CHAPTER NINE
REESE
“Here’s what you need to know,” I said to Evans, clenching my fist because I’ve never wanted to hit a man more in my life. I wasn’t exactly used to holding back. “London is with me now. You don’t talk to her, you don’t touch her, you don’t think about her. Otherwise we’ll have another discussion, and that one won’t happen where you have a thousand cop buddies to save your ass. Got me?”
Evans studied me and shook his head slowly, the flickering light of the fire throwing his face into shadow.
“I don’t want her. I could give a shit about London Armstrong.”
Yeah, and my next bike was gonna be a Honda.
“Then you won’t mind staying the hell away from her,” I said. “Things won’t get ugly and I won’t find myself diggin’ a hole down in the Bitterroots.”
His eyes went big.
Yeah, f*cker. You heard that right.
“Just to be clear—you just threatened a cop with murder? Not smart, Hayes.”
I laughed.
“You got a great imagination,” I told him. “I think we’re finished here.”
His expression turned ugly, and I thought I saw a glimpse of something like hatred in his face. Fair enough—feeling was mutual. Then the sheriff himself stepped between us, smacking me on the back before gripping my shoulder meaningfully.
“You okay, Pic?” he asked.
“Still here, Bud. Kind of concerned about my woman’s place, though. Houses don’t usually blow up,” I said, holding my gaze fixed on Evans. “Not too impressed with your boy, either. He called London a cunt. For the record, she’s the owner of this property.”
“Evans, get back to your car,” Bud snapped. Deputy Dick gave him a mock salute, then ambled off. “Goddamn but I hate that man. I think he’s gonna run for sheriff next election, too.”
“He can run,” I said, my voice cold. “He ain’t gonna win.”
“Not so sure about that,” Bud replied. “My Lavonne met up with Jennifer Burley at the casino last week. Jen said that Nate’s dad has already started talking about mounting a campaign for the boy. Fund-raising.”
“If you had any balls, you’d fire his ass.”
“I fire his ass, the commissioners will have mine,” Bud said bluntly. “You know that. I don’t think there’s a politician in the county his daddy doesn’t have something on.”
“Well, maybe you should’ve been more careful,” I told him, losing patience. “Might be time to throw yourself on your sword, you ever consider that? He’ll do a lot more harm before he’s done.”
Bud’s eyes narrowed and I shrugged off his hand. F*cking coward. I’d had just about enough of this shit.
“So that your woman’s place?” he asked, jerking his chin toward the burning house. “Falls under my jurisdiction. Just outside the city line limits. Anything I should know?”
“Yeah, that’s my woman’s place,” I said slowly, the words feeling strange in my mouth. “But we’re a new thing. This wouldn’t have anything to do with the club, even if it wasn’t accidental. What’s your gut read?”
“Probably a gas leak and buildup,” Bud said. “That’s what the firefighters think, and they got good instincts about this kind of shit. Nobody’ll say anything official until there’s a full investigation, of course, but all the signs are there. We’re damned lucky it’s not full of crispy critters. She have a gas stove?”
“She did,” I said, shrugging. “Last time I was here, I smelled it. She said she was cleaning the oven. No big deal.”
“Looks like a pretty big deal to me.”
“No shit.”
“Off the record, EMTs think the kid’ll be fine. Wanna check for internal bleeds, spinal trauma, all that shit. But it’s just routine. We’ll need to talk to both of them, of course.”
“Of course,” I responded, noticing for the first time that Mellie was gone. Damn, where was London?
“She went to the hospital,” Bud said dryly, clearly reading my expression. “Saw her leave while you were pissin’ over her with Evans. Somethin’ to consider next time you feel like fighting over a woman instead of taking care of her.”
I turned on him, my face grim. How had I missed her taking off? And since when did Bud have the balls to lecture me? Then I realized the bastard was right.
F*ck.
