Chapter Two
Tania blinked and watched as Tim—no he went by Smokey now—walked away, her son in his arms as he towed his cart behind them. After several steps, he stopped and twisted around.
“Coming? I don’t know where the diapers are. I can find them but I still don’t know what size he wears.”
That got her moving. She glanced at her cart, wondering if she should put all that stuff back where she’d gotten it.
“Just leave it. The staff will put it away,” Smokey said.
She hurried to catch up with him. In the last year, she’d learned not to let a man wait on you if you could avoid it. Smokey had never hurt her, but she didn’t know if he’d hidden that part of himself the same way Rod had. And she didn’t want to find out.
She caught up with him. Taking the handle of the cart, she headed for the row with the diapers. When she took control of the cart, Smokey fell into step beside her, one hand resting on the small of her back or on her hip as they walked, sending warmth through her.
Why did Smokey have to be the one that stirred things deep inside her?
Why couldn’t it have been the man her father wanted her to marry?
But then if he had, then she’d be stuck loving the man who’d beaten her the night before.
The bruise Smokey had found wasn’t her only one.
Just the only one she couldn’t hide under her clothes.
It was November, so her long sleeves and scarf didn’t seem out of place.
She wasn’t looking forward to getting wherever Smokey planned to take them, when she’d have to shed her outer layer and he would see more of what Rod had done to her. At the same time, she couldn’t help but be glad he’d found out and that he was getting them out of the situation.
Tania didn’t think Smokey would hurt either her or Carter, but she hadn’t thought Rod would either.
And look how wrong she’d been about that.
She told him which diapers would fit, he pulled a big box down then a couple packages of wipes too and dropped them both in the car, never hesitating as he balanced Carter in one arm and managed everything else with his other.
She couldn’t help but smile as she watched Smokey with their son. In the five minutes he’d known about Carter, he had shown the boy more attention and affection than her husband had. And until the day before, Rod believed Carter was his.
Tania took a deep breath and pushed away thoughts of Rod. She didn’t know how she would deal with him, only that she couldn’t stay. But until now, there had been nowhere to go.
She followed Smokey as he went to the register.
When he started loading things onto the belt one handed, she moved up and helped.
She tried to pay with the debit card Rod had given her for groceries and essentials.
It only had a limited amount available but it would cover this.
Smokey handed the cashier a wad of cash, shooting her a scowl as he lifted the bags into the cart, still holding Carter.
She wondered if she’d be able to get the boy out of his arms to put him in his car seat.
“Hold up,” Tania said, speaking to another adult without being spoken to first for the first time in longer than she cared to remember.
She reached into the cart and pulled out Carter’s jacket.
“It’s cold out there. He needs his coat.
” She wrestled the baby into his coat while Smokey held him and tried to help.
“Okay. We can go out now.” She settled herself behind the handle of the cart once more.
Smokey didn’t move, but stood still, staring at her. Tania frowned. Why wasn’t he going out? Surely the car he’d called for would be out there waiting on them.
“You forgot something,” Smokey said, dropping his gaze to the cart.
She glanced down to see what he was looking at and realized he was looking at her coat.
She hadn’t forgotten it, she hadn’t wanted to make him wait longer on her.
Not knowing what to say, she pulled her coat out of the cart and put it on.
Once she zipped the front, he nodded and headed for the door.
Tania grabbed the cart and followed, wondering what that was all about.
“Where’d you park?” Smokey asked as they stepped into the cold air. At least the wind wasn’t blowing. That would only make the day more miserable.
“Over there. The Escalade.”
“I can make sure you have everything you need, Tania, but I can’t afford to keep you kitted out like he can. Are you sure you’re ready to give that up?”
“I never wanted the money,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what I wanted. But it wasn’t Rod or what his money could buy.” She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that were so close to falling.
He stopped beside the big SUV she’d indicated and waited while she dug out her keys and hit “unlock.”
“Why start it? We’re just going to get your shit out and leave the truck here,” Smokey said with a frown.
“Carter. He needs to get inside and be warm. It’s too cold to keep him outside for long.”
Smokey looked at the baby in his arms, then opened the door to the middle row of seats.
“How does this thing work?” he called out the door.
“You can just set him in the seat for now. We’ll pull him out to move the seat, but at least sitting in there he’s out of the elements and will be warm.
” She glanced around wondering if Rob had someone watching her or if they’d manage to get out of here and to wherever Smokey was taking them. The clubhouse most likely.
That thought alone sent butterflies divebombing in her belly until she thought she must have ostriches in there instead.
