Demon, page 26
I finished my beer and threw it against a wall in frustration. "I'll call in the cleaners." The place would be spotless by the time they were done, and they'd take care of the bodies, too. I gave Sax and Cole a look. "Bring those assholes to the garage."
Fifteen minutes later the van showed up. We loaded Junior, Riggs, and Fisher's bikes first. Cole made sure that Junior and Fisher's wrists and ankles were bound before we tossed them in next and closed the doors. Snake was driving, and Chewy was sitting shotgun.
"You brothers look like you been dancing," Snake said when I walked up to the door.
I ignored his comment. "Get these traitors to the warehouse. Don't break any speed limits."
He nodded. "Got it."
As soon as the van cleared the drive, we walked three streets over to where our bikes were. Bull was the only one there. He didn't grin or make any jokes about our appearances.
"Where are the girls?" Sax asked in a slightly alarmed tone. Clearly he'd been expecting to see Holly waiting for him.
"Lulu just left with them."
"Shit." That curse came from Cole. He'd already climbed on his bike, eager to be off.
"We got Junior." I knew that Bull would want to know. "Riggs and Fisher were in on it, too. Riggs is dead."
His jaw clenched.
"I'm hoping the three civilians we took out are the mercenaries we're looking for. Won't know until we question Junior."
Bull nodded, accepting the information silently. If he had anything to add with respect to the condition of our women, he wasn't offering it up.
"Let's go home, brothers."
****
Bobbie
As soon as we'd arrived back to the clubhouse, Raven and I had taken Holly to her and Sax's room and made her sink down into a hot bath. She'd probably want a shower later, but right now soaking in hot water would help with her aches and pains, and would hopefully relax her a little. She didn't seem to mind us taking over, and had even smiled slightly as she'd sunk beneath the water and laid her head back against the rim of the tub. Raven and I exchanged looks of accomplishment. Spying some Epsom salt mixed in with an array of other bath products, I plucked it off the shelf and added some to the water.
I glanced at Raven. "Honey, why don't you go shower and change before Cole gets here?" There was dried blood on her face, and her clothes were in tatters.
"You look far worse than me."
I laughed. "Thanks."
"You know what I mean."
"I do. But I've been through this before." I silently motioned toward Holly. Her eyes were closed. "I'm good." I could see that Raven was reluctant to leave. "It might be better if Cole doesn't see you looking any worse than he needs to."
She sighed with a tiny smile. "Okay." Suddenly I was wrapped up in her arms. "Thank you, Bobbie. We might not have made it out alive without you."
I doubted that. I hugged her back, and then she left the room. I looked back down at Holly. She'd submerged her whole body under the water, and came up running her hands over her wet hair. She blinked away the water before meeting my eyes.
"I don't think I'll ever feel clean again."
Her eyes were begging me to say something that would make it better, something that might even take it all away. There was so much pain and fear reflected in those brown orbs. I sat down on the rim of the tub, not caring that it was wet and cold. "Honey, I promise you that you will feel clean again."
"How?" Her bottom lip quivered.
I picked up a folded wash cloth from a stack in the corner behind her, wet it, and began to clean her face. I thought about everything that I'd done that had helped me when I’d been in her same state. "Scalding showers," I began. "Seeing a doctor. A good cry." I was being tender because she was so swollen and bruised. "I imagine it's different for everyone." Her tears were mingling with the water that was running down from her hair.
"Sax…do you think he'll still want me after this?"
"Of course," I said with force. "Sax loves you, honey. None of this was your fault. He knows that. The only blame here goes to Junior." I prayed that she believed me.
Someone cleared their throat. Sax was standing in the doorway, Demon right behind him. I quickly stood to shield Holly's nakedness from Demon with my body and walked toward them.
"Thanks, darlin'," Sax said to me, his gaze on Holly.
