Scarred Asphalt (21 page)

“So do I.”

“You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

Thorne looked down at her hands, her body growing tight and
warm at the thought of Dalton and the things he had done with her. She slowly
nodded, finally admitting to herself that she was indeed falling for the man
that showed her she could be loved.

“Then keep him close. He must be a great guy to capture that
ice-cold heart of yours. Oh!” Antonia snapped his fingers. “There is another
secret I forgot to tell you.”

Thorne groaned, her head falling back as her stomach sank at
the idea of more bad news and secrets that had been kept from her. “What now?”

Antonia leaned forward again, looking to the left then the
right before he focused on her. His voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m
really a man trapped in a woman’s body.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was club family night at The Chipped Cup, and Apollo was
dragging Thorne there whether she liked it or not.

Her attitude had changed over the last couple of days, since
she played plastic surgeon with Gabby’s face. Apollo seriously thought he was
going to get his bottom rocker pulled from the brawl, but Wolf calmed Romeo
down and explained the situation of what happened.

Wolf and the boys wanted to surprise Apollo with a visit and
saw Thorne speed off in a flurry. They rushed into the house and saw the damage
done, knowing that the violation of Thorne’s sanctuary was the straw that broke
the camel’s back.

Apollo rode bitch for a whole five miles behind Wraith to
pick up his bike, and they ran the bikes like a bat out of Hell to get to
Thorne before she did something she’d regret. They knew they were walking into
TG territory, but since Thorne wasn’t an ol’ lady and didn’t have any sort of
status, they hoped the TG would let the two women duke it out and be done with
it.

No one expected Gabby to go all Revenge of the Bitch on
Thorne and spill the beans about her sister, acting like she got a thrill out
of hurting someone innocent. Gabby got what she deserved, and Wolf admitted he
thought he was going to have to take down Thorne as she eyed Apollo’s gun. But
when she sliced and diced Gabby, everyone was in shock.

Romeo took all of the information better than Apollo thought
he would, glad he was still a fully patched member. All Romeo was worried about
now was the TG striking back.

Cut on, bike out in the driveway, Apollo was kicked back on
his seat waiting for Thorne to come out of the house. His brows shot up as the
door opened and she approached the bike. Skinny jeans, knee high boots, tank
top, braided hair pulled back and in a bandana.

Firing up the bike, he handed her his extra helmet and
motioned her to climb on. Once he felt her weight settle on the back of his
Street Glide, he headed for his mom’s diner.

He almost lost control of the bike when he received a smack
upside the head from Thorne, followed by her yelling, “Hold up! Why the hell
are you wearing your cut? What if we get pulled over?”

“What the hell?” He glared over his shoulder at her once he
got the bike back under control. “I’m wearing it because I’m on my bike. Duh.”

Once he pulled into the parking lot and stopped next to the
other club bikes, he motioned for her to get off the bike, then walked it back
into his spot before he turned off the engine. He set his helmet on the gas
tank, placing hers on her seat.

“You’re not allowed to wear it, Dalton. Are you trying to
get into more trouble?”

“I’m allowed to wear it.” Apollo tucked his glasses into the
pocket of his cut.

He watched realization dawn across Thorne’s face. His mouth
twitched, trying to keep from smiling as the light clicked. He jumped back,
avoiding the swat that was headed for his arm.

“When did you get the bracelet off?”

“A couple days ago.” He shrugged, dodging another swing of
her hand, laughing the whole time.

“You ass!” She darted after him, hopping onto his back as he
headed for the diner.

He wrapped his hands around her thighs and piggybacked her
to the entrance. “Yes, yes. I am an ass.”

Draping her arms about his shoulders, she grumbled into his
ear. “And just when were you planning on telling me?”

“When I could figure out a way to get you to let me stay.”
Apollo hated to admit it, but he figured he may as well. Not like he had
anything to lose.

