Tara
Unable to fight back the sigh, I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder while I continue to pull out clothes hanging them up in the closet.
“Seriously,” Izzy continues. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. I have my orders.”
“I’m good. Honestly, I’ll make my own way in today.”
“How was your first night in the new house?” she continues as I work through my huge bag of belongings, searching for something to wear to the office.
“Amazing,” I say with a contented sigh. “Kind of gave me a taste of what it would be like, you know, just the two of us. And the house… it’s perfect, Izzy. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Just happy to help you out. Did you, uh, get a chance to think about what you want to do about the baby?” Her voice is quieter now.
I stop what I’m doing and let my back fall against the wall. “I realized something this morning when he brought the whole baby thing up again. I realize that if there’s even the slightest chance that it’s Nate’s that I could never get rid of the baby. He really wants me to keep it. Even knowing what happened with his father.”
“That’s good, right?” she asks tentatively.
“Yeah, I just guess I’m scared. Scared that it might not be his. Scared that I’m not ready to be a mom. Scared that bringing a baby into this life will be dangerous.”
“I think the chances of it being Jeffries’ is slim to none. You gotta believe that it’s Nate’s and enjoy the life you two made together.”
“Yeah,” I reply as a shudder wracks through me. My hand drops to my stomach as I feel the fluttering of nerves in my stomach. “Shit,” I say with a chuckle. “I’m going to be a mommy, aren’t I?”
“Sure are, honey. And I’m by your side, every step of the way. You got this.”
A huge smile spreads across my face as realization sets in and I feel something other than dread. “I can do this,” I say positively.
Izzy shrieks down the phone. “Honestly, this is so exciting. Get your ass to the office so we can talk all things baby.”
“Whoa,” I reply. “Let’s not get carried away.” I continue to laugh a little, grabbing the phone with my hand and shaking my head. “One step at a time. I have to take this slowly. It’s still a huge shock, even if I have decided to have the baby.”
“You’re going to make one Savage a very happy biker.”
“Hmm-mmm,” I hum in reply. “I gotta go,” I say, reaching up and scratching my head. “I really gotta try to find something to wear. My shit is all over the place.”
“You can take the day off. Get your stuff sorted in the new house. I’ll explain to Brax. He’ll understand.”
“No way,” I blurt out. “I need normal, Iz. And I have so much to catch up on at work. I can’t afford to get behind on the paperwork.”
“Hey. I’ve been managing.”
“Izzy, we both know that the paperwork side of things isn’t exactly your strong point.”
“You’re right,” she says with a chuckle. “Better get your ass to the office.”
“I’ll be there. Bye, Iz.”
My thumb presses against the end call button and I drop the cell phone onto the bed. Pulling out a blouse and skirt, I quickly get dressed, looking forward to seeing Izzy at the office. I tie my hair up on the top of my head and add a little blush and mascara to my face. Glancing at my reflection, I’m happy with what I see so I grab my purse and make my way downstairs. Pushing on my black pumps, I grab my keys and open the door. Closing it behind me, the latch locks and I push the keys into my purse. With a glance, I notice something strange. A burgundy-colored Corvette is parked over the end of the driveway. My heart starts to thud as my mind races. Although it could be nothing, I don’t take any chances. I rush back over to the door, scrambling inside my purse, checking over my shoulder. Finally locating the key, I push it into the lock, turn it, quickly making my way back inside. I close the door, resting my back against it, frozen to the spot while I contemplate my next move. With a few deep breaths I manage to calm my erratic breathing.
Jesus, Tara. Get it together.
I step away from the door, making my way over to the window that overlooks the driveway. I let out a huge sigh of relief to see the car is no longer there.
