Chapter 26
*~* Mateo *~*
Spending time in the clearing was the most relaxing thing I’ve ever done.
If I had the money so that I never had to work a day in my life, I’d build a nice cabin up there and retire from life altogether.
I would certainly follow Salem’s example and have a couple of dogs, too.
I wonder if I could poach Spectre from Salem?
I doubt she’d allow that. Perhaps she’d come and live there with me?
What am I thinking! She wouldn’t allow a cabin to be built there, I’m sure. It is a magical place just as it is. Living up there would just take some of that magic away.
Sitting here in the bunker, I find it easy to just chill out and think happy thoughts. Probably because as a prospect, I’m used to spending alone time in the gatehouse of the club compound. The Doc doesn’t seem to take this in her stride. She is constantly looking for ways to get outside.
“Hey, Doc. If you were going to have a dog, what sort would you have?” Maybe a little conversation will distract her for a while.
“Something gentle and sensible. Maybe a Golden Retriever, or something like that. Thinking of having one yourself, now that you’ve made a new friend in Spectre?” She says this with raised eyebrows, and I think she’s inferring something else.
“He’s something special, isn’t he? Salem seemed surprised that he’d allowed me to pet him. I didn’t know I was doing it until she pointed it out. I never noticed him even approach me.” I wiggle my ass in my chair to get more comfortable.
“Well, he certainly likes you. Salem said that Bruno was the one most likely to want fussing with. She told me when Ghost and Thorn first came here, Bruno took to Thorn, but Spectre wouldn’t entertain him.
He stayed well away. Salem was supposed to be called Wraith from birth, but her mom named her before her pa got a chance.
Thorn wanted to call her Wraith, but she told him he could only do that if he could pet Spectre.
She doesn’t see that happening, but then she didn’t expect Spectre to allow anyone to pet him, ever.
” Jamie takes a seat and stops her perpetual pacing around.
“I'd better not tell Thorn, then. I don’t see Salem as a Wraith, either. We already have a Wraith in the MC, so that would be confusing. The way she moved through the woods, though, I could see her as Spirit. Oooh, that would suit her. She has spirit and she moves like one. Did you notice she never made a sound as we walked to the clearing? It was as if she were hovering above the leaves and stuff on the ground.” I smile to myself as I remember it.
“You seem taken with her. Is this a watch-this-space kind of thing?” Jamie looks intrigued that this could be a budding romance.
“I don’t know. I certainly wouldn’t mind exploring it further. She’s smart, beautiful, and I think there’s a wicked sense of humor in there, too.”
“You said smart first. That’s a refreshing change from a man.”
“C’mon, Doc. Not all men are shallow and after only one thing from a woman. I want an equal in any relationship I get myself into. I don’t want a woman who would allow herself to be walked on or have no opinion on things. That wouldn’t suit me at all.”
“This is all very enlightening, but perhaps whoever has the radio would stop sitting on the call button?” Salem’s voice drifts up from my ass and I leap out of my chair.
Taking the radio from the now-empty chair, I respond. “Sorry, Salem, you weren’t meant to hear any of that.”
“Have you got Spectre in there with you? He’s been gone a while, and he’s not answering when I call him.” She sounds worried. “It’s not like him to ignore me, but he’s been acting odd since last night.”
“No, I don’t have him in here. I wouldn’t leave you unprotected like that. I can come up and help you look though.”
“That would be great. I’m walking to you now,” Salem tells me.
“C’mon, Doc. Let’s get some fresh air and see what has Spectre so busy that he’s ignoring his mistress.”
Jamie grins and is at the door before me, even though I was the closest. I think there’s a little claustrophobia going on with her, if I’m honest.
Walking into the pleasant daylight, the first thing I see is Spectre sitting patiently. The next thing I see is an angry Salem stomping across the grass.
“If you’ve ruined my dog, Mateo, you’re going to get me a pup that I can train all over again. Do you hear me?”
“If I’ve ruined your dog? I haven’t done anything.
He came to me remember? I was lost in the beauty of the moment and didn’t even know he was there, or that I was petting him until you said so.
” I wonder what Pres would say if I turned up at the clubhouse with Spectre in tow?
Or even what Thorn would have to say. “How much are puppies?”
