by KL Donn
My heart hurts and I daren’t turn to face Callie, instead keeping my gaze ahead, not wanting Callie to see the lone tear that falls down my face. She’s just opened up to me, told me about what she’s been through. What that monster did to her. He was a member of Renegade Phoenix, the son of their president. I’m glad he’s dead. I can’t imagine what she’s been through. I won’t even try and pretend to.
I reach over and grab her hand, offering her support, just as she has given me since I’ve been here. “You’re safe now, Callie.”
She clings to my hand as if it’s her lifeline. “I know. The brothers will never know how much I appreciate them.” Glancing at her, I see her watery eyes. “I’m fucking glad you came here.”
I laugh. “Yeah? Haven’t I been a pain in your ass?”
She giggles. “No, it’s good to finally have a friend.”
“Same. I’ve always been a loner,” I confess.
She shrugs. “That’s because you hadn’t found where you belonged.”
I let her words sink in. As much as I didn’t want to be here in the beginning, I can’t see myself anywhere else. This is home.
"Well, look who it is." That husky voice has me straightening. Diamond.
That night when we were in the club and she was saying shit about me, Callie whispered to me. She told me I had to stick up for myself, that having Diamond talk about me like that was disrespectful and I shouldn't let it slide. I honestly don't know what came over me, but Callie was right. She was disrespecting me, and I had to put an end to it.
Walking up to her, I had no idea what I was going to do, but as soon as I was in touching distance and saw her hands on Saint, I lost it. The brothers look at me with a bit of respect now. I think they realize that I'm not that sweet Harla they've all thought.
"Don't ignore me," she growls, and I spin around to see her standing just a few feet away from us with her arms crossed over her chest. She has blonde hair that looks as though it's not been washed in weeks, and her tits are huge and obviously fake.
"Is there something you need?" I ask, getting to my feet. I’m not letting her get away with talking to me as though I'm a piece of crap beneath her feet.
“From you?” She scoffs. “There’s nothing I could ever want from you.”
Callie stands beside me. “Then why don’t you scurry along?” She shoos her away with her hand.
My gaze takes in everyone around us. It seems as though everyone has come outside, and all eyes are on us.
“Listen here, bitch,” Diamond spits, taking a step forward. “The only reason you’re still here is because the Reapers feel sorry for you.”
My fists clench at her words. I hate bullies, and that’s exactly what Diamond is.
“Jealousy isn’t a good look on you,” Callie fires back.
Diamond scoffs. “What do I have to be jealous of?”
Callie smirks. “The fact that both of us have the brothers’ respect. For a brother to even think about you, you have to be on your knees with his cock in your mouth.”
Diamond takes a step forward, rage burning in her eyes. “At least I didn’t spread my legs for a fucking Phoenix. Everyone knows that West doesn’t fuck you.” She smirks, her gaze turning to West. I follow it and see both he and Saint glaring at her. She turns her attention back to Callie. “Why don’t you ask him where he was last night?” She laughs. “None of the Reapers want Phoenix leftovers.”
Red-hot rage takes over me. My hand balls into a fist and I let it fly. My knuckles connect with her nose and blood spurts out of it. She falls to her ass, gasping for breath. Before she can recover, my hand grasps her face, my fingers digging into her cheeks. I bring her face to mine, so we’re inches apart.
“Listen up, bitch,” I spit. “I’m only going to say this once.” My fingers press against her face harder and she winces, her hands on my arm, trying to pull me away from her. “You say one more word about Callie or me, and I’m going to give you the biggest beat down you’ve ever received.”
Her eyes flash with anger and defiance.
I smirk. “Try me,” I dare her, pushing her head back down to the ground.
She scrambles to her feet and runs back toward the club.
“Jesus, Harla, you’ve got the same right hook as your brother,” Callie mutters.
