Chapter 5
FIVE
Rebel
I entered the clubhouse and immediately spotted Viper nursing his head in a booth with Fury, Blaze and Chains.
I could barely contain my excitement when I pulled my phone out and brought up the car alarm sound I’d downloaded to fuck with Fury on cold nights in the gatehouse.
Moving over to him, I held the phone close to his ear and blasted it.
Everyone in the booth jumped and cussed me out.
I put my phone away, laughing, as I headed into church where Hawk and Bear were talking.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Who is with her?”
“She’s asleep and she’s in a locked house, she isn’t going to cause trouble,” I said. “But if we can wrap it up, I don’t want to test my faith too much.”
“Sit down,” Bear said.
I did.
“We have it on good authority that Bran is here,” he said.
“He was spotted in Kilkenny a few hours ago. He does appear to be travelling with his son and another kid, so maybe he’s just taking them somewhere safe, starting over.
He’s made no contact with Brogan to find out where Darby is at but just be aware.
We think it might be wise if you tell Darby about her family and brothers. ”
“She knows about Keefe. Shona let it slip last night.”
Bear nodded. “Okay, so tell her about her father and her brothers and that Bran is still alive. Get her take on what she thinks. She may know something we need to know.”
“Got it,” I said, thankful I didn’t have to keep lying to her.
“Hopefully this will blow over in the next week or so and we can rest easy.”
Bear looked down at his phone and frowned.
“What is it?” Hawk asked.
“Bran’s car was spotted in Wexford and it appears he’s checked him and the kids into an airbnb down there. Maybe we were wrong and he just fled and isn’t coming for Darby.”
“I don’t think we should risk it. She’s been through enough,” I offered, realising I was overstepping here but I couldn’t stop. “I’ll keep an eye on her, tell her what’s happening and let you know what she tells me.”
“Has he been spotted down there?”
“We had Viking and Wolf trail his car. They said he checked them in but Wolf couldn’t be sure of it. He said from afar it looked like him so we have to go by that. Why else would he have Bran’s kid?”
I nodded. “Yeah, let me know if anything changes, yeah?”
Hawk nodded. “You don’t need us to put Blaze on her for a while? Give you a break?”
“She’s not so bad,” I told them. “Once you get to know her and her little moods, anyway. I’ll be fine for another week.”
“No problem,” Bear said. “Let us know either way.”
I headed out of church and moved over to where Fury was standing with his son in his arms. The kid was starting to look like him as he dozed on his dad’s chest. Why the hell did my chest pull like that? I didn’t want kids…I’d never wanted them. I didn’t even want to settle down.
“I heard Shauna’s giving Chains hell.”
Fury laughed. “It’s worth the anger at the end, brother. You want to hold him?”
“Nah, I’m good. He looks comfy there.”
He chuckled and looked down at his son with all the love in the world in his eyes. That was exactly what a father should do with their child. I hated that Shona and Darby both didn’t have that. It wasn't fair that we had to have licences for everything else in this world but not to have children.
“I’m out though, just needed an update.”
“How’s things going with her?” Fury asked, handing Mark over to Shona who eagerly stretched her arms out.
“Walk with me,” I told him.
He headed out of the clubhouse and I followed. Once we were clear enough, I told him about the kiss. He didn’t seem surprised and that just annoyed the fuck out of me.
When I got on my bike, I was about ready to rip him a new one. “Fuck…what?”
“Brother, it was obvious we had interrupted something. Her lips were red and puffy, and she couldn’t take her eyes off you all night, and vice versa. If there’s something there, go for it. You’d be good for her.”
“I’m not good for anyone.”
“Reb, you are the best of men, and you know we wouldn’t have you with us if it weren’t true. You just need to open yourself up to the possibility of someone loving you for you.”
“It’s tension, Fury, not love.”
“It could be anything you wanted it to be, if you allowed it.”
I rolled my eyes and put my helmet on before I waved him off and headed back to the house. The idea of that house being ours, the one I wanted to come home to, to cook for her, to work out with her, and take her on rides on the back of my bike were overwhelming to say the least.
