Page 5

Whizz rested his head against the door. He didn’t know why he kissed her or why he walked away from her. Her lips were too fucking tempting to ignore. She was driving him insane, and they barely knew each other. Everything they knew about each other was stuff they’d discovered through searching files. Whizz doubted she knew anything about him that would surprise him.

“What are you doing?” Killer asked.

Turning around, he saw his friend standing with his son on his hip. Killer held a baby bottle in his hand. The sight of Killer holding a baby was strange to Whizz. He’d watched him kill other men with his bare hands. The way Killer held his son showed the love and care he took.

“Nothing.” Whizz stepped away from the door.

“Where’s Kelsey?”

“She’s not feeling well. From the smell, she’s got some kind of bug. I’m taking Markus for the night, letting her rest. She’s back in the room.” Killer started walking. Markus fisted his hands and started flailing them, making gurgling sounds. Whizz couldn’t help but smile. The little guy was so charming and full of beans.

“Can I hold him?”

“Sure.” Killer handed Markus over.

Together they walked downstairs toward the main clubhouse. A couple of the sweet-butts were on the table, dancing for the men. He wasn’t interested in the women and headed toward the pool room. Hardy was sitting in the corner drinking a beer. Lash and Nash were playing pool while Steven stared at the game on television.

“Thank you for coming forward for Lacey,” Whizz said, taking a seat.

“Hey, no babies allowed,” Steven said.

In response Markus just gurgled some more, looking totally adorable.

“Whatever.”

“Kids have got us wrapped around their little fingers,” Lash said, sipping his beer.

“Stop all the talk of fucking kids.” Hardy stood, looking angry.

“Still no sign of the ice breaking from Rose?” Steven asked.

“Do you all know my business?”

During the Gonzalez problem, the news of Hardy’s past affair had come to light when Rose refused to keep it quiet. The couple was holding on by a thread, but the cracks in the couple’s relationship were blatantly on show. Rose wouldn’t back down any longer.

“The whole club knows what happened, Hardy. We all know what happened,” Lash said, pointing at all of them.

“So do the women.”

Hardy ran fingers through his thick hair. He no longer looked like the confident man that Whizz recalled. This man looked like he was about to lose everything. He’d put all of his chips on the one number, only the ball had passed that number one too many times to come back around.

“I’m trying. I’m always fucking trying to help her, but I can’t make her forgive me.”

“Why fuck another woman?” Whizz asked, looking from Markus up to Hardy. When he’d heard the news of what happened over ten years ago, he’d been shocked. Rose was a beauty, and any man would be crazy to cheat on her ass.

“I was young. I don’t know. Shit was different back then.”

“Rose is one hot woman. She’s completely in love with you. I can’t even imagine what she was like before you hurt her.” Whizz had only known Rose the past few years. She’d always been completely devoted to Hardy.

“She’s changed a lot since then. Ten years ago, she was sweet, charming, and I changed her.” He shook his head.

“I’m calling it a night.”

“Where is Rose?” Nash asked.

“She’s in bed.”

“You do know you can’t get rid of her if you divorce her,” Lash said.

“What?”

“Rose is a big part of the club. If she decides to divorce you, Tiny’s not going to let her out in the world on her own. She’ll be part of the club, and if she finds another man, you’ll have to deal with that.”

“She’s not a member.”

Lash shrugged.

“I back Tiny with what he says. Rose is family. She’s part of the club as much as you. She decides to divorce you we won’t kick her out. Tiny has already put his foot down. You’re not getting away from her.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Hardy said, heading out of the room.

“Why?” Killer asked.

Hardy looked back.

“Because I will kill any man who thinks they can take my woman from me. Rose is mine, she’ll always be mine, and I’m not going to back down without a fight.”

He left the room.

“Do you really think she’ll divorce him?” Nash asked. He was drinking water. None of the men wanted Nash drinking anything alcoholic. He was an ex-addict, and as such, he was ordered to stay clear of the stuff.

“I don’t know. If someone was to tell me that Rose would even be considering it, I’d have laughed. It just goes to show we don’t really know the couples in the club.”

“It has been ten years. Surely, she must be over it,” Nash said, taking his shot on the pool table.

“If Zero fucked Sophia when he thought he was in love with her, would you have gotten over it?” Steven asked, speaking up.

In response Nash looked ready to commit murder.

Steven laughed.

“It’s probably a good job Zero’s completely in love with Prue.”

“Someone called my name.” Prue entered the room with Zero trailing behind her. The couple rarely separated. Prue had taken to the club life better than most.

