Chapter 22

Dart

I’m driving an SUV Lost managed to find for me, Mouse is in the passenger seat, and Alex and Tyler are in the back. Glancing in the rearview mirror, it kills me to see pain etched on her face. I’ve already given Doc our ETA and asked him to be ready at the club to change her dressings and check none of the stitches have been pulled out. She’s had a terrible few days, being put through emotional and physical hell. Currently she’s twitching in a fitful sleep, but Tyler’s happily amusing himself, playing on a tablet which Mouse had stopped off to buy for him, his new motorbike close at hand by his side. I only hope my brother’s view of what’s a suitable game for a six-year-old is the same as Alex’s. He’s enjoying it though, and it’s keeping him quiet. Kid deserves a little spoiling after what he’s been through.

Drum sent Mouse and I back with Alex, and Slick’s staying on to help sort out the rogue chapter. I’d offered to stay and help, but he thought Alex would feel easier if I was with her back home. I’m yet to be convinced on whether he’s made the right call, unsure that there’ll ever be a way back from my stupid mistake. Staying behind dealing with traitors would probably be easier than making things right between us. Why is it you only realise you want something so badly when the chance has been taken away?

Even while I’m wondering there’s any chance I can rescue my relationship with Alex, particularly now Thompson’s giving her even less reason to trust a man, I can’t help but think about what’s going on at the warehouse we just left, suspecting there’s going to be one hell of a showdown. Both loyal and disloyal San Diego club members will be shortly be receiving a text summons, supposedly from Snake, to gather them all together. Drum’s not relying on Gator’s info about just who was involved in the coup and who’s not. His plan is to confront them all and watch who takes which side.

We might still have doubts about who, but we’d got to the bottom of why when we started questioning Snake. While Satan’s Devils still run a few guns, nowadays we get most money coming in legit. What we don’t deal in is drugs. Seen too many clubs go sideways when their members start sampling the product. Snake thought it was a sign of the mother chapter’s weakness to insist on staying out of that trade. When he’d realised his game was up, he tried to tempt us with talk of the money he thought he’d be bringing in.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Mouse glancing over his shoulder. When he sees Alex is sleeping and Tyler otherwise engaged, he starts to speak. “I’ll feel easier once we’ve crossed the border into Arizona. I’ve a twitchin’ feelin’ between my shoulder blades that Thompson’s gonna be comin’ after us.”

“Yeah, the sooner she and the boy are on the compound, the happier I’ll fuckin’ be.” Automatically I check in the rear mirror that there isn’t a cop car approaching with lights flashing. Then, bringing my eyes back front, I concentrate on the road for a moment, overtake a slow-moving truck, and then continue. “Spoke to Drum about takin’ Thompson out. However much I want to tear him to pieces with my bare hands, Prez is concerned about blowback on the club.” I hate it, but Drummer’s right. “Can’t just disappear the motherfucker, Mouse, not with you on the cop’s radar already.”

“I overheard. Looks like he’ll be havin’ a nasty accident soon.”

“Wish I could make him suffer for what he did.” I bang my fist on the steering wheel. “Fucker mutilated her, scarred her. A clean death’s too easy after what he made Alex go through.”

“Dead’s dead, Brother. Dead’s dead.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” I don’t like it, but can see Drummer’s point. The sooner that motherfucker stops breathing air, the better I’ll like it. “Fuck knows how we’ll do it. I’d have left it to the San Diego boys if we knew who we could fuckin’ trust.”

“You thinkin’ of goin’ back down there yourself, Dart?”

“Don’t know what the fuck is gonna happen, Brother. Just know all this shit goin’ on doesn’t rest easy with me. Snake! Who’d have fuckin’ thought it?”

Mouse sighs and tries to stretch out his long legs. “Think he thought the mother chapter was weak, as we’ve called on his help a few times.”

“Only because we were up against somethin’ bigger than us. Fuck, man, Tucson weak? Not with Drum at the helm. Never in a million fuckin’ years.” And fuck anyone who thinks it.

We drive on another couple of miles, and then Mouse voices his thoughts again. “You reckon Lost will take the prez’s patch?”

“Who else is there? Unless Drum’s thinking of winding up the whole fuckin’ chapter. It’s so rotten, that could be in the cards.”

“Didn’t like leavin’ our bikes there.”

I grimace. “With you there, Brother. Drum’s promised to get a prospect to drive them back.” Again I signal and move out when it’s clear.

The checkpoint comes up, and we go through without hassle. Once we’re through, Mouse and I bump fists. I swear the Arizonian air smells different. I can physically breathe easier, and when I catch my first glimpse of a saguaro, I feel like I’m home.

