18. Dax
DAX
The trip to Walmart was surprisingly more efficient than anyone anticipated since Wes and I only got what we needed for now.
The next trip to replace everything we needed to have a home would be a much different story.
With that completed and packed up in the Land Rover, we headed out for the ranch to prepare for the trap we’d set.
This had a lot of moving parts to it, but I had a secondary plan rolling around in my head I knew the others wouldn’t like.
I was going to keep it to myself until the time was right.
The one thing I knew for sure was this was going to end with the Mad Dogs being crushed.
It had been ages since I’d gone on a long bike ride, and this was soothing my soul like nothing else could.
The wind whipping past my body pulled at my oversized shirt as it billowed in the breeze.
The sun’s rays beat down on me, making me sweat the closer we got to the desert and the hotter the air got.
It was like being in a sauna, and I was so thankful the ranch had a pool for us to use when we got there.
We had to stop once along the way to gas up the Land Rover since it wasn’t the world’s most fuel-efficient vehicle.
At the gas station, I grabbed the biggest bottle of water I could find, drank some of it, and poured the rest over myself causing the black shirt to stick to me.
“What the fuck, little hellcat? This isn’t a wet T-shirt contest!” Eagle growled as he stood in front of me blocking the view for the gawking onlookers. “Now I’m going to have to shoot these assholes for looking at you like they want to fuck you.”
“What? I was getting hot, what was I supposed to do, take it off and ride tits out?” I asked, cocking my hip out waiting for his answer.
Eagle’s jaw dropped at my suggestion. “No!”
“Alright, then you’re going to need to settle for the wet look. Besides, it will be dry in no time once we get back on the road,” I commented.
I went to swing my leg back over the bike, but Eagle grabbed my hips and pulled me to him.
I wrapped them around his waist before he plundered my mouth like he was searching for gold.
His hands shifted so they held possessively on my ass showing everyone in the gas station I was his and no one better get any idea.
Someone came up behind me and pulled me away from Eagle to take my mouth instead.
Void growled as he kissed me as if his baser need to claim ownership was coming out whether he liked it or not.
When he let me break from his lips, I couldn’t do anything but grin stupidly at their actions.
“Damn, if this is how you guys react, then I might need to do shit like this more often,” I sighed, letting my back rest against Void’s chest while Eagle still held me.
Void reached up and wrapped his hand around my neck letting his thumb stroke up and down softly.
“Just keep in mind that will result in people dying, little demon. The more bodies that pile up, the harder it’s going to be to stay unnoticed even if we have our own FBI agent.
” My bottom lip popped out in a pout at him spoiling my fun.
Fast as lightning, he nipped at my lip before sucking it in to kiss me once more before pulling away.
“Don’t start something you aren’t willing to finish. ”
Eagle chuckled as he set me down this time, allowing me to get back on my bike before he placed my helmet on me. “There’s only an hour left then we can play all you want, little hellcat.”
The idea of Void and Eagle both taking me at the same time sent shivers of anticipation down my spine.
We needed to leave, like now. There was only so much a woman could take when her men said shit like that to get her all riled up.
I peeled out of the gas station, and the others were right on my heels, making me laugh at the thought I had my own biker gang wrapped around my pinky, or was it my vagina?
Ah, who cares? It all led to the same sense of feminine power that was the most addictive drug I knew.
When we got to the end of our ride, I had to let Wes take the lead since I’d only been to the ranch once or twice.
Wes was able to go someplace once and never forget how to get there, and it came in real handy a time or two when we needed to bug out of a place fast. The ranch was about a mile off the main road, so it gave us the best hideout.
The appearance of the house looked unremarkable with its white stucco exterior and tiled roof, fitting in with the whole adobe feel of the desert.
Like all things you shouldn’t judge by its cover, we wanted people to look at it and see nothing special, causing them to move on.
The property was on six acres and had three horses to make it believable to people passing by, and what girl didn’t want to own horses?