Markus started to cry on Whizz’s knee.

“He’s getting ready for his feed.” Killer took his son, resting him in his arms to start feeding him.

“I still can’t get over the fact you’re a father.”

“Kelsey and I had a rough start, but we’re getting there.”

Killer had fallen in love with Kelsey, who had been a dental nurse when they met. Kelsey had kept the fact she was married hidden from him, and it had strained their budding relationship. It didn’t help that her then-husband, Michael Granito, had arrived. The ensuing problems had Kelsey nearly killing herself, and the club being put in danger. Fortunately, Killer and Kelsey were now married and totally in love.

“You’re a lucky man,” Whizz said, watching the baby. Lacey couldn’t have this. She was like Rose in that regard. Only the two women had very different reasons for not being able to conceive.

Prue took a seat beside Killer.

“He’s so adorable.”

Zero picked up a pool stick, getting ready to join in with Lash and Nash. It wouldn’t be long before Prue joined in, playing against the brothers at Zero’s side. She was a damn good pool player, and pretty decent at cards.

“We’ll have one soon enough,” Zero said. He rested his chin on his hands.

She stroked Markus’s head.

“You’re going to be a heartbreaker. God, with the way you’re all breeding we’re going to be overrun with the next generation of Skulls. Can you see Anthony and Miles? They’re going to be big boys.”

Anthony was Lash’s son while Miles was Tiny’s.

Whizz smiled thinking about all the babies coming around. The family events were exactly that, full of family.

“Angel wants to meet Lacey. I’ve told her no. You’ve got to get your woman under control before I let Angel near her.”

“If any woman needs to be under control it’s Tate. She’s pissing me off, and I don’t give a shit about her hormones,” Prue said, biting back at Lash.

“I’m not in control of her. Talk to Murphy. Whizz’s woman kneed him in the balls today and tried to run off,” Lash said, point his stick at Whizz.

“I’m not risking Angel’s life with her.”

“Lacey won’t hurt her.” He recalled what Lacey said about Angel being an innocent. She wouldn’t hurt Angel but would probably slap Tate a couple of times.

“I said some awful things to her.” He deserved being kneed in the balls. Hearing her talk about Dalton had pissed him off. He’d gotten jealous over a dead man, and he didn’t like it.

“Why do you have her around?” Zero said.

“Butch is back to being a prospect, and he’s in the hospital dealing with his wounds. They almost killed us. Devil and Tiny aren’t talking. The only connection we’ve got to the Chaos Bleeds crew is through Eva, and she’s not talking.”

“We’re better off without them,” Nash said, speaking up.

It had been months, maybe even years, since he had sat talking with his brothers. For a long time Whizz stayed in his room out of the way from the club, only coming out when they needed him to be present.

“I don’t know. I liked them.” Steven moved closer to start talking.

“They had no rules.” Nash argued back.

“I’m not going to fight with you. I happened to like Pussy, Devil, all of the men. I for one am going to miss their visits.” Steven shrugged.

“Shit happens. It’s one thing Gonzalez wins on.”

“What do you mean?” Whizz asked, looking up at Steven.

“Tiny and Devil were torn apart. We were two clubs that banded together. We’re no longer banded together. There’s just us and Chaos Bleeds. Simon’s going to grow up, and if he decides against leaving us alone, there could be problems there. It’s just something to consider.” Steven shook his empty beer bottle.

“I’m going to get another.”

“So your woman kneed you in the balls?” Prue asked, looking way too impressed.

Whizz nodded.

“This is a girl I want to meet.”

“Prue, she was part of the Savage Brothers.” Zero put his hand on her shoulder.

“So? She’s not some kind of savage beast, Zero! God, what is wrong with you men? She was part of a club that pissed you off. You guys got the last laugh. You took out all of her club. Imagine how it is for her, she’s in the clubhouse of the men responsible for killing her family.” Prue looked at each of them.

“I don’t know about her, but I’d be damn scared. Scared, pissed, angry, she’s probably waiting for one of you to break the door down to kill her. I couldn’t imagine living like that.”

“Prue!”

“No, don’t Prue me. I mean it. Get your head out of your ass and think about her as something different. She’s a woman who’s alone in the world. There’s no one else out there who cares about her.”

“I care,” Whizz said. His caring wasn’t just about the sex either. It was a hell of a lot more.

They all turned to him. He stared at the table trying to find the right words.

“I care about her, and I will not let anything happen to her.”

