Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Titan

THE LAST TWO weeks have flown by. Having Dallas in my house wasn't the adjustment I thought it was going to be. Even her animals are making themselves at home and when I sit down, I've got at least one of her cats curling up with me. In the past, I never thought I'd be a man who wants to have animals in my home or life. I didn't have one growing up and no one I've been around has really had one. Dallas wouldn't be able to live without her animals. They truly are her babies and she loves them as if they were her kids. Everything she does is for them and they adore her for how she takes care of them. Especially the damn rabbit. He follows her around the house and curls up in her lap the second she sits down anywhere. It's funny as hell to watch. He acts more like a dog than a rabbit.

Today is the first day Dallas is going to her clinic since it was broken into. She's so nervous about going there that she really didn't sleep last night. I did everything I could to get her out of her head, but nothing worked. Even fucking her most of the night until she could barely keep her eyes open didn't lull her to sleep. She might have dozed briefly, but the time was spent tossing and turning. I can't blame her for being nervous. Anything could've happened at the clinic since the last time she was there. I mean, everything's already been damaged. There's really not much else that can be done to destroy more of the clinic. At least that's what I've heard from Hawk who has been going through the police report and taking a look at the pictures Officer Hilton took and included with the report.

Walking in the master bedroom where I've been sleeping with her, Dallas is sitting on the edge of the bed staring off into space. She doesn't hear me enter the room or walk up to her. When I put my hand on her shoulder, Dallas jumps a foot off the bed and almost falls to the floor. I manage to catch her and get her steady back on the bed as she looks up at me. Her eyes are glassy as if she's fighting to hold in the tears that want to escape. Dallas isn't one to cry so I know this is really hard on her and she's trying to be strong when she doesn't have to be.

"Sweet Girl, I got you," I tell her, sitting down on the bed and pulling her into my arms. "If you're not ready to go there today, we don't have to. We can wait until you are ready to face everythin'."

"If I don't go today, I'll just keep putting it off. I know most of the damage that's been done already since I walked through the day it happened. It's just overwhelming to think of everything I have to do to even start getting the clinic cleaned up while making a decision about what to do moving forward. The insurance company isn't gonna pay out more than what it takes to cover the big equipment like the imaging machines and things like that. Don't get me wrong, it's a relief to know I won't have to buy that stuff again because it wouldn't be happening. But, it won't be enough to buy the machines again and then make all the necessary repairs, repainting the entire place, and everything else I'll have to buy to open the doors again," she tells me, her voice full of emotion as she wraps her arms around me and holds me close to her.

"We'll get it figured out, Sweet Girl. I'll help you do whatever I can. I know construction work and most of the guys here do too. There isn't a man in the club who won't show up to help you get the place back up and ready to open again. You're not gonna have to do this shit alone," I promise her, knowing most of the guys are planning on showing up at some point today. I just have to let them know when we head out.

Tripp has been at my house almost every single day. Even when he's not on the schedule to be a bodyguard, my best friend is here with us. He spends a lot of time hanging out with Danger. He'll take him on walks around the compound, and just sit out behind my house with him. Tripp did have a dog when he was growing up and I know he misses having one now. Dallas doesn't mind him spending time with her dog and laughs at the pair of them when they get playing around outside together. It is funny as hell.

"I can't ask you guys to work at the clinic to help me. It would be different if I could pay you, but I can't. Every dime I have has to go to paying back the loan I took out and since I can't run the clinic and have clients come in, I'm not making any money to pay back the loan," she says, groaning in frustration as I pull her tighter to my body.

"You didn't ask us to do a fuckin' thing, Dallas. I'm helpin' because you mean somethin' to me. Told you when it comes to you I'm your man and those weren't just fuckin' words I thought you wanted to hear. I. Am. Your. Man," I tell her, making her look at me so she understands how serious I am. "Everyone else is gonna show up because they know you're mine and that's what we do. You're family, Dallas, because you're givin' me a chance after my epic fuck-up. We help one another no matter what's needed. Between all of us, the clinic won't take that long to get back up and running. We'll have everythin' ready to go by the time the equipment arrives and gets installed."

