Chapter 14
CAGE
The shrill ringtone jerked me out of a sleep so deep, my body felt carved from stone. I squinted briefly at the clock and groaned when I realized it was almost noon. I knew I’d worn Hadley the fuck out the night before, but it seemed I’d been equally drained from all the exertion.
I grabbed the phone off the nightstand and sat up, then swung my legs out of bed as I glanced at the number flashing on the screen. It was coming straight from my clinic on the compound.
“Shit,” I muttered, already bracing for whatever was coming. Calls like this never brought good news.
“What happened?” I answered roughly, my voice still edged with sleep but sharpened by instinct.
“It’s Tyre.” Kane’s voice was clipped. “Rolled into the compound about two minutes ago. Run went sideways. Took a fucking bullet to the shoulder. They’re bringing him to the clinic right now.”
“On my way.”
I ended the call and glanced back at Hadley, her face soft and peaceful in sleep.
Her tousled hair was spread across the pillow, her lips parted slightly, making my dick twitch.
But I couldn’t linger, not with a club brother bleeding in my clinic.
I dressed swiftly, pulling on jeans, boots, and my cut before leaning down and pressing my mouth to Hadley’s temple.
Her eyes fluttered open, her lips curving up until she clocked my expression. “Thayer? Is something wrong?”
“Club business, baby. Tyre got himself banged up,” I murmured, brushing a thumb across her cheek. “Want you to come with me to the compound. You’ll be safe there until I’m done. Besides, now that you’re here to stay, I figure it’s a good time for you to meet some of my family.”
She nodded and quickly dressed in denim shorts and a racer-backed tank before slipping on a pair of strappy, flat sandals.
I escorted her outside to my motorcycle, got our helmets on our heads, and mounted it.
Then I helped her onto the seat behind me and gave her a few instructions.
When she was ready, her arms around me and body snug against mine, I pulled out.
My mind had already gone into doctor mode, but I was present enough in the moment to enjoy the feeling of having my woman on my bike for the first time. The reassuring heat of her presence filtered in and settled inside me with something that felt a fuck of a lot like contentment.
By the time we pulled up at the compound and rode through the gated entry, Nitro was already waiting near the clubhouse entrance, his expression tight.
He gave Hadley a nod as we approached the clubhouse, his dark eyes darting briefly to mine before settling warmly back on her. “Nice to see you again, Hadley. Some of the old ladies are inside, they’ll keep you company. As long as you don’t mind diapers and drool.”
“Thanks, Nitro,” she replied, chuckling softly and offering a smile that only wobbled slightly at the edges.
But I could feel her hesitation in the way her body leaned slightly into mine, seeking reassurance she probably didn’t even realize she needed.
This was a big step, but I had no doubt she’d fit seamlessly into every facet of my life.
Hadley was fucking made for me. But the truth was, if by some chance she couldn’t find her feet in this world, I’d leave everything and take her wherever she wanted to go, as long as it made her happy.
I flicked my chin up at my brother in greeting and thanks, then kept my hand firmly at the small of Hadley’s back and guided her toward the clubhouse entrance.
She glanced up at me and something soft flickered across her face, hitting me square in the chest. Damn, I loved how she looked at me, even in these tiny moments, like I was the only person she wanted at her side.
Loved. Yeah, I fucking loved the hell outta this woman. But I didn’t have time to linger over the realization right now.
We stepped inside together, and voices drifted from the lounge, soft laughter mixing with the happy shrieks of kids at play.
Jana looked up first, her face lighting with genuine pleasure as she spotted Hadley. Jana’s little girl, Nella, squealed happily from her lap, waving her chubby arms with excitement. Jana passed Nella to another woman and stood, crossing the room to pull Hadley into a warm, welcoming hug.
“How are you doing?” Jana asked softly, drawing back to look Hadley over, concern in her eyes. “Nitro told me what happened the other night. You’ve definitely had one hell of an introduction to underground racing.”
Hadley laughed quietly, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “It’s been a little more than I bargained for.”
Then she glanced at me, and her cheeks turned pink when I winked.
Jana caught the interaction, and her mouth parted in surprise. “Did you just wink? And…” She looked at her old man and shook her head. “I didn’t think his face could make any expressions except stony and blank.”
I grunted in annoyance and scowled at Nitro when he barked a laugh.
“You know how it is when a brother falls,” he drawled with a smirk.
This time, it was Jana blushing.
“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling up at him. Then she turned back to Hadley and squeezed her arm reassuringly, her smile warm. “You’re in good hands here. Promise.”
I waited a beat longer, ensuring Hadley felt comfortable, before gently gripping her chin to tilt her face toward mine. Her gaze lifted, her deep green eyes bright and trusting as I leaned in, claiming her mouth in a kiss that was hard and sure, making it damn clear who she belonged to.
I felt her soften beneath my touch, her lips parting for me instinctively, a quiet sigh slipping from her throat. I was tempted to drag her to the nearest empty room, but I had a man waiting on me. And bullets had to take precedence over my need to be inside Hadley.
“Stay put, baby,” I murmured roughly against her mouth, my thumb brushing her jawline. “Be back as soon as I’m finished.”
She nodded, her eyes hazy with desire, a soft smile curving her mouth. I watched as she crossed the room and settled onto a couch with Jana. Reluctantly, I stepped back, already missing the warmth of her body against mine, before turning and heading toward Nitro, who waited near the kitchen door.
Nitro raised an eyebrow at me, that familiar dark amusement flashing across his face as I joined him. “Done marking your territory, Cage?”