“Shit,” I exclaim, knowing that I totally overreacted. I glance down to my purse clutched in my hand as it shakes. How can I let him get to me like this? How did I become reduced to a quivering wreck? I shake off all the irrational thoughts, heading back over to the door and step outside once more. Pressing the key fob, I unlock the car and slide in. Throwing my purse onto the passenger seat, I turn the key in the engine and reach over my shoulder, grabbing hold of the seat belt before securing it into the buckle. My hand reaches for the stereo and I switch on the radio. Music blares and I can’t help but sing along to the lyrics that vibrate through the car. Pulling out of the driveway, I set off on the new route to work. I sing so loudly, my voice starts to croak, but I don’t stop. Tapping my hand against the steering wheel, I slow my speed, ready to stop at the set of lights I see changing ahead. My eyes flicker to my rearview mirror as I come to a stop behind the black Honda in front. I blink repeatedly as I see a burgundy car coming to a stop right behind me. Craning my neck, I try to get a better look.
“It can’t be,” I mutter to myself, turning down the stereo a little while I try to work out whether this is the same car from before. A lump forms in my throat as I realize it is exactly the same make and model. Could be a coincidence, right?
The burgundy car blasts its horn, causing me to jerk, my hand landing against my chest as I try to steady my thunderous heartbeat. I look out the windshield to see the lights have changed and the Honda has gone. I quickly accelerate, setting off a little faster than I’d normally drive. I can’t stop my eyes from constantly checking the rearview mirror. Is this car following me? Clutching the steering wheel, I try to focus on getting to the office. Keeping my head forward, I drive, trying to forget about the car behind me.
Suddenly, I lose sight of the road in front as I jerk forward a little. The seat belt cuts into my shoulder as it restrains me from being thrown forward.
“Shit,” I grate out, forcing my eyes to check the mirrors once again. The burgundy car swings out to the left. With a rush of panic, I press the accelerator with force, the car picking up speed.
“What is with this asshole?” I furrow my brow, as I look at the car behind me, trying to get an idea of who’s driving. But I can’t tell. The sunlight reflects off his windshield making it impossible for me to make out the driver. As I glance at the road ahead, I notice my turn. I continue speeding and purposely don’t indicate. As I approach the corner, I swing the steering wheel, pressing the brakes as I spin almost out of control. Clenching my eyes shut, I keep my hands firmly gripped on the steering wheel as the car comes to a stop. Glancing over my shoulder, I check that I lost the car. With no sign, I accelerate, desperate to get to work.
For the next few minutes of my journey, I’m a mess. I can’t stop thinking about the car. What if it was Jeffries? What if he’s after me? My mind runs wild with what-ifs and I know I can’t say anything to Izzy. I refused a ride this morning and I know this will only mean I made another bad decision. About the only thing I seem good at right now. Pulling into the parking spot just outside the office, I hesitate, remaining in my seat for what feels like minutes. With a blink, I snap from my daydream, unfastening the seat belt and holding it while it slowly retracts. I’m scared and shaken. All I want is to call Nate and have him hold me. Tell me everything will be okay. His strong arms wrapped around me where I feel so entwined in him that I know no one will ever break through his hold to hurt me. But I don’t want to cause panic or alarm. I’m okay, I tell myself pulling in deep breaths, grabbing my purse from the footwell. It can’t be him, I tell myself again. How would he possibly know about the house? My fear quickly turns to anger. I throw open the door, ready to step out. My legs are weak and my stomach churns. I hold onto the door, willing my body to power through. With determination, I manage to override the feeling of weakness in my legs, slamming the door shut and walking to the rear of the car to see if there’s any damage from the impact. My eyes scan the bumper and I see no sign of damage. With a sigh of relief, I walk over to the entrance to the office.
“Morning, ma’am,” the security guard welcomes me and I offer him a smile.
“Good morning, Griff,” I reply in an upbeat tone, despite how I’m feeling inside. Heading toward the door, I yank it open, making my way up the stairs and into the office.
“Hey,” Izzy’s sweet voice calls to me.
“Hey,” I reply, exhaling a huge breath.
“Girl,” she exclaims, jumping up from her seat and making her way over to where I’m standing beside my desk. “You look out of breath. You good?” I watch as she draws together her brows, her eyes focusing in on me. Jesus, I don’t want to lie to her, but I also don’t want the overprotectiveness that comes with the truth. I love how much they care, but it can feel suffocating. Especially for someone as independent as I am.
