by L. Wilder
“It’s nice to meet you, Madeline. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Well, I haven’t heard anything about you, and that just won’t do.” Madeline turned her attention back to Remington. “We have more catching up to do than I thought. Maybe we can get together for one of our lunch dates soon.”
“I’d really like that. I’ll give you a call and we can set something up, but for now, Noah and I have to get going.” Remington looked over to Thomas and said, “I hope you get back on your feet soon.”
“You and me both.”
Remington and Madeline shared a quick hug, and after a brief round of goodbyes, we were on our way out to the parking lot. We stopped by her place, doing our best to avoid a couple of reporters before going inside. After grabbing some of her things, I drove her over to my place. Since Remington had only been to the clubhouse or Ada’s, she seemed a bit surprised I actually had a place of my own. We’d just never talked about it. It was then I realized there was a lot that we didn’t know about each other, but I had every intention of changing that. When we pulled up at my two-bedroom house, Remington’s eyes grew wide as she asked, “You live here?”
“You seem surprised.”
“I guess I am.” Remington looked over to me with a smile. “It’s so stinking cute. I was kind of expecting something different.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Something more rugged maybe?”
“Rugged? Really?” I chuckled. “I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
“You have to remember, I’ve only seen the clubhouse. I just assumed you lived there.”
“And your point is?”
“That is my point.”
“Touché.”
“So, are you going to take me in and show me around or what?”
“Absolutely.”
I grabbed her stuff from the back, and then we headed inside. The house wasn’t anything extraordinary, just a white colonial with a small front porch and swing, but it was in a decent neighborhood and there was a good-sized backyard. It was enough for me, but if we ever decided to start a family, we’d have to find a bigger place. I knew it was too early to be thinking like that, hell, we’d only known each other for a few weeks, but I wanted a life with Remington and didn’t want to wait another minute for that to happen. After she’d finished scoping out every nook and cranny of the living room, I led her into the kitchen. Like the living room, there wasn’t anything special about it. I’d done what I could to fix it up. The cabinets and appliances were replaced, and I put on a fresh coat of paint, but it could definitely use a woman’s touch. Remington looked over to me with bright eyes. “Did you do all this? The cabinets and the countertops?”
“I did.”
“It’s really amazing.”
“Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the place.”
When we got to the bedroom, it was more of the same. Remington seemed surprised by all the remodeling I’d done, but I was just pleased she liked the place. As she stood there taking it all in, I came up behind her and slipped my arms around her waist. “So, you think you’ll be happy here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Once you get your things moved over here, do you think you’ll be good with it? At least until we can find a bigger place.”
She quickly turned to face me as she gasped. “What are you saying, Noah?”
“I’m saying I want you to move in here with me.” I lifted my hand to her face, ran the pad of thumb across her cheek. “Now that I’ve found you, I have no intention of letting you go. I want us to have a life together, and I’m hoping you feel the same.”
“I do, but this is all so fast.”
“Maybe so, but it feels right.”
“Yeah, yeah, it does.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“Yes, Noah. I’ll move in with you.”
As soon as the words slipped from her beautiful mouth, I leaned down and pressed my mouth against hers. The second her lips touched mine, everything else faded away. It was just her and me, and nothing else mattered. I loved the way she felt in my arms, so fucking perfect. Fuck, I couldn’t get enough of her. Her breasts pressed against my chest as I claimed her mouth, fueling my need for more. Her eyes filled with wonder as I slowly lowered her shorts and satin panties down her long, slender legs, then eased her down on the bed. With her eyes still locked on mine, I quickly undressed, then laid down next to her. Seeing her lying there looking so incredibly beautiful got to me in a way that nothing ever had.
With her watching my every move, I let my hands trail along her legs, gliding tenderly over her knees, easing them apart as my hands skated up her inner thighs. My thumb brushed back and forth across her clit, tormenting her with a barely-there touch. She lifted her hips, pushing against my hand as she tried to increase the pressure.
