Strength & Courage (The Night Horde SoCal Book 1) (33 page)

As the bikes neared, with Bibi in the lead, the old ladies went out and waited on the sidewalk while the Horde backed their bikes in at the curb. There was a sense of ritual to all this that Sid hadn’t seen before, almost as if they were military wives welcoming their men back from war, and it strengthened her sense that whatever job they’d been on, there had been real danger.

When J.R. and Jesse opened the side of the van and helped Nolan carry Double A out, she knew it was true, and her stomach flipped and flopped.

“His room’s set up. Take him on back.” Hoosier nodded at his wife’s words and kissed her cheek. “Love you, Cheeks,” Sid heard him murmur in Bibi’s ear.

“Love you better.”

Hoosier winked at that and followed his men in.

Sid felt a hand at her back and jumped a little.

“Just me, hon.”

She turned and threw her arms around Muse’s neck. “I was supposed to be scared! I didn’t know I was supposed to be scared! Why didn’t you tell me?” She was mad and scared now, all at once, retroactively, and she held on tight, her heart racing. It was Bibi and Hoosier more than Double A that had gotten to her. Muse could have died today, and she’d had no idea.

He wrapped his arms around her and stood straight, lifting her up off the ground. “Nah. No need to be scared. All’s well. A’s gonna be okay.”

“But people were shooting at you. That’s what happened, right?”

“Shhh. That’s enough. C’mon. I need a drink.”

Sid’s heart was pounding painfully. All day, she’d been immersed in the Horde family, out in the community, talking to people, selling cookies, talking about holiday plans, laughing and making jokes at the men’s expense. It had been a good day. Even her encounter with Dina had turned out well; she might end up employed, after all.

And all that time, Muse and the other men had been fighting for their lives in some way. The women
had
been lined up to welcome their men back from war. Jesus.

He’d said they might be going outlaw again. He’d told her. But it hadn’t completely sunk in until right now, standing on the sidewalk outside the clubhouse, the Madrone city Christmas decorations twinkling over the street behind them. Did she love him enough to live a life like that? Really? Could she send him off on a run, knowing that he might not come home? Knowing that he might be off killing people? Not knowing at all what it was he was actually doing?

He might have killed today. There was a new red streak through the ‘Horde’ patch on the front of his kutte. That was probably blood, apparently not his. Jesus.

Did she love him that much? To be okay with
that
? Was she strong enough to live a life like this? Was she brave enough?

But these men and women she now knew, this family she’d become a part of—that was a life she wanted. No question. She was falling in love with them all.

Secure in his arms, she leaned back and looked at his rugged, handsome face. He smiled, just a little, that one-sided smirk that came off as wise. He was beautiful, and his blue eyes held such deep love for her that she sighed.

“I’m okay, hon. You okay?”

Did she love him enough?

Absolutely.

“I need you.”

He cocked his head, his smile fading as he grasped her meaning. They hadn’t had sex since Green. Almost three weeks. Until this moment, she would have said she wasn’t yet ready. But now she was. Now, all she could think about was being alone and bare with this man. Reclaiming him from whatever hell he’d gone to today. Reclaiming herself from her own hell.

“You sure? Sid, I told you…I can wait.”

Absolutely, she loved him enough. She nodded. “I’m ready. I need it, to be with you now.”

He kissed her, sweetly, lingering. “I need it, too. We’re meeting in the Keep, though. I’ll let you in my room. Will you wait for me?”

“Absolutely.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Muse opened his door and found Sid lying in his bed. The covers were pulled up over her chest, showing her bare shoulders and arms. Her new ink, her only ink, was dark against her golden skin. His name in script across the outside of her left bicep, the letters becoming a vine of ivy and looping around her whole arm—he loved to see it.

He smiled. Now that was a sight to take the edge off a hard day: his gorgeous, exotic woman, marked as his and naked in his bed. The sounds of the clubhouse around them enhanced his feeling of home and contentment—conversation, the clatter of dishes, somebody turning on the sound system, laughter gaining steam as the men began to fully acclimate to the idea that they’d come through that fight almost entirely whole and stronger than they’d been for years.

Double A was recovering in a room a couple of doors down. J.R. had taken the slug, which had only hit meat, and A would be up and around in a week or so. In the meantime, Hoosier had sent Maria and Coco, two choice girls, back with a bottle of Jameson to take his mind off his wounds. Even he was going to have a pretty good night.

