Tommy Rich: Defendes MC Series Book 7 (Defenders MC Series) (8 page)

It was the second time Ink had made a similar comment about the quality of the women in the club.  She could almost feel his sadness and wanted to sooth him.

“There are some fine women in there Ink.”  She nodded to the clubhouse.  “Finer than many I see who pretend to be.  You’re worried about Cat and how she will grow up, but there’s nothing wrong with the women she has here.  Any of them would kill to protect her.  Maybe that’s not normal, but it matters and it has a purity to it that is absent from the world.  They are strong.”

“I don’t want her thinking this is the only way.  I don’t want her treated like this, shit.”  He stood and paced away from her.  “I want a fairy tale for her.  I don’t want her to think the only thing she is good for is satisfying her man.  Shit makes me sick.  Look at the way you were treated in there.  Tommy grabbed you without even looking at your face.  Why?  Because one woman is as good as any other.  I hate that shit.  And what’s worse?  These women don’t care.  They think that’s all they’re good for so they just go with it.  My baby will have a man that worships her the way I do Angel and she will know that there is no other woman that will do and it has nothing to do with how many fucking times she opens her legs for him.”

Mina felt pain slice through her gut.  “Is that how it is with Angel?”

“I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this shit, but who the fuck else do I have?  I sure as hell can’t talk to any of the brothers.”

“I won’t judge you Jonah.  This is what family is for.”

“I want more kids Mina.  I want a couple more kids, but Angel is so fucking terrified that if I can’t fuck her that I’ll go somewhere else.  If she gets fat with my kid in her belly that I’ll want some shank.  That’s what this life does to a woman.  She can’t imagine that she is enough for me.  She thinks if we don’t fuck ten times a day that I’m getting it at the shop or somewhere else.  She trusts me about everything, but that.  I can go on the road and I know she doesn’t suspect a thing, but if I’m too tired to fuck her when I get home or if I don’t slam her against the wall hard enough she can’t get it out of her head that I’ve gotten off somewhere else.  It’s driving me crazy.  I can’t stand for her to make a whore out of herself like that.  I love her as a person.  I would love her if we could never have sex again.”  He sat on the bench and rested his elbows on his knees as he plowed his fingers through his hair again.  “I want more from my wife than a fuck buddy.  I want my best friend back.  I want that girl who sauntered into my shop and sat down in my chair and declared that she was going to marry me.  That was it for me.  She had all this confidence and all this life.  I was young and yeah I wanted to fuck her but I just wanted to be close to her.  I just wanted to know she was mine because she could walk away and find anybody else, but she chose me.  Now I can’t convince her that she still means everything to me.  I want a family with her.  I need it so I know that no matter what happens to me that Caterina won’t be alone in this world the way we would have been.  I know she has the club, but there’s something different about family.  I want that for her, for me too and Angel.  She has her sister and Shad, but they aren’t all that close, they don’t know how to be.  Angel is always trying to be so tough so Preach will be proud of her.  Lizzie just wants to escape really so she can live.  Then Shad, well he gets it too.  Family makes it all worth it.”

“How long has it been this way?”

“It started when she started showing with Caterina.  It got worse right after birth when the doctor said no sex.”  He shook his head.  “Anytime I mention another baby she gets this look like she’s just seen a ghost and I just let it go.  I just wish she had more faith in me.”

Mina knew there was little he really could do.  Angel didn’t seem like the insecure type, but you never know someone until you live with them.  She didn’t know what to say so she just leaned on Ink’s shoulder.  “She loves you.  She’s terrified of losing you and I guess maybe you’re right.  She only sees one way to keep you.  I don’t know what to say to help, but she does love you.  That has to count for something.”

“Yeah, I know she does and the sex is amazing,” he looked at her and bumped her, “they would take my man card if I didn’t admit that.  I just can’t stand the thought of her feeling like a piece of meat when I don’t need that shit.  I’m a man so yeah I want sex, but just her.  It’s always been just her.  I’m happy just to hold her.  I want her to really want me, not feel like she has to perform this duty to keep me.”

Mina knew Ink wasn’t a puritan and he had been wild in his youth, but she understood what he meant.  She had felt that way too, she still did.  Tommy was her one.  He hated her though, even if he had fucked her senseless, he hated her.

