by E. C. Land
“You’re not going anywhere,” Venom declares, rounding the coffee table.
“Yes, I am,” I say, standing straighter.
“No, you’re not, Amaya. You didn’t just come here and throw my son at me so you could bounce. You’re not leaving him and me without you here with him. You’re here until I fuckin’ say otherwise,” he snarls, leaning down to get in my face.
“Says who? You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. You don’t know me and you sure as hell don’t know him. But you’re his dad and will look after him. I’m confident of that; however, I’m nothing to you. Never have been. I’ve done what I’ve had to do to protect him and get him to you. Now I’m leaving and you’re not going to stop me,” I snap sarcastically and turn to leave.
I need to get out of there. Get away from Venom. The hostility pouring off him is killing me. I’m not the one who hurt him so long ago. Or kept his son from him. I told him. He’s the one who evidently didn’t read the letters I sent. You could see it on his face that he never did.
“I don’t fuckin’ think so,” Venom growls as he grabs my arm and whirls me around to face him. “You got it right except for one thing, you’re not leaving, ‘cause I will stop you. Until I know what the hell is going on, I’m not about to let you out of my fuckin’ sight. This means your ass is in my bed, where I can make sure you don’t get away from me.”
Oh boy, did he just say what I think he did?
Chapter Nine
Venom
A sense of pride fills me at not throwing Amaya over my shoulder and storming off to my room and fucking the shit out of her throughout the night. Her snarky attitude is something I don’t remember her ever having around me when I’d been with Emilia. Then again, Emilia blinded me to a lot of things. She spoke about Amaya like she was having to take care of her rather than them being roommates.
Witnessing Amaya throw her fit and say what she did proves to me Emilia lied through her teeth about her friend. She must have seen me noticing her for her to do that. Though I thought I loved Emilia, my eyes always caught Amaya and I felt something inside that always caused me to feel funny. When this happened, I felt guilty for it.
But not anymore, Amaya is standing in front of me, showing me the woman who she has always kept hidden from me. And damn if I’m not about to let her get away from me now. I refuse to let her leave and then something happen to her. She said Lincoln needed me to protect him. She’ll need it just as much. Especially, after I make this call I’m about to make. I’m sure I’ll be regretting it too.
“Give me the keys to your car and sit the hell down,” I command, holding my hand out for her keys, I can see bulging in her front pocket. If she doesn’t want to give them to me, I have no problem seeking them out.
“No, I’m leaving, and you can go to hell with your he-man fit about me staying in your bed,” she snaps with a roll of her eyes.
Shit.
Where had this fire been four years ago?
Stepping forward, I step into her space, her tits touch my chest and I can easily tell my closeness is affecting her. “Oh, Sweetness, you will be in my bed,” I grin wickedly as Amaya’s eyes widen. My hand slips into her front pocket and pulls out her keys.
Holding the keys up in the air toward Whip, I take a step back.
“Now you won’t be going anywhere,” I say, holding her gaze.
“Vete a la mierda. Puedo hacer lo que quiera sin que seas un idiota!” Amaya mutters, speaking in Spanish, her eyes widen, and she snaps her mouth shut, her hand going up to cover her lips. I know a little bit but not enough to decipher everything she’d just said. I do believe she called me a son of a bitch though in there somewhere.
Shaking her head, she lowers her head and shocks the shit out of me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that,” she murmurs quietly.
“Didn’t mean what?” I ask in confusion.
“I would prefer not to repeat the words that came out of my mouth. I don’t like to say mean things and I apologize,” she whispers.
“Amaya, you don’t need to apologize. Sit down and relax, you’re not leaving, so get the thoughts out of your head. I’ve already had a seriously shitty night after a long day on the road and it seems you and I were both on the road today,” I mutter, reaching out a hand, I cup the side of her face.
Nodding, Amaya sits down with her shoulders slumped forward.
Letting out a breath, I excuse myself and go outside. I notice Whip coming back up the driveway with two duffel bags and a stuffed snake. I smirk at the sight of the toy. Kid is definitely mine.
I pull my phone out and unlock it.
“You okay, brother?” Whip asks.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I need to make a call though,” I grunt.
“Save it for tomorrow. Let’s get Nerd in on this shit first and go from there,” Whip states. I completely get where he’s coming from and I nod.
We get Nerd in on it to see what he can dig up. Amaya isn’t one to lie. She doesn’t have it in her. I know this and so does Whip, over the years we’ve been able to pick up the stench of those who are weasels. Amaya definitely isn’t anything like that.
How could she be when her heart is made of pure gold?
The lights of another car pulling into the driveway draws both of our attention to it. “Dinner’s here,” Whip quips and heads inside.
Yeah, dinner’s here.
Time to feed my kid.
By the time we finished eating, Amaya, who I pretty much had to stand over while she ate her pizza has gone completely silent. She’d looked like she wanted to throw up at the sight of the pizza, she’d plucked all the toppings off the pizza and seemed to have a hard time swallowing the pizza down.
Lincoln had been easy to get down for the night and I left the bedroom door to the spare room open. I grab Amaya’s hand and pull her into my room. Her bag has already been tossed in here.
