Cinder

by Harley Wylde

  I heard the bolt being slid and pressed my lips to her temple, thankful I’d insisted we both get dressed an hour ago. I closed my eyes and breathed her in, letting her scent calm me.

  “I love you, Meg. Always remember that.”

  She clutched at me, but one of The Inferno members threw open the door and dragged me away from her. Meg cried and reached for me, but I gave her a quick shake of my head.

  “Be brave, my sweet girl.” I smiled at her as the man shoved me to my knees. “Close your eyes, Meg. Don’t watch.”

  She sobbed and scrambled across the floor toward me, throwing herself into my arms. I held her a moment, savoring the feel of her, and then gently pushed her away. I gave a nod toward the bed and she backed away. As she sank onto the mattress, I watched her take a shuddering breath and close her eyes. The tears streaking her cheeks made my heart ache.

  I felt the gun press against the back of my head, and I kept my eyes on Meg, wanting to see her beauty until the last moment. The hammer cocked and I took a breath, ready for what came next. Except the blast of a gun wasn’t the one against my head. Meg screamed and her body jerked, but I was focused on The Inferno member collapsing on the floor next to me, a hole through his head and blood pooling on the concrete floor.

  I looked over my shoulder to see Renegade grinning at me.

  “Miss me?” he asked.

  “Fucking Christ,” I muttered as I stood.

  “Nope, not Jesus. Though I am your savior today.” He winked and I shook my head at his nonsense.

  I heard Meg gasp and I looked over at her. She was pale, too damn pale, but she gave a cry and came running toward me. I wrapped her in my arms and cradled her close.

  “I’m fine, honey. Renegade got here in time to save both of us,” I said.

  “Pres, I suggest we get the fuck out of here,” he said. “We have a full crew here cleaning house, but in case there are any stragglers, I’d prefer to get the two of you to safety.”

  I lifted Meg into my arms and carried her, following Renegade who had to shoot two more men along the way. I saw one of the club trucks idling outside the gates and I climbed into the backseat. Renegade got behind the wheel, but didn’t say anything. Meg remained in my lap, crying softly as I tried to soothe her fears. It had been close. Really fucking close.

  “I’m going to need a status report,” I said.

  “Our family, Reckless Kings, and their allies are rounding up the last of The Inferno members and hopefuls. By nightfall, all those fuckers should be in the ground or burned to a crisp,” Renegade said.

  “Take us home. I’m ready for a shower, some hot food, and then I just want some quiet time with my woman,” I said.

  I saw Renegade smirk in the rearview mirror. “You got it, Pres. Someone will get your bike home for you.”

  I held Meg close and shut my eyes. I’d nearly lost my life today, nearly left behind the woman I loved and our kid, all because we had a fucking rat in our club. From now on, anyone who wanted to join would have to more than prove themselves before they even put on a Prospect cut. I was sick of this shit, and too damn old for it.

  “Hey, Pres,” Renegade said softly. “Sorry you didn’t get to take them all out.”

  “As long as they’re dead, I don’t care who did it. The only thing that matters is that our women and kids are safe.”

  I placed my hand over Meg’s belly and thought about the baby growing inside her. My life was about to drastically change, but for once, the thought of a kid running around my house didn’t scare the shit out of me.

  Chapter Ten

  Meg

  Two Months Later

  I washed the breakfast dishes, a set Cinder had insisted I pick, and set them in the drying rack. It wasn’t my favorite thing to do and I had a tendency to put it off as long as possible. The dishwasher had died a few days ago and a new one had been ordered, but the one I’d wanted was out of stock. I’d tried to tell Cinder that I didn’t need that specific one, but he’d been spoiling me a bit. If I so much as mentioned liking something, it was delivered a day or two later.

  I heard cussing from down the hall and smiled, knowing that he was more than a little frustrated with the baby furniture I’d selected. Granted, if I’d known that the company who delivered it wouldn’t also set it up, I would have gone elsewhere. Cinder had looked resigned as he watched box after box come through the front door. I’d mentioned letting the Prospects handle it, but he insisted that he would take care of his own kid.

