Vixen
V ixen slipped into the back of the clubhouse, trying to make sure that she hadn’t been followed. The last thing she wanted to do was lead danger right to her club’s doorstep. She looked around and found Banshee, Phoenix, Rebel, and Juno sitting at the bar. They were talking and laughing about something, but once they saw , they sobered.
“Hey,” Banshee said, hopping down from the barstool. She pulled in for a quick hug and released her. “You look like shit,” Banshee said.
“Thanks for that,” grumbled. “I feel like shit too. I’m just a little off lately and I’m worried about Dare. Is there any news?” she asked. It had been four days of no word from him, and that wasn’t like Dare at all. They had spent every night together since she ran into Savage Hell, begging him to pretend to be her boyfriend. Maybe he was still avoiding her over their fight, but she was ready to talk things out, and he was nowhere to be found.
“Not really,” Rebel said. knew her friend well enough to know that she wasn’t being one hundred percent truthful with her.
“Would you like to try that one again?” challenged.
“We found out that Dare went to meet with Wyatt a few days ago, and now, he’s missing,” Banshee explained. had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach for days now—ever since Dare didn’t check in with her after his shift. Sure, she had told him that she needed time, but it wasn’t like him to go radio silent. She had called Phoenix and Riggs, asking them if they had any idea where he was, but Riggs hadn’t heard from him either. Dare never showed up for his shift on Monday and every night that he didn’t come back home, she panicked just a little bit more.
“Idiot,” breathed, “I should have known that he was up to something. He just seemed off for about two days before he supposedly went to work on Monday.”
“He didn’t show up for his shift?” Juno asked.
“No,” Phoenix filled in for her, “Riggs said that he never showed up on Monday, or any day after.”
“We fought just before he left the house that morning—one that he started, and now I’m starting to think that he planned it that way. He wanted to walk away on Monday and not have me follow him. Dare knew that if I was mad enough at him, I’d take some time to cool down—I guess I did because it took me almost four days to start asking about him,” said, feeling like a complete fool.
“Wow, that must have been some fight,” Banshee said.
“It was,” admitted, “he accused me of sleeping with Wyatt more than once, even when I told him that wasn’t true, he kept pushing. He said that would be the only reason why Wyatt would think that we meant something more to each other.”
“Oh,” Rebel said. “Did you let him have it?” Knowing Rebel, she meant to ask if kicked Dare in the nuts and that kind of made her smile.
“I did, but not like you would have,” said. “I told him that if he believed that I was lying to him, maybe we needed to take some time apart. Hell, I played right into his hands, and I had no idea what he was doing.”
“Yeah, I would have gone with kicking him in the nuts for sure,” Rebel admitted, causing them all to laugh.
“So, now what?” asked. “Does anyone have an idea as to where they met?” she asked, looking over at her club’s Prez. Even if Banshee knew where Dare met with Wyatt, she probably wouldn’t tell her. She was the only person, besides Dare, that had told that she was pregnant. There would be no way that Banshee would let her go out there to look for Dare, even if the thought of raising her baby alone scared the hell out of her.
“Well, Savage is getting a few of the guys together to go out to look for Dare. His guys have a past with the Ghosts, and if Wyatt is a part of them, they’ll be able to help Dare more than we can. Demon has a few guys on the inside of the organization still—you know that have all kept in touch even after the Ghosts were taken down,” Banshee said. “Organizations like that never just die off. They usually come back stronger and better with time.” knew that Banshee had a lot of knowledge about supposedly defunct organizations. She thought that they had taken down the Dead Rabbits, but they were all wrong. The Rabbits chased both her and her brother Declan to America and they had to go on the run for a bit. MI6 even got involved and that was how Declan met Danger. After she saved her now husband, she quit MI6 and decided to stick around Huntsville and join the Harlots.
“Right, like cutting off the head of the serpent, two more grow in its place,” Rebel said.
