Stone

by Addy Archer

  “Asshole,” I snap. “Ulser, hand me a beer. I need the alcohol to suffer through the idiocy Dreamer is rambling about when it comes to his balls.”

  I’m nursing my second beer when the door to the clubhouse opens and Ry strolls in with Ram trailing behind her. She throws her purse on the couch and heads straight for my open arms.

  I don’t give her a chance to say one damn word before I crash my mouth over hers to give her a hard kiss. One I slowly turn into a sensual one to explore every inch of her, relishing in the fact that I have her warm and safe in my arms.

  The clearing of a throat next to me makes me finally pull back.

  I shoot a glare at Dreamer, but the idiot just grabs his junk and gives it a tight squeeze. Ry notices and rolls her eyes. She steps away from me to grab her purse but stops when Dreamer loudly slams his beer on the counter.

  “Company,” Ram snaps and heads for the door as I follow behind him.

  “Dreamer, watch over Ry,” I tell my enforcer.

  I notice how they both follow me out the door, but Dreamer holds her back.

  There’s a car coming to a stop in front of the clubhouse. A young woman is driving, but when her head turns my way, I actually wince at how horrible she looks. It’s as if she hasn’t slept in weeks and skipped on hygiene for the same amount of time.

  An older woman steps out of the passenger side, and I don’t need an introduction to know who she is. It’s Keith’s mother, though I have no clue what she’s doing here, since Keith doesn’t have any ties with us.

  Of course, everyone in town knows Ry is my old lady, so I’m guessing she’s after Ry. I’m thankful she got home in time. I’m pretty damn sure this old woman went by the junkyard first before coming here.

  “You,” Mrs. Long snaps, pointing a bony finger over my shoulder, giving me a flashback of Ry’s father coming here to address her.

  Instantly I’m on edge and feel the need to break this woman’s finger without giving her a chance to say what she came here for. Mrs. Long is oblivious to my thoughts as she rounds the car and tries to go around me to get to Ry.

  Ram steps in and holds his hand out. “That’s far enough, ma’am.”

  She glances at Ram with distaste and sneers. “I have no business with you. It’s the chick with the load of cash who needs to give me what I’m owed. You hear me, Rylee Warringtens? Your father and I made a deal. Keith was supposed to be running that junkyard completely on his own within two months, but I haven’t heard from him in weeks. Did he run off with the cash that was promised to me? If he did, I don’t fucking care, but you need to cough up some more money and hand it over to me.”

  I glance over my shoulder to see Ry’s reaction, but she’s leaning into Dreamer’s personal space to whisper something. She glances past me, and I see her eyes widen. I check to see what she’s staring at and watch how the young woman behind the wheel is giving Ry a desperate look as her lips start to move again.

  Checking back with Ry, I see her grab Dreamer’s cut to drag him down as she whispers shit in his ear again. Dreamer’s face washes over with fury, and he gives her a tight nod. His gaze goes to the woman in the car and back to Ry as he pushes her into the clubhouse. She goes willingly and slams the door shut behind her.

  I wait for my enforcer to come up next to me. He gives me a glance as a silent request. Knowing he holds information I apparently don’t have, I’ll let him deal with this situation, giving him a slight nod for him to take lead.

  “I have a new deal for you, since your kid ran off and the old deal is in the wind, as is the money that was promised to you,” Dreamer says.

  Mrs. Long releases a string of curses before giving him a look of interest as she says, “I should have known that good-for-nothing idiot was worthless. Men stray. Chicks, on the other hand, are more loyal if you train them right.”

  “The one in the car.” Dreamer lifts his chin. “She housebroken? If so, I’m willing to offer you a deal.”

  “I charge twenty grand, and I don’t take any returns,” the woman states as if she has a shop filled with women she deals in every damn day.

  A chill runs up my spine as I take in the old hag and the young woman behind the wheel. Fuck. Something tells me there’s some truth to the thought that just went through my head.

