Page 14

Pippa

“I made you a cup of coffee,” Hana said.

“I love you.”

I smiled. The spare key was gone. I still tingled from last night. My mind replayed the three of us on a constant erotic loop. At some point today, I needed to talk to Romeo. Dozer assured me he wasn’t upset when he left.

I loved waking up with Dozer, to have him to myself, but I hated the idea of hurting Romeo. I didn’t expect Romeo to move in, to spend every night in my bed. We’d never had that in our relationship before Dozer, so why would it change? But when he was with us, I wanted him to know he could stay.

Having him there, in bed with us, didn’t take anything away from me and Dozer.

“Blade is going to pick me up after class. Dozer said something about you meeting with your professor. Are we talking about Anatomy ?”

I sat next to Hana on the couch. “I’m going to see…”

I was going to tell her I planned to see him in his office, threaten exposure and a restraining order, and hint that I had a gun now. If he enjoyed having a dick, he’d stop thinking with it or I’d shoot it off .

I probably needed shooting lessons, but he didn’t need to know that. My next step after the threat would be the restraining order. Last resort would be to go to Vance. I couldn’t trust Dozer or Romeo not to kill him, and my dad and brother would lock their princess back up in her tower.

Quinn had disrupted my life enough.

“I’m going to see about a restraining order.”

“But you told Dozer?”

“Not exactly. I just told Dozer I needed to settle a situation with my professor. I’m sure he assumes classes, grades, or something academic.” He didn’t need to know I’d made the colossal mistake of sleeping with my professor.

“How do you know Anatomy isn’t dangerous? He’s leaving notes at school, here, and Levi told me about the one at Chrome. So don’t fucking tell me you have this? You told your psycho professor to fuck off, and he’s escalating. Don’t you see that?”

“Yes. I do. That’s why I’m handling it. Today. I’m scared enough without you telling me he’s escalating. I know he is. He’s followed me on campus, too. Thankfully, Coop is always up my ass. He’s a deterrent on campus.”

“Do you want me to go with you to talk to him? I don’t think it’s smart to be alone with him.”

I couldn’t keep anything from Hana. “You can’t be there. I got a gun from Levi. I’m going to threaten him with it. Before you jump my shit, just listen. He’s the dean of my department. I’m not going to get any help from the school. I went to the police. I need to document the harassment. I have the notes he’s left, but he’s not calling anymore. ”

Hana shook her head. “One more note, I’m going to Blade. You’re with Dozer and Romeo now. Hellers take care of their own.”

“No, promise you won’t go to Blade. If he doesn’t stop, I’ll go to Vance.”

Hana sighed and gave me a hug. “My brother will know what to do, but don’t be surprised if it’s to get Dozer and Romeo to dispose of the body.”

We grabbed our backpacks.

“Do we need to pick up Levi?” I asked.

“No, she’s driving herself because she’s meeting Coop after classes. Does it bug you that she’s hanging out with him?”

“Coop is a great guy, but I warned her to be careful.” I grabbed my purse, the heavy weight reminding me of the gun tucked inside.

She followed me out the door into the garage. I pulled open the driver’s side door, and my heart stuttered. Fear slithered along my spine, tightened every muscle, and made my tummy flip. Hair prickled on the back of my neck.

I spun around, searching the garage. Had he been here, in my garage? My throat thickened making it hard to breathe. Almost as if I could feel Quinn’s touch, the revulsion and nauseating churn of bile rose into my mouth.

“Pippa?”

Like the vibration of an approaching train, my insides trembled. Then I noticed the note beneath the condoms.

Give the key and the clicker to your professor when you see him today. D .

“Oh no.” He didn’t understand. “He thinks I’m fucking Quinn.” I was going to be sick.

Hana read over my shoulder.

“I have to find him and explain,” I said to Hana.

Our conversation this morning ran through my mind. I’d been evasive, needed to settle things with my professor, and wouldn’t let him come with me. Dozer fought jealousy demons. Didn’t trust.

“He’s going to think I’m cheating on him.”

“He should know you wouldn’t do that.”

I waved the note he left. “I have to find him, talk to him.” I might not have wanted him to know, but this was worse. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.

