Page 12 of More Bite than Bark

“I didn’t,” Hex said.“I didn’t talk to her before she did it.I barely looked at her.She had her reasons.I’m not going to tell them.That’s up to her.But I’ve offered her run of my place until she’s ready to talk to everyone.”

“Fuck,” Wrath said, turning to walk the length of the command center.He stopped at the far wall and turned around, but he didn’t come back.

“What?”Hex turned to look at his VP.

“I’ll lay odds she told you she’s pregnant and that it’s yours.”Wrath shook his head and continued, “She’s playing on your sympathy.”He folded his arms across his chest as if daring Hex to tell him he was wrong.

Hex didn’t blame him.He knew what his VP was doing.He was protecting the club, trying to protect his president.Hell, if he didn’t know Elle so well, he would be suspicious too.But he wasn’t ready to tell everyone.Not until he’d had a chance to sit down and discuss all the options and make a decision with Elle.

Hex made a mental note to order a property cut for her, then shook his head, not denying what Wrath had said, but not acknowledging it either.He turned to Cypher.

“There’s something off about this Anderson.What man is going to date a woman for over a year, but insist on anything intimate wait until after the wedding?”

“A devout one?”Wrath asked, his tone saying clearly that he didn’t believe it.

“Does he read that way?Have you found anything about him being particularly religious?”Hex asked Cypher.

Cypher shook his head.

“Not that I’ve found so far, and unless we’re talking Lundgren or Ridgeway levels of devotion, I should be seeing something.”

Hex stared at Cypher for a moment before the names registered as purity motivated serial killers.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”he asked.

“More than you want to get into,” Cypher replied without looking away from his screen.

“Any word on what they want us to do with our guest?”Hex asked, changing the subject.

“I got a call from Jake.He said since you said it wasn’t a big deal he’d get back to you in the morning with their decision.He also said that if our guest gives us any trouble, then do what we need to do.There will be no repercussions between clubs if we have to eliminate a threat.”

Hex nodded as he processed that.He didn’t like the crime lord on the compound at the same time as Elle, but he didn’t see anything that could be done about it, at least not tonight.

“All right.I’m headed home.You know where to find me if you need me.”He turned and started out, but stopped at the door and spoke again without bothering to turn around.“Don’t need me.”

He heard Cypher and Wrath chuckling as he left.He didn’t care as long as they didn’t pester him and Elle.He wanted at least one evening with her, uninterrupted if he could get it.

Chapter Eight

Elizabetheasedhercardown the graded road that led from the gate, past a cluster of buildings and through the trees before several houses appeared.She wondered, not for the first time, about a bunch of rough and rowdy bikers who would keep houses that, while each was different, looked like they belonged in any neighborhood.

Well, maybe not any.As beautiful as these houses were, they would never fit in next to the monstrosity Mama called home.Elizabeth had never wanted anything that big.She was not into entertaining, at least not in her home.She hated letting people she wasn’t close with into her home, her sanctuary.

That made her shake her head as she pulled her car into the driveway next to the pickup already sitting there.She wondered for a moment why Kevin had invited her here, to what was obviously his sanctuary.There was a covered parking area, but she knew that was for Kevin’s Harley.After killing the engine, she grabbed her handbag, then the bags Kevin had put in the trunk for her and headed inside.It had been a long day and all she wanted was to curl up, hopefully with Kevin, though she would understand if he put her in a guest room, and get some sleep.

Inside she looked around, it didn’t look like much had changed since the last time she was here.Not that she’d spent a lot of time inspecting his home then, but it was impossible not to notice some things.The home was clean, if a little lived in.It had been messier the last time she’d been here, but he’d been home, watching something sports, if she remembered right, at the time.She dropped the shopping bags, along with her handbag on the square table in the middle of the room and went to the sofa.It looked soft and comfortable, and she couldn’t resist the temptation to find out.

Laying down, she grabbed one of the pillows at one end and shoved it under her head.She would just lie here and rest while she waited for Kevin.

Then darkness took her.

Chapter Nine

Hexparkedhisbikeunder the carport, thinking he’d have to add another or maybe just expand this one so Elle had somewhere sheltered to park.It might not be such a big deal now, but he knew she would appreciate it when she was trying to unload a baby in the rain.

He was getting ahead of himself, he knew.But he wanted to do everything he could to convince her to stay, and if that meant adding a carport to make life easier for her, he would.He didn’t have the same lifestyle she was used to, hell, it wasn’t what he’d grown up with either, but it was a hell of a lot better than what he’d dealt with when he’d been in the Army.

Remembering how tired Elle had looked, he tried not to make any more noise than he had to as he climbed the steps and let himself inside.As soon as he stepped in the door, he was glad he’d kept quiet.Elle lay stretched out on the sofa, her face soft with sleep.He fought the urge to go to her, to kiss her awake.That wasn’t what she needed.She’d had a long day, and he wouldn’t make it longer.But he wasn’t going to let her sleep there either.