“Call it in Vachs, fill out the reports. It’ll be good for you to do this yourself for the first time. Call if you need me.” Wyatt waits for Vachs to give a nod before we head for Wyatt’s truck.
I hope to fuck my woman is strong enough to pull through. Though, I know her heart is bigger than this planet and her strength is beyond mine. The way she handles her life with me, our daughter, work, the MC, everything…leaving all of it behind would imbalance the shit out of human existence.
She needs to pull through.
The ride to the hospital is a blur, as is the doctor’s ramblings and the hours spent waiting for Bee to come out of surgery. One bullet caused some damage to her spleen they needed to repair but the bullet to her chest was a damn close call.
She’s still in a critical condition when I’m allowed to visit. She’s not conscious and seeing her with all the tubes, wires, surrounded by machines as beeping sounds fill the room is devastating. But she’s still here.
I place my hand over hers and feel her warmth. Her eyes are closed and her hair is a messy sea surrounding her face. The promise of bettering my life is right at my fucking lips but I know they’re just empty words, always falling out when it’s too late.
In times like this when life confronts you with the things you have, right when you’re about to let it slip through your fingers. It’s when you realize how fucking special, and how fucking good, your life really is until havoc tilts the world and everything lays scrambled at your feet.
So, instead of voicing the words I make a vow to myself to get my shit together. I have my priorities straight but falling into a routine to handle everything you need to do puts life on full speed. And I know time is limited and hitting the pause button every now and then won’t put life on hold completely; others will take over and keep things going. As we all will make sure to keep things going; together.
I bring her hand to my face to place a kiss on her knuckles. The cams we have set up in the clubhouse show how fierce she fought. There was no good outcome to the situation she was in. Letting Sven either take her as a hostage–or kill her on the spot–wasn’t an option for her. She took control exactly how she handles our lives.
I would have done the same thing; all my brothers would have too. She was raised in an MC and handles shit differently than any other woman. She fought. She survived. A smile spreads my face knowing she’s a survivor who will pull through. And I’ll be right by her side every step of the way to make sure she can catch her breath when needed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Four months later
– BEATRICE –
Running through the yard while a puppy is chasing me and the sound of Queenie’s giggles gives me the boost I need to keep going. Some might say I’m still recovering, but I actually feel great and the doctors said everyone has a different healing period. It’s all about angles, caliber, the path of the bullet, where your body was hit, and how badly the injury was and how your body reacts.
I’m at a point where I’m happy to still be breathing and enjoying every second of the day since I spent loads of time in bed and slowly getting back to the routine of things. I’m just thankful. Even more when I see Queenie take her first steps. My heart is full when I see Archer stepping into the backyard while his eyes are set on Queenie. One step after the other while she wobbles forward.
She’s enthralled by the puppy and I might think about getting us a dog ourselves, but I just found out this morning I’m eight weeks pregnant. With our lives being as hectic as they are, and new challenges lie ahead, it’s better to enjoy this puppy. Since it’s Vachs’ and we can snatch it to play with it whenever we want.
Archer catches Queenie right before her ass lands on the soft grass. “Hey, little one.” His eyes find mine and concern washes over his face when he sees I’m a little out of breath. “Are you okay?”
“Perfectly fine,” I tell him and tap Queenie’s tiny nose. “Such a big girl,” I praise.
“Are you sure?” he murmurs when at the same time Lynn appears and takes Queenie from Archer, holding her up in the air before hugging her close to blow a raspberry on her neck, making Queenie giggle.
“I don’t hear you asking your mother if she’s okay to hold Queenie. Or weeks ago, when we started to have sex,” I tell him in a judgmental tone, only meant for his ears.
He leans in close–and I’m fairly sure he’s keeping his hushed words from reaching his mother’s ears since she would smack him upside the head–as he says, “She was only shot in the hand, a mere scratch compared to your injuries. And I made damn sure to take you slow and sensually to give your body only the pleasure it can handle. I’ll never risk your safety ever again.”
I narrow my eyes but instead of replying to Archer, I direct my words at my mother-in-law. “Lynn, can you watch Queenie and Vachs’ puppy?”
Lynn wiggles her eyebrows. “Sure thing. Go get some, girl.”
The corner of my mouth twitches and I shake my head as I grab Archer’s wrist and drag him along with me. I hear a rumbled growl before his hands are on my waist to spin me around as he throws me over his shoulder.
Laughter trails behind us as he rushes into our house, up the stairs, and into our bedroom. Our laughter switches to lust when he lets me slide down his body. He takes my face in his hands and gives me a sweet and tender kiss. When he pulls back and I open my eyes there’s a difference in his whole demeanor. More menacing, determined, more…sexy.
“You’re saying you can handle everything?”
Why do I feel this is a trick question? But knowing Archer there’s no reason to hold back, no matter what answer I give him.
“I can. But are you up to giving me everything?” I taunt and take the hem of my shirt to drag it over my head.
Before it hits the floor, he’s already on me. His strong grip on my hips is there for a brief second until my ass is bouncing on the mattress. I reach behind me to unsnap my bra and throw it in his direction. Balancing myself on my elbows and watching as he slowly unbuckles his belt and slides it free from the loops of his jeans.
