Duke (The Black Hornets MC Book 3), page 13
“Safehouse?” Colt asked.
“Yep. He wants you back at the clubhouse now and he wants me to get Sierra and Eden to the safehouse before I get my ass there as well,” I said.
“Why do I have to pack a bag?” Sierra asked.
“Do you like vacations, Sierra?” I asked.
“I’ve never been on one,” she said.
I eyes flickered over to Eden and I watched her close her eyes and sigh. Like she was somehow ashamed of that fact.
When all this shit was said and done, I was taking my family on a damn good vacation.
“Well, I’m going to take you and your mother to a nice little house in the desert. It’s got food, and lots of things to drink. A nice flat-screen television and a great porch to sit out on and watch the stars,” I said.
“Does it have internet?” Sierra asked.
“No. But it is stocked with plenty of other things to keep you entertained. Like a DVD player and a wall of DVDs to watch,” Colt said.
“How long do we have to pack?” Eden asked.
“As quickly as you can pack it. Pack for a week, though I don’t think you’ll need it for that long. Call your boss, and if your boss needs to speak with someone, you can hand the phone off to Colt. I’m sure he’d love to have that conversation,” I said.
“Damn right,” Colt murmured.
I watched Eden and Sierra scamper up the stairs before they started running around on the second level. I looked over at Colt as he gathered his things, then he shot me one last look. I nodded at him before he grabbed his shit and left, heading for the lodge while I escorted my family to a safehouse in the middle of the fucking desert. A safehouse not even the club knew about.
Well, except for Colt.
Fucking Colt.
“We’re ready!” Sierra exclaimed.
She came bounding down the stairs with her suitcase fumbling behind her as Eden pulled her suitcase along. I watched Eden check a couple of things before opening up a drawer in the kitchen, and I watched her slide a couple of switchblade knives into her pockets. I quirked an eyebrow as she closed the drawer, and when our eyes connected she shrugged.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a grin. “Nothing at all.”
Eden and Sierra piled into her rust bucket of a car and they followed me through Chico. I wove them around and took some back roads, making sure we weren’t trailed. Every car that went behind Eden’s made me hold my breath. But luckily the backroads soon became empty. Then, I headed straight for the desert. Straight for the piece of property I had built over the course of the last few years. I hated living in the middle of fucking Redding. The lights and the sounds and the constant smell of stale beer and wings had gotten old. I wanted somewhere secluded. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere with a beautiful view. I had purchased a plot of land for a steal in the middle of the desert and had signed it in my mother’s name. I built my dream home on it, and kept it concealed from anyone and everyone. Minus Colt.
And now, my dream home was to be used as the safehouse for my family.
Holy shit, I’ve got a fucking family.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding with the DVDs,” Sierra said.
Eden dropped her bag beside the front door as Sierra went over to look at the shelves of movies.
“This is a beautiful house,” Eden said.
I bit my tongue on what it was really supposed to be for the time being.
“This is where you two will be until things cool down. There’s a deep freezer that has meat and flash-frozen vegetables and all sorts of things in it. The fridge is stocked with a few things that don’t spoil easily, but there isn’t much in the way of fresh food. The pantry’s stocked with canned goods and there’s coffee in—”
In a flash, Eden’s lips were against mine. Her arms snaked around my neck and her tongue pressed through my lips, and I could have sworn I felt her moan against me. My arms cloaked her back. I pulled her into my body before lifting her off her feet. Our lips undulated together. Our tongues did battle. I turned her around and pressed her into the wall, breathing every part of her in.
“Ew. Gross,” Sierra murmured.
I broke our kiss as Eden let out the softest giggle, her fingertips tracing the outline of my cheekbone.
“I love you, Eden,” I said.
Her eyes widened as I captured her lips again in another soft kiss.
“I love you. And I will figure this out for you and our daughter. I promise,” I said.
