Nomad Kind of Love Read online

  She gasped and shivered a little in my arms. Finally, she looked up.

  “How does that sound?” I ran a finger beneath her chin, going up around her ear.

  “Pretty fucking good. Or maybe you've rattled my brain too much for my own good.” Her smile was faint, but there was no mistaking it.

  Was she blushing like a schoolgirl? Shit.

  I smiled back, but her lips calling, lonely and hot. I moved in, claiming what belonged to me with another kiss.

  Throttle arrived with a bigger presence than I expected on Friday, as promised.

  I was looking pretty sharp in my freshly cleaned cut. The clubhouse had never looked better. Got the guys to lay off the whiskey and pussy long enough to pick up mops and bring in new furniture.

  They whined about doing Prospects' work, but I wasn't complaining, and told them they'd better get fucking used to it. This charter was in no shape to start recruiting yet.

  Guys from the Dakota crew arrived on bikes, SUVs, and even a big ass RV.

  “What's with the warship?” I asked, as soon as Throttle parked his Harley and shook my hand.

  “Brought along the family,” he said. “Also looks more legit when we're hauling tons of shit you need in the trucks behind it. Telling any nosy badges it's a camping trip is a lot easier when it looks like one.”

  I nodded. The man didn't get to be President of the mother charter by being stupid or lucky, no matter what folks said when he was first voted in.

  “It's not a lie for once either. We really are heading out to Oregon for a couple weeks after I see this house in order. Most of the guys along for the ride will stay here.” He motioned to the dozen men behind him, most smoking or lounging around their bikes before they followed us inside.

  “Everybody needs a vacation,” I said.

  “Yeah. But first, where's your meeting room? I want to get this shit settled and over with.”

  I stopped by the bar to pick up some glasses and a bottle of Jack, and then we were in my office.

  “They'll expect you to wait and play defense. Warlock filled me in on what Blaze said. Told me about your deception. It won't throw them off for long. They're coming as soon as you refuse to turn over their cut of strip club profits.”

  “I know,” I said. I picked up my glass and knocked down the whiskey in one shot. “I'm not gonna let it get that far. Soon as they know we double-crossed them, they're getting hit so hard they won't be able to stand up.”

  Throttle took his sips slow, steady, rolling the whiskey in his mouth. I always downed mine straight, ignoring the taste and looking for the burn. Wasn't sure how or why he did pulls like a fucking wine connoisseur.

  “I appreciate a good offense. Learned the hard way that's the way to go when we beat the Skulls last year. Knocking these fuckers flat before they do the same to you is the only way to go. You need to take out their Missoula branch before the whole fucking tree falls from the West, right on your heads.”

  He clapped his hands. I stared.

  Throttle had a knack for dramatic leadership at times. I didn't fault him here. This was a game with no room for error. Any slip ups had a grim finality as sharp and fast as his hands came together.

  Throttle raised his glass to his lips again. “One more thing. Don't hesitate to attack and let yourself get distracted. I made that mistake in Cassandra, and it almost got a lot of people killed, including my old lady.”

  “Good advice. Doubt any of this is going down neat and smooth.”

  “It won't,” he said sharply. “But when it's all over and you're leaving their carcasses to the crows, you won't regret a thing. I've made my mistakes. But I don't waste a second anymore looking back. Neither should you.”

  “Say the word and I'll give my guys the go ahead to start unloading and inventorying everything you've dropped here.”

  He stood up, shook my hand, and we were out.

  Later, at the bar, I noticed his strange absence from the rest of the boys chattering and screwing around. I went out for some fresh air and saw the lights on in the RV.

  Throttle and his girl were behind a thick shade. Next to them, his newborn son bounced in a little baby chair.

  I balled fists at my sides and breathed deep. The man who headed our mother charter was between two worlds now. One foot in his MC, and the other in a happy family life.

  Until lately, I never thought those worlds could co-exist. Not comfortably, anyway.

