Page 49 of Gypsy's Lady
“Right as rain.” He cupped the edgeof her jaw in his palm, tracing across her cheek with the pad of his thumb. The urge to lean down and kiss her was overwhelming, and he placated his need by pressing his thumb to her lips, waiting until she pursed her lips, giving it a soft kiss.Kiss by proxy. Not enough. Closing his eyes against the desire rolling through him, Gypsy bent and placed a kissonher forehead, then slid his mouthback to near her ear. “I’ll be back for you. I’ll always come back for you.”
Without saying anything else, not that he could with his throat clamped tight against salty tears, he turned on his heel and stalked across the room. Men moved, stepping out of his way and he slowed his pace, not wanting to bring more attention thanhisheight and demeanor already would. A stranger in this environment,he was undoubtedly under scrutiny. His words to Kelsey were a hundred percenttruth,because he knew every man in the room had marked the woman he’d come in with. Noting his possessive moves, they would understand she was his, and if they didn’t and tried something…Gypsy grit his teeth. They would understand the consequences.
Blue Line reached out a handandGypsy met it with his own, knowingthis welcome was for show. It would settle his place in the mind of every one of Blue Line’s men, and from this moment, he would begin building whatever position he wanted in this world. He let Blue Line tug him forwards, shoulders meeting, arms wrapping around as they thumped each other’s back. Louder than he had to, making yet another statement to everyone looking on, Blue Line greeted him, “Brother.”
Gypsy returned the title, smiling as he accepted the weight of responsibility that comes with calling a man family. “Brother, it’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to be seen.” Lips tipping up at one corner, Blue Line grinned wryly. “Been a while since you were in these parts. Did you ever come back after you went back to the other side of the line?”
Shaking his head, Gypsy told him something healready knew. “Nope. I left SoCal and headed back to Chicago. Worked there for a while before I moved to Indiana. Had been there a few years when I gave up the ghost and talked the Rebels into taking a chance on me.” He stepped closer. “You remember any of what I complained about before? The political infighting and corruption?” Blue Line grimaced and nodded. “I got back, and it was worse than ever.My Cap had retiredandthe new guy in charge was abrownnoserwith a great deal of practice. I had one too many cases go bad, decided for my own sanity I needed to be away from all that shit. Found the same shit in Indiana, and was tired of it, man. Just fuckin’ tired of it.” What Blue Line wouldn’t get in a public forum like this was the real story of how Gypsy had made the leap. That would bea need-to-know andlookingaround at the faces turned their direction, ears soaking up every word passing between them, he decideddamn few peoplein the room needed to know.
“Been a minute since you patched in. Malcontents are friendly with Rebels. How is it I didn’t know you were flyin’ the skull until a few weeks ago?” In the space of a breath, Blue Line’s face had hardened, his stare becomingunfriendly and cold. Gypsy frowned at the transformation in his friend, wondering what had triggered it. “Was that an intentional slight to me and mine?”
Shaking his head, Gypsy explained. “Last time I saw you, the Malcontents patch rodeuneasilyon your back, and you carried a different name. I spent years away from the life, slogging through the pits, brother. I hooked up to an RC and madefriends with the primary.” He twisted and pointed at Hurley across the room. “His daddy ran the garage the club used. That man over there was a boy back then, scarcely in junior high. Sure, it’s been a while since I put on the prospect patch for the Rebels, but it’s been a multiple of years since I was on the West coast. If that boy changed enough and grew to be the man standing in your clubhouse,how the fuck was I supposed to know Hound magically farted fairy dust and actually turned into Blue Line?” Hechuffeda soft laugh. “It does suit you better, though, I’ll give you that.”
“I never was a hound.” Blue Line studied him a moment, and then tipped his hand with the next question, telling Gypsy without saying the words what he wanted more than anything. “It’s been a long fuckin’ slogto get where we are, and I missed you at my six, brother. Coulda used a man like you.” He reached out suddenly, and Gypsy barely got his hands up in time to grip Blue Line’s wrist in a clasp of brotherhood. “Missed the fuck out of you, man. I walked away that day and fuck me if it’s not true, I’ve regretted it every single day.”
“I’m here now, man.” From the light in Blue Line’seyesGypsy knewhe’d taken the statement the wrong way and hurried to do damage control, trying to set expectations. “RWMC is my home, and I live and bleed for my club. But as you said, we’re friendly compadres. Long as you’re cool with it, I can visit here for a time.”
“Oh, I’m cool with it. Hell yeah, I’m cool with it.” Blue Line snorted a laugh, tension easing from his frame. “Welcome home, brother.”
***
“How’s your old lady doin’?” The crowd around them had thinned considerably, groups of men and women heading outside to the back of the building where the food had beenset up. “When you called, you made things sound dire, but she looks okay.”
