Willow

When Josie helped me into the shower, embarrassment heated my cheeks. I hated feeling so vulnerable, but I also knew better than to refuse help when I needed it the most. My reality was I was unable to handle washing away my own blood. My feet were raw, so I ended up sitting in the bottom of the shower and let the water run over my sore body. Josie, the beautiful, sweet woman I'd just met, hopped in the shower and took care of my feet. Dirt, rocks and glass clanged to the bottom of the shower floor as I grimaced, whimpered and cried when the pain got too much. Still, I knew I had to get them clean to heal.

While she took care of me, she talked, offering me comfort and distraction. She told me about her horrid story in life, and all I could think of was my sad excuse of a story in comparison. Hers was gut-wrenching and devastating. Yet, I was complaining about mine. I wasn't abused or beaten. I was simply forgotten. I wanted to cry for her, and had the urge to get up and get out of their lives because they'd suffered enough. Yet there I was, bringing more crap onto their doorstep just when it had changed dramatically, and in a very good way.

When her two men took hold of her, the love she had for them was written on her face, smiling dreamily when she spoke of them both. She didn't even deviate to one or the other... No, she loved them both with everything she had.

I wanted that.

I'd wished for it many times, but it never happened. Nor had I ever felt the urge to open my heart to anyone.

Even with that, though, my mind kept one name present: Dodge. I could see myself falling for him; it would be easy to. He'd helped me and he was willing to keep me safe. Not only that, but he was as hot as hell.

But, I couldn't trust it, not after my own family taught me trust was a fantasy.

Trust would leave me damaged.

And I knew Dodge could hurt me in a way I would stay broken forever.

After the shower, she wrapped my feet in bandages and placed a towel around me. Then she called to Billy to carry me from the room to a bedroom where he placed me on the bed.

"Dive, get her a drink, something strong. She needs sleep," Billy ordered. I looked around him to see Dive standing in the doorway. He gave a chin lift to Billy and disappeared from sight.

When Dive returned, I drank greedily, enjoying the burn down my throat and the warmth in my belly while Josie found me boxers and a tee to wear. After finishing my drink, I dressed and then curled up in the bed with the blanket over me, closing my eyes.

Only, I couldn't sleep.

I faked it. I relaxed my body so Josie, who sat next to me on the bed, would think I was asleep. Eventually, she did.

"Sweetheart?" Billy's voice said to the room.

God. God, I liked that, the softness in his voice when he spoke to his woman.

"Coming," Josie whispered. The bed shifted and a moment later, the door shut. I opened my eyes and stared at the cracks in the blinds, thinking I wanted to be out there, in the sun, soaking up the rays.

Warmth to my chilled body sounded good. Even though it was a hot day, even though the house was set to a nice temperature, I was chilled to the bone.

Why? I regretted hiding in the garage of Dodge's work. I regretted him finding me, and more than anything, I regretted bringing trouble to them.

I wished I had the courage to sneak out of the house, had the courage to run and take the world on with my own hands.

The courage to fight back.

The whole fucked-up, unrealistic situation was vile and it made me feel sick to my stomach.

A sob caught in my throat. I planted my face into the pillow so no one would hear my anguish at how pathetic I had become. My inability to take control, to have the life I thought I deserved all rolled into that. Pathetic. And I despised myself for feeling it.

If it wasn't my family wrecking my life... I paused with that thought, even more frustrated. It was what I was doing to others, to the people trying to help me.

It wasn't fair, none of it, yet there I was, too scared to do anything about it.

I was weak.

Nothing.

Not sure how long I cried for, I just kept going. Eventually, too exhausted to do anything, I fell into a deep sleep. I knew when I woke, I had to do something to fix what'd I'd done, to take their new crap—my crap—out of their lives.

*  *  *  *

Dodge

As soon as I walked through my front door, my eyes sought out Willow. She wasn't in the living room where Billy, Josie, and Dive were sitting. Josie's wide eyes were on my hands that were covered in blood.

"Dodge?" she questioned.

"S'okay, not mine."

The tough woman nodded. When her eyes landed on her other man behind me, she was off the couch in seconds and in his arms. "She's in the spare room, sleeping," Josie offered the answer to the question on my mind.

Moving away from the entrance, I made my way down the hall and into the bathroom. I should have thought. I should have fuckin' thought before coming into the house with blood still on my hands. If Willow had been out there, it would have freaked her the fuck out.

Once clean, I walked back into the living room, fighting with my mind the whole damned time not to go searchin' for Low.

As soon as I entered, Pick said, "Called in Saxon, Memphis and Lan. They'll be here soon."

"Good," I said with a chin lift.

"Brother," Dive caught my attention and offered a bottle of beer.

"'Preciate it," I said then walked to the couch, planting my arse on it before taking a long swig of the cool beer.

"Done?" Billy was the first to ask.

"Yep. Call Cracker, can you? He needs to get a team together and to that address, clean-up is needed."

Josie cleared her throat. Maybe I shouldn't have said that shit with her in the room, but from the look on her face, she wasn't fazed I'd just taken a fucker out. Instead, she looked worried about something.

"I think...I'm not sure, but I think I stuffed up with Willow."

Sitting up, I rested my elbows on my knees and asked, "How?"

"Um..." she started, still standing in Pick's arms just inside the door.

Billy butted in, seeing his woman lookin' uncomfortable. "She told Willow about her past and she reckons Willow took it in the wrong way."

"She did," Josie said. "I saw it in her eyes, the guilt. She probably thinks her stuff isn't as bad as what I went through, and I think now...I think she's regretting showing up at the garage." Her arms wound around Pick's waist. "She'll try to leave so her situation doesn't touch us for long."

