Dagger (Devil's Fury MC 4) Page 6

  “Zoe, I need you to be honest with me. Where were you when you noticed Dagger?” Griz asked again.

  “Behind the clubhouse,” she said softly. “I followed the music and ended up there. He was outside.”

  “Did you approach Dagger then?” Griz asked.

  “No. I followed him, though, and knew he lived here. I walked to his house today, wanting to speak with him. Before I could get the courage to knock on the door, he found me in his yard.”

  Griz made a noise that was part rumble and possibly a rusty laugh. “And how did he handle that?”

  I closed my eyes. Shit. I’d cuffed her to my bed. That’s how I fucking handled it. I braced myself, not sure if Griz would find it funny, or if he’d be pissed. Whatever she said, I couldn’t hear her. Grizzly was quiet. I cautiously moved closer to the doorway and tried to listen. Was he going to remove her from the house? Even if he said she couldn’t stay here, I’d still go get her son. He wouldn’t deny her that. I didn’t think he would at any rate.

  “He’s been wonderful,” she said. “I feel like I’m taking advantage, and I’m worried he’ll wake up one day and realize he made a mistake. I wouldn’t blame Dagger if he threw me out and told me to get my son on my own.”

  Griz pitched his voice low enough I could only hear the rumble of his words, but couldn’t understand a damn thing he said. What the hell was he telling her? I shifted, but without walking into the room with them, I couldn’t make out anything. Would he talk her out of being married to me? She’d be better off with someone else. If Zoe wanted to remain mine, I’d keep her, and treat her like a queen. Her son would be mine in every way that counted. I just couldn’t help but feel she deserved more. Like love. I didn’t know that I would ever come to love her. Wasn’t that something women always wanted? Hearts, flowers, and all that shit?

  “Dagger, get in here,” Grizzly bellowed.

  I took a breath, trying to prepare for whatever happened next, then walked into the kitchen. The Pres didn’t give anything away, didn’t even look at me. Instead of sitting, I stood behind Zoe’s chair and placed my hand on her shoulder. She reached up, putting her fingers over mine, and I felt the way she trembled. Whatever they’d discussed, she was still shaken. I felt my muscles tighten, but I wasn’t about to lash out at the Pres. Not if I wanted to keep my head attached.

  To some, Griz might seem like a big teddy bear. With his girls, he was a softie. The rest of us knew better than to piss him off. He’d earned the name Grizzly and anyone who forgot would pay the price. Didn’t mean that I liked him scaring Zoe.

  “I’m giving you permission to get Luis from Mexico and bring him home,” Griz said. “And I’m going to send Colorado, Steel, and possibly Matt with you. I know Matt is only a Prospect, but he has a military background and might be of some use if shit hits the fan. If not him, I’ll find someone equally competent.”

  I gave Zoe’s shoulder a slight squeeze. Three wasn’t quite as many as I’d hoped for, considering what I’d be up against, but it was better than going in alone. I’d ask for Dragon to come with me, but I knew he didn’t want to leave Lilian and his kids. There was no damn way Badger or Dingo were leaving their women either. Although… I could think of one scary fucker I wouldn’t mind having on this trip.

  “What about Blades?” I asked.

  “You want me to ask Blades to leave China behind for what? Close to a week? Maybe more, depending how things go when you get to Mexico. You even know where you’re going?” Grizzly asked. The way he said it made me think he’d gotten more information on the way to my house. Maybe Wire had spoken to him.

  I did, but if I said the name of the town, Zoe could flip out. It was a known hotbed for criminal activity. I tried to convey that with a look, but I could tell the Pres was going to be stubborn on this one. If it were up to me, Zoe would never know exactly where her son was being kept, or by whom. It seemed Griz was of a different opinion.

  “Would you have told your wife?” I asked.

  His gaze narrowed, but I saw the flash of fury that went through him. Yeah, he hated it when we brought her up, unless it was a happy memory. I knew it had to suck balls to have lost her to cancer. She’d been a sweetheart, and had been good for Griz and the club. I might not understand the love they shared, but I knew he still felt her loss deeply.

