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Chapter Seven

I load up my plate with garlic cheese bread and a couple slices of pizza while observing the people who have taken me in.

They cut up and carry on like a family. The way the men tease each other cracks me up.

There’s a comradery among them that I envy.

I’ve always been a loner in a lot of ways.

Maybe that made me easy prey for Thad. Growing up, I didn’t make friends easily.

I was the odd, chubby girl who loved to read more than anything else.

Books gave me an escape. Friends that felt real, even if they only ever lived in my imagination.

Reading made my childhood less lonely, but I’ve always longed for a friend group.

A true family. I thought Thad and I were going to build a family together.

And as far as friend groups go, Gwynee was trying to include me and make me a part of hers.

As sweet as she was, I still felt like an outsider, but something about sitting at this table with these bikers and their babes makes me feel as though maybe I could eventually settle in to this life.

I just want someone to want me.

Somewhere to belong.

A real home.

Madz smiles at me, and nothing about her energy or her expression comes off fake. She comes off genuinely.

I bite into my pizza, and a moan escapes my lips. I’m either starving, or this is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life.

Automatically, all eyes are on me.

“Now that’s what I call a foodgasm,” the brunette that was with Foolish earlier says.

Woods clears his throat, and I meet his gaze. My cheeks redden the second I look at him. Why am I so drawn to this man that I can’t have and shouldn’t want? What is it about him?

I look away and fight against the smile pulling at my mouth and shove more food between my lips. I can’t go there. He’s married. He’s a cheater. He’s not mine and he never will be.

“I’m gonna have to try this if it’s that good.” A guy by the road name Dover reaches for a slice of my specialty pizza and Madz slaps him on the back of his hand.

“Hands off.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” I barely utter the words before all the guys are going for my box.

Woods grabs the whole thing, snatching it away from them before they claim every slice. “Fucking animals,” he mutters, then procures a slice for himself.

“You guys are the worst,” a woman I’ve not met yet says. She’s sitting between Popeye and Bugs, but I can’t tell which man she’s with if either of them. Whoever she is, she has the silkiest black hair I’ve ever seen.

“That’s Anya. Be careful around her,” Madz warns. “She’s besties with Faye. The wife .”

The ways she says wife tells me she knows about Woods and me, and I wonder what her silence will cost me.

“Good to know.”

“The chick with Foolish is Gabbie. She’s a club girl like me, but I trust her about as far as I can throw her. Kiki is cool, but she’s not here.”

“Anything else I should be aware of?”

“What are you two whispering about?” Anya presses.

“We were wondering what shampoo you use,” I blurt out. “Your hair is so silky. It’s gorgeous.”

She smiles and runs her fingers through it. “Thanks. I get it from the salon in town.”

“Ass kisser,” Madz mutters, and I elbow her in the ribs.

“You two seem chummy. Do you know each other?”

“What is this an interview,” Madz answers Anya.

“Just curious. So what’s your story?” She directs the question to me.

“None of your fuckin’ business,” Woods snaps at her.

The table goes quiet, other than the sounds of drinks sloshing and chairs scraping against the floor. Eventually, there’s only the two of us left at the table.

“Your room okay?”

“I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Still. You don’t know me.”

“I want to,” he says, all deep and gruff. His words paired with his rough voice send a tingle straight to my lower belly, warming me where they shouldn’t.

I don’t know how to respond to him, so I stick to a safe topic. “Your sister mentioned putting a window unit in my room.”

“Where’d they put you?”

“Third floor.”

“Fuck that. Follow me.” He shoves back from his chair, and I do the same.

Being alone with him is a bad idea, but when he grabs my hand, I don’t pull away. I welcome his touch and hate myself for craving it.

He takes me down the hallway, leading me to a back room that has a restricted sign on the door. “You can stay here. This is my private room, but I never sleep here. Has a bathroom and the walls are thick enough the noise from the bar shouldn’t disturb you.”

“Won’t your wife get pissed?”

“Let me worry about Faye.”

“Only if you’re sure I won’t be imposing more than I already am.” The prospect of not sharing that upstairs bathroom sounds like a dream come true. “I don’t want to cause any issues.”

“Butterfly, this is my club. I do what I want.” Hearing him call me his pet name for me has those fuzzy and warm sensations swelling deep in my belly like they did the first time I laid eyes on him.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears. When he looks at me, I almost forget my own name.

I almost forget that we’re married to other people.

“Right,” I mutter, and fight the urge to flutter my lashes and smile at him like some lovesick schoolgirl experiencing her first crush on a bad boy.

I’ve got to squash these fuzzy feelings when it comes to him. Woods is off limits despite the way I react to him. Being alone in this room with him is dangerous for my health. He’s standing too close. Smelling too good. Being too damn nice.

