Sanctuary (Freaks MC Book 2) (8 page)

“Yeah.” Reaching up, she touched his cheek and searched his face. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

Her hand held tightly in his felt warm, and he had no intention of letting her go as they made their way to the bar. It was his fault she'd had such a crappy first experience of the club, and he was determined it wasn't going to happen again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yaz look over and whisper something in her old man's ear. His grip tightened as the vice President laughed.

With her free hand Emma gently touched his forearm. “It's okay, Deke.”

No it wasn't. It couldn't be further from okay. He gave her hand a squeeze and forced himself to smile. “I know. Wanna beer?”

“Sure.” She grinned and looked down at her clothes. “I guess I should have tried to go for the biker chick look.”

“
No.” Samson looked around the room. All the old ladies wore the same uniform: Jeans, leather jackets and black boots. Some, like Beth, managed to look classy, but others – his eyes fell on that skinny bitch – looked like trash. He ran his hand down the sleeve of the baggy, pale yellow cardigan she wore because she liked how it felt against her skin. “You look perfect.” He lifted her chin with his forefinger and kissed her. “You're perfect.”

“
I love you.” She whispered so low he could hardly hear.

“
I love you, too.”

“
Aw listen to you.”

Samson spun around. “You got something to say, darling?”

“No, just getting me and my man a beer.” Yaz smirked and, grabbing the bottles, sauntered back to where Bugs was waiting.

“
Deke.” Emma's arms snaked under his cut. “It's okay.”

There was no way he could explain why it wasn't. That it wasn't acceptable. She wouldn't understand. Pulling her closer and ignoring the crowds around them, he pressed his lips to her forehead. He was going to have to let that disrespect pass.

“Brother!”

Samson looked up and grinned as Barney slapped him on the shoulder. “Barney.”

“Need to talk to your guy, sweetheart.” Barney smiled at Emma. “Give us a minute.”

He knew how this worked. She should now disappear so they could talk. He tightened his hold on her – he'd promised to stick by her – Emma pushed herself away from him. “It's okay. I'll be with Beth when you need me.”

Barney leaned on the bar and watched as she walked away. “Cute. You gonna share that?”

Samson pulled himself to his full height. “
That
is my woman, brother.”

The SAA shrugged. “Sorry, man. Fox tells me that witness will cooperate.”

“Yeah. Explained to him that withdrawing his statement and disappearing would be profitable and he'd get to keep his remaining nine fingers. Standing up in court would get him dead... Slowly. He got the picture.” Samson drained his beer. “Looks like you got lucky this time.”

“
I owe you, bro.”

“
Yeah, you do.” He looked over to where Emma was sitting with Abi on her knee, deep in conversation with Beth and Tiny. His heart swelled with pride as Tiny threw his head back and laughed at something she said. It was probably at his expense, but he didn't care. His girl had made that stone-faced bastard laugh. His little witch was weaving her magic again.

TEN

Fucking Deke. Emma sat on the stoop and began to roll a cigarette. She was beginning to think he didn't want her to live in Washington. For two days they'd been looking, and every time she found a house she liked he'd start finding fault with it, and he refused to even look at the second house she and Beth had looked at. It was her money – her house – why couldn't he just butt out?

She didn't even look up as he sat down next to her. “You pissed?”

“
Yeah, I'm pissed.” He was sitting too close, and she could feel the heat of his body next to hers. As she tried to shuffle away, he laid his hand on her thigh, preventing her from moving. She scowled. “I don't like being treated like a kid.”

“
Then I suggest you stop acting like one.”

Oh really? He was really going to go there? “How am I acting like a kid, Deke?” She pushed his hand away and stood up. “Why should I compromise over this? I'm doing this for you, for fuck's sake. I don't want to live in the city, okay? I don't care that I can move straight into this house and the yard is big enough. Can you hear that fucking traffic? How am I supposed to paint? So what if the house I love needs some work. This is my home we're talking about here.”

“Our home.”

“
Are you paying for it?” Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit. “Deke...” He stood and started to walk towards his bike. In the background, the agent fluttered around nervously. Emma ignored him. “Deke. I'm sorry.”

“
Me too.” He handed her the helmet. “I can give you a ride back to Tiny's to pick up your stuff, or you can make your own way.”

There was any number of ways she could have responded to that, and throwing her helmet on the ground probably wasn't the smartest. But she hated that passive aggressive bullshit. If he'd yelled, it wouldn't have been so bad, but they didn't play games. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the helmet. “You've probably fucked that now. I'll see you back at Tiny's.”

“You don't have to wait around for me. I'm sure there are plenty of places you'd rather be.” Oh shit. What the fuck was wrong with her mouth?

