Lawless (Defenders MC Book 2) (4 page)

Six

Law stood in the girly assed apartment and glowered at Lizzie.

“Get your shit Lizzie.  I ain’t playin’.  Shad said five minutes.”

“Kiss my ass Law.  This is my whole life here.  I can’t pack it up in five minutes.  You could have called and let me know, its not like you didn’t have to drive five hours to get here.”

Law plucked her phone out of her hands before she could send the text she was typing.

“I need my damned phone back.  I can’t just disappear Law.  I have a life here.  I have a boyfriend and I can’t just skip my shift at the hospital.  Unlike you, I help people and I will be missed if I just up and disappear!”

Law dropped the phone and stomped it until it shattered under his heavy boot.

Lizzie started spouting cursed that would make a sailor blush and Law admitted he was impressed with her creativity.

Law stepped forward.  “Your fucking phone is bugged and yeah, I get the general idea, you think I’m a fucking waste of air.  Now shut the fuck up and get your shit.”

Shad stepped into the room.  “Lizzie, what’s the fucking problem?  We got no time to pack sentimental bullshit. Grab your shit and get out of here before you get somebody killed.”

Lizzie stepped back and paled.  Law saw the way Shad’s jaw hardened and knew that it pissed the other man off.  Shad was a scary man, but he hated that his own family feared him.  Lizzie scurried to her room and grabbed her suitcase.  She flung clothes inside as if the house was on fire.  Then she grabbed a box from her closet and handed it to Law.

“I’m ready.”

“Fucking crazy assed women.  Why the hell couldn’t you have done that for me?  Argued over shit.”  Law grumbled as he strapped her bag to one of the bikes and her box on another.

“Where do I ride?”

Lizzie looked like she would rather walk than ride with him, but the other option was Shad since her stuff would ride with Moose and Ink.  Nobody rode with Spec ‘cause he was a careless fuck who would get you killed.  Preach had made it clear she was not to be on the bike with Spec.

“Take your pick Sis.”  Shad said with his flat voice.

Law wanted to laugh and then he did when she just stood there looking between them.

“Shit.”  Lizzie climbed on the bike with her brother.  He might scare her to death, but she did love him, she hated Law and the feeling was mutual.  Lizzie was a spoiled bitch and Law didn’t know how she could have been raised by Mrs. and Preach.  He’d as soon cut her throat as speak to her, but his duty was to Preach and he’d agreed to protect her.

“Why didn’t you bring Rider?”  Lizzie asked over the roar of the bikes.

“Cause he’s fucking some bitch and didn’t want to bother with you.”  Shadow said matter-of-factly and Law wanted to laugh when Lizzie dropped her head.  Bitch was always drooling over Rider, most did, but Preach’s daughter should have more self-respect.

The brothers heard the sound of gunfire and knew the brothers that had been watching the road had run into trouble.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!”  Shad ordered and the men fell in line behind him as they rode hell for leather out of town and back toward the compound.  The ride would take over five hours even with them hauling ass.

Lizzie started bitching by the end of the first hour and then whining about leaving her boyfriend, which Preach had said was in the Devils’ pocket.  Stupid bitch didn’t have a clue what they had just saved her from.

Nikki pushed up in bed.  Lawless hadn’t returned with her food and she hadn’t seen him since that first morning.  Queen and a couple of the other girls had been taking care of her and some were nice, but some were coy and downright bitchy.  Nikki decided the best thing for her to do was get well enough to take care of herself and fast before she killed one of those bitches with her plastic spoon.

A man called Preacherman came to see her once and she hoped he didn’t visit again.  He was a mountain of a man with his salt and pepper hair cut short and tattoos all over his skin.  He had hard eyes and an unforgiving face that scared the shit out of Nikki, but Queen wasn’t scared of him and his eyes softened when he looked at her.  So Nikki figured it was just her he mistrusted and with good reason.

She leaned against the headboard.   She would never get out of this alive and she knew it.  What would be the best thing to do though?  She could tell that the men in the Defenders weren’t like the Devils, but could she willingly give up her stepbrother to these men who would just kill her too.  Although how could she not, when she knew she would be given to the Devils and likely killed anyway.

She knew what she had to do, but she didn’t know how.  She would wait until Lawless came back and she would tell him what her brother had planned.  There was no escaping the wrath that would fall on her, but she had to.  She looked up when her door opened.

