Текст книги "Dragon's Lair"

Автор книги: Chantal Fernando

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 11 страниц)

Chapter Twenty Six

I don’t know what to do with myself. So I pace. I feel like I’m a sitting duck. Waiting, just waiting for something to happen. Who are we going to lose this time?

Dex?

Clover? The baby girl I haven’t even met yet?

Who?

I keep seeing Mary’s face in death. Over and over again.

The thought makes me stop in my tracks and cry. Tears drip down my cheeks until I cover my face with my hands.

“Faye,” Dex says, pulling me back into his warm body. “Don’t cry.”

“This isn’t good for the baby,” Cindy says from behind him. “She’s stressed out Sin. I think she’s having a panic attack.”

“I fuckin’ know that,” Dex growls. “What am I meant to do? She’s safest here, where I can watch over her. I won’t let anything happen to her. And when this bullshit is over, she will be safe. I’ll kill every one of those fuckers if I have to!”

I feel like shit. They have bigger issues on their hands, but here they are, standing around me watching me lose my shit and trying to help.

“Dex…” Jim starts.

“NO!” Dex yells in reply, cutting off whatever he was going to say. “No, no, no.”

No what? I try to pull myself together, wiping my eyes and straightening my spine. “I’m fine, I’m sorry.”

“She needs to leave,” Jim says in a strong voice. “We need your mind on the club right now, not on her!”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Don’t apologize,” Dex sighs, sounding resigned. “Everyone leave us!”

The room clears.

“Babe, until this whole mess is cleared, you need to be somewhere safe,” he starts, his face falling.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sending you somewhere safe,” he says. “I don’t want you to leave my sight, but everyone’s right, it’s better for you to leave here for a few days. I’m being selfish in wanting you to stay.”

“Can’t you come with me?” I ask, taking in a few shallow breaths. I don’t want to leave him. But I need to think of the baby first.

He looks regretful. “I need to be here for my brothers. I wish I could babe, but I’m their VP. They need me right now.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. He’s right. “Where will I go?”

“Jim said his baby sister and her husband will look after you. They live a few hours away, and he’s ex-army. They will take good care of you,” he says, looking down at the floor.

“Okay, I’ll go,” I tell him.

“Pack your bag.”

“Dex…”

“Yes?”

“Promise me you will come and get me in a few days,” I tell him.

“Fuck, babe. It’s going to be hell without you,” he croaks. “But I need you safe. You need to take care of yourself and our little princess.”

I nod, and silently start packing a bag. “Who’s driving me there?”

“It’s going to have to be Vinnie,” he says, looking apologetic. “I wish I could take you.”

“It’s fine,” I reply, sliding my feet into my thongs. “It’s going to suck but we need to do what we have to.”

“It’s just for a few days.”

Yeah a few days while I’m wondering who is dead and alive?

Sounds like hell on earth, but at least my little girl will be safe.

“You need to go now, so you get there before it gets dark,” he says, cradling my cheeks in his hands. “We can do this.”

I don’t know who he’s trying to convince. Me or him.

“I love you,” I tell him as he kisses me with a desperation so thick I can taste. His hands tangle in my hair as he shows me how much he’s going to miss me through this kiss. Dex has become everything to me. He understands me; he lets me be me and appreciates it. I know how lucky I am to find someone like that, someone who doesn’t want me to change any aspect of myself. Someone who makes me feel things, feel alive and wanted.

“Be safe Dex,” I whisper. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

“And I’ll be fighting for you,” he says, kissing me on the forehead. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

*****

The drive starts out blissfully uneventful. Vinnie treats me like I’m fragile, making sure I’m fine the whole way. Apart from my swollen feet, I feel okay. I tell myself everyone will be fine so many times that I begin to believe it. Clover kicks me, reminding me that I’m here for a reason. Worrying isn’t going to help Dex. I need to concentrate on what’s going on here and just have faith that everything back home will be okay. I can’t be mad at anyone. At Dex or Arrow. I knew what I was getting into here, and this is just one of the things I’m going to have to deal with being Dex’s old lady.

We’re about halfway there when Vinnie says, “Don’t look now, but we’re being followed.”

I sit up straighter in my seat. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“What do we do?” I ask, wringing my hands.