"What can I do to repay you guys?" she asks, clearly not hearing what I'm telling her.

"Nothin', Sweet Girl. We do this because you're one of us now. If Emmie needed somethin' done, would you make her repay you somehow for helpin' her?" I question, putting this in a way she'll understand.

"Of course not! That's my sister from another mister," she answers, sitting up straight in my lap and looking at me with outrage filling her eyes.

"Exactly. You're my girl and everyone is gonna show up for that reason alone. Add in what a great woman you are and it's only gonna wanna make them show up to help you even more," I tell her, placing a hand on either side of her face and leaning down to press my lips against hers.

For the first time in my life, I can't get enough of kissing a woman. I've never been into kissing before. Yeah, I kissed a woman here and there if we were having sex, but never felt the need to fuse my mouth to hers until neither one of us could breathe. Now, I want to kiss Dallas every second of the fucking day just to capture her taste. She always tastes like cherries from the hard candy she pops into her mouth. Sliding a hand down her face, I wrap my fingers around her neck and tilt her head back the way I want it. Dallas moans loudly as my fingers flex around her delicate neck.

When we break apart, both of us are breathing heavily and Dallas' eyes are heavy as she looks up at me. Her skin is flushed and I know she wants more than just a kiss. She's fucking insatiable and I'm the same with her. If I could stay buried deep in her pussy all day, every day, I would. I told her one taste was never gonna be enough and I was right.

"We gotta go, Sweet Girl. Tripp is downstairs waitin' on us. Eagle, Cash, Hawk, and some other guys are waitin' too. Hawk, Eagle, and Cash are gonna install a better security system and put up more cameras than what you had before the break-in. They'll cover every single inch of your property and will go to all of our phones. If anythin' happens, we'll get an alert immediately and show up. You'll also see what's goin' on no matter where you are," I tell her, standing from our bed with her in my arms before sliding her down my body until her feet hit the floor.

"They don't have to do that," she says before I press my finger against her lip to silence her.

"No, they don't. But they're goin' to. This shit won't happen again, Dallas. No one will get close to the clinic again without us knowin' about it. Hawk does this for all of our businesses and he's the one who suggested it be done to yours as well," I state, entwining our fingers and leading her from the bedroom.

Dallas slowly follows behind me as we make our way downstairs to find Tripp laying on the floor with Danger standing over him. I shake my head at the two playing again.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" I ask Tripp as he laughs his ass off.

"Danger wants his ball and I have it. He wants to play inside the house when we were just playin' outside," Tripp answers as we hit the last step and Dallas laughs for the first time in days.

"You two are insane," she says, walking over to her dog and giving him a rub down before calling him off.

Danger listens to Dallas and moves away from Tripp. He sits on the floor a few feet away and stares at the man who took his ball. Tripp rolls it on the floor toward Danger and laughs again as the dog pounces and snatches it up in his mouth. We all watch on as Danger walks out of the living room and heads for the kitchen.

Before leaving the house, Dallas goes through and feeds and waters all the animals so they have food while we're gone. She gives all of them love before telling them we'll be back later. I get her out on the porch knowing she'll continue to stall if I let her. Eagle and the other guys are waiting for us on their bikes as I lock the door and set the security alarm from my phone. Dallas has the code and app on her phone so she can do the same if she ever has to leave without me. I've given her access to every part of my life with the exception of club business. She knows the password for my phone, the security passcode, and everything else she could ever want or need to know. I've never given a woman that information before in my life, but didn't hesitate when it came to her.

Moving to my bike, I grab the spare helmet I just got for Dallas and turn to put it on her head. She looks at me with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask her, stopping my movements to figure out what's going on in her head.

"We're riding your bike?" she returns, her voice almost a shriek.

"Yeah. Told you that you're my woman and that means you're the only one who will ever ride my bike. I know I'm gonna claim you as my ol' lady when you're ready so there's no point in waitin' to get you on the back and feelin' your body wrapped around mine," I explain to her as she continues to look up at me.

"I haven't been on a bike since I was a little girl, Adam. Aren't I too big to ride?" she questions me, her voice wavering and I know that's an idea someone's put in her head.

