Diablo Chapter 4

It was a stress-filled night for all of us, especially for me. I'd only drifted off a couple of times. Every time I did, I would jerk awake and check to be sure she was still there and breathing. After the disastrous questioning of her yesterday, I'd been a ball of anxiety. Not only had we made her sick enough to puke, but she passed out on us. When she slumped over in her chair, unresponsive, for a moment, I thought she was dead. My heart almost stopped.

I beat Wolverine to her and got her on the table. He swiftly examined her, then informed me and Scorpion she'd only passed out. From that point onward, I kept watch over her. She'd surface but only long enough to mumble, then go back to sleep. While she slept, she was having nightmares. There was no other explanation for her crying out and pleading not to hurt her in her sleep. My torment was the question, was her tormentor her husband or me?

There's only been a handful of times in my life I ever felt regret for how I treated people. She was one of those, and it ate at me. Deep down, I knew she was an innocent. Whatever prevented her from telling us the facts we asked for wasn't subterfuge. I'd begun questioning her like I would an enemy I had in our swamp box, the place we took those needing questioning, a beating, or worse. It sickened me that I subjected her to it. If she were planning to tell me what I needed to know, she probably wouldn't anymore. We'd be lucky if she didn't run as soon as she fully woke up.

I was worried about how much she was sleeping and asked Wolverine if we should take her to the hospital. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but if it would help her recover, I'd do it. He assured me her vitals were good, and she quickly woke up when he prodded her. He thought she was physically and emotionally exhausted.

The night passed slowly. It was morning now. I eased to my feet and stretched. She seemed to be peacefully sleeping. I needed to piss and take a quick shower. Slipping out of the room, I nodded to Zax. He'd been given night duty to stand outside the room. It was in case I needed to leave or wanted something. There was no way I would risk leaving her alone. She might try to leave or hurt herself.

"I'm gonna grab a shower. I'm sending Wolverine to check on her. Liam should be here soon to relieve you," I informed him.

"Not a problem, Pres. Liam is due to come spell me soon but I can stay as long as you need me. Is she still asleep?"

"She is. Try to keep it down. She had a restless night. Call me if she wakes up. I'll be using my room here."

"Will do."

Giving him a chin lift in acknowledgment, I headed down the hall. Even though I had a house, I still had a set of rooms in the clubhouse. It was in case I needed to crash here, and it had my work office connected. I worked out of it mainly, although I had one at home and at Wrath's Prep & Restore. The one at the business was where I only dealt with Prep & Restore clients' work details. The one at the clubhouse was for the club as a whole. At home, my office was used when I wanted to work in total peace.

Pausing outside Wolverine's door, I knocked. "Come in," he yelled.

Opening the door, I looked for him. He came out of the bathroom in his underwear. Neither of us paid his almost-naked self any mind. It was typical for guys to do it. Hell, I think I'd seen everyone's junk at one time or another and vice versa.

"How is she?" he asked, pulling on his socks and jeans.

"She's still asleep. She finally stopped tossing and whimpering in her sleep. I'm gonna take a shower. Will you check on her? Zax is waiting on Liam to spell him."

"That's where I'm headed. Take your time. I've got this. If anything changes, I'll call you at the house."

"I'm showering in my room here. Just call or send someone to get me. I won't be long." I turned to reopen the door.

"You can trust me to take care of her, Pres. You can relax or do whatever. There's no need for you to stay with her all the time. I would've stayed with her last night."

There was a hint of something in his voice I couldn't quite figure out. Was he trying to indicate he was into her, or was it something else? I whipped back around. He was watching me closely.

"I decide where I'm needed or not. I know you would've stayed. You offered. I felt it was my responsibility. After all, I was the one to make her collapse and get sick."

"You weren't the only one asking her questions. I don't think she vomited due to our questions. It was her head injury. We were only trying to help her."

"By badgering her? We totally forgot her injuries and went at her like she was an enemy we were interrogating. We'll be lucky if she tells us anything. Which reminds me, I need to speak to Micro and see what he found out. Maybe he can answer some of those questions. Gotta go. Talk to you later."

