Condemned and Chosen (5 page)

“Don’t provoke him right now,” Levi grated out. “You’re playing in dangerous territory.”

“He’s right,” Duke said. “If you want to mark your place and claim a position within the pack, the best thing you can do is shut the fuck up until he’s mated with you.”

Chuck jolted forward and pivoted to the left. The rage apparent, he stalked Duke as if approaching an enemy with the intent to kill. “What did you just say?”

“Man, chill out. I was just making an observation.” Duke placed his hands in front of him. “We really don’t have time for this shit right now.”

“We need to find Molly.”

“What do you mean by ‘find’ her?” Romy asked.

“You have no right to speak to my mate at all, much less tell her what to do!” Chuck was still stuck in the previous moment, nurturing that notorious temper of his.

Romy noted Chuck’s bulging eyes and remembered the way they seemed to strain against the sockets when he’d shifted in the dining hall. There, the transition had happened quickly.

Here, he seemed to struggle between wanting to take the shift and needing to remain grounded, steadfast in his position of leadership.

“Sir,” she rasped, hoping her voiced respect would pull him out of his trance.

Chuck whipped around. Sneering, he asked, “
What
, sub?”

“This won’t resolve anything.”

Chuck snarled at Duke and Duke whimpered like a pup, an exaggerated response obviously meant to taunt the MC President. “Settle down, boss.” He smirked at Romy. “If I was disrespectful, I apologize.”

“He’s just jealous,” Levi explained, as if he’d just justified his buddy’s actions. “He was pretty sure you belonged to him.”

Duke’s eyes glassed over. He ran his gaze up and down Romy’s body as if he thought one look would change the course of fate. “It was my mistake.” A beat later he added, “Chuck, this problem with Molly needs to be handled.”

“Let me talk to her.” Romy stepped in front of Chuck as soon as he reached for his leather jacket.

“We’ll have to find her first,” Brice pointed out.

Chuck shook his head. “Wait a minute. What do you mean find her?”

“As if I hadn’t already asked,” Romy muttered.

Chuck shot her a sideways glance before he addressed Brice. “Bring my bike around. I’ll head out with Duke and Levi. If she’s on the move, I know where she’s headed.”

“You got it,” Brice said, motioning for the other two to walk ahead of him. “But hurry up. She’s got at least a ten-minute jump on us.”

Without another word exchanged, the men left the room. Chuck ground his molars. “You and I need to get something straight.”

“I’m sure we do,” Romy said, grabbing one of his jackets and admiring the patch. She’d never paid much attention to the intricate details before but now she was quite drawn to the artwork. Dragging her fingers over the top rocker, she read, “Sins of Wolves.” She placed her hand over the wild beast in the center, stroking the fabric like she might caress a lover’s back.

“This is you. Isn’t it?”

Chuck studied the wolf’s image with clear pride. The wolf possessed small, oval eyes as red as cherries and large ears that were more noticeable thanks to the double piercings. “My father.”

“Safe Mountain.” She focused on the bottom rocker. “You have a responsibility here, Chuck. I don’t have to tell you that, but I do need you to know what Molly is up against. Then, maybe you’ll understand why her betrayal isn’t a choice. It’s a decision that’s already out of her hands. Maybe she’s smart enough to know that. Perhaps she isn’t. I’d vote for the latter.”

“How’d you get to be so smart for a young woman?”

“My father. We didn’t have a lot of time together after he realized your guys were coming for me, but he made the time we had count.” She pressed her lips together. “Molly was an arm ornament. Her husband most likely only wanted her so he could twirl her around for show. How’d you end up with her?”

Chuck paled. “What did you just say?”

“That he twirled her around for show?”

“Before that.” He rushed his dresser, pulled out a drawer and grabbed a stack of papers.

“That she was an arm ornament?”

He shuffled through the documents and found what he needed. “You may be young, but you’re brilliant.” He popped a kiss on her lips and hurried by her.

Romy fell in right behind him as they entered the hallway. She smiled to herself. Her mate appreciated her, maybe even viewed her as his equal. This mating thing was working out quite well for them and they’d yet to consummate their relationship.

She was about to give herself an imaginary high-five when Chuck stopped abruptly and scowled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going with you.”

