Eli

As I stared at Josie’s retreating sexy form when she strode down the hall and then her bedroom door banged shut, I couldn’t help but remember the conversation I’d had with Caden after he recognised the finger in the box. Josie didn’t need to hear it, but unfortunately, we were running out of options after being caught out on a lie from both of us.

“Out,” I’d growled to Memphis and Dive. Dive already had the door open and was out it before Memphis stood from the table and stalked around it. He took the back of my neck in a hold and pulled me in close. There he whispered into my ear, “Take care of our brother. Don’t let him lose himself. If I’m guessing right, it’s his mother’s finger. She ain’t worth the trouble. Get him through it and make the fuckers pay.” With that, he left, closing the door behind him.

“Caden,” I started.

“You know who it is?” he asked with his back to me.

“Yes,” I replied. “Come sit down, brother.”

Caden snorted. “What, you gonna give me head to forget about that fuckhead cutting bits off of my mum?”

Angry. Of course he was. The man was playing him and he didn’t deserve it.

Like Memphis had done to me, I took the back of Caden’s neck in my hand and steered him to the table, sitting him down in a seat. There I let go and sat next to him. His elbows went to the table and his head and eyes pinned to the box. So I picked it up, put the lid on it and threw it toward the trash can.

“Listen to me,” I began, his eyes came to me and then returned to the table, telling me he was gonna listen, but the clenched jaw told me he wasn’t happy about it or the fucked-up situation. “Think back, Caden. Think back to how your own fuckin’ mum used and abused you. Man, she gave an innocent boy’s body to anyone who’d pay so she could get her fucked-up fix. She’s never cared, Caden. If you go to her, help her, you will be sucked back into her nasty fucking web.

“Is she worth your time, your help when finally, fuckin’ finally, Caden, you have pure beauty in your life? She’ll ruin it, brother. She will fuck up your life again.” I placed my hand on his arm on the table. “Don’t let her. She’s using you again, using your heart to get what she wants. Don’t let her win. She ain’t worth it. You have us now. You have your own family and she is not a part of it. The only good that woman did was give birth to you. Now she should be just a memory. Fuck, not even that, not after what she did to you. She’s fuckin’ nothing, Caden, not even worth a thought.” I paused. “Let it go, brother. Let her go and move on to what comes next for you, Josie and me. Your family.” I could only hope Caden would see reason with my words.

We sat in silence for a while. I watched him as his mind ran through many thoughts.

“I don’t know if I could live with myself just letting him have my mum.”

“Are you willing to hand Josie over for her?” I asked.

“Fuck no,” he growled.

“Why do you feel the need to save that bitch of a mother of yours? What has she ever done for you? Tell me of a fuckin’ time she had your back and wasn’t offering it up instead for her own life.”

Nothing but silence.

Because there had never been a time his mother had his back.

Not like Hawks.

And not like Josie would.

“Fuck,” he hissed. “Fuck!” he yelled. “She’s nobody to me. I have no family but the brotherhood and...you and Josie.”

“Damn right, Caden.” I nodded. “Let’s head home. Our girl will be wondering where we are.”

Without another word, he stood and started for the door. Then he turned to me when I was a step behind him. He looked at me and gave me a half-smile. “Who knew we’d...? I ‘preciate ya, man.”

Grinning, I said, “Same.”

On the ride home, I thought it was time to take the reins back into our hands. There was no way in fuckin’ hell I was gonna let the fucker ruin Caden’s life. He had just started to live again.

I slid off my ride and waited for Caden to take off his helmet, I was about to tell him my plan when he spoke, “I’m gonna make a call to Lan. Maybe he can do something. I can’t,”—he shook his head—“I can’t just let her die.”

“You know what that means?”

“What?”

“You’re the better man, out of any of them, us. Fuckin’ always have been, you and Josie deserve each other, but I’m a selfish fucker and I’m taggin’ along for the ride as well.”

Caden threw his head back and laughed. “It wouldn’t be the same without you, Eli. You fuckin’ know that.”

I sent him a chin lift. “’Cause I’m that awesome.” I smirked. “Make the call, see you up there.”

Looking to Caden after Josie stormed off, he stared back and then with a nod, he started for her bedroom door. He was gonna tell her it all. I needed to be in there for them.

“Thanks for your help, brothers, but...”

Dodge chuckled as he stood from the couch. “Yeah, yeah we get it. Make-up sex and truth work wonders.”

A snort, then a shrug. “True that,” I said.

Dallas walked to the door from the kitchen. “She’s strong now. She can handle it.” He glared and then left. Dodge sent a wink before he closed the door after him.

