Devil's Savior

CHAPTER 8

I think my brain just shut down. I understand the words my best friend just said to me. I’m not even surprised by them, not really. Still, the knowledge that my best friend in the entire fucking world, the woman I consider my soul sister, is growing an entire new human to bring into this world, shocks me completely.

I knew this would happen. She’s married to a man who does not even try to hide his desire for her; not that he should.

“Holy shit,” I whisper before I practically launch myself into my best friend’s lap and hug her like I’m a damn octopus. I rear back from her just as quickly and hiss, “I shouldn’t hug you too tight, you’re pregnant.”

Wrenley’s laughter is damn near melodious as she grins at me. I study her and realize that I should have guessed what was going on with her the moment I saw her. The woman is glowing.

And I’m not just saying that because she’s like a sister to me and I love her deeply.

“Are you feeling okay? Have you had any morning sickness? How far along are you?” I start to fire questions at her rapid fire without even giving her a chance to hear them let alone answer them. But I’m a roll and I’m not nearly done. “Who else knows? Do you want a boy or a girl? Have you thought about names? Tell me that we’re designing the cutest nursery there ever was in your house.” I pause and narrow my eyes at her, daring her to tell me no. “I’m their godmother, right?”

Wrenley’s hand shoots out and she covers my mouth as her eyes dart around the room. “Reid told the inner circle because of some discussion they had the other day about safety, but we haven’t told anyone else yet.”

I lick her hand and she recoils, her face twisting up in disgust.

I lean into her so she can hear me better because now that I know this needs to be super secret spy level information, I refuse to be the one to let the cat out of the bag. “You haven’t even told Cherise?” Wrenley shakes her head slowly and I grimace. “But Lucifer knows?”

“Yeah,” she holds out the word, wincing the entire time.

I lean back against the couch, forgetting momentarily about the amount of fucking, amongst other acts, it has seen. I whistle softly, my eyes darting around the room as well. It looks like a normal party tonight, but there is a certain tension that has me curious.

“You better tell her soon before someone spills the beans,” I warn her.

“I know. I just wanted to give it some time to sink in. Reid was the only person who knew, but there was a meeting the other day and he felt like he needed to share with the rest of the ranked brothers.”

I perk up slightly, her words from earlier and safety really sinking in. “I bet that’s why Crosby has been acting strangely the last few days.”

Wrenley’s eyes go so wide I’m almost a little concerned for her, but then her face morphs into one of triumph as she smirks. There’s a teasing lilt to her voice, “So it’s Crosby now, huh? Aren’t you the same person who told me that you were refusing to call him anything other than his road name?”

My cheeks heat and I look away from the too curious eyes of my friend. I’ll crack under her scrutiny if I’m not careful.

I’ve barely come to terms with accepting what Crosby is offering.

“I told her that if she called me by my road name one more time then I was going to spank her ass bright red,” Crosby’s voice is seduction wrapped up in sun-warmed silk and I jump in surprise as I look up at him with wide eyes.

He has my drink in one hand and a beer in the other. Prodigal chuckles as he wiggles his eyebrows at Wrenley, and she blushes as well. What is it with these bikers?

When I take the drink he offers to me, our fingers touch, and warmth glides from the point of contact until it envelops my entire body. The way he smiles at me tells me that he knows exactly what kind of effect he has on me.

Damn this man.

I make a shooing motion with my hand, “Thank you for the drink, but go away. There are still so many questions that I need answers to.” I look at Prodigal and give him a huge smile before lowering my voice slightly, “Congratulations, by the way.”

The look of love Prodigal gives Wrenley has my heart clenching. There is so much warmth and acceptance in his eyes. It’s everything my best friend has always deserved.

There have been times over the years when I’ve been worried as hell about Wrenley. When her sister died at the age of 18, we were both 13 and already long-time best friends. Jessica’s death was unexpected, tragic, and a complete twist of fate.