I want to fucking gut whoever has stolen this woman's fucking confidence and self-esteem from her. For the most part she doesn't let that part of her show. It's only when she's feeling extremely vulnerable that she forgets to keep her defenses up and locked in place that I get to see her like this. I can't fucking stand it!

"You're not too fuckin' big to get on my bike with me, Dallas. I don't know who the fuck told you that shit, but it's a lie. You're fuckin' perfect the way you are and I don't want you to change anythin'. We're gonna ride to your clinic and then one of the guys will bring you home in an SUV. My bike is the only one you ride on," I state, seeing the guys around us get angry with her thinking she can't ride with me.

I put the helmet on her head and fasten the strap before putting on my bandana and helmet. Lifting Dallas off the ground, I put her on the seat before climbing on in front of her. Dallas immediately wraps her arms around me as I straighten my bike and put the kickstand up. Reaching behind me, I grab her legs and pull her even closer so her chest is plastered to my back. Finally, I start the engine and rev it a few times as the men surrounding us all start their bikes. I won't be riding in the front or back today as I normally would. Today, the guys will surround us so no one can attempt to get close to my bike so they can hurt Dallas.

We pull out from the driveway of my house and slowly ride through the compound. Once we're ready to pull out onto the road, we get into formation knowing the asshole after my girl could be hiding anywhere since we have no clue who we're looking for. That's the most frustrating part of this entire situation. Usually we have some kind of idea who we're looking for. When it comes to Dallas, there's absolutely no hints or clues about who we're looking for.

Hawk has been looking into the man that's sitting his ass in prison. Most of his known associates and family are either locked up, in hiding, or have been killed for one reason or another. There's no one left to want him released to our knowledge. Either someone has been helping him for a while and no one's ever heard of this person, or someone wants to get the operation back up and running and won't do it without his help or input. Hawk's also been in contact with Hilton and there were no fingerprints left behind on the note that was delivered to the mayor. Whoever this fucker is, they know what they're doing which only makes the situation worse.

We've been working at the clinic for hours. All the debris and garbage has been picked up and removed from the interior and Jay is working on the outside to make sure everything is cleaned up out there. He's also washing the spray paint from the building the best he can. If we have to paint the exterior, we will to make sure none of it's left behind as a reminder as to what happened here. Dallas has been strong as fuck the entire time we've been here even though I've watched the tears fill her eyes and her need to breakdown fill her. I'm fucking proud of her for being so damn strong.

Some of the ol' ladies showed up to help us inside and Emmie is on her way. I honestly can't wait to see Emmie again because Tripp and Dallas talk about her all the time. I've learned more about her than I want to, but that's okay as long as the two most important people in my life are happy. Tripp hasn't been able to spend as much time with her lately because he's been with us so much. I know they talk on the phone and shit, but I don't want him to miss out on a chance to be with her if that's what he wants. I've told him not to take as many shifts at the house, but he just brushes me off and tells me that Emmie understands. She wants her best friend protected and if he's the one to help do that then she's all about it. Emmie will make him a good ol' lady if that's where this is heading between the two of them.

"Sweet Girl, where are you?" I call out, walking to the back of the clinic and looking in each room as I pass them.

"Kennel room," she answers, her voice almost breaking as I head for her.

Before I can get to the room, I hear someone else shouting for her.

"Dallas!" a woman's voice yells, echoing off the now bare walls. "Where the hell are you, slut?"

Anger fills me at the thought of someone calling her a slut. Dallas is the furthest thing from a slut and I turn to find out who the hell I'm about to put in their place. Emmie is rushing down the hall with Tripp following close behind her. My anger deflates because I know this is how the two of them talk to one another. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be getting past me.

"Big man," Emmie says as she barrels past me and heads straight for the kennel room without Dallas answering her.

I give them a few minutes as Tripp and I remain in the hall. By the time we enter the room, Dallas is in her best friend's arms with tears sliding down her face. It took seeing Emmie for her to break. With nothing but us here, she wanted to appear strong and unaffected as if we would judge her. Not a single man here would think any less of Dallas breaking down right now. Walking into the clinic and truly seeing the destruction first-hand was gut wrenching. To know all of the hard work and time my girl put into this place and knowing it was all tarnished and destroyed in the blink of an eye hurt. The pictures we saw didn't really do much to truly show everything that had been done to the place.

