by E. C. Land
“I might have been engaged to the man, but he never asked for anything else. Nor did he have anything to do with my ink. The pieces that I have were done between the summer of freshman year and sophomore year. When I wasn’t at practice or studying, I worked at Ink Me as a receptionist. You can ask the guy who did them if you want,” I say harsher than I mean to.
“Well, that makes this somewhat easier since you’re not an ol’ lady to a patch member. The only thing we have to worry about now is him going after the children,” Stoney says.
“That’s why I’ve brought them here. Tracker can keep them safe while I work through what I need to get sole custody of them,” I say hastily.
“And where do you plan on being while you do this?” he asks through clenched teeth.
“I have to go back,” I admit.
“Like fuck you do,” Tracker yells, startling Corinne.
“I have to, Tracker. I don’t have a place here,” I say.
“Rachel, you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying right here. Not only for your protection along with your kids, but you owe the club. You did, in fact, run your truck into our clubhouse. Meaning I’m claiming you as my property. So, no, Doll, you won’t be leaving this room without me or anyone else who’s a part of this club,” Stoney declares.
Umm, what? Did he just say what I think he did? I don’t fuckin’ think so.
5
Stoney
“Property? Are you fuckin’ serious?” Tracker growls as we make our way into church. Yeah, I know he’s pissed at the claim I made, but I’m just as shocked. I hadn’t intended to do anything of the sort. The words had come out of my mouth before I could stop them, and honestly, I don’t give a damn. I said it, and if it means Rachel keeps her ass planted here where she belongs, then so fuckin’ be it.
“Yep, I’m dead serious,” I say just as we get to the door for the room where we hold church. Reaching into my pocket, I pull my cell phone out and place it in the basket with the rest of them. Guess Tracker and I are the last ones to walk in.
Taking my seat at the head of the table, I slam my fist on the table rather than using the gavel sitting in front of me. I’m too amped up right now, and smashing my fist through something is what I’d prefer to be doing. “Alright, brothers, you all remember Tracker’s cousin, Rachel? Well, it looks like she’s gone and gotten herself into some serious shit,” I say before letting Tracker take over and tell our brothers what she told us.
“What are we gonna do about this? If she’s the ol’ lady of their VP, this will start a major war between us and them,” Shadow says through clenched teeth. After his transfer from the Franklin Charter, we’d voted him in as our enforcer when Coon decided to step down. No one blamed the man for wanting to step down after finding out his daughter had breast cancer. He’s still a part of the club but doesn’t sit at the table anymore.
“She’s not Lucien’s ol’ lady,” Tracker states.
“Still, this is bad. What was she expecting us to do?” Blaze grumbles.
“Only thing Rachel wanted was for Tracker to keep her twins safe while she does what’s needed. Damn woman was gonna go back,” I growl, gaining more than one odd look from my brothers.
“You gonna let her go?” Blaze asks, lifting a brow in my direction.
“No.” As the simple word leaves my lips, I know in my gut Rachel is meant to be here with me. I might not understand it, but I always listen to my gut. The way it tightens at the thought of Rachel with another man pisses me off.
“Our Prez here has claimed Rach as his property,” Tracker snaps.
“Property,” Ranger chuckles.
Damnit, now they’re goin’ to think of Rachel as my ol’ lady, and that’s not what I’m doing. I swore to never take an ol’ lady. By doing that, it’s like handing my balls over to one woman. Nope, not happening. Especially when I’ve been bitten one too many times.
Marie made sure of that when she walked out on Horse and me. I still put up with her shit for far too many years, paying the bitch off to protect my son for her poison. I’d been doing this for a long fuckin’ time now and finally told her this ATM was closed.
After that conversation, I made sure to talk to Horse. I’d gone to see him and visit my grandkids. When I confessed what I’d been doing to keep his mom out of his life, he’d only shrugged his shoulder, saying, “Let her come. She won’t get a dime from me, and if she thinks threatening my kids will get her anywhere, she hasn’t met my ol’ lady. Kenny will put Marie in the ground.”