“Damn. Can’t stand it a minute longer,” I told her as I slipped on a condom and settled between her legs. She looked so fucking beautiful, gazing up at me with so much intensity in her eyes. There was no doubt about it; I’d fallen so hard and fast for her that it made my fucking head spin. Her eyes sparked with need when I hovered over her, brushing my cock across her clit. She didn’t move; she lay there, legs spread around my hips, just begging to be taken, and my heart stopped beating in my chest. I couldn’t imagine wanting anything more as my cock pressed against her entrance. With a devilish grin, she shifted her hips, forcing the head of my cock inside her. Unable to resist, I thrust deep inside, then stopped just long enough for her to adjust to me.
“Never knew,” I whispered as I slid her t-shirt up over her stomach, revealing her perfectly round breasts. “I never knew it could feel this good.” I took her nipple in my mouth, and I heard her breath hitch as my teeth raked across her flesh. “You’re fucking incredible, Remington. Every inch of you.”
“Yes,” she moaned, her legs instinctively wrapping tighter around my waist as she pulled me deeper into her body. I slowly withdrew, then eased back inside until my pace steadily became unforgiving, and she took it—wanted it even. Remington was everything I needed and more.
I was lost for so long that I didn't think anyone could find me. But she’d found a way to break down my walls and showed me that I could love again. I would hold on to this woman with everything I had and never let go. She made me a better man just being around her, and I wanted to be everything for her.
My eyes roamed over her, taking in every inch of her gorgeous body. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to steady her breath, each gasp sounding more desperate than the last. Desperate for more, she shifted her hips forward. I growled with satisfaction when I felt her squirming beneath me. My pace never faltered as I continued to thrust inside her, over and over, constantly increasing the rhythm of my movements.
“Fuck!” I shouted out as my aching cock demanded its release too fucking soon. I wanted to take my time with her – memorize every move, every whimper–but she felt too fucking good to slow down. Remington's body jolted suddenly as her orgasm riveted through her body. Hearing the light whimpers of my name echoing through the room sent me over the edge, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I was done holding back. She was mine in every way. As I looked down at her flushed and breathing hard, I whispered, "I love you Remington, and I want you with me always.”
"I love you too, Noah. More than I ever imagined possible."
I eased off of her, took care of the condom, and then lay down, pulling her into my arms. She looked at me with love in her eyes and said, "You were worried that I’d ruin you, but it’s you who has ruined me."
I laughed and gave her a light kiss. I left her just long enough to start a hot bath. When I walked back in the room, she said, “I don’t think I’ll be able to move my legs for the rest of the night.”
Smiling, I lifted her into my arms. “Means I did something right.”
“You did lots of things right.” She smirked.
“Something about hearing you say that
has me wanting to have another go.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to give me minute.” She giggled as she added, “At least long enough to take a bath.”
I conceded and let her have her bath. Once she was done, we spent the rest of the day in bed. Over the course of the next few days, it was more of the same. I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off her, and thankfully, she felt the same about me.
We got her things moved from her place and were settling into our new routines. Remington went back to work and I did the same. Things were good. I worried they were too good. I kept expecting a cop or a news reporter knocking on the door, asking questions none of us wanted to answer, but from everything I’d seen on the news, it looked like Long had kept his promise. Using the information he’d collected on Mathews, along with the kidnapping charges, Long had managed to put Mathews behind bars. Mathews tried to claim innocence and denied all charges, especially the kidnapping charges, but even with his savvy lawyer, there was too much evidence to prove otherwise. So much so, the judge hadn’t even granted him bail. As it would seem, Mathews was done, and we could finally move on with our lives.
I was feeling pretty damn good as I headed into the clubhouse for church. Viper wanted to discuss the upcoming meet with Flint and how we’d be getting back to business as usual at the strip clubs. We’d all just gotten settled at the table when Viper slammed the gavel. “I wanted to take a moment to applaud you all on how you’ve handled things over the past few weeks. Because of your hard work and dedication, we were able to put an end to the Punishers and all the bullshit they brought with them. As Shotgun suggested, the cash we collected on the night of the attack was put in the hands of the kids who’d been distributing for them, and if they play it smart, it could be a game-changer for them all.”
