DaxSofia is in surgery when we arrive at the hospital two hours later. The woman who helped me at the scene is Helen. She’s waiting as promised.“Sofia’s in good hands. They’re removing the bullet and have a plastic surgeon available for the damage to her face. Broken jaw and eye socket showed in the x-rays. This guy’s good and he’ll have her as pretty as she was before.”I’m barely following what she says. “You think she’ll make it?”She gives me a soft smile. “You said she’s a fighter. If she is, she’ll pull through.”“Did she wake up?”“No. They don’t think she has head trauma, but they won’t count it out until they’re sure. The doctor will come out and talk to you when surgery’s over. Does she have other family?”“No, just the club. We’re her family.”“Tell the medical staff you’re married and they’ll give you updates and let you in the room when she’s out of recovery. Don’t tell anyone I told you that. I’ll let the nurses know her husband is here.”I want to hug this woman. I’m
SofiaThe pain proves I’m alive. Dagger’s voice keeps me that way. He tells me I’m in the hospital. He tells me he loves me. I can’t open my eyes and I can’t feel my body. It scares me. I focus on my feet and move them a few inches.“Relax, princess.” He’s holding my hand. “You have bandages on your face and covering one eye. Your other is still swollen shut. I’ve got you. The doctors and nurses are wonderful and they’ve taken good care of you.”I focus some more and squeeze his fingers.I hear another voice, a woman. “We can give you more pain medicine if you need it. Let’s try one finger for yes and two for no.”Dagger releases my hand and I concentrate. Two for no. My brain finally connects to two fingers and I move them.“I think she needs the medicine,” Dagger says.“We’ll give her a little time and then give the injection. She understands what we’re asking and that’s the main thing. Let her judge her pain.”Dagger’s rough skin wraps around my hand again. “That nurse is as stubbo
DaxGomez was calling. I didn’t make it out of Sofia’s room and into the hallway in time to take it. I decide to walk to the parking area before calling back. I haven’t heard from Moon or Gomez since leaving their home. We have unfinished business and I’m hoping for an update.It’s a little after two in the afternoon and sweltering heat rises off the black asphalt. There’s a bench under a tree and I head in that direction. I don’t bother sitting. I’ve done enough of that over the past few days.The doctor said they’re discharging Sofia in the next few days if she keeps improving. I haven’t dwelled on what this will cost. It’s the least of my worries right now. I stand in the shade and call Gomez.He answers immediately. “We have her and a little extra baggage. Can you talk?”“Yes.”“Our guys picked Pauline up in Casa Grande. One of her dealers up north pointed them in the right direction after a small amount of persuasion. They found her in a trailer with two men. Strange thing is the
SofiaI’m a horrible patient. Dagger bought a car with really good air conditioning to replace mine and he’s driving me to another medical appointment. The oral surgeon is removing the wires from my jaw today. I’m so relieved. They’ve had me on anti-nausea medication because of the pregnancy and the possibility of throwing up. It makes me drowsy and I hate it. I’m also tired of eating from a straw.My man’s cock hasn’t been down my throat since the accident. This does not improve my mood. Dagger refuses to touch me in any way until the doctor gives the all clear. Yeah, that doesn’t improve my mood either. If the oral surgeon can’t give the go-ahead, Dagger will be driving me back to the hospital so I can find the surgeon who removed the bullet. Someone will give the all clear for sex today or someone will die.I’m also tired of everyone treating me like the princess they call me. Fuck that shit. I’m going to punch someone. Having the wires removed is no fun and my jaw aches like a mot
Dax Today is Sofia’s first ultrasound and I can’t help remembering the last day I had with Savannah. This is bittersweet and Sofia understands. Dr. Andreas walks in the room and takes a seat by Sofia. She’s an older Latina doctor in her sixties and Sofia loves her. She wanted a doctor who would be accepting of our lifestyle. I wasn’t happy when the doctor said Sofia could ride on the back of my bike with a helmet for as long as she was comfortable. No, not happy at all. The club took a ride last weekend to Flagstaff and I was a wreck the entire time. Sofia laughed when I cussed out a driver for moving too close to our ass before passing. It was an old woman, and someone needed to report her so she has her eyes re-examined. The doctor places clear jell on the ultrasound wand before placing it on Sofia’s belly. Sofia laughs and says, “It’s cold.” I smile, lean down, and kiss her cheek. “Buck up, princess.” We watch the picture on the screen as the doctor moves the wand around to l
LincolnI’m exhausted. Ten straight days of double shifts with no end in sight. We have two dead women identified as known prostitutes and I’m worried there will be more. Standing from my desk, I stretch and try to alleviate the pain in my middle back from writing this damned report for more than three hours. My joints pop as I bend. I’m getting too old for this and I’m only thirty-two.If anyone told me when I signed up to catch bad guys that being a cop consisted of eighty percent report writing, ten percent putting up with political bullshit, and ten percent catching bad guys, I would have decided on tree trimming. I come from a long line of men in law enforcement and they omitted a few details about this job.I stare down at the words in my report from my standing position.Victim: Maddy HilcoxGender: femaleDate of Birth: 07/24/1993Age: 23Occupation: ProstitutionVictim: homicide, aggravated assault, sexual assaultNotes: ritualistic knife woundsI have another similar report
