“What do you want from me?” she inquired cautiously.

  I shook my head. “Nothing, Maggie.”

  “Everybody wants something.”

  I moved closer, so close I could smell the sweet scent of strawberries from her shampoo and watched her throat move when she swallowed hard. But she didn’t step back. She was starting to trust me. “You’re right, Maggie, I do want something.” She braced her shoulders, almost as if she was physically bracing for a blow. “I want you to smile.”

  She frowned. “That’s all?”

  I lifted my hand and wrapped it around the side of her neck. “That’s not all, but what I want from you Maggie, you are not ready to give.” My thumb caressed her throat slowly. “And I will never take something from you that you don’t offer.”

  “What do you want me to offer?” she asked, a deep flush working its way up her neck and over her cheeks.

  I leaned in closer, placed my mouth near her ear and heard her breath catch before I whispered, “Everything.” Then I reached down and grabbed her hand in mine. “Are you ready?”

  She blinked slowly, and I held back my grin but only barely. I loved that she was flustered in a good way because of me. “For what?”

  “Your first lesson.”

  Her eyes lit, and she smiled softly before nodding her head. I squeezed her hand and tugged until she followed me from the room.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  MAGGIE

  I was going to learn to drive. I followed behind Gunner who kept his hand wrapped tightly around mine and led me into an office. He opened a drawer and grabbed a set of keys before slamming the drawer closed and leading me outside.

  I paused right outside the door, and he stopped walking. “What’s wrong?”

  “Should I be outside?” I looked around. “Is it safe?”

  He pointed at the high fences. “We’re behind the garages back here so no one can see us unless they come through the garage or the clubhouse. Both entrances are being watched, so no one can come in without permission.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  We started walking again, only stopping when we stood in front of a small two-door car. He lifted his chin in the direction of the car. “This was Becs’s car before she bought the Jeep she drives now. It’s small, easy to handle.” He leaned in close and lowered his voice. “We held on to it because Becs wrecked it more times than we could count, and the damn thing keeps running. Figured it deserves our love for all it’s been through.”

  I let out a small giggle. I’d only ridden with Becs one time, and she’d driven really fast, so it wasn’t a big surprise she crashed her car a lot. Gunner smiled, and my stomach flipped, causing a blush to work its way, once again, over my cheeks.

  “You ready?”

  I nodded, and he handed me the keys. He pulled open the driver’s door and pointed. “Get in.”

  I did, and he shut my door before jogging around to the other side and settling in the passenger seat. I sat for a moment and enjoyed the feeling of being in the driver’s seat. I wondered if this was symbolic for my life now. Me, in the driver’s seat. Me, finally taking control. Me, for the first time in my life, actually in charge of my life.

  I didn’t know what to do with that, so I shoved it to the back of my mind. I looked down when Gunner placed his hand on my knee. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” I said quietly.

  “Okay, then put the key in the ignition and turn it.”

  I did what he said and felt the engine come to life. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly and looked at Gunner for direction.

  He nodded and took a few minutes to point out where things were and helped me adjust the mirrors so I could see. Becs was a lot taller than I was, so I even needed to move the seat forward. “Okay, now put it in drive like I showed you and pull out slowly.”

  I pulled my seat belt over my shoulder and clicked it in place before looking over at Gunner and noticed he didn’t have his on. “You may want your seat belt on.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “But I’ve never done this before.” I reminded him.

  “There isn’t much trouble you can get in to back here. Plus I don’t think we’ll be going that fast.”

  I held my foot on the brake just like he’d said and put the car in drive. Then I looked around the large lot until I heard Gunner’s voice from beside me.

  “You have to take your foot off the brake, baby.”

  I nodded, slowly moving my foot from the brake, but then felt the car move forward and slammed on the brake again. Gunner jerked forward. He reached out and laid his palm against the dashboard. My face was instantly hot with embarrassment.

  “Sorry,” I whispered.

  “Don’t apologize,” he responded gently. “Try again.”

  I nodded at the windshield and gradually let my foot off the brake again. This time when it started to move slowly, I didn’t panic and just let it drift forward.

  “Give it some gas.”

  I nodded again and moved my foot to the gas pedal, pressed it gently, but quickly lifted my foot when the car moved forward and put it back on the brake.

  Gunner chuckled beside me, but I kept my attention forward. “Again.”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, wondering if I was ready for this when I heard Gunner’s voice again. “Maggie, look at me.”

  I shifted my attention so I could look at him. He was close, so close I could feel the heat coming off him and noticed his blue eyes had a little gray in them. “Now talk to me.”

  “I don’t think I can do this.” I admitted.

  “You can.” he declared adamantly.

  “How do you know that?”

  His eyes searched mine. “Because I’ve been watching you. You’re smart, you pay attention, you’re strong, and most of all, you’re a survivor.” He reached out and laid his hand along the side of my neck. “There isn’t anything you can’t do.”

  Nobody had ever said those things about me. I didn’t feel I was any of those things; how could I after the mess I’d made of my life, after I let someone use me as their punching bag for six years? But if he saw those things in me, then maybe, just maybe I could learn to see them too.