I met Demon's hard look when I walked around Sax to get out of the room. For some reason I felt like crumbling. I’d barely taken three steps when I found myself being picked up and carried away, wincing slightly when Demon’s arm came in contact with my bruised side. I didn't care. I buried my face against him, ignoring the urge to protest. I could walk, but Demon's arms felt strong and safe, and now that it was over and we were all safe, I could fall apart.
"Thank you for rescuing me." I kissed the side of his neck lightly. A grunt was his only acknowledgement. He had to be a bad ass. "I know that I look bad, Demon, but they never touched me." I watched the muscle flex in his strong jaw.
He took us to our room but didn't set me on my feet until we were in the bathroom. Our eyes clinging, he reached up and ran the back of his hand lightly over my cheek. I'd yet to look at myself in the mirror, but I knew I had to look a mess.
His gaze ran over my face. "You look touched to me, baby."
I opened my mouth to explain.
"I know what you mean. Lift your arms."
I didn't question him. I raised my arms, and Demon pulled my tee over my head. He sucked in his breath.
His hand lightly smoothed over the place where I'd been kicked. "Fuck, babe, they worked you over."
"That's what you get when you fight back," I whispered.
A smile ghosted across his lips. He reached around me and undid my bra, letting it fall to the floor with my shirt. Then his hands went to my waist. There was something sexy about a man undoing your pants, under the right conditions. But sex was the last thing on my mind in that moment. When my pants and undies were on the floor he turned on the shower, ordering me in once the water was adjusted.
I didn't argue, but I did cry out when the sting of hot water hit my face. I carefully poked my cheeks, nose, and jaw, praying nothing felt broken. Not that I would know. Everything felt puffy and tender. I carefully washed my face and my hair before working down my sore body. I felt clean when I got out, but a bath would have probably been better.
Demon was sitting on the commode waiting for me with a towel in his hands. I knew instinctively to step over to him. When I got close enough he opened the towel up and began to tenderly run it over my face, neck, and then further down. He seemed focused on drying me off, his eyes following his hands, while my gaze ran over his beaten face.
I reached up and cupped his jaw. "Someone should be doing this for you." I ran my thumb over his split lip, and then I leaned in and kissed it.
"I can take care of myself, babe."
"So can I."
His gaze held mine. "I know you can." He brought the towel around my hips and pulled me closer, between his thighs.
That put my breasts in his face. His eyes dropped to them, and then he was kissing me between them. The feel of his warm lips against my chilled flesh caused me to shiver. I rested my hands on his shoulders as his mouth moved over my flesh in loving kisses. At least, I wanted to believe they were loving.
Then suddenly he pulled back, capturing my gaze. "We need to talk."
Did anything good ever come after those four little words?
God, I hoped so.
Chapter 31
Bobbie
I was waiting for Demon to finish his shower when I heard a knock on the door. I didn't open it right away because I was only wearing panties and one of Demon's t-shirts. "Who is it?"
"It's Lulu, honey. I have dinner for you two."
Food! I opened the door excitedly, happy to see the big tray of food in her hands. "God, that looks good. I'm starved." I moved so that she could come inside.
"Demon called a few minutes ago and asked me to bring it up."
"Did you cook it?" Everyone knew she was the best cook of the club girls.
She nodded eagerly. "It's leftovers from last night, which is rare. I figured you'd rather eat that than what Mitzi cooked tonight." She set the tray on the counter.
"You're so right, honey." Mitzi was a terrible cook. My gaze was fixed on the food, the delicious aroma causing me to salivate. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and two big pieces of chocolate cake for dessert. My belly began to rumble, bringing laughter to both of us. "Did you bring Holly and Raven something to eat?" I walked with her to the door.
"I think Cole and Raven took off for home. Sax came down and fixed Holly a plate, though." She turned back toward me at the door. "No one is talking, but looking at your face, well, I can imagine what you went through. I'm so sorry, honey." There was sadness in her chocolate eyes.
"Thanks, Lulu. We'll be okay, though. Our men will see to that."
She nodded. "That's why I stay. The men here are good guys. They treat me right."