“Fuck off,” I growled under my breath, following him through the kitchen and toward the back corridor leading directly into the internal entrance of the clinic.
Nitro chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “No judgment here, brother. Hadley looks good on you.”
“You’ve got your own woman,” I muttered, pushing through the door, my body and mind already shifting firmly into the controlled focus of a doctor. “Don’t worry about mine.”
Tyre was sitting on an exam table, grimacing and clutching a blood-soaked towel against his shoulder, while Kane stood nearby, his arms folded and jaw set in grim displeasure.
Tyre grunted in pain when he twisted toward me as I approached, his gaze lifting to meet mine. He was tough, but the sweat dotting his brow and the tight line of his mouth told me he was hurting more than he’d ever admit.
“Relax, asshole,” I muttered, snapping on gloves and moving to inspect the damage. “Let’s see how much of a mess you made.”
“Fuckin’ mierda,” he hissed as I eased the towel away, revealing a jagged wound that had thankfully missed anything major. Unfortunately, the bullet was still lodged in his flesh, though not deep. I’d need to pluck it out before I cleaned and stitched up the injury.
When I looked up at him, he read it in my expressions and grimaced, cursing again.
I moved around, gathering what I needed. When I returned to his side, he looked a little paler than before.
“Gonna need me to knock you out?” I asked dryly.
It was complete bullshit. The man was built from pure steel, even with a fresh bullet hole.
Tyre glared. “Unless you want a matching hole in your ass, shut the fuck up and get me the hell outta here.”
“What happened?” I muttered.
With his jaw clenched, he gave me a short summary of what had gone down as I worked quickly, irrigating and sterilizing the wound. “Bastard shot like a fucking amateur.”
“Be glad he did, brother,” I murmured as I picked up an instrument. “It’s practically a flesh wound.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond before getting to work on removing the ammunition from his shoulder.
He let out a string of rapid curses under his breath, but he never flinched away.
It didn’t take long for me to finish, then I went about taking care of the bleeding before cleaning the wound again and preparing to sew it up.
Nitro leaned against the doorway, his gaze flicking to me with a dark smirk. “Funny, ain’t it, Doc? A bullet wound barely makes you blink, but one look from a certain pretty little blonde, and you’re all shook up. Losing sleep and everything.”
Kane’s lips curved in a knowing grin. “Seems like our club doctor’s finally been laid low. Maybe we should call Hadley every time he gets ornery and watch the good doctor melt into a pussycat.”
I glared up at them, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Fuck off.”
Tyre chuckled, wincing slightly as I placed the first stitch. “Damn, Cage. Never thought I’d see you so pussy whipped. What happened to our fearless doc who didn’t bat an eye at anything?”
“You wanna talk shit while I’m holding the needle?” I asked, finishing another stitch.
Tyre grinned, his eyes dimmed with pain but clearly amused. “Point taken.”
Nitro chuckled again from the doorway. “Can’t blame him, Tyre. We’ve all been there. Women make fools of us all.”
Tyre snorted. “You have. Don’t expect me to be falling all over myself for a woman.”
Kane’s perpetual scowl eased slightly as he shared a look with Nitro. “Didn’t you say the same thing before you met Jana?”
Nitro smirked and nodded. “Pretty sure something like that came outta Cage’s mouth not too long ago.”
I didn’t take the bait, and the conversation shifted naturally into compound upgrades while I continued working, tension slowly ebbing as our familiar rhythm fell into place. Tyre gritted his teeth through the final stitches, but his voice was steady when he spoke up.
“Talked to the contractor this morning.” He visibly relieved as I began wrapping the wound. “Sent the deposit for them to get started. Playground install will be done next weekend. Pool’s up after that.”
Kane grunted. “Good. Might even be able to get Cecily out here to start lessons with the babies before it gets too cold. Pool will be heated, but still.”
“Cecily?” Tyre queried.
Nitro nodded. “Local swim instructor. She’s done an amazing job with the infant swim lessons for Kylan and Mylo. We just started her with Nella.”
Kane arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. “She’s an Olympic hopeful in artistic swimming. Doesn’t have a permanent spot, so we’ve had to go wherever she could find a place to teach. Now we’ll be able to have her come here once the pool’s ready.”
Tyre snickered, a teasing glint in his eyes despite the pain he was clearly fighting. “From motorcycles to swim lessons. Fuck, you’ve really gone domestic.”
“Yeah, but I’ve got a sexy-as-sin old lady that keeps my bed and the back of my bike warm, and a cute as fuck little girl that thinks her daddy hung the moon,” Nitro shot back dryly. “Worth it.”
A round of low laughter filled the room.
“Now if we could just make it two kids,” Nitro mumbled, a smirk playing around his lips.
I tightened the bandage on Tyre’s shoulder, then he slid carefully off the exam table, testing his shoulder with cautious movements.
“Take it easy,” I ordered. “Don’t go lifting shit and bust my handiwork.”
“Noted.” Tyre gave me a grateful nod, his jaw tight with pain but his eyes steady and clear.
I respected the hell out of him. He was smart with money, strategic, and loyal as fuck.
His skill with finances had made him invaluable not only to the club, but also to Kane’s racing empire.
A man confident enough to lead, yet humble enough to follow another he deeply respected.
Nitro stepped away from the doorframe, slapping Tyre lightly on his uninjured shoulder.
Tyre grunted and hissed another curse.
Nitro grinned. “Come on. Let’s get you some whiskey so you stop whining like a baby.”