“Bathroom is through there.” I point to the open door in the corner. “Go ahead and get ready for bed,” I tell her and go ahead and climb into the bed.
“I . . . um . . . I can sleep in the other room with Lincoln,” she whispers shyly.
“Not happening, Sweetness, you’re in here with me.” I inform her while leaning against the headboard, my gaze going to hers while I reach out on the nightstand for the TV remote. By keeping my eyes on her, I don’t miss the way Amaya licks her bottom lip. “Go change, Amaya,” I prompt.
Amaya seems to come out of her stupor and goes to her bag, pulls out some things, and goes into the bathroom making sure to close the door behind her.
Sighing, I wonder to myself if I’m doing the right thing.
Of course, I am. Raven isn’t one to lie and she’d told me when she first met me, ‘A time will come and the dreams will lead you to where you need to be. Listen and don’t fight it. She’s the one for you and you’re the one for her. The darkness can’t get to her when she’s in the light but that won’t stop it from trying.’ The woman is nutty but she’s always one we all respect. With the hell she’s been through she deserves it and none of us turn away when she speaks.
The funny thing is she’s right; I’ve been dreaming about Amaya lately and now here she is and I’m not about to let her go. Not by a long shot.
She’s gonna be my prize.
Chapter Ten
Amaya
Yesterday, I swear, could be marked down as one of the weirdest days of my life. Okay, so maybe it is more or less last night that got to me. After going into the bathroom, I’d been grateful to come back out to a darken room with the TV on. This worked for me since I’d put on a pair of sleep shorts and cami.
It’s the only time I allow myself to wear anything revealing. With my hair up in a messy bun the entirety of the scars are visible, and I didn’t think when I’d changed. My mind is completely out of whack. This is what this man does to me. He declares I’m to call him Venom and I know I should because he’s not the same man he used to be. He’s not the Isaac I remem
ber.
Nope, this man is far more. I don’t know how to explain it.
Ruthless? Maybe.
More muscular? Most definitely.
His eyes seem to hold so much more than they used to. Where I remember them holding a shine in them, now they’re dimmed. I don’t know what he’s been through, but I could tell from the hardened look of him it’s not been easy.
There’s so much to meet the eye and yet there’s even more held where none can really see. God knows it’s confusing.
I’d intended to leave last night. To go get a motel room.
How in the world did I allow this man to convince me to stay here?
Oh right, I didn’t, he all but forced me into it. Took my keys and told me I’m not leaving. Not that I really wanted to leave. But at the same time, I also wanted to run for the hills. He makes me so nervous.
Why?
Because he’s Isaac even when he’s Venom. Doesn’t matter to me. For whatever reason he causes my heart to flutter.
God, I’m such a dork.
When I’d come out of the bathroom, Venom or Isaac, I don’t know what name I should call him right now. He’d been nice, spoke gently to me saying he wasn’t going to hurt me and for me to lie down and go to sleep.
Trusting him as I have always felt I could, I laid down and fell right to sleep more than happy to get some shut-eye. Best part of all is the bed is comfortable and not stiff like in the motels I’d been at for the last couple nights.
Shoot, his bed is even better than the one I had at home.
Now here I am waking up from the best sleep in what feels like months, maybe even years to the sun shining in through the windows lighting the room. The kicker of it all isn’t the warmth I feel from the sun coming through the blinds, no it’s the man who has his arms curled around me. One under my head scooping over my shoulder cupping one of my breasts in his hand. The other arm is wrapped around me and holding me tight around the waist, keeping me pressed back into him.
Oh boy.
Um.
I don’t know what I should feel about this scenario. I’ve dreamt about it more than I can count over the years but never in my life did I think it would happen. I mean hello, it’s me, Plain Jane. Nothing exciting ever happens to me.
So why now?
I figured he’d stay on his side and I’d stay way over on the edge of the bed like I’d been lying when I fell asleep.
Okay, so I tried to lie on the floor last night and he’d stopped that from happening and demanded I get into the bed. That’s when I laid close to the edge and prayed I didn’t roll out of it.
To find myself not only in this man’s arms but in the middle of the bed, is a little nerve-wracking I guess you could say. There’s something to be said about that if you will.
“Sweetness, you need to stop thinking so fuckin’ much.” I nearly jump out of my skin at the husky sound of Isaac’s sleep-filled voice. My breathing becomes harder when I feel him press himself further into my backside. In this position I feel all of him. And I mean all of him. I’m not a virgin but I also don’t have a lot of experience.
I’ve been with maybe three men in my entire life.
The first one, Eric, yeah, he’d taken my virginity on a bet which had been senior year in high school. The second guy, Martin, well he and I dated for a few months and then one night I finally gave into him. I woke up the next morning to find him gone, along with my money and panties. He’d stolen them all. Then the last one, Omar, let’s just say he’s one I wish I never allowed into my pants. He figured after one round in the sack with me he owned me. I wasn’t supposed to do anything without his knowledge. I’d ended that as quick as I could. I refused to be someone’s possession or anything they can control.
Screw that.
