by Nicola Jane
“So, now you’re here to claim him back?” asks Frankie.
“I don’t know, I haven’t decided. I want to take it slow.”
Frankie scoffs. “You haven’t decided, wow, it must be nice to have so much control in Storm’s life.”
“Like I said, he’s obsessed with me.”
“And let me guess,” Frankie continues, placing the knife on the chopping board, “you need a little pick me up, some attention, and that’s why you’re here. Did your boyfriend dump you?” Laura’s eyes fall to the floor, and Frankie laughs. “I’ve seen your type before. You swan in here like the queen bee you think you are and flutter those pretty false lashes, shove your tits in his face, and he’s like a love-struck puppy. You’ll let him follow you around and boost your ego until someone else comes along.”
“Frankie,” says Raven, sighing, “give her a break.”
The door opens and Riggs enters. We all exchange sheepish looks as he assesses the room. “You ladies being friendly?” he growls out. His eyes narrow in on Frankie, who’s gone back to chopping.
“We’re just getting to know each other,” says Anna.
“I need you,” says Riggs, snatching Anna by the hand. “It’s urgent.”
“You dirty dog,” says Leia, grinning. “It’s the middle of the afternoon.”
Riggs drags Anna from the kitchen, smirking at his sister. “Watch the baby,” he orders.
Laura sits in the seat Anna vacated. The other women have changed the subject, and I pull my sleeves over my hands. I’ve been covering my body for so long, now it’s become a habit. “Have you and Storm got a thing?” she asks in a low voice.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Good. I just wanted to warn you if there was.”
“Warn me?” I repeat.
“Well, it’s clear you like him. I saw the way you tried to hide the hurt when I showed up here and took his attention. But that’ll always be the way. It doesn’t matter what happens between us, he’ll always come back to me. He’s crazy. He’s obsessive and possessive. He’ll never let me go.” She looks smug, and I bite my lip. Her words hurt me more than they should.
I gently ruffle Seb’s hair. “I’ve got things to do,” I tell him. “I’ll catch up with you later.” He nods without looking up.
“You okay?” Storm’s voice makes me jump, and I drop my hand from my bedroom door. I keep my back to him. Tears are brimming, and I can’t let him see me like this. “Lottie?”
“I’m fine. Tired,” I mutter.
“I was gonna ask if you wanted to go for a walk with Seb and the pup again. I enjoyed it earlier, well, until Laura showed up.”
“I can’t. Take the pup, though. Seb loves taking him out.” I open the door, and Bently shoots out, jumping up my legs and barking playfully.
“Nah, it’s fine,” says Storm.
“Storm, take him. Seb would appreciate the quality time.”
He scoffs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” I sigh. “I just think you should spend some time together. He’s a great kid and—”
“You don’t think I fuckin’ know that?” he snaps, and I’m taken aback by his harsh tone. “I just thought you’d wanna join us.” Bently sits by Storm’s feet. “Forget it.” He stomps off with the pup at his feet.
I blink and it releases a tear. I let it run down my cheek before swiping it away. She’s been back two minutes, and he’s already changing. What the hell is wrong with me? I slam the bedroom door and take a few deep breaths, glancing at the drawer beside my bed. I know it’s there, that’s the problem. I pull the drawer and stare at the small metal tin for a few seconds before closing it again.
I go to the window, pushing it open and taking a few deep breaths. I never wanted to feel anything for Storm. I fancied him the second he got to the club, but it wasn’t supposed to turn into anything. I wasn’t meant to like him properly. It wasn’t supposed to hurt when he rejected me because that was always going to happen, so I should have seen it coming and prepared myself better. Even the club whores have more to offer than me. I look down at my arm and see blood through my sleeve. Without realising, I’ve scratched the old wounds, opening them up. My tears fall harder because as much as I want to stop this vicious cycle, seeing that blood gives me so much relief. Voices from below grab my attention. I see Bently running around on the grass with Seb chasing him excitedly. It brings a brief smile to my face, which soon fades when Storm and Laura follow on behind. They look good together. She’s pretty and perfect and I’m . . . well, I’m just not.