Dallas was a strange fucker and the woman who brought him to his knees was gonna have to be the sane one for the both of them.

Lockin’ the door, knowing Simone wasn’t gonna be home for another two hours, I walked to the bedroom to see how things were going. See if they’d got to the sex part of the fun yet.

––––––––

Pick

Opening the bedroom door, I stepped in to find Josie standing across the room with her hands on her hips glaring at me. Fuck, it was cute and I would have told her if I wasn’t worried she’d throw something at me. At least she wasn’t crying. I’d feel like a real arsehole if I saw her in tears.

“Baby, it’s not what you think,” I said calmly.

“Then what is it?” she asked with a tremble in her voice.

“How about you sit down?”

“No.” She glared.

“Okay, all right.” I sighed and ran a hand over my buzz cut. “Precious, you mean everything to Eli and me. Fuck, you know we love you and have for a fuckin’ long time.” Tears pooled in her eyes. Jesus, I knew I never said the words, but she had to have felt it. Striding forward, I cradled her in my arms. Her forehead went to my chest. “I love you, Josie, and there is no way in hell I would jeopardise it for anything.”

“Then why lie?” She sniffled.

The bedroom door opened and we both knew it would be Eli. Still, we didn’t turn. He came up beside us and ran his hand down her back.

“We wanted to protect you,” I offered.

She groaned and pulled away, glaring once again. Fuckin’ cute.

With her hands on her hips, she snapped, “Don’t you both get it? If it has anything to do with either of you, I want to know. I don’t want to be put inside a bubble and go along thinking the worst. I want to protect you both as well and I can’t do that not knowing what’s going on.” She wiped at her eyes. “I love you both. You have my heart, my soul, and you’ve both made me stronger. You both know everything about me. But you both need to let me all the way in and tell me everything about you. Please.”

While I got my head together, preparing to tell her everything, so nothing was between us again, Eli said, “Sweetheart, you already know everything about me. My parents sucked. So I took up a life with a new family. What I didn’t expect to find was an even better family within the brotherhood. You and Caden...hell, you both mean a fuckin’ heap to me and I’d do anything for you both. We can tell you everything about us. But please, baby, you gotta know we can’t tell you everything that goes on with the club.”

“I know that,” she uttered with a nod. “And I understand it. I just want to be there for you both when you need me. I want to help ease any troubles you both may have. And I need you to know that I’m not the person I used to be. I can handle things, the good, the bad and the very ugly, if I know it helps you both.”

Eli smiled at her and held out his hand. She took it and he led her to the bed. I joined them, sitting down on the other side of our woman.

“We’re gettin’ the picture, sweetheart. We’ve witnessed you growin’ into a beautiful, young, brave woman,” Eli said.

“Good.” She nodded to the floor and then raised her eyes and looked at me. “Can you tell me what’s going on, if it doesn’t have anything to do with the club?”

“Yeah, precious. I can tell you, but fuck, baby, it ain’t good.”

She reached her hand up and ran it down my cheek, then took my hand in hers. “I know.”

Closing my eyes, I braced myself. Christ, I didn’t want to tell her. I wanted to protect her from the fuckin’ wrong things in life, but she was right. We couldn’t keep her in a bubble. To know us, she had to know everything that was goin’ on.

“You know I had a shit past. My mum sold my body and got me to do shit I didn’t like so she could stay high. What you don’t know...the men who, fuck, who took advantage of me.” Shit what would she think of me? I needed to get it out quick, see where I then stood with Josie. Looking to our joined hands, I continued, “I hunted them down and killed them all, but there was one I couldn’t find, until recently.” I didn’t pause for breath, needing to get the words out there. “He’s Cameron’s father. Eli and I went to meet with them. Told his dad that he had to keep his son away from you or else his past would be shown to the press.”

Eli pressed on for me. “We thought he’d listened. It’d been two weeks. Until this morning. Caden had a delivery at the compound, which was why we had to go. There was a box. Let’s just say Nigel, Cameron’s fucked-up father, has told Caden if he doesn’t hand you over to his son, he is going to kill Caden’s mum.”

She gasped and squeezed my hand. I looked to her and she said, “I’ll go. We can’t let—”

“No way in hell, Josie,” I growled. “I’d go there myself and kill the lot of them before I let them take you. I have enough blood on my hands, what’s more—”

“And they deserve it,” Josie said quietly.

Eli’s eyes widened and my head jerked back. I then uttered, “What?”

