“What are you thinking, Prez, taking in a stray?” Shadow asks, shaking his head.
“That woman obviously has nobody else. I’m not about to throw a child, with a passed out mother, onto the street,” Bull says, his voice sharp and angry.
Shadow nods, knowing he overstepped his boundaries.
“What the fuck, man?” I ask Shadow. I know he has issues, but I’m surprised he has no compassion for the woman and child.
Shadow glares at me with those evil-as-shit blue eyes.
“I’ll clean her up and take care of the child,” Babs says, heading down the hall.
I follow her down the hall into one of the empty rooms. I notice the little girl still clinging to Old Guy’s legs as Babs applies a wet cloth to the woman’s face. I lean over Babs to get a better look at the woman who’s lying on the unmade bed. She has a round face that’s bruised on one side. Her pouty lips red with the top lip split. She has long, blonde hair, and a thicker figure than most girls around here. Her rack is nice, too, from what I can see of it pushing against her shirt. Her white top has blood and dirt smeared over it, and her jeans are just as bad. Her bare feet, mucked with mud catch my attention. She’s not wearing any shoes. She must have been in a rush to leave without so much as grabbing her shoes. The woman’s eyes flutter open, catching my attention. They’re blue and bloodshot.
Instantly, the little girl clings to the blonde woman, the contact making them both cry.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” I ask the woman, as I sit on the bed.
Her eyes shoot to mine, her long lashes sticking together from what looks like her crying.
“My name’s Jessica. Are you in charge?” she asks, her voice cracking. Her eyebrows crease and she waits for my answer.
“No. No, I’m not,” I respond, with a kind smile. My heart thuds against my chest when her sad eyes catch mine, making me hold a sudden breath.
“This is Bobby. I’m Bull. I’d be the one in charge,” Bull says, stepping up from behind me. “Who did that number on your face, darling?” Bull gestures toward her split eye.
“I need protection.” Jessica looks over at her daughter. “We need protection.”
“From who?” I ask.
She looks up from her daughter who is straddling her lap and her eyebrows furrow. Her lips part as tears cascade from her blue eyes, like what she’s about to say is the hardest thing she’s ever spoke.
“From my husband,” she says softly.
She grabs her daughter’s small frame and pulls her close, more tears escape her tired eyes.
“Who’s your husband?” Bull asks, crossing his arms.
“His name is Doctor Travis Norwell, and he has connections everywhere, everyone is in his pocket,” Jessica whispers into her daughter’s hair, rocking the little girl back and forth.
“All right, let me talk to my boys, and we’ll see what we can do,” Bull says gravely, before leaving the room.
“Have you eaten?” I ask, surveying her and the child; they look like hell.
She sniffs and runs her hand along the bottom of her nose. “No, I left with what cash I could grab. I ran out of money this morning, and we have been driving on fumes the last half hour.”
“Where are you from?” Shadow asks, widening his stance.
“Nevada,” she replies quickly.
“That’s a hell of a drive. What made you come here?” Shadow interrogates.
“I was in town; saw the motorcycles going back and forth. I decided to try my luck and followed the bikes here, hoping for a trade in services,” she says with a shaky voice, lifting her head to meet me with gorgeous blue orbs. Her eyes hide a vibrant light, an enigma to what state her appearance is in.
There is something about this woman. Besides her beautiful face and bravery, something about her has a hold on me and I can’t figure out what it is. Her lips part as a tear rolls over the bridge of her nose and free falls, planting itself right on the top of her lip. Her eyes still staring at me, captivating me, I reach forward and brush the tear from her split lip. She winces, making me retrieve my hand quickly.
“If the club votes against your behalf, then you can come stay with me,” I offer, the words taking me by surprise.
“What the fuck, man?” Shadow growls, hitting my foot with his boot. “You’re a fucking prospect. You piss off Bull and you can kiss your ass goodbye.”
I scowl at him.
The child stirs in her lap, catching Jessica’s attention. She begins to rock the child again and hums. I can’t look away. The damaged woman, who holds a beauty like no one I have seen before, intrigues me. Her vibrating hum reminds me of a hummingbird. The sound so sensual, so innocent. My mouth turns from a frown into a smirk.
“How old is she?” My question throws Jessica off guard, her eyes pop open, and she stops humming.
“She just turned three,” she says, brushing a strand of hair from the little girl’s face.