The Secret's Out (Hawks MC: Caroline Springs Charter, #1) (8 page)

“All right, that’s cool, but...”

“He’s okay with us and Josie,” I blurted and then tried to control the laughter wanting to bubble forward like some kid on hooch because the look on Billy’s face was laughable.

“You sayin’ you told him our deal? You fuckin’ crazy?” he yelled. Yeah, obviously he’d been thinkin’ along the lines I had, that Talon would cut us up good and proper for even thinkin’ of sharing Josie.

Shaking my head, I said, “Nope.”

“Spit it the fuck out so we can get to Josie.”

“Apparently, everyone has seen the hard-on we had for Josie, but they also saw that Josie had feelings for the both of us. Long story short, he’s given us the go-ahead to be with Josie. He thinks she’ll find her home in us, like we have with her.”

“But she’s lookin’ at movin’ back to Ballarat and if we’re here...”

“Boss thinks she won’t go anywhere if we aren’t.”

“Holy motherfuckin’ shit.”

“My thoughts exactly when you walked in.”

“Holy shit.”

“I know, brother.”

“This crap just got real. Nothin’s holding us back from her now.”

“Nope, but we’re still bringin’ her into it slow.”

“Shit, yeah. Can’t scare her off, not when all this could work out for the three of us to be happy.”

“Damn right. Now let’s roll, go eat at our woman’s diner.”

––––––––

B
illy

Things were finally lookin’ up. When Pick had come to me with the idea of sharin’ Josie, at first, I thought he was crazy. But really, it was the best fuckin’ idea he’d ever had. Now all we had to do was worry about Josie going for it as well. Damn, I hoped she did. Though it wouldn’t be for a while, she,
our woman
, needed to be handled with care. We all knew she’d had no one since that fuckface. And he wouldn’t have been good to her, so of course she was gonna be apprehensive when it came to things in the bedroom...or the kitchen, living room, over the Harley.

Fuck. Now I was hard from thinkin’ of all the places I wanted to take her.

Still, that wouldn’t be happenin’ for a while yet. We needed to give our woman time to get used to seein’ us every day, to get used to us being around her, wantin’ to touch her in innocent ways before it escalated into more.

I’d do anything for Josie and if that meant sharing her and waiting, then fuck yes, I would do it.

No matter the amount of blue balls I had to suffer through.

Lookin’ to Pick riding in front of me on his Harley, I thought, like him, he was the only brother that I’d be willing to share Josie with. What helped was the stuff we’d been through and the fact that Josie already had feelings for the both of us. Not saying it was gonna be easy watching them together or when they were having their own alone time. Still, it’d be easier knowing she was with a man who cared for her as much as I did. We both wanted the best for her and we both thought we could give her that.

Damn, I hoped she went for it.

Pick already knew where Josie worked from Nancy. We pulled our rides up out front in one of the few spare parks. Looked to be a busy day. Without words, we stalked our way to the diner. Upon opening the door, we heard yelled, “Leave her be, young man.”

Our gazes settled on what was before us and knowing Pick, ‘cause like me, we didn’t like what we saw. In fact, anger rumbled up and shot out of my chest on a roar, “Get the fuck away from her.”

Josie was being held around the waist by some dick sitting in a booth. An older lady, no doubt her boss, was standing in front, but off to the side, so I could see the panicked look on Josie’s face. 

“Josie, here now,” Caden growled. Josie went to get up, but fuck-head tightened his grip on her waist.

The diner was quiet, and fuck it to hell, nearly full. The damage I wanted to do to the fucker wasn’t gonna happen when so many witnesses were around.

Caden’s hand touched my back before he started for the table. That touch told me to check my anger, told me to be calm and not hot-headed about it, like I fuckin’ wanted to be. Damn it.

With clenched hands, I walked after Caden, dodging through the tables and chairs scattered around. Some of the idiot’s mates eyed us and I got a thrill when their eyes landed on our vests.

Yeah, motherfuckers, look who you gotta deal with.

One pansy even stood, muttering, “I’m not getting involved in this.” And then left as Caden and I stopped just in front of their booth.

“I don’t want trouble in here,” the old lady said.

