Cyclops (Reckless Kings MC 5): Dixie Reapers Bad Boy Romance Page 6

  Chapter Four

  Leigha

  Shame filled me after I told my dad and uncles what happened. Savior might not be blood, but he was family just the same. I couldn’t even look my dad in the eye. Cyclops had held me the entire time, and only released me long enough to answer the door when the pizzas arrived. Everyone had a slice, including me, but I’d lost my appetite. I nibbled mine and hoped no one noticed.

  “What do you know about this asshole?” Dad asked.

  “Local lowlife,” Cyclops answered. “Deals drugs for someone higher up. His boss also pimps out girls.”

  “You mean women,” I mumbled.

  “No, kitten, I don’t. We’ve tried putting him out of business multiple times. The rat runs off for several months, then comes back with a new stable. Almost had him last time. Beast planned to put him in the ground. Fucker escaped at the last second.”

  I swallowed hard. “Girls. He’s dealing in children?”

  “Found out last week he was back in town,” Beast said. “I’ve had Shield gathering intel on him. Trying to find any patterns to his routine, or where he’s hiding the girls.”

  “I want in on this,” Dad said.

  “Us too,” said Uncle Saint.

  “Why did you let him live?” I asked. “You had him. Instead of leaving him knocked out in the alley, you could have killed him.”

  Cyclops ran his hand up and down my thigh. “Didn’t know who you were at the time. He had attacked you. If I’d gutted him like I wanted, it could have scared you more. If I’d realized I was dealing with a Reaper’s daughter, I wouldn’t have hesitated. Still wouldn’t have taken down the big guy, but it would have put a small chink in his armor.”

  “So what happens now?” I asked. “Or is it club business and I need to leave the room?”

  Beast and Cyclops shared a look. The President of the Reckless Kings turned his gaze to me, and I fought the urge to squirm. I knew Lyssa was head over heels for him, but the guy was a little scary to me.

  “I’ll call Church tomorrow and we can come up with a plan then. For now, I think it’s best for you to visit with your family.” Beast looked away and the tension drained from me. He gave me a wink when no one else was looking. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “I’ll walk you out, Pres,” Cyclops said as he stood. The two men went to the front door, leaving me alone with my dad and uncles.

  “Were you ever going to tell us?” Uncle Saint asked.

  “No.” I bit my bottom lip. “I know all of you worry, especially Dad. I thought if he knew what happened, he’d never let me stay here. And things would be worse at home for Lara. I had to leave home when no one was around. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be my age and never have gone on a date? And you’re doing the same thing to Lara.”

  My dad ran his hands up and down his face and sighed heavily. “I know. I’m sorry, Leigha. I never intended to make you feel caged. I only wanted you to be safe. If you’d dated someone from inside the club…”

  I held up a hand. “Is that why Foster kept coming on so strong? Did you put him up to it?”

  Dad growled and his eyes narrowed. “What? That fucker has been sniffing around you?”

  “Only since I was fifteen,” I muttered. “Don’t worry. Uncle Bull handled it.”

  “What do you suggest I do with Lara?” Dad asked. “What do you wish I’d done differently with you?”

  “Allowed me a little freedom? I couldn’t date because someone from the club scared off all the guys. At the very least, arrange a date for her with someone you trust. She doesn’t have to know you set it up. Let her live a little, Dad.”

  “Or we could just arrange for her to be claimed by someone,” Uncle Saint said.

  I noticed Savior frowning and wondered about his thoughts on the matter. He glanced at my dad and Uncle Saint before training his gaze on me. His expression blanked when he realized I was watching him. I knew Savior was in his early fifties now. To my knowledge, he’d never seriously dated anyone, and hadn’t once asked to claim a woman. I found it sad. He had so much to offer.

  And that’s when an idea formed. One I hoped would work in both my sister’s favor and in Savior’s. Assuming he agreed to it.

  “There’s someone Lara has a crush on.” Every man in the room turned toward me, giving me their undivided attention. Even Cyclops had returned. “You know him.”

  “Who?” Dad asked.