Before she could answer, I picked up my things and left. I closed the front door behind me and strode to my bike, then sped off back to the lodge. So many things ran around in my head. So many other things I wanted to say to Eden. But for now, that one statement would have to do. It encompassed everything else I wanted to say without grave detail.
But I hoped to fuck I’d have another opportunity to talk with her.
I parked my bike around back of the lodge and stormed in through the back door. And judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, Colt had already filled them in on what was going on. Dean looked back at me with a dumbfounded look and Jagger’s jaw was practically swinging on the floor.
Even Thor was in the corner, looming there with a smug grin on his face.
“I’m sorry. I still can’t believe you have a fucking sister,” Jace said.
“That’s what you’re stuck on? Not the fact that Duke knocked her up with a kid?” Maverick asked.
“I don’t give a shit about your shock,” I said as I walked into the room. “All I care about is what we’re going to do. Eden was attacked outside her home. She’s got the fucking hand imprint on her skin around her neck to prove it. One of our own has officially been attacked. You know what kind of protocol that instates,” I said.
“But are we ready to mount an attack like that?” Jagger asked.
“Yes,” Dean said.
Everyone fell silent as we all turned our heads toward our president.
Dean shook his head. “Enough is enough. We’ve been threatened. We’ve been encroached upon. We’ve been blindsided. And we’ve been asked to help. On multiple occasions. We were forced into this mess, but it was all for a good reason. I don’t like drugs in this place. Tourists bring in enough of it. We don’t need it funneled in by professionals and getting to our damn kids.”
“Yep,” Thor said from the corner.
“Attacking Diesel was bad enough. But they’ve now crossed a line. And that can’t go unanswered,” Dean said.
“So… what are you saying?” Colt asked.
Dean’s eyes locked with every single one of ours before swiveling around to mine.
“I’m saying we better get ready for battle, boys. Because this is now a war,” Dean declared.
Chapter 22
Eden
“Mom! Look! Dad’s got an entire collection of Disney DVDs! Can we watch them? Please? Maybe there’s some popcorn or something. Oh! Or we could run out and get some popcorn. Maybe some caramel popcorn?” Sierra asked.
“No, sweetheart. We can’t run out and get anything. But yes, pick whichever one you want to start with and I’ll go rummage around for snacks,” I said.
“Yeah!”
My eyes panned around the safehouse and it seemed… familiar somehow. I knew that was idiotic. I knew that didn’t make sense. But, I couldn't shake it. I made my way into the kitchen and pulled open cabinets. There was the usual in them. Cups. Glasses. Bowls. Plates. There was a silverware cabinet and some pots and pans. Some Tupperware for leftovers. All the things a kitchen in anyone’s house would need.
It just all looked like a lot for one person.
I heard Mulan strike up in the background and a grin spread across my cheeks. Of course, she’d start with that one. Sierra practically had the lines of that movie memorized. I heard her reciting them, verbatim, as she flopped herself down onto the couch. Which was actually a nice-quality couch. The microfiber was smooth. The cushions looked almost brand new. For a safehouse, the place was pretty swanky.
I guessed I just figured a safehouse would be rundown and decrepit or something.
I let my mind fall blank as I opened up the pantry. And when I saw the amount of canned goods there, my eyebrows rose. Duke hadn’t been joking. This thing was stocked to the brim with food. Noodles and pasta sauces and vegetables. Fruit and jello and pudding. All sorts of crackers and cookies and seasonings. Cereal galore with cartons of dehydrated milk waiting to be mixed up with water.
But when my eyes laid on the popcorn, I pulled it out and opened it up.
I popped us a bowl of sweet-and-buttery popcorn to share, then I sat down in the recliner. I put the bowl of popcorn on the small table that sat between Sierra and myself, then I pulled a blanket over my legs. I watched Mulan with her while keeping my ears peeled for things. I watched my daughter fall into the movie, entranced by the colors and the characters and the storyline.