She wriggled down from his grasp, looking up at him as her
arms crossed over her chest. Her nose crinkled up as her brows furrowed
together, head cocked to the side as the ember gaze studied him. “You gave up
your apartment, right?”

“I did. I was not expecting to be let go after six weeks. I
didn’t see any reason to keep an apartment, paying out the ass when I’m not
staying there.”

“Understandable. Well, you have six weeks left of this fake
probation. Pay rent, keep your room, and stay out of my gym.” Thorne winked as
she turned, yanked open the door, and stepped inside.

Apollo burst out laughing and followed her into the diner.
His hand formed the perfect cup, landing square on one of her ass cheeks. Her
cry of surprise and her hand flying to her butt was good enough for him.

When they made their way to the back, Apollo couldn’t help
but smile as they stepped into the cordoned off dining room. Axe was there with
a date, Mace and Amy were sitting next to Romeo and Rebel. Rebel was currently
talking animatedly to Dallas, who was clearly entranced by her words. Saber was
deep in conversation with Talon, whose girlfriend was staring at her coffee
cup, clearly bored out of her mind. Wraith was leaning back on two legs of his
chair, toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth as Hawkeye jabbered some
nonsense to him. Zack was sitting at the end of the table, ready to jump at any
patch holder’s word.

Other patch holders, Zeus and his wife, Orion and one of the
Painted Ladies, Dodger, Satan, Gambit, Woody, and Boxer were scattered around
the room holding various conversations with other brothers.

Apollo had no need to introduce any of the men to Thorne, as
they all knew who she was, from either Maggie or himself. Zeus’ wife, Valeria,
jumped up and walked over to the couple. Apollo was always fond of the petite
woman. She was maybe five foot one on a good day, with flaming red hair and
emerald green eyes and an attitude to go with it. Most of the PLs steered clear
of her, as she had taken on two of them, at once, and came out the victor.

“This must be Thorne!” Her brogue was thick as she smiled up
at Thorne and Apollo, her hand grasping Thorne’s. “I’m Rowan, though they call
me Valeria. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Valeria? As in the Amazon from
Conan the Barbarian
?”
Thorne smiled as she looked between Apollo and Valeria.

Apollo had to openly laugh as Valeria squealed in sheer
delight, pulling Thorne to her and wrapping her up in a hug. “It’s about bloody
fucking time someone is nerd enough to know the name!”

He watched Valeria drag Thorne with her to introduce her to
Bailey, Talon’s girlfriend, and Tigerlily, the PL that was with Orion. Apollo
jumped slightly as a hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he turned his head
just enough to see Saber watching his partner.

“You got her on the bike?”

Apollo nodded, hooking his thumbs into his jeans pockets.
“I’m surprised I did.” He watched Thorne smiling and laughing as she spoke with
the women. “She’s coming out of her shell.”

“It’s good seeing her out like this. It’s been a long time
since I’ve seen that smile on her face. Good job, bro.”

Apollo nodded and gave a nudge to his brother with his
elbow. “We need to find you a woman.”

“Fuck that noise. I like my life how it is.” Saber snorted
and shook his head.

“Uhuh.” Apollo rolled his eyes, making his way to an empty
set of seats at the table. Saber hadn’t been serious with anyone since his
ex-wife, Sabrina, fucked him over and abandoned him and Dallas when the boy was
a baby. “Where’s Wolf?”

Romeo looked up from his beer and shrugged. “Said he had
some business he had to attend to and couldn’t make it tonight.”

Thorne moved back to Apollo’s side, sitting down next to him
as he nodded. “Gotcha.”

Wraith pulled the toothpick out of his mouth, pointing it
directly at Thorne. “Remind me to never piss you off, little lady.”

Thorne bunched her brows together. “Uhm, okay?”

Apollo chuckled, laying his hand on her thigh, giving it a
tiny squeeze.

Wraith came down on all four legs of his chair, looked
around the table, then back to her. “You kick some serious ass, doll. Gave no
warning when you went to do it. That is rare and very disturbing. Kind of
exciting at the same time.”