Her parents did not take Jessica’s death very well and basically abandoned their only other child while wallowing in their grief. I wasn’t going to lose my best friend and did not hesitate to be the support and family that she needed.

The other twist? Way back when Jessica died, Prodigal was her boyfriend. They were in love and totally couple goals in the eyes of two newly teenaged girls.

It’s strange the turns that life takes you on. These two people, both devastated by the loss of one person, but in different ways, found each other. The way they fell in love wasn’t easy and Prodigal had to get over his own shit and out of his own damn way but look at them now.

Crosby crouches down in front of me and palms my cheek. My eyes snap to his and I’m lost in his dark eyes for a moment as he studies me. “You’re not mad at me now that you know the secret too?”

“I don’t know,” there’s a slight teasing to my words, “I think you might owe me one since you kept me in the dark.”

The smile that curls on his lips is pure sin and my nipples harden instantly. “I probably owe you more than one,” he bargains, proving he is the worst negotiator ever.

At least when it comes to me.

I roll my eyes before taking a big sip of my drink. It’s the only defense I have because I’m a heartbeat away from launching myself at him and begging him to take me up to the room I know he still has at the clubhouse. Wrenley would understand, but this is something that deserves my undivided attention.

There’s no way I can focus with Crosby so close.

“I might just have to cash in later,” I murmur.

I’m not prepared for Crosby leaning in and brushing his lips over mine. It’s a chaste kiss and it’s over way too soon, but it still sends a shockwave through my system.

He drops his hand from my face, and I miss the contact immediately. As he stands slowly, my gaze roams over his body.

No man should have the muscular thighs he does or fill out a pair of jeans like he can. It’s criminal, honestly.

Prodigal hands Wrenley a drink which I have no doubt is non-alcoholic. He kisses her so damn softly that it makes my heart clench with happiness for her. He whispers against her lips, “Do you need anything before I’m banished to the other side of the room?”

“No, I’m good. Go and do manly things while we have girl time,” she urges him.

He gives her one last kiss before standing up and flashing me a smile. As the men head back into the middle of the party, we both watch them go like they’re a Vegas show. And I’m not a little bit ashamed about it. We’re not the only ones watching either. The angels look on, but I’m sure that none of them will approach the guys. While I can’t imagine it’s the same in all MCs, but when it comes to the men of the DSMC, they hold their old ladies as sacred.

And they don’t fuck around on them.

And they treat them like gold.

I’ve met the old ladies from some of the older club brothers and they’re all awesome women, but they don’t come out and party very often. Cherise is the one old lady that is always around. Well, and now Wrenley.

“You would look hot as fuck in a property cut,” Wrenley teases and I turn to her and stick out my tongue.

We look at each other, our faces serious, for a beat before we both start giggling. I give my friend another hug, excitement filling me at the thought of being an aunt. Because we might not be blood, but that doesn’t mean anything.

Not when we’re family.

“So, spill,” I tell prompt her and settle in to hear all the details. “Are you excited?”

Wrenley fucking beams at me, and I have my answer without her saying a word. “Ecstatic,” she confesses. “We’ve been trying since the honeymoon in Seattle. I wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast, but this is exactly what we both want.”

I reach over and give her hand a squeeze while assuring her, “You’re going to be the best mom.”

Vulnerability fills her brown eyes as she looks at me. Her voice is so small when she asks, “You think so?” She gnaws on her bottom lip for a moment before adding, “You know I haven’t had the greatest example of motherhood overall.”

Her eyes go unfocused for a moment, and I know she’s thinking about when she did have a mother in her life who cared about her. That was before grief took her away. Even though I was there and watched it all unfold, I can’t begin to imagine how it would feel to not only lose your sister, but your parents as well.

It had to hurt even more because her parents were still alive. They simply couldn’t get past their grief. And in losing themselves to something that wasn’t under their control and couldn’t be changed, they also lost their other child. They also lost themselves.

They had so much life left to live and so much more to celebrate with their youngest daughter. Even as a teenager, that was what I never understood about how everything went down. They still had a reason to keep going, they still had a child to focus on.

