Page 2

Chapter two

I’m buried balls deep in club pussy when my phone rings. When I glance to my nightstand and see Bailee’s name flashing across the screen, my hips stutter to a stop. It’s been nearly three years since she’s called me. Text has been our only form of communication, and for the last year, it’s been completely silent on her end. She wouldn’t be calling me unless something is wrong.

Bebe keeps riding Rachel’s face, not realizing the party was over the moment Bailee’s name came up. Rachel starts whining underneath me, and I smack the inside of her thigh in reprimand while I reach over and grab the phone.

With a grimace, I pull my already softening cock out of Rachel and move to sit on the edge of the bed. Answering this call while I still have a club whore’s pussy juice glistening the condom on my cock is a fucked move, but I’m going to do it anyway.

“Bailee?” I answer.

“Steel,” she whimpers, “I need your help.”

Pain and agony mix in her voice, and it puts me on edge. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“Someone is after me. I’ve been shot twice. Another club. Caught them committing murder on camera.”

Her words are stilted, as if all her concentration is focused on getting them out. She said she’s been shot twice. Fuck. If her speech is already slurred and stilted, it’s likely she’s losing too much blood.

“Lee?” She only hums in reply, and my worry ratchets up. “Listen to me, Lee,” I bark.

“I’m listening,” she whispers.

“Good girl.”

“Hmm. I like when you call me that.”

Memories of our time together try to flood my brain, but I shove them out so I can keep her focused enough to keep her alive until I make it to her.

“Can you ping me your location, Hummingbird?” A few seconds later, a message comes through with her location. “That’s really good. Not far, Lee. Only take a bit to get to you. Were you able to stop the bleedin’?”

“A little bit. They’re still bleeding though.”

I keep talking to her as I climb from the bed, ignoring the low protests from the club whores behind me. Much as I hate to say it, they don’t mean shit to me. They’re warm cunts to slide my dick into when I need to fuck and that’s it.

Thank fuck I don’t have to deal with bullshit drama from them.

Got enough of that in my life with my kid’s mom.

I make sure to hold tight to the condom as I pull it off, tying it at the end and carrying it to the bathroom to flush it.

Not going to trust this shit around anyone again.

Heather taught me a valuable lesson on that front. Don’t regret my daughter, Lyric, at all. Other than my club, she’s the one bright spot in my fucking life. Going on seven and she likes to act like she’s going on thirty.

“How you doin’, Hummingbird?” I murmur as I pull on my jeans.

“I’m doing okay. Can you talk to me, Steel? I’m really scared, and I don’t know if they’re going to find me.” She blows out a breath. “If they do, can you make sure to get hold of my brothers and let them know I love them?”

I remove the phone from my ear long enough to pull my t-shirt over my head and slide my cut over my shoulders. “Don’t be talkin’ that bullshit, babe. Ain’t nothin’ happenin’ to you.”

Her laughter is soft, and it caresses my insides like it always has. “You a fortune teller now, bossman?”

The familiar endearment sends a pleasurable shudder over me.

“Might be. Can tell you I’m goin’ to see that beautiful face of yours soon.”

“Hope so,” she whispers. “It’d be nice to see you again.”

“Yeah. Can agree with that.”

“Will you tell me about her? Your daughter?”

“Only if you promise to keep yourself alert.”

Jogging down the stairs, I catch the party still raging in the common room. It’s a typical Friday night, and it’s one of the few I’ve participated in since I scraped Heather off my boots. Crow and Sage are in the game room, and he’s got her crowded against the pool table. His arms are around her, and his face is soft as he looks down at her. She’s everything my brother needed, and I’m fucking thankful she didn’t give up on his ass when he was pulling all his bullshit. Hell, sometimes he still pulls bullshit, but she doesn’t back down. Not ever. The way those two love each other, fuck, it’s something out of this world. Never saw anything like it and doubt I ever will again.

Wraith and Nova are playing a game of darts with Bender and Melanie, the four of them laughing at something.

I don’t want to interrupt them, so I glance around the room until I can find Thrasher. Just need to let someone know I’m heading out in case they need me.

