Apparently, the safe house has been cleaned and readied for our arrival. I use the time cramming my dirty clothes back into my suitcase to steady my breathing and calm down. I don't know how long I'm going to have to endure Shadow as my bodyguard, but I know I need to keep my wits about me. I go to my mom's room to check on her but she's still trying to gather up all her belongings, so I head out to the parking lot alone.

As I approach the vehicle taking us to the safe house, a blond, curly haired guy with tattoos all up his arms reaches out for my bag. A tattoo on his left hand catches my attention: TCB. My eyes widen; my body goes stiff. This is the guy I used to make Shadow jealous last night; Bobby, if I remember right.

“Well, hello there.” He’s charming, like all of the bikers I've met so far.

“Uh, hello,” I respond, unsure if he recognizes me and feeling like a complete idiot. He has light blue eyes and little freckles here and there across his cheeks. He’s pretty. Yes, a pretty boy. Bobby looks like he belongs on the cover of a magazine despite the tattoos and biker aura. Looking at the knock out grin, I'm sure he is just as much of a panty dropper as Shadow.

“I got her bag, Bobby. Thanks.” Shadow comes up behind me, taking the suitcase from Bobby’s hands. The man is relentless. What did he not understand about stay away from me? What is his angle, to try and keep me as his shiny new toy, or does he feel sorry for me? Either way, I am not giving him the satisfaction!

“I can handle it myself, thank you very much.” I grab the suitcase from Shadow, who won't let go.

“Give me the damn suitcase, Dani,” he barks, with cold finality in his voice.

Bobby’s mouth rises into a Cheshire cat grin. “Trouble in paradise?” he asks amusingly, staring at both of us. I’m sure we look a mess, playing tug of war with a pink suitcase.

“Fine, take it,” I say, letting go. Growling within his muscled chest, Shadow throws my bag in the back of the SUV.

“Can one of you make yourselves useful and grab my bag, it's heavy,” my mother interrupts, stumbling out of the clubhouse doors.

Shadow and Bobby eyeball each other before Bobby gives in and grabs her bag.

My mother and I settle into the back seat as Shadow and Bobby straddle their bikes behind us. The prospect with the Mohawk who brought us from the airport is behind the wheel of the SUV again.

“What’s your name?” I ask, tapping him on the shoulder. “You have driven us around twice now and I still don’t know your name?” I'm surprised at my sudden boldness.

“Charlie.” I wait for him to say more. Nope, short and to the point.

Seeing he isn’t much for talking, I sit back and remain silent for the rest of the ride. My mother is busy messing with her phone; she is always on that damn thing. Her face isn’t swollen anymore. She looks like her normal self.

We drive north out of L.A. and I watch the urban streets fade away before we pull into a suburban neighborhood. We stop in the driveway of a two-story house. It is cute and simple from the outside; not something I would peg a motorcycle club to have. When we climb out of the SUV, Bobby and Shadow pull in behind us. The raw masculinity coming from the bikes makes my body vibrate with arousal.

Shadow climbs off his bike and pulls his phone from his pocket. “What!” he barks into the line. He takes his other hand and runs it over his head back and forth, fluffing up that sexy black hair of his.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have anything... Don’t make threats at me, or I’ll fucking put you in the ground!” He stabs his finger at the end button in fury and jams the phone back in his pocket. Bobby raises his eyebrows in concern, but Shadow throws his hand up like “not now.” Odd.

I don’t even attempt to grab my suitcase and risk having another episode in front of my mother. I walk up to the door and wait for everyone.

“It’s a three bedroom,” Bobby says as he unlocks the giant white door. “The master is downstairs; I figured you would want it, Lady. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a small bath. Shadow and I can bunk in one room and you can have the other, Dani.”

We step into a small entry area with stairs leading to the second floor immediately to the right. The living room is to the left and is done in soothing tan with touches of red and black. It looks very inviting and cozy.

As I start up the stairs, my mom catches my elbow. “Are you going to be alright up there by yourself?” she questions, as she eyes Bobby and Shadow. Ah, she's off her phone and back in “concerned mom mode”.

“Yeah, I'll be fine, I’ll lock the door. No worries,” I respond, pulling my elbow from her grip.

I stop at the top of the stairs; unsure of where to go. Across from me is one of the bedrooms and there's a hall that shoots off to the left, where I assume the bathroom and other bedroom are.

“Bobby and I will take this room; it has two beds in it. You can take the one down the hall,” Shadow says from behind me. I can hear Bobby's muted voice explaining where everything is to my mom. I’m sure she is ignoring him, though.

