Cinder Read online

  When her gaze found mine, the breath in my lungs froze for a moment. The vulnerability in her eyes was nearly my undoing. She was such a sweetheart, and I wished she’d find a way to be happy. I’d give her whatever she needed to make that happen, but she never asked for anything. I’d had to get Clarity to take her shopping because the woman refused to buy more than two outfits and one pair of shoes.

  “Meg, I’ve never pried into your past, and I don’t want to do that now, but exactly how long were you in Colombia with that man?” I asked. “You aren’t moving on like the others did, and I’m concerned.”

  She looked away, but not before I saw the shame in her eyes.

  “I was fifteen when I was stolen off the streets and sold. They drugged me, made me dance naked as men bid on me. Silva bought me and forced me to be a whore for the fighters he kept.”

  “You were there for ten years?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  My gut clenched when I thought about a frightened fifteen-year-old girl going through that. Losing her home, her family, and likely her virginity. She’d have been scared even before she was brutalized by who knew how many men. I could understand a bit better why she flinched when the men got too close or someone spoke too loudly. The fact she was letting me touch her right now was a damn miracle.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. You should have never had to suffer like that. No woman deserves that, but especially not a kid.”

  If she wanted to stay at the compound forever, I wouldn’t utter a word of complaint. I was glad that she felt safe here, or as safe as she seemed capable of feeling after those years in Colombia. If she’d been fifteen and stayed with Silva for ten years, then I was pretty accurate on guessing her age. Which still made her way too damn young for me to get hard every time I was near her, or heard her fucking singing some stupid-ass bubble gum song off the radio.

  “I liked helping take care of your house and making meals for you,” she said. “It was my way of giving back to you, to say thank you for saving me. You didn’t have to bring me here, or give me a place to stay. Your club could have left all of us in Colombia, or brought us back to the US, then left us to fend for ourselves. But you didn’t.”

  “I didn’t mean to make you cry,” I said. “It wasn’t my intention to hurt you. I never want to be the cause of your pain, Meg. You’re a sweet girl and you deserve the world, not some grouchy old cuss like me hurting your feelings.”

  “You’re not old, and I know you didn’t mean to make me cry,” she nearly whispered. “Jordan says I need to be stronger, more confident. I’m more outgoing at their house because…”

  She stopped and seemed anxious, her leg bouncing a bit as she looked away.

  “Because Havoc is clearly taken and Jordan would geld him if he ever strayed,” I said. “When you’re there, you have no fear that you’ll end up on your back.”

  She nodded.

  “None of my men would force themselves on you, Meg. And neither would I. Even if I get hard when you’re in the room, it doesn’t mean I’m going to act on it. We don’t force women in this club, and neither do the men we associate with.”

  Her eyes widened and her lips parted. “I did that? I’d thought maybe you were thinking of a woman you were seeing.”

  I chuckled a little and rubbed my free hand across the back of my neck. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’ve gone on some dates here and there, and there are some older women in the area that I’ve slept with on occasion. At my age, sex isn’t as important as it once was.”

  She bit her lip and looked around the room a moment before locking her gaze with mine again. “I’d like to stay, if that’s all right.”

  “You can stay at the Devil’s Boneyard as long as you want. And if you really insist on keeping my house clean, then I won’t throw you out of here, but I need you to keep the singing to a minimum, or at least at a lower volume.” Or learn some different fucking songs. Ones that didn’t make me want to stick a knife in my ear, or pull my dick out in the middle of my office.

  I got a hesitant smile from her that warmed my heart.

  “I can do that,” she said.

  “Why don’t you take your bag back to your place? Take the day to do whatever you want.”

  “I’d prefer to stay busy today,” she said.

  It was the way she said it that intrigued me. What was it about today that was so different from the others? It wasn’t a holiday.

  “Meg, what’s today?” I asked.

  “My birthday,” she said. “When Silva found out when my birthday was, he decided I would have a party every year. Except I was the entertainment.”