She stood suddenly, dropping our hands to face us her hands went to her hips, her eyes glared with an intense gleam to them and she leaned forward to speak her next words. Fuck me, she was furious on my behalf. Even her cute nose was scrunched up. “They deserve death, Caden. I know I’m a bad person saying that, but...but...fuck it. Your mum is a bitch and if I had a gun myself, I would shoot her for what she put you through. I’m sorry, but I would. People like that, like Nigel,” she snarled, “they deserve nothing but death. Hell, if I had my chance I would have loved to have killed David with my bare hands for what he did to me. But I can’t.” She took a deep breath. Her gaze flittered to the floor and then back up to me. “I’m sorry your mum is in that situation, but she’s...crazy, Caden. Crazy to have damaged her son, her own flesh and blood like she did. I know you won’t give me up...but, I know you have a big heart, Caden.” Christ, she got to her knees in front of me and moved her way between my legs, taking my hands in hers. “So I know you don’t want your mum’s death on your shoulders.”

“Fuckin’ pure beauty,” Eli growled.

Only Josie and Eli could get me to smile on such a fucked-up day. So I smiled down at Josie and told her, “You’re right, on all accounts, baby. Which is why I called Lan. He’s heading over to Nigel’s estate now to see what he can do.”

She licked her lips. “Why...why didn’t you want to go? He doesn’t deserve jail and you could have saved your mum.”

Cupping her cheeks in my hands, I said, “I never want to see that woman again. She is no one to me, not when I’m finally fuckin’ living.” I kissed her lips and ran my hands to her shoulders before I shrugged. “Besides, if there isn’t anything Lan can do, at least I tried.”

“You are an amazing man, Caden Parker.”

“And you’re a lioness hiding under sheep’s clothes. I’ve never heard you swear so much.” I chuckled when she glared.

“The moment was right for it.” She sighed. “But what about that man who—”

“Even if Lan can find something and he does go to jail, he’ll know what hell is. We have brothers on the inside. Just one call and Nigel will want to die, but they won’t let him.”

Our precious girl nodded and then said, “Good. I’m glad.”

“Baby,” I groaned. “I just told you I have blood on my hands. I’ve taken lives and I’m gonna make a call, if it comes to it, to take another life and all you can say is good?”

She bit her bottom lip and her brows drew down like she was confused. “Well, yes. I mean, it’s not like you went on a killing spree and killed innocent people. They deserved everything they got and so will Nigel.”

That was when Eli and I threw our heads back and laughed.

“How am I being funny?” She glowered and stood.

I sobered and took her hand dragging her to stand between my legs. Her breath caught as she looked down at me. “Can’t fuckin’ believe how lucky we are that we have a woman who is everything and more. You were made for us, precious. Just us. No one else.”

She smiled down at me and before touching her lips to mine, she said, “Never anyone else but you and Eli, always.”

“Our girl is comin’ into her biker-babe stage,” Eli said.

Josie giggled and then gave us a mock glare. “So look out, you don’t want to annoy me.” She leaned over and kissed Eli, only to pull back and ask, “Is this where we have good make-up sex?”

Eli snorted. I laughed.

“Nothing good about it, baby,” Eli said. “It’ll be mind-fuckin’-blowin’.”

It was then we heard the front door slam and footsteps coming down the hall.

“Everyone decent in there?” Simone called before knocking on the door.

“No,” Eli yelled.

“Never,” I said.

“Good,” Simone said as she opened the door.

“What happens if I was naked?” Josie asked with a gasp.

“I would enjoy the show.” Simone smiled, but her smile faded from her face when she took us all in. “You’re not ready?”

“Oh, um, I forgot.”

Simone stamped her foot. “Stop distracting her.”

“What’s this about?” Eli barked.

“Girls’ night,” Simone sang. “Now that her shit has calmed down, we’re heading to the pub.”

Standing, I pulled Josie in front of me to hide my hardness for my woman. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I said, “Girls’ night just turned into girls’ and guys’ night.”

Simone gasped. “You can’t.”

“Why the fuck not?” Eli demanded.

Simone glared. “We’ll be talking about your cocks and how good you are in bed.”

Eli shrugged. “Like we give a fuck. What pub? I’ll ring the brothers. They can meet us there.”

“You’re not coming,” Simone snapped.

“Try and stop us, woman. Josie is not going out without us and that’s fuckin’ final,” I barked.

Simone looked to Josie with pleading eyes. So fuckin’ glad our woman knew the shit wasn’t totally over because then she knew we’d want to be by her side. Hell, we’d want it anyway. No fucker was goin’ near our woman.

“Sorry,” Josie offered her friend.

“Bloody hell, you’re lucky they’re good looking,” she said and stomped off, but not before she yelled back, “Be ready in half an hour and the pub is called Blow Hard.”