Viper (3 page)

He tossed the towel onto the bar and cradled her face in his hands, running a finger over the bruise she was sure had formed on her cheek. Viper ran his hands over the rest of her, as if he were checking for broken bones.

“Viper, I’m fine. He slapped me around a bit, but I kept away from him most of the time.”

“He didn’t rape you?”

“He was going to. When he demanded I take off my clothes, I refused. That’s when he knocked me to the floor, but I managed to get his knife out of his belt and defended myself. I’m really glad you came though. I don’t know that I could have held him off for long.”

Viper looked over at Switch. “Do whatever you want with the rest of the Red Devils. If you want to wipe them out completely, I have no problem with that and I doubt the Pres will either. I’m taking Scarlet home.”

Switch tipped his head toward the door. “Ask him yourself.”

Scarlet peered around Viper and saw Preacher walking through the door. As President of the Loup Garous, he was considered something of a bad ass, and if half of what she’d heard about him was true, he’d earned the title. But he’d always been nice to her, treating her gently. She knew the M.C. worried about her mental well-being after all she’d suffered at the hands of the Red Devils, but sometimes it was humorous that such big, imposing men could tiptoe around one little woman.

Preacher strolled up to them and slapped Viper on the back. “I see you got your girl back.”

“I was about to take her home, but I’d like to give her the good news that she never has to see another Red Devil in our territory again.”

“Our territory?” Preacher chuckled. “I think Gabriel Andrews might have something to say about that, but I know what you mean. I think we can make an example of the Red Devils so we don’t have to worry about another M.C. trying to move into the area. Get the message across that we don’t take any shit, especially from those who would abuse women.”

“How are you going to make an example of them without the pack getting involved? You know they only tolerate our presence in Ashton Grove. And with magick wielders in their pack, it wouldn’t exactly be a fair fight if we were to battle it out for the right to live here.” Viper pulled Scarlet closer. “I want to know that Scarlet is safe and has a place to live, that she can be in my home without worrying about someone abducting her. Think the pack will understand?”

“Why don’t you take Scarlet home and plan to meet with Gabriel in the morning? Explain the situation. Take Scarlet with you so he can see the Red Devils’ handiwork on her face. Might make him more sympathetic to our cause.”

Viper nodded. “I’ll see to it first thing.”

“Just don’t upset his mate. She’s expecting and the wolf is going to be overly protective of her. We want Autumn to be on our side, so that her mate will be on our side.” Preacher slapped Viper on the back again. “Get going. Report in after you speak to the alpha tomorrow. I need to know how much shit we’re going to catch over this.”

Viper wrapped an arm around Scarlet’s waist and led her outside to his waiting motorcycle. He cursed and stared at the bike a moment.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“No helmet. We’ll have to go slow.”

She smiled a little and had to admit that it warmed her from the inside out to know that he cared enough to want her safe, even while riding his steel horse. Scarlet waited for him to swing his leg over the machine, then she settled on the seat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

For the first time since being won by Viper, she was glad to be with him. If he hadn’t come to her rescue, it was likely Slash would have ended up killing her, after torturing her for a while. She owed him her life, and by coming to her defense, he’d won her loyalty as well. She wouldn’t run, even if the opportunity presented itself. From now on, she’d wait and see what would happen with her handsome rescuer.

Chapter Three

Viper glared at the sky through his sunglasses and cursed the bright light. After getting Scarlet home, showered, and into bed, he’d stayed up pacing through the house. He’d checked on her countless times, had comforted her when she’d cried out in her sleep, but he’d never fallen into bed. Even though the Red Devils had been taken care of, his wolf hadn’t been convinced their woman was safe. And as much as he hated to admit the beast was right, after the way he’d gone after Slash, he had to admit that Scarlet meant something to him. He wasn’t ready to admit she was his mate though, that was going a bit too far, but she was definitely important to him.