  I growled and wished that Silva were still alive so I could rip the asshole apart with my bare hands. The way he’d made this sweet girl suffer was beyond monstrous. I stood abruptly, then pulled Meg to her feet. She swayed a moment and I placed my hand at her waist to steady her. I felt her indrawn breath and watched a bit of color rise to her cheeks. Interesting. She didn’t flinch, or look scared. The look in her eyes said that she was intrigued, and that was a very, very bad thing.

  “Take your things home, Meg. Take a nice hot shower or bath, then put on something pretty. Be at the clubhouse in two hours, and not a moment sooner. And don’t come back here before then either. Understand?” I asked.

  “Yes, Cinder.”

  “Good girl. Now, go.”

  She picked up her bag and scurried out of the living room and out of house. The second I knew she wasn’t coming back, I pulled my phone from my pocket and called my VP’s wife. We had a party to plan and precious little time to do it.

  “Clarity, I need your help,” I said when she answered.

  “Whatever it is, you know you can count on me,” she said.

  “I need a birthday party put together in less than two hours at the clubhouse.”

  “Birthday party?’ she asked.

  “It’s Meg. She hasn’t had a good experience on her birthday since that asshole Silva bought her. She was just a kid, Clarity. Just a scared little kid and he made her suffer horribly. We need to help her make new, happy memories to associate with her birthday. Pull out all the stops, but do it fast.”

  “I’m on it,” she said, then disconnected the call.

  I stared at my phone and tried not to think too hard on why I’d just done that. By all rights, I should pass Meg off to someone else, let them worry about whether or not she was happy, but for some reason I wanted to be the reason she smiled today.

  Fuck me. I was so screwed.

  Havoc, and Irish had each claimed a woman so far, and each had at least one kid. Then there was Jackal and Josie, and Scratch and Clarity. It was my hope, that one day we’d be like the Dixie Reapers and have a lot of families inside the gates. Right now, only Havoc and Irish lived at the compound with their families, and that was fine, but it was time for things to change.

  We no longer had an ax hanging over our heads, unless you counted The Inferno. I still wasn’t entirely sure what those dickheads were up to, or how to stop them, but I knew we weren’t going up against them alone. We’d handled the idiots who had attacked Janessa, but I didn’t kid myself. The Inferno would likely send more, and when they did, we’d send them packing. No way I was letting those assholes get a foothold in my territory, and I knew Torch felt the same, and so did Grizzly and Spider. I hadn’t dealt much with Reckless Kings, but they weren’t the type to roll over and let someone walk all over them.

  But that was an issue for another day. Right now, I had to make sure that sweet girl who’d just left my house had a reason to smile on her birthday from this day forward. Whatever it took, I’d erase at least some of those bad memories.

  Chapter Two

  Meg

  I didn’t understand why I had to dress up, or what was happening at the clubhouse, but Cinder seemed to think it was important that I be there. I usually didn’t bother with worrying over my appearance, but I’d taken extra care this time. After my shower, I’d blown my
hair dry, then used the curling iron Janessa had given me a month ago. She’d tried to tell me it was something she just didn’t use, but I’d noticed the box was still sealed. All of the Devil’s Boneyard ladies had done something nice like that for me.

  I didn’t own makeup and had never worn any. I had a tinted lip balm and used that, but I’d never felt the need for all that other stuff. I didn’t dislike makeup, but I didn’t see the point. Women who wore makeup wanted to feel beautiful, and all I wanted to do was hide. The last thing I wanted to do was attract a man’s attention.

  The dress I’d put on hugged my curves a bit and flared out from my hips, falling softly around my knees. It was modest with a scooped neckline that didn’t show even a hint of cleavage, and yet I felt practically naked. Since coming back to America, I’d been wearing jeans and T-shirts or sweaters, depending on the weather. Having my legs on display felt strange. At least the shoes didn’t have much of a heel and were comfortable.