I was out of practice with this relationship shit, but the pissing matches were all but hardwired into my DNA after so many years in the club.
“Headin’ to the hospital,” I told him shortly. “She’ll be upset, confused. I want updates, but you won’t question her until tomorrow, got me?”
“Yeah,” Bud said, nodding. “No real reason to, so far as I can tell. Nothing that can’t wait. That’ll change, we find any evidence this wasn’t an accident.”
“You find any evidence it wasn’t an accident, you call me,” I told him, my voice cold and serious. “First call you make. You scared Nate Evans’s daddy’ll go after your job? I’ll go after your f*cking family. We clear?”
Bud smiled, his mouth tight.
We were clear.
LONDON
It was around ten p.m. when Reese sat down next to me in the hospital waiting room, handing over a cup of coffee without saying a word. Wasn’t sure how I felt about him being there. Sure, we’d had great sex. But the whole showdown with my sort-of ex? I was a grown-up. I didn’t need that kind of complication, no matter how fabulous he was in the sack.
On the other hand, he had thrown himself over me when the house blew up. He definitely got points for that.
“You over your snit with Nate?” I asked him, rubbing the back of my neck.
“I think we cleared things up,” he said. “You hear anything about Mellie yet?”
“They think she’s probably all right,” I told him wearily. I’d had a hell of an adrenaline rush, but it was starting to wear off. “They’re doing some scans to make sure, but sounds like a mild concussion. Might keep her overnight.”
“Her dad show up?”
I snorted.
“Her dad was too drunk to understand me when I called him,” I admitted. “I think he said she wasn’t welcome at his house but it’s hard to tell. He wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. I can’t let her go back there. She can stay …”
Shit.
That’s when it hit me—I had nowhere for her to stay … or for me. I had to find somewhere to live. Immediately. I remembered someone saying something about the Red Cross and a hotel room, but the details were blank. Reality hit me all at once—I looked at Reese, eyes wide.
“I’m homeless,” I whispered. “Oh my God, I don’t have anywhere to live. Jessie is flying back home tomorrow and there’s no home.”
He reached out and took the coffee he’d just given me, setting it on the little table in front of us. Then he pulled me over onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. One hand caught my head, pulling it down against his shoulder and stroking soothingly.
I resisted at first—I didn’t like the idea of being dependent on him, or him thinking I needed him for anything … but maybe just this once.
“Just let me be strong for you for a minute, okay?” he said softly. “You’ve held on for a long time, sweetheart. Nobody can say you haven’t been strong. But it’s been a hell of a night, so why don’t you let me hold you and help you right now.”
It took me a minute, but then I nodded because he was right. I’d been strong for a very long time and now I’d have to be stronger. Oh, God. What was I going to tell Jess?
“You’ll come back to my house tonight,” he said. “And if they let Mellie go, she can sleep upstairs in Kit’s room. Tomorrow you’ll pick up Jessica and she can stay at my place, too. F*ck, I’m used to having a house full of girls. That’ll give you the time to figure out what your next step is. I’m assuming you had insurance?”
Insurance. I’d forgotten about insurance! Woo-hoo!
“Of course,” I said, sitting up so quickly I almost fell off his lap. “I have insurance. I need to call my agent—I think it even pays for an apartment or something.”
“Okay, that’s a start,” he said, then smiled at me. It hit me hard, the way those bright blue eyes crinkled at the corner, and I felt a very inappropriate wave of lust sneaking up. Even if the house had blown up, it didn’t change the fact I’d finally gotten laid and it kicked ass.
Something stirred under my butt. Guess I wasn’t the only one in lust.
Leaning forward, I whispered, “I feel sort of like a pervert.”
He laughed, rubbing his nose along my cheek.
“Ms. Armstrong?”
I looked up, full of that sudden, guilty, caught-in-the-headlights sensation I remembered from the time the PE teacher at my high school caught me making out with Troy Jones behind the bleachers. We were supposed to be running laps.
