Chapter Eleven.
Hayden
Sapphire had definitely been caught off guard, and I liked it. She was always in control and so confident in herself. She sat on the blanket and gazed out over the water.
“It’s beautiful here,” I said, placing the basket down, and hitching my pants, I took a seat next to her.
“It’s one reason we chose this warehouse.”
“There was more?” I stared at the view in front of us.
“Yeah. The fact it stood alone here and there, with no neighbours. Not that we were doing anything wrong, but many of us haven’t had it easy, and we wanted space to be ourselves.
Not to have people complain about us partying or being judgmental.
” Sapphire bit her lip. I guess that had happened in the past.
“Makes sense.”
“We also got a shitload of land. Maybe one day we’ll build our own community here. The clubhouse is great, but if we have families, we might want the white picket fence.”
“Do you?” I asked, suddenly desperate to find out.
“It’s not in the cards for me.” Sapphire looked sad, and I was curious.
“Says who?” I challenged.
“Me. The other reason was that the warehouse was huge, so that we could build apartments there instead of bunks. There are usually several of us with PMS at a time; that ain’t pretty. Having an apartment meant we had space instead of feeling as if we were in prison.”
Sapphire’s change of topic wasn’t subtle, and I wasn’t prepared to let it go. “You don’t see yourself with a partner or children?”
“What can I offer kids, Wylde? I’m an MC president who was abandoned as a baby. I know nothing about what a good parent looks like, and I’d probably fuck up my kid. There’re enough fucked-up kids as it is.”
“You considered adopting?” I asked, and I couldn’t disagree with her opinion. I saw way too much fucked-up shit in my life. Kids were often the victims that adults simply didn’t consider when they tried to tear each other apart.
“Maybe someday.”
I began unpacking the picnic and smiled as her eyes lit up. Egg and ham sandwiches, sour cream chips, a couple of cream cakes, and some snacky bits. I’d included potato salad and coleslaw, and some pasties.
“These are some of my favourite foods,” Sapphire exclaimed.
“Why do you think Gramma was grilling you?” I asked, and Sapphire looked surprised.
“That was sneaky, Wylde.”
“Hayden.”
“Huh?”
“Call me Hayden, Saph,” I said.
Sapphire cocked her head as she bit into a sandwich. “Why?”
“Because Hayden is the man, Wylde is the detective. I want you to understand the man, Saph.”
“Sapphire!” she growled out, but I saw a light in her eyes. Sapphire enjoyed battling with me.
“Babe, Saph is the girl I want to get to know. Sapphire is the MC President,” I teased.
Sapphire took another bite of the sandwich, and I watched her face. Usually, it wasn’t expressive; she was very adept at hiding her thoughts and feelings. Yet today, Sapphire didn’t seem to mind my viewing them.
“Are you doing this to lure me into being comfortable with you before you trap me somehow?” she finally asked.
“Nope. You want a confession, you can have one. Yeah, I’ve watched the club believing you were into illegal shit, and I’ve looked for ways to take you down. But the captain and I are seeing things a little different lately.”
“Why?”
“You don’t hide the fact you’re a one percenter, which led us to look at you for drug running, arm shipments, and trafficking.
The three biggies for one percenters. Then you dropped the bombshell; it was you giving us tip-offs.
Add to that, we’ve no evidence at all linking you to those crimes.
You also fund a women’s shelter, so trafficking would be out for you guys.
Most of your club members have been searched for drugs, and the most we’ve ever found is one or two joints. You girls are clean.”
“Just like that. In the space of the last few weeks, you and Hatton have decided we’re legit? After years of chasing us,” Sapphire said, and I heard the disbelief in her voice.
“Oh, I don’t believe you’re clean. But I don’t think whatever crimes you’re involved in are ones that hurt people.”
“And you can turn a blind eye to the fact we might be up to shit?” I could understand her disbelief. It had been a decade of law enforcement watching them.
“I don’t know how to answer that, Sapphire. I want to spend more time with you, want more than what we’ve got right now.”
“You want to fuck me,” Sapphire said baldly, and I laughed.
“Yeah, I want to be balls deep in that sweet pussy, and I want you screaming my name when I am. But I don’t want a casual fuck.”
“You want a relationship?” Sapphire sounded incredulous. “With me? President of the Royal Harlots, Portsmouth Chapter? Do you think a cop and an MC president can be together?”
That was a damn good question—and one I didn’t have the answer to right now.
I could see and feel Sapphire’s disbelief, and it was honestly warranted.
The rumours about us would be intense; I could even be accused of being a dirty cop.
But turning away from Sapphire wasn’t an option.
