Chantal Fernando (9 page)

ELEVEN

Faye

“H
OW
are your wrists feeling?” Dex asks, rubbing them gently.

“They're okay,” I reply, snuggling up to him. “I'm fine, Dex. You don't have to keep looking at me like I'm going to explode at any minute.”

He touches my lip, which is now barely noticeable, just a cut. “Fuckin' bastard.”

“Dead bastard,” I remind him.

He nods, absently running his fingers down my bare back. “Yeah, he whispered something to him, looked him in the eye, and pulled the trigger.”

“Talon is savage,” I say, eyes going wide. “He's pretty ruthless, hey?”

“Coming from someone who beat the shit out of Slice, then shot my brother in the chest?”

I roll my eyes. “I maimed, I didn't kill.”

“Mmmmm,” he murmurs, kissing my nape, sending shivers up my spine. “You were smart. You stayed alive.”

“Are you saying that I win at being a biker's old lady?” I tease, rolling over and kissing his lips. “When you have so much to lose, you're going to fight, Dex. Anyone would. I'm not leaving my family. You're going to be stuck with me for a long-ass time, don't you worry.”

There's a knock at the door, so I quickly throw on some clothes while Dex answers it.

“Faye,” he calls out, so I wander into the living room to see who is here. I stop in my tracks when I see them.

Arrow. Tracker. Irish. Rake. Vinnie. Talon. Ranger.

They stand in a line.

“Hey,” I say, scanning each of their faces. “What's going on?”

“This is an intervention,” Rake says, crossing his arms over his chest.

I raise a brow. What did I do now? “I haven't cleaned your rooms since I was pregnant. And whatever I did do, I get a pass because I was just kidnapped.”

Tracker grins, then says, “Faye, come here.”

I close the space between us, and he pulls me into his arms. “Don't fuckin' disappear on us again, you hear me?”

I nod against his hard chest. “It's not like I did it on purpose.”

I hug them each in turn, then smile as I look them over. “You guys came here just to give me a hug disguised as an intervention?”

“We're just happy you're okay,” Irish says, smiling at me. “This club would crumble without you, Faye, and you know it.”

I do know it, but I try to be modest.

“That's not true. You guys did fine before I got here, and you'll do fine if something ever happens to me. Now do any of you want something to drink? Coffee?”

Asher wakes up and starts crying, and Arrow of all people mutters, “I'll get him,” then disappears.

Look at them.

Muscled, tattooed, badass men, but all with good hearts.

Arrow returns with Asher in his arms, and I head into the kitchen to get everyone something to drink and eat. Dex follows me inside and wraps me in his arms from behind, nuzzling my neck.

“Those men would die for you, in an instant.”

I turn around and look him in the eye. “And I'd do the same for them.”

“I know.”

My expression gentles, and I lift my hand and cup his cheek. “I love you, Dexter Black.”

He lifts me onto the counter and kisses me softly. The kiss is gentle, sweet. Rake walks into the kitchen, ignoring us sitting here and staring into each other's eyes, and opens the fridge. He pulls out a bag of green grapes, closes the fridge, and turns to watch us, crunching them in his mouth.

“Are you two gonna fuck here? Because we can leave.”

“Can you?” I ask him, smirking. “Looks like you're going to sit there and watch, shoving grapes into your mouth.”

He throws a grape, just as Dex moves aside, so it hits me right in the face. I narrow my eyes at him. “I was just kidnapped, and this is how you treat me?”

“How long are you gonna play the kidnapping card?” he asks, chuckling and popping another grape in his mouth.

“Probably forever.”

“Noted.”

Dex kisses me again, then exits the kitchen, mock-punching Rake on the way out. Rake comes up to me and rests his head on my shoulder. “You know if they killed you, I don't know what would've happened to Dex. You make him so fuckin' happy, Faye. It's so amazing to see, even after all of these years.”

“I'm not going anywhere.”

“Except to make us food? Because I'm hungry and you're just sitting here.”

I purse my lips and gently push him off me, then loudly say, “I was just kidnapped, and this is how you treat me?”

“Does anyone else feel like a skank when we play Never Have I Ever?” Tia asks, drinking from her cup. In celebration of me being alive, we're having a gathering at the clubhouse, and we're playing a version of the game we call Circle of Death. It's probably our favorite drinking game, and we'll find any excuse to play.

“Never have I ever had a threesome,” I say, then glance around the table. Whoever drinks has had a threesome before, and I'm curious to see who. Yes, this game is personal and invasive, and you learn things about one another that you probably never wanted to know. When Tia and Lana drink, I stand up with my mouth wide open. “Lana! Oh my god!”

She covers her face with her hands and tells us to shut up.

“Tracker is such a lucky man,” I say, laughing. I look at Bailey. “Not going to lie, kind of expected you to have had one with Rake. Thought he might have corrupted you by now.”

“Rake's had enough of that to last him a lifetime, I think,” Bailey says in a dry tone, but I don't miss the amusement dancing in her eyes. I raise my hand and give Tia a high five. “You'll have to tell me the details later,” I tell her, then lower my voice. “I'm assuming it wasn't with Talon?”

