AlexWe received news this morning that the guns were delivered to our connection in Mexico. Corbin kept his word. With the added stress over the past few days, the unwanted images continue to play in my head. I’ve worked out, meditated, and worked out again. Yesterday with Celina helped more than all the cardio and weights combined. She’s my temporary cure. The picture of my father came out of nowhere. It’s happened before and caused problems. Moon extricated me from one very bad situation. I think he’s known for years that I hide something deeper behind an easy smile or a joke. I refuse to discuss it with him. He’ll think I’m insane. Hell, I most likely am. There’s been no word on Danita and our frustration builds. She’s gone to ground and I know she couldn’t do it without help. We also don’t have a date on the return of Manuel’s body. The Feds had a sit-down with Moon and his attorney yesterday afternoon. Moon said nothing and let his attorney speak for him. The last thing we nee
CelinaI find my mother in the theater room having popcorn and watching a movie with Kiley. My niece is snuggled up against her. My mom picks up popcorn and holds it over Kiley’s hand until the little fingers uncurl. Such a small thing, but Kiley is responding.They’re watching an animated movie that I remember from when I was young. I walk in and sit beside Kiley and share some popcorn. She scoots closer to my mother and another small piece of my heart breaks. She makes headway with everyone but me and I have no clue why. It sounds ridiculous, but is there something in her that senses I never wanted children? That’s completely untrue now. I watch the movie and ignore my guilt. Alex is making phone calls. My mom smiles at me over the top of Kiley’s head and I see tears in her eyes. For her, Kiley is a small piece of heaven. This will work out and I need patience more than anything.The movie ends thirty minutes later and Kiley has fallen asleep. “She’s precious,” my mother says quietl
CelinaMy gaze jerks to the woman. Her eyes are open and lifeless. Gabriella walks over to me as I stand and use the wall for support. “I will take care of your mother, Señorita. Attend your man.”Gabriella is crying. I look between her and my mom, whose expression is panicked. She has a struggling Kiley in a death grip. “Mom, go with Gabriella. Alex needs me.” Some of the shock leaves my mom’s face and she nods. I don’t watch the women leave because my focus is on Alex.I sink to my knees beside him. “Hold this here and use as much pressure as you can. We need to get him into the other room where we have supplies,” the man who removed his jacket says. I press down on Alex’s chest as told.Another man enters the house. “We’re clear. The house is secure.” He looks at Alex and the woman. “Danita must have snuck into the car with Gabriella. Dr. Santos is on his way. He said to call an ambulance if we can’t wait for him.”The man beside me speaks again. “We’re moving him to the other room
Celina“I don’t suppose anyone has sterilized their hands,” Dr. Santos says while shaking his head and offering me a tight smile. He slips on gloves and then moves in beside me to check the chest wound. If I thought Cal was calm, he has nothing on Dr. Santos. The man goes about his exam in slow motion. He checks Alex’s eyes and his fingers. He adjusts the oxygen level and then moves down to the chest wound. He asks Cal questions and seems confident in what Cal has done so far.After checking Alex’s leg, he walks to the black bag he sat down when he entered and removes items. He methodically places them on the counter beside everything else that’s taking up room. He fills a hypodermic needle and administers the medicine to the IV line.The doctor nods in my direction. “I need to remove the bullet. You can stay or go, but if you pass out, you’re on your own.” He’s in full doctor mode and the gentle man who examined Kiley is gone.“I’ll stay,” I tell him. “Am I in your way?”“Stand at hi
AlexI’m in pain. My entire chest and my fucking leg hurt. My eyes are blurry. A warm hand settles on my shoulder and I blink a few times so I can see Moon’s face. He looks concerned as I attempt to place bits and pieces together in my brain.“Celina,” I say in a throaty voice that doesn’t sound like mine.“She’s fine. So is Kiley and Mrs. Thomas. Celina will be back in here shortly and she’ll be relieved that you’re awake.”“How long has it been?” I try to lift my arm, but it hurts my chest too badly.“Two days since you were shot.”“Fuck.” I close my eyes and try to remember what happened. “Danita?”“Dead.”“Is anyone else injured? Gabriella?”“No, just you.”I close my eyes and the slideshow plays in my head. Each scene one I never want to relive. Celina’s huge eyes when she grabs Kiley from me. Going to my knee after Danita shot me in the leg. Trying to cover Celina and her niece. The fury in Gabriella’s eyes. The smoke that filled the hallway.No, never again.“How did she get in
Two months later: Celina The kids are playing in the backyard on the swing set. My mother and I now have a house of our own, but right now, I’m sitting in Theresa’s kitchen enjoying hot tea. It’s September and Oregon is feeling a touch of autumn. Theresa assures me it will warm up a bit before the weather completely changes. It’s different here. Four seasons to the two we get in the desert. I’ll adjust, or at least I will if I ever warm up.I’ve grown to love Theresa and her husband, Salvador. Also their two children, Daniella and Emilio. The children have been wonderful for Kiley. She’s still quiet, but her smiles and laughter come much easier. My mom bought her a tiny black and white kitten. Kitsy Kitsy sleeps with Kiley each night and the two of them are practically inseparable. When Kiley can’t take the cat with her, she brings her doll Mary. I’ve told her about Dax and I make sure she knows that Dax cares about her and that he’s the reason she’s in our lives.Kiley is still shy
Four months later: Alex The meeting with Dax went as well as can be expected. His men don’t trust us. I trust Dax and not them, so I understand. The terms we settled on will benefit us all. I didn’t think Dax could pull his club out of the meth trade, but it looks like he’s done it. We are investing heavily in medical marijuana farms here in Arizona. Dax is joining us. It will be legal for everyone in the next few years and not just those with a prescription. The suppliers involved in the medical end will have a head start when that happens. Madison is a big reason that we’re slowing down our illegal drug operation.She’s changed us all.I’ve never asked Dax what became of Kiley’s mom. I looked around the clubhouse today and didn’t see anyone who resembled a grownup version of Kiley. I never knew the woman’s name. Why the hell should I expect some meth-head woman to actually look like Kiley is beyond me, but I had to look.My sister informed me by telephone that Kiley was adopted qui
CelinaHe loves me. No, he hasn’t said the words but he’s come close enough for now. We’re curled together, his arms tight around me. I had no idea what to expect when I showed up. Had he moved on? Would he still want me if he hadn’t moved on?It took everything I had to be brave enough to come back to him. I’m glad I went away. I had things I had to learn about myself. I’m much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. I can be stronger still. Strong enough to hold us together and fight for this incredible man. Fight him so I can stay.“You’re leaving in the morning,” he whispers in my ear. “You can’t come back.”This is what I’m talking about. I turn over and move my hair aside so I can see him. “You can’t make me leave this time.” I hope he hears the finality in the words.“Christ,” he says and turns his head so he isn’t looking at me.My fingers curl against the skin on his chest. Slowly, I dig my nails in. I know it hurts him, but he’s hurting both of us. My hand is over the s
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