Page 7 of Xander (Soulless Outlaws Motorcycle Club #2)

Xander

She didn’t know it.

And I was starting to realize... that I would follow her anywhere.

And when we made it to the kitchen, honestly... she had shocked the shit out of me.

After everything that had happened earlier, I was glad that she wasn’t here.

Cause if whoever had done it had put her in danger... fuck trying to keep Grimm down.

They would have to lock me down. Hard.

The moment we made it to the kitchen, Doc came walking in, and then he proceeded to tell Nola exactly what to do.

Her fingers moved softly and quickly, cleaning my wound and bandaging it.

Thankfully, a little liquid stitch and I was good to go.

I noticed that Doc had left; however, my attention had all been on the little woman in front of me.

The little woman who gave me more care than anyone in my life has ever given me.

If she wasn’t already deep under my skin, getting to me, being the first one in the clubhouse she ran to, taking care of my wound... all of that would have done it.

“Was anyone else hurt?” she asked.

I shook my head, “No. Don’t think so.”

She nodded, “What happened? Or can I know that?”

“Drive by or a targeted shooting. We’ll look at the cameras and see.” I told her.

Just then, Nuke walked into the kitchen and eyed my abdomen, “You good?”

I lifted my chin.

Then he looked at Nola, “Is he good?”

I smirked.

She giggled.

Then she nodded, “Yeah, he’s fine.”

Nuke chuckled, then looked at me and lifted his chin, “Church in twenty.”

I nodded.

Then the women moved in and started cleaning up the kitchen.

“I’m going to help clean up. Do you need anything?” she asked.

I shook my head, then I said, “Grab me a beer?”

She nodded, then headed for the entrance of the kitchen.

I moved to follow her but stopped when she stopped.

She turned only her head and looked at me, “Had something happened to you... I don’t think I’d have survived it.”

And with that bomb dropped, she turned her head back around, taking those golden tawny flecked eyes away from me.

I froze in my tracks.

My boots seemed to be encased in cement.

Had something happened to you... I don’t think I’d have survived it.

The moment she returned with a cold beer, I seemed to come unstuck.

As I took it from her hand, I stared into her eyes and said one word, “Same.”

Then I stepped around her and headed to the room for church.

I felt her eyes on me as I went.

Merlin was there with his laptop, and when I entered the room, his eyes came to me, then he asked, “You good?”

I lifted my chin, then moved to my chair.

Thankfully, we now have comfortable office chairs.

Those old folding metal chairs fucking sucked.

Everyone started filing in then.

And that was when I caught sight of Nola.

I slammed my beer on the table, then stood up, shoulder checked a few brothers out of my way, then made my way out of the room and to the main room.

She was carrying one of those tabletops.

One of those tabletops that weighed at least fifty pounds, if not more.

In three long strides, I had the tabletop in my hands and was glaring at her, “The fuck are you thinking?”

She glared up at me, “I’m helping, Xander.”

“You’re a small thing. Really?” I asked.

Then she planted her hands on her hips, “Look. I might be small, but I’m strong. Just because I have a vagina doesn’t mean I can’t do things.”

Seeing that she was right, I said, “You ain’t lifting heavy shit.”

She snorted, “That isn’t heavy. My ass is heavier than that table.”

I knew from hearing it, and seeing it, that a man was a stupid motherfucker if he ever told his woman that she was a fat ass.

I didn’t need to ask her to let me feel her up to see if she was right.

I didn’t need to be thinking about her ass in my hands.

Those perfect fucking globes of hers, the way the denim stretched around her ass... fuck me.

I shook my head mentally.

And knew I had just dug myself a hole.

Therefore, I asked, “What am I going to have to do to get myself out of the hole I’m now in?”

She smirked, then she smiled, “Just carry it over there.”

I nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”

I carried it over to where she had pointed, set it down, then I spun, grabbed the nearest prospect by his throat, lifted him, and slammed him into the wall.

Then I growled, “You ever stand there and let a woman carry a fucking thing in the clubhouse, I’ll bash your fucking brains in. Clear?”

His face was turning purple before he nodded.

I let go of his throat, then turned on my boot, and headed into church.

Eyes followed me, and the only eyes I wanted on me were hers.

I turned my head and caught her gaze.

She looked behind me, then back at me, and started snickering.

I shook my head.

Once I entered the room, I closed the door.

Nuke lifted his chin, “Nice of you to join us.”

I shrugged.

Grey chuckled, “Bet you made that prospect piss himself.”

Kettle smirked.

Grimm just nodded.

The moment my ass was in my seat, Nuke banged the gavel to start church.

“What do we know?” he asked.

Merlin tapped a few keys, and then the footage from early showed up on the television we had mounted on the wall.

We all watched the video and saw it.

“Motherfucker,” Khal muttered.

Wolf grinned, “Been slow.”

And then we planned on our own version of payback.

***

I walked over to Nola and lowered my voice, “Need you to stay here tonight. Okay?”

She looked at me, then nodded her head, “Okay.”

I reached into my jeans pocket and pulled out the key to my room, then I offered it to her, “Use my room. I’ll sleep in the chair again.”

She shook her head, “No, Xander. You're wounded. I’ll take the chair.”

I growled, “Sugar, like fuck am I making you sleep in a fucking chair.”

It was her turn to growl, “Like fuck am I sleeping in your bed and making you sleep in a fucking chair.”

I opened my mouth, but she put her finger to my lips, hushing me.

I lifted a brow at her.

“Your bed is big enough for the two of us. Now it’s been a long day, you scared me half to death. So, we will both sleep in your bed. That’s how you can get out of the hole you dug yourself in.”

I sighed.

Would I ever win against her?

Probably fucking not.

***

We geared down as we got closer to their clubhouse, which was two hours away.