Thrasher’s leaned back against a wall talking to Jagger, and they come to attention when they spot me coming toward them.

“Will you tell me about her, please?” Bailee whispers, and I know she’s fighting hard to keep herself alert.

“She’s amazing, Lee. Got this pretty brown hair that hangs down her back and my green eyes. A cute little beauty mark on the edge of her lip. Got the attitude of a grown ass adult, though. Never met a girl sassier than her.”

“She sounds amazing. What’s her name?”

“Lyric Skye,” I murmur as I come to a stop beside them.

“Pretty,” she whispers.

“Keep talkin’ to me, Hummingbird.” I make sure to keep my voice low so my brothers they don’t hear me. I mute the mic for a minute while she talks quietly in my ear. “Gotta head out. You need me for anything, let me know.”

“Everything good? You need one of us?” Jagger asks.

“Naw. Got this handled. Be ready in case I’m wrong.” They both nod, trusting that if I need more hands, I’ll call in backup. “Have fun.”

I shoot off a quick text to Kaitlyn as I head out into the muggy night. She’s the club’s babysitter, a sweet kid, and I probably wouldn’t trust anyone else with Lyric.

It doesn’t take her long to get back to me, letting me know Lyric is having fun with the other kids, and to take care of whatever I need to. The kids normally stay over with whoever is watching them on Friday nights anyway. Normally, I’d be spending time with Lyric since the weekends are my free time with her, but after dealing with Heather’s bullshit, I needed to blow off some steam.

“How you doin’, Hummingbird?” I ask while I wait for the call to switch over to my Bluetooth.

Her breathing speeds up. “I think I hear them. What if they find me?”

“Deep breath, babe.” I wait until I hear her suck in a sharp breath. “That’s good. Not goin’ to find you. Be there before they can.”

“Promise?”

I swallow hard. Fuck no. I don’t know the damn situation, but I’m not going to tell her that. “Yeah. Promise.”

The growl from the engine of my souped-up Bronco drowns out her voice for a second before it settles into a quiet rumble.

“Not much longer, Bailee. Doin’ okay?”

The wind rushes through my windows as I speed through the streets. I’m going faster than I’d normally go, glad I’m not on my bike tonight. I’ve witnessed too many accidents because other people either forget we share the road with them, or they just don’t give a fuck. Probably a lot of both. One thing I’ve learned in this fucking life is that you’ll run into more assholes than truly humble people. Add my tattoos, my cut, and my bike, and I’ve already got negative tally marks in their eyes.

Not that I give a fuck.

Life is too goddamn short to worry about what the fuck other people think. There’s only one person whose opinion matters to me and that’s my daughter.

Bailee’s voice keeps me company as I make my way to her, and I find myself drifting to the first time I ever met her.

I had such a ridiculous crush on my friend, Emmy Lou, but once Bailee strutted her sexy ass into the picture, it’s like the crush never existed. It didn’t take me long to figure out that what I thought I felt for Em was just an insane need to protect her. I love Emmy Lou, but it’s never been more than platonic.

But Lee . . . I feel that woman in my bones, and that’s what makes her so damn dangerous.

Emmy Lou and Atlas were having a cookout at their farmhouse a few months after her rescue, and they’d invited all the Dirty Mavericks along with their families. Ever since we helped save Em, they felt like they owed us something, no matter how many times we told them differently. Women and children are held in high regard in our club, and it takes a hell of a lot for us to lay hands on either. There’s been a few times throughout the years that we’ve had to take out a couple club whores, but thankfully, no children have forced us to end their lives. That’s one job that would destroy anyone who would have to do it.

Bailee came marching in, her head thrown back in laughter at something the woman walking in beside her had said. It’s that laugh that captured my attention first, and when she dropped her head and her icy blue eyes locked onto mine, her body jerked like she’d ran into a live wire and her lips parted. There was this raw pull toward her that I didn’t understand because I’d never felt it before. From the way she stared at me, she was feeling it too.

But here’s the thing . . .