Clearing my throat, I lean forward on my elbows as I make sure to meet the gazes of each and every one of my brothers sitting at this table. “Yeah, I’ve claimed Rachel as my property. This way, we can protect her. Besides, she ran her fuckin’ truck into our clubhouse.”
“She may have crashed into the building, but she didn’t damage it. Plus, the woman was unconscious before even hitting the damn thing. Honestly, Prez, I’m surprised she hadn’t wrecked before getting here,” Ranger says in his matter of fact tone he uses when he knows he’s right.
“Doesn’t matter, it’s done. Until I say otherwise, Rachel is my property. Anyone have a problem with that?” I growl, wanting someone to challenge me. But no one speaks up, they simply stare at me as if I’d grown two heads. “Good. Now, let’s get down to business. We need to gather as much intel on this club as possible. See if we can get anything on Lucien. Nerd, what do you have for us already?”
“What don’t I have? They’re some sick fuckers, but can you give me a day to finish getting everything together? I want to get Gadget and Keys on this, see if either of them can find something. I’ve already got Cy looking into things,” Nerd states.
The fact he is bringing in three of the best hackers I’ve ever met can only mean one thing. Between Gadget and Nerd, they can do a lot of shit, but adding in Keys from Hammer’s club and Cy from Blow’s charter out in Tennessee, yeah, this shit is goin’ to be fucked. “Yeah, we’ll reconvene tomorrow at noon. Party’s still on for tonight. Enjoy yourselves, brothers,” I say before banging my fist on the table.
I’m in need of one or two things right now, either someone to fight with or to fuck. Both would be great, but I’m willing to take one or the other.
As everyone stands to leave, I stay in my seat and glance over at Tracker. “No disrespect, Prez, but I’ve gotta say my piece,” he mutters.
“What’s that?” I ask, leaning back in my seat.
“Rachel’s my cousin. I might have screwed up where she’s concerned by not keeping an eye on her while she was away. But I figured she’d be safe away from her mom. What I’m trying to say is I know you, Prez, and I won’t let you hurt her,” he says.
“You think I’d hurt a woman?” I demand.
“Not physically, but emotionally, you could break her. See, I know something you don’t, and Rachel can deny it all she wants, but before she left for college, she had a major crush on you,” he admits.
I can’t help but stare at him. “She was no more than a kid back then,” I say.
“Maybe so but doesn’t stop the fact she did,” he states before getting up. “All I’m saying is don’t crush her the way you’ve been. I know you think all women are conniving bitches and stab you in the back. But none of them are Rachel.” With that, he walks out of the room.
Running a hand through my hair, I release an exasperating breath as I think of Tracker’s words. Letting them play on repeat in my head, my thoughts turn darker by the second. I’ve never in my life hurt a woman physically. Emotionally, who the hell knows. Women are strange when it comes to that shit. One minute, they’ll say one thing, and then the next, they’re doing something completely opposite of what they said.
Marie said she wanted to keep our baby when we found out she was pregnant, yet the insufferable woman changed her mind later on and decided she didn’t want to be strapped down with a kid.
Then there was the shit Boss pulled, wanting an alliance with us. But then she we
nt behind my back to find out information— information I would have helped her get had she been honest with me. I know we didn’t really get along, but allies are supposed to work together, not stab the other in the back.
I shake my head, not wanting to think of either of those women right now. I need to figure out what I’m goin’ to do with the one that’s in my bed right now. A woman who used to have a crush on me when she was nothing more than a kid according to my VP.
Shit, Rachel is younger than my son. How fucked up am I to claim her? Even if I claimed her as my property. She’s half my age.
I can’t keep sitting here debating this with myself. Not when I have other things to do. Like getting my dick wet. Getting out of my chair, I walk out of church and into the main room. Glancing around the room, I search to figure out which of the clubwhores will be it for what I want right now, but none of them look appealing to me.
