Bear's Forever: Infernal Sons MC #1 Page 2

  I'm about to say something when I hear a man’s voice yelling from outside. The woman's eyes grow wide with fear. My protective instinct rushes forward and I step toward her but stop when I see her running right for me. She runs until she is slightly behind me and the little slip of a woman plasters herself right against my back. Not even a second later the same door she came through is shoved open, with much more force, and bounces against the wall.

  A man is standing just inside the door. His eyes look wild. His arms are hung at his side and in one hand he is holding what looks to be a taser gun that most police officers use. I'm instantly on guard.

  “Where is she?” crazy eyes asks.

  I feel the woman at my back shake and her breathing is getting choppy. Reaching back, I touch whatever part of her body my hand reaches first. I feel the softness of her clothes, so I know about where I'm holding her. My hands are rough and calloused, but she doesn't seem to mind, and her breathing starts to even out.

  “Who the fuck are you?” I ask, ignoring his question.

  “Oh, I… I'm looking for someone.” Crazy eyes keeps scanning the room hardly giving the brothers a glance. He explains what the someone he's looking for looks like. Sounds just like my little back warmer.

  “Have you gentlemen by any chance seen her around?”

  Ink, Brick, and Chains are laughing at crazy eyes calling us gentlemen. There isn't a single thing gentle about any of my brothers. I laugh with the thought of a gentle Trigger. That man has less emotion than a Jellyfish and reacts on instinct alone.

  “Ink, show this.... gentleman where the door is, then throw his ass out of it,” I say.

  “Now you listen here you heathen...”

  With a quick glance at Hawk and Brick, the two closest brothers, I rush forward trusting my men to have understood and protect the woman. I grab crazy eyes around the throat and squeeze just enough to make him struggle for his next breath, but not pass out before I want him to. I tell the man who I am, hoping he will recognize either my name or the clubs name.

  I can tell when it dawns on him and his face turns white. I release his throat and after more rambling, he drops a card on the table and then walks out the door.

  Standing there for a few minutes, I wait to make sure he doesn't come back. Once I'm satisfied, I turn and head back to the woman hidden behind Brick and Hawk. They move aside, and I rush forward. Her skin is pale and wet with sweat, she's shaking, and her eyes are glazed over. I know a panic attack when I see one. I cup her small, delicate face in my hands, trying to get her to focus on only one thing while I try and talk her out of her panic.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” I say softly. “He's gone now. It's okay. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you, I promise.”

  The color on her face comes back and her eyes are trying to focus. She's coming out of it. Thank fuck.

  “Sweetheart, can you hear me?” I say.

  She nods her head and I take a relieved breath. I don't know why the woman is having this effect on me. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

  “Good. That's good. What's your name?” I ask.

  The look in her eyes breaks my heart. She looks so defeated. My hands are still holding her when she tries looking away. I'm having none of that and keep her face right where I can see every single inch of it.

  “Your name, what do I call you?” I ask softly.

  “Nothing,” she says with a voice so sweet.

  Registering what she says I get pissed at crazy eyes all over again. I don't know what that man has done to this beautiful woman to make her think she is nothing, but I will stop at nothing to make sure he pays. Painfully. Slowly. I don't want her to have another panic attack, so I try to calm myself before speaking.

  “You are not nothing,” I say. “But I really would like to know your name. Just your first name is fine.”

  I don't like thinking of her as the woman. All I want is a name to call this beautiful person. I want to see if her name tastes as sweet as she looks.

  Clearing her throat, she tells me, “I... I have no birth name. I am called, girl.”

  The anger comes out in full force. I release her face gently and walk away, trying to remain calm so I don't scare her. She doesn't have a fucking name? They call her girl? Taking a deep breath, I turn around. She's not where I left her. Trying not to panic I quickly search the room and find her in the corner behind the table.

  She looks so innocent and lost. I can't help but want to wrap her in my arms and hide her away from anyone who would harm her. I walk to her and crouch down so she doesn't have to move.