“We ain’t bringing it, and it’ll stay that way if this...guy let’s go of something that belongs to us.”

“Cameron, they’re from Hawks,” a mate of Cameron’s who sat across from him in the booth uttered.

Cameron, ignoring all of us, said to Josie, “Sugar, I didn’t know you were a club’s whore.” He grabbed her chin and roughly pulled it around so she was looking at him.

It took everything in me not to jump the table and kill the fucker.

Take a blade to his neck.

Gut him like the pig he was.

“And yet you won’t put out for me. Stupid slut.”

“Enough,” I growled low. Caden stepped to the side and I stepped up. My hands went to the table and I leaned in, over Josie, to get in this guy’s face where I whispered, “Listen here, you little shit. You do not speak to her like that. She ain’t no club whore. She’s our boss’ sister-in-law. You know what that means? She’s like a fuckin’ princess to us and anyone who gives her crap has us to deal with. Do you know what that means?”

The fool smirked at me and said, “No, what?”

“Let her up and I’ll enlighten you.”

“Billy,” Caden warned.

Looking over my shoulder, I said, “I’ll do it in the nicest possible way, brother.” Caden snorted and shook his head. He reached his hand out to Josie. I moved back and thank fuck, the dickhead let her up. She went straight into Caden’s arms. She was safe, for now. But something told me, no matter what I was about to say to the cum-sucker, he wouldn’t take the threat real.

I was looking forward to delivering some pain then.

“Well?” Cameron mocked.

Shaking my head, I smiled down at him. The cocky smirk fell from his lips for a second. I leaned back in, met his gaze and held it with a glare while I told him the truth. “It means,
Cameron
, that if you continue this shit for our princess, then expect payback. And I mean payback in the form of pain. And
that
, Cameron, means you won’t be walking for the rest of your life, because I will have shoved that much shit down your throat and up your arse you won’t want to sit down or eat. You’ll want your life to end and quickly, but I won’t bring the quick and painless end to you. No. Once I’m done, I’ll give you over to our boss, but it won’t be only him. You see, you little fuckin’ twat, there are thousands of us who like to dish out pain when retaliating against a dipshit who has harmed a member of our club. You will be beaten, abused and tortured—”

“Billy, that’ll do,” Caden snapped.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Josie’s shocked gaze as she clung to Caden. Fuck. I was a stupid fuckin’ idiot, not thinkin’ Josie would have heard anything I just said.

Christ. I probably just scared her half to death. Now she knew I could be one disgusting, mean motherfucker.

“That was...crude, but to the point, kid.” Turning to Josie’s boss who, fuck me, was smiling wide, she clapped me on the back and then said to Cameron, “Now get outta here, boy, and never grace this establishment again with your bad temper. This is a safe place for my girl, Josie, so I better not see your face in here again or I’ll be telling these guys.”

Cameron glared up at Josie’s boss and said, “You’re picking the wrong side, Marybeth.”

“No, boy.” She shook her head sadly. “You are. You can’t keep hiding behind your daddy all your life.”

We all moved back when Cameron started to shift out of the booth. Caden quickly placed Josie behind him and stood with his arms over his chest. I was surprised when they all left quietly, his mates following behind like the sheep they were.

As soon as the front door closed after them, Josie stepped out and started, “Marybeth—”

Only Marybeth put her hand up in Josie’s face. “Don’t want to hear it. I should have done something a long time ago. I saw what he did to you, the way you’d enter your shell when he was around, but I didn’t have the balls to do anything...until now. You keep these boys close, Josie.”

“But don’t you understand, you standing up to him in front of people...he could—”

“I don’t care what he can do. No longer, sweetpea, okay. This place is safe for you. Now get your arse home. Take the evening off.”

With worried eyes, Josie sent Marybeth a small appreciative smile and started for the door. Caden was right behind her and I would have been until a small hand wrapped around my arm to halt me.

Turning, I faced Marybeth and then I was shocked for the third time that day when she whispered, “For the first time, that girl out there came into work with a skip in her step and a smile upon her beautiful face. Not until I saw the two of you come in here and do what you did for her did I know why her mood suddenly changed. I wish I had the guts a long time ago to rip that boy a new one like you just did, but I didn’t. Thank you, kid. Thank you for bringing the Josie I knew she could be to the front. Thank you for being such a badarse and teaching that boy a lesson. However, I’m not sure that boy is smart enough for that lesson to sink in. Tell me, you boys are sticking close to her?”