"We got you, girl. Your man is here and I'm not leaving your side until you go back to the compound. We're gonna get this place cleaned up and there's guys already working on repairing the walls and doors that have been damaged. A guy is outside working on removing the spray paint from the walls outside. You can order the new equipment as soon as the insurance company sends the check and you get it deposited into your account. Charlotte and I aren't going anywhere. She's gonna find part-time work until we're open again. She wants to be here to help, but she's at an interview right now," Emmie tells Dallas as she continues to hold her and give her comfort in only the way a best friend can. "Now, pull up them big girl fucking panties, wipe your tears, and let's get this shit done. You're a badass bitch and this fucker won't keep you down. He won't fucking win because your man is bigger and more badass than anyone else."

Dallas laughs and pulls away from Emmie. I'm right at her side as she starts to wipe the tears from her face and do what Emmie said. I remain close to her side but don't make a move to touch her so she can work this shit out on her own. That's what she needs right now and I'm gonna give her my silent support and strength. Dallas knows I'll be here for when she needs me but that I'm not gonna coddle her and take away her independence because that's important to her.

"What do we need to do in here, Sweet Girl?" I ask, looking around at all the destroyed kennels.

"I don't think we're gonna be able to save any of them. We'll have to get rid of all these and start over with new ones. All the beds, bowls, and everything has to be thrown away. I won't risk an animal by thinking this idiot didn't do something I can't see with my eyes. There's way too many poisonous things in the world that can harm animals and you wouldn't even see it coming," Dallas says, showing how passionate she is about her work with animals.

"Okay. I've got about an hour before I have to head to the club for work. Tripp and Kidd will be the ones takin' you home tonight when you're done here. Hawk, Cash, and Eagle won't leave until they have everythin' set up and know it's workin'. The camera angles will be checked last to make sure every inch of the property is covered. Hawk will install the app you need on your phone to get the alerts and just view the camera footage when you want to," I tell her, knowing I don't want to leave her but that I have no choice tonight. Panther needs the night off and there's no one else to cover him.

"Can Emmie come to the house for a while? Maybe have a girl's night or something while you're at work?" Dallas asks me as Tripp and I start to pull the damaged kennels from the floor to remove.

"Yeah. You don't have to ask my permission for Emmie or anyone else to come over for a visit, Sweet Girl. You're not my prisoner or bein' held hostage by the club," I tell her, wondering why she'd think she needs to ask for Emmie to come over.

"Well, I don't know the rules at the compound. I don't want to invite her over and it not be allowed because I'm staying with you. I also don't want to take advantage of your hospitality, Adam," she answers and I can't help but chuckle.

"Sweet Girl, you can have Emmie over whenever you want. No one is gonna say a word to you about her showin' up. The only thing I'll say is give me a head's up so I can let the Prospect at the gate know to expect her. If they don't know, they might give her a hard time. You're not takin' advantage of anythin', Dallas. I want you to feel comfortable in my house because eventually it will be your home too. When you're ready, I want you to move your stuff in the house so we can make it a home. There's nothin' for you to take advantage of," I state, pulling her body close to mine and leaning down for a kiss.

Tripp and I get the kennels in the back room cleared out while Emmie and Dallas work on removing everything else. She doesn't keep a single thing that was in this room because she's so afraid something has been done to them. By the time I have to leave, everything is almost completely cleaned up and all that's left to be done is removing the larger equipment that the companies will take when they deliver the new ones, fixing the walls, painting, and buying other new things that Dallas will take care of over the next few weeks once she gets the insurance check. I leave her with Tripp and Emmie so I can get to Entice for my shift there. It's gonna be hard as fuck working when I know she's gonna need me once she gets home and relaxes. Dallas' mind will replay everything we did today and it will bother her. Hopefully Emmie and Tripp can keep her occupied enough that she doesn't get too lost in her thoughts until I'm home with her.