Dual Desires (2 page)

****

Demon watched Ardy leave the room. Faded blue jeans clung to her round ass and thick thighs. He hadn’t lied to Paddy when he said he wanted her for a nanny, but he wasn’t blind either. Her large breasts filled out the Larkin’s Pub t-shirt and highlighted her nipped in waist and full hips. Always partial to a woman with meat on her bones, he questioned his decision to have her live under his roof. The girl still had the look of an innocent about her. Paddy cleared his throat, and Demon looked way from the doorframe Ardy exited.

“Speak your peace, Paddy.”

“She’s my daughter, for Christ’s sake. What kind of man would I be to just let her go off with you and your biker club?”

“A smart one.” With Ardy gone, the kid gloves came off. He didn’t want to piss off his kids’ caregiver. It’d make things awkward for everyone, and he’d always wonder in the back of his mind if she’d be stupid enough to take her anger out on them. This way was much better. “This is the price, unless you want to pay in blood and still owe us the money.” Paddy paled. “Your choice—the easy way out, or the hard way? You’re lucky I had a need for Ardy at all. I don’t need to buy my pussy, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 “She’s young and impressionable.”

“Not my problem.” Demon snickered. “Fuck, man, we’re not arranging a marriage here. She’s watching my kids. That means she’ll be under my protection.”

Paddy nodded. Demon could see the strain in the man’s face. He understood it. If someone were trying to take away Harley, he’d bury their ass. Difference was, he’d never let himself get into that position in the first place. You didn’t write checks your ass couldn’t handle. The poor fuck was in over his head and drowning as he sank like a stone. At least this would wipe the slate clean. “I won’t keep her from you. She’s not my prisoner. You ask me, you got off easy.” Demon stood. “We’re done here. I’ll leave my information for you, address, phone number, all the crap. After this, I’ll consider us square, but I won’t do business with you again.”

“I understand,” Paddy said.

“Good. I really don’t like repeating myself.” Confident Paddy got the picture, he made his way out of the bar where his council sat.

“You good?” Lefty said. His vice president had thought his idea was crazy, but as always, he voiced his opinion and went along for the ride.
Crazy bastard would ride to hell beside me.

“Yeah, Ardy’s getting her shit together now. We’ll pick her up, and she’ll stay with us in the hotel room. She’ll get the feel of the kids and the club before we head back home. I want the word spread she’s not to be fucked with. She’s not a house mouse, or a biker bunny.” The men nodded, and Demon relaxed. “I don’t want anything fucking this up.”

When Demon’s old lady had started whoring around and jumped ship to another M.C, it was all he could do not to kill her. Instead, he excommunicated her. One day, his kids might hate him for it, but he couldn’t risk inside information leaking and getting his boys killed. He had his doubts about why she’d hooked up with him in the first place now. There’d been shit that didn’t match up. Times his deals had soured, and close calls with other crews. Why she’d procreate with him if she’d been a plant, he couldn’t say. Maybe she thought playing both sides would save her once he figured it out.
Stupid bitch.
He rolled his neck in an attempt to relieve the stress that always engulfed him when he thought of her.

“Let’s get out of here. I need a beer and some bullshitting with our brothers,” Demon said, itching to leave the bar and its depressing situation behind. He wasn’t as unfeeling as he let on. He just didn’t let emotions fuck with his business. As president, he had everyone watching him, waiting for a sign of weakness or an opening. Most empires were destroyed from within. It was a lesson his father taught him at a young age. He took it to heart and never forgot it.

Outside, the day’s heat burned away the lingering unpleasantness as he boarded his bike. The rumble of the engine between his legs acted as a balm, the universal soothe—all that kept the demons at bay like some sort of grown man’s lullaby. He had a lot of blood on his hands. Nightmares occasionally kept him up at night. Booze and drugs became his medicine when his brain felt ready to break. The edge of a cliff had been a daily tight rope walk until Harley and Rocket came along. Those tiny beings saved his life, and what was left of his soul. The excess drinking and drugs dried up.

Slumming became a thing of the past, and he slapped old lady status on Natasha. There’d been no love lost between them, but he tried to do right by her, give her the respect due to the mother of his child.
Look how that backfired.
He tightened his hands around the handle bars and revved the engine as he took off. The wind blew away his over—thinking, and he lost himself in the ride.

