Chapter Twelve
The clap of thunder and Fallon’s blood-curdling scream brought Diablo to his feet. Flicking his gaze to the window, a flash of lightning sparked through the blinds, and then another boom shook the sky. Fallon moaned and tossed in her sleep. Diablo went over to her, sitting next to her as he ran his fingers through her damp hair.
“No. Don’t. Stop. Get away from me,” she moaned, thrashing her head from side to side. Diablo took his hand away but her distress only increased; then he realized she wasn’t talking to him. Some bad things in the dark corners of her mind had snuck out while she slept to torment her.
“No. No!” she screamed again, and Diablo drew her close to him, pushing back the hair that stuck to her sweaty face. In sleep, she clung to him, trembling like a fragile reed. He leaned down and kissed her hair, holding her tightly.
After a few seconds, the demons that had come out to wreak havoc seemed to have scattered back to their shadowed parts of her memory.
Resting against the wooden headboard, he stared vacantly at the light show seeping in through the slats covering his window. Something bad hurt her. Sighing, he looked down at her, her face now peaceful; it seemed as though she’d weathered the internal storm.
“What’s going on with you?” he muttered under his breath. His gaze flicked to the clock on the wall above the dresser; it was six thirty in the morning. He laid his head back against the wall. He couldn’t believe he’d behaved the entire night. Several times he’d woken up and looked over at her soft form in his bed, and it’d taken all his strength to stay in the recliner. If it were any other woman, he would’ve been banging them without any thought, but with Fallon, he wanted her to come to him because she desired him, not because she felt obligated.
What the fuck am I doing, anyway? I don’t have any business fucking up her life. She’s already got enough shit to deal with. I’m not looking for a relationship. Lucy and Maria suit me just fine. Easy without commitment is perfect for me.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about Fallon. There was something about her that drew him in. Maybe it was because they were both twisted and broken by all the shit that hurt them in their past. Maybe that was the tie that pulled them together. He wasn’t sure, but he knew he wanted to spend a lot more time with Fallon.
The minutes passed into hours, and he didn’t even know he’d fallen asleep until a knock on his door woke him up. Fallon was still curled around him. He smiled as he untangled her arms, then went to see who was knocking.
Sangre stood there, a smirk on his clean-shaven face. “Steel’s called church in thirty minutes.”
“Thanks. I’ll be there.” Diablo ran his hand over his face, suppressing a yawn. Sangre just stood there. “Is there something else?”
“No.”
Diablo knew he wanted to ask him about Fallon. “Then I’ll see you at church.” He closed the door, chuckling at the disappointment on Sangre’s face. He knew all the brothers would be dying to know what the deal with Fallon was. The brothers teased him about not fucking every club woman, hang-around, or citizen who shook her ass his way. He heard the hushed voices when he’d stand drinking at a party, then go up to his room alone. He never understood why they were all so interested in how many women he stuck his cock into, but they were.
The talk around the pool table and the bar always centered on Harleys, booze, and pussy—in that order. He was the only one who almost never talked about women. It wasn’t his style. What he did with Lucy and Maria was between him and them. He knew he was an anomaly among the brothers, but he’d never been one to talk about the women he bedded.
“How long have you been up?” Fallon asked.
He turned around and took her in: sleep-filled eyes, mussed-up hair, glowing skin. She’s fuckin’ beautiful. “Not too long. I got church soon. I’m gonna take a shower.”
“Church? On a Wednesday morning?”
He sniggered. “Church means a meeting in biker lingo.”
“That’s weird.” She covered her mouth and yawned wide.
“I’ll be out in fifteen minutes.”
Freshly showered, he came out with a blue towel wrapped around his waist. Fallon was still in his T-shirt, standing by the window and looking out. He came behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. “It’s a fuckin’ deluge out there.” Sheets of water and graphite-smudged skies made the desert landscape seem more desolate than usual. “You can go down to the kitchen if you’re hungry. Just tell Lena you’re with me and she’ll treat you nice.”
“How long’s your meeting?”
He pulled away, took a pair of blue jeans off the wall hook, and put them on. “I don’t know. It could be twenty minutes or several hours.” He slid his belt through the loops.
“I’ll freshen up. I should really go home.”
“Not in this rainstorm you’re not. Wait for it to pass and then see what you wanna do. I got some extra toothbrushes in the bottom drawer of the vanity.”
“Thanks. Do you stock up for times when a strange woman ends up spending the night in your room?”
“Nope. I stock up ’cause I grew up never having enough of anything. Now I got toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and a ton of other shit stuffed in my drawers, closet, and a storage shed I have out back. See how a bad childhood can fuck you up?” He winked at her, then tugged his T-shirt over his head.
“I’m the queen of life fucking me up.”
“It’s the way you handle the shit that makes the difference.” He pulled up his boots, then came over to her. “Promise you’ll wait until I get back.”
