by Mallory Funk
“Well, how about we set up some sort of place where these ladies could get ready for prom with no cost to them. We will get dresses donated or on sale. Her friends at the salon already said that they would volunteer their time when needed, and I’ve contacted other salons in the area who also loved the idea. I mean, come on, Stacey loved everything to do with hair, makeup, and fashion. Why don’t we help the young women and men who can’t afford those things?” she says taking a deep breath after. Everyone is staring at her in shock and there is complete silence in the club.
I hear a sniffle and look over to find Ella’s eyes fill with tears. She rushes over to Sophie and hugs her tightly. I hear Sophie gasp at the contact.
“That would be perfect for her. It sounds just like her. Let me know what you need, and we can get started on it since prom is only months away!”
Ella starts chatting away and I look at Bear across the room. He is looking at Sophie with pride.
I make a note to invite Sasha and him over for dinner. They don’t get to have her food often anymore since she mostly cooks for me, but they are going to be a big part of her life and I want to get to know them better.
Sophie’s phone rings in the middle of Ella’s ramble about the fundraiser, and she tells Ella that she needs to take it.
She walks to the hallway so she’s out of earshot but not out of my sight, and she looks back at me the whole time she’s having the conversation.
She nods her head and the look she gives is between excitement and annoyance.
Once Sophie hangs up the phone, she walks straight to me. I haven’t taken my eyes off her the entire time. I still can’t fucking believe she chose me.
“What’s going on, babe?” I ask when she steps in between my legs from the stool I’m sitting on.
She lets out an annoyed huff. “Well I’m having trouble naming the bakery and they need to get the sign started, like, yesterday. Everything is almost done, so I need to have the sign made. I’m just having trouble with the name,” she rambles.
“I told you just to name it Sophie’s. You’re sweet and it is your place,” Crash says putting his two cents in.
“Or she could just go with ‘The best mother-fuckin muffins ever!’” Steal says loudly, and I have to roll my eyes at him.
“Steal, I told you that I wasn’t putting a swear word on my sign,” she says with a chuckle.
Ella looks at her with a smile. “You should pick something that means something to you. What about your dad? I’m sure you could think of something that could be a tribute to him.”
Sophie leans against me quickly, and I swear that everyone goes quiet along with her.
She nods her head. “Yeah, I’ll think about something I can do. I think naming it something that has meaning is a wonderful idea.”
Ella smiles at her looking quite proud of Sophie in that moment, and I think that maybe we all are.
We spend the next few hours talking with our family before I take her home. I could never get enough of spending time with Sophie.
Sophie
As soon as we walk into our house, I can’t keep my hands off Colton.
I look him in the eyes when he starts devouring me.
“Colton,” I say a bit nervously.
“Yeah babe?” he says when his eyes finally meet mine. I’ll never get used to seeing how much he wants me. It always takes my breath away. This gorgeous, sexy man wants me.
“I love you.” I say the words that I have wanted to for a while.
His whole body freezes and a slow smile spreads across his face.
Next thing I know, he walks closer to me crashing his lips to mine and kissing me hungrily. “Fuck baby, you have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that. I love you too,” he says before he kisses me again.
Colton slides his hands down to cup my ass and he picks me up. That show of strength turns me on more than I thought possible.
Colton is pushing me up against the wall and I can’t help but gasp when my back hits it.
I grab his hair with one hand and the other is gripping his shoulder.
When he makes a move to remove my shirt, I help as much as I can. He switches hands so that he can get my shirt and bra off.
Immediately he is sucking a nipple into his mouth while his hand is working to unzip his pants.
I’m glad that I thought to wear a skirt today. Because there is no way I want to let go of Colton and the position that we are in.
When he gets his pants undone, I help slide them slightly down his hips so he can free his cock.
We haven’t gone bare before and nothing feels more right than not using a condom.
He positions himself so that he’s at my entrance, moving my panties aside so that he can thrust himself in.
With no warning, I let out a moan when I feel him inside me for the first time without any barriers.
He groans deep in his throat and, damn, if it isn’t the sexiest sound I have ever heard.
This isn’t the making love I had envisioned when I thought about telling him, but it’s perfect and raw, passionate, and us.
The way his lips feel against mine.
The roughness of his thrusts that have a slight pain but are extremely pleasurable. He knows how I like it when he reaches in between us to touch my clit.
I can feel myself start clenching around him. He moves his mouth so that his teeth lightly scrape against my shoulder making me shudder and, judging by the slight halting of his thrusts, he felt it too.
“Fuck, Sophie, baby,” he says through clenched teeth.
I can feel the tightening in my stomach and the signs that I’m about to come.
I bring his lips back to mine as I feel the release finally take hold.
I squeeze my eyes shut from the intensity. My hands are digging into his back. If he wasn’t wearing a shirt, or his cut, then he would definitely have marks on his back.
He thrusts a couple more times before I feel him come inside of me.