“Fuck.  I came out here to talk about you and I’ve unloaded on you like some damned teenaged girl.”  He shook his head.  “If I couldn’t feel it I’d swear my dick was gone.”

“Do you feel better?”

He let out a huffed laugh.  “Yeah.  You’re pretty good at this listening shit, maybe you should have been a shrink.”

“Then I’m glad you talked to me.  Nothing will change the way Tommy feels about me so no reason to talk about it anymore.  One of us should be happy.”  She leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “I’m going to drive on back to Candy’s.  Will you tell her for me?  I really don’t want to go back inside and she was having fun.”

Ink nodded looked back out at the night.

Mina walked toward the front of the clubhouse and almost fainted when she saw Angel standing by the corner, hidden in the shadows.  Her face was awash with tears and she pulled Mina in for a bone-crushing hug. 

“I’m sorry I eavesdropped, but I had no idea…  I don’t know why I started acting that way.  Oh my God I love that man.  If he wants babies, I’ll give him a whole herd of babies.”  Angel sobbed.

“He loves you so much.”

Angel nodded and walked toward Ink.

“Ready to go Angel cakes?  God Angel what’s wrong?  Baby look at me, are you okay?”

Mina heard Ink say before Angel buried her face in his chest.  Mina didn’t hear anything else that was said, but she hoped they would work things out.  They loved each other and just wanted the other to be unhappy.  If a couple like that couldn’t work things out then everyone else was doomed.

She pulled her key out of the little pocket that had been sewn into the lining of her cape and unlocked her car door.  She climbed behind the wheel and started the car after buckling her seatbelt.  She was just out of sight when a dark figure rose up from the back seat and she screamed as the interior light illuminated Tommy’s face.

Ten

Tommy had only meant to relax in Willa’s car for a few minutes, but damned if he didn’t fall asleep.  He’d gotten a call from Hannah.  Things were going as planned, but something in the way she tried to change her voice to sound like Willa had freaked him out.  He wanted to make sure Willa got back to Spec’s house alright.  He had been working too hard and the quiet of the car along with the inky darkness had knocked him right out.  By the time he’d awakened she was in the front seat and driving away from the clubhouse.

He had listened to her talking to Ink until the pain had been too much to bear.  Then he had jimmied the lock on her little car.  He hadn’t known for sure that it was hers until he’d opened the door and smelled her.  She had always smelled like vanilla and something that was just all her.  He had curled up in her damned car and drifted off like a kid in his mother’s arms.  Now what the fuck was he going to do?

A plan started forming in his mind.  Maybe this would turn out alright after all.  He had her and there was no one around to stop him.

He rose up slowly and leaned over her seat letting his hand caress her throat.  “Hello Willa.”

She screamed and he held her throat firmly.

“Calm the fuck down and do as you’re told.”

“Please.  Please don’t hurt me.”  She begged.

That just pissed him off.  He wanted her scared enough to do as she was told, but didn’t she fucking realize that he had taken a bullet for her?  Sure he had convinced himself that it was so he could kill her himself, but she should know he could never really hurt her.  Why couldn’t she just fucking know that?  He hadn’t hurt her the last time, had he?  He felt bile rise in his throat at the thought.

“Drive Willa.  I’ll tell you where to go.  Don’t you dare do anything stupid.  I want to talk to you and I want shit cleared up so don’t be getting any fucking ideas about wrecking the goddamned car.  I swear if you do something to hurt us I will ring your neck.”

She was nodding, but her eyes were darting everywhere.  There was no place for her to go though so he let her have her terror.  A good scare never hurt anybody.  She loved those damned slasher movies.  This could be a real life little scare to tell their grand kids about someday.

He made her drive deep into the property, out where no one would think to look for them.

“Pull off the road and turn the car off Willa.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“No.”  He had always called her Willa because he liked it better than Mina and since her name was Willamina it was just as correct.  It had always been his though and he had always loved that.  He had never told her why he had started calling her that and he doubted he ever would, but she was his Willa, his safety.

He saw a little spark flare in her eyes when he said no.  She had always hated that word.

“Get out of the car.”

“No.”

Tommy had to fight hard not to laugh.  “Either get out or I’m going to pull you over the seat and back here with me.”

She frowned.  “I think I would rather get out.  If those are my only options.  I don’t have a shovel and lime in my trunk so you aren’t prepared to murder me out here.”

“I could always go back for them after.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“You didn’t complain the last time I had you under me.”