Nodding, she smiled. He gave her a quick kiss on her lips and rushed out of the room. If he stayed a second later, he’d have her in a heated embrace, his hands roaming over her body, exploring the curves she kept hidden.
When he entered the meeting room, all eyes were on him. Some of the brothers had smirks on their faces while others straightened up, preparing to question and rib him about Fallon. He pulled a metal chair out and plopped down, his eyes fixed forward.
“How was your night?” Goldie asked.
Of course it’d be Goldie who’d start the grilling.
“Good.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“How’s Fallon? Did she have a good night too?” Goldie pushed his chair back against the wall, and some of the brothers snickered.
“She’s good.” I’m not giving ’em shit.
“Lucy and Maria were moping most of the night because you had her in your room,” Army said.
“First time we’ve seen you with a non-club woman,” Chains said.
Their words were beginning to wind him up as irritation jabbed at his gut. “So?” he gritted.
“It’s just that we wanna know what’s so special about this chick. Something is. Does she fuck better than Lucy or Maria?” Goldie laughed. Some of the brothers whistled while others guffawed.
To Diablo, their words and gestures were like acid—burning, slicing, potent. Anger hissed through his body as he sprang out of his chair and smashed his fist into Goldie’s nose, splattering red drops on the white walls.
“What the fuck, you asshole!” Goldie clipped Diablo’s jaw, and soon the two men were punching the shit out of each other.
Bam! Bam! Bam! The loud banging flooded Diablo’s ears and pulled him out of his rage. He shoved Goldie away and turned his attention to the front of the room. Steel, holding the gavel, didn’t look too pleased. Diablo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, the coppery tang of blood overpowering his taste buds.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Steel demanded, his green eyes glaring.
“Nothing,” Goldie said as he held a wad of tissue to his nose and tilted his head back.
“Bullshit! Muerto?”
Muerto shook his head. “Raven and I were texting, so I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Army? Crow?” The men just shook their heads or shrugged. Steel crossed his arms and glowered at the brothers. “Diablo, what the fuck happened?”
“Goldie said some shit that I didn’t like. No big deal. He knows he was outta line.”
“Fuck you,” Goldie said.
“Does this have to do with Fallon?” Steel glanced at Paco, who nodded. “Next time take it outside. We don’t do shit like this at church. What the fuck were you thinking, Diablo?”
He stared at his president without saying a word. Steel’s right. I fuckin’ lost control. He couldn’t explain why, but when he heard Goldie disrespecting Fallon, it was like he’d thrown gasoline on the fire that had been burning inside Diablo since he’d seen Goldie’s smirk as he walked into the room. He’d just exploded and his primal instinct took over. He didn’t think he’d broken Goldie’s nose—he hadn’t heard the crackling sound he knew so well after years of fist fights—but it was swelling up pretty good.
“You good, Goldie?” Steel asked. Goldie nodded. “Then let’s start. I called church because Hawk called me a couple of hours ago and said Satan’s Pistons are planning retaliation for the shit that went down at the warehouse and what we did to their strip bar. He said they’ve been buying a bunch of arms from some of the gangs in Denver. How’re we doing with adding to our artillery, Army?”
“Good. Banger hooked me up with this Irish dude, Liam. Seems the Insurgents have worked with him for many years. Banger said he’s a good guy who can be trusted for the most part. Muerto, Chains, and I are meeting with him next week. He said he can get us whatever we need.”
“Did Hawk say what the fuckers have in mind?”
Steel shook his head. “No, just that they’re talking a lot of shit about us, and the way they’re building up their stockpile makes him believe they’re planning to strike. Paco’s been in charge of installing security cameras at all our businesses.”
The Night Rebels never needed the cameras because no sane citizen would dream of vandalizing, breaking in, or stealing from the outlaw club, but since the Pistons’ acts of aggression, security cameras and alarms had to be installed.
“We need to strike them before they strike us,” Crow said.
“That’ll just escalate everything. We need to anticipate their movements,” Paco countered.
Steel nodded. “Hawk’s gonna keep monitoring the grapevine chatter, and we’ll monitor stuff on our end. Chains, you’re the IT guy, so you’re in charge of monitoring as well. Give Hawk a call and coordinate with him.”
I gotta focus on the club and keep Fallon in the back of my mind. Some serious shit’s going on here. Diablo looked up when he heard the gavel hit the wooden block. The brothers left the room, but he hung back.
“Something on your mind?” Steel asked as he put some papers in a folder.
“I just want to let you know I’m on top of this. I’m gonna find out who tipped off the Pistons that our brothers would be at the warehouse. There’s no way a group of these fuckers is gonna come into Alina in full colors and attack us. They know that would be suicide. We gotta keep our eyes open for anyone who acts like he doesn’t belong. Do you think Jimmy Delarosa would be the Pistons’ lackey?”
“No. Jimmy’s a slime bag, but he’s too much of a coward to get on our bad side. He’s into scamming the vulnerable. This isn’t his scene. But you’re probably right about having someone else do their dirty work, just like they had the punk gang put their name on the strip bar. Let me know if you find out anything at the warehouse.”
