“Faye! Your huge ass is blocking the TV!” Rake calls out, the jerk. I throw my banana at his head as he cackles with laughter. Allie sits on Tracker’s lap, his arms resting on her hips. He sees me watching and winks at me. I think those two are finally getting serious. I give him a thumbs up. He shakes his head and mutters something about me being goofy. Arrow walks into the room and sits down next to me. I stare into his brown eyes and tug on his beard.

“Nice to see you stranger,” I say with a smile.

“Nice to see you too,” he replies with a lip twitch.

“You look much better,” I blurt out, taking in his freshly cut hair and circle-free eyes.

“I feel better,” he replies.

“So I have my best biker back?” I whisper, not letting anyone else hear.

“You never lost him, little girl,” he replies, flashing me his white teeth. “You’ve gotten so big.”

I gasp. “You did not just say that!”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” he quickly says, trying to cover up his blunder.

“So I’ve gotten big in a good way?”

I look down at my boobs. Okay so those have gotten bigger, from a B cup to a C, but so has everything else too. My already huge ass has gone from J-Lo to Kim Kardashian.

Okay, not that big, but still.

Arrow turns to Rake. “Someone could have warned me.”

“About what?” I ask, looking at Rake in confusion.

“Nothing,” Rake adds, throwing me back the banana and turning his face to attempt hiding his smile.

“I’m not that bad,” I sulk, peeling my banana and taking a bite out of it. Irish and Trace walk into the room.

“Is the beast in a good mood?” Irish asks as he sits down.

My mouth drops open. “I was in a good mood!”

To be honest, I have been grumpy in the last few days. My back hurts, my feet hurt, and I have heartburn, but I totally thought I was suffering in silence.

Apparently not.

“When does Dex get back?” I ask, rubbing my stomach absently.

No one answers me. Game of Thrones is on, and everyone is watching it in fascination. Allie and Tracker start making out, his hands groping all over her ass. Feeling uncomfortable, I turn to Arrow, who is watching me in amusement.

“Still a prude?” he asks quietly.

“I’m not a prude. I just prefer that kind of stuff to be private. I’m not judging anyone, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me uncomfortable to see free live porn,” I reply, just as quiet.

“Trust me when I say before you moved in it was a lot worse. Naked women walking around twenty-four seven,” he says, looking wistful. “Those were the days.”

“Ahh, the pre- Faye glory days,” Rake adds in.

“Well excuse me, I don’t live here anymore, so on the days I’m gone feel free to return to those glory days,” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Oh trust me, we do,” Rake says, tipping back his iced cold beer. “Just yesterday I had this one woman bent over the…”

My banana peel hits him right in the face.

Everyone bursts out laughing, except Trace, who looks at us like we’re all insane.

Rake is about to shout out some smart ass remark I’m waiting for, when the front door slams open.

Everyone stands. Arrow stands in front of me, shielding me.

“Club room! NOW!” Jim yells as he enters with Dex. Everyone heads into the office. What the hell is going on? Why do they need a club meeting?

All of them on alert, they exit the room. Dex walks over to me and gives me a quick open mouth kiss.

“Stay here,” he demands, then walks off. I look at Allie, who looks just as shocked. I sit down, knowing it’s not my place to get involved.

“I wonder what happened,” I say, looking to where Dex just was standing.

Allie puffs out a breath. “Guess we will have to wait and see.”

*****

They all walk out about thirty minutes later. Dex storms up to me and wraps me in his arms. “Clubhouse is on lockdown. More people will arrive within the hour, do you think you can help with food and sleeping arrangements?”

“Of course,” I say, my concern growing. “What’s happening?”

He looks like he doesn’t want to tell me, but then he speaks. “We got even with the Wild Men, then had negotiations.”

I don’t ask how they got even, I can only imagine.

“We still fuckin’ hate each other, but we called a truce for the time being. Just found out Arrow killed their President in broad fuckin’ daylight two days back. Their MC members just found out who did it and are going to want revenge.”

“But Arrow...”

“I know babe, he looks like he has his shit under control finally,” Dex says on a sigh. “I think that’s why. He killed their President and now he feels like Mary’s death has been avenged. However, we now have a war on our hands.”

Arrow walks up to us, his lip bleeding. Wonder who hit him. He looks at me, at my stomach.

“I didn’t want to put you or anyone else in danger… but fuck. He knew those men were going to come here that night! They were his men, he fuckin’ sent them! He needed to pay,” he grits out, his face going red.

I have no idea what to say.

“I can’t put my daughter in danger Dex!” I whisper. I love this man, more than my own life, but not more than the life of my child. Dex nods his head, scrubbing a hand down his face. Arrow looks ashen. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but what can I do? Stay here and be a sitting duck, waiting for this ‘war’ to finish and hoping me and Clover will be safe? Jim walks over and pulls Dex away.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way, but I’m not sorry that fucker is dead,” Arrow says again, his voice hoarse.

“I know,” I whisper. “I know.”

What am I going to do?

Cindy storms in and starts barking orders, which I appreciate, because she saves me from standing here looking stupid. She knows what to do, what to say, and shows me just what it takes to be the president’s old lady.

You need to keep your shit together.

A test that I’d just failed big time.

We organize food, places to sleep, and send the men on a store run to stock up on things we need. Apparently these lockdowns can last a few days even. More men arrive, ones I’ve never met before. I feel Dex’s eyes on me, watching, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s worried about me—I know it. I can feel it. See it on his expression.

I can’t comfort him right now though, because even I don’t know what I’m feeling.

Chapter Twenty Six

I don’t know what to do with myself. So I pace. I feel like I’m a sitting duck. Waiting, just waiting for something to happen. Who are we going to lose this time?

Dex?

Clover? The baby girl I haven’t even met yet?

Who?

I keep seeing Mary’s face in death. Over and over again.

The thought makes me stop in my tracks and cry. Tears drip down my cheeks until I cover my face with my hands.

“Faye,” Dex says, pulling me back into his warm body. “Don’t cry.”

“This isn’t good for the baby,” Cindy says from behind him. “She’s stressed out Sin. I think she’s having a panic attack.”

“I fuckin’ know that,” Dex growls. “What am I meant to do? She’s safest here, where I can watch over her. I won’t let anything happen to her. And when this bullshit is over, she will be safe. I’ll kill every one of those fuckers if I have to!”

I feel like shit. They have bigger issues on their hands, but here they are, standing around me watching me lose my shit and trying to help.

“Dex…” Jim starts.

“NO!” Dex yells in reply, cutting off whatever he was going to say. “No, no, no.”

No what? I try to pull myself together, wiping my eyes and straightening my spine. “I’m fine, I’m sorry.”

“She needs to leave,” Jim says in a strong voice. “We need your mind on the club right now, not on her!”