Logan: New Crusaders MC (14 page)

“Easy,” Logan murmured.  “It’s a party.  Rachel’s just here to hang out, like everyone else.”

“She’s not anyone’s old lady?” Nicole asked.

“Nah.  Just a friend of the club.”

“Friend, huh?”

“Hey, everyone knows you’re my girl.”

“Yeah, but do they know you’re my guy?”

“I think you’ve made it pretty clear, yeah,” he said, kissing her cheek.  “Don’t worry about it.  Rachel won’t try anything.”

“I’ll try not to worry, but I’m not going to feel better until she leaves.”

She settled back with her food and tried not to follow Rachel’s every movement while she ate. 

When she was done with her food, Nicole went to throw out her trash, then stopped in the bathroom to wash the sauce and grease off her hands.  She took a moment to stare at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.  It was surprising how calm and confident she looked, considering all the thoughts that were whirling around in her head, competing for attention.  A part of her wanted to go home, get into bed, and hide underneath the covers for five years.

But all she did was dry her hands and go back out to the party.

She stopped in the doorway and stared at the scene before her.  Rachel was leaning over the back of the couch Logan was sitting on, whispering in his ear, rubbing his good shoulder.  Nicole could see the lust in her eyes, the desire for power.

“No fucking way,” Nicole seethed quietly, storming over to the couch.

She grabbed Rachel’s hair and pulled back.  Rachel cried out as she stumbled backwards.

“Nicole,” Logan said, trying and failing to get up.  “We were just talking.”

“Other women can talk to you all they like,” Nicole said.  “But they keep their hands off you while they do it.”

She released Rachel’s hair and got in between the bitch and her man.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Rachel screamed, clutching her head.

The music lowered as people started to take notice of the fight.  Nicole didn’t care.  She wanted witnesses for this.  If Logan had trouble letting go of his old ways, she wanted to make sure he knew the consequences of transgressing.

“I’m Logan Kirkwood’s old lady,” she told Rachel.  “Who the fuck are you?”

Rachel snorted.  “Logan’s latest fuck toy, maybe.  Don’t kid yourself, honey.”

“Get out,” Nicole ordered, keeping her voice even despite the rage that was building in her.

“I’ll leave when I’m good and ready,” Rachel retorted.

“I don’t think you understood me,” Nicole said, still surprised by how calm she sounded.  “You are not welcome in this clubhouse until you learn some respect.  Now get the fuck out.”

“You don’t own me, bitch!” Rachel shouted, charging forward.

Nicole was ready for her.  Rachel’s hand lashed out.  Nicole turned her head with the blow so it barely fazed her, then threw her fist into Rachel’s gut.  The taller woman bent over, retching and clutching her stomach.  Nicole was easily able to reach up and grab hold of her ear.  She pulled on it, marching Rachel out of the party like a misbehaving toddler.  Stunned and hurting, Rachel was able to do little more than stumble along, shouting obscenities.  Nicole pushed her out the door.

“You fucking psycho!” Rachel shrieked.

“Yeah, I am psycho,” Nicole agreed.  “Remember that the next time you’re considering laying a single bony finger on my man.”

She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her, only to realize that every eye in the clubhouse was on her.  No one was talking or drinking.  The only sound was the music coming from the speakers.

All at once, a cheer went up.  Nicole didn’t feel much like celebrating.  She was a little embarrassed by her overreaction, but no one else minded it at all.  She was pulled back into the party, and soon found herself being congratulated by the Crusaders.  They all told Logan he had gotten lucky with her, and that he’d better watch himself.

“She keeps me honest,” Logan said, smiling proudly.

Nicole couldn’t help smiling back as she dropped onto the couch beside him.

“You want to get out of here?” she asked. 

“Fuck yeah,” Logan said.  “I should probably get a shower in anyway.  I’ve had enough excitement to last a couple nights.”

He stood up with her help, trying to hide a wince.  Nicole realized he’d probably been desperate to leave for hours now, but he couldn’t abandon his own party.  His club needed him to appear strong.

“I’m taking Logan home to remind him who his old lady is,” Nicole announced to whoever was listening.

“Try to get him back to us in one piece,” Yancey said, winking at her.

“No promises,” Nicole said, smiling sweetly at him.

Logan let out a tired laugh beside her, and she guided him out of the clubhouse.  She was a little worried that Rachel would still be there when they left, but she was nowhere to be seen.  The bitch had gotten the message, and every other woman in the clubhouse had seen what would happen to them if they tried anything with Logan.

Good.

Nicole was starting to get pretty tired, but at least she’d sent a message to her competition.  A part of her wondered if Logan had gotten that message, too.  Would he really have stopped Rachel from touching him if Nicole hadn’t intervened?

“Let’s go to my place,” Logan said.  “It’s closer.”

“You okay to drive?” she asked.