I’m my own person and I have a mind I use to think for myself.
“Amaya, you’re overthinking shit and there’s no reason to.” Oh my. This isn’t anyone but my Isaac talking.
My Isaac?
Yeah.
No.
I need to get those thoughts out of my head.
Like now.
“Um, can you let me go?” I murmur quietly.
“Why?” he asks, his voice still filled with sleep and the vibration of the tone shoots tingles throughout my body.
“Because, um, I need to get up.” I’m not about to tell him so I can go to the bathroom. Or even to tell him I need to get away from him because he’s screwing with my head.
“Hm, I’m thinkin’ I like you right where you are,” he declares huskily. His face burrows into my neck and, yep, he places a kiss right there on my skin. I swear that kiss will forever be burned into my skin.
“Well, too bad for you. I want to get up,” I mutter, trying to block out the kiss he’d just givin’ me.
This isn’t an easy feat. Not when he does it again.
“Venom,” I utter in protest.
“You know what, I think I prefer you callin’ me Isaac. Yeah, it sounds better when it comes from your lips,” he announces, and oh, does that shoot tingles along my body and makes me want to do a happy dance.
Wait no, it makes me want to turn over and kiss him.
“I really need to get up,” I say urgently, trying not to freak out.
I’m nearing freak-out mode right about now and I’m not sure how to handle it all.
Isaac releases his hold on me, but I regret it the minute I go to jump out of bed. He has a way of making me forget things around him, and I immediately wish I’d worn a long t-shirt to bed last night.
“What the hell?” he growls harshly and yanks me back to him.
“Isaac,” I yell, and try to get up again but he stops me with his hand tightening around my arm as he holds me away from him enough to look at my backside.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck this shit is?” he demands, causing me to flinch.
I shake my head and bite my bottom lip unsure of telling him anything. It’s hard enough hearing the disgust in his voice. I don’t want to tell him how I received my scars.
Isaac releases my arm and I go to try and get up, but he rolls me to my back and positions himself in a way he could cage me in while not being on top of me. I close my eyes to keep the tears from being seen. I know those marks are a turn-off. It’s been made clear to me. I don’t need him to do it too.
“Amaya, look at me,” Isaac commands.
I shake my head ‘no’ in answer to his demand.
I know he’s about to get angry, but I don’t care. It’s my body and I’m not telling him.
The door bursts open to an excited sound of Lincoln calling his dad’s name and running toward the bed. I take this moment while Isaac is distracted by his son to jump off the bed and out of his reach.
I probably should have done it a different way, but I didn’t and by not doing so not only does Isaac see the depths of the scars, Whip does also.
Unfortunately, at this moment, I can’t go back in time and change it, I simply escape to the one room I can.
The bathroom.
God, I wish I were able to just hide in here for the rest of the day.
But from the sounds of both men’s voices, I know I’m not going to get away with that.
Chapter Eleven
Venom
Waking up with Amaya in my arms this morning is something I’ve never experienced. Even when I’d been with Emilia, did I feel anything like I did when I pulled Amaya into my body last night.
It irritated me at first, she would try to sleep on the floor rather than get into the bed with me. Then when I told her ass to get in the bed, she’d tried to stay close to the edge. Fuck that, soon as she’d fallen asleep, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her body flush with mine.
I didn’t expect to see the scars marring her entire backside. I don’t remember ever knowing about them, then again, I didn’t know much about Amaya. She’s a mystery to me. One I want to know everything about.
After sleeping with
her all night in my arms and waking up not having had a nightmare in I don’t know how long, I’ve made a decision. She’s mine. Last night I might have stated it but this morning confirms it. Later this morning when we go to the clubhouse, I’ll be sure to inform my brothers who see her.
Climbing out of bed, I look down to Lincoln and grin. “You hungry, kiddo?”
“Affles?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.
“How about we get something at the clubhouse or on the way? We don’t have shit here,” Whip grumbles, his gaze locked on the bathroom door.
“You good?” I ask him, trying to figure out why he’s staring after Amaya. Does he have a thing for her too?
“Yeah, brother, saw the scars and don’t like them, that shit reminds me of my own,” he grunts with a shake of his head.
That would do it. Whip and his sister had a shit life, and he feels even shittier for leaving her behind. Brielle ended up going through her own hell without telling her brother anything about it. Which sucks because we all would have helped her out.
Shaking my head, I decide not to go down that path, it’ll lead to nowhere good. I need to focus right now on getting Lincoln ready and pulling Amaya out of the bathroom. If she thinks she can escape the talk we’re gonna have, she’s wrong.
“If you want my opinion, wait until later to talk to her about the scars. She’s scared shitless right now. Maybe have Nerd look into her past, see what he can find out.”
I nod my head at his suggestion. “You mind getting Linc ready for me? The sooner we get them ready and get out of here the sooner I can get answers. We’ve got a lot of bullshit to go over with Nerd, and Prez and Tracker are gonna wanna be let in on it all as well.”
“Yeah, I can get him ready.” Whip nods and holds his hand out. “Come on, Linc, let’s go get you ready and then see about getting them waffles,” he announces.