Chapter 10
Angel slid off the bike after Vex backed into a parking spot at Inferno.
Cars packed the parking lot. She looked around as she stood in the side lot, noting he had chosen a spot with the other Devil Daddies’ MC bikes.
She hovered close to Vex as he helped her remove her helmet.
The boisterous shouts of people having a good time spooked her.
“You tell me if this is too much, Baby girl and I’ll take you home,” Vex assured her. Wrinkles creased his forehead.
“I have to get back in the world sometime, Vex. I want to see my coworkers….” she explained before adding, “Can you stay close?”
“Call me Velcro, Angel.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” she whispered for his ears only.
Vex rubbed her shoulders as they walked toward the stairs leading to the entrance. He waved to a huge man almost filling the door. “That’s Wraith, remember? He keeps out any troublemakers. Do you see his cut? The leather has this logo on it.” Vex pointed to the flaming skull on his leather vest.
She nodded and ran her fingers over the embroidery. That simple, casual touch reminded her of Vex’s strength. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
“My MC are wearing their cuts. If there’s any problem, run to the closest Devil Daddy and he’ll protect you. No questions asked.”
“How will they know I’m with you?”
“I’ve taken care of that, Baby girl. Everyone is eager to meet you.” Vex guided her up the stairs. “Let’s go talk to Wraith.”
“Do we need to get in line?” she asked, waving a hand at the queue to enter.
“This is our club, Angel. We don’t wait with outsiders.”
“Vex! Angel! I’m glad to see you,” Wraith greeted them. A curvy blonde jumped up from a stool next to him and started forward before stopping abruptly. “This is Caroline. She’s been wiggling off her stool all night. She’s excited to meet you.”
“Hi, Angel. I’m really glad you’re here.”
Angel tilted her head down slightly, guessing that her lingering bruises appeared awful in the bright lights of the doorway. As excited as she was to meet Wraith’s Little girl, Angel was worried how people would judge her.
“Baby girl,” Vex said, hugging her closer to his side. “No one at Inferno is going to ask you questions or look at you strangely.”
“If they do, I’ll toss them out on their ear,” Caroline announced firmly before shooting a sideways glance at Wraith. “Well, Da… Wraith will.”
She almost said Daddy, Angel thought.
“Thanks. Sorry, I’m not used to being in a crowd,” Angel explained.
“There’s no one in the private room if you want to take Angel and her buddies there, Vex. I think I’ve spotted a few of them on the right-hand side of the bar,” Wraith suggested.
“Thanks, brother. I’ll do that if the crowd becomes too much,” Vex said. “Ready to go in and find your friends?”
Angel nodded before rushing forward to hug Caroline. She whispered in the woman’s ear as Caroline enveloped her in a warm embrace, “Thanks for welcoming me. I’d love to talk to you and the other women sometime.”
“You’ve got it. We’ll get together soon,” Caroline promised.
“In the compound?” Angel asked.
“Definitely.”
“Thanks, Caroline.”
“I’m glad Vex found you,” the sweet blonde told her.
“Me too.” Angel turned to Vex.
He immediately stepped up to wrap his arm around her waist. As he steered her away, Vex placed his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Good girl.”
A shiver went through Angel at his praise.
She opened her mouth to answer but scanned the vast space forming Inferno as they walked inside.
The huge nightclub dance floor, two bars, and restaurant seating blended together.
She stared in different directions, trying to take everything in.
Men in leather vests wandered around, keeping an eye on everyone while they performed a dozen tasks.
She noticed a guy standing at the bottom of a tall staircase and visually traced the winding path to the top.
There, a large office with enormous windows overlooked the activity below.
The shadow of a man stood silhouetted against the glass.
A picture of the heavily tattooed biker she’d met in the Devil Daddies MC’s compound popped into her mind.
“Lucien,” Vex confirmed for her as he followed her line of sight. “Your friends are waving. Should we join them?” He pointed to a group on the right side of the bar in office clothes who flailed their arms above their heads to get someone’s attention.
“That’s them. Come on!” Angel took his hand to lead the way through the crowd. She felt almost like the old Angel as she approached her work family. Almost. Having Vex at her side bolstered her comfort in the crowd.
“Hi!” she said enthusiastically.
Everyone set their glasses on the bar to greet her with hugs and pats on the arm. They studied Vex, who stood at her back.
“I’m sorry, I should have introduced you. This is Vex. His MC runs Inferno.”