  “Dagger, what’s going on?” Zoe asked.

  “Tell her,” Grizzly said.

  Goddamnit! I didn’t want to tell her. She’d worry herself to death until I brought Luis home. And that’s if Wire’s intel was still good by the time I got there. They could move him and I’d never know it. Even if I opened up my bike, it would take me three days to get there. Then I had to figure out how to bring him back home. I could use one of the club trucks, but they weren’t as fast.

  “I’m not going to have her worried for that length of time. It will take me days to get there, and days to return after I’ve secured Luis. You want to put her through hell?” I asked. “Why? What’s the fucking point?”

  “The men who have your boy are into human trafficking among other things,” Griz said. At least he hadn’t outright told her who had Luis, but I still wasn’t happy he’d even said that much about them.

  I heard Zoe sob, then felt her body go lax. If I hadn’t reacted fast enough, she’d have ended up on the floor. Lifting her into my arms, I cradled her close to my chest and tried really fucking hard not to knock Grizzly’s teeth down his throat. Whatever he’d hoped to accomplish by telling her that, I hoped he was pleased with himself.

  “That was a dick thing to do,” I said.

  “Remember who you’re talking to.”

  “I know exactly who, Pres. Doesn’t change the fact she didn’t need to know that until her boy was home safe. I’d have told her, when the time was right.”

  “Luis,” Zoe said softly.

  “I’ll bring him home, Zoe,” I promised.

  She shook her head. “He could have been sold already. What if you get there and he’s gone?”

  “No offense, Pres, but get the fuck out. I need to calm Zoe down, and I’d rather do it without an audience.”

  He snorted and stood. It seemed like he wanted to say something, then thought better of it. Grizzly let himself out of the house, the door closing softly behind him. I didn’t know what to do with Zoe, but I remembered Dingo once saying that a hot bath would calm Meiling whenever she’d get upset or have nightmares. I hoped something like that would work now for Zoe.

  Carrying her to my bedroom, I paused next to the bed, reluctant to let her go. I eased her down onto the mattress, but she clung to me when I tried to pull away.

  “Princesa, I’m going to run a bath for you. Nice big tub in there. Might make you feel better, but you need to let go for me to do that.”

  She gripped me harder and shook her head.

  I toed off my boots, then managed to remove my cut and set it on the bedside table. Nudging her over a little, I settled on the bed next to her and just held her close. If this was what she needed, or wanted, I’d give it to her. I stroked my hand down her back, hoping it would soothe her. I heard her sniffle and felt her tears soaking my shirt. I fucking hated that Griz had said that shit to her, and that it had terrified her. She’d done everything she could to try and give her son a better life, and it had blown up in her face. I knew there were no guarantees in life, but I wanted to bring Luis to his mom, reunite them, and make sure he had everything he could ever need or want for the rest of his life. Both of them. Somehow, Zoe had wormed her way past my defenses.

  “I meant what I said, Zoe. Where he’s being kept doesn’t make a difference. I won’t come home without him.”

  “You don’t understand,” she said, lifting her head and wiping at her tears. “It’s not just him I’m scared for. If you go down there and try to bring him home, they could kill you. Men like that don’t play around, Santiago. If they’re willing to sell children, I can only imagine what else they’re capable of. What if they
’re angry and kill you for interfering? It would be a long and painful death. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Either of you.”

  “I’m coming home to you, Zoe, and so is Luis. I’ll bring our son home. No matter what it takes.”

  “That’s the part that worries me.” Her hand fisted my shirt and her mouth tightened into a hard line. “I don’t want you to die getting him back. If you can’t get him home, and keep yourself safe, leave him for now. It pains me to say that, but I can’t lose you both.”

  I ran my fingers over her cheek. “Trust me, corazoncito. I’m going to walk through the door with our boy in my arms, and we’ll both be perfectly fine.”

  My phone chimed in my pocket, and while I was hesitant to stop and see what the message said, I knew it could be from Wire. If he had any information that might set Zoe at ease, I wanted to know. I reached into my pocket and pulled the phone out, then quickly accessed the text.

