by Levine, Nina
Well, fuck me. Scott was actually on my side. News to me. “Men! I can’t fucking work them out,” I said, totally exasperated with it all.
“Join the club, but I’ll tell you one thing, and you make sure you listen closely. Scott and your father love you and will do anything for you. This vendetta against Nix started after he beat you, and it has only gotten worse since then. It’s put a lot of pressure on Storm and they’ve copped that. For you. So, you need to cut them some slack and start working with them rather than against them.”
“The problem is that they never give me the full story. You know what they’re like—”
She cut me off, “Yes, I know exactly what they’re like, Madison, but the difference between you and me is that I trust them. I know in my gut that everything they’re doing is for us and for the club. I don’t need to know the details, but you seem hell bent on having to know every little thing. And you haven’t ever given them your complete trust. Dare I say it, but I think that’s where a lot of your problems with J come from too; you didn’t trust him.”
“How can I trust any of them when they don’t trust me enough to tell me stuff?” I argued.
My mother sighed; that sigh I had grown up with that told me she was becoming frustrated with me. “Honey, it’s their way. The club way. It’s what their fathers did and their fathers before them probably; it’s all they’ve ever known and it’s drilled into them when they join. What happens in the club stays in the club. And if you can’t live with that, you should never date another member again.”
My natural reaction to all of this would normally be to continue arguing but I decided that perhaps it was time to start listening to my mother. She’d been living this life for a long time and knew what she was on about. I’d been fighting these ways for so long, yet it got me nowhere. So, I took a deep breath and asked her a question. “How do you live with the shit that goes on? How do you deal, knowing what Dad is capable of?”
She didn’t skip a beat. “We’re all capable of bad stuff, Maddy, but the shit they do is done for a reason. We’ve got a lifestyle that needs protecting, and your dad and the boys aren’t afraid to protect it or us. I deal with that by choosing to love your father unconditionally and I make no apologies for it. When you really love a person, you trust them, and believe in them and everything they do.” She cocked her head and gave me a quizzical look. “Are you thinking of getting back with J? Is that what all this is about?”
“I don’t know what’s happening with J. What I do know is that I need to find a way to be okay with what they do.” And yeah, I also needed to decide if I wanted to be with J again, but I was keeping that to myself.
“Nothing’s fucking happening with J.” We both jumped as the snarl of Nix’s voice swept through the room.
I screamed just as one of his guys grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth with his hand. Fear sliced through me, and the stench of sweat and tobacco overwhelmed me. Nausea hit and then the blackness took over.
When I came to, I was tied to a chair and Nix stood in front of me, leaning down into my face. His hot, acrid breath filled my senses. His eyes were crazy; fuck, he was crazy. Mad. Demented.
Panic gripped my gut. I knew in that instant that I was as good as dead.
He ran a calloused finger down my cheek. “Madison, you came back to me.”
Oh, God. He really was whacked in the head if he thought that. I didn’t say anything, just maintained eye contact with him.
He stood up straight and my eyes followed him. He looked to his right, and I realised that my mother was also here, tied to a chair. She had tape covering her mouth and blood coming from her head. I was lucky to avoid all that. Her eyes were closed and she was slumped in her chair.
Nix nodded at a guy who was near my mum. A silent command flowed between them, and the guy hurried off. My foggy brain slowed my thinking and I gave up wondering what that was all about.
Nix turned his attention back to me. “I’ve missed you, Madison. Bec kept me company for a while, but she could never replace you or what we had. That bitch tried to fuck me over.” He was rambling, and then he laughed shrilly. “She got what she fucking deserved in the end.” His eyes glinted. he was terrifying me, just from his body language.
I didn’t want to talk to him, but I couldn’t stop myself; I just hope my voice didn’t quiver, giving away my fear. “What are you going to do to us, Nix?” I needed to know.