  When the last of the dishes were finished, I dried my hands and headed toward the angry grumbles. The nursery door was open and I leaned against the frame and peered into the room. The baby bed looked like it had exploded out of the box with parts everywhere. So far, he’d managed to get the underbed storage together, but the bed itself still lay scattered.

  “Are you sure I can’t ask Killian and the new guy to come help?” I asked.

  “Bane? You think he’d cuss any less over this disaster?” Cinder grinned. “The man was in the Navy. He may know words even I haven’t heard yet.”

  I narrowed my eyes, seeing right through him. “You don’t want him here because he flirted with me.”

  He shrugged, not denying it. Bane had been accepted into the Devil’s Boneyard as a Prospect two weeks after The Inferno was destroyed. Fresh out of the Navy, he’d been eager to join a brotherhood that wouldn’t send him all over the world. He also met Cinder’s new requirements. After CJ’s betrayal, he was only accepting ex-military or ex-government personnel, anyone who had received a certain level of security clearance and had commendations out the ass. I knew that Bane had been thoroughly vetted, and that Shade and the other hackers had torn his life apart and analyzed every detail. I hated that he didn’t trust anyone, but it made me feel all warm inside that he was so protective.

  “He should be glad Magnus was there to stop him from grabbing your ass,” Cinder said.

  Reed, a Prospect who had helped me when I’d first been brought here, had been patched in about five months ago and now went by Magnus. I still had trouble remembering that at times and had slipped up more than once. Magnus had assured me it didn’t bother him, but I knew he’d earned his new name and I didn’t want to offend him by not using it.

  Cinder sighed and tossed aside the pieces he’d been trying to fit together, then stood and stretched. “I’m too old for this shit.”

  “Not old,” I reminded him. “There’s a difference in seasoned and old. Far as I can tell, you’re just right.”

  Cinder smiled as he came closer and wrapped an arm around my waist. He pulled me tight against him, and I felt his cock press into my hip. My breath caught as I saw the wicked gleam in his eyes. Something told me the baby furniture would have to wait, not that there was a rush. I wasn’t even showing yet, and had a long way to go before the baby arrived.

  I loved seeing this side of him. Nearly dying, and seeing me in the clutches of The Inferno, had changed him. He hadn’t wasted a moment of our time together, always showering me with affection, whether we were in private or not. We’d only been back a few days when he’d surprised me by dropping to one knee in the middle of the clubhouse and asking me to marry him. I’d cried so damn hard. Poor man had gotten scared and thought he’d done something wrong with all my blubbering, but I’d finally managed to say yes. He’d tried to rush the wedding, but I’d refused. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be his wife, and after nearly losing him I could understand why he wanted to get married quickly, but I only planned on getting married once and I wanted to do it right.

  Jordan had offered to watch all the kids twice a week for a few hours while Clarity and Josie helped with wedding plans. Instead of going to the Justice of the Peace, or using the clubhouse, I’d asked for tents so we could have an outdoor wedding. It also meant we had to arrange to rent tables and chairs for the event, and hope the weather wasn’t too bad. I knew there was always a chance it would storm, but I was hoping the day would go according
to plan.

  Cinder smoothed my hair back from my face. “You feeling okay?”

  I nodded. Morning sickness had hit me a month ago, and while I still had trouble with it, I’d learned that gingersnaps helped. The cabinet was filled with tins of them. Of course, Cinder had also stocked the freezer with pineapple sherbet since I craved it. Thankfully, I hadn’t wanted any strange combinations of food. He was probably getting a little sick of pasta, though. I’d wanted it almost every meal the last few weeks.

  My stomach rumbled and my cheeks warmed. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Why don’t you call and beg Killian to come put this crap together, and I’ll have your favorite restaurant deliver something for lunch. What type of noodles do you want today?”

  “They aren’t all noodles,” I said. “And I want lobster ravioli. With extra shredded parmesan. Oh, and garlic knots!”

