Safe In His Arms (Motorcycle Club Romance, New Adult Romance): Devil's Riders (Hot Blooded Heroes) (5 page)

             
But she was about to bolt again. He could see it a split second before she pulled away.

             
"Sally-"

             
She had her keys out and was unlocking a series of what looked like four or five deadbolts. That was weird. She glanced over her shoulder at him, barely making eye contact.

             
"I have to go- I... Good night Donnie."

             
Then she was inside. Gone, just like that. He stood aside her house, breathing heavily. The lights came on inside and he snapped out of it, pushing away and walking away from her house. Then he was trotting, then running.

             
He needed to get his bike and ride home.

             
He needed a God Damn cold shower.

**********

              Sally leaned against the door and put her hand over her mouth. She could still feel him there. Oh god- she could still feel him
everywhere.
She was hot and cold all over. She moaned, realizing how close she'd come to letting him into her bed.

             
No, not letting. She'd been on the verge of
dragging
him into her bed and making him stay there. What the hell was wrong with her? She felt like a teenager. Not that she'd ever experienced lust like this before.

             
That's all it was. Lust.

             
She turned and slowly started throwing the locks. Her baseball bat was leaning in it's regular spot by the front door. The mace was hidden under her couch cushion. There were brass knuckles in the kitchen drawer. Basically, she had weapons stashed all over the damn house. She shook her head. She didn't need them anymore. 

             
Carl wasn't going to find her. It had been a year. The trail must be cold by now. Maybe he'd given up. Maybe it would be safe to let Donnie come inside next time.

             
She sank onto the couch and stared into space, the image of Donnie's face coming towards hers stuck in her mind's eye. He'd looked so sensual, so intent. She lay down on the couch and hugged one of the ratty old pillows to her chest.

             
Damn but that boy could kiss.

5

             
Sally was curled into a ball, trying to protect her face. Huge fists were flying toward her, beating her, hurting her. She was so scared. But she was also mad.

             
Leave me alone!

             
As soon as that thought came into her head, he seemed to sense it and redouble his efforts.

             
She took a hit to the side of her head, up against her ear. A ringing sound filled her head. Not her ears! She needed her ears! She felt herself sliding into unconsciousness but the hits kept coming. Her arms slid away from her face and she felt a hit land on her cheekbone.

             
Then darkness.

             
Sally woke up with a scream on her lips. She looked around her tiny house stupidly. She'd fallen asleep on the couch.

             
She got up slowly and did what she always did when she had the dream. She took the crowbar by her bed and walked through the house, checking every door and window. She looked under the bed, in the closets and into the basement.

             
And then she sat down with her guitar at the kitchen table and wrote a song. It was a pretty tune, full of heartbreak and hope. But it wasn't ever going to be a number one hit. She couldn't risk ever having anyone hear it at all. If she did that he would find her for sure. But it still soothed her to put her feelings into words and melody.

             
She was up the rest of the night, as usual. She cleaned the house and played her guitar a few more times. She even did her martial arts drills. Finally she gave in and made a pot of coffee in the old drip pot the landlord had left behind.

             
She could never sleep after one of those nightmares. No matter how many times she told herself it was a dream.

             
Just a dream.

             
But it wasn't really.

             
It was a memory.

**********

             
Donnie knew he looked ridiculous. A big guy on a bike with a huge bouquet of flowers tucked into the front of his jacket. He wiggled his nose as one of the flowers brushed his face.

             
God, he hoped nobody saw him.

             
Then again, he didn't really care. As long as he could get into Sally's house. Dear God, he wanted her to let him in. On more than one level. He wanted to get her into bed obviously. Desperately. The woman had some sort of magic spell on him so that all he could think about was touching her, kissing her, holding her… and more.

             
But he also wanted to get to know her better. And even more than anything, he wanted to know what was making her so fearful. He had an overwhelming desire to protect her. To tell her everything was going to be okay. That he'd protect her, if she'd let him.

             
He was good at that. Protecting women. He'd learned early, helping his mom look after his little sister, Marie. He'd had to protect them both. He hadn't always succeeded, but as he got older, it got easier.

             
The old man hadn't stood a chance against an angry fifteen year old Donnie.

             
Mean old bastard.

             
Donnie pushed the thought of his father aside and readjusted the flowers. He hoped she wouldn't mind him just showing up like this but it couldn't be helped. He didn't have her damn phone number!

             
But he'd get it today. Damn straight he would.

             
He pulled up in front of her house. He felt a bit nervous as he walked up to her front stoop and knocked. He heard pattering little footsteps and smiled. Then he heard a chain being unhooked. And another chain. And a couple of locks.

             
Damn, the place was like Fort Knox!

             
She peeked out from a sliver of the door. There was still some sort of chain on it. He smiled, even though the number of locks was throwing him. How had he not noticed that before?

             
"Hi Sally."

             
He grinned and held up the flowers.

             
"These are for you."

             
She just blinked at him like a tiny little owl. Probably figuring out that she had to open the door to accept the flowers. He felt a bit like a heel, knowing he was being pushy. But she was so damn elusive that he didn't really have a choice. If he wanted her, he was going to have to use every trick in the book.

