Kade

by Knox, Elizabeth

  ~Unknown

  Kade

  I wake up to the searching hands of Ivy, skimming across my abs, up to my chest until she has her fingers looped in my necklace like she always does. It must be some sort of anxiety relief for her, to hold onto me like this. I bring my lips down to the top of her head, giving her midnight locks a chaste kiss. There’s nothing in this world that can represent just how much I adore her. “God, you have no idea how much I love you,” I whisper in a low tone, bringing my hand up into her hair, twirling her curls around my finger.

  Her head shifts while the fear of God goes through me. I’ve never admitted to her how much I care or even told her that I love her. “Did you say what I think you just did?” Ivy mumbles, her voice cracking from going all night without a drop of water.

  I contemplate telling her that she dreamt about something and it must’ve shocked her awake, but I planned on telling her this at some point. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. “You’re damn straight I did,” I say coolly, running my hand along her back.

  She lifts her head up and even though we’re in the pitch black, I know she probably has a brow raised and is trying to see if I’m fucking with her or not. “Are you serious?” Yep, there it is. She thinks I’m fucking with her.

  “Why would I ever joke about something like this, Vampy?” As I finish speaking, I feel air coming toward my stomach and the sting of her slap. Ivy hates the nickname I’ve given her, but I think it fits. She’s hardly ever outdoors and yet has this dark brown skin. I joke with her that she’s some sort of hybrid vampire and it sticks.

  “You know how much I hate it when you call me that. It would make sense if I was as pale as a cadaver, but I’m not,” she grumbles out, laughing at the end of her words. Ivy moves the covers from the top of her and before I know it, both of her legs are on the outside of mine, sitting pretty right above my cock.

  Her hand searches for my face, slowly going up my chest until her palm is against my jawbone. Sliding my hands under me, I push myself up to get closer. Her breath hits my nose and I feel the nervousness coming out of her in waves. Part of me thinks she isn’t ready to say it, or maybe she doesn’t feel the same way, but after everything, we’ve been through together . . . I can’t live with that type of doubt. Ivy and I have stood by each other through thick and thin, still continuing to do so.

  “Are you not going to say it back?” My anxiety gets the best of me ‘cause right now, it’s been a couple of minutes and she hasn’t made a peep. Well, besides the laughter that is slipping out of her lips right now.

  “You silly man. I’m going to show you how much I love you.” Ivy grabs me forcefully by the neck and brings her lips crashing down onto my own, kissing me like she never has before. Her lips on mine are like water to the ocean or rain to a storm, each needing the other to flourish.

  I snake my arms around her, holding her curvy hips while our lips become erotic as all hell, I feel like she’s fucking me with her mouth. I’ve had my fair share of chicks, lookin’ like I do, it’s never been hard. But things are so different with Ivy. It’s like we click on some other level in mind, body, and spirit.

  My cock grows harder by the second, inching his way up to her entry. One thing I love about Ivy is that she almost always sleeps naked. She’s so determined to cover up her skin whenever she’s outside our bedroom that I’ve made it a point to tell her just how beautiful I think she is— every single inch, even the scarred ones.

  I thrust my hips up knowing that I’m right where I need to be, and Ivy gasps as I slide into her. I bet she wasn’t expecting it, but there’s no way she minds. Normally, we have a substantial amount of foreplay, but this morning, I can’t wait. With the way she’s been kissing me and still is, I want her, and I want her badly.

  I keep my hands planted firmly on both sides of her hips, digging my nails into her flesh as I thrust into her. She rocks herself over top of me, both of us moving forward in unison. With every thrust there’s a small mew that comes from her lips, encouraging me to continue. Part of me wants to take her in a savage like way, but that’s not what this is. We both need this to be sensual and not a rough, quick, animal type fuck. The two of us are amazing when it comes to that, like two lightning bolts striking together at the exact same time, but when we’re sensual . . . it’s like a tsunami.