“I haven’t quite worked out what I will do with you, but your mother is an unnecessary burden to us, wouldn’t you say? She wouldn’t stop yelling at me before, so I had to fucking knock her out. I don’t need the headache,” he replied. Nausea hit me at the thought of him killing my mum.
“Let her go and I’ll do whatever you say,” I frantically tried to negotiate with him.
He threw his head back and laughed. Then his face contorted into an evil mask and he sneered, “You’ll do whatever the fuck I say anyway, bitch. I’m not fucking bargaining with you for anything.”
I hated him, but hated myself more for letting him into my life. Because of my past actions, my mother’s life was in danger and there was not a fucking thing I could do about it.
* * *
Jason
* * *
My fist connected with the asshole’s cheek and blood went flying. “I can keep this up, motherfucker, until you tell us where Nix is,” I warned.
He landed on his ass and looked up at me through feral eyes. “Go to fucking hell,” he snarled and spat blood onto the ground.
Scott reefed him up from behind and held him in front of me. “Take another shot, brother,” he invited.
I had enough and was way past pissed off. We’d been going at this for over half an hour and it was time to move it along. I pulled out my gun and stepped closer, putting it to his head. “I’ll make this real fucking easy for you. Start fucking talking,” I thundered.
He glared at me but saw him weakening under the pressure so when he again refused to give up the information, I aimed the gun at his foot and shot. I took great pleasure in the blood this caused. I craved their fucking blood.
“Motherfucker!” he screamed in agony, and tried to struggle out of Scott’s hold.
Oh, yeah, asshole, I was just getting started. I lifted the gun and aimed it at his other foot, and was just about to shoot when he yelled, “Wait! I’ll tell you. Just fucking stop shooting!”
“Well, hurry the fuck up. We don’t have all day,” I bellowed at him, trying to create some fucking urgency for him to deliver the details.
“Warehouse on Woods,” he grumbled, and the adrenaline coursed through me with this new information. We were finally going to get that cocksucker. He’d been one step ahead of us for too fucking long; it was time to take him down.
Scott flashed me an evil grin. “Time to rock and roll, brother.”
Ten minutes later we were heading to the warehouse. Scott had called Marcus, and he was rounding up the boys to meet us there. I was fired up to take Nix down. Finally, it had been a long time coming. When Marcus had put a stop to our original plan two years earlier, I had been pissed off, but he’d managed to convince me it was for the best. We had all worked hard the last couple of years to build Storm up, and in that time, Nix had gone even more rogue. He had taken over the Presidency of Black Deeds and was now pissing all over that club pursuing his own agenda. Killing Bec and her son had been the final nail in his coffin as far as we were concerned, and I was fucking ecstatic when Marcus had given the order to put him to ground.
My mind wandered to Madison. Fuck, I was glad she was back but it was stirring shit up in me that I thought was over and done with. I still loved her and had always known that, but I figured that relationship was in the past. I was no longer so sure. I wanted her. But I wasn’t convinced we could deal with the past and move on from it. Madison seemed to have a lot of issues with it all. Fuck, but I wanted her.
I put thoughts of her aside to focus on the job at hand
. Following Scott to the warehouse, I noted there were only a couple of bikes parked outside; hopefully, this meant Nix didn’t have much company.
While we waited for Marcus and the boys to turn up, Scott asked, “What’s the deal with you and Madison?”
“Not sure, brother. Your sister has a fucking mind of her own and I’m not sure I’ll ever get through it.”
He chuckled. “You wouldn’t have it any other way. A submissive bitch wouldn’t stand a chance with you,” he said and then his face turned serious. “Don’t fuck her over. She’s not as tough as she likes to make out.”
“I hear you,” I agreed. And I did. Madison liked to present a tough front but underneath it all she was pretty sensitive, and perhaps that was something I hadn’t paid enough attention to when we were together. It was certainly something I had figured out as our relationship had spiralled into a shit storm of hurt, anger and resentment. Too little, too fucking late though.
