Chapter Four
“I would’ve put you and Stefan up in a guest bedroom if we had any available, but we’re crowded at the moment,” Brick said, opening the door to his room.
Rose, Stefan, and he had drawn curious looks from a number of his MC brothers the moment they entered the clubhouse. Most normal folk would be intimidated entering the stronghold of a bunch of rowdy bikers. Brick had almost forgotten Rose wasn’t like most people.
She held her head up, smiled at the jokes some of the bikers cracked. Brick truly had a treasure in his hands, one he didn’t intend to let go.
Rose stepped inside his room. As Vice President, Brick’s room was larger than most and he had his own private bathroom.
“Bathroom’s over there, in case you want to take a shower. I can look after the kid so you can take your time,” he offered.
Rose took a deep breath, then finally turned to face him. Her gaze searched his. “Brick, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and Stefan so far, but this isn’t normal.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning.
“I’m just a stranger you met tonight. Why would you help us?” she asked.
Brick didn’t miss the suspicion in her voice. He expected that kind of reaction. “I couldn’t just leave a beautiful woman in trouble all alone for the wolves to devour,” he said with a shrug.
That was exactly what the Black Dogs would do, if they got their filthy paws on her. They’d take a strong-willed woman like her and rip her to shreds. The thought made him angry. If she said she wanted to go her own way, he would’ve probably sent a prospect to tail her just to make sure they were both safe.
Good thing she agreed to come with him. Brick had no idea what he was doing, of course, but she and the kid were here now.
“I see. Would you like me to thank you for help now or…” Rose trailed off. Color appeared in her cheeks and neck.
Brick couldn’t help but grin. She understood the game after all. He neared her. She didn’t step away but firmly held his gaze, even if she had to crane her neck to do so. Rose was such a tiny little thing compared to him. He rested his hand on her cheek, pleased she leaned into it unconsciously. Then he released her, twirling one finger into one of her dark curls.
Her breathing hitched. Brick dipped his gaze lower, letting her see how hungry he was for her. He admired the swell of her generous breasts hidden under her bra. Her luscious curves and body, so ripe for the taking. Her nipples hardened just from one look. If he slipped his hand under her jeans and underwear, would he find her wet for him? Brick’s dick woke at that thought.
No. Brick peeled himself away from such temptations. He let go of her hair, although he still pictured her lying naked in his bed, her glorious hair spread out on his pillow and sheets. “Not tonight,” he told her. “You must’ve had a long day. Take that shower. I’ll look after Stefan.”
Disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she handed Stefan to him. She paused before heading to the bathroom. “Can I ask you something?”
“Ask away, sweetheart,” Brick said.
“You know how to hold a baby,” she pointed out. “That surprised me.”
“I don’t hear a question,” he reminded her.
“You have experience with kids?” she asked him.
“I used to look after my sister’s kid when she was busy working.” Thinking of Trigger still in the hospital and Tasha dead in the ground sobered him right up.
Rose must’ve sensed the change in his demeanor because she didn’t ask him another question. She nodded, then entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Brick didn’t take offense. Why would she trust a man she just met today, after all?
Cradling Stefan in his arms, he rocked the baby. Stefan went to sleep without any fuss, unlike his Todd—well, he preferred to be called Trigger now. Rose didn’t take long. She emerged from the shower ten minutes later, wearing one of his old shirts. It fell to her knees, and the sheer fabric failed to hide her curves and her nipples.
Rose caught him staring. “I hope you don’t mind,” she began. “I forgot to grab one of my nightshirts from my bag, and—”
“My shirt looks good on you.” Brick handed Stefan to her.
“I hope he didn’t give you any trouble,” she told him, gazing at the boy in her arms that wasn’t hers. Still, Brick could tell she loved the kid with all her heart.
“He’s a good kid,” Brick said. “Trigger—my sister’s kid—now he was a troublemaker.”
“Your sister named him Trigger?” she asked him with a raise of one dark eyebrow.
“Nah. That’s what he wants everyone to call him now. He’s part of the MC, you see. Dragon put him and two other members of our crew in the hospital,” Brick said. “I’m usually calm and rational most of the time, but Trigger’s the only family I have. I can’t just sit still while he’s at the intensive care unit.”
He wasn’t sure why he was telling her all this. Brick wouldn’t forget the way she’d gone sheet white after he shot those Black Dogs bastards. Maybe a part of him wanted to justify his actions to her. That never happened to him before. Being in the presence of this woman was doing all kinds of strange things to him, but Brick found he didn’t care.
“So you killed those men out of vengeance?” she asked softly.
Brick couldn’t read her tone or the expression on her face. “When someone hits us, we hit back,” he simply said. “That’s all there is to it.”
“Must be nice,” she murmured.
“What is?” Brick asked, finding himself drawn to her again.
He approached her. Rose seemed distracted, looking at Stefan. This close, Brick could smell the soap he used on her skin. His shampoo. Fuck, but she smelled delectable. A wave of possessiveness hit him. They’d only known each other for less than a day, and already, he planned to keep her. Too bad she didn’t know that yet, but she would and soon.
“To have someone on your side, to have someone fiercely fight for you,” she said. “I never had that.”
Brick detected sadness in her voice. Rose had probably fought her own battle for the longest time. She was a fighter and ought to be proud of that. “Let me guess. This isn’t the first time your brother did this?” he asked her.
She nodded, then blinked, probably realizing how close he was. Rose didn’t seem daunted by his presence. “Donny and my father, they’re two sides of the same coin. All they cared about were themselves.”
“Your father?” he pressed. One irritating brother was already a chore to deal with. Was Rose telling him she had to support a second dead weight? No wonder she looked so ragged.
“Dead. Got himself killed doing errands for another MC.” Rose let out a bitter laugh. “He was never home most of the time. Left us to fend for ourselves. I have no idea why Donny wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
“So you and the kid are the only two good things that came out of that family.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m barely surviving. Juggling three jobs to pay the bills and watching over my other family members, it takes a toll on you, you know?” Rose shook her head. “Sorry, you probably don’t want to listen to any of this.”
“On the contrary, I want to know everything about you, Rose,” he said.
Careful of the sleeping baby between them, Brick leaned in close and gave her a kiss on the mouth, chaste and quick. A preview of what was to come. Rose kissed him back, and he didn’t miss the desperate hunger she possessed. He grinned after pulling away. Brick debating asking her how long it had been since she’d been with a real man, then decided against it.
“You and Stefan can have the bed for tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll see if I can get him a cot,” Brick said.
“Where will you be?” she asked him, watching him fluff up his pillows. Brick fetched a fresh blanket from the closet and laid it on the bed.
“Right next to you.” He nodded to the armchair next to the bed. “I’m not going anywhere, Rose.”
“Okay,” she whispered, and she crawled under the covers with Stefan. “Good. I don’t understand it, but I feel safe with you.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you or Stefan, Rose. You have my word,” Brick said, because she needed to hear those words. Taking this woman and her kid, who were both wanted by an enemy MC, might be a reckless move, but even if Brick could somehow turn back time, he wouldn’t change a damn thing.