“I want to meet her. I think you’ve kept her far enough away for now.” Prue sipped her beer.

“You can’t keep her locked in your room for the next fifty years. That’s just a horror movie waiting to happen.” Prue stood, grabbing the stick from Zero.

“I’ll break.”

Steven sat close as Killer continued to feed his son.

“You care about her?” Killer asked.

Whizz ran a finger over his bottom lip as he thought about his feelings.

“She’s been through a lot. I mean when she was ten, they broke a part of her. She can’t have kids because of what those animals did to her.”

“So you’ve both had shit go on in your past and it has set your feelings for now,” Prue said.

“What?”

“You’re both in some way broken, but together, it feels like you’re whole. The club was there to see what happened to you, Whizz. She’s the first woman who doesn’t have a clue about your past. She knows what happened but hasn’t seen it. You’re probably one of the few men who know the truth but don’t see a broken little girl. In a weird kind of way it makes sense.”

Zero started to warn her again.

“You don’t need to worry about me running off or taking it personally,” Whizz said.

“I know what she’s saying even if she doesn’t have the best tact about it.”

“Who needs tact? With the damage going through this club, there’s no time for tact. You don’t need tact, Whizz. You always need stone cold facts.” Prue shot a ball, whooping as it went down the hole.

“It’s not bad to care about her. She deserves to be loved like other women. What happened to her wasn’t her fault.”

Whizz got up.

“I’ve got to go.”

He made his way up to his bedroom, shouting from Hardy and Rose’s room made him stop.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Hardy asked.

“I’m packing. I want out of here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Rose, this was ten years ago. I’ve not touched another fucking woman. I don’t want another woman but you.”

“No, you didn’t want the person I was. I was too damn sweet for what you wanted. I changed who I was because that’s what you wanted. I took my clothes off because you loved it. I changed me.” The tears were in her voice.

Whizz didn’t want to move away, yet the emotion in her voice was hard to ignore.

“I can’t live without you,” Hardy said.

“I don’t know if I can live with you anymore.”

****

Lacey wrapped a towel around her body. Whizz hadn’t brought her any food, and she was getting hungry. She kept the movie playing in his bedroom and made sure it was loud enough to drown out the noise of Hardy and Rose. They were a broken couple. It was hard to listen to them fight as the emotion and pain were raw. She’d never been put in a situation like that. Lacey didn’t know what she’d do if the man she loved cheated on her. Hardy hadn’t just cheated, he’d gotten the woman pregnant. Rose was still heartbroken after all this time.

She used another towel around her head and stepped out of the room.

Whizz stood by the door. He didn’t have anything in his hands, and she was so hungry.

“You’ve not brought any food,” she said.

“What?”

“You locked the door, and I don’t have any food.” She bit her lip feeling like a child instead of a thirty year old woman.

“I’m hungry.”

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

“Breakfast.”

“I’ll order us some Chinese food.” He pulled out his cell phone, and she stood watching him as he ordered enough to feed an army. When he was finished, he stared back at her.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to forget about food. Shit, you must be starving.”

Her stomach chose that moment to grumble. Heat filled her cheeks at the noise. She wasn’t even trying to make him feel bad. Stupid stomach.

Whizz chuckled.

“Don’t worry about it. Why do you have the movie on so loud?”

“I don’t want to listen to Hardy and Rose. They’re always arguing, and it’s so sad to hear. Wouldn’t it be easier if one of them walked away?” She grabbed the remote from the bed, pointing it at one of the screens. Lacey didn’t know how he managed to get a television to become part of his computers.

“I’m starting to think you’re right about them.”

The sound of Rose crying followed by Hardy murmuring met their ears. Their argument was toning down. It wouldn’t be long before they would start arguing again. There were clearly a lot of issues between the two.

“It’s hard to listen to.” She voiced her earlier thoughts.

“Yeah, they’re going through some problems.”

“He had an affair. I heard her accusations. It was a long time ago though, right?”

Whizz nodded.

“Yeah, before I was part of the club.”

“She’s a little older than me?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this, but Prue would like to meet you. She doesn’t like me keeping you in my room.” He was rubbing the back of his head.

“I’m really sorry for kneeing you in the balls.” She’d spent most of the afternoon thinking about his lips. Lacey regretted lashing out like that. It probably didn’t improve Lash’s opinion of her.

“I deserved it.”