“
You spoiling for a fight, little girl?” He dismounted and loomed over her. “That what you want? Cuz if you do, just say the word.”

“
I want you to treat me like a fucking adult. I saw how you were in the clubhouse, I saw how you looked at me. You think I can't cut it, don't you? Why don't you just come out and say it? You don't want me here.”

“
Do you think I would drag my sorry ass around all these fucking houses, playing nice with Dancing Boy over there – the agent fidgeted with his clipboard and looked away – if I didn't want you here? Although if you keep on behaving like a spoiled brat, I'll happily put you on the next plane out.”

“
I didn't ask you to come.” Okay, lame argument. Emma took a deep breath. “Why don't you trust me to do this on my own?”

“
Because you wanted to put an offer on a house with no fucking roof! Someone's got to do your thinking for you.”

“
I wanted to put an offer on a house that we would both love.” Emma blinked hard, she was not going to start fucking crying. “I know I'm never going to fit in, but I thought if you had somewhere you wanted to be sometimes, it wouldn't matter.”

He stared at her, then bent and picked up the helmet. “Wanna take a ride?”

~ oOo ~

They rode for hours, out of the city and along the coast road. As his big Harley ate up the miles, Emma felt the tension leaving her body. She tucked her face behind his broad back, enjoying the feeling of his muscles under her hands as he moved with the bike. Maybe they should just ride forever. Just the two of them chasing the sun for the rest of their days.

Eventually, as the winter sun began to dip below the horizon, he pulled over at a small diner and led her inside.

Neither spoke as they waited for their coffees. Emma examined his face as he gazed out of the window. She guessed he wasn't what could be called handsome. His was a face that spoke of a life lived, and to her it was beautiful. He turned and smiled. “Find what you're looking for?”

She shrugged and, reaching up, touched his cheek. “I'm sorry for being such a bitch.”

“
You ain't being a bitch, baby girl.” He grinned. “A brat, maybe.”

They fell silent again as the waitress brought the drinks. Emma knew there was something he wanted to say, but didn't push. He'd done this before – taken a long ride to clear his head before telling her something he thought important – he'd tell her when he was ready. She sipped her coffee and waited for him to speak.

He took a deep breath. “I don't want you going to the clubhouse again. You don't belong there, Emma. It ain't that I think you can't cut it. It's that I don't want you to have to. Shit...” He took her hand. “I don't know how to explain it to you. I didn't realize it until I saw you with the other ol' ladies. It'll change you, baby girl. It'll make you hard, and you're perfect just the way you are.”

“
Beth isn't hard, and Bonnie seemed nice.”

“
No, Beth ain't hard, but she ain't the woman she was when I first met her. She loves Tiny, but loving him has cost her a lot. Maybe if he'd kept her away from the club he'd've saved her a lot of heartache. An' Bonnie... Yeah she's cool, but if you ask her, she'll tell you that life as an ol' lady is tough – real tough.”

“
So where does that leave us? Do you want me here, Deke?”

“
Of course I do.”

“
No. I don't think you do.” She stood and started to walk towards the door. “I'd like to go back now. I have a plane to catch in the morning and I need to pack.”

“
Sit down, Emma. I ain't done talking.”

Something about his tone stopped her dead in her tracks. The smart thing to do would be to turn around and sit down. But right now Emma wasn't feeling smart. “Fuck you,
Samson.
”

“
I said Sit Down.”

“
And I said Fuck You.”

He caught up with her before she reached his bike, and, grabbing her arm, spun her around. “What the fuck is your problem? Why are you so determined to push my buttons, huh?”

“I'm pushing your buttons? Ha! That's a fucking joke. I've no idea what you expect of me. First you say want me in your life, then you say you don't. I'm so far outside my comfort zone right now, my head is spinning. I'm really trying here, Deke.”

“
When did I say I didn't want you in my life?”

“
Back there you said...”

“
I said I want you here. I Want You Here. Is that clear enough?”

“
Doing what, Deke?” All her fears and anxieties had come bubbling to the surface, and now there was no pushing them away. “Sitting twiddling my thumbs waiting for you to show up? I'm not some little doll that you can get out to play with whenever it suits you.”

“
This was your idea, Emma. How have I suddenly become the bad guy?”

“
You aren't.” Suddenly, she needed him to hold her. “I'm just freaking out here. When you're away, I won’t have anyone. I've lived in Idaho for ten years. My friends are there… my job. I don't think it crossed my mind just how much I'm going to miss them.”

“
It ain't too late to change your mind.”

“
Yes, it is. My house is as good as sold. What if I'm making a terrible mistake? I've only been here for three days and already we're fighting. I'm giving up my whole fucking life for you, and I feel like I'm never going to measure up as an old lady. Have you any idea just how much I fucking love you? I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to choose a puppy together. I want to have your babies… I want… Why are you grinning? This isn't funny.”

