Sighing, Baylee's hands dropped from her face, and she looked from me, to Luke, to Allen, to Winter, and finally back to Allen.

"The guy was supposed to be a drunk and disorderly. Except he wasn't that drunk. Found him outside the IHop nursing a brown bag special. Got him loaded into the bus, took his vitals, and then he just went...nuts. Demanded medication for his headache...medication we d.a.m.n well don't even carry. Winter was driving, and trying to pull over, but we were in the middle of rush hour on the interstate. Then he started threatening to rape me. What the h.e.l.l was I supposed to do? Spread my legs and let him take me?" Baylee finished on a snarl.

Luke and Allen took a step back at her vehemence. I didn't.

I closed the distance between us, placed one fist on either side of her face, and leaned in until our noses were touching. "No. You never just lean back and take it. You f.u.c.king gouge his eyes out, and do just exactly what you did. You wait until your man gets there; you hold on, you fight for your life. 'Cause once I get there, that man's finished. Do you understand me? Done. G.o.d help me if he tries it while I'm there, too."

Baylee's eyes widened, and flicked nervously towards the side to the part.i.tion separating her from the next room, and suddenly I knew.

The man that had the nerve to lay his hands on my defenseless woman, to threaten to rape her, was in the very next room. Smiling a tad manically, I leveraged myself up and sauntered out of the room.

And how about that, they left him unattended.

Walking in quietly, I had nearly gotten the door closed when a hand stopped its movements, and Luke pushed his way inside.

I ignored her brother, cracked my knuckles, and went to work.

Luke and I had some sort of bonding moment in those fifteen minutes.

Words weren't spoken or anything, but we came to an understanding.

One where Luke's sister, my woman, were put first above all others.

With that, we became...not enemies.

"Do you want to go to my place, or your place? You won't be working for a good week, if not more." I told Baylee as we walked carefully out to my bike.

I'd asked if she wanted her brother to take her home since he'd had a vehicle, but Baylee shook her head and declined, saying she'd probably be more comfortable with me against her front to hold her steady.

I'd been skeptical, but she'd been insistent, and I decided to just let it lie. She was tired, and arguing with her about it wasn't going to help.

"Your place. My parents are staying at mine." She said tiredly.

I stopped and stared at her. "Your parents are at your place, and you want me to take you to my house? Why?"

She shrugged. "If you take me home, then I won't be able to sleep next to you all night. I don't want that."

I pulled her into my chest tenderly, kissing the top of her head softly before releasing her and heading to my bike.

"I guess I didn't realize it was already time for them to be here. When did they get in?" I asked as we arrived at my bike.

"They aren't going to be worried about you if you come to my place?" I asked worriedly.

"They don't know. Luke pinky promised that he wouldn't tell them if I told them tomorrow. Plus, Katy is at my house with them; I just want to sleep, and she won't let me if I go home. Not to mention the fact that you won't be there. So, I think I'll stay with you, if that's alight?" She explained.

I nodded in confirmation. "My sister has Johnny tonight, so that'll work out for you getting some shut eye. I have to go pick him up in the A.M. though. James can only handle so much."

"You want something to eat before we go home?" I asked as I put the key into the bike.

"No, I just want to go home, down my painkillers, and sleep for sixteen hours straight."

"That, I think we can do." I acknowledged just before the bike rumbled to life. "Hold on to me, girl. This's gonna hurt."

Baylee wrapped herself around me tighter, and then buried her nose into my back.

Baylee The sound of shrieking laughter, followed by the patter of little feet woke me from my drug-induced haze.

I made the mistake of rolling from my side, where the pillows kept me in one place, to my stomach, and about died at the pain that radiated out from my ribs.

Bile surged up my throat, but I knew from experience that if I puke, I'd only make things infinitely worse. I'd learned that the hard way after my last work accident. It was zero fun, sir.

My mother's familiar calming voice came from the porch beyond Sebastian's room made me peel my eyes open to see mid-morning sun streaming through the pulled blinds of Sebastian's window.

The next five pain filled minutes were spent shimmying off the bed, and then shuffling to the bathroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Sebastian had made a half-a.s.sed effort to remove the toys from the bottom of his shower.

I didn't think I could manage to bend and toss them over the side at this point. I felt so bad. At least my head didn't hurt. That was something, wasn't it?

