Page 99 of Devil's Dilemma

Mel had been in that shower for ages, long enough for a prospect to come find me when the sound of water kept running and didn’t turn off. I’d asked Twister to use his lock picking skills then he’d stood back, and I’d stepped inside.

She looked broken.

I can’t get clean.

I’d had to swallow hard to suppress the fury I’d felt that she was the one left feeling dirty and violated, and not the man who’d walked away from her. She shouldn’t be feeling like that. She’s the innocent victim.

It had been my first sight of her gorgeous body with those generous curves that were hidden under her clothes, but my cock didn’t even twitch. I just wanted to stop her tears, and, when I saw her shivering, lend my own body heat to her.

Somehow I knew she wasn’t going to send me away, especially when we started talking. If she’d have asked me for proof of my service, I’d have given it to her. Got Red to vouch for the length of time I’d been with the Devils and dug up my birth certificate to prove my age. Fuck, after what Skull did to her, how does she know who to trust?

People say actions speak louder than words, but Skull was such a good fucking actor, he’d had us all fooled. He’d lived and breathed his cover. If we couldn’t tell he was rotten, fuck knows, she couldn’t have known.

I’m a bit worried she hasn’t eaten tonight, but the day’s taken it out of her. She’s pregnant and has been through the emotional wringer. If she can rest, get her brain to switch off, that will do her the most good.

My stomach growls, reminding me I’ve not eaten either. When it growls again so loudly I’m worried it will disturb her, I gently ease myself away from her sleeping form. She rolls over and settles again.It’s safe to leave her.I won’t be far.

I go downstairs. “Prospect?” Meat immediately comes over.

“Go stand outside Mel’s door. If she wakes…”

“I’ll come get you.”

I nod.

“Pyro? How’s Mel?”

“Calmer, and asleep,” I tell Sparky.

“All this can’t be good for her or the baby. You taking her back to Pueblo?”

“Yeah. I wanted to have a word with Demon. See what he wants us to do.” I glance around the room.

“Prez and Beef have already gone back.” Sparky realises I hadn’t known. As I raise my eyebrows he continues, “Yeah, this will have shaken the club hard. He thought he needed to be there.”

Of course. I can just imagine all the questions flying around in Pueblo, not least the concern the feds might come knocking at the door. I rake my hands through my hair.

“Have you been able to speak to her, about doing this legal?”

“Not yet. But I think Red’s right. This can be her revenge. She needs it, Sparky. Right now, she’s spiralling out of control. But,” I warn him, “I’m putting the idea of killing Skull on hold, not putting it off indefinitely.” My eyes flare.

“I hear you, Ro, I hear you.”

“Now I need a beer and some food.”

When he nods, I make my way past him and go into the kitchen. Rosa’s cleaning up. When she offers to get me something to eat, I tell her gently I’m more than capable of cooking myself some bacon and eggs. While I do just that, she busies herself making a sandwich then wrapping it in Saran Wrap for Mel, she tells me, in case she wakes and is hungry later.

“You know, she wants her parents,” Rosa confides, when I thank her for staying with Mel earlier.

I didn’t, but I nod. It’s not hard to understand why. “I’ll take her to see them when we get back to Pueblo.”

Rosa sighs as she puts the last of the things she’s been working with away. “Well I’m off to bed.”

I notice she looks tired herself. “It’s been a long day.”

She gives a feminine snort. “Getting my two horrors, Tristan and Tom off their X-Box and into bed wasn’t fun tonight. Teenage boys, who’d have them?”

Me, I hope. Well, one at least in a few years’ time. Maybe it’s best not to be warned in advance. Though I do lean over and joke with her, “It’ll be you worrying about them bringing girls home next.”

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