by Erin Osborne
Upstairs are four bedrooms. The master bedroom is at the back of the house. There’s a large walk-in closet and the master bathroom. In the bathroom is a large soaker tub filled with jets and a shower you have to walk down into. The shower boasts several shower heads along with shelves and a bench. A double vanity sits across from the shower with a medicine cabinet above it. The toilet sits behind the door so there’s some form of privacy.
The walls of my room are painted light gray, except for one. Behind the bed, the wall is painted a darker gray. My carpet is the color of smoke with swirls of black in it. Honestly, I think I designed the room with Natasha in mind. I want her to be comfortable here when we get to the point I move her ass in.
Kora’s room is in the front of the house. She’s got a large room with a walk-in closet. Her walls are painted a soft purple color and her carpet is just a few shades darker. She’s got built-in bookshelves and a desk. Everything she wanted in her room, she got. I’ll do anything to make her happy, though she barely asks for anything.
In the two other bedrooms, we chose to go with neutral colors. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with them, and that’s why Kora made the suggestion to keep them neutral. The only thing we’re doing is putting beds and dressers in them in case we ever have company.
The rest of the house is painted in beiges and whites. I’m not opposed to color— I just couldn’t decide what to do. Kora didn’t know what to choose either. So, when Natasha moves in, if she wants to paint, we can paint whatever colors she wants. She’s been in the back of my mind since I started building the house, but I was too dumb to realize it. I’m not anymore.
We’ve been working for hours. None of the guys have our shirts on anymore because even with the windows and doors open, we’re sweating our asses off. Natasha and Hadliegh have given more than a few appreciative glances in our direction. Thankfully, they’ve only had eyes for Psycho and me. Otherwise, I think there would’ve been a fight already in the house. I don’t want to break it in like that.
“Why don’t you guys go grab some food from the clubhouse and bring it over for lunch?” Hadliegh asks. “We’ll finish up the kitchen and living room while you’re gone. Just make sure you get enough for us all.”
“Wife, you orderin’ us around?” Psycho asks, walking up to his wife.
“Yep. Now, get lost so we can finish up here and eat. I want to make sure everything is taken upstairs and put in the rooms they belong in before we leave tonight. Get lost so we can work,” Hadliegh responds, placing a chaste kiss on Psycho’s lips since Kora’s in the room.
“Yeah, Uncle Psycho, I’m hungry. Do you want me to wither away to nothing because you want to feel your wife up?” Kora asks, making the rest of us break out in laughter.
“I’m so sorry, Princess Kora. You’re right, I’ll go get you food so you don’t disappear on us,” Psycho banters back.
We all leave the house as I hear music begin to play through the speakers I’ve already hooked up. Shaking my head, we make our way to the clubhouse.
“What’s goin’ on with you and Natasha?” Smokey asks before we hit the door to go in.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You two have spendin’ an awful lot of time together. Never seen you with one bitch so much,” he answers.
“First of all, Natasha’s not a bitch. Don’t fuckin’ call her that again. And I don’t know. She’s workin’ her way through all my barriers and I don’t know what to do about it,” I tell the men honestly.
“You gonna take a chance?” Psycho asks, knowing the hell I went through after Saralyn left.
“I’m thinkin’ about it. There are things you don’t know about her, and I’m not gonna share. And you should see her with Kora. It’s amazin’,” I tell them.
“Ren, you’re my brother and I’ve watched you work yourself to death for way too long. You need a woman like Natasha by your side. She’s real, honest, and she’s not gonna break you like Saralyn did. Take the chance on her and I swear it will pay off,” Psycho says.
“Are you happy you took a chance with Hadliegh?” I ask him, knowing the pain he suffered when she took off.
“I wake up every single fuckin’ day thinkin’ how lucky I am to have my wife by my side and my son and daughter safe in their rooms. Gettin’ my head out of my ass is the best thing I’ve ever done. The only thing I regret is how much time I lost with her while bein’ a dumbfuck. And maybe lettin’ Smokey watch me fuck her,” my brother answers.
