by L. Wilder
19
Murphy
I never would’ve dreamed that the sound of someone’s voice could get to me the way hers did. I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to have that kind of power over me, but the second I heard my name from her lips, everything around me came to a screeching halt. The panic, the anger, and the fear that had been raging inside of me stopped all at once, and I was finally able to breathe again. There was no one else on the planet that could make me feel the way she did, and I was going to do whatever it took to protect her. When we started driving towards the clubhouse, Riley looked over to me and asked, “Where are we going?”
“To the clubhouse.” I looked over to her and added, “You’ll be safe there.”
“What about my dad and Hunter?”
“You can call them when we get there.” As I looked back towards the road, I told her, “But you might want to prepare yourself. He isn’t going to be happy that I didn’t bring you home.”
“Honestly, I don’t really care if he’s mad. None of this would’ve happened if … It doesn’t matter.”
“I know you’re upset with him and you have good reason, but he was really worried about you tonight. There’s no doubt that he loves you.”
“I know he loves me, and I love him, that doesn’t change anything. I still don’t want to go back there, at least not yet.” She turned and looked out the side window as she said, “It’s never going to be the same … not after what they did to Anna Belle.”
Before I could respond, Blaze said, “It’ll take some time, but eventually it’ll get better.”
When Riley turned to face him, I said, “I don’t believe you’ve met Blaze.”
“No, I haven’t … at least, not officially. I remember seeing you on the day you came out to the farm to see my father.”
“I remember that day all too well.” He chuckled as he told her, “You left quite an impression on my brother that morning.”
“He left one on me too.” She looked over to me and smiled. “And it wasn’t necessarily a good one.”
“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure I redeemed myself.”
“That, you did.” When we finally pulled up to the gate with one of our prospects keeping guard, she asked, “Is this your clubhouse?”
“It is.”
She leaned forward to get a better look while she mumbled, “Man, it’s really something.”
Riley’s eyes were wide with wonder as we got out of the truck and started inside, making me wish I’d brought her by sooner. I knew meeting the guys and seeing how we lived would be a lot for her to take in, especially considering everything she’d been through, but I didn’t have a choice. Under the circumstances, it was the safest place for her to be, and it would give me a chance to speak with Gus. She was silently checking everything out as we walked down the hall towards his office. It was late, but I’d texted him when we left Claudine’s to let him know we were on our way. When we walked in, he was at his desk with Moose, our VP, sitting across the room on the leather sofa. He stood up and smiled then said, “So, this is her?”
“Yes, sir. This is Riley.” I looked over to her as I explained, “This is our club president, Gus.”
Gus extended his hand as he told her, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Riley. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” As she shook his hand, she told him, “I wanted to apologize for that night I called your cell. I wasn’t thinking very clearly that night.”
“Yeah, I might’ve heard about that.” He chuckled. “From what I hear, you had another rough night tonight.”
“I’ve definitely had better,” she scoffed. She looked down at her dirty, tattered clothes and said, “I’m kind of a mess.”
“Don’t give that a second thought. We’re just glad to see that you’re okay, especially Murphy.” Then, Gus turned to Blaze. “Why don’t you take her out into the hall so I can have a minute with Murphy?”
“You got it.”
As they started toward the door, Gus told Riley, “If you need anything, anything at all, you just let one of us know.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Once they were outside, I closed the door behind them and said, “I know I fucked up. As soon as that asshole opened his mouth, I just lost it.”
“I heard.”
“I’ve got no excuse for letting that asshole get in my head like that. I was just wound up and he said the wrong-fucking-thing at the wrong-fucking-time.” I shook my head in disgust as I told him, “I let you down, I let the club down, and I let myself down.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. The guy had it coming, Murphy.” His brows furrowed as he threw his hands up in the air. “There’s not a brother in this club who wouldn’t have done the same thing if they were in your shoes.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the fact that I put the club in a bind.” I ran my hands through my hair as I continued, “To make matters worse, Shadow’s out there cleaning up the mess I made! And we all know, I left one hell of a mess.”
“We’ve talked to Shadow. He’s handling it, Murphy,” Moose interjected.
“But, he …”
“You need to take a breath, son, and remember what this club is all about,” Moose interrupted. “Shadow isn’t doing anything you wouldn’t have done for him.”
“Moose is right.” He looked me in the eye as he said, “This isn’t a one-way street, Murphy. Your brothers have your back, just like you’ve always had theirs.”
Knowing they were right, I nodded as I told them, “Understood.”
“Good. Now, go tend to your girl,” he ordered. “She’s going to need you after what she’s been through.”
“I know, but what are we going to do about her father and …”
“We’ll go over everything in the morning when we meet for church,” he answered.
“Okay. I’ll see you both then.”
