Page 26 of Gypsy's Lady
Learning to live
Gypsy gripped the bottle in his hand tightly and lifted the beer to his lips to take a deep pull, swallowing hard to drive the taste of bile from the back of his throat at the memories.
Every time his brain walked through the events six nights ago, it was the same. Successful insertion, the dead men buying his portrayal of an entitled American acquiringa revenge toy for his deviant boss, guiding the girl into a position where she could be protected…and the piercing cry of fear and pain that had him driving his shoulder against a closed door to open a cell filled with the stench of terror.
That woman was Kelsey, the one Nary had told him needed rescuing.
I’m never going to forget it.
Kelsey had looked at him with eyes resigned to whateverfate he brought with him. He hadn’t missed her response to him killing her attacker. Not that he’d intended to kill the man, but the asshole had the unfortunate position of being between Gypsy and the woman. Motherfucker had been on her, moving, hurting her and ignoring her pain.The dead manhad been laughing as he straightened his clothes, the wet knob of his stiff dick hidden behind his zipper,but Gypsy knew, he fucking knew the man didn’t give a shit the impression he’d left on the woman was life-long. One twist, a quick movement,andGypsy had separated spine fromskullin an action that felt natural and practiced.
Then Kelsey, the woman possessingbeautyof face and form even grime, fatigue, and terror couldn’t hide, had offered her neck to him. Asking without words for him to granther peace.
He’d remembered the rattle of a gurney’s wheels as they carried his best friend’s still body to the cooler at the back of the morgue.
Kelsey had asked for peace, and he’d given it to her, just not in the way she’d expected. Instead of ending her, he’d promised with everything in him to keep her safe.
And she believed him. Believed in him like no one had, not even Claudia.
Bringingher with them hadn’t been easy. The Hawks were focused on their girl, but Nary had been determined to save Kelsey, too. It had taken only a moment to have a word with Talon, but giving Kelsey a clear path to the outside had been worth that word, the bodies of Baxter’s men moved out of sightsothe only thing for her to flinch from were memories. It tore him up to feel her trembling, pressed tightlyto his side, one hand wound in the fabric of the shirt he’d placed on her. She’d needed the layers of warmth, so skinny you could see every rib along her side through the thin nightgown she’d worn. Gypsy hadn’t paused to analyze how satisfying it had been to see her in something of his, he’d just done it, and then pulled her close.
With Nary on her otherside,they’d walked from the facility,finally entering the cool night air. Kelsey had frozen in place,andfor a moment, Gypsy thought it was from fear. Then she’d whispered, and as shespoke,he knew Nary’d been right when she said Kelsey had been there most of a year. Held in the tiny cell where he’d found her, no window, nothing to comfort her except the woman standing beside her now.
Voice soft, Kelsey had tipped her head upto stare at the stars overhead as she struggled to get the words out, working hard for the few syllables needed to convey her sense of relief. “I-It’s beautiful.”
Once in thevan,she’d seemed to run out of steam, her head drooping on her neck as it bobbed with every bounce and sway. Kelsey had crowded closer and closer to him until Gypsy had finally reached over and unfastened her seatbelt,put his hands on her waist, and pulled her into his lap. After remaining stiff and tense for a moment, she had all but collapsed into him, burrowing close as she drew her legs up to her chest and fell asleep. Arms around her, he’d cradled her, and had met Stoke’s relieved but pained eyes over an also-sleeping Nary’s head.
“You saved my girl,brother,” Stoke spoke from behind Gypsy, eerily repeatingthe words he’d said in the van, drawing Gypsy from his thoughts while keeping him in that moment of feeling Kelsey’s absolute trust. He turned to face Stoke as the man continued, “Saved her mum and me, too. I couldn’t’ve handled it if something happened to her.”
“I’m glad we got them out safely.” So much could have gone wrong, but both men knew better than to delve into the coulda, woulda, shouldapath. “You and your crew,y’alldo all right.” Stoke’s chin lift didn’t come with a smile, and Gypsy didn’t blame him. “Gonna be any blowback from this for you?”
“Don’t fuckin’ care if there is.” Voice firm, Stoke didn’t leave any room for argument. “My girl, she’s worth anything.”
“Vicious holding it together?” From everything that had been said, it sounded like the couple’s past had been rocky,but Vicious had been the man on the mission with them, not Fang. It wasn’t Gypsy’s place to question a club’s politics, but having both men in the same chapter sounded like a recipe for disaster. Talon seemed to have a good handle on things, but emotions could cause men to act in stupid ways even when things weren’t tense.
“He is now she’s back where she belongs. Boy’ll pull his head out of hisarseorI’ll pull it out for him; it just might not still be attached if Ihaftado it.” This time Stoke did chuckle softly, the sound seeming rough with disuse. “Saxon and Nary are…complicated.”