  “Let me see her first,” Dreamer says, interest ringing out in his words and the lust he lets shimmer through his features.

  The old hag jumps into action and opens the door, snatching the young woman’s arm to drag her out of the car. She pushes her in Dreamer’s direction. “Present yourself,” Mrs. Long snaps.

  All of us watch as the woman sinks down to her knees, bows her head, and places her hands palms up on her thighs as if it’s the most natural thing to do when you greet a group of people. I bite back my curses and the need to kill Keith’s mother the way I ended her son.

  “She needs some work,” Dreamer states, as if he’s unfazed about this whole fucked-up situation.

  He offers the young woman his hand, which she takes, and he helps her stand. He pulls her into his body, and even though I’m standing a few feet away, I can still smell her lack of hygiene. It almost makes me gag.

  Ram, however, pukes at the sight of someone gagging, or at the mere smell of puke, and by the look on his face, he clearly can’t stand the smell. Turning quickly, he empties the contents of his stomach, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. With a wide berth, he stalks around them to come to a stand next to me.

  “Sorry, I need to stand downwind,” he mutters as if that’s the most logical thing in this insane moment.

  “Ram,” Dreamer snaps. “Can you escort Mrs. Long around back? I need to handle something before I’ll deal with her.”

  Mrs. Long takes a step back, finally realizing she might’ve made a wrong choice by coming here. “We have a deal, right? You’re going to give me money and you’ll take her. If not, I can have another client lined up for her later today.”

  Dreamer takes the young woman’s face in his hands. I’ve never seen him touch anyone this gently. “She hurt you, pretty girl?”

  A lone tear slides down her dirty cheek as she whispers, “Yes,” with such a hoarse voice, it’s as if she’s been screaming for weeks.

  One moment, Dreamer is holding her face with both hands. In the next, one of those hands flashes out, connecting with Mrs. Long. She stumbles back and crashes to the ground.

  “Ram, get her out of my fucking sight and lock her up. I have a feeling we need to squeeze some information out of her before I end her completely. After you’re done, drive her car over to the junkyard and get rid of it. Fuck, I love having a junkyard at our disposal. Did I mention how fun it is to hand your balls over to an old lady, Pres?”

  “Dreamer,” I growl.

  He shoots me a wink as he scoops up the young woman and takes her into his arms. “No worries, Pres. I get it now.”

  He stalks toward the clubhouse as Ram grabs the old woman’s arms and starts to drag her off. I turn on my heels and follow Dreamer. Ry comes rushing toward him as he gently places the young woman on the couch. Ry hands Dreamer a bottle of water and a wet cloth.

  “Jace and Dani are on their way. I already fetched her bag from her room so she can check you over when she gets here. Dani is a doctor. Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere? What’s your name?” Ry rambles.

  “Pres?” Dreamer sighs. “Mind keeping your woman from rattling? I want to give this pretty lady some space to breathe.”

  Ry gives Dreamer a glare, but she lets me pull her into my arms. Both of us take a step back to watch how he opens the bottle of water and hands it to the young woman while he gently wipes the wet cloth over her dirt-covered face.

  “I found the contract Keith and my father signed. The one Mrs. Long mentioned. That’s why I came home early. It was in a safe in my father’s bedroom when I went through his things. My father never intended to sell or let Keith take over. He wanted to keep the steady income but agreed
for Keith to do all the work and get a tiny cut along with a bonus if he married me within three months and had me pregnant around that time to ensure he wouldn’t leave the company.” Ry’s words make anger flow hot through my veins.

  If Keith or her father were alive today, I would happily kill them without a single damn thought.

  “It’s all over now.” I place a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re the owner of the junkyard, and no one is going to take it from you, or come after you for that matter.”

  “We need to help her,” Ry says as she grabs my cut and glances at the woman who Dreamer is now holding in his lap. He’s giving her comfort as she whispers and sobs against his chest.

  “She asked you for help, didn’t she?” I question.

