Chapter Ten.
Fanatic
B y the time we arrived, the shootout had ended. Emergency personnel filled the area. Agitated, I kicked my stand down and was off the bike before anyone could stop me. Barrelling through the crowds, I searched for Willow.
Police tape had shut the scene off, and I noticed Willow’s SUV parked at an angle and shot to shit.
A cold feeling hit when I saw a guy behind it in handcuffs and clearly dead, as he wasn’t receiving attention. Determinedly, I headed straight for the cordon, ignoring the cop who tried to stop me.
“Willow!” I bellowed, making people jump and stare. An officer stepped forward and put his hand up in my face.
“Willow, Agent Ware, where is she? Is she hurt?” I demanded.
“Step back, this is a crime scene,” the officer replied.
“Fuckin’ aware of that, do you think I’m stupid? Where is Agent Ware? Willow!” I yelled again.
“Sir, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to have to arrest you,” the cop threatened.
I released a growl, and he stepped away and placed his hand on his gun.
“Willow!” I shouted a third time, and I saw a man jogging towards me. “Jimenez, where is she?”
“Willow’s fine, Fanatic. ASACs just being checked over. Let him through, officer, he’s with us,” Jimenez said.
With a smirk, I ducked under the tape as Chance and Shotgun spotted the Devil’s Scythes and headed towards them.
Highly agitated, I followed Jimenez to an ambulance where Willow sat. I didn’t even look at her but grabbed and held her tight. Several long moments passed as I breathed in Willow’s scent and accepted my girl was safe and alive.
When I stepped back, that’s when it hit me.
“Holy fuck!” I hissed. “Get your ass over here and sort her out!” I snapped at a paramedic.
Willow smirked and winced. “Guess I look bad.”
“Babe… ain’t got the words.”
“ASAC Ware, your forehead has met a cheese grater, your eyes are swelling and a beautiful shade of black and purple already. Your nose is twice its size, and your chin had an argument with the same cheese grater and lost,” Jimenez said gleefully.
I could have punched his lights out, but Willow began giggling and then held her sides.
“And I have swollen knuckles on my primary hand, bruised ribs, and I shouldn’t be laughing, asshole,” Willow wheezed. “Where were you, my man? Jimenez, you’re meant to be my SAC? Some fuckin’ SAC you are!”
Jimenez laughed.
I was tempted to yell at them both, but I noticed something happening. Willow and Jimenez were bonding. She’d explained that they had hated each other in the past, but he was an amazing agent, which was why she’d picked Jimenez. The fact they were ribbing each other was a good thing, although I wanted to pummel someone to death.
“Does Willow need the hospital?” I asked the paramedic, who was glaring.
“Get out of my way so I can treat my patient.”
“Sorry,” I answered, stepping aside. “Is she okay?”
“As far as I can see, the bullet scarcely scratched her.”
“Willow was shot!” my voice rose again.
“Fanatic, I’m fine, calm down,” Willow chided.
“You were shot!” “Fanatic, I was grazed. It’s barely a scratch,” Willow said, showing me her arm. She rolled her eyes, and I ground my teeth together.
“How did you end up in a shootout while simply fetching some files? Especially as you’re not starting back till next week!”
Jimenez snorted and moved away, leaving us to our privacy.
The paramedic kept on checking Willow out and blatantly ignored me.
“Fanatic, I came across the scene. I couldn’t drive on and ignore it.”
“What about Danny!” I hissed, and Willow paled. Shit. I’d gone too far.
“Should I quit my job? Stay in the house all day? Maybe sit and darn your socks or something. Asshole, you got blown up at the clubhouse, which was meant to be safe! Rapid City became a war zone! Stuff happens. Either we wallow in it or move on. Ain’t that what you told me?”
“Sorry. It’s just…” I broke off. But Willow wasn’t letting me off that easily.
“Just what?”
“Nothing. Babe, I overreacted. Didn’t want to lose someone else. I’ll grab Danny and catch you at home,” I said and headed out.
“Fanatic!” Willow yelled, but I kept walking.
Willow
Fanatic was full of shit. There was more behind his reaction. That fear wasn’t about losing a friend. That had been too extreme. I frowned as I heard his Harley ride away and then stared into the furious eyes of Dad.
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered.
“A shootout?” Dad boomed.
The paramedic looked at me and shook his head. “You’re good, ASAC Ware.”
