by Sarah Bale
Turning the corner, I pass the campus bookstore. I really do need to call Lucy and check in. She usually travels with her family during the summer, but I need to make sure she’s still wanting to get an apartment. Of course, if she doesn’t, maybe I can stay at the club with Bash and Razor. That actually makes me smile.
I dial Lucy. When it goes to voicemail, I leave a message.
“Hey girl. Sorry I haven’t been around. The new job’s keeping me busy. Plus, I’ve been seeing someone. We need to meet up soon and catch up. Bye!”
I end the call just as my phone buzzes.
Lucy: Sorry I couldn’t answer. I’m with the fam. You’re seeing someone? OMG! Yes, let’s plan on dinner Friday night, at 6. Bring the boytoy and I’ll bring mine!
Me: Andrew!?!?
Lucy: I don’t kiss and tell!
Me: Get it, girl! See you Friday!
I send a group message to Razor and Bash.
Me: My old roommate wants to do dinner on Friday. Do y’all want to come?
Bash: What time on Friday?
Me: 6
Bash: I’m down.
Razor doesn’t reply, which means he’s still sleeping. I grin to myself. Lucy is going to shit a brick if I show up with both of them, but I really want her to meet them, which says a lot. I’m about to turn the corner when someone calls out my name. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Chase jogging toward me. He wheezes as he catches up to me, and he bends at the waist, putting his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath.
“Sorry. Asthma.”
I wait until he’s breathing normally.
“You’re a very hard person to get ahold of, Olivia.”
“Sorry. I’ve been busy.”
It’s not a lie. I just don’t tell him what I’ve been busy doing. My cheeks feel warm just thinking of the things I’ve done with Bash. And Razor.
I pull my phone out and look at it. “I don’t see any texts from you.”
“I don’t have your number, since you never texted me back. I’ve been asking Lucy to let you know I wanted to talk.”
“Oh gosh. I totally dropped the ball. I’m so sorry. Give me your number again and I’ll text it right now.”
He spouts off his number.
“There. Now you have mine.”
“Thanks.” He grins. “These summer classes are already kicking my butt. That’s what I get for taking the speed courses instead of the regular ones. Guess my dads were right when they said I’d regret partying so much sooner or later.”
“How many speed courses are you taking?”
“Three. Plus, the math class I have to retake.”
He physically looks like he’s in pain, so I reach out and pat his arm.
“You’ve got this, Chase.”
“I’m glad someone has faith in me. Which is why I chased you down. I was hoping we could get together tonight. I have a big test on Friday and I don’t think I’m going to pass it.”
“I have to go into work at eight, but I think we can study for a bit if you’re free now.”
He grins. “Thank god. Otherwise, I was going to have to explain to my dads why I failed. Again.”
“Is your place nearby?”
“Yeah. It’s a few blocks over.”
We walk, talking about how hot it’s supposed to get today and if it’s going to rain. I can honestly say I’ve never made idle chitchat with someone about the weather. It’s kind of cute how nervous he is around me. When we reach his building, I feel a flicker of dismay.
I’ve met a client here before.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Since sophomore year. Andrew and I live with another buddy. It’s not fancy, but it pays the bills.”
“Cool.”
“Andrew said you and Lucy are getting an apartment next semester. It’d be cool if you ended up here.”
Hope is written all across his face and I don’t have the heart to tell him I’m dating two amazing men.
“Yeah. Totally.”
We take the stairs to the third floor.
He wheezes out, “The elevator’s been out for months now. I’m not out of shape, but this humidity is really messing with my lungs today.”
Back to talks of the weather. I bite back a laugh.
He turns down a hallway and dread fills my chest again. It’s just a coincidence, I reason with myself. It doesn’t mean it’s the same apartment. But, of fucking course, it’s the same apartment I’ve met a client at.
Chase unlocks the door. Yup. I vividly remember the ugly painting on the wall because it fell down, nearly hitting me in the head as my client pounded into me.
Machine gun sounds fill the living room and a male voice yells out at a game.
Chase grins and says, “Hey, Mitch, I’m here with a friend. We’re going to study in my room.”
“If I see a sock on the doorknob, I’ll make sure to bring my phone in and record,” Mitch calls back.
“Sorry about him,” Chase mutters under his breath. “My room is this way.”
Again, I know exactly where the bedrooms are here. I’m literally feeling sick.
“Do you mind if I use the bathroom?”
“Sure. Last door on the-”
Left.
I barely hear him as I go to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me. My heart is racing and I feel like I’m going to pass out. Saint’s words come back to me and I face the wall, pushing against it as hard as I can until my panic subsides.
What are the chances that Chase’s roommate would end up being one of my old clients? One in a million, if I were to guess. Mitch was a dick when he hired me and I sure as hell don’t want to run into him today. But, I promised I’d help Chase study. Groaning, I splash some water on my face and then open the door.
Chase is waiting in one of the doorways with a smile on his face.
“I got us some snacks.”
He’s so painfully innocent. I don’t think I’ve ever been that way. Smiling, I follow him into the room, closing the door behind us. If he thinks this is strange, it doesn’t show on his face. His room is small, but it’s clean, which I appreciate.
