Steel Hearts: Amazing Grace

"Where are we?" Grace asked, pulling off her helmet.

"Stopping to meet some friends of mine," Saxon said and took her helmet, placing it in the saddlebags along with his own.

"Okay," she said uncertainly and unzipped her jacket seeking more fresh air after the long ride on such a warm night. Then, letting him take her hand as they walked inside, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Beau, who followed them as he had all day.

Walking inside, she was surprised to find only four other guys there, and an older man was standing behind the bar. Saxon and Beau seemed to relax despite the fact every eye was on their entrance.

"Gentlemen, thanks for meeting us here. Sorry, we're late. We had to stop for a few things on the way," Saxon said. "This is Grace, and you know Beau," he said. "This is Kieran. He runs this place for me on the weekends. He opened tonight for us as a favour to me," he indicated the older man behind the bar. "The other men here are musicians who have auditioned to be part of the house band and the Doss House. You can all introduce yourselves," he said.

"Taylor, keys and guitar, rhythm or lead depending on what's needed," the man closest to them started.

"Red, bass, any sort if it's got a beat, I'm there. Drums, but that's secondary," the next man introduced himself.

"That's me, drums and percussion, you can call me Happy," a guy with big teeth and a broad smile stepped forward and stuck out his hand to Grace. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Parker. I can play most things, Sax is my preference, but I can do keys or guitar depending on how this group washes together," he said casually as if it was no big deal to him if the gig worked out or not. "We all can sing, it seems though some of us better than others. I hear that's your thing, though?"

"Oh, I'm not a professional. I sing with a friend's band now and then, but that is the extent of my experience," she waved away the question.

"Drink?" Saxon asked her. "Then we'll talk about why we're all here over pizza."

"Sure, just a coke would be great," she said, not sure why these guys thought she was a singer.

"Happy, did you bring it?" Saxon asked.

"Sure, thing, boss," Happy smiled and turned to one of the comfortable looking chairs around a low table, plucking a guitar that had a redwood façade that faded to black on the edges. A small detail of a string of small leaves curled around one side of the soundhole with tiny white flowers. It was a reasonable replica of the guitar that had been smashed when Grace's apartment had been destroyed.

"This is for you to audition with," Happy grinned, handing it to Grace.

"I'm here to audition?" she asked with wide eyes.

"You can sing. We've all heard you heaps of times. So, while we are hunting, you will sing at the club, and when the psycho does something stupid, security will confine him until the police arrive," Beau said as if it made perfect sense.

"Whoa! What are we signing up for here?" Parker asked. "I didn't...."

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if you. Think about it before you can't take the words back," Beau cut him off. "Of course, you can leave now if you prefer."

"Let's grab a table, and I'll explain," Saxon said, indicating a low table that had already been prepared with napkins and plates. He spent the next hour discussing what had happened and the plan to keep Grace safe while they ate pizza and discussed the plans for her to sing with the band several times a week.

"The gigs are great, and the pay's not bad for the hours, but can she actually sing or are you just being a good boyfriend helping her to live the dream?" Parker asked, eyeing Grace suspiciously. "I mean, the boys and I are good, but looks can't make up for lack of talent."

"Careful, Parker, this is your second warning. Singing with you guys is Saxon's preference, not hers," Beau spoke in a gruff voice. The arrogant arsehole had pushed his buttons since they arrived, and he was about to escort him out. "So how about you shut up and listen instead of running your mouth like usual."

"It's fine, Beau, I get it," Grace smiled and reached out to hold his hand. "They don't know me. All they know is that the boss is telling them that his girlfriend is going to front their band and possibly hurt their reputations because she's got him by the balls," she laughed. "And I'm going to add to their horror by auditioning with a One Direction song."

"Fuck!" Parker threw up his hands dramatically, making her laugh all the more as Beau growled.

Grace picked up the guitar, plucking at the strings and finding it tuned, started picking out the melody before adding any words.

"Goin' out tonight, changes into something red; Her mother doesn't like that kind of dress; Everything she never had she's showin' off; Drivin' too fast, moon is breakin' through her hair;

She's headin' for somethin' that she won't forget; Havin' no regrets is all that she really wants," she sang softly but clearly leading into the chorus and found Taylor joined her, adding harmony to her voice.

