Cobra turned around when he heard footfalls on the steps behind him. Breaker and Brute walked into the kitchen.
“Everyone’s accounted for,” Breaker said. “Big Fuck helped us out by offing one of his own.” The men chuckled.
“I knew he had to be good for something,” Brute said.
“You guys leave any of your blood?” Breaker asked Cobra and Iron.
“Nope. I offed the Big Fuck with a couple of bullets through the head,” Iron replied.
“I already looked at my gloves—no cuts, so I’m good.” Cobra pressed Dakota closer to him.
“Let me go get the truck. You just worry about your woman—we got this, bro.” Iron slipped out the back door.
Soon they were all packed up in the cab, and the tightly wrapped bodies lay in the bed of the truck. The rain had stopped, and the streets were dark and quiet as they put distance between them and the Victorian.
It wasn’t until Cobra was arranging Dakota’s head in his lap that he remembered Jake in the closet back at the motel.
“The douchebag responsible for snitching to Big Fuck about Dakota’s whereabouts is locked in the closet.”
“Well shit, man, you kept a plaything for me? You shouldn’t have. How fucking thoughtful of you.” Iron smiled in the rearview mirror. “I’ll take care of him and he won’t be a problem, got it?”
“Sure.”
True to his word, when Iron pulled into the motel’s lot and shut off the engine, he and Brute walked straight into Cobra’s room with a key he’d given them. No less than a minute later, Iron hauled the asshole manager into the back of his pickup, his hands and feet still bound together. Clearly, he was out like a light.
“Did he give you trouble?” Cobra asked.
“Didn’t have a chance. Just knocked him in the head, and we’ll take care of him when we get outta town,” Brute answered.
“It felt good having you back on the team, brother,” Iron said as he helped Cobra out of the cab.
“Same here.” Cobra laughed wryly, shaking his head as he cradled Dakota to his heart. “Hold the door for me?”
“Sure,” Brute said.
Cobra placed her gently on the bed and pushed a lock of blonde hair back from her eyes. Even in her sleep, drugged out of her mind, she still looked beautiful.
“That one means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Brute cleared his throat and stuck his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels.
“You have no idea, bro.” Cobra sighed and couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, swearing to himself he’d never let her out of his sight again.
“I hope you know what you’re getting into here.”
Cobra looked at him out of the corner of his eye before all his attention went back to Dakota.
“Man, I have no fuckin’ clue. But as long as she’s beside me, I’m good with not knowing shit, you get me?”
“Nah, dude.” Brute laughed softly. “I don’t fuckin’ get it. I’m lovin’ the single life too much, but I’m glad you’re happy. Just let me know when she’s gonna be your ol’ lady, and we’ll throw you a killer party.”
Cobra grinned ear to ear at the idea of Dakota being his old lady—of her beinghis—period. Nothing in all his years had ever felt so right. Damn, so much bullshit had happened in his life, and if someone had told him this was the direction it was heading, he would’ve thought they were off their fucking rocker.Never expected this, but it’s fuckin’ good. Yeah.
“I’ll let you know,” Cobra said, his gaze still on Dakota.
“You think you’ll ever come back full-time? We miss you—the club needs you.”
He scrubbed the side of his face and turned to look at Brute. “Not sure I’ll be full-time again, especially now with Dakota in my life. Grinder and the rest of the club know they can count on me if I’m in the area.”
“You proved that tonight. You’re the one who found out that Big Fuck was dealin’ on our turf.”