“Hey, big boy,” a decent-looking brunette calls out after rolling down her window. “Looks like you could use a ride.” The way she’s displaying her arm and upper torso over the window showcases her cleavage popping out of her tank top.
My cock twitches in response to her tits and the thought of her literally riding me. It feels like months since I’ve had a tight, wet pussy wrapped around it and that’s too damn long. “Yeah, sure can,” leaves my lips in between a grin I feel forming on my face as I walk over and hop into the passenger side of her truck.
“Name’s Angie,” she tells me through a low, seductive tone as she glides her hand over the top of my thigh.
Immediately my dick grows in response. Before I know it, I’m driving her truck to the clubhouse as she’s sucking and slurping my cock down her throat. My fingers clench the steering wheel tighter as I’m about to explode into her mouth. Inadvertently I let out a grunt, and she moans as I come into her mouth and she eagerly sucks and swallows every last drop just as we pull up to the clubhouse gates. Raising up, she wipes her mouth with the backside of her arm.
“Nice.” She nods her head as she looks past the closed gates and sees all of the bikes.
Opening the driver’s side door, I begin to step out and she tugs at my arm and I can feel my brow furrow as I look at her and yank my arm free. Damn, you let a woman suck your cock and suddenly she expects more? Women make things more complicated than needed every damn time. “Look, thanks for sucking me off, but I’ve been away from my club too damn long. This is where we part ways. Oh, and thanks for letting me use your truck, too.” I wink at her before she lets out an annoyed screech. This is exactly what I’m talking about with women. They’ve got too many feelings and get attached too easily. I let her suck my cock once for five minutes and suddenly what? I’m supposed to be head over heels?
“Fucking asshole!” she hollers out as she bumps into my side before climbing into her truck and peeling out.
Just as I shrug it off, I see Sandman, Shadow and Fox come out with their guns drawn. “It’s me, fuckers! Edge.”
The outside lights are on, so I don’t know why they have their goddamn guns drawn on me like the enemy. They lower their weapons one by one and pick up their pace. Shadow reaches into his pocket and the gate begins to open. I know he’s just used the remote. Their eyes grow wide with disbelief as they approach me.
“Well motherfucker! There must be a fucking god!” Sandman declares as they all three jump in and embrace me at once.
Shadow backs off and pats my chest and arms, observing me. “I can’t fucking believe it! You really are alive. Rogue was right. He knew it. Let’s get you the fuck in here and discuss who needs to be punished for this crime. Then, we celebrate!”
“Let’s just go in and we can celebrate, huh?” They wrap arms around the back of my neck and begin calling out for the others. “It was an accident. I lost control of my bike and went over that little cliff off of route seventeen.” Before I can finish anything else, I’m nearly trampled by Harmony as she throws herself into my arms and begins to sob.
After more questions than I could possibly answer at once and being checked over by Stitches, the rest of the night is filled with drinks, drugs, and celebrating. The clubhouse looks different than I last laid eyes on it. Fresh paint, no more holes in the walls, and it even smells different. Flashes of the last time I was here keep popping into my mind and all I can see is blood, dust, and the sounds of all-out war.
It’s a relief to know that we didn’t lose a single member that day when I thought we’d lost it all, if not most of it. Yes, we had casualties, and that’s unfortunate and comes with the territory, but they were prospects. None of my brothers or sisters were lost, and at the end of the day, they are what matters the most to me in this world.
Rogue walks up to me and wraps his arm over my shoulder with a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth. “I knew you were out there somewhere. No way I was gonna stop looking for you or give up until you were found. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get down to business. You don’t simply nose dive off a fucking cliff, disappear, and then return a month later in this good of shape. And we checked all the hospitals.” He slaps my back and begins to walk away, pulling the lit tobacco from his lips as he points it in my direction. “Tomorrow.” I can’t decide if his words are suspicious-sounding, or just plain curious. Hell, maybe both. Of course, I’ll tell them a woman helped me, but I’m not sure I want to tell them who or where she is. She’s hiding for a reason and she saved my life. The least I owe her is her privacy, but lying to my brothers? That’s grounds for losing my fucking patch. Because I know these bastards will wanna send her money and shit as a thank you. What a fucking dilemma.