Laughter and music blared.

We parked our bikes and then climbed off.

Shoot up our clubhouse?

Fine.

Because not even twenty minutes later, we watched their entire clubhouse go up in flames.

We stood shoulder to shoulder as they poured out and then saw us.

Black kuttes that belonged to the Spider Demons MC filled my vision.

Thankfully, we already had our pieces drawn.

Nuke called out, “You tried. You missed. Come for us again, and we’ll paint the streets red.”

And then we all turned on our boots and headed to our bikes.

We rode in formation back to the clubhouse.

Passing fire trucks and ambulances.

Then we rode through the fence and parked.

I made my way to my room and turned the handle.

Seeing Nola there lying in my bed.

Her dark locks fanned around my extra pillow, and what got me thinking was that I wanted to see this sight for the rest of my life.

She was in one of my shirts.

I hurried through a shower, pulled on some boxers and pajama bottoms, and then, carefully, climbed into bed, trying not to wake her.

But something must have because she didn’t even open her eyes, sleepily she asked, “You're okay?”

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“K,” she said, then her little snores filled the room a few minutes later.

Did it mean something to me that she asked?

Yes.

Did it mean something to me that she woke up to make sure I was okay?

No.

It fucking meant everything to me.

And that night, with her body close to mine, I fell asleep for the first time in my life with a smile on my face.

***

It was a few days later when I was headed back from giving a quote to a prospective client.

I slowed down as I passed the college, wondering if I would catch sight of her.

And when I caught that familiar head of dark locks, I geared down, crawling slowly.

And that was when I saw some punk ass little bitch looking boy placing his hand on her arm.

The fuck?

I was about to whip into the parking lot and remove that hand when she stepped back.

I waited until I made it to the office, then I parked my bike and pulled out my phone.

Me – What did that boy want?

Nola – What are you talking about?

Me – Drove past the college. Saw you and a little punk ass boy.

Me – What did he want?

Nola – Oh! To grab a coffee.

Nola – Why didn’t you say hello?

Me – Had to get back to work.

Me – What did you say?

Nola – *snickers* Told him I wasn’t into boys who used more product in his hair than I did.

Me – Really?

Nola – Oh yeah.

Nola – I know what I like.

Me – And that is?

When my phone stayed quiet, I pocketed it and got back to doing what I was doing.

Then I drove to the clubhouse and checked my phone again.

Nothing.

Is that normal for a woman to leave your ass hanging?

To keep myself occupied, I tagged the carburetor I ordered and started installing it on my Harley.

And the moment my phone pinged with a text, I pulled it out, ignoring the grease that smeared all over my screen.

Nola – You at the clubhouse?

Me – Yeah. In the shop.

Nola – Okay. Remember our conversation from earlier?

I wanted to say, every damned word.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I typed out my reply.

Me – Yes.

Nola – Okay. Be there in ten.

Those ten minutes seemed to trickle by at a snail’s pace.

And then, I saw her car pulling into the parking lot.

I tagged a rag and wiped my hands, then I stood up.

And the moment I was out of the garage, her car door opened.

I watched as she climbed out, all those dark brown locks falling down her back.

She closed her door, and that was when I saw what she was wearing.

Was she trying to kill me?

Something about cutoff denim shorts and long-sleeve tees just did something for me.

She made her way to me and said, “So, I know what I like.”

I nodded.

“And I like you. So why would I go out with someone, when it’s you I want sitting across the table from me?”

I took in her words.

Then looked behind me.

Seeing no one was standing there, I looked back at her, then I pointed at my chest, “Me?”

She nodded. Then said one word, “You.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Hell, I’ve never even gone on a date.

Normally, when I want a woman, all I gotta do is crook a finger.

That’s not me being an asshole, that’s me stating the god’s honest truth.

And when I didn’t reply, she simply smiled.

“Tomorrow night, pick me up at 7. The rest is all on you. I’m not allergic to anything. Does that work for you?” She asked.

I swallowed, then I nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”

Then I stood there and watched her walk to her car, climb in, start it up, and pull out of the lot.

Grey came up beside me and asked, “Everything okay?”

I looked at him, “The fuck do you do on a date?”

He stared at me, and then he stared at me some more.

Then he pulled out his phone.

Balls To The Wall Text Thread

Grey – Xander is taking Nola out on a date.

Grey – He wants to know what you do on a date.

Nuke – Church. Now.

Khal – Be right there.

Wolf – On my way.

Grimm – Be there.

Jury – On my way.

Merlin – I figured this was coming.

Kettle – What do you want to happen?

Kettle – That’s the real question.

Me – I just want to make her smile.

Kettle – That. That right there.

Kettle – Good. On my way.

Every brother was in church, not even half an hour later.

Then the door was closed, and then... they started offering suggestions.

Twenty minutes later, I knew what to wear, what to drive, what to get her, where to take her, what to do when we got there, what to talk about, and how to end the night without pissing her off.

If only it were that simple when it came to me.

***

At six forty-five, I pulled up in the truck I went and bought.

I didn’t like it.

It wasn’t open enough for my liking.

But they said that this would be better.

So that’s what I went with.

Then I tagged the bouquet of star gazer lilies I bought for her and climbed out of the truck.

Then I beeped the locks, looked down at the dark pants I chose, along with my motorcycle boots, and to the dark blue button-up underneath my kutte.

And yes, I had my ball cap on backward.

Something I knew she preferred.

A few of the brothers had tried to tell me not to wear it at all, but she liked it.

So that’s what I was doing.

I climbed the stairs to the third floor, then walked to her apartment, and knocked on the door.

Then I swapped the bouquet from hand to hand as I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

Then I sniffed myself.

I put on deodorant after I showered.

I sprayed on cologne.

This was me.

And she said, you.