“
No it isn't.” He pulled her into his arms. “It's absolutely terrifying.”

~ oOo ~

He couldn't sleep again. The woman in his arms had always soothed him, but now it was her who was keeping him awake. With a sigh, he carefully disentangled himself and pulled on his jeans.

“
Deke?”

“
I'm sorry, baby girl. I didn't mean to wake you.” He turned and pushed the curls away from her face. “Go back to sleep. I'm just gonna go down and get a drink.”

“
Stay.” Her fingers touched his bare back. “Please.”

Even in the darkened room, he knew every inch of her body. The smattering of freckles across her beautiful tits, the tiny mole on her collar bone, even the scar from where she'd had her appendix removed. She was so beautiful, and there was nothing about her that he didn't love. He ran his hand down her body and began to bite her neck. He must've fucked hundreds of women, and he would, if asked, struggle to recall any of them. But her – his beautiful girl – he could describe everything... The way she smelled, how she tasted, the shape of the birthmark on her thigh... Every tiny detail. “Fuck, baby girl... Fuck, I love you so much.”

She moaned, and her short nails dug into his skin as her body arched. “Tell me again.”

ELEVEN

“You okay, bro?” Samson leaned back and tried to make himself comfortable on the van's unyielding passenger seat.

Tiny opened his eyes and rested his arms on the steering wheel. “Yeah. Nothing a good night's sleep won’t fix.”

“Kids still sick?”

“
Yeah and Beth. Reckon I'm drowning in crap, puke and snot right now.” He rolled his neck. “Beth ain't exactly thrilled with me right now. Me an' Barney are gonna have words once he decides to show his sorry face again. Now ain't the time to go AWOL.”

Samson nodded. For the last two hours they had been sitting in the cold uncomfortable van watching the empty lot on the other side of the street. They'd had intel that the street gang that had been a thorn in their sides for the last few months was working with the Serpiente and they needed to check it out. The details had been vague, but it looked like their suspicions that this was more than a bunch of opportunist kids were true. Despite hitting them hard, the Freaks seemed to have had no impact, and there were cookhouses springing up all over town, and more businesses under the club's protection were being targeted. “Heads up, brother.” The sound of bikes approaching broke the silence, and the gangbangers climbed out of the car parked on the lot.

Neither man spoke as they watched an exchange take place. The fuckers were doing business right under their noses, and both knew that this could mean an end to the longstanding truce between the rival clubs. Tiny ran his hand over his head. “This is bad, bro. Ain't no way we can let this go.”

Samson said nothing. He knew both Wolf and Vince were keen to avoid a war, and Vince, as President of Bay View – the unspoken mother chapter – had been reluctant to believe that the Serpiente would break the terms of the treaty. Now though, the evidence was indisputable, and war seemed inevitable. Things were going to get bloody. His girl was coming to live in a war zone.

As the cars and bikes pulled away, Tiny started the engine and gave his companion a rueful grin. “I know that face, brother. We'll keep our families safe. Your girl too.”

~ oOo ~

If she didn't find a house soon, she was going to end up living in her car. Emma closed the laptop with a sigh and watched as Blue struggled to his feet and made his way slowly to his food bowl. He sniffed it, then lay back down, exhausted. Crossing the kitchen, she bent over stroked his now bony back. “S'okay, boy. By tonight it will all be over.” She pushed aside the feeling of guilt. Not for ending the old hound's suffering... He'd had enough, and she knew she was doing the right thing. But she had promised Deke she'd let him know when the time came. Now, though, she couldn't bring herself to do it; she knew something was worrying him and Blue was her responsibility. She had meant what she said when she'd told him she didn't need him holding her hand.

The veterinary office was in an old farmhouse on the outskirts of Boise. Blue had always been one of those dogs that enjoyed visiting the vet. Emma wondered if it was because he'd been neglected for the first few years of his life that he'd put up with any indignities or discomfort if it was accompanied by a fuss and a treat. Even now, as he limped behind her for the last time, his tail was wagging. The vet lifted him onto the table and ran her hand over his head. “You ready for this?”

Emma nodded and blinked away her tears. “Yeah.” She bent and kissed the dog on the nose. “Night boy. Dream of bunnies.” Blue closed his eyes for the last time, and as his chest fell still, she really wanted to feel that big hand wrapped around hers.

~ oOo ~

“Emma?” Deke let himself in and made his way past the boxes up to her attic studio. “You up here?” He rarely went up there; not only did he spend most of the time cracking his skull on the low beams, but he always felt as though he was invading her space.

