CHAPTER TEN:.

Deuce stalked out of a no-tell motel office with three keys. He tossed one at Mick and another at Jase.

"What the f.u.c.k," ZZ complained. "There are only two beds in a room."

"You're on the floor," Ripper said.

"f.u.c.k you," He shot back. "You and c.o.x should share, it's not like you don't share everything else."

Ripper grinned. "Best couple days of my life."

"Speaking of Kami." c.o.x looked down at Eva, who was pa.s.sed out cold in his arms. "Prez?"

He shook his head. "She wakes up, she's with me, s.h.i.t's gonna get ugly. I'm the last f.u.c.kin' a.s.shole she wants to see."

Mick cursed. "Why the f.u.c.k didn't we just leave her there?"

"Dude," Jase said, "You'd leave a hot piece of unconscious a.s.s at a f.u.c.kin' club party without her man? Might as well put a f.u.c.kin' sign on her that says, "Free f.u.c.ks for all"."

"Who f.u.c.kin' cares?" Mick growled. "b.i.t.c.h wasn't even grateful that we're tryin' to save her a.s.s! I shoulda knocked her harder and then we wouldn't be havin' this discussion at all!"

He knew his boys were arguing but he wasn't listening. He was staring at Eva, hanging limply in c.o.x's arms, replaying in his mind everything she'd said to him, over and over and over again.

You're f.u.c.king trash! f.u.c.king garbage! What the f.u.c.k makes you think I would be grateful to you for f.u.c.kING ANYTHING?

It was Eva he'd been looking at but it was his old man's voice he was hearing.

What a f.u.c.king coincidence. The last time he'd seen his old man was the first time he'd ever seen Eva. His blood ran cold. It was his old man's tag around Eva's neck.

The a.s.shole was still here, ruining his f.u.c.king life. f.u.c.king s.h.i.t up with the only woman he'd ever given a s.h.i.t about.

They'd spent only moments together. Here and there, some good, most painful. It didn't make any sense. They didn't make any sense. He should have let her go a long time ago. But he couldn't. And he still couldn't. Because he didn't want to. Because he f.u.c.king loved her.

He dialed Preacher.

"Yeah?"

"It's Deuce."

"What the f.u.c.k you want?"

"Frankie's up river. Got him a one way ticket tonight. Woulda buried him but it turns out your boy put a hit on your girl. If he gets buried, she goes down with him. You know 'bout that?"

Silence.

"f.u.c.k," Preacher rasped.

"Yeah. Got my boys workin' my connections tryin' to find who bought it. Not gonna be easy, doubt Frankie left a f.u.c.kin' paper trail and grave diggers ain't exactly forthcomin'."

"f.u.c.k!" Preacher roared. He took the phone away from his ear and looked at it while Preacher cursed and yelled nonsense and broke everything, it sounded like, within a mile radius of him. Turns out temper tantrums run in the family.

"Horseman," Preacher rasped into the phone. "Where the f.u.c.k is my baby girl?"

"Got her with me. Got six of my boys. She's safe."

"Good," He barked, "Lemme talk to her."

Deuce glanced at Eva. She was still out cold.

"She's sleepin'. Don't really wanna wake her. She's not to f.u.c.kin' happy 'bout what went down."

Mick snorted.

"Understatement," c.o.x added.

"Yeah," Preacher muttered. "I bet."

"Preacher, we cancel Eva's. .h.i.t and Frankie's not buried within a week, I'm takin' him down."

"We'll talk. For now Frankie's locked up and I gotta hit to find. Right now you just take care of my girl."

"Preacher," He growled. "Frankie's gotta go to ground."

"That's my f.u.c.kin' son in law you're talkin' 'bout! This is family business and I aim to keep it that way! Now shut the f.u.c.k up and get my girl home, or I'll f.u.c.kin' take you to ground!"

Preacher hung up.

Jesus. Crazy. All around.

Groaning, I rolled over, gripping my head. Where the h.e.l.l was I? Why did my head feel like the Incredible Hulk had been Irish Step Dancing on top of it?

I had...three beers? Not nearly enough to merit a hangover of this mult.i.tude.

With one hand holding my forehead I reached around in the dark. Okaaay. I was on a bed with cheap scratchy sheets and nylon comforter.

Had Frankie and I gotten a motel? Why would Frankie and I get a motel while on a run when there were MC's we could stay at?

"Frankie?" I croaked, wincing as my own voice reverberated painfully inside my skull.

No answer.

I felt my way around the bed until I found the edge. Carefully, so as not to jar my head, I swung my legs over the side and met with floor. I cracked an eyelid. To my left a small clock read two forty three AM. I edged my way over and felt around until I found a lamp.

I switched it on.

Yep. Motel. c.r.a.ppy one too. Burnt orange walls and floral pattern comforters. A carpet that had probably been new in the seventies and furniture that had seen better days.

Shielding my eyes, I headed for the door. The chain lock wasn't on so I grabbed the wobbly k.n.o.b, turned and pulled open the door.

Deuce and c.o.x swiveled around.

I gaped at them. Deuce took a step towards me.

I slammed the door closed and put the chain lock on.

s.h.i.t.

s.h.i.t.

That a.s.shole got Frankie arrested and kidnapped me. No, he knocked me out and then kidnapped me!

The door slammed open a total of five inches, hindered by the chain lock. "EVA!"

"f.u.c.k off!" I yelled then crumpled to the floor grabbing my head.

I heard the chain lock snap and the door hit the wall. I heard heavy footsteps and then I felt myself being lifted against a large, warm body and gently set back down on top of the uncomfortable bed.