Saxon could admit that he had cringed at the idea of a boy band song being sung by the object of his obsession, but the way she slowed it down and sang in a soft, almost whisper made the words and his response to her even sexier.

"We're only gettin' older, baby; And I've been thinkin' about it lately; Does it ever drive you crazy; Just how fast the night changes? Everything that you've ever dreamed of; Disappearing when you wake up; But there's nothing to be afraid of; Even when the night changes; It will never change me and you." Taylor's voice died off as she went into the second verse.

Parker could admit he was impressed. The other guys seemed to think so as well. He could see her in a sexy dress crooning to the business crowd in the speakeasy, but he wasn't so sure she could sing in the club and keep the younger patrons happy.

"Chasing it tonight, doubts are runnin' 'round her head; He's waitin', hides behind a cigarette; Heart is beatin' loud and she doesn't want it to stop; Movin' too fast, moon is lightin' up her skin; She's fallin', doesn't even know it yet; Havin' no regrets is all that she really wants," she sang and let her voice trail off feeling self-conscious now as the words as always resounded in her head.

"Oh yeah! I would never have guessed that was a One Direction hit," Happy enthused.

"Yeah, it was pretty sweet, and there's no arguing that you're hot. Who wouldn't want you fronting their band? I mean, your look and vibe is great for downstairs but can you mix it with the groovers in the club?" Red asked, mirroring what was on Parker's mind.

"I guess, but I am happy to do back up and let whoever rocks the hardest take the lead," she shrugged. "What you need to remember here is that this was his idea, not mine. So I don't have to prove anything to you. Honestly, I'd rather join the service staff in the restaurant than put up with a bunch of big dick egos. You're not doing me any favours here, gentlemen, so you can stop acting like I need to suck your dicks to get the gig. He'd be better off with a DJ upstairs and a piano singer combo downstairs, maybe a jazz or soul group on the weekend, than catering to you arseholes."

Leaving them speechless, Grace stood and walked toward where she could see the sign for the bathroom. There were possibly five more heartbeats of silence before Beau roared with laughter and pronounced his love for her. Finally, she shook her head and entered the bathroom.

"What?" Beau continued to laugh. "She's got a point. She played your game, did a little audition for you even though she already had the gig. Then, instead of saying good job or you like her sound, you told Saxon's girlfriend she was hot enough to front your band, but she couldn't sing strong enough for the club. Or did I misunderstand?" he chuckled even louder. "Fuck, even if she would sing with you after that, I doubt Sax would let you near her again, Red, is it?" Beau shook his head, and the four young men looked at Saxon, who was sitting calmly, his expression flat and showing nothing of what he was thinking.

"This was your audition, not hers," Saxon said sadly. "I was building this band around her because, as you said, she is my girlfriend, not some whore from the Fox Trap I got a taste for," he growled. "I'm doing this because she is talented and deserves a break from arseholes thinking they can push her around. She is talented and deserves people who will acknowledge her talent and help her shine, as she would do for each of you. Taylor and Happy, be at the club, about three tomorrow. Parker and Red, thank you for your time, but Grace only has enough room for one big dick in her life."

Beau let out another roar of laughter and had to sit forward to catch his breath as Grace came out of the bathroom. Saxon stoically took the glares of hostility from the two dismissed men as they stood and put on their jackets. She noticed that they wore Steel Brothers jackets like her brother and the guys, and she frowned. These were club brothers? Oh shit, and she had been mouthy. Again!

"Look, I'm sorry. If I had known they were brothers, I wouldn't have been so," she waved a hand nervously, looking for the right word. "Sassy," she sighed.

"Wasn't anything they didn't deserve, Sweetheart," Happy grinned. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"It was good meeting you Grace, I look forward to singing together again soon," Taylor smiled and nodded to Saxon before following the others out of the small boutique hotel.

"You going to be okay for the ride home?" Saxon asked Grace, moving close to her and tilting her face up to his.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's not quite my bedtime yet," she rolled her eyes.