See? I wasn’t always a good girl.
“I’m London Armstrong,” I said quickly, standing up and smoothing my clothes—a pointless task if one ever existed, because they were muddy and disgusting from Reese’s protective tackle earlier. My hair wasn’t much better, although I’d managed to get the dirt off my face in the bathroom sink.
“Melanie’s done with her scan now,” the ER nurse said, a hint of humor in her eyes. Glad someone could appreciate the situation. “She’d like you to come back and wait with her.”
I started to follow, Reese one step behind. The nurse paused and frowned.
“She didn’t mention him,” she said. “Are you family?”
Reese shook his head.
“I’m here with London,” he said. “If Mel doesn’t want me in there, I’ll leave. No arguments. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable … but I’d like to talk to her if she’s okay with that.”
The nurse looked skeptical, but she nodded.
“If she doesn’t want you in the room, you’re out.”
“No worries.”
Then he caught my hand in his, giving it a quick squeeze as the nurse used her card to buzz us through the big double doors separating the ER itself from the waiting area. We passed room after room until she stopped outside one at the end of the hallway, giving the door a quick, crisp knock.
“Yes?” Mellie called, and I sighed in relief. She didn’t sound full of energy and giggles, but her voice was steady and calm. The nurse opened the door for us.
Mellie’s eyes went wide at the sight of my new … whatever the hell he was. Boyfriend? Seemed a little too cutesy, somehow.
“You want him out?” the nurse asked bluntly, which I thought was pretty brave of her considering Reese was twice her size and looked scary enough when he wasn’t covered with dirt and soot.
Mellie glanced at me, and I nodded encouragingly.
“This is a friend of mine,” I said. “A good friend. But if you don’t want him here, he’s gone. Reese is the one who pulled you away from the fire.”
“He can stay,” she said hesitantly.
“Just push the button if you need anything,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be in as soon as we have your scan results.”
She left the room and we stood there, Mellie trying not to stare at Reese and failing miserably.
“I’m Reese Hayes,” he said, his voice gentle—far gentler than I would’ve dreamed possible. “London and I are together now, and she’s told me all about you. I have two daughters, just a few years older than you. Told London she could come out to my place while she gets things straightened out. You’re welcome, too. I hear home’s a little uncomfortable these days.”
Mellie’s face crumpled, and she sniffed.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, London. I didn’t mean to burn down your house. I can’t believe you’re still talking to me.”
Oh shit. Like Mel needed more trauma and guilt? I moved quickly toward the bed, taking her hands into mine.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, baby,” I told her. She shook her head, then tears burst out like a dam had broken.
“I was using the stove,” she gulped between sobs. “I checked to make sure the burners were all off, but I guess I missed one. It’s my fault.”
I frowned.
“I don’t know what happened,” I said slowly. “But I sort of doubt that leaving on one gas burner for a short time would be enough to blow up the whole house. Even if it was, it’s okay. It’s just a house.”
Huh. I’d said it to make her feel better, but it was the truth, too. It really was just a house. The sadness and shock I’d been fighting faded, replaced with relief. Not that I was happy about losing my home, but I was mostly just thankful that Mellie hadn’t been hurt. That I hadn’t been hurt.
“I can buy a new house. Or build one … I don’t know. Nothing that really matters is gone.”
The door opened, and a woman stepped in. She looked way too young to be a doctor, but she had all the right props—white coat, stethoscope, hair pulled back in a bun.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Logan,” she said. “I’ve got your test results, Melanie. Would you like to talk with me privately?”
“No, they can stay,” Mellie said, her hands tightening on mine.
“Well, I think you’re going to be just fine,” the doctor said with a reassuring smile. “You’ve got a concussion, so we’ll keep you overnight to keep an eye on things, but I don’t think you need to worry. There’s no sign of bleeding, no serious trauma to the head or spine. You got lucky.”
