They’re walking toward a car and it surprises me that they have a car and not a pickup truck. “Weird to see a car here, right? It’s mine,” she says as her lips turn up into a smile. “It’s more room than a pickup anyway and easier to get in and out of.”
Nodding my head, I make my way toward the back seat, tugging on the handle before I sink down into the seat. I let out a sigh, annoyed that I’m already getting winded at doing such minimal tasks and I know it’s only going to get worse.
Taz sinks down into the driver’s seat and starts the engine. Thankfully, he blasts the air conditioning on cold for me. Belting myself into the seat, I lean back and close my eyes. The drive doesn’t take long. Looking out the side of the window, I smile as the little old house comes into view.
“This house has a lot of potential,” Trista whispers.
Nodding, I try not to get my hopes completely up, but it’s really hard not to do. I have wanted nothing more since he took me from my father’s house than to create one with him, with Wilder, with this stranger that I know I should not feel as deeply for as I do so quickly—but that’s the reality I’m in or maybe it’s my fantasy.
“It really does.”
“You know he won’t be back for at least a couple of weeks…” she says, her words hanging.
“No,” Taz grunts. “No fuckin’ way.”
Trista turns around, her smile huge. “We get the Old Ladies together, get some of the men on the outside, we could make this a home in like a snap.”
I blink, my lips curving up into my own smile. “You think?” I ask.
“I know,” she says, confirming with a nod. “Let’s do it.”
My gaze flicks from hers to Taz, who is frowning, then back to hers. “Okay,” I whisper.
“Hell. Yes.”
“You need to finish picking out shit for our house,” he grumbles.
“Two birds. One stone, babe.”
I watch as he leans his head back against the headrest and lets out a long sigh. “Fine, fuck it,” he mumbles.
MOUNTAIN
The ride to LA is long, hot, and fucking tiring. Dutch falls in behind me and although I don’t particularly like the man, I know that he’s a good one to have at my back, especially in the unknown situation we’re headed in.
We pull into the hotel parking lot late at night, knowing that we won’t hook up with Hawk until morning. He’s been on his own fucking mission, and I haven’t talked to him much, but I know he’s been feeding information to Worm for months on who has been purchasing these girls, and in turn, we’ve been able to rid this world of dozens of abusers.
Walking into the hotel room, I toss my bag on the bed and sink down on the edge with a sigh. Dutch does the same, except he sinks down with a grunt. The great thing about riding is, we haven’t had to really talk to one another, now we’re stuck in a hotel room together.
“She good?” he finally asks, bringing up the elephant in the room.
Nodding, I lift my hand and run my fingers through my hair. Turning to look at him, I smile. “Yeah, she’s good. Left her at the clubhouse under protection until we can get my place all set up for her.”
“You gonna have her work? What’s the plan?”
It’s not his business what I do with my woman, but the way he’s looking at me, the way he’s watching me, I don’t think he’s asking to be a dick, I think he’s genuinely concerned about her and I kind of like that he is.
“She doesn’t need to. Want her to be there for the baby, be able to adjust to that. Thinkin’ she hasn’t had time to adjust to much in the past few years,” I rasp.
He dips his chin, looking between his knees. “She never really opened up to me about her life, I just figured by the looks of her, by how strong, and that determined look in her eyes, that she had a hard past.”
Something inside of me relaxes. I had imagined that they had this cozy friendship where he was her confidant and she told him every intimate detail about her life. I don’t know why it makes me feel good to know that I actually know more about her past than he does, and I try not to gloat, but I can’t help the way my chest puffs at the realization.
Dutch notices and chuckles as he shakes his head. “Yeah, she’s definitely your woman, brother.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that impression,” I murmur.
There’s a moment of silence and he stands with a stretch. “I’m going to go and rinse the road dust off of me.”
Jerking my chin, I watch as he gathers his shit and heads to the bathroom. Then, I do something that I never in a million years thought that I would ever do. I take my burner phone out of my pocket and I call my woman.
I gave her my cell phone, the one that she left behind the last time she ran from me. The one that I should have called the night I left instead of being a fucking asshole. This time, I change my actions, I do things differently. I do what I fucking promised.
“Wilder,” she breathes. I can hear the surprise in her voice and I can’t help but grin.
“Hey, mi reina,” I chuckle. “Made it to LA. We’re staying in a hotel tonight and going down to TJ tomorrow. I probably won’t call you tomorrow until late, if at all. I have shit to handle, and I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”
She lets out a sigh, then I hear her almost giggle. “That’s okay. I am exhausted today anyway. I think I’ll pass out early tomorrow.”
“Why?” I ask, unable to hide the worry in my voice.
“Taz and Trista,” she says. “They took me to your place today so that I could make a list of all the things I needed. Then Trista came up with an idea, to get the house ready by the time you come home.”
My lips turn up into a huge smile. Trista is keeping my girl busy. I’m not a fucking idiot, but I like it, I like it a hell of a lot. “All the women are coming to the house tomorrow to help out. I ordered little things tonight like sheets and bathroom towels, but they’re going to help with other stuff.”
“Good,” I grunt.
“Good? I’m glad you’re not mad, I was worried.”
“Mad?” I ask.
“Well, it’s your house, and I didn’t want to do something that would upset you…”
Her words trail off, and I let out a low growl. “It’s your house, babe. Do whatever the fuck you want to it. You wanna paint the walls hot fuckin’ pink, doesn’t matter as long as you’re happy.”
“Hot pink?”
“Hot fuckin’ pink.”
“What would you really do if I painted the walls hot pink?” she asks.
There’s a moment of silence, then we both burst into laughter. “I’d paint that shit black. I couldn’t live with hot pink, mi reina.”
“And I’d never make you,” she says, her voice low and sweet. “But your point is made.”
“Whatever you want, babe.”
“Just you, Wilder.”
“Already got that.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
LEIGHTON