“Oh, it’s just the morning sickness,” I lie. “Makes me feel a little worn out lately.”
“You sit down, let me go get you a drink. I think you should try to avoid coffee right now.” She points to my tummy and I roll my eyes.
“I’ll think about that tomorrow. But today, I need coffee.” I laugh, rearranging the piles of paperwork that have been left on my desk. “Looks like it was a good thing I came in.” I arch my eyebrow, looking up at Izzy who snarls playfully at me.
“I’ll be, uh, making the drinks,” she chuckles, quickly scampering into the kitchen.
Scanning the huge mass of work piled on my desk, I let out a defeated sigh, slowly lowering myself into the office chair. Pulling it closer, I put the paperwork in order of priority.
“It got a little out of hand, right?” Izzy grimaces as she places the steaming hot coffee on the desk.
“We need to get a little help around the place.” Picking up one of the invoices, I turn it and hold it up to her. “This one is already overdue. We have got to get on top of this.”
“I know, I’m sorry. It’s all been a bit much without you here every day to help out.”
Slowly, I drop my head, realizing this is mostly my doing. “I should be the one apologizing. I’ve let things slip and, in the process, let you guys down. But don’t worry,” I say holding my index finger to her. “I’ll have this all sorted and be back on top of everything within a few days.”
“You’ve had a few messages left too. By the bar managers that want to run things past you. Specifically, Jason from Bar 81.” She hands me a sheet with names and numbers of everyone who left me a message.
“Really? Shit,” I say, flashing her an awkward smile, taking the sheet from her and placing it down in front of me. “I’ll call them all back today, but right now, with everything I have to catch up on, they’ll have to come and speak to me here in the office. I just don’t have the time to visit them all.”
“I have to work on getting someone in here we can trust. Lighten the load so you can get back to doing what you do best, managing the bars and staff.” Trotting over to her desk, she picks up the desk phone and starts dialing. “No time like the present,” she says cheerfully.
* * *
After one hell of a day in the office with Izzy, I look at the pile on my desk, smiling widely to see that it’s a fraction of the size it was when I arrived. My cell phone rings and I duck under the desk, grabbing my purse and retrieve my phone.
“Hey,” I answer as my tummy flutters with excitement at seeing his name on my phone.
“Baby, I need you to come to the clubhouse.” His voice is taut and I feel a pang of panic work through me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, almost dreading his response.
“A club whore,” he replies and I have no idea where he’s going with this. “She’s beat the fuck up, baby. She needs clothes and a friendly face.”
“I’ll be right over,” I tell him before ending the call. Pushing back the chair and stepping up from the desk, I glance over to Izzy. “Babe, I’ve got to go.”
“Everything okay?” she inquires.
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you later when I know more.” I give her a little wave as I make my way out.
Nate
Pacing back and forth, I take a huge drag on my cigarette. My eyes flit between the girl from Plaza and one of our local whores Kristine. She holds her, rocking her a little. The girl is unconscious and seriously fucked up. Bruises circle her eyes and dried blood completely covers the bottom half of her unrecognizable face.
“She’s breathing, right?” I ask, my eyes focused on Kristine as she dips her head toward her mouth.
“I feel her breath on my face.”
“We should take her upstairs. Let her rest in one of the beds,” I say, glancing over to Zane leaning against the bar.
“Sure, man. Should we clean her up first?”
The sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor catches my attention. Darting out of the room, I make my way over to the hall to see Tara rushing toward me. She shoots me a sad smile, and even though it looks sad, my heart responds the way it always does when I see her.
“Nate,” she sighs. “What’s happened? Who is this girl?”
“Some poor whore stuck in the crossfire between us and the Deathseekers.”
Tara gasps, her eyes widening. “Where is she?”
“Through here,” I say, dipping my head and kissing her on the cheek. My lips linger longer than I know I should, but I can’t help myself. I need to kiss her and savor her at any given chance. Dropping my free hand, I intertwine my fingers with hers, leading her through into the main clubhouse room where Kristine is sitting on the floor holding the poor girl.