  Congratulations. You’re officially married.

  I showed her what Wire had said and she gave me a faint smile. It was a start. I knew nothing short of having Luis here would bring the light back to her eyes. Then the phone dinged again.

  Give us three hours and Luis should officially be your son.

  She read that one too, and her body marginally relaxed. “Us? I thought it was just Wire working on it. You said something about his wife. Is she helping somehow?”

  “I’m sure they’re tackling it together.”

  “That’s kind of sweet.”

  Maybe in a diabolical sense. I knew Wire and Lavender could wreak havoc if they ever decided to. Thankfully, they used their skills to help their club and others, like mine. Anyone who pissed them off or came after the Dixie Reapers? They were fair game, and Wire and Lavender made sure they paid.

  “If everything is in order by morning, I’ll make the arrangements to get Luis,” I said. “Will you be okay here?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Nope. I’ll make sure someone stops in to see if you need anything.” Although I didn’t have a fucking clue who to ask. Before Jared had stormed out of here, I’d have asked him. With the way things stood, I wasn’t about to put that on him. I might be an asshole, but not enough of one to rub my lover’s face in the fact I had a wife now.

  She snuggled closer. The scent of her, and the feel of her soft curves, was making me hard as fuck. I wasn’t about to act on it. I might have told her this would be a real marriage, but I wasn’t going to demand that of her the first damn night. It wasn’t like we had a real wedding, or got married because we loved each other. We were still strangers, even though I knew a secret from her past and she knew mine. It wasn’t enough for me to even attempt anything with her. I’d give her time. However much she needed.

  Fuck my life. I was going to have blue balls. I could always go tug one out, but that’s as good as it would get until she was ready to take things further. Couldn’t remember the last time I hadn’t been able to get off with one of the girls up at the clubhouse, or lately with Jared.

  Welcome to monogamy, asshole. You chose this.

  Chapter Six

  Zoe

  My mind was racing with everything that could go wrong. What if Dagger did find Luis, but died trying to bring my baby home? I never should have told that man I’d like to marry Dagger. I’d put him in danger, and what was he getting out of it? Nothing, that’s what. I’d stolen his chance to find happiness with someone, put him at risk, and saddled him with a woman with no sexual experience.

  It hadn’t escaped my notice he’d gotten hard while we’d been lying in bed. I knew he was only trying to comfort me, and I had no doubt Dagger wouldn’t make the first move. He might want me, but he was trying to be a decent guy. I’d have never thought someone like him would care, and while he’d made it clear we would have a regular marriage, he wasn’t pushing for that to happen right now.

  He’d given me something I hadn’t had in a while. Hope. Even more than that, he’d opened his home to me, made sure I had everything I needed, and claimed Luis as his own. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he’d shown me more kindness than anyone had since I’d discovered I was pregnant with Luis. My parents had disowned me for shaming them, even though I’d had no choice in the matter. For them, I was pregnant and unwed. It made me a sinner in their eyes.

  Being with Dagger wasn’t the same. We were married, sort of. The handcuffs hanging on the bed gave me a few reservations about being intimate with him, but I didn’t think he’d ever hurt me. Not on purpose. The moment he’d shackled me to his bed, he could have done whatever he wanted. He hadn’t. Instead, he’d released me. Then he’d shared a part of himself that he claimed no one else knew. A bad man didn’t do things like that. It didn’t matter what he’d done in the past, or what he planned to do to get my son back. No one could ever convince me Dagger was anything other than honorable.

  Which meant if I wanted things to progress between us, I’d have to let him know that’s what I wanted. Somehow. I’d never tried to seduce a man before, or flirted with one. I didn’t know the first thing about any of that. For years, I’d done my best to be as unnoticeable as possible. He’d made it clear he found me attractive. I knew that wasn’t enough to make a marriage last, not a happy one. Neither was sex. I could only hope somewhere along the way, we’d find a middle ground and a way to genuinely enjoy being with one another.

  “Santiago.” He shifted and met my gaze. “Would you kiss me? Like earlier? It was my first, and… I liked it.”