Pippa: Let me explain.

“He’s not going to answer me. I can drop you off, but I’m not going to class.” I couldn’t sit in a lecture hall knowing I’d hurt Dozer.

“Fuck that. I’ll come with you.”

I gathered up the stuff from the seat and shoved it into the glovebox.

“Stop,” Hana scolded as she sat in the passenger seat. “You still need this shit for the police.”

I backed out of the garage and drove to the MC. My hands shook as I gripped the steering wheel. The last time Dozer had been upset he’d gone to the basement with Bullet.

“I hate him,” I said under my breath. “I hate him so fucking much.”

“Anatomy?”

“Yes. He’s going to ruin my life. I can’t lose Dozer. ”

She was quiet for a moment. “What about Romeo?”

“I love Romeo like I love you. We’re friends who happen to be really good in bed together.”

“Where does that leave Dozer?”

“I’m in so fucking deep with Dozer.”

I pulled into the church parking lot. Hana handed me the papers. “Once you explain to him what he’s done, Dozer is going to want to kill Anatomy.”

“I know. That’s why I haven’t told him before now.” My heart thudded in my chest. “Thanks for coming with me.”

Hana squeezed my hand. “I’m glad Dozer found the papers. I never thought you should be handling this on your own.”

With the papers clutched in my hand, I made my way to the door of the MC. Skin was the only thing holding me together as I quivered with uncertainty.

He’d let me explain, take me in his arms, and tell me everything would be okay because I needed him.

Blade glanced over when we entered the chapel. He immediately rose from the table, leaving Rogue, and strode toward Hana.

My gaze landed on Dozer. The hard line of his mouth obliterated any hope for his understanding. His dark eyes narrowed on me. Tension ticked in his jaw.

Anger and jealousy radiated from him. A black cloak of hate shrouded me, swarming through me like a stinging hive of hornets. I couldn’t breathe. I tried to swallow the raw burn in my throat. He wasn’t going to let me explain .

A hollow ache, where my heart should have been, stole my breath.

Levi turned to me and smiled. “Hi.”

Dozer grabbed onto her hip before she could step toward me. “Don’t,” he gritted out. I barely heard him but read the words on his lips. “You were right. She’s a lying, fucking bitch. Just another Heller whore.”

Pain knifed through my chest, and tears burned behind my eyes.

“What the fuck, Dozer?” Hana bristled and stepped in front of me.

“Why aren’t you in class?” Blade asked.

“Don’t,” I said, grasping Hana’s arm. “Don’t say anything. Please.”

Romeo stepped from the back rooms.

Seeing me with tears on my face, he rushed over. “Pip, what happened?”

“Nothing.” I stared into his eyes. They focused on my face. Worry knit his brows as he brushed a thumb over my cheek. It was too much.

I chanced one last glance at Dozer. The loathing and betrayal reflected in his eyes gutted me. Levi shoved his chest and rushed toward me. The papers slipped from my fingers. I turned and fled from the building.

“Pippa, wait.” Romeo followed me.

More tears burned behind my eyes. “I can’t.”

He grabbed onto my arm and spun me around. “What happened?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. He thinks I’m a whore.” I just fell for the wrong Heller. I yanked open my car door .

“Pip, you know that’s not true.”

“I’m sleeping with you, sleeping with him, and I slept with my professor. There are a few others on the list. I’ll own the label. But I never cheated on him.”

He hugged me close. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him.”

“Don’t. He’s mad, and I’m done trying to get past his issues.” I’d thought he needed me the way I needed him. My phone rang. “It’s Gabi. I need to go.” I pulled the door closed and answered the phone. I tried to keep my voice from cracking.

“Hi.”

“Pippa, I don’t mean to be bitchy, but this has to stop.”

I started my car and waved to Romeo as I backed out of the parking stall.

“I just got another call from the security company. I told them it’s another false alarm. Apparently, they have a limit on how many times they are going to let your boyfriend break into the house. They are going to start charging me fifty dollars.”

“It’s not going to happen again. I’m pretty sure we’re done.”

“Oh, Pippa. I’m sorry.” She sucked in a breath. “Wait, what?”

