Devil's Angels Boxed Set: Bikers and Alpha Bad Boy Erotic Romance (28 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Ellie woke up to the sound of a beeping monitor. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was. The beeping got faster and faster. A soothing hand brushed over her forehead and she remembered. Everything. Tears ran from behind her closed lids.

Rex took her hand and sat back down in the chair. It was the first time she had woken up since they had sedated her. The relief that he felt when her eyes fluttered open was overwhelming. They had told him to be patient and that she would wake up when she was ready, but that had been two days ago.

Ellie was injured much worse than they had first thought. Two cracked ribs on the right side, bruised ribs on the left, a bruised kidney on the right and lots of deep bruising on her back and legs. The bruise on her face from the belt lashing was swollen and dark. There were finger shaped bruises on her neck and breasts, too. Seeing her so battered brought an anger that Rex had never felt before to the surface.

He couldn’t erase the image of her underneath Xander. It made him violently sick to think of what had nearly happened. To try to rape your own daughter? The man had been beyond insane.

Flattop, whose real name was Captain Joe Carmody, had come and gone a couple of times. Rex had given his statement as to what he had seen and heard. He would be back when Ellie was better to get her statement; but, there wasn’t any rush on that.

The raid on all the sites had gone well. The drug lab was dismantled and the stolen military weapons were seized. Thanks to Ellie, the bodies of everyone Xander had killed were found in the pond. Many people were arrested and most spilled their guts for the past two day in hopes of getting lighter sentences. The Karthadossian Motorcycle Club was no more. Ellie, Xander’s only living relative, would have to decide what to do with the properties.

Xander’s body still hadn’t been found, but Captain Carmody assured him it was just a matter of time. He couldn’t have gotten far, judging the amount of blood on the floor of the cellar.

Already, members of the Karthadossian Motorcycle Club were lined up at Manny’s door. They wanted to know what it would take to be invited in. The old Manny would have told them all to take a hike, but this new man he’d become was considering several for admission. Others were told that under no circumstances would they ever be welcome at his club.

Some left town completely. Neither he nor Manny were heartbroken over those who had fled. The police had warrants out for a few of them. Eventually they would get picked up someplace else and brought back here to stand trial for their crimes.

After the rumor had gotten around that Xander had tried to rape his own daughter, several women had stepped forward and accused him of rape, as well. They had all been very young when he’d attacked them. Most of those women had been allowed to join the Siouxan Motorcycle Club. The ones that hadn’t joined were planning to move on and get out of the lifestyle all together.

Rex’s only concern was Ellie. Manny had taken on a lot of responsibilities the past couple of months and even more the past two days. He understood that Rex wanted to be by Ellie’s side twenty-four hours a day. It meant a lot to Rex and he intended to tell him so, as soon as he got a chance.

The tears had finally stopped flowing from Ellie’s eyes. Now she simply watched Rex, while he was lost in thought. When he adjusted his focus to her, he smiled and said, “Hey, you.”

Ellie nodded, unsure of her voice. She tried to sit up so she could drink some water. He was up immediately, helping her pour cold water from the pitcher into a glass. She took several deep drinks, pausing when her ribs gave a twinge. “How long have I been here?”

“Nearly forty-eight hours.”

Her eyes widened in shock. It didn’t seem like she’d been out for so long. Everything that had happened was still far too fresh in her mind. “Did everything get taken care of?” she asked in a flat, unemotional voice.

“Mostly. There’s still a lot of loose ends to tie up, but it’s being worked on.” He brought her hand to his lips, pressing them to the cool flesh on the back. “I should have never let you go home alone that night.”

“Please don’t. Please. If you
had
been there he would have killed you.” She shook her head hard, not wanting to cry again. It felt like she had cried enough for eighty people in the past couple of months.

He felt lost, unable to help. “Tell me what you need me to do, Ellie.”

She didn’t have to think about her answer. “Get me out of here. I want to be at home, where I feel safe. I want to be in my bed and I want you to hold me until this pain in my chest goes away.”