Axel leaned forward and added, “Wouldn’t have been able to get it in the right hands if it hadn’t been for McKinney. Because of him, we were able to keep them from knowing it came from us.”
“Speaking of McKinney...” Hawk glanced over to me. “What are our plans for him?”
“That’s not my call, but if it were up to me, I’d say let the guy go.” I could tell by my brothers’ expressions they were surprised by my response. Hell, I was surprised by it myself. I was a man who didn’t do favors, especially when it came to people who’d gone after my brothers, but McKinney had proven himself to be a valuable asset to us. “Give him a handful of cash, a passport, and send him on his way. But that’s just me. Ultimately, it’s Prez’s decision.”
“I got no problem with letting him go if you can guarantee the club won’t get any blowback from it.”
“There are never any guarantees, but my gut says we can trust him.”
“Then, it’s settled.” Without giving it another thought, Viper moved on. “We’re meeting up with Flint first thing in the morning. We’ll be getting our next shipment, and we’re gonna need to push it hard. We’ve lost a lot of time and money over the past few weeks, and we gotta get back to business.”
“Understood,” we all answered.
“In case you haven’t heard, Mathews had more charges added last night. On top of extortion, tax evasion, kidnapping, and all the other bullshit, they got him for two counts of murder. Seems he killed a couple of kids who witnessed an exchange between him and a few gang members.”
“Damn. This guy is fucked.” With a smile plastered on his face, Country continued, “It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”
The brothers all joined in, giving their own slam on Mathews. When the heckling finally stopped, Viper said a few more words, then dismissed us from church. The brothers quickly started to disperse, and I was about to follow suit when Viper came over to me and asked, “How’s Remington making it?”
“Pretty good, I guess. She’s back to work and seems to be feeling a little more like herself.”
“I’m sure after all she’s gone through it hasn’t been easy, but she’s a smart girl. Strong with a good head on her shoulders. The kind of girl that makes a good ol’ lady.” A spark of mischief flashed through his eyes as he poked, “She’ll certainly keep you on your toes.”
Viper’s opinion meant a great deal to me, so it did me good to hear him speak so positively about her—especially after their initial meeting. I gave him a nod. “That she will.”
“Heard from Ada this morning. She’s back from her visit with Kara.”
“Good. I’ll have to go by and check in on her.”
“I’m sure that’ll mean a lot to her.” As he turned to leave, he said, “Give her my best.”
“Will do.”
After leaving the clubhouse, I rode straight over to Ada’s. After hearing from Viper she was back home from her visit, I wanted to see how it had gone with her granddaughter. I also wanted to let her know I’d taken her advice to heart—that without her pushing me like she had I wouldn’t be in the place I was now. When I pulled up to her place, she was sitting on her front porch, wearing her big floppy hat, and having a cup of coffee. As I got off my bike and started towards her, she smiled and said, “I wasn’t expectin’ to sees you today.”
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to see how you were making it.”
“I’m making just fine. Just like I’s always do. Looks like you are doing pretty good yourself.” She cocked her eyebrow as she asked, “Where dat Remington?”
“She’s at work; otherwise, she’d be here with me.” I walked over and sat down next to her. “How’d it go with Kara?”
“’Bout like I expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.” I wasn’t surprised she wouldn’t tell me the whole truth about her visit. Ada knew how I felt about Kara taking advantage of her like she did, but I also knew how much her granddaughter meant to her. I just hoped in time Kara would realize how lucky she was to have Ada in her life. “Enough ’bouts me. I saw da news. Heard dat ‘da police found Remington. Seems they saved the day.”
“Can’t believe everything you see on TV, Ada.”
“Didn’t figure as much. Just glad to hear dat it’s all over and yous two can gets on wit’ it.” She leaned closer and gave me one of her looks. “I’m hopings you took my advice about her.”