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Tara gasps, releasing my hand and dropping to the floor. Sweeping away the loose strands that have fallen on her face she examines the results of a serious beating.
“I need warm water and a cloth. I’m also going to need the first aid kit.” She swings her head looking in our direction.
“On it, boss,” Zane replies, scurrying out of the room.
“How long has she been unconscious?” she asks looking at Kristine who lifts and drops her shoulders. “Seriously?” She glares at her, sniffing a little. “Girl, you need to go sober up. You’re no help to me half drunk.” Tara quickly dismisses Kristine who stands from the floor, unsteady on her feet.
Holding her hand out she looks up at me. “How did you think getting that would help?”
I chuckle, stepping over to the bar and stubbing my smoke out in the ashtray. “When Kristine got here, she found Melody collapsed on the ground, outside the gates. She brought her in and sat with her,” I explain, stepping closer and crouching to the floor beside Tara. “Waited for us to get here, but I had no clue what to do. Her clothes are ripped to fuck and her body looks worse than her face.”
“So take her to the hospital.”
“Can’t. Would cause too much heat for the club. Isn’t like the whore is going to have insurance either.”
She sighs, her eyes raking over the limp body of the girl lying on the clubhouse floor. Grabbing the edge of the blanket that covers her body, she lifts it, her hand covering her mouth when she sees all that it hides.
“We’re going to take her upstairs into one of the spare rooms. Give her a little more privacy,” I murmur and she nods in agreement.
Heading outside, I grab Davo and get him to help me carry the girl upstairs, placing her on the small bed in the spare room. Tara works tirelessly washing and dressing her wounds the best she can. Melody starts to croak, her hand grabbing hold of Tara’s arm.
“Nate,” Tara exclaims. “I think she’s waking up.”
I move from my propped-up position against the door and head over to Tara who is perched beside Melody on the edge of the bed.
Tara places her hand over the one clutching her arm. “Melody, you’re okay, you’re safe now,” Tara speaks sweetly and Melody’s eyes blink open, as if trying to focus on Tara’s face.
Her head turns a little, her eyes now looking in my direction. “You…” she chokes out and the words rattle as if caught in her throat. “You said I’d be okay. But I wasn’t okay.” She begins to sob loudly.
“Who did this?” I ask, pressing my arms across my chest, tilting my head. “Was it one of the Deathseekers?”
She moves her head from side to side.
“Then who?” I ask with narrowed eyes.
“My boss. Mr. Levin.”
“Your boss did this to you?” I ask, stunned, handing her a box of tissues.
“He found out that I’d let you guys in. I just knew this would happen. He flipped his shit and fired my ass. But not without beating me to hell and back first.”
As her words swirl around inside my head, I try to get a grip on my anger. This had happened because of us. And I have to right it. I have to let this asshole know that beating whores is the lowest of the low.
“He won’t hurt you again,” I tell her, brushing my hand against Tara’s shoulder before stepping out of the room, stopping to take a glance back inside the room. In that millisecond, I experience the overwhelming feeling of clarity. It’s my responsibility to right this wrong. The burden of taking care of this shit falls on my shoulders. And not just this random whore that has turned to me for help, but every single person associated with this club.
My club.
Snapping my mind from the deep thoughts, I make my feet move. Heading down the stairs and outside where the guys gather around.
“What the fuck happened to her, man?” Davo asks, his jaw ticks as I see him trying to control his inner rage.
“The asshole that owns Plaza,” I grate out. “And we are going to make him pay.”
“Whoa, boss. With all due respect, this whore ain’t our problem.” Roach glares at me, but I equal his intense glare.
“Well, I’m making it my goddamn problem. This chick got hurt because of us. Because I made her do something she didn’t want to do. Now I gotta make it right.”
“I’m with you, man,” Zane says, slapping me on the back.
“It’s fucking awful,” Davo adds. “But I can’t help but feel like this is some kind of destiny.” I scowl at him, scoffing as he holds up his hands in some kind of overdramatic pose.
“I’m being serious, brother,” he scorns. “My dick has been in a serious twist over this chick. And here she is. Just turns up like some angel on the doorstep to our club.”