Scott nodded at me. “Good.” He then turned his head to acknowledge Marcus who was walking towards us.
He brought ten of the boys with him and we quickly discussed the best course of action. We split up: half going to the back, and the rest to the front of the warehouse. I was fucking itching to get in there and I pulled my gun out, ready to go.
Scott stormed through the door and we found Nix with three of his guys in there. But, fuck me, he was one step ahead of us again. Scott lifted his finger to indicate for us all to stop but I saw fucking red and wasn’t sure I could stop.
Nix chuckled, eyes glinting with sinister fucking glee. “Looks like you’re just in time for the party, boys.”
I powered past Scott, intent on killing Nix but he grasped my arm and yanked me back. “Now’s not the fuckin’ time, J. Be smart, brother,” he hissed.
“I don’t know how you can be so fucking calm about this! He’s got our fucking family there,” I barked.
Nix had Scott’s mother and Madison tied up, guns trained on them, and my heart was fucking pounding in my chest. Scott wanted me to be smart but as far as I could see, it was time to stop thinking and start fucking doing. It appeared that Marcus had the same idea as me. He came thundering through the back entrance and barrelled into Nix, knocking him to the ground. I took that as my cue to follow suit and fired my gun at the asshole who had Madison. I hit him dead in the eyes and he dropped like the piece of shit he was.
“Fuck!” Scott bellowed and gave the signal to the boys to get in it.
Marcus was busy with Nix and I had no doubt he could hold his own until we got the others under control, so I charged straight for the guy closest to me and swung my fist at him. I connected but he took a swing back and the crack across my cheek fucking hurt, but it didn’t stop me. With all this adrenaline coursing through my system, I didn’t think much could. We continued to trade punches but he was one tough motherfucker and just kept coming back for more.
Just when I thought I had him, a shot rang out and I turned to see that the VP of Black Deeds, Bullet, had arrived, along with about six other members. “Enough!” he yelled, and his guys all focused their guns on us.
Fuck.
Bullet was a nasty piece of work, and he appeared to be in a murderous mood going by the look on his face, and his tense body. He spoke at Marcus, “Let Nix go.” He trained his gun on Madison. “Or I shoot her.”
Marcus didn’t hesitate. He shoved Nix towards Bullet. Nix stumbled, but turned and attempted to punch Marcus, who saw it coming, ducked and then straightened, grabbing Nix by the throat.
Bullet stalked over to them and ripped Nix away from Marcus. “Fucking leave it, Nix,” he growled. “This shit is done.”
Nix turned his dark eyes on Bullet and seethed, “Watch your fucking mouth, VP. This shit isn’t done till I say it is, and it’s not fucking done.”
Bullet nodded at one of their guys who turned his gun from our people and aimed it at Nix. “The club says it’s done,” Bullet asserted, and the guy pulled the trigger.
Stunned, I watched as Nix slumped to the floor. Never in a million years had I expected that they would take their own president out. But, it was possibly the best move they could have made.
My eyes shot to Madison and I took in her alarm. Fuck, this needed to be over but I had no clue where Bullet was taking it.
“Right, you get your guys out of here and this is done. No fucking retribution for anything Nix did; he wasn’t backed by the club for any of that shit,” Bullet said to Marcus.
Marcus considered what he had said, giving both Scott and me a quick glance. Scott lifted his chin, indicating his consent and I followed suit. We didn’t want a war with Black Deeds; it had only ever been Nix who we were after, and that had been taken care of. I was fucking pissed though. I’d wanted to draw his death out and fucking make him suffer. I’d wanted to be the cause of his blood pouring from his body.
Turning back to Bullet, Marcus agreed and then raised his hand in the air, circling his finger and pointing at the door. He grabbed Sharon and I headed towards Madison, who Scott had untied.
I held her face between my hands and searched her eyes. “You okay, baby?” I asked.
