Over the next couple minutes, Omen braids my hair and ties it in a tight bun on the back of my head. He leaves a few strands alone near the front and secures the helmet he bought me on my head, tightens the strap, and the next thing I know, he’s strapping my duffel bag to his bike.
Omen puts his helmet on his head, throws a leg over the bike, and extends a hand. Okay, now I’m getting nervous as fuck. I was good up until now, but the gas station chicken fingers I had for lunch are threatening to come up. He flips his visor up and looks right at me. “What’s the matter?”
Swallowing hard, I’m honest as hell. “This is the first time I’ve ever been on a bike.”
“Come here,” Omen says with a calm voice, and I go over to him. “Take my hand with your right one.”
I grab onto his hand and look at him for guidance. “All right, now throw your left leg over the side.”
I do as he says, and he curses under his breath and pulls his phone out. He taps away, and then there’s a beeping inside of my helmet. “Can you hear me better now?”
“What in the hell? What is this?”
“Bluetooth technology at its greatest. Okay, now scoot a bit closer to me and wrap your arms around my waist.” I do as he says and hold onto him with all of my might.
Omen chuckles lowly, and after a moment of just sitting here with him, he speaks again. “You trust me, don’t you, Gemini?”
“I do,” I say without hesitating for a second.
“Good, ‘cause I’d never let anythin’ bad happen to you, baby girl.” My heart practically stops when he calls me baby girl. My mouth goes dry and my heartbeat skyrockets. Fuck, there is something here, and even though I’m terrified, I want to explore it with this man.
“You ready?”
“As ready as I’m going to be.”
Chapter Ten
Omen
Gemini and I have spent the last few hours on some of Stoney’s friends’ property, shooting at some targets. After shooting for a couple hours, we stopped at some diner on the interstate and had breakfast for dinner, which was awesome. The grits down here are delicious. Up in Queens, they aren’t quite the same. I’m lucky enough to live in an area where I can pretty much get any cuisine I want, but they just don’t do southern cooking like they do down here.
We ate, and then I drove her up to the condo I rented for the next couple of days. It overlooks Virginia Beach and I think it’s great. I don’t know if she’s ever had a man spoil her, but I carried her bags in the condo, and as soon as we got in, I poured her a hot bubble bath and forced her to relax. She wasn’t into it at first, but I explained she’s always taking care of other people all the time, and it wouldn’t kill her to let me take care of her for a bit.
Little does she know it’s what I love the most about being with a woman. I love when they beg and squirm in the bedroom, sure, but holding a woman close against my chest, making a hot meal for them, or scrubbing them down in a bubble bath is just a few other ways I can take care of them.
She might not’ve noticed, but she let her heart out on the line earlier. Every part of the day we spent together was amazing, but even with how much of a good time she was having, I could sense she was afraid. This is new for both of us. I’ve never been with a woman who’s worked in the sex industry, and the more time we spend together, the more I don’t want to leave her when I head back to Queens. My time here is limited, and we both know it, but I hope she’ll let me take her out of her comfort zone a bit more. With as much time as we’ve spent together, I know we can be great as a couple. I don’t know if I’d say she’s ol’ lady material just yet, but she’s certainly girlfriend material. Fuck, I’m lying to myself. She’s better than ol’ lady material. She’s girlfriend, ol’ lady, and submissive material. The woman has the strongest willpower I’ve ever seen, and her bratty tendencies are right up my alley. I can see a lot between us, but only if life doesn’t fuck it up first.
Now the two of us are walking hand in hand on the beach and the wind blows wistfully. She stops right at the water’s edge, and I wrap my arms around her body, holding her close against me. “Beautiful,” she murmurs as she looks out in front of her.
“Yes, you are,” I comment, and she smirks.
“I was talking about the moonlight over the water, silly.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful too, I guess.” I snicker against her ear and allow my lips to touch the bottom of her earlobe. God, she smells divine, like vanilla mixed with sugar cookies.