“This way,” I said as I headed to my SUV. I wandered around it and sighed. Nope. It was dead. There was no recovering it. Morosely, I kicked the dirt.
“Can I have a ride back?” I asked.
I kept my expression steady as we walked towards the tape, and I spotted Markin waiting.
“We’ve got your statement. Willow, go home, and we’ll talk tomorrow,” Markin said.
“Thanks, boss,” I replied and ducked under the tape.
Shit, Dad hadn’t come alone. Drake, Ace, Lowrider, Manny, and Ezra all stood by their bikes. They were talking to Scythe and Chance as the three MCs formed their own group.
“Why did you bring him? ” I hissed at Dad, who appeared surprised.
“Who?” Dad asked.
“Drake. Dad, I told you I didn’t want to see Rage, and that meant him. ”
“Baby girl, Drake’s your president and unc—”
“Drake is nothing. I’m not part of Rage MC and never will be,” I said in a low tone.
Shit, that hurt because Dad looked confused.
“I’m not ready to face Rage,” I whispered. Unhappily, I stiffened as Drake approached.
“Christ, Willow,” Drake mumbled and reached to pull me into a hug. In full avoidance mode, I stepped back, and Drake frowned as his arms fell.
“Hey, you okay?” Drake asked.
“Yeah, I was asking Dad for a ride home. It’s cool. I’ll grab a lift from Chance or someone,” I answered.
“I’ll take you,” Dad boomed, looking happy. He’d not been to my house yet. I’d met Dad and Ellen at restaurants or parks with Danny.
“No,” I said quickly.
“It’s fine, Willow, we didn’t have anything planned. We can drop you off. I would love to meet Danny,” Drake replied with a hint of wistfulness.
“Not happening. Gotta go. Dad, now, please,” I choked out. I was struggling to hold on to my control.
Chance glanced over and realised what was about to happen. “Drake—”
“Did you take a bang or something? Willow, I’d never harm you,” Drake stated.
“No, you already ripped my fucking heart out. Can’t hurt me much more, can you?” I snapped.
“Willow, here now, girl,” Chance ordered.
“Chance, shut the fuck up. Willow, what are you talking about?” Drake demanded, sounding even more confused.
“If you’d sent Grey away, he’d be here. Danny wouldn’t be fatherless. If Rage had shielded Grey like they did your sons, Grey wouldn’t have been there! If your daughter had stayed on the plane, he’d be alive. You fucking Michaelsons waltz through life a law unto yourselves and fuck everyone who suffers.
“Protected your children, didn’t you, Drake? Who gave a shit if my man died? Your kids and legacies were safe. And Serenity? She’d no right being there. But instead of being sensible and staying with the old ladies, Serenity had to prove something. All she proved was she was a fucking target that got my fiancé killed. I can’t ever look at Serenity without knowing her hands were in Grey’s chest, keeping his heart beating. But they wouldn’t have been there if she’d obeyed!”
Dad and Drake reeled back while Ace, Lowrider, Manny, and Ezra stood stunned.
“Willow, it wasn’t—”
“Don’t tell me it wasn’t like that, Ace! All of Rage came home, apart from Grey. Grey paid the price for your history. It wasn’t his war! Grey shouldn’t have been there; he should have been with me. Fuck, I can’t stand the sight of you or your cuts. Grey’s death is Rage’s fault!” I screamed and ran.
I hit a body, and someone picked me up and carried me to a bike.
“Get on,” Scythe demanded.
Upset, I climbed on and hung on tight as Scythe took off.
Scythe headed down the I-90 heading towards Piedmont. He didn’t stop at the Devil’s Scythe’s clubhouse and kept going. I shoved my face in his back as I let the wind blow my thoughts away. When we pulled over, it was near Mount Rushmore. In awe, I gazed up at the huge monument, and peace swept over me.
“You’re two for two on Michaelsons, Fanatic and Drake,” Scythe said.
“Seems it.”
“You’re wrong, Willow.” “Don’t Scythe. Just stop.”
Desperate, I held onto him as Scythe balanced the Harley between his legs. My arms were wrapped around his middle, and my head in his cut. Scythe reached down and clasped my hands.
“You’re in trouble. Woman, you know the rule about riding behind a brother,” Scythe drawled, and I jolted. “Gonna have to claim you now, Willow.”
“What the fuck!” I exclaimed and slapped Scythe’s rock-hard stomach.
