Preacher

 

I’d gotten tired of sitting on my ass at home, staring at the TV like some mindless idiot, but I wasn’t really feeling the vibe of the clubhouse either. More than one club slut had put her hands on me, and my dick wasn’t the slightest bit interested. I hadn’t fucked anyone, unless my hand counted, since the night I’d met Kayla. For the first time in twelve years, I didn’t wake up from dreams about my wife, fighting the urge to cry into my fucking pillow because I missed her so damn much. No, I woke up hard as a fucking post after dreaming about how tight Kayla had been, or how fucking fantastic her mouth had felt wrapped around my dick. I felt a little guilty, almost like I’d replaced the woman of my heart with some random woman. Except, Kayla didn’t feel like a random woman. And maybe that just fucked up my head even more.

I still didn’t know where she was, or who she was for that matter. She’d never given me her last name, and the few people I’d asked hadn’t shared any information with me. I had a feeling that punk ass Carter knew something, but he wasn’t saying a word. I didn’t know if he was looking out for Kayla, or for himself. The way he’d looked that night when I’d brought her up, I had a feeling he was keeping quiet for his own reasons and none of them good. There was something seriously creepy about that guy, but I seemed to be the only one who felt that way. I didn’t like the thought of him becoming my brother when he patched in, but unless I could sway some more people my way, he would likely get voted in. He did his work and kept his mouth shut, I’d give him that.

I sipped on my beer and attempted to look like I actually wanted to be here. Truth was, I didn’t much care where I was right now. I was miserable at home, miserable here… It ate at me that Kayla had run off, and I had no way to find her. The longer she was gone, the more I realized that somehow we’d connected that night, in more than just a physical way. I’d sworn to never get attached to another woman, and yet I’d done it anyway. We’d only talked for maybe an hour that night, and what had happened after that was over all too soon. But in those moments, I’d felt closer to her than I had to anyone since…

“Where the fuck is that punk-ass Prospect?” Tank grumbled as he settled on the stool next to me.

“Which one?” I asked.

“Carter. I have a job I need done, and no one seems to know where he is. According to Ivan, the guy took off two days ago and hasn’t been seen or heard from. I checked with Torch, and he didn’t get permission to take off like that. Last anyone around town saw him was this morning. He was at some second-rate hacker’s house. Wire’s wording, not mine. Whatever he’s up to, he didn’t want us to know what was up. I’m waiting to hear back from Torch on whether or not we need to question the hacker.”

At least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the little fuckstick now. Maybe I didn’t have to worry about him patching in after all. If Torch was pissed, then he’d likely be out on his ass once he came back. Good riddance, as far as I was concerned.

The Prospect manning the bar tonight, a favorite of Torch and his old lady, pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, frowning at the screen. I went back to focusing on my beer, not needing to get involved in anyone’s drama. The kid had a way with the ladies, and it wouldn’t surprise me if some hook-up was trying to get back in his pants. I felt Tank tense next to me and looked up just in time to see the kid go deathly pale, then vault over the bar and go running for the door.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked.

Tank shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m thinking it’s not good.”

An engine turned over in the parking lot, and from the deep growl, I knew the kid had just hopped on his bike. It wasn’t like Johnny to leave a post, though, and apparently I wasn’t the only one who was more than a little intrigued. Tank slid off his stool and started for the door, but before he could get outside, we could hear Johnny peeling out of the compound and taking off down the street. He was a good kid, so I hoped whatever the fuck was going on that it wasn’t that serious.

Tank reclaimed his stool, but I noticed he glanced toward the door every few minutes. I couldn’t blame him for being worried. It wasn’t like Johnny to just disappear like that. Everyone knew that he was a favorite of our President and Isabella.

He wasn’t gone more than a half hour, maybe a little longer, when he returned. But he wasn’t alone. My heart started pounding, and I felt fury engulf me as he walked in the door with his arm around Kayla. She was pressed tight to his side, and looked so damn pale and exhausted. I didn’t even realize I’d stood until I was right in front of the kid, ready to take a swing.