  I move my right hand from her hip to the back of her neck, holding her in place while I get a little sterner in my thrusts. “Oh! Yes, just like that!” Ivy eggs me on, wanting it a bit rough it seems. Her hands travel to my hair, running her fingertips through it. Still, she rocks her pelvis against me and my shaft swells, wanting to unleash inside of her. It’s almost been a week since the last time we’ve had sex and my balls are full, ready to load inside of her.

  Her pussy tightens around my cock, practically begging to fill her up and mark her as mine. The way her cunt clenches me is tighter than any virgin I’ve been with— like she was molded by the gods just for my pleasure and sanity. “Kade, please just . . . oh!” Ivy rolls her hips back and forth as I bob her up and down, making sure my cock hits that lovely g-spot of hers. She can never last too long when I toy with her in this sensitive area. With every thrust, she grows wetter until the point that it’s like I’m shoving my cock into a slushie. Some dudes might not think it’s hot, but knowing I’m bringing her to the edge like this is more erotic than I can ever express.

  “Holy fuck!” She tears her lips from mine, grinding her nails into my head so hard that I have to yank my head away from her. Sometimes, Ivy just has the habit of taking it a bit too far.

  “Dammit!” I holler, taking my frustration out on her pussy and just as I do, she comes undone. With that final thrust, she comes over my cock and I fill her, hoping that by some sort of god she’ll get pregnant and carry my child. I don’t ever want to lose this woman, not now, not ever. I want her to experience everything in life that there is to offer by my side.

  Ivy falls down onto my chest, shaking from the aftershocks of her orgasm. I glance over to the bedside and see that it’s a little past five in the morning. I hold her close to me for a few minutes before she rolls off my chest and gets back under the covers. “You getting up, or sleeping for a bit longer?” I ask, rising from the bed.

  Instead of getting a reply, I get a grumble back, giving me my answer.

  I exit our bedroom and shut the door behind me, walk down the hall and head into the kitchen to make some coffee. I need at least six cups before anyone so much as speaks to me, otherwise, they’ll probably get their throat slit.

  I go over to the cabinet and open the door, grabbing a coffee filter and the container of coffee grounds. Over the next couple of minutes, I’m tossing the old filter and grounds into the trash and refilling it with a fresh bit. In ten minutes, I’ll be sitting here sipping a hot cup of black coffee. I hear the unmistakable sound of a barefoot hitting the wood floor. No one in this clubhouse walks around barefoot. Instantly, I know this must be one of our guests. If they knew about the parties we throw here, they’d be putting bleach down before they walk around this joint.

  “Please tell me that’s coffee brewing,” Raven says, walking slowly into the kitchen. I walk over to her and help her get in, sliding my arm under hers to give her stability as I get her settled on a barstool. I don’t even think she should be walking around at this point, but this is the woman who was determined to go without any sort of drugs,

  “It sure is,” I reply, walking over to the cupboard and grab two cups. “How do you take it, sugar, milk?”

  “Both, please.”

  “How are you feeling?” I ask. She doesn’t look too bad, besides being a bit pale. That could be from blood loss, though.

  “Feel like I got shot.”

  I want to laugh at her crassness, but I hold back. “Yeah, I bet. Surprised you went through it all without painkillers.”

  “There’s no way in hell I’d go through what so many in my family have. My mom went through back surgery w
hen I was ten and ever since then, she’s fully relied on the pills to dull her day to day emotional pain. My brother picked up on her pill-popping habit when he was nineteen, and it’s been quite a few years since then. I’ve had to keep the shit together for the family, and that’s not easy.”

  Shit, I didn’t realize she had such rooted issues when it comes to drugs. If I did, I never would’ve asked her. It kind of makes sense that she and Ivy are good friends given they both have rough family lives.

  “Anything else I need to know? We went really deep there,” I joke, walking over to the coffee pot to pour us both two cups. I make sure to put sugar and milk in her cup before I hand it her way.

  “Are we going to dive deep into how my ex made me strip as a way to pay off his gambling debts?”