I don’t do pretty little rich girls. Their tastes are too damn expensive for my blue-collar ass, and the one and only time I got tangled up with one in my youth, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

As hard as it was, I yanked my eyes away and gave my attention back to Emmy Lou, much to her husband’s aggravation. Mostly, I flirted with her to get under his skin. I don’t tread where someone else already lives, but Atlas is fun to get riled up.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Bailee was Atlas’s best friend’s sister, it probably would have been a lot easier to stay away from her when I would go chill with them. But it seemed like every time I was around, she’d show up. Hell, I wouldn’t have put it past my friend to be playing matchmaker.

Every time Bailee and I were suspiciously thrown together, our attraction to one another grew. We’d gravitate toward each other during these gatherings and then be glued to each other’s hips the rest of the time. When I realized what was happening, I began to make excuses for why I couldn’t come. Stuff with the club, work, whatever the hell I thought I could get away with.

Emmy Lou let me get away with it for a while, until a few weeks before her wedding. She’d showed up at Dirty Wrench while I was working, and from the way her nostrils flared each time she looked in my direction, she was already in a fit. When she dug her finger into my chest, I knew I was in hot fucking water.

“I’m getting married in two weeks, and you will be there, you freaking anal leakage,” she’d screamed at me.

It wasn’t until her voice broke that I realized how bad I’d fucked up, all because the way a woman made me feel had me running fucking scared. So, like the good friend I was, I made sure I was standing there proudly at Em’s wedding. And I spent that night and the rest of the weekend buried between Bailee’s thighs.

That woman . . . she’s addicting. We carried on casually for the next two months. We weren’t exclusive, and since I didn’t want to give her any other impression, I fucked other people. Heather was a regular in my bed when I wasn’t with Bailee because that bitch was easy and I didn’t have to put in any work. Any time I felt like going for more with Bailee, I’d call Heather up and dip between her legs. Shit ended up messy as fuck. In my need to keep Bailee at arm’s length, I ended up doing some damage to her because I didn’t make things clear, and then I got fucking trapped when a goddamn condom broke with Heather.

But my craving for Bailee was too much, and we ended up in a vicious cycle. Heather and I would split—mainly over her drug use and cheating—then I’d go to Bailee. Lyric was three months old the first time it happened. Lee and I got a whole weekend together before Heather called and made threats with Lyric. Each time I left and went back to Heather, there was a piece of Bailee that disappeared, but like the asshole I am, it didn’t stop me.

I needed her too much. I cared for her too much.

It wasn’t fair to Bailee, but Lyric had to come first, and that meant working on shit with her mother.

“How close are you? I can’t hold up much longer. I’m tired.”

Her hushed words pull me from the past.

The GPS’s robotic voice lets me know that I need to turn right in two hundred feet, and when I see the abandoned neighborhood, I flip off my lights and creep down the road so my Bronco isn’t as loud as normal. As I move through, I keep an eye out for the men Bailee said were after her, but the place is still.

When the GPS tells me I’ve made it to my destination, I pull into the driveway and shut off the engine.

“Oh, god, please tell me that’s you,” she whispers, a tremble loud in her voice.

“It’s me. Stay where you are. Goin’ to make sure shit is clear out here. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m here, Hummingbird. Got you. Hang tight and let me make it safe.”

“Please don’t hang up.”

“Not goin’ to, but I’m goin’ to put you on speaker and stick you in my pocket. Need both hands free. Gotta stay quiet for me, babe. Can you do that?”

I wait until I have her promise before sliding the phone into my pocket and grabbing my gun from the holster under my cut. For a big guy, my booted feet are surprisingly quiet as I walk around the house.

When you’re hunting in the dark, the shadows become your best friend, and they’re my favorite place to be. The fight is even more delicious when your enemies don’t see you coming.

Most of the brothers go balls to the wall when we’re in a fight, which I’ve been known to do on occasion, but I’m more at home in the darkness.

The crickets’ symphony of chirps creates a tune that lets me know there’s no one out here.

At least, not anymore.

Danger will always create a stillness to the world around us, a void of life that’s unmistakable.

