by M. Merin
“I heard about, well, about what Gunner thought about the other women?” She looks at me.
“It actually made a weird kind of sense, once he said it out loud.” I can’t stop my eyes from filling with tears. “I won’t get my test results for another few days, but I’m only using the bathroom off the room I have here, so please don’t worry…”
“Betsy! I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think…” She looks at me horrified, then crosses the kitchen and enfolds me in her arms. “You sit down, just tell me what I need to do. I can only imagine the stress you’re under. And really, how much different could this be than cooking for a church social?”
Her last comment gets me giggling, then she shoots me a wicked grin and the two of us really start laughing.
I was so certain that any woman Jasper took as an Ol’ Lady would despise me. Emma’s not what I expected at all.
Jasper
We emerge from Church and the smell coming from the kitchen draws us all that way rather than the bar. Anticipating our needs, Betsy has ice cold beers off to the side of the buffet line. Emma quickly maneuvers me to sit and eat, plying me with water and fussing over me like mad. Roy joins us, more to calm her than to tend to me.
“Pres,” Betsy grabs my arm when I try to hit the john, I don’t miss that she uses my title and not my name. “It was Emma, she really did all the cooking. She’s been real nice to me, also.”
“No reason she wouldn’t be, Betsy.” I squeeze her hand before removing it from my arm. “I told her what you mean to all of us around here, that she had nothing to worry about with you. Vice said your tests should be back in a day or two?”
“I just never thought, well, I’m sure it’s not a good time, but, well…” She’s stuttering. “Um, does she want to take over my duties or am I still…”
“No, Betsy!” Once I finally figure out why she can’t form sentences, I cut in. “Emma’s probably gonna work at the school, we haven’t talked it through much but don’t worry about the pay you get for running the clubhouse. You have a place here as long as you want it. That hasn’t changed.”
“Thank you,” She looks like she’s about to cry and I feel like shit for not clarifying this earlier. “You all are the closest thing to family for me, I just didn’t know what my place would be with her here.”
“We take care of our own here, Betsy,” I reinforce what I just said but see that the worry has eased from her face.
“Betsy,” Russian calls to her from down the hall. “Got some time?”
She flashes a smile to me before following him upstairs.
Gunner
While everyone’s getting settled for the night, Wrench, Jake and I head out to play with our new toys. Takes a while to get the hang of piloting the drones but before an hour goes by, I know these’ll do the trick and we can stay far enough back that we won’t have to worry about being made.
“Ok,” Wrench says. “Let’s get these recharged. What time do we head out, Gunner?”
“0030,” I reply, getting a nod from Jake. “Couple hours drive then the three of us will man the drones from locations I’ll pick, we’ll bring Hawk, Connal, and Vice to watch our backs. We’ll crash near the stateline and wait on the reinforcements. Attack will be tomorrow night, Wrench – you transport the drones.”
I’m back in military mode now so Jake and Wrench act accordingly. Wrench pats me on the back as he heads upstairs for some shuteye, it’ll be a rare night for him; without his Ol’ Lady or kids around.
“Get Connal,” I tell Jake. “We’re leaving now, in a cage, President and Flint want us to set a little surprise for the Spiders tonight.”
Jake, being Jake, doesn’t say a word, just sets off to find Connal while I head to the armory to pack up three bags of explosives.
Earlier, Flint and Jake called in multiple IOUs to get the location of the Spider’s safehouses and storage depots. Hours later, Connal, Jake and I have checked and rigged those four locations plus their businesses. Those will detonate right around dawn, guaran- fucking - teeing that the Spiders will all be at their clubhouse when we attack tomorrow night. Leaving one extra surprise for them at one of their strip clubs; getting all our loose ends tied up.
With any luck, that MC will be all but extinct after tomorrow.
Chapter 21
Emma
Jasper wouldn’t stay behind. I turned to Flint and Roy to help make my case, but as Roy was patting my shoulder, Flint verbalized what I already knew.