  Jesus. “I was being sarcastic,” I mutter, looking at her in a different light. I can’t help but wonder why such pretty women like Raven and Ivy seem to go through a world full of shit. What is the connection between the two of them?

  7

  Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

  ~Unknown

  Kade

  “I need everyone in church, right now!” my father shouts the moment he walks into the clubhouse.

  I finally got Ivy to come sit out with Raven in the main room, which rarely ever happens. If anything, this just proves to me that having a friend in the club is helping her break out of her shell a bit more. Who knows, it might even be helping her feel more at home. Ultimately, that’s what I want.

  “Do you need your ears checked or some shit? Pile in!” he hollers at me, and I rise from the couch, give Ivy a chaste kiss, and haul ass.

  Within five minutes, every brother within a mile is in the club, ass planted in their assigned seat. The only one we’re waiting on is Zane and he comes flying in like he had a cop on his tail. “Hey, sorry. Was down at the station talking to a buddy and getting a bit more info,” he apologizes to our dad, overlooking the rest of the brothers. Considering that Zane will be the one who takes the gavel when our dad steps down, I’m betting he’ll get away with being late.

  “Alright, well what did you find out?”

  “I’m sorry to say this, but that guy at the bar died. Connor shot him right through the heart and luckily, there were cameras in the bar that caught him in the act. There’s no doubt that whenever they catch Connor, they’ll be able to prosecute him.” Fuck prosecuting him, that vermin needs to be exterminated.

  “Shit, that’s unfortunate,” our Dad speaks up, with a few of the brothers nodding in agreement. “You gonna tell Ivy and her friends?” For the first time since she’s been here, my dad looks at me with sympathy. It’s almost like he feels bad for her.

  I nod, “Yeah, after church I’ll tell them.”

  “What was that guy doing there anyway?” my father asks.

  “He was just a patron, some guy who’s there every night. He saw Connor with the gun and decided to step in the way and give them an opportunity to escape versus saving his own ass,” Zane answers.

  “If anything at least he’s at peace now with his daughter and wife,” Blackjack speaks up, with mumbled agreements filling the room. Everyone has heard the stories of Marty becoming the town drunk after his family died tragically. Personally, if the same had happened to me, I would’ve turned into the town drunk as well.

  “So, why was church called all of a sudden? It can’t just be ‘cause Marty died,” Bull states, looking to my dad.

  “Yep, you’re right. I called you all here ‘cause there’s been a series of fires that have broken out overnight. We’re not dumb, and we know who’s behind this. They’re trying to fuck shit up in our territory and it’s not going to happen. I’ve tried for years to keep peace with these fuckers and it’s about high time that we put an end to it. I mean it, if any of you find them, we’re shooting to kill. I’m not enlisting the help of any outside clubs for this dire matter, however, one of our own is coming out of the shadows to help us. A bear who will help us end the Bears.”

  “Jesus, Machk is coming back?” Dracus laughs, slapping his leg. “I’ve missed that old fool!”

  “He has his personal reasons for wanting to step back into the club. You all know he was good friends with Grizzly’s wife before they were married, and since she’s been missing for a few years . . . he thinks something fishy happened. I can’t say I blame him. I don’t think that woman going missing was an accident.”

  “’ Cause it sure as fuck wasn’t,” Zorro says to the room, “We all know what kind of shit Grizzly is. I wouldn’t be surprised if he killed his ol’ lady.”

  “How long has it been since Cora went missing?” I ask, knowing it’s been a few years at least.

  “I wanna say three, maybe four?” Zorro responds almost instantaneously.

  “Three,” my father says to the rest of us.

  “How much you wanna bet that he drowned her in the Yellowstone River? I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s always been a sick fuck,” Cracker states, speaking to all of us. Much to my surprise, no one responds to his comment, probably because it’s the god awful truth.