“Not really. You were only speaking the truth. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. It’s just hard.” She licked her lips as her mouth suddenly went dry. He kept staring back at her, and she liked the way his gaze was on her. She held the knot in her towel so she would stay covered. They’d never been naked together. The irony of their relationship—they’d fucked without a condom, and yet she didn’t have the first clue as to what he looked like without his clothes on.

“I don’t want to keep you locked up in my bedroom, nor do I want to keep fighting you.” Whizz gazed down her body.

“If you want I can leave as soon as you’re happy.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Whizz said.

“What do you mean?”

She watched him grit his teeth. He didn’t look happy about something. Lacey didn’t know if she wanted to find out what was upsetting him. Whizz always confused her. He took her well-ordered mind and turned it on its axis. She didn’t know how to make herself think clearly around him.

“You can’t go anywhere. I had a deal with Tiny that I’d claim you as mine. You leave one of the brothers could come after you.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she tilted her head back not wanting them to spill.

“So, I’m stuck here.”

Lacey didn’t mind providing she was with Whizz.

“I don’t want to keep you locked in this room, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t try to run off or hurt anyone.”

“I wouldn’t hurt anyone,” she protested.

“I saw you with the knife and Gonzalez. You’re capable of hurting people.”

“But I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I give you my word.”

He really didn’t know her. Gonzalez was the first man she’d ever killed. She hadn’t been the one to kill the men who attacked and raped her. Dalton, Danny, and the rest of the Savage Brothers had killed the men. She’d learned to fight, to fire a gun, and to use a knife, yet she’d never attacked or murdered a man or woman.

“I won’t hurt anyone,” she said again, instead of arguing her innocence.

“Okay. Tomorrow I won’t lock you in the room, but you’ve got to promise me now that you won’t try to run.”

“I won’t run or try to kill anyone.” She looked down at the floor wondering if being killed was a lot better than her sudden future.

“I’ll go and wait for our food.”

He walked out of the room without locking the door. She didn’t try to open it or to leave. Lacey didn’t want to leave the club. There was nothing out there for her. She was all alone in the world. The only person she had was Whizz. Going toward his wardrobe, she found one of his long shirts along with a pair of boxer shorts. Sitting on his bed, she picked up the brush he’d left for her and started to brush her damp hair.

It wouldn’t be long before the blue hair dye faded.

She didn’t know what she’d do when her hair finally went to her natural color. Dalton always dyed it for her. Pushing those thoughts aside along with the pain of Dalton’s words, she picked the remote up and started to flick through the channels.

Staring down the length of her arm she saw the faded marks that were hidden by the ink she’d gotten to cover the scars. The first and only attempt to take her own life had been a huge failure. Dalton stopped her from trying again. He stayed by her side. His warning was always at the forefront of her mind whenever she wanted it to end. When she was alone she’d always think about taking her own life. Dalton deserved to be free of her, yet the thought of causing him to die always stopped her. Did he have peace now that he was no longer with them?

You’ve got to stop thinking about him.

Her thoughts about Dalton were not productive. He was gone, and thinking about him didn’t help her situation. Whizz was right. They’d been a bunch of idiots to think they could take their revenge in another MC’s territory. The Skulls were the real deal while the Savage Brothers were not.

The door opened, and Whizz entered. The scent of Chinese filled the room. Her mouth watered, but she didn’t move as he kicked the door closed.

“I had to fight Steven for this food. Cheeky fucker thought he could have at it.”

“You ordered enough to share.” She sat back, leaving enough room for him. On one of her thighs was the ink of a rose, the thorns spiking out. Getting ink became a hobby for her. Whenever the pain got too much for her she’d go and get some fresh ink or have some designs changed.

“I didn’t know what you liked. I got everything I liked then ordered enough for you.” He set the box down.

She picked up the chopsticks and opened up the first carton of food. Inside were shrimp balls. Picking one up, she took a bite as Whizz offered her a pot of sauce.

“Thank you.”

“I just realized I didn’t even ask you if you liked Chinese.”

“Good for you I do happen to love Chinese food.” She took another shrimp ball, biting into it after she slathered it with sauce.

Whizz ate the egg rolls, and together they started to eat the rest of the food. She’d left a movie on that looked like an action adventure. Looking over Whizz’s head, she watched the movie. Every now and then she was aware of his gaze on her.

When she could eat no more, she settled away from the food.

“Are you done?”

She nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

Lacey watched him walk away. Lying down on the bed she rubbed at her stomach, finally full.

He came back minutes later.

“There’s going to be no leftovers.”

She chuckled, thinking about the club attacking the fridge where their food was.

“There’s nothing you can do about that.”