  He gave me a tender smile, pressed his lips to mine, then pulled his phone from his pocket. While he ordered our food, I used the cell phone he’d insisted I have to contact Killian, who had promised he would show up with reinforcements and get the nursery together in no time. I hoped he was right because after I ate and took a nap, I knew I’d be reaching for Cinder, and not in a PG kind of way. I’d had a rather insatiable sexual appetite for the last month.

  The Prospects arrived before our food so I showed them where everything was and wished them luck. Killian took one glance at the mess Cinder had made and started mumbling under his breath. It didn’t take long for our food to get dropped at the front gate. Cinder left long enough to get it and bring it home to me. It was a mild day in Florida so I carried two glasses of sweet tea out to the picnic table on the side of the house, another addition he’d made for me.

  I’d also had most of the rooms repainted in something more cheerful than beige or gray. The nursery was going to be a pale yellow since we didn’t yet know if we were having a boy or girl. I hadn’t bought bedding or clothes yet, even though I’d really wanted to. Cinder had pointed out if I was just a little more patient we wouldn’t have to select gender neutral items. There was only so much white, yellow, and green I could stomach, so I’d conceded his point.

  He gave me a wink as he set the sack on the picnic table and started pulling out the containers of food. The lobster ravioli smelled like heaven, and I grinned when he opened a round tin and showed me the dozen garlic knots, but it was the raspberry cheesecake that made me lean across the table and kiss him long and hard.

  “Woman, if you want to eat, you need to keep your sexy self over there.”

  “Just telling you how much I appreciate the way you take care of me.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah well, I have some making up to do.”

  I wasn’t going to argue with him, even though I didn’t feel the same way. I’d learned already that nothing I said would change his mind. To Cinder, he’d failed me by not admitting his feelings sooner. While it had hurt being away from him, and I’d been scared to death when that man had held him at gunpoint, the fact we were together now was all that mattered to me. Yes, I still woke from nightmares about that day, but the moment Cinder wrapped me in his arms everything was right in my world.

  The day Cinder had nearly lost his life everything had been pure chaos. The clubs were still reeling from the events that occurred, but the Reckless Kings more than anyone. While Cinder had been told the men watching me had been killed, only one had lost his life. The others who had been left for dead spent some time in the hospital, but they survived. I didn’t know what had happened to the bodies of The Inferno members, and I didn’t want to know. Cinder had assured me they wouldn’t be an issue anymore, that clubs had banded together to strike every Inferno holding nationwide. I was hoping our future would be peaceful, but living with an outlaw club, I knew that wasn’t likely. For now, I would be grateful I had the love of a good man, and we were starting a family together.

  “I think I’m going to put up a fence around the back,” he said as he took a bite of his spaghetti. “Eventually our kid will need room to run, where they can be safe. I don’t want you worrying about turning your back for half a second and losing them.”

  “What kind of fence?” I asked, my brow furrowed. Part of what I loved about his house was all the open land behind it. I liked seeing that view when looked out the back windows.

  “Maybe one of those white picket things. I thought I’d do a big enough area to add a patio so you’ll have a place to sit, and maybe put in a sandbox. Eventually the kid will need a swing set or something.”

  “You know, for a man who never wanted children, you’ve put an awful lot of thought into what’s going to happen two or three years from now.”

  He stopped chewing and stared for a moment, then swallowed and reached for my hand. “I didn’t want kids, never saw the appeal. Then I learned you were pregnant with my baby and all I could think was that you’d be beautiful as your stomach stretched to accommodate our kid. I’m going to be there for every appointment, not just now but after the baby gets here too. At my age, it’s doubtful I’ll have another one.”

  “Are you saying you only want one?” I asked.

  He looked at me and didn’t say anything for several minutes. “Do you want another one?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s get through this pregnancy first, then we can talk. After the birthing videos I saw, I’m not even sure I want to have this one.”

  “You can hold my hand and scream all you want when we’re in the delivery room. I’ll let you call me every name you can think if it will make the moment more bearable.”