“I can’t just sit here and wait,” insisted. Banshee looked down at her still flat tummy and back up at her. gave a slight shake of her head, not wanting to tell the rest of the women about her pregnancy. It was so new to her still. She needed time to digest the information and telling her best friends would only speed up that process—and that wasn’t something that she wanted.
“We really have no choice,” Juno insisted. “Let’s wait to see what Savage finds out and if we can help in any way, we will.” Her friend was always the voice of reason. She was the good girl of the group—reliable, caring, and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. knew that her friend was right, but sitting around and waiting for news about the father of her unborn child would drive her crazy.
“Of course, you’re right, Juno,” said. She didn’t have to agree with her friend to play along with the plan. But given the chance, she was going after Dare and there would be nothing and no one who would be able to stop her.
Savage and Demon walked into Savage Hell after what felt like an eternity. They had been sitting around so long that was sure that she had lost the feeling in both of her legs. She practically sprang out of her seat at Savage as he wrapped his arms around her.
“Woah,” he said, “careful there, .”
“Sorry, I’ve been sitting for a while in one position. I guess I lost my balance. Do you have any news?” she asked.
“I do, but you might want to sit down again before I tell you it,” Savage insisted. The last thing she wanted to do was sit back down, but she did as he asked, and waited Savage out.
Demon sat down next to her and the look of pity on the guy’s face was almost her undoing. “We were correct—Dare went in to meet with Wyatt.”
“Okay, so we go in there and pull him out,” she insisted. “I’m sure that he’s only doing this to keep me safe.”
“I’m sure that he is,” Savage said, “but there’s more.”
“Oh, God, please tell me that he’s still alive,” she begged.
“He is,” Demon breathed, “but he’s joined the Ghosts. Apparently, Wyatt made him a deal that if he joined the Ghosts, he’d leave you alone.”
“No,” shouted, “that’s ridiculous.”
“Agreed, but according to my source, that’s what happened,” Demon insisted.
“So, he’s just gone?” asked. “I’ve lost him?”
“No,” Savage growled. “We’ll find a way to get him back. I promise you that ,” he assured.
“I don’t believe that Dare would do something as foolish as joining the Ghosts. He knows how dangerous they are,” she insisted. He had made her a promise to stay as far away from them and Wyatt as possible, so why would he go and put himself in danger like that? He wouldn’t and the best she could do was thank her friends for their help and go home to wait for Dare. He’d come back to her at some point, and then, this whole nightmare would be over.
“I know that it’s hard to believe,” Banshee soothed, “but if he’s doing this to keep you safe, you should let him. Just give him some time, .”
She nodded at her club’s Prez, pasting on her best smile for full effect. “I know, and I will do just that. I’d like to go home now. I’m feeling pretty tired, and I think that it would be best if I laid down for a bit.” Banshee nodded and promised to be in touch when they had more news, but wasn’t holding her breath. Dare wasn’t going to come home to her until he was ready, and that wasn’t something she wanted to even think about right now. She needed to get in touch with him somehow, and she had a good idea of how to do just that.
“Would you mind walking me out to my truck, Demon?” she asked.
“Um, of course,” he agreed. She could tell that she threw the poor guy for a loop, asking him to walk her out. They really didn’t know each other well. Sure, she knew of him—everyone in the Bastards and Harlots did. He was the Royal Bastards Enforcer, and that came with some pretty big clout. He was tough as nails when he had to be, but with her, now, he was gentle as a pussy cat.
“Thank you,” she whispered. She grabbed her bag and said her goodbyes, letting Demon help her out into the parking lot. The cool night air hit her, and she took a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs until she just couldn’t hold it anymore, blowing it back out into the night.
“I need you to try to get Dare a message for me,” she said. She really wasn’t asking, and from the look on Demon’s face, he wanted to tell her no, but he didn’t.
“What kind of message?” he asked.
“Only Banshee knows this, but I’m pregnant and I’ve been having a few health issues with the pregnancy. I don’t want to worry him, but I think that he should know that I’m going to have to go to see my doctor and I’m worried that something bad is going to happen to our baby,” she lied. Coming up with a story was a lot easier than she had imagined that it would be. Now, all she had to do was hope like hell that Demon believed her and got Dare her message.