I didn't give him time to say more before I went out the door and to my room. Unlocking my door, I let myself inside. None of us left our rooms unlocked. You didn't know who might slip into it and snoop or wait for you. I wasted no time getting into the bathroom with the shower on. As the water heated, I stripped. I sighed when the hot spray hit my tense, sore muscles. It had been a while since I'd slept in a chair. Fuck, was I too old for this? I mean, most days, I didn't feel old, but the truth was, I was fast approaching fifty.

Thinking of my age made me think of Jauhnna. Finding out she was close to my daughter's age had bothered me. The only conclusion I came to was that I found her attractive. After only a day of knowing her, she drew me in more than any woman I recalled except for Amy. She'd grabbed my attention the first time I saw her, too. Despite finding out she was underage, which in Florida, the legal age of consent was eighteen, I kept seeing her. I won't lie. We broke the law while she was still seventeen. It was apparent when she was eighteen and already pregnant. No matter the risk, I'd fallen for her, and there was no way I could deny my feelings for her, and she felt the same.

I had no idea why I remembered that at a time like this. Even if I was attracted to Jauhnna, it wasn't going anywhere. She was someone we'd hopefully be able to help so she could get on with her life free of fear and hiding. The most it could be on my end was a few nights together, and she didn't strike me as the kind of woman who would go for that. Shoving any other thoughts of her away, I rushed through my shower. In no time, I was out taking care of the other things I needed to do to be ready for the day. Thankfully, I kept spare clothes and personal items here, just in case. Feeling better when I was done, I locked up and headed back to the sick bay.

Getting there, I saw no one outside. I wonder where the prospects were. Maybe Wolverine sent one of them to get something. Knocking swiftly to announce I was coming in, I swung the door open and came to a screeching halt mere steps inside. Wolverine was sitting on the bed we'd placed her on last night. It was more comfortable than the exam table. What made me stop was the sight of her in his arms and him with his head lowered to hers. Straightaway, anger filled me. I slammed the door. He glanced up, and I saw her jerk as if startled.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" I demanded.

She gave me a scared peek over his shoulder. Most of her face was hidden. He appeared unruffled by my question or my loud voice. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Why the hell is she in your arms with your heads together? She should be resting, not being mauled."

He scowled. "I wasn't mauling her. I was comforting her."

"Oh, is that what you call it? Mind if I ask why you were comforting her?"

I knew I was making a fool of myself, but I wasn't able to stop. The thought of him holding her and the possibility they'd been kissing pissed me off. I stomped to stand next to them. When I did, that's when I noticed she'd been crying. The wet tears were still on her cheeks. My ire began to fade as concern took over. Why was she crying? Without a thought, I leaned over, took her out of his arms, and cradled her in mine. I walked to the chair I held her in yesterday and sat.

"Darlin', why are you crying? Did you have more bad dreams?" I asked as I smoothed her hair away from her wet face. Those tears offended me. I wiped at them with my thumb. She was giving me an astonished look. Yeah, I knew I'd switched gears abruptly, but I had to know. I'd question Wolverine later about what he'd done to comfort her and if he had some kind of feelings developing for her.

"I'm fine. There's no need to make a fuss. I'd like to change if I may and maybe take a shower. Then, if you're still willing to help, I'd like someone to take me to my stash. I need to get on the road. The longer I wait, the more likely it is I might be found if they're even looking for me. Hopefully, after yesterday, they think I'm dead. Assuming it was Galway who sent them, he might not be satisfied that I am without proof. Do you have someone here I can borrow clothes from? I'll pay her back when we get my money," she babbled.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere. No one knows you're here. We had the car we found you in towed to our garage. No one knows you're at the compound. Take time and heal. We have plenty of room for you," I told her.

"I can't. You don't understand. If it was Galway's men, there's a chance he'd want to see my body. It would be something he'd do to make sure I was dead. It would feel like he achieved a goal or prize. I can't risk it."

"Which is it? Either you can leave because it's safe due to them thinking you're dead, or it's too dangerous to stay because they'll want to see your body even if they suspect you're dead," I asked.