“Get your fucking hands off her,” I said, my voice more growl than anything.

Kayla’s eyes went wide, and she paled even further. I watched as she swayed and her eyes rolled back in her head. Johnny cursed, and I reached out and snatched Kayla into my arms as she started to slump to the floor, giving the kid a glare that had made men cower in fear. Johnny just stared at me with raised eyebrows.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

Torch, Venom, and Tank came over.

“Pres, I had planned on this introduction going a little differently,” Johnny said. “This is my sister, Kayla. And I think we need to talk.”

Sister? I looked down at the woman in my arms. Now that Johnny had said that, I did see a resemblance between the two of them.

“My baby sister,” he said, smirking at me.

Fuck. Baby sister? Johnny was only nineteen. Was Kayla even legal? I felt a little dazed, but remained upright with Kayla clutched against my chest.

“By two minutes,” Johnny said.

Oh, thank Christ. I breathed a little easier. Wait. They were twins? How had I not known that Johnny had a twin sister? Hell, had anyone known?

“Church,” Torch said.

“There’s something else,” Johnny said, focusing on me. “I didn’t do a damn thing to Kayla. But you did.”

“Me?” I asked. She’d wanted me that night. Had she told Johnny otherwise?

“Yeah.” He patted my shoulder. “Congratulations, Daddy. You knocked her up.”

My breath froze in my lungs as he smirked and walked off, following Torch and the other officers. Knocked up? Kayla was pregnant? With my kid? Holy hell. My knees felt like they might buckle, but I took one step, then another. As I cleared the clubhouse door, Bull followed.

“Where are you taking her?” he asked.

“Home.”

“You gonna claim her?” Bull asked.

Fuck if I knew what I was doing. What I did know for certain was that Kayla belonged with me. I ignored Bull and walked to my house. Torch had given me a four-bedroom home less than a mile from the clubhouse. I’d told him at the time that it was a waste of space because I only needed one bedroom, but he’d insisted. Now it looked like I’d be using at least one of those other bedrooms. A kid? The thought left me dizzy.

I’d tried to have kids with my wife, had tried for years, but we’d never been successful. I’d always thought I was at fault, that maybe I had a low sperm count or something. I’d offered to see the doctor, but she’d always told me that we’d get pregnant when we were supposed to. But it had never happened, and then she’d been taken from me. The moonlight glinted on my wedding ring, and I stopped in the middle of the road for a moment. I waited for panic to set in, for the intense pain and sorrow I felt every time I thought of Rachel. It didn’t come.

I looked up at the sky and wondered if she was looking down on me. If there was a heaven, I knew that’s where she’d be. She’d been so perfect, so sweet. And she’d died far too soon. The stars shone brightly overhead, and this sense of peace filled me. A slight breeze blew and ruffled my hair, like a light caress.

“All right, Rachel,” I said. “I can take a hint.”

My wife would have never wanted me to turn my back on Kayla or the baby. That much I knew for certain, and as much as I’d thought about the woman in my arms over the past two months, I knew that she wasn’t the same as the others I’d fucked and walked away from over the years. Mostly because she’d never been far from my thoughts.

When I reached my home, I carried Kayla inside and went straight to the master bedroom, which was on the first floor. All the other bedrooms were upstairs and shared a bathroom. My bed was still mussed from earlier in the day, and I gently laid her down. I removed her shoes to make her more comfortable, then got a damp cloth from the bathroom and lightly pressed it to her cheeks and forehead.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Must not have worked because she bolted upright and gave me a panicked look. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and I worried that she’d hyperventilate and pass out again.

“Easy, baby. Do you want some water?”

“Where am I?” she asked.

“Home.”

Her eyes went wide, and she stared at me.