  “Griffin. Gwen and Lance’s oldest,” I said.

  “No.” Dad shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

  “He’s a good guy,” I argued. “Besides, you didn’t hear the rest of my idea. You can set it up. A coffee date at the new café.”

  “How is that beneficial? We don’t own anyone there,” Uncle Saint said.

  “Because the new barista has been eyeing Uncle Savior. He can just happen to be there, enjoying some coffee, maybe flirting a little, so it doesn’t seem like he’s there to spy, but he can keep an eye on Lara and Griffin.”

  Savior stared at me in disbelief. “The barista who looks like she’s closer to your age than mine?”

  “She’s actually older than me. She’s almost thirty. And she has a kid,” I said.

  Savior leaned back in his seat. “Son or daughter?”

  “A daughter. One who could really use a hero.” I watched him and got a nod. “The daughter is ten and has been having trouble at school. Mostly from kids teasing her because they live on the poor side of town, and she doesn’t have a dad.”

  Savior frowned, as did my dad and Uncle Saint. I knew none of them would like hearing that little tidbit. I wondered what it would take to pair up all the single Dixie Reapers with moms who had kids in desperate need of a father figure in their lives. To my knowledge, no one had ever tried before.

  “Fine. I’ll chat up the barista and see where things go.” Savior ran a hand over his hair. “What makes you think she’ll agree to a date with me? If she’s under thirty, I’m old enough to be her dad.”

  “Because I’ve seen her watching you. Trust me. You make the first move, and the rest will fall into place,” I said.

  “You finished matchmaking?” my dad asked, a smile on his lips.

  “Yeah. For now.”

  He shook his head. “Girl, focus all that attention on the Reckless Kings. This is your home now. Don’t get me wrong. You’re welcome to visit anytime you want. We’ll always be your family, but with Cyclops claiming you, your loyalty now lies with him and his club.”

  We finished the pizzas and watched a movie. Cyclops got along well with my family, now that my dad wasn’t trying to kill him. In fact, the two were acting like old friends. I watched the men in my life, happy they got along. Even Saint and Savior seemed at ease.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I checked it. I almost didn’t read the message from Lyssa. I wasn’t sure if Beast had told her what happened to me or not. Plus, she’d acted like none of the Reckless Kings would want anything to do with me. Clearly that wasn’t true, and it left me wondering if she didn’t want me to live here. She hadn’t been upset over Danica or Hayley moving here. Not that I knew of.

  I relented and read the message.

  Want to hang out with the old ladies during Church tomorrow?

  It seemed Beast had already told her the plan. While I knew Hayley, Lyssa, and Danica, I hadn’t met Forge’s woman.

  I’d like that.

  I put my phone back in my pocket and enjoyed the rest of my visit with my family. Soon enough, they left for the guest house, leaving me alone with Cyclops. My first night at my new home. Even though he’d already taken my virginity, I felt unsettled knowing we’d share a bed tonight.

  Cyclops locked the house and held out his hand. “Come on, kitten. You’ve had a long day.”

  “Does that mean no sex?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Not tonight. I think you need to sleep more than anything.”

  “What if I hog the covers? Or kick you out of the bed?” I asked.

  “Guess I’ll have to hold you close, so neither of those happens. Nervous?”

  I nodded. “Is that silly?”

  “No, it’s not. You’ve never lived with anyone but your family. All this is brand new to you. Let’s get ready for bed, then we’ll cuddle for a bit. If you start feeling anxious, let me know and we’ll talk about it.”

  I leaned up to kiss him. “You’re so sweet and understanding. How did I ever get lucky enough to find a guy like you?”

  “Think I’m the lucky one, kitten.”

  He led me to the bedroom, and as promised, all he did was hold me while I fell asleep. I knew the Dixie Reapers were different from other men. It never occurred to me I’d find someone just as wonderful so far from home. Coming to see Lyssa was the best decision I’d ever made. Even if I’d known that man would attack me, if it would have ended with Cyclops claiming me, I’d go through it all over again. Although, I’d hopefully be more prepared and hold my own a bit better.

