Page 3 of Falcon

“No!” She interrupted, reaching out to grip my wrist firmly, like she was trying to prevent me from doing anything drastic. I had to grin because I knew there was no way she wanted me to stop taking her on those rides. “I love it! I cried the first day you pulled up on it and told me we were going to take a spin around the compound. I know the guys give you shit about it, but you haven’t had it repainted or traded it off. I just wondered, you know…” She pulled her hand away from my arm and I felt the loss. I liked that she’d kept the contact as long as she had. “Why would you keep riding with me on it when you hate the color?”

This, I had an answer for. I reached out slowly, giving her time to pull back if she didn’t want my touch. She turned her hand over, and I laced my fingers through hers lightly. “Because you cried the first day I pulled up and told you we were goin’ on a ride.”

She sucked in a breath and her eyes got glassy with tears. I gave her what I was sure was a thunderous look, but honestly, I couldn’t help it. I panicked! “Don’t you dare cry on me.”

Thankfully, she must have seen the humor in the situation because she laughed through her tears. “I never knew such hard men could be so affected by a girl’s tears. I mean, I thought you guys weren’t exactly sympathetic types, but I’m beginning to think otherwise. I’ve noticed that if one of the old ladies so much as has a lower lip start quivering, you go rounding up the wagons and calling in reinforcements to make the tears stop.” She shook her head even as she smiled and used her free hand to wipe at her eyes with a napkin. “It’s not natural.”

I chuckled, relief flooding me I’d managed to stave off those fucking tears. “I agree, honey. It ain’t natural. But our women seemed to have done that to us. And you know what else?” When she smiled and shook her head like she couldn’t wait to hear this, I continued, “We love every fuckin’ second of it, and I could give a good Goddamn if everyone in the club knows how we feel.”

Chapter Two

Gina

When I first came to Grim Road, I thought I’d found a paradise. It hadn’t taken long for Hammer to make me realize how wrong I’d been. I thought he loved me or I’d never have come here with him. I still don’t know why he wanted me at the compound. There were women here who would let him do whatever he wanted to them. Well, within reason. I’d heard the women discussing some of the guys and knew they all believed they had protection if anyone got too rough.

Now, I knew the girls were right. I’d also found out Hammer was the exception rather than the norm. It took me a long while -- and constant reassurance by Lemon -- to get to a place where I felt comfortable with the guys here. I still wasn’t comfortable with everyone. It was hard to look them in the face after Hammer had basically whored me out to them all.

I knew the guys wouldn’t hurt me now. When Hammer had me under his control, he had me convinced his brothers in this MC would make me wish I was dead if I ever went against him. Grim Road’s compound was hidden in a wildlife reserve. I had no idea how they’d managed that, but I was smart enough to know if this place was a secret, they wouldn’t let me leave alive.

Lemon had told me I could go if I wanted and she’d make sure I had a place to live but I was reluctant to leave Grim Road. Yes, I’d been terrorized for a year and a half, but I truly understood the difference between Hammer and the other guys in Grim I’d met. When Hammer took me, I had nothing. No one. I’d been living on the street. At Grim Road, now that they realized I hadn’t been here willingly, I had someone looking after me. Several someones. Falcon hadn’t been the only one to take me on a bike ride, but he was the one who was still around. He was the one who always came around to check on me or make me get out of the house into the fresh air.

And I liked the way he smiled at me.

“I know it’s late, but do you want to go on a ride?” He still held my hand and I found I didn’t want him to let go just yet. I had to smile. The guy didn’t act like a badass biker or military guy. He acted like a teenager with a crush. It was one of the things I liked most about him.

“Um, we could just sit here.”

He gave me a puzzled look, then glanced down at our entwined fingers like he was just noticing. I thought he might pull away, but he didn’t. His fingers closed even tighter around my hand and he smiled. “We can sit here as long as you want.”

That was the thing about Falcon. He and Lemon bickered back and forth like competitive siblings, but with me, Falcon was always so patient. He was around me all the time. Not a day went by I didn’t either see him or talk to him. We’d had sex. You know. Before. When Hammer had given his OK for the guys to have me if they wanted me. I’d fucked him the same as I had a lot of his brothers. Since he found out I hadn’t been as willing as he’d thought, Falcon had never once touched me in a sexual way. He’d protected my personal space and always made sure I knew I could depend on him if I needed anything. All of our interactions were as platonic as it got and that gave me the courage to enjoy our time together. Falcon was with me because he wanted to be. Not because he thought I’d fuck him, or for any other self-serving reason. He just liked being with me.

“Want to watch a movie?” He jerked his head at the TV. “I got all kinds of streaming services we can log into.”

I squeezed his hand briefly before tugging away. “You don’t have to stay with me, you know.”

“Yeah. I know.” He grinned before standing and reaching for me to pull me to my feet. “Now. I gave you your chance to pick a movie. It’s my turn. Go make me some popcorn and I’ll pick the movie.”

I couldn’t help the surprised giggle that escaped my mouth. Falcon winked at me before going to the living room to find his movie. Falcon and I ate a lot of popcorn. Popping a batch wasn’t difficult and didn’t take much time. I popped two batches. His with salt. Mine with popcorn butter and kettle corn seasoning. I brought us both sodas.

As always, Falcon sat on one end of the couch, one ankle crossed over the opposite knee and his arm over the back of the seat next to him. He sat first, not to claim a spot on my furniture, but to give me the choice to sit on the opposite end or next to him. Usually, I’d start on the side away from him. By the end of whatever we were watching at the time, I’d be sitting next to him. That was as far as I’d been brave enough to go.

Tonight, I sat next to him. I leaned against him and he let his fingers play along my shoulder. He didn’t pull me against him or try to wrap his arm around me. He just let me know his hand was there.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting his scent fill me. The heat from his body filled me with warmth and I wanted to curl up in his lap and have his arms wrapped tightly around me, just for the sensation. The closeness. I craved that closeness, was starved for it. But other than a few of the women, I didn’t like being touched. I wasn’t a hugger. The only person I had any desire to have wrap their arms around me was Falcon.

We sat in silence, eating popcorn and watchingThe Fifth Element. And yes. It was my favorite movie which Falcon knew.

“Thank you.” My words were barely above a whisper, but I knew Falcon would hear me. He always heard me.

“For what, honey?”

“For sitting up with me. For watching out for me. I know you’re keeping a closer eye on me than I should be comfortable with, but you make me feel safe. I never thought I’d have that in my life. So, yeah, I know you waking me up from my nightmares isn’t a coincidence. I just don’t care. Thank you, Falcon. For all of it.”

Falcon grunted before leaning down to brush a kiss on the top of my head. We sat in silence for a while before he said, “So… You’re saying you don’t mind that I was stalking you. Right?”

I couldn’t help the laughter bubbling up from inside me. I turned my face into his chest, clinging to his shirt as I shook with silent laughter.

“Don’t see nothin’ so funny ‘bout that,” he grumbled, but I noticed how he threaded his fingers through my hair and massaged my scalp lightly. “Just wanted to make sure we were, you know, on the same page.”

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