Whizz stared at her for several seconds. She couldn’t look away. Her body heated remembering the way his lips felt on top of hers. She wanted him. Lacey missed the feel of his rock hard cock sliding deep inside her.

You shouldn’t feel that way about the man responsible for killing your club.

“I’m going to get washed.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

It didn’t matter how much her head told her she shouldn’t be wanting. Her body had completely other ideas.

Her pussy was slick with her cream. She closed her eyes remembering the way he’d held her in the graveyard, the thrust of his hips as he drove inside her. Whizz didn’t hold her like she would break. He gripped her hips, pounding inside her as if she was a woman. She’d not been desired once. Dalton had loved her, but he’d not desired her. At least she didn’t think he did. In his gaze she had seen the pity whenever Dalton looked her way. She grew to hate that pity, despise it even. What happened to her shouldn’t define what people thought about her.

The shower stopped running, and she listened to Whizz move around. The movie had long lost any appeal it had once had. The only interest she had was in Whizz.

He entered the bedroom going to his drawers. Seconds later he dropped the towel showing off his fine ass. His body was covered in scars and muscle. Where she had gone under the ink pen to try to hide her scars, Whizz picked up weights. His body was rock hard and his strength unlike anything she’d ever known.

In between his thighs she saw the length of his cock dangling down. This was strangely intimate. She hadn’t seen him naked during their time together, yet this was intimacy.

Whizz walked back to the bed, climbing in beside her. She didn’t even think to protest, not even that first morning when she woke up beside him.

He started out at the end of the bed and slowly moved in behind her. She kept her gaze on the television even though the movie made no sense.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Looking behind her, she frowned.

“What are you sorry about?”

Whizz ran his hand over her stomach, rubbing in circular motions. Her stomach tightened as another flood of arousal swamped her. She wished she could stop feeling the pleasure, but nothing happened.

“Your club. I knew you’d follow me that day, Lacey. I know the club meant a great deal to you. They were your family. I’m sorry for hurting you that way.”

“You’re not sorry for killing them?” she asked, staring up at him.

“I hope one day you’ll forgive me for my part in what I did.”

“Why are you saying this?” The way he’d spoken to her that afternoon left her feeling he was angry at her feelings toward the Savage Brothers.

“You’ve lost your family. I’m sorry about hurting you. I’m not sorry for what had to happen. Before Gonzalez tore your family apart you were part a club. You know the workings even if you argue with me.”

She licked her lips averting her gaze.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Lacey turned her back to him, watching the movie. Whizz didn’t move his hand away. He kept stroking her stomach.

She kept her thighs together, wishing she’d stop reacting to his touch.

“I want you, Lacey.”

Closing her eyes, she took in a breath. His fingertips moved from her stomach to travel up. She didn’t stop even though she knew she should. He cupped her breast in his palm. Her nipple budded into his hand.

“Tell me you want me,” he said.

Opening her eyes, she stared opposite the room. The hand on her breasts started to move down. She didn’t tell him to stop, nor did she tell him to keep going. Lacey stayed quiet, and when his fingers stroked over the band of the boxers, she let out a breath.

“I’m not going to go any further until you tell me you’re with me all the way.” He kissed her shoulder.

“Tell me what you want, Lacey.”

She loved the way he said her name. His voice was dark, filled with the promise of sin. Lacey wanted to tell him to stop, but she wanted his touch a hell of a lot more.

“It means nothing,” she said.

“You’re lying, Lacey. You’re lying to yourself and to me.” His palm stayed still against her stomach. The tips of his fingers still rested in the boxer briefs.

“You helped, Whizz.” She closed her eyes, hoping she’d see him as the enemy. Lacey couldn’t do it. All she saw when she closed her eyes was Whizz, but not as the enemy. No, she saw him as her friend, her lover, and something a hell of a lot more. She saw him as a hope of a future.

“Tell me what you want me to do.” There was no apology for what he did. He wanted her to tell him no or to let him continue.

If he stops will he go find pleasure elsewhere?

She didn’t know what bothered her more, if he found pleasure elsewhere or if he stopped, rolled over, and ignored her. What would she do if he took his pleasure in a young, slimmer woman? No, she couldn’t handle that.

“I want you, Whizz. I want you to continue.” The truth spilled from her lips. She expected to feel shame for giving into him. In truth, all she felt was relief that she’d finally given into him.

His hand moved past the boxer shorts, sliding down to cup her pussy.

“This is mine, Lacey. I’m not going to let another man touch what’s mine.”