Chapter 9 - Skull
SKULL
“She hasn’t stopped crying,” Bones rushes out, handing her over to me. “I don’t know what to do. Scorp looked her over and said she was fine.”
“Did you change her?” I ask, gently rocking her from side to side.
Bones nods, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against his bedroom door. “Bathed her, changed her, fed her, and burped her.”
I can tell he needs a break. His jaw is tense, and his hair is messy from where he’s been running his fingers through it. “You go rest, brother. I’ll try and get her to sleep.”
“Thank fuck. I need a shower, a drink, and a fuck,” he mutters, heading for his bathroom. He pauses at the door. “Where were you, anyway?”
It’s not like me to go missing. I’m either at work, at the clubhouse, or with him.
“The nurse from the carpark,” I admit hesitantly, even though for some reason I don’t want to tell him about her. I want to keep her all to myself.
“The hot brunette with the sexy glasses who jumped into my arms and kissed me?” he asks, his eyebrows raising. “She was fucking hot. I was wondering what that was all about.”
“Her name is Isla. She was the night nurse, and I kissed her.”
He studies me for a second, then shrugs with a smirk. “You work fast, brother. When you bringing her around? I could use some fresh pussy.”
Fuck.
He disappears into the shower, but his words stay in the room with me. They are somehow louder than Natalia’s cries.
I’ve never once in my life made a woman off-limits to him. What’s mine has always been his, and vice versa. We are both Serpents of Chaos enforcers. We share that title, just like we share parenthood.
So why the fuck do I not want to share her?
I never thought I’d ever feel possessive about a woman.
But she’s not my woman. Right now, she’s just a friend. She didn’t even want me touching her today.
With a sigh, I go into my room next door and slowly pace up and down.
“It’s okay, sweet girl,” I murmur, rubbing her back. “Whatever is wrong, I’ll fix it for you, all right?”
I could message Ora, but she has her own kid, and I think War will murder me if I take any more of her time. I know he sure as fuck didn’t like her being in my room with me.
Isla
Everything okay?
I quickly write out a reply.
Skull
Doc said she’s fine but still crying.
Isla
Want me to come over?
Skull
To the clubhouse?
Isla
If you need me.
I can only imagine the questions I’m going to have to deal with if she comes here. Not to mention the shit she might see, but she was Natalia’s nurse before she was the woman I want to fuck.
I try to settle her for over an hour before I give in and message her with the address.
Isla
Be there in ten.
I send a message to Romeo, the prospect who was on the gate when I rode in, and tell him to bring Natalia’s nurse straight to my room.
Romeo
What does she look like?
Skull
Brunette. Glasses.
It then hits me that she doesn’t even have her fucking car.
Skull
I’ll send a prospect to pick you up.
In a cage because there’s no fucking way she’s getting on the back of another man’s bike.
Isla
Already ordered a taxi. It’s on the way.
Fuck. I don’t like that.
I send Romeo another message telling him to pay for the taxi as soon as it arrives. Natalia finally takes a break from crying, so I rest her against my bare chest and kiss the top of her soft hair.
Skull
Next time, if I can’t get you, I’ll send someone. No more taxis, it’s not safe.
Isla
It’s fine.
Skull
My brother will let you in. He’s waiting at the gate. You’re safe here. No one will touch you.
Isla
Okay, I wasn’t worried, but should I be?
Skull
A bit late now, little spitfire.
I’m about to tell her that Natalia has stopped crying, but she starts back up again ten minutes later.
“It’s going to be okay, princess,” I coo, moving her position in my arms. I try giving her a pacifier again, but she’s not having it. She doesn’t want more milk, either.
A knock at the door has me standing up to open it. Romeo stands with his fist still in the air, ready to knock again. His one blue and one brown eye drops to the beautiful woman next to him.
“One nurse safely delivered,” he rumbles. Natalia goes quiet again, listening to the new voices.
“Thank you,” Isla says, smiling up at him.
“You’re welcome,” he mutters, and she watches him walk away.
Fuck.
Romeo is a good-looking bastard, and I don’t want her even looking at him.
“Come in,” I growl, my eyes narrowing on her. She slides past me and takes in my room—massive bed, black sheets, big-screen television on the wall, a cupboard, and a small table and chairs.
She eyes the bed before turning back around to face me. Natalia decides to start screaming again, and Isla reaches out to take her from me.
“Come on, darling, let me have a look at you,” she murmurs in a soothing tone. She lays her down on the bed and glances up at me. “Do you need a few minutes, or are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” I tell her, but I appreciate the fact that she asks.
She holds her upright and rubs soothing circles on her back. “You’ll be okay, Natalia. You just let us hold you until you feel better enough to sleep, okay?”
She holds her up so she’s resting on her thighs and gently rocks her, quietly talking to her the entire time. In only a few minutes, Natalia is fast asleep.
“What did you do that I didn’t?” I grumble, lying back on the bed and covering my eyes with my arm.
She laughs softly. “Nothing, you did the hard work. I just got here at the end of it. Do you want me to put her back in her crib or keep holding her?”
“Hold her, please. I’m too scared she’ll wake up as soon as you put her down,” I admit, removing my arm and turning to look at her. “Do you want me to take her?”
“No, I have her,” she hums, standing up and removing her shoes. She then gets comfortable against the headboard, sitting back against my pillows.
I don’t let any women in my bed. We usually use Bones’ because he knows I don’t like people in my space.
I definitely don’t let women stay the night.
But seeing Isla in my bed somehow feels right, like she’s meant to be here.
I’m not freaking the fuck out. In fact, I feel calmer now that she’s here.
“So you live in a clubhouse,” she mutters, and I laugh, taking the spot next to her. To anyone looking in, we’d look like a normal couple.
“Yeah, did I fail to mention that?”
“I did wonder,” she adds, gently touching Natalia’s chubby cheek. “I’ve read a few biker romances. I have to admit that I was curious to see what it would be like.”
“And did it meet your expectations?”
“I mean, I haven’t walked in on any orgies or drug deals yet, but the night is still young, right?” she says in an innocently sweet tone that has me almost choking on her words.
“We save that for the weekends,” I reply with a straight face.
“Well, invite me back then, okay?”
We share a grin. “Do you learn everything from books?”
“Nothing wrong with a little escapism. It could be worse, you know. I could be addicted to drugs instead of books. The world should be happy that I’m spending my time getting lost in words only.”
I shake my head at her. “For a sweet little nurse, you talk about illegal drugs a hell of a lot.”
She lowers her tone, pushing her glasses up against her nose. “I’m currently in a biker clubhouse, sitting on the bed with a hot twin that I’ve made out with twice now. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m in one of those books and not just reading about it.”
Fuck.
I trail my finger down her arm. “It’s called living life to the fullest, Isla. You should do more of it.”
She leans her head back against the wooden headboard and closes her eyes. “It’s a lot more dangerous out here in the real world.”
She’s not wrong.
And the biggest danger is sitting right beside her.