  “We'll get back to that,” I tell her. “The man who chased you in here, who was he?”

  The brownest eyes I have ever seen looks straight at me and shocks me for the fourth time in thirty minutes.

  “My father,” she whispers, as the tears trail down her face and fall to the floor.

  Her fucking father?

  Until this moment my brothers have kept to the side quietly and allowed me to handle the woman without interfering. The moment she gave me her answer there was a whole eruption of pissed off men.

  Feeling someone squeeze my shoulder I look back. Hawk, my blood brother, was standing there with a question in his eyes. Nodding that I understood, I turn back to the beauty with a small smile.

  “Okay, baby, I need to talk to my brothers. You're safe here. No one will hurt you. Do you want to sit at the table for a bit?

  She nods her head. I hold out my hand and wait patiently to see if she will accept. She slowly places her small, cold hand into mine and I help her up and walk her to the table.

  “I'll be just a minute. I'm not leaving the room only heading over by the bar. Just wait here for me, okay?” I tell her.

  She says nothing but again nods her head. I lightly squeeze the hand that was still tucked safely in my own and reluctantly let it go.

  “What the actual fuck?” Hawk says when I make it over to the bar.

  “I think I know him.” Chains says. “Her father, I'm pretty sure I've seen him somewhere. I'll look into it and see if I can figure it out.”

  Rubbing my head, I address my VP. “Chains, see if Laura has any girl shit she can send over. Soaps, clothes, shoes. Whatever she cares to part with.”

  “Prez, none of my sisters’ clothes will fit that tiny woman,” Chains says.

  “It's fine if they don't fit. Just as long as they cover her skin enough to keep her warm. And If you figure out who that bastard is, let me know.”

  One nod and I know I can count on Chains to take care of it.

  “Hawk, how do you feel about debugging the clubhouse?” I ask.

  “I'm on it, Prez. I'll send any pieces I find over to Slim and see if he's able to tell us anything.”

  Slim is a prospect and our clubs’ electronic junkie. The man can hack into any system you put in front of him.

  “Alright, church tomorrow at noon, my house. No more club business at the clubhouse until Hawk gives the word,” I say.

  “What about our new girl?” Trigger asks.

  Glaring at the emotionless ass hat I say, “She isn't our new anything. She's off-limits. I see a single finger touching her and I'll break the owner's fucking arm. Are we clear?”

  I get a unanimous yes Prez.

  “I'm taking her back to my house. Hopefully, I can get some answers,” I say.

  With nothing more to say I turn and head back to the woman. Damn, she needs a fucking name.

  “Come on, baby, I'm taking you home,” I say as I reach for her hand.

  Before I can reach her, she falls out of her chair and cries.

  “No, p..p..please don't take me back there. I'll be g...good. I won't make a s…sound. Please,” she begs.

  I just stand there frozen with my hand still reaching for her. Then I realize what I said. She took it to mean I was taking her back to her father. I don't think so. If I have anything to do with it, she will never set those perfect eyes on that bastard again.

&n
bsp; “Oh, no sweetheart,” I tell her softly. “I will never take you back there. I was talking about my home. You can stay there in my guest room. No harm will come to you under my roof. We'll figure everything else out later. Do you trust me?”

  I panic after a few seconds of her not saying anything. Then she gives me a small nod and places her hand in mine. Helping her up off the floor I gently pull her into my arms. Wrapping my arms securely around her I just hold her for a few minutes before I pull back.

  Her hand still in mine, we walk toward the front of the building and out the door.

  “Let's go home,” I tell her. With those three words, another piece of my broken puzzle slides into place. This woman could be the glue that holds my puzzled soul together. But, if I'm not careful, she could easily be the one who tears it apart.

  Chapter Three

  The moment we step outside I'm hit with an intense blast of cold. When I escaped my father’s house earlier, I did it with only the clothes on my back. The chance I had been waiting for had finally happened and I couldn't risk my only opportunity by changing my clothes or even slipping on my shoes. So, I'm standing in the cold wearing only a thin nightgown with very little shoulder straps.