Thorne rolled her eyes and yawned. “She asked for it. I gave
it to her.”

Mace whistled low and shook his head. “I would have loved to
have seen it. I heard you were a force to be reckoned with.”

Apollo could see Thorne’s discomfort at all of the praise
and spoke up. “She was great, but we all need to be wary of what the TG might
have in store for us. You know that Muerte isn’t going to lay down with this
one.”

Romeo nodded, motioning for Rebel and Dally to go with
Stella. Once they were out of earshot, he looked back to the others. “They’re
unnaturally quiet and that makes me nervous. I don’t want any of the women
wearing their property patches. No cuts at all. No colors. I don’t want them
targets if the TG decides to take this out on the women. If it gets bad enough,
Valeria, Zeus?” He leaned forward to look at the husband and wife. “I need you
to round up the women and kids and get them to the safe house.”

“Will do, boss.” The bearded Zeus nodded, laying his arm
around his wife’s shoulders.

Apollo frowned, not wanting to worry about Thorne, but at
this point, it included her. Muerte knew who she was and she would be the main
target at this point in time. He would talk with Romeo about it later, have one
of the guys tail her to make sure she was alright.

Amy cleared her throat, brushing the auburn hair from her
eyes. “Can we talk about something fun instead of morbid business?”

Romeo nodded, rocking back in his chair, motioning to Amy.
“By all means. Entertain us.”

Amy grinned; her hand absently rubbed her stomach as she
looked across the table to Thorne. “Don’t make any plans for next Saturday,
Thorne.”

Apollo grimaced, taking sudden interest in his glass of
water. He knew Thorne well enough to know that she was going to be upset with
Amy’s announcement.

“I’m working, why?”

Amy wiggled her brows and shook her head. “Nope, you have
the day off. Saber made sure of it.”

Apollo was just going to surprise her with it, so she didn’t
have time to think about it and say no. They had come so far the past couple of
days, and this little announcement could be a setback he didn’t want her
having.

“Huh?” Thorne looked confused to Saber, then back to Amy.

“The club has been planning a benefit for you, for the past
five months. We’ve got a poker run set up and BBQ plates up for sale, games for
the kids, silent auctions and tons more. All of the money raised will go to you
to help with whatever you need help with.”

Apollo looked over to Thorne who was shaking her head; her
hands gripped the arms of her chair so hard that her knuckles were white. “I
don’t need anyone’s pity.”

Romeo chuckled and pushed his beer to the side. “Pity? Is
that what you think this is? It’s us, your family, taking care of you. That’s
what family does, Thorne. We watch out for one another, no matter what. We’ve
had some bumpy roads here as of late. I won’t deny that. But never doubt that
there is one mother fucker sitting at this table, male or female, that would
not put themselves on the line for you. I know you would do the same for any
one of us.”

Apollo looked back to Thorne, her eyes glittering with
unshed tears as she nodded in response. Smiling at her, he took her hand and
gave it a squeeze. “You’re a part of us, whether you like it or not.”

Thorne sniffled and absently wiped at her eyes.

Amy leaned forward as best as she could and patted Thorne’s
free hand. “We love you, Thorne. All of us.” She motioned around the room, then
patted her belly. “And the twins, too.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Thorne’s head was spinning. There was no other way to
describe it. How Maggie kept all of the information about club etiquette
straight was a fucking miracle.

Valeria had taken her off to the side with Amy, Bailey, and
Tigerlily to introduce her to what they aptly named
danger zone
. This
was where the women would sit at a table together, a patch holder would be
seated nearby, and they would have a bitch session, gossip about whatever they
wanted to, or like they were doing tonight with Thorne, introduce someone to
the rules of being an ol’ lady. Anything said during this time remained at that
table, behind the invisible red line they formed the minute it was declared
what they were doing. God forbid any male cross that line, one of the women
would yell out “Danger, danger, danger!” and the women would burst out laughing
as the man walked off, not wanting to know what would happen if he stayed.