“You aren’t with a boy, kitten. Nor should you be,” He grips my other shoulder on his way past me. “The three of us’ll be in a cage together. We’ll get him home to you. Fuss over him then.”
“Why do you call me that?” I ask him, rather than screaming in frustration.
He smirks as he turns back to me. “You haven’t quite come into your own yet, you’ll be a force once you do. See ya soon, kitten.”
“Stay on the grounds. There’s a treadmill down in the gym, maybe a run will take the edge off? Betsy, Shade and the probies will be here if you need anything.” Roy chuckles as he heads out.
I turn to see Jasper heading out from his office.
“Need your kisses now, Em, not your temper.” He face remains serious as he stalks towards me, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“I need you, Jasper.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “I almost lost you once due to my pride, another time to a bullet. I can’t, I can’t…”
“Shhhh,” He whispers into my ear. “I love you, Darling. I’m coming back and this’ll be behind us for good.”
His kiss is hesitant at first, almost a question. I deepen it, giving him everything he needs from me. I always will.
“Love you,” I whisper when Flint calls for him.
*
The next 24 hours are a nightmare. Every few hours I head back to the treadmill, running for an hour at a time; it’s the only way to work my nervous energy out and stay sane.
Betsy is friendly but obviously distracted herself.
Later that day, the Ol’ Ladies, children, and the Girlies start to arrive, throwing the clubhouse into chaos. Greeting everyone helps get me through the evening, until I finally slip away up to our room.
I’ve finally drifted off when someone starts banging on the door.
“They’re right up the road!” Betsy says when I open it. “One of them came ahead, there are a few injuries, but nothing serious. Can you help me get the first aid supplies organized?”
I never took my clothes off, so I follow her without a word. Surprised to see it’s already 5am.
After we have the game room set up as the makeshift infirmary, I head up to the barroom to wait for them. The noise from the bikes is unmistakable and almost upon us. The first SUV pulls in after a few bikes, I immediately see it’s full of the wounded. The next SUV pulls in a few minutes later, pulling a long trailer with several motorcycles on it. Obviously belonging to those who weren’t well enough to ride back.
At the very end of the motorcade is an identical SUV, with Flint at the wheel. The vehicle has barely stopped before Jas steps out and I run to him.
Roy and Flint barely acknowledge me as they follow everyone inside. Jasper wastes no time pinning me to the side of the SUV.
“I need you, Darling. Please?” He questions, barely waiting for my nod before shifting us to the dark area at the back of the truck.
Our mouths don’t break apart, I lift my skirt and pull my panties aside as he unzips his jeans. He quickly swipes a finger along my slit, making sure I’m ready for him before lifting me and plunging into me.
“Fuck! Emma,” He grunts out as quietly as he’s able. “Thought about your pretty pussy the whole way back.”
“It’s yours, Jasper, I’m yours.” I moan, tightening my legs around his waist as I tilt my pelvis to take his hard thrusts as deep as possible.
My ass cheeks are fiercely gripped in his hands and I reach down to rub my clit. This frantic fucking between us is born out o
f whatever happened during the attack and my fears throughout the day – my pleasure is my own responsibility, being filled deep and hard by him is just a bonus.
“Darling, I can’t last, can you…are you?” Jasper presses his forehead to mine, gritting his teeth against his body’s need for release.
“Wait, just a minute.” I pant. “I need it to, so bad. Harder.”
Jasper makes it four more thrusts but as I feel the ropes of his cum shoot up into me, his thumb takes over my clit and pushes me over the edge. My inner walls clench him tighter, needing the strength of him within me and pulling more cum from him.
“Jesus, fuck, Emma.” Jasper bites out, leaning his weight against me, pinning me to the truck as his cock finally softens and slides out of me along with our juices. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? I try to be gentle; I just couldn’t, not after…”
“Shhhh, I’m not an eggshell. Not anymore, Jasper.” I assure him. “You’re really alright, though?” I push him further back to take a closer look at his head and torso.
