Nolan (Black Hearts MC Book 3) Page 2

  CHAPTER 4

  Nolan

  I walk into the house and turn on the lights. Isabella follows me in, and I go behind her to shut and lock the door. I wanted to get her into my house and into my bed, but not in this way. I had built a large house in the event that when I retired, I wanted a family. There was plenty of room in the house for Isabella and Caleb.

  “I can stay at the clubhouse and let you have the run of the place.” I smile at her and wink at Caleb, who giggles. He starts to wiggle in his mother’s arms, and she tightens her grip on him.

  “You can let him down if you want. There’s nothing in here that can hurt him.”

  She slowly lowers him to the floor and watches him toddle around the room.

  “Thank you, Nolan, I promise this will be temporary, just until I can figure out what to do about Ajax.”

  “You are more than welcome to stay as long as you want.” I look down at her arm and frown. She has four bruises on her arm in the shape of fingers. She sees where I’m looking and quickly tugs down her shirt to hide the bruises.

  “Is that why you left, because he was abusive?”

  She just nods, watching as Caleb walks around and around the large ottoman in the center of the living room.

  “I was seventeen when I met him. I thought he was so cool with his motorcycle and his leathers. He was nice to me initially, and it was a way to thumb my nose at my religious parents.”

  “What happened?” I ask softly, not wanting her to stop talking.

  “When I found out that I was pregnant with Caleb, my mother kicked me out. My parents are very religious and didn’t want the scandal of having an unwed pregnant daughter. I went straight to Ajax, and he told me he would take care of me. That’s when the abuse started. It was little things at first. Telling me where I could go and what I could wear. Later it was tight control over the money I spent. The physical abuse didn’t start until after Caleb was born. Ajax wouldn’t do anything to hurt his son. After I came home from the hospital with Caleb, it was as if I could do nothing right. He beat me for the littlest thing. I started saving money, holding back from the grocery allowance, and stashing it in a box in the garage. When I had enough money, I ran, and the rest is history.”

  She rubbed her arms as if she was chilled. I longed to wrap my arms around her and tell her it was going to be ok and that I would protect her no matter what. “You’re safe now; I promise you that Ajax won’t be able to hurt you here.”

  She nods and looks up at me, and the terror in her eyes breaks my heart. With her long blonde hair, silver eyes, and curvy figure, this beautiful woman should be cherished by a man, not tormented by one.

  “Nolan, I know you offered to stay at the clubhouse, but do you think you could stay with us? I know it is a lot to ask, but I don’t like the idea of being alone at night.”

  My heart swells. I’m glad Isabella feels safe with me and doesn’t lump me in with the likes of Ajax. I need to get to the clubhouse and tell Jimmy, our new president, what has happened and tell Drake and Curtis to keep a lookout for Ajax.

  “Of course, I’m just going to go out for a bit and make sure that I can secure your safety. There’s food in the fridge. Feel free to eat whatever, and I have all the cable channels, even the kid ones, so Caleb can watch one of those if he likes. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  She smiles at me, and despite the situation, I feel myself wanting to kiss her. I want to wrap her in my arms and make love to her. This woman deserves to be cherished.

  “Ok, we’ll be right here.” She says, going around the back of the couch to sit with Caleb.

  “Take any of the rooms that you like, and if you want to stay with Caleb, take the master. The bed is huge, and that way you can keep him with you.”

  “Are you sure? We have already imposed on you enough.”

  I look her in the eye, making sure she is paying attention. “You’re not imposing Isabella. It’ll be nice to have someone here instead of me rattling around in this big house by myself.”

  I don’t wait for her to respond before going out the door. I move her car to the street, pulling out my prized Camaro before pulling hers into the garage. There is no reason to advertise where she is. Now I need to go secure some backup. I have strong feelings for this woman, and I need to know that she and Caleb will be safe.

  ****

  After leaving the club and getting a few members to go pick my bike from the diner, I head for Hell on Wheels, the shop Drake and Curtis own. We all started in the Black Hearts together, and even though they have chosen a different life, we’re still close.

