by Jessica Ames
Rav moves first, and grabs the guy from behind, slamming his knife into his side as he does. Just as tat guy starts to turn, Nox jams his own blade into his shoulder.
Then the room is flooded with brothers. They seem to swarm into the space, Fury coming last. He peers down at the two subdued men and I see the moment his demons step up. He pulls his own knife and trails it along tat guy’s throat.
“Let’s play,” he says, his voice calm and quiet as he slices a trail from under his jaw to just near his eye. The guy screams and I can’t stop from grinning.
Retribution.
“Day?” I blink and turn my attention to Whizz who is standing with Titch. The doc’s eyes roam over my body, taking in all my injuries.
“Fuck,” Titch mutters and his eyes move from the chain holding me up, following it to where it’s secured. He moves over to the pulley system on the wall and slowly winds the wheel. The chains slacken and my feet are able to flatten to the concrete beneath me. They give out as soon as they touch the floor, leaving me hanging there. As he lowers the chains further, my arms are able to lower enough for Whizz to pull me free of the hook. I immediately sag against him, unable to hold my own weight up. He and Titch lower me to the floor and lie me down.
“Brie?” I demand, my voice sounding ravaged.
“She’s safe, brother,” Titch assures me, stepping up to me. The pain that had been lodged in my chest since I was taken loosens at his words.
“She hurt?”
“She’ll heal,” he tells me, his voice vibrating with his rage.
I turn my head in Fury’s direction. He’s still standing over tat guy, his knife carving pretty lines into his face.
“Fure.” His half-crazed eyes slide towards me and I can see Fury is no longer in control. The beast that lives inside him is. “Make it hurt.”
He nods and goes back to carving. I block out the screams as I stare at the dirty ceiling overhead, trying not to focus on Titch and Whizz’s heads as they fill my vision. Everything winks out for a moment. I blink and clear the black from my eyes as Whizz starts to check me over.
Feeling starts to rush back to my arms. The feeling is so intense, it’s painful, and my heavy limbs fizz with pins and needles.
I barely register anything happening around me, I’m so dazed.
“Brother, you good?” Whizz’s snapped command has my eyes sliding towards him.
I was strong for a long time, but now that my brothers are here, I feel safe and my body is starting to relax. I can feel my eyes going as my adrenaline subsides, darkness invading my vision. Brie is okay, she’s safe.
“Any life-threatening injuries?” Rav barks from somewhere over my head.
“Without a scanner, it’s hard to know what internal injuries he has.” Whizz sighs. “He needs a hospital.”
“Call Kyle. Tell him to get his arse here with the van. You and Titch can take him in. The rest of us will handle clean up, and someone find his fucking kutte.”
I feel a pang of regret that I won’t get to see these fuckers pay for what they did to me, but everyone’s voices start to swirl around me.
“You’re going to feel the full force of the Sic Bastards,” shaved head guy growls as he’s wrestled to his front, his hands tied behind his back.
“Your little shit gang is about to be scrubbed from the face of London,” Nox spits out. “You came at the Sons. You think we’re going to leave any of you cunts breathing?”
I feel my lips curve at Nox’s words, but the darkness closes in around me like a blanket.
“We’ll make them pay, brother.”
Nox’s words are the last thing I hear as I succumb to the darkness.
I’m sorry, baby, I tried to hold on.
28
Briella
The rhythmic beeping of the machines at the side of Daimon’s hospital bed are reassuring. He’s alive, he’s breathing and he’s going to be okay—at least physically. I have no idea what this did to his mental state. His chest is a mass of cuts and slices that tell a story of how badly he was tortured. Some are deeper than others, some are shallow. Some will scar, some won’t. His back is also a mess of cuts. I know he has bandages wrapped around his upper legs, though they’re currently hidden beneath the soft pale green blankets. He also has two broken ribs and a bruised kidney. The doctor said the damage could have been worse, but I think it’s bad enough. He’s a mess.
They have him on some pretty strong painkillers, so he’s been out of it pretty much since I got here, though he did wake up for a brief period, but he didn’t make a lot of sense. I’m counting down the minutes until he opens those beautiful eyes again and I can talk to him. I need to hear his voice so badly. I need him to tell me himself that he’s okay, that he’s going to be okay. It doesn’t feel real. He seems untouchable, these men all do, but seeing him here reminds me he’s human and of the dangers of the life they lead.
My eyes flick to the name over the bed, Jake Reynolds. It’s his real name, but it doesn’t seem to fit him at all. It’s like Daimon and Jake are two different people.
He starts to stir and I push out of the chair I’ve been glued to since I got to the hospital and move to the side of his bed.
“Daimon?” When he doesn’t answer, I try his real name. “Jake?” It feels foreign in my mouth, but right that I’m the only one who uses it.
His face is one big bruise, his eye swollen and his cheek starting to blacken. His hair is pulled into a messy tie at the back of his neck, pieces of hair straggling around his face. He looks dishevelled and so unlike my Daimon that I want to sob.
I also want to kill the people who did this to him.