“I said you were brilliant. I didn’t say you were expendable.” He nodded at Brice. “Take care of her.”

“You got it, boss,” Brice said, moving in front of her as soon as they approached the main exit.

Frantic, Romy leapt to the side in an effort to dodge him. “Wait!”

Chuck kept right on walking.

“You can’t do this. She trusts me!”

Chuck stopped at the door. “No, Romy. She doesn’t trust you. She wants to use you. And while I think you’re smart. I know Molly and understand what she is capable of. She played you like a high ace of spades with every intention of taking your fling as far as she could. When I interfered, she realized there was only so far you were willing to go without my approval. That’s when the tables turned on us, you, and everyone else here at Safe Mountain.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m right.” He glared at her before nodding at Brice. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Chuck! Wait!” She tried to move Brice out of her way, but this time, he dragged her away from the door. “Let me go!”

“He’ll be back!”

“Damn it! I know he’ll be back!” She wiggled and writhed to no avail. “I’m not worried about him. I’m afraid of who’s out there waiting for them to leave! I’m afraid
we
won’t be here when they finally return!”

Struggling to break Brice’s grip, Romy fought as hard as she could. When the enchanting roars of the motorcycles filled the hills behind them, Brice released her. “I’m sorry Romy.”

She slapped his chest. “You’re sorry.” She slammed her fists against his solid chest. “Tell that to the rest of them when they come back to nothing. You just sealed our fate!”

“What are you talking about?” Brice looked at her like she was crazy.

From the far corner of the room, a small voice said, “She’s right. Daddy always said we’d be turned in by those closest to us.” Natasha stepped away from the darkness. “Molly doesn’t need the MC’s protection.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course she does.” Brice walked to the bar in the center of the room.

“Get me a longneck, Mama.”

Laurel reached in the cooler and grabbed two beers. After she twisted off the caps, she handed one to Brice and kept the other for herself. “Natasha, there’s a lot you don’t understand.”

“I understand just fine.”

Romy studied Natasha. Still finding her way and learning her place, Natasha sealed her lips in a grim line.

“Are you keeping something from us?” Brice lifted a brow.

To Romy’s surprise, Natasha cleared her throat and said, “The MC steals away with women they fully intend to claim. That’s what everyone says. Only, no one has claimed Molly.”

Laurel took a long drag from the bottle and released an “ah” sound. “Sugar, that’s because no man would want to claim that little whore.”

Romy felt her skin heat at Laurel’s words. Maybe no man would want to claim her, but as a woman, she’d enjoyed her,

She immediately felt guilty. Her thoughts turned to the arching Molly, to the Molly who had ground her pussy against her leg and just humped the hell out of her.

Embarrassed by the intrusive memory, she covered her mouth and gasped.

Brice frowned at her. “Something on your mind?”

Realizing Natasha and the others likely knew what had transpired in Chuck’s bedroom, she said, “No. Nothing I’d want to discuss.”

Brice nursed his beer. “I’ll bet.”

Natasha went to her. “You think you can find the good in everyone. Romy, you can’t find it in Molly.” She hugged her quickly and walked away.

Before she exited the room, Romy called after her, “Do you know where she is?”

Natasha glanced at Laurel who only shrugged.

“Do you?” She stalked the bar. “Mama, tell me.”

Laurel shook her head. “Honey, if I knew where she was, I would’ve been the first to give her up.”

“The MC knows she turned on the very people she’s supposed to help them save!” Romy couldn’t stand the thought of Molly being harmed and quickly questioned the sadness welling inside her. She understood who and what Molly represented. Deception ran through the woman’s cold veins, but she was still a human being. “Mama, do you understand what I’m saying here? They will kill her!”

“If they do, it’ll be a death she well deserves.”

Chapter Eight

An hour later, Romy was settled in. As a rule, the young ones were housed together in a suite arrangement and dormitory setting soon after they arrived at Safe Mountain. They didn’t occupy a room on the Hall of Pleasure until they were chosen mates.

“So you’re all set here, huh?” Laurel leaned on the doorjamb and crossed her arms and legs.

“Looks that way,” Romy said, thinking she’d have to do something about the shag carpet and pinup girls hanging from Chuck’s wall.

