Savior (Dixie Reapers MC 16) Read online

  Ares came out when we pulled in. She didn’t rush over but let us go to her. I didn’t know if that was because she worried she’d be replaced, or it was concern for the kids. I’d already told her she had a home with me forever. Finding out I had a daughter hadn’t changed anything. Well, not as it pertained to her anyway. “Ares, come meet your brother and sister.”

  Her eyebrows went up. “Brother?”

  I nodded. “Judd and Junie.”

  She came down the steps and approached the truck, curiosity blazing in her eyes. She peeked into the back seat, and I saw a soft smile curve her lips as she stared at the kids. She reached in and unbuckled Junie, bringing her into her arms. Saint stood on the other side of the truck and got Judd out. I led the way into the house and wondered about sleeping arrangements. I didn’t think both kids would fit in one bed. Or maybe they’d shared at the other house. I hadn’t gone into their room.

  I carried their bags into Junie’s room and set them down, then flicked on the light. Not having thought about Judd living here, there wasn’t much he’d probably enjoy playing with. I’d have to fix that tomorrow. I wanted him to feel at home here.

  “Tomorrow we’ll work on a room for you,” I told him.

  He shook his head. “With Junie.”

  “You want to stay with Junie? In here?” I asked. He nodded. “Well, all right. We’ll get a second bed and change the curtains. Butterflies were fine when it was just Junie staying in here, but I think we’ll get some plain ones since you’ll be sharing the space. Tomorrow, we can figure out what the two of you need. For now, are you hungry?”

  “Yes,” Judd said.

  “I’ll feed them.” Ares headed for the kitchen, and I followed.

  “You okay?” I leaned a hip against the kitchen counter. She pulled out ingredients from the cabinet and fridge, refusing to look at me. “Ares, this doesn’t change anything.”

  “Do you want me to stay because you think of me as your daughter? Or is it because you need a babysitter?” she asked.

  “The first one. As for the second, there was a woman taking care of the kids. Judd screamed and cried half the way here. Made himself sick. He calls her Momma, even though she’s no relation to him.”

  She faced me. “I call you Dad, but we don’t share DNA. What’s the difference?”

  She had me there. “It was wrong to leave her. I’m going back, so I do need you to babysit the kids right now. Dessa is…”

  I didn’t know what else to say. Should I warn Ares Dessa was in a wheelchair? Shit. At least the house was one story, but if I expected her to come sit with the children sometimes, I’d need to have a ramp installed. Would her chair fit through my doorways? For that matter, where the fuck would she stay once I brought her home tonight?

  I wished I had more time to plan, but something told me waiting until tomorrow would be a bad idea. I’d told Judd I’d bring Dessa home tonight, and I needed to follow through. I pulled out my phone and called one of the Prospects. As long as Sam didn’t fuck up, he was pretty much guaranteed a spot with the club. His dad was a patched member, and his daughter was Thunder’s old lady. I still had to put him through the paces, though. I couldn’t just hand him a cut because of those two things.

  He answered on the fourth ring.

  “You need something, Pres?” he asked.

  “You any good with woodworking?”

  “Um. Like making furniture or installing a deck? Because there’s a big difference.”

  “I need a ramp installed. Preferably now.”

  “Ramp for what?” he asked. “Not trying to be nosy, but there’s different types of ramps. To make sure it’s functional, I need to know what you’ll use it for.”

  “Wheelchair access to the house,” I said, holding Ares’s gaze. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Yeah, I’d shocked her with that one.

  “Might take me two or three hours, but I’ll get it done. I’ll come take some measurements now, then head to the hardware store.”

  “Can you do some research and see if the doorways in my house are wide enough for a wheelchair to get through? If not, we’ll need to handle that soon too.”

  “I’m on it, Pres. Anyone going to be home to let me in?”

  “Ares is here, and so are the children. Judd and Junie.”

  “I’ll get it done.” Sam ended the call, and I knew Ares would have some questions for me.

  “The woman you’re going to get is in a wheelchair?” she asked. “Guess that means you weren’t romantically interested in her.”