“Omen.” The way Gemini says my name is cause for alarm, so I turn her around to face me.
“My road name is Omen. My real name is Warren. Most of my family calls me War, though.”
Her eyes flutter in the moonlight. “Gemini is my nickname, I guess. My real name is Tatiana.”
“You’re shittin’ me. You have a gorgeous name and you still have a nickname?” I shake my head even though I’m laughing.
She pushes against my chest. “Stop being so sweet for once. Can’t you be a dick or act like the rest of the men on the planet? You’re better than I deserve, you’re just . . . damn near perfect.”
I grab onto her wrists and look into her eyes. “Baby girl, why in the fuck do you think you don’t deserve happiness?” Even with everything she said, her one comment sticks with me.
She swallows, and for a few moments, she’s silent. “I’ve done horrible things.”
“So have I. You’re not alone. I promise you, my darkness will overshadow your own.” I wrap my hands around her neck and inch my lips closer to hers.
“Fuck, what’re we doing, Omen?” We both know this shouldn’t be happening, how this shouldn’t work, but I’m damn certain I’m going to give this a real shot.
“We’re doin’ whatever we damn well want, baby girl,” I whisper against her lips and claim them. Only, this time I don’t take her lips in mine and just ravage them like usual. I delicately kiss her, silently telling this beautiful woman she deserves every bit of happiness I intend on giving her.
I don’t know what the future holds between us, and Boss could be right, but I hope she’s not. Gemini wraps her arms around my neck and moans against my lips. “C’mon, baby, let’s get back to the condo.”
“I’d like that.” Gemini smiles deviously, and it looks like we have the same thing on each other’s minds. It takes us about five minutes before we’re back at the condo, and I’m shutting the door. I turn the deadbolt, and once it’s locked, Gemini has her hands all over me.
We both rip off each other’s clothes as quickly as possible, and she presses her lips against mine. She’s kissing me sweetly, and fuck, I’m digging this. It’s nice to know I can be rough or sweet with this woman, how she can act like the virgin or the whore.
I back her up against the wall and lift her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck and digs her nails into my back as I drill my cock into her. I’m not wearing a condom, but I couldn’t care less. I’m clean and I trust she is. Rocking my cock deep inside her, I don’t stop. Her pussy tightens around me, begging for my load, but not yet. I want to savor her in a way I can’t when our physical connection is nothing more than a business transaction.
I want to ravish her like she belongs to me, and when she’s off the clock, she does.
Chapter Eleven
Gemini
Waking up in a bed outside of the one back at Night’s Bliss is an entirely new feeling, but gosh, I love it. Omen’s lying directly beside me, and we took our time with each other’s bodies last night. He brought a spreader bar and forced my legs to stay open with every orgasm that rolled through me. It was hot as hell, but he also brought me to heights I don’t think I’ve ever reached sensation-wise.
The man rocks my world and it’s getting harder to deny it. I roll over and find him peacefully sleeping beside me. Not wanting to wake him, I sit up in bed and stretch to the right and the left. My neck pops and I scoot out of bed. The second my feet hit the floor, my phone buzzes on the bedside table
.
I look to see who it is, but it’s just a Virginia number, so I answer it. “Hello?” I say as I press it against my ear.
“Tatiana,” my father’s grim voice rings through. My heart drops into the pit of my stomach, and not in a good way.
“What do you want?” I ask him with a strong-willed voice. I turn and grab the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around my body. “I said, what do you want?” I grit, my words coming out laced with venom.
“Relax, my precious daughter. I’m simply calling to warn you. Enemies have made claims they’re coming for you, and given how you are, wanting to avoid my calls and whatnot, I had to resort to this.”
“Have you ever thought there’s a reason I avoid your calls?” I scoff, and sudden pressure against my hips causes me to jump.
“It’s only me,” Omen whispers into my alternate ear, pressing his lips against the back of my head.