It’s full darkness by the time we arrive at the club. Jekyll’s on the gate and slides it open. As most of our members are in Cali right now, the clubhouse seems quiet. Alex has slept most of the way, and Tyler had abandoned his game at some point and also nodded off. Now I wake them up.

Alex blinks her bleary eyes and looks around.

“Come, Slick’s given me the key to his suite—he and Ella have rented a place in town while they look for somewhere to buy, and rarely use it now.” I grin for a moment. Slick wanted to put some distance between Jayden and Paladin, but there’s no need for Alex to know that. “The suite next to his is empty—it used to be Wraith’s but he’s living with Sophie. We’ll get you settled in Wraith’s and I’ll stay in Slick’s so I can be close by.” Unless I get pulled back to San D of course. As she looks at me in confusion, I realise she’s only been to the clubhouse before and hasn’t seen any of our accommodations except a brief view from the outside, so it must sound like I’m talking gibberish. It’s easier to just show her. “This way,” I encourage. Tyler’s awake, but only just. It feels natural to sweep him up into my arms. “Come on, little man. Let’s get you to bed.”

Alex follows me up the compound, her eyes open wide as she realises this is nothing like where she’d been staying at in California. No, nothing can match the standard of our housing. Blocs sitting side by side, two suites in each. We’re the envy of a lot of biker clubs having this old vacation resort as our home. There are crash, or fuck rooms in the main clubhouse, but each Tucson brother has a suite of his own, most with amazing views of the desert basin and up over to the Tucson mountains opposite.

We come to the bloc containing Slick and Wraith’s now redundant suites. The key to Wraith’s is in the door. Turning it, I let her inside, then take it out of the lock and hand it to her. She takes it absentmindedly without looking, far too interested in examining the large space, noting the bed, closet, desk, and comfortable chairs, and then spies the adjacent bathroom. Her eyes widen when she sees the balcony and the view.

She touches my arm. “This is more than I expected, Dart.”

I nod towards the bed. “The old ladies have made sure you’ve got clean linen. Tomorrow I’ll get a prospect to go to your sister’s house and pick up some clothes for you and Tyler.”

“Can I give him a list? Tyler will need some of his toys.”

“Looks like he’ll be taking a truck.” I grin, and then my smile fades. The way she’s holding herself looks like she’s in pain. “I’ll go chase up Doc. He’s probably here by now.”

“Thank you. And I’ll get him into bed.”

The ‘him’ she’s speaking about has his legs around my waist and his head on my shoulder. He’s already falling back to sleep. She pulls back the covers and slips Tyler inside, then I leave her as she starts to get him undressed.

As I thought, Doc’s already here. He’s not a fully qualified doctor like Snake had on call, but his Army medic experience and my warning of what to expect means he’s come prepared with a bag of medical supplies. After I take him up to Wraith’s suite, I suggest he examines her in Slick’s. I don’t want Tyler waking and seeing what that bastard of a father of his had done to his mom. Then I leave them alone and go to my own room, collecting some of my clothes and essentials for the next day. By the time I return, Doc’s got Alex’s dressings changed.

“How’s she lookin’?” I ask.

“Stitches were pulled, but didn’t need to be redone. Healin’ looks like it’s goin’ well otherwise. I’ve left some antibiotics just to be sure.” Doc’s eyes meet mine. He looks furious, but minds his tongue in front of Alex. He packs up his bag and walks to the door, inclining his head to show he wants me to accompany him. At the doorway he says softly, “Tell me the fucker’s dead.”

“Not yet. But he soon will be.”

My answer seems to satisfy him. With a lift of his chin he walks off down the track.

Alex looks done in, despite her long sleep on the journey. She’s sitting on the bed that tonight will be mine and popping a pill that Doc must have left. Damn it. She looks so right, right there. All I want to do is to hold her tonight, keep her close, know that she’s safe. How stupid I was to keep finding reasons why I should keep my distance. And how beyond crazy I was to go with Eva to try to prove the non-sensical point that I didn’t want her. That didn’t work, and I lost the woman I do want in the process.

As I stare at her, I run my hands through my hair, pulling it loose from my bun, not missing the way her eyes sharpen with interest. Have I still got a chance? Fuck it, if I have, I’m not going to pass up on it.

Seeing my eyes fixed upon hers, she turns away a little awkwardly, and starts to get up.

“No, don’t go. Stay for a moment.” I’ve startled her. As she doesn’t seem to know what to say, I give her more. “Alex, look, I fucked things up, okay?”