“Were you going to tell me?” I asked. “That you’re pregnant.”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know.” She relaxed a little, and her breathing slowed. “I honestly didn’t think you’d want to know. You’re still married to your dead wife and don’t have room for me and a kid. I can raise the baby on my own.”

I made sure I had her attention as I slid the wedding band off my finger, then placed it in the bedside table drawer. It was the first time I’d taken that ring off since the day Rachel had placed it on my finger. It didn’t feel as horrible as I’d thought it would, not at all like I was getting rid of her. I knew she’d always be a part of me, but it was obvious that I had responsibilities now and couldn’t pine after Rachel forever.

“What are you doing, Preacher?” she asked.

“Call me Nick.” I smiled. “The mother of my child should know my real name.”

“You don’t seem all that upset,” she said.

“The condom broke. I tried to go after you once I realized what had happened, but you’d vanished. I asked several of my brothers who you were or where you’d come from, but no one knew. The prospect, Carter, seemed to know something, but he wasn’t talking.”

She went deathly pale again at the mention of Carter’s name.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she muttered before she scrambled out of bed and went running to find the bathroom.

I followed and held her hair as she threw up, rubbing her back, and wondering if this was a pregnancy thing, or a fear thing. It was obvious Carter’s name had scared the shit out of her, and I wanted to know why. If the little asshole had threatened her in some way, he would answer to me.

“Let’s get you rinsed off in the shower and tucked into bed,” I said. “We can talk more tomorrow. You look like you’re about to drop.”

She weakly nodded and let me undress her. I stripped out of my own clothes, then got into a hot shower with her. My body reacted to the sight of all those soft curves of hers, but I wasn’t about to take advantage. After I cleaned her up, I dried the both of us, then helped her brush her teeth. When she was finished, I carried her to bed, sliding in next to her.

Kayla curled against my side with her head on my chest, and she let out a breathy sigh.

“This is nice,” she murmured. “No one’s ever held me like this before.”

“You mean you’ve never cuddled in bed?”

She hummed. “You were my first. My only.”

Her words trailed off, more of a slur, but they ricocheted around my brain. First? Only? Jesus Christ. She really had been a virgin that night, and I’d taken her on the damn table like a common whore. And knocked her up too.

There was definitely a lot for us to talk about. But morning would be soon enough.

* * *

Kayla

 

I felt the warmth of sunlight on my face before the brightness registered. I’d slept harder than I ever had before, but that might have had something to do with the hard, and very naked, body that I was plastered against. I looked up and realized that I hadn’t dreamt about being in Preacher’s arms. No, Nick’s arms. But if I hadn’t been dreaming about that, then I likely hadn’t been dreaming about Carter either. Or rather having a nightmare about him.

I lifted the covers and checked my body, but thankfully I didn’t seem to have any marks from my struggle with him. Although, if I had, Nick likely would have said something last night. And probably come completely unglued when he found out I was almost raped. At least, the way he’d come after Johnny just for having an arm around my waist, I was going to assume that he would be angry over what happened to me. I didn’t understand why he’d reacted the way he had. We’d had a one-night stand, and while I was pregnant with his baby, he hadn’t known that at the time.

His left arm was thrown over the top of his head, but I noticed the wedding band he’d been wearing was gone. I’d thought that part wasn’t real either. Had he really removed it? For me? None of this made sense, and I was starting to feel incredibly confused. I didn’t know the man lying next to me, not really. Yeah, we’d talked for a while that night before he’d led me off to a secluded room and changed my life forever. And not just because the sex was incredible, but because he’d left a little something behind.

I’d been scared to death of being a single mom, but I’d known that I would make it work. It might have been hard to figure out the logistics of working nights and having a baby in my life, but plenty of other women did it and so could I. Oh, hell. Did I even still have a job? Was I going back? Jeremy had made me pack everything, but that didn’t mean I was actually staying here, right?

“You’re thinking too much,” Nick said, his voice a deep rumble.

I looked up at him again and found him watching me. “Sorry.”

“How do you feel?” he asked, giving my hip a squeeze.