Relief filled her face. Then she glanced at me.
“Do I have to stay at the hospital?” she asked quietly.
“I think it’s a good idea. You can go home first thing tomorrow, if there aren’t any complications.”
“I’ll come and get you,” I told her, feeling suddenly exhausted. “But the doctor’s right—better to be safe. You were unconscious for several minutes.”
“All right,” Melanie agreed, and I smiled, leaning over to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Such a sweet girl. Whatever else Jessica had gotten wrong, she’d definitely hit the jackpot the day she dragged Mellie home with her.
An hour later we had Mel all tucked into a room upstairs, and she was starting to drift off into sleep. Reese walked me downstairs, where I was startled to see several of his club brothers waiting for him, including Gage and both of the prospects I’d met that night I’d driven out to the Armory.
There were also the two men I’d seen with Jessica that same evening. Painter and Banks? Hard to remember their names, although I’d never forget the sight of them in that little room with her. Hateful night.
I smiled at them weakly but opted not to say anything. I didn’t have the energy.
“I’m takin’ London home,” Reese announced. “Painter, you’re with me.”
“I’ll come out, too,” Gage said. “We should talk.”
“Everything okay?” I asked, wondering what could possibly be more important than sleep at this point. A giant of a man with shoulder-length dark hair gave me a quick, charming smile. The patch on his leather vest said “Horse.” Funny name.
“All good, babe,” he said. “No worries. We’ll talk to the boss and then get out of your hair.”
I shrugged, because I was past curiosity. We all walked out to the parking lot, where Reese carefully helped me onto his bike. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his back, utterly spent.
The sun kissed the mountains through the darkness as we pulled out of the parking lot, sending pink streaking through the sky for my second ride with Reese. Same colors as last night—this time it was sunrise, the start of a new day.
My whole world was changing faster than I could keep up with, and it scared me a little. I hugged him tighter, thankful that in the midst of all this mess I had someone solid to anchor me.
Wishful thinking?
Probably. I didn’t care—all I wanted were his arms around me while I slept. Warm. Strong.
Safe.
REESE
I sat at the head of my dining room table, wondering how many times over the years we’d had meetings in here just like this one.
Too many to count.
Back in the day, Heather always kept the fridge fully stocked with beer and snacks for when the guys came over. My girl Em had done the same as she grew up, although not as efficiently.
Now I took a deep, cold drink of the beer London had gotten at the grocery. Hadn’t asked her to do it, she just noticed what I liked and then bought more of it when I got low. Felt good to have a woman in the house, even if she only took care of me because I hired her to do it.
I wasn’t paying her to f*ck me, though.
Thinking about her in my bedroom right now, wrapped tight in my sheets, waiting for me? That gave me a satisfaction and sense of rightness that I hadn’t even realized I was missing.
Dangerous.
“So, what’s the report?” I asked Gage. Ruger, Horse, Bolt, and Painter sat back, waiting patiently. I had a feeling they’d had this discussion at least once already, probably in the hospital parking lot.
“They’ll be checking it out, and whatever goes in the final report gets run by us first,” Gage said slowly. “Off the record? Fire investigator told me it might not be an accident. Houses explode sometimes, of course. Faulty valves let the gas build up and then when something touches it off, boom. But he doesn’t think it fits the pattern of an accidental explosion.”
“Interesting …” I murmured. “Bud said he thought it was an accident. Said that’s what the firefighters were sayin’. He full of shit?”
Gage shrugged.
“Could be. He’s gettin’ a lot of pressure from the Evans family. They’re out for blood, and this shit with London dumping the crown prince for you puts us in their sights. But I think what’s really happening is they’re cuttin’ Bud out of the loop. Everyone knows he’s on borrowed time, so they’re pickin’ sides. Fire department is with us, always has been. They’ll report to us first, then tell him what he needs to hear.”