She just glared at him.

He decided to let it go for now.  “You run and I will catch you Willa.  I will have my time with you tonight so you may as well accept it.”

Mina knew that Candy would be looking for her before too long.  She could run from him too.  Her cape was black and it would be hard for him to see her in the dark.  She didn’t think he meant to kill her, but she was planning on being safe about it.  This man wasn’t the gentle boy she remembered from her past.  He was hard and unforgiving.

“I will listen to what you have to say, but don’t you dare touch me.”  She wouldn’t be able to push him away if he touched her again.  His kiss had set her ablaze even if it shouldn’t have.  His touch had been punishing, but it had awakened something primal within her that she desperately wanted to put back to sleep.

Tommy clasped his hands behind his back as he climbed from the car.

“I heard one of the brothers call you rhino while you were in the hospital.”  She smiled.  “Did that stick?”

“Like fucking glue.  I hate that name.  Your fault by the way.”

Mina felt her eyes widen.  “Mine?  How do you figure that?”  She leaned her butt against the side of her car and watched him.

“I had to rush Pick.  He was a crazy motherfucker.  He would have killed you just to see what color your brains were.  I could see it in his face.  Couldn’t let him.”

Mina shivered as she remembered that night.  The man, Toothpick, had held a gun to her head to try and convince Candy to leave with him.  Tommy had charged the man and took a bullet to the chest for his trouble.  Candy had ended up shooting the ex-con and killing him to protect Spec and taking a bullet to the side for her trouble.  Mina had been afraid Tommy would die and she had refused to leave him until he’d awakened and ordered her to leave.

“Stop it.”

“What?”  Mina looked up and found Tommy standing way too close.

“Stop thinking about it.”

“You brought it up.”  She shrugged.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was that night?”

Mina shook her head.  His voice was as smooth as silk as he looked at her with his dark chocolate eyes as he ran the backs of his fingers down her face. 

“Terrified.  I had to save you.”

He was too close.  Mina could smell him.  He smelled of leather and beer and of man.  Her heart raced as he lowered his head.

“Why?”  She whispered and her lips touched hers as they formed the word.

“So I could kill you myself.”  He hadn’t meant to say it, but he couldn’t think well enough to lie to her.  His lips touched hers just as her knee met his balls.  He crumpled to the ground as pain exploded, everywhere and he watched her run, the wrong way down the road.  Fuck.  He would spank that ass for this shit.  He wheezed as he pulled himself into her car and cranked it.  He drove slowly down the road until he saw her footprints disappear from the dusty road.  He got out of the car and walked to the edge of the woods.

“Willa, I’m going to beat your pretty little ass for this shit.  I will find you goddamn it.”

The answer that came back to him made his blood run cold.

“Not if I find her first.”

He saw a woman standing in the moonlight.  She held a knife that almost glowed blue in the light and she was dress almost just like Willa.

“Hannah.”

Tommy couldn’t move as he watched the woman disappear into the woods.  Then he couldn’t think.  He screamed.

“Willa run!  Don’t stop for anybody you don’t know and fucking fight if anybody touches you!  God, baby just fucking run!”

He ran into the woods and pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Shad.  What the fuck man?  Hannah’s here.  She’s chasing Willa through the fucking woods.  Dressed just like her and wearing a wig.  Got a big fucking knife too.”

He listened.  Then he told Shadow where he was.  He heard the man whisper something, probably to his wife and then Tommy listened as fabric rustled. 

“I can be there in five minutes.  I’ll bring help.  I’ll find out what happened.”

“Thanks Shad.  I owe you.”

“No you don’t.”

Shad ended the call and Tommy ran as fast as he could into the darkness.

Mina had hunkered down not far into the woods.  She had heard the eerie sound of Nina’s voice and the terror in Tommy’s.  Somehow Tommy knew the woman who had been hired in her office, but Mina had no way of knowing how.  When he screamed for her to run and then frantically called for help she felt her world grow cold.  Nina was hunting her and if the fear in Tommy’s voice said anything, Nina meant to hurt her.

Mina looked around.  The moon gave too much light for her to hide as well as she wanted to.  The movie she had watched with Candy the night before came back to her mind.  Here she was in the woods dressed as a hoochy vampiress, but at least she had on boots, even if the heel was too high to run in.  Oh that’s just what she needed to complete this night, a twisted ankle.