I slam the window and rush back to the drawer. Fuck Storm. The second I pick up my tin, I feel better.
Chapter Nine
STORM
Laura’s twisting my ear about some bullshit excuse for her and her boyfriend splitting up. I’m not stupid—he left her ass, and now she’s back here looking for a fill-in. It ain’t happening. We were done the second she called the cops on me.
I hear a bang and look towards the direction it came from in time to see Lottie move back from her window. I frown. Shit, she probably thinks Laura and I are down here making up. “Seb,” I shout, and he turns around. “Come on, kid, we gotta go back inside.”
“What?” asks Laura. “Why?”
“Something I gotta deal with.”
I ask Leia to keep an eye on Seb, then I take the stairs two at a time. I have a bad feeling, and when I push open Lottie’s door, my heart sinks. She looks up, her expression panicked. She begins to grab the sharps surrounding her, but it’s too late, I’ve seen them. I slam the door shut and drop to my knees before her, gripping her bleeding arm. “What have you done,” I whisper. There’s a closed first aid kit beside her, and I flip it open. “Why do you keep marking your perfect skin?” I take out some antiseptic and unscrew the cap with my teeth, spitting it out and pouring the liquid over her arm. She hisses, watching the blood mix with the antiseptic and drip onto her jeans. “It won’t stop you from hurting.” I rip a bandage open. “If it did, you’d be all healed now.” I start to wrap the wound. It’s not too deep that it’d need stitches, but it’s deep enough the doc will need to take a look.
“It does help,” she whispers, and I stare into her red, swollen eyes. “For just a second or two.”
“What are you running from, butterfly?”
She hangs her head, and her shoulders begin to shake. Tying off the bandage, I pull her into my arms, wrapping myself around her and letting her cry against my chest. We stay like that until my arse goes numb and Lottie’s soft snores fill the room. I carefully pull her closer so I’m cradling her like a child, and I stand, sighing with relief as the blood rushes to my numb places. I lay her on the bed and unbutton her jeans. They’re wet from the antiseptic and take some tugging to remove, but she hardly shifts. Slipping out of my kutte and jeans, I climb into bed beside her. I don’t know if she wants me around, but my heart’s telling me to stay. I don’t want her to wake alone.
I lie awake with her against my chest, picturing her bloodied arm over and over in my mind, and my heart aches. It ain’t like I ain’t seen blood before but seeing hers drip from the wounds she put there, that feels different. After an hour, Lottie begins to stir. She sits up, looking around the dark room before peering down at me. The moonlight shines over her perfect face and that familiar ache returns. “You okay?” I whisper.
“You stayed?”
“Where else would I go?”
“Why?” she whispers.
I hook my little finger around hers. “Why not?” When she doesn’t answer, I push myself to sit. “Do you want anything? You fell asleep before I could get you any painkillers.” She shakes her head, avoiding eye contact. “You don’t have to be ashamed,” I mutter. “I’m not judging.”
“I don’t know why I do it,” she whispers, and her words are laced with pain. She bows her head, and I run my fingers up and down her spine. “I get this knot in my stomach and nothing gets rid of it. That first cut
,” she pauses before sucking in a breath, “it releases the knot.”
“Why was the knot there today, Lottie?” I ask. Her shoulders lift and fall in the shadow of moonlight. “Was it because of me?” She doesn’t answer. “Because I was talking to Laura?”
“I’m a psycho, right?” She scoffs. “A guy pays me a smidgen of attention and I’m planning the fucking wedding. What’s wrong with me?”
My heart swells a little. “You’re not a psycho.”
“Feel free to run. I get it. I’d run too if I was you. This,” she holds up her bandaged arm, “is because I’m weird. It’s not your fault. Just get out of here. I totally understand—”
I cut off her words, jumping over her and pushing her to lie back. “I don’t wanna run,” I whisper against her lips, and her breath hitches. “Nothing you said just then made me wanna go anywhere. I’m sorry I made you doubt what I feel for you. I was helping Laura out, but if that makes you feel like this, she’ll be gone first thing.”
“No,” she objects. “I’m being crazy.”