  As I made my way to the front of the compound, I heard raised voices and my steps faltered a moment. Angry men still frightened me, and I often flinched if someone moved too quickly. When I recognized Cinder’s voice, I picked up my pace, and came in view of the gate just in time to see a big brute of a man take a swing at Cinder. I gasped and rushed forward, not even stopping to think. The man drew his fist back again and I lunged in front of Cinder. The blow was a direct hit to my stomach and knocked the wind out of me. I felt my eyes tear as I gasped and tried to suck down air, only panicking when I couldn’t breathe at all.

  “Jesus!” Cinder wrapped his arms around me and sank to the ground, cradling me close. “Calm down, Meg. Try to take slow, shallow breaths. Come on, sweetheart. Breathe for me. You’re turning blue.”

  “I-I didn’t mean to hit her,” the huge man stammered. Before he could escape, Killian grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pushed him to the ground.

  I focused my gaze on Cinder and listened to his calm voice and reassuring words. Slowly, I took another breath and found that I was able to suck in a little oxygen. After a moment, I was breathing, shallow choppy breaths, but it was better than nothing.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” Cinder said. “Don’t ever get in the middle of a fight again. You hear me?”

  I nodded, unsure I would be able to speak just yet.

  “I swear I wouldn’t have hurt her!” the other man was screaming. “It was an accident!”

  “Wh-what…” I gasped again, not quite breathing regularly and couldn’t form all the words I wanted to say.

  “I slept with his wife, except I didn’t realize she was married,” Cinder said. “And like I told him, it was a one-night stand half a year ago. She wasn’t wearing a ring and never mentioned having a husband or fiancé.”

  I reached up and ran my fingers over his beard. Cinder looked slightly amused, and my cheeks warmed, realizing what I’d just done. I struggled to sit up, but he held me tight.

  “What do you want me to do this guy, Pres?” Killian asked.

  “Let him go. He says he wouldn’t have hit Meg and I believe him. She stepped in the way and it was just an accident. But his ass better never come here again. Next time, I might put a bullet in him,” Cinder said. “I only allowed him inside so he could get justice for what he felt was a slight to both himself and his woman.”

  Killian nodded, then shoved the other man outside of the gate before closing it. The Prospect stood with his arms folded and stared the guy down, making sure he left. My gaze turned back to Cinder and I realized I was breathing easier now. He stood, pulling me up with him, and I only wobbled a moment before I could stay upright on my own.

  “Why did you get in the way?” Cinder asked.

  “I didn’t want him to hurt you,” I said, realizing it was the truth. At first, I’d just reacted, but now that I’d had time to process what happened, I knew that I’d seen Cinder in trouble and wanted to help in some way. He’d been so good to me, all of them had, and instinct had said I should protect him the way he protected me.

  Cinder rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head, muttering about damn fool women. I glanced at Killian to find him grinning like an idiot, and I didn’t know what to make of the situation. Was Cinder mad at me? And what did Killian find so amusing?

  “You look nice, Meg,” Killian said.

  “Thank you.” I wrapped my arms around my waist, suddenly feeling self-conscious of what I was wearing. My stomach still hurt from the punch and I wondered if I’d have a bruise. The area was tender, but not too bad just yet. Experience told me the pain would be much worse tomorrow.

  Cinder moved in closer and tipped my chin up. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I can handle a guy like that. I let him get a hit in because I’d slept with his wife, even if I hadn’t realized it at the time. It was still wrong. What I don’t want is for you to put yourself in danger.”

  “I didn’t stop to think,” I admitted. “I just saw him hurting you and reacted.”

  Killian snickered, then coughed to cover it up when Cinder glared at him.

  “Sorry, Pres. Just find it cute that itty-bitty Meg wanted to protect you. At least you know she’s loyal.” Killian grinned.

  I swallowed the knot in my throat, feeling incredibly stupid and silly. Of course, a man like Cinder didn’t need me to protect him. I should have stayed out of the way, gone to the clubhouse like he’d told me to do. What if his club thought he was weak because of what I’d done? I’d never forgive myself.

  Cinder pulled me against his chest and hugged me, his hand tangling in my hair.

  “It was sweet of her,” Cinder said, “even if it was foolish. She could have been seriously hurt. Promise me, Meg. Promise you won’t do something like that again.”