The feel of hot water streaming down over my skin helped soothe some of the aches and pains.

I managed to run the bar of soap down my stomach, chest, and shoulders. However, when I got down to my legs, I just couldn't handle it anymore. My legs would be hairy. So be it, because there was no way I was shaving today. Then again, it wasn't like it would matter if my legs were hairy, because it wasn't like I'd be getting any anytime soon. Not without a little bit of pain; Sebastian, nor I, got off on that type of thing. At least I didn't think he did.

When I finally made my way into the living room wearing the only thing I could stand to put on, a t-shirt with the Dixie Wardens MC logo on it and a pair of Sebastian's flannel pants, I was ready to go back to sleep, exhausted with the effort.

It was only the sweet sound of my mother's voice that kept me moving to the living room, and then to the kitchen where my mother was at Sebastian's stove wearing his ap.r.o.n and cooking. It smelled heavenly, and I knew instantly what it was. Chicken fried chicken. My favorite.

My mom only made it on special occasions. She said it took too much effort to make it any more often than she did.

"Mom." I called once I stepped barefoot onto the kitchen tiles.

My mom whirled at the sound of my voice, dropped the spatula on the counter, and moved towards me slowly, gathering me into her arms carefully. "Oh, baby. You have such a dangerous job it scares me and your papa."

Ugh. Not this argument again. For the love of all that's holy. "Mom, you know I love my job. I don't want to do anything else."

"But, baby, this is the second time you've gotten hurt on the job within two years. Can't you go work in the hospital or something?" she pleaded, curling my palm around her cheek.

I sighed and pulled back, going to the coffeemaker and smiling slightly when I saw my favorite cup waiting for me.

Punching down the large b.u.t.ton, because I was pretty d.a.m.n sure I'd need it, I turned and surveyed the kitchen, my mom included.

"What do you think of Sebastian?" I asked, trying to get my mother's attention focused on something other than my career choice.

Before I could answer, my dad's voice filtered in from the porch. "Paige, bring me a beer!" He bellowed.

"Get your own beer, Travis! I'm busy! Lunch isn't going to cook itself, or did you want to get up and make it?" My mother screeched back.

Ahh, I knew I missed my parents.

Then Sebastian's voice interrupted. "That's okay, Mr. Roberts. I got it. I'm gonna go check on Baylee anyway."

My mother turned and smiled at me. "I know that he doesn't yell at his future mother-in-law for a beer. I know he cares a lot about you. When he showed up today, with his son in tow, and explained what happened to you last night, I fell in love with him. He's won your daddy over pretty good too. Just gonna take him some time to get used to the whole motorcycle club thing he has going on. It'd help if we knew just a little more about it."

I snorted. "To be honest, I don't know much." Eyeing the door warily to make sure Sebastian wasn't quite there yet, I whispered to my mother. "I don't think he does anything bad. He told me they made legitimate money in the eyes of the law. So I trust him."

"Okay. We'll talk more about this when we're alone. Are you ready to eat? Have you been sleeping a long time?"

"Eighteen hours." Sebastian's deep voice called from the entrance to the back deck.

I jumped and turned around, feeling guilty about discussing Sebastian so openly in his own home. Then immediately regretted turning due to the agony shooting through my ribs.

I couldn't even appreciate how hot he looked in his black jeans, black shirt, and black hat. Normally the sight would have made me flush in excitement. Now I was clammy in discomfort.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I willed the shards of pain away.

Then the next best thing happened as Sebastian's warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. "Did you take your meds yet?" He asked quietly, rubbing his bristly beard against my head.

"No. I don't know where they are." I admitted softly.

"By the coffee pot. Why don't you go take a seat and I'll bring them to you?" He offered.

"Lunch's almost ready anyway. This is a good time to get everyone seated; I'll bring out the food shortly." My mother ordered, before going back to the gravy she'd been stirring.

I eyed the table that was covered with paper work from both the station and the MC, and wanted to laugh at the thought that my mother wanted to have dinner at that very table.

"Uhh, Sebastian...you're going to have to move your office to the actual office for now." I teased him as I took a seat.

He snorted at the idea, walked to the coffee pot to grab my coffee, the medications, and a roll before coming back to me. He offered me all but the roll, stuffed half of it in his mouth, and then started gathering up papers.