Queen walked in holding a tray and trailed by the cutest little girl she had ever seen.  She looked up and Nikki knew in an instant that she was the daughter of the man they called Shadow.  Her inky black hair and black eyes were just like his, but unlike the shadowy man hers glowed with happiness and laughter.

“Hi.  I’m Megan.  We brought you something to eat.”  The little girl frowned.  “Who hurt you like that?”

“My brother.”

She answered and just like that she had signed her death warrant.  She wanted to call the words back but it was too late and she saw it in Queen’s eyes.

“If my brother ever hit me I’d tell my daddy and he would spank his bottom good.”  Megan went on, unaware that the temperature in the room had dropped.

“Well, since you are the one most likely to hit him, we will see who gets their bottom spanked.”  Queen stated with a smile as she sat the tray on the bedside table before lovingly running her fingers over her daughter’s hair. 

“I think I should get up today.  I’m feeling much better and Lawless said he wanted me to start taking care of his house, so I should probably start that too.”

Queen narrowed her eyes slightly.  “I think you are better off right here until he gets back.”

“When will that be?”

“I can’t tell you that.  If Law wants you at his place he will come get you and take you there.”

Nikki knew that Queen would be on the phone the minute she left the room, relaying the new information and Nikki prayed she could somehow escape or at least talk to Lawless before they found out who she was.

“Who is your brother Nikki?  Law will want to know.”

Nikki shook her head.  “I can’t tell you that.”

Queen paled slightly.  “Come on Megan, we need to let Nikki eat her dinner and rest.”

“Ok Mommy, I hope you feel better Nikki.”

The door closed and Nikki shuttered.  She reached for the tray and ate what she expected to be her last meal.

Seven

Queen met them when they pulled up to Preach’s house.  Mike sat on the porch as he always did since he was the man Queen preferred to guard her while Shad was away.  Instead of running to Shad though, she ran to Law.

“Something is up with Nikki Law.  She said it was her brother that did that to her and I know I have met her before.  I think she’s in trouble and I think she is trouble.  You need to get her away from here.”

Law rubbed his head.  He was tired and didn’t want to hear this shit tonight.  “I’ll figure it out Queenie.”  That seemed to appease her because she then ran to a frowning Shad.

“Don’t ever walk by me like that again Lace.  You hear me?”  Law heard the man say in his flat voice that made grown men shiver.

“Yes, yes.  I…”  Shad cut her off with his lips.

Law waited until Lizzie was inside before he rode for the clubhouse.  He knew he should question Nikki, but he just wanted to fuck her and sleep, but he wanted to do it in his own place.

He walked into the clubhouse and felt eyes on him, but he didn’t give a shit about any of them.  He went straight to his room to find Nikki curled up in his bed, right where he’d left her three days ago.  He walked to the bed and felt a smile curl his lips as he listened to her snuffled snores.  That enraged him.  He flung back the blankets and glowered at her when she sputtered awake.

“You don’t get to wear clothes in my bed.”  He spat as he started removing his own.

Nikki stared up at him as if he’d grown two heads.

“Did you go deaf while I was gone?”

She shook her head and blinked those big green eyes at him in confusion.

“Get naked or get lost.  I think I was pretty clear what you are here for.”

She nodded quickly and slowly pulled off the shirt she wore.  Law saw the fear in her eyes and the wince of pain as her movements tugged at her still healing injuries.  Law felt a pang of regret which only fueled his rage.  He fell on her with no heed to her needs or her feelings, but she stayed quiet and he told himself she didn’t mind it, but when she refused to let him hold her, even in her sleep, he admitted it to himself and he regretted it.

Nikki woke as the sun rose to fill the room with light.  Law sat in a chair near the door and watched her.  She smiled at him before she remembered the night before and let it slip from her face.  She figured he was just waiting for another round.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning Nikki.  We need to talk.”

He looked like he didn’t like the fact and Nikki felt panic begin to claw at her insides.  She just sat and waited for her sentence.

“Queen said your brother did that and we will get to that, but that’s not what I want to say right now.”  He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his short hair.  When his blue eyes looked back at her she felt as if she were under a microscope and wanted to squirm.

“Did I hurt you last night?”

His question shocked her and she knew her face showed it.  “No.”

He nodded thoughtfully.  “I think you are full of shit and I don’t like lies.”

Nikki nodded.  “Ok, then yes, you hurt me.”  It actually felt good to admit it and see the flicker if regret in his eyes.