  “Hey, stranger, we haven’t seen you in a day or two,” Drake says as I walk into the garage, wiping the grease off his hands with a rag.

  “Sorry, I know I haven’t been around for a while. Things have been busy at the club.”

  Drake grins, “I remember those days. It’s nice to have a slower pace, although with how busy the shop has been lately, it hasn’t been slow. We could use another good mechanic when you are interested.”

  “I appreciate the offer. Is Curtis around? I wanted to talk to the two of you in private. “Every time I stopped by Hell on Wheels, either Curtis or Drake offered me a job. It was nice to know that they had such confidence in my skills as a mechanic. One day when I am ready to settle down, I would take them up on the offer. A picture of Isabella and Caleb flashed into my head, and I push it away. She doesn’t want to be with another biker, and now is not the time to be thinking about romance.

  “He’s in the office, come on.” I follow Drake to the little office, and he shuts the door. I chuckle a little at three brawny men stuffed into this small room.

  “Hey there, Nolan, come to tell us that you are ready to give up the life and go straight with the rest of us?” Curtis says, sitting back in his office chair.

  “Not quite yet, I have a situation that I need your help with.”

  Curtis sits up in his chair and frowns, “Hey, we’re out of the club life, man; we have kids, and I don’t want to see them from plexiglass in a prison visiting room.”

  “It’s nothing like that. I wouldn’t ask you to do something illegal.” I say, feeling a bit offended.

  “We mean no offense, dude, you’ll understand when you have a family of your own,” Drake says, patting me on the back.

  “That’s why I’m here in a way. I was eating at the diner today and talking to one of the servers. I actually asked her out, but she said she doesn’t date bikers.”

  Curtis snickers and looks at Drake. “We’ve heard that one before.”

  “I found out why. She has a kid, a three-year-old named Caleb, with Ajax from the Aces. He came in and tried to basically kidnap her from the diner. I got her out of there, got her kid, and now they’re staying at my place. I just need you guys to keep your eyes peeled for strangers.”

  “You did a good thing, Nolan. Do you have feelings for this girl?” Drake asks.

  “I think I might. She is sweet and kind, but I’ll have to get around her opinion that all bikers are like Ajax.”

  “Or you could quit the club and come work with us,” Curtis said.

  When I give him a look, he relents, “Alright, it’s just food for thought. If you get serious about this girl, just remember it’s an option.

  “Thanks, Curtis, it’s appreciated.”

  “And we’ll look out for your girl and her kid,” Drake says.

  “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’d better go check on them.” I walk out of the garage, my thoughts swirling. Curtis and Drake look happy and relaxed. When was the last time I was relaxed? It would feel good not to be looking over my shoulder to see if I’m being followed or worried that the latest prospect might be an undercover cop.

  I get on my bike and roar out of the parking lot of Hell on Wheels. I take a capricious route home making sure no one is following me. When I pull up into my house’s drive, there is a peaceful feeling that isn’t usually there. Just knowing that Isabella and Caleb ar
e there waiting for me warms my heart. It would feel good to have a family of my own. It isn’t like if I quit the club, I will be alone. I would have Drake and Curtis. Caleb could grow up with their kids, and I’m sure their wives would take to Isabella.

  I stop on my way up the drive. I’m getting ahead of myself. All I’m doing is providing shelter for this girl, keeping her safe. It’s dangerous to start planning my future around her.

  Shaking off my thoughts, I walk into the house. As soon as I step inside, it is obvious Isabella has been busy. The side tables are gleaming. The carpet is freshly vacuumed, and there is a smell in the air that makes my stomach growl in appreciation. Caleb sits on the floor playing with toy trucks, and the tv is on low with some kind of cartoon.

  That warm feeling in my chest comes again. It feels like I’m walking into a family.