The men all laugh and I laugh along. For as much as I think he’s joking, I know he’s digging this chick. “Let’s take this to church. We got some serious shit to discuss.” I nod my head toward the door and the men follow my lead.
* * *
Clouds of smoke fill the room as I give my men the rundown on what happened with Hunter.
“You think we can trust a guy that just ratted on his own club?” Matteo questions and I see the guys are nervous about believing Hunter.
“He really didn’t have a choice,” Davo adds, smirking as he leans back in his chair.
“I’m still not sure, brother,” Matteo continues.
“We don’t really have any choice,” I say leaning forward and resting on my elbows. “I have to keep the lines of communication open with him. If Brewer is scheming with my father, it means we’re going to have a serious fucking fight on our hands. It means we’re going to war.”
The guys hum and nod as I glance around the table.
“We don’t stop until we’ve found my father, and I will take down anybody that stands in my way. Even if that means dealing with the Deathseekers.”
“Yeah. We fuck him up real good,” Zane says, his hands clasped together in front of him as he rocks back and forth on the chair.
“And the prospect?” I ask, my eyes darting to the men around the table.
“Haven’t seen him. He was staying at Jenny’s but she hasn’t seen him for a couple of days. Looks like the cocksucker also went AWOL.”
My head drops back and I exhale loudly. “Find him. He needs to return his prospect badge to us and give us some serious fucking answers.”
“Soon as we find him, we’ll bring him to you, Prez. Don’t you worry about that,” Matteo says with a tip of his head.
The guys spend the next ten minutes filling me in on how the garage and club are doing and just how busy we are.
“Good to hear it’s keeping us afloat. But the guys on the street wanna know when their next shipment is due,” Chuck says.
Dropping my eyes to the table, I shake my head. “We have to decide as a club whether that’s the best thing for us. Do we really want to be dealing drugs, putting ourselves at risk if we don’t need to?”
“It’s easy money, bro,” Chuck is quick to respond. “We’ve done okay with it so far.”
“We’ve been lucky.”
“We’ve made good money,” he fires back. “And it’s not like you’re making anything out of the studio.” His finger taps repeatedly against the table and I slowly tip my head, focusing on him.
“The tattoo studio was never about making money. It was about me having some place to do what I enjoy.”
“But we need regular ways of earning. Not all of us came off so well from the Alvrez thing,” Matteo adds. I lift a brow, nodding my head in agreement. “The takings are good from the garage and club, but split between us all, it just isn’t enough.”
“I want to look at other options for us as a club. Another way to earn money without it involving narcotics.”
“I agree with the prez,” Zane adds. “If we can find a way to make money without heat from the feds, then surely that’s a better option.”
Gus lets out a sigh. “But it’s what we know. We have a good thing going with Brax. Seems crazy to step away from a sure thing.”
“Give me some time to bring you options. I want you guys to know that we have other choices. But for now, bear with me.” Pressing my hands on the arms of the chair, I push it back, stepping up and making my way over to the safe in the corner of the room. Swiftly, I enter the combination and pull out a handful of bound cash. Stepping back toward the table, I drop one bundle in front of each of my men sitting around the table. “This should see you right for a while.”
“Fuck, Nate, really?” Zane leans into me as I seat myself back at the top of the table.
“Absolutely, brother. I know some of you have family, and fuck, we all have bills to pay, right?”
Thanks and warm handshakes come my way for the next five minutes. The 10k I handed each of my men is a drop in the ocean compared to what my father claimed after we wiped out Alvrez and took all of his money and the drugs.
“If you don’t have any other business, I’m gonna split and check on the girls upstairs.”
The guys shake their heads. I pick up the gavel, banging it down on the table before jumping up from my seat.
“I should totally come with you, check the girl is okay.”
“Melody,” I reply with a grin. “The girl who got your dick in a twist is called Melody.”
“Ahh, damn. Her name is as beautiful as she is.” He groans, pressing the palm of his hand flat against his chest.
“Did you not see the state of her face?”