Painter grunted in agreement, his young face grim. Once upon a time, I thought he might end up my son-in-law. Still couldn’t decide how I felt about that. He didn’t love Em, not the way I wanted her loved by her old man—that meant he wasn’t the right one for her. But now she was living with Hunter Blake, a nomad with the Devil’s Jacks. Hated that f*cker. I’d come to respect him, but that’s where it ended. Too much bad blood between us.
“I talked to Jeff Bradley,” Painter said. “Went to high school together, he’s one of the firefighters who was there tonight. He’s pretty new, but one of the older guys told him it looked wrong for an accident. I think we need to at least consider that this was a planned hit.”
“But why London?” I asked. “Wasn’t ’til today that I finally nailed her. Not like she’s an old lady.”
“No, but she belongs to the club,” Ruger said thoughtfully. “Works for us, been comin’ out to your place. From the outside, probably looks like you’ve been bangin’ her for a few weeks now.”
He raised a good point.
“So we assume it’s a strike at the club until we learn otherwise. Thoughts?”
“Wait and watch,” Horse said. “Smells like the cartel to me—they love blowin’ shit up. See if they tip their hand moving forward. Let the cops play with it for now, see how it goes.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep London out here with me until we know for sure,” I said. “Want her safe.”
“So it’s like that?” Ruger asked.
I shrugged. “Dunno what it is. But I know that I don’t want her caught in the crossfire, assuming this is about the club. I got a bad feelin’ about this shit tonight. Way too coincidental, doesn’t add up. Whatever happens between me and her, don’t want her hurt because she caught my eye.”
“Since when do you care?” Painter asked, his eyes sharp. “You in the market for an old lady?”
Tension filled the air, because the older brothers knew better than to suggest I’d ever replace Heather. I’d laid good men out for less. Somehow the question didn’t piss me off like it normally would. Probably because this time it made sense. I’d never moved a woman into my place before—he had a good reason for asking. I realized they had all stilled, waiting for an answer. Might as well clear it up.
“I’ll never have another old lady,” I said carefully. “I like London. She’s a good f*ck, handy around the house. Cute. But that doesn’t mean I’m keepin’ her long term.”
“Just don’t f*ck up so bad she drops the cleaning accounts,” Gage said, his voice serious. “I got high hopes for her at The Line.”
“No shit,” Bolt chimed in. “Best thing that ever happened to the pawn shop.”
“Since when we do let business come before pleasure?” I asked, cocking a brow.
“Since the night I had to scrub the f*ckin’ toilets because the old cleaners were stealing shit and I had to fire them,” Gage said bluntly. “Not a fan, Pic. Anyone can suck your dick, but a woman who stays on top of the toilets is a goddamn treasure. I’d protect her from whoever blew up her place on that basis alone.”
I snorted, shaking my head because he was right. Gettin’ my dick sucked on a regular basis wasn’t exactly a challenge, but London was a f*ckuva lot more than that.
And not just because she cleaned.
I liked having her under my roof. Sooner or later she’d talk to her insurance agent, maybe look into getting an apartment. To my surprise, I didn’t care for that idea much at all.
“Okay, so we’ll keep an eye out,” I said. “And I’ll keep her out here for the duration. She’s got a couple kids in tow, too—the girl who was at the house tonight and her little cousin. Guess they’ll be sleepin’ upstairs until we get this worked out.”
“Admit it. You hate living in a house that isn’t full of girls screechin’ and fighting over the bathroom, you f*ckin’ masochist,” Horse said, evil glee in his eyes. “Em and Kit are gone, so you’re auditioning replacement daughters. Seek professional help, bro. Or at least go for a son this time. Somethin’ wrong with a man so eager to get p-ssy whipped.”
I rolled my eyes and flipped him off, standing up.
“Okay, we’re good here,” I said, glancing pointedly toward the door. London was waiting for me, which meant fightin’ with Horse wasn’t exactly a priority.