She shakes her head, cringing a little. “Another story for another day.”

I love Tia. I'm so glad Bailey brought her into our lives.

It's Anna's turn next, and when she picks up a card and mutters, “Fuck,” I grin.

“What is it?”

She puts the card down, and it's a king.

Everyone starts laughing and cheering. All night we've been pouring from our drinks into one cup in the center of the table, and whoever pulled the last king would have to drink it. Anna eyes the cup filled with a mix of vodka, beer, and wine with distaste, but like a true champion, she picks it up and brings it to her nose. “It smells so bad,” she says, before starting to pound it. We all cheer until she's done, putting the now-empty cup back on the table. She quickly chases it down with her own drink, making a face of disgust. “I'm going to throw up tonight, I just know it.”

“Meh, we've all been there,” I say, grinning. I lift my glass in the air. “To not being kidnapped anymore!”

We clink our glasses.

Dex walks into the room with Asher in his arms, eyeing all of us and the mess of cans, bottles, and snacks on the table. He sighs and walks back out of the room. I don't know why, but that just makes us laugh harder.

After having our ladies' night last night, we encourage the men to have a little fun while we have a movie night with the kids. Unlike us, who wasted our night on alcohol and food, the men all decide to go on a ride together, which I think sounds really nice. I'm making Asher a bottle in the kitchen when Ranger walks in.

“Hey,” I say to him, as he opens the cupboard and peers inside. “You hungry? There's some quiche and homemade sausage rolls in the oven.”

He pauses and smiles at me. “Thanks.”

There's something about Ranger. I just have a feeling that he's not happy here. I don't know what it is, and I don't know him well enough to butt in and offer my advice. What I do tell him though is, “Hey, if you ever need anyone to talk to, or vent to, I'm here. Just between us. No judgment.”

It must be such a change for him. Talon has Tia and Shayla, and he knows Bailey too, but I think Ranger only knows Shayla, and he doesn't have a woman. Everyone is coupled up here, so maybe he feels a little left out. I imagine the Wild Men clubhouse is a lot different from ours, at least from what I've heard from Anna and Bailey after their little expedition there. It would be a big change, and not everyone likes change.

Ranger studies me, then opens the oven and grabs a quiche. I step closer to him and look up, way up, because the man is super tall. I like how he wears his dark hair tied at his nape. Kind of reminds me of Tracker's hair before he started rocking the man bun.

“I'm fine,” Ranger says, taking a bite out of his quiche.

I stare at him, blinking slowly. “Did you just crumb in my hair?”

He puts his hand on top of my head and dusts it, lip twitching.

“You totally crumbed in my hair,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest and sighing. “It must have fallen like ten feet from your mouth to my head too.”

He laughs now, chest shaking. “I have good aim.”

I grin. “Tonight's your first ride as a Wind Dragon, hey?”

He nods, more crumbs flying down, but this time I take a step backward. “I hear you're super smart.”

“And where did you hear that?”

“Around.”

“I'm just a big, dumb biker, Faye,” he says as he licks his fingers, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“And I'm just a woman,” I reply, winking.

He throws his head back and laughs. “Anyone who thinks you're just a woman is stupid. You remind me of that woman from
Vikings
, you know, the TV series?”

“Lagertha?” I ask, eyes going wide as saucers. I love Lagertha. She's my fucking hero, and if that's who he's talking about, Ranger is going to be my new best friend.

“Yeah,” he says, smiling. “You watch the show, huh? She's badass. Totally you.”

I step closer to him again. Fuck the crumbs. “I'm going to hug you now.”

“Okaaaaay,” he says, watching me while I wrap my arms around him. He pats my back awkwardly, with fingers he just licked, but I don't even care. “So call you Lagertha to get in your good books. Noted.”

“See,” I say. “You are smart.”

“We're all smart in different ways.”

“But you're smart in the ways that count,” I joke, pulling back and letting go of him. “And you have several degrees. Don't tell Lana that; she'll use you like an encyclopedia for her books.”

“And you?”

“And me what?” I ask, leaning back against the counter.

“What will you use me for?”

A strange question to ask, but one that tells me a lot. Does everyone want something from Ranger? Why does he feel like that? Maybe everyone wants to pick his brain. Maybe he's one of those people who's good at everything. Those people always get tired of being asked to do this or that just because they will do a good job of it.

“Compliments comparing me to my fictional hero?” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

It works, going by his easy smile.

The bad thing is, I kind of was thinking of asking him for a favor. The type of cases I've been working on for the feds recently . . . Well, let's just say I could use his mind. Guess I won't be asking him though. I don't want him to feel shitty about it, or do it because he thinks he has to. I've never had one of the men not willing to help me though—I guess I'm kind of spoiled that way. Arrow walks into the kitchen, and Ranger takes the opportunity to leave. When Arrow sits down and looks at me, I realize he wants to talk.