“Not a scratch.” He pauses and smiles. “Well, nothing new at least. I got to go check the guard rotation and then look in on the wounded though.” He adds as he pulls my skirt back into place.
Chapter 22
Jasper
Escorting Emma back inside, I keep watch on her. Knowing what she’s been through, I’ve never been as rough as I just was. Catching another look at her in the light of the clubhouse, I can see she’s glowing and I start to refocus on my Brothers.
“I’m going to go see if I can help Betsy and Roy,” She says without being asked before she kisses the back of my hand and heads down to the game room.
“Where’s Gunner?” I ask the first person I see.
“He was hit in the arm.” Is the immediate response, so I turn towards Flint instead. “Getting it looked at.”
“What’s the score?” I accept the shot of whiskey he holds out to me, ignoring the shit eating grin that tells me he knows why I was delayed in the parking lot.
“Zipper your fly.” He starts, and fuck, he’s right. I hadn’t done that. “Five with GSWs, but they were all lucky, nothing major hit. Gunner and Connal are included in that count. Smithy, he’s the sixth and was sliced up pretty good, lots of stiches needed and a lot of blood loss. He came upon where the Ol’ Ladies and kids were holed up and a couple of them had knives.
“As for collateral damage on their side, not much that we can tell but it’s early yet. The explosives went off, as planned, so their legit businesses and dirty warehouses are laid to waste. Now’s the time to look into real estate in and around their town. Make it harder for anyone left rebuild, although I would imagine the good people down that way might grow a backbone once they realize what happened and make our lives easier; not having the Spiders nipping at us anymore.”
“About what I thought…” I start before Gunner cuts in.
“What do you need, Jas?” He asks, lighting up a cigarette. The right sleeve of his T had been torn off and there’s a bandage wrapped around his bicep.
“You good?” I raise an eyebrow at his appearance.
“Sewed it up, your Ol’ Lady wrapped it.” He grunts. “Need me to get the guard rotation set up?”
“Appreciate it.”
“You look like shit, Pres,” He adds before walking away.
Flint takes a hard look at me.
“He’s right. I got this. Go lay down, if Roy’s got everything under control I’ll send Emma up to you. We need you on your game tomorrow.” He looks at me like he did when I was a fifteen year old punk who needed his ass kicked. I realize I’m nearly swaying on my feet, so I grab his shoulder in thanks.
Emma
No one seems to mind that I have no idea how to help. I more or less just stay behind Roy and keep things clean. At one point I look over and see Gunner sewing up his own arm!
I approach with hydrogen peroxide and gauze.
“Nice start.” He looks up at me. “Pour some of that on it then go grab me a pain pill.”
By the time I get back, he’s tying off the thread and quickly takes the water but only one of the two pain pills I brought. “Need to stay frosty tonight.” He grunts before nodding at the gauze and asking me to do the honors.
“So, you’ve done this before?” I ask.
“Yep. Couldn’t find the super glue so I grabbed some thread and a needle.” He’s watching me intently as I keep my eyes on the massive bicep I’m wrapping.
“Super glue?!”
“It works.” He grunts when I press too hard as I’m taping up the end.
“All set,” I grab his shoulder as he starts to stand. “Gunner, please let Roy look at it tomorrow? You helped take care of me when I needed it the most, you promise me you’ll do that or I WILL hunt you down.”
“Jasper chose well.” Is all he says as he squeezes my hand and walks away.
“EMMA!” Betsy calls to me before I can respond to him. I quickly cross over to help her with a man with multiple cuts. I pull on clean gloves and follow all her directions precisely.
I don’t know how much longer until I’m able to step back again, but when I do Flint immediately catches my eye. I look around to make sure the room has calmed down before walking to him.
“Jasper went upstairs to rest, could use some ibuprofen and water,” He says before looking away from me. “Maybe hold off on more lovin’, we need him sharp tomorrow.”
As my face blooms red, I just nod and run off. Cleaning up in the downstairs bathroom before gathering what Jasper might need, I slip into our room.
