Damaged & Dangerous: The Sacred Hearts MC Book VI (28 page)

One of the men of The Kraken was clearly drunk and rambling
and all of us were stifling our laughter at the outlandish and strange things
he was saying.

“Man… I wonder what anal sex is like. I’ve never done it,”
he said.

Duracell, who was chilling next to Blue, an arm slung
haphazardly over the other man’s shoulders in brotherly affection, barked a
laugh.

“I’d imagine it feels like having a dick in your ass,” he
said dryly, and the whole fireside erupted into laughter. Even Disney and Aaron
laughed.

“No, no, no, no Man!” The Kraken member protested and tried
to backpedal.

My laughter was slightly silenced by a slight nip to the side
of my neck. I turned, Thirteen’s eyes aglow with more than just firelight. I
smiled slightly and he lolled his head in Cutter’s direction, who sat next to
Reaver and Hayden. Hayden was curled tightly in Reaver’s lap and he held her as
if he would never let her go again, which made me smile.

“Thanks for having us here,” he said quietly, and Cutter
nodded.

“No worries, Man. We were glad to help,” but Cutter’s eyes
were distant as he stared into the firelight. His words, while meaningful, were
hollow and if I had to guess, the reason why was curled tightly in Reaver’s
arms. Cutter’s eyes snapped from the flames to mine and I smiled a bit sadly.
He gave me a secret smile in return and we shared a silent moment while the
festivities continued around us.

“Getting tired?” Thirteen asked. I nodded. Cutter looked us
both up and down.

“Space is limited but it’s supposed to be clear and nice tonight.
Why don’t you two take the hammock over there?” He gestured with his beer
bottle.

“Yeah?” Thirteen asked.

“Sure? Why not? Think Dani likes the idea.” I could hear
rather than see his crooked grin. My gaze was out on the vague glimmer of white
as the waves rolled onto the shore.

“Sound good to you, Baby?” Thirteen asked, low and careful.

“Sounds perfect,” I whispered.

Red-XII…

We lay swinging gently in the wide, deep blue, canvas
hammock. The party had definitely died out but I could tell Dani wasn’t asleep
yet. She lay snug against my side, staring sightless at the rolling surf, a lot
on her mind.

“Talk to me, Babe. What’s going on in that head of yours?” I
asked, low and quiet, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I like it,” she said and sounded surprised.

“Like what?” I asked, hoping she would expand on the
statement.

“The club, being here with you… it’s so
different
in
so many good ways. The girls are amazing and so loved. Your whole club is based
in love and respect and brotherhood. Is this what it was supposed to be?”

I couldn’t stop the grin from overtaking my face if I tried.

“Yeah, Babe. Yeah it is. This is what it’s supposed to be
like. Through the bad, through the good, this is it. We protect what’s ours.”
...and
you’re mine.
I kept the last part silent, for fear it’d be too much.

“I wish Jared had found your club instead,” she whispered
finally.

“Me too,” it was only half a lie. I would give anything to
spare Dani the pain and sorrow she’d been through but I couldn’t,
wouldn’t,
wish
for any fate that didn’t put her square in my arms like we were now.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” her soft voice
interrupted my brooding. Uh oh, busted.

“You. I am so fucking lucky to have you here, like this.”

“You think so?”

“Fuck, Baby, I know so… What are you doing?”

“It’s quiet, no one else is out here anymore,” her hands
worked deftly at the button and fly on my cargo shorts. I blinked.

“Here? Now? You sure?” I double checked with her, I knew she
was shy about people watching after what happened. We’d been clear for whatever
we’d wanted to do at the lake, my dock was shrouded from all the other nearby
houses by tall cattails and reeds.

“Yes, now shush and kiss me.”

Well fuck me! I wasn’t about to argue with a command like
that. I kissed her, my hands twining in the silken strands, holding them away
from her face as her warm fingers wrapped around me. Oh God, that was nice! I
groaned into her mouth, past her lips, and it was met with a sultry whimper
from her own soul.

I palmed the outside of her thigh and ran my hand up to
knead her perfect, tight little ass and she smiled against my mouth. Someday
I’d like to take her there but not now, not tonight.

She’d changed in the house into one of my tees and a pair of
her boy short panties before coming out to lay under the stars with me. Way too
much fabric to just tear off her body, so I shifted to get between her thighs
to pull them off.

Big mistake.

