Chapter 21 - Lucy
LUCY
I’m numb by the time Zombie parks his Harley at the back of the clubhouse.
True to his word, he had Scrubs meet us at my condo, and the tech savvy biker found five cameras and two listening devices.
While he worked on those, I packed a few bags.
Said bags are with Scrubs in the club’s SUV because they wouldn’t all fit on the Harley.
“We’re here,” Zombie says as he swings off the bike.
When I make no move to get off the bike, he lifts me into his arms and carries me inside. I’m dimly aware of him stopping a couple of times to speak to his brothers, but I tune out all conversation.
My mind races as I think about my condo. How did I not notice five cameras? How long have they been there? Who put them there? Why? Of course, no answers come, but that doesn’t stop me from spiraling.
“Can I get you anything?” Zombie asks, cutting through my thoughts, as he lowers me to his bed.
“No.”
“Have you eaten anything today?”
Have I?
“No,” I finally reply.
He settles next to me, the mattress dipping under his weight. “I have to go deal with a few things. I’ll have Mellie or one of the girls bring you something to eat.” Zombie leans down to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “I won’t be long, okay?”
“Okay.”
He hesitates for a second before leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts and fear.
I roll to my side and curl into a ball, angry at myself for falling apart.
I’m not this person. I crave danger, crave the rush, but this?
Death threats, cameras and listening devices?
This is a whole new level of danger that I never anticipated.
I don’t know how much time passes before there’s a knock on the door, and Mellie strides in. I glance at her over my shoulder, and my stomach growls when I see the tray of food she’s carrying.
“I brought you some tomato soup and grilled cheese,” she says, setting it down on the table across the room. “Why don’t you come eat?”
I join her and eat in silence. It isn’t until every last drop and crumb are gone that she speaks again.
“Lyric filled me in. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.”
I nod, vaguely remembering that Zombie called Lyric while we were still at my condo. “Who would do this?” I whisper. “I don’t have any enemies.”
“What about Michael Martin?” My eyes lock with hers, and she shrugs. “I hear things.”
“What exactly have you heard?”
“Admittedly, not much. Just that he’s been asking you out and getting angry when you turn him down.”
“That’s true, but I can’t wrap my head around this being him,” I admit. “He’s an asshole, and I’ve definitely seen a darker side to him that I wasn’t aware of at first, but wanting me dead?” I shake my head. “The math ain’t mathing for me.”
“I get that,” Mellie says. “But maybe his beef is more about the club than you.”
I frown, considering that. “He and Zombie do seem to be at odds.”
“It goes beyond Zombie. I don’t know how far beyond, but I’ve been around the club since I was a teen, and Michael Martin’s been an associate for years.
I don’t know the specifics but suffice it to say that the club does shit that pisses people off.
And the people they deal with aren’t exactly paragons of virtue. ”
“Still doesn’t add up,” I insist. “I can’t explain it, but I know in my gut it’s not him.”
“Then trust your gut.”
“I’m trying to. Not gonna lie, though. It’s damn hard to trust it when I didn’t even suspect I was being watched.”
“The guys will sort it out, you’ll see.”
Wanting to talk about anything other than the threat to me, I force a smile. “So, how’d you and Lyric hook up?”
That does the trick. Mellie launches into the story of how they met when they were teenagers, how they fell in love and got engaged. She tells me about the accident that stole her memory and future father-in-law, and my heart breaks as I listen to her talk about the darkest time of her life.
“It all worked out, though,” she finally says. “Lyric and I are married, and I can’t imagine a life without him or the club. He’s my world, and the brothers are my family.”
“That sounds nice.”
“What about you? Do you have any family around?”
I huff out a hollow laugh. “My parents are still alive, if that’s what you mean. We’re not close, though. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I talked to them. A few months ago, maybe. They travel a lot, and growing up, I wasn’t exactly on their radar.”
“That’s sad.”
Shrugging, I say, “I guess. Can’t exactly mourn something you never had, ya know?”
“Makes sense.”
We’re both quiet for a minute, and my mind begins to race again. “Do you think Zombie’ll be back soon?”
Mellie reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Yeah. I’m sure church won’t last much longer.”
“I hate that the guys are discussing my life, and I can’t even be a part of it.”
“It sucks, but you get used to it. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to be a fly on that wall. The less you know, the better.”
“Zombie told me the same thing.”
“It’s infuriating at times, but once you accept that we’re kept out of the loop for our own good, it’s an easier pill to swallow.”
“Yeah. I don’t care that Zombie can’t tell me everything. I get it, I really do. It’s just…”
“It’s hard to give up control,” she says when my words trail off.
“Yes, exactly.”
Mellie grins. “But who better to give control to than a sexy biker who’ll give his life for you, no questions asked?”
Her words have the desired effect, and I laugh. “Who indeed?”
We talk for a few more minutes, and then the door opens, and Zombie strides in.
“Hey, babydoll,” he greets before looking at Mellie. “Your man wants you.”
Mellie rolls her eyes but stands. “Yeah, yeah.”
Once we’re alone, Zombie sits in the chair Mellie was using. “I’ll be gone tonight, and maybe for a few days.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to call off work until I get back.”
“No.”
Zombie tenses, and his jaw tics. “Lucy, please, don’t argue with me about this.”
“I’m not calling off work,” I snap, rising to my feet and pacing. “There’s no reason to. I’ve got an entire security team there that’ll keep an eye on me. Besides, it’s not like a killer’s gonna walk in and shoot me when there’s a crowd.”
“You’re not gonna budge on this, are you?”
“Not an inch.”
He sighs heavily. “Fine. Then at least let me have one of my brothers escort you to and from work. You don’t have your truck anyway, so you’ll need a ride.”
“That’s fine,” I say. “To and from work, though. That’s it. I don’t need an escort beyond the parking lot.”
Seemingly on board with my demand, Zombie nods. “Undertaker will drive you to and from in the SUV.”
“Not his bike?”
He growls, low and deadly. “If another man puts you on the back of their bike, they won’t live to talk about it.”
His possessive tone sends shocks of sensation skittering from one nerve ending to the next. “No bike rides… got it.”
Zombie reaches out a hand and snags my arm to haul me against him. “You’re mine, Lucy.”
“Yes.”
“My bike is the only one you’ll be riding,” he reiterates. “My waist is the only one you’ll wrap your arms around.”
“Yes.”
He leans down to press his lips to my collarbone. “Say it,” he demands.
“I’m yours,” I breathe.
“And?”
“I won’t ride on the back of another man’s bike.”
“And?”
“I won’t wrap my arms around another man’s waist.”
“And?”
“And what? That’s all you said.”
Zombie sinks his teeth into my shoulder, and the flash of pain morphs into a shock of pleasure. “And?” he prods.
“You’re mine,” I say, not knowing what else he wants from me.
“Good girl.”