New Title 6 (8 page)

“
A
lright, while my brother goes off to cool his jets, I need
information. First, why are you so interested in running off half-baked? Which
will probably get you into more trouble than before,” Violet asked, nearly
looking as angry as Talon had.

 “Someone
would have followed Mattie. I need to get out of here before they show up, or
dickhead gets here himself.”

 “Not
that she's sure Mattie was followed; if anything, they would have followed
Julian,” Deanna said. “Fuck,” She uttered when she saw my wide eyes of worry.

 “You're
safer here than anywhere else in the world. Talon will go to great lengths to
keep you that way. As you can see and have heard a million times, Zara, it's
not only him; I'm sure Barbie would as well. Then you have me and the guys.”

 I
rolled my eyes. “That right there is why I have to go.”

 “You're
scared; that's all it is. You're not really thinking.”

 I
bounced down to the end of the bed, my flabby belly having a party with all the
jiggling at the same time. It must have looked like a treat, but I was pissed.
I got up and in Violet's face.

 “Of
course I'm scared,” I hissed. “If a man like that was after you, wouldn't you
be? And I am thinking as straight as Talon in a gay bar.”

 Julian
chuckled behind me. “I'd like to see that.”

 “Oh,
no, no. In a gay stripper club,” Deanna added.

 “Shh,
you guys,” Mattie ordered.

 Vi
glared and said, “No. You. Aren't. If you were, you'd know that this was the
right choice, here with us all. Not only the right choice for you, but for
Maya. Think, Zara. If you're out there on your own, running for your life, what
are you going to tell Maya? How are you really going to keep her safe? You'll
be by yourself.”

 I
teetered back. “I...I don't know.”

 “I
understand the urge to run. I do. But it won't help. It's time to trust the
people around you, to lean on them for help when they're so willing to do just
that. No matter what may come of the situation.”

 I
gracefully–
not
–flopped back on the bed. Damn, she was right.

 All
I wanted was to run, to keep everyone safe, but I hadn't been thinking clearly.
Maya was the highest priority, and it hadn’t dawned on me that she'd need more
than just me to keep her protected from her cuckoo father. Even if the thought
of having others involved in my stuffed-up situation still sent me into panic
mode and wanting to sit in the corner sucking my thumb, I needed to stop, take
a breath, and think.

 I
sat up straight and turned to Mattie. “You have to leave before things get
ugly.”

 “
If
,”
Deanna said.

 Mattie
smiled. “We're family and I've only just gotten you back in my life—”

 Julian
interrupted, “Oh, my Gawd, I'm gonna cry. This is one of those Hallmark
moments.” He sniffed.

 Mattie
rolled his eyes. “And I've had my fair share of ugly in my life, so I'm kind of
used to it.”

 “You
better not be referring to me, sac-sucker.”

 Deanna
laughed. “I love that one, sac-sucker. I'm going to have to use it.”

 “Make
sure to use it on a straight guy. Lordy, that would be funny.”

 Deanna
turned to me. “So, you're staying?”

 “Yeah.”

 “You're
a fucking miracle worker, but I still don't like you.” Deanna glared at Violet.

 “And
you think I care.” She turned her bored gaze to Julian. “I have a question for
you, though. How'd you know Mattie was here?”

 “I'd
overheard the convo' he'd had with that friend of his who saw Zara down this
way. Knew Mattie would leave it for a while and wouldn't approach his sis, so I
started to do a little homework myself. Knew my home girl had a little
munchkin, and her name. Found the shit I was after on the World Wide Web.”

 “And
you didn't tell me because...”Mattie's wild eyes told me he was a little
annoyed by the fact Julian hadn’t said anything.

 “Oh,
I knew one day you'd sneak off without telling me, on a mission to get to her
and not tell her where you'd prefer your dick to lay every night. Of course, I
knew if I showed up she'd love me, and in the end wouldn't judge you. Which is
how it all worked out.”

 “Still
should have informed me,” Mattie mumbled.

 “Your
ex doesn't know anything about Maya, right?” Vi asked me as she moved away from
the door.

 “Yeah,”
I said.

 “That
there is great news. He shouldn't be able to find you the way Veronica Mars
here did.”

 “Oh,
I'll take that; Veronica is hot.” Julian clapped.

 “So
what do we do?”

 My
door swung open, revealing Warden; his eyes met Violet’s. “Done a sweep.
Nothin' out there; your bro already has men on the lookout.” His eyes then fell
on me. “Got his number from that wanker out there—”

 “Fuck
you,” Pick yelled from the front room.

 “Rang
your man; told him what you said—”

 “Warden!”
I yelled.

 “On
ya, dude.” Deanna laughed.

 “Goodness.”
Julian breathed.

 “Shit,”
Mattie uttered.

 “He's
on his way back.” Just as he said that, we heard the sexy rumble of the
Harleys. My heart rate sky- rocketed, and I was ready to run and hide in my
closet. But for some reason, I thought the people in the room would have told
him where I was. The hairy-ass-rat-faces.

 Quickly
scooting back down to the end of the bed where Deanna and Julian were sitting,
I placed myself in the middle. We all listened to the front door being opened,
heavy footsteps coming down the hall, and then Warden moved away from the
doorway as Talon filled it. I gulped and gripped Julian and Deanna's hands.
Deanna snorted, let go of my hand, and moved from the bed.

