Chapter One
Dallas
Why in the fuck did I get on the plane to chase some pussy? I had no clue, except when I saw Melissa snarling something at her motherfuckin’ husband in the restaurant, I realised I wanted that for me. Her attitude. Her fuckin’ tiny, stunning body, her shoulder-length hair where I could wrap my fist in it while I claimed her mouth. Just like I wanted to claim her body and mind.
How-fuckin’-ever, she was strong-minded enough to not be claimed anywhere but maybe the bedroom. I’d have to see if she’d heel for me behind closed doors.
The matter of her being married was an obstacle I could push over. Still, it was a pain in the fuckin’ arse.
She hadn’t worn her ring when she was back in Melbourne helping us find Nary, Vicious’s woman, ’cause I would have noticed something like that. So why had she hidden it? And why in the hell had she acted the way she did with me, like she wanted me inside her, when she was already taken?
None of it made sense, but I was gonna get to the bottom of it.
Melissa was mine.
She’d decided to run when I told her not to. I’d fuckin’ told her I’d claimed her as my woman. So she had to have known I’d follow and find out she was playin’ some sort of game.
A game I was determined to win.
“Fuck,” I clipped, and ran a hand over my face before picking up my whisky neat and taking a sip. Who would have thought I’d be chasing pussy? Not me in a goddamn million years. Yet, there I was. As soon as she turned up in Melbourne and gave me her attitude, I knew she was it. Even if I denied it so many fuckin’ times, she’d gotten under my skin, and once she was there, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
So whatever the shit was with her being married, I’d get it sorted and take her home with me.
A chair on each side of me pulled out. Glancing to Knife and then Beast, I lifted my chin and said, “Good to have you here, brothers.”
Beast gave me a chin lift back. He never said a word. I wasn’t sure if he couldn’t talk at all or if there was a problem that kept him from speaking.
“Glad to help out, brother,” Knife answered. “What’s the plan?”
Dodge, President of the Hawks MC Caroline Springs Charter, had sent Beast and Knife to Sydney as soon as I’d called him asking for some backup. It was good to have a family who would drop anything to do whatever you asked.
I had that in the army. Trevor Boon was a brother, but he didn’t stick around once we’d helped Beth Cliff outta her shit in Ballarat with Stoke and Mally. Still, I understood Trevor had his own family shit to deal with, which was why I’d stuck with the Hawks back then. I wanted somewhere to belong, and I’d found it within the Hawks MC. I liked what I saw, the connection and safety they brought one another. So I stayed, until I moved to Melbourne to help Dodge out with his shit. There’d been a few scum-suckers we had to clean out of the brotherhood, but now it was living free. I stayed in Melbourne. Guessed it was the best decision since I got to meet my tiny woman in the end.
Though, I’d soon see if chasing her was gonna be the right move.
If whatever the shit she was playing was gonna bring trouble breathin’ down the Hawks’ neck, I’d cut her loose.
“We’re staking out Melissa’s place tonight. Want in there with you two at my back. I have to find out why she has a wedding ring on her fuckin’ finger when she didn’t wear one back in Melbourne.”
“Done.” Knife nodded and gestured to a waiter ordering him and Beast a beer. Once he’d done it, he slouched in his seat and asked, “She know you’re here yet?”
I snorted. “Nope.”
Knife smiled. “How’d you see her ring then?”
“I may be a big motherfucker, but I can be smoke when I want to be. Caught a glimpse when I followed her into the drug store the other day.”
“This shit is weird. Anyone with eyes could tell she had a thing for you back in Melbourne.”
Beast nodded in agreement.
“I guess we’ll have answers one way or another tonight,” I bit out as I watched my tiny woman hiss something else at her husband and storm out. I didn’t miss the tears shining in her eyes either, no matter how far away I was. At the door, she paused.
Fuck, had she made us?
“Clear,” I barked low.
My brothers moved in different directions while I slid outta my seat and under the fuckin’ table. I wasn’t ready for her to see me, not until I had answers. If that meant I had to make a fool outta myself by hiding in shit places, then I would.
There was a story behind Melissa’s deceit, and I couldn’t wait to find out about it.
When I saw the coast was clear, I sat back up and finished my drink. Knife and Beast appeared with fresh drinks, Beast slid a spare one my way while Knife talked on his phone.
“He’s here. We don’t know anything yet. Okay.” He sighed. “It’s Julian.”
Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes to the ceiling and cursed under my breath. I did not want to have to deal with Julian, but I knew if I fuckin’ didn’t, he’d be on the phone to his girl, my woman, and she’d find out I was in town too early.
Taking the phone, I glared at Knife’s smile and answered, “Yo?”