She kept her shit together and nodded. “Yeah,” she replied and then, with an emotion I couldn’t quite figure out, “Take me home, J.” Her hands covered mine and she grasped them both pulling them down to our sides. We stood there for a moment like that, her eyes no longer cold towards me but rather, there was a heat to her stare. And it fucking hit me in the belly and then, of course, my dick did his happy dance again. I growled and nodded, leading her out to my bike, not even giving Bullet, Marcus or any of the boys a second glance.
I was fucking taking Madison home, and no fucker was getting in my way.
13
Madison
J was on a mission and I was going with it. I was letting myself feel again. After shutting my feelings down for so long, to allow myself go there again was electric. My body buzzed, my mind dancing with the possibilities, and my desire for J was in fucking overdrive. I needed to have him. Now.
Any doubts I had been having about how he felt had been erased when I saw the raw emotion playing on his face when he saw me tied up by Nix. I never thought I’d see the day, but I was relieved when he’d killed that fucker standing over me. It was no secret that I struggled with the violence surrounding Storm, but my eyes had been opened and Mum was right; anything J did was for those he loved. Even what he had done to Rob. I was shitty at myself for taking so long to see this because it had kept me from J all this time. And I didn’t want to be without him for one second longer.
I followed him wordlessly through his house into his bedroom, all the while holding his hand; I wasn’t letting him go.
When we reached his room, he turned to me, and pulled me to him. Our eyes locked and I licked my bottom lip, drawing his attention to my mouth. I wrapped my hands around his neck letting my fingers thread through his hair and then pulled his face to mine. The minute our lips met, my core clenched and my brain became a scrambled mess. I needed this man like I had never needed another, and I pushed myself closer to him; I couldn’t get close enough.
He groaned and reached his hands down to my ass and lifted me up so that my legs were wrapped around him. Next second, we were up against the wall, lips smashed together and his hands were under my top, searching for my breasts.
“Baby, you feel so good,” he murmured as he rolled my nipple between his fingers.
“Fuck, J,” I moaned, and then kissed him before pulling back away. “Why did we wait so long?” It wasn’t really a question that required answering; more a statement of how much I wanted this right now.
“I don’t fucking know, but don’t think that you can stop me now, ‘cause nothing will fucking stop me now. I’m yours and you’re mine, always have been.” He stared intently into my eyes when he spoke.
I nodded and smiled. “Yes,” I said simply, and then a little more aggressively, “Now, fuck me.”
&
nbsp; He grinned, and then his lips were back on mine: hard, insistent. Gripping my ass, he turned and walked us to the bed, laying me down while he stood and watched me from hooded eyes.
“Take your clothes off, baby,” he commanded and I didn’t hesitate to obey.
I shimmied out of my jeans, lifted off my top and threw it on the floor, closely followed by my bra. Fuck, watching J watch me made me wetter than I already was. I couldn’t resist playing with him a little. Running my hands over my tits, I pinched my nipples, and then reached one hand down into my panties and rubbed my clit. My eyes did not leave J, but his eyes roamed my body, first watching me touch my tits and then following my hand into my panties. He loved to watch, and I loved to be watched. I had forgotten how in sync we were.
“Taste yourself,” he said as he reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.
He pulled his cock free and stroked it. All the time, his eyes remained on my pussy, eager for a show, so I dipped my finger into my wetness and then lifted it to my lips, sucking and licking. He stroked harder and a little faster, which only turned me on more. I moved to a kneeling position in front of him on the bed and pushed his jeans down; I wanted all barriers to J removed. Stepping out of them, he tugged off his shirt. J liked to go commando so he now stood naked in front of me and it was a fucking heavenly sight to behold.
I traced the ink on his chest, remembering the day he had it done. It was my name tattooed in an anchor and I was surprised and thrilled that he still had it. His hand cupped my chin and he tilted my face up to look at him while his other hand wrapped around mine that had been exploring his chest.
“Baby, it’s always been you. Always. Tell me you believe that,” he said, his voice husky.