Chapter 35
Daisy
After the short trip Falcon and a few of the guys made, things were fairly quiet, except for the normal parties at the clubhouse. Falcon left for a few hours at a time on little trips, but I was used to it now. A couple of weeks had passed, and I had settled in as the administrative assistant at Destiny’s Ink.
I was paid in cash, but Mama Hen arranged for my pay rate and guaranteed hours. She told me if I really wanted a check, she’d get me taken care of when I was able to get a replacement Social Security card and license. I remembered the numbers, but when I tried to order a replacement license online, I couldn’t have it sent to Georgia. And in order to get a Georgia license, I’d have to have mine from Ohio. Falcon said that after their next run, we could carve out some time to ride up so I could go to the DMV to get a replacement card. After that, we’d go get a copy of my birth certificate from the health department. Once I had those things, I could apply for a Georgia license then pay a visit to the Social Security office.
There wasn’t a bank with any money in it for me because, when you’re eighteen years old, paid in cash, and your landlord would take a money order, who needed a bank? I wasn’t much older now, but if I could go back and kick my younger self, I would. So many mistakes. But I wasn’t sure I would have ended up here without having made all those bad decisions.
I’d never been religious, but I’d hate to think any God would force someone to endure all I had just to find someone to love. Where the fuck did that come from? I had some strong feelings for him, but I tried to keep them in check for my self-preservation. He certainly didn’t make it easy to push them down. Part of me wanted to fully give in to him, but all of the issues I had were still fresh in my mind. I tried to convince myself to just go day by day, even though he started the conversation about building a life together. And since he’d been back, it had been mentioned casually in conversation like it had been decided. But I knew what it meant to be an old lady and understood the property patch. It seemed until that was presented, it was mostly all talk. At least that’s what I gathered from the discussions with the bunnies. Even Mama Hen spoke to me about the importance of her patch, and she still wore her cut with pride.
“You hungry?” Falcon’s deep, Southern voice broke me from my internal confusion.
“Not really.” He fed me so much; I’d swear he was trying to thicken me up.
“I’ll grab you something. I’ll be right back.”
I just shook my head. He acted like he didn’t hear me at times, but it was usually something that benefited me. He’d learned to ask me instead of telling me when it mattered, though there were still plenty of things I didn’t know that I wished I did. But after falling into a routine and having regular chats with the bunnies and Mama Hen, I gathered it was probably for the best that we were kept in the dark about most things. It still nagged at me.
As time went by, I became more comfortable and knew Falcon only wanted what was best for me. But I was still struggling with maintaining a level of control. Most women would probably be content to just be taken care of the way he tried to take care of me. Even though I let myself trust him and the club, I still kept all that had happened in the back of my mind. It was a reminder that getting too comfortable could bite me in the ass, which was why it was hard to admit to myself that I loved Falcon.
I thought I’d loved my ex, but it wasn’t that at all. Lust, sure. Having a companion I thought I could trust and felt safe with, absolutely. Except he wasn’t really safe or trustworthy. Seriously, past me was so naive.
Falcon showed me his possessiveness. He didn’t hide that he wanted me just for himself. But he also showed me caring, patience, understanding, and something else. Maybe he loved me? In his own uber-masculine, man-of-few words way?
Even when I still lived with Mom, I had been taking care of myself for a long time. It was the same when I left, except then I could afford to do whatever I wanted. When my ex came into the picture, I thought he cared about me and I made way more money, so it didn’t bother me to take care of him too.
When Tony made all the promises he did, it sounded great to be taken care of. But it was all a lie. One I fell for so easily. It had been over a month since I arrived at the clubhouse, but everything was out in the open. It certainly wasn’t anything I ever expected to be involved in, but there were no hidden agendas. And while women were definitely seen more as objects, they were valuable objects. Protected objects. No way they’d be passed off to strangers. And while Falcon was hung up on keeping me close, most of the women could come and go as they pleased.
Working at the tattoo shop wasn’t bad, either. It was nowhere near the same kind of money as stripping, but for now, I had no bills. Which was also throwing a wrench in getting identification. I could at least use my old license when I got a copy, but I’d need proof of residence for a Georgia license, according to the DMV.
“Daisy?” Eagle’s voice broke my spiral of thoughts.
My head was down with my fingers through my hair so I tousled it, hoping he didn’t notice how long I’d been sitting like that. “Hey, you need something?”
“Just between clients. You okay?”
Nodding, I answered, “Yeah. Just trying to figure out how to get proof of residence.”
He shrugged. “Oh, lots of us have apartments. And Mama Hen’s house technically has a separate address than the clubhouse. That’s why there’s more than one mailbox at the street. Someone will let you get mail. ”
“Do you have a place away from the clubhouse?” Falcon didn’t, at least he said he didn’t, but told me we could get one if I wanted. Eagle was always around but he brought it up and I was nosy.
“Nope. No need, really. At least not right now.”
Blaze came stomping from the hallway. He stopped and stretched his arms over his head, then let out a loud moan. “That last one was killer. We need to hire a masseuse for our longer sessions.”
Eagle agreed. “That’s not a bad idea.” He massaged his own hand with his other thumb and pointer finger. “Hey Blaze, you got a place. Maybe Daisy can use your address.”