I helped on my own side, gathering the closest papers and piling them into a small pile.

One such paper caught my eye, and I was a little bewildered as to why the club would need a list of the businesses in Benton.

I made a mental note to ask him later, because my mom was following behind Sebastian as he cleaned, placing down place mats in his wake.

"My mom likes a pretty table." I told Sebastian, as he finally made his way to my side with two piles of papers in his hands.

"I can see that." He laughed as he gathered my piles into his own and left the room.

I watched his a.s.s as he disappeared down the hallway. I hadn't been aware that I'd sighed until my mom laughed.

Looking up, I raised my eyes in question. "What?"

"Your dad and I were like that once. I was a little street urchin from the wrong side of the track, and he was the Sheriff's son who was so straight-laced that I never even thought I had a chance. Then he saved me, one night, from a couple of boys who wanted me to help them break into a pharmacy. They wanted to shove me in through the drop box, if you can believe it." she explained as I started setting forks down on the placemats.

I didn't have the heart to tell my mother that I'd already heard this story eighteen thousand times. Instead, I let her continue without interrupting, picturing the way my mother would look trying to be shoved into a drop box. Now, my mother had the padding that most mothers had; but, back then, she could totally pa.s.s for supermodel thin.

My mom was on the shorter side at 5'4, but before she had Luke, my mother had a smoking body. Mom liked to attribute it to life on the streets and not getting enough meals; dad liked to say it was in the genes. I had to agree that it was, indeed, the genes, because I had the same muscular build as my mother. Although a lot of my metabolism had to do with my demanding job, and the fact that my ADHD meds made me not want to eat.

"Your daddy caught them while they were trying to shove me in. I was kicking and screaming, and your daddy swooped in like a knight in shining armor, with his shiny gold badge and hauled those boys to the county jail. I, of course, ran and tried my hardest to stay out of trouble, but he found me that next week, and we became friends." She smiled wistfully.

"Your momma wouldn't put out until I married her. She tricked me." My dad called from the doorway, making me look up and smile.

I just sighed as I waited for the inevitable argument to ensue, and it did, like clockwork.

"Do they always do this?" Sebastian asked as he came to a stop by my side.

I nodded grimly. "All the freaking time. Do you know how traumatizing it is to hear your parents fight constantly, and then go have s.e.x? I knew exactly what they were doing the minute they left the room. It's so gross."

Sebastian snorted. "At least you don't walk in on your old man having s.e.x with a woman that's thirty years his junior."

I gagged. "What?"

Sebastian nodded sagely. "Yeah, it's been known to happen.

"That's..." I started. "Just wrong."

He snorted. "Tell me about it."

Just then, a very wet Katy, a muddy Johnny, and an exasperated Luke came walking in the back door. "Stop, boy. Don't move." Luke yelled, as Johnny tried to take off across the kitchen.

He stopped immediately, and pouted, arms crossing over his chest, and glared at Luke with the best of his ability.

"Johnny, don't act like that. You know better. Why are you covered in mud?" Sebastian questioned as he stood and walked to the laundry room that was off the kitchen.

He came back moments later with two towels. He tossed one to Luke and wrapped the other around his son before hauling him to his bathroom; most likely to hosed him down.

"Go to the room you changed in earlier and get changed, sweet pea. Grammy has some food ready for us to eat. Don't take too long or I'm gonna eat yours." Luke instructed Katy.

"What were they doing?" My mom asked as she set a bowl of steaming mashed potatoes down on the table.

Luke, dad, and I watched in hunger as she went back for the chicken, and then followed shortly after that with the green beans and rolls.

"Oh, man. I haven't had a home cooked meal like this in forever." Luke groaned, taking a seat, but waited patiently for his child to get back before he started.

My dad walked behind me, kissed my head, and took the seat at the opposite side of Luke, leaving the head of the table for Sebastian and my mother, as was custom in our family.

"Me neither," I agreed, sneaking a roll from the bowl and shoving three quarters of it into my mouth.

"Did you just take a roll?" Katy asked as she plopped down beside Luke.

"No." I said around a mouth full of roll.

"Grammy, she's eating before everybody's sat down!" Katy squealed.