"The note... it was uhh left in my room." My voice squeaks higher and higher as Derek's face darkens more and more.

"Why didn't you tell me, baby I can help."

"I just... didn't want it to be real. I though if I could ignore it, it would go away."

"Baby..." He sighs heavily and gently strokes my cheek. I turn my face into his hand and he bends down to kiss me again.

I've lost count of the number of times we've kissed since I've known Derek, but every time feels like the first. All sparks and electricity. The feeling of his lips on mine will never not feel incredible.

He pulls away all too soon and I whimper lightly, leaning forward and searching for his lips once again. Derek's chuckle fills the room as he moves some strands of hair out of my eyes.

"Soon baby, we'll get to that soon." He playfully bumps his index finger on the tip of my nose, I giggle and repeat the action on his nose.

"But for now I'm going to take you to the doctors to get that shoulder checked up on, and I'm going to speak to my president, ok?"

"That sounds good Der. I would love to get out of this sling, so we can get to the business that's waiting for us."

I don't know where this confidence has come from within me, but I like it and so Derek. He picks me up and lifts me so I'm underneath him. His arms cage my head and I feel safe in his warmth and intense gaze.

"I swear Elle, when you're healed... we are not leaving this room for days."

I flush at his dark promise, all my confidence gone, and in its place a sheepish desire for the days yet to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The doctor checks on my shoulder with a kind smile and reassuring words that I no longer have to wear the sling, so long as I'm careful and do no heavy lifting.

I guess Derek and I are going to have some fun later.

The doctor directs me to the president's office, where I assume Derek is, as I walk from the surgery type room. But as I approach the door, I pause and hesitate. I can hear raised, agitated voices so I pull away from the door.

Nervously, I begin to walk through the pack house, hoping that I remember which room was Derek's and I don't inadvertently walk in on something I really don't want to see.

Unfortunately, I take a wrong turn and, instead of finding the staircase to the first floor, I bump into Astrid and Doretha sitting at a booth in the bar. They both wave to me, I wave back.

Scanning the room, I see we are the only ones here, beside a man with wild eyes and wild hair who is sitting in the corner of another booth. In his arms is a small baby girl who is tugging on his beard and burbling incoherently at him. To be honest, he's not the kind of guy I see having a kid.

But hey, try not to judge.

"Elle!" Astrid calls out, "Come sit with us."

I smile weakly at the pair, Doretha returns that weak, slightly pained smile so I join the two. I slide into the bar beside Doretha and she holds out the bottle of vodka she's chugging. I politely decline and try to ignore Astrid's eye roll at her sister's behaviour.

"Soo..." Astrid giggles, "how's life with your biker then?"

Awkwardly I chuckle, it's been a very long time since I've had to socialise with another girl, and I wasn't especially good before Elijah happened.

"Things are uhhh, going great. He's a sweetie."

Astrid nods hastily in agreement, I assume she's known him for a while, but Doretha merely shrugs and turns back to her bottle.

"Have you not been here as long then Doretha?" I question bravely.

"You can call me Dot," she murmurs into the bottle rim before answering my question. "And no I've only been here a few months, Astrid's been here longer."

I can tell there's a story behind both of them ending up here, either Derek will tell me, or they will. But I don't push the topic any further tonight, I don't especially fancy a heart to heart again after just having one with Derek.

My emotional battery needs to recharge.

Astrid introduces me to Liam, whose about a year and a half, he looks exactly like the president, so much so it's almost unnerving. He waves at me and repeats my name after I introduce him.

"How's my girl down over there Bolt?" Astrid calls out over her shoulder.

So the scary looking man is called Bolt, and I was right. He isn't the type to have a baby.

"We're doing just fine over here, aren't we little snowflake."

"Bolt! For the last time stop giving my daughter a rider nickname." Astrid's tone is only playful, but with a slight edge too.

"Can't help it A, she's gonna be queen of the riders one day, you mark my words."

I chuckle along with Astrid at the sight of the great, feral man passionately defending his prediction of the tiny girl. From the looks of him though, I wouldn't argue with a man like Bolt, even with a pink baby cloth thrown over his shoulder to protect the girl's soft skin from the coarse zip of his leather jacket.

Doretha is yet to speak after answering my one question, she doesn't giggle along with us or make small talk. She is yet to properly look at Liam since I've been sitting here, she only has eyes for the bottle.

Astrid slowly reaches a hand over the table and strokes her sister's arm. "Dot, it's ok. Leave the drink for a bit now, yeah?"

Reluctantly, Dot places the bottle on the table, after a few seconds of thought she pushes it over the table to me. I frown in confusion until she speaks.

"Hide it from my sight... please." Her voice is strained and desperate and I quickly oblige her plaintive request.

We all have scars in some way, Astrid has cigarette burns that I can see tracking up her arm, Dot has seen mine as well... her's... I guess her's are more hidden.

I place the half empty bottle on the table in the other booth and turn to sit back with the girls. I'm met instead with a solid wall of leather and warmth. Derek is standing in front of me with a smile.

"You got your sling off." He notices and I nod, lifting my shoulder carefully to show I have motion in it again. A dark look takes hold in his eyes and he hoists me over his shoulder in one swift motion. I squawk in surprise and slap at his butt and legs as he starts to carry me from the bar as I hang over one shoulder in an undignified fashion.

"Bye girlie," he waves at Astrid. His tone then changes from familiar to formal as he nods his head at Doretha. "Dot." He says curtly. She merely waves a hand in our general direction, not even looking round at us.

"Derek?" I breathlessly call his name, "Where are we going?"

"To finish the promise I made earlier." Is his blunt and brutal reply. When I don't respond or acknowledge his statement my ass is met with a single firm strike from his hand. I squeal in indignation, I both hate and love this side of him.