Page 13

W hile Hayes has his big meeting, I decided to go home. I really needed a shower and some rest and relaxation time.

Thankfully, Fang offered to come with me. He told Hayes he knows his vote and to be his proxy.

His exact words were, “You can be my proxy. I don’t want to listen to them bitch and complain for an hour, only to come up with approving everything, so I’ll protect Bailey. She’s better company anyway.”

Savage didn’t like that too much, but reluctantly agreed when I told him I needed to be in my own home. It’s been a shit couple of weeks. I need some me time.

Thankfully, Fang knows when to be discreet. I haven’t seen him since I came out of the bathroom and settled onto the couch.

A sudden knock on the door startles me. No one ever drops by my house unannounced. Hell, the package people never even knock anymore. I only ever know something is here when my phone dings with the notification that it was delivered.

I go to answer it, but Fang appears out of nowhere.

“I got it. You relax.”

I settle back into the couch watching my vampire show when Fang comes into the living room with a teddy bear.

One that looks an awful lot like one I had as a kid. One that went missing when I was eight years old. It even has the same spot on his shoulder.

It can’t be, right?

“He said it was a present for you? It was a delivery guy.” Fang holds the item out to me.

My stomach drops. This isn’t Hayes. Who would send me a teddy bear that looks exactly like my childhood one? Who would even know that?

“Will you look at the card?” I ask Fang.

Before he even starts reading, my stomach starts to churn. This isn’t good.

“Beautiful, gracious woman who stole my heart away. She is mine today.” Fang reads the words. He flips the card over and looks at them again. “What is this?”

“A Haiku,” I murmur, my hand coming to my lips.

“Does that mean something to you?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Nothing. Other than I know how to write one.”

“You look shook up. Is everything okay?”

“No. I don’t want to be here anymore.” I look up, meeting Fang’s eyes.

He nods. “Okay. That’s okay. Pack a bag, and I’ll follow you to the clubhouse.”

I look outside. It’s dark. I shouldn’t be afraid, but I am. Something isn’t right.

“I want to go now, Fang,” I tell him as I jump up.

“Okay. Now is good too. Do you need me to drive you? I can leave my bike here,” he offers.

It settles some of the nerves inside of me.

“No. I think I can drive.”

“All right. I will be right there with you.”

I grab my bag and keys, heading out the door. Fang pulls the spare key out that I gave each of them when they started protecting me and locks the door as I wait for him. He turns, startled to find me standing there.

“Walk me to the car?” I give him a nervous smile.

A line forms between his eyebrows. “I’m right here. Let’s get you to the clubhouse. No one can fuck with you there.”

He escorts me to my car, helping me in. Then he goes and gets on his bike.

Like he promised, he follows me the entire ride to the clubhouse.

As soon as the prospect opens the gate to let us in, I feel relieved. The secret admirer can get to me in my home, but not here.

Why I thought I had to be strong and stay there in the first place is crazy. I should have been staying here all along.

Fang gets off his bike, coming to my side.

“They are still in the meeting, so let me take you to Savage’s room. You can wait for him there. I doubt you want to deal with the sweetbutts.”

“Not really. I haven’t had any issues with them, but I think I want to be alone now that I know I’m safe.”

“I get it. Let’s get you there.”

As we walk through the main room, some of the girls call out to Fang, but he ignores them. He leads me down the hall, pulling out a key to unlock the door.

“You have a key to his room?” I ask him.

He shrugs. “He wanted me and Loyal to have a key in case you needed somewhere to hide out. He knows neither of us would invade his privacy.”

My eyes widen. “I don’t want to do that either.”

“Come on, girl. You know there ain’t nothing that man is going to hide from you. Get in there and rest. He will be out soon.”

Stepping inside, I smile when I hear him turn the lock behind me. Fang is a good man. He treats me respectfully and seems to care about my well-being more than it being an order from his president.

I think he and I are going to be good friends like I am with Loyal.

As I wait for Hayes, I start to look around his room. I haven’t really had a chance to look at his things any closer. It’s pretty bare. Nothing hanging on the walls. His dresser is a mess. I have half a mind to fold his clothes and put them away for him, but I don’t know what’s clean, and I learned my lesson of sniffing his clothes long ago.

As I get to his bookcase, I see an old book in tatters. My heart catches when I pull it out and see the title.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton .

It was my favorite book when we were kids. I always told him I felt like he was a Greaser coming along to dirty up my Soc ways. He always said I was silly for it, but he has this book.

Opening it up, my suspicions are confirmed. Not only does he have the book, but it’s the one that went missing when I was a teen.

That sneaky bastard.

As I go to put the book up on the shelf, something falls out of it. Picking it up, my heart catches.

It’s an old, worn picture of me. I’m smiling with a daisy in my hair. It’s from one of those old Polaroids.

I look so young and carefree.

The smudges on it say he’s looked at it a time or two.

Life can be so cruel to pull us apart.

Maybe it’s time to show the universe what we can be like together.

That meeting was tedious, but necessary. At least we were able to make some fucking decisions.

I have no idea how Uncle Rogue let things get this bad. Seriously, it’s scary how close to ruin the club was under his control. All I can think is maybe his mind was starting to diminish. Or maybe he was an old-timer too stuck in his ways to accept that things were changing.

Whatever it was, it almost fucked the club.

I have us moving in the right direction, though. At least Uncle Rogue had started the new route with the Saint’s Outlaws MC in Pensacola. That is the only reason I have money to make renovations and pursue business opportunities. His old ways of making money have long since dried up. Especially with his death.