“I can do that, but it might take some time,” he agreed. “My man on the inside has to be careful and if I blow his cover, having him get Dare a message, they might both end up dead,” he warned.
“I understand, and I’m willing to wait to keep everyone safe. I just think that Dare has a right to know,” insisted.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as I know he’s gotten your message, but wouldn’t you like to tell some of your friends so that they can be there for you?” he asked. That was the last thing she needed. If her friends knew she was pregnant, they’d roll her in bubble wrap to keep both her and the baby safe.
“I’d like to tell Dare first, and make sure that everything is okay with the baby before I start sharing our good news,” she insisted. Demon nodded and she blew out another breath that she didn’t know that she was holding.
“Thanks for doing this for me, Demon,” she whispered, cupping her nonexistent baby bump for good measure.
“No problem,” he said. She was sure that he didn’t mean it. She seemed to be causing him a major problem, but the guy was feeling bad enough for her that he’d go along with her plan. almost felt bad about conning the guy, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. First, she’d get Dare back, and then, she’d feel bad for lying to everyone. At some point, her friends would have to forgive her for not telling them about the baby, right?
It had been almost a month since she asked Demon to get Dare a message, and no word from either of them had her worried. She hadn’t seen Demon around the club and the thought of her putting him in danger, trying to get a message to Dare, was more than she needed right now. Her nerves were on edge, and she was sure that her hormones were going to drive her over that edge at some point.
She had practically barricaded herself in the apartment that she and Dare had been sharing before he left, begging the universe for him to come back to both her and their baby. And night after night when there was no answer, she started losing hope.
had crawled into bed alone, and turned off the light, hoping that sleep would find her before she started crying. Most nights, she had cried herself to sleep, and that was beginning to take a toll on her. Her OBGYN had assured her that crying and feeling out of control of her emotions was a perfectly normal thing, but she knew that there was more to it. She hadn’t told her doctor about the stress she was under waiting for Dare to come back to her, or that he was probably in more trouble than either of them could handle. was alone, and for the first time in her life, she felt that way.
Usually, she’d be able to call on Rebel, Juno, or Phoenix and they’d run over to help her out of whatever mess she found herself in, but she couldn’t do that now. She was starting to think that they’d never want anything to do with her again once they found out that she had been keeping her pregnancy from them, but that was a chance she was willing to take. Without Dare there, she didn’t want to even think about being happy and the baby that they created together made her happy. She didn’t deserve to feel that way when the man that she loved was in so much danger, just to keep her safe. All of this was her fault. If she hadn’t gotten drunk on Phoenix’s birthday, and let Wyatt take her home as she tried to make Dare jealous, none of this would be happening. Dare would be home safe and sound with her and Wyatt wouldn’t even know she existed.
swiped at the hot tears that spilled down her cheeks and groaned. “Not again,” she mumbled. “I’m so sick of crying.”
“Baby,” a man whispered from the side of the bed. She’d know that voice anywhere—Dare. He had come back to her, but had he really? She sat up and turned on the lamp that sat on her nightstand and found him standing next to the bed in all his glory.
“You’re here,” she whispered as though saying it much louder would scare him off or ruin the perfect dream she was having.
“I am, and I’m so sorry that I couldn’t have gotten away sooner. Demon got me your message, but the Ghosts have been keeping a close eye on me, and I couldn’t slip away earlier than now. Is everything okay with the baby?” he asked. He sat on the side of the bed and couldn’t help but climb into his lap.
“That was a story that I came up with so that Demon would feel sorry enough for me to get you a message. Are you mad?” she asked.
He shrugged, “A bit, but I’m just glad that you and the baby are okay. You put Demon and me in a bad position though. He’s covering for me so that I could come here tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Wait—covering for you? Do you mean to say that you’re going back to that awful place?” she asked.
“I have to,” Dare insisted, “if I don’t, they will figure out what Demon and I are up to and kill him. I can’t let that happen to him. I’m doing all of this to keep you safe, .”
