Chapter 11

Peg

I seem to have taken Hyde under my wing, but fuck it, why not? I happen to think the asshole’s okay, and strangely enough he seems to like me—no accounting for tastes. But he could do worse than learn about the club from an old timer. Today I’ve brought him down to the store we have under what was the second swimming pool of the old resort, and which now looks as though it’s been filled in just like the third one. So well disguised it’s fooled the police and the feds before now.

It started as our armoury but has more than enough space to store people’s treasured possessions too. When we’d had word of a police raid a couple of years back, Drummer stored his precious turntables here, Mouse his laptop and hard drives, and others brought things they didn’t want damaged or inspected too closely.

While we’ve haven’t had trouble come knocking recently, it always does to be well prepared, and today I want to see the state of our ammunition. Hyde and I are making an early start to get the job completed. I instruct him to start checking our stock of bullets, aware brothers have a habit of taking them out and leaving empty boxes behind on the shelves.

We’ve not been at it long when my phone pings with a text. I sigh at the interruption but slide it out of my cut.

Mouse: Security alert at that firefighter’s house.

Shit!

“Peg?” Hyde’s noticed the change in my expression.

I show him the text, thinking rapidly. Fuck it, I’m going to take a look for myself. Could be nothing, but I got that system put in for a reason.

Mouse: Mercer’s out on bail

That settles it. It may be nothing, but I’ve got to investigate. Darcy might be in danger. Or she might be on a shift and there’s a robbery in progress. Whatever, I can’t stand by and do nothing. “Gotta run, Hyde.”

Without missing a beat, he offers, “I’ll come with.” And that’s why I like the fucker.

Going up the steps we pause only to slide the cover back on, and then race for our rides. Wraith, his hand over his mouth stifling a huge yawn, is just coming out of the clubroom. “Mouse told me you’d probably be following up on his text. Want company?”

As I don’t know what I’m going into, it couldn’t hurt. “Yeah, Wraith. Might be useful.”

Within moments we’re mounted and roaring down to the gates. Fergus is there and slides them open, and soon we’re away down the track, and finally, out on the open road. I start to curse as we weave our way through the rush hour traffic, desperately hoping we’re going to find nothing as I try to recall the way to Darcy’s address. I tap my handlebars impatiently when we’re caught by a red light.

Finally, our pipes sound loud as they echo around the residential district, and then we’re coming up to her house.

Her car’s parked in the driveway, no other vehicles in sight. I reach into my cut and take out my key ring, I’d had a key cut for me and had kept it just for situations like this. I knock. There’s no answer, so I don’t delay, turning the lock and pushing the door open.

A piercing scream comes from the direction of the bedroom.

With Wraith and Hyde hot on my heels, I race down the hallway, kick open the door, and have the man who’s attacking her off her and pinned to the wall in what must be little more than a couple of seconds. My hand comes back, and I let fly, punching him in the face, then a second time for good measure. My foot connects with something, and looking down I see it’s a long, sharp knife. He came to hurt her.

I take hold of his shoulders and shake him. “You never fuckin’ learn, do you?”

“Peg, go see to your woman.”

Wraith takes over from me, and I fall at Darcy’s side. Hyde’s already got a sheet on top of her, but I’d seen enough as I ran through the door to know she’s naked underneath. With trembling hands, I reach out to her, but she curls up into a ball, holding the sheet tightly around her, and sobbing so hard she’s gulping for air.

I don’t know what to do, how far he got. Whether it’s my right as a strange man to hold her, whether she wants any man’s touch right now. How far did the bastard go?

Behind me I hear fists slamming into flesh. Wraith knows what it’s like, he’d caught Buster trying to rape his woman. He’s got no time for motherfuckers who take what’s not offered.

Darcy hiccups, and tears are flooding out of her eyes. I can’t hold back. Even while knowing I might be taking the worst possible action, I sweep her, in sheet, up into my arms, cradling the back of her head as I hold her to me, rocking her like I would a child. “Hush, shush. It’s over. We’ve got him.”

Hyde quietly speaks into my ear. “Got Fergus on his way with the truck.”

I nod. Good man. Without instruction he’s made the right call. The sooner we get this bastard out of her house, and out of the land of the fucking living, the better.

“Hush, hush.” I rock her again, feeling my t-shirt getting damp with her tears.

Gradually her hands loosen their hold on the sheet and come up instead to grip my cut. She hiccups again, and her sobs start to slow. Then she looks up, her eyes rimmed red and still watering. “Peg?” she asks, cautiously.

“I’m here, darlin’. I’m here.”