“I’m not dead, so I’m okay to drive,” Logan told her.  He leaned down a little and studied her face.  “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Just… tired.”

He reached out and touched her arm.  “Hey, Rachel really means nothing to me.  You know that, right?”

She nodded.  “Yeah, I know.”

“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

“Not really, just… I think I want to go back to my own place tonight.  I could use some peace and quiet.”

“You can’t have peace and quiet with me?”

“Sometimes I can, but… I don’t know.  I want alone time.”

“You sure you’re not mad?”

“Not mad,” Nicole said, shaking her head.  “Just… worried for the future.  The same old shit.  I’ll get it worked out.  You need rest anyway.  If I’m at your place, you’re going to be distracted.”

He stepped closer to her.  “Maybe I want to be distracted.”

She smiled and reached up to touch his cheek.  “I’m sure you do, but your body needs to heal.  Tell your brain and your dick to cool it for a few hours, okay?”

He relented.  “Alright. Hop in.  I’ll drop you at home.”

Nicole slid into the passenger seat of the van.  They drove to her place, and Nicole let the steady rumble of the van’s engine drown out her thoughts for a few minutes longer.

Logan stopped at the curb outside her building and cut the engine.

“I want to see you before I leave tomorrow night,” he said.

She smiled weakly.  “I’d like that.”

“Good.”  He leaned over to kiss her, his lips lingering on hers.  “I see you pulling away, Nicole.  I’m not going to let that happen.”

Nicole was a little surprised by that statement.  She hadn’t even realized she was pulling away until he’d said something.  But that was exactly what she was doing.

“I’m not going to disappoint you,” Logan said.  “But the MC is a part of me.  If this is going to work, you have to accept all of who I am.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Nicole admitted.  “Your world is terrifying, Logan.  It’s dangerous.”

“It is.”

His dark eyes stared into hers, open and sincere.  He looked worried and a little hurt.  She didn’t want to hurt him, but she also didn’t want to be hurt herself.  Loved ones had promised not to disappoint her before.  Those promises had meant nothing.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said finally.

“If you want,” he said.  “I’ll be waiting.”

Nicole went inside her apartment and did what she’d wanted to earlier – she crawled under the covers of her bed and hid from the world.  No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn’t avoid thinking about Rachel’s hands on Logan.  He was known for juggling women, leaving them high and dry.  How could she expect him to change for her?  That was unfair and unrealistic.  Sooner or later, she was going to have to accept that she didn’t fit into his life nearly as well as she wanted to believe.

Pressing her head into her pillow, Nicole closed her eyes against the threat of tears and allowed herself to fall asleep.

After dropping Nicole off, Logan went back to his own place.  He found a bottle of ibuprofen and popped three.  Then he undressed and stepped into the shower. 

A part of him wished he’d never left Nicole’s place.  He had seen the way she looked at him.  There had been so much doubt in her eyes, and he couldn’t blame her.  He’d nearly been killed, another woman had tried to woo him, and he was leaving to make an illegal gun sale the next night.  Maybe she was right to pull away, to reconsider being with him.  A part of him wanted to be angry.  She had known who he was when she’d gone to bed with him.

But the anger wouldn’t come.

He felt lonely and, if he was honest, scared.  He had no idea what the future held, but he was sure he wanted Nicole to be a part of it.  That thought was amazing to him.  Never before had he allowed himself to get that close to someone.  Getting close meant opening yourself up to getting hurt.  Maybe that’s why he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with Nicole, because he knew that she was feeling the exact same things.  She didn’t want to suffer the pain of disappointment or loss.

Well, he’d just have to prove to her that he wasn’t going anywhere.

He closed his eyes as the hot water ran over his skin.  He wished Nicole was with him in that moment.  He would have been happy to shower with her, let her soft body soothe his wounds.  With his eyes closed, he could almost pretend she was there with him, her sweet lips caressing his body.  All those lush curves bared to his gaze, pressing up against him, making him hard.

But when he opened his eyes again, he was alone.

And in pain.

Despite what he’d told Nicole, he had a bad feeling about the run.  He pushed that aside, trying to keep his thoughts positive.  They’d done this run a million times before, and they’d never gotten into any kind of trouble.

Showered, dry, and dressed, Logan decided he’d better get some sleep.  It was early yet, at least for him, but his body was crying out for rest.  He needed all the time he could spare to heal.

He couldn’t worry about Nicole anymore.  Not right now.  He had bigger issues to deal with.  After the gun run went well, she’d see that she had worried for nothing.  Everything would be better.

He was sure of it.

Sunlight was pouring through the window when Nicole woke up.  She groggily checked her phone and saw that she’d slept long and hard.  It was after ten.

