Toxic (Satan's Death Riders MC Book 1), page 13
“Morning,” he said.
She offered him a smile. “Morning.”
“I got you coffee and there might or might not be food arriving.”
Rosalie chuckled. “I’ve, er, I’ve got to get to work. If you want to come to the diner, there will be the breakfast menu. It’s pretty popular on a Saturday morning.”
He held out the coffee to her, which she took. Colt stared at her and she looked up at him.
“I’m talking to Warden today,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“I’m going to demand some conditions.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” He took a sip of his coffee and watched as she blew across the surface of her coffee. “You’ve got to come and live with me.”
Rosalie frowned. “These will be Warden’s conditions?”
“They’re mine, and since you’re my wife, I think it’s only fair that you and I come to an arrangement, as it affects you and me the most,” he said.
“Oh.”
“I get it, you don’t want to be here with me and I didn’t want to be there with you. Neither of us wanted this, but why not make the most of the shit we’ve got?” He sat down beside her. “You could be pregnant with my child.”
“I’m on my period, Colt. There is not going to be a baby.”
He put his coffee down on the drawer unit beside his bed and then reached out to grab her hands, after taking her cup from her as well. “Not right now, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be one.”
“Why are you doing this?” Rosalie asked.
“Because you’re my wife, and you’re not Daemon’s. You were raised by your mother, and I see that now. You’re nothing like him. You’re trying to protect those you love. I can relate. This club, my parents, I would do anything for them.” Even if it means getting a woman he had no feelings for to fall in love with him.
Getting Rosalie on his side was part of his plan. Daemon expected him to fall in love, but that was never going to happen. He wouldn’t be able to love anything even remotely related to Daemon.
“You want to make this work?” Rosalie asked.
“Why not? Don’t you think we have what it takes?”
“I honestly don’t know.” She sniffled. “I … I never wanted to get married.”
“Come on, every woman wants to get married.”
“It was my mother’s dream, not mine.” She shrugged. “She wanted me to find a man, fall in love, and have that happily ever after she never got.”
“You can’t feel guilty,” he said.
“It’s because of me that she is where she is,” Rosalie said.
“No, it’s not. Daemon’s the reason, not you.” He gripped the back of her neck and forced her to look at him. “Don’t carry that guilt. It is not yours.”
He looked at her lips and couldn’t deny how tempting they were.
She licked her lips, nibbling at the corner. “I need to get to work.”
“I’m going to need your answer,” Colt said.
She looked at him and he had to wait, wondering what she was thinking.
“Okay,” she said. “I … let’s see if we can make this work.”
****
“You’re going to be living with Colt?” Petal asked.
“Yes.”
“And you think this is a good idea?”
Rosalie sighed and stopped filling up the salt pots. The diner had been closed for one hour as Al had to go to one of his suppliers since the delivery driver had claimed no one was around to collect the order. They had watched the large truck come into the parking lot, turn around, and then pull immediately back out.
“No, it’s not a good idea.”
“But you’re intrigued by Colt?” Petal asked. “Are you falling for him?”
“No, I’m not falling for him. No, I don’t trust him. Believe me, I know that deep down, Colt is exactly like my father.”
Petal wrinkled her nose.
“Fine, he won’t necessarily go to the extreme lengths Daemon has gone to, but he has his own agenda. It doesn’t take a doctorate or some special powers to deduct that between my father and Colt, they’re using me as a pawn.” Rosalie shrugged. “I get that.”
“And you think Colt is being nice for what?” Petal asked.
“Simple, to make me fall in love with him.”
Petal started to laugh.
“I know it sounds stupid, believe me, I do, but he’s going to try and win me over. He’s going for the nice guy routine but nothing is going to change who I am.”
“You’re nothing like Daemon,” Petal said.
“I know that. He’s still my father and to guys like Colt, that’s never going to change.”
“What are you going to do then?” Petal asked.
“Whatever it takes to make sure my mother is safe. That’s all I want to do. All I have to do.” She rubbed at her temple, feeling the start of a migraine. Colt had dropped her off at work, but he’d not lingered. Food had been arriving as they made their way downstairs at the clubhouse.
Rosalie didn’t know what their agreement meant, but she already planned to head home and pack a suitcase. She wanted her mother moved, or someone with her at all times. Her mother had to be protected.
“You do realize it is not your responsibility.”
“You’ve seen my mom,” Rosalie said. “I know it’s not my responsibility but I’m all she’s got.”
“I love your mom, Rose. You know that, but what about you?” Petal asked. “I’ve watched you for years, always taking care of her. Never putting yourself first. There was that time several years ago when you wanted to go the movies but because you saw that bike in the driveway, you canceled. You never saw that movie.”
“Movies are just things, Petal. They’re not important.”
“And you’re putting your life on hold, for what?” Petal asked. “Don’t you see, you married a man because you’ve been forced into it. I know you’re meant to carry his baby. You’re doing all of this for your mother’s protection, but what about you?”