She wiggled to sit up further in my lap. I bit back the moan that it almost caused to come out. Her ass was rubbing across my cock, and I was trying not to let myself grow hard. Pretending I was helping her up, I shifted her so she wasn't sitting directly on it. I knew I could let her have the chair or put her back on the bed, but I didn't want to. I was enjoying holding her, and I didn't desire Wolverine to be close to her. He was watching us attentively.

"It's both. I have no way of knowing which it is, so I have to hedge my bets. The longer I stay, the likelier someone might see me leaving town. You won't want his attention on you. How can you be positive no one knows you took the car? Undoubtedly, somebody saw it being towed and would know it was your garage. If they trace it to there, they'll come asking about it. Their suspicion will be raised if you or your people claim not to have found a body in the trunk. Don't you see? Me leaving is what's best for all parties concerned."

She was becoming agitated. I wasn't risking her having another vomiting-and-passing-out episode. "Jauhnna, I need you to calm down. Take deep breaths and relax. You're going to cause yourself to relapse. We don't want another incident like last night," I cautioned her.

"I won't. That was a fluke. I feel fine," she protested.

"Honey, you said you still had a headache when I came in. Let me recheck your blood pressure," Wolverine told her with a smile as he got to his feet.

He grabbed his equipment from the table beside the bed and approached us. I refused to make eye contact while he did it. I was watching how he touched her arm. He was gentle, but I thought his touch lingered longer than it should on her skin. I bit my tongue to keep from calling him out. He pumped up the cuff and listened.

"It's slightly higher than it was. I think you should come back and lie on the bed. You'll be more comfortable." He held out a hand to her. I almost didn't let go so she could stand, but I knew I had to. She seemed steady on her feet as she went to the bed, but he held on to her. I detested it. She was dressed in a thin hospital gown he'd put over her underclothing after she passed out. We'd tried to clean most of the blood off her, but there was still some in her hair.

Wanting to divert her, I made a suggestion. "You said you wanted to have a shower. Why don't you do that? You look steady on your feet, but in case you become unsteady, you can use the one in my room. It has a seat built into it. It'll make you comfier."

"She shouldn't be alone, just in case she passes out. I can help her get cleaned up," Wolverine stated.

I opened my mouth to tell him over my dead body was he showering with her, but she beat me to it. "I can shower alone. I don't need help. I'll be fine as long as I can sit down if I need to. I'm not dizzy. If I begin to feel like I am, I'll call out. I'd love a shower. This blood is itchy and stinks." She wrinkled up her nose at the word stink. The face she made I thought was precious.

I stood up. Wolverine was scowling. "Then come with me. It's not far. Do you need me to carry you? I don't want you to exhaust yourself while walking and not have the energy to wash. You know what, never mind."

She'd risen off the bed. Taking a couple of steps, I reached her and swept an arm under her legs as the other one cradled her back. She gasped and clutched my chest. "Diablo, I can walk!"

"Nope. This is best. Just enjoy being pampered. Get the door, will ya?" I directed to Wolverine, although I didn't bother looking at him.

He stomped around us and wrenched it open. As I passed him, I felt the heat of his gaze on me. He and I would be talking very soon. No way was I allowing one of my guys to play games with her. Carrying her down the hallway, I was surprised no one was out and about, although I was glad. They didn't need to see her in this flimsy gown.

At my door, I hated having to set her down to get to my key. Unlocking it, I swung the door open and waved for her to go ahead of me. She tentatively entered. I saw her scanning the room. I wasn't a slob, and the room was neat since I rarely used it. The dirty clothes from earlier were in the hamper, and I planned to take them to the house with me later. I closed and locked the door, then walked her to the bathroom. I flipped on the light. She hesitated to enter.

"Let me show you where everything is. I'll stay out here in case you need anything. I'll get you some clean clothes. The towels and washcloths are in here. I'm sorry, I don't have any pretty-smelling soap or shampoo. You'll have to use mine. There are extra toothbrushes and razors in this drawer. If you need anything else, just holler. Here, let me get the water started." I opened the shower door and turned on the water. I set it to where it wouldn't be too hot. With that done, there wasn't any reason for me to stay, so I backed out and let her shut the door.