  I hadn’t thought I’d ever go on a date, much less have a boyfriend. And now I had a biker of my very own.

  * * *

  Cyclops

  My brothers stared at me as I stood at the front of the table by Beast. To say I’d shocked them was an understatement.

  “You’re claiming Preacher’s daughter?” Brick asked. “And he’s okay with it?”

  “He wasn’t at first.”

  A knock sounded at the doors, and I knew it was the Dixie Reapers. I’d hoped to have this part of Church over with before they arrived. Looked like I wouldn’t get my wish. Beast called out for them to enter, and Preacher, Saint, and Savior walked in, letting the doors close behind them.

  “Cyclops was just asking for our vote to claim your girl, Preacher,” Brick sai
d.

  What the fuck? Was the asshole trying to stir shit up? I glared at him and the bastard just grinned. “You’re a shithead.”

  Brick flipped me off but kept smiling.

  “He has my blessing,” Preacher said. “He already saved her from being raped and possibly killed. She seems to like him, so I won’t stand in the way. If they want to be together, I’m all right with it.”

  “Raped?” Brick’s gaze narrowed. “What the fuck is going on?”

  Beast filled them in on what happened with Leigha, and how I’d left the bastard alive since I hadn’t realized who she was. I still wanted to kick my own ass over that one. But like I’d said last night, taking out the man who’d hurt her wouldn’t stop the prostitution of underage girls. We needed to go higher up for that.

  “You mean to tell me that shit Matteo is back in town?” Brick asked.

  “Why are we just now hearing about it?” Forge frowned. “Some of us have families here. You can’t keep that shit a secret, Pres. It’s not right.”

  “I wanted more information before I let everyone in on it. Cyclops knew, as well as Shield and Hawk. Forge, I know you’re the Sergeant-at-Arms, but with a pregnant wife and a son under your roof, I had a feeling you’d swing first and ask questions later.” Beast sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. All of you. Now everyone knows and we can work on taking out those assholes before more girls are hurt. This time, we don’t let him leave this town alive. If he escapes, we track him down and bury him.”

  “Can we vote on Leigha being mine?” I asked, trying to draw their attention back to the first topic of conversation.

  “Everyone who votes for Leigha to be Cyclops’ old lady, raise your hand,” Beast said. Every hand at the table went up, and so did the hands of the Dixie Reapers. The Pres slammed his fist onto the table. “It’s unanimous. Congratulations, Cyclops. You have an old lady. I’ll put in the request for her property cut.”

  “She the reason you aren’t wearing the eye patch?” Wrangler asked. “Not that I think you need it. Just curious.”

  “Leigha got pissed I was wearing it when my eye isn’t missing. Something about people accepting me as I am.” I shrugged a shoulder. “If it freaks everyone out, I can wear it again.”

  “You won’t,” Preacher said from behind me. “If you do, it will hurt Leigha. Or worse, she’ll go after the person who made you feel it was necessary. Then you’ll have a bigger issue on your hands.”

  “She’s feisty?” Wrangler asked. “I like her already.”

  “She fought back against the guy trying to rape her. Gave him hell before I got there.” I still hated she’d been in that position. If we’d taken out Matteo and his crew, it would have never happened. Then again, if I hadn’t heard her struggling, there was a chance we wouldn’t have ended up together.

  “I’m going to need some volunteers to keep an eye on Matteo and his men. Shield, see what you can find on his current operation. We need as many details as we can get,” Beast said.

  “I know Wire would be happy to lend a hand,” Preacher said. “Especially if you’re going to deal with the man who hurt Leigha.”

  Beast nodded. “Appreciate it. Shield, reach out to Wire and Lavender. We’ll take all the help we can get. Forge, I’ll need your help to assess any intel so we can come up with a strategy for taking these fuckers down. Permanently. I don’t want Matteo on the run and showing his ugly-ass face back in our town at a later date. The fucker is going down. All of them are.”

  “And the girls?” Forge asked. “You know they’ll never be the same. Hell, some may never recover at all.”

