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“Sounds too good to be true.”
Brewer shrugged. “It may be. Nobody’s perfect. We all slip up sometimes, but Macha doesn’t give up on someone until they give up on us.” His blue gaze darted to her jaw. “And whoever did that to you shouldn’t be walking this earth without a broken limb or two.”
Jupiter swallowed hard. Coming downstairs was a risk but one she was slowly beginning to accept. She couldn’t live in that tiny bedroom the rest of her stay.
Queenie sailed in, hair in a messy bun on top of her head. “Oh, good, you’re finding your way around the clubhouse. Come with me. I’ve got something to show you.”
Standing, Jupiter smiled at Brewer. “Thanks for chatting with me. See you around.”
Brewer waved just as a group of bikers burst into the kitchen from the back door. Following Queenie, Jupiter glanced over her shoulder and latched eyes with the tallest biker in the group. It was the same bearded man she met the other day. He didn’t say anything or even smile. He merely watched her carefully until her cheeks flushed and she hurried to keep up with Queenie.
* * *
Hours later,Jupiter sat in the clubhouse’s den. It was covered in dark paneling like she’d seen in log cabins. Photos, mostly of club members, littered the walls. A roaring fire sat beneath a large screen television. The oversized recliner was the ideal location for a long cuddle. Not too close to the television but close enough to snag some of the heat radiating from the crackling wood. Thinking back over the day, she smiled absently at where she’d spend most of her time. Macha’s bakery. The bakery was nearly done with construction. Just the finishing touches which Queenie promised would be perfect.
Jupiter set aside the bowl once filled to the brim with chicken dumpling soup. With a full belly and heavy eyelids, she yawned and adjusted the neck of her hooded sweatshirt. The bruises faded slowly, but enough club members had seen them. They didn’t ask questions, a fact she was grateful for since she didn’t want to explain. Already, she was less self-conscious about the healing bruises. Most she could hide with clothes and makeup, but she didn’t feel the need. Not when this group of people accepted her as she was.
Being hidden by Macha felt wrong but also gave her a sense of anonymity. She didn’t like calling in favors with Queenie, but she was exhausted from trying to outsmart Lyle. The warmth of the room quickly lulled her to sleep and she woke three hours later to a loud thud on the floor. Sitting up, Jupiter noticed the room was darker than before. Her eyes swept to the fireplace where a large man was hunched over the hearth, tossing chunks of wood into the dwindling fire.
She recognized the bald head covered in ornate tattoos before he even faced her. From her position, she could see them clearly. They all depicted fantasy scenes related to the goddess Macha. A black bird perched behind his left ear, and Macha’s form encompassed most of the top of his head. A dagger and bow stood out near the goddess, her blue eyes haunting whoever dared look upon her.
“They’re beautiful,” she said quietly.
Rubble swiveled from his crouched position, lips a straight line. The fire behind him caused a halo effect, his mismatched eyes stunning in their separate ways, but together they stole her breath. “Hurt like hell but was worth it.”
He turned back toward the fire, adding three more logs before replacing the screen in front of the hearth. “I saw you sleeping and figured I’d add a few more wood blocks before bed.” His gaze moved to the clock. “You slept through a crazy game of pool down the hall.”
Jupiter caught the time and stifled a yawn. It was the first time in years she felt safe enough to not worry. “I guess I needed to catch up on some sleep.”
Rubble studied her face, the intensity in his eyes unnerving. She tried to move further into the chair but couldn’t. Finally, his brows relaxed, and he offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m a bit precautious with people who abruptly show up on our doorstep. The two before you brought trouble.”
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Jupiter turned her eyes to the fire. “The last thing I want is trouble.”
“What do you want then?”
“Safety.” A weary smile crossed her lips. “And freedom.”
“From whom?”
He took a step closer and Jupiter sat up. There was nothing menacing about his tone or even his hulking stature like she’d expect. He was curious and she couldn’t blame him.
“Why do you think it’s a person?”
Rubble crouched down next to her chair and scanned her eyes. She couldn’t look away if she tried. The longer she kept his gaze, the more she wanted to open completely to him.
“I just do.”
Jupiter swallowed the urge to lean forward and touch his full beard. It was wild and unruly, and her fingers itched to feel it.
“Hey, Jupiter, do you want some homemade ice—” Dolly paused mid step. Her eyes quickly took in the scene she unexpectedly interrupted, and Jupiter blushed at the sly grin on the other woman’s face. “You know what? I think you’re good on sweets for the night.”
Dolly turned and left the den before either of them could utter a breath. Rubble didn’t smile, but he did stand to his staggering height and look down at her.
“Don’t stay here too long. After being downstairs with the nymphs, the prospects tend to be overly friendly.”
Jupiter held her breath until his boots echoed in the hallway. She waited a full minute before standing and hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom. Suddenly, the urge to explore the MC clubhouse became high on her list of activities for the next day.Along with steering clear of Rubble.He sent a tingling through her body that was a combination of sensual and intimidating. Both frightened her, but one did so more than the other.
CHAPTER7
