CHAPTER THREE
Seraphina – 6 months ago
I turn the key in the ignition, but again, nothing happens. My gaze goes to my almost four-year-old daughter, Willow. She’s in her booster seat in the back, her favorite toy Teddy, an actual teddy bear in her hands, something she hasn’t let go off since she woke up and couldn’t find it this morning. Her tantrum only abates when I promise to help her look for it, and we found it tucked inside the washing machine.
What the hell am I supposed to do now? I was on my way to take Willow to childcare, since I had to work today, but my piece of shit car decided that today would be the day it would stop working, stopping right between my vet clinic, a clinic I had only just recently opened—and the childcare.
Just great.
“School, Mommy,” Willow calls out, and I smile at my little girl indulgently, forgetting for a second that only moments ago, I was a frazzled mess.
“Yes, sweet pea. We’re going to school, but the car is broken,” I tell her, pulling the button that opens the hood of the car, as I scramble out, leaving the door open so that my girl can see me. At least I parked next to the busy road before it died on me.
I look under the hood as though I think I know what I’m looking for. But really, I don’t. I’m just hoping someone will stop out of the goodness of their heart and help me. But with the way traffic is whizzing by, there’s not much chance of that happening anytime soon.
When I moved here, I didn’t realize there was a dangerous motorcycle club that had taken up residence here with a bunch of neanderthals who were so big they could snap you in two like a twig. So hearing motorcycles getting closer and closer through the din of everyday traffic; I swallow nervously. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting any of them.
I’m hoping they don’t see me as a damsel in distress, and stop to help. There’s a lot of chatter in town about the local MC, but I’ve never met them myself, so I wouldn’t be able to give an honest opinion on them. Even so, I would like to keep away from them.
Seeing them around town sparks a primal fear inside me, causing my skin to prickle and my heart to race.
None of them have hurt me so far, and they were all very good looking, but so was Angelo, and he was the biggest monster of them all.
Unfortunately, the sound gets louder as they get nearer; I get back in my car, needing the safety it affords me, and sure enough, two men on motorcycles stop by the side of the road when they see me. I lick my lips nervously, and try to act as though seeing them doesn’t bother me one bit. But I don’t know who they are.
They could be working for Angelo for all I know about them.
Knowing this makes me weary, as one throws down the kickstand and removes his helmet. A light brown buzz cut— even though he has a few tattoos on one side of his skull, it doesn’t detract from just how handsome he is, a grin on his face making my heart which had been racing since they stopped next to me, calm down some.
But it’s the other guy that has my attention, even though I can’t see his face, as he’s still wearing a helmet, but his head is turned in my direction, and I can feel his stare even through the visor, as though his eyes are trying to bore right into my skull
But when he finally removes it, my face pales, my breath catches in my throat, and my heart plummets to my stomach.
It can’t be. He’s dead! I was there when Angelo shot him.
I feel as if I’m in some kind of alternate universe. My mouth completely dry as I stare into the dark familiar pools of the man I hadn’t been able to forget these last four years. I can’t believe I was looking back at Ky after all these years.
The confident swagger, as he gets off the motorcycle. The ink all over his body. Every detail is etched in my memory. I give a tentative smile in his direction, the elation I feel at seeing him alive and well, making me want to throw my arms around him and hug him to me.
An icy shiver runs down my spine as I see the dark, menacing look on his face, the cocky grin he had moments ago replaced by a dangerous intensity—that stops me in my tracks.
I swallow hard, reluctantly leaving the safety of my car, even with the darkness surrounding him, I can’t stop my body’s reaction to him as moisture leaks from my pussy. I'm in my dark blue scrubs, feeling frumpy and out of place, standing next to these two handsome men.
The steely expression doesn’t leave Ky's handsome face as they both get closer to me. I look back at the car nervously, seeing Willow fast asleep in her booster seat. Biting down on my bottom lip, I turn back to the two men.
“What seems to be the trouble, beautiful?” the other guy says, and I can see Ky’s jaw ticking, as if in anger. Which was ridiculous, since he so obviously hates me. I see the name Ink stitched into his vest, his position in the club, being that of Sargeant-At-Arms. Interesting.
As he takes in my car, and a slow smile spreads across his good-looking face.
“Seems you have a bit of a problem with your car?”
“Give the guy a gold star,” I mutter under my breath. But then say. “You could say that.” “Damn thing won’t start.” I motion down at myself with one hand. “As you can see, I was on my way to work.”.
The sight of Willow in the car sends Ky’s eyes popping out of his head, almost comically wide. I would have laughed if I was in the mood, but I had a full list of things that needed to get done when I arrived at work, and I had no time to stand around and chat.
“If either of you could point me to the nearest auto shop, that would be great,” I say, forcing a smile and trying to ignore the way Ky’s eyes blazed when he looked at me. Without saying a word, he takes his phone from the pocket of his vest.
“What’s the little one’s name?” Ink asks, my eyes search out my girl nervously. She’s still asleep, thank goodness, and I open each window to let in the breeze that’s picked up while we’ve been here.
“Willow,” I tell him, as Ky finishes his conversation and turns back toward us.
“Just spoke to Angel. He’s going to come and tow the car back to the auto shop,” he announces, as if I’d agreed for him to do that.