It was almost over, I told myself. Then she would go do her thing and I would go back to being Rebel. When I walked through those doors with her, I was Kendrick, and we both knew it. The crazy part about that…I wanted to be Kendrick for her.
With her.
Darby was washing the dishes when I got home.
Home? Fuck…no.
“Hey,” she smiled over at me. “Thanks for breakfast. You didn’t have to do that if you had a meeting.”
“It’s okay,” I told her, pushing all the ideas streaming through my head away. “I like to cook, you know that. Thanks for cleaning up.”
“It’s the least I can do,” she told me as she came around from the end of the kitchen counter. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I told her, not wanting to throw everything at her right now. “I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me.”
“Like what?”
I held my bike keys up. “Like go for a ride?”
“We can?” she asked, her eyes lighting up like it was the best thing in her life.
“It can only be a short ride, but yeah,” I told her, realising this was dangerous but we both needed this. “We both need to feel some form of freedom.”
She nodded. “Let me change real quick.”
Darby ran down the hall. I could hear her squealing as she changed and something in me felt pride. Proud that I could make her feel so good with something so tiny, just a ride on my bike.
On the back of my bike.
A place reserved for my ol’ lady when the day came.
I tried not to think about it too much. Tried, being the operative word, and yet the idea of her being on the back of my bike had me fired up, chest puffed out like it was the only logical option there was.
No woman made me feel this level of protectiveness. No one.
Not even my baby sister who I never saw anymore.
Fuck. I was in trouble and I knew it.
She came back down the hall with her hair in a braid so the helmet would fit on her head, jeans that hugged every goddamn curve of her legs and hips, and a t-shirt. Her pink Chuck Taylors on her feet. They were her thing and I immediately loved that about her.
“Come on, princess,” I said, taking her hand and leading her out the door behind me. I locked the house up and put the helmet on her before placing her on the back of my bike.
Goddamn, she looked like she belonged there.
Don’t dwell on it, Kendrick.
Jumping on, I kicked the bike to life and took off through the secluded road that would lead into the countryside we were nestled in.
This town was picked because it was mostly farming and woods, perfect to hide out and not be spied on.
Her arms were wrapped tight around my body and I relished the feel of her behind me, the way her chest laid on my back, the way her head rested on my shoulder.
Mine.
The possessive and intrusive proclamation was unwelcome so I pushed it out of my head. She wasn’t mine and she wouldn’t be anytime soon. I needed to stay on task.
I let the wind whip some sense into me as I rode us to a nice spot near a man-made lake. We walked along the lakeside and I watched as she pointed out some ducks in the distance.
“It feels nice to be outside,” she said. “Thank you for this.”
“This never happened, if anyone asks,” I told her.
“Got it,” she chuckled. “That just makes it mean all the more. You’ve helped me a lot these past few weeks, Kendrick. I won’t ever forget it.”
“You trying to get rid of me, princess?”
“Never,” she smiled. “But as much as I hate to say it, those clouds look dark and menacing. We should head back.”
I looked in the direction of where she was looking. That storm snuck up on us. It had been blue skies not twenty minutes ago, which means it was going to be loud, fast and dangerous.
“You’re right,” I said, taking her hand and leading her back to the bike. We jumped on and I took off toward the house, praying we got there in time.
The rain hit my face as I turned down our secluded road and I sped up to make it to the house before it pelted down on us.
Parking my bike near the shed, I put it away, out of sight, and took her hand, entwining our fingers together just as it bucketed down on us.
She squealed as I ran us up the stairs and to the door.
We stood under the tiny porch shelter, laughing at how wet we’d just gotten, when suddenly, we stopped laughing, and it was just us panting from the exertion of running.
Tension passed between us, a forgotten tension we had ignored since that kiss. That kiss that haunted my every thought, every dream. I wanted her lips again, I wanted her plastered around me until she was screaming out my name.
Fuck….I wanted her. Whether it was right or not.
“Fuck it,” I said as I pulled her to me, our lips smashing together.
Darby