Savior (Dixie Reapers MC 16) Page 4

  He carried me to the sink, and I washed my hands, then he took me back to the bed, easing me down on the mattress. I reclined against the headboard and studied him. When he’d arrived yesterday, I’d noticed how handsome he was. Didn’t mean it hadn’t felt like he’d gutted me when he left with the kids. So why had he returned? He’d mentioned something about Judd asking for his mom. Had the big, tough biker really come back for me, all because a three-year-old wanted him to?

  “My name is Savior and I’m the President of the Dixie Reapers,” he said, sitting at the foot of the bed facing me. “I’m afraid none of us made a good impression yesterday. Sonja used the children as leverage. She convinced one of our brothers to help her, and it nearly cost Thunder his wife. All because Sonja wanted Thunder for herself.”

  “I’m lost,” I admitted.

  He spent the next twenty minutes telling me what Sonja had done to their club, and about a man called Merlin. It all seemed a bit crazy. Then again, Sonja had always been a wild card. It didn’t surprise me she’d used the children to try and get what she wanted, or that she’d lied to me about it.

  “Why am I here?” I asked. “And where is here?”

  “When Judd kept asking for you, and made himself sick, I promised to come back for you. Except when I arrived, the door stood partially open, and I found you lying next to an empty pill bottle. I’d worried you’d taken them all.”

  Bits and pieces of last night came back to me. “Someone broke in.”

  He nodded. “Although, the police probably wouldn’t consider it a break-in since the door was open. That’s our fault, and I’m so fucking sorry. If anything bad happened to you, I’d have never forgiven myself. That’s not who I am. I’m not the asshole who leaves a woman defenseless.”

  “And we’re where exactly?”

  “Still in your town, but at one of the motels. You passed out in my arms before I could get you to the truck. I thought it would be better to stay overnight and head back this morning. I’m taking you with me.”

  “Because Judd asked you to?” I needed clarification. What did this man expect from me? I knew it couldn’t be sex. No one had looked my way twice, not in a romantic way, since I’d ended up in the wheelchair. For some reason, busted legs made me less pretty. Or so it seemed.

  “It started out that way.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what your situation is, and I’m not trying to pry. I get the feeling you would have struggled without Sonja’s help. Honestly, I have no idea what to do with two toddlers. Maybe we can help each other.”

  “So you need a babysitter.”

  “I have a teenage daughter. While she’s already let me know how she feels about babysitting the kids, I know she’d help if I asked her to. Those are her siblings now, whether she likes it or not. She’ll adjust.”

  “So… not a babysitter?” My brow furrowed. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this confused.

  “The children need a mother. All three of them.”

  Right. They needed a mom. And Judd already called me Momma. “You aren’t married?”

  He shook his head. “Ares is my adopted daughter. Some people hurt her in truly awful ways. Another club rescued her, and I happened to be there helping where I could. I brought her home with me, and Wire, our club hacker, worked his magic. If anyone were to go digging, it would look like I went through the same process as everyone else who adopts a kid.”

  Had he ever been married? Been in a committed relationship? We were strangers. Knew nothing about each other. Now he had three kids and wanted me to be their mother. He hadn’t asked me to marry him. Hadn’t actually said anything about where I’d be living when we reached his hometown. Would I have a place of my own and we’d co-parent? Would I live with him but have my own room?

  “We should probably come up with a plan before heading home,” he said.

  “Do you impulsively take people home with you all the time?”

  He smiled a little. “No. Taking Ares home worked out all right. I didn’t plan for Judd to remain with me, until I realized he and Junie had been together for a while. Seemed cruel to separate them, especially since neither of his birth parents can take care of him. We’ll need to get a few things for him today, and for Junie. I want the place to feel like their home.”

  I looked down at my hands, locking my fingers together in my lap. “They haven’t really had one of those, I don’t think. I don’t know where they lived before Sonja brought them to me, but the rental wasn’t anything spectacular. I tried to make it comfortable for them.”

  He moved closer and placed his hand over mine. “You did a great job, Dessa. They clearly love you and trust you to take care of them.”

  “The children were the only ones who made me feel like I wasn’t useless,” I admitted softly, refusing to hold his gaze. “When Jeremy left, I didn’t have anyone. The pain was constant, both physically and emotionally. Sonja only came around when she needed something, even though she tried to make it sound like she was doing me a favor. Then she brought Judd and Junie to me. I had a purpose. Little people who needed me. Loved me. I knew it was the closest I’d ever get to having children.”

  “Just because Jeremy is a fucking idiot doesn’t mean no one would ever want you, Dessa. Do you not realize how pretty you are?”

  “It’s not that. Well, not only that.” I lifted my shirt to right below my breasts. I ran my finger over the pink, puffy scar. “A piece of the windshield broke off and went into my abdomen. It damaged my uterus. The doctor said my chance of getting pregnant and carrying a baby to term were slim. So even if I did have a guy who wanted to marry me, I may not be able to give him children. Who wants a woman stuck in a wheelchair who can’t do something as simple as getting pregnant? Even the stray cats can do that much.”