* * *
Talia
* * *
I don’t know why I’m so hurt by Edge’s accusations. It’s not like we were a couple or even had a long-term friendship. It stands to reason that no good deed goes unpunished and I’m done ever trying to help another person. From now on, it’s just Briggs and I. He’s the only man I’ll ever trust again. Sure, I’ve dreamt of a life where I finally meet the right man and he loves me for all the right reasons—but it’s time to stop deluding myself. I’ll admit that a tiny part of me was curious about exploring any possibility with Edge. Because, how often does a man end up injured on a one-hundred-acre property, and you happen to be out and stumble upon him? The odds must be astronomical I’m sure, but it’s crystal clear that I was meant to cross his path only to save his life, nothing more. Yet, the way it ended still stings. Happily ever afters are only meant for books and movies, or everyone else.
After cleaning up the dinner mess, I talk myself out of the pity party I was throwing for myself and shower. Climbing into my bed, I look to my right and remember how nice it was when Frank and I first met, before he became abusive. His charm and how safe I felt in his arms. How we would just lay in bed and talk and laugh for hours. Of course, after several months his true colors boiled to the surface and poured over. Looking back, there were small red flags in the beginning which I thought were endearing at the time. He would act jealous if I wore certain articles of clothing he felt might be too revealing. I mistook that as a small display of his love for me. Or how he would claim and physically possess me when we were at the clubhouse and another brother would try to chat with me. All of that was the calm before the eye of the storm hit. It had all been a manipulation of my mind and low self-esteem, and he preyed upon me. Swooped in when I was low and vulnerable pretending to be my savior. He was anything but that. No, all along he knew what he was doing, and I was weak enough mentally, that I fell for it. Once he had me in his claws and he knew it, that’s when the ugly monster reared his head. One slap, one shove, one tight grip on my wrists seemed forgivable in those moments. Why? Because I’d allowed myself to believe his lies that I’d done something wrong and deserved to be punished on some level. I was much younger and naive back then. Eventually it became harder and harder to lie to my colleagues at work, until one day, Emily, a therapist at the hospital, quietly slipped me her phone number. I began to see her during my lunch breaks, and after nearly another year I finally did what I never thought I would have the courage to do—I left. Walked right out of the back of the hospital still in my scrubs and caught a ride from another employee into town. That’s where I emptied my savings account and just fled. It’s how I ended up one late night in Briggs’ bar, exhausted and frightened. I’ll never understand how or what made me feel like I could trust him as quickly as I did, but it’s been over a year now and he’s the kindest man I’ve ever known. I never doubt whether he has my best interests at heart because he’s always showing me that he does.
After living with him for six months, I decided that I wanted my own place. Sure, I felt safe and protected living with Briggs, but I needed my own space and wanted to start feeling a little more independent. So, he told me about his underground house out here in the middle of nowhere. He said
he built it years ago as a shelter for him and his wife in case anything crazy began to happen in the world. At first, I laughed because of his paranoia until I realized that this was exactly the stepping-stone I needed. I have my own space, but I’m still heavily hidden from the outside world...and Frank. At least I have been so far. Eventually, the heaviness of my eyelids takes over and I fall into a deep slumber.
After collecting some fresh eggs from my chickens, I head back inside to start breakfast. Briggs comes over nearly every morning like clockwork to check on me and have breakfast. On the rare occasion, he picks me up and we go to his house where he serves me breakfast.
The creaking of my door opening alerts me that Briggs is finally here. Not turning around to acknowledge him, I just holler out, “Almost ready. About five more minutes. Coffee's ready, though.”
“That’s mighty kind of you, darling,” I hear a voice I’ve never heard before state. Turning around, I grab my iron skillet ready to protect myself.
“Who the fuck are you and what the hell do you want?” The pounding of my heart inside my chest becomes so erratic and my ears begin to ring. Noticing the familiar rag this man’s wearing, I realize that Edge has sold me out. After everything I did for him, how could he do this to me? I swear if he was standing right here in front of me, I’d remove his dick and shove it down his throat!
