by Elle Rease
Will she ever comprehend what he saw in her?
Her skin has always been pale and she was of the opinion that her green eyes were too big, framed by comically long lashes. Her jet-black hair brought out the pink in her lips. If it wasn’t for her height, she would’ve looked like some fragile Disney princess, like Snow White. Luckily, she’s always believed in strength and not being afraid to show it.
She pulled her locks out of the elegant bun she’d had it in for work. Now, more than ever, her leather apparel complimented her appearance. She left the clip on the edge of the basin, going to the toilet to relieve herself and then returning to wash her hands.
“You can do this,” she whispered to her reflection. With a determined nod, she exited the restroom and sauntered outside. Brennan was leaning against the Harley and looked up as she arrived, his gaze darkening. “Can I ride again?”
He didn’t reply. He grabbed her hand and jerked her into his arms, keeping her close to him. Then he tilted her head back and claimed her mouth. Without using words, he let her know how much he appreciated her commitment.
Cinnia melted, giving in. Sure, she had a shit time to look forward to where her family and the club were concerned, but at least Brennan would more than make up for it.
“You’re going to make us late, woman,” he mumbled on her lips.
“You attacked me,” she giggled.
“You’re fucking sexy. I can’t help it.” Sighing, he lifted her onto the driver’s seat and rummaged in the pannier again. He handed a hair tie over. “I don’t want your hair whipping me in the face.”
She huffed dramatically, happy that she got a smile from him, and braided her hair, tying it at the end. “Better?”
“Hell yes.”
She took the keys from him and started the engine. “Brennan?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to regret this?” she asked as she put her helmet on.
He mounted behind her and spanked her thighs. “Probably,” he joked.
“Well, then I hope I’m worth the wait.”
“As soon as we get back home, I’ll find out.”
She got goose bumps from that sultry promise. Donning her sunglasses, she muttered: “Okay, then. Let’s go.”
Chapter Three
Riding into her hometown was such a strange experience: it appeared to be the same, but she was different. Brennan had decided to give her a scenic route, guiding her by a simple tap on her right or left leg. She found it amazing that she hasn’t forgotten any of these subliminal signals.
He took her past her old high school, as well as the sports grounds where they’d had their first kiss. She saw the main park where the club held most of its fundraisers. There was a mall where her favorite farmer’s market used to be, the latter having moved to the edge of town.
They ended up at the hospital, and Cinnia felt extremely nervous as she cut the engine. She did her usual post-ride stretches, mostly stalling. She handed his keys back and loosened her hair after she’d taken the helmet off.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” She kicked a loose pebble into the nearby garden. “Do they still… talk about me?”
Brennan was quiet for a while, staring at the hospital’s entrance. “Your mom does, yeah, when your dad’s not around. Teagan doesn’t talk much, either way.”
“I haven’t really been a good sister or daughter.”
“There’s still time to make up for it.” He held his hand out to her. “Come on, you can’t put it off forever.”
“Maybe you should let me try,” she mumbled, allowing him to drag her inside.
“I’m too scared you’ll find a way to pull it off,” he chuckled. “While we’re here, I think we should take STD tests.”
She snatched her hand out of his grip, glaring. “Excuse me?”
“Oh Jesus, Cinnia,” he muttered, frustrated. “Look, that wasn’t meant as an insult, okay? I just… can’t use condoms, and I know that you’ll have a mouthful to say if I asked you to have sex with me without one, since you think I’m this huge playboy. I was only trying to set your mind at ease, to show I’m clean.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry, I read that wrong.”
“You always jump to conclusions.”
“You don’t have to rub my nose in it.” She looked at him. “And what do you mean, you can’t use condoms? Are you allergic to latex or something?”
He took a deep breath, glancing around for, presumably, eavesdroppers. “No, I’m not allergic. I have a piercing.”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big…” She shook her head disbelievingly. “You’ve got a cock piercing? Since fucking when?”