I walked out of the office, and when I got into the hall, I found Blaze and Riley standing there waiting for me. Riley had a concerned look on her face as she asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
Blaze looked over to me as he said, “She called her father to let him know she was okay.”
“Good. How did that go?”
“You were right about him not being happy that I wasn’t coming home.” She shrugged. “But overall, I think he understood my reasons for not wanting to be there.”
Blaze put his hand on my shoulder and said, “If we’re good, I’m going to head out.”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“Good deal.” As he started for the door, he said, “I’ll see you two in the morning.”
Once he was gone, I took Riley’s hand in mine and led her down the hall. We hadn’t gotten far when she asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“To my room.”
Surprised, she asked, “You have a room here?”
“All the brothers do.”
When we got down to my room, I opened the door and she followed me inside. We walked past the king-sized bed and her cheeks reddened when I led her into the bathroom. She waited silently as I reached into the shower and turned on the hot water before facing her. “I thought a hot shower might do you some good.”
“I would love a shower, but I don’t have any clean clothes.”
“I’ll find you something.” I lowered my hand to the hem of her hoodie and carefully lifted it along with her t-shirt over her head. Just as I had dropped it to the floor, I noticed a large, make-shift bandage of gauze and Band-aids situated just above her hip. “This looks like it’s more than just a graze.”
“It’s really not. Claudine just got carried away with the bandages.” She looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes and tried to assure me, “So, don’t freak out about this. I’m fine.”
I’m fine. She kept saying those words over and over, and each time she said them, I found them harder to believe. Ther
e was no way she could be fine after all she’d been through. I slowly peeled the bandage back and grimaced at the sight of the wound. While it could’ve been much worse, it gutted me to see that she’d been hurt. “You don’t have to put up a brave front for me. You can talk to me.”
“I know I can talk to you and I will, but I just can’t right now.” Riley reached for my hand as she said, “I just want to put it all out of my head … even if it’s just for a little while. Is that okay?”
“It’s more than okay.” I grabbed Riley and pulled her towards me, and once she was close, I lowered my head and whispered, “Just know that I’m here for you. Now or whenever you need me.”
She lifted up on her tiptoes as she briefly pressed her lips to mine. As she dropped her hands to the waistband of my jeans, she replied, “I need you now. Take a shower with me.”
I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea, especially with her wound, but there was no way in hell I could refuse her, not when she was looking at me like that. Once we were both undressed, I removed the rest of her bandage then led her into the shower, pulling her close as the warm water cascaded down our bodies. After several moments, I turned her around, flattening her back against my chest as I reached for the bottle of body wash. I poured some onto the sponge before lowering it to her shoulder, carefully washing her back then slowly making my way down her arms. Taking extra care around her wound, I washed her abdomen, then inched my way up to her breasts. Needing more, Riley reached for the sponge I was using and tossed it, then she took my hands and placed them on her breasts.
A low moan vibrated through her chest as I spread the soapy bubbles all over her, my palms gliding over her smooth, soft skin. I plumped her breasts in my hands, and as I ran my thumbs over her nipples, she ground her ass against my growing erection. My hands moved with a mind of their own, roaming and exploring Riley’s flesh, sliding effortlessly across her body as she moaned her approval. While trailing kisses along her shoulder, my fingertips slid lower and lower along her belly, and I was careful not to hurt her as I eased my hand between her legs. When the tips of my fingers raked across her center, her head eased back against my shoulder as she widened her stance, urging me on. I placed my mouth close to her ear as I whispered, “You like my hands on you, don’t you?”
“God, yes!” she hissed as she rocked her hips forward against my hand.
“Good. Get used to it.” I moved my fingers in slow, methodical circles against her clit, increasing the pressure with each turn of my hand as I told her, “Because I like having my hands on you.”
I eased my fingers deep inside her, massaging the spot that drove her wild, and a pleasured moan escaped her sexy mouth as I started to move my fingers faster and harder. Riley’s body grew tense as the sounds of her soft whimpers started echoing through the room. I removed my hand from between her legs and held her close as her breathing slowed. Moments later, she turned to face me, and with her eyes sparkling with mischief, she said, “My turn.”
I watched with fascination as she lathered the body-wash between her palms. Riley was so damn beautiful. It was hard to believe that she was mine. “You do know, you’re mine, Riley.”
Looking at me through eyes filled with desire, she placed her hands on my chest and worked in painstakingly slow strokes to soap my skin. I could tell from the gleam in her eyes that she was enjoying having free rein to savor the moment. Her hands dropped to my stomach, and I thought I would lose all control. Repeating my words back to me, she looked up at me as she whispered, “I hope you know that … you’re mine, too.”
My cock twitched as her hands trailed up my legs. I was trying my damnedest to let her wander and enjoy, but she wasn’t making it easy, especially when her greedy eyes dropped to my growing erection. Her soapy fingers gently wrapped around me, moving ever so slowly up and down my thick shaft. Trying to keep from coming unglued, I pressed my hand against the cold tile and growled, “Fuck!”