The last male who tried to stay and talk with the women
heard things no male should ever hear, and it was said that he had nightmares
after it for two weeks.

Thorne wasn’t sure why Tigerlily was included since she was
a PL, but the women seemed to accept her in and allow her to be a part of their
world.

“It’s not as bad as they make it out to be, Thorne.” Amy
rolled her eyes as she glanced at Talon a few seats down, then back to the
women. “I’ve had to put a few of the PLs in their place with Mace, but it’s
rare that they step out of bounds. Tiger can tell you that.”

The brunette nodded, blowing a strand of her bangs out of
her oddly colored brown eyes. “I’ve been a Painted Lady for a while now. I went
to school with Romeo and Amy. My dad was a patch holder before he was killed in
his bike wreck. Some of these girls can be royal bitches, but you can’t back
down from them. They’ll test you and then eat you alive.”

Thorne’s brows shot up as she studied the short-haired girl.
“Why do you do it?”

“I’m taken care of. It’s like a job, to be honest. I strip
at Throttle, but when the guys call for party nights or club functions, I’m
there. I don’t sleep around when I’m stripping. I make great money. But, I’m
like…” Tigerlily scrunched up her nose as she paused in thought. “…that
bartender you tell all your troubles to. Do I fuck the guys that want me? Sometimes.
Sometimes I just hold them and let them vent. I have so-called regulars that do
not want me to be with anyone else, just them. If they’re both here, they take
turns.” Tigerlily laughed softly. “It sounds a lot worse than it is.”

Thorne couldn’t imagine living a life so freely, without
inhibitions. She could tell that Tiger was well educated, but she enjoyed what
she was doing, and that was all that mattered in her eyes. “I wish I could be
like you. I guess I care too much what people think.”

Bailey rolled her blue-grey eyes and snorted. “Oh, girl,
trust me. Be around us for any period of time, and you won’t give a shit what
others think.”

Amy laughed and pointed at Thorne. “No, she’ll always care.
She’s a healer. She’s not hard like you ladies.”

Valeria scoffed and reached out and gave Thorne’s bicep a
squeeze. “Uhm, I beg to differ, ma’am. You forget that I’m the trauma nurse at
Marian, and I saw the bitch she tangled with. This is one girl you want on your
side.”

Thorne blushed, waving off the compliment. “I’m sure any of
you would have done the same thing.”

Amy nodded, shifting in her chair, looking uncomfortable.
“One of the most important things that I cannot stress enough? If you see any
patch holders in a circle…” She lifted up her fingers and made quotation mark
motions when she said circle. “Do not go over and interrupt them, under penalty
of death. It means they are having an impromptu meeting or discussing business
we’re not to hear. You can stand off to the side and wait until you’re acknowledged.”

“That’s dumb.” Thorne frowned as she looked between the
women. “What if it’s an emergency?”

Bailey spoke up. “Then you clear your throat and apologize
before you even attempt to interrupt them. It’s not like they’re going to beat
you or anything, but they keep shit to themselves that we’re not meant to hear,
ya know? Plus, if it’s that big of an emergency, one of the guys will interrupt
them.”

“I see.” Not really, but Thorne would adhere to whatever the
rules were, for now.

Valeria kicked out her feet, crossing them at the ankles.
“Oh, and whatever happens between the women, stays between the women. We don’t
take it to the men unless we can’t resolve it. There’s been a few boxing
matches between the ol’ ladies and a few PLs. No offense, Tiger.”

“None taken.” She smiled warmly at Valeria. “We’ve had some
dumb bitches as PLs, and we still do. That’s why I can’t stress enough to make
sure you stay on top. They’ll walk all over you. I feel sorry for whoever ends
up catching Wolf or Romeo’s eye.”

“Why?” Thorne looked over to Romeo as he was deep in
conversation with Saber and Mace.