“A year ago,” he replied. “Can you keep your voice down?”
She stared at his crotch, as if she would be able to see it, the longer she looked. “Why’d you get one?”
“I heard it heightens pleasure for both parties.”
“And? Does it?”
He smirked. “I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”
“Jeez, Brennan. Talk about making me curious about your cock.”
“That was my aim, lass. So, will you object to the STD test?”
She shook her head slowly. “Do you want to get that out of the way now?”
He thought about that for a while, then nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that first. I’m sure we’ll get the results in an hour or so, so that gives you enough time to say hi to your dad.”
She followed him absently, still reeling from the knowledge of his Prince Albert piercing. She’d always assumed that Brennan would bring all of her darkest fantasies to light, and she’s just received confirmation.
“Hey, Jemma.”
His greeting shook her out of her reverie. She blinked at the nurse and gasped once she recognized her as one of the girls from Brennan’s graduate group.
“Back again, Bren?” Jemma laughed huskily, looking sexy as hell with her thick blonde fringe and kohl-rimmed eyes. She probably wasn’t allowed to wear makeup, but that wasn’t stopping her. She spotted Brennan’s tag-along and the smile disappeared, replaced by shock. “Cinnia?”
Lifting her hand in an awkward wave, Cinnia said: “Hey, Jem.”
“Jesus Christ!” Jemma glanced between Brennan and Cinnia. “Holy fucking shit, Bren! She’s back?” She turned to Cinnia. “I mean, you’re back?”
“I am,” Cinnia confirmed, at the same time Brennan said: “She is.”
“Fuck me!” Jemma exclaimed. “Now I’ve seen it all!”
“To be sure, you’re… happy I’m back?” Cinnia asked hopefully.
Jemma threw her head back and cackled loudly. “Oh wow, yes! If only because things have been quite boring here lately, and you’ll provide decent entertainment.” She walked around the counter of the nurses’ station to give Cinnia a big hug. “Don’t expect the same welcome from everyone, though.”
“Brennan’s given me the low-down, thanks.”
“So, what can I do for you?” She giggled knowingly. “Let me guess, Bren: you want an STD test.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “We both do, Jem.”
Jemma gaped at Cinnia. “You mean, you’re not a virgin anymore?”
“Just a precaution,” Brennan insisted, stepping in front of Cinnia. “I’d appreciate it if you’re more respectful to my old lady.”
“Sorry, Bren,” Jemma said, clearing her throat. “Come along, then. There’s an open room I can use for the two of you.” She handed Cinnia a clipboard. “Please fill that in. Oh, and I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”
“Thanks,” Cinnia whispered. She trailed behind the two friends, keeping her eyes on the questionnaire and ticking the relevant boxes. She had no doubt that doctor-patient confidentiality didn’t exist in the Raptors MC. By the end of the night, the whole club was going to know about Cinnia’s sexual history. No
t that there’s much to write home about, she thought idly.
Brennan chatted lively while Jemma dabbed his arm with alcohol and searched for a vein so she could draw blood. He glanced at Cinnia every once in a while, as if to make sure she was okay, but she was too busy trying to catch up with years’ worth of news she’d missed. It sounded like Jemma had two kids already. When had that happened? Had Cinnia really been on her own station for so long that she’s missed these important pieces of information?
“Your turn,” Jemma declared, shifting to Cinnia. “Give me your left arm.”
Cinnia complied.
“You’ve got a bit of a sunburn,” Jemma commented. “Long ride?”
“Yeah, and I didn’t really think about sunscreen at the time.”
Jemma went through the usual process. Cinnia didn’t even feel the prick of the needle. “You look exactly the same, you know.”
“I don’t think so,” Cinnia said, blushing.
“No, you do. You’re still the innocent-looking beauty of the Sloane household.”
“I’m not sure how to respond to that.”