  “Hey.” His harsh tone had my head jerking up. He moved even closer and reached out, fisting my hair in his hand. I had no choice but to look at him. “You listen to me. Being able to have babies doesn’t make you a woman. The fact you’re in a wheelchair doesn’t detract from you as a person.”

  I stared at him, not sure what to say. No one had ever said such a thing to me before. Were there really men out there who wouldn’t care if I couldn’t give them babies? Or who wouldn’t see me as less because I couldn’t walk? At one time, I’d thought decent people existed. Then the accident happened, and all I’d seen since then was the ugliness in the world. No matter how hard I’d tried to stay positive, life kept smacking me down. Jeremy. Sonja. Even the people who stared and whispered when I wheeled past them.

  His eyes darkened and his gaze dropped to my lips. Before I could process what he was doing, he leaned closer and pressed his mouth to mine. I sucked in a breath, shock holding me immobile. After a moment, I kissed him back. It was the first time a man had touched me intimately since the accident.

  His lips brushed mine, then I felt his tongue slide across my bottom lip. I opened, letting him in, and it felt like the earth fell away. I’d been with Jeremy for a year, and not once had he made me feel this way. My heart began to race, and I trembled. When Savior pulled back, it felt like I couldn’t catch my breath.

  “What… what was that?” I asked, reaching up to touch my lips. They tingled, and when I licked them, I could taste him.

  His lips kicked up on one corner. “If you don’t know, I must not have done it right. Should I try again?”

  I knew I should say no. This was insanity. And yet… I nodded. Savior kissed me again. Longer. Deeper. I reached up and placed my hands on his shirt, clinging to him. I didn’t know why he’d kissed me. He’d called me pretty. Was it possible the sexy man was actually attracted to me?

  He pulled back and rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip. “I think we have a few things to talk about.”

  My brain was buzzing, and he wanted to talk? I wasn’t sure anything I said would make sense right now. How could he want to have a conversation at a time like this?

  “I asked someone to install a ramp at my house.” He released my hair only to caress my cheek. “They’re also checking the doorways to make sure your chair will fit through them.”

  “My wheelchair is the standard size, so the doors wouldn’t be an issue. Unless you had narrow ones. I’m assuming they’re regular doorways?”

  “Far as I know.”

  “You really asked someone to install a ramp before you came back for me?” I worried at my bottom lip. “Or did you do that this morning while I was sleeping?”

  “Last night. I got the kids settled, gave Ares some instructions, then I called one of the Prospects. He said he’d get it done within a few hours. I wanted to make sure you could come and go without needing someone to help you. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner at the house.”

  Tears misted my eyes. Why couldn’t I have met someone like him before now? If it weren’t for Sonja bringing those kids to me, I’d have never met this incredible man. Sure, he’d scared me yesterday, and taken the children away. But he’d also come back for me. Protected me. Kissed me like I’d never been kissed before.

  “When you said the kids needed a mother… you meant for me to live with you?”

  “Yeah, I did.” He ran his finger down the bridge of my nose. “And now I’d like to ask you something else. It’s going to sound crazy but hear me out.”

  “Crazy seems to be the theme these days,” I said.

  He smirked. “Fair enough. Since it seems we have some chemistry, would you consider not only coming back with me to be a mom for the kids, but would you marry me?”

  My jaw dropped and I stared. He’d lost his mind! I couldn’t think of another explanation. Men didn’t propose to strangers. Especially ones who looked like him. I had no doubt he could have any woman he wanted. Why d
id he need to marry me?

  “You said you have a teenage daughter. What does she think of this?” I asked.

  “I didn’t ask her.”

  The way his jaw tightened told me enough. “She’s not happy about the kids being there, is she? And she probably doesn’t want me intruding in her territory either.”

  “She’s a kid. She doesn’t get a say in who lives in our house. I do.”

  Right. Clearly, he didn’t know how teenage girls worked. And he said she’d been through something traumatic. That made things even worse. He was her safe haven, and now he’d opened up the house to three more people. I could only imagine the emotions rolling through her right now. She’d have to share her dad. Her home. Everything. The poor girl was probably freaking out, and possibly even lashing out because of it.

  “Savior, I’m thinking you got your name because you like rushing in to save those who can’t help themselves.” He didn’t disagree, so I figured I was right. “You should take me back to the rental house.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” he demanded. “The door is smashed in. Someone took all your pills and your TV. You want to go back?”

  “You have three children who need you. While my presence might be good for Judd and Junie, your other daughter isn’t going to see it that way. Taking me home with you, and telling her you want to marry me, is going to upset her more.”

  “She’s being… difficult,” he said. “I have a feeling it will be an uphill battle with her once we get home. She’s a teenager, but she’s never acted out before.”

  I shook my head. “No, Savior. She’s not. I don’t know what she’s suffered, but clearly you were her hero. Still are. However long you’ve been together, she’s had her dad to herself. Now you want her to share you with others, and your home. It’s bad enough those people are other kids. But adding a wife to the mix? One who’s in a wheelchair at that, is not a smart idea.”