“Hands above your head, babe,” he demands and places one knee on the bed as I scoot up and slide my arms up for him to take.
Ever so gently he takes one wrist and captures it with his belt, easily restraining the other wrist along with it to tie me to the spindles of our bed. His heated gaze slides over my body. Fingers trailing a path over my collarbone, circling around my breasts as he slides down my belly.
There isn’t any hesitation or indication about the scars marring my skin; only love and lust is openly displayed between us. His fingers hook into my pants and he drags them down along with my panties. I’m completely naked while he’s still fully dressed.
He takes off his leather cut, taking his time to place it over the back of a chair in the corner. His shirt follows along with his boots and socks but his jeans stay on as he stalks back toward the bed. Wrapping his fingers around my ankles he spreads my legs and bends them slightly to allow himself a clear view of my pussy.
His hand slides over the thick bulge in his jeans, rubbing himself as he licks his bottom lip. Voice thick with lust he says, “Now there’s a sight. We might have been going slow the last few times since you were hurt but it ends today. No more slow and tender fucking, we’re saving that for anniversary shit.”
I don’t know if this is a threat or not, but the moment he bound my wrists is when my girly parts were doing a wave at the prospect of getting some raw and raunchy sex. There won’t be any complaints falling from my lips.
I’m holding my breath when he inches closer, his hands sliding up my legs and gently kneading as he comes closer to my center. The air rushes right out of me when his hot tongue spears my pussy. I moan his name but instantly curse when he lifts his head.
“Don’t move. And if you come too fast I swear I’ll suck more orgasm out of you until you can’t handle it anymore or if I’m fully sated enough to give you my cock, understand?”
His finger is sliding through my wetness, pressing circles around and over my clit. I know he asked me to agree to something but my main focus is the pleasure I’m currently experiencing. It’s for this reason I raise my hips to get more friction.
Instead of receiving what I’m craving for I get a hard slap on my pussy. A sting of heat tainted with pleasure flows through me making me gasp. My heart skips a beat and I glare at Archer’s challenging look.
One hand is sliding through my pussy, the other comes forward and the bastard tweaks my nipple before harshly kneading my breast. The assault from different sides makes me want to squirm but he will only up his game if I don’t follow his demand.
Sweat is forming on my forehead in an effort to stay still. The feel of his fingers teasing my slit and his tongue now tormenting my nipple are driving me closer to insanity. His mouth trails a path of kisses along my stomach before he suddenly shoves his hands underneath my legs and forces them toward my upper body, opening me up completely for his mouth.
“Archer!” I scream when he shakes his head like he can’t get enough and needs more as if his life depends on it.
The friction of his scruff is a full-on assault on my sensitive flesh, ripping an orgasm from my body. Long licks postpone my pleasure while he releases one leg to be able to pump two fingers inside me.
“Please,” I beg and pull on the restraints.
I don’t have a clue what I want but my plea doesn’t fall on deaf man’s ears when Archer surges up and rips his jeans open to palm his dick. His face is glistening from my pleasure while he stares down on me.
There are no words but so many emotions and intensity, it thickens the air around us. He slowly steps off the bed and while he lazily strokes himself he pushes his jeans down with the other hand before resuming his place between my legs.
He lets himself fall forward–planting one hand right next to my head–as if he needs to make a point of the fact there’s no escaping him. But even growing up I knew there wasn’t anyone else but him.
Our eyes would meet and the world would fall away, emotions flowing through me I couldn’t explain. We’ve learned to rely on each other in all ways and never lose sight of mutual priorities. The love we feel doesn’t need an explanation; it’s a sense of belonging where no one can get in between.
My mind is brought back to our intimacy when I feel my restrained wrists pull free. The hand giving me back my freedom slowly slides around my neck at the same time he taps the head of his dick on my clit. I gasp and curl my spine, pressing my breasts against his chest.
“There we go,” he grunts while he positions his dick at my entrance.
His fingers tighten, keeping me in place as he surges up, filling me in one stroke. The rumble of my moan vibrates against his palm.
“I fucking adore you,” he says through clenched teeth, barely keeping it together. His eyes meet mine. His thumb slides over my bottom lip as he croaks, “Someday, when your hair turned silver, we will still hold our love while our arms might seem too brittle. There won’t be any stopping us. The way we started, you and me against the world, consequences be damned…the wild ride that followed.”
He drags his dick from my body before sliding right back, the contact carrying a punch as his thrusts pick up speed.
“I don’t need shit money can buy because with you I got everything I want. Fuck. You feel good.”
We moan simultaneously. He suddenly slams his mouth over mine, his grip on my neck tightening as he presses his thumb against my jaw to guide my head as he thoroughly kisses me.
Low in my belly starts a burn, a craving to surrender to the hint of pleasure growing in my veins. This man possesses me completely. His love is on my breath as chills go up my spine while he sets my heart on fire. He swallows my screams of pleasure at the same moment I feel his dick thicken inside me as his release overtakes him.
