Sasquatch #2
Thom struggled. “You bit—” He didn’t finish the words as chaos erupted.
Between one heartbeat and the next, the front door exploded inward.
Ida startled hard and Devin jerked back.
His mind zenned out in chaos, it’s where his senses sharpened.
Sounds drifted away, his vision focused.
The room around him slowed in his mind’s eye allowing him to take in the entire scene in a fraction of a second.
There it was, like a gift from the devil himself, an opening.
Bringing his arm forward, he fired a shot that landed right between Ida’s eyes while his other hand drew the blade across Thom’s throat.
The smell of spent casing and the warmth of the blood on his knuckles brought him back to real time. The sights and sounds assaulting him.
Squatch sprinted around the recliner where Thom gurgled and choked on his own blood, toward Devin. She met him halfway and launched into his arms. Nitro entered and took the weapons from his hands so he could properly embrace his woman.
Her body sagged into him with relief. She trembled lightly, but he was impressed with how she was holding up.
Squatch dropped his head into the crook of her neck and inhaled. Needing her scent to soothe him, anchor him. His nose was met with wetness.
“Shit.” Moving her back, he inspected her injury. “Does it hurt, Sweetness?” Using his clean hand, he gently swiped the blood away to see the small wound. Then he leaned down and kissed it. The taste of her blood lingering on his lips.
“It’s fine. Stings a little.” She downplayed it. It wouldn’t need stitches, but it wasn’t merely a scratch either.
“What about you, Jasper?” She held his hands in hers. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding.” He snatched his bloodied hand away before Thom’s blood could taint her.
“It’s not mine.” She shifted to look around him, but he blocked her. If it hadn’t already, it would register with her as soon as her adrenaline levels returned to normal. “Sweetness, look at me.” When he had her attention, he continued.
“Listen.” He spoke in a gentle voice he didn’t even know he was capable of, never had been with anyone else. “One of the brothers will drive you back to the hotel. Scott should be waiting in my room for you. Get cleaned up. He’s well rested and will drive you back, okay?”
Squatch had checked his messages while he’d grabbed her coffee earlier, Scott was close to landing. Even before Devin’s early-hours confessions about her mom, Squatch had already decided what he would be doing after Thom and Ida, no matter how it had played out.
Dropping a kiss on her forehead was more for him than her, it soothed his soul. When he pulled back, he could tell shock was already setting in because Devin didn’t protest or argue, just nodded.
“Do what you’ve gotta do and come back to me.”
Pride swelled in his chest. He knew Devin was perfect for him, but she’d just shown it in front of his Omaha brother and in the aftermath of what went down.
He knew she’d break down later as she processed it, but she held it together in front of others and that was the mark of a good ol’ lady. One who could handle the life.
Nitro clapped him on the shoulder. “I thought Zombie was yanking my chain when he said you staked a claim. Hell, brother, you picked one hell of an ol’ lady.”
Fuck. He was torn between reveling in the high praise and punching Nitro for outing him.
Devin just looked at him. She’d heard the words but her mind was working hard to hold back everything that went down. Later whenever it filtered through everything else, she was going to be fucking pissed and he was more than willing to grovel, but first, business.
One of the brothers led her to her car. As soon as the taillights disappeared he turned to Nitro.
“Go ahead, Sasquatch. Head to the clubhouse for some rest, we got it from here.”
“Thanks.”
He strode to his bike and took off. He’d head to the Omaha clubhouse. He needed to rest before dealing with Croon and Devin’s mother. He was bone tired by the time he arrived. He fell face first into an available bed and slept like the dead for hours.
So long, Devin would be over halfway back home by the time he woke. Which worked for him, he’d wait until after dark.
The first thing he did was check his messages.
Devin, Scott, and Croon had all messaged him, but the missed call from his prez took priority.
He’d given him a quick update call on the way back to the clubhouse, but Zombie probably wanted the finer points from him, although Squatch knew Irish would’ve given him the rundown.
He hit the call button. Zombie didn’t bother with a greeting. “You good?” he asked, concerned with Squatch’s mental health.
“I’m good, Prez. Thanks. Did Dev call Croon yet?” He wondered how she was holding up.
“Yeah, they talked. I heard they got on the road around breakfast time. When are you heading back?”
He wouldn’t lie to his prez.
“As soon as I handle something that’s overdue, then I’ll get freshened up and hit the road.”
“Is it what I think it is?”
His answer was going to cost him, he was sure.
“Yeah.”
“Were you planning to ask permission or…?”
He paused a second. “She’s my ol’ lady, and when you find out what was done to her, you’ll know I won’t need to ask forgiveness either.” He was trying to watch his words so they couldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
“What about Croon?”
“When he finds out, he’ll ride like a bat out of hell to do it, but he shouldn’t have to, Prez.”
Zombie let out a long breath. “Agreed, Enforcer.”
Thank fuck.
“Take care, Squatch.”
The text from Scott was basically that Dev was safe and what time they’d gotten on the road.
Dev’s text was sweet and spoke to his soul.
MY OL’ LADY: Do what you need to do but keep the man I love safe.
It was right there, glowing words on his screen.
She loved him. His fingers itched to type it back.
He wanted to so bad, but he didn’t want the first time he said it to her to be in a text.
She deserved face to face, with fireworks and a marching band, but he’d settle for face to face, under the stars, with some metal playing in the background. That was more their speed anyway.
SQUATCH: Pinky promise, my little pudding cup. Will be there by Friday. Stay at the clubhouse, not your place? The thought of you waiting naked in my bed will have me eating up the asphalt between here and Provo, might even make it by Thursday night if you send me a selfie in those socks.
MY OL’ LADY: Oh, my cuddly cryptid, the socks are earned, not given. Gimme an hour heads up I’ll meet you there, I’m really not looking to spend the night there.
Squatch mused it might be time to start looking for a place away from the clubhouse.
SQUATCH: Will do. I’ll be radio silent until then.
By the time he made his way to the common area he noticed Nitro was back, likely had been so for a while.
While he was getting geared up Nitro spoke.
“Prez has eyes on her place, she’s been alone all day and probably loaded, so I assume you wanna handle it alone?”
Squatch nodded and clapped him on the back. “Thanks for the assist.” A silent exchange passed between them that didn’t need words. If not for Nitro, he’d not have gotten a clear shot, and who knew what would have happened.