by Harley Wylde
“Let him stay,” Luciana said, her accent thicker than usual. It was a clue to just how worried she was right then.
“All right. You can stay, Teller, but not in this damn room.”
He gave me a salute and walked off. I took Luciana’s hand and kissed it.
“I’m fine,” I assured her.
“They said you lost a lot of blood. I saw it! You’re not fine. You’re pale and you could have died!”
“Luciana, my life is dangerous. I’m the President of this club and that means I have to take certain risks. But I’ll try to delegate more of those jobs to the others. I know you need me and I don’t want to leave this earth too soon. I can’t promise I’ll never get shot again.”
“When that man came and told me you’d been hurt, I think my heart stopped,” she said. “I know we’re still strangers for the most part, but it scared me. I already care about you, Trent. I don’t want to lose you.”
I kissed her hand again. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
“You should rest,” she said. “I’ll make some soup when you wake up. Or maybe I should check with a doctor? I don’t know what to do for you.”
“Some Tylenol would be a good start,” I said.
She nodded and eased off the bed, careful not to jostle me. She retrieved the bottle from the bathroom, then walked out only to return a few minutes later with a glass of water. I took the pills from her and swallowed them, then guzzled the rest of the cool liquid in the glass.
Luciana took the glass from me and I closed my eyes. I heard her walk out of the room once more, and that was the last conscious thought I had until after night had fallen. I didn’t know how I’d slept for so long, but the raised voices in the front of the house were enough to wake me. I groaned as I eased my legs over the side of the bed, then took a breath before rising to my feet. The room swayed, and so did I. After a moment, I took a hesitant step, then another. My head began to clear and even though I hurt like a bitch, I kept going, needing to find out what was going on.
When I got to the living room, it was to find Teller in front of a sobbing Luciana and my son, Ryker, yelling the damn house down. Like getting shot wasn’t bad enough! Now I had to deal with this shit. I leaned against the doorframe, more out of necessity than anything else.
“What the fuck is going on?” I asked, my voice not as loud or as strong as I’d have liked.
“You got shot,” Ryker said. “And this… this…” He waved a Luciana. “Wouldn’t let me see you. Since when do you keep whores in the house?”
I pushed off the doorframe and advanced into the room. I hauled back my fist and slammed it into my son’s jaw, then nearly passed the fuck out from the pain. Teller braced my weight as I glared at my son.
“That’s my wife, asshole. Watch your tongue.”
Ryker worked his jaw back and forth, then looked from me to Luciana and back again. “Is this some sort of joke? She’s younger than me!”
“And? What business is it of yours? Your life isn’t here anymore, Ryker. Hasn’t been for a while. I didn’t bitch at you about knocking up Laken. Not much anyway. I’m a grown-ass man, and your father. I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“I came to check on you because Slider said you were shot twice. Some warning I had a stepmother younger than myself or my wife would have been nice. You should sit down before you fall down.”
I grunted in agreement and Teller helped me over to the couch. I sat and propped my feet on the coffee table. Motioning to Luciana, I held her hand as she sat beside me.
“Ryker, this is Luciana. You don’t have to like the fact we’re married, but she’s not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to it. She’s also pregnant.”
Ryker blinked. Then blinked again. “You can’t have kids.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t claim this one,” I said.
“So some whore gets knocked up and you just…” Ryker didn’t get to finish his sentence before Teller hit him, landing a solid punch to my son’s gut. The kid cast a glance my way, clearly concerned that he’d just technically hit a club member, but my son needed to learn his place.
“Luciana isn’t a whore,” I said. “You know nothing about her or what she’s suffered. So why don’t you shut up before I let Teller knock your teeth down your throat? Not sure Laken would appreciate it if I sent you home all banged up.”
“This is bullshit,” he said, then glared at Teller. “I should call a vote to have you kicked out. You just assaulted a patched member of this club.”
Teller didn’t so much as flinch. “Go ahead.”
I snorted and coughed to cover my laugh. The kid had some balls, that was for certain. “Anyone asks, I authorized that hit,” I told him. “Ryker, I love you, but you’re a pain in my Goddamn ass right now. Where’s Laken and my grandson?”
“At home,” he said.
“Right. Home. As in not at the Hades Abyss compound. You might still wear the cut, but you haven’t been a true part of us for a while, son. You’re always welcome here, and I’m not going to ask you to remove that cut, but you don’t get a vote here anymore. You’re more Reaper than anything at this point.”
That made Ryker pause. “You wouldn’t be pissed if I asked to patch in with them? You said something before, but I didn’t think you meant it. You’d always wanted me to take over one day.”
“Nope. Been waiting on you to ask. The liaison thing was all bullshit, just a way to keep you down there for Laken’s sake. You don’t need an excuse anymore. They’ve welcomed you into the fold. If you want to be a Dixie Reaper, I won’t stand in the way.”
He nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
“Got a place to stay?” I asked.
“I put my bag in the guest room before your wife found me wandering the house and lost her shit.”
“Probably scared her,” I said. “She doesn’t do well around strange men.”