“It’s a long story, but he has trust issues.”

“Are you still at the house with Dozer?”

Something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t speaking of alarms in past tense. I had felt a tingle running down my spine this morning. Not from Dozer. But worry that Quinn had been there. The dark sedan was his. He knew where I lived. Had he waited, wondering if I would be alone ?

What if he had been there? He absolutely would. He’d found me at Chrome, school—my house would be an easy find.

Had Dozer, Hana, and Blade not been there, would he have come into the house? The fear in my belly grew heavy. I slid my hand into my purse and curled my fingers around the cold steel of the .38 Special.

“How long ago did the alarm go off?”

“About ten minutes ago,” Gabi said.

Quinn could still be there. I rested the gun in my lap. “Thanks Gabi. I’m going to take care of him.”

Dozer

Hana dropped to the ground and gathered up Pippa’s notes. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she spat.

Blade put a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?”

Romeo stormed into the chapel. “What the fuck did you do to her?”

I reacted. Seeing those words, knowing she still had something with her professor had made me want to eat my own fucking heart. Christ, all I felt was searing heat running through my veins.

My head pounded. I wanted to fight. I wanted to lock her in a fucking dark room and fuck her until I was the only thought in her head.

Instead of killing him, I’d hurt her. Fuck love. Fuck trust.

“She fucking lied. I asked her if there was anyone else. ”

My phone rang. I ignored it.

Hana couldn’t explain away Pippa’s relationship with her fucking professor. Not that Pippa couldn’t have a past, but I fucking asked her. Fuck. I told her shit about me, shit I didn’t share with anyone. We fucked Romeo. I had asked for honesty so it wouldn’t be infidelity.

If she still had dick on the side, she shouldn’t have lied about it.

My phone rang again. I pulled it from my pocket. Fuck me twice. I didn’t need Vance chewing my ass over her hurt feelings.

“Yeah.”

“Where are you?”

“At the MC. If you’re calling to give me shit about Pippa, I don’t need to hear it.”

“Quit breaking into her house.”

“That’s over.”

“Good because I was on my way over to knock some fucking sense into you, but Gabi’s getting a strange vibe off her.”

Nothing strange, just guilt coming off her.

“Gabi’s worried so I’m still going to go over. You’re at the MC, but she just told Gabi you were at the house and that you broke in. Dozer, something must be wrong.”

I raked a hand over my scalp. I glanced over my shoulder to Hana, Levi, and the guys. Romeo paced, and fuck followed every other word out of his mouth.

“When was the alarm?” I asked because I’d broken in several times.

“Ten minutes ago. ”

“I’m on my way.”

I hung up and rushed to the group. “I think the Crawlers know about Pippa. Vance is on his way to her place. They broke in.”

“It’s not going to be the Crawlers,” Levi snapped. “She’s in trouble.”

Hana held up the notes. “It’s him. Her fucking professor.”

“What?” The ground shifted beneath my feet.

Levi touched my hand, keeping me focused on what they were saying rather than flying into a fucking rage. “He won’t leave her alone. I know she’s scared, but she’s convinced he’s not dangerous. The other day at school, he cornered her.”

I took off in a run. I scrambled onto my bike, hit the throttle, and raced toward Pippa’s house. Why the fuck hadn’t she told me? I recalled the times she’d declined phone calls, hid her screen from me, and this morning how she’d evaded my questions.

Brilliant, stupid girl. Fuck. I throttled back, propelling the bike forward and roared through the streets. When I arrived, Vance’s bike rested in the drive. The garage door was open. With my 9mm in my hand, I burst through the door.

Vance surged from the hall, facing off against me in the kitchen.

“Who was here?”

“Fuck if I know. She won’t say shit, but she’s freaking the fuck out.”

I raced to the bedroom.

“Pip.”

Her wide eyes turned to me. “Get out, Dozer. ”

Sweat trickled along her face. She’d stripped the bed. Steam billowed from the bathroom. She’d shoved the sheets, pillows, and blanket into the shower.

“Baby.” I set my gun on the dresser.

“Baby?” She stilled. “Don’t you mean Heller whore.”