By the look on Salem's face, I should not have asked that question. “Seriously, Mateo? You’re gonna steal my dog? You haven’t been here five minutes and you’re thinking of taking my dog? What the fuck!”
“No, I’m not. I was just asking, is all.” Crap, this hole I’m in could get very deep, very fast if I don’t choose my words carefully. “Well, at least you’ll know where to come find him when he goes missing again.”
“When? When? He’s supposed to be my protection. How’s he going to be that when he’s out here looking for you?” Salem’s voice is rising and her cheeks are flushed with anger. Her eyes are almost sending out sparks, and I’m not convinced that some of her flame-red hair isn’t actually flame.
“You’re even more beautiful when you’re angry. Do you know that?”
“Right now your life is hanging by a thread, and you’re flirting with me? You think that’s a good move, huh?” She takes a step towards me and is now directly below my chin, looking up at me.
“May God have mercy on my soul…” Leaning down, I kiss her full on the lips and putting my hand behind her head, I make it a lasting kiss. I only stop because I need to come up for air.
I turn sideways to her before she can land a knee to my man parts, but it doesn’t happen.
She stands there, looking at me, then turns and begins to walk away.
She calls the boys, and Bruno goes immediately.
Spectre takes a moment and looks at me, as if to say, ‘you owe me one’, and then trots off to follow Salem.
Standing and watching her leave, I almost scream when a hand touches my shoulder.
“Well, Mateo. I think she liked what you did there, and she's gone away to think about it. If she decides she liked it enough, you could be in trouble when she comes back for more. If she decides she doesn’t like it, or how you went about it, you could be in even bigger trouble. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes if she takes option B.
” Doc looks me over and has an evil grin that I find unsettling, to say the least.
“Do you think I should go after her?”
“I’ll leave that entirely up to you, but you had better tell me what you want on your headstone if you do, and definitely tell me before she comes back.” Doc sits on the grass in the sunshine and starts picking small wildflowers from the grass around her.
“Is that for a wreath?” I ask her without an element of truth in there.
We sit in the sun for an hour, and are getting ready to go back into the bunker when Spectre appears from the woods. He’s closely followed by Salem, and then Bruno.
Doc pats me on the back, mutters ‘good luck’ and leaves me to my fate. Spectre sits by me, where I rub his head and neck. Salem stands before me, then sinks to her knees. Bruno throws himself to the ground, and I swear I feel the ground tremble.
“Why did you do that? The kiss thing. Why?”
“Because it seemed right. You’re a stunning young woman in so many ways, and I wanted to do it.”
“On the radio, you said you wouldn’t mind exploring things further. Was that part of it?” Salem looks at me with an intensity that I find intriguing.
“What I meant by that was exploring a relationship, which covers so much more than just the physical stuff. I’d like to get to know you better as a person. Find out what makes you tick, your likes and dislikes. I could learn a lot from you, too.”
“Such as, Mateo? What could I teach you? I have no real experience of men, other than when they want something I haven’t been willing to give.
I’ve dealt with drunks, trespassers, fraudsters.
No one has ever shown any interest in me, for me.
Until Thorn. I don’t know what it was, but I only saw him as a potential friend.
” Salem’s voice is quiet and very gentle.
It appears she is telling me her darkest sordid secret.
“I’d like to start as friends. If you teach me about traveling through the woods as silently as you do, I’ll teach you knife skills that Vortex, one of the MC brothers, has taught me. How’s that to break the ice?” It’s all I can think of off the bat that she might be interested in learning from me.
“You travel through the woods like an elephant. I’m not sure I can quieten you down much, but I’ll give it a go. This knife stuff you’ve learned had better be useful. I don’t want to learn circus tricks.” She gives me a squinty-eyed look as she stands.
Standing with her, I’m surprised when she leans forward and up to kiss me. All I can say is, she’s a quick learner and when she breaks off, she leaves me breathless and wanting more.
“Friends it is, but you’re not having my dog. You two can have your bromance when you visit for lessons, and he’s not going with you for no sleepovers. Clear?” She smiles at me and my world is so full of sunshine I can hardly spit the word out.
“Clear.”
“You may call me Spirit. I liked the sound of how you came up with that. For now, that will just be between us.” Turning, she walks away and both dogs are hot on her heels.
I don’t remember getting back into the bunker or how long it is before I see Jamie watching me with a sickly sweet grin on her face.