Law nodded.  “I don’t want to hurt you.”  He breathed in again as if the words were painful.  “You can tell me if I do and I’ll stop.  Last night won’t happen again.”

Nikki was shocked out of her mind and it must have shown because he wasn’t happy when he stood and stalked to the bed.

“I’m not a fucking animal Nikki.”

She found her voice then.  “I know.”  She said quietly.

“Fuck!  Ok look. You will live in my house and be my live in fuck and anything else I need until I get tired of seeing your face, but I won’t hurt you intentionally or unless you deserve it.  I don’t know how to be tender and I’m far from kind, but I will try not to be the monster everyone thinks I am.”

That sounded a little more like it.  Nikki nodded.  “When would you like me to get started?”

Law frowned and Nikki felt like she had said the wrong thing, but he didn’t dwell on it.  “Now.  Get dressed.”

“In what?”

He nodded to a stack of clothes on the dresser and raised his brows.  Nikki knew her face was red and it was stupid to be embarrassed now, but she was, somehow this seemed different and it was all she could do to stand and walk naked to the bathroom.  She knew she was far from sexy, she was still covered in bruises, but Law always made her feel things she wasn’t sure how to describe…

Eight

Nikki had been at Law’s house for ten days.  She had been shocked to find it neat and mostly clean.  It was definitely a man’s house, but she had expected a wreck.  Instead she had been surprised by the little wooden cottage.  The furnishings were masculine and matched Law.  Nothing frilly here.  The kitchen was large, but almost sterile.  This was just a house.  There was nothing sentimental here and it couldn’t be confused with a home.  For some reason it made Law seem almost sad and Nikki admitted that she would like to change that.  He had admitted that he didn’t use the house that often and had only bought it because Preach offered it to him.  Mrs. had furnished it and Law used it when he needed to be alone.

Some of the women had come around to check her out and she figured it was mostly out of curiosity.  She met Angel and her sister Lizzie and admitted she found them too different to believe they were sisters at all.  Bambi and Lacey came by a couple times and after the first full week the women got together and decided she needed a day out.

“I really shouldn’t.  Law said I’m not really allowed to associate with you guys.  He was pretty pissed the last time you guys came over…”

Lacey frowned.  “Law is a dick.”  The other women erupted in laughter.  “Well it’s not like we can really go anywhere anyway.  Let’s just hang out here today.  “Mrs. has the kids and I can get one of the prospects to bring us some booze and food.”  Lacey wiggled her brows.

“Hell yes!”  Angel whooped and pulled out her phone.

“Well, I guess that’s that.”  Nikki was excited to have a day with the women after being alone for so long.

For the most part Law had left her alone other than at night when he ravished her until she fell into an exhausted sleep, but it was different.  He didn’t just take her, he had begun touching, not much and not as much as other men, but it was a difference and Nikki hung onto the simple evidence that the man wasn’t actually made of stone.

“Oh my God!  Look at her face!”  Nikki jumped when Bambi punched her arm playfully.  “Shit!  She has that dreamy look that we all know too well.”

“What are you laughing about Bambi?  You still get that look when Moose walks in the room.  Makes me sick.”  Angel made a gagging noise and the others laughed as Bambi blushed prettily.  The woman was beautiful enough to be on TV.  Her auburn hair was long and shiny and her big brown eyes looked as innocent as the woodland creature she was named for.

“At least I don’t have his name tattooed on my…”  Bambi made a motion toward Angel’s crotch.

“Shut up, you bitch!  You weren’t supposed to tell that!”  Angel looked embarrassed.

The other women started talking at once and the room took on a happy atmosphere that Nikki felt comfortable in.

It wasn’t long until Moose and Ink stepped in carrying the requested items and the women all cracked up when Bambi did in fact get all starry eyed when her mountainous husband walked in the room.

The men just shook their heads.  “Law ain’t gonna like this.”  Moose announced in his booming voice that somehow still sounded tender.

“It’s his own fault.”  Lacey said as she pulled the items from the bags and began making margaritas.  “He said she couldn’t associate with us, so we had to come associate with her instead.”

Ink rolled his eyes at the logic of women.

“That won’t work on Law Queen and you will just end up getting Nikki in trouble.”

“Oh please, he’s not that bad.  If she is going to stay, she has to figure that out and put him in his place, I’m helping.”

