by Madison Faye
“We’ve got all night, love.”
She blinks, and I freeze.
“I mean that in the British way,” I grunt. “Like, el-you-vee—”
“I love you,” she whispers breathlessly, her eyes wide.
I don’t have to think about it. I don’t have to dwell, or weigh it out. The truth is, I knew it the second I laid eyes on her across that dark diner.
“I love you too,” I growl, scooping her into my arms and pushing her back on the bed. My cock throbs hard as I slide between her legs, and she moans as she wraps them around me.
“So much for killing the mood, huh?” she breathes.
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to do better than that.”
She giggles, and when my cock slides against her opening, she gasps. I roll onto my back, her on top of me, and when she slides down onto me, and when the pleasure melts over her face, I know without a shadow of doubt that I’ll protect this woman with every single fiber of my being, forever.
Because I love her.
Chapter Fourteen
Delphine
“Hey, you,” I murmur, feeling Oliver slide up behind me. I’m on the front porch of his cabin, on the compound campus of his… well, his club. His gang? Honestly, I’m not actually sure what the terminology is.
“So this place…” I snuggle back into him, my eyes moving over the collection of buildings in the clearing in the woods. The biggest of them looks like an old airplane hangar, and the stretch of concrete leading out of it and off across the cleaning and into the woods backs that up, as it kind of looks like a runway.
Next to the hangar is a big garage; the bay doors are open and there’s a collection of bikes inside in various states of repair and assembly. Around the perimeter of the clearing tucked into the tree line and spaced well apart, are the cabins—the places the “members” all live.
“You can just say club,” Oliver chuckles deeply, leaning in to kiss my neck.
“So, ‘gang’ is too…?”
“Devious sounding,” he growls with a grin. “And not really what this is. We’re not dealing drugs up here or running guns or any of that shit. No pimping girls, none of that old-school misogyny shit.”
“So I’m not your old lady?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
I laugh, turning in his arms. “So that’s what I am, huh?” I tease.
His eyes spark as they drink me in. “Nah, love,” he purrs. “You’re just mine.”
I lean up on my tiptoes as he leans down to pull me into him. Our lips touch and then melt together, crushing hard against each other as I lose myself in our kiss. I pull away just as something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turn and startle at the site of two other people a few hundred feet away on the porch of another cabin—a huge, built and handsome blond guy that looks like an all-American football-jock type, and a gorgeous blonde woman in his arms.
The man is shirtless, the both of them sipping coffee as she sinks back into his arms. But suddenly they both turn our way, and I blush in embarrassment. They both grin, and the guy nods his chin in recognition at Oliver, who nods back.
“And her?” I whisper, thoroughly embarrassed to have been caught like this. I mean I’m dressed at least, but I’m wrapping in a blanket shamelessly making out with Oliver. “She an ‘old lady’ too?”
Oliver chuckles. “She’s a Lost Devil, actually.”
My brows arch. “Really?”
“Really. Like I said, none of that old-school misogyny shit. This isn’t exclusively a boys club.”
“And him?”
“Our Vice President, Rowan. Lucy’s his wife.” I blink in surprise, and Oliver chuckles. “I’m blowing your mind and ruining everything you think you know about motorcycle clubs, aren’t I?”
“I mean, yeah?” I giggle. “Sort of? But I like it.”
“Good,” he growls, pulling me close. Our lips melt together again, and this time, I just sink into him. When we finally come up for air, Rowan and Lucy are nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, what time is it?”
Oliver frowns and pulls away to stick his head back inside for a second.
“Half-past.”
“Seven?”
He grins, shaking his head. “Eight.”
“Shit!”
He frowns in concern, and I groan.
“I have to work this morning, at the diner. I’m on at ten. Shit!” my face scrunches up. “What’s the drive-time back to Dark Water Falls?”
“Two hours, but I can get you to the diner by ten. Ready?”