"Beau will keep an eye on you, but just tap my chest, and I will pull over at any time," he said and lowered his head to kiss her softly, brushing his lips against hers. He helped her into her jacket before leading her back to the bikes, where they farewelled Kieran.

About halfway into the ride, Grace realised that she had grossly underestimated how exhausted she was after a rollercoaster of a day. By the time they made it into the garage, she had her arms locked around Saxon's torso for fear she would fall asleep and fall from his bike. However, she knew that Beau had stayed close, checking on her often, and she tried her best not to let her head loll and worry him.

Beau smiled when Grace didn't complain when he removed her helmet and picked her up from the back of the bike so Saxon could dismount. Saxon nodded, and they went up to the suites occupied by the Sovereign Six with Beau still cradling her in his arms.

Grace was of little to no help as the guys removed the tight clothes and pulled one of Saxons oversized shirt's over her head. She mumbled and complained that she just needed to close her eyes for a minute, and then she would change and brush her teeth, but as soon as she lay down, she fell into a deep sleep.

*****

Part 3

Saxon sent Beau to get some rest and then dozed beside Grace for a few hours before getting up to formulate a plan to keep her safe and catch her stalker so he could keep her as his own. Not that he was sure he was capable of being the man she needed. He couldn't believe how many things he seemed to fuck up in one day. He had been fortunate Beau was there to help him navigate the rollercoaster of her emotional ups and downs throughout the day. He was lucky she had agreed to the current situation because of Teddy. But he knew that to keep her, he couldn't rely on them to mediate his fuck-ups. He needed to do better himself.

He texted the guys he had watching her place, her friend's houses both here and out at Eversley, and Kelly's Bar, where she and her friends usually hung out. Each team reported nothing unusual. He could only think that this guy wasn't trying to find her at the places she could usually be seen because he knew who had her and where. It was time to step up the game and start advertising his new lounge act.

Parker may have been an arrogant arsehole, but he was right. His sexy little siren suited the speakeasy vibe perfectly with her sweet voice and the rasp she had on the lower end of her register. Next, he considered who to replace Parker and Red with because that needed to happen sooner rather than later if he wanted a Valentine's show in place to catch this clown.

A soft tap at the door preceded Beau appearing in the slightly opened door before he nodded to Saxon and opened the door wider, inviting him out into the short hallway before the common rooms. Beau didn't say anything else. Instead, he just led Saxon out to the kitchen, where the three other guys had gathered in the early morning gloom.

"What's going on?" Saxon asked.

"Hutchinson came by last night," Mitch said. "He left a package for Teddy. I assumed it was the report on the forensics from Grace's apartment. You were all out, so I threw it on the table and forgot about it 'til this morning when he woke me up and asked where it came from."

"Two days after the break-in, someone claiming to be Grace's fiancé tried to file a missing person report and was told she was staying with her brother. They gave a false name or at least an incorrect contact number so Hutchinson couldn't follow up after he found out and thought it seemed suspicious that her fiancé wouldn't know she was staying with her brother. He managed to get a few images from the security footage," Teddy took up the story.

"Okay, what am I not going to like?" Saxon said, eyeing them all. He could tell they were padding out the information to delay telling him who it was. Teddy didn't say anything else. He just slid the images across the table to Saxon. Obviously, whoever was waiting for the fake fiancé paid him to make the false report. As with most budget security, the photos were grainy, but he could make out enough to see the Worm, Joey, handing over the payment.

"Joey was there that night in Eversley, but unless he's stopped his love for taking cock, he's on someone else's payroll. Did anyone see anyone else there that night that seemed out of place?" Saxon asked.

"Honestly, we didn't even know you were there with us, let alone Joey," Mitch frowned. "Should have known if Beau was there, I guess."

"He didn't tell me," Beau admitted with a frown. "Though he should have."

"Let the men know that if they see Joey, he needs to be detained," Saxon ordered. "Give me a few minutes to shower and consider what this means. After that, we may need to get word to Steve, but I don't want to compromise him unless we have to at this point." He stood to go and shower and swore under his breath, "Fucking Joey the worm."