That was something he could do.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

It had been a couple of weeks since that night. Every night, Rex kept his promise. He held her until she fell asleep and woke her when the dreams came. They hadn’t been together physically, of course. Her body and her mind were still healing.

Ellie was sitting at her desk, finally starting to feel like she could write again, when the doorbell rang. Rex was home and he went to answer it. Captain Joe Carmody, was on the other side, his face was grim. “Rex.” He held out his hand for the younger man to shake. Rex motioned for him to come inside.

Ellie had gotten up and was standing just inside the living room. She didn’t like the look on the captain’s face.

“Ellie, it’s good to see you looking so well.” Captain Carmody took one of her hands in both of his. He was good at his job and was used to making people feel at ease in difficult situations. In this case, however, he really was glad to see her healed up and smiling.

“Thank you, I’m feeling much better.” She motioned for him to have a seat in the living room.

The captain settled his large frame on the couch and took a deep breath, not at all happy about some of the news he needed to deliver. “The DA is not charging you for shooting Xander. That’s the good news and it’s exactly what we expected. I wish I could keep the bad news from you, but that wouldn’t be doing you any favors.”

“What bad news?” Rex asked, instantly at attention.

“As you know, when we got to the cellar, Xander’s body was gone. There was a lot of blood on the floor, but no body. We searched a five mile radius around the area, but we didn’t find anything. No trace of blood, no tracks, no body, nothing.”

For a moment, Ellie thought she might pass out. So many horrible things ran through her mind. She let her thoughts spiral for a minute, maybe two, then she stopped herself. “I shot him in the stomach. It was the easiest place. He passed out, but I can’t be sure that he was dead or that the wound was even fatal. I wanted him to be dead.” Rex had moved to her side and was holding her tightly. His comfort meant more than she could express.

“We’re not going to stop looking for him, Ellie. I can make that promise to you. He has a lot to answer for, so if he’s alive, I’m going to find him.” He said the words with conviction because he meant them.

Ellie nodded, acknowledging his promise. “I know you’ll do your best, Captain Carmody. I’ll be cautious and aware, but I’m not going to live in fear. I won’t let him take anything more from me.”

Pride filled Rex at her words. She said them calmly, steadily, and with conviction. He knew this was a turning point for her. For both of them.

The captain nodded and rose, a smile splitting his wide, weathered face. “It’s good to hear you say that.”

Ellie smiled back. She liked Captain Carmody and believed that if he said something, he meant it. She stood and turned to say goodbye, shaking the man’s hand tightly. “I’d show you out, but I have a doctor’s appointment I have to get ready for.”

Rex walked the captain to the door, but he stopped before he stepped out and measured Rex with those sharp cop eyes. “She’s going to need protecting again at some point. Are you going to be up to it when the time comes?”

“Without a single doubt,” Rex replied, his eyes steady.

“Good.” Captain Carmody gave him a half-salute and headed for his car. “I’ll keep you up-to-date on things. Invite me to the wedding, won’t you?”

Rex’s mouth opened in surprise. How could the captain have known what he was planning? He chuckled and shook his head at the man. Yeah, he was definitely on the list.

***

Ellie knew the dream would come, as it had every night. Every night she woke up, sweating and gasping for air. In response, Rex would wake up and turn to her. He’d gather her close and hold
her until she could breathe normally again. He had sacrificed so much for her over the past couple of weeks. There was no way she could repay him for his understanding and patience.

The news that Xander might still be alive shocked her deeply. She wished that she could be sure that he had just crawled off somewhere to die and they hadn’t found him yet. She couldn’t be sure though, especially since two of his top guys were also missing.

Rex was sleeping peacefully beside her, snoring softly. Not once in all this time had he gotten tired of her endless insecurities or her need for space. He hadn’t pressured her for sex or acted as if she should just get over it and move on.

Truth be known, she missed the sex. She wanted him badly, but was so afraid that she might freeze up or, even worse, see
his
face. Sometimes the dreams were so vivid that she could feel his hands on her. She shuddered and turned her mind away from the images.