He looked around the empty room. Unlike the rest of the house, everything, including the floor, was painted white. The only color came from the canvases leaning on the wall and the pots of paint on the small table next to the easel.

He hadn't understood her paintings at first. They had just looked like random splashes of color thrown on the canvases. She'd laughed as he'd tried to think of something polite to say when she'd told him they had been inspired by her walks through the forest or drives through the desert. Then one day as they'd walked the dog through the trees, the sunlight had filtered through the leaves, and he'd finally got it.

Feeling like an interloper, he headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. Wherever she was, she couldn't have gone far – her car was parked outside and there was a full pot of coffee on the counter. He guessed she'd gone for a walk. Pouring himself a cup, he sat down at the table to wait.

“
Hey.” Emma walked through the back door and took off her coat. “I wasn't expecting you till the end of the week.”

“
Hey.” He frowned. Blue wasn't with her; normally he followed her everywhere like a fucking shadow. “Where's the dog?”

She looked down. “I'm sorry, Deke.”

His gut twisted. “Fuck.” He took a deep breath and swallowed. “Why didn't you tell me? You shoulda told me, Emma.”

“
I didn't want you to worry.”

She reached out to touch him, but he brushed her hand away. “I told you to tell me. When I tell you to do something I expect you to do it.” He pushed past her and stalked outside, not giving her the chance to answer.

Sinking onto the old bench, he took a deep breath in an attempt to push down the emotions swirling around inside him. What the fuck was wrong with him? It was just a fucking dog. He roughly wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand as she sat next to him and wordlessly passed him a joint. “You must think I'm a fucking pussy.” He sniffed. “Sorry I yelled.”

She slipped her hand into his and leaned against him. “I don't think you're a pussy. I love that you care so much.” She smiled. “Not quite so keen on you laying down the law, of course.”

“When did...”

“
Last month. I would have told you, but I could tell how stressed you were.”

He nodded. She was right. Things were rapidly turning to shit in Seattle as the Serpiente tried to extend their territory northwards. All attempts to talk terms had failed, and now the shipments out east were being targeted. He had never discussed it with her, but she wasn't stupid. She knew how distracted he'd been when she called. “Things ain't great right now. I shouldn't really have come, but we need to get the girls moved and this might be the only chance.”

Emma still hadn't found a house, so while she rented a small apartment in town, the chickens would be staying at Tiny's. Deke had borrowed a van to transport them and some of her stuff. The rest would go into storage until she found somewhere more permanent. It was far from ideal, but she had to be out by the end of the month, so her options were limited. She took the joint from him and sighed. “I'm going to miss this place.”

“
Me too, baby girl.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “We'll find somewhere that you'll love just as much, I promise.”

~ oOo ~

“How about you put that fucking phone away and give me a hand here.” Deke made another attempt to tackle the chicken.

“
Nope, this is going on YouTube.” Emma grinned as, yet again, the chicken managed to escape his grasp. “You're going to be an internet star.”

She felt a little guilty as she watched him chase the hen around the yard – not enough to stop videoing him, of course – she really should've helped him, but he was the one who had let her escape from the run. And it wasn't often you got to see six-foot-four of biker defeated by a pissed-off chicken.

“This isn't funny, Emma.”

“
It is from where I'm standing. I did warn you that she'd get out if you didn't shut the door properly. Fiona is the Houdini of the poultry world.”

“
Fiona is going to be nuggets if she doesn't stand fucking still. And put that fucking phone away.”

Finally taking pity on him, she grabbed a handful of seed and crouched down with her hand out. “Come to momma, baby.” The chicken trotted over and quietly began to eat from her outstretched hand. Once she'd finished, Emma gently picked her up, carried her to the box and put her inside.

“I fucking hate you sometimes. Now give me that phone.” Deke made a grab for it, but she was too quick for him.

“
Oh no. I have perfect blackmail material here. If you don't do my bidding I'll play this to all your brothers.” Tucking the cell into the back pocket of her jeans, she reached up and kissed him. “Now help me load them into the van.”

Chickens loaded, he closed the van doors and, grabbing her hand, pulled her close. “I'm sorry I won't be able to help with the rest of the move.”

“I told you, it's okay. I've got someone to pick up my stuff next Thursday, and I'll be with you on Saturday.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I can manage. Just take care of the girls. Don't let them go too long without checking on them. I've put a slice of watermelon in their boxes, so they'll be good for a while. But they could use a drink after a couple of hours.”

“
I got this, Emma. Check on them. Don't let them get too hot or cold. Give them a drink and something to eat.”

“
Sorry. I know you'll take good care of them.” She pressed herself closer, reluctant to let him go. “Take care of yourself as well. Call me when you get to Seattle. I love you, big man.”

“
I love you too, baby girl.”