What the fuck do we do ?

“I’m going to try lose them.”

“And if you can’t?” I ask, peering into the side mirror.

“Then I’m going to stop somewhere. Can you drive?” he asks, in a completely calm tone.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Good,” he says, as he suddenly speeds up the car. Shots start firing from behind us. Vinnie goes even faster. The car behind us tries to keep up but soon falls behind. We stop at the petrol station and swap seats. As we get back on the road, Vinnie pulls a gun out of his jeans and loads it.

I gasp. “Is that why I have to drive?”

“Yes, I need my hands free,” he says, peering behind us. “Turn this way. I’m going to go a back way and hopefully they will keep going straight ahead and end up somewhere else.”

I turn, and we take a longer route to the house, but at least we make it there safely.

I meet Jim’s sister, Paula, and her husband Matthew. They are both lovely and make me feel welcome into their house from the get-go.

“Thanks for driving me here Vinnie,” I say, kissing his cheek. “Be safe.”

“Always. See you soon,” he says, lifting his chin in goodbye. I watch him drive away.

“Come on honey, I’ll show you your room,” Paula says. She doesn’t look anything like Jim, with her fair hair and features.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” I say.

She waves her hand. “No bother at all. In fact I could use the company. It gets a little boring out here.”

She shows me to the guest room. A large room with yellow walls and a big bed covered in white sheets. “It’s gorgeous, thank you.”

“I don’t know about that, but it will do. Are you hungry? I’m just about to make something to eat,” she says kindly. Mathew carries my bag in and places it on the floor.

“Thank you,” I tell him, mustering a smile for him.

“No problem,” he says, walking away.

Paula sighs. “Not a man of many words my Matthew. Come on I’ll give you a tour.”

She shows me the house, and the huge land that surrounds it. They have horses, sheep, and cows. It really is a peaceful place, with fresh air and scenic views.

I could learn to enjoy my time here.

Chapter Twenty Seven

I check my phone obsessively for the first two days. Dex messages back whenever he can, and tells me everything is okay. I get a call as he wakes up, and a text before he goes to sleep, which is much later than me but I don’t mind. Day three, four, and five passes the same. Calls and messages, but no mention of what’s going on or when I’ll be going home.

Faye: I miss you.

Dex: Miss you too.

Faye: What’s going on over there?

Dex: Trust me. Will call when I can.

Faye: Okay. I want to come home.

Dex: When it’s safe.

How long is that going to take? I don’t think anyone is ever going to be safe.

Paula takes me to see a doctor for a check-up. I feel depressed that Dex wasn’t there with me.

Selfish, I know.

When I don’t hear from Dex on day six and seven, I call Cindy who tells me Dex is okay—just busy.

But something doesn’t feel right.

I call Arrow, Irish, and Tracker. No one answers.

I start to panic.

The next day I ring Jim and demand answers. “Little girl,” he sighs.

“Just tell me!” I yell into the phone. Is he dead? In hospital?

“He’s in jail. Cops came to search the clubhouse. Dex was armed.”

Jail?

“When will he get out?” I croak, clutching onto the phone so hard it might break.

“We will find out soon, I sent the club’s lawyer to try and get him out. Stay strong, okay?”

“I will,” I mutter before we both hang up.

Jail.

At least he’s alive.

*****

When I finally get his call a few days later, the tears refuse to subside.

“Faye,” he says quietly as a greeting.

“Oh my god Dex,” I cry into the phone. I start to pace as we talk.

“How are you and the baby?” he asks.

“We’re both fine. When can you get out?” I ask him, rushing the words out

He sighs. “My lawyer is trying to get me out on bail. Should find out soon.”

“I miss you,” I whisper.

“You too,” he replies. “I don’t have much time.”

“Is it safe for me to go home?” I ask.

“Wait there until I come and get you,” is all he says in reply.

“Okay. I love you.”

“Love you more.”

We hang up.

*****

The next day I’m lying in bed when there’s a knock at the door. “Come in Paula!” I call out.

The door opens, and I turn my head. Then I scream. “Dex! You’re here!”

He walks over. “Don’t get out of bed for me.”

With my size, it’s kind of hard to anyway.