“What about me? I’m fine.”
“You’re married, Rose. You’re not cold or unfeeling. You’ve never been able to switch your emotions on and off. Now, you’re making a deal with a guy that’s going to involve you in his world. A world you didn’t want to be a part of. You’ve told me this.”
“I know what he’s doing.”
“But that is not going to stop you from falling in love. Who is going to protect you when your world falls apart? When the game is at its final conclusion? What are you going to do when you’re heartbroken because you’ve lost your usefulness and you have a couple of kids to go along with it?”
Rosalie looked to her friend and shrugged. “You?”
“You’ll always have me, Rose, you know that. But I need to know that through all this, you’re going to give me something I can work with at the end.” Petal moved toward her. She cupped her face. “You’re tough and you’re strong. I know it’s going to take some breaking, but this isn’t something you’ve done before.”
“Then you’ve got to remind me all the time that it’s a game,” Rosalie said. “That if I think Colt is changing, you remind me it’s a plan.”
“I get to be the one to break your bubble?” Petal asked.
“You get to be the one to keep my feet firmly on the ground.”
“And you’d do it for me?”
“In a heartbeat.” Rosalie hated that the tears started to fall.
Petal pulled her in close. “I know you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, but I don’t like it. Do you think we’d be able to find any contract killers that would take out your dad for like a twenty? Max fifty?”
Rosalie burst out laughing. “There are probably men and women out there willing to do it for such a steal, but I don’t think they’d be any good.”
They both started to laugh.
“I love you,” Petal said.
“I love you too.”
She held onto her friend, not wanting to let go. Negotiating with Colt, she had not once thought about herself. She wasn’t important, not in her eyes. Her mother was, and Petal. She could take care of herself.
“I better finish filling these.”
“And I better go and make a space out back. Al will be back with that order.”
Their boss always got what he wanted and the moment he’d seen the truck leaving his parking lot, he’d been pissed. He flipped the “open” sign, “closed,” told everyone to enjoy their food, but that he needed to close to fix something.
Rosalie finished filling the pots of salt and pepper. Next, she moved onto the sugar, and then placed them back on the tables.
An hour later, Al appeared, with the truck following him. They spent the rest of the day taking stock of his delivery. Al was extra picky in what he accepted from them. Since it was a couple of hours late, even a lettuce head with the merest hint of brown was turned away. He didn’t open the shop for the remainder of the day, a rare occurrence for him, but he wasn’t in the mood to cook. Al looked pissed off.
She and Petal headed outside, but Rosalie stopped when she caught sight of Colt, waiting.
“And so it begins,” Petal said.
“My heart didn’t race when I saw him. I don’t have stars in my eyes, okay?”
Petal shrugged. “I’m going to keep it real for you.”
She hugged her friend and then headed over to Colt. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you. You’re heading home, right, pack a suitcase?”
“Yeah.”
“Gabrielle already told my mom.”
“Oh,” Rosalie said.
“And my mom is spending a few days with your mom. They’re doing something, I can’t remember what,” Colt said.
“Already?”
“Yeah, and my dad wants to talk to you. He’s back at the clubhouse. I told him I’d take you there after we get your stuff.”
“That was quick.”
“We don’t mess around, and you’re family.”
Rosalie smiled at him.
He stepped away from the car and held open the door. “For my lady.”
She looked toward Petal, who hadn’t left the parking lot. Climbing behind the wheel, she held herself still, trying not to make a move, just keeping her thoughts on what was important.
If Colt and the Satan’s Death Riders MC had people watching her, she had to assume her father did as well.
Once inside his car, she looked toward Petal, but her friend was now pulling out of the parking lot. Colt climbed behind the wheel, turning over the ignition.
“I didn’t know you were coming to get me,” Rosalie said.
“I’m going to take care of you, Rosalie. I meant what I said.”
She wanted to correct him in calling her Rose.
“Why is your name shortened down to Rose?” Colt asked. “It made more sense to me to call you Rosa?”
“My mom likes roses, and I don’t know, it’s what she said to me growing up. Rosie, Rose, that’s what she would call me. Never Rosa.”
“Ah, makes sense. So, your mom called you Rose?”
“Yeah.”
Sitting back in the car, Rosalie didn’t know what else to say to him.
“Do you remember anything before your mom?” Colt asked.
“You’ve already asked me this. Is there something you know that you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing. Just trying to get to know you. It seems strange is all, Daemon having a kid that he has nothing to do with.”
“I wasn’t a son.”
“Do you know you have a brother?”
“I’ve never met him.” She shrugged. “I’m guessing he has a lot of kids.”
“He doesn’t, actually,” Colt said. “Just the one son I mentioned. Bug.”
“Bug?”
“Yeah.”
“You really weren’t making that up? That’s a horrible name.”
Colt chuckled.
They arrived at her mother’s house. Rosalie climbed out of the car and headed up toward the garden path, to the front door. She slid her key into the lock, aware of Colt joining her.