Glancing away from the retreating Diamond, I catch West and Saint staring at me. West has a proud smirk on his face whereas Saint’s eyes are dark with lust. His gaze is so intense that I have to turn away. Just as I do, I notice Dad standing by his motorcycle. As soon as he sees me looking at him, he turns away. Pain erupts in my chest, and the urge to rub it away is strong, but I fight it, instead turning back to Callie. I smile.
“You okay?” I ask once I’m able to get my breathing under control.
Her eyes widen. “Me? Harla, you knocked her on her ass.”
I shrug. “She deserved it. How dare she say those things?” My blood begins to boil once again just at the thought of what she said.
Callie touches my arm, giving it a squeeze. “Don’t worry about it, Harla. That’s the worst that she can do to me. Her words don’t hurt me.”
“I just lost it.”
She smiles. “Thanks. It means a lot.”
The door closes and my body tenses. I instantly know who it is. Every night is the same: as soon as everyone goes to bed, he sneaks into my bedroom. Each and every time he does it, I tell myself that tomorrow will be different, tomorrow will be the day I tell him I don’t want to be his dirty little secret. Yet, I can’t find it in me to do so.
I know why I’m reluctant—I love him. I’m stupid, it’s that plain and simple. I shouldn’t love him, but I can’t stop myself. It hurts knowing he doesn’t feel the same way about me.
He moves around the bedroom as silently as he can, but I'm so in tune with him that everything he does is heightened. His musky aftershave fills my nostrils as he moves closer to me. The sheets fall down slightly and the bed dips beneath me as he slides in behind me. His arm goes under my head, as it always does, and he pulls me into his body.
His warmth surrounds me. "I know you're awake, girl," he murmurs.
"Hmm," I reply softly, not opening my eyes.
"Got to remember not to piss you off." There's humor in his voice. Leaning back in his arms, I open my eyes and look at him. His lips twitch. "You’ve got a decent right hook."
I fight back the smirk. "Best remember that."
He doesn't hide his smile. "What did she say to piss you off?"
I shrug, not wanting to get into it. I still can't believe that she actually stooped that low. Callie was raped—she didn't willingly have sex with Jimmy—and for her to use that against Callie was lower than low.
"Angel?" he questions.
I sigh. He's not going to let this go. "Callie told her she was jealous, that we have the brothers’ respect while Diamond can only get a brother to look at her when she's on her knees with their cock in her mouth." Even as I'm saying the words, I can't hide my smile.
Saint's eyes are dancing with laughter, but he keeps a straight face. "So what did that bitch say?"
"She said that she doesn’t spread her legs for a Phoenix."
Every single feature on his face darkens. I never thought that would be possible, but the narrowed eyes and clenched jaw tell me otherwise. "She deserved the punishment. That's twice you've made her bleed."
"Yeah, I'm hoping she's got the message, so I won't need to make it a third." I yawn. It's almost three a.m. and I'm running on empty.
"There's more to you than meets the eye."
I glare at him. "You mean, I'm not sweet little Harla?" I'm sick of people saying that. I don't know what gave everyone the impression that I'm sweet.
"Not what I meant. Don't put words in my mouth," he growls. "You know how to fix cars, you can punch like a boxer and you give head like a fucking pro."
My brows hit my hairline. "I was taught by the best."
He smirks, probab
ly remembering the day he showed me how he liked it. His finger skims my jawline, and I know that this conversation is over. "Going to fuck you now."
"Nothing's stopping you," I tell him, and pull the sheets off me, showing him that I had been waiting for him.
"Christ," he growls as he twists us so that he's on top of me, both of us completely naked. "You're like a drug. I'm fucking hooked."
I gasp, and he takes advantage of it, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, stealing my breath from me. One kiss from him and I’m dizzy. What he doesn't realize is that I'm addicted to him. I need him more than I need my next breath, and yet I know that I will never fully have him.
He slowly inserts one finger into me, and I moan as he finger fucks me. It's torturous when he doesn't pick up speed, instead keeping a slow and steady rhythm. His teeth bite against my nipple and he gently pulls. My back arches.