  Now it was beckoning to me, and family world was one seductive bitch I couldn't turn down.

  I'd never admit it in the open, but I wanted exactly what he had. Hell, I needed it.

  Maybe I'd had my fill of being the outsider after too many years heading the Nomads, riding all over hell without a place to call home. Or maybe I'd just met the right girl.

  Hold tight, babe, I thought. The sooner we're all safe from the bears breathing down our necks, the better.

  I'm gonna wipe away everything those bastards did and give you a life worth living.

  VII: Promises Made in Flesh (June)

  The clubhouse shook with manly laughter, girlish giggles, and way too much whiskey for the next three days. I could barely get any shut eye when I came back late from Python's booming strip club.

  It was like one long party that didn't wind down until the wee hours. The atmosphere wasn't somber like I expected for men going off to war. More like one wild celebration, one big explosion of feasting and hedonism, just in case some guys never made it back.

  I was outside enjoying the rare quiet on the morning the Cassandra President was due to embark.

  The door to the garages opened. Several guys from this charter plus North Dakota stepped out, Maverick among them.

  Smiling quietly, I watched as he talked to men and directed them to the big storage room they'd set up in the garages. Part of me didn't want to know what the hell they were keeping there.

  But I liked watching him, especially so early when everybody was filled with energy. Maverick was at his best – and his achingly sexiest – when he looked like the commander he was.

  “You really like him, don't you?”

  I turned toward the voice and saw a small girl cradling a baby in her arms. Throttle's girl, Rach.

  Just looking at her, it was hard to believe she'd delivered the healthy boy, let alone that she was old lady to the most powerful man in the whole MC.

  Guess that made her First Old Lady, come to think of it.

  “Who?” I stood, smiling at her infant son. Seeing the baby turned everything all warm and fuzzy in my blood.

  It was weird to have a baby here, but a good kind of weird. He was such a contrast to the brutal ice normally surrounding my life.

  “Maverick. You don't have to play shy with me, girl. I've seen the way you look at him. Same way I still look at Jack.”

  “He's pretty nice,” I agreed. What else could I say? “Surprised me when I found out he's got a softer side than the tough, mean biker Prez everybody else sees...”

  “Don't they all?” Rach smiled, pulling her son tighter. “It only gets better when you see these cavemen around babies. Maybe you'll find out one day.”

  “Maybe. Maverick kinda...asked me to be his old lady.” I tensed up, unsure why the hell I was telling her all this.

  “That's wonderful!” Rach whispered. “You're going to fit in great. I can tell you're not exactly new to this lifestyle.”

  I managed a small, dark smile. “I've got my doubts.”

  “Don't. You've found the right man. No matter how crazy or scary things get, remember that. Put your faith in him to protect you and make you happy, and he will. Jack and I have our spats, but at the end of the day he loves me like nobody else ever will, and that's all that matters.”

  I started to regret starting up this conversation. I looked Rach up and down. Old lady to a powerful President or not, she looked even younger than me.

  Did I really want to be taking advice from a skinny little girl who'd probably j
ust gotten into bed with the big cheese and made him fall for those big bright eyes?

  “The MC's like family once you really get into it,” Rach continued. “If yours is anything like mine, then you grow attached to all the guys and their girls. I was happy just to see Tank again. Real glad he's doing well out here and – “

  I raised my hands. “Respectfully, Rach, you're talking about a lot of things I already know. Maybe some things I'm not sure I ever want to know as well as you do.”

  The happy glow on her face wilted. She shrugged.

  “Fine. I just like to see folks who are meant to get together do it sooner so they don't have to suffer through the shit Jack and I did. I'm trying to do you a favor before you mess up like me.”

  “I don't think we're anything alike,” I said, ready to turn and walk away.

  Rach's stare turned colder, holding me in place. “No?”

  I shook my head. She stepped closer to me, slow and weirdly out of character. If she wasn't holding an infant, I would've sworn she was trying to intimidate me.