I’d still rather be cautious, so instead of running straight to Bailee like that fucking never-ending craving under my skin is urging me to do, I continue searching the perimeter. Lee’s quiet reassurances let me know she’s still on there, keeping me company until I’m positive that whoever was after her is no longer around.

My large feet eat up the distance as I stick to the shadows, clearing each empty house on my way back to her. Once the Bronco is within my eyesight, I pull my phone from my pocket, holding it with my non-dominant hand so my gun can stay free.

“How you doin’, Hummingbird?” Her harsh breathing is the only answer I get. “Talk to me, baby girl,” I order, picking up my pace until I’m running.

Precious fucking minutes are wasted because I forgot to grab the med kit from the passenger floorboard and I have to change my aim from the house to the Bronco.

The door to the house is barely holding together, and it takes little strength to finish it off so I can get inside. Dusty footprints lead me to the stairs, and a few steps up, Bailee’s hunched-over form is in front of me.

I end the call with her, shoving the phone into my jeans, and grab the med kit out from under my arm.

The wood floor is hard under my knees as I drop down to her, but it doesn’t register as the woman in front of me has all my attention.

“Open them gorgeous blue eyes, Hummingbird,” I demand as I stick my fingers against the side of her neck. Her pulse beats faintly under them.

Holy fuck.

My shoulders drop, releasing the tension that’s been in them since I took her call.

I close my eyes, tilting my head back while I do nothing for a few seconds but feel the proof that she’s alive.

For now.

I snap my eyes open and shut shit down. Me feeling like this will be a sure-fire way to get us both dead. Emotions cloud judgment, and if I want us to be alive at the end of this fucking mess she’s found herself in, then my shit has to be locked down tight.

Should be fucking easy since I’m not feeling much anyway. Just relief that her heart’s still beating and fucked-up lust because she’s in my vicinity. Shit happens every damn time. We’re an impetuous cyclone of desire that electrifies the air around us as it builds into a salacious craving that will eventually drown us.

It’s been three years since I’ve seen her, but it’s only been days since I’ve thought about her. As much as I fucking hate it, she’s never far from my mind. It’s one of the reasons I try so goddamn hard to fuck her out of my system with any club whore, fender fluff, or townie that slides their hands into my pants. Hell, it’s the only reason I continued to fuck Heather even though she was giving her pussy up to other people. I didn’t have it in me to give her anything else, so the least I could do was give my daughter’s mom my loyalty.

Except in my mind.

Unfortunately, that’s the one place where I’ve never been loyal to Heather.

Digging through the med kit, I snap on a pair of latex gloves and start unwinding the tourniquet.

Bailee did a hell of a job.

Must have been hard to do while running with people chasing her.

Bailee grew up around here, though. She has a lot more experience navigating this land than outsiders. Being a freelance photographer, she’s always traipsing all over, and a place like this—basically a damn ghost town—is fucking gold to her.

Bet her shots are fucking amazing.

Her groan has my head snapping up, my eyes colliding with hers.

Those fucking hypnotic blue eyes suck my goddamn soul out.

“Jericho,” she murmurs, using my given name. “You came.”

“You think I wouldn’t, Hummingbird?”

When I pull the material away from her thigh, a sharp hiss escapes me when the measly light from her phone spotlights the bullet wound.

Getting shot, no matter where it’s at, hurts like a motherfucker, so the fact that she was able to keep her head enough to not only do a makeshift tourniquet but also get to safety lights up my chest.

I knew she was strong. Anyone who’s dealt with the shit she has would have to be, but this proves to me how much of a fighter, a damn survivor, my woman is.

My woman? What the fuck?

The thought has my hands stilling.

Nope. No fucking way. She’s not my anything. Not anymore. She put a stop to whatever the hell we had going three years ago.

I treated her like a filthy fucking side piece when she deserved a hell of a lot more than what I was ever able to give her. At least not as long as shit wasn’t completely over with Heather.

Like it is now.

I shake my head, dispelling the thoughts as I grab the waist of her jeans. “Think you can help get these off? Need a clear look at the wound.”

Her body shakes as she lifts her hips enough for me to slide them off and toss them to the side, then I help ease her down gently.