He takes me into his arms, kissing my forehead, my nose, and finally my lips. “Missed you so fuckin’ much Faye.”

He kisses my stomach twice.

“I missed you too. I was going crazy. What happened? And how are you here?” I ask him, not letting go of him for even one second.

“Lawyer got me out on bail this morning, I stopped at the clubhouse first, then came straight here,” he says, nuzzling my neck. When he starts to trail kisses down my collarbone I struggle to breathe.

“I’m not done questioning you yet,” I tell him.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“Cops raided the clubhouse. I was armed, they took me in. Got done with possession of a firearm,” he says, kissing my mouth before I can say anything in return. He pulls down the strap of my white sundress and brushes his thumb over one of my nipples. I moan into his mouth.

“I want you,” he says against my lips.

“Then take me,” I reply. I thread my fingers through his hair and grip on the ends. His lips don’t leave mine as his fingers start to explore my body. I start to pull his t-shirt off, gripping the hem that sits just above his ass and sliding it upwards. He pulls away from me for a second to tug it over his head and throw it on the floor. I admire it for a few seconds, before he lays back.

“I don’t want to squash you. Can you ride me?” he asks, lifting up my dress.

I grin and undo the button on his jeans. He lifts up his hips as I pull them down. His arousal stands up proud, begging for attention. I kiss the head of him then pull down my panties and straddle him. He plumps my breasts with his hands, then leans forward to taste. Unable to take any more, I slide his length inside me, slowly, inch by inch. We both moan at the same time as I start to ride him slowly. Our eyes stay connected as I take my time with him, showing him with my body how much I missed him and how much he means to be. We finish together.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask him after we catch our breath.

“Is this our pillow talk?” he asks, stroking my hair.

“Dex…”

“I have to go to court in a few weeks. Because I have a prior record, my lawyer thinks I might have to do some time,” he says hesitantly. His eyes flash with uncertainty.

“Possession of a firearm. You’d have to do about six months,” I gasp, sitting up on the bed.

Six months?

I cover my face with my hands.

“Babe, it will be okay,” he soothes, rubbing my back. “You will be safe. That’s all that matters.”

“What happened with Arrow?” I ask him, turning to face him.

“He’s fine, and it’s all taken care of.”

“Dex—”

“You don’t want the details Faye, trust me on that.”

I sigh. “Shall we drive back now? Or tomorrow morning?”

“Paula insisted we stay for dinner,” he says. “How have you been feeling?”

“Tired, but everything else is fine. I saw the local doctor here, and everything is as it should be,” I assure him.

“Good,” he whispers. “Do you know how happy you make me? You’re all I could think about. If something happened to you…”

“I’m fine, it’s you who was in jail,” I say with an eye roll. And has to go back there for six fucking months. What the hell do I do with that information? He might be going away as soon as Clover is born.

“What are you thinking?” he asks, wrapping me in his arms.

“You aren’t going to be here for Clover and me,” I whisper. “I know it’s selfish to even say but…”

“It’s not selfish. I’m sorry Faye. Let’s not think about this right now.”

How was I supposed to not think about it?

Chapter Twenty Eight

We can’t keep our hands off each other on the drive home. Even if it was just my hand on his thigh, or him kissing my fingers, we stayed in contact as much as we could. We didn’t talk about his possible jail time.

I just wanted to enjoy the moment.

“How did you get involved with the Wind Dragons?” I find myself asking him.

He glances at me before answering. “After I left home, I went in search of my dad. Eric and I have different fathers, which I assume you know.”

I nod my head. Eric’s dad is a dentist who lives in Sydney.

“Turns out he was a member of the club but had died a few years back. Jim and him were best mates,” he says, sadness lacing his tone. “That’s how I met Jim. And the rest is history.”

“They became your family,” I say, looking down at our intertwined hands.

“It felt like I was close to my dad, even though he wasn’t there. It turned out that he wanted to be a part of my life, but mum said no. She didn’t want me growing up around the club, so he sent her money and that’s it. Jim did tell me that he came to my graduation, and he was proud as hell,” he says, the tone of his voice letting me know that it did mean something to him. His dad had loved him, even though he wasn’t able to be a part of his life.