“Painter stays out here tonight,” Gage said. “Don’t want to step on your toes, prez, but you need backup. If that really was the cartel, we can’t leave you uncovered.”
I sighed, because I knew he was right. As sergeant at arms, it was Gage’s job to worry.
“Okay, kid,” I said to Painter. “You take the guest room. Tomorrow you head home, grab some shit. Might be stuck here for a while. If Jessica comes back from California, the hands stay off. Don’t care how convenient it would be. Got me?”
Painter gave a sharp nod, and then the meeting was over. Shitty night, but at least I’d be bedding down with London soon. Not sayin’ I was happy her house had blown up, but I guess there’s always good with the bad. Probably best not to share my theory with her under the circumstances, though.
Women get all touchy and shit sometimes.
LONDON
I woke up in a man’s arms for the second time in twenty-four hours. Reese. His body surrounded mine, and I wore a T-shirt that was far too big for me. Not mine. Why was I here?
Then it came back to me.
My house was gone.
My clothing, my pictures, my books … All of it. Gone. For no good reason. I lay still in the early-morning light, wondering what the next move should be. What I really wanted to do was cry and feel sorry for myself, but I’ve always been practical. With my life, I’ve had to be—no point in wasting time whining when there’s work to be done.
First up, I needed to call Jessica.
I rolled over to grab my phone and felt Reese’s arm tighten on me. He pulled me back into his hips, the press of his morning erection sending tingles radiating up between my legs to my nipples.
“I need to make some phone calls,” I told him softly. He nuzzled the back of my neck and I squirmed, because I couldn’t just lie down and pretend last night hadn’t happened.
He sighed and loosened his grip.
“I’m here, babe,” he said softly, kissing my shoulder. Three little words, but they felt so good. He was here, with me. For once I wasn’t on my own, and while I wasn’t fool enough to think his presence changed anything in my big picture, just waking up in his arms meant more than I could have imagined.
“Thanks,” I whispered. Then I took my phone and pressed my finger to Jessica’s number. Surprisingly, she answered on the first ring, her voice alert, almost strained. Had Melanie called her already?
“Hey, Jess,” I said softly. “I have some bad news for you.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I don’t know how to say this …”
“Just spit it out,” she snapped. I heard a cracking noise and then she coughed suddenly, gasping.
“You all right?” I asked quickly.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, her voice more subdued. “Sorry, just dropped something. What’s going on?”
“The house blew up.”
Silence.
“Excuse me?”
“The house blew up,” I repeated, the words sounding unreal even to me. “I don’t know how or why. Probably a gas leak. I’ll talk to the police later today, but it all burned down. There’s nothing left.”
“Is Melanie all right?” she asked, her voice full of dread. I paused, wondering how she knew about Mellie.
“She got out. They took her to the hospital because she hit her head. I’ll go get her in a bit, but I stayed with her long enough to know she’s going to be just fine. Nothing serious. You should know that her mother—”
“I know about her mom,” Jess said softly. “She called me last night after she got to our place. I’ve been thinking of her.”
“I’m just thankful she’s okay …” I said. “And I have a place for us to stay, at least until I get the insurance worked out.”
“With Nate?” she asked quickly. Awkward question … I hadn’t actually told her about the breakup. Oops.
“Yeah, I should probably talk to you about Nate,” I said, feeling Reese tense behind me. I decided not to worry about him for the moment. “I’m not actually with him anymore. I’m seeing Reese Hayes.”
“That’s fantastic,” Jess said, surprising me with her enthusiasm. She’d never approved of me dating anyone before. Huh. “You’ll be safe with the Reapers.”
“And I wouldn’t with Nate?” I asked, biting back a startled laugh. She didn’t respond. “Well, anyway, I’m with Reese now. I’m out at his place—he was actually with me when the house blew up. He took care of me last night and he said we can stay with him while we get things figured out. He’s got a room upstairs for you.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” she said quickly. “I was planning to call you anyway. I changed my mind. Mom and I just had a little fight, nothing big. I was exaggerating things. You know how I get all worked up. It’s no big deal.”