“I did.”
“Good to hear. Yous deserve more dan most.”
“Not sure I agree with that, but I did want to thank you. If you hadn’t given me that push, I might’ve let her slip through my fingers.”
“Yous a smart man. You’d figured it out one ways or another.”
“You’re probably right.” I chuckled. “I still appreciate your helping me to see what was right in front of my face.”
“Sometimes we all need a little push, son.”
“That we do.”
We continued to talk for a while longer, then I got up and headed towards my bike. I was about to start the engine when she called out to me, “Yous bring Remington by to see me whens you can.”
“You know I will.”
I left there and went to a place I hadn’t been to in years—the graveyard where my parents were buried. I don’t know what led me there, but for some reason, I felt compelled to talk to them. I wanted to let them know I was okay, I was happy, and had found someone who made my life complete. After everything that had happened to me, I never dreamed I’d have that kind of conversation with them. I’d always thought I was destined to live out my days alone. That all changed when I met Remington. I told them both how she’d changed things in me, and that for the first time in my life, I was looking forward to the future. I spent over an hour talking to them, and when I was done, I got on my bike and rode across town to have a similar conversation with Lindsey.
I told her how sorry I was for what had happened, that I’d always blamed myself for her death, but the time had come for me to let go of all that. I started telling her all about Remington and how much my life had changed because of it. It was difficult to share all that with her, but I found peace in knowing that Lindsey would want me to be happ
y—or so I hoped. Either way, I was ready to move on with my life. I was ready to stop holding on.
I left there knowing the hurt I felt over losing her and my folks would always be a part of me, but it would no longer define me. That didn’t mean I wasn’t still Shotgun—the Ruthless Sinners’ enforcer. I was still fierce and merciless when it came to our adversaries, and no matter what the circumstance, I would give my life to protect my brothers. That was something that would never change.
Remington
“What the fuck is she doing here with him?” Rafe complained.
Widow took a quick glance around the bar as he asked, “Who?”
“Him.” Rafe motioned his hand towards the back of the crowd and grumbled, “The douchebag in the khaki slacks and loafers. I mean seriously. What the ever-loving fuck?”
I looked over to the corner to see who had him so riled up. It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Jax, the guy Delilah’s friend Krissy had brought with her to the party. From the looks of it, she was pretty cozy with the guy, and Rafe wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. Apparently the two had some kind of history, and it hadn’t played out in Rafe’s favor. Widow’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “Don’t see what you’re getting at, brother.”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about,” Rafe huffed. “How in the fuck did she go from this”—he motioned his hand over himself—“to that?”
“’Cause that is a doctor who makes about three-hundred grand a year and can have any pussy he fucking wants. And right now, he wants hers.” Widow was doing his best to provoke him as he added, “If you didn’t want him snatching up what was yours, then you shouldn’t have fucking ghosted her like you did.”
“I didn’t fucking ghost her. I just wasn’t interested in gettin’ involved with her.”
“Then, enough of your bellyaching. Drink another cold beer and find another chick to warm your bed tonight.”
Rafe gave Krissy one last look, then picked up his beer and finished it off. As soon as he placed the empty bottle on the counter, he ordered another and another. It wasn’t long before he was feeling pretty good, and he wasn’t the only one. All the guys were in a celebratory mood and were drinking themselves under the table. Before coming, Noah had warned me club parties could sometimes get out of hand, but so far, I hadn’t seen anything out of the norm. Rafe was being Rafe, and Widow was giving him hell about it. To me, it seemed pretty tame until a couple of the club girls showed up. They were all dressed to the nine in their short miniskirts that showed off their long, lean legs, and halter tops that revealed every ounce of their cleavage. The music suddenly got louder, and the girls were putting it to good use, swaying their hips seductively as they taunted the single brothers. It was clear that Country took notice as he tipped his cowboy hat and shouted, “Oo-wee! That’s it, baby! Shake what your mama gave ya!”