“What about what’s happening to me, Dare?” she asked. “I don’t mean to sound selfish, but I never asked for you to join the Ghosts or make a stupid deal with Wyatt to keep me safe,” she insisted. God, she sounded ungrateful even to her own ears.
“I know that you didn’t, but after finding out about the baby, I decided that we needed a fresh start. I didn’t want to keep looking over our shoulders, worried that Wyatt would change his mind about stalking you. He made me a deal, and I took it to keep you both safe,” Dare said, covering his hand over her tummy. “I love you—both of you and I’d do it all again if it meant that you’d be safe. I want you to move on, honey,” he said.
She looked up at him as though he had lost his ever-loving mind. “Move on?” she asked. “What the fuck does that mean?”
He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead and she had a pretty good idea what he meant by it. “It means that I want you to forget about me. Let me do this and hopefully, someday, I’ll be able to break free from the Ghosts, but in the meantime, I need you to take care of yourself and the baby. Can you do that for me?” he asked.
“No,” she spat, “I won’t move on and pretend like you’re just off on a business trip or something. What aren’t you telling me, Dare?” Something felt off to her and if she was right, it was information that he was withholding from her.
“I’m telling you everything that I know,” he insisted.
“No, you’re leaving something out,” she said. “If you want me to sit by and watch you ruin both of our lives by your joining the Ghosts, then I need to know the whole story.”
He sighed, and for just a minute, she thought that he wasn’t going to tell her anything more. “Wyatt told a few of his buddies in the Ghosts that you were his girl. When he tried to get out from under their thumb, they threatened to come after you. He needed someone in the organization to have his back, and he asked me to help him. He promised me that if I did, he’d be able to convince the Ghosts that you aren’t a part of his life and that we’d be free to live our lives—the three of us,” he said, cupping her tummy.
“Fucking Wyatt,” she grumbled. covered his hand with her own and worried that she was going to have to actually let Dare go again if they were going to break free from this whole mess. “How the hell am I supposed to take care of our baby without you? I know nothing about taking care of a newborn and you promised me that we’d do this together,” she reminded. She was pulling out all the stops, but she didn’t care. She needed Dare to remember his promises to her.
“I don’t expect you to have to raise our baby alone, honey, but I need to know that you’ll take care of yourself and won’t go off and do anything stupid,” he said.
“You mean, like go and join a notorious drug trafficking ring to keep me safe from my stalker?” she asked. Yeah, she wasn’t playing fair, but she just didn’t care anymore. If Dare was going back to the Ghosts, she had nothing to lose.
“That’s not fair,” he spat.
“No kidding, and you sneaking off to meet with Wyatt and decide not only your fate, but mine, wasn’t fair either, Dare,” she said. “If you leave me again, I won’t make you any promises. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of there. I won’t let the Ghosts have you, and I won’t let them win.”
“It’s the only way for now. Savage, Demon, and Banshee are all trying to come up with a plan to get me out of there, but for now, I need you to sit tight. Can you do that for me?” he asked. She wanted to insist that she couldn’t—that she wouldn’t do that for him. Maybe if she played the brat, he’d have no choice but to stick around. “My time is running out, . I need to get back to the Ghosts before they realize that Demon is covering for me.”
knew that she couldn’t let Demon take the blame for her keeping Dare longer than agreed upon. She needed to let him go in order to keep them all safe—that was the only option, but she wouldn’t stop fighting for him.
“I’ll behave,” she grumbled. Dare leaned in to gently kiss her lips, her tears freely falling down her cheeks again. He brushed a tear from her lips and helped her off his lap.
“Thank you for that, honey. I promise to come back as soon as I can. I just need for you to be safe,” Dare insisted. She nodded and watched him walk out of their bedroom and into the darkness. knew that he had just made her a promise that he probably wouldn’t be able to keep, but that worked for her because she was going to call Banshee and come up with a plan B, even though she had just promised him to behave. Sometimes in life, you had to do some things that went against your word, and this was one of those times.