“I could always give you some pointers,” Smokey says.
“Funny. Like I need pointers from you,” Psycho answers.
I leave the men joking around outside the back door of the clubhouse while I go in to see what I can grab for lunch. Grave and Bishop follow me in as I begin to rummage through everything. We load up and stuff to make sandwiches, chips, and soda for the girls. We’ll have a beer with our lunch.
On our way back outside, Kitty saunters up to me and plasters her body to mine.
“Need some help, Pres?” she asks, fluttering her lashes and pouting.
“Nope.”
“Come on. You haven’t fucked me in a while. I’m sure you’re ready to fuck by now,” she purrs, thinking she’s sexy when it’s atrocious.
“Not from you I don’t. If I don’t tell you I want you, don’t fuckin’ come up on me again. Especially if my daughter’s around. Pull that shit and you’re out on your ass. Is that understood?” I ask her.
“Renegade, you don’t have to be such a fucking dick,” she says.
Grave steps up behind her and lets her bump into his body. She quickly spins to see the lethal look on his face as he stares down at her.
“I believe Renegade told you to back the fuck off. If he ever wants your skank pussy, he’ll let you know. I wouldn’t hold my breath waitin’ if I were you though,” he says, his voice low and deadly.
Kitty runs from him and I watch her almost face plant as she skids along something on the floor in the common room. I don’t even want to know what it is.
“And you can clean the clubhouse too,” I throw out over my shoulder. “I want it cleaned from top to bottom before I come back here.”
Kitty mumbles under her breath as we leave the clubhouse behind. Psycho and Smokey are still tossing jabs at one another as we make our way back to my house. We’re all laughing our asses off as they try to outdo one another when the girls walk out on the porch to greet us.
Natasha is covered in sweat, her hair is sitting askew on the top of her head, and she’s never looked better in my eyes. A smile covers her face and her eyes crinkle shut as she takes in our laughter. Hadliegh, on the other hand, places her hands on her hips and glares down at us. She’s not amused by the last comment from her husband.
“You talking about Smokey watching us fuck? Again?” she asks, shooting daggers at both men.
“He brought it up, not me,” my brother says.
“I don’t care. It happened, get over it. Remington, I hope you like riding the couch tonight because you won’t be anywhere near me,” she tells him, grabbing the bags out of my hand and heading back into the house.
Natasha and Kora follow her into the house. I can still hear my sister-in-law grumbling as the music turns off and they make lunch.
“You two better lay low for a bit. Had’s not happy and I don’t want either one of you to lose your nuts,” I tell them, walking up the steps and into the house.
Grave and Bishop follow me inside and we help the women make sandwiches for a quick lunch. I glance around the first floor of the house and I’m amazed at the progress we’ve already made today. There’re empty boxes piled by the sliding door in the living room for me to burn later, everything is put away in the kitchen. It’s going to take me days to learn where Kora and Natasha put everything but that’s okay. There are three totes stacked in the living room with the decorations since they aren’t up on the walls yet, and the bookshelves are in place by the TV and entertainment cen
ter.
“I think you guys can head out. Is everythin’ upstairs that needs to be carried up there?” I ask the girls as they sit at the counter and eat.
“Yep. We got that done while you guys were gone,” Natasha answers.
“Alright. Thanks for the help, guys. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell them as I walk everyone but Natasha and Kora to the door.
“We done?” Psycho asks.
“Yep. Gives you plenty of time to kiss Hadliegh’s ass so you don’t have to ride the couch,” I tell him, watching as she walks right past my brother toward the clubhouse.
“Fuck that! I’m not sleepin’ on the fuckin’ couch,” he says, turning to chase after his wife.
She’s not too mad. I watched her make both men a sandwich and carry it out of here with her. She just wants to bust my brother’s balls and make him sweat a little bit. I think it’s funny as fuck. Psycho has met his match and he’s slowly learning he’s not the one in charge all the time— Hadliegh is.