  For some reason, her words pissed me off. Of course, I hadn’t thought of Dessa like that, but only because I’d been so angry at the time. Now that I thought about her, I realized she’d been rather pretty. Not runway model gorgeous. Then again, I’d never gone for those types. Dessa’s strawberry blonde hair and pale green eyes had been pleasing. I hadn’t been able to see much of her body. She’d seemed petite. “Judd calls her Momma. She’s been taking care of the kids, and they don’t seem to be starving. As for not being interested because she’s in a wheelchair, I’m not even sure where to start with how wrong that statement is. Why the fuck would you say something like that, Ares?”

  “So, you plan to fuck her?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and prayed for patience. “One, I’m your dad and that’s not the sort of conversation we’ll ever be having. My love life is out of bounds. Two, when I bring Dessa home, I expect you to be nice to her. Her fiancé left her when an accident put her in that chair. If I find out you’ve been a bitch to her, there will be consequences.”

  She nodded. “All right.”

  I pushed away from the counter and went to hug her. “Ares, no one is kicking you out of your home. Not the kids, not Dessa, and sure as hell not me. You’re my daughter, and that’s not changing. We went over this before, but I’ll tell you as many times as I need to before it sinks in.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Feed the kids, maybe give them a bath, and let them watch a cartoon. They fell asleep on the way here, so I’d imagine they’ll be in bed before too long.”

  “Be careful,” she said.

  “Always am.” I kissed her cheek, checked on the kids once more, then went back to the truck. I wasn’t looking forward to the two-hour drive and wanted to get on the road as soon as possible.

  At the gate, I rolled down the window to speak with the Prospect, Rocky’s son. “Owen, Ares is watching the kids. I’m going back, so I’ll be gone for several hours. If anything needs to be addressed, take it up with Saint.”

  I pulled through the gates and headed back to Dessa’s house. There was one stop I wanted to make along the way. I needed to visit Jeremy and find out what happened between him and Dessa. If he still had feelings for her, I’d rather know before I hauled her all the way home. I messaged Saint and asked for the address, then let the truck eat up the miles.

  By the time I pulled back into Dessa’s town, it was late and I was ready for some coffee. Instead, I found myself outside a little bungalow not too far from where Dessa lived. I wondered if they realized they lived so close to one another. Had it been intentional?

  I got out and knocked on the door. The man who answered reeked of sex and alcohol. No shirt. No shoes. Pants unzipped. It seemed I’d interrupted.

  “You’re with Saint’s club. He in trouble?” the man asked.

  “Jeremy, right?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. If you’re not here about Saint, what do you need?”

  “I wanted to ask you about Dessa.”

  He shut down. That one name wiped all expression from his face. “Why are you asking about her?”

  “Saint asked her earlier if she’d like for him to call you. She had upsetting news.”

  His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “Dessa is better off without me.”

  “Because you’re a chickenshit bastard?”

  “She didn’t want to go anywhere that night. I made her. Told her if she loved me, she’d go. I walked away from that accident, and she didn’t. She’ll never walk again. It’s best if Dessa and I avoid each other.”

  “You saved Kayla once. I know Preacher and Saint were both grateful. But when your fiancé is injured, you turn tail and run?”

  “Jeremy! Come back to bed,” a woman called out from somewhere inside.

  I shook my head. I may not know Dessa, or Jeremy, but clearly she was better off without him. He’d dumped her and started over, while she remained in a house by herself. It made me feel even worse for what I’d done today.

  “Your whore is calling.” I noticed he didn’t correct me as I turned and walked away. Before I got in the truck, I turned to face him again. “Don’t come looking for Dessa. You may have thrown her out like trash, but the Dixie Reapers will make sure she has everything she needs. Unlike you, my club knows what it means to be a real man.”