She also noticed she had no missed calls or texts from Logan.  It was wrong of her to feel upset about that.  What did she expect?  She had made it clear to him that she wanted distance, had gone so far as to tell him that she might not be able to accept him or his way of life.  How did she expect him to feel after that?

Nicole ran her hands down her face, feeling confused and angry.  There was only one person she wanted to talk to right now.  Fortunately, she knew exactly where to find him.

Chuck’s face lit up when Nicole walked into the backroom behind the bar.  He was able to stand on his own, and a lot of his wounds looked like they were healing nicely.  A lot of the swelling had gone down, making him look ten times better.

“Hey, baby!” he said, pulling her into a hug.

“Hey, Daddy.  You look great.”

“Better than great.  I’m itching to get out of this hole, get back to my diner.”

“One step at a time, Dad.  You’re still healing.”

“Running a diner isn’t dangerous work,” Chuck said, laughing.  “First thing I’m gonna do is kick that weasel, Clay, to the curb.  No one lays a hand on my daughter and gets away with it.”

“That could backfire,” Nicole told him, frowning at the thought.  “Clay could try to retaliate.”

“Not while I’m around.  And you’ve got the entire New Crusader MC at your back.” 

“Yeah, but
you
don’t.  You pissed off a lot of people, Dad.  I don’t know if you’re going to be able to walk right back into the diner like nothing ever happened.”

“I know,” Chuck said solemnly.  “I’m figuring out a plan.  Nothing much else to think about while sitting around here all day.  The doc’s been in a couple days, says I’m healing right.”

“That’s good to hear,” Nicole said, sitting on the couch.

“Something eating you, honey?”

Nicole shook her head slowly.  “It’s a mess,” she said quietly.

“What is, Nicky?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

Nicole blinked back tears.  “Everything,” she admitted.  “You and… the MCs.  Logan.”

“What’s wrong with Logan?  He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, of course not.  I think I hurt him, though.  I just… I’m not sure if I’m cut out to be an old lady.”

Chuck chuckled.  “I’m not worried.  You got all the right qualities.”

“What qualities are those?  Nervous wreck?  Jealous bitch?”

“Those and more,” Chuck said, smiling at her irked expression.  “You’re a fighter, Nicky.  Always have been.  You stick to your beliefs and you don’t let anyone push you around.”  He put his arm around her, moving carefully so as not to aggravate his wounds.  “Logan’s lucky to have you.  And don’t worry, these guys don’t scare too easy.  Whatever you think is wrong, it won’t be enough to spook him.”

“You sure about that?” she asked.

“Positive.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

She had missed him so much.  It was amazing to be able to talk to him again.  Knowing he was safe had caused a weight to lift off of her.

She wasn’t too sure about letting Chuck go back to the diner, though.  He could be killed.  Firing Clay wouldn’t help matters.  He was clearly unhinged and unpredictable.  Still, she couldn’t deny that she wanted him gone.  With him fired, she could go back to work, start pulling in money again.

“Promise me you’ll wait to go back to the diner,” she said to Chuck.  “Just until you’re healed a little more and I can go with you.”

“Alright, honey.  I promise.”

Nicole found a deck of cards and played a couple rounds of gin with him after that.  They talked about light, fluffy topics.  New recipes Chuck wanted to try out, fun anecdotes from the “good ol’ days.”

Nicole’s phone went off after about an hour, and she picked it up without thinking.  Her heartrate picked up when she heard Logan’s voice, and a part of her felt relieved.  If he still had that effect on her, their relationship couldn’t have been as bad off as she thought.

“Hey, where are you right now?” he asked.

“At the safe house with my dad.”

“You went there alone?”

“Yeah,” Nicole said.  “I promise I wasn’t followed.  I just wanted to see him.”

“Can I come see you?” Logan asked.

“Sure.  I’ll be here.”

“Good.”  He sounded relieved.  “I’ll be there in a few.”

Nicole hung up and put her phone back in her purse.

“Logan coming over?” Chuck asked.

“Yep.”

“Good.  Three people’s enough for a game of poker.”

Nicole gave Chuck a mortified look and he laughed.

“Relax, honey.  My days of playing for money are over.  Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the occasional no-stakes game with my daughter and her boyfriend.”

Nicole wasn’t sure she believed him, but she didn’t say anything.  She was a little nervous about seeing Logan now.  Would he be angry with her?  Disappointed?  They’d promised not to disappoint each other, but now it seemed like they’d both fucked up.  It seemed so long ago now, both of them in her kitchen with mugs of coffee, promising that they were going to try their best to do right by each other.

Someone knocked on the back door and Nicole crept over to answer it.  Logan was standing on the other side.  She pulled the door open to let him in, then shut it quickly behind him.

“Logan,” Chuck said.  He frowned as he really looked at Logan.  “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing major,” Logan said evasively.  “I’ll be back at a hundred percent in no time.”