My anger has been mounting with every passing second he’s been out of it. They hurt him and it is my fault. I brought this on him by going to that stupid club. My drinking wasn’t a problem when the only person being harmed by it was me, but this is different. It’s spilt out and created a problem for a man I happen to love. Looking at him lying there, my heart wants to break. I want to break. I don’t know how to work past my guilt. Will he be pissed off with me when he finally wakes? Will he still want me, or did they cut that burning desire he had for me out with every slice of their knives. I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted nothing to do with me after. I caused this shit storm, after all. I’m the reason he’s lying in that bed, but the thought makes ice clamp around my heart. The thought of life without Daimon makes my skin freeze. There is no life without Daimon.
“B… Brie.”
I snap my gaze to his face and see his eyes are fluttering. He’s waking. I steel myself for whatever abuse he’s going to throw my way.
“I’m here.”
“Thank fuck,” he breathes, and my brows pull down.
That isn’t what I was expecting him to say. I didn’t think he’d be grateful to see me.
“Thank fuck?”
His hand snakes out from under the bed rails and he snags my hand. His palm feels warm against mine, reassuring.
I watch as his eyes crawl over my face from beneath his swollen lids. His mouth pulls into a line. “You hurting?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“Ain’t in pain right now, baby.” Hearing him call me baby has a sob tearing from my throat.
“You… you don’t hate me?”
He frowns at me. “Why in the fuck would I hate you?”
“You’re hurt. It’s my fault.”
Tears stream down my cheeks and I let them fall unchecked.
“Baby, you’re killing me here. Don’t fucking cry. None of this shit is your fault. I knew the consequences of going into their territory. I just didn’t give a shit. I thought they wouldn’t either. I reaped what I sowed. This shit ain’t your fault and you ain’t to blame.”
“If I hadn’t been in that bar—”
“Enough,” he snaps out. “This ain’t your fault, you hear? I fucked up, not you. I should have known better. I did know better.”
He brings my han
d to his mouth and kisses it, his split lip brushing over my skin.
“The doc say how long I have to be here for?”
“At least a week. Your kidney is badly bruised. They need to keep an eye on it.”
He nods. “You go home and rest.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I scoff at the request. If he thinks I’m walking out of this hospital, he’s out of his mind.
“Baby—”
“Don’t ‘baby’ me. I’m not leaving you. Would you leave me?”
He sighs. “No.”
“So, I’m not leaving you either, Jake.”
He frowns at me. “Never heard you call me that before.”
“You don’t like it?” I ask, unsure if I’ve overstepped. These boys are attached to their road names.
“Didn’t say that. It’s just weird hearing that name after so long.”
He strokes his fingers over my hand, so I bend down and press a kiss to his temple. “I’m so sorry this happened. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to walk away.”
He snags my wrist, his grip strong, stopping me from moving. “I love you. That ain’t changed.”
“Thank fuck, because I love you too and I’m not sure I could lose you.”
“Ain’t losing me, Brie. Ain’t going anywhere.”
I pull the chair closer to the bed and sink onto it, not breaking contact with his hand the entire time. I need to feel near to him. I was so afraid when he was unconscious. I thought he was going to die and that thought left me shaky and afraid. I can’t be without him ever. I need Daimon like I need my next breath. He’s everything to me.
This situation made me realise just how in love with him I am, and I hope he feels the same.
“I was so fucking scared when I saw them hit you,” he confesses.
“I was okay. I am okay,” I assure him.
“Your face is bruised.”
I snort around a sob. “We both look like shit.”
“You’re still my pretty girl.”
I swipe at the tears working down my face, my heart skipping a beat. “You need to stop being sweet. I can’t deal.”
The door opens and Levi steps into the room. I turn to face him, still holding Daimon’s hand tight. I watch my brother’s eyes as he takes this in before his gaze moves to Daimon’s face.
“Nice to see you awake, brother.”
“Thanks for getting me out of there.”
“Always. Rav’ll want to talk to you when you’re feeling up to it.”
He nods. “What happened to tweedle dee and tweedle fucking dum?”
Levi’s eyes slide to me and I can see he’s debating whether to guard his words or not.
“I need to know, too,” I say, my voice soft.
He sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. “Fury had his fun before…” He breaks off. “We paid their gang a visit too. The Sic Bastards won’t be a problem we have in the future.”
The loaded words tell me more than I need to know. They destroyed their enemies and brought safety and stability back to the Sons.
“Will there be any blow back on the club?” Daimon asks the question I’m dying to ask.
“No, we were careful. It’s sewn up tight, brother.”
Relief floods me. I have two horses in this race now and I’m not prepared to lose either of them.
“Anyone want a coffee?”
“Yes, please,” I tell my brother.
Levi walks over and kisses my head. I think he’s relieved I’m okay too. He didn’t have a lot of time to digest the fact I took a beating too. I can see the fire burning in his eyes as he takes in my marked-up face.
“I’ll be back in five.”
I wait until he’s closed the door behind him before I turn back to Daimon. He squeezes my hand.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Daimon. I was so worried.”
“I was about you too. Those last images of you getting hit are fucking seared into my brain,” he hisses through his teeth. “I love you, Brie,” he tells me again.