“God, no. Fuck, Pip, if you’d told me about the notes, about the shit you’ve been going through, I’d have taken care of the problem. He’d never write another fucking note. He’d be lucky to hold a spoon once I broke every bone in his hand.” I took a hesitant step toward her. Blood rushed through my ears, and my heart was in my throat. The wild beat hit with the force of a fist.

“ Vai al diavolo! Go to hell! You need to leave.”

I sat on the edge of the bed. “Please, talk to me.”

“Get off!” she screamed. “Get off the bed,” she wailed with a choking sob.

I lunged to my feet and reached for her. “What the fuck happened?”

“Don’t touch me.” She backed away. Her red rimmed eyes were swollen. “I’m a lying, fucking bitch.”

“I was angry.” No excuse. “I’m sorry.” But I didn’t just fail her today. I didn’t have her trust. And I proved today she didn’t have mine.

More motorcycles roared into the drive. A door slammed, and Romeo burst into the room.

When Pippa saw Romeo, she crumbled to her knees and covered her face with her hands .

“She doesn’t want me,” I said, and took a step back. I didn’t blame her. Insecurity had me jumping to my fallback emotion, jealousy. When I struck, I didn’t care who I hurt. “Help her,” I said to Romeo.

I’d never felt like this, like an open gash in my chest, feeling life seep out from the black hole where I was supposed to have a heart.

Romeo crouched on the floor in front of her. “Pip, come on.” He pried her hands from her face.

Hana rushed into the room and shoved Romeo out of the way. “Move.” She wrapped her arms around Pippa. “Did he hurt you?”

Pippa shook her head and dissolved into a wash of tears. She melted into Hana, clinging to her shoulders. Levi came into the room, sat next to her, and held her hand.

I slid down the wall until my butt hit the floor. She’d been broken, but it wasn’t the asshole leaving her notes. I’d broken her. I’d finally pulled her into the same dark abyss that had me.

Vance went into the bathroom and turned off the shower. He returned with another note in his hand. “Did he leave this?”

Pippa lifted her tear-stained face. She nodded as her gaze focused on the note.

Vance read the note aloud. “ Sweet, sweet Pippa. I came for you. With your scent on your pillow, I came for you again. Next time I come, I’ll be coming for you, but instead of on your pillows and sheets, I’ll be coming in you. Q. ”

“You need to tell them everything,” Hana said as she comforted Pippa.

We filled the bedroom .

Hana and Levi kept Pippa between them. Vance leaned against the wall near the bathroom. I stayed on the floor.

Romeo sat next to me. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “Same thing I am.”

I glanced at Romeo and nodded. No cops, no reports. Hellers handled their own justice.

Blade squatted down in front of her. “Who is he?”

“He was my professor.” Her voice grew quiet. “We sort of dated. I ended it before the end of last semester.”

Her eyes met mine shrinking me down to the smallest form of life. She retold the encounters since the first of the semester. This wasn’t a scorned lover. He’d stalked her. Just his presence was enough to scare her.

“He was promoted to the dean of my department. Any problems with a professor start with him. Since that wasn’t an option, I went to the university ombudsman. I needed more than some notes left on my car, especially since I’m not his student anymore.”

“I’m pretty sure he left plenty of evidence all over your bed.” Hana tucked Pippa’s hair behind her ear.

“Oh, I probably shouldn’t have shoved everything into the shower. It was just so gross. I’ll never sleep in that bed again. It’s not going to hold any good memories for me now anyway.”

Fuck. Those last words were for me. I lunged to my feet and scrubbed my head with my palms. I couldn’t blame her for hating me. I felt the same loathing every time I looked in the mirror, but she couldn’t pretend that what we had wasn’t fucking real.

The front door slammed.

“Pippa!” Gabriella crashed into the room. Pippa jumped from the floor and launched into her sister’s arms. “Was he still here? Are you okay?”

“He was gone. He left a note, and he masturbated on my bed.”

“Grab a bag. I’ll take you home.”

“Not home as in with Mom and Dad. I’m not going back to life with Leo and Angela.” She glanced over her shoulder to Hana. “You’re never home anyway. Can I stay at your place?”