Gypsy’s eyes instinctively turned to where Kelsey stood, still talking to Mela. They’d been joined by a striking brunette and Kelsey seemed to be hangingon every word the woman said. “She’s better now, but it’s been atoughpatch.”
“What happened to her, brother? She’s troubled.” Blue Line lifted a beer someone had brought him, taking a long drink. “She’spretty,but fragile as eggshells.”
“She spent time as a slave to an Australian flesh trafficker. He kept her for himself, held her back from the auctions.” Blue Line dropped the beer to thefloor, cursing as he bent to pick it up. “Yeah.” Gypsy swallowed against the knot that had formed in his throat, “It hits me like that, too.”
“Jesus, Doug. How the hell did she wind up with you?”
“I waspointman on the breaking of the ring that was holding her. The girl we wentin torescue begged me to save her friend. That friend was Kelsey. I busted through a locked door to find one of themen raping her. Hell, from what she said about the months they held her, it was a common occurrence, but doesn’t change the violation she was suffering right there in front of me.” He pulled in a slow breath, trying to bleed off the anger coursing through him at the memory of Kelsey’s face, a pale circle over the man’s shoulder as he adjusted his clothing. “She was so fucking broken, brother. Monthsthey’d held her. You can’t get past something like that in a day. I thank God every day that she sees me as her safety, and not something associated with what happened to her.”
“You saved her.” Blue Line pausedandGypsy nodded. “What’d you do to the fucker who was on her?”
“Killed him before he tucked his dick away.” Gypsy didn’t even think of holding back the information, needing Blue Lineto understand exactly how things were with him. “Right in front of her, and she didn’t flinch.”
“Fuck.” Blue Line gestured at a man across the room and lifted the empty beer bottle, raising two fingers. “And she’s still not afraid of you?”
“Nope. From the moment I found her in that room at the compound, she’s come to me when she’s afraid. Always me. She let me be her rock, you know? Hawks werefocused on their girl, as they needed to be, and me? I was focused on my Kelsey. After a few weeks, I knew I’d have to leave Australia and come home, but I couldn’t see my way clear to leave her behind. So, I brought her with.” Gypsy reached out and accepted the cold beer from the Malcontents prospect, waiting until the man had retreated to the bar before he continued. “Better every day, but thingshappenandshe gets a setback. Expected, but painful to watch.”
“How the fuck can she still function? You’re married to her, right? On the phone you said wife, so I expected to meet your partner as in old lady.”
“We deal with things day by day. Yeah, the paperwork shows us to be married, and she doesn’t know different.” He smiled tightly. “Calls herself my missus.”
“Oh, brother. The words ‘paperwork’and ‘doesn’t know’ make it sound like this isn’t what it seems. You love her, right?I’m seeingthe signs, but it’s clearly a special case.” Blue Line lifted the beerbutwhen he lowered it, Gypsy noticed the level hadn’t changed. He was clever to continue the use of UC tactics. Sobriety would give a leader an advantage in any situation, but they had to appear to be partying with the masses.
“We share a bed every night, but I won’t take advantage of her like that, man. Not after what she went through. Maybe we’ll get there one day, but if not? If my only satisfaction is knowing I did the right thing? Worth it.” Gypsy lifted and lowered his own beer, snorting in amusement when Blue Line glanced at his bottle with a grin. “You use bottles so you can keep track of who’s drinking and who’shiding an agenda?”
“Hell, yeah. Every advantage is mine, motherfucker.” Blue Line laughed and took a real drink, his throat working as he swallowed. “Tough situation, Doug. Knowing you, I’ve every confidence you’ll find your way to the right thing. You’re a good man.”
“So are you, Joel.” He grinned and clapped Blue Line on the shoulder. “Now, it’s story time from your side of things. Bring meup to speed. We’ve only had a couple of chats through the years. It’s time to tell me how it all went down after I hauled that piece of shit off to jail.”
As he and Blue Line talked through the evening, Gypsy kept aclosewatch on Kelsey, tracking as she first moved towards the couches along one long wall of the room. Settled with Mela, she seemed surprised when the brunette appeared beside themagain, plates of food in hand. It seemed the women had decided Kelsey didn’t need to try and brave the crowd outside, bringing in supper instead.
Later the group migrated to the pool table area, along with Hurley, and Gypsy was displeased to see Moby had joined them. He watched as Kelsey ducked her head, laughing as she shifted to the cue stand, trailing her fingers along several wooden shaftsbefore selecting one and pulling it out. Moby moved to stand close, angling his head and shoulders towards her. Gypsy heard her low laughter streak across the room, whatever the man had said must have struck a chord because she glanced up before walking away.She walked away, asshole. Now you leave her alone. As if he’d heard Gypsy’s thoughts, Moby looked up and glanced towards where he sat withBlue Line, lifting a finger to his brow in a mocking salute.Not just an asshole, dude’s afuckingasshole.