“I love you too.”
I lean down and brush my lips over his. “Always and forever.”
“Always and forever, baby.”
29
Daimon
Four weeks later…
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
I freeze mid-stretch for the television remote and peer over at the door. Briella is standing in the frame, leaning against the jamb, a ‘what the fuck, Day’ look on her face.
It’s her that steals the air from my lungs, rather than my still-healing ribs. She’s breathtakingly beautiful as always in that pencil skirt and blouse. The bruises to her face have faded now, though they were prominent for weeks after she was hurt. Every time I looked at those marks, I had to remind myself Fury gave her justice, that those fuckers paid for what they did. I had to remind myself they died painfully and that their ends were not quick. My brothers ensured I was vindicated, that she was too and I’ll be eternally fucking grateful for that. It’s part of being in the Sons. I know we all have each other’s backs, and they know I would do the same if the shoe was on the other foot. It’s what makes us so strong, makes us the club we are.
“It’s been a month, baby. I’m fine. Doc even said I’ll be able to ride in another four weeks.”
I can’t wait to get back out on my bike, but with broken ribs, it’s not worth the risk of laying her down. I’ve missed riding a shit load more than I imagined I would. I ride for fun, for relief, to forget bad days, to remember good ones. I feel like I’ve lost part of my soul without my wheels.
“You’re still healing those ribs and your kidney. You need to take it easy.”
“Been taking it easy for weeks. I’m good,” I assure her.
She’s been flapping around me since I got let out of the hospital two weeks ago. We’ve been holed up in her flat, since I only have my room at the clubhouse. Layla doesn’t seem to mind, though, I’m not sure she’d say if she did. She wants Brie happy, and my girl is definitely working towards that. She’s done a few more sessions with the counsellor and has started her programme to get off the booze. It’s going to be a long as fuck road, I’m not naive enough to think it won’t be, but we’re working towards a good future together. She moved over to the business we took over, the telemarketing one. Made sense to keep her close. Bailey is running it with Brie working underneath her in a low stress role. That’s what she needs. If she wants to move higher up in the company that can be arranged, but for now, she just needs to keep her head on straight.
“Come here,” I order and she moves over to me. As she gets close, I snag her wrist and tug her down onto the sofa, moving her until she’s straddling my hips, her skirt rucked up her thighs. I love the feel of her against me. I love having her close. “Kiss me.”
A smile crosses her lips and she dips her head, brushing her lips over mine and I take everything she’s offering and more. I want everything she will give me. I want it all and I’ll take every little titbit she offers. I’m so consumed by this woman, by everything she is. I never thought I would fall for a woman over a decade younger than me, but Briella is everything I want and more. I can’t imagine my life without her.
I slip my hand up to her nape and tug her closer to my mouth, so I can devour her.
When I’ve had my fill, I pull back, my breath ripping out of me. She peers at me and I see the unrestrained love shining in her eyes. It’s the one thing I love about her. She doesn’t play fucking games. What I see with her is what I get. I love that when she tells me how she feels, she’s laying everything bare. She gives me all of herself. Never had that kind of honesty with a woman before. Fuck, at first I didn’t know what the hell to do with it, but over the past few weeks, I’m getting more used to how she works.
“How was work?”
“Shit,” she tells me. “You weren’t there.” She kisses along my neck and my cock twitches in my jeans. She drives me fucking wild.
“You keep doing that, it’s go
ing to lead to other shit we’re not ready for.”
She pulls back and her eyes meet mine. “I’m ready.”
I search her face as her words sink it. We’ve been dancing around taking our relationship to the next level since I got home from the hospital. I’ve had the worst case of blue balls known to man, but I wasn’t about to push her into shit she wasn’t ready for, and she treated me like glass after I got discharged. I think she was worried she would hurt me, but I’m not that easy to break.
“Baby—”
Her finger covers my mouth. “I’m ready,” she repeats. “I’ve been ready for a little while now, but you don’t seem to be hearing that. Question is, are you ready? You’re still hurting.”
“Brie, you just told me you’re ready to have me inside you. Broken ribs ain’t stopping me from getting into that sweet pussy.” Colour rises in her cheeks and I cup her face, kissing her mouth softly. “You sure about this?”
She nods, biting her bottom lip and I can see the nerves running through her. “Just… take it slow.”
I rub my thumb over her lip. “As slow as you need, baby.”
Buoyed by my words, she places her hands either side of my face and captures my lips. Her tongue slips into my mouth and I let her take control. She needs to feel like she’s leading this and I don’t want our first time together to be a fucking trauma for her.
I push my tongue against hers, relishing her taste, relishing the way she commands my attention. His fingers slide down to my chest and pull at my tee, pulling it free from my jeans. I help her get it off. Really, she helps me because I can’t lift my arm over my head properly still without getting pain in my chest.
She tosses my tee on the sofa next to us as my hands snake under her blouse and into her bra. I feel those hard nubs and flick my fingers over them, making her throw her head back and moan. That noise goes straight to my fucking dick, which is straining against my jeans now. Fuck me, she makes me hard with a sound. This woman is a temptress I can’t resist.