She stepped into her home, like she had done so many other times before, but this was different. She never had a guy with her.
“Er, make yourself at home,” she said.
Without looking at him, she walked upstairs, going as fast as she could to get to her room. Opening the door, she went straight to her closet and grabbed a suitcase.
“So, this is your room,” Colt said.
She dropped the suitcase onto the bed. “You’re supposed to wait downstairs.”
“You told me to make myself at home, so I am.”
“Downstairs, not in my bedroom.”
Colt smiled and she hated that he looked … sexy? No, that wasn’t it, it couldn’t possibly be it. She was used to his frown and the glare. They were easy for her to deal with.
“You’ve never had a guy in your room,” he said.
“So?”
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous. I’m a full-grown woman.”
“Do you think your mom will be pissed if she sees me here?”
“Colt, you’re my husband, not a boy from school. She wouldn’t care.”
He sat down on her bed and leaned over, propping his head up onto his hand. “And you never had boys in your room?”
“Petal stayed in my room, not boys.” She rolled her eyes.
“You do that a lot,” he said.
“What?”
“Roll your eyes. It’s cute. So are you and Petal, like, a thing?”
“A thing?”
“You know, together?”
“You’re asking me if I’m in a relationship with my best friend?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“There you go again. Petal and I are besties. We’re the sisters we never had. We’ve always had each other’s backs, and no, there are no sexual feelings at all.”
“You’re together all the time.”
“She’s not here now,” Rosalie said.
“But she’s everywhere. If I was to attempt to take you for a weekend, you’re telling me she wouldn’t turn up at my place or the clubhouse?” Colt picked up one of her camisole tops, and she took it from him, neatly folding it.
“I’m not saying a thing. Petal cares, okay?”
“And will she give me the chance to care?”
“What are you doing?” Rosalie asked. “What is this?”
“This is me attempting to be nice,” Colt said, shrugging. “Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s weird. I’m used to … moody Colt. He’s a little easier to deal with.”
Colt laughed. “You’re going to have to get used to nice Colt.” He got to his feet and moved toward her closet. “You don’t own a lot of dresses.”
“I’ve not had many reasons to wear one.” She finished grabbing a couple more pairs of jeans as well as dungarees. “I won’t be able to dress like your club girls.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t mind.”
“Seriously? I thought you’d be used to scantily clad women.”
“Are you jealous?”
“No, why would I be jealous?” she asked, turning toward him.
“I’m your husband. Isn’t it normal for wives to get jealous of women attempting to poach?”
Rosalie chuckled. “You and I don’t have a proper marriage. You’ve probably been screwing those women anyway.” She wrinkled her nose. “You have been wearing a condom, haven’t you? Do I need to go and get myself tested?”
Colt moved toward her far drawers and opened them, finding several pairs of panties. “Sexy,” he said. She walked toward him and snatched them out of his hands.
“Stop it.”
“No, no, and no.”
“Huh?”
“No, I’ve not been screwing women. No, I’ve not been wearing a condom, because the only woman I’ve been with in the past few months is you, and no, you don’t need to get tested. I’m clean.”
Rosalie folded her arms beneath her breasts and looked at him. “You expect me to believe that?”
“You don’t have to believe it, but it’s the truth. I haven’t been with any other women.”
She looked at him, there was no telltale sign that he was lying. She didn’t know him well enough to be able to detect anything.
“What about that woman last night?”
“Raine?”
“Is that her name?”
“Yeah, she wants to suck my dick, but I won’t let her.”
“She told me that you belong to her.”
Colt frowned. “When?”
She looked away and sighed. “At the hen party your mother organized.”
“Look, I’m not going to lie to you, Rosalie. I want this to work between us. Have I fucked Raine in the past? Yes, I have. There are a few women at the club I’ve screwed. I’m not a saint, I didn’t come to this marriage a virgin. I can’t change that.”
Rosalie didn’t want his confession to affect her.
“I know that.”
She hated that it hurt. Why did it hurt? She didn’t know him. He meant nothing to her, so this was stupid. She shouldn’t care. He was just using her to get to her father. She knew this. Just as she was going to use him to protect her mother. They were doing this to each other, and that was okay. More than okay.
“Rosalie?” Colt asked.
“What?”
“There hasn’t been anyone else, not since before you and I met, and you can ask any of the brothers at the club.”
For several seconds she stared at him, not exactly sure what to say or think. Should she believe him? Did she have any reason to not believe him? She thought about that woman back at the bar, the one who’d been close to him, or at least trying to get close.
“I can see you have doubts. Ask any of my club brothers if you’d like.”
“Why would I trust what they say?” she asked. “They could easily lie for you.”
Colt stepped closer, and she had no choice but to tilt her head back to look at him. “They wouldn’t lie about this. They already think it’s weird that I haven’t been screwing the sluts at the club.”
“You shouldn’t call them sluts,” she said.
He chuckled. “You’re the only person I’ve been fucking, Rosalie.”
