Page 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SAINT

C oming awake with a start, for a second, I wonder where I am. My surroundings are familiar, the companion lying close beside me is not. The explanation returns fast, though I was certain there was far more distance between us when we both closed our eyes. Did I move toward her? Or is she the culprit? Huh, whichever doesn’t matter, I’m quite comfortable where I am.

A glance at my phone on its charger at the side of the bed shows me I’ve only been sleeping for an hour, which is not surprising. It’s the middle of the afternoon, and I’ve never been one to rest during the day. Gently prising my body away from Pippa, I notice her breathing is deep, and the loss of my warmth from her side doesn’t so much as make her flinch.

She’s completely out.

Having personally experienced the effects of the painkiller Doc left for her, I’m not surprised. She’ll probably stay unconscious for at least another couple of hours. Time enough for me to check downstairs, get a drink, find out what’s going on, and, if I see a bunny wandering around, maybe I’ll get her to suck me off. For some reason, waking up next to a female has had a certain effect on my cock.

I change my shirt, go into the bathroom and take a piss, then exit my room quietly closing the door, while wondering why I’m bothering as a herd of elephants tramping up the stairs probably wouldn’t wake her just now. Entering the main room, I check who’s around, seeing Heathen behind the bar, and Short sitting, holding a glass, staring into it as if it’s going to give him all the answers to any questions he might want to ask. Ace and his father are nowhere to be found, giving me cause to let out a sigh of relief. A slight reprieve from having to face my problems.

Over by the pool table are a couple of club girls half-heartedly trying to play a game, but it’s more one to attract interest, as their moves tend to involve exaggerated poses which show off their asses and boobs, leaning too far across the table, giving a display of bare flesh whether you’re looking at them front of back. I know either of them, or both, would be more than up to spend some time satisfying my needs, but for some inexplicable reason, even though moments ago that was my very intention, their blatant advertising sours rather than arouses, and my dick has deflated.

My appetite for beer takes pole position, so I head toward the prospect. My arrival has already caught his attention, and he’s ready with an open bottle in his hand by the time I reach the bar. With just a chin lift to denote my appreciation, I prop myself on the stool beside Short. Showing a lack of situational awareness, he appears lost in his own world.

“Whatcha thinking about so hard?”

He jumps at my voice, gives a sheepish grin, and shrugs. “Not much.”

Eyeing him carefully, I suspect it’s something deeper than that, but it’s not my place to pry if he doesn’t want to talk.

Maybe to distract me, he asks, with a grin. “Thought you were upstairs with your ol’ lady?”

Barking a laugh, I shake my head. “She ain’t ol’ lady material.” Yet. But I’m not going to let any of my brothers know I’m even considering it. My brow furrows. “I stayed with her long enough to get her to take a strong painkiller. Fuck knows she needed one.”

“Why didn’t she just take it?” He frowns, then nods. “Ah, worried about being vulnerable in a club full of bikers.”

Huffing, I respond, “Worried about a return visit from Doc, more like.” Or Freak, I add to myself. That Short hasn’t mentioned the enforcer suggests Freak’s licking his wounds somewhere and hasn’t blabbed his mouth about the death sentence he’s pronounced on Pippa, nor how close he came to carrying it out.

Short’s reaction takes me by surprise as he slams both palms down hard on the bar top. “Fuckin’ pervert,” he growls. Giving me a sideways look, he continues, “Can’t stand that fuckin’ doctor.”

“Whoa,” I hold up my hands and chuckle softly. “Tell me how you really feel.” My eyes narrow. “Not really a problem, is it? He treats us, and he’s not likely to have wandering fingers where we’re concerned.”

“I’d fuckin’ cut his hand off if he put it near my dick.”

I give a halfhearted laugh, “Don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, you’ve nothing he wants. He likes them with tits and a pussy.”

“I saw what he did.” Then, in case I don’t understand, he clarifies, “With that woman in your room.”

“We all saw,” I agree. “We knew why he’d been struck off but never seen it up close and personal before.”

“Can’t believe he tried to pull that shit in front of witnesses.”

It had surprised me as well. I shrug. “It’s like he can’t help himself.”

“He’s a grown fuckin’ man, not some pimply faced kid.” Again, Short slams his hands down. “Fuckin’ hate how he treats that daughter of his.”

“Hear you, Brother. I hear you.” I’m not fond of it myself. And neither are any of the Kings. Even the club girls are treated with more respect than Doc shows his own kin.

Short beckons to the prospect, who refills his drink. He takes a sip, then, waving his glass, asks, “Why the hell do you think she puts up with it, VP?”

Swallowing a mouthful of beer before I respond, I consider my answer. “Bronwyn?” He nods to clarify. “Who knows? She must be beholden to him in some way. She’s still at school, isn’t she? I thought I heard she was doing a four-year degree, though she’s coming to the end of it. Maybe he’s paying for her tuition.”