“Still beautiful,” he blurts out and I have to laugh. I’ve never seen Davo this way over a girl before. With his chin held up and his chest pushed out, he walks beside me as I make my way out of church and toward the stairs. As we approach the staircase, his arm wraps around my shoulders, his hand rests and gives my shoulder a little squeeze. “I can’t stop thinking about this chick. The fuck’s wrong with me, man?”
“Sounds like you’re sick, brother.” I raise my hand, pressing it to his forehead and laughing as he snaps it away.
“I ain’t fucking around here.” He lowers his voice. “I’m forty-two. I’ve never needed or wanted anything the way I want this chick.” Coming to a stop at the top of the stairs, I look at the man staring back at me. There’s a look of sincerity etched on his face.
“You met the girl, what? Once? Give it time, Davo. Looks like she’ll be here for a while. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
“I’m going to make her mine, brother. She wants me, the poor girl just doesn’t know it yet.” He winks at me before slapping me heavily on the back. “I also want to be with you when we take out the sick bastard that did this to her. Yeah, that revenge will give me a huge sense of satisfaction.” His grin spreads, reaching ear to ear.
“You got it, brother. We check on the girls, then pay a little visit to Mr. Levin.”
As we approach the closed door, I knock lightly before peering inside.
“Come in,” Tara beckons waving her hand. She’s standing over Melody, adjusting her pillows and helping her up into a sitting position.
“Hey,” Melody offers with a fleeting smile, all the while fighting back a grimace as she tries to make herself comfortable.
Davo practically pushes me on the back to get a look inside the room. I widen my eyes at Tara, and her gaze falls to Davo standing behind me. She chuckles quietly, dropping her head.
“I think you have a visitor.” She leans in whispering to Melody. Melody’s eyes shoot up, landing on Davo.
“Hey,” he says. I draw my eyebrows looking at him with surprise. He sounds nervous and looks awkward. He rubs his hand through his beard, stroking it back and forth.
“Really fucked you up good, huh?”
She nods subtly and Davo walks around the bed, sitting beside her and resting his hand on her forearm. “I’m gonna fuck him up bad, darlin’. Make no mistake, the bastard will suffer.”
Covering his hand with her own, Melody offers as much of a smile as she can muster. “I’m sorry for turning up here, I had no idea where else to go. Mr. Levin is also my landlord, so I couldn’t go home. He has all of my belongings at the club.”
“No need to apologize,” I say, making my way over to Tara, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her back until she hits my torso. Looking up at me, she smiles with pride. “We’re responsible for what happened and I’m making it my business to put this right. I never wanted this to happen to you. I’ll collect your belongings and, for now, you stay here. Rest. Until you’re better.”
“Thank you.”
“We should go,” I say with a flicker of my eyes in Davo’s direction.
He gives me a nod, releasing his hold on Melody. “I’ll see you a little later, darlin’.” He smiles and she reciprocates.
Dropping my hold from around Tara, I reach for her hand guiding her out of the room. She pulls the door closed behind her and I guide her until her back rests against the wall. Dipping my head, I seal a kiss against her lips. “It’s gonna be a late one. I’m going to make sure one of my men follows you home. I need to know you got there in one piece.”
“Okay,” she says in agreement. “I’m going to stay here a little while longer. I want to know that she’s comfortable before I leave. She seems really nice, Nate. In fact,” she says in a suddenly upbeat tone. “Considering her experience at the club, I think she would be the perfect extra pair of hands we’re so desperately looking for.”
“By experience I guess you don’t mean the whore part?”
“No, Nate,” she replies a little angrily. “I mean the fact that she’s been managing that place single-handedly. Sorting out the books and the money. She is way more than just some whore. I actually feel sorry for her.” Looking over her shoulder, she continues, but her voice is now just a whisper. “She told me that she once worked as an accountant. She married really young and had a baby boy. Her husband and child were both killed in a car accident. She lost them both, and that’s when she turned to drugs. Trying to hide the pain of what happened caused her to spiral out of control. She turned to prostitution to pay for her drug habit. Until one day, when she overdosed so badly that she ended up in the hospital.”
“Shit,” I exhale loudly.