“What in the flaming hell is going on? You’re in Sydney chasing my bestie, and I hear she’s married? As in married, married, with a ring on her finger and all? How could she not tell me? Do you need me to come there and slap some sense into her? I will. I’m ready to do some shaking and hair pulling to figure out what in the Jesus Christ is going on in her sweet little brain.”
“Who told you?”
“Dallas.” He sighed out my name; it sounded like he thought I was stupid. “You listen to me and listen well. I’m a part of the pussy posse. Nothing, and I mean nothing, doesn’t find its way to my ears. I hear all when I have my girls at my back. Doesn’t matter who told me, they’re all protected by their hot males in their beds. What matters is if you need me to come take the wench out? What was she thinking? Why would she get married and not tell me shit? I mean really, what the fuck is up with that?”
“Stand down, Julian. If I can’t work out what’s going on, I’ll call you in. But for now, know I will get to the bottom of this, and she’ll be with me back in Melbourne soon.”
“Good,” he snapped. “I swear when she was here all I heard about was you. So to learn she’s married does not jive well. Something is happening, and it’s big. Take care with her, hero man, or you’ll be dealing with me ringing you every day for the rest of your life.”
Cringing at the thought, I then snorted and reminded him, “You were talking about knocking some sense into her not that long ago.”
“That’s different. You want to drag her back to your lair, bang her and claim her. All I want is to be her BFF for life. You’ll be the one with her all the time, not me. You need to treat her with care if you want to keep in her panties. Hear me?”
“Fuckin’ hell. Yeah, I get you, and that kinda shits me.”
“Aw, it’s okay. Now you’re going to be doing my BFF, you’ll get me a lot more since I’ll be travelling your way to see her.”
“Do you want me to continue my play for Melissa or run for the fuckin’ hills?”
“Play.”
“Then do not threaten me.”
“How is my time a threat?” he huffed.
“Forget it. I gotta get shit done, Julian.”
“Okey dokey. Once you do, tell her I’m way pissed.”
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and rubbed at my temple. “Done,” I said before hanging up.
The first thing I saw was Beast’s shoulders shaking and knew he was silently laughing, while Knife threw his head back and just roared with it a few beats after I’d hung up.
“You wanna get a flight back now and leave her be?”
Clenching my jaw, I snapped my glare to Knife.
He whistled low. “Damn, she must’a got under your skin if you’re willing to put up with Julian as her close friend.”
I narrowed my eyes even more, but he just burst out laughing.
Flicking my gaze to Beast, I saw he was sitting there smiling.
Sighing aloud, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What in the fuck am I thinkin’?”
Knife snorted. “Hoping she’ll be your sunshine like the rest of the brothers have found.”
“Maybe it’d be better to keep on as is,” I said more to myself than my brothers. Then I thought of Melissa and how she’d sunk her claws in with her sass and smartarse mouth. She was embedded deep, and I couldn’t seem to unhinge those fuckin’ claws.
If her reason for why she lied wasn’t good enough, I’d walk away and wash her from my mind.
If the reason for the lie was one I understood and could stand by, I’d get her out, make her safe, and fuckin’ make her mine.
She wanted me. I wanted her.
It was time to make it happen.
Or at least see if it could happen.
“Nah, man. She’s the one. You wouldn’t do the chasing like you have otherwise,” Knife said, and I saw Beast nod.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I said, “Let’s head to the hotel. We’ll get you two a room and then stake out her and his place. I’ll go in if they’re not there. If they are, we’ll wait until they’re asleep. Beast has my back in the house. Knife, need you on lookout. See anything fishy, text, and we’ll get out.”
Knife nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
Standing, I smirked and said, “By the way, the hotel we’re stayin’ at has some convention thing happenin’. You two have’ta share a room.”
“What the fuck, brother?” Knife glared.
“Soon as Dodge said he was sending you two, I went and asked about a room. They had one left and it’s a double bed one.”
Knife groaned as he stood next to me. “Have you not seen our brother here? He’s fucking huge, and you expect me to share a bed with the big motherfucker?”
“Well, I ain’t sharin’ mine.” I laughed.
“Cold, brother. We’re here to help, and you deal us this crap. If I’m looking thin in the morning, you’ll know why. Beast would have squished me in my sleep.”
Shoving him in the shoulder, I told him, “Stop being a pussy. Not like Beast here is complaining.” My phone chimed.
Beast: I’ll go stay at another hotel.
Shaking my head, I said, “No. Need you close.”
He stood and pumped out another text. I’ll find one close by.
Knife, looking over my shoulder, said, “Don’t worry about it, brother. We’ll go top and tail.”
Beast glared and typed something else as we headed out the restaurant. I ain’t fucking smelling your feet, arsehole.
Throwing my head back, I laughed. Fuck, it was good to have my brothers there. It helped ease some of my stress.