Page 58 of Falcon

“Yeah. Let’s get at least four hours of sleep. I want to get home, but we’re useless if we don’t make it back.” He started his bike, so we put on our helmets, fired up the Harleys, and headed off toward our normal hotel.

Eagle took the tail and Hawk and I led the truck. As we drove to the hotel, everything looked clear. After a few hours of sleep, we got back on the road while it was still dark out. I had to stop myself from flying. We didn’t need to draw any attention to ourselves, but I couldn’t get back fast enough.

Chapter 35

Daisy

After the short trip Falcon and a few of the guys made, things were fairly quiet, except for the normal parties at the clubhouse. Falcon left for a few hours at a time on little trips, but I was used to it now. A couple of weeks had passed, and I had settled in as the administrative assistant at Destiny’s Ink.

I was paid in cash, but Mama Hen arranged for my pay rate and guaranteed hours. She told me if I really wanted a check, she’d get me taken care of when I was able to get a replacement Social Security card and license. I remembered the numbers, but when I tried to order a replacement license online, I couldn’t have it sent to Georgia. And in order to get a Georgia license, I’d have to have mine from Ohio. Falcon said that after their next run, we could carve out some time to ride up so I could go to the DMV to get a replacement card. After that, we’d go get a copy of my birth certificate from the health department. Once I had those things, I could apply for a Georgia license then pay a visit to the Social Security office.

There wasn’t a bank with any money in it for me because, when you’re eighteen years old, paid in cash, and your landlord would take a money order, who needed a bank? I wasn’t much older now, but if I could go back and kick my younger self, I would. So many mistakes. But I wasn’t sure I would have ended up here without having made all those bad decisions.

I’d never been religious, but I’d hate to think any God would force someone to endure all I had just to find someone to love. Where the fuck did that come from? I had some strong feelings for him, but I tried to keep them in check for my self-preservation. He certainly didn’t make it easy to push them down. Part of me wanted to fully give in to him, but all of the issues I had were still fresh in my mind. I tried to convince myself to just go day by day, even though he started the conversation about building a life together. And since he’d been back, it had been mentioned casually in conversation like it had been decided. But I knew what it meant to be an old lady and understood the property patch. It seemed until that was presented, it was mostly all talk. At least that’s what I gathered from the discussions with the bunnies. Even Mama Hen spoke to me about the importance of her patch, and she still wore her cut with pride.

“You hungry?” Falcon’s deep, Southern voice broke me from my internal confusion.

“Not really.” He fed me so much; I’d swear he was trying to thicken me up.

“I’ll grab you something. I’ll be right back.”

I just shook my head. He acted like he didn’t hear me at times, but it was usually something that benefited me. He’d learned to ask me instead of telling me when it mattered, though there were still plenty of things I didn’t know that I wished I did. But after falling into a routine and having regular chats with the bunnies and Mama Hen, I gathered it was probably for the best that we were kept in the dark about most things. It still nagged at me.

As time went by, I became more comfortable and knew Falcon only wanted what was best for me. But I was still struggling with maintaining a level of control. Most women would probably be content to just be taken care of the way he tried to take care of me. Even though I let myself trust him and the club, I still kept all that had happened in the back of my mind. It was a reminder that getting too comfortable could bite me in the ass, which was why it was hard to admit to myself that I loved Falcon.

I thought I’d loved my ex, but it wasn’t that at all. Lust, sure. Having a companion I thought I could trust and felt safe with, absolutely. Except he wasn’t really safe or trustworthy. Seriously, past me was so naive.

Falcon showed me his possessiveness. He didn’t hide that he wanted me just for himself. But he also showed me caring, patience, understanding, and something else. Maybe he loved me? In his own uber-masculine, man-of-few words way?

Even when I still lived with Mom, I had been taking care of myself for a long time. It was the same when I left, except then I could afford to do whatever I wanted. When my ex came into the picture, I thought he cared about me and I made way more money, so it didn’t bother me to take care of him too.

When Tony made all the promises he did, it sounded great to be taken care of. But it was all a lie. One I fell for so easily. It had been over a month since I arrived at the clubhouse, but everything was out in the open. It certainly wasn’t anything I ever expected to be involved in, but there were no hidden agendas. And while women were definitely seen more as objects, they were valuable objects. Protected objects. No way they’d be passed off to strangers. And while Falcon was hung up on keeping me close, most of the women could come and go as they pleased.

Working at the tattoo shop wasn’t bad, either. It was nowhere near the same kind of money as stripping, but for now, I had no bills. Which was also throwing a wrench in getting identification. I could at least use my old license when I got a copy, but I’d need proof of residence for a Georgia license, according to the DMV.

“Daisy?” Eagle’s voice broke my spiral of thoughts.

My head was down with my fingers through my hair so I tousled it, hoping he didn’t notice how long I’d been sitting like that. “Hey, you need something?”

“Just between clients. You okay?”

Nodding, I answered, “Yeah. Just trying to figure out how to get proof of residence.”

He shrugged. “Oh, lots of us have apartments. And Mama Hen’s house technically has a separate address than the clubhouse. That’s why there’s more than one mailbox at the street. Someone will let you get mail.”

“Do you have a place away from the clubhouse?” Falcon didn’t, at least he said he didn’t, but told me we could get one if I wanted. Eagle was always around but he brought it up and I was nosy.

“Nope. No need, really. At least not right now.”

Blaze came stomping from the hallway. He stopped and stretched his arms over his head, then let out a loud moan. “That last one was killer. We need to hire a masseuse for our longer sessions.”

Eagle agreed. “That’s not a bad idea.” He massaged his own hand with his other thumb and pointer finger. “Hey Blaze, you got a place. Maybe Daisy can use your address.”

“Whatever we’re talking about, better run it by Falcon first.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s no big deal. And I can ask Mama Hen. I just need somewhere to get mail sent so I can show proof of residence.”

“Oh,” Blaze said. “You can send shit to my house, but still better let Falcon know. I don’t need his jealous ass trying to kill me.”

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