“Look, Cin, I’m not your enemy.” Jemma got the sample she needed and pressed a piece of cotton wool on Cinnia’s small wound. “Things are going to be difficult, given the way you left and the reason for you coming back, but I’m not holding it against you.” She laughed softly. “Heck, sometimes I wish I’d taken the chance, especially when the kids get really loud.”
“Thank you, Jemma.”
“I’ll be here for you if you need anyone.” She put a strip of tape over the cotton wool and fixed Cinnia with a serious stare. “That being said: if you hurt Brennan again, I will hunt you down and kill you. He’s been through enough shit. Got it?”
Cinnia swallowed nervously and avoided Brennan’s gaze. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Alrighty, that’s all I need from the two of you.” Jemma wrote a few things on the tubes of blood. “The results will be ready in about half an hour. Will you be at Jimmy’s room?”
Brennan nodded. “Try not to tell too many people about Cin’s return, will you?”
Jemma stuck her tongue out at him. “You know I can’t promise that. I’ll see you two lovebirds later!”
“Great,” Cinnia muttered, joining Brennan outside the room. She sighed as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I get the feeling that was just a warm-up of what’s to come.”
“I’m right here, lass.” He dropped a kiss on top of her head. “As far as I’m concerned, they can all go fuck themselves, but I know they’re just looking out for me.”
“Must be nice.”
“Soon, you’ll remember what it’s like.”
He certainly knew his way around the hospital, bringing to mind all of the crazy shit the Raptors could get themselves into. Cinnia recalled gunfights with rival clubs, amongst other things. She wondered if that still occurred, though she was too hesitant to ask right now.
Brennan took a deep breath as they stopped in front of an open door. “Ready?” he asked her.
“No, but let’s get this over with,” she answered.
“Hey guys,” he greeted, stepping over the threshold and pulling Cinnia along. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Three pairs of eyes landed on Cinnia, and she could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her mother was exactly as Cinnia remembered: long, black hair and beautiful brown eyes. Her father had fattened up a little and her brother, on the other hand, looked like he was trying to give Brennan a run for his money where muscles were concerned.
“Cinnia?” Loraine asked quietly, getting up from her chair. “Oh my God, it’s you!”
Unsuccessful with her attempts to remain unaffected, Cinnia embraced her mother. “It’s good to see you, mom,” she whispered.
Her mother clung to her tightly. “It’s about damn time, Cin.”
Cinnia laughed tearfully. “I’m really sorry.” When Loraine stepped back to give Teagan a chance to greet his sister, Cinnia got emotional all over again. “Who the hell are you, little bro?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he chuckled, giving her a quick hug. “Although, you look just like I remembered.”
“I wish I could say the same.” Cinnia turned to the man on the bed, wincing at the blank stare she was getting. She went to his side and held his hand, but it still didn’t change his stoic demeanor. “Hi, dad.”
“Oh, is that what I am?” James Sloane asked.
“Dad—”
“Don’t come in here after two years of silence and pretend to care.” He pulled his hand from hers. “We all know you don’t give a shit.”
“That’s not true,” Cinnia argued. “You have every right to be mad at me, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t care, dad.”
“You wouldn’t have left if you did!” he yelled, his face going red.
Cinnia was unused to such blatant hostility coming from her father, but she sucked it up. “You shouldn’t get yourself so excited,” she said quietly. “You just had a heart attack, for God’s sake.”
“Always so damn pushy,” he muttered angrily. “You’re not the boss of me, Cinnia.”
“She’s right, though,” Loraine chided him. “Calm the hell down, Jim.”
“I will, as soon as she gets the hell out.”
Cinnia decided to stand her ground. “No way in hell,” she snapped. “I’m back and you better get used to it.”
He snorted.
“Also, I’m Brennan’s old lady, so you better show your VP some damn respect.”
James gave his vice-president an enquiring look, only to get an affirmative nod in return. “Well, Cinnia, you’ve always known how to keep the man wrapped around your little finger. I can’t say I’m surprised that you’ve taken refuge under his protection.”