“Just like that, huh? You’re all moved in and ready for a night of cuddling.”

“I’m Chuck’s mate, in case you didn’t know.” And cuddling would be nice, but it wasn’t topping her list of things to do.

“Oh I’ve heard all right.” Mama moistened her lips. “I’ve heard a lot of rumors today and most of them concerned you.”

“Good. If people are talking about me, they’re leaving someone else alone.”

“Tell me something, sugar.” Laurel entered the room. “Are you bi-curious or just straight out bi?”

“This crucial question is important to you
why
?”

“Say I’m interested.” Laurel dragged her finger down Romy’s face. “Let’s say I’m
real
interested.”

Romy studied Laurel, trying to figure out her motive. She’d always been more motherly, hovering over the young women as if she alone were their voice of experience and guidance. She protected them in her own way, gave each of them advice, and tried to reassure them. At least twice a day, she could be found telling one of the new arrivals that everything would soon be A-okay.

Now here she was coming on to her? No, Romy didn’t buy that.

She studied Laurel’s face, noticing how her tightly drawn wrinkled skin seemed to crinkle more around her eyes as she narrowed her gaze. “Tell me something, beautiful. What is that you see in Molly? Hmm?”

Romy opened her mouth to speak, but quickly sealed her lips when she saw movement in her peripheral vision. Her heart raced. She gasped for a breath, understanding now that Laurel must’ve known that Molly was hiding out in Chuck’s room.

“I—”

“You?”

Romy combed her fingers through her hair and turned her back to Laurel. With Laurel behind her and Molly a few steps away from Laurel, the setup was perfect. She had time to walk a few paces, plan out what she wanted to say, pause, walk a few more, and then answer Laurel’s question, hopefully with a reply Molly believed. “I can’t explain it. Until today, I had no idea I belonged to Chuck.”

“You may be mated to him, but your heart will always dictate who you love, who you want.”

“Love?” Romy laughed. She shivered then, aware of the motive behind her act. Was it love or duty driving her? She only took a minute to decide the answer there. Then, with as much confidence as she could muster, she blurted, “I’m attracted to Molly. I enjoyed her today. I could even—“God, she would never live this down—“fall in love with her.”

“And what about me?” Laurel’s acting left a lot to be desired. “Could you love me?” Her words sounded so rehearsed.

“No.” Romy took a deep breath, realizing she needed to turn around and save Mama the torture of playing out such forced theatrics. “But I could love Molly. And I think Molly knows if I talk to Chuck, I can talk him into seeing things my way, the way it needs to be for her, for me, for us.”

“I do.” Molly’s voice filled the room.

So much for the pending drama.

Pivoting, Romy was startled to find Molly holding a large knife. “What are you doing?”

She realized the question tumbled from her lips like a drawn out squeal.

Laurel’s upper cheek flinched. She didn’t acknowledge Molly, which implied she’d known Molly had a weapon from the moment she’d entered the room. Instead, Laurel said,

“Well how about that? Now, I guess you see your lover as the rest of us see her.”

“Shut up, Laurel,” Molly said, thrusting her arm forward and dropping the knife on the carpet. “See there?” She rushed Romy. “I don’t need it. I never needed it. I just came back here for you, because I knew the truth after today. When we kissed…”

Angry because she’d hidden in Chuck’s room with a weapon, the protective female rolled to the fore. Who did this woman think she was? How could she possibly think Romy could care about her when she’d hidden in the shadows, armed and waiting, waiting to strike out with force and with the intention to kill?

“What are you doing here?” Romy kept a steady voice. “The guys are looking for you.”

“I know.”

But of course she did.

Laurel still didn’t budge. Surprisingly, she looked extremely calm. Her weathered skin didn’t tighten. Her lips parted naturally. Her body language suggested she’d not only surrendered, but also decided she wasn’t in any particular amount of danger.

“I came back because—“

“Because you love me?” Romy asked, playing the crazy game.

“Because I
could
love you. And you said it yourself. You could fall in love with me, too.”

Romy took a step toward Molly and one step was all she took. Molly lunged forward and threw her arms around Romy’s neck, acting as if they were long lost lovers, once separated by great distance and reunited by chance and circumstance.