He buries his face into the crook of my neck and tenderly strokes my neck as the both of us catch our breath. Falling to the side he lets his arm cover his eyes. I lift myself on my elbow and watch his colorful tattoos scattered across his muscled body.
“We’re pregnant,” I blurt without thinking.
A slow smile spreads his face before his arm falls away, his piercing eyes hit mine.
“Fuck, yeah,” he rumbles. “Reaching for the stars while we’re already in heaven.”
I can’t even blink before I’m on my back with him hovering over me.
“You make me so damn happy. The smile on your face when we start the day, watching you and our daughter and knowing the love this house is filled with when I come home is fucking perfection. You telling me we’re embracing new life is–”
He shakes his head and I watch how his eyes turn misty. Emotions clog my throat and I cup the side of his face.
He leans into my touch and I tell him with my voice loaded with emotion, “Living on the edge and playing with high stakes gives the thrill of living, but sharing life with you…embraced by love and strength…is safe and comfortable. You…me…our kids, this is where we belong.”
“We belong,” he echoes and kisses me so damn tenderly, it captures a heartbeat for a frozen moment to remember life is what you make it and how you should always follow your heart. We did.
Archer’s phone starts to ring with the ringtone he picked for Wyatt. This way he knows he can’t ignore his VP while he can let the other calls go unanswered. This is the reason Archer groans and slowly drags his body off the bed to go in search of his phone.
“I’m having a moment with my wife, so talk fast,” he grumbles.
His spine straightens and his eyes widen a fragment. I scoot to the edge of the mattress and hear him grunt as he listens to what Wyatt has to say.
“Fuck. Hadley is alone in the shop. She must be hurt if she isn’t answering,” he snaps.
I shake my head and am on my feet the next instant. “No, she isn’t. Vachs headed over about an hour ago. It’s why I was watching his puppy. He wanted another tattoo but didn’t know who to ask since you guys have a few artists working at the shop. I texted Hadley and she messaged back she didn’t have clients because she was about to close up and he could come over.”
“Did you hear that, brother?” Archer grunts and his eyes find the clock on the wall. “I’m heading over right now. Meet you there.”
He ends the call and grabs his jeans off the floor. “I need to head out. Someone drove a car through the shop window, fired a gun to make a quick exit.”
“Holy shit, who would do that?” I gasp and reach for my own clothes.
Archer’s face turns grim. “I’m going to find out.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
He’s putting on his boots, followed by his shirt and cut before he cups the side of my face and says, “See if you can pull some footage and get a head start on who we’re dealing with. I need to head over to the shop. Talk later.”
He crashes his mouth to mine for a quick kiss before he heads out the door and I let the words, “Talk later,” echo into an empty room.
Rushing to the living room, I grab my laptop and get to work. I guess life never holds back, always taking turns and pushing to the max. Our work is never done, and it’s another everlasting promise to always handle everything coming our way.
Our love holds strong, as does the brotherhood of Broken Deeds MC. This thought gives me the strength to focus and hope both Hadley and Vachs are okay, or pulling through if their lives are on the line.
EPILOGUE
Eight years later
– BEATRICE –
“Moooooooom,” Queenie yells from downstairs.
I jolt up and find myself alone in bed. Archer must have gone to work already. There’s a case he’s working on requiring the attention of every biker of Broken Deeds MC. I don’t even know if he got to bed last night, maybe he and the guys worked through the night.
“Mom?” Queenie’s voice rings through the air again.
Curses rip from my mouth when I hit my little toe on the door jamb. Was the opening of this freaking door always this small? Mothertrucker, how is that even possible? I scold myself for being an idiot for a few more breaths while handling my business.
Right. An empty roll of toilet paper. Does anyone in this household ever replace it with a new roll? Come on, dammit, why does it always have to be me? There better be coffee when I get downstairs or Broken Deeds MC will be hunting my ass next if I have to go on a killer spree to get some caffeine. This day sucks big time and I’ve barely opened my eyes.
My phone indicates I have a message and I shoot Vachs a quick reply. Every biker knows how to find me when they need help, and not just for computer stuff either. As long as I can multitask, there’s no reason to complain; Broken Deeds MC is a well-oiled machine when it comes to solving cases.
I shove one leg through my favorite jeans and can barely steady myself to prevent from faceplanting when I shove my other leg through the opening. I’m better off staying in bed on days like these.
“Mommy,” our seven-year-old son says as he steps inside.
My eyes hit his sweet face. With his dark hair he’s the spitting image of his father.
He holds his hands out and this right here is what makes my heart smile. And it’s not about the cup of coffee he’s holding out for me to take. It’s his goofy grin and the sweet realization my favorite people know to surprise me with the essential things in life.
And right now, I need a hug from my little man more than coffee. I drop to my knees, take the coffee and place it beside me, and hold out my arms. He launches himself right at me. I breathe him in and my grumpiness of the turmoil of getting up fades.
“Mommy snuggles rule,” Hunter whispers as his tiny arms tighten around me. “No more,” he suddenly says and pulls away to stare at me with wide eyes. “Daddy made pancakes. Queenie is going to eat them all.”
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