I stilled. Reese started rubbing my back soothingly.
“It was a big deal,” I said slowly. “You were scared of those men. I heard it in your voice.”
“You must’ve imagined it,” she said brightly. “Really, it’s all good here. You should just hang out and take care of yourself, get the housing situation figured out. I have to go now.”
“Babe,” I started to say, but she cut me off.
“Seriously, London, you need to let it go. I had a bad night, okay? I got a little homesick, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m happier here. Mom has lots of money and she doesn’t have to work all the time. You need to make your own life instead of trying to take over mine.”
With that she ended the call. I stared down at the phone, completely confused. Then I flopped back down and burrowed into the crook of Reese’s arm.
“I will never, ever understand teenage girls,” I said slowly. He snorted.
“No shit. They’re all f*cked in the head. Doesn’t get better when they hit their twenties, either. What’s the story?”
“She says everything’s okay and she doesn’t want to come back to north Idaho. I don’t get it. She was scared, Reese. This doesn’t make sense.”
He reached up and ran his fingers into my hair. I snuggled deeper into him, wondering how and why my world had gotten so strange so fast.
“You’re really a nice guy,” I said. He groaned.
“Don’t say shit like that. I’m not a nice guy, sweetheart. Trust me, I’d know if I was.”
“Well, you’re being nice to me.”
“I have ulterior motives. I like f*cking you.”
I laughed. “Whatever the reason, thanks for last night. I suppose I should get to the hospital and check on Melanie. Pick her up. I’ll get us out of here in a day or two. I know I’ll have to talk to the cops, and then get hold of the insurance agent. I can’t remember exactly what my coverage is.”
“Don’t worry about that for now,” he told me. “Worry about Melanie. Later I’ll take you out and we’ll find you some clothes and shit. Until we know what happened with your house, you’re with me. Nice and safe here. Nonnegotiable.”
That caught my attention and I rolled onto my elbow, looking down at him with a frown.
“You think I wouldn’t be safe somewhere else?” I asked quickly. “That sounds like you think my house wasn’t an accident?”
He shrugged.
“I got no idea what happened to your house,” he said. “Probably just a gas leak. Just like the idea of keeping you around for a bit, letting shit settle. Probably hasn’t totally sunk in what happened just yet—you need to figure things out. This is a good place to do it. That’s all I meant.”
I relaxed.
“Sorry, guess I’m a little edgy.”
“I take it that means you aren’t up for wake-up sex?”
I closed my eyes, then shook my head.
“I don’t think I’m up for anything at all,” I muttered. “I have whiplash. Too much happening too fast.”
“Fair enough. Let’s get to the hospital, go check on girl number two. See if they’ll let us spring her.”
An hour later we stood outside the hospital, Mellie gripping my arm as she took in the sight of Painter’s motorcycle.
“I sort of thought you meant a car when you said you’d give me a ride home,” she whispered, eyes wide. I nodded, more than a little startled myself by the transportation situation. Reese had insisted on us riding his bike that morning, saying Painter would meet us at the hospital to give Mellie a ride if she needed one.
I’d assumed that mean a ride in a car. Not so much.
“She did have a head injury,” I pointed out. Painter stood tall next to his bike, his blond hair in short spikes. He frowned at Mel.
“Then call a cab,” he said, his voice challenging. “Don’t have my car with me.”
Reese rolled his eyes.
“Sort of thought the car was implied,” he muttered.
Painter shrugged.
“You didn’t say and it’s not like she’s really hurt or anything. You got a headache?”
Mel frowned, looking nervous and a little excited all at once.
“No, I don’t actually,” she said. “Although they said no sudden movements.”
“So you’ll have to hold on tight,” Painter replied, smirking at her. “I don’t mind.”