I never knew that a woman’s touch could turn me on as much as hers did. After several long, firm strokes, she stepped to the side, letting the water rinse the soap from my body. Her hands slid along my skin, taking the rest of the suds with them … and the last of my patience. As she finished, she ran her fingertips once again over my chest, looking up invitingly into my eyes, she said, “You have no idea how much I want you right now.”
And at that moment, the dam broke. I turned off the water as I looked down at her and said, “You’ve got me.”
I took her hand and led her out of the shower and handed her a towel. Once we were dried off, I lifted her into my arms, carried her to my room, and lowered her onto the bed. Then reaching into my bedside drawer, I took out a condom, and she watched with anticipation as I rolled it down my thick, throbbing shaft. Her flushed body squirmed against the mattress as she pleaded, “Hurry.”
I had no intention of making her wait. Hell, I wanted her just as much as she wanted me. I lowered myself down on the mattress and settled between her legs as I dropped my mouth to hers. I felt her tremble beneath me as I slid deep inside her. I stilled, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. She felt so fucking good, so wet and tight, that I had to fight the urge to come right then and there.
“You feel so damn good,” I growled as I finally started to move. Her nails dug into my lower back as her hips rocked against mine, meeting my every thrust. I began to drive deeper and harder until I found the pace that we were both desperate for. I could feel the pressure building, forcing a deep, needful growl from my chest. She tilted her ass towards me, grinding harder against my cock as the sounds of my body pounding against hers filled the room.
Her head reared back as she moaned, “Oh, Lincoln, don’t stop!”
Her body began to tremble as her orgasm took hold, her muscles contracting around me and pulling me deeper. I continued to drive into her, and a sense of satisfaction washed over me when I finally heard the sound of air gushing from her lungs and felt her body fall limp beneath me. My growl echoed around us and my entire body tensed as I came deep inside her. After several moments, I managed to collect myself, discard the condom in the small basket next to the table, and lay down on the bed next to her. Instinctively, she curled into my side with her head on my shoulder and her leg resting on top of mine. Once our breathing slowed, I looked down at her and said, “There have been times in my life when I’ve been afraid, but I’ve never been as scared as I was tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you.”
“I’m here now, Lincoln, and I’m not going anywhere.” She placed her hand on my chest as she asked, “Do you know why?”
“Tell me.”
“Because I love you.” Her eyes locked on mine as she added, “And right here with you is the only place I want to be.”
“I love you, too, Riley Nichols. More than I ever thought possible.” I leaned down, and just before I kissed her, I said, “I’ve made mistakes, plenty of them, but taking this chance with you wasn’t one of them.”
We shared a kiss that was long and tender, then I got up and gave Riley some clothes to put on. Once she was dressed, I called Mack to come down to the room. After he checked her wound, he bandaged her back up and gave us some ointment that would help with the healing. As soon as he was gone, we both got back in bed. Riley settled back into the crook of my arm and it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep. For hours, I just lay there watching her sleep until I finally gave in to my own exhaustion. The next morning, she was still sleeping soundly next to me, and it pained me that I had to leave her. I could have spent the entire day with her wrapped in my arms, but I had club business that had to be tended to before that could happen. Careful not to wake her, I eased out of bed, threw on my clothes, did my business in the bathroom, and slipped out the door. When I got down to the conference room, Gus was already there with Riggs, Blaze, and Shadow. “Where is everybody?”
“They’ll be here soon. We wanted to go over everything with you before they got her
e.” Gus waited for me to be seated before he turned to Shadow and said, “Why don’t you start things by telling him what happened last night with Devon and his crew.”
Shadow looked to me as he asked, “Do you remember what Devon told us about how Riley got away from them at the gas station?”
“Yeah. They were in some fight with some gang.”
“That’s right. This gang apparently thought they had something to do with the death of one of their members.” Shadow handed me a slip of paper. “Riggs told us last night that they’d been in a turf war with the Arañas for months.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I figured we might as well use their war to our advantage.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms then said, “After we took care of the two assholes in the backseat, we put Devon back in the car and torched it. Then we waited until the flames died down and tagged the side door with the Hurricane’s gang sign. After we crossed it out, we wrote over it with the one Arañas uses, making it look like a retaliation strike.”
“Damn. That was good thinking, brother.”
“Maybe. I’m just worried about Nichols getting blowback from it. Malek was expecting a shipment from him, and now, he’s got four of his members dead and no guns. He’s not going to be happy about that.”
“Who’s to say that Nichols didn’t already give them the weapons?” Blaze turned to Riggs and asked, “Can you check Devon’s phone records and see if he made any calls after he left the farm?”