But, then again, I’ve never lost someone like they did. Just because I can’t wrap my mind around the whole thing doesn’t mean they don’t deserve some compassion and empathy from me.

It’s the fact that they hurt my best friend and made her feel worthless that I won’t be able to let go of anytime soon.

My eyes are fiercely blazing when I meet Wrenley’s gaze. “Have we ever let each other fail at anything?” She shakes her head. “Do you love this little life you’re growing?”

“With everything in me,” she whispers, “but I’m also terrified.”

“And that is why you’re going to be the best mom. Because you love them already and you care about whether you’re going to be good at it or not. If you didn’t care and weren’t worried, then I would be a little bit concerned.” I shrug one shoulder and smile cheekily. “You’re going to fuck up. All parents do, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to rock motherhood as well.”

She groans and tilts her head back. “Stop being so smart and let me wallow in my fear and concerns, please?”

I laugh and it doesn’t take more than a few seconds before she joins me. I hug her again to show her that I’m right here, next to her, and that I support her. I have no intention of going anywhere. Especially not when I have a little niece or nephew on the way.

When we sit back, we share a smile. For a moment, we let the happiness that comes with knowing she’s pregnant wrap around us. It’s awesome news and I am so excited for her.

The silence stretches between us, but it’s not awkward. It never is with us.

“I think I might have been too hasty in pushing him away,” I admit quietly.

“You were,” she admits, not trying to soften the blow of her words even a little bit. “I even told you that you were, and yet here we are.”

“I thought best friends weren’t supposed to play the ‘I told you so’ card?”

She smirks at me and shakes her head. “Pretty sure the opposite is true. Who else is going to check you when you’re being stupid? Pointing it out later when you come to the same realization is like best friend catnip.”

I roll my eyes and groan, “I’m working on it.” The understanding on her face along with the soft smile soothes a sliver of the worry inside of me about opening up to a man who could easily ruin me. “I rode on the back of his bike tonight. He even has a special glittery helmet just for me.”

Wrenley’s mouth drops open, and her eyes widen. “That means something to these men, Sioux,” her voice is imploring.

“I know,” I admit. “It means something to me too.” I wave my hand dismissively, unable to talk about it anymore when I’m still wrapping my head around it all. “Now, I want to talk about,” my voiced drops to a whisper, “baby stuff.”

Wrenley’s eyes light up and we spend the next however long making plans. She tells me all about her vision for a nursery, whether she has a girl or a boy. We light up as we think about baby clothes and shoes.

The entire time I can feel Crosby’s eyes on me and it’s a feeling I welcome.

Knowing he’s looking at me also has me more turned on than I want to admit to myself. Flashes of the night we spent together, the way he touched me and made me fall apart in his arms, make it difficult to concentrate on the conversation with Wrenley.

But I manage. Barely.

When Cherise comes over and sits on the couch with us, all the talk about babies stops. And it’s awkward as hell. From the way Cherise looks between us, she knows something is up.

I expect her to push, but she just gives us a serene smile. The pride and acceptance shining in her eyes as she looks at Wrenley has my heart becoming even fuller.

Wrenley has a family. No matter what happens, they’ll take care of her.

A small gnome sized green eyed jealousy monster rears it’s head as I take in the property cuts both women are wearing. I’ve ignored my desire to have one as well because then I would have to admit that I wanted Crosby to be mine.

With those lies crumbling around me and falling through my fingers like sand, I start to see a picture of how my future could be. It involves being on the back of Crosby’s bike, the wind cradling us, leather wrapped around me, and his patch on my back.

It’s a nice dream. One I hope can come to fruition.

“You ladies look like you’re having fun,” Cherise is all smiles. She looks at me, her eyes going soft. “I’m so glad to see you doing so much better Sioux. How has your recovery been recently?”

Whenever someone brought up the shooting unexpectedly before, it felt like a bucket of ice was being poured over me. I’m surprised when it doesn’t feel that way this time.