My throat starts to burn. “Your mum did to him what I almost did to you.”

Clover would have gone to find her father and ended up hanging around the MC anyway.

He squeezes my hand. “All in the past babe. I’ve forgiven you, you should forgive yourself.”

“Did anyone get hurt?” I ask hesitantly. He didn’t want to talk about it, but I need to know what went down while I was away.

“Trace got shot in his arm, Rake is a little black and blue,” he says, looking straight ahead.

“Okay.” That’s not bad, I guess. “And then the cops raided the clubhouse?”

“Yeah, we had just let everyone clear out, lockdown being over when they busted in,” he replies. “People heard gunshots at the Wild Men clubhouse, and I don’t know, I guess they must have seen one of us around there. Both clubhouses were raided. Unlucky for them they were found with drugs, guns, and women who were there against their will. We were only caught with a couple of guns.”

“So they’re in big shit then?” I ask, unable to stop the slow spreading smile taking over my face.

“Bloodthirsty woman,” he mutters, but I see his lip twitching, giving away his amusement. “Now where are we going? To the clubhouse or to our house?”

I think about it. “Clubhouse. I think we should move into the house after Clover is born.”

“I love that you love it at the clubhouse,” he admits.

I shrug. “Those guys have grown on me. Everyone has, even Allie that bitch.”

Dex laughs. We’re silent for a few minutes, lost in our own thoughts.

“I miss Mary,” I whisper. “She didn’t deserve to die.”

“I know,” he replies. “She was a good woman.”

“Too good,” I say on a sigh. I hope she’s in a better place. They say death is easy, it’s living that’s hard. I love my life, and I wouldn’t say it was hard. But I understand when they say death is easy, because those people who pass away don’t have to live with the sadness and the pain of losing someone.

When we arrive at the clubhouse, my mouth drops open as I see the women standing there with pink balloons.

“What the hell is this?” I ask, excitement coursing through me.

Dex wraps his arms around me from behind. “Baby shower. This is my clue to leave. Brothers and I will be at the bar.”

Then he and anyone with a penis, within a one kilometer radius, leave the clubhouse without a backwards glance.

We walk into the living area which has a table full of wrapped gifts. Tears well in my eyes. “You guys!”

Allie smiles sadly. “Mary was planning it before…”

I give her a shaky smile then look to Cindy, Jess, and the others. “Thanks, all of you.”

“You’re welcome,” Cindy says. “Now let’s eat then play some baby shower games.”

I grin and follow them into the kitchen.

* ****

“Where’s Arrow?” I ask Dex later that night when all the guys came back to the clubhouse.

Everyone goes deathly silent. “What?”

“You didn’t tell her?” Jim asks Dex.

“Tell me what? Oh my god! What happened to him?” I ask, walking up to Dex and grabbing onto the lapels of his leather jacket. “Is he okay? You said he was okay?”

“He’s in jail babe, I didn’t want to stress you out any more,” he says, putting his hands on my stomach.

“Why is he still in there?” I ask. “What priors did he have?”

All the men exit the room. What the fuck?

“He didn’t get take in on gun possession, he got taken in on murder charges,” Dex says, his eyes betraying the casualness of his tone.

“What?” I gasp, shaking my head no. “No. No this is not happening.”

Arrow? My mind races.

Flashbacks.

Him cooking breakfast naked. Him smiling at Mary. Him staring at my stomach like I was contagious.

“Club lawyer is on it,” Dex says. “Let him do his job.”

“When I’m the club lawyer, no one is going to fucking jail,” I mutter, my voice cracking.

Dex grips my chin. “When?”

“When.”

He lowers his head and gives me a possessive, lingering kiss that makes my head spin. “Baby shower’s over yeah?”

“It can be,” I reply against his lips.

“Good,” he replies. His eyes touch every feature on my face. He pushes his hips against me, letting me feel how hard he is. “See, triple chin, and I’m still hard as a fuckin’ rock.”

I gasp. “You ass—”

Another kiss cuts me off. He walks me backwards into our bedroom, mouths still attached.

Soon, our clothes are on the floor, and Dex is right where he belongs.

