His hot, raging lips touched the edge of my ear. I shuddered.
“We're gonna be one big, happy family, or I'm doing this shit on my own. You'll learn to smile real big and be the best old lady a man's ever had in the entire Grizzlies MC. I hope to fuck you packed something that'll make my dick throb on our honeymoon.”
Honeymoon? Family? Old lady?!
I wasn't sure if the lightning in his words hit my head or my heart first. All I remembered was breaking, sliding down along the wall, and sitting there while Roman took out his phone and dialed his guys.
Half an hour later, the older man named Southpaw had Caleb in an SUV ahead of us, and we followed behind him, mounted on Roman's bike.
The crisp autumn air normally caressed my cheeks, but out here, heading into Redding, it was like a slap in the face. Everything burned, especially my fingers. They wouldn't stop shaking no matter how tight I clung to his rock hard abs.
Hating them. Loving them. Sick to death that this asshole's body could still make me feel anything except an urge to drive a sharp object into his throat.
I'd never been into the psychic, superstitious stuff, but as we neared the clubhouse, I saw the future so clear it was like a prophecy.
The worst chapter of my life was about to start, and it might easily be my last.
Roman and Southpaw led us through the dark clubhouse, straight to his room. He never said a word, just shoved me inside, took one last look at his son, and closed the door.
“Make sure they stay put. I've gotta go out and get the shit I need to set this place up,” I heard him mutter through the door. The older man chuckled.
“Talk to Brass' old lady. I'm sure she knows a thing or two about kids, seeing how her little sis babysits for some coin.”
“Whatever. Just get her whatever she needs, brother. I'm gone.”
“Hey!” Southpaw yelled back, so loud through the walls I covered Caleb's ears. “What do I tell the Prez if he finds out?”
“Tell him the fucking truth!” Roman yelled, his voice further away. “We're keeping them safe. The farm's crawling with head chopping assholes. That's no place for a kid. We're doing the boy a favor, getting him outta the danger zone. That's all the Prez needs to know for now.”
My kid. I could practically hear him thinking it. Jesus, had he even broken the news that he was a father to the brothers yet? I wonder if Southpaw even knew why he'd dragged us both in?
Shaking my head, my son stirred. I lay back on the biker's thick bed and stroked him, mostly to calm myself.
He'd been amazingly well behaved through this, but he'd need food soon. I had a couple containers stuffed in my suitcase, but as for his favorites, much less all the other things I needed to care for him here...
Damn it. If only I hadn't been in such shock, I would've told Roman exactly what we needed to prolong my imprisonment.
At some point, I managed to fall asleep. Putting in a full day's work on the farm, letting Beam give me a jolt of pleasure, and then getting taken prisoner by Roman completely sapped my energy.
I woke up to the sound of a heavy box hitting the floor.
My hands were empty. I bolted up, only to see Roman holding Caleb, while Asphalt picked up the crib he'd dropped on the floor. There was a woman with them too, a girl with brunette hair around my own age.
“Jesus, be careful!” she hissed. “All the noise around here will upset the baby.”
“I know how to handle my son, Missy,” Roman said, shooting her a dirty look.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You know about as much as Brass, but I guess you haven't upset him yet. So, there's that.”
I rubbed my eyes and stood up. Everybody turned toward me, as if I was a total afterthought.
“What the hell's going on here? Give me my baby!” I reached toward Roman angrily, expecting him to rip the child away from me.
Surprisingly, he gave in and passed me Caleb, even if he shot me one more look from hell. “Missy's here to help set this shit up, and make sure you two are comfortable. She'll help you get used to the clubhouse, make sure you don't do anything fucking stupid too.”
“Oh, good. Lord knows I've made enough mistakes. It's nice to have somebody to save me from myself. Is that all, daddy, or do you want to tell me how to cuddle my son too?”
Roman's jaw tensed. I nuzzled my nose against Caleb's as the kid snoozed. Meanwhile, Missy laughed, walking toward me, getting between me and Mister Badass.
“Come on, lady. I'll give you a hand.” She turned to Roman. “Why don't you go deal with your club business? Brass will be by soon.”
Roman gave me one more look, then nodded to Asphalt. “Let's fucking go. I'll be back later to see what's going down.”
The door slammed shut behind them, making my little son stir. I covered his ears and pulled him close, returning to the bed while Missy walked around the room, taking everything in.