eleven
Angel hadn’t expected Kade to hit her with the big question so soon, but she sure as hell was glad it wasn’t as big as she’d thought. Then she really would have had to walk away from him. As great a guy as he seemed to be, she wasn’t planning on marrying the man. He was smoking hot and strong and smart, and yeah, she sometimes imagined what it would be like to have a family with him, but she didn’t have any desire to marry him. Or any man, for that matter.
Life was going just fine without having to complicate it with legal forms and such. She liked the idea of common law stuff. If it got serious enough between them, and they went the long haul, that would be great, but she’d just as soon be able to walk away or kick him out if the need arose than have to get a lawyer and courts involved.
Divorces tended to get nasty and complicated, and that just wasn’t her style.
The wind whipped around them as Kade drove down the country back roads toward town. She couldn’t believe they’d almost broken up back there. When she realized how bad things had gone from that one question, she’d felt an overwhelming, insistent need to fix it—fast. The clenching in her chest, that breathless feeling of drowning had scared the life out of her. Still, had his answer been any different, she would have had to walk away, no matter the way it made her feel.
But it scared her just how much it did make her feel. Good Lord, but she was in trouble with this one. That moment had made it all too painfully clear.
Still, the relief she felt when he’d laid that smile on her then took her again before they left was palpable. And now, snug up against his back, feeling the heat of his skin beneath her hands as she held on tight to him, she knew she’d made the right choice. For now.
Later, it might change out of necessity, but this was how it had to be. For her sanity’s sake.
The world sped by at amazing speeds, the trees flashing green and brown, the ground a blur of gray. Overhead, the cloud-dappled blue sky seemed not to remain stationary, giving her a perfect view of a couple of crows flapping by—probably on the hunt for an evening snack.
Which reminded her, Angel was starving.
“I’m hungry,” she called over Kade’s shoulder, fighting to be heard over the roaring wind.
Turning his head slightly, he said, “What?”
“Food!”
He nodded, his right hand dropping to her knee to give it a gentle squeeze to let her know he’d understood. Good, because she’d worked up quite an appetite today, and assuming he didn’t have plans later, she did, and that meant they were going to have to maintain their strength.
The deer came out of nowhere.
One second, it was smooth sailing, and the next Kade was slamming on the brakes, the bike fishtailing across the road and the tires fighting to gain purchase…and then they were falling. Angel knew it was going to hurt, but there was nothing either of them could do to stop the collision that was about to happen. All she could do was tighten her hold on the man in front of her and send up a few fervent prayers while hoping for the best.
***
It’d be a long-ass day at the office—a cramped trailer in the middle of a construction zone in the middle of summer with the AC unit on the fritz—followed by a headache at the clubhouse he’d needed to sort out, leaving Blake hot, tired, hungry, and mean.
“Hey, Prez—”
Blake snapped his hand into the air and kept his eyes trained on the exit. “If it isn’t broken, dead, or dying, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Uh…okay.”
He didn’t know who’d been talking to him, but he heard them muttering something about having to talk to Repo and needing a bulletproof vest as they walked away.
It kind of made him feel shitty for passing the buck. On a good day, his VP was a cantankerous bastard. On a bad day…no one dared to cross his path. But since Repo and Red had shacked up and were starting a family, the old man had been a regular ray of sunshine—if sunshine was dull with a slight cloud cover. Still, it was a huge improvement from the man Blake had grown up knowing.
Needing to get home to his wife and kids, take a load off, and eat away his troubles, Blake was a man on a mission. But even his one-track mind couldn’t escape or ignore the heap of trouble that burst through his front door.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Blake demanded as his escape quickly turned into a kind of rescue mission.
“Fucking deer ran out in front of us. Didn’t have time to stop,” Moose grunted as he limped his way inside with his new girl, Angel, tucked under his wing.
Blake breathed a momentary sigh of relief, glad it hadn’t had anything to do with rival gangs or anything else untoward. It was common knowledge that Manuel Contreras was still in the area, but so far he’d been laying low and keeping a low profile. Blake wasn’t stupid enough to think he wasn’t still getting his hands dirty, but he wasn’t in the mood to kick up or reignite another turf war. Right now, all he wanted was some damn peace and quiet.
It looked like even without an active war going on, that just wasn’t in the cards.