  Isabella comes out of the kitchen, a spoon in her hand, and my Hell on Wheels apron wrapped around her gorgeous curvy body. All I want to do is walk across the floor and take her in my arms, to smooth away the hurt and pain that Ajax caused and make her know her worth.

  “Hi, I hope you don’t mind. I cleaned up a little and started dinner. I thought it was the least I could do. Thank you again, Nolan, for helping us out. You’ve no idea how much it means to me.” Tears come into her eyes, and I have to put my hands in my pockets to stop myself from reaching out to her.

  I stride over to her and stop at a reasonable distance. I don’t want to crowd her or make her uncomfortable in any way.

  “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad you and Caleb are safe. That’s enough thanks for me. Now tell me what that amazing smell is and how you conjured it from things in my kitchen.

  She laughs, and it goes straight to my middle. It transforms her entire face and takes her from pretty to stunning.

  “My Italian Grandmother taught me to make kitchen sink spaghetti. It’s basically spaghetti made out of whatever you happened to have on hand in the house.”

  “It smells amazing. I can’t wait to try it. I don’t want you to feel obligated to cook or clean while you are here, Isabella.”

  She sighs, “Nolan, I can’t just sit around. I need something to do. Besides, it makes me feel better to do something for you.”

  I can’t argue with that logic, “Alright, but know that you can stop at any time. There’s something else. If you need money, I can give you some. I know you were fired yesterday….”

  She stands up straight, and a little fire comes into her eyes. “We’re just fine, thank you.”

  It makes me want to pull her into I’m my arms and kiss that look off her face. Instead, I hold my hands up, “Offer stands.”

  She nods and goes back to cooking. I think she may need some space, so I wander out of the kitchen to go see Caleb. The more time I spend with them, the more I know I’ll want them to stay forever. I have a huge choice to make; stay with the club or explore a relationship with Isabella. I shove those thoughts to the back of my mind as I sit down in front of the dark-haired boy playing trucks in my living room.

  CHAPTER 5

  Isabella

  I peek around the corner and see Nolan sitting next to Caleb. It breaks my heart how wary my son looks as Nolan talks to him in his deep soothing voice. Caleb had only seen the worst of men other than when he sat in the booth at the diner and colored with Nolan. He only knows his father as someone who scares Mommy. As I watch them, Caleb tentatively hands Nolan his favorite firetruck watching the man the entire time. I hear Nolan laugh, and then he runs the firetruck up Caleb’s leg. He tenses for a minute and then starts to laugh. It is a sweet innocent sound that fills me with hope. Maybe things can be different. I don’t want Caleb to grow up to be a man like Ajax, and thinking women are property and living to drink and fight and have sex. I want him to be a better man than that.

  I thought all bikers were this way from what I saw when I lived with Ajax and interacted with the Aces. Bikers were a violent group that thrived on fighting, drugs, drinking, and illegal activity. Then I met Nolan. He started to become a regular at the diner, always sitting in my section. Always polite and respectful. Then came the day he helped me with Caleb and watching the easy way he was with my boy, the kindness in him. I started to fall for him.

  I have been in love with Nolan for a while, living for the times that he came to the diner, and we could have one of our chats. I knew that I couldn’t pursue anything with him. He might be kind and gentle, but he was still involved in the world of illegal drugs, gambling, and whatever other unlawful activities biker clubs got up to. Caleb already had one father ripped from him. I wasn’t about to set him up for that kind of heartbreak again. It would be nice to be here with Nolan.

  I take one last longing glance at Nolan and Caleb and go back to making dinner. It wouldn’t do to get too attached to that picture. I can’t ask Nolan to leave the club, and there’s no way that I will get into a relationship with a biker again.

  ****

  I wake up, slowly stretching and opening my eyes. It’s Thursday, and I don’t have a shift at the diner. It will give me time to do household chores and maybe take Caleb to the park.

  Then it hits me in a rush, and I’m not in my apartment. Memories of yesterday come flooding back to me with Ajax coming to the diner, me getting fired, and then rescued by Nolan. Yesterday’s events hit me like a brick.