While her mind wandered, Rex watched. She had such an expressive face. Her hand gently stroking his chest woke him. He refused to assume that the touch was a sign of anything more than her needing to be close to him. She seemed to be doing it unconsciously, not even aware that he was awake.

Ellie, still thinking Rex was asleep, tested the waters. His skin was warm under her palm and the hair on his chest was soft. The muscles in his stomach were hard from work, not a gym.  He was a man of contradictions. Soft and hard, tough and gentle. He was all those things with her. The thought brought a genuine smile to her face.

At some point she had made her mind up, she couldn’t remember exactly when. Her hand, the one that had been idly stroking his flesh, stilled. The worries that plagued her just minutes before were gone. She wanted Rex and there wasn’t really any reason to continue denying herself.

All she needed to do was turn her head a little to press her lips to his chest. Her mouth was so close that she could feel her own breath, as it rushed back towards her face. Then, her lips were there, pressing lightly.

There was a second when he couldn’t breathe. The touch of her lips was tentative, barely a whisper of sensation; but, it felt like he’d been hit by a Mack truck. His body was instantly on fire, but he held himself in tight control. He had to let her take the lead and decide how far she wanted this to go.

Ellie noticed the change in him immediately. He was awake and wanted her. The evidence was pulsing against her thigh, even though the rest of him was extremely still. She knew what he was doing and her heart stuttered at his care and concern. No, she had nothing to fear. 

The worst of the bruises from the days Xander trapped her were almost gone. Her skin was starting to glow with health again. Wishing he had a way to show her how she looked at that very moment, Rex drank her in. The soft light in her eyes, the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, and the flush that covered her cheeks and chest were all indications that the old Ellie,
his Ellie
, was coming back.

Determined to erase any memory from the horrific events before she was rescued, Rex took her face in his hands and brought her mouth to his. His kisses were languid and deep. He snaked his arms around her waist and held her close to his body, but not too tight. Proof of his need lay nestled in the juncture of her thighs, although he didn’t press against her or thrust against the soft flesh. He was content just being close to her again.

It was a slow but ever-rising tide of desire, not the flash and burn of lust that usually overtook them. Rex kept his touches soft and long, loving the way her skin tightened under his palms. Ellie explored the places on his body that normally were ignored, finding deep, erotic enjoyment when her fingertips found a spot that made him gasp in surprised desire.

Clothing came off with dreamy ease, while their mouths parted only long enough for an item to be pulled off. Then, they came back together seamlessly again. Her heartbeat wasn’t thunderous pounding; instead, it was the steady drumbeat of a lover in tune with her partner.

His lips left hers and his eyes opened to find her watching him closely. She pressed her forehead to his, raised her leg up and over his thigh, and opened herself to him. The slow slide of his hard shaft into her soft heat caused them both to hold their breath. Even then, once he was pressed fully inside of her, there was no rush. They breathed each other’s breaths and lazily sipped at each other’s lips.

Ellie moved first, pulling her hips away, then pressing them forward. As she moved, she set up a rocking motion that suited them both. It was a slow build. He placed his fingertips against the place that throbbed for his touch and let the motion of their bodies move them. Her hands wound into his hair and she held onto him there.

When the moment came, Ellie didn’t cry out. She was so full of emotions that she could hardly breathe. Her mouth opened to gasp in air and her heart was finally set free. Following her lead, Rex let go and held tight inside of her grip. At that moment, he said the words he’d never said to another person.

“I love you, Ellie.”

***

Later, drifting in and out of sleep, their slow touches turned to demanding strokes and he took her again. This time she screamed in pleasure. As their heartbeats slowed, Rex tucked her against his neck and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just remembering something Captain Carmody said earlier.” Rex smiled, craning his neck to look down at her.

Ellie smiled back. “And?”

Rex reached over her and pulled a small box out of her bedside table. “He wants to come to our wedding.” He opened the box and showed her the ring. The old-fashioned setting suited her perfectly.

It was such a cliché, but she couldn’t stop the tears. “He can sit wherever he wants.”