“Oh, for f*ck’s sake,” Reese said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “I’ll call someone else.”
“No, it’s okay,” Mel said suddenly. “I’ll try riding the bike.”
She smiled hesitantly at Painter, and my mom radar exploded to life. This was the same kid who’d been screwing Jessica. He was tall, with lots of tattoos and muscles and cute in that way only bad boys can be … My Mellie was a good girl, not the kind of girl to get involved with someone like this Painter. Shit. Was she blushing?
I turned on Painter, whipping out my Parental Voice of Authority like a sword.
“You watch yourself with her,” I snapped. “I don’t want anything bad happening to that girl. I see right through you, little man.”
Reese, Melanie, and Painter all froze, their faces full of shocked surprise. Then Painter started laughing.
“F*ckin’ priceless, prez,” he said, smirking at me. Then he glanced at Mel. “You comin’ or not?”
She nodded quickly, hopping up on his bike while I glared at them both. Painter kicked his Harley to life and then roared out of the parking lot, leaving me alone with Reese.
“Kid’s survived prison, you know that?” he asked me slowly, shaking his head. “Bigger than you, too. Really think talkin’ to him like that is a good idea? You’re kind of small.”
I put my hands on my hips and glared up at him.
“Then why the hell did you let him ride off with her?”
“Because he’ll do what I say,” he told me. “And I told him to take her out to my place and keep her safe. He’ll die before he lets anything happen to her. He’s my brother and I trust him.”
“I don’t care if he’s an Orthodox rabbi,” I said, my voice cold. “He’ll keep his filthy hands off Melanie or he’ll answer to me.”
“Just because he f*cked Jess—”
“I don’t want to have this conversation,” I said tightly. “I’m protective of her. Unlike Jessica, Melanie works hard to avoid trouble. I hear you’re protective of your girls, too, so I bet you know exactly how I’m feeling right now.”
He laughed.
“Yeah, babe, I get it. Just remember—he’s a big boy and he doesn’t have to take any lip from you. Bein’ with me doesn’t give you the right to say shit to him, so be glad you made him laugh instead of pissin’ him off.”
I stepped forward and threaded my hands up and around his neck. Then I gave him a sweet, sugary smile, staring deep into his blue eyes.
“I didn’t do it because I’m with you,” I said softly, my voice deadlier than arsenic. “I did it because that child’s mama ran off yesterday and I’m her emergency backup mother. It’s a job I take seriously. Don’t f*ck with a mama bear, Reese. Doesn’t end well for anyone—not even big, bad bikers.”
He burst out laughing, then shook his head.
“I guess it doesn’t.” He leaned down and gave my nose a quick kiss. “I’ll be careful not to piss you off in the future.”
“You do that. I’m small, Reese, but I’m persistent. Like a rabid ferret. Don’t make me bite you, because my teeth are very sharp.”
“Didn’t know you were into that,” he whispered. “You keep surprisin’ me, London.”
I started giggling, sounding more like Melanie than myself. But Reese made me feel that way. Young and vibrant and alive. I’d forgotten just how much fun it felt to fall in love.
Wait.
I was falling in lust. Possibly infatuation. Love was something else entirely. I needed to pull my head out of my ass before I got hurt.
“Everything okay?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s get going, though. I’ve got a lot to do today—Oh, crap. I don’t have a car.”
“We’ll stop by the shop, pick up that loaner.”
“I can’t—”
“If you say you can’t accept any help, I’m going to strangle you.”
I stared at him, shocked. Reese shrugged, holding out his hands.
“It’s a guy thing,” he told me. “We like taking care of our women. You don’t let me help you, the other boys’ll make fun of me and then I’ll have to cry. Are you trying to make me cry, London?”
He blinked at me like an innocent puppy, and I couldn’t help it. I started laughing, and we both knew he’d won.
“You suck,” I told him.
“You like it.”
He was right—I totally did.