“We ain’t goin’ anywhere until her shit is done. Or at all.”

She nodded to the floor and then looked back up and met my stare. “Does she know you both love her?”

My head flinched back an inch in shock.

What. The. Fuck.

Marybeth giggled and then sobered. “Kid, it’s written all over your face, and his. You give her time and I swear, from what I saw today, she will love you both back just as hard.” My nose screwed up. How could an old lady think it was right for Josie to love two guys?

Marybeth scoffed in my face. “Don’t look like that. Josie is full of heart and warmth. That girl has been living on the doorstep of hell. There’s something in her eyes that tell me as much. She deserves happiness and, if the two of you can give that to her, then everyone will understand. If no one gets it...fuck’ em. Fuck anyone who thinks different.”

That was when I burst out laughing.

J
osie

I had never
heard Eli speak like that before. I knew motorcycle men were different from most average men. I knew when they protected, they did it fiercely. I just didn’t know that when they wanted to get a point across, they did it in such a way that was crude, mean and vicious.

Was I disgusted with what Eli said?

Yes.

Was I scared by what Eli said?

Yes.

Could I get over what Eli said?

Yes. 100 percent yes. At the time, it was a shock to my fragile system. However, no matter what way I looked at it, I knew he was doing it all for me.

He hated what I was going through, so much so he let his emotions run him. Those strong, wild emotions were something frighteningly sweet, and I meant ‘sweet’ because he was doing it for me.

Should I be scared to see that side of him?

No.

How could I when he was doing it all to protect me.

Looking back through the window, I witnessed Eli throw his head back and laugh out loud to something Marybeth said and that sight was beautiful. So even though the words scared me, Eli himself didn’t because I knew I would be safe around him, and Caden.

“Precious, you okay?” Caden asked as we stood outside waiting for Eli.

My gaze went from Eli inside to Caden, and I smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”

He studied my face, looking from my eyes to my mouth and then his lips twitched. “Good.” He took my hand in his. I didn’t flinch that time. I welcomed it. It was Caden after all and when Eli came out, I could also take his hand, because he was Eli and they were my home.

“Our girl is strong.” Caden grinned.

Nodding, I said, “I’m getting there with your help, Eli’s, and Simone’s. I finally feel I can be.” I giggled. “Though, you both better look out when I’m fully there.”

He chuckled. “Looking forward to it.”

The diner’s door opened and out strolled Eli. He ran a hand through his longer hair on top, his sides were shaved. He seemed troubled. Even though he was only just laughing with Marybeth, he seemed as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Speaking of his well-defined shoulders, they were slumped slightly. His eyes met mine, but moved away quickly. It was then I knew what was worrying him.

To put his burden at ease, I gave Caden’s hand a small squeeze before I let go and turned my whole body to Eli.

“Josie—”

He didn’t get to finish because in the next second, I threw my arms around his neck. He fell back a step. His arms went around my waist to steady us. With surprised eyes, he looked down at me. “Sweetheart?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

“But—”

“No. Yes, your words were...violent and frightening, but I know,”—I touched my chest—“I know deep in here that you would never hurt me. I know, Eli, you talk the talk and you may show it, you may beat a person up. But it wouldn’t be someone who didn’t deserve it. It wouldn’t be someone who hadn’t done wrong by you or your biker brothers. What you did, what you said was hard to hear, but no matter what, I
know
you are a good man. So don’t let your mind tell you that I think any differently of you. I don’t. You’re still my Eli.” I smiled.

He closed his eyes; however, before he did, I didn’t miss the softness of them. I didn’t miss the gratitude he felt from my words.

It was obvious he didn’t think of his next move.

His forehead came forward and touched mine. His hand came up and slid to the side of my neck. His other arm wound around my waist and he pulled me in close. So close the front of our bodies touched. All the while his eyes stayed closed and mine stayed opened, so I witnessed the panic hit him. His eyes flashed open and he stepped back.