  “I can’t,” I said. I wanted to promise the way he wanted me to, but I couldn’t. If I saw someone trying to hurt him, I’d probably react again. It had been a compulsion I hadn’t been able to stop. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry, sweet girl,” he said. “I’m flattered you wanted to help an old goat like me, but I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Are we having this party or what?” Jordan yelled from the steps of the clubhouse.

  Cinder narrowed his gaze in her direction before herding me toward the clubhouse. I didn’t know what party she meant, and I’d avoided most of the gatherings so far. For whatever reason, Cinder had wanted me here for this one. When we stepped inside the dimly lit clubhouse, I gasped at the balloons, streamers, and stacks of pizza boxes. There was also a large cake on a table at the back with a stack of wrapped presents.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, turning my gaze up at Cinder.

  “It’s your birthday and you deserve to have a happy memory to associate with today. I know it won’t undo everything you’ve suffered, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “Happy birthday, Meg.”

  Tears blurred my vision before I blinked them back. Jordan, Janessa, Clarity, and Josie all came toward me, and led me over to a table with flowers in the center. They pushed me down onto a chair and then handed me a plate filled with pizza and set a cold can of soda on the table. Cinder took the chair next to mine and I couldn’t help but stare at him. He’d always been on the gruff side, and I’d seen how tough he was on his men, but this was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Who knew the Pres had a soft side?” Jordan joked, then winked at Cinder.

  He flipped her off, which just made her cackle before she went off to join her husband and daughter. I knew that plenty of people feared Cinder. I’d witnessed it firsthand on the one and only occasion he’d gone into town with me, but the women who called the Devil’s Boneyard home didn’t seem all that scared of him. Maybe Jordan was right and he did have a soft side, even if he didn’t show it often.

  I nibbled on my pizza and tried to follow the flow of conversation around me. Each of the men from the club came by to wis
h me happy birthday, and Janessa insisted on taking pictures. There was a glint in her eyes and a mischievous smile on her lips as she nodded at Cinder.

  “Come on, Pres. You set this up. I think you need a picture with the birthday girl,” she said.

  Cinder pushed his chair back a little and I stood to scoot mine closer, except being my usual graceful self, I tripped on the chair leg and fell onto his lap. He caught me easily and I saw the bright camera flash out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look at Janessa, she was grinning.

  “Both of you smile,” she said, then took another one.

  I was going to get up and move back to my chair, when Irish shoved a present into my hands.

  “It’s from us,” he said.

  Cinder placed his hand on my hip and adjusted so that I was more comfortable, and he tapped the present, clearly waiting on me to open it. I took my time, not having received a gift since before I was abducted, and pulled the paper off to reveal a small box with the picture of a camera on the top.

  “It’s nothing fancy,” Irish said. “But it’s digital so you don’t have to worry about film. We thought you might like to take some pictures as you make new memories.”

  “Thank you,” I said softly, running my fingers over the box. It was a really thoughtful gift, and one I would cherish. The cost didn’t matter to me, it was the sentiment behind it. I was truly touched by their present.

  Another box was set on the table in front of me and I picked it up. It was from Havoc and Jordan. This time, I opened the package a little faster, but I was still careful not to just rip the paper off in seconds. There was a stack of picture frames inside, each one different. Metal frames, wooden ones, even a frame that looked like mosaic tile.

  Each club member handed me a gift until I had a mountain of them. Clarity had started stacking them on a nearby table after the fourth package. I’d gotten a little of everything. A manicure set with four different nail polish colors, quite a few gift cards to my favorite stores in the nearest mall, no fewer than three gift bags of paperback books and bookmarks, even a small bookshelf so I could keep them nice. Clarity and Scratch gave me one of the outfits I’d tried on and put back during my last shopping trip, simply because I’d thought it cost too much. Jackal and Josie gave me some scrapbooks and supplies, which I assumed was to be paired with the camera. The last three boxes ranged from the biggest I’d seen today to the tiniest. Clarity brought them over and set them down on the table.