Walking back in the house, Natasha is cleaning up the mess from lunch. I stand back and watch her for a minute. Kora’s nowhere down here and watching Tash in our home is making me hard. I want to fuck her in every room of the house except for Kora’s room and break it in the right way.
I walk up behind her and place a kiss on her neck as she finishes gathering the trash. She leans back against me as a sigh escapes her.
“I love your house,” she tells me.
“I’m happy you do,” I answer, placing another kiss against her salty skin.
“Why is that?” she asks.
“Eventually, you’ll be here with us,” I tell her.
Natasha pulls away from me and I let her go. She turns to look at me and I can see the questions in her eyes. I’ve never said a damn thing about us doing more than fucking. Hell, I’ve never sought her out or made any promises to her— or anyone else for that matter. Kora is the only one I’ve ever made a promise to and I intend to keep it.
“Dad,” Kora calls out, coming down the stairs. “Can we go get groceries so we know what we’re making for dinner?”
“Yeah, honey. You ready now?” I ask her.
“Yep. Natasha, you ready to go? Are you staying for dinner? You’ve been here all day working and I think it’s the least Dad can do to say thank you,” Kora asks, looking at Natasha with pleading eyes.
“Oh, um, well I was going to go back to the clubhouse,” she answers my daughter.
“No, stay for dinner. Please?” my daughter pleads, laying it on thick to get what she wants.
Natasha looks at me and I stare her down. I’ve laid my cards on the table and now it’s her turn. If she says yes, I’ll know she’s down for what I want. Otherwise, I’ll have to fight for her and I don’t have a problem doing that either.
“I guess I can. Then I’ll head back to the clubhouse to take a shower and head home. I should be good now,” she answers.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. Not until we figure out who’s after you,” I tell her, turning my back and walking out to the SUV Bishop brought over earlier.
Kora and Natasha follow me out the door. They make sure it’s closed before walking down the steps, talking about something. Natasha gets in the front seat, an unreadable look on her face as she shuts the door behind her. Kora is still talking a mile a minute and I smile at her in the mirror. If it weren’t for Natasha, she’d probably still be quiet and reserved. That alone is reason enough to keep her in my life. But, I’m selfish and I want everything from her. Tonight will prove that to her.
Chapter Fourteen
Natasha
RENEGADE AND KORA moved into their new home a few days ago. Since then, I’ve spent every waking minute there with them. Well, mainly Kora since Renegade has work to do daily and a club to run. He’s been getting ready to go out of town on a run too. So, I’ve offered to stay with his daughter while he’s gone. We’ve spent the time decorating the house and I’ve helped her put her room together.
I’m even helping him plan Kora’s birthday party for this coming weekend. He just found out it’s coming up and he’s got no clue what to do for her. So, I’m putting the party together while he makes sure everyone in the club is in attendance to show her she’s important to them all. The only thing I have left to do is order the cake and get the decorations.
He takes me to bed every night and expects me to stay there after we have sex. I’m not complaining about the sex— the man knows how to play my body like a finely tuned instrument. But, we’ve come to an impasse. He wants more from me than I’m ready to give. If I were to settle down and be with someone, it would be Renegade. I’m just not sure if I’m ready to open my heart again.
When I was in college, I had a boyfriend. I thought we’d get married, have the whole two point five kids, and a white picket fence. Tom had other ideas though. He wanted me because I had an apartment off-campus and I helped him study when he didn’t want to do the work. Honestly, I did more of his schoolwork than he did. All Tom wanted to do was party, fuck his female professors along with every other female, and promise me a life of lies. All so I wouldn’t kick him out or stop doing his work for him. It shattered me and I promised myself I’d never let anyone in again.
As shattered as I was over Tom, I know I’d never survive Renegade deciding he doesn’t want me. Or giving in and fucking the babes because I’m not enough for him. I’m smart enough to realize that fact and I can’t decide if I’m ready to open myself to that kind of pain. Because if he changes his mind, I’ll have to leave Shadowville, Kora, and the girls behind. I won’t stay here to see him with someone else.