I grab my suitcase from Shadow's hand, our fingers briefly making contact, causing electricity to fly through me. I hold my breath and turn down the hall where the other bedroom is in an attempt to show the touch went unnoticed. As I am walking away, he grabs the belt loop to my shorts.

“I still want to explain things,” he says softly. As much as I want him to explain, it’s best if he doesn’t and just stays away.

“I think it’s a little late for that, don’t you?”  I say, raising my eyebrows in irritation. I start walking down the hall and he grabs me by the arm, halting me once again. His touch sends a blazing fire of warmth rippling up my sensitive skin.

“No, it’s not too late if you will stop being a stuck up bitch for a second and hear me out,” he protests.

Infuriated with his tone and his accusations, I pull my arm from his grip and continue down the hall. I really want to slap his face again.

“I’m not Candy, Shadow. You were right, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you. I expect a little more than to be someone’s sloppy seconds. I take responsibility for being inexperienced and expecting more,” I say, with animosity lacing every word. I open the door to the room I am staying in and turn to slam and lock it in Shadow's face.

“You can’t avoid me forever, Dani,” his muffled voice vibrates through the door. He is relentless and I hate him for it. If he keeps this up, I don’t know how much longer I can resist him. I want him, but I don’t want to have him unless I know he is all mine.

“I see you already managed to fuck that up,” Bobby's voice is mumbled so I gently place my ear against the door to hear better.

“So when Bull kills you, can I have your bike?” Bobby asks, his tone completely serious.

“Why, tired of that Bobber?  Ready for a real man’s bike?” Shadow jokes.

“Yeah that’s it.”

“She’s being a bitch. I knew I shouldn’t have fucked around with a civilian, especially her.” Shadow says, his tone serious now. What does he mean by civilian? Is the club that out of civilization that I’m considered a civilian?

“Might be for the best, man. That’s one pussy you don’t want to fuck with. Cut your losses.” Bobby says, his voice clipped and cold.

Instantly, I'm pissed. As much as Shadow and I should stay apart, that’s not what I want: no matter how much I tell myself it is.

“I can’t even fucking think straight,” Shadow admits.  I smile knowing I affect him, I wonder if any of the other girls he’s been with affect him to the point he can’t think straight?

“Whippah!” Bobby hollers. Not sure if I made out what he was saying through the door, I press my ear harder against it.

“I am not pussy whipped, fucker.” Shadow protests.

“Whippah!” The sound comes again; Bobby is making fun of Shadow. I clasp my hand over my mouth trying to restrain the giggle rising in my throat.

“Man, fuck you!”

Well, it seems Bobby knows about last night. He and Shadow must be pretty close because I can’t see Shadow going out and telling everyone he slept with me; unless he honestly has a death wish or he’s really, really proud of himself.

My room here is a lot nicer than the one at the clubhouse. The walls are light purple and the sand-colored carpet is stain free. A queen-sized bed takes up most of the bedroom with purple, black, and white covers and pillows filling it. The blankets look and smell brand new. There is a honey oak dresser with a mirror attached, and a floor-to-ceiling mirror on the back of the closet door. Some of the Ol’ Ladies must have helped decorate this place; it was far from the club decor.

I start opening my suitcase when a light knock comes at the door. I swear if it's Shadow, I’m going to kick him in the balls.

“Dani, it’s me. Open up,” Bull says. Funny I hadn't heard the sound of his motorcycle pull up. Then again, I was busy trying to resist Shadow, and eavesdropping.

I unlock and open the door. There stands my father in loose, faded jeans; a distressed Rolling Stones t-shirt; and his black leather cut. His dark hair is all messy, and his vibrant green eyes are striking in contrast. Even as an older man, my dad is stunning.

“You getting settled in okay?” he asks, eyeing the room behind me as I step to the side to let him in.

“Yeah. It’s much nicer than the clubhouse. Thank you,” I respond sincerely, inspecting the room with him. Even so, I suddenly realize that the club had felt more familiar to me; strange.

“Yeah, the Ol' Ladies got together several months ago and decorated the place. Cost a fucking fortune, too.” He shakes his head as if trying to forget how much it must have set the club back. “I had them buy new blankets this morning, though. God only knows what was on those sheets after last night,” he adds, pointing to the bed.

“I thought they looked new; thanks.”

“I was going to have one of the boys pick up pizza and movies later for you guys. You like sappy chick flicks like your momma?” He sits on the corner of the bed.

My mom liked sappy chick flicks? I never knew that. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time my mother sat down and watched a movie with me.

I shake my head from my pity party, “Uh, anything’s fine. I watch anything really,” I respond, sitting beside him. He knows so much about my mother and I feel like I know nothing. What I do know about her seems completely different from the person he is talking about.