I go to her and sit close, taking one of her hands. “Shush, look, please. Let me talk? This last day we’ve both been through hell, a hundred times worse for you after your bastard ex did to you, I know, but today, the thought of Fang or Gator touchin’ you made me realise I don’t want any fucker like that to get their hands on you. Hell, that’s wrong. I don’t even want any of my brothers near ya, and that’s been the truth since the first day you danced at the club. It’s just not somethin’ I’ve ever felt before, and doll, I swear I don’t know what to do with these feelin’s.” I glance up, checking she’s listening. She is. Intently. “I’d be wrong right here and now to promise you a forever, it’s too soon, for both of us I would think. But I do think there’s somethin’ between us, and I want a chance to explore where it might go.” I try to lay it all out on the line, hardly daring to hope my heartfelt words might have any success.

She’s quiet for a moment, then wrenches her hand out of my grasp. “It’s too little too late, Dart. If you’d asked me before, there’s nothing I would have wanted more than to start dating you. I’m attracted to you, but I need a man I can trust.” She breaks off and waves her hand in the rough direction of the club house. “There are club girls here too, aren’t there? And you’ve probably fucked them all.”

I can’t deny that I have. My silence gives her the answer.

“Look, Dart, I’m all worn out. I don’t want to talk anymore tonight.”

I admit she looks tired, and mentally exhausted. Now I might be a bastard, but after cocking everything up, maybe my best chance is to strike while her barriers are down and she’s got no fight left in her. “Doll, I won’t fuck any whores while we’re together. And that’s not what I want to do with you.”

I’ve caught her attention. Her forehead creases and worry lines appear as she asks, “What do you mean, you don’t want to fuck me? Huh, I suppose it’s because Ron fucked me up.”

I rear back. “It’s nothin’ to do with your scars. And that’s not what I meant, doll.” I run my hands through my hair as I dig for the right words, then lean forwards and clasp my hands between my knees. “I’ve kissed you, darlin’. Never do that with whores. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I actually kissed a girl. Probably not since I joined the club. Easy pussy is just that, babe. Easy. There to get some relief.”

“Eva seemed satisfied.”

I should have expected I’ve not heard the last of that. I give a half smile. “Hope she was, darlin’. I’m not a bastard that just takes.” Undoing my hands, I risk touching her face, and fuck me if she doesn’t lean into my hand. Ignoring that she’s probably too tired to hold her own head up, at this point I’ll take whatever she’ll let me have. “This isn’t what I do with the whores, darlin’. I don’t hang around talkin’ like this. Before I just want to get in there. Once I’m done, I’m finished and out. I’ve never held a woman and discussed feelin’s and the like.”

She turns and looks into my eyes. “Is that what we’re doing here?” She pauses and bites her lip, then continues in a tentative voice as though she’s almost afraid to ask. “What are these feelings, Dart?”

“Fuck me, doll. I can’t explain them. But I tell ya, I’m feelin’ things I’ve never felt before.” I shake my head as I think how to describe it. “I don’t give a damn who’s in Eva’s bed now or who was in there before.” Now my smile becomes complete. “I’d know I’d want to kill any other man who was in yours.”

Now I raise my other hand so I’m cupping her face between both palms. “I don’t kiss bitches—women—doll. You must be a witch, babe. Every time I’ve had your lips you entrance me. You scare me so much, I vowed to keep away.”

“We’ve only kissed twice.”

“Somthin’ we can rectify straight away, doll.”

And fuck me, she nods. Encouraging her face up, I lean down. Her lips are as soft as I remember, and immediately I’m lost. When she opens her mouth and grants me entrance, my tongue sweeps inside, and that taste goes straight to my groin. I force myself to think of her injuries, and before I act on my desire to take this further, pull away, then lean my forehead against hers.

She’s quiet, and once again those teeth are worrying at her lip. After a few seconds she says, “Dart. You’ve caught me with my defences down. I must be out of my mind.” She’s going to give me a chance. I feel like jumping out and shouting, but force myself to stay in place and listen to what else she has to say. “How do we do this? What do you want from me, Dart? I want to understand what you’re asking. I can’t…not yet.”

And I wouldn’t push her until she’s healed. “Babe, the last few days have been hell for me as well as you. When you disappeared I was frantic. When I found you injured so badly I didn’t know how to cope. And today, fuck, I wasn’t scared for myself, but for you and Tyler. I want, no need you close. Just give me this, doll. Stay with me tonight. I know yer hurtin’, so I’m not proposing anything other than keeping each other company.” If I can get her to sleep in my bed it will at least give us a good place to start.

“Tyler.”

Oh yeah, I knew she was going to come up with that. “He’s asleep, darlin’. And we’ll keep the door open and hear him if he stirs. You sleep beside him and he might roll on you and hurt ya.”

“What’s stopping you from rolling on me?”

I smirk. “I can keep my hands to myself as long as you can.”

She forms a fist and punches my arm, but her lips have curved up. It looks like she’s decided to stay.