"In case I need to get in, don't lock the door. I promise you're safe."

She didn't reply, but the lock didn't engage. To keep myself from thinking about her naked in the water, I went to my dresser. Now, to find her something to wear. We had no old ladies or female family members at the compound. The only women who came here were the sluts and hangers-on. While there was a good chance some of them had left clothing behind, no way would I have her put on anything they wore. I was hoping to find something Brooklyn left, and barring that, I'd give her one of my t-shirts and figure out her bottoms.

Rummaging in my drawers, I came up empty. Going to my closet, I went through the few things hanging up. Nope. I was about to take a shirt off a hanger when a box at the top of the closet caught my eye. Bingo. I recalled it was one Brooklyn had meant to take with her the last time they were here, and she had forgotten. I offered to mail it, but she told me to hang on to it and that she'd get it next time. I'd shoved it up in the closet and forgotten about it. Taking it down, I put it on the bed and opened it. Inside were a few tank tops, a couple of pairs of shorts, a pair of stretchy leggings, and a bra.

Jauhnna was more filled out than Brooklyn, but the clothes were stretchy. They should fit her well enough. The bra wouldn't fit her, though. She was more sizable in the tits department. I groaned. Stop thinking about her tits , I admonished myself. Images of them and what they'd look like bare were crowding into my head, and my cock was taking notice and swelling. Snatching a tank top and a pair of shorts out of the box, I put the lid back on and laid the clothes on the chair. I kicked back on the bed and turned on the television to forget about my misbehaving body. I found a building show and decided to watch it. I still kept an ear out for her to call for help.

I'd been watching the show for about five minutes when there was a knock on my bedroom door. Wondering who it was, I got up to see. If it were Wolverine, his ass would be mine. I unlatched it. Standing there was Micro.

"Morning, Pres, Wolverine said you were here. I thought you might want an update on what I found. He says she's showering. Do you wanna come to my house when you're done or should I meet you in your office here later?"

I was torn. While I wanted to hear what he found, I wasn't leaving her to shower without someone nearby. If I waited until after her shower, it would leave her alone with Wolverine. As I mulled it over, I was struck with an idea.

"Why don't you come to the house and we can talk? I'll send you a text when I'm ready. It shouldn't be too long. Does that work for you?"

"Works fine. I'll see you in a bit." He gave me a chin lift and then walked off. Closing the door, I went back to the bed.

I barely sat back down when I heard the water turn off. I bounded to my feet. I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yes?" she called out, sounding cautious.

"I found you some clothes. If you crack the door, I'll pass them through to you. They were my daughter's. That's all I could find unless you want a shirt of mine. There's a few more of hers in a box you can go through."

"I'm sure they're fine. Thank you. Give me a minute."

I went to get the clothes I set out and tried not to imagine her drying off. I waited outside the door. The door cracked open, and her hand came out. I slipped them into her. She quickly drew back and shut the door after saying thank you. Turning off the television, since I wasn't able to concentrate anyway, I smoothed out the bed's covers and paced the room. I don't know how long it was before the door opened and she came out.

Her hair was wet, but she'd fashioned it into a long braid. I could see all of her face now. She was gorgeous, but what made me almost swallow my tongue was seeing her in those clothes. Her lush figure filled them out in a way that made them way sexier than plain shorts and a tank should be. Her tits were straining against the fabric. Since she had no bra on, her nipples were poking against the material. My mouth went dry at the thought of pulling her top down and sucking them into my mouth. I wondered what color they'd be and how big her nipples were. Fuck! I had to stop this. She'd run screaming from the room if she guessed what I was thinking.

One thing I knew for sure… there was no way in hell I was letting any of my guys see her like this, especially Wolverine. She gave me a tentative smile. "I hope it's alright that I borrowed the hair tie I found in the drawer. Not sure who it belongs to, but I had to find a way to get all this out of the way." She gestured to her hair.

I had no clue who the tie belonged to. "Anything you need, you're welcome to it. You know, it's probably a little cool out this morning. Let me get you one of my shirts to wear, too. There's the box I told you about." I pointed to it.