“Thank you for coming.”

The sharp, musty odor from the alcohol wipes stings my nose as I clean away the blood from around the wound. “Always will.”

Where my words are quiet, her surprised gasp is loud.

The muscles in my face tighten, and the hair on my neck stiffens.

Shit. That is not what I meant to say.

“Talk to me. Distract me because it hurts so bad,” she says tightly.

I’ve had to help patch up the brothers so many times that it’s basically muscle memory at this point. “How you been?”

She snorts, and I duck my head to hide the smile flirting with my lips. “ That is the first thing you want to ask me? I’ve been fine, Steel. How about you? You and Heather still on that fucking exhausting merry-go-round you call a relationship?”

When I glance up, her pain-filled eyes are wide with horror at her bitter words.

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Steel. I don’t know where that came from.”

How is it that I’ve never really accepted the damage I’ve done to her? She never hid her feelings for me when we were together. Damn near killed me the last time she pleaded with me to stay, but I couldn’t risk my daughter. She comes before anyone. Even myself. If that means I eat shit every single day for the rest of my goddamn life, then I’ll swallow it like it’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever tasted. Lyric already has one fucked-up parent. No way in hell would I be another.

I tried to see Bailee a few months later, when Heather and I split again, but she told me no. Not wanting to believe her, I showed up on her doorstep. Her Range Rover was there and the light from the television was on, but she didn’t answer the door when I knocked. I knew she was standing on the other side of it. I could feel her there, silently pleading with me to leave.

It was harder than I thought it’d be to walk away that time because I knew that would be it. She’d told me no—something she’d never done in all the times we’d been together—

and that told me she was finished. I cared about her enough to respect her decision.

Doesn’t mean I could go cold turkey, though. I eventually had to reach out in a text to check on her, needing to know I didn’t hurt her too badly.

Fuck, I was a fool to think a woman like her would come out of our toxic mess unscathed.

Bailee’s heart is too big and full of softness. Someone like her would get eaten alive in my world, and I think that’s the main reason I’ve kept her in a neat little box. If she would have been in my life every day, there’s no way I wouldn’t have eventually given in to her pleas to stay. That would have done nothing but piss Heather off, and I would have lost Lyric. No piece of pussy is worth that, no matter how I feel about its owner.

“Let’s get this cleaned up and get the hell out of here in case someone comes back, yeah?”

It doesn’t take long once I’m focused to get the wounds clean and bandaged with some gauze until I get a doctor to check her out. Luckily, I have an old acquaintance of my parents who owes me a favor, and tonight, I’m going to collect it.

After her leg and shoulder are taken care of and I’ve got some pain medicine in her, she holds on to my shoulders while I help her get her jeans back on. It’s a good thing my focus is legendary, otherwise, I’d probably be the world’s biggest asshole and bury my face between her legs to take her mind off the pain.

My road name was given to me because I’m able to lock shit behind a steel vault without a problem, which means I never have an issue walking into dire situations without knowing the possible outcomes. Doesn’t mean I do it, though. I’d be a shitty Road Captain if I did. It’s my responsibility to make sure my brothers get to where they’re going safely and without issue. The overall command goes to me when we’re on a run, and I’d not be able to do that effectively if I didn’t plan for every outcome.

Shit can get someone killed, and we’ve lost enough brothers.

I hand my cut to Bailee to hold while I pull my t-shirt over my head then put it back on. “Get this on and we’ll make our way outside.”

I help her slide the shirt over her head, taking the time to ensure we don’t irritate her wounds further.

Fuck, I forgot how good she looks wearing my clothes.

“Good to walk? You can lean on me, but I need my arms free in case we have a problem.”

Bailee straightens her spine and lifts her chin, determination settled on her beautiful face. “I can walk. Don’t worry about me.”

“Too fuckin’ late for that,” I mutter, grabbing her hand in mine.

“You could’ve just said no, Steel. You didn’t have to come,” she snaps, trying to tug her hand from mine.

I tighten my hold. “And if I didn’t, you’d be fuckin’ dead.”