  He squeezed my neck gently and leaned in closer. “You with me?”

  I stared into his eyes, his faith giving me all the courage I needed. “I’m with you.”

  His lips lifted in a small grin. “Then take me for a ride.”

  I swallowed hard when my eyes landed on his lips. He looked sexy all the time, but when he grinned, he was distractingly so. I wondered what it would feel like to have all that sexy be mine, to be completely focused on me. A flush worked its way up my neck just thinking about it. Where had that come from? I’d never wanted a man like that. With Snake, it had always been painful and all about him. Most of the time, I wondered why people were so obsessed with sex when, for me, it was just something I had to do to pacify him. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would feel that way with Gunner.

  The smile dropped from his lips, and my eyes flicked up to see the intensity in his own. “You’re gonna need to drive, baby, before I do something you’re not ready for.”

  I let the weight of his words hit me and jerked back. I’d wanted him to kiss me, he knew that, and it seemed like he wanted that too, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. I turned to face forward again and let my foot slowly off the brake.

  It almost felt like I was letting my foot slowly off the brake in my life too.

  This time when I pressed on the gas, I actually let the car move forward and turned the wheel when Gunner instructed me to do so. We made a large circle around the mostly empty lot twice and when I turned the car to make a third, I saw Becs standing near the door Gunner and I had come out of a while ago, clapping and shouting. Bear stood beside her, arms crossed over his chest, grinning. At Becs or me, I had no idea, but I found it contagious and couldn’t stop the smile that spread slowly across my own face. I couldn’t hear her words, but I could imagine she was cheering me on by her antics.

  “Put down your window.”

  I glanced down at the door and saw a few buttons, but I was afraid to look away from the parking lot for too long, so I snapped my attention back up and continued slowly around the bend to head back toward Becs. Gunner leaned over and stretched his arm across my lap, putting his face close to the side of mine. I stiffened when his hand grazed my thigh before hitting the button on the door that put the window down.

  “Breathe, baby.”

  I let out a long exhale when he moved back into his own seat and heard Becs yelling out.

  I giggled when she called me a badass, and I kept driving toward her. Nothing I was doing was badass, but I appreciated her enthusiasm. I even think I needed it.

  Gunner pointed at a parking spot near the door. “Pull into the spot and we’ll park it for a minute.”

  I nodded and drove slowly into the spot, braking a little too hard and forcing Gunner forward in his seat again. I put the car in park and turned off the engine before I glanced his way, smiling softly when he grinned. “I told you to put on your seat belt.”

  His head snapped toward me, and he laughed. “You did.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against the side of my temple. “You did good, Maggie.” He pulled back and gestured toward Becs and Bear. “Let’s take a break. I’ll see what Bear needs.”

  We both got out of the car and made our way around to where Becs stood with her brother. She came right to me, threw her arms around me and squeezed gently before pulling back. “You did so good.”

  I grinned. “Not really.”

  Gunner slid his attention back to me and Becs and lifted his eyebrows, making my heart beat a little faster. “First time behind the wheel, Maggie? You did good.”

  Becs grabbed my hand. “What made you decide to learn to drive?”

  “Umm…I don’t know,” I admitted. “Gunner offered to teach me, and I said yes.”

  “Well, I’m proud of you.” Becs said.

  “Thank you.”

  She snapped her fingers. “Hey, while they’re talking, I’ll take you to practice more.”

  I started to shake my head when Gunner broke his conversation with Bear and turned his attention back to us. “No.”

  Becs frowned. “Why not?”

  Gunner snorted. “You’re a terrible driver, Becs. You’re not teaching Maggie.”

  Becs threw her hands on her hips. “I am not.”

  Bear laughed. “Yes, you are.”

  She looked my way. “You rode with me, Maggie. Tell them I’m a great driver.”

  My eyebrows lifted, and I shot Gunner a look. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side, chuckling. “Maggie’s too nice to tell you the truth.”

  “Maggie.” She widened her eyes, but then laughed. “Fine. I don’t have time to teach you today anyway.”

  “Yeah, that’s why.” Bear laughed harder when she punched him in the arm.

  I enjoyed the weight of Gunner’s arm across my shoulders while I listened to the three of them teasing each other. It was always obvious how close they were, but watching them together with the weight of our situation lifted for a little while only proved it further.

  When he tugged me closer and tucked me tight against his side, I let myself enjoy the feeling of being safe and protected, of just being happy in the moment.

  It wouldn’t last. In my life, it never did. But for the moment, I was going to absorb the feeling so I could tuck it away and remember it later when I would undoubtedly need it.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  GUNNER

  “Becs is pregnant.”

  My head popped out from under the hood of the car I was working on. “You fucking with me?”

  Bear walked toward me wiping the oil off his hands with a rag. “Nope. She came to my place last night and told me.”

  I stood straight. “Whose is it?”

  “No clue.” He frowned. “She won’t tell me. Said the father wants nothing to do with her or the baby.”

  “Race know?”