LincolnShelby’s sigh is that of a half strangled cat this time. “I don’t want bail,” she grinds out with the stubborn set to her jaw returning. “I’m not leaving this delightful Disneyesque establishment.” She gestures around with a sweep of her arms. “I just need you to let Daisy out and feed him. If you do, I’ll owe you a favor. A huge favor.”A huge favor. That’s priceless. I might have taken her up on it before I knew she was a walking petri dish. I could have gotten past her crazy veneer and psychotic body humping dog but a man, especially a police officer must have a line they won’t cross. Prostitution is one of mine. If I’m ever so desperate I need to pay, I’ll cut my damn dick off. The longer I stare at her, the more trouble I have with the charge she’d booked in on. The woman in front of me makes the worst damn hooker I’ve ever seen.She’s dressed in jean shorts that are more modest than any prostitute wears and her rainbow tank top might shows off her well-endowed breasts be
LincolnI call the judge as soon as I have reception. He can’t make it in until the next morning so Shelby Ryan is stuck overnight in county lockup. I walk up to her front door, tip the flower pot on the front porch, and sure enough, there’s her key.We don’t live in the greatest neighborhood. Not that it’s high crime but the small Albuquerque suburb of duplex homes is also not crime free. A loud “Woof” comes from the other side of the door. I left my gun at home in case I’m tempted to shoot the dog. I use the key and push open the door with both arms ready to save my manhood. The interior is cool, stupid woman leaves her air running on high for a dog.One hundred and forty pounds of ugly mutt hits me as soon as I take a step inside. His tongue slathers my face and sure enough his curly haired body begins the writhing motion of a dog trying to increase the size of his pack.The first time I had an intimate encounter with Daisy, he almost took me to the ground during his sexual assault
I rolled over and yawned, my arms coming from beneath the soft white cotton of the bedding and bumped the hard body next to me. Moon’s hand went into my hair and he moved his leg between mine and something very hard hit my belly making me smile. The smile lasted a few seconds before I covered my hand and jumped from the bed trying to get to the toilet before I lost the contents of my stomach. Yep, that was sexy. This time the hand in my hair pulled it back away from my face while I heaved my guts. He didn’t say anything and just waited for me to finish. It was horrible and at the same time endearing because I loved him so much. I stood and leaned back against his body. “Crawl back into bed and I’ll grab tea and crackers,” Moon said gently. I wanted to bitch and moan about the morning sickness but held it in. When I had my shoulder injury that took me from my career as a cop, I had a small amount of control. I could do my physical therapy and ice as needed and it worked. There was
Duke The wedding night was at the cabin and our honeymoon at the property. We had a week to ourselves. Cori laughed when I carried her over the threshold and straight to my bed. “Do not touch that dress,” I typed into my phone before checking the house was secure and I could fuck my wife for the first time. Her laughter followed me. When I walked back into the room, she was waiting exactly where I left her, smart woman. She opened her legs wide, the stilettos going to either side of the bed. A bit of red showed. The dress was fucking perfect. I crawled between her legs and pushed the yards of black lace up higher in the bed and snagged the red G-string with a finger. The garter wasn’t in my way. Cori sat up suddenly and stopped my exploration. “You spoke your vows.” I smiled even though my dick throbbed. “Thank you,” she added and lay back. I planned to fuck her until she couldn’t walk or talk. I didn’t remove the red nothing lace. I lazily fingered her, then took a long, slo
CoriIf I weren’t lying down, I would have fallen. Of all the things she could say, it was the last I expected and I couldn’t hide my shock.“No, I’m not pregnant yet but we’ve decided to try. We’re leaving and starting a family. Alex and Celina are taking over Moon’s operation.” She turned to Celina. “I’ll call it Alex’s operation eventually.”“Are you sure?” I asked softly.I was having trouble processing.“I’m absolutely positive. I thought I never wanted children but when Moon brought it up, I knew I was wrong. I want Moon’s babies.”“As in multiple?” I asked in horror.Children wasn’t something I ever wanted. I was not a rug rat fan and could tolerate Sofia’s rug rats for a limited time only. I thought Mak and I were on the same page.“We’ll decide if we want another after the first.”“Congratulations,” I offered, my voice uncertain.Melina started laughing.“You’re taking it how I did. The last thing needed in this world is a mini Austin.”I could most definitely second that.“O