Hammocks were made for lounging in. Not for sex. The damned
thing tipped violently, Dani shrieked and I put my arms around her and turned
with the momentum of the swinging canvas. I landed,
hard
, on my back in
the sand, Dani collapsing on top of me. The wind knocked clean out of me, I
tried to pull in a breath but it wasn’t happening for a minute or two. Dani
pushed off of me and knelt in the sand by my hip. My shorts were down around my
thighs, cock rapidly deflating and waving in the breeze. She blinked at the
sour expression on my face.

“Are you okay?” she cried. I wasn’t able to speak just yet
so instead I waved her down, trying to signal with my hand that I just had the
wind knocked out of me when it happened.

She laughed. The purest, sweetest, most infectious sound,
just as I was able to draw breath again, and she kept laughing. She laughed
high and wild and free until the tears seeped from the corners of her eyes and
she clutched her sides and damn it if it wasn’t so fucking ridiculous and funny
that I couldn’t keep from joining in.

So we sat there, sand getting into the crack of my ass, and
laughed until she couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t breathe
again.
The
amorous mood destroyed but replaced with something much better in its wake.

Damn, it was good to hear my girl laugh.

Dani…

I looked out the kitchen window above the sink, out over the
stone patio, out over the fine white sand, to the hammock swaying gently back
and forth in the light morning breeze. We’d managed to find our way back into
it and had resumed lying in each other’s arms. Talking softly late into the
night until we fell asleep soundly in one another’s arms. There were no more
spills of sexual escapades resulting in disaster. I still couldn’t keep from
smiling, a broad dopey grin, every time I thought about it.

“What’s so funny?” Everett asked. I startled.

“You um, you really had to be there…” I hedged. She grinned and
laughed lightly and handed me two cups of coffee. I added the requisite amount
of cream and sugar to both mine and Thirteen’s liking, and smiled back.

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” Everett winked at me,
and Ashton and Mandy grinned. I had woken with the dawn and left Thirteen
sleeping, coming back into the house to shower and dress for the day. I was
surprised that the rest of the women were up too by the time I got out of my
shower.

Apparently the plans for the day involved relaxing, and
enjoying the sun and the water. I didn’t have a swimsuit but between Ashton and
Hayden, they had me covered. Well, Ashton did. Hayden was still secluded with
Reaver in the room she shared with Ashton. Ashton and Trigger had stayed on the
couch the night before. The big man still slept on in the big living room on
the couch that wrapped around and could easily seat a dozen people.

I wore a bikini, the first time I had ever worn one in my
life. It was white and held up by strings and I felt truly blessed that it fit
me well enough. Ashton even went so far as to lend me a wrap for the bottom so
I wouldn’t feel ridiculously exposed. The wrap was bright. Large white flowers
with yellow centers on a backdrop of bright green leaves and what could be palm
fronds.

The outfit was cute and with the rest of the girls dressed
similarly and completely at ease, I felt comfortable enough. I was still
nervous about the men of The Kraken and how they might behave but for the first
time that I could remember, I felt
safe,
and so I had some things I
wanted to give to show my appreciation and belief in the men of The Sacred
Hearts who had spent so much time, effort, and care in looking out for me. I
put my hand on the Crown Royal bag hanging out of the waistband of my swimsuit
and wrap, and smiled.

“Time to go wake up Sleeping Beauty,” I said, and Mandy
laughed. I picked up the two cups of coffee and she held open the slider for
me. It was already getting warm outside and promised to be a scorcher.

“Wait!” I turned, and Ashton dashed out onto the back patio,
“Put those down really quick and step over here.”

I set the two mugs of coffee down on the glass tabletop. A
big square thing under a canopy that easily seated a dozen, just like the
living room couch around it. I went over to the small woman. I mean, I was five-foot-five,
the same as Thirteen, but Ashton was almost a half a foot shorter than me and
so fine boned that she resembled a small child. I didn’t know how her and
Trigger matching up was even humanly possible.

She brought out a can of sunscreen from behind her back and
grinned impishly. I smiled and held my arms out and, laughing and giggling, she
sprayed me down thoroughly.

“Hold out your hands,” she ordered and I did and she sprayed
the palms liberally.

“Do your face.”

I scrubbed my palms over my face she nodded and, beaming,
handed me the can. I tucked it in the crook of my arm, thanked her, and went
back down to where Thirteen still slept in the shade of the two palms the
hammock was strung between. I knelt in the sand and tucked the can of sunscreen
and the two mugs into it so they wouldn’t spill.