Ryker stared at Luciana hard, and after a moment his gaze softened. The look he gave me was one full of understanding, and I wondered if he’d put the pieces together. With Sofia at the Dixie Reapers, I knew that he had to know about Mateo Gomez by this point. He gave me a nod and eased down onto a chair across the room.
“I won’t stay long, but I had to make sure you were all right. I can head out tomorrow if you’d like, but I promised Gabriel I’d have his grandpa call and talk to him. He’s worried.”
“I’ll call him in a bit.” My stomach rumbled and Luciana made a sound of distress.
“I forgot to make the soup!” She shot up off the couch, but I grabbed her hand.
“It’s fine. Teller can run grab something for everyone. There’s a café on the other end of town that has good soup. He can grab me something there, and maybe a sandwich. Just tell him what you want to eat.”
“I’m supposed to take care of you,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “I’m failing as a wife.”
“No, you’re not. It’s been a long, stressful day for you. Sit and keep me company.”
She nodded and sat back down. After we all gave Teller our orders, he left and Ryker watched me and Luciana like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. I really did love my son, but I’d also been right when I called him a pain in my ass. He had been for as long as I could remember, but I was damn proud of him. He’d served his country, then came home and found a good woman and settled down. Even if he wasn’t here with me anymore, I knew he’d grown into a dependable man and a great father. It was all I could ask for.
Now I just had to hope I didn’t screw up the kid who hadn’t been born yet. The thought of fatherhood to a newborn in my sixties was damn terrifying. Luciana hadn’t said for certain she was keeping the kid, but the way she’d hesitated about me wanting to be a father again, I knew she was thinking about it. Or maybe she’d decided and just hadn’t come right out and said it yet.
My life was getting too fucking complicated.
Chapter Six
Luciana
&
nbsp; When the man had knocked on the door, I’d been too scared to open it. Then he’d said that Spider was hurt and I’d thrown open the door, no longer caring if the man posed a threat to me. All I knew was that if Spider was injured, then I needed to get to him. At the clubhouse, I’d seen the massive amount of blood and I’d worried that he would die. He was still paler than usual, even though it had been five days since the shooting. His son, Ryker, had come and gone, and I couldn’t exactly say I was sad to see him leave.
Spider was still taking it easy, but that was mostly due to me fretting over him. The looks he’d cast my way clearly said he’d rather be up and handling club business, but I’d pulled the “worried pregnant woman” card and I wasn’t ashamed of it in the least. It hadn’t taken me long to learn that he would do what he could to protect me, even if it meant keeping me as stress free as possible.
“Maybe you should go see your sister,” Spider suggested as he flipped through the channels on the TV.
“Are you trying to get rid of me so you can sneak away to the clubhouse?”
He gave me a sideways glance. “Maybe.”
“Dread said you needed to rest and heal. What part of that is so difficult for you?”
“The part where the asshole club that shot me is still out there. The part where I have no fucking clue what to do about your father and need to meet with Casper to discuss it. The part where I can’t stand sitting on the fucking couch watching movies all Goddamn day.”
I folded my arms and stared at him with my lips pursed. “Is that all?”
He snorted, then chuckled, only to wince in pain. It proved my point that he wasn’t ready to dive back into things headfirst, but I knew he was a stubborn man. A proud man, not being able to handle everything was bothering him. He was a leader, but the kind who liked to get his hands dirty. I was learning that Spider would never ask one of his men to do something he himself wasn’t prepared to do, or that he hadn’t already done in the past.
“Is it so horrible?” I asked.
“What? Being shot?”
“Staying here with me all day,” I said softly.
His gaze locked on me and he reached out a hand, beckoning for me to come closer. I carefully sat next to him, not want to make him hurt more than he already did. Spider reached up and loosened my bun, wrapping the length of my hair around his fingers. I’d noticed he seemed fascinated with it, which was the only reason I hadn’t cut it off yet.
He gave my hair a tug and I leaned in closer. When his lips brushed against mine, I couldn’t hold back my sigh of pleasure. I’d been so careful not to do anything that might hurt him, but I’d missed his kisses. I worried about him pulling or ripping his stitches, but as his mouth moved against mine, everything faded away except the taste and feel of him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant to make you feel like I don’t want to be here with you.”
“I know you didn’t exactly choose me, that I was forced on you, but I care about you, Trent. I don’t like seeing you in pain, and I’m worried you’ll hurt yourself more if you don’t slow down and rest.”
His thumb caressed my jaw. “Whether I planned to claim you or not, you’re mine. That means I have a responsibility to not just keep you safe, but I want you to be happy too. I didn’t care with Ryker’s mom, and that’s on me. I was young and stupid. I also felt like she trapped me with her pregnancy. I went into this thing with you with my eyes wide open, Luciana. I’m here because I want to be.”
“I like having you home,” I admitted. “Even if we just watch movies or take a nap together. It’s nice having you close.”
“Then I’ll take as much time as Dread suggests and we’ll spend those days together. Maybe we can even leave the compound and do something that doesn’t require a lot of activity. With my advanced years I can see why everyone is so worried.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If you hadn’t been shot twice, I’d be tempted to hit you right now. Advanced years? Really?”