Making me wish I wasn’t married. That he wasn’t married.

“Make yourself at home. If you need to move some shit around to make space for your things, feel free. I don’t think I keep much here, anyway.”

I nod. Who am I to question him? I look around, noting the size of the room.

This room was likely the primary bedroom when it was a regular house and not serving as a biker clubhouse.

The décor definitely says a badass MC prez sleeps here.

King sized bed with black and gray bedding.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing at the mirror on the ceiling.

And now I’m trying not to think about Woods being naked in this bed.

An image of him looming over his gorgeous wife moves through my mind.

I bet he fucks her as hard as he rides. Blush creeps along my cheeks as the vision.

“Low will take you shopping tomorrow. Get what you need.”

“I’ll pay you back soon as I can or work it off.”

He stares at me as though he’s imagining other creative ways I can pay him back. Heat flashes across the back of my neck and it has nothing to do with the hot temperature.

This has to stop.

I’ve got to get out of here and away from Woods as soon as possible.

Maybe I can flirt with one of the prospects and talk them into getting me a bus ticket out of here or a ride to the next town.

I know it’s a silly fantasy. I know too much about them now.

I’m smart enough to understand that these aren’t the kind of men you can easily walk away from.

The problem is, I don’t want to walk away.

I like the way this man looks at me.

I know it’s wrong to want him.

To wish he’d pull me in close and kiss me.

Lay claim to me.

“No worries about that. Keeping you safe is what matters. My sister said you needed to make a call.”

“It’s only that I didn’t call my boss and tell her I was skipping town. I wouldn’t want her to worry or report me missing.”

“I’ll reach out to Big Daddy. Make sure you’re covered.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there anyone else you need to contact? Family?”

“No. I don’t have anyone.” I’ve been on my own for a long time. My mother lost custody of me after my brother passed away and I went to a group home.

“All right. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll let you get settled. If something comes up, just find one of my guys and they’ll let me know.”

“You will hardly know I’m here.”

“Seriously doubt that.” He starts toward the door.

“Woods?”

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were married?”

“You didn’t ask.”

He’s got me there.

“Does she know?”

He smiles at me, but it’s a sad smile as he takes a step toward me. I should push him away and scream at him he’s a liar and a cheat, but mostly I don’t want him to walk out of this room and go back to his wife.

He runs a finger along my jaw and a shiver passes through me as I close my eyes and allow myself to pretend that he doesn’t belong to someone else. That I don’t have a husband.

“That I fucked someone, or that I fucked you?”

“Me. That you fucked me.”

“I didn’t fuck you, butterfly,” he says all deep yet raspy, his breath fanning over my lips he’s so close.

I want to ask him what he means by that, but he stops short of giving in to what we both want and walks away without another word or glance back.

Tears burn at the backs of my eyelids.

I close the door and go upstairs to grab the clothes and cleaning stuff I rounded up earlier.

Madz is going into her room, followed by one of the club brothers. I think his name is Shaggy and I’m guessing his hair is what earned him his name. Thick, wavy brown hair that reaches his shoulders that could benefit from a brush and some conditioner.

I wonder if Madz has a choice in who she sleeps with or is she expected to accept the attention of any man with a Kings of Anarchy patch on his back.

I don’t hold any judgement, but I don’t think I could do what she does.

How did a nice and gorgeous girl like her end up here?

Not that there is anything wrong with here.

I know what landed me here. I could have worst prospects. I could be gagged, blindfolded, and locked in a trunk or, even worse, tied to a chair being tortured by the cartel.

“You’re kind of lucky.” Low grins at me as she climbs into the driver’s side of the vintage Chevrolet pickup.

“How do you figure that?”

“You have a fresh start. You get to start over.”

“I guess.”

“You can’t go back to California.”

“No, not right now.”

“Girl, you’re likely on the hit list for the cartel. That’s some serious shit.”

“Is this a pep talk or to scare me?”

“Sorry. I can come on strong.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m grateful for the company and friendship.”

“Just so you know, you’re at the top of Faye’s shit list, and that makes you my new best friend.”

“Do the two of you not get along?”

“Long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

“No, you don’t. We’ve got shopping to do.” She turns the ignition and cranks up the radio as motorcycles fire up behind us.

I glance out the side-view mirror, seeing Foolish and a guy I haven’t met yet, following us.

“Ignore the guys. You’ll forget they are even there, eventually.”

I’m not sure Foolish will allow anyone to ignore him. I get the idea he loves attention.

As though he knows we’re talking about him, he revs his engine.

As Low sings along to whatever is blaring from the radio, my thoughts drift to Woods, and I wonder when I will see him again.

I’m pathetic and I’ve got it bad.