  He stepped back into the house and shut the door as I backed down the driveway. When I reached Dessa’s house, all the lights were off. I noticed the door hadn’t been repaired. Hell, it still stood partially open. I didn’t like the thought of someone being able to go inside and hurt her. We’d left her vulnerable. What the fuck was wrong with us? Sure, we’d focused on the kids, but still…

  I stepped over the threshold and looked around. Everything seemed to be just as we’d left it. “Dessa! Are you here?”

  Not a single sound came from anywhere in the house. I made my way down the hall and into her bedroom. Inky blackness made it difficult to see. I flicked on the light and nearly hit the ground. No. Fuck no.

  “Dessa!” I rushed to the bed, shoving her chair out of the way. An empty pill bottle lay next to her. I checked the label. It looked like she’d filled it a week ago. Oxycodone. “Dessa, please open you
r eyes.”

  I felt for a pulse and found one. She moaned and her lashes fluttered for a moment. When her eyes opened, I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “How many did you take?” I asked.

  Her brow furrowed. “What?”

  I lifted the pill bottle and her eyes went wide. “One.”

  I felt my temper rising. There was no fucking way she’d taken only one when the bottle was empty. How stupid did she think I was? “You had thirty and only got these a week ago. Where are the rest if you didn’t take them?”

  “It wasn’t empty,” she whispered. She paled, and I felt like an asshole. If she hadn’t taken the last one, then it meant someone had been in here with her.

  “What other pills do you have? Where do you keep them?”

  “Bathroom.”

  I went back into the hall and found the bathroom. I opened the cabinet over the sink, all the drawers, and checked the closet. Nothing. Not a single pill bottle. It made me check the rest of the house, doing a better job than I had when I’d arrived. I realized the TV was gone. I didn’t know how I’d missed that when I’d arrived. Not knowing what else she’d had in the house, I couldn’t say for sure if anything else had been taken.

  “Dessa, someone robbed you while you were asleep,” I said as I entered the bedroom again. She’d sat up on the side of the bed and stared at her chair where I’d shoved it across the room. I wheeled it over to her, and before she could protest, I lifted her into my arms. I’d intended to put her down in the chair until I’d felt her slight weight and gentle curves pressed against me.

  When was the last time she’d eaten? Had she spent all her money on the children and barely been surviving herself? Tempest had been awful to her, and we’d not repaired the door we’d broken. We’d left her vulnerable, and at the mercy of anyone who wanted to hurt her. They’d stolen from her, but what if a murderer or rapist had come in here instead? It made me sick, and I hated myself at that moment.

  “You can put me down,” she said.

  “No.” I sat on the edge of the bed and held her on my lap. “I fucked up, Dessa. I focused on the kids and hardly gave you a second glance. When we left, we didn’t fix the door. Someone could have hurt you.”

  She licked her lips. “They could have, but they didn’t.”

  “How do you know? What if they did, and you slept through it? Those pills…”

  “You don’t understand. No one here wants me. They know who I am. Nobody wants a broken woman.”

  I closed my eyes and fought not to scream out my rage. At myself. The world.

  “Can you put me down?” Dessa asked.

  “You’re coming with me. Is there a bag I can use for your stuff?”

  She gaped. “What do you mean, I’m going with you?”

  “I promised Judd I’d bring his mom home,” I said softly. “That’s you, in case you were wondering. He cried so much he threw up on the way to the compound. I’m not returning without you.”

  “So you finally believe me when I say I didn’t know what Sonja was doing?” she asked.

  “I think I believed you all along but couldn’t admit it to myself. I never should have left you here, Dessa. I’m sorry.”

  She sagged against me, and I had a feeling we weren’t going home tonight. The dark circles under her eyes bothered me. When had she last had a good night’s sleep? Her stomach rumbled, and I wondered when she’d last eaten.

  I carried her to the truck and buckled her in. Then I went back for her chair. After I stashed it in the bed of the truck, I made short work of packing her things. Whether I liked it or not, we’d be staying in town overnight. I called Ares to let her know, then found the nearest motel that seemed to be in a safe area. I had no idea how Dessa would react when she woke. In the morning, we’d have a conversation about her expectations, and I’d make her a few promises. One thing was for certain… we needed to talk and make sure we were on the same page.