“Nah,” I said. “Not with the situation with the Crawlers.”

“You don’t get a vote in this,” Pippa said.

I pushed away from the wall. “Not asking for a vote. You can fucking hate me, but you’re not staying here alone.” And no one else was staying with her, not in the house or in her bed. “I’m not letting this asshole professor get to you.”

“I’ve got one stalker in my life. I didn’t realize I was getting another one.”

I took a step toward her. “None of this shit would be between us if you’d just told me what was going on.”

“I’m not explaining myself to you,” she hissed. “You fight, and you don’t think of the consequences. This is the dean of my department. I can’t levy accusations without the evidence to back it up. He can ruin me. You don’t get to fight my battles, just like I can’t fight yours. Not with the Crawlers, the cartel, or any of the other shit you’re into. ”

“What if you’d been here alone? He could’ve hurt you.” My heart slammed against my ribs. “He’s fucking unhinged. Who knows what he could have planned. He could have killed you.”

“Enough,” Blade said and sighed. “Hana, take her out back and smoke a blunt or something. Anything to calm her down.”

Hana led her out of the room. Levi stopped and slammed a palm against my chest. “You’re a dick sometimes, you know that.”

Romeo softly chuckled at Levi’s show of protectiveness toward Pippa.

“Don’t laugh, pretty boy,” she said. “His fuck up is going to cost you both. A girl just loves being called a whore and a liar by her boyfriend.”

“What the fuck, Dozer? You called her a whore?” Vance shoved my chest, slamming my back against the wall. His forearm pinned my throat. I gagged on the pressure. Vance used to be a vicious fighter, but he’d grown soft away from the MC. And I’d honed my skills in the basement with Bullet.

Still, I took Vance’s wrath. I deserved it. I was the bastard who had called her a whore and a liar.

Romeo pulled on Vance’s arm. “Fuck. We have enough shit without you two going at each other. That shit is between Pip and Dozer. They’ll work it out. But the fucker who’s been following her is our business. She’s done dealing with him on her own.”

Vance eased back.

“No cops,” Blade said. “We deal with the piece of shit our way, and we keep it between us.”

“We take care of him the way we took care of the Crawlers,” I said .

Romeo nodded.

“I can find him for you.”

We all turned toward Gabriella.

“Tell me what you need, and I’ll get it for you. Driver’s license, address, credit card statements. I can tell you what kind of cereal he eats for breakfast.”

“You can get that?” Romeo asked. “You know what we’re going to do to him.”

Vance put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Baby, you don’t have to do anything that’s going to jeopardize your relationship with Alex.”

“I won’t. Alex has connections.”

“Who is Alex?” I asked.

“Alex Ferraro, the man Gabi works for is wealthy and connected.”

We needed to keep this with the MC. We didn’t need the scrutiny when the professor disappeared.

Blade’s thoughts must have traveled in the same direction. “Vance, you and Gabi don’t want in on this.”

The implication hung like a dark cloud in the room. We would be on our own side of the law. One way or another, the guy was going to be out of her life.

I slipped out of the room, grabbed my cigarettes, and went to the patio.

“Can you give us a minute?” I asked Levi and Hana.

Pippa gave a slight nod to her head. Given the chance, I was pretty sure Hana would gut me with the knife she kept in her boot. A sad smile pulled on Levi’s mouth. She didn’t have to say anything.

I sat across from Pippa and clamped a cigarette between my lips .

“I was pissed,” I said to her.

Pippa

“You’re pissed because I should have told you,” I said. “Tell me what you would have done if you’d known?”

He took a long pull on his cigarette. Swirls of smoke curled around his face. “I’d have kept you safe.”

“I didn’t think I was in danger. I figured he had a lot more to lose than I did, and he’d eventually get the hint.”

I wasn’t so much angry. I wouldn’t even say I was hurt. Numb. And violated. Quinn had stood over my bed and ejaculated. Shivers skated over my flesh. I wrapped my arms under my breasts to chase away the chill.

“I don’t know how to fix this.” His voice cracked.

“You can’t.” I’d told him I needed his broken parts. Maybe I’d been na?ve, but I hadn’t realized what it would feel like for him to break me. I’d felt this way before. He’d let me in then shut me out. I couldn’t do it again.