Scythe began laughing, and finally, I saw the funny side, too.
“Shit,” I gasped as Scythe squeezed my hands, making me hug him tighter. “Could you imagine the shitstorm that would cause?”
“Yeah. Be fuckin’ worth it, though, for the reactions.” Scythe chuckled. “Ready to head back?”
“Not going to talk sense into me?”
“Nope. Willow, you’re not a kid. Everyone suffered losses that day, some greater than others. Some still struggle to find their way. But nobody’s alone, and when you need us, we’ll be there,” Scythe said. He turned on his bike and caught my chin. “Don’t take too long finding your way home, Willow, because not everybody is as patient as me.”
Scythe dropped a kiss on my lips.
Shocked at first, I leaned into it as his hands threaded through my hair, and Scythe kissed me properly. His teeth nibbled my bottom lip until I opened, and his tongue swept in. Shit, Scythe made love to my mouth in a way I didn’t know was possible, and I became liquid in his arms.
I pressed against his hard body with a whimper, and Scythe angled my head to kiss me deeper. He tasted of cinnamon and coffee.
Teeth grazed my lip as Scythe began pulling away. But I rebelled and hauled him closer. Scythe’s arm banded around me as my chest was pushed up against him, and my nipples pebbled.
Shivers ran down my spine, and heat pooled between my thighs. When Scythe stopped, I was panting as I stared into his eyes, stunned.
Scythe dropped a light kiss on my lips again before speaking. “The fact you felt that means you’re alive, Willow. Don’t shut life out.”
With that, Scythe turned back around, and his Harley roared between my legs.
Holy fuck, one of the sexiest men I’d ever known, and had crushed on as a kid, had just laid one on me. That was fuckin’ hot, but Scythe hadn’t aroused me completely… and if I was brutally honest, it was not because he wasn’t Grey. It was because he wasn’t Fanatic.
Shit… I was fucked.
Fanatic
I was pacing back and forth with Danny in my arms when Scythe rode up with Willow behind him. The Devil’s Scythe President reached out, grabbed Willow’s wrist, and spoke to her.
Willow nodded, and Scythe saluted me and roared off as Willow walked up the drive. I spotted Edna heading out and instantly raced for Willow.
“Don’t even fuckin’ start, you old bitch. I’ve been shot, beaten, and nearly killed. And I’m not in the mood for your poisonous bullshit!” Willow spat at Edna as I opened the door.
Wonderful, it seemed Willow was still riled up big time.
“I apologise, but you were out of line too,” Willow stated as she marched up and grabbed Danny.
Danny took one glance at Willow, and his little brow creased. His nose wrinkled, and, to our surprise, Danny began wailing. Willow blinked at him as I took Danny back and comforted him.
“Babe, check your face out.”
Willow stomped to the hallway mirror and screamed. “Damn, I can’t believe Scythe kissed me like this!”
“Scythe did what!” I yelled, making Danny wail even more.
“None of your business!” Willow retorted.
“Hi guys, oh my. Bath and relaxing time is needed. Give me Danny, and I’ll bring him back in a couple of hours,” Gladys stated, appearing and snatching Danny.
Confused, I looked at the closing door and my empty arms similar to a scene in a comedy sketch. “Swear to God I had Danny ten seconds ago.”
Willow started to laugh. “Fanatic, we’re a fuckin’ mess.”
“Yeah,” I said and began chuckling.
“I’m going to run a bath. Let’s chat while I’m wallowing and order food, please. I’m starving,” Willow asked.
“Couldn’t have coped if something had happened to you today,” I replied, suddenly needing to be honest.
“I know,” Willow mumbled softly. “Now you understand how I feel when I look at you.”
◆◆◆
What the fuck did that mean? Willow bloody fled up the stairs like a bat out of hell as I stood there open-mouthed. Had she just admitted feelings for me? The urge to chase Willow down was nearly overwhelming, and I had to struggle to control myself. If that hadn’t been what she meant, acting like a caveman would piss Willow off.
I tried to figure out which other way she could have meant it, but nope… my brain had latched onto hope. It hadn’t been meant as a distraction from the fight brewing between us, either.
Willow needed to see that therapist, and soon. She’d consented but not made an appointment. I understood, but ultimately, Grey had been ordered away and had chosen to stay.