  “I’m not taking you back. You’re going to get in the truck, and we’re going home.” He leaned in until our noses nearly touched. “And don’t think of arguing. If you don’t want to wheel yourself out there, fine. I have no problem putting you where I want you.”

  My eyes went wide, and I gasped. “Did you just threaten to haul me wherever you please because I can’t use my legs to run away?”

  He winced. “Maybe.”

  “If you try to force me into your truck, I’m going to call the police and tell them I’m being kidnapped.”

  “You wouldn’t.” He narrowed his eyes.

  “Try me.” I wasn’t about to make a young girl feel like she’d been replaced in her dad’s life. He might not understand right now, but he would. Eventually. I hoped. I was doing this for all of them. Not one person would be better with me in their lives. The kids would adjust, and after a while, they might even forget me. He’d find someone to love and be grateful I’d refused to marry him.

  “You brought this on yourself. Just remember that.” He pulled out his phone and called someone. His gaze locked with mine. “Wire, I need you to do something for me. A certain woman is being too stubborn for her own good. Since she won’t agree to marry me the traditional way, I need you to handle it.”

  “No! Are you kidding me right now?” I tried to grab the phone, but he pulled back out of reach.

  “She didn’t say she didn’t want to marry me. Only that she thought it was a bad idea. Something about Ares.” He narrowed his eyes, and I had a feeling if I reached for the phone again, I’d regret it. “Make it happen. That’s an order, as your President.”

  He ended the call, and I stared at him. I didn’t know what the hell to say. Had he really just told someone to marry us? Sure, he’d said the guy had something to make it look like Ares was his legally adopted daughter. But a marriage? He couldn’t really do something like that, could he?

  “Congratulations. You’re going to be Dessa Black within the hour.”

  “I can’t believe you just did that. Do the wants and needs of other people not even register in your brain?”

  He softened and leaned in, kissing my forehead. “Honey, I am thinking of other people. Whether Ares will admit it or not, she needs a mom. Judd and Junie need you, and after that kiss we shared, I think you might be what’s been missing from my life too. Can you honestly say your life won’t be better with us in it? You won’t have to struggle to pay the bills. You’ll have three kids, and a faithful husband.”

  “Will you? Be faithful?”

  “Every Dixie Reaper who’s ever claimed a woman has remained true to her. And if I ever catch one stepping out with another woman, or fucking a club whore, when they have a wife or old lady at home, I will personally beat their asses. Fidelity is a big deal in my club.”

  “What’s a club whore?” I asked.

  “Sonja.”

  “Wh-what?”

  He nodded. “She was a club whore. Spread her legs for any brother who crooked a finger at her. Got it in her head she wanted to be Thunder’s old lady, except he never saw her that way. They serve a purpose for the single men. But no, I won’t be touching any of them. Haven’t in fact. Not in a long-ass time. When I brought Ares home, I focused on her. Last thing she needed was her new dad staying at the clubhouse to fuck random women.”

  “You really want to marry me?” I asked.

  “I do. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise. I’m no prize, Dessa. I’m set in my ways. Stubborn. And I’m damn near fifty years old, which probably makes me entirely too old to even think of kissing you much less the things I’d like to do.”

  My cheeks warmed. Oh my. Now I wondered exactly what he wanted to do to me. I’d never been intimate with Jeremy, and only shared kisses before the accident. It had been so long ago.

  “How old do you think I am?” I asked.

  He shrugged and scanned my face. “Maybe late teens, early twenties. People are going to think I have four kids when we go out.”

  I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. “Savior…”

  He placed a finger over my lips. “Gabriel. Or Gabe. When it’s just us, you can call me either name. When the club is present or the other old ladies, then it’s Savior. And before you ask, no, they aren’t physically old. It’s just a title.”

  “Gabriel, I’m older than you think. I’m twenty-six.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Honey, that’s only a few years older than early twenties. I’m still old enough to be your dad.”

  “Do you care?”

  “No. I want you. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I won’t lie. When I carried you out of your house last night, I got semi-hard. Made me feel like an asshole.”

  “And now?” I asked.

  He reached over and took my hand, then pressed it down on the front of his jeans. The breath in my lungs stalled as I explored the hard length of him. My cheeks warmed as I realized he really did want me.

  “I’m going to ask Wire’s woman to check on the kids and see if Ares needs help. I think you and me need another night away.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  “Honeymoon. Just not here. Somewhere nicer. Come on, sweetheart. Let’s hit the road and figure out our next stop. Then we’re going to get much better acquainted.”

  It felt like my heart my beat right out of my chest it was thumping so hard. But I had to admit the thought of a honeymoon with Savior excited me.

  I’d called him crazy for telling that man to marry us.

  Now I had to wonder if the insanity was contagious, because I was ready to ride the train to crazy town right next to him.

  Chapter Four

  Savior

  We’d been on the road for a little while. Dessa’s head rested against the window, and she slept. I kept glancing her way. I’d never met someone like her before. It wasn’t the wheelchair, although that definitely made her different from the women I’d been with. The way she’d protected the kids, shielding them when we’d entered the house, said a lot about her as a person.