I stood and headed back into the house.

“I need you,” he softly spoke.

“Loving you hurts too much, Dozer.”

I went back into the house. Warring emotions battled inside of me. I trusted Vance, but he wasn’t my brother. We weren’t close, not the way Hana could go to him and curl up in his arms.

Blade was elusive. If I was deserted in the middle of nowhere, I’d call a ride share before I’d call Blade. We just didn’t have that kind of friendship. My only connection to him was Hana.

I trusted Romeo, but I didn’t seek the comfort of his arms either. We were changing, and I wasn’t going to bounce from Dozer. I couldn’t. I shared a physical connection and friendship with Romeo. He was my male Hana. Laughs, fun, but with sex. He wasn’t my protector. I had a desperate need for Dozer, for the warmth of his arms.

But I couldn’t trust him.

After I’d convinced Gabriella that I wouldn’t be staying with her or going home, she’d kissed my cheek. “Be safe.”

“I will.” I would, and I had the gun Levi gave me.

I thanked Levi again for the gun before she left to meet Coop with a promise not to say anything to him about what happened. Coop would go to Diego, and I didn’t need his big brother crap making my life more complicated.

Not that I was doing a good job of running my own life.

Blade and Hana walked out, leaving me with Dozer and Romeo.

“If you’re staying here, we’re staying with you.” Romeo leaned against the kitchen counter. “Both Dozer and I sleep most nights at the MC so that’s your only other choice. One of us is always going to be with you.”

My gaze rested on Dozer. “I’ll stay with Romeo.”

A vein pulsed in Dozer’s temple. “As long as you’re safe. ”

“You’re going to be okay with that?” I asked.

His shoulders stiffened as he pushed away from the wall. “I’m going to have to be.”

“I’ll pack a bag.” I went to my room and grabbed a duffel bag from my closet. I wasn’t sure how long they expected me to stay out of the house.

Panic still slid through my veins, prickling the hair on my arms and the back of my neck. I was scared. Quinn had been older, seductive, and I’d fallen for his charm.

But then he’d wanted to check my phone, he’d policed my social media, and hated when I hung out with Coop, lecturing me after I’d gone to a party at the toolshed.

“Hey,” Hana said, popping into my room. “Blade and I are going to head back to the MC. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” My chest tightened saying the word. I sounded like Dozer. Like him, I wasn’t fine. “I’ll drive over after I pack a bag.”

“You shouldn’t drive alone. Just get one of the guys to take you.”

I sat back on my haunches. “I can’t.”

Why did I care if I hurt Dozer? I’d promised him that I was his. I belonged on the back of his bike, not Romeo’s.

Hana came into the room, knelt next to me, and hugged me. “I know you’re conflicted. Dozer fucked up. If you can’t get over what he said, then stay close to Romeo.” She stood. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see. The guys are going to teach Anatomy a lesson.”

“They won’t kill him, will they? ”

She turned to me before she left the room. “No, but they’ll make sure he fears crossing the Hellers.”

I finished gathering my toiletries. At some point tomorrow, I’d have to deal with the mattress and the wet bedding in the shower. I could probably get Romeo to help me.

Not today. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and wait for the coiling tension in my belly to go away. I couldn’t get the image of Quinn, standing over my bed out of my mind.

I shoved a change of clothes into the bag. Nothing complicated. Jeans, T-shirt, bra and panties, and some cotton sleep shorts and tank top. I slipped on my canvas kicks and made sure I had everything I needed for school.

“Ready?” Dozer asked.

“I’ll lock up and meet you at the MC. Don’t argue with me. I’m driving myself.”

Romeo pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “We got you. Whatever you need.”

“Did Gabi mention how he got in?” Dozer asked.

“She didn’t but she assumed it was you.”

“Let’s make a sweep of the house, he said, “check all the windows, then we can go.”

Once the house was secure, I headed toward the MC. My heart hiccupped as I checked the rearview mirror. Dozer and Romeo rode side by side.

I had no doubt, if I walked away from Dozer, I’d have to walk away from everything to do with the Hellers.