Maybe it’s because I know her concern is coming from a genuine place, and she has no desire to bring up the pain. Maybe it’s because I’m, finally, learning how to move on from the trauma.

Maybe it’s because I can feel Crosby’s eyes on me like a caress and I’m not shying away from the sensation for the first time.

“I’m doing so much better, Cherise, thank you.” Wrenley’s eyes go wide, clearly, she was expecting a different reaction from me. She’s not wrong—I would have shut down emotionally before. I feel stronger tonight, though, and not just physically. “I see my doctor next week and should finally sign off my full recovery. With the approval of my physical therapist, of course.”

Cherise’s eyes light up and she claps her hands together. “That’s wonderful news, cher. We’ve all be worried about you and cheering on your recovery.”

Warmth fills my chest. “I know you have. I’ve felt it and I’ve certainly needed it some days.” I shake my head but can’t help but smile. “PT has kicked my ass more than I would like to admit but knowing you all have my back has helped me more than you’ll ever know.”

Cherie’s smile turns sly as she glances toward the bar where I know Prodigal and Crosby have stationed themselves for most of the night, only leaving when they’ve brought over new drinks when needed. “Are you sure it’s us as a whole that has helped to keep you motivated? Or perhaps one biker in particular?”

My cheeks grow warm at the implication, but I also can’t find it in me to deny her words. “Maybe,” I hedge which earns a giggle from Wrenley and Cherise.

The older woman searches my eyes for a moment before giving me a knowing look. “I know that look,” she points toward my face with her words. “I’ve seen it before,” she nods toward Wrenley, “on others and myself. You’re smitten with your very own biker. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ranks of old lady grow by one very soon.”

“I,” I start, but I’m not even sure what to say. Finally, I sigh and let my insecurities and vulnerabilities show, “I’m afraid to get hurt. It’s why I’ve been trying to keep him at a distance.” I huff and roll my eyes, thinking about how stubborn he is. “Not that it’s mattered much. He’s stubborn as hell.”

Cherise nods solemnly, “These biker men might be rough around the edges and even scary to those who don’t know them, but they know what they want, and they go for it without apologies or remorse. It’s something to love about them, not fear.”

Her words settle around my heart, and I know they are true. Haven’t I thought something similar to myself before?

“When I met Scott,” my eyes widen in surprise when Cherise uses Lucifer’s name and not his road name which is the only way I’ve heard her refer to him before, “I didn’t want anything to do with him. He was gruff and stoic, but with an entitled air. I thought he was too cocky for me and wasn’t interested in getting to know him.”

Wrenley leans forward, hanging on every word. She’s not alone; I’m as enraptured by the story as she is. Her voice is eager, “What happened? How did he win you over?”

Cherise chuckles and shakes her head. “He didn’t let up or allow me to ignore him. It was strange how a man I had never met before was suddenly everywhere. But I didn’t feel threatened. When I finally agreed to go on a date with him, I found out there was so much more behind the bad boy biker persona. I had mistaken his resolve around his feelings for me as cocky entitlement. But he showed me who he really was.” She waves her hand in the air, her voice filled with love, “The rest is, as they say, history.”

“So romantic,” Wrenley sighs and I give her the side eye. She sits up a little straighter and glares at me. “What? It is.”

“You have your own romantic tale, so don’t get all gloopy,” I tease her.

“Gloopy?” She presses a hand to her chest, her indignant attitude hard to take seriously when she has a goofy smile on her lips. “Fine,” she huffs, “I was getting gloopy.”

“My point,” Cherise laughs with her words, “is that you never know what could happen if you don’t take a chance. It’s true, you might get hurt. But,” she pauses and holds my gaze, “you could also have a love that lasts a lifetime and then some.”

I sit back and take a sip from my drink, knowing she’s right and finally, maybe, ready to accept what I’ve been fighting against.

Could Crosby be more than the man who has taken care of me for months? Could he be more than the hot as hell night we spent together? Could he be my savior, and could I be his?