“What happened between you and my mom? I mean, she told me her side of the story, but what’s yours?” His eyes shoot to mine. They go from vibrant and playful to downright sad in a flash. Maybe this topic is truly his living hell, but I need to know. Growing up in the shadow he unknowingly cast for me hadn't exactly been a picnic.

He rubs the stubble on his cheeks, making it sound like sandpaper, lost in thought.

“Your momma and I were inseparable; wherever I was, she was. I remember it like it was yesterday. She was here on spring break when we met. She never went back to New York and dropped out of school to be here with me. Her parents disowned her. They were a couple of Bible-thumpers; so when they found out she was sinning away with me, they cut her out of their will,” he pauses and looks into my eyes. “She was different than any girl I had ever met; classy. She always acted like a lady, but when you crossed her, she was fierce. She told me she loved me one day and I freaked out. She didn’t understand the club... hated I spent so much time there. Hell, I wasn’t even president then, my pops was. I didn’t think I was capable of falling in love and I thought she deserved better. I just needed to get my head straight, ya know... figure out where we were going; where I was going.” He cracks his knuckles and takes a deep breath.

“We had a chick named Roxy who I slept with a lot before I met your momma. She came to the club one day and started stripping in my room. I told her that shit between her and me was over, but she just kept running her mouth and climbed up on my lap. That’s when your mom walked in. I’m sure it looked terrible. I should have pushed Roxy off my lap, but I didn’t, and the fact that I was high on enough blow to kill a horse didn’t help. Lady ran out before I could catch her and explain.” He exhales deeply like he is finally releasing the breath he had taken minutes ago.

Did my mother know it wasn’t what it looked like between my father and this Roxy girl? Knowing her, she wouldn’t have cared; my mom has too much pride. Still, I hate the image she casts on my father when that image is blurred. If what he is telling me is true, then he is not a bad person. Well, not in the romance department anyway.

“Word around the club was that Roxy had been telling Lady she didn’t belong and that I would tire of Lady and come running back to her. She was in Lady's head deep, from what I’m told. I was blind to the whole fucking thing; your mother never said a word to me about it. After I heard Roxy had been tormenting her, I took care of it.”

This sounds eerily familiar.

“Roxy doesn’t come around much after the ass beating she got from the Ol' Ladies, but now her daughter's a hang-around. Guess being a club whore runs in the genes of that family.” He says exactly what I'm thinking.

“When your mother called me the other day, I actually thought I might get her back; that I could fix what I fucked up. But when I saw her, I knew she had made her mind up about me a long time ago, there was no going back.” He is slumped down, his elbows on his knees staring at the wall. I rub his back in respect, not sure what to say.

He cocks his head to the side and looks up at me. “It’s for the best; club life isn’t for the weak. It’s rough on a woman, especially a lady.” His words are laced with regret and blame. I feel for both of my parents at this point. I have seen the women around the club; it is tougher on girls.

“Who is Roxy's daughter?” My nosy side wants to know which of the current whores carries her genes.

He looks at me curiously; wondering why I would care, I’m sure. “Candy.”

Her name hits me like a bus; my breath catches in my chest. The comments she made earlier make more sense now. ”Seems you and she are whores in the same, huh, sleeping with men you have no business messing with.”

I don’t want my father to see the effect that wench has on me. I can handle my own battles. So, I swallow the lump in my throat and try to sound as casual as I can.

“Oh yeah, I think I've seen her around the club; the skinny blonde?” ...that looks like a coke whore and I want to plow my fist into her face... Man, I've got a lot of aggression built up inside.

He nods his head in acknowledgement. He seems unconcerned; mission accomplished. Me disliking Candy, though, just went to an all-time high. She can thank her mother for that.

“Well, I've got club business to get to. If you need anything, let one of the boys know. I’m usually at the club, but, if not, they know how to get in touch with me. We will get this Stevin fucker eventually. He's MIA right now, but you’re in good hands, sweetheart; got one of my best guys following you.” He leans down and kisses my forehead, his lips soft on my skin. I've never felt fatherly love before. It's nice.

He leaves me alone with my thoughts. I wonder why he hasn’t told my mother she pegged him wrong. Even if she couldn’t believe him then, she might now. Then again, maybe he has already and he was right; she didn’t care. Who knows. Their relationship is as complicated as ever; it makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

Maybe Shadow doesn't think I'm club-worthy. It would explain a lot. Seeing how Roxy was a shit starter, maybe I should take what Candy says with a grain of salt. Or maybe I should just beat the last twenty-one years of my life out of Candy since it was her mother who really paved my road of hell. I sigh. Where are all these ferocious thoughts coming from? I have never been violent, not even in my thoughts. Maybe my true colors are starting to come through being around my father; my true blood.