Not wanting to give her time to rethink it, I move to the practicalities. “Come on, let’s get you settled.” I rummage in the pile of clothes I brought up with me from my room. “Wear one of my shirts.” And my cock twitches at the thought of her wearing something of mine.

She hesitates, and then gives in, but the truth is she’s so worn out she’s too tired to protest, but right now I’ll be a bastard and take anything I can. She gets up, takes the shirt, and goes into the bathroom. As she walks, hunched over like an old woman, I bite back a curse, and promise that now she’s under my protection on my home ground, no one’s ever getting near enough to harm her again. While she’s gone I strip down to boxers and pull back the sheet. I’m just about to slide inside when there’s a knock at the door. I open it to find Allie standing there.

“Hey, Dart. You’re a hard man to find. Heard you were back but you weren’t in your suite. Had to get Mouse to tell me where you were.”

“Allie…”

Her hand comes out and touches my bare chest and her fingers do a dance against my skin. “Thought you and me could get together, hmm? I’ve been dreaming about sucking your cock. Mmm mmm. Doubt those Cali whores could satisfy you the way I can, let me in and I’ll show you just how.”

My cock isn’t up for any such action, not from her or any of the sweet butts. The woman I want is currently getting dressed in my shirt in the next room. Fuck it! When the thought of Alex so close by and naked lodges in my head, my cock starts to stir.

Pointedly Allie looks down at my tenting boxers, and then up at my face. She smirks. “Feelin’ it, aren’t ya? You want me to get Paige and Diva along too? Or Pussy, and Jill? See who’s available?”

The thought of the three overused whores going down on me helps me get my unruly cock under control. Before I met Alex, I’d have happily done one, two, or three of them, singly or all together at once, but now the thought turns me right off. As her hand on my chest starts to move lower, I grab it and stop her wandering fingers before they reach their target.

“No, Allie. Not tonight. Not ever.” Shit, I’m burning my boats here, hearing words coming out of my mouth I never dreamt I’d be saying.

Her eyes flit to mine, and her mouth purses. “You aren’t steppin’ into the old lady trap, are ya? Not you as well. You’re not the type, Dart.”

I’m not. But if I was, a woman as brave as Alex is exactly what I’d be looking for. Someone so strong and so selfless. Unfortunately I’m still holding Allie’s hand to prevent it exploring, when her eyes widen as she sees something behind me.

Oh fuck. I drop her hand fast. “Get out of here, Allie. And tell the other girls I don’t want or need anything from them.”

“You’re with…that?” Allie’s look of contempt is more than I can take. “Club wouldn’t allow it, Dart. She’s black, and she works for us.”

And then suddenly there’s a comforting hand on my back. “I don’t work for the club anymore,” Alex starts, but gives no explanation. “But yeah, he’s mine. So back off.” Then almost without a break she adds in a sultry voice, “You coming to bed now, Dart?”

I want to laugh. Want to fist pump the air. Apart from the whores who might fight about who gets my cock, no woman’s ever been possessive about me before. Her declaration of ownership shows we’re in a fucking good place to begin to explore this strange attraction between us.

Allie knows when to give up. With a huff, she makes an about turn and leaves. I swing around, my arms rising to take my woman in my arms…

“Don’t get any ideas, Dart. I could have gone to my room and let you get on with it, but I didn’t want to hear screams of ecstasy from in here all night.”

Now my hands do land on her biceps as I can’t help but chuckle. “Screams of ecstasy, eh? At least you know what to expect, sweetheart.”

That wasn’t what she meant at all, and her eyes narrow to let me know it. Doesn’t stop me none though. “When your healed, I’ll be happy to give you a demonstration.”

She blushes, and then frowns. “Dart, I’m tired. I can’t do this tonight. I’ve got no fight left in me.”

“Don’t want to fight you, Doll.” Letting go of her arms, I wipe my hands down my face. “I know I’ve got a long way to go to get you to trust me again. All you’ve got to decide is if you want to start on that journey. I didn’t ask Allie to come to me, and I sent her away. I’ll always send her and any club whore away.”

She’s quiet, thoughtful. And then her tired shoulders slump. “I’m just staying in the same bed, Dart.”

“I know.”

Letting go of her arms, I put my hand to her back and give her a little push toward the bed, noticing, with a smile, that my shirt comes down to her knees. Touching her through the material I can feel her breathing has quickened, showing she’s not immune to me at all, and the thought of me showing her just how loud I could make her scream makes my cock rock hard, despite knowing that her injuries make it impossible for now.

She pauses before getting onto the bed, but doesn’t turn to look at me. “Did you mean it, Dart? You won’t go with the whores?”

“Next and only woman I’m fuckin’ is gonna be you, sweetheart.”

I hold my breath, but she doesn’t say no.