I pull off my cut before I even get to my room. I need a quick shower and Bailey.

Unlocking my bedroom door, I start to pull my shirt over my head. All in one motion, I have it off, and I’m in the room, shutting the door. A small gasp has me looking up.

There, lying on my bed in some booty shorts and one of my T-shirts is the woman who haunts my dreams.

“What are you doing here, Bails? I was coming to you next,” I tell her.

She bites her lip, tears welling in her eyes.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Do you remember that teddy bear I had when I was nine?”

“I remember everything about you, but yes. The brown one with the little red bow tie,” I recall, wondering where this is going.

“Yes. My dad won it for me at the fair. I spilled hot cheese on it. We got most of it out, but it left a stain. Remember?”

I do. The cheese was so hot it melted the fur a bit. I tried everything I could to get it out so she wouldn’t cry. Instead, she hugged me for my efforts, telling me it was perfect.

“I do. What about it?” I move to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

“It showed up at my house tonight. With one of those poems. I don’t know if it’s the exact one, but Hayes…it looked just like it. I haven’t seen it since I lost it at the playground when we were nine.” The slight hiccup in her voice has me moving to her side, pulling her into my chest.

“You’re safe now. You can stay here as long as you need. I can move into one of the other rooms.”

“I don’t think I can sleep by myself. I’ve been trying, but my mind is whirling.”

I swallow hard, understanding what she’s saying. “I’ll stay with you then.”

She turns to me. “Thank you, Hayes.”

She kisses my cheek softly. Then she presses another one to the corner of my mouth. When she presses a firm kiss directly on my lips, I pull back.

“What are you doing, Bails?” I ask.

“I’m done pretending I don’t want you. I need you, Hayes. If you feel the same, we should let this happen and see where it goes. I’m tired of wondering what if. Aren’t you?”

I want to say yes. I want to show her what I can offer her even though I know it will never be enough.

I also know that if I take advantage of her while she is vulnerable and she regrets it, I will never forgive myself.

“If you regret it, it would kill me,” I finally admit.

“I won’t regret it. It’s the only thing I have ever wanted in my life. Please, Hayes.”

I’m going to hell. I know I am. For my lack of willpower alone.

When she kisses me again, I don’t stop her. I kiss her back, turning her so she is lying on her back. Then I position myself over her.

I continue kissing her, running my hands up beneath my T-shirt covering her body. I’m hard as a rock, thrusting against her slowly, loving her little mewls. When my hands touch her braless tits, my mind goes into hyperdrive.

She was sitting here naked under my T-shirt. That’s a heady feeling.

Pulling back, I look down at her with my hands on her tits. “You’re mine, Bails. Forever and always.”

She nods. “Forever and always, Hayes.”

“Good girl. I’m going to make you feel so good. Lie back and enjoy it.”

With that, I start to kiss down her neck, sucking and licking along the way. Eventually, I pull my T-shirt off her, mourning the possessiveness I felt from seeing it on her.

“Why were you in my shirt anyway?” I ask, kissing my way up her stomach to her tit.

“I wanted to feel closer to you. Although this place is a mess.”

I smirk against her before sucking her nipple into my mouth as I knead the other. Her back arches against me.

I pull back, looking up at her. “I don’t let the sweetbutts in here, and you know I’ve never been much of a housekeeper.”

She laughs, but it turns into a gasp when I pull her shorts aside, slipping my tongue through her slick pussy.

“Goddamn, Bails. You are fucking soaked. Is this all for me?”

“Yes,” she manages as I shove two fingers inside of her.

Fuck, she’s still so tight. I don’t want to know who she has slept with, but part of me wonders if there has been many or only a few.

Not willing to ruin this, I don’t ask. I choose to imagine that she’s still a tight virgin waiting for me to claim her.

“I need to be inside of you, Bailey. I promise I will take my time next time, but I need this.”

“Me too. Please, Hayes. Make me feel better.”

Her words spur me on. I stand, stripping out of my jeans and grabbing a condom. Bailey has slipped off her shorts in the process, showing me that she is as impatient as I am.

After I sheath my cock, I settle between her legs. Then I slowly slip inside of her.

We both moan at the feeling. I can feel myself stretching her out.

“Fuck, you are so big,” she groans out, her fingernails digging into my shoulder.

I relish the pain. It’s both irritating and pleasurable all at the same time. Especially because it’s her.

I start to thrust inside of her, my eyes staying locked on hers. She’s right here with me.

Picking up my pace, I start talking to her.

“You are so fucking gorgeous. Do you know how many times I pictured doing this to you? How many nights I touched my cock wishing it was you instead? You were the star of every single one of my fantasies.”

“Hayes,” she moans.

“That’s right, baby. Scream my name. Let everyone know who owns this pussy. You are mine. No one else’s.”

My words are working her up, but they are working for me too. Bailey is mine. She always has been. I knew it at seven years old, and I know it now.

As she comes, I continue to thrust, finding my own release. I kiss her face over and over until she blinks her eyes open at me.

“Want to take a shower with me?”

She nods. I slip out of her and help her up. I give her a minute to clean up and get into the shower before I join her.

As I stare at her, I can’t believe this is even real. I just fucked my childhood best friend and the love of my life. So many nights I fucked someone imagining that it was her. Now I have the real thing, and I don’t know how I ever managed.

No one can ever replace Bailey.