Chapter Twenty Nine

“I like this whole waddling thing you’ve got going on,” Tracker says, eyes laughing at me. I’m now almost nine months pregnant, and the whale jokes are getting old.

“You guys are such jerks,” I say around a mouthful of ice cream.

“And I can see why Sin is so whipped,” he says, watching my tongue lick the top.

I pause. “You’re a sick bastard, you know that?”

“I don’t get any complaints,” he adds, rubbing his chest with his palm.

“How’s Allie?” I ask nosily, wiggling my eyebrows.

His expression doesn’t change. “Why don’t you ask her?”

I lick my ice cream and pout. “Fine don’t have a deep and meaningful conversation with me.”

“You want it deep?” he replies in a low tone.

“Is that your sex voice? Hot!” I reply, fanning myself.

He doesn’t look impressed, but I think I see a lip twitch. “There’s a danger in loving someone too much…”

“That’s a song!”

“What?”

“That line is from a song,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m a hundred percent sure it is.”

He stares at me for a few tense seconds. “I’m going to get a drink.”

As he walks out of the living room, I feel something.

Shit.

I walk into my bedroom, looking for Dex. I hear the shower on, so I open the bathroom door. The room is filled with steam, and he’s singing the lyrics to an Incubus song.

“Dex…” I call out. The shower curtain opens and his head sticks out, still covered in shampoo.

I look down my legs, to where my water’s just broke. “I need to go to the hospital. It’s time.”

I speak to him in a calm tone, but as soon as the words penetrate I can see the panic fill him. “Now?”

He turns the shower off and jumps out. “Babe, wash the shampoo out first.”

He runs a hand through his hair then jumps back in, not even waiting for the water to get warm. I walk back into the room and grab my already packed overnight bag, and the smaller bag which is packed for Clover. When he runs out and starts to get dressed, I get into the shower and breathe through the contractions. Dex slides open the curtain. “How are you doing?”

“Okay. Can you call the hospital and let them know we’re on our way?”

He nods and leaves the bathroom. I turn the shower off and dry myself. I’m putting lotion onto my skin when Dex stops in front of me.

“Really? Do we have the time for this?”

I hide a smile. “I’m ready; I just have to put on my dress and some panties.”

He helps me dress, then we walk out of the room. Tracker walks towards us, drink in hand. “You okay?”

“She’s having a baby, no she’s not fuckin’ okay,” Dex growls.

“Dex,” I snap.

Tracker’s eyes go wide, and he starts to stare at my crotch like the baby is going to drop out at any second. “I’ll go get the car ready.”

Rake walks over and holds my other side. “Say goodbye to your tight…”

“Do not even finish that sentence!” I snap at him. “Dex please hit him for me.”

“I will afterwards,” Dex replies, opening the front door for me. Tracker is standing by the car, with the doors wide open and the engine running. Dex helps me into the front seat and fastens the seat belt for me. Rake and Tracker both take turns kissing me on the forehead and wishing me good luck.

“You okay?” Dex asks as he reverses.

I breathe in and out. “So far so good. Luckily the hospital isn’t too far away though.”

Dex reaches over and takes my hand in his.

We’re almost at the hospital when I cry out. “Fuck!”

“What?” Dex yells, panicking.

“That contraction hurt. Oh my god! It hurt!” I say, trying to breathe through the pain.

Dex starts cursing. “We’re almost there babe.”

“This is all your fault!” I yell, looking for someone to blame for the pain I’m in.

“Babe, we’re here. You can yell at me all you want let’s just get you in there.”

And yell at him I did.

*****

Thirteen hours later, I hold an eight pound Clover Mary Black in my arms. With her father’s black hair and my hazel eyes, she is absolutely adorable. She has chubby cheeks and little pouty heart-shaped lips.

She’s perfect.

“You were amazing,” Dex tells me, blue eyes sparkling. “That was… something else.”

“Scarred for life are you?” I ask, trying not to laugh.

He scrubs a hand down his face. “You didn’t see it! A thick head of black hair stretching the shit out of your…”

“Dex!” I growl when the nurse starts to give him dirty looks.

He takes Clover from me, holding her in his large arms. “She’s so tiny. Is she meant to be this small?”

“She’s very healthy,” I tell him. “Everything is as it should be, don’t worry.”

