Page 21 of More Tricks

“Alright then, let's go,” she said, holding the door open and gesturing for me to exit.

Not wanting to make a big scene in the store, I headed out and over to the car. I paused when I got to the door, wondering if I could manage to pull the damn thing open.

“I got it, boss man,” Brian offered as he reached past me and opened the door. “I get the feeling you and Dax are pretty similar. She wouldn’t have admitted she couldn’t open the door either.”

Part of me wanted to be pissed he’d called me out, but it wasn’t like he was wrong. Nodding to him, I slid into the car, then looked around the lot. “Did you need a ride?”

“No, I’m good. I got my bike. It’s hidden by that big-ass truck. Think I’m gonna stay out of their way for a bit just to be safe,” Brian shared, giving us a wave before shutting the door.

Dani had us back on the highway heading home, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I wanted to be back in my own space with people I trusted and a world I could control because there wasn’t much of that happening right now.

“You were with Brian’s group in Vegas, weren't you?” I inquired.

“Yeah, when the explosion happened and everyone was getting shipped off to hospitals, I had one of the guys take me while everyone else stayed at the ranch waiting for orders,” she explained. “I didn’t know they all left to help until well after the fact, but it makes sense. Not like I could’ve done much since you were made my top priority.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll try not to get shot next time, so you can go with Brian,” I teased.

Dani snapped her head in my direction. “What are you talking about?”

“You mean to tell me you didn’t notice that man has a total hard-on for you?” I asked. “He would have been sending smoke signals if he knew how.”

She just shook her head and focused on the road. “I’m not looking for anything right now. My last relationship was a shitshow, and I don’t need that in my life. For the first time, I’m doing things how I want to, playing by my own rules. To add someone into the mix would ruin that, so I’m keeping things loose and easy.”

I could absolutely understand where she was coming from. Before Dax, we’d had other women who claimed they could be with all of us, but it never worked. They’d pick favorites or exclude one of the others, not really having any interest in them. So we took a break and just had flings, just sex, no attachments, but damn, did that sometimes make things harder. It was worth it, though, to wait for Dax, the little hellcat I now called my own. When I told them that she was my wife at the hospital, it wasn’t just for convenience. I one hundred and ten percent planned on wifing her ass up. She would be mine, well ours, legally with a contract and everything. No way was she going to get away from us because there would never be someone who could take her place.

The sound of a phone ringing pulled me out of my musings, and I realized Dani was calling someone. “Dani,” Void answered. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to give you a heads up. We’re about five-ish minutes away. I’m sure things there are kind of crazy, but I figured you’d all want to be around,” Dani explained.

“I’m warning you, if anyone thinks they’re going to treat me like an invalid, I’m gonna shoot them in the leg. Then they'll be the ones people need to look after,” I growled out, feeling the need to set expectations.

Void just chuckled. “I'm well aware of how you feel about being wounded, Eagle. Can’t speak for the others, but I’m not gonna get in your way. Little demon might have other thoughts, but you can take that up with her.”

“Oh, like she was a treat when she was shot,” I muttered. “Shooting her again might get me buried six feet under.”

Dani burst into laughter. “God, she really has you men whipped, doesn’t she? To be fair, she was one of the most difficult people I’ve had to work with.”

“You just keep remembering that for the next two weeks, or I might do something drastic. Like make her your next patient,” I warned.

“Alright, you two, I’ll see you when you get back,” Void said, ending the call.

He was never a man who talked on the phone. I should be grateful he even picked up the phone to begin with.

When we got to the entrance of the compound, Dani stopped the car, put it in park, and turned to me. “Look, while I know you are the big man on top here, I won’t allow you to disrespect me in front of others to make yourself feel better. I’m looking after you because it’s my job and I respect Dax, who is my boss. She signs my paychecks, and she is the one who calls the shots on where I spend my time, not you.”

Shocked, I blinked at her for a moment. “Have I given you the impression that I’m that disrespectful to women or would be to you?”

“We weren’t on your turf. Now we are,” she challenged. “I know bikers. My ex was part of the Wild Aces in Arizona. The biggest part of why we split is because he viewed women, how many in the MC world do… as less than. I wouldn’t stand for it, that wasn’t my world, and I didn’t want to be a part of it. I realize the Phantom Saints are different, but I’m laying down the law now, so if you pull some shit, I will bring it up to Dax.”

Well, fuck, whoever her ex was certainly did a number on her.

“I hear you, Dani,” I said, holding her gaze so she knew I meant it. “While we’re clearing the air about things, I hate how MCs run their crews, but we are a bunch of insecure dipshits who can’t handle a woman being better at things than we are,” I announced, making her crack a smile. “I might be an ass when I’m in pain, but you have my permission to bitch my ass out if I cross the line. You’re here helping me out and what kind of man would I be if I treated you like shit for it?”

Dani searched my face for a moment, then nodded, throwing the car in gear and peeling down the gravel drive. I regarded her out of the corner of my eye and wondered if she might actually be related to Dax in some way. While they were incredibly different women, they held many of the same values. All I knew was I was glad she was on our side, making sure my people were looked after.

Seeing the house and everyone hanging out on the porch chatting made me feel an immediate sense of relief. The compound didn’t look worse for wear or show any signs of there ever having been a fight. Granted, I remember Dax saying something about keeping them outside the fence so it wouldn’t have been near here. Damn pain was making my brain fuzzy.

Picasso was at my door, pulling it open before I even realized he’d left the steps where he’d been sitting. “I could have gotten the damn door myself,” I muttered.