I don’t know how long we stand there against the wall, but we both take a moment to calm ourselves from what just happened.
Colton slowly pulls out and looks down. He looks up at me in a look of panic.
“Sophie, I’m sorry I didn’t,” he says when he realizes he didn’t put a condom on.
“It’s okay honey, you know I’ve been on birth control since forever and I think that we shouldn’t have to use them anymore if we don’t want to,” I say adjusting my underwear when he let’s me on the ground.
“Thank fuck, because after that I don’t think I could go back to using them again,” he says with a grin.
“Then we won’t,” I say with a shrug.
When Colton grins wider, he bends to pick me up or, should I say, throw me over his shoulder before bolting to the bedroom.
We spend the rest of the night exploring each other’s bodies like this is the first time we have had sex or seen each other naked.
I love Colton James and there is no one who is more perfect for me.
Chapter Twenty Three
Sophie
Six weeks later
It has been weeks since everything started to come together with the bakery and the charity event in Stacey’s name.
I had picked a name for the bakery and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.
We are only days away from opening.
I had spent the time getting everything ready.
I have the sign up. but it’s covered until I reveal it to the club tonight.
Trigger wanted to spend some time with me today, but I needed to get the finishing touches done.
I had hired a couple people to help me out until I know how business is going to be, and if I will need to hire more people, or what my hours should permanently be.
I am baking for a pre-opening. I have my helpers, Steve and Abby, here. They seem like nice people and they both have the enthusiasm I have been looking for.
I had hired people with experience baking so
that I wouldn’t have to be working every single day. I knew that in the beginning I would be, but I also knew that Colton would put a stop to that sooner or later. He looks forward to our time together.
I decided to add “Stacey’s Random Brownie” to the menu. It’s on the specials board, and the brownie will change every day. I will add different ingredients or make it in different shapes to make it special. After Ella told me that this was something that she and Stacey used to do, I just had to make it a part of my menu.
I had a wide selection of muffins, not only because everyone seems to love them, but also to make a great, quick breakfast or snack with the coffee from the new coffee machine I bought.
I also made sure to add pies, cupcakes, and other random treats. I wanted to have a wide selection tonight for the club.
I would know what started to sell more once the business was up and running for awhile, but for the time being I needed to keep it stocked with a wide selection. I would also then find out what the club preferred as well.
I hear my phone go off and I grab it out of my pocket.
Colton: You almost done, baby? There’s a herd of hungry bikers outside.
I can’t help but laugh. “Apparently everyone is waiting for us to open,” I say to Steve and Abby who laugh.
They look at each other and are clearly nervous. When I hired them, I made sure that they knew I was an Old Lady and showed them the tattoo I finally got. There would obviously be bikers coming in and out of here. They were okay with it and had nothing against the club, but I think that they are just nervous because pretty much the whole club will be here tonight.
I walk around the bakery checking to make sure everything is in order. I didn’t take the napkins, cups, and containers out until this morning when I had booted everyone out except Steve and Abby so that they wouldn’t see the name.
My hands are shaking a little bit but is important to me to have everyone in my life see my dream. It’s a lot.
“You ready?” I ask looking at them, and they both nod their heads.
I blow out a big breath and open the door.
When I step out of the building, I’m awed at the sight I see.
I can feel the tears building in my eyes.
I try to blink rapidly so that I can see.
I place a hand over my mouth.
Every member of Vicious Snakes must be here. Olivia’s friends are here, and Krista is right beside her. She must have flown down from her father’s club because last I knew she was there with Pyro.
“Congratulations baby,” Colton says, holding the biggest bouquet of flowers I have ever seen.
“I-I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe you are all here,” I say with a sniffle.
I’m so overwhelmed with the fact that I have this much support.
“Let’s see your sign now!” Steal yells. He looks excited.
I roll my eyes. “Give me a minute.”
Ella yells at her brother. “Yeah, let her talk.”
I clear my throat and look at everyone around me. I spot Torch far away and can’t help the tears that form from seeing him. He’s been in and out of the club for weeks and very distant, but it means so much to have him here. He lifts his chin to me.
I nod my head. I can do this.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting everyone to be here. This is amazing. I never expected to follow my dream in opening my own bakery. I also didn’t think that I would have had this much support. I never knew that I could have so much family and love.” I look away for a moment to wipe my tears. This day means so much to me and it’s about time everyone knows that.
“When I was growing up, I never thought much about my future except how lonely I would be. I did everything that was asked of me, hoping for some love or recognition. When it never came, I just became a shell of who I now know I am. I came here to this club to seek help and hopefully find my uncle. What I found was so much more. I found the love of my life, my dream of baking, and amazing friends and family who have my back. The Vicious Snakes did not hesitate to take me in with open arms. They also showed me what a family should be, not once questioning it. When things took a turn for the worse, they stuck by each other and helped each other out. No one ever has to be alone if they have the Vicious Snakes as their family.”