One young man asked, “How did you two meet?” Angel barely remembered him as an intern who’d joined their department a few days before the Ravagers had abducted her.
“I carried her out of a burning building,” Vex answered for her.
“Just like in a romance novel,” Tom, a dark-haired man, suggested.
“Well, not quite,” Angel admitted before changing the subject. “So, have they hired someone new for my position?”
“Are you kidding? They’ve simply divided the load among us. We are not handling your job as easily as you did. How did you juggle all those moving pieces? We’re pulling our hair out.” Bobby said. His bald-headed state made them all laugh.
“Bobby went in lobbying for them to rehire you. Sorry. They’re stuck on following their stupid regulations,” Ellen said.
“That’s okay, Ellen. Rules exist for a reason,” Angel said.
“Until a lawyer makes them change them. You should sue,” Doug suggested. “I know a good attorney.”
“Thanks, Doug. You’re a gem. I’m not eager to force them to give me back my job. I need some time to recover first. Let’s talk about something more exciting. What’s the gossip in the building? Did they ever find the person who was stealing someone’s lunches from the fridge?”
She smiled at her friends when they launched into a recount of everything hilarious and crappy that had happened. She would miss this group. They’d worked so well together. Most had joined the department several years ago.
Vex stood behind Angel, close enough that his heat reassured her that she was safe. No one could get past him. She relaxed, leaning against his powerful frame. Her hand reached to tug at his jeans after several minutes.
“Yes, Angel.” He spoke into her ear. “Would you like a drink?”
She nodded instantly and hesitated. She needed to stay alert in the middle of all these people. Would they have something other than the margaritas, wine, and beer her friends had ordered?
“Nonalcoholic?” he suggested. “Strawberry?”
“Yes, please,” she agreed eagerly.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a message. Angel followed his gaze to see a biker in a club vest turn toward Vex and nod. The man headed immediately for the bar.
A short time later, Vex turned slightly to thank the biker who delivered her drink. “I owe you one, Street,” Vex told him as he claimed the frosty glass.
“Thank you, Street,” Angel said as she memorized his name and face. “You’re the one who retrieved my things from my apartment. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having….” Her eyes drifted to her work colleagues. They wouldn’t understand that she’d needed her stuffie.
“My pleasure, Angel. Text me if you need anything else. I hope you like the drink,” the younger biker said as Vex handed Angel the tall, frosty glass.
Angel took a small sip. “Oh, yum!” She drank again. “That’s awesome.”
Street winked and wisely left when Vex growled at him for flirting.
Angel patted his chest and lifted her mouth to Vex.
She tightened her grasp on his shirt when he staked his claim on her.
Angel’s cheeks burned when he leaned away.
She drank more of the icy concoction to cool herself down before turning to her colleagues.
Thankfully, they didn’t say a word. Angel pretended she didn’t notice the knowing looks they exchanged. She didn’t care.
Seeing his Little girl’s energy beginning to flag, Vex texted an order of several kinds of appetizers on his phone and asked for them to be delivered to the private dining space.
“Hey, everyone. I need to feed Angel, and I bet you’re hungry as well after work.
If you’ll follow me, I’ve ordered some food for the group. ”
“I’m starving! I almost hijacked that last order that the waitress took by. Lead on, Vex,” Ellen said quickly.
Vex met her gaze, and the woman nodded her agreement. Ellen had noticed Angel wilting. Vex understood why his Little girl liked this employee a lot. Ellen linked her arm with Angel’s and walked with her to the back room that Vex indicated, as the rest of the group trailed behind them.
“Nice. This is a great facility. Can I rent this room for a party?” Doug asked. “I bet it’s expensive. I guess I could join the motorcycle club, and I bet I’d get space for free.”
“You don’t even ride a bike, do you, Doug?” the youngest guy said. Vex vaguely remembered he was Ben or Brett or something with a B.
“Nah, but that’s not important. Vex here can tell you the club only cares if you can pay the membership fee,” Doug blustered.
Angel’s hand wrapped around Vex’s thigh as he tensed next to her. She laughed and casually added, “Good one, Doug. You’re such a jokester. The Devil Daddies has a wait list for how many years, Vex?”
“For Doug, one hundred,” Vex growled. Everyone voted for new members. Doug already had earned his first no vote by implying he could buy his way into the club.
“You don’t take non-riders? Like social members?” Doug asked in disbelief.
“No.” Vex didn’t add more to his answer.
“Your club could make some cash,” Doug suggested.
“We don’t need money,” Vex said, pointedly scanning the packed interior of Inferno.