CoriLife slowly returned to normal, though my new normal was much different than the old one. Things changed more after the cast came off and Duke could ride again. That’s when I became a true biker bitch.I blinged the shit out of my newly purchased black wardrobe and made that shit look good. I had standing orders from the other old ladies too. The club whores and I had a talk and we seemed to be on good terms. My end of that conversation was short.“Keep your hands off my man and we won’t have a problem. Touch him, even when I’m not around, and you’ll lose a fucking nipple, we clear?”They were fine with it. I understood their world. Respect was key. I had no problem with their choices as long as they respected me and my man.Dax’s club was a community of misfits and I fit in like I never thought I could. They didn’t care that I arrived in five-inch stilettos, looking like I was heading to a ritzy club. They accepted me as Duke’s old lady.Duke spoke to Dax and arranged a week off
Cori“How is Mr. Grumpy today?” Mak asked. She had her overprotective Pitbull at her side. I hadn’t seen Two-dogs since I arrived with Duke. I contained myself to the kitchen and Duke’s room. Two-dogs stayed out of Gabriella’s domain because the two of them stayed at war over what was permissible and what was not. I secretly thought Gabriella slipped the dog treats when no one watched but I had no way to prove it. I guess her new kindness made me think she was something other than Attila the Hun. I needed to watch those stupid fantasies.With assistance, Duke had made it downstairs for this morning’s physical therapy. He refused pain meds afterward and fell asleep exhausted. It gave me time to do something normal. I’d quietly left the room and gone to the outside patio to escape. The heat, even with the water misters, would make it too hot to stay for long but it was nice to be outside.I blinked at Mak who carried a towel. She took the lounge chair beside mine.“He’s sleeping. I’m es
DukeMy biggest problem was boredom. It almost went hand in hand with people poking and prodding constantly. I didn’t live at the clubhouse for a reason. If it weren’t for Cori, I would have found a way to escape Moon’s place the first day. Maybe. I was fooling myself. The ability to lift a spoon to my lips was pushing things.I remembered little about what happened at Wild Fur. Between blood loss and the damage to my stomach, I should have died in oblivion. Things were foggy since waking too. I remembered telling Cori I loved her. It just came out. I hadn’t practiced speaking in years. It was something I did when younger when no one was around. I never felt comfortable with the sound of my voice and eventually decided it wasn’t necessary. That was true until Cori. There were things she needed to hear. Cori hadn’t asked me to speak since it happened. I doubted she even understood what I’d said.My grandfather took me in when my dad went to prison for almost killing me. They were the b
CoriThe air in the room was soft if that were even a thing. There were four rows of chairs. There was a podium at the front. No crucified Jesus hung from the wall, only a large framed needlepoint with writing.“Enter in peace and leave your sorrow.”I sat in the front row and bowed my head. My prayer was to Jesus.“I’ve never asked for anything.”Tears gathered in my eyes and turned to sobs. I couldn’t go on and fell apart. So many thoughts tumbled through my head. I was the whore of Babylon. If there were a man who would hear me, it would be Jesus.“Please,” was all I managed the next time I tried.The quiet settled over me and I inhaled in and out slowly. Within a few minutes, I wiped my tears. The room, like Duke with his silence, gave me peace. It also gave me strength.I went back to ICU and held his hand again. He wouldn’t die because I wouldn’t let him. I spoke to him quietly and assured him all would be okay. I spoke of silly things. I had to keep the connection so he knew I
CoriIt took us more than three hours to get back to the city and another hour through rush-hour traffic to get to Wild Fur. Moon sent his men in first and stayed with me in the SUV. Alex and Austin were with the other women at his compound. Moon didn’t want them here. He’d also left a vehicle behind with four men on Duke’s property to dispose of the bodies.The men cleared inside the Wild Fur quickly. There were two female employees cleaning and handling inventory. The place didn’t open until eight at night. They weren’t harmed and they were assured they could leave after we found Duke. The men hadn’t located him when they cleared the building. Moon and I entered and were shown the entrance to the basement.A light had been turned on. It looked no better than the club upstairs. I saw a rat scurry along the wall. Moon found the hidden door within a few minutes. He pried it open and we entered the dark room.The smell of excrement and death hit us.Death.I couldn’t breathe.In the sha
CoriDuke never left my thoughts. If he was dead, so was I. My life changed that fast. We hadn’t known each other long and it didn’t matter. He was everything I wanted and most of all he was someone who loved me for who I was. I knew he loved me. He shared his silent world and refused to take advantage when he could have. From the time his arms wrapped around me in the car after my escape from Fernandez, we belonged together.My past didn’t matter to him because he lived in a world where endurance and hard work were part of life. Duke and the men like him respected survival.Moon brought more firepower than required and the guns we’d pulled from the cave weren’t exactly needed. I decided to stick with Duke’s weapons because he made sure I was familiar with them. A piece of him was with me.Our plan had been to ambush the vehicles a mile before the entrance to the property. Alex moved the attack to the house. I wasn’t worried about Cartwright’s men knowing the location. None would leav