Standing my ground, I cross my arms over my chest, inadvertently lifting my ample breasts further.
“And who, pray tell, is Angel?” I demand, wanting to roll my eyes as Ink’s eyes are drawn down to my chest.
“Angel is a member of our club, but he’s also the town’s only mechanic.”
My heart takes a nosedive. “Oh, will he be able to fix the car as quickly as possible, and how much is it going to cost me?”
“He’ll make your car a priority,” Ink reassures me. “We can come to an agreement about the price.” He waggles his eyebrows, and I narrow my eyes at him as Ky none to gently puts his fist to Ink’s chest.
“If you think I’m going to whore myself out to the club to pay for my car, you assholes have another thing coming.”
But before either of them can reply, a tow truck arrives and behind him, a sleek black SUV with blacked-out windows. Another man in the same vest jumps out, but is younger than either Ky or Ink, and he doesn’t have a name on his vest like the other two, but the word PROSPECT on the back. Ky throws him the keys to his motorcycle.
“I find a scratch on my sled, you’ll be cleaning the toilets at the clubhouse for the rest of the week.” Ky warns the other man, who quietly acknowledges him with a chin lift.
“You coming?” He asks, narrowing his gaze at me.
“What’s going on?” I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. Not moving anywhere.
Ky silently stares me down, then shocks the shit out of me when he walks to the car, opening the back door, and starts unbuckling Willow from her seat.
I rush forward to stop him. “What are you doing?” I pull on his muscular arm, trying to get him away from my little girl. But he won’t budge.
“Hey,” he replies, pushing me off him as he picks up the still sleeping toddler. Before I can tell him to let her go, he hands her to me, our fingers touch, and I can’t help but feel the same old sizzle that exists between us.
Without missing a beat, he turns his back to get her booster seat out. He does it with such quick efficiency, I’m left wondering how many times has he done it in the past? A hot poker of jealousy stabs me when I think he might have a woman and child waiting for him. To distract myself, I take in the picture on the back of his vest—it’s of a skull with horns, and two pistols, above the scary-looking motif, is the name of the club Devil’s Carnage MC, and on the bottom is Briar Creek Texas.
I hold Willow close, inhaling her scent, which immediately calms my racing heart.
“Come with me.” He orders without stopping, carrying the booster seat as if it weighs less than a feather. To my surprise, my feet carry me forward without protest, holding Willow to me securely. He stops at the SUV, and deftly clips in the booster seat, turning to look at me, waiting for me to hand Willow over.
I shake my head. There’s no way I’m giving her to him again. My head is still spinning with the knowledge Ky’s alive and in front of me.
I’m deliriously happy, but also conflicted.
What does this mean now for me and Willow? No, I can’t think about that now.
I step up to the car and gently place my child in the seat, aware that Ky is standing off to the side, and watching my every move. My hands were shaking, and I take double the time it usually takes but I finally get her clipped in, shutting the door quietly so I don’t wake her up.
Before leaving, I walk over to the MC member-turned-mechanic, who Ky had said was named Angel. Another really good-looking guy, with long dark hair and piercing eyes.
“Thank you for this,” I call out to him, handing him my contact details. “Let me know how much it’s going to cost me before you do any work.”
He looks at me as if I’d lost my marbles. “I was told that I was to do the work no matter the cost, as the club will cover it.”
“Well, you’ve been told wrong,” I reply tightly. Walking back to the SUV.
The sound of motorcycle engines revving makes me swivel my head and glance over my shoulder, the guy who brought the SUV and Ink were leaving, with the tow truck driver having attached my car also right behind them.
“You’re driving?” I ask, shock written on my face. What is wrong with you? You can hardly string two sentences together.
Ky arches a brow. “Who else would be? There’s no way I was going to let Ink do it?” He drawls, before hefting himself into the driver’s seat. “Come on, I’ll take you to work.”
“Willow has day care.” I reply unnecessarily, drawing his attention again to my little girl. He tips his chin, telling me he heard, and within minutes, we’re out the front of the daycare center, the teacher’s aid coming out to help with Willow, who has woken up, her eyes wide in wonderment, staring at Ky.
The teacher's aide, a woman older than my twenty-six years, turns into a giggling schoolgirl when she sees Ky, blushing profusely as he gives her his well-known grin.
Asshole
Getting back in the car, I open my mouth to give him the address to my clinic when suddenly he turns into the strip mall where it’s located, parking the SUV in the space right in front of the gym. A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“How did you know where I work?” I ask softly, making no move to get out of the car.
“Because the gym is mine, and I’ve seen you coming and going every day for the last few weeks.” He admits, as if it’s the most normal thing to say.
So that’s why he didn’t seem to be surprised when he saw me. He knew I was here, and didn’t bother to make himself known. I shake my head, sliding out of the car when I hear the soft click of his door closing. Disappointment overwhelms me, and I just want to curl up somewhere I won’t be seen and have a good cry.
Instead, I force my shoulders back, straighten my spine, which lifts me to my measly height of five foot two, and turn on my heel without saying another word.
“You’re welcome.” I hear him call out. Without thinking, I lift my middle finger, not stopping in my stride to the clinic, his chuckle following me all the way there.