No, she would stay put for now.  If she stayed quiet no one would find her.

“I know you didn’t go far Willa.”

The voice came from her left and Mina had to fight not to jerk in that direction.  She moved only her eyes and saw the glimmer of a blade about twenty yards from her.  She felt her heart pound and knew she was breathing harder, but damn it, this chick was going to kill her.

“I just need to kill you.  He will love me then.  I will be his dream.  His Willa.  He rescued me because he loves me, but you put a hex on him.  I need your blood to break the spell.  I know how to do it now.  I just need your blood”

Mina wanted to scream.  The woman was drawing closer.  Mina needed to figure out what to do.  Did she need to run or stay hidden?  She always thought the women who ran were stupid, but damn.  She wanted to run.

When Hannah’s eyes swung to hers the choice was made.  Mina burst from the undergrowth and ran for the car.  She heard Nina behind her and screamed, but she didn’t slow. She reached the car and dove inside the open door.  She slammed the door closed and hit the lock just as Hannah jerked the handle.

Mina was hysterical as she fumbled with the key and tried to crank the car.

Nina had disappeared, but Mina knew she needed to get out of there fast.

“Oh God, Tommy.  Tommy where are you?”

Hannah appeared at the passenger’s side door and smashed the knife handle into the glass causing it to spider web.  Mina hit the gas, but her tires felt funny.  She had no traction on her back side and figured Nina must have cut the tires.  Had probably done so before too.  This was so crazy.  Nina was probably the woman who had tried to break into her apartment and hit Mr. McGuire.  Why?

She had no idea where she was going, but she couldn’t slow down and turn around.  All she knew was that she had to get away.

She hit a pothole and lost traction.  Her car spun out of control until it left the road.  It slammed into a tree and went dead.

Mina let a sob rip from her throat.  She was still being hunted.  She tried to find her phone, but she had left it at Candy’s.  The horn blared calling her pursuer to her and all she could do was cry.

She forced herself to think.  If she stayed in the car she would die.  The interior light illuminated the dark night like a lighthouse in the fog.

Mina forced the door open and screamed when a cool hand capped over her mouth.

“Stay quiet.  I won’t hurt you.  Tommy is on his way to get you and protect you while I take care of that crazy bitch.”

She nodded and he removed his hand and led her into the shadows of the forest.

“I think Tommy wants to kill me too.”  Mina looked up at the man who had come to rescue her and shivered.  He looked ethereal in the moonlight as if he wasn’t human, but a spirit or a vampire.  She tried to get a better look, but this wasn’t makeup or some freaky costume, this was Shadow.

“Hate it when women do that shit.  I won’t hurt you.”  He said as if speaking to a frightened animal.

“Please, just call Ink to come get me.”

“Ink’s busy.  Tommy won’t hurt you.  He’s a hell of a lot safer than me or the men I brought with me...”

“I feel safe with you.  Will you promise me that he won’t hurt me?”  Mina knew she was hysterical, but couldn’t help it.

He looked confused.  “You obviously don’t have any idea who I am.  I can promise that I will kill him if he harms you.  Is that enough?”

Mina didn’t understand this man, but she nodded.  She had seen him before.  He was Angel’s brother and he couldn’t be all bad if he was Angel’s brother.  She repeated that over and over in her mind as she waited in the darkness.

“Stay put.  I can hear Tommy coming now.  I’ll send him to you.  Stay quiet.”

Tommy crept into the woods near Willa’s wrecked car.  Shad stood by a tree and pointed to where Willa huddled in her black cloak.  She was hard to spot except for the necklace that glimmered in the silvery light.  He crouched down in front of her and looked her over as best he could in the dark.  Her eyes were huge and the white powder she’d worn made her almost glow.

He reached out to her and it was a second before she accepted his hand.

“I drove a truck.  Keys are in it.  Law is bringing a van and Mike is hunting your little she bitch.  Oscar isn’t answering his phone.”

Tommy knew the van was to dispose of Hannah’s body when they finished with her.

“Do it quick man.  It’s not her fault they took her.  She lost her shit after that.”

Shad nodded, but Tommy saw no mercy in his black eyes.  Tommy had never seen any emotions on the man’s face.  He felt a twinge of regret for what was going to happen to Hannah, until her looked at Willa and saw the bloody wound on her head and all over her soft arms.  The underbrush had taken a toll on her.