Then, off in the distance, a motorcycle caught my ear.
“You stay here, okay, sweetheart?” I asked.
Sierra whipped her head around. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. Just keep watching your movie. I’ll be right back.”
She pulled the popcorn into her lap and I made my way for the front door. I peeked out of the window and saw two walls of dust off in the distance. Night began to fall. The stars were out in the kinds of numbers I’d never seen before in my life. The motorcycle noises grew, and soon I saw two bikes emerge on the horizon. Making their way for the house.
My hand mindlessly migrated to my pocket before I saw that one of them was Duke.
“Is Dad back?” Sierra asked.
I winced at that word. She had very quickly taken to calling Duke that, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about a lot of things at that moment.
Duke got off his bike and went over to another man I didn’t recognize. And when he stood off his bike, my eyes widened. Holy fuck, that man was huge. I mean, absolutely gargantuan. His damn bike looked like it was custom-tailored to him so he wouldn't crush it the second he fucking sat on it. Duke and this behemoth made their way for the front door and I stepped back. Someone shoved a key into the lock and turned it, then the door swung open.
“Dad!” Sierra exclaimed.
I saw the split-second shock on Duke’s face as Sierra came barreling at him. He bent down and picked her up into his arms, holding her close and kissing the side of her head. It warmed my heart, watching the two of them. Watching how he cradled his daughter close.
My eyes darted to the looming man behind him, and as he stepped into the house, I watched him duck in order to get in.
“Are you going to stay on vacation with us?” Sierra asked.
“I’ve got a few things to do regarding my work, but I’ll drop in every time I can. Okay?” Duke asked.
“Do you have time to at least finish watching Mulan with me?” she asked.
“Is that your favorite Disney movie?” he asked.
Sierra nodded her head as a wide smile crossed Duke’s face.
“Good. Because I’m pretty fond of that one myself,” he said.
“Groceries.”
The low, rumbling voice shook the foundation of the home. I looked over at the hulking granite of a man standing in the doorway before my eyes fell to his hands. He had six bags of groceries in each hand. Holding them as if they weighed nothing but a feather. He moved toward the kitchen before slamming them down onto the counter, then he made his way back to the front door and stood off to the side.
With his hands clasped in front of him.
“Who is he and what is he doing?” I asked.
“That is Thor. He’s one of our guys. He’s going to stand watch overnight while you and Sierra are here,” Duke said.
“Just for tonight?” I asked as my eyes panned over to Duke.
“Come morning, if there has to be a shift change, there will be. But, for right now, we have a plan in play that should keep you and Sierra safe for now.”
“For now.”
“You have my word that the two of you will be safe. But we’re placing someone here just in case. Just in case something about tonight’s plan goes haywire,” he said.
“And what is this plan you speak of?” I asked.
“Without giving away too much, we’re setting up those who threatened you. Sending a message before any of this gets anymore out of hand.”
I nodded slowly. “You know, this was exactly the type of thing I wanted to keep Sierra away from.”
Duke’s face hardened. “I know.”
“So, don’t fuck it up.”
“I’ll give my life if it means it goes according to plan,” he said.
I felt a tug of panic in my gut, and it tossed me into Duke’s arms. I held him tightly, kissing his neck. His cheek. His shoulder. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in deep. Memorizing his scent. The way his arms felt draped around me. The way he held me so close it almost hurt to breathe.
“I need you to come back,” I whispered.
“I will make sure you and Sierra are safe. Above all else,” Duke murmured.
He kissed my lips one last time, then whipped around and left. I reached out for him, wanting him to look me in my eyes and reassure me he was coming back. I headed for the front door but the granite statue in the corner moved. He stepped in front of me as the front door swung closed, blocking my ability to get to Duke.
All I had was the sound of his motorcycle as he rode back off into the distance.