  “Yes, she mouthed, ‘Help me,’ over and over. That’s why I asked Dreamer to get her out of the car after I told him about the contract I found, explaining how I knew what Mrs. Long was talking about.”

  “Pres.” Dreamer’s voice drags my attention away from Ry. “I’m going to take her to my room and give her some space to clean up and rest. But I need every brother in church later. The shit she told me isn’t pretty and needs to be handled.”

  I tighten my arm around my old lady and give him a tight nod. “Whatever you need, brother.”

  He quickly stands and heads upstairs.

  “She didn’t look scared at all in Dreamer’s massive arms, did she?” Ry questions, though more to herself than to me.

  “I think that says enough about the shit she went through, don’t you? Letting some stranger carry you off to his room like that. Damn.”

  I glance down at Ry, who’s staring at me. The worry painting her gorgeous face lets me know she’s thinking the same thing.

  “Dreamer will make sure she’s taken care of, right? The way you did when you found me?”

  I give her a smile, and somehow it makes sense the way Dreamer jumped in to protect the young woman, talking about handing over balls to an old lady.

  “Absolutely,” I tell my own.

  Ry sighs in relief, and I place a kiss on the top of her head, knowing the kind of trust and bond we share is a solid foundation to build a future on. A promise for open roads, to help others, grow stronger, and face everything head-on as long as we’re together.

  E P I L O G U E

  Two years later

  – R Y L E E –

  This is one of the things that makes me feel alive. Riding on the back of a bike. Trees flashing by, the rumble of the bike underneath us, and it doesn’t even matter if it rains or not. I love everything about it. Though the one thing that makes it complete is the man riding with me. The one I’m holding on to as I’m pressed tightly against his back.

  I expel a deep breath and tighten my grip around Stone’s waist for a moment to let him know how much I’m enjoying myself, even if my ass feels numb. Stone places his hand on my thigh and gives me a tiny squeeze before his touch is gone.

  A little move, a lot of love. Which is what my life has consisted of the last two years. As if everything that was wrong with my life was flipped around the day I met Stone.

  Even if there were a few hiccups along the way where I or others got hurt. All is forgotten and behind us as we move forward into the future together. And it’s not only Stone who’s there for me—and for all his brothers and their old ladies—but the whole MC is there for one another. One huge family where we all look out for each other.

  It took some time, but my uncle Thomas is also a part of my life. I’m thankful he had pictures of my mother, because my father burned them all. Even if I had none of my mother and me together, I now have something to remember her by, along with the stories my uncle tells me about her.

  The bike shifts, and Stone lowers his speed as he takes a turn and rides into the parking lot of our new house. They finished it about three weeks ago, and it took a long time to make it perfect. Mainly because Stone kept changing the design to make sure we have enough room for all the things we have planned.

  It’s technically built on my property, but the second you step foot outside you’re standing on Trigger Pull MC property. But I guess since we got married last year, it’s all ours anyway. We get off the bike, and Stone laces his fingers with mine as we make our way to the door.

  As soon as Stone opens it, Pike worms his way past him and demands my attention. He’s such a sweet dog and enjoys this house as much as we do. Maybe even more, since he has all the room to himself instead of only staying in Stone’s room at the clubhouse. Stone whistles, and Pike dashes into the house so I can trail in behind them. Stone locks up, and I make my way into the kitchen.

  “Did you want a snack? I can fix us something.”

  “I’m holding my snack,” Stone rumbles next to my ear as he pulls me against his hard body. “I’m going to devour you.”

  I let my head fall to the side to give him access to place kisses along my neckline. I love how he makes me feel on top of the world while I barely meet his shoulders.

  His hand slides over my belly, “I hope this one is sleeping.”

  I can’t help but giggle, turning around in his arms. There’s something he doesn’t know. Something Dani shared with me this morning and is planning on telling Jace tonight.

  “Dani’s pregnant too,” I say and watch how his face lights up with joy.

  “She is? Does Jace know?”