They’d left Estevez’ head in the Castillo transport truck. The rest of the bodies they’d buried in the forest. Then they’d left the Rat bikes and the Castillo truck at a waypoint on the Castillo route and delivered the heroin to La Zorra.

She’d actually been there at the meet. Muse was still astounded at the idea of a woman heading up an organization like the Águilas cartel. When she’d stepped out of an SUV, his shock hadn’t lessened. She was petite, maybe five-three, and beautiful. When she’d come up to Hoosier, she’d shaken his hand and smiled, and she’d seemed spectacularly out of place standing in front of a ramshackle hut on a dry desert floor. But when she’d turned to her men to order them to empty the Horde van, her aspect had changed completely. She was not someone with whom to fuck.

Hoosier was impressed with her and confident in their alliance. He saw her as strong and stable, and he saw her motivations as predictable and pure. Bart and Connor agreed. Muse had faith in his President, and with the leadership united, he wasn’t concerned that they’d end up in the same insane snarl that had trapped them with the Perros. That alliance had been foisted on them by Sam Carpenter, mother charter President of their former club. It had never been true club alliance, and the Los Angeles charter had just been the beasts on which the burden of other men’s greed had been laid. This alliance was their own. The terms were their own. The choice of ally was their own.

Leaving Estevez’ head and killing the entire run crew—that was a major offensive in a new war. The bet the Horde were making was that this war would be brief, that Dora Vega had the juice to end the Castillos quickly, now that she’d announced herself to them.

As for the Dirty Rats—yeah, they would come after the Horde. But Muse barely gave them a thought. They’d be easy to break. A club like that was no brotherhood, and that meant they were weak. Strength came in the bond. And courage followed the strength.

Muse felt a surge of power and satisfaction, of
rightness
, that he hadn’t felt in years. His cock swelled and ached in his jeans.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me? Because now you’re grinning like the big bad wolf, and it’s turning me on and freaking me out at the same time. What’s up?”

Sid’s words pulled Muse back to the moment, to the sight of her in his bed. She was precious to him. His life had become more dangerous, but he felt more capable now of keeping her safe than he had even this morning. She was protected by his family, and she would be protected by their reputation.

And she could take care of herself, too. She was stronger than she looked, inside and out.

He thought of Carrie, and felt a pang. They were a lot alike, his sister and his old lady—tough little birds in fragile bodies. They’d have gotten along great. He’d let Carrie down, and now she was gone. But she hadn’t had the full bond of family around her, and that had been where Muse had fallen short. He’d been Nomad, away, and had left her to be undone by their father. Sid would always be snug in the heart of the Horde. He would be here, and she would be safe.

She sat up, and the covers fell away from her chest and her beautiful, small breasts. He could still see the fading marks from Green’s mauling hands, and his fists twitched at the sight.

“Okay. What the fuck is up? Come here already.”

He hung his kutte on the hook on the back of the door, pulled off his hoodie and beater, and stepped to the bed. As he sat down, he said, “Sorry, hon. Just thinking.” He put his hand gently on the breast that had been hurt, arcing his thumb over a remaining bruise, and she gasped quietly. “Are you sure about this, Sid? You’re still bruised.”

She put her hand on his. “It doesn’t matter. I’m ready. I feel like I need to be as close to you as I can get. I want to feel you inside me. I want to feel your body on me. I need it. After today, I really do.”

Her words made him even harder, but also gave him pause. He lifted his eyes to hers. She was smiling at him, looking sincere and intent. “You still love me enough?” he asked.

Her arms went over his shoulders, and her hands gripped his head. “I love you enough for anything. I’m better with you. I’m stronger. No matter what.” She leaned in and brushed her fingers over his new ink. “You’re mine. Now get naked. I want to fuck your brains out.”

What could he say to that but yes?

THE END

~oOo~

COMING SOON:

Shadow & Soul
: The Night Horde SoCal, Book Two

Demon’s soul is as scarred as his body. He’s known little of love or peace or home in his life. Faith was, briefly, all of those things for him. But their love was forbidden, and when he lost her, he lost everything.

And then, years later, Faith comes home.

TEASER AND MORE INFORMATION AT THE FREAK CIRCLE PRESS BLOG:

www.tfcpress.wordpress.com