I blow out a breath and give a nod to Steve who is going to remove the cover off the sign.
“That’s why I named the bakery after the people at my back. Welcome to ‘Vicious Temptations’,” I say gesturing to the sign at my back.
When I’m done, I look at everyone and they are all standing there in awe. Some of them have even dropped their jaws.
Prez and Bear come up to me and sandwich me in a hug. “Your father would have been so proud,” Prez says looking back at the bakery.
Ella comes to me with a smile. “I was going to think of something with my father, but I knew it needed to be the club. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a menu item dedicated to him though, and I also have one for Stacey. This is my way to remember them,” I say. She lets the tears fall from her eyes and gives me a tight hug. I can’t help but laugh and squeeze her just as hard back.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” she whispers before heading inside.
I spend quite a while hugging and getting congratulated by everyone.
The day is spent with my family. It didn’t take long before we ran out of everything. Who knew that bikers could eat that much?
Trigger ‘Colton’
I’m so fucking proud of my baby.
This bakery is awesome and completely her.
She used light and dark colors and worked around the club theme.
I would never have guessed that she would dedicate this place to the Snakes. Everyone looks at her in awe.
She didn’t have to put our name on it, but damn if she didn’t make a lot of people happy.
She said it was a test run so no one was paying, but that doesn’t stop the tip jar from overflowing. The workers she hired looked scared at first, but then they got comfortable once they came to realize that everyone was friendly.
We get that a lot. Because we’re bikers, people think that we are rough or mean, but that’s not really how we are. If you fuck with us or something related to the club then we become mean mother fuckers, but we won’t fucking bother you otherwise.
I saw Torch in the crowd, but he had just grabbed a coffee and brownie and took off.
I’m glad he came and showed his support for Sophie. I don’t know where he’s staying now because it’s not at the club, but I do know that he’s spent a lot of time drunk. I was surprised today to see him mostly sober. I would have to guess that he was just waking up from last night’s hang over and went back to wherever he is living.
I shake my head at my brother, but I know that it’s going to take time to heal, and a damn special person to break him out of his depression. Things like that don’t happen overnight.
I watch Sophie walk around the place with a look of pride on her face when she sees that everything has sold out. I see happy tears run down her cheeks. The smile on her face is blinding.
I can’t help but think how amazing this woman is considering everything that she has been through and where she came from.
I think about how months ago I was hooking up with random women and not thinking about anyone else besides me and my club. Sophie changed that.
Somehow, through everything, she had come to mean so much to me. I can’t imagine my life without her.
There was a chance we could have lost each other, but luckily for us we have survived it all.
I look in the mirror every morning heavy with loss. Sometimes I can’t believe that Stacey is gone and that there was nothing I could do to save her. It feels like this deep ache that won’t go away.
I shake my head thinking about Stacey. I need to concentrate on Sophie, here and now. There will be enough time to drown in my guilt when my woman isn’t high on the fact that her bakery is
doing amazingly well.
When the night is over and I help clean up, we head home. Sophie is on the back of my bike with exhaustion in her eyes but a smile on her face because she can’t believe that she actually did it.
Sophie falls asleep in my arms after I make love to her, but my thoughts won’t stop running. I get up out of the bed without waking Sophie. I’d be surprised if anything woke her up tonight.
I put on a pair of sweats and head to the backyard to get some fresh air hoping to clear my thoughts.
Sitting on the steps of the back porch, I look out into the darkness.
I can hear the sounds of nature. When a lone tear slides down my cheek thinking about how I couldn’t save a brother’s woman, I don’t bother to wipe it away.
There are moments like this that happen more than I care to admit.
I sit here and think about my woman and how her coming here changed my life, but it also unfortunately changed Torch and Stacey’s lives too.
If I was the one burying my woman, I wouldn’t know how to function, let alone breathe, without her.
I hear a bike in the distance before I see it pull up and I walk around the house towards the light it gives off.
What I don’t expect is to see my brother Torch.
I stop in my tracks when he turns off his bike but makes no move to get up.
“Brother,” I say, but he holds his hand up, so I stay silent.
“It hurts, brother,” he blows out a breath and moves to light a smoke. Smoking is something he never did before, but my brother is changing, and I don’t think that there is anything I can do to stop it.
“I’m sorry.” He shakes his head.
“I know you’re sorry, brother. It’s not your fault. It’s not Sophie’s fault. It is fucking tragic what happened to my woman. I honestly don’t know how I can come back from this, or even if I want to come back from this. I loved her something fierce. I didn’t think that love was in the cards for me, but she came along and took my breath away. I told myself that I would hurt any fucker who dared harm her and that’s what I did. I still feel so fucking hollow and empty. Vince may be fucking gone, but I don’t know how to stop it from hurting,” he says and turns his head to wipe some tears that have escaped. I turn my head so that I can give my brother the peace to believe that I didn’t see him crying, but he has nothing to be ashamed of.