hadn’t thought that pushing papers and banging away on a calculator was any type of job for a Club member, any Club member, much less himself. He wanted to be out on his ride, getting into trouble, and keeping shit together for the family, not sitting around listening to hookers bitch about the brand of lube he’d ordered for them.

Over time though, he’d come to realize what he actually did was fund those in the community that couldn’t take care of themselves. His work had paid for braces and casts and college tuition, these things were just as important as fighting anyone who threatened them, if not more.

He looked in on Sidney. She was still sleeping, mouth ajar, snoring away lightly. He smiled at how peaceful she looked. He hoped that peace remained with her when she woke up. It couldn’t have been an easy day for her, learning so many things she hadn’t known. Realizing she’d accidentally moved into a town where most of the residents were shifters, a creature most of the world didn’t even think existed. Being kidnapped, tied up, and slapped around before having to fight with a wolf. He shook his head, any normal woman would have lost it, but she had held her shit together remarkably well.

His mood darkened, thinking about how the situation could have turned out differently. The Hellhounds. They were going to have to take care of that steaming pile of crap a soon as possible. A little prostitution was one thing, bringing in meth and crack for the kids to get hooked on and smuggling stolen runaway teens through the street, that was a whole different ball of bullshit. They might work outside the law but at least they had standards.

“So have you heard the body count for last night?” Squint asked him as he walked toward the parking lot, trying to find Big Dog.

“Haven’t talked to anyone this morning about it, but I don’t think we lost any of ours.”

“Nope, we didn’t but we killed sixteen of them bitches,” Squirt preened with excitement.

Red cocked an eyebrow at him, “Oh
we
did?”

“Well you know I would have gone if y’all woulda let me. I ain’t no pussy.”

“I know Squint,” he smacked him on the back, the boy probably hadn’t even turned nineteen yet. He remembered being eager to jump into the fights when he was that age too, “I got something for you to do ok?”

“Yeah sure Red, anything you want.”

“Well, you’re going to have to keep this between just me and you, you understand? You can’t even tell Big Dog if he asks, you cool with that?”

Squint looked suspicious now, regretting his quick offer to help, “Is it going to get me in trouble?”

“No man no, listen, I just need you to collect a little information. That’s all. I don’t want Big Dog to know until I can show it all to him myself, nothing shady going on here.”

“Alright,” Squinted nodded but he still looked doubtful. Red didn’t blame him, shit could get ugly fast if you got on the wrong side of Big Dog. 

Sidney woke up in Red’s bed. She’d slept like a log, though she didn’t know how. She’d gotten into the single bed and pulled up the old faded quilt, sure it’d take forever for her to finally find sleep. But she’d obviously been more tired than she thought, because within minutes she was asleep.

She was warm and cozy and didn’t actually want to move any at all, much less get out of bed and have to deal with hard reality.

Instead she surveyed the room. It wasn’t what she would have expected. Lots of pictures of almost naked women on motorcycles covered the walls and that was about all the decoration that existed. But it was neat and spartan, with one dresser, one chair and a bookshelf. Sidney liked it despite the posters, there was an appeal to minimalism. No blinds or curtains adorned the single window, so the bright midmorning sun shone down on the bed, giving everything a happy glow. Sidney watched the dust motes float by and let her mind drift towards whatever it would.

It landed on Red and she gently shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to shake him free of her thoughts. It was no use, she couldn’t shake the feel of his lips on hers. She could even smell him on the sheets and that wasn’t helping matters any. Her mind reached back for the night she’d been so drunk she’d thought he was a figment of her imagination, the night she’d been ready to give herself to him without reservation, because she’d thought he wasn’t real.

But he was real alright. Real, and a… shifter, and a gang member, and …beautiful. She’d never met a man who had the same effect on her, every time she looked at him she was punched in the gut with wanting. That auburn hair and those eyes were entrancing, but that body. She wanted to trace her tongue down all the edges of that taunt torso, run her fingers over his tattoos, especially the one low on the planes of his flat abdomen, and she wanted to let her hand keep going dipping down below the waist line of his jeans.

She let her hand trace the same path across her own body that she wanted to touch on his, and when her fingers ventured under her panties, she found herself already wet and ready. Her fantasy continued as her fingers delved deeper into herself, her hips thrusting in need. A groan escaped her as she imagined it was Red plunging into her again and again –

“Hey Sidney are you awake?,” a light knock at the door followed the question.

Sidney pulled her hand out of her panties as if she were a schoolgirl about to get caught by the principal doing naughty things in the bathroom. The object of her fantasy was at the door, she wondered if he’d heard her moaning and that’s why he thought she might be awake, she shrank down under the covers a little more. Maybe she could pretend she was still sleeping.

“Sidney,” more knocking, then the door opened and Red entered. Sidney shut her eyes fast, maybe he’d go away if she was lucky.

Red sat down on the side of the bed and gently shook her, “Sidney, wake up.”

“Huh, what?”

“Good morning,” he smiled down at her, looking glorious and fresh in his white tee shirt and jeans.

“Morning,” she pretended to speak groggily.

“I’ve had one of the guys take mom over to your house to get you some clothes. They’re right over there.” He pointed to an old ladder back chair with a pile of neatly folded clothes stacked on it.