His bedside lamp is on as are his clothes, but he’s sound asleep. I slide into bed next to him and he instantly rolls to me, still mostly asleep he pulls me into his body and starts to lightly snore. Silent tears stream down my cheeks; releasing the stress of not only today but of the past year.
“Mm’kay?” He mumbles, more asleep than awake.
“Shhh,” I hum in his ear to sooth him back to sleep.
*
The next morning he wakes me with light kisses.
“I have to get downstairs,” He starts once my eyes have focused. “I know we need to talk, but I didn’t want to leave you without waking you up.”
“How do you feel?” I immediately check for fresh blood on his head wound.
“I took that ibuprofen you left and drank the water over the course of the night,” He says, kissing me again. “Not a hundred percent, but I need to get a handle on things and check the wounded.”
“I don’t love it, but I understand.” I cup his cheek with my hand.
“You love me though, right?” He asks as he feathers kisses around my face. I quickly nod and press my lips against his. “Amy and the others will still be around today. Did you and Betsy get on alright?”
“I’m fine here, Jas. Really. I may sleep a bit longer then I’ll be down to help out some more.” I yawn. “Oh, make sure Gunner follows up with Roy. He promised. Kinda.”
Jasper
I know this life is so far removed from all Emma knows, but she really makes the best of things. I close the door behind me as I take one more look at her sleeping form.
“You good?” Jake joins me on the stairwell.
“I’ll live.” I shrug. “You?”
Jake nods.
“Drones worked well, didn’t they?” I ask him, feeling proud of Emma’s idea.
He nods again.
“I’ll tell Emma you were gushing about them.” I add wryly, trying to get more from this quiet bastard than a nod.
Another nod before he finally opens his mouth. “Coffee?” He offers.
“Fresh and black.” I throw over my shoulder as he cuts off to the kitchen. I can be succinct also.
“How’s Emma gonna feel about that?” He says in a monotone as he’s walking away.
I bark out a laugh at his unexpected joke. “Fucking asshole.”
Shithead barely speaks to anyone and now he thinks he’s funny, I think grinning
to myself.
*
The only ones left in the makeshift infirmary are Smithy, who was cut to shit, and Radar. Radar caught a bullet in his shoulder and will be in a world of hurt for a while.
They’re both fairly conscious when I check in and I’m surprised to see someone I had thought was a Honey Hole sitting beside Smithy, holding his hand.
“You good, Brother?” I ask, looking between them.
“Good, Pres.” He releases her hand to grasp mine. “Uh, I asked them to let Amber in. Hope its ok. We’ve been regular for a few weeks.”
I look over at her. She’s a full girl, pretty though, and can barely hold my stare; can’t help but wonder how she found her way to our door in the first place. He drops my hand to hold hers again.
“I’m sorry.” She says looking between us. “I can find someplace to stay, Smithy, I don’t want to cause…”
“Stop. You’re with me, right?” He directs to her, after she nods he looks back to me. “Look, her stepfather’s a creep and other than here, the only place I stay is at my ma’s. Ma don’t want her there without me. I need to be sure she’s ok.”
I watch her hand tighten around his and the look she gives him borders on adoration.
“Amber, you legal?” She nods. “And exclusive with Smithy?” I ask, feeling this out but quickly see terror run across her face before she starts to nod. “OK. We’ve had some shit go down, so I see different and you’re out. But for now, you’re Smithy’s nurse. Anyone lays a hand on you, you tell them Flint and I will have a problem.”
“Thank you.” She looks at him first, then shyly back up to me.
“My Ol’ Lady, Emma, will be around. She’s been through some shit herself, anything you need you go to her or Betsy with, got it?” She nods franticly.
She keeps bobbing her head while smiling at Smithy. Fuck, she could give Jake a run for his money with all her nodding.
“If it happens that things go south between you two, you make sure she has a safe place to go. I hear otherwise and you and me’ll have a problem.” I finish the conversation with Smithy, before walking over to Radar.