Was I willing to throw away my career? That was a damn good question.
“Can we take this one day at a time?”
“Whatever you want, cop,” Sapphire said with a grin, and I pounced on her. Wide brown eyes stared up at me.
“You gonna beg me?” I whispered, my mouth a mere whisper from hers.
“Never.” Sapphire looked smug. I let a wicked grin cross my lips, and Sapphire looked worried.
I pinned her down, setting myself over her crotch and tickling her. Sapphire shrieked with laughter and squirmed. My cock instantly stood up and applauded her efforts, and I realised how this had backfired. However, Sapphire hadn’t yet realised her power over me, and I kept tickling her.
Sapphire squealed with laughter as tears ran down her face, and she threatened my manhood’s existence. I kept the pressure up until someone tackled me and knocked me off her.
I fought back and found myself pinning Vengeance.
“It’s okay!” Sapphire yelled as an intense look came over Vengeance’s face. Under me, the ground seemed to move, and I could swear that the grass grew longer. “We were playing!”
“Playing?” Vengeance asked as if Sapphire had just told her she was an alien.
“Yes, he was tickling me, not hurting me,” Sapphire said, reaching out a hand and rubbing Vengeance’s arm.
“You were laughing?” Vengeance demanded as I slowly relaxed my grip and moved off her. Vengeance sat up, her gaze flicking between Sapphire and me as she looked completely confused.
“Yes.”
“Weird,” Vengeance replied. Then she waved a hand. “Go back to the clubhouse.”
I turned and saw several of the sisters watching us close by. Rose and Candle both had weapons in their hands.
“Shooting a cop is a crime,” I stated dryly.
They both shrugged and hid them again.
“Wow, have they never seen you laugh like that?” I asked as Vengeance leapt to her feet. She moved some distance away but kept watch on us.
“Yes, but they’ve never heard a man make me laugh so hard.”
“That is tragic, babe,” I said and began packing the remains of our picnic away. I had the sense that this was something she’d also never done. Suddenly, I wanted to fill Sapphire’s life with everything she’d missed out on.
“Thank you for lunch… it was different,” Sapphire said as I helped her to her feet.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll do this again,” I said as I bent and grabbed the basket.
“If you insist.” Oh, I would insist, and Sapphire would have to get used to that. It was time someone showed this precious woman what life was meant to be about.
Storm
“I’m fine, Soul, stop calling me every five minutes,” I said into my phone.
Soul huffed at me, and I laughed.
“How’s Bryony and the kids?”
“Bryony is perfect. Madi is testing her limits, especially with the souped-up wheelchair she now has. Ham is doing great, and Grace…” Soul broke off, and I began laughing.
Bryony was Soul’s old lady, and Madi and Hamilton were her children with her ex, an actor.
Grace was the ex’s child, whom he literally dumped on Soul and Bryony’s doorstep.
The asshole couldn’t cope with his three kids because they were like Soul and me.
All born with psychic talents. As a baby, Grace had no self-control at all and an affinity for water.
Every time Grace got upset, she flooded the building she was in or soaked the person holding her.
Noble, a brother with shielding abilities, was working with Grace to control the damage, while Anubis seemed to be the only one able to calm Grace down.
The whole situation amused me, especially as my baby brother was now a family man.
Poor Bryony was the only one without powers, apart from her exceptional ability to handle talented kids.
“You need to come and see your niece,” Soul wheedled, and I made a snorting noise.
“What, so Grace can spend all day throwing her tantrums at me? No thanks, I’ll wait till you guys have trained her so she doesn’t drown her favourite aunt.”
“Come on, sis, she’d love to visit the Harlots’ clubhouse,” Soul attempted again.
“Soul! I just got the clubhouse the way we want it. I’m not letting Poseidon’s daughter wreck it,” I exclaimed.
“I love that! Poseidon’s daughter!” Soul laughed.
“Everything okay your end?” I asked seriously.
“There’s been no sign of any trouble here, apart from the usual shit. What about you?” Soul asked.
“Everything is…”
There was a screeching noise, then I glimpsed Miles Fox, a loud bang, and everything went black.
Sapphire
I glared at my phone as it rang for the third time in a row. Whatever Wylde wanted, he needed to take a chill pill. I wasn’t at his beck and call.
“What?” I snarled, finally answering it.
“Get your ass to the hospital, Storm’s been hit by a car, and the driver fled.”
Wylde cut the phone as I leapt to my feet. Vengeance was at the garden centre today, but Sparrow was here. I rushed out calling for her, and she glanced over.
“The hospital. Storm’s been in an accident.”