Chapter 11
Val’s stomach dropped at that announcement, but she was determined not to panic.
“Come on in. He’s not up yet. I made breakfast if anyone’s hungry.”
She turned and headed for the kitchen again, with Jesse and Xander following. Images of her dream popped into her head, and she flushed all over. She couldn”t believe she was reacting this way. Not just to one man, but two of them. Maybe it was just the stress of the whole thing with Sam. Yes, that must be it. Adrenaline, tempers, everything was running high. Emotions too. Right now, the only thing she could do was follow the crew’s orders if she wanted to survive.
Besides, her dream didn”t mean anything. It was just a crazy reaction to an unbelievable situation.
She headed for the kitchen again and opened the cupboard, pulling out more plates, then rummaging through the drawers for utensils. By that time, Dante had emerged from his bedroom, sleepy, but with the same fierce expression on his face as last night. Val wondered if the man ever smiled. Then she remembered how he looked at Sage. He was worried about her. Val could only hope that one day a man would look at her like that.
Putting that ridiculous notion aside, she reached for the loaf of bread, pulled out a few slices and started making toast.
“There’s eggs. Help yourself.” She motioned to the bowl. “Coffee?”
Jesse and Xander both nodded.
“Iced, please. Lots of milk and sugar,” Jesse replied.
“Same.”
“I’ll get the coffee, you grab the ice,” Dante directed, and Val nodded. He walked over to the coffee machine. “Sage is at the farm, but she’ll be back in a half hour. After that, I told her to stay put. No one leaves the compound for any reason. Not until we firm up our plan for dealing with the Krypt.”
“What about Sam?” Val asked. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in the bunker. He’s fine,” Jesse replied.
“Everyone in town will wonder if something’s up when he doesn’t show up to open the diner.”
“No they won’t,” Xander muttered. “And better absent than dead.”
Val said nothing else and got busy serving breakfast. It was like she was back at work, only she was the chef for a change and not a waitress. Not that she was a great cook, but she made do.
Jesse and Xander moaned appreciatively as they ate, and Val noticed them giving her a slow once over. The flush on her face turned to fire. Maybe she should have an iced coffee, too. Turning around, she bent over to open the freezer. Val welcomed the cool down.
Until a loud clatter had Val turning around again.
“Dropped my fork,” Jesse grumbled.
Val reached into the drawer and handed him another.
“He’s distracted,” Xander quipped and pointed at Val. “You in those jeans, well, it’s no small wonder.”
Val ignored the flirty comment. “I borrowed them from Sage. In fact, they seem too tight.”
The heat in her face spread to her neck and chest, and good Lord, she was acting a fool. Biting her lip, she turned back to the freezer, scooped out a large serving of ice and dumped it in the glasses that Dante had set out on the counter.
Dante poured coffee over the ice and added milk and sugar. Four glasses and yes, one for her. She took a long sip and that first hit of coffee was desperately needed. Letting out a low moan of appreciation, Val finally felt herself calming down.
Until she noticed that the room was silent, and Val stopped drinking.
“What?” she asked.
“Don’t mind them.” Dante motioned to Jesse and Xander. “They try to act cool, but they have no game when it comes to dealing with women. Or, at least, not with you.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Jesse hissed and gave Dante the finger.
“Me?” Xander scoffed and ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “I’ve got more game than all of you guys combined.”
“Right.” Dante smirked. “That’s why you just put salt in your coffee.”
Xander looked down at the shaker in his hand, and sure enough, he’d poured salt into his drink.
“I meant to do that,” Xander snapped. “We walked for over two hours last night, we need electrolytes.”
Val suppressed a laugh, but barely. Which was insane. These guys weren’t funny, and neither was the situation she was in. So, why was she charmed by them? Probably because they didn’t play games. They said what they meant and did what they wanted. They lived by a different set of rules and made no bones about it. There was no hypocrisy.
Dante chuckled in response and Val took in the sight of his smile. Now she understood the appeal.
Then Dante’s phone rang and he left the kitchen.
“Enough joking around,” Jesse muttered. “Gage wants us at the clubhouse for a meeting.”
“I’ll stay here and clean up,” Val offered.
“No way. You’re coming too.”
She knew there was no point in arguing. Grabbing a plate, she scooped up some eggs and began to eat. Who knows what was coming next or when she’d get her next meal. She should be scared as hell, and yet, she felt safer here then she did when she was living back in Mosley.
Looking back at her childhood, Val realized that the years of quiet obedience, the mental and physical abuse, and the repression of all outside contact, made life in Mosley unbearable. And being under the constant watchful eye of the leader, Simeon, always gave Val a sense of unease. She didn”t know what it meant as a child, but she certainly recognised what it meant today. He was manipulative, a narcissist, an abuser. Gaslighting and terrorizing the women in the church to keep them under his control.
