when a voice behind me screamed, "I found them. Oh, my!" Julian's hand went over his heart. "This just reminded me of the first time I was dragged into Zara's house and delivered upon a house full of spunk-rats." He beamed. "Who's gonna give this momma a kiss hello?" His arms spread wide and he made a kissy face at us all. I quickly shifted back into the kitchen and moved far away from Julian at the entrance of it. "Come on now, I need some biker sugar. I know you all missed my gorgeous arse." He wiggled his fingers.
If there was one, he wouldn't be here without the other. "Matthew, get the fuck in here and rein your fella in," I bellowed.
Julian rolled his eyes. "It's okay, my men. I know you all love me, no need to show it." His eyes glanced over us and landed on Parker. Julian moved into the kitchen and started for him. "Oooh, you're a new and sparkly toy. Hey there, handsome. I'm Julian, your next wet—"
"Julian," Mattie snapped in the doorway. "Hey, everyone, just popped in to see my sister while driving through. Sorry to interrupt." Josie appeared next to Mattie and wound her arm around his waist. He placed his around her shoulders.
"You're her brother and his partner?" Parker gaped.
Yeah, we're a unique fuckin' bunch for a family.
"Sure am." Mattie smiled. "Name's Matthew, but people call me Mattie."
"How'd you find out we were all here?" I asked.
Julian grinned. "I used my charm at the compound...though, I think they gave up your information just to get rid of me." His eyes went big and he shook his head. "No taste, some people. Sooo, what's going on in the bad-boy world?" he asked.
"Nothin' you need to know about, Julian," I said.
Parker stood from the table. "I'm outta here. Josie, always a pleasure. Lan, I'll go through you for any messages. Be in touch, fellas." Then he walked quickly out the back door. He was probably worried, like most of us, that Julian was gonna take a huge chunk outta him.
"Can I get anyone a drink?" Josie offered.
Guess the fuckin' meeting was over for now.
"I'd love one." Julian smiled and took Parker's vacated seat. Josie found her way around my kitchen while Mattie stood against the wall with an apologetic look on his face.
"Dodge, you should call Talon and give him an update," Memphis suggested.
Julian tapped the table with his knuckles and said, "Oh, don't need to worry about that."
Chapter Nine
W illow
The room dark and unfamiliar, I wiped my bleary eyes. I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but I felt better for it. Surprise fluttered through my mind when I realised how rested I felt, a miracle considering the last twenty-four hours or so.
Guilt remained heavy in my mind. I needed to seek out someone else's help—a bodyguard, anyone who could deal with it professionally without causing their family hardship. I had to find someone I could trust. A detective, maybe? There was always a risk they could be in with the dick-muncher who bought me and his evil plan, but I had to take that risk to get my overflowing crap from the Hawks' doorstep.
Stretching my sore body, I pushed the sheet back and shifted my legs to the side to sit. Looking down at my bandaged feet, I moved them up and down, side to side. They still ached, but the real test was if I could stand on them. Carefully, I touched them to the grey carpeted floor. They were tender, but not too bad. Standing, the ache in them doubled. Still, it was something I could handle for small periods.
Brushing my hair from my face, I made my way to the door and slowly opened it. The room I'd been in was just about in the middle of the hall. What I guessed was the kitchen, at the end, held a lot of voices. My heart beat double-time. Too nervous to walk in there, I went in the other direction to the living room, hoping I'd find Josie.
She wasn't there, so I had a choice to either wait out the people in the kitchen or go in and see what was going on.
Just when the thought to hide in the room again crossed my mind, there was an
If there was one, he wouldn't be here without the other. "Matthew, get the fuck in here and rein your fella in," I bellowed.
Julian rolled his eyes. "It's okay, my men. I know you all love me, no need to show it." His eyes glanced over us and landed on Parker. Julian moved into the kitchen and started for him. "Oooh, you're a new and sparkly toy. Hey there, handsome. I'm Julian, your next wet—"
"Julian," Mattie snapped in the doorway. "Hey, everyone, just popped in to see my sister while driving through. Sorry to interrupt." Josie appeared next to Mattie and wound her arm around his waist. He placed his around her shoulders.
"You're her brother and his partner?" Parker gaped.
Yeah, we're a unique fuckin' bunch for a family.
"Sure am." Mattie smiled. "Name's Matthew, but people call me Mattie."
"How'd you find out we were all here?" I asked.
Julian grinned. "I used my charm at the compound...though, I think they gave up your information just to get rid of me." His eyes went big and he shook his head. "No taste, some people. Sooo, what's going on in the bad-boy world?" he asked.
"Nothin' you need to know about, Julian," I said.
Parker stood from the table. "I'm outta here. Josie, always a pleasure. Lan, I'll go through you for any messages. Be in touch, fellas." Then he walked quickly out the back door. He was probably worried, like most of us, that Julian was gonna take a huge chunk outta him.
"Can I get anyone a drink?" Josie offered.
Guess the fuckin' meeting was over for now.
"I'd love one." Julian smiled and took Parker's vacated seat. Josie found her way around my kitchen while Mattie stood against the wall with an apologetic look on his face.
"Dodge, you should call Talon and give him an update," Memphis suggested.
Julian tapped the table with his knuckles and said, "Oh, don't need to worry about that."
Chapter Nine
W illow
The room dark and unfamiliar, I wiped my bleary eyes. I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but I felt better for it. Surprise fluttered through my mind when I realised how rested I felt, a miracle considering the last twenty-four hours or so.
Guilt remained heavy in my mind. I needed to seek out someone else's help—a bodyguard, anyone who could deal with it professionally without causing their family hardship. I had to find someone I could trust. A detective, maybe? There was always a risk they could be in with the dick-muncher who bought me and his evil plan, but I had to take that risk to get my overflowing crap from the Hawks' doorstep.
Stretching my sore body, I pushed the sheet back and shifted my legs to the side to sit. Looking down at my bandaged feet, I moved them up and down, side to side. They still ached, but the real test was if I could stand on them. Carefully, I touched them to the grey carpeted floor. They were tender, but not too bad. Standing, the ache in them doubled. Still, it was something I could handle for small periods.
Brushing my hair from my face, I made my way to the door and slowly opened it. The room I'd been in was just about in the middle of the hall. What I guessed was the kitchen, at the end, held a lot of voices. My heart beat double-time. Too nervous to walk in there, I went in the other direction to the living room, hoping I'd find Josie.
She wasn't there, so I had a choice to either wait out the people in the kitchen or go in and see what was going on.
Just when the thought to hide in the room again crossed my mind, there was an
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