****

“Do you remember whose coming to dinner, tonight?” Demon asked from his position on his knees. He liked to be at eye level with Harley and Rocket.

“A babysitter lady,” Rocket said. Harley nodded her head in agreement, sending her curls flying. The serious expression on her heart—shaped face made him laugh. Her thick eyebrows were drawn together.

“Yes, very good job. She’s going to come and live with us, and take care of you while Daddy works. What do you think about that?”

“Is she nice?” Rocket whispered.

The hesitant tone and fear-laced hazel eyes made Demon wince.
Fuck, I should’ve figured that bitch out long before she fucked up our kids.
“Yes, very nice. She’s a big sister, just like you’re a big brother, and she has three younger siblings.” He held up three fingers.

“Wow,” Rocket whispered.

“Fwee,” Harley said, waggling four fingers in the air.

Demon smiled. “Almost, kiddo.” He smoothed the hair back from her face.

“What’s her name?” Rocket asked. Demon could hear the curiosity in his voice, but the wary looked remain.

“Her name’s Ardy.”

“Ardy?” Rocket wrinkled his nose. “That’s weird.”

“No weirder than Harley and Rocket. In this case, I’d say don’t throw stones,” Demon said, delivering a wink.

“Awy,” Harley cried.

“Yep, good job, Harley. She should be here any minute.” Demon decided to take things down and keep it private. Pizza for dinner in the hotel room, a treat for the kids, and a laid back environment for Ardy. It let them meet on neutral ground. A knock sounded.

“I bet that’s her,” Demon said. Rocket crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. “Hey, she’s nothing like Natasha. I promise.” Rocket refused to look up at him, and the knock came again. Demon sighed. “You’ll see.” He ruffled his sandy blond curls and walked to the door with an excited Harley on his heels. He opened the door, and Ardy looked up with wide brown eyes.

“H—hi.” Her voice wavered. With her dark hair spilling around her oval face and down her back, she looked like a teenager in the moonlight instead of her actual twenty—three.

“Hi, Come on in.” Demon stepped back from the door with Harley clinging to his leg.

Ardy stepped inside and glanced down at Harley, with her light brown curls, skin the color of coffee with cream, and large hazel eyes. He saw the moment she realized his children were mixed, the same as she was. “Oh.”

Demon smirked and closed the door behind her, giving her a moment to gather. Demon at home was a different breed from the president of the Dueling Devils.

“Hi.” Harley peaked from around his legs and waved.

“Hi, Harley.” Ardy smiled and waved back.

Harley gasped. “She knows my name, Daddy.”

“Yeah, she must be really smart.” Demon winked and turned to Rocket. “Rocky, this is Ardy.”

“Hi,” Rocket mumbled.

“Hi, Rocket.” Ardy knelt down. “My name is Ardy.” She stuck her hand out.

His son’s head came up, and he eyeballed her, clearly unsure of how to take the new adult. Rocket stuck out his hand, and they shook.

“Now that we’ve all met, how about I order some pizza? Cheese and pepperoni okay for you, Ardy?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” She eyed him cautiously. Her hazel eyes were full of mistrust, and her body remained stiff. A few feet away, she stood with her hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans.

“Why don’t you and the kids get to know each other better while I order the pizza?” He pretended not to watch them as they continued to interact. Harley brought her dolls, already enamored with the new female playmate. There were so few decent role models for her to have, he couldn’t say it surprised him. Not many of the brothers had families, and of the few that had kids, most weren’t married and didn’t see their offspring on a regular basis.

 As the night wore on, Harley became Ardy’s shadow, and Rocket thawed slightly. The tightness in Demon’s chest eased. This would work. The Devils were entering a transitional phase, and he needed to know Harley and Rocket were safe while they expanded and he spent more time away.

After bathing and putting the kids down for the night, Demon led her out onto the patio to talk. She shifted her weight from side to side and looked everywhere but at him. “Did you bring your things?”

“Yes, they’re in the trunk of my car. I didn’t know how we were going to do this, so I left them.” She shrugged.