Moose raised his brows.

“Be careful Lace.  If he hurts her you will never get over it.”

Nikki felt a shiver run down her spine.  She trusted these women, but the men knew more about Law than the women and they seemed to think she was in danger.  She dropped her head.

“Shit.  I’m sorry Nikki…I didn’t mean to scare you.  It is what it is.  Don’t let them make you think it’s more than that.  It’s not.  Not with Law.”

“I know.”  The mood grew somber and no one spoke for several seconds.

“Would you two leave?  You’re spoiling our fun!”  Lizzieie finally announced in an exasperated voice that showed her aggravation.  “We know Law will never settle down, but she is the first woman he has shown any interest in and we are curious.”

“Yeah, just wanted to see my girl anyway.”  Moose grinned and the women laughed again when Bambi beamed.

“Shut up you bunch of bitches!  If you knew what I know….”  Bambi said as Moose cut her off with a hungry kiss.

The men left and the women proceeded to get drunk and forget their worries for the afternoon.

“Ok, I get Bambi’s name and Angel and Lizzie are actually your real names…What’s with Queen?”  Nikki asked after she took a long drink of her margarita.

The women laughed and related the story of a pregnant Lacey confronting Shadow in the clubhouse and declaring herself the “Queen of Fucking Everything,” they said together.

“That was after she kneed my dear brother in the nuts.”  Angel said still laughing.

Nikki was stunned.  Lacey had stood toe to toe with Shadow and he hadn't killed her.  In fact, he loved her.  She pushed the hope that bloomed in her chest down, but it was still there.  What would it be like to be loved by one of these hard men?  These women seemed happy and they didn’t cower to their men either.

“Oh hell, there it is again.”  Lizzie rolled her eyes.  “Nikki you have to be totally nuts to even think of wanting a man like Law.”

Nikki blushed and the women laughed again.

The women were just finishing their third pitcher of margaritas when the front door slammed.  They all jumped and looked at each other with wide eyes before dissolving in laughter, all except Nikki.

“What the hell is going on in my goddamned house?”  Law raged as he stalked into the kitchen.

“Law!”  Queen laughed and apparently forgot whatever else she had planned to say.

“Queenie… did I invite you and your gaggle to my house and I somehow forgot or are you trespassing?”  He glowered down at the woman who only smiled up at him.  “I shoot trespassers.”

“I’m totally trespassing.”  She leaned back and fixed Law with a glare.  “It’s your own fault too.”

“How the fuck do you figure that?”  Law asked as Shadow, Moose, and Ink stepped into the kitchen.

“Well,” Lacey stood and staggered over to Shadow where she was engulfed in his arms.  “We were going to take Nikki out, but we can’t really go anywhere, so we figured we could hang out at one of our houses, because you are so anal about yours, but she wouldn’t go ‘cause you said she isn’t allowed to be around us for some bullshit reason…”  Shadow covered her mouth when Law frowned and cut his eyes to Nikki who even after too many drinks knew she was in trouble.

“That’s right Queenie, she don’t get to mix with you because she’s just my whore.  Old ladies are better quality.  You should know that by now.”

Shadow cursed when Lacey bit him.  “Why you sorry son of a…”  Shadow covered her mouth again and this time he lifted her and carried her away still spitting muffled curses.

“Say goodbye Lace.”  Shadow said and used her hand to wave which earned him a smack to the arm.

Nikki caught the head shake Ink sent Angel and the frown Moose sent Bambi.  These men were in control of their women, maybe she had been wrong.

“Time to go ladies.”  Law pointed to the door.

“Well, none of you can tell me shit so I will say what you are all too afraid to,” Lizzie stood up on unsteady legs and pointed her finger in the direction of the cluster of Laws she was probably seeing.  “You are a son of a bitch and I for one hope that Nikki can get the hell away from you and find a real man to make her happy before…”  Lizzie slid to the floor in a drunken heap.

“Fuck.”  Ink rolled his eyes and pulled Lizzie’s body into his arms.  “She fucking pukes on me and I’m beating your ass.”  He pointed at Angel who nodded even as she suppressed a giggle.

All too soon Nikki was left alone with a very angry Lawless.

“Not one fucking word from you.  Not.  One.  Get your ass upstairs and get naked and don’t expect shit tonight.  You need to remember your place.”

Nikki snorted and rolled her eyes, but she did go and she didn’t say a word, out loud.