  I shiver but don't complain about the cold for fear that Bear will see me as a spoiled child and change his mind about helping me. Regardless of my attempts, he must have noticed because he stops walking and pulls me against his body.

  “Fuck, you're freezing,” he says quietly before turning his head to look at the group of men exiting the bar behind us.

  “Hawk, did you bring your truck?” Bear asks one of the men.

  “Yep, it's parked out back.”

  I look up at the man Bear called Hawk and do a double-take. Hawk is the spitting image of Bear. Brothers. Twins. They both have the same long thick beards, a good head of thick hair and eyes so blue I could practically see my reflection. Not to mention they both could be mistaken for giants. At the least, well over six feet tall and wide enough that two of me could stand side by side behind one of them and still be completely hidden.

  Although they are identical twins, I can easily tell the two apart. Hawk's voice isn't quite as low toned as Bears and while Bear seems broody and fierce, Hawk is all smiles and relaxed. Also, Hawk’s hair is black, where Bear’s is dark brown.

  “I need you to follow me on my bike,” Bear says to Hawk while rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “She's not dressed for a joy ride tonight.”

  One side of Hawks mouth tips up to a soft grin and he nods. He throws Bear a set of keys and walks away. We start walking again and Bear is leading me where he wants me to go with his hand pressed against the small of my back. I'm so focused on the warmth of his hand that I don't notice when we stop beside a massively big truck.

  “Hop up sweetheart,” he tells me.

  I'm trying to think of a way to hop up without embarrassing myself. The truck is high up off the ground and I'm...well, I'm not. Hearing a chuckle, I turn around to see Bear's eyes are alive with humor. I feel my face heating up with the embarrassment I was trying to avoid.

  Heck with it.

  I turn toward the truck and take a step forward when suddenly I'm lifted and placed gently in the passenger seat. My back barely hits the seat and I try to hide the wince of massive pain I felt from the small contact. Bear grabs the seat belt, pulls it across my body and leans over me to buckle it in. Before he backs away, he lifts his hand and slides his thumb softly down my cheek. So softly it tickles. When he finally backs up and shuts the door, I let out the breath of air I didn't even realize I was holding.

  Seconds later he's sitting beside me and starting the truck.

  “Let's get the heat going and get you warmed up,” he says as he messes with some buttons on the dash in front of us.

  Feeling a blast of heat hit me I instantly relax in the seat and close my eyes. Gosh, that feels so good. We start moving and my eyes dart open to look around. The only time I've ever seen the outside world was during my escape and I wasn't paying much attention to what was around me. I've never seen so many buildings. Or vehicles. Or trees. Everything was going by so fast and I was starting to feel sick. I close my eyes and allow the darkness to sooth me from so much unknown.

  “Hey, you alright?”

  I sigh because I know I can't lie to him and the truth will only bring out more questions I'm not yet prepared to answer. I ready myself for the task I know will come.

  “I'm fine, thank you. I've just never been in a vehicle before and my vision isn't used to things moving so fast. Do you mind if I just close my eyes until we arrive at your home?” I ask him.

  I see a tick in his jaw, but he answers with a simple “of course” and says nothing more. I'm shocked that he didn't ask me all the questions I could see he truly wanted to know.

  I must have spoken my thoughts out loud because he says, “Oh, I'll be getting answers to my questions, baby. I just want you warm and rested before we even begin.”

  I nod my head and close my eyes. I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I know everything goes silent and we're no longer moving.

  “Wake up sleeping beauty, we're home.”

  When I open my eyes, I see a single light illuminating the front porch of a log cabin. It’s too dark to notice any detail other than the hanging swing and chairs sitting on the porch. I look around and notice a light illuminating another porch not too far away from Bear’s home. Apart from the two homes, and probably many creatures surrounding the woods, there is nothing else out here.

  I keep telling myself that I should be scared. I don't know this man and I let him drive me out in the middle of nowhere. I don't know his intentions. I know he's a very dangerous man. A simple look into his eyes could tell you that. But I honestly believe, with everything that I am, this man will do me no harm.