Chuck studied him for a second, then understanding showed in his expression.  “Retaliation?  For breaking me out?”

Logan nodded, not bothering to keep up the lie.

“You did my family a huge favor,” Chuck said.  “I won’t forget that.”

“It was nothing,” Logan said, looking at Nicole.

She smiled at him, remembering why she had fallen so hard for him in the first place.

“You look better,” she said.

“I feel better.  Slept like a rock.”

“When are you leaving tonight?”

“Around seven.  I gotta get to the clubhouse in a couple hours, but I wanted to see you first.”

“Sit down for a game of poker,” Chuck said, shuffling the cards.  “You got time to kill, and I want to get to know my daughter’s boyfriend better.”

“Dad,” Nicole warned.

“No, it’s okay,” Logan said.  “I could go for a game of poker.  Keep my mind off things.”

He lowered himself into a chair, and Nicole grudgingly pulled another one up to the table for herself.  Chuck dealt the cards, and the game began.

It soon became clear that Logan had a better poker face than either of the Hamiltons.  He took them for all they were worth.  Fortunately, they weren’t playing for real, or Chuck would have had to put up the diner as collateral.  Which was exactly how he’d gotten himself into this situation in the first place.

Nicole didn’t mind losing.  Chuck and Logan were both laughing and joking with each other.  It made her feel better, seeing them like this.  She could almost believe they were completely free of responsibility, living carefree lives.

Then Logan checked his phone for the time and stood up.

“I gotta get going,” he said.  “Thanks for the entertainment.  Please keep your promise to your daughter and stay away from real poker games.”

“Don’t worry,” Chuck said.  “I learned my lesson.”

He got up to embrace Logan, both of them moving a little stiffly because of their respective wounds.  Then Logan turned to Nicole.

“I’ll walk you out,” she said.

They left by the back door and stood together in the alley.  Logan kept his distance as he looked at her, a question in his eyes.  In answer, Nicole walked into his embrace.  She buried her face against him and breathed in his scent.  Leather and sunlight, with a touch of an earthy smell from the dust that clung to his kutte.

“I’m sorry,” she said.  “I shouldn’t be casting doubt on you.  Not now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, running his hand through her hair.  “I’m glad to see Chuck’s alright.”

“He’s already talking about going back to the diner.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“I know,” she said.  “I’m handling it.  You just concentrate on your deal.”

“Will you be here when I get back?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

She meant it, too.  For all her worries and doubts, in her heart she knew she could never leave Logan.  He was hers, and she was his.  Completely.

They would get through this mess together.

Logan hadn’t wanted to leave Nicole, but he still needed to work a half shift at Sinsations before he went to the clubhouse.

Bells wasn’t scheduled, so he didn’t stop to make any small talk.  He went through his shift on autopilot, his mind a mess of different emotions and hectic thoughts.  Again he told himself not to worry.  He knew this run like the back of his hand.

Still, he knew he’d be happy when it was behind him.

The sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon when Logan arrived at the clubhouse, and the evening glow illuminated his bike, sitting where it belonged next to all the others.  He smiled and went to inspect it for damage.  Not a scratch.

“One of the Iconoclasts drove it down here in his pickup,” Sam said, approaching from the clubhouse.  “He came down with his buddies, who are our backup for the evening.”

Sam pointed out three unfamiliar bikes parked on the other side of the lot.

“Let’s get started, then,” Logan said.

“You feeling alright?”

“I’m fine, but the next person to ask me that gets a busted jaw.”

“Gotcha.”

They walked into the clubhouse.  The three Iconoclasts were sitting at the bar.  All of them were big guys, their arms and necks coated in tattoos.  Logan recognized one of them.  He offered the guy a smile and a nod, got a nod in return.

“This guy demonstrated his abilities on my face yesterday,” he told Sam.  “Glad to have him on our side this time.”

Ignoring the protests of his sore muscles and busted bones, Logan rallied everyone and got the order ready.  He, Cork, Danny, Yancey, and Sam were going to run the guns with the three Iconoclasts for extra protection.  They had leather satchels with hidden pockets for this particular use.  The gun parts went into the false pockets, and they filled the bags themselves with odds and ends.  Gum, magazines, food for the road, water bottles.  Anything that looked inconspicuous.

By the time they finished, it was full dark out.  Logan went over the plan one last time, letting everyone know that they’d be meeting the truck at a rest stop a few miles past the weigh station.  They would grab the driver and he would unlock the back for them.  Then he would go to grab a cup of coffee while Logan and his team jumped into the truck bed, assembled the guns, and stashed them in the right boxes.  They would then mark all the boxes with yellow “Sale” stickers so the buyer would know which ones to look for.  The truck would get a head start, and Logan would follow alone to complete the sale.  While the buyer unloaded the truck, the liaison would meet with Logan to give him the other half of the payment.