Cain Rodgers opened his eyes and focused on the familiar surroundings of his bedroom. His arm and side were aching, but not as much as they had been the night before. He twisted his head to his right and looked at the clock. Seven-sixteen, though he couldn’t tell from the light through the blinds if it was AM or PM. He rolled over, looking for Alex, but she was no longer in the bed with him. He felt a rush of panic and sat up quickly, grimacing as the stitches in his side reminded him to move slowly.

 

“Alex!” he called as he swung his legs to the floor and got to his feet. He felt an enormous pressure on his bladder, but he had to find her first.

 

“You’re up,” she said as she pushed the door open just as he reached it. “How are you feeling?”

 

Cain let out a great sigh of relief. “Better. When you weren’t in the bed I thought…”

 

“I can’t lie in the bed all day. You’ve been asleep for over sixteen hours.”

 

“Sixteen hours?” No wonder I have to pee so badly, he thought.

 

He hurried to the bathroom, a shiver passing over him as the pressure was relieved. After what seemed like an eternity of running water, he wandered into the front of his apartment.

 

“You want something to eat? I’ve already eaten. The doctor stopped by and left these.” Alex rattled a small bottle with some pills in it. “They’re for pain. Do you need one? She also left an antibiotic that you are supposed to take twice a day for the next week.” Alex twisted the top off a different bottle, shook out a capsule and handed it to him before drawing him a glass of water.

 

He moved his arm and, though he could feel the stitches pulling, it didn’t hurt too much unless he stretched too far. “No. I think I’m okay – at the moment anyway. Jesus, what did she give me? And how did I get home?” He took the capsule and water and downed them.

 

Alex smiled. “A couple of the guys helped get you into my car and then I helped you up the steps and got you into bed.”

 

“I remember going to bed and you joining me, but that is about it.” He sat the glass down in the sink then started to rub his face with his right hand, got a jolt of pain that made him grimace, and switched to his left. “I must have been really out of it.”

 

“You were.”

 

“Thank you,” he said with a gentle smile, and he really meant it.

 

“For what?”

 

“For getting me home, to Dallas. For taking care of me. For…staying last night.”

 

Alex smiled and looked down in that way she did when she was feeling guilty. He thought that was one of the most endearing things she did and it made him want to take her into his arms and hold her until she was all better. “I’m sorry you were hurt because of me. All of this is my fault. All of it. If you had never gotten involved with me —” she said softly, still looking at the ground.

 

“Then I wouldn’t have gotten to know the mother of my child,” he said, cutting her off. “I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, except getting shot. I would change that.”

 

She giggled and looked up, her smile making him feel warm and silly, and totally out of sorts like no other woman had ever been able to do. “By the way, Thad called. He said he needed to talk to you as soon as you could ride. He wants you to come to the clubhouse.”

 

“That’s not a good sign.”

 

“No. He didn’t sound happy at all.”

 

***

 

“Did you call your grandparents?” Cain asked as they climbed into his truck. They were taking his Dodge because he didn’t feel like squeezing into that shoebox she called a car.

 

“Yes. This morning. I told them I was okay. I called my boss, too. I told him I would be gone for a couple of weeks. We made the news, so he understood.”

 

“I’m going to introduce you as my old lady when we get to the clubhouse,” he said as Alex drove them along. “That will cut down on the questions and problems and places you off-limits to the rest of the club, okay?”

 

“Doesn’t that mean I’m your wife?”

 

“It could. But mostly it means that you’re mine and not available to anyone else. By extension, it also means I’m no longer available, as well.”

 

“Does that mean you were still playing the field?”

 

“It means that I was available to play the field. But I wasn’t.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because, Alex, I didn’t want to. I want you. Not some club girl.” He watched her draw her lips tight. “What?”

 

“I’ve made no claim on you.”

 

“I know. But I keep trying.”

 

“Why? I’ve been nothing but trouble.”

 

“I know. But I always get what I want. Sometimes I just have to work a little harder for it.”

 

“Not this time you don’t.”

 

He didn’t want to start a fight so he let it drop. But he always got what he wanted, and sooner or later, he would have her…or he would die trying.

 

***

 

They walked into the clubhouse. Most of the guys and their old ladies, along with a sizable percentage of the club girls, were there. As they entered all eyes turned first to Cain, then to Alex, making him smile. He was about to shake up the club.

 

“Everyone…this is Alex Bernhardt…my old lady.”

 

A twitter started around the room. “You have an old lady? Since when?” Jacks asked.

 

“Since about three months ago. She lives in New Orleans. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he added just to embarrass her. “Toni, Lexus, can you show her around? She’s not into the motorcycle club scene so be gentle with her. I have some business to take care of.”

 

A couple of the club girls swayed over to take charge of Alex.

 

“I’ll be back in a while.” He decided to take the risk that she wouldn’t reject him in front of the rest of the club and kissed her softly on the lips. “Toni and Lexus will take care of you. If you need anything, just ask. You’re part of the Hellhounds now.”