“Those are the two most sought after men in the California
clubs. Wolf is mysterious and dangerous. Romeo is just plain fuckable and a
total asshole that women dig.”

“Okay, I
so
did not need to hear that, Tiger.” Amy
shuddered with a look of disgust on her face.

Bailey bounced her brows, leaning in and whispering, so
Talon didn’t hear her. “I’d love to lick the ink off Wolf. Just sayin’.”

“Oh dear God,” Amy gagged and struggled to get out of her
chair. “I do not need to hear this crap about my family.”

The women burst out laughing at Amy, Thorne rose up to help
Amy out of her chair. Dalton caught her eye, motioning with his head that it
was time to go. “We’re going to head out. It was great meeting you ladies. I
hope to see you all soon.”

A round of hugs was given, Thorne felt accepted for once in
her life. These women had taken her in with no second thought, welcoming her
into their world and sharing things with her that would make her better
outfitted for the life that Dalton led.

“Mind if I use the Sporty until my Glide is fixed?”

Thorne walked up as Saber questioned his brother. She slid
her index finger into one of Dalton’s belt loops, remaining quiet to let the
boys talk.

“No, go for it. I’m using the Street Glide since Thorne is
riding bitch now. I was going to ask Dally to ride it some to keep it running.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her against him.

Thorne had to smile inwardly as she nestled up against him,
his musky scent washing over her. “What’s wrong with your bike?”

Saber frowned as he ran his fingers through his long blond
locks. “Not sure. She’s not starting up still, even after changing out the
timing belt. With Dally having away games next week for baseball, I need wheels
to get there. I’m not going to miss a game because of lack of transportation.”

“You can use my Tahoe if you need to, Saber.”

He smiled and lightly punched her arm. “I’d rather ride, but
if it rains, I’ll take you up on the offer.”

“Where’s his next game?” Dalton bumped her hip lightly with
his own.

“Arroyo Grande. It’s next Saturday. I’ll be at the benefit,
then roll out from there and head up.”

“If it wasn’t for the benefit, we’d go. Sorry I’m going to
miss it.” Dalton frowned and glanced down to Thorne, then back to Saber. “We’ll
be sure to catch his next one.”

“No worries, the benefit is more important. We got money to
raise for Miss Stubborn Ass.”

Thorne stuck out her tongue at Saber, giving Dalton the
slightest of nudges with her hand that had the finger wrapped in the belt loop
to let him know she was ready.

“Alright, we’re gonna bounce. The keys are with Mom.
Insurance is current. I’ll catch ya on the flip side.” Dalton obviously got the
hint, gave his brother a hug, then waved at the others before he led Thorne out
to the bike. “Want to go for a short detour ride?”

“Sure, why not?” Thorne scooped up her helmet, ready for
more than a quick five minute ride to the house. She wanted to feel whatever it
was that the women got out of sitting behind their men.

Dalton nodded, slinging his leg over the seat, straightening
out the bike. “Climb on.”

The bike was low enough that Thorne could easily swing her
leg over the seat and settle onto it and place her feet on the floorboards. She
tapped his hip, letting him know that she was situated and ready.

He fired up the bike and sped out of the parking lot,
heading toward the entrance to the 101 Freeway.

Once he was on the freeway, Thorne relaxed and let herself
open up to the freedom that being on two wheels brings. The wind against her
face was exhilarating. Hearing the deep rumble of the bike mixed with the hum
of the tires against the asphalt made her heart race as he opened up the
throttle and sped faster down the highway.

The ride gave her time to think about what the women had
said earlier that night and how she felt about it all. It was crazy, how the
biker life was so structured and had so many rules to follow. She could see how
easy it would have been for Maggie to accept the life it offered her. The core
family values amazed Thorne. They did take care of their own, and that was
something that intrigued her. Even her own family hadn’t taken care of her like
the SixGuns had, and yet she had blamed them for everything that had happened.

