His answer semi-shocks me. Of course I knew there would be consequences for my actions, but why wouldn’t he just feed me to the wolves? Sure, the bastard forcibly kissed me after my failed attempt to escape, but that doesn’t mean he has feelings for me. Men like watching women fight, or in this case, completely brutalize a man’s junk. The excitement of tonight’s events and the anticipation of the coming retaliation must have clouded his better judgment. Well, that or his little brain was in control of that particular moment. Dicks have an amazing ability to make intelligent and reasonable men do stupid things.
“He attacked me first, you know. It’s sweet how you protect a potential rapist because he wears the same patch as you do.” His loyalty to Trax irks me more than the kiss. Men in a brotherhood are supposed to have honor and decency, but then again, these men are ruled by more than their corrupt morals. They may appear to be serving their club’s purposes, but from the back door dealing’s I’ve witnessed in my time here, they look out for themselves more than their club. He tries to explain away his loyalty to Trax and his brothers, but it all sounds like bullshit to me.
“What happened to the man I met at Red’s that night? I know you were focused more on getting laid that night, but the asshole façade you put on for the club doesn’t feel like it’s the real you. You care about the people here.”
He pauses before answering me, sending me hope that he’s carefully analyzing the meaning behind my words, but even I’m not that naïve. There’s not a single thing about this man that screams careful. His mouth should come with a parental guidance warning sign before he says a word.
“Don’t, Dani. I’m not the man you seem to think I am. There’s not a heart of gold buried underneath my black heart. I’m not made to love anyone but myself. I was born and bred to kill and service justice, not to love. Now, go back to sleep. I need to rest before I handle business tomorrow. I’d advise you not to leave the room until we get back. You’ll be safer in here after your little stunt tonight.”
Hero may be tough on the outside, but I felt his heart that night at the club, even in a drunken state of mind. What man would dance with a drunken woman instead of trying to convince her to come back to his place for a one-night stand? If he was looking for an easy lay that night, he didn’t have to look too far with all the skanks that fill this club on a regular basis. He has all the women he could ever want within reach, yet he was working to seduce me that night, or at least seemed to be before Ricca killed the mood. Just thinking about her sends both rage and worry running through my mind. I wonder where she is right now and whether she’s okay. I guess I’ll never know the answer to that.
“Your heart may be black, Hero, but even assholes have them.”
Soft snores vibrate from his body just as the last word leaves my lips. I meant what I said. He may be a black-hearted son-of-a-bitch when the club is around, but the man I met the night in the bar has feelings buried in that thick skull of his somewhere. His breathing relaxes my body with each cycle, and I slowly drift back to sleep.
The sound of Harley’s firing up in the driveway wakes me. I’m still in bed, but I wake wrapped around his pillow. His cologne lightly covers the soft fabric. Why do guys like him always smell so good? It’s just not fair sometimes. Sliding out of the bed, I walk to the window and watch bike after bike drive away from the clubhouse. After the last Harley leaves, the clubhouse is eerily quiet. A pin could drop downstairs and I’d probably hear it striking the ground. Knowing Hero ordered me to stay in his room while he was gone, I debate whether I should break that rule. I resolve that in light of what happened last night, I might be safer in here for the time being.
Shuffling to the bathroom, I quickly shower and brush my teeth. Realizing I forgot my toothbrush back in my room, I decide just to use his and conveniently forget to tell him about it. I doubt he’d have the same reaction that Christian had in Fifty Shades of Grey. Hero reminds me of Christian. He’s moody, unpredictable and takes what he wants without batting an eye. Well, not exactly alike. His tattoos, Harley, and outlaw lifestyle aren’t exactly screaming billionaire playboy. Just imagining Hero wearing a suit makes me giggle. He’d look so different with his hair slicked back. Almost normal really, but I know that normal isn’t a word you could use to describe him. Sexy, yes. A stubborn fucking asshole that melts me right out of my panties in a crowded room? Fuck yes! He’s the only man that could make me wet and want to throat punch him all in the same moment. It’s not fucking fair to womankind to have Hero on this planet.
Wrapping my hair up in a towel, I settle onto the small sofa and waste the day watching TV. My stomach begins to grumble a few hours later, and I realize I can’t leave the room to eat. Maybe sneaking out and down into the kitchen will be innocent enough. The clubhouse is still as silent as a sinner in church, so I know not many people are out and about. Cracking the door, I peer out into the hallway, finding it empty. Sliding quietly between the small opening of the door, I tiptoe down the stairs and sneak into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, I find a plate of prepared sandwiches. The girls must have been busy last night in preparation for their triumphant return. Picking a ham and Swiss hoagie, I gather up my sandwich and a can of soda and head back to the stairway.
Just as I turn the corner, Daisy and Ruby walk into the main room. I’m not sure whether or not my containment orders were delivered to those left behind, so I decide to hole up in the kitchen until they leave. Daisy stares absentmindedly out of the window, assumedly watching for a sign of their return. Ruby plops down on the couch, flicking on the TV.
“Do you think they’ll be back soon?” Daisy asks, still watching outside. “It’s been hours since they left. Shouldn’t they be back now?”
“It’s fine, Daisy. Taking care of business takes time when you want to come back alive. Quit worrying yourself into a stay in crazy land. Either they come back, or they don’t. It’s not exactly like we are old ladies to the club.” Ruby doesn’t once look at Daisy while she speaks to her, continuing to stay focused on the TV.
“I thought I would be an old lady now, Ruby. Hero seemed to like me well enough before Dani showed up. I was hoping he’d patch me.”
“You’re delusional, Daisy. Hero isn’t the kind of guy who’s looking for one pussy for the rest of his life. He’ll always be a player. Even the little bitch that’s holed up in his room right now won’t change a man like him. If she can’t change his mind, the rest of us are fucked.”
“I know, Rube. I just don’t understand why he moved her into his room. He despises her. Hell, he told me to scream louder the last time he fucked me so she’d hear me. He doesn’t care about her. All he wants to do is fuck her into submission and toss her aside just like he did with us.”
“Sometimes, Daisy, men don’t even see what they want even when it is staring them in the face.”
Ruby pats the seat next to her in an attempt to break Daisy’s attention away from outside. Daisy pushes away from the window and settles into the seat next to Ruby. Leaning her head on Ruby’s shoulder, both of the girls quietly watch TV together. Several awkward minutes later, rumbling engines begin to pull into the drive again. Both girls jump from the couch and dart outside.
Taking the chance to make it back up to his room undetected, I toss my gathered food aside and rush back up the stairs and skid into his room. Cheers erupt outside signaling a victory. At least Hero will be in a semi-good mood knowing they won. Well, that is if he comes back. The image of his lifeless body lying in a ditch in the middle of nowhere flashes through my mind just as he bursts through the door. He’s covered in blood from head to toe. Without a word, he walks past me and straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I hear the water turn on and the glass shower door shut. I internally debate whether to attempt to check on him in the bathroom. The blood could very well be his.