"Saint," I beg, needing more.
He ignores my pleas and continues his slow, agonizing, sweet torture.
"Saint," I breathe heavily.
He pulls away from me, and I whimper.
"I'll give it to you how I want," he murmurs, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
I nod, just wanting him to continue. Our lips fuse together and I grind against his finger, wanting more, needing him to make me come. He rains kisses down my neck, to my breasts, taking his time with each one, sucking and biting on my nipples.
My moans fill the room as I continue to grind against his finger, my breathing ragged as he pushes another inside of me. "God."
"Not God," he mocks as he moves lower down my body. He kisses and bites his way down, as if he's marking every single piece of me.
When he gets to my pussy, he doesn't stop finger fucking me, his movement gradually getting faster. When his teeth close around my clit, I flinch, making him chuckle. He does it again, and this time I moan. I'm getting close. I can feel it rising.
"Saint," I pant, my fingers tangling in his hair.
"Get there," he demands. He withdraws his fingers but his tongue takes their place.
"Oh, oh, oh," I moan. "Yes, oh, Saint," I cry out. He doesn't stop. Instead, he once again bites my clit, and that's all it takes for me to detonate.
"Fucking delicious," he growls, lifting me up off the bed and turning so that he’s sitting up. He positions me over his cock, slowly inching into me.
"Dance for me, Angel," he says once he’s fully inside of me.
My hands roam his chest as I lift off his cock, instantly missing the fullness of him being inside of me. His fingers dig into my skin as I slam back down, grinding as I do.
Sweat beads at my forehead as I move faster, him matching my speed, thrusting into me as I grind against him.
“Saint,” I moan as I lift off his cock once again.
“Give it to me,” he demands. “I want all of you, Angel.” He’s holding onto me so tightly that I’m sure I’ll have bruises in the morning, but right now, I don’t care.
He thrusts into me, and that’s all it takes to send me spiraling. My body launches forward, and I cling to Saint’s body as I come hard.
“Fuck,” he growls as he thrusts into me again. His cock swells, and he grunts as he comes.
I stay lying on top of him, having no energy left in me to move. Saint reaches for the sheets and covers us both. His arms close around me and hold me tight.
“Te adoro, mi bello ángel,” he whispers, but I’m so sleepy I don’t recognize what he’s saying.
14
Saint
A week has passed and it’s been way too quiet, and nothing in this world is ever good when it is silent. It means they’re planning something. Our world survives off chaos. Every brother is tense, more observant. We can feel the threat circling us. But we’ll be ready for them. They aren’t getting anywhere near us—near Harla. We will all fight to the death to protect her.
As if she fucking knows I’m thinking about her, she walks out of the clubhouse and turns her face toward the sky. She’s been tired lately, big dark circles under her eyes. The flu she caught a couple of weeks ago is still kicking her ass. As if she can sense me, she turns to face me, our eyes connecting and a soft smile pulling at her lips, those blue eyes of hers shining bright. Her gaze is so intense that it takes everything I have not to cross the drive, bend her over my bike and claim her body. As much as my dick wants her, my heart wants her more. Still not knowing who the fucking mole is keeps my feet planted to the ground.
“Boy!” My head whips around at the sound of the voice. I watch Prez walk toward me.
Glancing back at Harla, I watch the hurt cover her features before she turns, heading back into the clubhouse. Reaper has once again ignored her. “You know you’re fucking killing her, ignoring her the way you are!”
Instantly, Reaper’s eyes narrow, his lips curling into a sneer. “You questioning me?” We hold each other's stare, neither of us giving in.
“You can kill each other later. We got business,” West says walking over. Both of us turn at West’s voice, noticing how tight his body is. “Rhonda’s said Bee, Ace’s bitch, has been mouthing off. Apparently, his niece is Spider’s fucking ol’ lady!”
My whole body tenses. Ace is a good brother, been with us for years now, never shown nothing but loyalty. He was also one of the first prospects Reaper brought in.