"I need to go to the hospital," I whimpered.

"Do you?" Deuce asked, "Or are you just tryin' to get the f.u.c.k away from me?"

"Yes and yes!" I snapped. "I don't often a.s.sociate with f.u.c.kwads who steal my husband then pistol whip me!"

"Eva," He said evenly. "I get you're f.u.c.kin' p.i.s.sed. "But I didn't have much of a choice."

I snorted. It hurt to do it but I did it anyway.

"Showed up at the party plannin' to take him out for what he did to Ripper, saw you there, didn't know what the f.u.c.k I was gonna do. Frankie blindsided me outside, put a f.u.c.kin' gun to my head and started spoutin' crazy. Only way I could get the drop on him was to tell him the one f.u.c.kin' thing in the world that would distract him from a kill. You know what I had to tell him, dontcha?"

Oh G.o.d. "No," I whispered.

"Yeah," He bit off. "That's when he decided to tell me about his. .h.i.t on you. Didn't know what the f.u.c.k to do at that point. Thought if I let him go he was gonna f.u.c.k you up for f.u.c.kin' me and I knew if I buried him, you were gonna be next. Didn't want either to happen, so here we f.u.c.kin' are."

"Go away," I hissed.

"Sorry darlin'. Paid for this room and I plan on gettin' my money's worth."

"Go f.u.c.k yourself," I shot back.

"Later," He said. "Right now I gotta get a girl outta her muddy clothes."

He took my chucks off first then pulled my pants down my legs and lastly he lifted my shirt over my head, leaving me in only my underwear. His eyes dropped to my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I watched as he leaned forward and lifted up his father's medallion. He stared at it, his nostrils flaring.

"It's all his f.u.c.kin' fault," He growled. Then he gave the chain a sharp tug and it broke.

I sat up too fast and gripped my head. "What are you doing?" I cried.

Deuce was storming across the room. He threw open the door and tossed the necklace outside. "Get rid of that," He barked to someone I couldn't see then slammed the door closed.

"Shoulda never given it to you," He said roughly.

My mouth fell open. "What?" I whispered.

"You heard me. You been wearin' that piece of s.h.i.t's tag for eighteen years now. For eighteen years that f.u.c.kin' b.a.s.t.a.r.d has been hangin' round your neck and I'm f.u.c.kin' sick of it."

Tears burned in my eyes. "But that was mine and you gave it to me and I loved it and I- "Shut up," He growled. "Reaper was a dirty f.u.c.kin' b.a.s.t.a.r.d who didn't care who he had to f.u.c.k, beat or kill to get his way. No way in h.e.l.l should I have ever given you somethin' that belonged to him."

My chin began to tremble. What was he trying to say? That everything that happened between us had been a mistake? I couldn't handle this right now. Not after today.

Frankie had always had problems, but to do this...to put a hit on me. Me. I'd given him everything. Me, my love, my body, my life.

I couldn't comprehend it. Or didn't want to comprehend it. Or couldn't. I didn't know.

I'd known Frankie's feelings for me had surpa.s.sed love a long time ago, if love was ever what he'd felt. Frankie had convinced himself at a very young age that he needed me to breathe. It was unhealthy for him, for me, for our relationship but I had thought I'd gotten him relatively under control. I'd been dead wrong.

And it hurt like h.e.l.l.

And now this. From Deuce.

I rolled away from him and hugged my knees to my chest. My tears started out small, leaking out of the corners of my eyes and running slowly down my nose and cheek but once I let myself go, released the pent up anger and pain, regret and guilt, my tears turned in a torrential downpour. I sobbed uncontrollably, hiccupping, gasping for air as I rocked back and forth and cried and cried until my tears ran dry.

When I woke it was light out. I didn't remember falling asleep and I certainly didn't remember falling asleep in Deuce's arms. I untangled myself from him and headed for the bathroom. I was covered in dirt, my hair was a rat's nest and I had splattered blood all over me. Not mine, Deuce's. Tentatively I felt the side of my head. I had a good size goose egg, it was tender and hurt to touch but otherwise I felt fine.

I took a long shower, standing under the spray until the water ran cold.

Feeling numb, I wrapped myself up in a towel I headed back to the bedroom. Deuce had thrown the sheet off him and rolled onto his side. Wearing nothing but his boxers, the h.e.l.l's Hors.e.m.e.n insignia tattooed on his back gleamed black against his tan skin.

He had to be nearing fifty now. His short shadow of a beard was mostly gray; the gray in his hair wasn't as easily noticeable but it was there. His body was every bit as impressive as it had always been, lined and cut in all the right places, his muscles still large and toned. He was still beautiful. The most beautiful man I'd ever seen and still the biggest a.s.shole I'd ever met.

And I loved him still. That had never changed.

I made a quick phone call to the motel office and then another to Tiny, telling him when and where to pick me up and then I climbed back into bed beside Deuce. Lying on our sides, face to face, I stared at him. G.o.d I missed him. Especially lying awake at night, thinking about all that could have been but would never be. It all revolved around him. If I could go back in time and take back what I had said about being his old lady I would. I would have become his old lady, stayed away from the club, done whatever he wanted. Been happy because I would have had him.

But it hadn't gone down that way. And there was no going back from the decisions I'd made over the years.

Without thinking, just feeling, I pushed him gently until he rolled onto his back. Then I pulled down his boxers, touching him gently at first, holding him, stroking him, once again familiarizing myself with his body.

When it came to Deuce, my body took control, my body and my heart. My brain was always on a permanent vacation in his presence.

I took him in my mouth and he groaned in his sleep, shifted a little, but kept on snoring.