             
And God Damn did he want her.

             
"Oh. Thank you."

             
She closed the door to unhook the chain and opened it up again, wider this time. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her. She was wearing a pink tank top and a pair of tight jeans. Her feet were bare and her cute little toes were painted a sparkly purple color.

             
Jesus, the woman was trying to kill him.

             
He handed her the flowers while trying to send her a message telepathically.

             
Let me in let me in let me in let me in…

             
"Would you like to come in?"

             
He grinned so wide he felt like his face would split in two. Every inch he got closer to her felt like a triumph. He stepped inside and watched as she locked the door again. He was staring at her door as her busy little hands clicked each lock into place.

             
She had eight locks.

             
He felt a cold weight settling in the pit of his stomach.

             
"I'll just put these in water…. is something wrong Donnie?"                            He tried to keep his face devoid of emotion. He was shocked at how angry he was at the thought of someone threatening a sweet little thing like Sally.
His
sweet little thing.

             
"Has someone been bothering you Sally?"

             
She blanched and took in a sharp little breath but didn't say anything. He was practically vibrating with the need to punch somebody's face in. Whoever it was that made her this afraid.

             
"Tell me and I'll take care of it."

             
"No- there's just been- a lot of break ins around here. I'm alone here so…"

             
She licked her lips nervously. She was lying. He knew it.

             
"I'll get a vase."

             
He followed her into the kitchen. It was faded yellow and white, run down but spotlessly clean. He saw a guitar leaning under the window by the table. The window had bars on it.

             
He looked back the way they had come. Bars on those windows too.

             
A can of mace on the counter top.

             
Fuck.

             
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

             
He nodded and she gestured to the kitchen table. He sat down. Five minutes ago he would have been negotiating to sit on the couch in the living room. Much easier to get horizontal on a couch.

             
But now… now he knew that something was very wrong here. Now he had other things on his mind.

             
"You play?"

             
She jerked her head around, staring at the guitar as if it was a ghost.

             
"Oh. Not really. I'm not very good."

             
He narrowed his eyes at her back. Now she was really lying to him.

             
"As good as you sing?"

             
She shrugged and went back to making the coffee. She turned around and smiled at him while it percolated.

             
"I've had five cups already. I should be bouncing off the walls."

             
"Late night?"

             
She shrugged again.

             
"I couldn't sleep."

             
He nodded. He hadn't slept much either. She looked pretty as a picture though.

             
A picture that was lying through her teeth.

             
He stood up and crossed the kitchen.

             
"Sally."

             
She looked alarmed as he took his jacket off and pulled his t shirt over his head.

             
"What are you doing Donnie?"

             
"Relax darlin' I just want to show you something."

             
She looked ready to run as he turned side ways and showed her the tattoo on his shoulder. He could tell the moment she saw it. It was the face of a pretty young girl. Underneath it said 'Marie.'

             
"She's beautiful."

             
He nodded gruffly, turning the other way.

             
"That's my sister. And this-"

             
He showed her his other tattoo. This was another woman, older but still lovely. Underneath it said 'Mom.'

             
"Is my mother."

             
"They'r beautiful Donnie. But I don't understand why-"

             
"Because."

             
He leaned toward her and put his arms on the counter, boxing her in.

             
"They are the reason my arms exist. To protect them. I couldn't do it at first. He was too big. But by the time I was fifteen I started fighting back. He never laid a hand on either of them again."

             
Her mouth opened. He could see tears forming in her eyes.

             
"I won't let anyone hurt you again Sally."

             
"How did you know?"

             
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then pushed off and went back to the table.

             
"Let's just say you remind me of her. My sister. She was always jumping at shadows."

             
"Oh. What happened?"

             
"To my dad? I finally beat him so bad that he took off, never to be seen from again. Marie though, she was too little. She took too many knocks in the head. Now she's… not the same."

             
He glanced up at her.

             
"Tell me who did this to you. Who hurt you bad enough to make you hide yourself away like this?"

             
She took a shuddering breath and turned away to pour their coffee. For a minute he thought she wasn't going to answer. When she did, the words came out broken, like they hurt coming out.

             
"My road manager. Carl. He ran my crew at first and then he was my fiancé."

             
"He hit you?"

             
She nodded, not looking at him.

             
"He did lots of things. Hitting was one of them."

             
Donnie saw black. Then red. Then black again. He forced himself to stay calm. He didn't want to scare her.

             
"Where is this joker?"

             
"I don't know. Back in Nashville probably. He said he'd come after me, but maybe he didn't mean it. I don't know. I keep meaning to get a dog. A big one."

             
"I don't want you to worry anymore. You have a big dog. Right here."

             
He made a fist and thumped it against his bare chest.

             
"No Donnie. If he does find me, he'll kill you. He said he was going to kill me too, if I ever ran off or if I ever…"

             
"If you ever found yourself a man?"

             
She nodded. Well no fucking wonder she was so skittish. He felt like a giant ass for kissing her outside the other night. She'd been looking for this Carl bastard. He almost hoped he did come looking for her. He'd be in for a big fucking surprise.