*****

Grace couldn't work out what was going on. The guys, especially Saxon, seemed preoccupied and temperamental that morning. So, after breakfast, she asked if she could go through the shopping bags from yesterday and put away the clothes in the closet.

"Give us a minute," Saxon said to his friends and took Grace's hand, leading her back to the room where she had slept the last few nights. "Beau fill Teddy in on today and then join us," he added as if it was an afterthought.

"This floor is made up of seven suites," he began, "Suite is probably the wrong word, but each room has a bedroom, bathroom, a small office area, including a sitting area near one of the windows. They're large and comfortable and meant for the Sovereign Six and me. That includes the four guys out there and two others who are precariously placed with one of our rivals right now."

"Okay," she said, not understanding the relevance of this information.

"You and your belongings are here in this room," he continued waiting for the Penny to drop, "As are your boyfriend's things," he finally spelled it out for her. "Whose stuff did you think was in here?"

"Wait! This is your suite?" she asked wide-eyed.

"It is," he nodded.

"And you sleep?" she prompted.

"Not very much, but usually here beside you for an hour or two each night," he admitted. "I've showered in Steve's suite so as not to wake you, but that won't continue now that you know."

"So, we've been living together, and I didn't realise it?" she asked incredulously. "And Teddy knew?"

"Teddy knows I respect you and him more than any cheap thrill I would get by taking advantage of you," he said to reassure her, but as her face fell, he knew he had said the wrong thing once again. "Full disclosure, Grace. I want this, not just while we catch this stalker but after that too. The more time I spend with you, the more I want this, want you, but I have never been in this position before, wanting something that I can't just take. So you have to be patient and understand that I am going to fuck up, but if you don't tell me when I do, I can't fix the problem for next time," he spoke earnestly to her. "The reason I wouldn't take advantage of you is that I want you to want me as much as I want you."

"Yeah, I'm going to need a time out," she sighed. "You're a lot, you know. Before this week, I didn't even think you liked me. Then yesterday with all the kissing and touching and flirting with all those other women." She shook her head and stood to move further away from him.

"I wasn't flirting with anyone but you," he stood and went after her reaching out to take her hand so she couldn't move too far away. "Did I manipulate the situation to get closer to you, so you and I could get to know each other better? Yes, I did, and I don't regret it, but the world I live in, that the guys and Teddy live in, can be dark and dangerous beyond the stalkers. If you agree to enter this world with me, I will explain it all to you. I promise. If not, then you return to your life before this stalker once we have dealt with him, but you also put distance between yourself and the guys because you are not just Teddy's weakness, but a weakness to all of us now. Do you understand?"

"It's a lot. You're a lot," she said again. She was overwhelmed by the revelations, and she wasn't sure what to say or do. "I can't make a decision like that. Teddy's all I've got!"

"You must know that's not true, but I will give you some space to consider what I said. I have a lot to get done this morning, I will be back for lunch, and we can talk more then," he tilted her head up and kissed her. "Think about what I said, and I will explain as much as I can depending on your decision."

"We're not in public now. So you don't have to do that," Grace said almost without thinking.

"I'm a big fan of private displays of affection. Or at least semi-private. You need to stay with Beau today. No running off. We have a lead on the stalker, and he is closer than we thought to our club and our friends. Promise me you will stay by his side until I return," Saxon pushed.

"I will stay with Beau while you are gone," she parroted back at him.

"Good girl," he bent his head to kiss her, deepening the kiss and holding her close. "Trust no one except the six," he warned in a husky voice as he finally let her go.

"Got it," she nodded.

"Teddy and Eli will be with me today. Mitch and Beau will keep you safe." He said as if reassuring himself, and then he left abruptly without looking back.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?" Grace asked Beau with a look of utter confusion on her face.

"Probably," he nodded. "I'm just not sure I'm the one who should be explaining it."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because he will only confuse you more. Come with me, Gracie, and I will tell you what you need to know about our fearless leader," Mitch offered from the doorway.

Grace looked from Mitch to Beau, who shook his head slightly and back to Mitch again before moving toward Mitch and letting him guide her to the common room, where he pulled her onto his lap as he sat in one of the comfortable chairs there.