  “As much as I hate saying this, it’s not our job to figure out what happened to Cora. We need to worry about getting rid of the problem that we’ve had for so many years. I’ve done my best to keep peace with the Bears, but Grizzly has obviously lost his damn mind. After everything that’s happened, there’s no way to live with peace amongst our two clubs. He constantly feels that Montana is his when it will never be. Even with the territory being split, he couldn’t respect it. We all know that with time, he will continue to try to hurt us in any way he can and we need to handle it one way or another,” Dad speaks up, making sure he meets eyes with every single one of us.

  “Alright, so Connor shot Marty and went after not only Ivy but Raven and Frank. Now there are fires breaking out around town. Where are these fires happening, and why do we think they’re the Bears?” I ask the questions because I need to understand my father’s thought process with all of this. This could just be something as small as arson, it doesn’t mean it’s Grizzly.

  Zane grumbles from his seat, glaring at me with all his might. I watch the way he clenches his fists together before he speaks, “If you would wait to find out more information, you’d know that the buildings that were burning aren’t just random places. One of our drug houses was hit on the east side of town, more specifically, the last one we had since the Bears fucked shit up on us before. If that wasn’t enough of a blow, Blackjack got a call this morning saying the two cabins he owns were lit up as well and they're a bit out of town. Dracus owns a building in town that he rents out as a general store, that was also on fire, and Tex’s gas station made a big boom last night too. All of these fires are somehow tied to club members and you really want to tell me that they have nothing to do with the Bears?”

  “I didn’t say they had nothing to do with them. I was asking because I didn’t hear anything that would’ve tied them to these acts,” I look over to my dad, who’s been thinking about getting out of the drug business. By all means, we’re not perfect. We tread the line closely and sometimes crossed over it, but we try our hardest to not endanger the lives of those in our community. “You said you wanted to move us into the legal side of shit, so why are we even fuckin’ around with drugs any more in the first place?”

  “Oh shit, here we go,” Cracker mutters from under his breath. I feel the eyes of every brother in the room on me, knowing that I challenged my father in front of all of them and I probably won’t get away with it.

  “What would you have me do, trade drugs for sex trafficking? I have been doing this for over thirty years and I might add that I’ve done a pretty good job at it. No club can stay on the right side of the law, son. Not one of us. While we may try, there are prices to be paid and I refuse to pay them. While I respect Reed and Elena, you won’t ever see me making a deal with the feds like they do because one day, it will all come crashing down on t
op of their heads. I truly believe they don’t think anyone knows about their relationship with the FBI, but it’s not hard to do a background check these days. Anyone would be able to figure out who Elena worked for, and we all know the rumors about the Feds going after the Skulls . . . but suddenly, it stopped. We have legitimate businesses owned by club members, but we’re not angels, son. We’re Reapers, and sometimes, we have to do shit we don’t like. I don’t like that we deal drugs, but it’s the price we pay for keeping food in our bellies, a roof over our heads, and living the life that we do.”

  I’ve been born and raised in the club life and understand the prices we pay to so much as exist. Fuck me for just wishing they were different sometimes, but I do. I think if some things were different, maybe we wouldn’t all suffer as much as we do. Maybe, just maybe things would be a bit easier on us.

  “Now, I want a few of you on the roads, keeping your eyes open. If we’re lucky, we might just spot them, but I doubt it’ll happen. Regardless, we might see something that will lead us to wherever they’re hiding. We’ve beat these bastards before, and we’re sure as fuck capable of doing it again. Dracus, Tex, Zane, and Zorro, you four go out on the first shift and come back in a few hours. Give me status updates on whatever it is that you find. Until then, proceed as normal.” He slams the gavel down, signaling us all that we can leave.

  With everything that’s happened, I’m realizing that life should be treasured because if anything, it isn’t guaranteed. Any day could be our last, or we could have the pleasure of living until our late eighties. We’ll never know. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with Ivy for the rest of the day, but now I know. I’m taking her down to the tattoo shop and I’m gonna claim her in the way my heart has been itching for me to.

  By the end of this day, she won’t be Ivy, daughter of Grizzly. She’ll be Ivy, ol’ lady of Kade.