  I sit up in bed and look over. Caleb is still sleeping peacefully. Nolan had insisted that Caleb and I take the master bedroom with its ensuite bathroom. It’s a beautiful room with a love seat in a large window that looks out on rolling hills. Nolan and his friends have chosen to build on the small town’s outskirts, which feels like another world.

  An envelope on the dresser catches my eyes, and I walk over to see what it is. My name is scrawled in messy handwriting across the front. I open it see a stack of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills. I gasp. I don’t think I have ever seen that much money in one place. I pull out the piece of paper in front of the stack of bills and read it quickly,

  Isabella,

  I know you said you didn’t want any help, but I want to make sure that you and Caleb are taken care of. We need groceries, as you can tell from my bare cupboards. I spend most of my time at the clubhouse and don’t keep much food in the house. If you feel safe, take my car and go get some groceries. It might be best if you drive over to Cedarville, that should be far enough away.

  Don’t drive your car; Ajax will be looking for it. I rarely drive mine, so it’ll give you an extra layer of protection. Use the money however you need to, so if the kid needs clothes or more toys, get him some. I don’t know how long this will last.

  See you around six.

  Nolan

  p.s. I paid the rent on your apartment for the next six months. That’s when they said the lease ended, so you don’t have to worry about that.

  The paper dangles from my fingers, and I slip out of the bedroom so that I don’t wake Caleb. Padding out to the large living room, I sit down hard on the leather couch. Tears come to my eyes as I read the letter one more time. I’ve been alone for so long. My parents haven’t even seen Caleb as they disowned me when I got pregnant and went with Ajax. All I have known is struggle, and then here is Nolan offering to help me, making sure we are safe and comfortable.

  The envelope contains plenty of money for groceries, a few outfits for Caleb, and some new toys. All of his clothes and toys come from thrift stores as my job at the diner barely covered our food and rent. What would it be like to be able to let him loose in the toy section of a store?”

  If I spend the money on food and things for Caleb, I won’t feel as guilty. Nolan needs to eat too, and I never feel guilty about doing something for my boy. I’ll keep a careful record of the money I spend on Caleb and pay it back to Nolan when I get on my feet.

  I’m suddenly excited to get on with the day, to do everyday errands, and let Caleb loose in that toy section. A smile comes to my face again, and the love I have for Nolan deepens.
If only he weren’t part of a biker club…

  That excuse is starting to wear thin the more I get to know him. Nolan is a good man, no matter how he makes his living.

  CHAPTER 6

  Nolan

  I walk into the clubhouse and know that there is something wrong. There’s an eerie silence in a place that is usually filled with the crack of pool balls and the gruff laughter of hard men. Walking back to the boss’s office, Jimmy sees me and gestures for me to come into the office.

  “Shut the door, Nolan.” He says. I do and sit down in front of him, the tension in the room palpable.

  “We know the Aces are bad men, but they have crossed a line.” His voice is hard-edged, and his eyes are like sleet.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  Jimmy replies with a note of tension in his voice, “The Aces came around last night and got a hold of Greg’s woman.”

  “Greg, our new prospect? He has a girlfriend?”

  Jimmy nods and gives me a wry grin. “I know you have been pre-occupied lately and taking your afternoon trips to the diner, but man, you got to keep up.”

  “Her name is Cynthia. Cute little thing and devoted to Greg as he is to her. While Greg was here last night, the Aces broke into their apartment and took Cynthia. They did awful, unspeakable things to her and then left her in the parking lot this morning with this note.”

  You took one of ours. Now we have one of yours.

  Return Ajax’s woman and son, or the next time we won’t be so nice.

  I can barely breathe as Jimmy slides over some photos of Cynthia. Now that he has told me about her, I have a vague memory of a slim, dark-haired girl with big eyes and a bright smile. The girl that lays in the hospital bed in the picture looks nothing like that girl.

  “Is she going to be ok?” I croak the words out. All I can see is Isabella lying in that bed instead of Cynthia.