Hell, my dick doesn’t even twitch at the sight of Cherry Pie’s pussy being on display as Peaches sucks her tits.
What the fuck is goin’ on with me?
6
Rachel
“If you think I’m gonna stay in this room with you, you can shove that thought right up your ass,” I snap the moment Stoney walks into his bedroom. Ever since he and everyone else left the room earlier, leaving me alone with my children, I’ve been fuming. Who did he think he was claiming me as property like I’m some sort of a toy on the playground he could take as his own.
Yeah, nope, not happening. My own mom tried that thinking I was something she could merely trade away. I won’t be used that way by anyone. Nor will I allow my emotions to cloud my judgment. Not again. Doesn’t matter if it’s Stoney or Chris Hemsworth— I will not be treated like a possession.
“What did I tell you about that smartass mouth of yours?” he growls, narrowing his eyes on me.
“You’re not going to do a damn thing to me,” I mutter, holding his gaze.
Stoney breaks the staring contest we were having first. Following his line of sight, I realize he was staring at the two babies lying in front of me, who are now sleeping. When he’d opened his bedroom door, I’d just finished feeding both Luca and Corinne. “How old are they?” he asks.
“They’re ten weeks old,” I say, smiling down at my sleeping babies.
He nods his head while slowly trailing his gaze back up to meet my own. I open my mouth to continue my argument with him when he turns away from me and goes to his closet. Opening the door, I gape at him as he pulls out two playpens and sets them up. “Horse brings his kids up here, and I normally keep them in my room to give him and Kenny a break,” Stoney says as he finishes putting the second one together.
Furrowing my brows, I try to remember who Kenny is. “Is she from around here?” I ask.
Lifting a brow in my direction, he doesn’t answer me right away. Something seems to flicker behind his eyes before he smiles and finally opens his mouth. “Yeah, she’s Twister’s sister.”
Twister’s sister? I didn’t even know he had one. Well, then again, I barely came around the club to begin with.
“That’s cool,” I say.
“Guess so.” Shrugging, he walks over to the bed and lifts Corinne into his arms, and without waking her up, he gently places her into one of the playpens. He then repeats this with Luca. The look on his face is what I’d say a loving father would have when looking at his children.
Whoa, hold up, not a thought I need to be having. Especially when it comes to his arrogant ass.
Once Stoney is satisfied the twins aren’t going to wake up, he turns his attention back to me. Walking over to the bed, he climbs up and pushes me to my back as he moves to hover over me.
“What are you doing?” I whisper-yell, placing my hands against his firm chest. My heart’s pounding against my chest as I stare up at him.
“I’m about to show you what happens when you don’t listen to me. Starting with putting that smartass mouth to better use,” he proclaims before slamming his mouth on mine.
Oh my God, Stoney is kissing me. How many times have I dreamed of this very moment? Where Stoney would take me in his arms and devour my mouth.
Stoney cups the back of my head with his hands as he braces himself on his forearms. I open my mouth, granting him entrance when he swipes his tongue across my lips. I don’t know how long the kiss goes on for, but I don’t want it to end. It’s amazing the way my body seems to gravitate to him aching to have him run his hands all over me.
“You’re mine, Rachel. You got me? I don’t know what the fuck you’ve done to me, but I don’t want anyone else,” he murmurs quietly against my lips.
His words are like a bucket of ice water being thrown in my face. Balling my hands into fists while gripping his shirt, I narrow my eyes on him. “Get off me. I’m not yours,” I snap.
“The fuck you’re not. Doll, the way you reacted to a simple kiss says it all. Tracker was right, you did have a crush on me before you left for college, didn’t you?” he smirks down at me. The insufferable man doesn’t even budge when I try to push against his chest. Then his words click in my head.
Tracker knew I had a crush on Stoney and told him? But why would he do that? It was a childhood crush, one that diminished the day I saw him take a clubwhore.