Wearing a look of shame on his face, Edge rounds the corner. My eyes find his and he hastily shifts his stare to the floor. “I had to, Talia,” he mutters.
“Had to do what exactly, Edge?” My annoyance has peaked and screams to break free from its cage. “Tell me what it is you did precisely?” My body vibrates in anger and fear.
“There’s been a threat, Talia. I had to tell my President,” he somberly states, never once looking back up at me.
“Is that who this is?” I angrily spit out, pointing at the other intruder’s direction. My skillet flies out of my hand and nearly whacks him in the head.
The older man didn’t even flinch. Instead his eyes go dark and turn to slits. “Name’s Rogue. That how you treat people who only want to protect you?”
Briggs appears behind the both of them with his pistol out and it’s the cocking of it that grabs their attention. Going back and forth aiming the gun between both Edge and the man named Rogue, Briggs is seething with anger. “Protect her from what? I’ve got her covered. No, Talia, grab the shotgun,” he orders me, but I’m paralyzed with fear during this standoff. “The two of you can go now or have what’s left of your brains splattered across this floor. Your choice.”
Those words barely leave Briggs’ mouth before both Edge and Rogue each have a handgun of their own out and aimed at Briggs. “The name Warped henchman ring any bells? We recently got wind of another club sniffing around town. So, we were keeping an eye out. Once we got Edge here back and he told us his story, we checked into her. We’ve got an informant that advised us that these guys might have a vested interest in Talia.” He and Edge both side eye me, and I know the look I return shows the secret I’ve been trying to keep hidden. Rogue refocuses his all of his attention back to Briggs. “Oh, and I wouldn’t advise that, old man,” Rogues fires back at Briggs, annoyed from his earlier warning. “We aren’t ones to make idle threats, we follow through with our words. Choose your actions wisely.” Chills run down my spine when Edge’s president states this. I can feel the ferociousness of his tone and know that he’s not a man to be messed with.
My heart pounds and strikes like lightning against the inside walls of my chest. I can’t take this, and I refuse to watch anyone I have come to care about get hurt or killed. “Enough!” roars from my lungs before I can even think. None of the men seem phased by my outburst as evident by their lack of eye contact with me. Briggs will die without question for me and I know this. So, if I can just find out what this threat is they’re talking about, maybe I can reason with Edge. Clearing my throat, my words still come out somewhat raspy from my earlier eruption, “Edge, will you please explain to me what’s going on? Please?”
“Get Briggs to lower his weapon, Talia,” is his only response back.
Now I’m tasked with what seems like the impossible. Reasoning with Briggs will be no easy feat, but it’s all I can do at this point. “Briggs, please?” I beg. “Do you trust me, Briggs?” I attempt to play on his sympathy.
Still refusing me eye contact, he replies, “Don’t ask such a ridiculous question, woman…” is all that he manages to speak before all hell breaks loose and Edge has pistol-whipped and knocked Briggs out.
“No!” I race past the men, bumping into Edge on my way. Lowering down, I kneel beside Briggs and check for a pulse. Relieved that he still has a good, strong one I do notice some blood trickling down his forehead. “Get my medical bag! Now!” I order anyone behind me who will listen. “It’s in my room.” Looking over my shoulder I notice there’s still no movement. “Edge! Please?”
“One tiny bump on his head and she’s losing her shit. Fucking women,” Rogue spits out, clearly annoyed with me.
Standing back up, I approach Edge’s president. “Are you a father?”
“That’s none of your business, little lady, unless I make it. Edge, go get the damn medical bag so she can play doctor and we can get the fuck out of here.” He folds his arms across his chest, never removing his eyes from mine. “Once you’ve tended to the old man's wound, you’re coming with us. And don’t worry about him down there on the floor. He’ll wake up soon enough. I’ll even let you leave him a little note telling him where you’ll be. Maybe even some ibuprofen for that headache he’s gonna have.”