“Hey, Vex! I’ve got a bunch of things for you!” Dana, a cheerful server, interrupted as she entered with a heavy tray of platters. “Hi, folks! I hope you’re hungry.”
Within moments, Dana had everyone set with plates, napkins, and waters. Some of Angel’s colleagues returned to the bar to grab a fresh drink while others dove into the food Vex had arranged for them.
Taking advantage of the smaller crowd, Dana stopped to greet Angel personally. “You must be Angel,” she guessed.
“I am,” Angel answered with a smile.
“I’m glad to meet you. If you need anything, let me know. I’m even here to walk you into the bathroom if Vex needs you escorted,” Dana offered.
“Oh, I could go there myself,” Angel said. She squirmed a bit, and Vex suspected that once someone had mentioned it his Baby girl needed to go.
“Let Dana take you inside. I’ll stand out in the hallway,” he ordered.
“Vex, how many exits are there in a bathroom? If you’re out in the hallway, you’ll see me. Dana’s busy,” Angel hissed.
“I am not. You’ll save me from going on an ice run to haul big, heavy buckets to the bar. They’ll send one of the guys if I’m here with you,” Dana blurted.
“Oh. Then, you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. Would you like to go?” Dana asked.
“Please!”
Vex followed the two women out of the room.
Ellen or one of the others in the group would have accompanied Angel inside, but Dana would remain outside of the stalls constantly instead of running in to use the toilet as well.
He stationed himself outside the door and monitored those who entered and left.
Several times, groups of women had blocked his view of the doorway. He moved proactively to keep an eagle eye on everyone who entered and exited.
“Hey, big boy. You’re one of the Devil Daddies, aren’t you? I love bad boys.” A woman stopped in front of him with what Vex was sure wasn’t her first or third margarita.
He sidestepped around her without answering to monitor the women’s restroom.
“Vex, huh? That doesn’t mean you leave your women sexually frustrated, does it?” she asked, slurring her words a bit.
Vex didn’t comment. Angel had been in there for too long. He grabbed the handle and walked inside. Several women stood at the mirror, reapplying makeup. Angel glanced up at him from the paper towel dispenser where she waved her hand for the machine to spit out automatically.
Dana laughed immediately as Angel sputtered, “Vex! You can’t be in here! This is the women’s.”
“You’ve got enough paper, Baby girl,” he suggested as the brown toweling threatened to brush the floor while she continued to trigger the sensor.
“Oh, crap. I don’t need that much.” Angel tore off a part and dried her skin while Dana and those fixing their makeup enjoyed the interaction. She hurried to toss her damp trash into the can before shooing Vex out of the room. “Vex!”
“What?” he asked, keeping his lips from smiling.
“I was fine!”
“I didn’t know that. I’ll take you into the men’s next time.”
“I am not going into the men’s restroom! I was okay. There’s always a line for girls,” Angel told him.
“The men’s is fast,” Vex said.
“I’m not going into the men’s bathroom,” Angel stated firmly.
“We need a family bathroom.” A deep voice sounded behind them, making them turn.
“Hey, Razor. That actually is a good idea,” Vex said, nodding at the MC’s doctor.
“I take Honey into the employee restroom by the kitchen. And I do escort her into the men’s,” Razor told Angel. “We have more female employees on the floor.”
“Let’s bring that up at the next meeting,” Vex suggested.
“I’ll do it. You’ll just piss everyone off,” Razor volunteered. “I’ll clue in Wraith and Scythe. They’ll support us.”
Razor stopped to scan Angel. “You’re tired. Go home.”
Kicking himself for not whisking her away thirty minutes ago, Vex immediately wrapped an arm around her. “We should have left earlier, Baby girl. Let’s go.”
“I’m f….” she protested.
She didn’t even get the words out of her mouth before Vex had her in his arms. He carried her toward the exit. “Razor, give our excuses to the folks in the private room. Food’s on me. They can stay as long as they wish.”
“Vex!” Angel argued.
He kissed her temple and said, “I should have taken you home before. Razor’s right.”
She wiggled for a few seconds before relaxing in his arms and setting her head on his shoulder. “Can we at least ride your bike back to the cabin?”
“You bet, Baby girl, if you can hold on tight.”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered into his ear.
He knew she was tired when she didn’t protest or ask to say goodbye to her work friends. Vex kicked himself for not getting her out of there immediately when he’d noticed her fatigue. He’d deal with getting some food into her when he got home.