Moose and Angel were both pretty banged up, blood and scrapes and debris everywhere, looking like they’d just walked off the set of a Quentin Tarantino movie. They needed showers and new clothes—the whole lot.
Like his nickname implied, Blake was quick to action, tucking his shoulder under Angel’s other side and helping his brother carry her over to a table and ease her down into one of the chairs. He would have preferred she be on something soft, but the couches sanitary state were questionable at best.
To Ginger, who stood watching with worry from the bar, he said, “Call the doc. Tell her to get here, pronto.”
“Already on it,” she replied, the house phone already pressed against her ear.
“Don’t need all that fussin’ about,” Moose said as he sat down with a wince and a grunt, holding his hand against his side as if in pain. “We’ll be fine. Nothing but superficial stuff.”
“Speak for yourself,” Angel whined. “I think I broke something.” She cradled her elbow against her chest, calling Blake’s attention.
Concerned, he gently grasped the injured arm’s wrist and asked, “May I?” She nodded, fear making her eyes wide and glossy, as he slowly and carefully extended her arm toward him. She winced and caught her breath, and he stopped. “Too much?”
She thought about it, then said, “No.”
So he continued until he had her arm fully extended. Then he smiled softly at her. “Good news. I don’t think it’s broken.”
“How do you know?” she asked hopefully.
“Because if it was, you’d be screaming your head off by now. At worst, maybe a hairline fracture or a sprain, but my money is on some deep bruising. We’ll wait until the doc gets here, though, to know for sure.”
“Impressive, doc,” Moose said sarcastically. “Do me next.”
“No thanks, man.” Blake got to his feet. “You know I don’t float that way.”
“Clearly not, with the way you and Gabby keep popping out kids.”
“Hey,” Blake said, shooting Moose a cocky grin, “gotta pass the time somehow.”
“Got that right,” he agreed.
Getting serious again, Blake cast Angel a concerned look. “You’re gonna be fine. Just sit tight and wait for the doc. She’ll patch you up.”
Angel nodded, a weak but grateful smile appearing.
To Moose, Blake said, “I’m glad you’re okay, but if you plan on having yourself a woman, you need to learn how to take better care of her.”
“Hey,” Moose said, taking offense, “that deer had it out for us. I know I’m a total badass and this incident has damaged your hero worshiping view of me, but even I can’t beat Mother Nature when she decides to strike.”
“Are you sure there’s room for you in this relationship, between him and his ego?” Blake asked Angel.
She laughed and shook her head. “I ask myself that often.”
Moose looked incredulous. “Mouse, seriously? That hurts.”
She shrugged, all what? It’s true. And they all knew it wasn’t as much as it was. Moose was one of the best brothers in the clubhouse. He might be overly confident and a bit cocky, but he was one of the most honest and loyal brothers they had. Angel could definitely do worse.
“All right, you two, I’m on my way out.” Blake pointed at Moose. “Keep me updated.”
“Worried I’ll croak on ya?”
“Hell yeah. I’m thinking about buying a new bike, and I need your expert eye to make sure it’s a good choice.”
“No shit?” Moose said, his voice rising with excitement. “Shit, tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
Blake grinned and nodded, knowing how much the man loved to get his hands on a bike. He was a true grease monkey, which was why he was the club’s mechanic. Most days, whether at the clubhouse or his own home, he could be found in the garage with a tool in his hand. Since he’d met Angel, it was the first time Blake had ever seen the man spend so much time out in the open…and clean. He was very clean.
“Catch you all later,” he said as he headed for the door.
It swung open, letting in the heavy summer air. Catching it before it could smack him in the face, Blake nodded at Sable as she stepped inside, medical bag in hand.
“Hey,” she greeted. “The doctor wasn’t available, so you get me today. Where’s the patient?”
“Long time, no see. You look good, hon,” Blake said, glad to see the woman. She’d never been in tight with the club, choosing to keep her distance from any trouble they might encounter, which was prudent, since she could lose her job just being there. But she’d helped them out of more than one tough spot, and she’d been there to fix up his Gabby a few years back when she’d been caught in the middle of Spartan business.
“Thanks, Blake. I’m glad to see you’re still alive.” Her dark eyes scanned him. And no new scars or anything to note. “Staying out of trouble?”
“Trying to.”
She tipped her head.
Pleasantries aside, he said, “They’re over there,” and pointed to the table where Moose and Angel sat.
Sable nodded grimly and headed their way.