A Baby for the Bad Boy (A Bad Boy Romance: Dominick and Linden, book THREE) Read Free

two just don’t know it yet.”
    “I can’t bring her into this, Red,” I said, frowning. “If she’d been hurt today because of me.”
    “I got ya, brother,” Big Red replied. “You know I lost my old lady a few years back, but I never did tell you how.”
    “I thought she was taken out,” I said.
    “She was, but not by any rival of the club. Some bitch I picked up in Vegas followed me home and ran my girl off the road, can you believe that shit?”
    “Your mistress killed your wife?” I asked, shocked.
    “That she did. I took care of her real quick, if you know what I mean.”
    Red’s eyes told me what I already knew, that the mistress had ended up deep under the ground somewhere. It was best not to know details. “What does this have to do with me though?”
    “It means that no matter how careful you are, you can’t control everything that happens to your woman. Don’t let your fear of bringing her into the family be the sole reason you don’t follow your heart. It gets lonely after a while, letting your cock do all the talking.”
    “Thanks for that,” I said and shook his hand. “Let me know when Lee is taken care of.”
    “Will do, boss,” Big Red grinned and saluted against his helmet. I shoved him and he broke into a guffaw.
    “Be safe,” I said and walked back to Linden.
    She was chewing on her lower lip, her backpack was hanging off one shoulder and she looked small and vulnerable.
    I wanted to sweep her into my arms and carry her away to somewhere safe, but in my world that place didn’t exist.
    “You need that lift?” I asked gruffly.
    “What about the truck?” she asked.
    “It’ll get towed, they’re on their way,” I said and handed her the helmet. “Now are you getting on or what?”
    She took the helmet, shoved it down low on her head, clipped it and climbed on behind me.
    She said, “Hold up,” and slipped her arm through the other strap of her backpack. She wrapped her arms around me, and even through the leather of my jacket I could feel the heat of her body.
    I started the bike, revved it a couple times, and roared away from the crowd, leaving Big Red to handle the tow truck and the feud with Lee.
    Her arms tightened around me as we moved through the streets, and the faster I went, the harder she held.
    I knew it would be next to impossible to shake her, to leave her behind, but I had to.
    For her safety and mine.

Chapter Three
Linden
     
    He edged the bike towards the curb and slowed down. My hands were still shaking, but having them tucked under his arms seemed to calm me down somehow, it gave them the strength to keep steady and focus on hanging on instead of thinking about everything that had just happened.
    He turned off the bike and I looked up at the hospital, it seemed imposing and dark even though I’d been here a thousand times before with my father or with my class.
    “You can go,” I told him as I slid off, regretting the moment I had to remove my arms from around his body, “I’ll get a cab home later. I just want to make sure Mikey is going to be okay, I feel so awful.”
    “I’m coming with you, darlin,” he said, getting off his bike. “There ain’t no way I’m gonna leave you alone right now. Not until Lee and his gang are taken down.”
    “You mean that guy from the drop? The one who thought you were ripping him off?” I asked. I’d had my suspicions, but Dom had just confirmed it.
    “Yeah, that’s the one. Listen, until Big Red and the guys take care of him, I want you close to me. He mighta thought I was driving the truck, but he mighta been targeting you. I never should have brought you with me.”
    “I’m a big girl, I knew what I was getting into,” I told him. I couldn’t tell him that I wanted to do more simply because of the money. The danger added a thrill, but Mikey getting shot had dulled that thrill down to a tarnished throb in the back of my head.
    “I don’t think a girl like you would have ever known what to