He was beautiful to me, in sleep, awake, it didn’t matter.
His face was devoid of its cool assessment and calculation in sleep. The lines of
his strong and handsome features slack and relaxed. At peace. Still. Even so,
the lines of his body told a different story. Strong and corded with muscle,
hands scarred and calloused, even in sleep Thirteen looked like a dangerous
man.

I slipped the black cord over my head and undid the loop I’d
made around the ring. I held my breath unconsciously. I wasn’t like my
grandfather. He could look at a person’s fingers and instantly know their size.
I worried my bottom lip between my teeth and tried Thirteen’s index finger, so
very careful. I didn’t want to wake him.

No luck, so I tired his middle finger, again, the ring was
too small. I groaned a bit inwardly because it looked like it would fit… the
ring finger of his left hand. Which wasn’t my intent. He chuckled and I
startled. I looked up into his sea green eyes, his lips curled in a smile that
made my heart melt.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I made this for you; I’m just really bad at guessing sizes.
I hope you don’t mind. I just really wanted to surprise you.” I sat back on my
haunches and felt myself blush at the hungry, heated look he gave me, his eyes
travelling slowly up and down my body. His smile grew.

“I’m really liking what I’m seeing, Baby Girl.” His voice
was husky, soft, and the look in his eyes filled with such a love and lust. I
blushed faintly.

“Um, thank you, but what do you think about the ring?” I
asked, suddenly nervous. I hoped against hope that he didn’t hate it.

He lifted his hand, putting it in front of his face, but I
could see the effort it took him to tear his eyes off of me. The effort must
have been worth it though, because he blinked, and did a double take at the
ring.

It wasn’t fancy. Just a simple white gold band set with
thirteen rubies around its circumference. I’d used the reddest rubies I could
muster out of my collection of stones, cutting some of the larger ones smaller
just to get them all sized the same. Thirteen twisted the band around his
finger and I could see he was counting. His lips spread into one of the most
winning smiles I’d ever seen on him.

“You did this for me?” he asked.

I nodded, mute, and tried to hand him one of the coffees. He
took it from me and set it back into the sand.

“Dani, it’s beautiful.
You’re
beautiful.” He captured
my face between his hands and leaned forward precariously to kiss me long and
slow.

“Hey! What’s going on out here!?” Reaver was trudging across
the sand, his wife leaning into his side, arm around his waist. Her eyes were
so very green and glowed fiercely with a happiness and relief I could almost
begin to imagine. I’m pretty sure I felt some of the very same the night
Thirteen had been shot, when he’d touched my hair and proven that he was very
much alive and I could believe that he really was okay.

“I think Dani just asked me to marry her.” Thirteen held up
his hand and I felt myself blush furiously. Reaver’s wife, Hayden, laughed.

“Did you say yes?” she asked.

The silence behind me lasted a hair’s breadth too long, I
whipped around when he didn’t deny it and blinked. Thirteen was considering my
face very carefully, his eyes gleaming with a combination of mischief and,
underlying that, a grave seriousness.

“I think, if she really wanted, that I would let her make an
honest man out of me.”

My butt planted into the sand as we held eye contact for
what felt like forever. I thought about it, I mean really thought about it…

“Are you playing with me?” I asked softly.

“Serious as a fucking heart attack, Baby Girl. Think about
it, I’ll leave it up to you.”

“I don’t have to.” I blurted. This was crazy, this was
insane,
did Thirteen just agree to marry me?

“Good, it’s settled then. We’ll work out the details later.”
Reaver stretched luxuriously, Hayden taking the opportunity to lean into him
harder.

“We were sent down to fetch you for breakfast,” she said and
she winked at me as I sat in the warm sand stunned.

“You okay, Rocket?” Reaver asked.

I nodded mutely, not trusting my voice, and glanced back at
Thirteen, who was smiling, an amused look on his face as his gaze roved me from
head to toe.

“You should keep that suit,” Hayden said judiciously, “It
wears better on you than it does me.”

“I’m sorry?” I said.

Reaver laughed, “Okay, you two. Breakfast. Club only, on the
back patio. Ashton’s gonna have a fit if the food gets cold so let’s move it.”

Thirteen picked up his cup of coffee and downed it in three
large swallows. He hoisted himself out of the hammock and reached down to help
me to my feet. I let him heave me onto mine and retrieved the sunscreen and my
cup of coffee.

“I have something for you,” I said to Reaver, “If it’s
okay?” I checked with Hayden with a look and she smiled at me broadly and
nodded.

I slipped Reaver’s switchblade from the Crown Royal bag at
my hip and held it out to him.

“I don’t think I need this anymore and since it was your
favorite…” I swallowed nervously and he beamed a smile at me.