My eyes panned up to the man with the hooded brow. The shadowed features. The massive stature. I took a wary step back from him. That was the kind of man I didn’t want to piss off. I looked over at the groceries on the kitchen counter as the credits to Mulan started rolling in the background.
“Put them up,” Thor commanded.
I whipped my eyes back up to him and scoffed. Great. I was stuck with a man who could crush me with his hand, and he was also a dick. I made my way into the kitchen as Sierra rifled through the movies, trying to figure out what to watch next.
“What do you like to watch, Thor?” Sierra asked.
My eyes whipped over to the animal standing at the front door and I shot him a glare. He didn’t have to be kind to me, but he sure as hell had to be kind to her. I caught his eye and I watched his gaze fall down my body before he sniffed the air. Quirking his nose as if there was a dirty diaper in the rafters.
“I don’t,” Thor said plainly.
“You don’t what?” Sierra asked.
“I don’t think he wants to watch a movie, sweetheart,” I said as I put up the groceries.
They were decent groceries, too. Fresh groceries. A gallon of milk. Some produce. Marinated chicken breasts. Steak skewers.
At least Sierra and myself would eat well while we were here.
“Do you like Disney?” Sierra asked.
“No,” Thor said lowly.
“Do you like comedy?”
“No.”
“You don’t like comedy? Who doesn’t like comedy?” Sierra asked.
“The Hulk doesn’t like comedy,” I said.
Thor’s head slowly turned my way and I felt my mouth run dry. He really was an intimidating man. I could see why he was protection in Duke’s club. Or gang. Or whatever it was he ran with.
“Do you like fast cars and explosions? Because I think Dad has all the Fast and Furious movies,” Sierra said.
I watched Thor’s head slowly pan over to my daughter and my hand migrated back into my pocket. I didn’t know what the hell he was about to do, but he needed to know his place. I watched Sierra look into his eyes. She pulled some DVDs from the shelf before walking over to him. I walked over to the kitchen island. Braced myself against it as my daughter, who only came up to the man’s fucking hip, held up some DVDs in her arms for him to look at.
“I haven’t seen the latest one. Mom won’t let me watch it. Says there are too many naked women and such in them. But I have seen a few of them. What do you want to watch? I don’t want you to be bored,” Sierra said.
I watched Thor furrow his brow as his eyes locked with my daughter’s. His gaze flickered over to me before he puffed out a large sigh from his nostrils. I watched him carefully. Studied him. Took him in. And then, I watched his colossal hand with his thick fingers pluck a DVD from her arms.
Even the DVD looked miniature against his form.
“Great! I’ll get it started. Come sit down with me,” Sierra said.
“Sierra, I don’t think that’s a good—”
I watched my daughter take his hand and tug him away from the door. Now, I knew damn good and well my daughter would never be able to move such a massive piece of man anywhere. But when I saw him move with her tugs, a grin slid across my face. He shuffled into the living room and sat where Sierra placed him, then put the bowl of popcorn on his lap. She covered him in a blanket before she went and put the DVD in the player, and I bit back a giggle.
“This one’s my favorite. But don’t tell Mom. I wasn’t supposed to watch it,” Sierra said, whispering.
I watched my daughter pick up a piece of popcorn and hold it up to Thor’s lips. And when he took the kernel from between her fingertips, I made my way over to the pantry. I watched in the reflection of the microwave as Sierra settled herself against Thor. I watched the man feed her a piece of popcorn, then feed himself one. He fed her one, then he fed himself one.
It was comical to me, how all of these big, burly, scary motorcycle men were really softies at heart.
Keep faith, Eden. Maybe things will work out after all.
Chapter 23
Duke
“Sorry I’m late. I think I was being tailed. Had to shake it and take a stop for a while before getting here,” Jace said.
“Shit. This is getting serious,” Maverick said.
“Was it not serious at some point?” Jagger asked.
“Nothing is serious to Maverick until shit goes down,” I said.
“I really wish you guys would shut up sometimes,” Dean said.