“Well, she said that was the turning point. She met Precious in the hospital that day, and she took her under her wing. She got clean and started working at Plaza where it soon became clear she was capable of way more than using her body.”
“Yeah, she said something to Davo about no longer working as a whore.”
“Well, she also told me that Mr. Levin has been using her for his own pleasure which is why she doesn’t work as a whore any longer. He kinda decided she should be off-limits so he used her to run the place, all the while keeping her for himself.”
“What? Like, a relationship?”
“No… that’s not really how she explained it to me. It was more like she was his own exclusive whore. And she thought it was better to be sleeping with just one guy to earn a living, rather than anyone who walked into the club.”
“Then the asshole beats the shit out of her at the first sign of trouble.”
“Yeah, asshole,” she repeats, sliding her hand up and letting it rest on my neck. “I guess not everyone is as lucky as I am.” Lifting onto her tiptoes, she kisses my lips softly and I can’t help but wrap my arm around her back, pulling her into me as I melt into the kiss.
“You’re fucking perfect, you know that, right?”
“Hmm-mmm,” she hums in response against my lips, but I have to break the kiss. Her puzzled eyes meet mine and a smirk tugs at the corner of my lip. “Nate,” she exclaims. “You broke the kiss… what the hell?”
“Baby.” I lean in, whispering into her ear. “I gotta stop now, or I won’t be able to.”
Pulling back, she swats me on the arm. “Go. But later, Prez, you’re all mine. Got it?”
“Can’t wait,” I say with a wiggle of my brows. I press a quick kiss to her forehead before turning and darting down the stairs. My head swipes side to side as I look for Davo. With no sign of him, I walk to the main door and head outside. As soon as the door opens I hear the familiar rumble of his 2006 Harley-Davidson.
“The fuck took you so long?” he shouts to me.
“Saying goodbye, but I’m here now.” I let out a chuckle at the look of annoyance on his face.
“Man, I’m so pumped to kick this motherfucker’s ass. Seeing her… in that state. Fuck, Nate.” He sighs, shaking his head.
Stepping closer, I pat him on the back. “You’re a fucking good man, Davo.”
“What? I’m talking about beating Levin’s ass and you’re all in my face telling me I’m a good guy. Get the fuck outta here.” He flicks his hand out in front of him.
“You care. That’s why.”
“You wait until I’ve finished with Levin and remind me what a good guy I am.” He clenches his jaw so tightly, causing the muscles in his neck to flinch.
“Hey, brothers, where you heading?” Zane asks, his feet pounding against the ground as he jogs over to us.
“Plaza. Care to join us?”
“Shit going down?”
With wide eyes, I nod. “Sure is.”
“Then count me in.”
“Hey,” Matteo and Gus holler as they step through the entrance, dropping down on the wooden bench just out front. “What you guy’s planning?”
“Levin. He’s going down for what he did to my Melody.”
“Oh, your Melody,” Gus taunts. “Not if I get in there first.”
“Keep your hands to yourself, cocksucker,” Davo cautions. The look in his eye is inescapable. It’s the look of an outlaw staking his claim.
“Chill, man,” Gus says with a wink and the men start laughing.
“Hey,” I address Gus and Matteo with a lift of my chin. “I need you guys to make sure Tara gets home okay. Don’t let her out of your fucking sight until she’s home, safe and sound.”
“You got it,” they both respond.
“Thanks, brothers.” Holding out my hand, I pull them in patting both of them on the back.
The sound of Davo clearing his throat and coughing loudly catches my attention. Turning to look at him, his eyes are wide and he’s patting his wrist. “We gotta go, brother.”
“Jesus, man, you’re like a bitch in heat. You need to calm the fuck down.”
“I need to tear some fucker apart, that’s the only goddamn thing that will calm me down.”
Glaring at him, I rest my hand on the top of his arm. “We gotta go in there calm, and ready to fuck this guy up. You can’t allow your emotions to cloud what we’re doing here. Just imagine the girl isn’t Melody.”
Davo drops his head. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”
“So, let’s go do this,” I say, turning my hold on his arm to a shove.