"Babe," Billy started.

"No. I know, Eli. I saw it in her eyes, she feels guilty for throwing this on all of us, but she doesn't get that we'd want to help her regardless of our pasts." Her eyes came to me. "You'll need to keep an eye on her so she doesn't run and get caught by them."

With a stiff nod, I said, "I will."

A phone rang. Pick pulled it out of his back pocket and touched a button before putting it to his ear. "Yo." His eyes went wide for a second before narrowing. "Be there." He hissed and shut the phone down. "Dive and I'll stay here with the women. But brothers, you got a situation at the compound. Before Memphis and Sax could leave, a fucker from Venom turned up. He's trying to get some business from us."

"Stupid fuck," Billy growled.

"Let's get gone," I barked. "Pick, call Dallas and redirect him to the compound."

"Done."

*  *  *  *

Thank fuck the compound wasn't far. As soon as we pulled in on our rides, we saw the stand-off out front. Memphis, with Sax, Handle, Beast and Pride, all stood in front of the garage looking tense and pissed while they faced Blackie, an older member of Venom. He had some of his brothers with him. What in the hell was goin’ on?

We climbed off our bikes and walked over, standing at the side of the situation. "What's down?" I asked.

Blackie smirked at Memphis then turned his eyes to me. "You call in your enforcer on us, old man? Can't take care of your own business?"

"I've already said no a million fuckin' times over. You ain't listenin' with your ears, you little shit," Memphis snarled.

Billy made a noise beside me. I chanced a quick glance and saw his eyes were on one of Blackie's brothers, but he quickly moved them away.

"What do you want, dickie?"

"Blackie," he bit out.

"Sorry, forgot." I smirked.

"Youse are the only good mechanics here. We just want someone lookin' and fixin' our bikes." Like fuck he did. Total bullshit.

"Get stuffed, dickhead," Billy said with a chuckle. "This is our turf. The rules fuckin' state you don't come this side of town unless you want war. Now why in the fuck are you really here?"

Blackie laughed. "Okay, you got me. I wouldn't want any of you bitches working on my girl." He gave a chin lift in Memphis's direction, but his eyes were on me. "Heard you were in a friend's business earlier today. He asked me to deliver a message. Keep out of it or things will get ugly."

My body froze solid.

Willow.

I got a step at him before Saxon stepped in front of me. I warned, "You better fuckin' not be involved in that sick shit, Blackie, or your life will be mine to take out."

"Oh, I'm not." He smiled. "However, someone I know and respect is, and he ain't happy you ruined his plans for the black bitch."

Shoving Saxon outta the way, two steps and I was in his face, his tee and cut in my fisted hands. I hissed the next words nose to nose. "Leave her the fuck alone. You get me?"

Guns were pulled and cocked all around us, brothers on both sides shouted at each other, but my eyes stayed trained on Blackie. He caught my gaze and whispered, "He paid a lotta money for her. He owns her and Dodge, he'll come callin' for her."

"Who?" I snapped.

"I ain't stupid enough to tell you. My debt with him is over. I came here, I told you the message, so I'm free of that shit." He pushed at my chest. "Keep a close eye on her."

"Why are you warning me?"

"I don't like the shit that's happenin'. It's fucked up, even for me. Those women...fuck, man, they're screwed."

"He find out you sayin' this shit to me, he'll be all over your arse."

"He won't know." He grinned like a maniac.

"You trust your brothers?" I queried.

"Some. Still, I knew you'd go at me and your brothers would keep mine occupied."

"Tell me where the other girls are."

"Don't know where he takes them."

"Tell me who then."

"Not happenin'," he said. "Gotta keep my family safe."

"Your prez?" I pressed.

He scoffed. "No way, he ain't smart enough."

"How'd you know she's with us?"

"Someone was in the house when you and your brothers showed."

Fuck. Stupid move not checking the whole fuckin' house while we were there.

Christ. Amateur fuckin' move, which meant they knew she was with me.

"Dodge," Billy barked.

"Jesus," I snarled, annoyed I didn't get the answers I wanted, yet shocked he was givin' me something at all. I shoved Blackie back hard. He fell to the ground. "Stay the fuck outta our territory. You come callin' again, I'll take you out."

He got to his feet, brushed himself off and said, "Fine by me." With a flick of his wrist, he and his brothers left our property.

We all watched them go before Memphis turned to Handle, Beast and Pride, then yelled, "Get back to work. Party's over." Once they were gone, he looked to me. "What is it?"

"You don't trust those three you just sent away?"

"Beast, yeah, not sure about the other two yet."

"We're gonna need some help, maybe get Beast into our fold. Sucks we have to watch what we say and do in our own fuckin' brotherhood," I growled, shaking my head. "Meet at my place in ten," I added before headin' to my Harley with Sax and Billy. We were just riding through the gates as Dallas pulled in. "My place," I bit out.

"Fuck, I missed the fun." He glared before turning his ride around and following us.

Too much shit was goin' on. Fuckin' straight-up weird shit, with Blackie warning me to keep an eye on Willow. Though, he knew the guy, whoever the fuck he was, and I saw the fright in Blackie's eyes over the sick fucker. It must be worse than we thought. Church was definitely called for. We needed to shoot the shit off each other and see what we were missin'. I also didn't like the look Billy gave that other dude from Blackie's crew.

I hated, fuckin' hated not knowing all the facts so I could fix it by killin' whoever I needed to.

Whatever was to happen, with Blackie's warning, I knew one thing for certain...Willow wasn't goin' anywhere.