Scarlet stood by his side and rang the bell for the second time. He gave her a smile, hoping to set her at ease. She’d been tense ever since they’d left the house. When the door opened and the rather imposing Gabriel Andrews glared out at them, Scarlet inched behind Viper. He supposed he couldn’t blame her; the alpha looked rather fearsome with his scowling countenance and scarred body.

“What do you want?” Gabriel asked, a growl in his voice.

“Preacher asked me to stop by and talk with you this morning. It’s about something that went down last night.”

“You mean the barbeque that was on the news this morning?” he asked.

Viper wasn’t sure what the hell his M.C. had done to the Red Devils, but a barbeque didn’t sound out of the realm of possibility. He shrugged, not having an answer for him.

Gabriel looked from him to Scarlet, who was still cowering behind him, then he pushed the door open. “You might as well come in and have this chat inside. Your old lady can have some coffee with my mate.”

“She’s not my old lady,” Viper said.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “If you’ve brought one of those sluts here—“

Viper held up a hand. “She’s not one of the party girls. Scarlet is…different. By the laws we follow, I own her, but she’s not my mate or my old lady. She’s just…Scarlet.”

Gabriel leaned to the side, probably to get a better look at Scarlet, and the dark look that entered his eyes told Viper everything he needed to know about the alpha.

“Do you make it a habit of beating the women in your care?” Gabriel asked.

“The Red Devils did that to her. They were going to torture, rape, and possibly kill her. We did what we had to do.”

Gabriel nodded, then stepped back, allowing them entry into the house.

Autumn, the alpha’s pregnant mate came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She gave Scarlet a warm smile and came forward to loop her arm around the smaller woman. Scarlet gave him a pleading look as she was dragged into the kitchen, but Viper just gave her a smile and then followed the alpha into the living room.

Gabriel motioned for him to have a seat and he claimed a spot on the sofa.

“I guess I should thank you for taking out the trash,” Gabriel said. “I know your brothers and you aren’t exactly law abiding citizens, but the fact you stepped forward to protect that woman tells me a lot about you. Are you sure you want to stay in the M.C.? You could always join the pack. Scarlet would be welcome as well.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

“Your woman looks a little worn down. I would imagine it was a difficult night for her.”

“She’s tough and will pull through.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you rather give her up and allow her to have a normal life, than hang onto her and maybe have to go through the same thing all over again? How safe can she really be as long as she’s with you?”

Viper’s wolf brushed along his skin and peered out through his eyes. The beast didn’t like the idea of someone taking Scarlet away. If the alpha thought he was going to add her to his pack, he was sorely mistaken. Scarlet was Viper’s and she was going to stay Viper’s. At least, until he could figure out what to do with her.

“Or maybe there’s more going on than I know?” Gabriel asked. “Why haven’t you claimed her yet?”

“She’s not my mate.”

Gabriel smirked. “And how long have you been telling yourself that lie? Don’t get me wrong, even I wasn’t willing to admit Autumn was my mate when I first met her, but sometimes the beast inside knows more than the man does. You would be wise to listen to your wolf.”

“I don’t know that I’m ready to be a one-woman man.”

“I didn’t realize there was such a thing in the M.C.”

Viper had to admit the alpha had a point, but the thought of cheating on Scarlet had his wolf ready to come out. Even now, just thinking of that party girl’s lips wrapped around his cock last night was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. Was he already doomed?

“I’ve seen that look before,” Gabriel said. “You aren’t far off from admitting she’s yours in all ways, and doing whatever it takes to make sure she stays with you. So the question becomes, will you continue to treat her as a piece of property, or will you treat her like a mate?”

“What’s the difference? In my world, a mate is still property. They’re even branded with a tattoo. In Scarlet’s case, it would be the Loup Garous emblem and say
Property of Viper
.”

Gabriel looked disgusted. “And you really want that for her? For you?”

“I have a record. While I have some skill working on bikes, I’m not exactly marketable to a company looking to hire someone. What would you have me do?”

“Whatever it took to keep her safe and give her the life she deserves.”