He looks around and asks, “Do you want to sit on the bed or the floor?”
“The floor is fine. We can stretch our legs out that way.”
Also, because I can’t be trusted on a bed.
We make ourselves comfortable and he gets his books. Right away I can see where he needs help.
Lifting my pen, I get to work, letting myself get lost in the safe and calming numbers.
We study religiously for a few hours. My phone’s gone off a few times, but I’ve ignored it.
“There! You’ve got it.”
He holds up his hands in the air. “Thank you, Jesus. And thank you, Olivia.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Chase. You’re not bad at math. You just needed to understand that one bit.”
“Thanks. It feels like once they added letter to math, I was lost. All my teachers agreed, too.”
“Well, you’ve got it now. You’ll have to let me know how you do on the test.”
“Deal.” He glances at his watch. “Oh man. I didn’t mean to keep you so long. We’re doing pizza tonight and watching a movie. Do you want to stay?”
“Thanks, I have to be at work at eight.”
He stands, helping me to my feet. “Well, the next time I see you, I owe you pizza.”
He opens the door and it’s eerily silent in the living room. My heart is beating a million miles a minute. Where is Mitch?
Chase says, “I think you just missed Mitch. He’s in charge of getting the pizza.”
“No worries.” Thank god.
He walks me to the door. “I’d offer to walk you down the stairs, but that means I’d have to walk back up and, you know, asthma.”
I grin. “I appreciate the thought.”
“Thanks again.”
“See you later, Chase.”
Note to se
lf: Don’t hang out with Chase at his place or with his friends.
I take the stairs two at a time. When I reach the first floor, I nearly bump into a man carrying six boxes of pizza.
He spins and calls out, “Sorry!”
Belatedly, I realize I literally just ran into Mitch. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I send for an Uber to pick me up. I’m ready to get back to my guys and forget the weirdness of this day.
19
Olivia
Razor is in my bed, still asleep when I get back. Putting down my bag, I climb next to him, kissing his chest. His eyes flutter open and he smiles.
“That’s a good way to wake up.” He looks me over. “How long have you been up?”
“A while. I had to run by the campus and take care of a few things. Then, I went to a friend’s house and helped him study for a math test.”
I’m surprised how easily I tell him about Chase. He doesn’t seem bothered or is still too asleep to realize what I’ve said.
“Should have told me. We could’ve taken the bike.”
That makes me grin. “Remember the first time I rode with you?”
His hand slips under my shirt, cupping my breast. “Sure do. Best fucking night of my life.”
“I was so embarrassed.”
“I’m surprised you wore something like that. It’s not your style.”
He’s totally right, and I need to remember why my shirt was so short that night.
“I was dressing to impress.”
He rubs my nipple. “It worked, babe.”
I let out a moan. “Razor, I need to get ready for work.”
But, he’s already unzipping my pants and I’m already climbing on top of him.
I’m late getting to the bar, but no one seems to notice. Besides, the room is dead.
“Where is everyone?” I ask, grabbing a towel.
Jas puts down her phone. “I was just wondering the same thing.”
After Razor and I had sex, he left before I did, saying he might not see me for the rest of the night. Agent Hill’s words cross my mind. He knows more than he’s saying, which is why he wants me to go into Saint’s room tonight.
The night goes on and more people leave than arrive. By midnight, Jas throws her towel on the bar.
“Girl, I’m going to head out. It’s dead here. You should do the same.”
My stomach churns. What are the chances she would offer this, tonight?
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Saint won’t mind and we can leave some beers out if anyone shows up. You go ahead. I’ll clean up.”
Nodding, I head toward my room. For the first time since I’ve arrived I think I might know who Agent Hill’s other informant is. It makes sense. She has as much access to everyone else as I do. Maybe even more.
I glance down the hallway. There’s no light on under Saint’s door. But, is this something I want to do? I’ve betrayed them once by working with Agent Hill, but that was before I knew them. Before I cared.
The light above the camera flashes once and then goes off. And then Saint’s door opens, as if by magic, at the same time my phone buzzes in my pocket. I know without looking who the text is from.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
Glancing around, I make sure no one is around before going to Saint’s door. Using the toe of my shoe, I push it open. Right away, I smell his scent everywhere. Guilt assaults me for being in here and breaking his trust yet again, but so does longing. Saint hasn’t been around very much lately and I miss him. Everyone says he’s busy, but I think he’s avoiding me.
Quietly, I close the door and turn on the light. His room is twice as big as mine, with a mini-kitchen, living room, and, of course, his massive bed. Moving toward it, I can see he hasn’t slept in this bed recently. Jas told me once that Mama Bear is the one who clean Saint’s room, and that she always leaves a mint on his pillow when she changes his bedding. The mint sits atop his pillow, waiting for his return.
Grabbing a tissue so I don’t leave fingerprints everywhere, I open the nightstand drawer. There’s not much inside. A book about car parts and some glasses. I can totally picture him in here at night, with the glasses on, reading. I close the drawer and squat, looking under the bed. There’s nothing there. Not even a dust bunny.