A caretaker named Hank lived on the opposite side of the property and had his own driveway so we didn’t have to interact with him.
It also kept our comings and goings quiet as well, not that we didn’t trust Hank to keep our presence to himself, but it just made sense to play it smart.
The gravel driveway looped into a circle at the front door, but another branch led to the six-car garage behind the house.
We called it the ranch house not only because it had horses but because it was a ranch-style house, making how large it was hidden from street view, not that anyone could come down the drive without us knowing.
It was one of the reasons we didn’t ever pave it, gravel is much harder to be sneaky on.
Parking the bikes in front of the house, I found the key box and entered the code, causing it to pop open and snag the key chain inside.
With all the safe houses that had caretakers, there was an understood rule the house was to be stocked and ready at all times with the basics.
This way no matter when we showed up, we’d have food and supplies at the ready without having to tell anyone ahead of time.
My only hope was that we showed up soon after it’d been stocked.
Nothing worse than spoiled milk and moldy bread.
“Ah, spitfire, you sure we’re all going to fit in this place?” Picasso asked, coming to stand next to me. “I know these are safe houses and you buy them knowing they could be burned at any time, but I figured you’d pick a decent one for us to stay at for this.”
I placed both hands on my hips and looked him dead in the eye. “Do you trust me?”
“You know I do—”
I cut him off by handing him the key. “Then you can go in first. Feel free to apologize for ever doubting me once you open the door.”
Picasso just scowled at me but did as he was requested and opened the front door.
Grinning, I followed right after him as he wandered to the right where the floor-to-ceiling bookcases were full of books and other knickknacks.
In the corner was a plush green La-Z-Boy recliner with a side table ready for whoever wanted to snuggle in and read.
To the left was a more formal front room with antique furniture from the eighties all blended together with teal shag carpet.
Picasso looked over his shoulder at me with horror written all over his face.
“For the love of God, go through the frosted French doors, you idiot,” I laughed.
The house had been set up kind of in an airlock system.
You enter the front door and get greeted with this setting that only your grandparents would love.
Then when you slid back the pocket French doors, it revealed the real house.
I came up with the idea that if anybody suspected this being a safe house and tried to scout it out, they would dismiss the idea after looking at the front of the house.
So far, this has been one of the only houses that hasn’t had any trouble with people snooping around it, and I’m convinced this is why and not the fact you had to know where to look to even find the driveway.
“Oh, thank God,” Picasso cried as he entered the kitchen.
It was all warm woods, high-end appliances, and marble countertops perfect for Wes and Eagle to make their mouthwatering meals.
A dining table with six chairs was off to the side, but the kitchen island also had seating so we could all find a place to eat at once while being in the same space.
The living room had large leather couches and a flatscreen television with a mini-refrigerator filled with alcohol, or it should be.
This house had four bedrooms, but the garage had bunk beds for another eight people in case we needed to hide a large group of us and not draw attention.
“You really had me going there, spitfire. I thought for sure you were playing a dirty trick on us.” Picasso smiled as he kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry I doubted you. Next time, I’ll have all the faith in the world you’ll do right by us.”
“Aww, you say the sweetest things… on occasion,” I teased, giving him a peck on the lips. “You better run and pick out a bedroom so you don’t get stuck in the garage,” I whispered so the others couldn’t hear me.
That was all the encouragement he needed to bolt off deeper into the house.
“What did you say to him, beautiful?” Cam asked, taking a seat at the kitchen counter.
“I might have suggested he pick out his room since there are only four of them,” I answered, heading to the refrigerator to grab a drink.
Closing the refrigerator, I turned and found myself boxed in by Cam. “So where do those unlucky enough not to find a room end up?”
“That SUV seems pretty roomy…”
“Dax,” Cam said in a warning tone.
Rolling my eyes, I ducked under his arm before I answered.
“One of the rooms has a trundle bed that can make it either a king bed or two twins. Another room has two beds… a queen if you don’t mind cuddling and a king that could fit three people if one of them was really small.