“He’s the reason I’m here right now, because no one else wanted to let me know my fucking father’s had a heart attack!” She didn’t care that she was yelling: there were some things that were just unacceptable in her book. “I know I haven’t been around to paint your toenails and brush your hair every goddamn day, but if something like this had to happen to me, I would’ve called!” She gave her mother and brother a scathing glare, too. “And, as my family, you would’ve been obligated to help me out whether you wanted to or not! So keep your low opinion of me to yourself and be happy that I even decided to come back to your sorry ass!”
James Sloane couldn’t take his eyes off his daughter, the most unfathomable expression on his face. He had gone completely white, worrying Cinnia all over again. His wife and son seemed to be made of stone, as if they were afraid to set off an atomic bomb if they so much as breathed too deeply. Brennan was coughing to hide his amusement, a total juxtaposition to the status quo in the room.
And then, just as she was about to press the panic button to call one of the nurses, James packed up laughing.
“Come here,” he urged, holding his arms out to her.
A part of her had hoped that this would happen. Her fights with her father have always been nothing short of disastrous, so she’d wanted to remind him of the good ol’ days, as it were.
With a watery smile, she hugged him firmly. “Dad, I’m so sorry,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I promise I’m not going anywhere. I’ve come home.”
“It’s good to have you back, Cin,” he informed her. “Are you moving back in?”
“You bet.” She glanced at Brennan. “He’s probably already taken my stuff out of storage or whatever.”
“Oh, honey,” Loraine chuckled. “Brennan’s the reason we never even put your things in storage in the first place.”
Such love surrounded Cinnia in this moment. She was astounded to realize how her bad mood had led to spurning everyone she cared about. This was obviously where she belonged. How could she have thought otherwise?
“Have you seen any of the others since you’ve arrived?” Loraine wanted to know.
“No, we came here first,” Brennan replie
d. He sat on one of the chairs. “She needed to see you guys and I didn’t want to miss visiting hours.”
Cinnia shook her head with a laugh. “I should’ve known. You were so rushed all the way over here.”
“I was trying not to make it obvious, and I think it worked.”
“You could’ve just said, you know.”
James chuckled. “Already bickering like an old, married couple. I’m not looking forward to your fights.”
“We’ve already had a big one, Jim,” Brennan laughed. “All thanks to Cinnia and her quick temper, of course.”
Said temper was steadily reaching boiling point. “I swear you get off on it,” Cinnia muttered.
Brennan mimed zipping his mouth closed, though his pompous grin spoke volumes.
“The reason I ask,” Loraine said, reminding everyone that she was the original person to start this thread of the conversation in the first place, “is because I know Dawn will be happy to see you.”
It felt as if a bucket of ice had been dumped over Cinnia’s head. “Oh, really?”
“Your friends have missed you, Cin. You can’t keep avoiding them.”
“I think I’ll try my hardest to avoid her, at the very least.”
Brennan sighed deeply. “Cin, she’s a happily married woman with a baby on the way. Let bygones be bygones.”
Loraine frowned. “What bygones?”
“I think he’s referring to the he-fucked-Dawn-and-Cinnia-went-batshit bygone,” Teagan supplied.
“Thanks a lot,” Cinnia told her brother sarcastically.
“Wait, is that why you avoided everyone for so long?” Loraine wanted to know.
“For the most part,” Cinnia admitted.
James stared at his VP. “Bren, is this true?”
Did Brennan look… uncomfortable? He shifted in his chair and coughed softly. “Look, I was young and stupid—”
“Wait a minute, they didn’t know?” Cinnia began laughing. “And now you’re trying to justify your actions!”
“Cin, we’ve been over this,” he reprimanded her. He turned to her father. “And you know that I was going to make an honest woman of her before we… And all of you are aware of the club’s traditions. I was acting well within my rights.”