I knew Lulu believed that, but I hoped some day she'd meet someone who would take her away from all this. She deserved a better life than that of a club whore. She was such a sweet little thing. It wouldn't take much for one of the men to hurt her tiny frame, or her big heart.
When I turned to go back to the kitchen, Demon was standing where the food was. He broke off a piece of cake and stuffed it into his mouth. "That's dessert," I scolded.
All he had on was a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips, revealing the perfect definition of his Adonis belt, that sexy V muscle that ran diagonally to his big cock. The material of his pants did nothing to disguise the size and length of his massive tool of pleasure. I snickered at my internal description of it. Demon was very good at using that tool. Especially when he was running it through my slit and teasing my clit, turning me into a mindless mess.
I couldn't pull my eyes away, until Demon made a sound that broke through the fantasy running through my head. I blushed at my thoughts, sensing that he knew what I was thinking.
He slowly shook his head. "No, you're dessert," he said in a husky voice. His look seemed to strip me bare, his gaze moving over me in a lazy caress. "I like my shirts on you."
I knew that he did, and I had started wearing them to bed a few nights ago. I moved to the other side of the counter, away from him. The tray of food was between us.
"We eat. We talk. Then we sleep."
That sounded like a great plan to me. I ached all over, and was mentally stressed and physically exhausted.
"Doc is coming by after he sees Holly."
I reached for one of the plates of food and placed in front of me. "I'm okay."
He grunted and raised a hand to halt me from saying more when I glanced up. "Don't argue with me, woman. I know you like to think of yourself as strong and resilient, but the truth is your face is a mess and I'm worried about your ribs."
I swallowed what was in my mouth, returning the look of determination in his eyes with the amusement I felt over his concern. "I am strong and resilient."
"Not going to argue with you about it," he said around a bite of food.
"You're so…," I tried to think of a strong enough word that would get across my frustration with Demon’s controlling ways. Demon continued chewing, a smug look on his chiseled face. "Bossy!" I finally came up with, watching his lips turn up at the corners. I crammed some green beans into my mouth.
"My club," he said arrogantly when his mouth was empty.
"You forget, Demon, I'm not part of the club. I'm just, um, visiting, like Julia."
A muscle twitched in his jaw, revealing that he didn’t like what I'd said. Why? I wonder, when it was true? At least that's how I felt. He'd asked me to stay, but I knew men like Demon didn't commit to the women in their lives. Their lifestyle wasn't conducive to serious relationships that went beyond the bedroom. Even though there were some who'd gotten lucky enough to find that special person and were willing to give it a try, Demon had been there before and had failed.
Why would he want to try a second time?
Especially from a woman who he was already getting what he wanted from?
He studied me as he continued to shovel his dinner into his mouth, chewing continually. I was taking my time. My jaw hurt like a mother, and my tongue was sore where I'd bitten down on it during one particular nasty punch. I wasn't Demon or any of his brothers. I couldn't muscle through the pain like they did.
We were back to being silent again, so I was glad when there was a knock on the door. A sharp bellow came from Demon for them to come in. "Enter!"
"Jesus, Demon, this is the third fucking call this week. At this rate, I'll be able to retire early."
The club doctor came in, carrying a small black bag. It was obvious that he was a member of the club. I'd seen him before, but this was the first time I'd studied his characteristics. He had the look and the vest, yet his features weren't as weathered and stamped with evidence of the tough demanding life that they lived as some of the other brothers. His long, brown hair was tied back, exposing a purple birthmark on the side of his thick neck that strangely resembled the state of Alaska.
He walked directly toward me, the smile on his mouth meeting the humor in his green eyes. "Fuck, sweetheart, who used your face as a punching bag?" He set his bag down next to my plate and immediately took my chin in his hand.
"Who gave you that impressive hickey on your neck?" I teased as he turned my face one way and then the other. I figured that if he were self-conscious about it he would have worn his hair down to cover it up. I was right. His grin grew into a friendly wink.
"I'll never tell," he quipped, examining my face tenderly. "This hurt?"