He nodded. Her nervousness ate at him. After the shit he’d seen with his mom and dad, he never could stomach to see a man abuse a woman. Not to say he wouldn’t defend himself from some crazy bitch. He’d just never use her for a punching bag. “Look, I’m not going to hurt you, Ardy. You’re here to watch over my kid’s, period. No one’s going to fuck with you, okay?”

She took a deep breath. “Okay...”

“This isn’t about revenge on your dad; you just happened to fill a gap. You can relax. Hell, you might even enjoy the change of scenery. Georgia is still the south, but we have a completely different vibe from North Carolina.” A small smile curved her plump lips at the corners, and he bit back a moan.
It’s been too long since I got some trim if a coy smile is giving me a hard-on.
“I figure we can ease them into things. I’ll bunk on the couch for a few days, and once they’re used to having you around, I’ll move to my own room. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Is there anything I need to know—allergies, favorite toys, or routines they’re particular about?”

The awkwardness melted away as they spoke about their common interests. Soon she knew all the pertinent details, and many of his children’s quirks. With her settled in the hotel room, he couldn’t help but hope the luck in his personal life was looking up. It seemed like one shit storm after the other over the past five years. If they weren’t in the middle of war, he was neck deep in baby mama drama that just kept getting worse. Now there seemed to be a lull. They were working on a peace agreement with a neighboring motorcycle club, referred to as the M.C., and making new deals to bring in money. It was a good time to be a member of the Dueling Devils.

Chapter Two

A knock sounded on the door, and Ardy took a deep breath. Demon had given her fifteen minutes to get ready. Today, she’d meet the rest of his crew. She wiped her sweaty palms on her shirt, smoothing it down over her hips.
I can do this.
Heart hammering in her chest, she walked to the door and opened it.

“You ready?” With his shades covering his eyes and a white t-shirt spread taut against his muscular frame, Demon was a modern day James Dean.

“Y—yes I’m ready.” She nodded.

“Good, I hate it when a woman takes forever. The kids are going to be driving with Danielle. So, you’re coming with me.”

“I’m sorry, what?” she croaked.

He smirked. “Ever been on a chopper?”

“A few times. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Riding in on the back of my bike will warn people off you faster than any word of mouth.”

“Oh.”

He laughed. “We need to get you up to speed on a few things, sweetheart. It’s been a long time since we had such an innocent among our ranks.”

His laughter took years off him. Like this, he was almost approachable. She stepped out of the room, ignoring the voice screaming in her head that she wasn’t ready, and locked the door behind her. All of her identification was in a small satchel she carried across her shoulders. He glanced down at her and frowned. “I can’t let people take advantage of it. My men are good guys, but the road can be long and lonely, and you’re fresh meat,” he said. The words brought home the seriousness of her situation. Most times, she pretended it was just another babysitting gig to make money. The meeting would make it very real.

She ignored the stares of the townspeople she’d grown up with as she followed him to his bike. The massive machine was almost as intimidating as its owner. Black and shiny with a Dueling Devils emblem on the tank, it screamed powerful. He handed her a matte black helmet and tilted his head to the side. “You know how to get on?”

“I know at least that much,” she said dryly.
God, this guy probably thinks I’m an idiot.

“Just checking. Better to assume than have you bust that pretty little ass of yours.”

Heat filled her cheeks and spread up her neck. She cleared her throat.

“Should I have said butt?”

“No, ass is fine,” she whispered.

His white teeth caught the sunlight, and she was reminded of a wolf—beautiful, masculine, loyal, yet deadly when challenged. He swung his leg over the side of his bike and mounted with the grace of a dancer. One with his bike, he exuded a confident competence that said he could handle anything thrown at him. His large hands were calloused and tan, a laboring man’s hand, like her father’s. She climbed on behind him, using the peg to boost her body up and get her leg over before she sank down on the seat behind him.

“Not bad for a newbie. Soon enough it’ll be like breathing air. Wrap your arms around my waist and hold on tight.”

She licked her lips and encircled his waist gingerly.

“You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that.” He reached back, cupped her elbow, and gave it a gentle nudge. She responded, tightening her grip. “There you go.”