  “I’ll call Charming. They’ve dealt with human trafficking lately where kids were involved. They may have some people in place who could get those kids the help they need, either get them home to their families, or find new ones for them.” Beast looked around the room. “Everyone will receive an assignment in the upcoming days.”

  “Put us to work,” Saint said. “We want a part in this. Leigha might be Cyclops’ now, but she’s our family.”

  Beast nodded. “I’ll take whatever help you want to give. And if more of your brothers, or men from other clubs, want to give us some assistance, we’ll figure out where to put everyone. I might want these men buried, but I don’t want to risk our families to do it. We need to make sure the women and children are protected at all times.”

  “When do we get to meet Leigha?” Brick asked. “As Cyclops’ official old lady. I know some of us have met her before, but this is different.”

  “We’ll have a formal meet and greet when this is behind us,” Beast said. “Cyclops, spend time with her until we have a concrete plan in place. I know the two of you need a chance to bond. Take it before all hell breaks loose.”

  “Thanks, Pres.” I’d promised Leigha some dates. I’d have to figure out how to do that safely. If we went into town, I’d have to take some brothers with me. No way I’d put her in danger. Which mean getting creative around the compound.

  “Church is dismissed,” Beast said. “Everyone grab a beer. We’ll get to work in an hour. You need to fuck? Find a club whore. Need a drink, you know where the bar is. Anything else, you’re on your own.”

  “Thanks, Pres, but I think I’d rather fuck my woman,” Hawk said. “Hayley would have issue with me being balls-deep in a club whore, and honestly, they aren’t appealing these days.”

  Beast snorted. “You know damn well what I meant. I wasn’t about to tell Forge to go fuck his woman when her dad is sitting right here with us, same for Cyclops.”

  Preacher narrowed his gaze at me. He might have given his blessing, but I didn’t know a dad out there who wanted to think about his daughter getting fucked. They knew it happened, especially when the grandbabies came along. They just didn’t want to consider it wasn’t a stork that dropped the kids off. And I knew I’d be the same whenever I had a daughter.

  If I had one.

  It was possible we could have only sons. Although, part of me wanted a little girl who looked just like her mom. Then I’d gut every fucker who looked at her too long.

  We all filed out of Church. I headed for the clubhouse doors when Beast stopped me.

  “Might as well have a drink. Your woman is with the old ladies. I doubt they’re finished having their fun. Everyone went to my house, so you can follow me home in a bit.”

  I eyed the door, wanting to go straight to Leigha, but I understood why he wanted me to stay. It was important for her to feel like she was part of the Reckless Kings. Since Lyssa had made it sound like none of us would want Leigha, I knew they needed this time together. For one, I hoped my woman found out why Lyssa had lied to her. As beautiful as Leigha was, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell one of us wouldn’t have gladly claimed her. Hell, even if I’d met her here at the compound, I’d have still wanted her. Might have moved slower, though.

  “I promised Leigha I’d take her on some dates,” I said as I got a beer and took the seat next to Beast. “She didn’t get to date back home. Not sure how I’m doing that until all this is settled, but I want to keep my word. Told her we’d go on at least one date a week.”

  “That a forever kind of thing?” Beast asked.

  “Yeah. I think it will be good for us. I’ve heard of couples having a date night, but I never really understood it. Until my coffee date with Leigha. I want more dates like that one.”

  Preacher came up beside me. “Don’t overthink it. Leigha doesn’t need or want fancy.”

  “I’m not sure we know each other well enough for me to adequately plan a date around the compound. We haven’t even known each other a full day.”

  “Leigha likes movies and books. She likes simple things like fried chicken and biscuits. Or taking a walk in the moonlight.” Preacher looked at me. “None of those things require you to leave the compound if that’s your fear.”

  “Cats,” I mumbled.

  “What?” His brow furrowed. “Cats?”

  I nodded. “There was a calico at the café inside the bookstore. It’s where we had our date today. She loved that cat, said she’d always wanted one.”

  Beast held up a finger and pulled out his phone, making a call. He put it on speaker and I saw Doolittle’s name on the screen.

  “Hello,” the man said as he answered. I heard what sounded like a small zoo in the background.