 “That's
it; you are no longer my best friend. Let it be known I am now taking
interviews to fill her spot,” I told the group.

 She
rolled her eyes at me. “Whatever.”

 “Oh,
oh. I'll take you up on that. I want a girl bestie, and I'll stand by your
side, snookums.” Julian squeezed my hand. I grinned at him. Talon growled low
in his throat. “O-o-or not. Later, gator.” Julian moved quickly from the bed,
gave me an apologetic smile, and said to Mattie, “Come on, hun. I think Thor
wants alone time.”

 My
arms went up in the air. “What the hell?” I cried and let my arms fall back
down.

 The
bedroom door closed, Talon stood leaning against it watching me. I wondered if
I'd start whistling and looking around the room, he'd get the hint I wasn't ready
for any type of conversation. Or it could just make him unhappier, because he
looked very...annoyed? Probably option two, so I refrained from whistling.

 “So-o-o,”
I said.

 “Tell
me what your mate said wasn't true?”

 “Depends
on what he told you.” I went for a sweet smile, raised eyebrows.

 He
glared. “That you'd fuckin' think I'd leave you because of what had happened to
you?”

 Crap.

 “Uh,
maybe. But really, let's look at this.” I tapped my chin. “There isn't really
anything to leave because we aren't really together.”

 He
stiffened. I gulped and sat straighter.

 “Now
isn't the time for fuckin' games. I take a hike to cool my anger, because I
just found out my
woman-
” he clipped, “
-
had been beaten and
raped by her so called ex; and then some dick calls and informs me
my
woman
is in her room looking scared shitless, and wondering if her
man
would
think she's filth.” He took a step closer.

 “What
do I have to do to prove this is happening between us? I want this, and I know
you want this, no matter what crap you spew.” He closed his eyes and took a
deep breath. Upon opening them he said, “You need me to claim your body now; is
that it? If I have my dick in you, will you get that this is happening between
us?” With one swoop, he removed his tee and threw it to the floor.

 I
tried to back up into the headboard of my bed. Waving my arms out in from of
me, I perved, drooled, and yelled, “Whoa, hold up there. W-what are you doing?”
Oh my God, I've died and gone to bad-boy heaven.

 A
thought of David advancing on me like Talon was, flashed through my mind.

 A
normal person could have been petrified in this type of situation. But I
wasn't.
I
had also watched and listened to Talon for many years. I knew
he talked rough, and his actions screamed scary badass biker, but I also knew
he treated women with care. No matter what he said, what he implied or had
done, he would never hurt me physically or mentally.

 “Proving
to you that I want you. That no matter what your past is, I still want your hot
body. You fuckin' drive me insane, kitten. No one else would I let do that to
me. No one, kitten, but you.” He was at the end of the bed now. My eyes nearly
popped out of my head when he popped the button on his jeans.

 My
heart pounded against my chest. Every word, rude or not,
warmed
me
throughout.

 Still,
I stuttered through my nerves, “W-wait. Holy hell—uh, wait. Put your tee on for
a sec—” I covered my eyes with a hand.

 “Holy
shit, he's got his top off,” Julian gasped behind my bedroom door.

 “Fuck,
that guy moves fast,” Deanna said.

 “What
are you two doing?” Mattie fake-whispered. The door rattled.

 “I
just want to see,” Julian whined.

 “See?”
I moved my hand and pointed to the door. “We have an audience.”

 “Everyone
better fuck off before I kill them all.”

 “I
think he's serious,” Julian said.

 “We're
not waiting around to find out,” Mattie said.

 “Fuck
it,” Deanna complained.

 Talon
knelt on the end of the bed. The sight of him, of his muscles flexing, sent a
zing to the right spot.

 Still,
I said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there, slugger. I can't perform now thinking
of them out there.”

 What
was wrong with me; why was I stopping this?
Scared.
Not of him though,
of me, of falling into what he had me feeling already.

 “It's
fine, kitten. I'll do all the work. This time.”

 “Wait!
What's the time?” I looked over to my alarm clock on my bedside table. “Oh,
look-see, it's two. I have to pick Maya up from school soon. We'll-uh, have to
get back to this another time.” I nodded.

 “We'll
be quick.” He gave me a small smile and a wink.

 “No.
I-uh, have a headache,” I said, rubbing at my forehead.

 “I'll
make it better.” He smirked, grabbed my ankles, and pulled me so I was flat on
my back.

 “Hang
on. Goddamn it, Talon. Wait.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him
as he spread my willing legs,
the hussy traitors,
and moved to kneel in
between them. “I just realized I'm still shitty with you.”

 “You'll
get over it.” His hands went to each side at my waist.

 “Talon.
We need to talk,” I breathed as he made his way up my body until he was leaning
over me. His strong arms blocked my head in, with his crotch resting against
mine and my drenched panties. I closed my eyes and prayed for some resistance.
It was so flipping hard! The resistance and
him.

 Yum.

 I
opened my eyes. God, he was gorgeous.

 “You
have a son?”

 He
closed his own eyes and cursed. “Really, you want to do this now, kitten?”

 “Yep,”
I whispered.

 No!
My naughty bits screamed.

 He
thrust his hardness into the right spot. “Oh, hell,” I moaned and wished my clothes
and his would vanish.