What Doesn't Destroy Us (The Devil's Dust #1)(27)

“Put these on, you're killing me in that damn shirt.” His confession makes me smile, I love knowing I affect him.

“I’m gonna call Bull,” Shadow says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. His arm is still dripping dark red blood onto the tan carpet. The Ol' Ladies are going to be pissed. I run into the bathroom and return with a soaked towel. I wrap it around his arm and pull tight to knot it. He winces at the harsh contact the towel makes when it squeezes his wound shut.

“Yeah, she’s okay,” he says, surveying my quick work. “Just me... Nah it’s not bad, but I’ll need the Doc... I don’t think it was her, unless she joined a club lately... Yeah, we’ll head that way now.” Shadow pushes his phone back in his pocket.

“What’s the word?” Bobby asks.

“He wanted to know if I thought my mother was behind this. She left a voice mail demanding drugs or money or she would take Dani. You said they were on bikes, so unless she's joined a club lately, it's not her. I'll tell you more later. Let's get.” He's speaking to Bobby as if I'm not even in the room.

Bobby nods his head in understanding. I'm flabbergasted. Who is Shadow's mom? What kind of a mom demands drugs? How did she know about me? Why would she use me as a bargaining chip? I open my mouth to voice the questions but Shadow cuts me off.

“He wants us at the club; it’s not safe here anymore. Pack your shit, Dani.” He pauses and points at my handiwork. “Where did you learn to do this?”

“T.V., of course,” I say, smiling proudly, getting a lopsided grin from him in return.





Dani's petite arms are wrapped around my waist as we head back to the clubhouse on my bike. Having her arms around me helps with the pain clawing in my right arm. It's helping with another pain, too, but I'm not sure I'm willing to admit that yet. When I heard the first shot, I ran across the living room up the stairs as fast I could; my only mission was to get to her. I even caught a f*cking bullet in the process. I didn’t even realize I had been hit? my adrenaline was pumped so high. Having a feeling other than wanting to stick my dick in Dani, has me nervous.

When I’m around her, though, I think about someone other than myself. And she makes me feel respected; like when she dressed my bullet wound, no one has ever shown such care for me. I’m loyal to my brothers and would put my life on the line for them, and they for me. But there’s no company like a woman’s, and Dani’s company is much to be desired.

I love Bobby like blood, but when Dani had her hands on him, I wanted to put my gun to his dick right there. And him seeing her in just that Devil's Dust shirt and underwear made me see red. I’m not the jealous type; this bitch has me twisted something deep. I've been trying to deny that there might be something deeper than sex with Dani, but that was before bullets went flying at the safe house. I have never been so frightened for someone else’s safety in my life, except for Bobby. That f*cker has had some close calls.

Women are a scary breed. I have seen first-hand how women can be pernicious and venomous, like my mother. My walls are built thick with vile scars, but having it thrown at Dani like that is the first time I've felt regret. Getting through those walls might be more than I’m willing to give; and more than Dani is willing to handle.

It's quiet when we pull up to the clubhouse. Most of the boys are at home with their Ol’ Ladies.

When we walk in, Bull is at the bar with Hawk, our treasurer. Hawk is older than dirt and has been around here longer than any of us. Always chimes in with how the world is shit today, and back then he had to walk through snow both ways, kind of bull shit. We have to sit there and listen to the old bastard in respect, but man, is he an *.

Bull gets up and heads straight toward Dani, inspecting her for any scratches or wounds. No doubt if the club princess had even a scratch on her pretty head, it would be my ass.

“You alright, Darlin'?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was a little scary, but I’m fine.” You can tell in her voice she's trying to be tough, but deep down she is scared as shit.

“I couldn’t fit her or her mom’s shit in my saddle bags; might send Charlie over to get it in the truck.”

“I'll send someone over in the morning. I don’t want whoever that was to come back around and have one of my men in there packing. Let’s go figure this bullshit out; we can catch the rest of the boys up in the morning.” He runs his hand over his scruffy face. He always does this when he's trying to figure shit out.

“Where’s my mom?” Dani asks, looking around the room. We haven’t seen her mother for hours; I'm curious where the bitch is as well.

“She was shootin' the shit with some of the girls; drank a little more than she could handle. She’s in the room she was staying in at the end of the hall. Old girl can’t handle the booze like she used to, that’s for sure,” Bull chuckles to himself.

Dani’s emerald eyes go hollow with a lost look, a look she often gets when Bull speaks of Lady. The woman he talks about and the woman we see are completely different. I think it f*cks with Dani; she doesn’t really know who her mother is. At least I know my mother is a piece of shit.

It is killing me not to touch Dani; to comfort her in some way. What the hell am I thinking? Fuck! The pull she has on me scares the shit out of me. Bull always says, this life is not meant for women. Pick your women carefully and tread lightly around them when it comes to club business. Poor Dani hasn't been treated lightly; she’s been thrown deep down in club shit. I want to protect her; from the club and from myself. Bull has a saying, passed down from his pops, he tells all of us often. “Lust like a saint, trust like a sinner.” I remember how confused Bobby and I were when he told us that the first time. He made us ponder on it for awhile, but it still made no f*cking sense. Bull eventually told us, 'Lust like a saint', means nobody is as good as they seem, even saints. And 'trust like a sinner', means trust nobody because nobody will trust the sinner you are. Something I need to remember often around Dani.