“How the fuck did I not know?” Reaper punches the wall until streaks of red follow.
“Shit being in the dark, ain’t it,” West growls.
Reaper turns so fast, I am surprised he’s still standing. I take a step back as both father and son circle each other, knowing this has been a long time coming.
West throws the first punch, and it connects with Reaper’s cheek. Reap quickly follows with one to his temple. West throws a kidney punch and Reaper growls, the sound rattling in his chest. He pulls his fist back and lands a blow to West’s stomach, taking the air out of his lungs, quickly following it up with a quick, sharp right to his jaw, sending West to his knees.
Reaper spits blood to the floor. “Clean up, then get your asses to the warehouse. This doesn't happen here.”
West groans, “Bastard.” But he’s smirking as I chuck him the dirty rag. He rubs his jaw. “Still got a mean right hook.”
“You think Ace is the mole?” I growl, hating that it could be him.
“Fuck if I know, but first we need to see if what Bee is saying is right. Be ready to ride in five.”
The warehouse is all set up, plastic covering the floor, two chairs sat in the middle, my array of tools, mostly knives, all laid out. I hear West swallow and turn to see him eyeing me as I sharpen my knife on the wheel, swapping the side of the blade once I’ve got the perfect rough edges. I use the leather belt to sharpen it further. I don’t stop until I know it’s razor sharp.
The sharpness of the blade digs slightly into my tongue as I hold it there. No one should try this, but after years, I know exactly what I am doing. I watch as West looks on with almost sick fascination as I run it down my arm. It takes the hair away as if it were a razor. He swallows hard, which makes me smirk.
Then the sounds of two bikes rumble.
“Play time.”
We both pull open a heavy door. Reaper and Ace ride straight in. At the sight of me, Ace does a double take, and I see the sweat already starting to drip down his temple as he turns his bike off. Getting off, he gives us a chin lift, not taking his eyes off any of us.
“What's this about?” he asks, pulling up his jeans. My eyes watch his fingers. When they don’t go for his piece, I walk over, taking it out and chucking it to West. Where I’m good with a knife, his specialty is the bullet. He can hit a moving target blindfolded.
“Anything else you’re hiding, Ace?” I ask, already knowing he has another piece in his boot and a knife in the other.
He nods, bending down before handing over his stuff.
“Someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” he questions, his gaze going straigh
t to Reap. They’ve been friends for years, but Reaper’s face is stone cold, no emotion playing over his features. He’s not even blinking.
We all turn when we hear the sound of a car approaching. High-beams fill the barn, and Rhonda gets out of the car.
Bee gets out the other side, her eyes widening as she sees us all standing around.
Rhonda smiles at Reaper. “Got her here.” She smirks, like she didn’t just walk her best friend into the lion's den, before she slides back into the car and peels out.
“Bitch!” Bee screams as dust circles her. She turns, facing us, then rolls her shoulders back, a sweet smile on her face. “Hey, boys.” She waves before walking toward Ace, whose eyes have narrowed on her.
“What the fuck have you done?” he growls, shaking his head as he turns to Reaper. “Look, I’m getting her sorted. I know you don’t do drugs around the club, but I swear I am getting her clean.” Bee rolls her eyes like she's heard this a thousand times.
West raises his brow, taking in the information. We sell drugs—half the country is supplied by us—but Reaper never lets the brothers have it in the clubhouse. How can you protect the club if you’re face down in the snow, too high to even know your own name?
“Take a seat.” West points to the two wooden chairs. Bee’s eyes widen as she stands closer to Ace. “Did I fucking stutter?” West growls.
Ace looks toward Reaper.
“You heard him.” He leans against the wall, sparking up a cigarette.
Ace curses as he steps on the plastic before taking a seat.
The three of us stand in line, watching them.
“Been hearing some things—you riding with the Phoenix boys.” Reaper’s voice is low, almost as if he sounds bored, but there’s no mistaking the tension in his body, how he’s holding back.