“Whatever we’re talking about, better run it by Falcon first.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s no big deal. And I can ask Mama Hen. I just need somewhere to get mail sent so I can show proof of residence.”
“Oh,” Blaze said. “You can send shit to my house, but still better let Falcon know. I don’t need his jealous ass trying to kill me.”
Eagle chuckled and Scar walked up front with a client, so I checked her out. “Can’t wait to see that finished,” I said as I handed her change.
The curvy brunette winked. “Two more sittings, right Scar?”
“I’d like a new one I think.” Right as I said that, the door swung open and Falcon was carrying a couple of bags.
“New what?” he asked .
“A new tat. Or maybe cover the one I have.”
He pulled some nuggets and fries from the bag and put them in front of me. “No. I won’t cover it. And neither will they.”
They all got quiet and the brunette smiled nervously at me and rushed out. Eagle, Scar, and Blaze looked through the bags and pulled their lunches out. Falcon pulled up one of the customer chairs and sat down next to me at the desk.
“It’s my ass. Why can’t I cover it?”
He swallowed his giant bite of burger before answering. “It’s one of the first things I remember about meeting you. It stays. Plus, it’s my ass.”
The guys were sitting around the reception area eating and watching. They were worse than the bunnies.
I wanted to be annoyed but somehow what he said made me melt. “My little flower is nostalgic to you?”
He wiped his face with a napkin and leaned over to give me a chaste kiss, then went on eating his burger.
“Okay. I won’t cover the daisy. But how can you expect me to work here and not want some ink? That’s the only one I have.”
Scar took a drink then said, “You could get a nice little wrist tat. That’s popular. I’ve done five just this week. I could fix you up.”
Falcon shot his fiery hazel eyes in Scar’s direction.
“Or not,” Scar said, then took the final bite of his burger.
“I don’t know if I should be happy or worried that you want to be the one to inflict pain on me for hours on end,” I told Falcon as I popped a fry into my mouth.
“It’s not about pain, darlin’. They don’t need their filthy hands on your delicate skin.”
They all rolled their eyes, and I couldn’t resist. “Well, you have your hands on other women to do their tattoos. I don’t tell you to quit your job.”
“The difference is that it’s my job. And you’re mine, so why would I let someone else touch my canvas? More importantly, why would you want someone to?”
His gaze was a mix of genuine curiosity and hurt. The guys all hustled out of the reception area back to their stations. I wiped my hands, turning in my chair to face him. “Falcon, if you haven’t caught on to my sarcasm by now, we have other issues. I don’t want anyone else to give me ink. But you still don’t want me dancing, yet that’s literally how we met.”
“That’s different. I told you why.”
“I know, I know. It’s all dangerous ,” I said with finger quotes. “But is it? Don’t guys from the club work there? And Mama Hen is there a lot, along with a lot of the bunnies who have become friends of mine. Do you care about the safety of Mama Hen and my friends?” He stared back without a word, so I went on. “If you would just admit you simply don’t want me stripping, maybe I would let it go.”
“No you wouldn’t.”
I grabbed his wrist. “Ah-ha! I knew it! ”
He leaned in and kissed me hard. I completely relaxed into him, not caring whether he was keeping me from stripping because of danger or his possessive nature. He pulled away only inches. “What do you want me to draw for you?”
“Surprise me.” Who was I kidding? I love this man.
“Is that right?” he asked before I could fall back into my thoughts. “I have some ideas. Hey,” he said, then looked over his shoulder before facing me again. “If you get a bad vibe from anyone, you’ll tell me, right?”
My brow furrowed. “You mean one of these guys?” None of them ever made me think twice.
He tucked some hair behind my ear and looked over my face. “No. These guys are straight. If I’m not around, you can count on them. Just, anything that doesn’t seem right, you tell me. Even if you have to text me, I want to know immediately. Can you do that?”
His hand still cupped my cheek, so I wrapped my hand around his wrist. “Falcon, if you know something, don’t you think I should know?”
He ground his teeth for a few seconds. “I don’t know anything for sure. But I’ll have to do some shit for Hawk soon and we have another run coming. There’s only a few guys I trust with you. I can tell you that.”
“Is something happening?” His tone and his words made me uneasy.
“I don’t think so. Just be aware of your surroundings when I’m not around, okay?” His other hand was at my hip, and it was gripping me hard.
“Okay. I promise.”
The hand he used to cup my face went to the back of my head and pulled me to him. The kiss was deep and hard, but not in a sexual way. It was what I’d imagine a going away kiss would be like. But he wasn’t going anywhere for a couple of weeks, and that was for only two days; not even two whole days, if it was the same as last time.
“Falcon, what’s wrong?” I asked when I was able to come up for air.
His hazel eyes bored into mine. His lip twitched like he was considering saying something else, but then the door opened and someone walked to the counter to sign in.
“Hi, I have an appointment. I’m a few minutes early,” the goth girl said. She was much more perky than she looked.
He straightened in his chair, shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth, and stood. He wiped his face and grabbed all the trash, then leaned down to kiss the top of my head before he started to walk away. “I gotta get ready for my next appointment.”
The knots in my stomach told me something was up, but I did my best to smile and make the client feel welcome as I checked her in.
What had my normally calm man so on edge?