She went to check it out as I went to the closet and grabbed the shirt I planned to give her earlier. When I handed it to her, she smiled.

"Thank you. For everything. Are you sure your daughter won't mind me wearing her things?"

"She won't mind. She's left them here for months and hasn't demanded they be sent to her. Believe me, she has plenty of clothes. That's one thing she never lacked. How was your shower?"

She sighed contentedly. "It was wonderful. I could've stayed there for hours. I feel much better."

"Good. Are you hungry? You haven't had anything to eat since yesterday morning, have you?"

As I asked, her stomach let out a loud growl. Her cheeks turned pink as we both laughed. "I guess that answers your question," she replied.

Holding my arm so she could take it, I gestured to the bedroom door. "Then let's go get some food. I want to show you something anyway. Do you think you can walk or should I get one of the prospects to bring a car to us?"

"A car? Where are we going? I thought I wasn't allowed to leave."

"You aren't. We'll stay within the compound."

"As long as you don't want me to walk miles, I should be fine."

"I promise, it's not miles. Come." I led her to the door and then out. I paused long enough to lock it up, then I took her out the side door. It was the closest to my house. She swiveled her head around, taking in the outside. When she noticed the houses, she blinked.

"Oh, I had no idea you had houses here. I thought all of you lived in the clubhouse."

"About half of us do, and the rest have houses. This one is mine. We can fix breakfast. I've got all the fixings. The clubhouse might not. The guys eat like locusts, so I never presume there's food to cook there. Besides, my coffee is better than what they drink there. I get the good stuff." I grinned.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take me to the java. I'm dying for a cup."

As we got closer to my place, she spoke again. "Your house is lovely, Diablo. It's so big. You live there alone?"

"I do. I built it a few years ago after Brooklyn and Torch got together. I wanted room for when they visited."

"So this isn't the house she grew up in."

"No, it's on the other side of the clubhouse. We have it in case we need a guesthouse."

"Who lives in these other ones?"

Pointing at them, I named them off. "That one belongs to Scorpion. The two down from him are Micro and Crash. These two belong to Butcher and Thunder."

Reaching the door, I opened it and took her inside.

"You don't lock your front door?"

"There's no need inside the fence."

"But you did back at the clubhouse."

I wasn't up to explaining about club sluts and hangers-on to her, so I left it vague. "There are other people in and out of there but not our homes. It's a precaution."

"Oh, okay. Well, I must tell you that the inside is beautiful, too, even just from seeing your living room and kitchen. Did you decorate it yourself or did your daughter help?"

"You crush me. You don't think a guy can decorate on his own?" I pretended to be hurt and put my hand on my chest.

"No, I mean yes, of course, a guy can. I'm sorry," she said quickly.

I laughed. "Darlin', there's no need to apologize. I'm teasing you. If left to me, the walls would be white, and everything would be gray and black. When I said I was building a new house, Brooklyn told me she would decorate it and that I had to let her help me pick out the carpet, tiles, and everything else. She recalled how the old house was until she got old enough to demand something more than white."

She threw back her head and laughed along with me. "She's a smart woman. Some men supposedly can do it, but I've never met one. Well, she did a lovely job. This kitchen is amazing." She admired the counters and the appliances. I got into the fridge and took out the bacon and eggs. I searched for pancake mix in the pantry, but it seemed I was out.

"Damn it," I muttered.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I had pancake mix, but I don't. I guess we'll have to settle for eggs and bacon."

"I can make them from scratch if you have the ingredients. It's not hard."

"You'd do that?"

"Sure, show me where you keep your flour and baking ingredients," she said as she came to stand by me.

I took her into the pantry and pointed to the section where I kept my baking ingredients. While she went through them, I went back into the kitchen and got to work on the bacon. I decided to cheat since we were starving. One year, Brooklyn had gotten me one of those trays you put bacon on and microwave it so it would get crispy. It was quicker than frying or baking it for one person. I put several slices in the slots, then popped it into the microwave. While it cooked, I got her a bowl, measuring cups, spoons, and a whisk.