So, once he’s asleep every night, I wiggle out of his arms and silently make my way back to his room in the clubhouse. I don’t want Kora getting her hopes up if she wakes up to me at the house already. Renegade is pissed as hell when he shows up at the clubhouse to find me there. Again. He’s tried talking to me about it, but I refuse to listen to him. All he wants is to make sure I’m safe and don’t get hurt by this club again.
This morning is no different. I’m just coming out of the bathroom when the door flies open and slams against the wall. Renegade fills the space with a thunderous look on his face.
“Again, Natasha? You’re gonna listen to me today. No more runnin’ and hidin’,” he says, shutting the door behind him and walking up to me.
Renegade slams his mouth against mine. I open my mouth for him, immediately granting him access. He kisses me until I can’t breathe, our tongues dueling and trying to gain control of the demanding, harsh kiss. He finally pulls away from me and sits me on the bed, a towel my only barrier against him.
“You sneak out of my bed, and home, every single night. It’s fine to be there durin’ the day, spend time with Kora, and eat dinner with us, but not to stay the night with me. I want to know why,” he says, not beating around the bush.
“You wouldn’t understand,” I tell him, trying to get up so I can get dressed.
“Try me,” he responds, not letting me move.
Looking at him, I know he’s not going to let this drop. I take a sigh and look out the window of his room to the trees in the distance.
“Growing up, my life wasn’t much different from Kora’s. The main difference is I was in and out of foster homes and I was used to buying and selling drugs for my mom. Hell, she tried to pimp me out more often than not. I couldn’t wait to be away from her. Anyway, when I got to college, I was used by a man I thought loved me. He used me for his work and my apartment. Even though he was fucking me, he was fucking everyone else on campus too.
“I won’t go through that again, Renegade. You’ve got a clubhouse full of women who are ready to fuck you anytime you want. I have a life and I want to get back to it. I want to work and spend time with the girls. If you were to change your mind because of your own past, I would have to give my friends up. I’d have to give up spending time with your daughter. I won’t do it,” I tell him, letting the tears fall down my face u
nchecked.
Renegade doesn’t say anything for a long time. He sits there and processes what I’ve just told him. Even though I’ve only given him the Cliffs Notes version of my past. Finally, he pulls me into his arms and lets me cry on his shoulder, helping me carry the load I usually carry alone on a daily basis.
“I’m not gonna do that to you. If I didn’t know for certain I want you for my ol’ lady, I wouldn’t have said a fuckin’ word to you. I sure as fuck wouldn’t let you get close to my daughter or step foot in my home. Natasha, for some reason, you’ve managed to breach all my walls and barriers from what Saralyn did to me. You’re the only one I want and I’m not givin’ you up. Just stop sneakin’ out of the fuckin’ house every damn night,” he tells me, giving me a break for now.
I know he’ll push again when he’s decided he’s had enough of playing things my way. For now, I guess we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and see what happens.
“Know you said you can’t sit with Kora today. What are you doin’?” he asks, letting me up to get dressed.
“Having lunch with the girls,” I answer, pulling out jeans and a hoodie.
It’s chilly out today after the rain all night long. It still looks as if it’s going to storm, so I want to dress warm instead of getting caught out in a storm and freezing to death. Yeah, we’re going to lunch, but who knows what else we’re going to do. I never know what’s going to happen when it comes to the ol’ ladies of Satan’s Anarchy.
“Where ya goin’?” he asks.
“No clue. Cassidy is picking me up and we’re meeting Hadliegh and Callie,” I answer.
“Be safe,” he warns. “Come to the house when you’re done.”
I nod my head as I walk back in the bathroom to do my hair and make-up. Renegade gives me a kiss before leaving the room and heading back home. I’m sure he’ll spend the day with his daughter. Or he’ll have Bishop go over and sit with her.