I pause, realizing this moment is about to break—realizing this little escape from my life is about to be over, putting me right back into the reality of my situation. Last night was reckless, in terms of staying out all night. But I’d texted Bryce that work went late, and I’d be staying at Scarlett’s place. Also, I checked his Instagram and saw the bunches of new pictures posted of him at some crappy bar getting shit-faced with a bunch of strung-out looking girls. So, chances are he spent the night snorting drugs and trying to screw addicts anyways.
“This isn’t over, you know,” Oliver says quietly, like he’s reading my thoughts. “I mean you and me, here?” he shakes his head. “This ain’t a one-time thing, and we both know it.”
“I think that’s pretty clear by now,” I murmur, sinking into him and leaning in to kiss him again. “Just, this place…” I smile wryly. “It feels like an escape, being here.”
He grins. “Why do you think I live here?”
I smile back, and he kisses me again.
“So, come live here.”
I look down.
“We both know it’s more complicated than that,” I say softly.
He nods. “C’mon, let’s get you to work.”
Five minutes later, the bike is rumbling to life under us, and we’re roaring off from that wooded hideaway back into the real world.
My heart is still racing like crazy as I step off the back of Oliver’s bike. I swallow, my legs shaking as I look into his grinning face.
“What did I say?” he grins.
I laugh nervously. Holy shit, what a rush. We made it here in what has to be some kind of land speed record, and even though I clung to him for dear life the whole ride and felt like my heart was going to burst form the pure adrenaline rush, I never felt unsafe. I felt completely protected, and that he was perfectly in control.
“Thanks,” I whisper, leaning in before I remember I’m standing outside of where I work, in broad daylight. But we both freeze like that, an inch apart, our lips aching to touch and our eyes burning pure desire into each other’s.
“Oh fuck it,” Oliver growls, and with a gasp from my lips, he closes the distance and kisses my mouth hard.
I moan, melting into him, my arms circling him, hands clinging to his leather jacket as he scoops me against him. My lips part for his tongue, and I whimper as he kisses me hard and bruisingly, like he wants to make sure my mouth never forgets his. I lose myself in him, kissing him for what feels like an eternity before I pull away, gasping and shivering with heat.
…And that’s when I hear the whistle.
With a gasp, I whirl, and suddenly, my whole world turns cold. My vision swims, my heart sinks, and it’s like I can’t breathe.
Twenty feet away from us, leaning over the passenger seat of his crappy car and leering through the rolled-down window with a grin on his face, is Jay Morrison—Barnes’s second-in-command.
Oh God.
“Oh wow,” he laughs, shaking his head. “With this fucking English dickhead?” He lets out another howl of laughter. “Oh you stupid, stupid bitch.”
Oliver snarls, but Jay just cackles, grinning at us.
“You two are fucked, you know. Fuckin’ fucked. You?” He nods at me, though I can barely see through my blurry vision and the gasping for air.
“Oh Barnes is gonna make you pay for this, you slut. And you?” He leers at Oliver whose arm is still arou
nd me. “Barnes is gonna skin you alive, you dumb fuck. Alive.”
He laughs again, shaking his head before he suddenly perks up even more. His eyes swivel back to me, and they narrow dangerously.
“Guess we need to pay Grandma a visit, huh?”
My entire world breaks, and I barely realize I’m screaming as I drop to my knees right there in the parking lot. Oliver roars, but Jay just flips him off and guns the engine, pulling out of the parking lot and speeding away.
I’m gasping for air on the ground as big, strong hands pull me up and huge arms wrap tight around me, pulling me into his chest. Tears stream down my face against his t-shirt as my lungs heave for air.
“Oh God! Oh God! Oh God—”
I pull away from him and yank my phone out. My hands shake as I jab my Grams’s number and pull the phone to my ear, but I don’t even get a ringtone, just straight to voicemail. I sob and dial again, but it’s the same outcome. That’s when I lose it and collapse into his arms, just as I hear the door to the diner slam open.
“Delphine!”