Then there was Dalton.

Sweet, sexy, dominant Dalton.

Her heart raced as thoughts of him swept through her mind.
Every fiber in her wanted to be his. She knew she had fallen for him; she just
wasn’t ready to admit it to herself or anyone else. He had brought back the
Thorne that she had hidden from everyone after her accident and then Maggie’s
death. Dalton found the softer side of her and made her want to show it to the
world. She hadn’t even been bothered by her scar, and no one else noticed it.
If they did, they never said anything about it, and it was usually the topic of
conversation.

The swerve of the bike brought her out of her reverie as
Dalton throttled down, took the Price Street exit, and headed past Judkins and
Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls. The sounds and smells were amazing. Salt air
mixed with the sweet and spicy smell of cooking dough. As they turned onto an
unknown street, Thorne strained her neck to see where they were headed.

Dalton veered the bike toward a field, driving toward a
sheer cliff. He had brought her to the Dinosaur Caves. She loved coming here
during the daylight, climbing down through the old caverns to the beach below.

Coming to a stop, Dalton placed both feet down and turned
the bike off. “Well, here we are.”

Thorne peeled off her helmet and set it to the bar on the
back of her seat. Leaning forward, she rested her chin on his shoulder, her
arms slid about his waist. “How did you know I loved this place?”

“It’s one of my favorites, too.” He leaned back into her,
rubbing his calloused hands over her own.

Thorne pressed her chest up and against his back, nuzzling
her cheeks against his whiskers. Heat flared through her as her eyes drifted
closed. The desire that washed over her was so all-consuming that she almost
begged him to take them home.

Instead, she dismounted the bike and stood next to him.
Excitement coursed through her at the very thought of what she was about to do.
The idea of getting caught out in the open was titillating. She had never been
so daring, but after being around everyone tonight, she felt the need to let go
and just be.

Thorne’s heart hammered in her chest, her breathing
quickened as he turned to look to see what she was doing. She lowered her hand
to the button of her pants, her thumb hooked behind the button, her index and
middle finger in the front, and in a quick snapping motion, the button was
free.

Dalton’s gaze never left hers in silent expectation that
caused a hitch in her breath as she grasped the zipper and lowered it with slow
intent. The Nordic blues raked over her body in bold appreciation as he rose up
from the seat.

“Sit down.” Thorne’s voice hid the uncertainty in it with
the demand she gave him.

Dalton’s brows shot up in surprise, but followed her order
with no questions.

The idea of his eagerness excited her even more, the urge to
take control becoming stronger. Shifting her weight, the toe of her left boot
pressed against the heel of her right. Lifting up her right foot, she pulled it
out of the boot, then repeated the process with her left. Her leg lifted once
more to pull off her sock, and then followed up with the other foot, her gaze
never leaving Dalton’s.

She knew she was already wet. Foreplay was exactly what she
was doing, stripping and controlling him with her words. Thumbs slid inside her
pants, moving toward her hips, pushing her jeans down over the curves, inch by
agonizing inch. She saw something flicker behind his intense gaze, his tongue
darted out over his bottom lip. Thorne bent over to push the jeans all the way
down, her biceps pushed her breasts together, forcing them up and out, to give
him ample view of what he was about to receive.

Stepping out of her pooled pants, arms crossed at her waist,
fingers grasped the edge of her tank top. She lifted it up and over her head,
then dropped it on the grass alongside her pants. Her bra was the last article
of clothing to slide to the grass, leaving her nipples erect and begging for
his mouth to warm them against the cool night air.

Thorne strode toward the bike, careful not to touch the hot
exhaust, hiked up her leg, threw it over the tank, and straddled him and the
seat. Face to face, her legs open to him, allowing the cold air to hit the very
warmth of her, she shivered as her fingers tugged eagerly at his belt. The
sound of leather whispering against metal only heightened her senses more as
nimble digits unsnapped his pants, almost tearing the zipper open.