Trace

10 - We're more than friends

Trace

I’ve been outside Fallon’s trailer for over an hour. She hasn’t been home all night. I don’t know how I know; I just have a feeling.

I knocked on the door to Fallon’s trailer a few times. But I gave up when the big ass dog inside started jumping against the door. That’s why I didn’t attempt to open the door. I do not want a bite from that thing. From the sound of its bark, the thing is gigantic.

How loud the dog was barking is what led me to believe that Fallon hadn’t been home all night. She would’ve told the dog to quiet down if she were home. Any sane person who wanted to save their hearing would, at least. The damn dog inside sounded vicious. Ain’t no way in hell I’m going anywhere near the damn thing. Not even if my life depends on it! At least I know she’s safe living here with a dog that big. I instantly knew it was her protector.

I’ve been sitting on the steps outside Fallon’s door ever since. I’m not leaving until I know she’s okay. I’m pissed that she didn’t come home. All I can think about is Fallon in another guy’s bed, and I’ve never been so angry! I want to find the guy and rip his fuckin.g dic.k off and shove it up his own ass!

Fallon is my girl, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I’ve never wanted to make anyone my girl, not since Willow. Even then, my heart wasn’t entirely in it.

However, Fallon, I don’t know; she’s different. There’s something about her, a strength and a vulnerability, that I find alluring. She’s sex.y as fuc.k, and the fact her puss.y is possibly the best I’ve ever had doesn’t hurt things.

Why am I even awake this early in the damn morning?

I clocked off hours ago. I should be home, sleeping. Instead, I’m outside the home of a woman I can’t stop thinking about at six in the damn morning. I’m never going to live this shi.t down. After all the jibes I’ve given my Brothers over the years, each time, one of them fell in love.

I’m not in love, don’t go thinking that’s what I meant because it damn well wasn’t. I want to fuc.k Fallon repeatedly, and wreck her for any man that comes after me. However, love isn’t something I’ll ever be able to give her.

You’d think I’d come from a broken home, wouldn’t you?

The way I go on, at least, but I didn’t. I had a good childhood and a wonderful family — a loving mother, a hardworking father, and a little sister I adore. I had everything I could have wanted as a kid, but something was missing within me.

I went to college with Willow to get the business degree that my father expected me to get. He wanted me to be a businessman like him so that I could go into the family business.

Shi.t, do I look like the kind of man who’d sell cars?

I was also working on a law degree. It was hard work, and I hadn’t told my father I’d switched majors. But I thought I could be a lawyer, and he’d still be proud of me. But I realized quite quickly it wasn’t for me.

That wasn’t what I ever wanted. I wanted to be a biker. I wanted the freedom that joining an MC would bring me. I wanted the danger, the power, the high of it all.

That’s why I approached Willow’s dad and asked what I’d need to do to earn my place with the Snakes. Shepard put me through some loyalty tests, and let me tell you, they weren’t for the faint-hearted. I did anything and everything Shepard asked of me to prove that I could be just as good as anyone else within the club. I earned my patches, and I wear them with pride.

Of course, my parents weren’t too happy about what I became. Not that they know what I do for the club, they can only guess. I tell them nothing, not even what happened to me when Wrench was shot. I would never frighten them like that, though I could be killed at any point, and they would lose me to this life.

I’m a bastard like everyone else in the club. I do vile shi.t, but I’m a good man deep down. I don’t hurt women or kids. I don’t take drugs, and I’m not a thief. Yeah, I kill, but I kill only when it’s absolutely necessary, only when there is no other choice.

My parents came around to my way of life when they realized I’d never leave. My dad told me that as long as I don’t put my sister in danger or drag her into that way of life, then he’ll respect my choice. It would never happen because if any man touched my sister, MC brother or not, I’d kill him.

Nobody is ever going to come between my club and me. My club is my life, but my baby sister is everything to me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. That includes keeping her away from Snakes Henchmen. If I keep her away, there’s no danger of her falling for one of them.

I hear humming — a woman. The sound is getting closer. I look to the left of the trailer, and there she is, coming toward me. I get to my feet, my eyes narrowed. Fallon seems out of it, eyes vacant, hair falling all over the place, hands... Shi.t, her hands are torn the f**k up!

“Fallon,” I run to her, grabbing her face in my hands. She looks terrible. “What the hell happened?”

“Trace?”

Can she not see me?

“Fallon, look at me!” Her vacant eyes meet mine. “Baby, what happened? Who did this to you?”

Because I’m going to kill whomever, it is in the worst way!

“Me. I did this. I hit a tree a few times.”

“What?”

Why would she do that to herself?

“I’m so confused.” She starts crying, and I hate that.

I pull Fallon into my arms, holding her while she cries. I’ve never been very good when women cry. I’m no damn good with emotions.

“I’m so confused!” She sobs harder against my chest, clutching at my shirt, her knees buckling.

She’s confused, but so am I right now.

“It’s all right, baby, I got you. I got you.” I don’t know what the fuc.k is going on, but as soon as I’ve fixed her busted hands, I want to know!

It takes ten minutes for Fallon to calm down enough to let us inside her place. I can’t believe she lives in a damn trailer. Actually, I can. She’s a woman on her own. Places like this are cheap enough, and after what Tammy told me about Fallon, I know she’s struggling to survive as it is.

The trailer is clean, not much to look at, but she doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who needs much of anything.

“Holy fuc.k!” I’m a big guy, and I’m not scared of anything. However, the big bastard mutt now standing just feet away from me, right beside Fallon like her dark knight protector, baring his teeth and growling at me, is by far the biggest I’ve ever seen in my fuckin.g life. A huge, gray, Irish wolfhound. Beautiful, but scary as shi.t!

This is what was barking at me when I knocked on the door?

Fuc.k. I knew the dog must have been enormous, but this thing has to be about seven feet on its back legs. No joke. On all fours, the thing stands at breast level with Fallon.

I can tell he loves her, and the dog is doing his duty by ensuring she’s okay. By making sure I’m here to hurt her. I’m not, and I never would. Dogs are good judges of character. Normally. This one seems to want to rip my damn head off!

“It’s okay, Duke.” My eyes reluctantly snap to Fallon. She’s stroking the dog's head, as calm as you like. Why wouldn’t she be calm? It’s her dog. “This is Trace; he’s a friend.” She looks at me and smiles.

We’re more than friends, baby girl. You just don’t know it yet.

“I’ll just let him out.” She does and closes the door behind her while telling me not to look so worried; the dog won’t run off. I wasn’t concerned; the damn thing doesn’t strike me as the kind of mutt that would run off. “Sorry about that, Duke can be a little protective of me. Especially since Scott isn’t here anymore.”

“It’s fine. At least I know somebody’s looking out for you.” I take Fallon’s hands gently in mine, turning them over. “You really fucke.d your hands up, baby girl.”

“I had a rough night. Needed to let off steam. The tree was the first thing I saw.” She shrugs like it was nothing.

Fallon tells me where I can find a bowl, cloths, antiseptic, etc., but only after I insist that she let me clean up the damage she’s done to herself.