“Better.” I really did feel better. Well, as long as I didn’t think too hard about why I was back in this damn town. Then I’d probably freak the hell out.

“Have you seen a doctor yet? About the baby?” he asked.

“No. I don’t have insurance, and before I could see if there was a free clinic nearby, Jeremy insisted I come back here.”

His eyes narrowed. “Jeremy?”

“My brother’s friend. I was staying in an apartment over the garage he owns.”

He sat up, leaning back against the headboard, but pulled me along with him so that I was still pressed to his side. It should have felt awkward, being naked in bed with him like this, but oddly I found it comforting.

“Why did you leave town? Or were you just here visiting your brother?” he asked.

“I lived here, with my mom and her boyfriend.” I pressed my lips together, not wanting to admit where I’d been living or why I’d left. I’d never been embarrassed before over where I come from, but Nick was different from anyone I’d met before. He might be a biker now, he hadn’t always been one. He’d shared a home with his wife, had been a minister in a local church. He’d led a respectable life.

“Why did you leave?” he asked again.

“There’s a pimp in my neighborhood who was pressuring me. The last woman who told him no nearly died and ended up working for him anyway. When I told Johnny what had happened, he got me out of town.”

The intensity of Nick’s gaze left me a little dizzy.

“What’s his name?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going back there. I don’t think.”

“Fuck no, you’re not going back!” His arm tightened around me. “You’re staying right here with me.”

“Here?” I asked, looking around the room. It was probably the nicest bedroom I’d ever seen, and I’d be willing to bet the rest of the house was the same.

“Did you think you would show up here, tell me you’re pregnant, and I’d let you walk away?” he asked.

“I didn’t tell you I was pregnant,” I muttered.

“No, that would have been your brother. You should have come to me, Kayla. Was I such an asshole that night that you felt you couldn’t tell me we were having a kid?”

“It was a one-night stand, Nick. You didn’t make me any promises, and I knew you still loved your wife. Love, I mean.”

“Kayla, there will always be a place in my heart for Rachel, but she’s not the one I’ve been thinking about the last two months. I wasn’t lying last night. I looked for you. I asked half a dozen brothers if anyone knew you, even asked Carter, but no one would say anything.”

“Carter?” I could feel the blood drain from my face, and if I’d been standing, I’d have landed on my ass on the floor.

“Hey,” he said softly. “What’s wrong? Did that asshole do something to you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Like fuck it doesn’t!”

“Nick, I… I didn’t come here because I’m pregnant.” If I didn’t tell him, I had no doubt Johnny would run his mouth. “Jeremy drove me here last night because Carter showed up at my apartment.”

Nick moved so fast he was a blur, but he was suddenly looming over me, his hands braced on either side of me. His jaw was so tense I worried he’d crack his teeth.

“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Jeremy heard me struggling and got to me in time.”

“In time to stop what, exactly?”

I swallowed hard and tried to look away, but Nick turned my face back toward him. His gaze softened, and he gently pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was sweet, and just what I’d needed right then.

“Talk to me, baby. What did Carter do?” he asked, his voice calmer than before.

“He knocked me to the floor and tried to… “ Tears pricked my eyes, and my heart ached as I remembered what had happened in vivid detail. “He unzipped his pants and was about to rape me when Jeremy came upstairs to check on me.”

Nick flung himself off the bed and roared his rage as he began pacing the length of the room. His hands dug into his hair, and he looked about two seconds away from committing murder. My brother had always protected me, but I’d never had anyone get so angry on my behalf before. Part of me liked that Nick seemed to feel so strongly about my well-being, and the other half was afraid of just what he might be capable of. Yes, he’d been a minister, but those days were long behind him. Now he was very much a Dixie Reaper, and I didn’t think for one minute they walked the straight and narrow.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Nick said, growling as he slammed his fist into the wall. The drywall caved in, and I winced.