I whirl to see Scarlett rushing towards me. She obviously recognizes Oliver, but aside from a flicker of “oh really” in her eyes, she doesn’t say a thing. She just rushes over to me and throws her arms around me as I turn into her.
“They—they—!” I sob into her. “My Grams, they—Barnes—”
“I saw everything, hon,” she says quietly, holding me tight.
“We can protect her” Oliver growls, his voice edged. “My club, I mean.”
I turn to him, my eyes wide. “She’s not answering her phone.”
He snarls, yanking his phone out. “Where does she live?”
“Where’s your club?” Scarlett says without blinking an eye.
Oliver frowns, but I nod. “She’s okay.”
“Right outside Blackthorn Mountain, past Loggersville.”
Scarlett frowns and shakes her head. “They won’t get to her in time. She’s in Pineboro, other side of Dark Water Falls.”
The world starts to spin again as the panic begins to reach up to claw at my throat. Oliver growls, moving in to catch me before I can fall and pulling me into his arms.
“Fuck it, I’m calling them—”
“I’ll be faster.”
We both turn to Scarlett.
“What?” I whisper.
She swallows, nodding. “I’ll be faster. C’mon, girl, you’ve seen me drive. I can be there in twelve minutes.”
“Twelve minutes might be too—”
“Your friends gonna get there sooner from two hours away?” She snaps at Oliver before she frowns and looks down. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be,” he grunts. “You should go.”
She looks up at me, and I swallow.
“Scarlett, Barnes’s guys, they’re…”
“I’m a big girl,” she says tightly, though I can see the fear on her face.
“I’ll go with you.”
I blink and turn to look up into Oliver’s eyes. “No, that’s—”
“Of course I am, love,” he says quietly. “I’ll make sure your Grams gets back to the club, and then I’ll come get you.”
“Not here,” Scarlett says tightly. “If this goes bad, Barnes will come here for her.” She frowns and fishes into the pocket of her uniform dress. “Here.”
She presses a set of keys into my hands.
“Take my car, go to my place, keep the lights off and just lay low, okay?”
I nod. “Scarlett, I don’t know how to—”
“Hey,” she smiles. “What are friends for?” She turns her gaze to Oliver, and her face hardens. “Ready?”
“Let’s roll,” he growls before suddenly he frowns. “Shit. I’ve just got my bike, and we need to get your grandmother too—”
“Take my car.”
All three of us startle as we turn back to the diner’s front door. And standing there looking grim, holding a set of keys out, is Martin, the Rosebud regular, with Lester and Cobb salad Tom standing behind him looking equally serious.
“Martin?” I breathe.
“I don’t stick my neck into people’s shit very often,” he growls. “But we couldn’t help but catch some of that from our booth by the window.” He frowns. “That asshole in the car, he works for Bryce Barnes, right?”
I nod, chewing at my lip.
Martin scratches his grizzled chin. “Barnes trying to hurt your Grams?”
I look down. “It’s… yeah, I mean, it’s complicated—”
“Don’t sound too complicated,” he grunts before he nods at Oliver. “You need to move if Barnes is headed to her grandmother’s place. Take my car.” He tosses Oliver the keys, and then nods across the lot at the sleek, gleaming black vintage Charger.
“She can move, trust me,” he grunts.
Oliver’s brow perks. “You’re sure?”
“Sure as shit, English. Now get fucking going.”
I frown, looking at Martin. “Why—”
“Because we like you, kid,” Tom grunts from behind him. “And because every time I see some new kid in AA crying about buying drugs from that Barnes motherfucker, I want to put my hands around his fuckin’ neck.” He scowls. “S’cuse the language.”
“Get going,” Martin grunts, nodding at Oliver and Scarlett. “We’ll make sure Delphine get’s back to your place and stays safe there.”
“The Rosebud—”
Scarlett frowns at me. “Val’s inside and saw it all, too. She can handle it alone.” She turns to Oliver. “Alright pretty boy, you ready?”
He nods, and turns back to me, wrapping me in his arms tight.
“We’ll get her, we’ll bring her to the club, and she’ll be safe, I promise.”