I roll my eyes as he fiddles with the Wind Dragons baby beanie he had made for her. “Everyone wants to come in and see her, is that okay? Or do you want to wait?”

“Send them in, I don’t mind,” I reply, covering my breasts with the sheet. In fact, I can’t wait to show her off. How did I create something so perfect?

Cindy, Allie, and Jess rush in first while Tracker, Rake, Jim, Trace, and Vinnie trail in behind. The women ooh and ahh, and the men stare at her like they have no idea what they are meant to do with her.

“You did well, baby mama,” Tracker says. I notice him and Allie holding hands.

“Did you expect otherwise?” I ask with a raised brow.

He grins and shakes his head. “I think we know not to underestimate you.”

Dex gently drags a tattooed finger down Clover’s rosy cheek. “I’m screwed, aren’t I?”

Tracker puts his hand on Dex’s shoulder. “We have your back, brother, always.”

Rake puts his hand on his other shoulder. “You think anyone’s going to want to touch the Wind Dragons’ princess?”

I roll my eyes at their protectiveness. “Give the girl some room to breathe.”

Clover starts to cry, and Dex starts fussing over her. We all watch with wide eyes as he gently rocks her back to sleep.

“I’ve got this,” he grins smugly. Jim looks amused, wrapping his arms around Cindy and watching on.

Dex’s eyes find mine. “I’ve got this,” he repeats, kissing Clover on her forehead.

*****

We have six weeks of bliss before Dex has to go to court. Just as I had guessed, he got six months behind bars.

Six. Fucking. Months.

The day before he had to leave, I cried. I cried so much that Dex begged me to stop.

“Don’t cry Faye, I need to know that you’re going to be okay or I’m gonna go fuckin’ crazy in there,” he says. He slides down onto his knees before me. “I need you to be strong for me.”

We make love frantically, then slow and gentle.

In the morning before I wake up—he’s gone.

That day itself, I move back into the clubhouse. No way am I staying alone in that house for half a year. I’d drive myself crazy in no time. Clover helps to make time go quicker than I thought. I miss Dex every day, but Clover is my shining light.

She gets me through the darkness.

“She’s looking more like you every day,” Tracker muses, staring down at Clover.

I look down at her angelic face. “Do you think so?”

He peers down at her again and bobs his head. “Yeah, she’s your mini me.”

We’re silent for a few seconds.

“How are you holding up?” he asks in a low tone.

I exhale heavily and lean back on the couch. “I’m okay because I have to be, you know?”

“You’re fuckin’—” He looks down at Clover and then starts over. “You’re strong, you know that? Who would have thought that you—walking into the clubhouse with no clue, wearing cupcake pajamas and staring at us all wide-eyed like you had no idea what to do with us…”

He laughs and shakes his head. “You turned out to be the best thing to happen to Dex, and you’re more than old lady material. You don’t just take care of Dex…”

“Hey love the man love the club, right?” I add when Tracker trails off. I yawn, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth.

Tracker grins. “Let Allie and me watch Clover. You get some sleep.”

“Okay, if you two don’t mind,” I say, the exhaustion of being up all night with Clover catching up to me.

“Just ‘cuz Dex isn’t here—we’re gonna look after you,” Tracker says softly, running his hands through his blond hair.

“I know,” I reply. “So are you and Allie together?”

He tilts his head to the side. “I guess we are, yes.”

“Good, you deserve to be happy,” I tell him, meaning every word.

“For the record, we could have been fuckin’ amazing together,” he says, stretching his arms above his head lazily.

I can’t stop the blush that makes an appearance. “Is that right? I’ve heard about your piercing. You know…”

“No I don’t, why don’t you tell me?” he replies, looking amused.

“Your piercing,” I repeat, pointing down to his crotch.

“Oh this,” he says, unbuttoning his jeans. “Do you want to see?”

I elbow him in the ribs, laughing. “I’m curious but not that curious. Dex would kill you.”

He smiles. “Good to hear you laugh again.”

I watch as he gently takes my daughter from my arms, then kisses the top of my head. “Sleep. Clover will be fine.”

“Thanks Tracker,” I mumble, my eyes already closing.

My last thought is of Dex before I fall asleep.