  And I’d make sure the club knew Dessa was family. My children considered her their mother, and I didn’t want to do anything to upset them. They’d been through enough already.

  I got us settled in the motel room, brought in Dessa’s chair and some of her clothes, then called Wire.

  “Pres, it’s getting late,” Wire said in a hushed tone.

  “Right, and your kids are asleep. Sorry. I’m bringing Dessa home with me in the morning. We’re staying overnight at a motel. Poor thing passed out from exhaustion, and possibly fear. Someone went into her house after we left. Took her medication, the TV, and who knows what else.”

  “The woman who had the kids? That’s who you’re bringing home? Why?”

  It seemed no one had filled him in yet. “Judd calls her Momma. I promised the children I’d bring her back with me.”

  “Momma?” He seemed more alert. “Is she going to stay at your place?”

  “I guess so. Haven’t really thought too much about it yet. I did ask Sam to install a ramp on my house and to check the size of the doorways. I know she’ll want to be near the children, and they’ll want to have her around.”

  I heard clicking and knew he’d pulled out his laptop. Then I heard a whistle. “Damn, Pres. She’s pretty.”

  “Yeah, she is. What are you doing?” Unease pricked at me. When Wire said something like that and had his computer out, it usually meant trouble.

  “Checking into her more thoroughly. I’d have done it sooner if I’d realized you were bringing her here. I’ll have a full workup done by morning.”

  “Thanks, Wire. Spread the word, will you? I don’t want anyone making her feel unwelcome.”

  “You got it.”

  The line went dead, and I hoped like hell he wasn’t going to do anything more than research Dessa. Ever since he’d claimed Lavender, he had a bad habit of marrying people. Most asked for it. Some hadn’t.

  I should have told him not to even think about it.

  And yet… I watched Dessa sleep and realized it wouldn’t be the most awful thing ever. She didn’t have anyone to watch out for her, and the children loved her already. Didn’t mean we had to have a real marriage, but my name would offer her some protection.

  I’d talk to her about it and see how she felt. No sense rushing into anything. We’d done plenty of that already and look how it had turned out.

  I smoothed her hair back from her face. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sorry I was such an asshole before.”

  She murmured something but didn’t wake up. Something told me it was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Three

  Dessa

  Sunlight streamed into the room, and I closed my eyes tighter. It felt like hammers were pounding inside my skull, and my body ached. As I stretched, I felt a body lying next to me. My eyes flew open, and I jolted upright, looking around the room. I didn’t recognize the space, but as the fog of sleep fully lifted, I realized I knew the man in bed beside me. He’d taken off his boots and the leather vest they’d all been wearing yesterday. Otherwise, he remained clothed.

  I saw my chair and scooted down toward the foot of the bed so I could reach it. Tugging it closer, I set the brakes and lifted myself off the bed and onto the seat. After I placed my feet on the footrests, I released the brakes and wheeled myself to the bathroom, only to stop outside the door. Crap.

  “Dessa?” The man rubbed at his face and sat up. “Everything all right?”

  “Um.” I looked at the bathroom again, then my chair. “I can’t get through the door, and I need to pee.”

  He yawned and stood, then came over to me. He pulled my chair back, then reached down and lifted me into his arms. As he stepped into the bathroom, he paused and looked at me. “Not entirely sure how to do this and protect your modesty.”

  I sighed. “When I woke up and realized I wouldn’t walk again, my dignity took a big hit. I’ve had more people help me bathe and pee in the last ten months than have probably helped the rest of my entire life. It’s fine. Just… hold me steady?”

  He nodded and stared at the wall over my head as he lowered my feet to the floor. I winced at the pain, but managed to shove my pants and panties down, then tapped his arm. He lowered me onto the toilet, still refusing to look anywhere other than the wall while I did my business. By the time I had my pants back up and the toilet flushed, I was back to hating my life. A grown woman shouldn’t need help to pee in the morning. I hated my wheelchair. Hated the fact my legs would never work again. Hated… just about everything.