I go to his dresser next. His socks and boxer briefs are folded perfectly, which makes me smile. But, there’s nothing here, either. Looking around, I go to the bathroom. His is similar to mine, except the tile is black with red accents. It’s sexy and sleek at the same time, much like Saint. Again, his scent surrounds me, making me wonder what in the fuck I’m doing.
Shoving my guilt aside, I go to his closet. If I were to want to hide something, this is where I would do it. His clothes are separated by color, reminding me of the stripper store. I grin. There’s a whole lot of denim in here and black leather, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. What I don’t expect is a rocking chair in the very back of the closet.
I make my way toward it. It’s old, but very well taken care of. The cherry wood is smooth under my palm, even over the ornate carvings. Something compels me to sit in it. It’s comfortable, which is surprising. This is the type of chair you could rock a baby in. Maybe that’s why he has it. Maybe it was his mother’s. I’m about to get up when I notice a small carving in the arm of the hair. It’s a heart with two initials in it.
SM + MM.
Suddenly, I know I’ve overstepped. I need to get out of here and to hell with Agent Hill. I’m almost to the door when I notice a calendar on the wall.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Because Saint has this weekend marked as a run, with two locations noted. Which means I have to let Agent Hill know.
I close the closet door and slip from Saint’s room. I’m almost to my door when I hear his door lock and the light above the camera comes on. When I’m in my room, I send Agent Hill a text.
“Fuck you, Agent Hill,” I mutter. “Fuck you. And fuck me.”
King
“Saint, we’ve done all we can do. Let’s call it a night,” Razor moans.
I say with a laugh, “You just want to get back to Olivia.”
He shrugs. “And?”
Bash looks up from his notes. “I’m not going to point out that she’s coming to my room tonight…”
Saint stands abruptly. “We can call it a night. See you fuckers in the morning.”
He grabs his jacket and takes off. I follow.
“You leaving again?”
“Yeah.”
Lowering my voice, I say, “Saint, this is getting ridiculous. You’re letting some chick run you out of your own home.”
He actually glares at me.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. So, I suggest shutting the fuck up.”
“Saint-”
He walks off without a backward glance. Fuck. He needs to snap out of this, especially with everything going on. It’s not good for him to be so sprung over a bitch he hasn’t even fucked.
But, there’s nothing left to do tonight. Everything is set for the run. Psycho is taken care of, for now. And Crow swears they’ll find Maniac soon. If they don’t, we’ll have to step up, but I’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
I head back to the club, where it’s dead. The whores aren’t even out to play, which is disappointing, since I am. I go to my room, unlocking the door. My laptop is on my bed, waiting for me. Grinning, I strip down to my boxers and then hop on my bed.
The last time I was in Oklahoma, the boys at the local chapter were raving about a new website they found. Said it’s a pussy gamechanger. I’m not one for picking up prostitutes, but sometimes I get tired of the same old variety of pussy at the club.
The website is similar to others I’ve looked at. Make an account, with a short bio and a photo. Give them your credit card number. Wait for the magic to happen. Unlike some of the other sites, this one tells you who’s nearby. A few dots pop up as well as an option to get push no
tifications on my phone if a girl shows up nearby. I turn it on and then toss my laptop to the side.
It’s been a fucked-up week and I need to burn off energy. Now. I don’t think I can even wait until the rally at the end of the month. It’ll be nice to be in the middle of nowhere with likeminded brothers and sisters, where we can all just fuck off with no shits to give. In fact, I wonder if I still have the number of that chick I met there last year?
My phone chirps and I pick it up. Ah-ha. A match. Grabbing my laptop, I open the website. We’ll see how good this site is. I click on the Nearby button and then my fucking breath hitches in my throat. There’s no way it’s the same person! I click on her profile and let out a groan. There’s no denying that it’s her. Sure, she’s wearing a sexy little costume, but I would recognize her anywhere.
There’s a tab for videos, so, of course, I click it. The first video that pops up is of her, on a bed. The floral wallpaper looks like something my grandma had in her house, which makes the red teddy she’s wearing stand out even more. She moves to the bed, making pouty faces at the camera. And then her fucking hand dips lower. The camera trails her, which means someone else filmed this. For some reason this pisses me off.
Her hand slips into her panties and she lets out a little gasp as she touches herself. If I were fucking smart, I would close this video and tell Saint what I’ve discovered. But my cock disagrees, and I’m not one to ignore it. Putting my laptop to the side, I slip my hand into my boxers, grasping my dick.
She’s working herself real good, so it only makes sense that I catch up. She moves, pulling her panties aside. The camera zooms in, showing how aroused she is. How swollen her pussy lips already are. She plays with her clit and then slips two digits into her pussy. Her gasp goes straight to my dick and I jerk myself off harder.
Together, we fuck ourselves until we both come. She cries out, and the camera zooms in on her O-face. I groan, falling back on my pillow. Fuck me. That was… fucking intense. Another video starts. Same room. This time she’s being banged by a man wearing a mask. I scroll past it. There are a lot of videos.