Shaking my head, I close my eyes, not wanting to think of how crushed I was. How I’d wished it were me, yet I knew it would never be. “It was merely a girl crushing on an older man. Happens every day. I got over it a long time ago,” I state, but I know I didn’t get over it. I guess you can say I loved this man from afar while trying to move on from my crush.
“I highly doubt that, Doll,” he smirks.
“Doubt all you want, it’s the truth,” I mutter.
“Don’t mind if I do, because Rachel, I know I’m right. You still want me, and I want you just as much. It’s why you're mine. It’s why I claimed you as my property, and it’s why by the end of tomorrow, you’ll be wearing my ink. Showing exactly who you belong to, and once that’s done, I won’t let you go,” Stoney states before taking my mouth with his again.
Closing my eyes, I let him devour my mouth. I’ll give myself this moment right now. Come tomorrow, I’m out of here. I’ll get what I need to do back home done, then grab my kids and move somewhere where no one will touch them. Maybe I’ll move to Ireland or maybe even Australia. Doesn’t matter, as long as I’m away from anyone who would dare harm my children.
But those are thoughts for tomorrow. Right now, I want to savor Stoney’s lips on mine. I want to memorize his fingertips running along my skin as he turns us to our sides.
I simply want to memorize him for my dreams. Dreams are the only place it seems I’m ever allowed to be happy.
7
Stoney
Soft whimpers wake me up from a dead sleep. Laying there silently I try to determine which one of the babies is awake. Only the sounds weren’t coming from either of the babies but rather Rachel. Prying my eyes open I glance down at the woman in my arms. Silent tears slide down her cheeks. Something about those tears does something to me.
Furrowing my brow, I look up at the ceiling trying to sort through the confusion in my head. I don’t do shit like this. Haven’t since Marie. I’ve always kicked them out before I passed out. Shit, I didn’t even sleep with Boss when I met up with her in PA. What we did was fuck and pass out for a power nap before going our own way.
Sharing a bed with a woman makes things too damn complicated. I don’t need nor want the aggravation.
Rachel whimpers again in her sleep only this time she turns into me pressing her face against my bare chest. After the twins disrupted our hot as fuck make-out session, I helped her change and feed both babies. Once they were back to sleep, I grabbed a pair of sweats and gone into my bathroom to change. I thought she was going to throw her attitude toward me when I climbed into the bed and proceeded to continue our make-out session, but unless she said the words, I wouldn’t take it any further than that.
However, kissing her did things to me I’ve never fuckin’ felt before. Things I don’t know if I can handle.
A groan vibrates in the back of my throat at the brush of Rachel’s lips pressing into my chest causing my cock to jump to attention. Glancing down I wonder if she’s asleep while doing this or awake, but her eyes are closed and fuck if I don’t want to stop her. The way her lips gently run across my skin feels damn good.
However, I have rules when it comes to fuckin’, one being don’t fuck sleeping women or those without their consent. Another being to always wrap up. Women have a way of getting in their head that taking them raw should mean something. Yeah, a lot of stress when they keep coming at you with demands. I’m damn cautious when it comes to putting condoms on.
The only time I was careless was that one time I fucked Boss in my office. The condom broke in the midst of our fuckin’ and as much as I don’t want anything to do with the woman, I’d like to think she’d have enough balls to let me know if I did in fact knock her up.
When Rachel’s hand joins her lips, I know she’s awake. Glancing over at the babies in the play pens, I reassure myself that they’re still sound asleep before I make my move. Rolling Rachel to her back I plant my body between her legs letting her feel what she’s done to my dick as I press into her.
“Doll, you’re playing with fire,” I growl, keeping my voice low enough not to wake the kids up.
Rachel opens her eyes with a sly smirk on her face, “Maybe I want to play with fire,” she murmurs lifting her hands to run them down my chest.
“Baby you're trying to start something that you're gonna regret. I’m telling ya, you need to say ‘no’ now, else the barrier is coming off and I’ll be sinking my cock in that hot as fuck pussy.” Please don’t say no. For some reason I need to feel her. Make her mine.