He grinned and I knew he’d said it on purpose, knowing how much it irritated me. Ryker had made a huge deal of the age difference between us, and I’d watched it take a toll on Spider. While he was quick to say he was too old for me, I knew it hurt to hear someone else voice that same opinion. It had to be weird knowing his dad would be raising another kid, one younger than Ryker’s own son, but it hadn’t been enough reason for him to be so rude.
The longer I lived with Spider, the more I found myself speaking out about what I wanted. Not just with the man I was married to, but with the others as well. When Ryker had shown up and gotten loud with me, I hadn’t cowered, though that might have had something to do with the fact his dad had been shot and I was too worried about Spider to think about being afraid of everyone else. But I knew a good dose of my confidence just had to do with being out from under my father’s thumb. I’d noticed some changes in Violeta as well. The good kind.
“I don’t like being cooped up in the house,” he said. “We should go somewhere. Is there anything you need?”
I fingered my hair. “I’d thought of getting a haircut.”
He stared at my long tresses and a look of longing crossed his face.
“But since you seem to like it so much, I guess I’ll keep it the way it is,” I said.
“No. If you want to get it cut, then you should. I’m not going to dictate how you style your hair, or what clothes you wear. I want you to do whatever makes you happy, Luciana.”
“Being with you is what makes me happy,” I said. “You’ve given me a home, Spider. A place where I feel safe.”
He grumbled.
“Sorry. Trent. It’s just… you don’t seem like a Trent to me. Spider suits you.”
“If you would prefer to call me Spider, that’s fine. But you’re welcome to call me Trent when it’s just us.” He placed a hand over my belly. “I should take you to the doctor. Make sure everything’s all right.”
“I think you need more time at home before we venture out anywhere. I know you think you’re invincible, but you aren’t.”
“Luciana --”
I held up my hand. “What happens to me and this baby if you die? I know you think everyone will let us stay here, will take care of us, but they’ll pick a new President, right? What if he doesn’t want us here?”
He just stared and didn’t say anything. I licked my lips and leaned in a little closer.
“Spider, I need you. But it’s more than that. I want you. You make me feel safe, feel special. No one’s ever treated me the way you do, or made me feel the things I feel around you.”
He tugged my face toward his and kissed me again.
“I don’t deserve you,” he said.
“How much are you hurting right now?” I asked.
“Not much.”
I pulled away and studied him. He was a liar, but I knew he’d never admit to being in pain. Maybe I could take his mind off his wounds for a bit. I knelt between his legs. Slowly, I opened his pants and pulled out his cock. His heated gaze tracked my movements as I stroked his shaft. If cocks could be described as pretty, Spider’s would be beautiful. I leaned down and lapped at the head before sucking him into my mouth. He groaned and his hand went to my hair, fisting the strands as I wrapped my tongue around him and sucked long and hard. It felt like forever since he’d been inside me, but I didn’t want to chance him straining himself or popping his stitches.
I cupped his balls and rolled them in my hand as I licked and teased him. He gave my hair a tug until I’d taken all of him, the head of his cock pushing against the back of my throat. He held me there and my eyes watered. His cock twitched and jerked in my mouth, then he pulled me off before urging me back down again. I let him control my motions and soon his pre-cum was liberally coating my tongue.
“So good,” he murmured. “That’s it, baby girl. Take every inch.”
I could tell he was close, so I sucked harder. It wasn’t long before he growled and jet after jet of his hot cum filled
my mouth. I swallowed it, then licked him clean.
“Bedroom,” he said.
“But we shouldn’t…”
He placed a finger over my lips.
“Bedroom, wife. We’ll work it out, but I’m not going to leave you unsatisfied.”
I nodded and rose to my feet. He still looked paler than usual and I knew he wasn’t healed enough for what he had in mind, but telling him that was useless. The man would do what he wanted, for the most part. I’d managed to keep him locked up in the house so far, but I knew time was running out. He’d eventually go back to the clubhouse and take care of business as usual, whatever that meant. I just hoped it didn’t involve more bullets.
I stayed close to his side in case he needed me, and when we got to the bedroom, I stripped off my clothes. He’d only been wearing jeans around the house since his T-shirts rubbed against his stitches. Spider quickly dropped them and kicked them away. He got on the bed and knelt, then patted the mattress.
I climbed onto the bed, but I didn’t know what he planned to do. With a nod of his head, he directed me to lie down in front of him. Stretching out, I bracketed his body with my thighs and watched to see what he’d do next. Spider reached into the bedside table drawer and pulled out… a pink vibrator?
“When did you get that?” I asked.
“Next Day shipping,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t properly take care of you for a bit longer. Didn’t seem fair to make you wait. If you like this one, I can order more.”
He turned on the toy, then parted the lips of my pussy. I gasped and my body tensed when he placed the vibrator against my clit. Spider chuckled and turned up the speed on the toy, causing me to squeal and arch off the bed. It was intense, too intense. I screamed as I came in less than a minute. He kept rubbing my clit with the buzzing pink silicone, turning it up even higher. It felt like my orgasm went on forever.
When I didn’t think I could take another moment, he pushed the toy inside me.