  “You're wrong. Throttle almost helped me put a bullet through my asshole father's head for selling me into slavery. He killed for me, and I've never tried to wash away the blood on my hands. I embrace it.” She leaned in close, her voice a low, sinister whisper. “You're not the only girl who's been through some shit and then fell for an MC President. If I can wise up and trust my heart, so can you.”

  I flinched. I stared at her, numb with surprise, unmoving. She broke away, heading for the RV, humming some soft, sad tune to her baby.

  Deep down, the strange girl was right.

  I feared turning over complete control to Maverick and becoming his old lady. But when I reached deep and thought hard, I feared life without him even more.

  You can't let the past hold you back. Listen to her.

  Later in the evening, the Dakota crew was heading out, minus a couple guys they'd left behind. I stood next to Maverick for the grand sendoff. Funny how I already looked like his old lady in public.

  Throttle was on his bike at the head of the small column, and he waved to us when he switched on the ignition.

  “You remember what we walked about. Next time I come through here, I wanna camp out in Missoula. The only Grizzlies we need to worry about better be the big brown ones up in the mountains.” Several guys laughed. “You'll take care of business, Maverick. This MC's in good hands.”

  I looked over my shoulder. Maverick's brother Blaze didn't look so sure about the last part. I didn't totally get all the tension between them, but it seemed like it was getting better lately.

  They faced a common threat. No time for dick waving, right?

  Several big, masculine fingers brushed mine. I looked down and saw Maverick enveloping my hand in his.

  He was smiling, and I returned his grin. Out here in the crisp morning air, standing with the man I loved and a bunch of biker brothers in high spirits, it didn't feel like ill winds were blowing in.

  The RV followed the bikes and SUVs, the last big vehicle to leave the clubhouse's lot.

  Inside, the shade was pulled up on the main window. I saw Rach, grinning and waving to all the men like a princess making her grand departure.

  She wasn't looking up and down the crowd, though. Her eyes were fixed on me. I lifted my free hand and returned the gesture, if only to be polite.

  Just before it turned out of view, Rach tapped her chest. I wasn't sure what the hell she was getting at. Then I realized it was her heart, a sharp jab right there, as if it say, Remember.

  Maverick's hand tightened on mine. In his sweet, strong grip, I was completely safe, no matter what kind of hell was coming in torrents.

  I breathed deep, filling my lungs before I climbed in the beaten up Ford they'd loaned me for work.

  Today wouldn't be so bad. And just now, I had a weird feeling being his old lay wouldn't be either.

  “Miss Daniels? I...I don't think I can go on tonight.”

  I spun in my chair, away from the little laptop that contained the club's info. I knew that kind of hollow tremor, and it caused me to sigh even before I saw her.

  Great, here it comes. Another girl bowing out because she let guys buy her too many free drinks. Probably sprained an ankle tumbling into their laps...

  Why can't I find girls who just do their jobs and go home without any drama?

  My heart leaped into my throat when I took a good look at Saffron in the dim light. Something red and slightly purple circled her eye.

  Jumping out of my chair, I closed the space between us. “Holy shit! Who did this to you?”

  “A new guy I never seen before,” she whimpered. “Not anybody with the Devils patch.”

  I closed my mouth. She'd already answered my second question, however unlikely it seemed.

  The Devils weren't brutes to their women, no matter how rough the guys at the clubhouse got with their new play sluts. There was only one MC I knew about who treated girls like shit...

  “Jesus. Follow me to the vending machine so we can get something cold on it.”

  She trailed behind me like a kid, sniffing away tears. We didn't have an ice machine anywhere near my poor excuse for an office.

  I threw in some dollars and bought a couple cans of root beer. Saffron took them in her little hands and held them to her eye socket, wincing at the cold.

  “Jesus!” I gasped again. This night was turning into something else. “I'm gonna ask you again. What happened?”

  “It was a big, gruff guy in leather. Thought he was with the Devils at first, but the patches were all wrong. Should've called security right then, but I didn't notice he was an outsider until after he hit me in the face.”