“Johnny was going to talk to your President last night and let him know what happened. Jeremy made sure Carter was detained, in case the Dixie Reapers wanted to take care of the matter, seeing as how Carter was one of yours.”

He snorted. “Not mine. I never liked the little shit.”

“You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?” I asked, earning me a glare. “All right, maybe stupid was a bad word choice.”

“I’m going to rip him apart one piece at a time, that’s what I’m going to do,” Nick said.

“You know this is completely crazy, right? I’m not anything to you. Just some random woman you hooked up with a few months ago.”

He tipped his head back and sighed before coming back over to the bed. He crawled in next to me and wrapped his arms around me.

“I’m just going to go ahead and say this, okay? So let me get it all out before you interrupt.”

I nodded.

“I’ve been in a really dark place for a long time now. I’m thirty-four, and I’ve only ever been in love once. Rachel was so damn sweet and perfect. She meant the world to me, and when I lost her, I lost everything. For twelve years, I’ve lived with the agony of her loss, feeling like a piece of me was missing, dreaming of her every night, and waking every morning wishing she was here. Then I met you.”

Me? What did our one night together have to do with anything?

“I’ve slept with women since Rachel died, but it’s just been a quick fuck to let off some steam, a fast release that never meant anything. I guess I’d thought that it would be the same when we hooked up, but it wasn’t. It took me a few minutes, as I stood there alone, and realized that you were different from the others. So I went after you, but it was too late.

“No matter how much I searched for you, not even knowing who you were, it didn’t stop me from having vivid dreams about you every fucking night and waking up so damn hard that even my hand wasn’t good enough. I have no idea what’s between us, Kayla. I’m not going to say I love you because you’re right, we barely know each other. But I do know that you’re different.”

“You dreamed about me?” I asked. No one had ever said something like that to me before. The guys who had wanted in my pants were always off after the next sure thing when I wouldn’t put out. But Nick had dreamed of me every night? He’d said more than once that he had looked for me. No one had ever gone to so much trouble for me before.

“Yeah.” He smiled a little. “What do you know about life in the club?”

“Nothing. I know Johnny is a Prospect and that means he works his ass off for you in hopes of being patched in, whatever the hell that means. And he’s told me about the wild parties that happen in the clubhouse, without any details of course. I know the women who are just with one guy are called old ladies, and I guess that’s the biker equivalent of a marriage?”

“Something like that,” Nick said. “Some of the guys marry their old ladies, some don’t.”

“I’m going to assume that not all the club dealings are what one would consider legal.”

“Um, no, they aren’t. But we don’t put drugs in the hands of kids, and we don’t deal in women. And we never will.” His arms gave me a little squeeze. “I want you to be my old lady, Kayla. We’re having a baby together, and I know that’s not necessarily a reason to stay together, but I want a family with you. I think we can make this work.”

“It doesn’t bother you that you’re thirty-four and I’m nineteen?” I asked. I honestly didn’t care how old he was, but I knew some people would give him grief over our age difference.

“Have you met my President and his old lady? There’s like thirty years between them, and they’re completely crazy about each other. Age is just a number. As long as you’re legal, I don’t see a problem with it.”

“What exactly does it mean to be an old lady?” I asked, not completely opposed to the idea. Nick had seemed like a great guy that night, even if he’d been in a lot of pain. And I had to admit the idea of waking up next to him every morning wasn’t a horrible one.

“You’d be inked as Property of Preacher, and you’d get a cut like mine but with a property patch on it. Some of the old ladies are about your age and have kids, so you’d have people to hang out with, and our kid would have an extended family close to his or her age. Sometimes the old ladies put together events for the club or help in other areas, but never anything illegal. And I’d never put you in danger.”

“I don’t know.” I glanced up at him through my lashes. “Maybe the sex wasn’t as good as I remember. I’d hate to tie myself to someone permanently who was a dud in the bedroom.”

His smile was predatory as he leaned in closer. “Then I guess I’d better give you a reminder.”