I nod, my heart racing, and Oliver looks up at my three retired regulars.
“If anything happens to—”
“Hey, English,” Martin grunts. “I survived three tours of Nam. I think I can handle some small-town fuck-wit with daddy issues.”
Oliver grins before he turns, leans down, kisses me deeply, and pulls away.
“I’ll call when she’s safe.”
I nod, gripping his hand before he and Scarlett turn and dash across the lot to the Charger. Oliver gets behind the wheel, and Martin’s car roars to life before Oliver takes it out of the lot and opens it up. The beast of a car blasts like a bat out of hell down the road, my heart racing as if I were right there in it.
“I’ll tell you what,” Martin chuckles. “If anything happens to that car, I’m gonna have to kick your boyfriend’s tea-sippin’ ass.”
I laugh, which feels weird given the circumstances, but it feels good.
Martin sighs. “Alright, sweetheart. Let’s get you hid.”
Chapter Fifteen
Delphine
By nightfall, it feels like I’ve run ten marathons in a single day. In reality, I’ve just been mostly pacing Scarlett’s apartment, feeling sick, and worried, and beside myself. But at last, the anxiety is going down.
Grams is safe with Oliver’s club. He hasn’t given me the details, but apparently, Grams took care of herself just fine before Oliver and Scarlett got there. They arrived to find a trail of blood from her front door to a set of tire skid marks on the road outside of her house, and one of Barnes’s guys half-dead holding a shotgun wound to his ass.
My Grams is a bad ass. Maybe I should have been clearer about that before.
So Grams, her cat Jeff, an overnight bag, and her Remington pump-action are now safe and sound with a bunch of bikers up at Blackthorn Mountain. Scarlett’s staying with her, and Oliver should be back here any minute. And when he does, I think I’ll finally be able to breathe again.
Barnes has called me about four-hundred times, and sent me about a million texts, getting progressively more and more furious and unhinged. The last one just says, “IM GONNA CUT UR FUCKN HEAD OFF WHORE.” Val texted me earlier that he and his guys came into the Rosebud screaming for blood. But Val’s a fantastic actress
, apparently, and convinced them that she’d never seen me today.
Luckily, Barnes isn’t smart enough to come looking at Scarlett’s house, but if he had, I’m actually pretty sure I’d have been fine. Martin, Lester, and Tom have been camped out in Tom’s old pickup out front drinking coffee and brandishing hunting rifles all afternoon and evening until Oliver gets back.
As if on cue, I hear the thundering roar of Martin’s Charger. I go to the window and peek through the blinds to see it come whipping around a corner and to a stop behind Tom’s truck. The guys get out as Oliver does, and Martin shakes his hand firmly and nods towards the house. He does a walk-around of his car, and then grins at Oliver with a nod.
The men shake hands again, and then Tom and Lester drive off in the truck, with Martin following in his muscle car. I go to the door and fling it open as Oliver steps up onto the porch.
“Hey you,” I whisper.
“Hey, love,” he growls. And a second later, he’s scooping me into his arms and kissing me with everything he has as he carries me inside the house and kicks the door shut.
“Wait, wait,” I gasp, grinning as I pull away from him. “Tell me again about my grandmother shooting a guy?”
He chuckles, setting me down. “Two guys. She says she caught one in the side, but he managed to get himself back to the car and drive off. No idea what happened to him, but my guys are checking area hospitals for shotgun wound check-ins.” He grins. “She caught the second geezer in the arse, and Scarlett and I caught him crying his eyes out in the bushes outside your Grams’ house.”
I laugh, throwing my head back and truly really laughing. And it feels great.
“And she’s okay with your friends?”
“She announced she was cooking chili for the whole crew, slapped Bishop on the arse, and then asked Shepherd if he was going to be her ‘bunkmate’ for the night.” Oliver snickers. “I think she’s going to fit in just bloody fine.”
I giggle, the tension evaporating off of me as I sink back into his arms.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “Really, I can’t even—”