Gabriel’s offer was intriguing, but life in the M.C. was all Viper knew. Hell, he hadn’t gone by his legal name since he was seventeen and had joined his brothers. He’d been a prospect for two years before they’d voted him in at the age of nineteen, and he hadn’t looked back since. At thirty-two, he was a little old to be restructuring his life and trying to walk the straight and narrow. Wasn’t he?

“I’ll tell you what. You say you’re good at working on bikes?” Gabriel asked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty much all I know.” Well, except for how to steal cars and rob banks, but he didn’t think the alpha would be impressed with either of those skills.

“I own the garage across the street with my brother. As you can see, we’ve recently added a few new bays. We’ve talked about making one of those for motorcycle repairs, since the closest shop is one town over. Would you consider working for us, at least part-time, to repair any bikes that come in?”

“You mean take a legit job where I pay taxes and everything?”

Gabriel smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I mean. I haven’t seen what kind of skills you have, or how well you play with others, so I’d start you out at eleven an hour. After six months, we’ll talk about a raise.”

It wasn’t a bad deal. “How many hours?”

Gabriel shrugged. “As many as it takes to get the work done. I imagine business will be slow starting out, but we’ll place some ads in the newspapers throughout the county and see if we can drum up some business. I’ll ask you to not wear your colors when you’re on the clock. Chances are, you’ll get jobs from rival M.C.s and I can’t afford to lose their business because I have a Loup Garous working for me.”

Viper hadn’t been without his colors, except for when he slept, in thirteen years, but if it meant he’d have some pocket change without doing anything illegal, it might be worth it. And it sounded like there was potential for this to turn into something full-time with better pay. Hell, he was really thinking about it. Becoming legal. If he did that, chances were he’d eventually have to leave the M.C.

“You know if I do this, there’s a chance my brothers will turn their backs on me. If I quit breaking the law, I won’t be able to have their backs all the time.” Viper’s lips twisted. “They’re my family, all I’ve got. I’m not sure this is worth losing that.”

Gabriel studied him a moment. “Would gaining a mate be worth it? Being able to raise your children without the threat of violence every day? Would that be worth giving up the M.C. and your brothers?”

It was something to think about and not a decision he had to make today. “I’ll accept the part-time job and see where things go.”

“You can start tomorrow. Be there at eight and be prepared to work. My bike needs a tune-up and an oil change, so you can start with that. I’ll see how you do and then let you loose on the other two bikes that need to be serviced.”

Viper rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. “Sounds good. I should probably get Scarlet and head home.”

“Bring her with you tomorrow. She can hang out with Autumn while you work. You should be finished around lunch and you can take her home with you.” Gabriel smiled. “Assuming you can find her. I think Autumn has a shopping trip planned tomorrow.”

Shopping? It reminded him that Scarlet had very little, just three changes of clothes and some pajamas. He should probably give her some cash and let her buy a few new things. Women liked that sort of thing, didn’t they?

Viper stood when Gabriel rose to his feet. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he told the alpha.

Gabriel slapped him on the back and walked with him to the kitchen, where the women were enjoying a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies. Scarlet smiled when she saw him. She looked happier and more relaxed than he’d ever seen her, and it made him realize that if he did claim her, if he did take her as his mate, he would have to make some changes to his life. She deserved this, and while she would have the support of the old ladies with the M.C., it wouldn’t be the same as hanging out with the alpha’s wife.

“Is it time to go?” Scarlet asked.

“Yeah, but I’m going to bring you back in the morning. It turns out I have a new job across the street and the alpha thought you might like to hang out here with his mate while I’m working.”

Scarlet squealed and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. It was completely out of character for her and the shock of it made him stumble back a step. He’d never seen her express such happiness before. She’d smiled, of course, but they were always small smiles, reserved ones as if she knew she should be happy about something but didn’t really feel it.

“I take it you like Autumn,” Viper said, wrapping an arm around her.

“She’s great! I haven’t had a friend since… Well, since before the Red Devils. The old ladies don’t talk to me and I don’t really care to know the party girls. There isn’t a chance of me making friends in the M.C.” Scarlet smiled up at him. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”