“No, I wouldn’t. Stop exaggerating.”

Jerking around, I crowd her until she’s resting back against the wall. “Exaggeratin’? There was no fuckin’ color in your skin. You were unconscious and your pulse was faint. Got two gunshot wounds and lost more blood than I’m comfortable with. So, tell me, Lee . . . the fuck is exaggerated about that?”

She stares up at me through eyes brimming with heat. Her stare drops to my lips before coming back to mine, and the tension between us raises a notch. A pretty scarlet warms her neck and slowly spreads up her cheeks.

“Fuck it,” I mutter, grasping the back of her neck and yanking her to meet my mouth halfway.

The first taste of her in three fucking years hits me like a shot of whiskey straight to my dick. Fire burns through me, and if it wasn’t for the danger we’re in, I’d rip those goddamn jeans from her again and bury my aching cock inside her so fast. But since we are in danger, I take one more taste of her tongue before pulling away.

“Always lose my fuckin’ head around you.”

Tugging her along behind me, my eyes scan our surroundings as I guide us to my Bronco. I almost wish someone would come at us because then I’d work this fucking energy from my system.

Bailee is in and out of it as I drive us to the hotel. The pain medicine I gave her is one of the strongest we have at the club, and I know from experience that it works. It’s not one that makes you drowsy, but toss it in with a shit-ton of exhaustion and an adrenaline crash and anyone would fall asleep.

When I pull up at the front of the hotel, I brush my fingers along her cheek, slowly coaxing her awake. It takes a few minutes, but then she’s blinking up at me.

My throat tightens at the look in her eyes that she’s unable to hide in her vulnerable state. It’s the same emotion she had in them when we were together and she was begging me to stay.

Fuck. I’ve got to get her problem taken care of so I can disappear from her life again. She doesn’t need to be weighed down by a man who will never be able to give her what she wants.

I lift the extra gun I keep in here so she can see it. “You know how to use one of these?”

Bailee straightens, her eyes clearing at the seriousness in my voice. “Yeah. Reed made sure I knew how.”

“Got to go in here and get us a room. Don’t want you on your leg any more than you need to be until I can get the doctor here. We’re right in front of the entrance, so I’ll be able to see you, but I still need you to keep this just in case.”

She takes it from me and runs through her own check, proving to me that she does indeed know what she’s doing.

“Won’t be long, Hummingbird.”

Once I have the room key in hand, I pull the Bronco a couple spots down from our room. If someone comes looking for it, they’ll think to check in the room it’s parked in front of first. A few seconds can sometimes mean the difference between life or death.

I wait until Bailee is settled in the bed before I step outside and find the shadows to the left of the door. Pulling up the number I’ve had no need to use until now, I place the call.

Leaning my head back against the wall, my eyes roam the parking lot and the streets beyond it while the line rings in my ear.

“Steel?” the weary male voice answers.

“Doc. Callin’ in that favor.”

He spits out a curse that makes my lips twitch. “When?”

“Now.” I rattle off the location. “Got twenty minutes.”

“That doesn’t give me much time, dammit. I have to make sure I have the supplies.”

“Do what you gotta do. You got twenty.”

“Fine. I’ll be there.”

This time I do smile. “Don’t have a choice. Oh, and Tom, your lips stay shut about where you’re goin’ and who you’re seein’. Loose lips tend to get sewn up nice and pretty.”

I don’t know what the fuck I’ve waded into here, but until I can get the story from Bailee, we’ve got to lay low. If another club is involved, I need as much information as I can get before I bring this to the club. We’ve got enough going on with Crow’s shit and our people being targeted that I don’t want to take shit to them until I know what the hell is going on. It might be that I can take care of whatever it is without having to involve them, then they can stay focused on the current threats.

With a heavy exhale, I shove away from the wall and scope out the perimeter one last time before heading back inside to the one woman who has had me tied-up for the last seven fucking years.

How the hell am I supposed to spend the night in the same room as her and not want to bury my cock inside her warm pussy?

Weak.

I’m fucking weak when it comes to my pretty Hummingbird, and it’s liable to eventually get us killed.