  Fucking Grizzlies. Here!

  I pressed my nails into my palms. It took a little pain to defuse the anger boiling in my blood.

  “Why did he hit you?”

  “Said he wanted to talk to you, Miss Daniels. Something about owing them some money he'd come to collect. He sounded half-drunk and I didn't like the way he spoke. Guy had a gross bandage around his head. Fucking thing looked like it hadn't been washed in days...” She shifted the cold can on her face. “Anyway, I wasn't gonna send him back here. Didn't take too kindly to it when I told him he'd have to set up a meeting.”

  “Pssh, nobody sets up meetings with me.” I took her limp hand in mine and squeezed. “But you did the right thing. Where's this asshole now?”

  “He hit me when I was off the stage, getting some water at the bar. I had some fans around...they grabbed him and held him until George came.”

  George was the big senior bouncer we'd hired. I doubted he had half the combat skills of anybody in the MC, but he was a large man who knew how to throw his weight around.

  “Don't know what happened after that...my head was spinning and I was seeing stars. Came right back to you to ask if I could get the night – “

  “You're off,” I finished for her. “Sit down and rest. Go home and take care of that eye. I can get somebody to drive if you're not up for it.”

  She sucked at her bottom lip, nibbling nervously on it. “Actually...can I spend the night at the clubhouse? Or at least get a couple guys from the club at my apartment? I'm afraid to be alone after what happened here...”

  “I'll ask.” She had my sympathy. Truly.

  “No need to. She's welcome to stay at my clubhouse tonight and however many nights she needs.” Maverick stepped up next to us.

  My jaw almost hit the floor. How long had he been there, listening to us?

  “Did you hear what she said? Grizzlies here, coming to collect money...”

  His eyes went dark and serious. “I know all about it. Come on. Have somebody look after her and I'll send Blaze or Shatter around in a little while to pick her up.”

  “Wait, wait, where are we going?”

  Maverick wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me along. I kept asking as he yanked me out the back door, into the darkness.

  A tr
uck was waiting for us out back. He walked straight toward the passenger door.

  “What? No bikes?” Now I really didn't know what the hell was going on, but it was scaring me.

  “Not for this,” he said coldly. “You can ride between Tank and I. We've got a short run to make into the boonies.”

  I looked behind me. Pink Unlimited's bright burgundy and neon lights were warm, inviting, and safe compared to the mysterious darkness up ahead.

  Trust him. Trust your heart.

  I remembered Rach's words. Muscling up my strength and my faith, I squeezed his hand and climbed into the truck ahead of him.

  Tank nodded politely from the driver's seat, and then Maverick was in behind me. The door slammed shut.

  “Let's go,” he ordered. “She's been waiting a long time for this, and so have I.”

  He wasn't fucking kidding about riding into the boonies. I'd been a Montana girl all my life, and even went camping a few times before Mom completely lost herself to drugs and Dad gave himself to the wrong brotherhood.

  We bounced up and down in our seats as Tank guided us along little mountain roads. These were narrow paths without much paving, and even fewer guard rails. If a logging truck came trundling down the road and a bad driver lost control, it was a drop for hundreds of feet, straight into the wilderness.

  “Jesus! Fuck,” I whispered, clawing at my man's big, tattooed arm.

  Next to us, Tank chuckled. “It's okay. Drove on much worse than this outside Kandahar.”

  We rumbled on, into the darkness, the eerie silence inside the truck broken only by the big tires struggling along the narrow paths.

  When I mustered up the courage to look outside the window again, we were descending, into what looked like a clearing for a park. Or hell, maybe just some God forsaken place where nature had forgotten to sprout cedars and rocks.

  Tank rolled into a natural shoulder formed by jagged rocks off to the side. Without a word, he shut the truck off and Maverick tugged gently on my hand, leading me to follow him outside.

  There was another vehicle there with its lights off. Empty.