She came out with the items she needed and began putting them together. I watched her. She wasn't following a recipe, but the sure way she did it told me she made the batter often. The microwave beeped, and I changed out the cooked bacon for more raw slices. She saw me.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

I explained how it worked.

"I've never seen one of those. I need to get me one. It's a pain to cook bacon for one person. It never fails when I fry it that it pops and burns me no matter what I do."

"I hate that too."

We worked effortlessly together. After putting in the second tray, I got to work on the coffee. I got out the milk. "I don't have any creamer, but there's milk and sugar."

"Milk and sugar will do. God, that smells good. I have a cup every morning. Yesterday, I was running late, so I didn't get one. I planned to drink a cup at work. We know that didn't happen."

"Well, you can have two today to make up for it. Although, I warn you, this is strong. It'll put hair on your chest."

She giggled. "Just what every woman wants, hair on her chest."

I winked at her, which made her laugh harder. As soon as it was done brewing, I poured us both a cup and let her add the milk and sugar to hers. I took mine black. Her moan after the first swallow made me uncomfortable. Her eyes widened.

"What kind is this? It's wonderful."

"It's called Death Wish. I get it online. It's been out three years, I think. It's pricier than others, but I like it."

"It would be worth it. I'll get another job to pay for it if I have to. God, this is perfect." She sighed.

As we finished making breakfast, we chatted about our favorite foods. I found we had a lot in common. When it was done, we filled our plates and sat at the kitchen counter. We dug in. The only noise was our forks scraping the plates. I tried to get her to eat seconds, but she insisted she was full.

We'd barely finished cleaning our plates when there was a loud pounding on the door. "I'll be back," I told her before going to see who it was.

Most of the time, the guys would walk in unless they knew I had company, but no one knew she was there. As I opened it, I came face-to-face with an irate-looking Wolverine. I pulled the door shut behind me and stood on the porch.

"What?" I asked.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were bringing her to your house? I've been going crazy wondering where she ran off to."

"The last time I checked, I don't have to tell you shit. You knew she was with me. I was making sure she was okay. She showered and hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. She was starved, so I brought her here to have breakfast, not that it's any of your business. She's fine."

"What's your angle, Diablo? You're not interested in her, other than to warm your cock for a night or two. And anyone can tell she's not that kind of woman."

I pushed up to him and got into his face. "I'd watch your mouth, boy. You have no right to say shit to me. I'm not doing anything but helping her out. I could remind you of the same thing. She's not a club slut or hanger-on. Last I heard, that's all you go for."

"Well, maybe I've changed my mind! She's a good woman. We don't get those around here. It's a nice change of pace."

His answer angered me. I was about to challenge him to explain precisely what he meant by that, but we were interrupted by Scorpion walking up. His house was on the backside of mine. He came from that direction. He was frowning at us when he joined us.

"What's gotten into you two? I could hear you yelling over at my house."

"He's trying to put moves on Jauhnna, and we all know he's not interested in a permanent woman in his life," Wolverine told him.

"And he's trying to stake some kind of claim when we all know he's not into anything for more than a night or two," I argued back.

"If neither of you are serious about pursuing something more, then you both need to leave her be. It'll leave the way clear for another brother to see if she might be the one for him. I think it's time we started to do things differently in this club."

This remark caught both our attention and turned us on him. "Who? Has someone said something?" I snapped.

"Do you want a chance with her?" Wolverine demanded.

"What if I do?"

My fury was mounting. I wanted to plant them facers and tell them to stay the fuck away from her. They were bickering with each other. I was about to order them to leave when I caught a glimpse of her passing along the side of the house. She was headed toward the clubhouse. I shoved them out of the way and took off after her. I caught up to her not far from my house. When I latched onto her arm and twirled her around to face me, the furious look on her face floored me.

"Where are you going?" I asked because I didn't know what else to say.

"Somewhere I don't have to listen to grown men arguing over who wants to fuck me. Newsflash, I won't be screwing any of you. I guess I know what the payment for your help is," she said acidly. Her assertion stunned me. I was left speechless, and so were Scorpion and Wolverine since she yelled it loud enough for them to hear her.