Edge comes around the corner with my bag in hand. “I’m not going any fucking where with you.” I reach for my bag from Edge who pulls it away. Narrowing my eyes at him I ask, “What? Y’all can’t be serious?”
“As a fucking heart attack, Talia. You will be leaving here with us whether you like it or not,” he responds, still holding my medical bag hostage.
“This isn’t a god damned game, Edge. This is my life you’re talking about. I can’t just up and leave my sanctuary to follow you into never never land.” Again, I reach for my bag and he withholds it.
“I don’t see as you much have a choice, Talia. Your life's on the line here. I’m not taking any chances of someone getting to you. You may feel safe here, but you’re not. I will take you from here kicking and screaming if I have to.” The seriousness surrounding him and the way he’s looking at me, tells me that he isn’t going to leave easily. And not without me in tow.
“Fine,” I huff out. “Now give me my bag.”
Once he hands it over, I quickly medicate and put a butterfly bandage on Briggs’ wound. Thoughts of how I can possibly get myself out of this race through my mind, but I know it’s out of my control. This is one of the many reasons I got myself away from the controlling life that comes with an MC. “Can I at least ask why?” My eyes shift between Edge and Rogue.
Rogue nods, giving me hope he’s about to explain this entire thing to me. “You sure can. Just as soon as we get you back to the clubhouse.”
My fury overcomes me, and I belt out a scream. Lasering my focus in on Edge, I make my displeasure toward him known. “This is all your fault!”
It seems he finds my declaration somewhat funny as displayed by his little chuckle. “Ah, yes. As you’ve reminded me repeatedly. Now, we either get a move on it, or over my shoulder you go.”
“I’ll walk, thank you. Don’t want you touching me. And what about my belongings?” I question, still heated.
“We’ll send someone back for them,” Edge replies before he lunges toward me and I’m thrown over his shoulder before I have another chance to further stall.
I could be a complete bitch and pound my fists against his lower back, but I choose another method to irritate him. “You do have a nice ass,” I tell him as I bounce against his body.
He grips me a little firmer, and I can feel my eyes grow wide. “From what I can see, so do yo
u,” he replies.
Feeling my lips thin, I respond, “Remember I’ve seen your dick.”
“And if you play your cards right, you might just get to see it again.” He and Rogue both chuckle before he finally sets me down in front of a black SUV.
Opening the back door, he ushers me in. “Don’t touch me. Should’ve left you to the nocturnal animals that would feast on your flesh.”
“Oh, you’re a feisty one. Don’t worry,” he pats the top of my thigh. “Save the dirty talk for the bedroom, trouble.”
Crossing my arms and yanking my leg away, I huff out, “Not in this lifetime or the next.”
“We’ll see about that,” he confidently states, causing my mouth to part as my jaw drops.
“I will cut your dick smooth off before it will ever touch me,” I assert myself.
“Shh.” He reaches across and places a finger over my lips firmly. “And I will fucking tape your trap shut.”
The darkness that invades his orbs as he speaks those words send a shiver down my spine. We begin to leave and I can’t help but feel the water as it pools in my eyes. What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter Four
Edge
Walking into the clubhouse, Talia’s body is stiff and her complexion looks like it’s growing more pale by the second. My brothers stop briefly to get a glance at what she looks like and I take note at how quickly everyone else goes back to minding their business—except Fox.
Yes, I know Talia’s not technically my old lady, but she does stir something unexplained inside of me. “Yo, Fox!” I call out sternly and he moves his eyes in my direction. “Candi still in your room? Or are you finished with her for the night?” Purposely, I proactively cockblock him before another dirty thought can cross his mind. It also hopefully alerts Talia that he’s a fucking manwhore. Yeah, he got the road name Fox initially as a dare. He was always running his mouth about how he could get any damn woman he wanted. So, we put it to the test. And, time and again, it proved to be true. But he can keep his goddamn hands to himself where she’s concerned. Fuck, why am I being all territorial over her? All I know is that whatever it is she’s doing to me, I don’t fucking like it. Maybe I just feel indebted to her since she saved my life?
Fueling the Edge Page 3