At least with the Hellraisers, from what Val could see, people like Rochelle and Sage had a say in what was going on. And Avery hellion was a full-fledged member of the crew. A woman that Val saw in town, riding her motorcycle. She also managed the local bar. Avery was, from everything Val had heard, just as tough as her brother, Jesse, and her boyfriend, Sonny.
Then Val thought about the letter. What would happen when she left the compound?
“Are you all right?”
Val nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just been a harrowing few days and I’m still running on adrenaline.”
“You work with us, and everything will work out,” Jesse suggested as he got up and walked around the island, standing close to her. “But there”s no going back from here. Do you understand what that means?”
“It means I have to keep my mouth shut. Pretend like nothing happened. Pretend I don’t know you or what you do.”
“It”s more than that,” Xander replied, and followed Jesse, getting up beside her. All three of them were now standing together, so close Val could feel their body heat and the scent of their spicy soap. Val stared into Jesse’s brown eyes and then Xander’s blues. “It means you”re a part of us, like it or not. You”ve been in our compound, and you’ve heard our conversations. You can’t go back to your quiet little life.”
She put her hands on her hips and stared at them. “So, what, I have to work here now? Is that it? You’re going to imprison me, just like the religion I grew up in?”
“No, not like that. We’re all about personal freedom. But once you know our secrets, we can’t trust you won’t let them out.”
“Who am I gonna tell? The postman? The retired miner who comes in every day to the diner? Please.”
“That’s just it. You might say something, on purpose or not. You tell one person, they tell another. Next thing you know we got caught cops crawling all over the fucking town. We can’t have that.”
“So what? You want me to swear a blood oath? You’re going to install a chip in my arm and track me for the rest of my life?”
Xander looked at Jesse, and Jesse looked at Val.
“Something like that.”
“You won’t have to. I can move again. Change my name. In fact, I’ll have to.”
“No one’s saying you have to go anywhere,” Jesse growled.
“Remember that letter I received? The founder knows where I am, and he doesn’t want me spilling his secrets, either. They’re coming for me and when they catch me?—”
“You don’t know—” Xander started.
“You don’t get it,” Val interrupted. “No one, in the history of that church, has left. No one. What I did is considered the ultimate sin and they want to punish me. If they come for me, I’m… I’m done.”
Val’s body began to shake, and she held her hand to her mouth, covering a scream that wanted to let loose. Jesse pulled her into his arms, and Xander was suddenly at her back. She should’ve yelled at them to go away but in that moment, finally having someone to lean after all these years, it was a tremendous relief. Unfortunately, their proximity calmed one of her fears but sparked new ones. Ones that were far more dangerous. Her shaking stopped but her heartbeat wouldn’t calm. She wanted to burrow into the warmth of their hard bodies. Val wanted to feel their skin against hers.
Oh, this was bad. So bad.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, suddenly realizing that she was holding on to Jesse.
She pulled her arms down and made to move back but neither Jesse, not Xander moved an inch. In fact, they stepped closer, until her breasts brushed Jesse’s chest and her back hit the solid mass of Xander’s. Both men were so strong.
Remember who they are.
It didn’t matter. What should have scared her, didn’t. Val felt like she belonged.
She couldn’t hardly believe it.
“Let’s get a move on.”
Dante’s sudden re-appearance startled her.
Jesse moved away, Xander too, and Val nearly stopped them. Then she realized she was being ridiculous. Not only her wanting them but them wanting her? A virgin? Please.
Xander put his hand on her back and gently guided her out of the kitchen. Jesse grabbed his jacket from the rack in the hallway but instead of taking it back, he offered it to her again. Without saying a word, she put the jacket on and let them lead her out of Dante’s house.
She stopped short when she caught sight of the two large dogs waiting on the porch.
“This is Madz and Ozzy, my best boys,” Jesse announced, then quickly spoke what sounded to Val like German. Both dogs rushed over and began to sniff at her legs.
“Can I pet them?”
“Now you can.”
She let them sniff her hand first, and then they licked it gently. Val petted their velvet ears.
“Beautiful dogs.”
“Guard dogs,” Jesse warned. “They might look cute now, but don’t be fooled. I give the command and they go to work.”
“And by work, you mean?”
Xander chuckled. “Trust me, you don’t want to find out.”
They headed down the steps, Jesse and Xander flanking her. The sun was bright today, no clouds.
Normally the sunshine would lift Val’s spirit, but given recent events, her mood was anything but light.