  “Love you,” I said.

  He winked. “Love you too.”

  We finished our meal, and after throwing away the trash, made our way to the nursery to check on the progress. There were three Prospects in the room and nearly everything was finished. They were putting the last of the screws in the changing table, which seemed to irritate Cinder.

  “Told you I was too damn old for this shit,” he muttered as he watched them.

  “You should make them leave.”

  “Why?” He looked down at me and I leaned up to whisper in his ear.

  “So I can prove just how old you aren’t. Right after a nap, of course,” I said, fighting back a yawn.

  “Nope, after that comment, you can nap after.”

  He swatted my ass, then chased the men out of the house, locked the door, and carried me into our bedroom. When he reached for the hem of my shirt, I slapped his hand away and went into the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I haven’t had a shower today. I smell.”

  He leaned against the bathroom doorway and rolled his eyes. “Woman, you never stink.”

  “Maybe you could scrub my back, make sure I get really clean.”

  He smirked and started removing his clothes, setting his cut on the bathroom counter. His shirt came off, and I reached out to trace his newest tattoo. It was my name in a script with a thorny rose under it. I’d asked about the rose and he said that I was beautiful but could be a thorn in his ass just like the rose. After giving him an angry glare, I’d kissed the hell out of him.

  I started the shower after I stripped off my clothes, making sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The doctor had told me to avoid extra hot showers or baths. Even though Cinder liked taking a shower so hot I worried the paint on the walls would peel, he never once complained about the cooler temp when he showered with me.

  I soaked my hair but before I could reach for the shampoo he already had it in his hands. He massaged it into my scalp and down the length of my hair before helping me rinse. His hands were just the right amount of rough as he soaped my skin. My nipples puckered as his fingers danced across them.

  He backed away, making me whimper and reach for him.

  “Uh-uh. Not this time.” He leaned against the tiled wall and folded his arms over his chest. “Pinch your nipples, Meg. Show me how much you need to be touched.”


  I cupped my breasts and tugged at the dusky tips. His cock jerked and I watched as pre-cum gathered on the head. Licking my lips, I wondered if he’d let me taste him. He chuckled, drawing my eyes back up, and he gave me a wink before stroking his shaft.

  “All in good time, sweetheart.”

  “Please, Vincent.” I wasn’t even entirely sure what I was begging for. To suck him, or to have him touch me.

  “Does my sweet girl need to come?” he asked.

  I nodded eagerly.

  “Show me how much you want it,” he said, his voice getting deeper with more growl to it.

  I slid my hand down my body and parted the lips of my pussy so he could see how hard my clit was and that I was more than just slick, I was dripping for him. He tipped his head toward the bench along the left wall and I propped my foot on it, opening myself farther. He groaned as he watched me stroke my pussy. I’d already learned when I ached this much, my hand would never be enough, but I did it for him. I rubbed my clit, then dipped two fingers inside before swirling them around the bud again.

  “It’s not enough, is it?” he asked, his lips tipping up on the corner. “Not what you need?”

  “No. I need you. So much.”

  “You need my cock filling you?”

  I nodded.

  “Then come show me how much you love it.”

  I dropped my foot back to the floor of the shower and crossed to Cinder. Kneeling at his feet, I licked the pre-cum off his slit and then wrapped my lips around him. I licked and sucked, loving the taste of him, the way he filled my mouth and slid along my tongue. He didn’t touch me, never once reached toward me. His arms remained folded over his chest as I pleased him, the heat burning in his gaze telling me just how much he loved what I did to him.

  “Stand up and face the wall, Meg,” he said.

  I released him and stood. He shifted out of the way as I leaned forward, placing my hands on the tiles. He gripped my hips and pulled me back until I was angled just the way he wanted. I felt the head of his cock slide against me before he slammed into me, hard and deep. I cried out, my eyes shutting in pure bliss. We’d learned quickly that I enjoyed it when he was a little rough with me. I trusted him, more than anyone ever before. No matter what he did, I knew he would never truly hurt me.