Out of the corner of my eye I see Wraith drag an unconscious body out of the doorway. Well, I hope he’s just been knocked out. I’m going to be the man who delivers the final retribution. A vow reinforced as my eyes fall on her ruined clothes lying on the floor beside the bed.

I need to hear it. Need to know how slow I’m going to have to take it. “Darlin’, did he…?”

I feel the movement of her shaking her head. “No, thank God. Almost. It was close. You got here in time, but…. How the fuck did you know he was here, Peg? Why do you always turn up just when I need you?”

“Not an accident, this time. That security system? Our computer guy has it linked to our set up. A window being broken triggered it, and I came straight down here to see what was up.”

“Thank God you did.” She voices the words I’m thinking. If I hadn’t responded so fast…. If I hadn’t looked at that text…. If I’d stopped to shoot the shit with someone….

Wraith pops his head around the door. “Fergus is here. We’ll get this place cleared for you.”

I nod to thank him. The last thing Darcy will want is to lay eyes on her attacker again.

As if she’s reading my mind, she asks, “Pete?”

“Gone,” I tell her, simply. That’s all she’ll ever need know. Well, only that he’s never going to be able to bother her, or any other woman again.

Her body relaxes in my arms as she hears the front door opening and closing.

“Can I get her anything, Peg?”

She jumps as she hears another voice and then relaxes. “He was here with you, last time, wasn’t he?”

“Yup. That’s Hyde. Would you like a drink or something, darlin’?”

She bites her lip. “I’d like to get dressed. I, er, feel vulnerable like this.”

Of course she would. I must remember, though in my thoughts we’ve become close, in reality this is only the second time we’ve met. “I’ll give you some space.”

I squeeze my arms gently, hugging her for just a second, then get up and leave, closing her bedroom door behind me. I find Hyde in her kitchen, leaning back against the counter.

“She alright? He didn’t…?”

“No, thank fuck. But it was a close call. We got here just in time.” Hyde and I exchange glances, both of us realising how significant that is. If he’d raped her she’d have far more to recover from.

“Wraith said he’d keep him secured for you.”

“Thanks, Hyde. You did good, gettin’ Fergus here so fast.”

He shrugs off my compliment. “Knew she’d want him out of her sight.”

In the background I hear the shower running, she must be washing off the touch of his hands. I don’t blame her. Swinging around, I slam both my fists down on the counter. “If we’d taken longer, Hyde. If Mouse hadn’t been monitorin’ the system…”

“Well we didn’t. And he was. And now that fucker’s going to be taken out of the equation.” I feel a male hand resting on my shoulder. “It’s done, Peg. Finished. She’s safe now.”

Safe. He’s right. That’s my job’s done.

“Is there anything you want me to do, or shall I get back to the compound?”

“Just give it a minute, Brother. I’ll check she’s okay, and then come with you.” I’ve no right to be here, however much I feel it’s my place.

Hyde gives me a strange look. “Peg? I think you should stay. She’s had a big shock. She’ll need someone with her.”

But that person can’t be me. I’m not right for her. But everything that I am makes me wish that I was.

“And,” Hyde continues, “if you don’t speak to her, what’s the first thing she’ll do?”

Fucking new member’s got it in one. She’ll go to the cops. I’ve got to make sure she doesn’t do that. Would raise too many questions. Like just where the fucker is now.

“Knew I did good recommendin’ you patched in.” It’s my way of thanking him. “Yeah, you get back, Hyde. I’ll stay here and make sure things stay quiet.”

“What things stay quiet?” A gentle voice asks. She still sounds shaky, but stronger than when I’d left her.

Hyde walks to the kitchen doorway and nods toward Darcy. “Glad we could help you. I’m off now, but Peg will stay to make sure you’re okay.”

Her eyes meet his, and a tentative smile comes to her lips. “Thank you, Hyde. Thanks for….”

“I was glad to be here.” His own grin is wide and friendly. Then he half looks over his shoulder and raises his chin toward me and then leaves. Moments later, the roar of his pipes shows that he’s gone.

Darcy’s dressed in a loose top and a flowing skirt reaching down below her knees. She looks adorable, even though her curves aren’t showing. She doesn’t want to encourage me. She walks over, nudges me out of the way, and reaches into the fridge and pulls out two beers. Opening hers, she downs a good part in one swallow.

She might be acting blasé, but her hands tremble around the bottle. “You look like you could do with something stronger.”

She shrugs. “It’s all I have.” Her red-rimmed eyes focus on mine. “Now, Peg, what exactly needs to stay quiet?”

