Chapter 5

5

ELISE

M y Christmas hadn't gone anything like I had expected. Instead of earning some extra cash, I'd almost been killed, and now my brother was insisting that I couldn't go back to work because it wasn't safe for me to be there anymore. And it didn't matter how much I argued since his club president had backed him up. My job was gone, and I'd barely padded my bank account since I'd come to Old Bridge.

Rolling over in my bed, I buried my face in my pillow with a groan. My body was achy from the crash, and my head throbbed a little where Blade had stitched up my cut. Today wasn't getting off to a great start, that was for sure. And it only got worse when my brother stopped me from falling back asleep.

"Pack up your stuff, El." Gideon rapped his knuckles against the connecting door between our motel rooms. "It's time to go."

Sliding off the mattress, I stomped across the room and flung the door open. "Go where?"

"To the clubhouse." He flung his duffel bag over his shoulder and jerked his chin toward my room. "Don't take too long. I need to be there in twenty minutes."

My brows drew together. "Why do I need to pack to go to the clubhouse?"

"Because you're gonna stay there while I'm gone."

"Gone?" I echoed softly, leaning against the doorframe while I stared up at him. "Where are you going? And I thought you didn't want me staying at the clubhouse? Isn't that why you booked us into the motel while I'm here? Because it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be there without you."

"I didn't word it quite like that," he grumbled, dropping his bag at my feet to shove his way past me and sit down on the chair in the corner of my room. Propping his feet up on the ottoman, he ignored my glare while he got comfortable. "It's just that I didn't want any of the guys to get the wrong idea about you hanging around the clubhouse."

Flopping onto the corner of the mattress, I huffed, "I still don't understand the problem. I thought you said I didn't have to worry about stuff like club whores with the Iron Rogues."

"Fucking A, El," he groaned, shaking his head. "Club whores? You can't say shit like that."

I shrugged, flashing him a mischievous smile. "Sorry, but that's what they call them on television. Should I have said club bunnies instead? Sweet butts? House mouses? Or would that be mice? I'm not sure what the plural would be when you're talking about women instead of rodents."

He grimaced, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of shit have you been watching?"

"Whatever I wanted," I retorted with a smug grin. "It's not as though Mom and Dad paid attention to anything I did."

"Wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not." He looked pained at the reminder of my crappy childhood, which made me feel bad for bringing it up again. "I'm so damn sorry."

Getting to my feet, I padded over to pat his hand. "You don't need to apologize for our crappy parents. You had it just as bad with them as I did."

"Yeah, but that's why I should've done a better job of protecting you from them." He flipped his hand over to squeeze mine. "Because I know just how detached they were with me."

"As far as I'm concerned, you have nothing to apologize for. And they can be as hands-off as they'd like now because I have no intention of staying in contact with them. Not that they'll even notice since they didn't have a peep to say about me not showing up for Christmas break." Not wanting to talk—or think—about our parents anymore, I changed the subject. "You still haven't answered my original question. Where are you going?"

"Out of town for a few days. Maybe a week." He heaved a deep sigh, his eyes filled with regret. "I can't give you too many details, club business."

I'd seen enough motorcycle club shows to know that meant I wasn't going to get any more information out of him. "And you want me to stay at the clubhouse. By myself? For however long you're gone?"

"No, I need you to stay there so I'll know you're safe. Or else, I'm gonna worry about you the whole time, and that'll be bad for me."

I didn't know what Gideon would be doing for the club, but I didn't want him to risk himself because he was scared something would happen to me. "Then I guess I'd better go pack so we can hit the road, or else you'll be late."

"That'd be great, Els." He beamed me a grateful smile and got to his feet. "And don't worry, Tank told me that Sheila said she would make sure my room was clean before we got there, so you won't have to deal with my mess while you stay there."

Just thinking about the kind of things I would've found in there—or on the sheets—made me gag. Shooing him out of my room as he chuckled over my reaction, I headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed into my favorite pair of jeans and a cute sweater. Then I quickly shoved my stuff into my bag so we could check out of our rooms early. Since the club owned the motel, we didn't run into any issues and were on our way to the clubhouse in the truck he rarely drove only fifteen minutes later.

After we dropped my stuff off in his room—which was thankfully clean as promised—we headed down to the kitchen. Sheila stood at the stove, so I hurried over to her. "Thank you so much for making sure I didn't need a hazmat suit."

"No worries," she assured me with a soft laugh. "I was happy to help."

"It was very much appreciated." Breathing in the delicious aroma from the pan in front of her, I added, "And so would a few pieces of bacon. We didn't have time for breakfast since my brother was in a rush to get here."

"Have as much as you'd like," she offered, plopping several strips onto the paper-towel lined plate stacked high with bacon. "I always make plenty since the guys put away food as if they think it will be their last meal."

"Thanks." I snagged a piece and munched on it until Gideon pulled me to the side for a hug.

"Promise me you'll listen to what my club brothers tell you to do while I'm gone," he requested. "They'll keep you safe since I can't be here to keep an eye on you."

Remembering the close call I'd had the night before sent a shiver of dread up my spine. "You don't have to worry about me, Gideon. I'm not going to do anything to risk myself. I promise."

"This is shit timing." A muscle jumped in his jaw. "I hate leaving you like this. We hardly get any time together as it is, and the crap you went through last night just makes it worse. If I was leaving for any other reason, I'd ask one of the guys to cover for me, but it just isn't possible."

"I'm fine, I swear." I beamed a smile up at him. "I only got a little bruised up, remember? Blade said so himself."

"What'd I say?" the biker who sent my pulse into overdrive asked as he strode into the kitchen, catching the tail end of what I was saying to my brother.

"That I'm fine."

"Too damn true." His heated gaze swept down the length of my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake because it felt as though he was actually touching me.

My brother elbowed him in the side. "Medically, asshat."

Viper, one of the other club brothers who I'd briefly met yesterday, popped his head in the kitchen door and called, "Time to go, Storm."

"Remember your promise, El." My brother gave me a quick hug. "Stay safe while I'm gone."

It felt weird saying goodbye to Gideon, knowing I would be staying at the Iron Rogues clubhouse without him after he'd made such a big deal about us staying at the motel when I got into town. But I couldn't let him see my discomfort, so I beamed a smile at him. "Will do."

He pointed at Blade. "Protect her."

"With my life if it comes down to it." The weight in Blade's vow made me a little weak in the knees, but he must've noticed because he wrapped his arm around my waist as Gideon strode out of the kitchen. "Don't worry, baby. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know it'll sound weird, but even after what happened last night, I'm not worried about myself." I leaned against his side. "My brother wouldn't have left me with you guys if he wasn't certain you'd find the drug dealer before he can get to me. But I can't shake the feeling that he's the one in actual danger."

"Can't share club business with you, but I can say that Storm will have Viper at his back while he's gone. He'll be fine."

"He better be," I muttered just as my stomach let out a loud rumble.

"Sounds as though you need some breakfast." Blade dropped his hand to my lower back to guide me over to the counter where Sheila had laid out all the food. Everything looked too good to pass up, so I decided to eat my worries away.