  I know evil. I've looked it straight in the eyes. I've tried to love it. I've tried to comfort it. The man currently opening my door with a smile on his face is not evil. He may make himself appear hard and mean to others and is most definitely capable of inflicting harm, but he is not evil. Not even close.

  “You ready to go inside?” Bear asks me.

  I give him a small smile for the first time. “Is this really your home?” I ask instead of answering his question.

  The truth is, I'm scared. I don’t think he would hurt me but I'm afraid of being locked inside a room again.

  “It sure is,” he says with a voice so proud. “And, that cabin over there is my blood brothers. Hawk.”

  “Blood brothers?” I ask. I knew Hawk was his brother, but I didn't understand why he termed it, blood brother.

  “We're part of a motorcycle club,” I hear Hawk say as he stops to stand right beside Bear. “The men back at the bar are also members.”

  “It's not just a club; it's a family. We're all brothers.” Bear says. “Hawk is the only brother that is of blood and not just choice.”

  I nod my head that I understood. Turning so my legs are hanging out of the truck I brace myself for the jump to get down. Once again, I feel myself being lifted. This time I'm carried toward the house, bridal style. My face is turning red and I try to tell him that I'm capable of walking, but he beats me to it.

  “It's freezing out here sweetheart, I don't want your feet to touch the cold ground when I can just as easily, and quickly, carry you inside.”

  The next thing I know Hawk is opening the cabin door for Bear and we walk into a beautiful living room. The outside of the cabin seems so rustic. The inside is the complete opposite. Hanging from the wall is a very large flat-screen television. The couch that sits opposite the tv is solid black. As well as the coffee table and the side tables on either side of the couch. The cabin is surprisingly tidy for a man’s home and you can definitely tell a man lives here. It's just begging for a woman's touch.

  Instead of putting me down Bear walks me past the living room and down a hallway. He stops in front of a door and then gently places
my feet on the floor.

  “This is the bathroom,” he says pointing at the door in front of us. “Directly across from the bathroom is the guest room. Why don't you take a hot bath while I get your room ready for you?”

  I look at the floor trying to muster up some courage. He doesn't know this but talking is hard for me. Not painful hard, just hard in general. I was never allowed to talk much. If I did so without being asked a direct question I would be punished. Painfully.

  “Thank you,” I whisper. “Thank you so much for helping me. I promise to be good.”

  He reaches his hand up and with one finger guides my face until I'm looking in his eyes. With a frown on his face, he says, “You're welcome. I won't let any harm come to you and we'll talk about what you need protecting from, tomorrow. For now, go relax in the tub. Take your time, sweetheart. I'll have soup and a warm bed ready for you when you get out.”

  With a small nod, I turn and go into the bathroom but stop when Bear says something.

  “One more thing, we need a name for you. Is there any name you want to have?” He asks me.

  Shaking my head, I whisper, “No, I've always wanted a name, but I wanted someone to pick it for me. It doesn't mean as much if I choose one myself.” I blush knowing that what I've said sounds silly. Who wouldn't want to pick their own name? I just feel that a name I choose myself has no meaning like the ones most parents or loved one pick for a newborn child.

  “Okay,” he says with a smile. “How about Rose?”

  I tilt my head to the side wondering why he would choose that name. It's a beautiful name. Do I deserve such a beautiful name?

  “Why Rose?” I ask quietly.

  With a smile, he says, “Because you blush so beautifully. Like a beautiful Rose.”

  Feeling myself blush at his silly compliment, I give him a small smile.

  “Rose,” I say as my smile widens and I blush deeper. “I love it. Thank you.”

  “I'll see you after your bath, sweet, beautiful Rose,” he says.

  Turning quickly so he can't see my annoying blush, I walk into the bathroom shutting the door behind me. I turn on the tub and while it fills, I remove my dirty gown trying to keep my painful cries silent. I just know it's really bad this time.