  “Nope. Not yet. Thought we better be around when he finds out, though.”

  I leaned my hip against the car’s front end. “Jesus. He’s going to lose his shit.”

  Bear shook his head. “Those two are like oil and water. They were never going to figure their shit out. Maybe this is the kick in the ass he needs to make a move or just move the fuck on.”

  “Christ.” I pushed off the car and slammed the hood shut. “It couldn’t be at a worse time.”

  “We need to keep an eye on her,” Bear stated, his expression stony. “She’s going to buck us, but with all the shit going on around us right now, we need to keep her out of sight.”

  “How far along?”

  “She said about five months. Finally saw the doctor.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Why the fuck did she wait so long to tell you?”

  Bear sighed. “She said she didn’t even know she was pregnant. Never got sick or anything. I guess she wanted to see the doctor to confirm it before she told me.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “I’m trying to convince her to move in with me and get out of that shithole apartment. She won’t have room for a baby there anyway.”

  “You think she will?” I inquired.

  Bear nodded. “I think she might. She doesn’t have enough to get a bigger place on her own right now. She told me she’d think about it and let me know.”

  “She’s stubborn,” I reminded him, but I didn’t need to. I loved Becs like a sister, but she’d always been the female version of Bear and stubborn was actually an understatement when describing them.

  “No shit.” He snorted. “But she’s not stupid, and she won’t risk the baby. I know that.”

  I nodded in agreement, already thinking how difficult it was going to be for her, especially if she decided to move in with Bear. They’ve always gotten along and have a great relationship, but living together and a new baby may be too much of a strain on both of them.

  “How’s Maggie?”

  My lips tipped again at the corners when he said her name, and I shook my head when he smirked. “She’s good.”

  “Been out driving again?”

  “Yeah, a couple of times. She even asked me to take her this last time, which shocked the hell out of me.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “For never driving before, she’s doing really fucking great.”

  Bear grinned down at his boots before aiming his stare back in my direction. “Doubt you’d think anything else.”

  The roar of motorcycles moved our attention quickly from each other to the open bay doors at the end of the garage. Pushing off the car, I followed Bear to the front of the building and watched four bikes pull in.

  Bear’s eyes narrowed when the four drivers dismounted and stood in front of their bikes. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  I shook my head and followed him across the parking lot until we stood in front of the last four men we wanted to see. Bear put his hands on his hips and addressed the local president of the Widows. “You better have a good reason to be standing on my property, Snap.”

  “Looking for my VP.” His eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us. “You seen him?”

  “Snake?” I snorted. “He’s lucky we haven’t seen him.”

  Snap narrowed his eyes and focused on me. “You seen his old lady?”

  I shook my head, trying to keep my expression neutral, but struggling when I thought of Maggie and how she looked in the hospital. “Haven’t seen anyone.”

  “Why wouldn’t she be with him?” Bear asked.

  “They had some trouble.” Snap tilted his head. “After she showed up at the fucking cop’s wedding.”

  I couldn’t read him, couldn’t tell what he knew and what he was fishing for, but I had a feeling Bear could. Snap wasn’t the smartest guy. I was surprised when he was voted in, but I had my suspicions my father made that happen. He needed someone running the show down here he could control. Snap was the perfect follower, but if he was telling the truth and didn’t know where Snake was, then I had a real fear that my father’s hands were deeper into this shit than I had originally thought.

  “Didn’t see her there,” Bear said, confirming we were at Luke’s wedding. There was no reason to hide our friendship with the Dimarcos or the men at Elite. It was well known, and we’ve never made any excuses for it.

  Snap made a face of distaste. “No club should be friendly with the fucking cops.”

  “Good to know your opinion.” Bear answered sarcastically.

  I bit back a grin at Bear’s retort, knowing that shit would piss off Snap. I wasn’t wrong. “You’re a fucking sellout.”

  Bear shifted to cross his arms over his chest. “We done here?”

  Snap lifted his chin in our direction. “We find out you know why our boy’s missing, or you did something, we’ll be back.”

  “Nice knowin’ we won’t see you here again,” I pronounced.

  Snap motioned to his boys, and they moved to straddle their bikes. Snap did the same, but Bear called out before he could start it up. “You ever come onto my property again and threaten me or my boys, you’ll regret it.”

  Snap laughed out loud. “Everyone knows you’re all pansy asses now. Hiding out, making friends with the fucking enemy, you’re no threat to us.”

  Bear took a step toward Snap, towering over him and widened his stance. His gaze hardened, and for a moment I saw my friend the way I remembered him—hard, intense, pissed off. He’d settled since he moved here, but obviously, his intensity bubbled just under the surface. This was the man my father tried to recruit all those years ago.

  “This is your only warning.”

  Snap didn’t respond and wisely started up his bike, pulling out and kicking up shale when he got near the entrance to the road. We watched until they disappeared, and Bear shook his head. “Fuck.”

  “They don’t know about Maggie.”

  “No.” Bear ran his hand through his hair. “But how the fuck do they not know where Snake is?”

 

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