I press my lips against hers, and she opens for me, allowing my tongue to sweep against her own. I take my time, tasting her sweet mouth until my erection is painfully hard. “You’re not crazy. If you had an ex staying, I’d kill him.”
She smiles. “No chance of that ever happening, seeing as he’s with my best friend.”
“Good. Means you’re here with me . . . where you belong.”
Her face suddenly falls serious. “Storm, what happened before, with the club girl—”
I cut her off again, kissing her hard. “Won’t happen again. Ever.”
“Is this a bad idea?” she whispers, her eyes full of worry. “We’re both so . . . broken.”
“We’ll fix each other,” I say, running kisses along her jaw and down her neck. I push her shirt up, kissing my way down her stomach. Hooking my fingers in her lace panties, I drag them down her legs. “Promise me something,” I say, pushing her legs apart. I run my tongue the length of her opening without warning, and she hisses, her hands gripping my hair. “You feel that knot again,” I press my tongue against her swollen clit, sucking and nipping, “tell me. Don’t reach for the blades.”
I don’t let her answer. Instead, I go to town on her pussy until she’s writhing and panting on the bed beneath me, unable to get her words out. “We’ll find new ways to release that tension,” I promise her. I push my finger into her wetness with ease and hook it slightly until I feel her tense. Keeping up the pressure against that spot, I watch her perfect face flush with colour as her orgasm pulses through her. I lick her juices from my fingers, and she screws her face up, laughing. “Best taste ever,” I say, smacking her arse. “Now, get some sleep. We gotta tell your brother about us.”
LOTTIE
“Lake, you got a minute?” asks Storm.
Lake looks up from his phone. “Depends what for, brother,” he mutters, his eyes going back and forth between me and Storm.
We take a seat on the opposite couch. “Lottie and me.” Lake’s face instantly morphs to anger. “We wanna make it work,” Storm continues.
“Right, weren’t you fucking Trudy a few nights ago?” snaps Lake. I lower my eyes because it still stings thinking about those two. “Trudy, get over here.”
“Shit, brother, don’t be an ass,” mutters Storm.
Trudy sashays over with a smirk on her red-painted lips. “You and him?” asks Lake, pointing to Storm. “You fucking?”
“We did,” she says, shrugging. “You both wanna join me?”
Lake shakes his head. “I have an ol’ lady,” he snaps. “Show some fucking respect.”
“Why are you asking me who I’m fucking then?” she snaps impatiently.
“When was the last time?”
She shrugs. “A few nights ago.” She glances at Storm for confirmation, and he shrugs, looking helplessly at me.
“This is ridiculous,” I finally snap. “Lake, stop being a dick. We came here to ask your permission—not my idea but Storm’s. As far as I’m concerned, I can make my own choices, but he doesn’t want to cause bad blood between you both.”
“Will you quit dancing?” asks Lake.
“Yes.” I nod, and both men look at me surprised. “I respect you, and it makes you uncomfortable,” I explain to Storm. “I don’t want to be the reason you feel like that. I’ll find something else.” His bright smile is a big enough reward, and I’m happy I made that decision this morning after we made love for the second time.
“So, you’re claiming her?” Lake asks coldly.
I feel panicked, waiting for Storm to answer. He never said those words when we talked about us being together. Claiming someone is practically agreeing to be with that person forever, and Lake’s backing him into a corner. “If you’ll give your blessing,” Storm answers with ease, and I raise my brows in surprise. The fact he wants to claim me makes me happy. Now, it’s clear we belong to each other, and the club girls can keep their grubby hands off him.
“If she wants you, who am I to say no,” mutters Lake. “But take care of her, brother, because I don’t wanna have to kill you.” They shake hands, and Lake stalks off.
I turn to Storm and smile. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”
“It’s official,” he says, pulling me onto his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him slowly. When he pulls back, he’s got that hungry look in his eyes again, and I laugh. “You can’t keep kissing me like that, butterfly. We’ll spend forever in bed.” He scoops me up, and a surprised squeal escapes me. He marches towards the stairs with purpose but stops abruptly when he sees Laura coming down towards us. Her smile fades. “Laura, we need to talk,” he mutters, lowering me to my feet and taking my hand in his. “Is now good for you?”