  “Not yet, but in a few hours he will.” My smile falters when I realize my mistake. “But you can’t say anything. Not now, not ever. You have to wait till he tells you, and then you can’t say anything about knowing before he did. I’m serious, Stone.”

  “You take all the fun out of teasing.” He pouts, and it makes him look boyish.

  I reach out to slide my fingers over his handsome face. “I hope our baby will be a boy who takes after his father.”

  Stone winces. “Maybe just the looks, ’cause my genes are tainted.”

  “My genes are tainted too, remember? But you know what? Those are just stepping stones while everything else surrounding our child will turn him into a better person. We know our faults, our parents’ flaws and darkness, and will drive it away, replacing it with all the good things life has to offer.”

  “Or her,” Stone agrees.

  “Or her,” I echo.

  “She’ll be as pretty as you. And all her eight sisters and eight brothers along with her.” He shoots me a wink, and I have to swallow hard at the love he surrounds me with.

  “Let’s start with one, okay? If all goes well, we’ll see what else the future holds for us.” Damn. Why does he always need to add more kids every time we discuss it?

  “All will go well. I know so, because I’m holding you.”

  He doesn’t give me a chance to reply before his mouth covers mine in a seductive kiss, making me surrender to him completely and forget everything around us except for our bodies. I start to pull at his leather cut, needing all fabric gone between us.

  He grips my ass and easily lifts me to place me on the counter. Grabbing the hem of my sweater, I pull it over my head, letting it fall to the floor. His eyes fill with lust as he reaches out to drag down my bra.

  His mouth closes in, and my head falls back when the heat of his tongue starts to lavish my nipple. The feel of his hands sneaking to my neck, unsnapping my bra and roaming my skin as he finds his way back to my breasts is overwhelming.

  “Stone,” I whimper. He knows how sensitive my breasts are and how needy I’ve become.

  I’m sure it’s the pregnancy hormones, but then again, it could very well be the connection we have, because we never seem to stop touching and enjoying each other.

  “Patience, darlin’. Let me adore these pretties.” He pinches my nipples, and the bite of pain followed by pleasure makes me suck in a breath.

  He might say that now, but I know him. He’ll start out slow, but when I slide my fingers into his hair and give it a slight pull, it fires him up. I also learned very quickly how he lik
es his dirty talk, but he likes it even more when I tease him right back.

  I don’t do it often because it makes me feel insecure and shy, stepping way out of my comfort zone. I’d rather have him take charge and give me all the dirty talk instead. But the rare occasions I let dirty words flow from my mouth to taunt him? It only takes seconds for him to get inside me; it rips away restrictions and only leaves the feverish need to come for the both of us.

  I trail my nails up and down his back while my other hand grips his hair to pull him closer as he starts to nip and suck my nipple and the surrounding area. My pussy feels empty and in dire need of some special attention, and it drives me insane.

  “Stone,” I pant, making him rumble against my skin as he doesn’t stop what he’s doing. “I need you.”

  Okay, that rumble classifies as laughter. Asshole. I really want to tell him to quit teasing, but knowing Stone, that’ll have the opposite effect.

  Payback it is.

  “My pussy is soaked and is waiting for you to fill it up. Do you know how hot you make me when you let me ride on the back of your bike? Those vibrations teasing my body while I can only feel the heat of your back. My arms holding on when all I want is to wrap my fingers around your thick cock to guide it to my entrance.”

  His whole body freezes up, my nipple falls from his mouth, and he places his forehead on my collarbone as a loud groan slips from his lips.

  “Don’t,” he croaks.

  And I know I have him, so I sure as hell will. All is fair during sex with the one you love. Even if it means getting out of my comfort zone to take charge and achieve the reaction I crave from my man.

  “I feel so empty now. I need you to feel complete. You know I love how big you are, stretching me while I can clamp down and feel your dick twitch deep inside me as those piercings hit the perfect spot that makes me light up. But you know what I enjoy the most?”