Serenity shouldn’t have been present, I agreed, and she did suffer guilt. However, neither Dad nor Serenity asked Fury to attack us. Fury wasn’t on their heads. And it boiled down to the fact if Fury hadn’t caused a war, nobody would have died. But good people tended to blame themselves, and a lot of my family and friends were suffering. Even a year on because shit hadn’t settled.
Parts of Rapid City were still rebuilding, the President, although impeached, was facing criminal charges, as were others. Happily, Winslow had declared he was running and ninety per cent of South Dakota was supporting him—and to everyone’s surprise, Antony Parker-Jones was his future Vice President. That was proving a hugely popular choice, and the two men were making massive inroads with voters. In fact, they were terrifying the opposition.
From what Mum mentioned, there was a plan in place. If Winslow got presidency and held it for two terms, then Andrew Wainwright, our congressman, would run with Fisher as his VP. And Mum was heavily throwing her weight behind them all. She’d been sickened at the cowardice and blind willingness the President had shown.
With all this happening, the war remained very much in our faces. Willow needed to get with the programme and book some bloody help! Before she fractured.
Willow
Damn, did my mouth just run away with me? I didn’t even know what I meant by those words. How could I explain it to Fanatic when I was as lost as he was? Confused and uncertain, I poured a liberal amount of bubble bath in and minutes later sunk into the hot water.
This bath was amazing, and that big, two of us could fit inside. My mind flitted to Fanatic and his leanly defined muscles. Fanatic was tall but not bulky or skinny, and I knew he worked out, and I’d seen him topless and in shorts. Fanatic had a decidedly lickable body.
Why was I thinking of him sexually?
Worse, I didn’t even feel guilty that I was. What did that mean? I thought of Grey, and a pang hit me, but nowhere near as sharp as it had been, say, a month ago. Was I moving on, and holy hell… considering Fanatic as a potential lover? How would Fanatic react if I made a move? Would Fanatic see that as betraying his friend? Would Fanatic assume that I’m using him as a rebound? Too many questions! I screamed silently and ducked my head under water to clear my throat.
Scythe’s kiss had awakened something inside, whether he meant to or not. It had made me feel alive, and oh shit, that man can kiss. But Scythe hadn’t made me crazy with desire, although I was starting to think one guy was.
I’d had my head in the sand for a long time. Only able to see grief, but I was learning sorrow wouldn’t help Danny. There was life to be lived, and it was unreasonable to believe I would spend the next fifty years alone. Whether I filled those with casual relationships to protect my heart or if I took the plunge and risked loving someone was undecided.
But a pair of blue eyes kept grabbing my attention, and I loved how his ass filled his jeans. I also liked the way Fanatic had a habit of leaning against something with his ankles and arms crossed. I don’t know why, but I found that stance very attractive.
And now I felt weird! What type of freak loved the way a man stood or leaned? Me, apparently.
“You awake?” Fanatic’s voice came through my bathroom door.
“Yeah.” I wondered what he’d do if I strolled out of the bathroom buck naked. And shit, now I was aroused and couldn’t do anything about it with him so close. Fuck my life.
“We gotta talk.”
“Sorry, but I warned everyone to keep Rage away from me. I wasn’t lying when I said I was not ready.”
“Get that, Willow. But we spoke about a therapist. You need to see one, babe,” Fanatic replied.
Argh. Stop calling me babe in that English accent. Unsettled, I rubbed my legs together.
“Agreed, I don’t want to lose my family, but I can’t stand the sight of them either. Tell Drake I’m getting help, and I know I shouldn’t have blamed him. But I can’t help it!”
“You kissed Scythe?”
“Yup.”
“Kiss on the cheek or full-on sexy?” Fanatic demanded, and his voice changed. Was that jealousy?
“Full on, tongues, bodies pressed together, the works.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Willow,” Fanatic growled.
A mew escaped me at the rough tone of his voice.
“Scythe knows how to kiss, that’s for damn sure. God, I always had a crush on him, Onyx, Jailbait, and Inglorious, too, but to be kissed by one… holy shit. Beyond my wildest dream.”
The bathroom door blew open, and the entrance framed Fanatic.
“Fanatic!” I squealed, ducking below the bubbles.
“Holy shit?” he snarled.
In four strides, Fanatic was at the bath and kneeling as he hauled my slick, wet body to him. “Holy shit?” he murmured, his eyes flashing in temper.
Fanatic’s hand crept into my hair, and his lips descended on mine.