“Sure thing.” He turned to leave.
“Diablo? I know how a blinding rage can consume you when someone talks shit about your woman. I used to see red every time one of the brothers ribbed me about Breanna. I’m just saying, Goldie had it coming.” Steel laughed.
Diablo nodded. “Later, brother.” He bumped fists with his prez and left the room.
When he walked into the main room, Goldie came up to him and extended his hand. Diablo grasped and shook it. “Did I break your fuckin’ nose?”
Goldie shook his head. “Just busted a blood vessel. You got a fuckin’ hard punch.”
“What’re you drinking?”
“Double shot of tequila sounds damn good.”
The two men went over to the bar and Diablo told Patches to bring them their drinks. Goldie picked his up and clinked it against Diablo’s beer bottle. “I didn’t know the chick meant something to you, bro.”
His jaw jutted out and he raised the bottle to his lips. “Now you do.” He took a long pull on his beer.
“How about a game of pool?” Brutus asked as he and Army came over to join Diablo and Goldie.
“I’m in,” said Goldie.
“Me too, but first I gotta check on Fallon.”
“Cool. We’ll meet you at the pool table in thirty. I gotta get some chow,” Army said.
Diablo finished his beer and made his way upstairs. When he went into his room, he saw Fallon dressed in the clothes she’d worn the previous day, sitting on the edge of the bed, her cell phone in her hand.
Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at him. “How’d your meeting go?”
“Good.”
“Why’s your bottom lip swollen?”
“Just roughhousing with another brother. It’s no big deal. You wanna come down and get something to eat?”
“Not really. My stomach is sorta in knots. I have to get going. The downpour’s over. I even saw a rainbow arching over the mountain peaks. It was so pretty. Let’s see if it’s still there.” Diablo followed her over to the window and stood behind her. “There it is. See?”
Through the mist a brilliant band of color hung in the sky over the San Juan Mountains. The trees that dotted the mountains were a patchwork of vibrant greens while the desert ground in the forefront was dark brown from all the moisture.
“Isn’t it awesome? I love the way the air smells after a rainstorm.” He saw her shoulders rise as she breathed in deeply.
Grasping her shoulders, he pulled her back, crushing her against him. “You’re awesome.” He bent down and nuzzled his face against her neck, her sweet sugary-lemon scent swimming around him.
She twisted and threw her arms around his waist. “Thank you for everything.” Light shimmered in her eyes as she looked up at him, her lips parted.
Bowing his head, he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her gently while his hands moved down to her hips. Instead of pushing him away as he suspected she’d do, she squeezed him tighter and moaned. The small sound was his undoing and he hungrily thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, all the while gripping her nicely rounded hips. His lips left hers to nibble at her earlobe, and she cocked her head to the side to give him better access to her soft and delectable neck. He traced the elegant curve of her neck with his tongue, licking a path to her shoulder.
“You’re so beautiful and sexy,” he rasped against her skin as he nipped and kissed her tender flesh. He nipped his way back up, his lips recapturing hers, more demanding that time. As they kissed, his cock punched against his zipper, desperate to get out. He wanted her so bad. His fingers tugged at the hem of her top, slipping underneath it, inching their way up her satiny skin. When they reached her bra, he felt her stiffen under his touch.
“You don’t like that?” he asked, his dick throbbing like mad.
“I do, but I don’t know. I’m confused,” she said as she began to pull away.
Disappointment clutched his cock. “You’re so fuckin’ sexy that I got carried away.” He stepped away.
Looking down at the floor, she wrung her hands. “I’m sorry. I want to be with you but—”
“No reason to apologize. I told you last night that I’m a patient guy, but my cock isn’t.” He chuckled and smoothed down her hair. “It’s cool. No worries.”
Glancing upward, she pressed her lips together. “I really have to get going.”
Nodding, he ambled toward the door. “I’ll walk you to your car. Remember, we still got a date this Sunday for a long ride.
A wide smile lit up her face. “I can’t wait.” She followed him out of the room.
When they walked through the big room, he held her hand, his chin jutted out and a don’t-say-a-fucking-thing look on his face. The brothers watched them leave the room.
Standing by her car, he gripped her hands and tugged her to him, kissing her lightly on the lips. “You gonna be okay at home?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, then exhaled. “It should be all right.”
The skin around her mouth twitched, telling him she was scared. “If you need me, call me. I can get to you fast. No reason to put up with Shanna’s or your dad’s bullshit.”
“I know. I’m sure everyone’s cooled down by now.” She opened the car door. “Thanks again.” She kissed him quickly, then slid into the driver seat.
“Take care of yourself. I’ll call you later to see how it’s going.”
She nodded, closed the door, and started the engine. Waving, she drove away.
When he couldn’t see her anymore, he sucked in his breath and readjusted his jeans, then turned around and headed back to the clubhouse to play pool with his brothers.