“The past is in the past, Tatiana. You’re an adult now. Eventually, you must let sleeping dogs lie.” Typical, he completely avoids the issue.
“Are you really calling because there are people making threats, or are you just calling because you need me to play the part of your dutiful fucking daughter again?” I snap into the phone, tearing my arms away from Omen’s grip.
Anger rushes through my entire body, so bad my hands shake violently. All I want to do is throw something against the wall. I want something, anything to shatter to a billion pieces in front of me.
He called me about a year ago to ask me to go back to Warsaw for some sort of political party, something where he stated he needed to present the image of a perfect family. But we’re far from a perfect family. We’re catastrophic and toxic to each other, if you ask me.
“No, I’ve received word there are people looking for you. If you want, I can provide you with a safe place until the threats pass.”
I scoff at my father’s words. “There are no safe places, Father. You’re a criminal. Fuck, you’re delusional. I will never be safe because of you, don’t you understand that?! I will always be at risk.”
“I’ve offered to keep you safe, and you’re the one who denies it,” he states, but it’s not as simple as he thinks.
“Because every time you offer anything, there’s a catch. You can’t be a true father. You always want something in return. Your love comes at a price, and I’m sick and tired of it. I won’t play the games you play with me anymore. It’s why I don’t communicate with you because you always want me to make you look a certain way and I’m over it. I’m done. I’m not what you think I am.” I stand a bit straighter and am determined he understands I’m telling him to fuck off. I won’t falter. Not today.
“We’re family, Tatiana.”
“Yes, and it doesn’t give you an excuse,” I snap.
Omen walks into my view, and I glance up at him. He wants to know what’s going on, and I will tell him, eventually. Somehow I don’t think he signed up for my family drama.
“So, I am the wrong one as always. Look, I only wished to get in touch with you so I could offer my protection and give you a warning. The ball is in your court. If you wish to not accept my help, I can’t force you.”
“You’re right. You can’t force me, so go back to doing whatever it is that occupies your time and leave me the fuck alone. I’ll take my chances.” I end the call and throw my phone with all my force against the floor. My hands shake, and I know I’m not okay. I rush over to the en-suite bathroom and shut the door, quickly locking it.
Omen’s footsteps are hot on my trail. “Baby girl, open the door.”
“I’m sorry, I just need a few minutes,” I tell Omen on the other side of the door.
There’s a few moments of silence until he speaks. “All right, I’ll give you ten minutes, then I’m breaking the door down. But if you need anything before then, you call for me.”
“I will. I promise,” I tell him, and finally, his footsteps against the wooden floors of the condo tell me I’m safe to feel the rush of emotions working their way through me.
As much as what my father’s said should worry me. I’m not. Omen’s said he’d never let anything happen to me, and I feel protected whenever he’s near. I feel like I’m in the safest place in the world. Maybe it’s wrong of me to entrust my safety in him, but he’s the only person I trust like this.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, my hands begin to shake again like when I had just answered the phone and emotions rush to the surface. This level of vulnerability is terrifying. It’s worse than anything I’ve ever been through, and knowing the potential of having my heart broken isn’t impossible anymore . . . the fear is taking over me.
I just want the fear to get out of my head. I only want to be normal, like other women who are happy.
But I won’t ever be normal.
I can’t ever be.
There’s been too much pain in my life, but my imperfections are part of what makes me human.
I turn on the faucet in front of me and let the tears stream down my cheeks. I don’t hold them back and I allow every emotion to make its way out of my body. Maybe if I let my body rid itself of these feelings, they’ll finally leave me for good.
Chapter Twelve
Omen
My phone starts vibrating on the table next to me, so I pick it up to see it’s Tracker. “Hey there,” I tell him as I answer.
“Hey, so you’ll never guess who just called me up and said the freaks have returned.” Tracker chuckles.
“Lemme guess, Lou?”
“You hit the nail on the head, brother.” Tracker cackles into the phone.