She’d heard a lot of rumors about what happened at the Fallen Angels club house but she’d never been there.
Her father spent years telling her that only sluts went to the clubhouse and he wasn’t raising a slut.
But she couldn’t see the Tim she’d known growing up having anything to do with a group like that.
After last night and what the man her father had chosen for her did, she didn’t much care what her father thought.
She hadn’t gone to him because she knew he wouldn’t help. She might not have ever seen him hit her mother but she knew something wasn’t right between them. It wasn’t something she could have explained to anyone, but she’d felt it for a long time.
A car she didn’t recognize pulled up and parked directly behind the SUV.
She looked at it for a moment wondering if it was the guy Smokey had called or if it was someone sent by Rod.
They turned the car off and the driver got out.
The moment she recognized his leather vest, she had to hold back the laugh that threatened to bubble free.
She didn’t know why. Nothing about this was funny.
“Hey, David,” Smokey addressed the guy as he came toward them. “You know anything about car seats?”
David looked about nineteen to Tania. Unless he had siblings who were much younger, she didn’t think he’d know much about how to install a car seat.
“Sure. If they’re in the front, you want buckets, in the back go for a bench. Bench seats are way more comfortable to lay someone down and get a little loving.”
Smokey back handed the newcomer’s shoulder. “Baby seats, you dumbass.”
“Baby seats? Nope. I’ve done my best to avoid ever having to deal with one of those.”
“Your luck just ran out. I need Carter’s seat moved from here into your car.”
David’s eyes went wide and he looked back and forth from the SUV to his car and back again.
“You’ve got a baby in there?” He looked at the SUV with what Tania could only call panic.
“Relax. It’s not like I’m asking you to raise him. Or even to hold him. I just need his car seat moved.”
“I can install the seat if you’ll hold him,” Tania offered.
“Are you sure?” Smokey turned his attention to her.
“I put it in this. I can move it.”
“Your husband didn’t help?” Smokey asked with narrowed eyes.
She just shook her head and moved to the rear door to get started. After easing Smokey out of her way, she climbed up into the seat and lifted Carter into her arms.
“There you are, sweetheart. We’ll get your seat moved then we’ll get somewhere safe.
Your daddy will make sure no one hurts you.
” She kept her voice low enough only Carter would be able to hear her.
She kissed the fine dark hair covering the top of his head, then turned and handed him off to Smokey, and went to work removing the safety seat.
“Tell me more about this club of yours. I’m assuming they’re not the criminals and whoremongers Dad called them. ”
“We’re not. Though I’m not surprised to hear that’s what your dad said.
We’re a group of men with our own sense of right and wrong.
Our own standards for living. We’re a family, if not a traditional one.
We’re not related by blood, or at least most of us aren’t.
We all know that if we have trouble, the other Fallen Angels will have our backs.
Do we always follow the letter of the law?
Not exactly. But we’re also not out there knocking over liquor stores, dealing drugs, or forcing women to sell their bodies.
Are there women at the club house who will sleep with any of the guys?
Yes. We call them Mama’s and every single one of them is there because they choose to be.
If they want to leave, they’re free to go.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Elkhorn County has the lowest crime for a hundred miles around. That’s not an accident. It’s because the Fallen Angels don’t put up with a lot of that shit in our territory, and Elkhorn County is our territory.”
She stopped what she was doing and stared at him for a moment. “I didn’t know that. If Dad knows that, why does he hate you all so much?”
“You’d have to ask him, but if you do, I’d be prepared for him to brush you off or misdirect you.
Personally, I think he doesn’t like that we help keep the county clean.
He either thinks we’re nothing but a bunch of dirty bikers, not good enough for his country club scene, or he’s up to something he doesn’t want us finding out about so we never turn our attention on him. ”
Tania wanted to say her father wouldn’t do that, but if she was being honest with herself, could she really?
She hadn’t gone to him over what Rod had done for a reason.
Fifteen minutes later, she had it in the back seat of the small crossover and Carter strapped inside.
While she’d been busy with the car, David had moved everything else from the Escalade except for her phone.
Smokey had asked who paid for it. When she’d told him it had been Rod, he said leave it behind.
He would get her a new one. Her phone and the car keys were in the glove box, and the rest of the stuff had been moved into the space behind the rear seat with the groceries they’d bought.
She settled into the seat beside Carter while Smokey and David got into the front seat.
“Where to?” David asked as he put the car in gear. He’d started it a few minutes earlier to keep the heat running for Carter.
“The clubhouse. Raven is waiting for us.”