Her eyes fall to our joined hands. “Not really. Maybe later.”
“It won’t take long,” he persists, and she rolls her eyes and flounces towards the couches in the main room.
“Shall I leave you to it?” I ask uncomfortably.
“No, you’re my ol’ lady and I want you to see that I’m serious.”
“So,” Laura says with a bored sigh, “you and little miss perfect are a thing?”
“Don’t be rude,” Storm says coldly. “But yeah, we’re a thing. That means you can’t stay here. You gotta go.”
Her face reddens, and I’m not sure if she’s upset or angry. “You said I could stay a few nights,” she hisses.
“I said two nights, but things have changed. It ain’t fair on Lottie.”
“Last week, you were phoning me and leaving me messages telling me how much you miss me. How you can’t find anyone who makes you feel like I made you feel,” she snaps. “Now, you’re moving on like I’m nothing to you?”
“I was drunk when I left those messages,” he says.
“No surprise there then,” she says dryly. “You always spoke the truth when you were drunk. Now, what was it you said?” She taps her chin thoughtfully. “That fucking me was the only way to stop yourself spiralling. Has that changed now? Is she your new whore, or is she like me, someone you depend on to keep you thinking straight?”
I absentmindedly rub my arm, liking the scratchy feel of the bandages against my wounds. Storm carefully places his hand over mine, forcing me to stop. “I don’t know what to tell you, Laura. Yes, you helped me forget my problems, but they never went away. And when we ended, you made things worse for me. So much worse that I had to fucking move away. And now, here you are, following me to London and trying to set up home here, and I don’t know what you expect me to do with that. I’m claiming Lottie, I’m serious about her, and that means you have to leave.”
“Where the hell am I supposed to go?” she yells.
“A hotel?” he suggests, and she scoffs like that’s absurd.
Laura stands and straightens her shirt, brushing off imaginary fluff. “A word of warning,” she says quietly before fixing me with a hard stare. “He’ll reel you in
with a sob story about his dead ex, you’ll bend over backwards to make him feel good, even pack in your job because he hates a working woman, and then, he’ll treat you like a prisoner. He’ll track your phone, check up on you, suffocate you. If I was you, I’d get out before you get in too deep.”
I watch her stomp off. “I knew she’d take it badly, but Christ, she’s so dramatic,” says Storm. I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes because her words are ringing in my ears. He sighs and hooks a finger under my chin, turning my face up to look at him. “Ignore her. She’s just annoyed. If I was that bad, would she have come here to me for help?” I shake my head, and he places a gentle kiss on my nose. “I’m gonna talk to Riggs. I’ll come find you when I’m done, then we can do something together?” I nod in agreement.
“That was intense,” says Leia, joining me on the couch once Storm’s left. “Is she leaving?” she asks, nodding towards Laura, who’s passing us with her bags. I nod. “Ouch. No wonder she looked mad.”
“She was mad because Storm told her he’s claiming me.”
“Shit!” Leia’s eyes widen. “That’s out of the blue, right?”
I shrug. “We’ve been going back and forth for weeks.”
“He messed up badly, and now he’s claiming you?”
“You think it’s too soon?” I ask, rubbing my arm again.
“No, not at all. Everyone feels love differently, right? If you know, you know. Storm seems nice, and if he makes you happy . . .”
I nod, smiling. “He does. But Laura said something and it’s playing on my mind.”
“She’s the bitter ex, so I wouldn’t take any notice.”
“She said he’s full-on. He’d check up on me, track me, make me pack my job in.”
Leia smirks. “Sounds like most of the guys in this place. Some say it’s too much and others don’t mind it. You gotta see it from their point of view.” She pauses when Anna joins us and briefly fills her in. Anna grins. “These guys are mainly ex-army, right? They come from regimented backgrounds, and they’ve seen too much. Yes, they’re over-the-top protective, but it’s because they love us so much. And Anna can vouch for this,” she says, winking at Anna, “ol’ ladies have broken the rules in the past, thinking they knew better. They’ve gone off without telling their OGs and gotten themselves into whole heaps of shit. Who comes running to save you? That possessive guy who tracked your phone.”