My reply doesn’t make him any calmer. “I’m warning you now, Saint. Next time I see him speak like that to her, I’ll be calling him out.” And in case I don’t get what he’s saying, he adds, “With my fuckin’ fists.”

“Whoa. Hold that thought a moment.” It’s time to put on my VP hat now. “Think carefully before you do anything, Short. Having an on-call doc who doesn’t ask questions is worth a fuckin’ lot to this club. If you fuck that up for us, what happens next time one of us catches a bullet?”

After catching my eye and holding it, he frowns and shakes his head. “I hear you loud and fuckin’ clear, VP. But Bronwyn doesn’t deserve to be treated that way. She shouldn’t walk around so scared and cowed.”

Raising an eyebrow, I ask incredulously, “You got the hots for her?” Sure, Bronwyn’s a pretty enough thing, but him? He doesn’t reply, but his face heats. I bark a laugh. “You fuckin’ have.” Snorting, this time it’s my hand that smacks into the bar top, punctuating my mirth. “Fuck, Short, you’re a big man, six foot seven, isn’t it?” I don’t wait for his confirmation. “She’s a tiny thing, a hundred pounds wet. You’d break her in half.” But it’s not just her physical attributes that worry me. “Think about it, Bro. She’s meek, won’t say boo to a goose… She wouldn’t last a moment in this club. She’s definitely not ol’ lady material.”

“Not saying I’d make her mine.”

I say my next words carefully. “She’s not a one-night stand, a girl out for a good time. Fuck, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was a virgin. And, if you go after that girl, it could be the same result that we’d lose Doc. You think he’d want one of us lusting after his daughter?”

Placing his head into his hands, he rubs at his temples. “I know, I know.” He turns his head toward me. “She’s just been on my mind, VP.”

I’m confident Short would think twice before doing anything that would harm the club, or deprive us of medical services, so I don’t continue pressing the point, or linger on the ridiculousness of a relationship between the biggest man in this club and the tiny girl. Instead, I give him something else to think about.

“Can’t solve your problem. Wanna have a go at mine?”

That catches his interest. He sits back up. “And what’s got you worried?”

I point to the ceiling above my head. “Pippa.” When he offers a raised eyebrow, I give him more. “Not sure giving her time to heal is in her best interest when I can’t see any other option than her ending up dead.”

“I thought you still have a few more days.”

Sighing, I fill him in on what happened with Ace and Freak. As I finish, he places both elbows on the bar and lowers his head into his hands. “This is bad, fuckin’ bad. We all love that kid.”

We do, but there’s always the worry that at some point he’ll step too far over the line, and even Genie won’t be able to help him get back again. Doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to prevent it.

“Can I ask you a question, VP?” I give a rise and dip of my chin. “You catching feelings for her?”

I’m certain I’m not, or not in the way that he’s asking. And whatever emotion I’m experiencing is wrapped up in admiration and guilt. “I don’t want her as my ol’ lady, fuck, who wants to be tied down? But she’s brave, resourceful, and it’s all kinds of fucked up that if I hadn’t rescued her, she wouldn’t be in danger.”

“And if you hadn’t rescued her, she’d be dead.”

“But what have I given her? A few days of being in pain?”

Short’s a good man, a solid brother. And while others might have taken the chance to have a joke at my expense, he lifts his glass to his mouth and looks like he’s giving my problem some serious consideration. Then he replaces his whiskey on the bar and gives me his full attention.

“You admire her,” he starts. Then gives a quick shake of his head when I go to answer. He holds up a finger. “She’s strong.” He holds up another. “She’s going to stand her ground.” He raises a third. “She’s loyal, has to be in her job. And she’s definitely got a hot body going for her.” He pauses, his wink reminding me that he, too, has seen her naked. “All good points in her favour.” He holds out his other hand, lifting one palm, then another as if weighing the balance. “On one side, you’ve got a woman who’d make a terrific ol’ lady, and on the other, there’s just your reluctance to being tied down.”

Placing my fist on his hand, I press it back to the bar. “Biggest fuckin’ thing on the against side, even greater than my personal feelings, is that she’s a fuckin’ Fed, Short. She’s been on the side of right all her life. You heard her.” I brush my hair back with my hands. “There’s no way this club will ever be able to trust her, not even if she was the love of my life.”

Short nods slowly, then a grin spreads over his face. “The right side of the tracks has done fuck all for her. What’s been the result? She’s running for her life. And even if she did go back, there are no guarantees some asshole wouldn’t take her out. We all heard her. She’s never had fun. VP,” his smile disappears, and he suddenly looks serious. “Why don’t you show her how good it can be on the wild side?”

My brows rise to my hairline. “Corrupt her?” I can’t deny that the thought had crossed my mind, but only briefly and not seriously.

“Why the fuck not?” He nudges his shoulder into mine. “Could be fuckin’ fun if you think about it.”

On paper, maybe. In reality? How the hell do you change the thinking of a straight-laced cop into the mindset of an outlaw?