If none of that sounds good to you, then there are bunk beds out in the garage. ”
“You’re a wicked one, little demon,” Void commented, giving me a wink when I looked over at him. “Does this mean we need to fight each other to see who gets to be in your bed?”
I paused and flashed him a wide smile. “Oh, I’m pretty sure you and Eagle claimed that right at the gas station. Or was I mistaken at the level of comfort you two have being with the same woman at the same time?”
“No, little hellcat, you read that loud and clear,” Eagle answered from the front door with various bags in his hands. “So where’s our room?”
Waving for him to follow me, we headed down the long hall to the other side of the ranch where all the bedrooms were located.
I turned to the left into the master bedroom with the king-sized bed and adjoining bathroom.
Picasso stuck his head in the room, grinning from ear to ear. “What’s got you all excited?” I asked.
“Oh, just the fact I took the queen bedroom, and I don’t plan on letting anyone share it with me,” Picasso boasted. “Serves them right for being slow. Now they can all room together. Oh, and I don’t know how many nights we’ll be here, but I call dibs on sleeping in here with you tomorrow night.”
My brows snapped up to my hairline. “Really, you think you can just say that, and it will happen?”
“Guess I’m about to find out,” Picasso shot back, leaning against the doorjamb, waiting for my answer.
I raised my hand to my chin as I looked him up and down, making it obvious I was checking him out. “If you convince me that’s the best option for me like your brother and Void did today, then sure, but if one of the others beats you to it, then you’ll just have to try, try, try until you succeed.”
“You’re turning this into a competition?” Picasso asked, gaping at me.
With a shrug of my shoulders, I smiled. “Seems that way. You guys like competition, though, right?”
Picasso started to mutter to himself as he left the room, making me chuckle at his frustration with me.
“Can I ask why you’re making him work the hardest to be with you?” Eagle asked as he pulled me to his chest and let his head rest on mine. “My little brother isn’t as cold as you think he is.”
“That’s why I’m doing this. Once Picasso decides to give his heart and loyalty to someone, it’s forever.
Look how he’s so protective of you, always watching your back, fighting your battles, and making sure you’re given the proper respect.
His type of love shouldn’t be given to just anyone, and by making him work for it, he’ll truly decide if he wants to give that love to me,” I answered, shifting my head to the side so I could look up at Eagle. “I’m doing this to protect him.”
“You, Dax Blackmore, are one amazing woman, you know that, right?” Eagle asked, turning me to face him.
“The more I get to know the real Dax, I understand why you hide behind the Two Tricks persona. You have a big heart, and much like my little brother, your love comes with your loyalty too. I feel like the luckiest man in the world to have found you, even if we did have to kidnap you to make you ours.”
“Seems your brother isn’t the only artist in the bunch with flowery words like that,” I teased, smiling up at him.
“I feel the same way, though I don’t know if there’s another group of men who could handle me the way you guys do.
We work as a team, but you don’t fight to control me when I need to take the lead…
well, unless I’m doing something you think is too risky. ”
“How could I let the woman I love put herself in danger?” Eagle countered, cupping my jaw as he sealed his lips to mine.
This wasn’t a frenzied or possessive kiss.
No, everything about this moment was to show me just how much he cared for me.
He wanted there to be no confusion about his words or how he felt about me.
I relaxed into his hold, letting him take the lead since I wasn’t so good at being vulnerable and showing my softer side.
When he pulled back, the admiration and love in his eyes made me want to melt into him which wasn’t something I was ever used to feeling.
Was I going to be able to pull it together and do what needed to be done with each of these men taking a piece of my heart at every turn?
The thought of someone trying to hurt them to get to me set my soul on fire.
If anything, this newfound bond made me more lethal than if I’d been here on my own.
I wasn’t doing this just to keep myself alive.
No, I was bringing the battle to their front door to protect what’s mine, and these men were absolutely mine.