"Yes!" I pulled away when he poked my cheek.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Nothing appears broken. You got lucky."
"Tell that to my tongue."
He pulled back slightly, his expression questioning.
"I bit it when I was hit."
He laughed. Demon groaned, clearly not happy with our lighthearted banter. Jealous, maybe? I could only hope.
"I want her ribs checked, too," he said from his side of the counter.
"You took a body hit?" The doctor began to lift my tee. "Let me see."
"Nothing shy about you, is there?" I giggled, glancing across the counter at Demon. Demon wasn't amused at all.
The doctor didn't meet my eyes. Instead, he focused on the bright coloring on my side. "I'm a doctor. Hold your arms up." He bunched my tee beneath my breasts, holding it out of the way with one hand.
He poked and prodded at my ribs. I sucked in my breath when he jabbed a particularly tender spot. I twitched to the side, but he followed me with his fingers, jabbing it again. "Ouch!' I hissed, hoping that he got the message.
I wondered what was going through Demon's mind as he watched, his massive arms crossed over his chest, his jaw set in stone, mouth tight. There was no disguising the concern in his eyes. He watched the doctor's movements like a hawk. He could not have cared less that I was standing there in nothing but a lacy thong, exposing most of my body as another man’s--a sexy man's--hands touched me. It wasn't until the doctor began to examine my belly that Demon's gaze dropped to the triangle between my legs, causing me to grow hot inside.
"You are one lucky woman, sweetheart." The doctor let my shirt drop and stood back to open his bag. "I'm going to leave you with some pain pills and a recommendation that you rest the next few days. Put some ice on the swelling on your face. It will help with the pain, too. A hot soak in the tub will help the soreness of your body." He set a pill bottle down on the counter. "Follow the directions on this bottle. Do you want me to look at your tongue?"
I snorted.
"Fuck, no," Demon answered roughly. "You've checked out my woman enough. I wanted to make sure nothing was broken."
The doctor and I exchanged a smile, and then I got serious, thinking of Holly. "You examined Holly?"
The look in his eyes turned serious, almost angry. "Yeah, sweetheart."
He shot Demon a look. I could tell that he was hesitant to say anything that might be too much. He may have been a member of the club, but he was also a doctor, and he obviously took doctor-patient confidentiality seriously. I put my hand on his arm to draw his attention back to me. "I know what she went through."
He nodded. "Make sure she follows through with seeing her gynecologist." Suddenly he was studying me.
I shook my head at his silent question. Demon would most likely draw his own conclusions after he’d heard Doc's last comment. "I will."
The doctor's gaze moved back to Demon. "Do I need to take a look at your booboos while I'm here?" he joked, nodding towards Demon's recent gunshot wounds."
"Get the fuck out of here, Doc," he growled.
Doc grabbed his bag. "I will examine those wounds at the next church." His tone revealed that he wouldn't be brushed off a second time. He left the room quietly.
"Are we going to talk now?" I asked once I heard the door close behind the doctor. I put my plate back onto the tray next to Demon's. His plate was completely empty.
"Yeah." He picked up a fork and speared a piece of meatloaf that I hadn't eaten. "Can't waste good meatloaf, baby." It didn't surprise me when he turned to the fridge and pulled out two beers. "I want you to take a couple of pain pills."
I laughed softly. "With beer?"
He shrugged with a smirk. "I take shit with alcohol all the time."
I arched a brow and glared at him for a few moments as if he were crazy. He removed the cap and handed one to me. "These will probably knock me out." I popped two capsules into my mouth and swallowed them down with a drink of beer. "So, what are we going to talk about?"
I followed him with my eyes when he walked around the counter and came toward me. He reached for my hand, grabbed both bottles of beer with his other, and tugged me toward the sofa. My hand felt so small wrapped up in his big paw, but then, everything about Demon made me feel small. When we reached the couch he sat down on the end and pulled me down next to him. He handed me a beer and took a big drink from his bottle.