“I get that.” Gypsy paused, because he wasn’t sure if Stoke was the one to ask, but wanted to get it out there sooner rather than later. “I know the plan was for me to head back as soon as I could, butI’d like to stay a bit.” He paused, an unaccustomed caution stealing his words. “Kelsey seems…fragile. I find myself wanting to make certain she’s good.”
“Stay as long as you want or need, brother. You and me, we got a blood debt now. You need anything, I’ll fuckin’ make it happen. You want to watch outoverthe little one my gal’s got a soft spot for, that just tells me what kinda man you are.”Stoke shoved a hand in Gypsy’s direction,andhe reached out to grip it tightly, not resisting when the man used the grip to pull him close.Stoke’s arm closed around Gypsy’s shoulder and he felt the man’s breath hot against the side of his head, heard the catch in his voice as Stoke fought emotion that had been riding close to the surface since they’d pulled the van onto the compound lot, backon Hawk territory, when the man knew his daughter was safe.Words danced on the tip of Gypsy’s tongue, but he held back, waiting for Stoke to get it all out. Harsh and bitter, the words Stoke spoke shattered Gypsy as the rage of a father rolled through the room. “Motherfuckers touched her. Touched my baby.My baby. Starved her. Made her fear any touch. Guts me to see her cringing back from peoplewho love her. You saved my girl, Gypsy. Saved her. Anything you need, brother. Anything. Askandit’s fuckin’ yours. For life.”
Stoke stepped back,andGypsy glimpsed shining tracks of wetness on his cheeks.
He kept his voice low, ensuring Stoke was the only listener when he said, “You have to know it wasn’t a hardship, helping good men take back their treasure. And it doesn’t matter what’shappened to her, or to Kelsey, that treasure isnottarnished.” He shook his head. “Those girls are like diamonds, only becoming more beautiful under pressure. Your Nary’s surrounded by so many people who love her. I believe in my heart she’ll come back to herself. That’s not me telling a Hawk their work is done, that’s me trying to reassure her father, a man I’ve come to respect, his baby girl’sgoing to be okay.” Stoke cleared his throat,andGypsy held his gaze, hoping the man could feel the sincerity behind his words. “I’m proud of my patch, proud of my club. There’s not a better man than our founder, Mason. No better club than the Rebels. But I believe I’ve met their match in the men of the Hawks.” He reached up and gripped the back of Stoke’s neck, holding tight. “I’m proud to havestood shoulder-to-shoulder with you, old man. Proud to call you brother.”
They stood like that for a moment,andthe weight of all the things that could have gone wrong seemed to lift off Gypsy’s shoulders.We did it. Saved the girl. He blinked.Girls.
Laughter drifted out from one of the open windowsandGypsy’s feet itched to take him back inside. He wanted to seek out Kelsey, and once againassure himself she was still okay. This had turned into an hourly occurrence, and he’d given up fighting the urge. He released his grip on Stoke and stepped back, lifting clenched fists on either side of his head to push stiffened fingers through his loose hair. “I’m beat, brother. Gonna check on the girls, then see if I can catch some shuteye.”
“Meant every motherfucking word, brother.” Stoke’svoice was low and quiet.
Gypsy nodded. “Love and respect, man. Straight up.” He turned and walked inside, finding Vicious in the first place he looked, seated on a chair in his room with Nary and Kelsey sleeping in the bed. Without aword,Gypsy joinedhimand leaned against the wall. He stood vigil for a time and watched the women sleep, muscles tensing every time that slumber turned restless,relaxing aminusculeamount when they would settle again.
The second time his chin dipped and hit his chest, he decided he was past due for sleep. He’d been going full bore since landing in Australia, and the time difference combined with adrenaline crash was catching up with him.If I can manage to get to sleep, I’m gonna be dead to the world. “Gotta see if I can catch some shuteye.” Holdinghis voice to a whisper, Gypsy didn’t look at Vicious when he spoke. “Don’t hesitate to wake me if she needs me.”
“No worries, brother,” came Vicious’ muttered response. “Rest. You’ve earned every bit of it.”
In his room with the door closed, Gypsy kicked off his boots and stripped off his shirt before he stretched out on top of the bed, arms bunched behind his head as he stared up at the darkceiling. He forced himself to lie still and clear his mind, and it took a while, buteventually,he drifted off to sleep. Gypsy woke a few hours later, squinting into the darkness as he focused on the slight form standing in his open doorway. His breath caught in his throat for a moment, but after seeing her so often over the past days, the silhouette was familiar,andhe didn’t have to wonderwho it was.Up onanelbow,he asked, “Nary? Is everything okay?”