“Okay, I can get a couple of the guys and meet you there. From what Lou says, the entire place is filled to the brim. Last thing we need is for the three of you to get outnumbered,” Tracker tells me, and I’m glad he’s offering some help. If the camp is really as full as Lou says it is, there could be hundreds of people. Obviously, we’d be vastly outnumbered.
“Okay, cool. I’ll get ready, and we’ll be on the road within thirty minutes.”
“Sounds good, but I’ll text you a gas station where we can all roll up at. We’ll cram all of us into a truck or two. I’ll have a prospect sit with the bikes until we’re back, so no one messes with ‘em, but fuckers should know better around here.” Tracker says.
I nod. “All right. Send me the address and we’ll head there to meet up. I’m gonna make sure we’re incognito, though. They know the Iron Vex MC emblem. If by chance we pass some of the cultists they’re going to know we’re on the way, they could tell the others.”
“Hey, do what you need to do. They’re in our neck of the woods now, so I hope they’re ready for a fight. See you soon,” Tracker comments with a chuckle before ending the call.
I’m at a diner with Gemini on my right while Reno and Abyss are sitting across from us. They’ve seen Gemini in passing before, but this is the first time we’ve really hung out with each other. I’ve been trying to have her around them, and she doesn’t have to start her shift until later today. Luckily, her appointment tonight is with a woman. I haven’t been able to stomach her being with other men, but I haven’t voiced my opinions because this is her job. We haven’t talked about what we are, but I’ll be having a conversation with her soon about it. I have to. The more time I spend with her, the more I realize I don’t want her to ever leave my life.
“Everything okay?” Abyss questions while she picks up her orange juice, ready to take a sip.
“We’re headin’ back out to Lynchburg. Lou gave Tracker a call, and those fuckers returned. Boss was right about us needin’ to lay low for a while until they came back,” I tell Abyss and Reno.
“Shit, I’ve been dying for some action. Should we give Vex a call and pull her in on it? It’s been a while since she’s ridden with her own club.” Abyss suggests.
“Yeah, we’ll go ahead and give her a call when we get out of here,” I say.
Gemini looks at me, and I realize she’s biting h
er lip.
“You all right, baby girl?”
She parts her lips and swallows. “What’s going on?”
She knows I came down here for a job, but she doesn’t know what the job is, or how long it would keep me down here. “We need to get going for a few hours. I’ll be back by the time you’re off this evening. How long is your appointment?”
“Um,” Gemini pauses while she thinks. “Starts around seven, and I should be done by midnight. This client never keeps me past midnight at the latest.”
“Okay, well, we have to roll out.” I lift my ass off the seat and dig in my pocket for my wallet, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill. The meal probably isn’t more than sixty, but at least this way when we leave the waitress will have a nice tip.
Gemini nods while Abyss and Reno slide out from their side of the booth. Gemini takes my hand as we walk out of the restaurant and head to our bikes. Once we’re at my bike, I zip up Gemini’s jacket since it’s very cold on this winter day and help her get her helmet on. I get on the bike and extend a hand out to her like usual, and once we’re settled, Abyss opens the visor of her helmet.
“We’re rollin’ over to Vex and Finley’s place,” she shouts.
“Okay,” I shout back and start my bike. Putting the kickstand up, I take off and head for Finley and Vex’s place, which is what they call the Fort.
It takes us about ten minutes to roll up, and once we do, I’m reminded why they call it the Fort. This place has high walls and is secure as fuck. Cedric comes out through the front and lets us in their gated driveway, and once we’re in front of what I think is their front door, we turn off our bikes.
Vex comes out with her hair pulled tied back with a handkerchief, ready to go. I prop my kickstand off, and Gemini gets off my bike, but instead of just rolling right out, I get off too. Turning back to my crew, I tell them what we’re doing. “Leave your cuts here with Finley for safekeeping. We’re going incognito. Don’t want them to alert the others if any of ‘em are on the road.”
Omen's Sign (Iron Vex MC Book 5) Page 6