Rolling my head back on my shoulders, I sigh, knowing this is the difficult part. She’s not part of our world, and I can’t draw her into it. “I can assure you Pete will never bother you again. I think you’ll find he’s broken the terms of his bail and skipped the state.”

“That’s what you’ll persuade him?”

“Too right,” I confirm.

“Where will he go?”

Now it’s my turn to shrug, and it’s hard to suppress my grin as I say quite truthfully, “Probably down south.” Yup, he’ll definitely be going down, but it won’t be to Mexico, it will be underground.

She takes another swig of her beer. “You’ve got a reputation, you know. Oh, not you personally, but your club.” The hardening of her face shows she’s read between the lines.

“What do you want, Darcy?” I put down my beer, feeling frustrated. “That man was a con man, got himself into your life. How he hid it, I don’t know, but he’s clearly got a habit. Go to the cops? They may send him to jail for a while, but they let him out last time. And he didn’t have the sense to stay away from you. Whatcha think he’s gonna do when he gets out again?”

She frowns. “He might get help inside.”

“He might just get something to fuel his habit.” She doesn’t understand how the world works.

Tapping the bottle against her lips, she cocks her head to one side. “Peg, if I keep the cops out of it and leave you to sort it, can I trust you to make sure he goes away and never comes back?” She pauses, then adds, putting emphasis on each word, “But not to kill him.”

I close the gap between us. “He ain’t never botherin’ you again, darlin’. I promise you that. Can’t promise you he’ll be left breathin’.”

“Yes, you can.” Her face looks up into mine. “You saved me. Again.” Her gaze entraps me. “I’ve been thinking about you. I’m so glad you’ve come, and not just because you got me out of a tough situation.” As I was thinking she’s underestimating what could have happened, she repeats her request. “I can’t have his death on my conscience. You have to leave him alive.” Taking a deep breath, she raises her hand and touches my cheek. “For me. For…what might be between us.” There’s a promise in her eyes, and a threat.

What might be between us? Fuck. Is she saying what I think? What’s certain is without spelling it out she’s giving me an ultimatum. I can make him hurt, but not follow through with a final solution. It’s not what I want, but I don’t want to lose the chance to explore an attraction which doesn’t seem to be one-sided. My heart leaps.

I put my bottle down. Right now, for just the chance to be with her, I’d promise her anything. “Okay.” It’s hard to get the words out which go against everything I am, the desire to solve her problem permanently. “If that’s what you want.”

“I want.” Her hand traces my cheek down to my beard, and with just that one touch I’m a goner. “I’ll go to the police station later today. Report he was here this morning…”

Emphatically I shake my head. “They’ll want to know why you didn’t call 911 immediately.”

She shrugs. “Because some friends arrived and saved me. And I’d just come off a twenty-four-hour shift and was dead beat and not thinking straight.” She rubs her eyes and yawns, showing she’s not far from the truth, then gives me a determined nod. “I have to do this, Peg. Get it on record. Hopefully they’ll arrest him again. I’ll play the part of a weak woman.”

Lifting my hand, I smooth back her hair. “You’re not weak, darlin’, certainly not that. But if you think you can pull it off, we’ll play it your way. Get a restrainin’ order too while you’re at it if you haven’t already. But I promise you this, if he ever comes anywhere near you again, I’ll put him in the ground. And nothing you can say will stop it.”

“And I’ll help you do it.” Her vow is just as intense as mine.

I don’t like it, don’t like it one bit. But I don’t want to talk about Pete anymore. I made a mistake when I moved so close to her. My nostrils flare as I inhale a perfume from whatever type of shampoo and body wash she uses, combined with a unique odour of her. It’s intoxicating, making me want to lean in further, put my nose to her skin so I can fill my lungs with her scent. I want to strip her naked and lie next to her, holding her so we touch from head to toe, not an inch between us.

My cock jumps, intrigued by the aroma surrounding me, wanting to do nothing more than sink into her warm, sweet depths.

She was almost raped.

I take a step back, turning to hide the obvious swelling in my jeans, trying to think of anything else but the woman standing too near. The woman who’s haunted my nights and invaded my daydreams since the first time I’d seen her.

What I wouldn’t give to be able to make this woman mine.

I force myself to think of the night I first met her. That evening which had ended so disastrously with Lorelei’s clear disgust. That thought that brings my cock back under control. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if Darcy’s reaction was the same as hers and I haven’t had a chance to warn her.

Without allowing myself another look at her beautiful face, I decide to do the only thing I can to retain my sanity. “I have to go,” I tell her.