“You sure?”

I glanced at Thirteen and smiled, “I’m sure.”

Reaver plucked the knife from my fingers and in a blink,
simply made it disappear. He winked one of his bright blue eyes at me and his
wife smiled up at him adoringly.

“Seriously, Ashton is a sweetheart and I don’t want her all
butt hurt that we let breakfast get cold, let’s get a move on people.” Reaver
steered his wife around and back toward the house and Thirteen curved his arms
around my shoulders.

“You doing alright, Baby Girl?” he asked me low, so the two
in front of us wouldn’t hear.

“Do you really mean it?” I asked.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Dani. I don’t ever want to
let you go. It’s a weird as fuck way to get engaged and I feel kind of like a
jackass for not doing it right –“ I stopped and pressed gentle fingertips to
his lips.

“You’re really sure?” I asked and he smiled beneath the pads
of my fingers, his blue green eyes dancing with laughter and light, and he
nodded. I slipped my arms around his neck and hugged myself to him, his hard,
strong arms going around my back he held me back.

“I love you,” I murmured, and he kissed my shoulder lightly.

“Hey! Food
now
you two!” Revelator yelled from the
patio and with a slight laugh I pulled back from Thirteen.

“Shut the fuck up, Man! I just got engaged!” Thirteen
hollered back and all movement on the back patio ceased.

I smiled, my heart taking flight when Ghost yelled down, “No
shit!?” Shelly elbowed him in the ribs and the shouts and the cheering started.
I laughed and Thirteen picked me up and swung me around.

Holy shit. I accidentally got engaged and it felt amazing!

“Really, forever?” I checked one last time.

“And ever,” he promised and we kissed.

We joined the rest of the MC for breakfast and I handed out
the rest of my tokens of appreciation for all that they’d done.

For Dragon, a hair clasp of silver made into his namesake
that was fashioned to hold his thick horsetail of hair. The eyes a rich garnet,
a tourmaline in a rich amber color grasped in its jaws to give the appearance
of breathing fire.

I’d made a tail holder for Trigger too; his was a silver
disc with raised crosshairs like you would see through a sniper’s scope. Ghost
had let me look through one. At the center of the disc, a perfectly round ruby.
I’d made a heavy white gold ring for Ghost with the same motif at the center. A
thank you for saving my life using their particular skillset.

For Revelator, a silver band fashioned with ivy vines around
its circumference. Dray, I made a heavy silver ring, a rose in full bloom, a
deep red garnet at its center to match his bike, which was singular to him. For
Rush and Nox I made tags, each with the other brother’s name etched into them.
I gave each to the opposite brother.

Duracell I gave a wide black leather bracelet with an old-fashioned
silver key plate bolted to it. I gave the key on a black leather cord to Blue.
Both of them traded looks and smiled at me, Duracell wickedly so, before
hooking me around the back of my neck and kissing my forehead unexpectedly. I’d
startled and he’d let me go as quickly as he’d grabbed me, and I smiled.

I was safe here, and I felt it keenly in that moment. I gave
Doc a wide leather bracelet as well, only I’d fashioned a caduceus to his. He
hugged me and let me go with a murmured thanks.

Finally I stopped in front of Archer, who was watching me
curiously. I picked up his hand and dropped the hair tie into it and curled his
fingers around the gold.

“Why?” he asked.

I smiled, “Because you’re family. I understand it now.” I
murmured. He cocked his head to the side and opened his hand and looked down at
it and his face collapsed into near tears. It was a gold disc, set with a
tiger’s eye stone. Simple. Rush and Nox had told me it was their brother
Grinder’s favorite stone and had told me about how close he and Archer were
growing up. It felt right. Fitting.

“I don’t understand,” he said and tried to hand it back. I
pushed his hand back towards him.

“Because you were there too, when Griz tried to take me. You
were standing there side by side, ready to fight, to do whatever it was you
needed to do to get me back for Thirteen and you did it without a second
thought. Even though you don’t even like me that much.” I gave a brave little
smile. Truthfully, Archer still intimidated and scared the ever living hell out
of me with how intense he could be.

He nodded and looked thoughtfully out to sea and that was
okay. I moved on to Disney and smiled.

“Me too?” he said, smiling.

I gave him a pin, a simple silver bar set with seven stones.
Seven round cut stones. Ruby, yellow topaz, citrine, emerald, blue topaz,
sapphire and finally amethyst. He blinked and smiled and took the delicate but
strong pin in his long fingers and turned to his boyfriend.