  He closed his eyes a moment, his body tightening, then he nodded. It was almost as if my request had caused him physical pain, but I didn’t understand how, unless he truly didn’t like kissing me. Dagger shifted so that he was leaning over me, his weight braced on his forearms. His gaze was intense as he studied me. If he was waiting for me to back out, it wasn’t going to happen. I wanted him to kiss me, and I thought it might be a way to break the tension I felt building between us.

  Slowly, he lowered his head until his lips brushed against mine. It was whisper soft, and not quite what I’d had in mind. I didn’t know how to ask for what I wanted. I reached up, placed my hand on the back of his neck, in case he decided to pull away. Parting my lips, I hoped to encourage him to kiss me the way he wanted. He’d said before what he’d given me wasn’t a real kiss.

  “Kiss me, Santiago. A real one.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said. “My control isn’t the best right now, princesa.”

  I held his gaze. “Then lose control. I’m your wife, aren’t I? I won’t break. If you do anything that scares me, or is too much for me to handle, I’ll tell you. I trust you, Santiago. I know you won’t hurt me. You’ve had ample opportunity, but all you’ve done is treat me with kindness.”

  It was as if my words released whatever had been holding him back. Heat entered his gaze, along with a darkness that should have terrified me. My heart thrummed in my chest and I braced myself as he claimed my mouth. Or maybe devoured was a better word. My nipples hardened and I felt my panties dampen. No one had ever made me feel the way Dagger did. Not once had I ever desired someone, not really. I might have held some infatuations when I was younger, but this was so much more.

  When he pulled away, I tried to follow, not wanting the kiss to end. Was he finished already? No, the way he looked at me said he was far from done. His gaze skimmed over me only to return to my face a moment later.

  “I need to know exactly what you’re asking for, corazoncito. It’s just us in this room. You don’t have to be shy. Tell me plainly what it is you want from me right now.”

  I licked my lips and tried to find the courage to put my desire into words. “I want you to be my first for other things too. I want you to… I want…”

  Why was it so hard to ask him to have sex with me? Plenty of women threw themselves at men around here. I’d seen them do it when I’d crept up to the clubhouse. I didn’t know why it was so difficult
for me to do that with Dagger.

  “You want me to fuck you, princesa? Want my cock inside you?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I want that. Want you, Santiago.”

  He still hesitated. “All of me? Because what I want, corazoncito, is to strip you bare, cuff you to my bed, and do whatever I want. I’ll make you scream in pleasure, push you, make you take more than you think you can. I don’t know if you’re ready yet.”

  “You won’t hurt me,” I said.

  “No, I would never hurt you, not in the sense you mean. Sometimes a little pain can enhance your pleasure.”

  “I don’t know that I’d like pain, not even if it’s supposed to feel good, but I want to try. I want to be a real wife to you, Santiago. I’m worried I’ll disappoint you.”

  He kissed me again, slower, deeper. “You could never disappoint me, corazoncito.”

  I let him undress me, even though it felt like my heart was racing so hard it might explode. My cheeks burned as he stripped me, and I tried to cover myself. He gripped my hands and tugged them away, leaving me exposed. Dagger pulled my arms up over my head and I felt the cool metal of the handcuffs as he clicked them into place. He shifted and got off the bed. He removed his shirt, then took off the rest of his clothing. The moment I saw how large he was I started to have second thoughts.

  He smirked. “It will fit.”

  I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t have the experience he did. I’d keep trusting him, unless he gave me a reason not to. It was hard not to curl up and try to hide. I’d never let anyone look at me like this. Dagger reached down and started stroking his cock as he eyed me. A little thrill went through me and I shifted on the bed. Before, if a man looked at me like that, I’d felt ashamed. With Dagger it was different.

  Every inch of him was hard. His broad shoulders looked strong and capable. The muscles in his chest flexed as he tugged on his cock. If a man could ever be described as beautiful, it would be Dagger. The ink on his body gave him a sexy, dangerous vibe. Except I knew he really was dangerous. I’d seen enough guns and knives since coming to the Devil’s Fury to know these men didn’t abide by the laws.