by K E Osborn
As my feet hit the concrete slabs, I breathe a little faster. I’ve never put myself out there for a woman, I have always had them falling at my feet. Doing my bidding. It’s how I was taught. So, chasing after Ivy is new to me. Honestly, I am not even sure what the fuck I’m going to say when I see her.
As I enter the cold, dank lower bunker, the smell is the first thing that smacks me right in the face. The Bricking Cell always stinks, it has that rancid and moldy odor. Why she likes it down here is beyond me, but my little Cuban goddess is one twisted sister. As I take in a few deep breaths, I make my way toward the lab, the lights are on, and light chatting fills the air. The door is partially closed, so they won’t see me coming, but her girly laughter makes my breath catch. She sounds like a freaking angel.
“Stop, you’re gonna make it bigger,” Ivy calls out with a giggle.
Dash’s chuckle comes next.
I wish I could see what they’re doing as I walk closer.
“I thought women like big things?” Dash teases.
My top lip curls up as I stride faster.
“Honestly Ivy, I get you’re into this kind of thing, but can we just get to it? I’m getting anxious about it.”
She scoffs out a half-laugh. “You’re such a pussy. Okay, hold on tight, it’s about to get messy in here.”
Dash lets out a guttural groan. “Fuuuck, Ivy, that hurts so good.”
I scrunch my brows tightly as I round the corner to check out the sight in front of me.
Dash is sitting on a chair with his back to me, legs spread, with his pants around his ankles. My chest squeezes as I spot Ivy. My innocent, naïve, Ivy is on her knees, her head down between his legs, where I can only assume she’s throat deep in his cock.
My hands ball into tight fists, heat flushes over my body so fucking intense, sweat beads across my brow. With anger brewing so severe, I know I have to let it out, so I bring my hand up, slamming it into the brick wall. My knuckles instantly split as Ivy gasps, her head popping up from between Dash’s legs. She spots me before I turn to storm toward the exit.
“Shit! Void,” she calls out, but I don’t stop, because if I do, I might turn back and break Dash’s face.
When my feet hit the stairs, a wave of something crashes over me.
Regret.
That’s what this feeling is.
I let it go on for too long, and now Ivy’s giving her firsts to Dash.
My stomach rolls, almost making me heave as I take the stairs three at a time. I have no one to blame but my stupid fucking self.
“Void, stop!” she yells, but I don’t turn back.
I can’t.
I won’t.
I must find something to take this pain away because I’ve just found out that Ivy can indeed be poisonous.
And I have just gotten a toxic fucking dose.
Chapter Two
IVY
Adrenaline surges through my veins as I shoot up from between Dash’s legs. “Void, stop!” I yell, my heart pounding so fucking hard I can’t catch my breath, but the idiot has taken off quicker than I can even comprehend.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong, Ivy.” Dash scowls at me.
I huff. “Dash, I had my head between your legs. It would have come across a whole lot different from where Void was standing.”
Dash grimaces, his eyes dropping to the now lanced boil on his inner thigh. “Well, I appreciate you helping me. It does feel better since you released the pressure.”
My eyes shift to the stairs. “I should—”
“Go… I can patch myself up.”
“Don’t forget the antiseptic,” I add as I pull my gloves off with a pop and throw them in the trash, then head for the stairs.
It’s not like Void and I are in any sort of a relationship. It’s not as if I was actually doing something with Dash, I was merely helping him. I shouldn’t feel the need to explain myself, but the hurt in Void’s eyes was clear, and I know he thought I was sucking the life out of Dash.
That’s not okay.
I don’t want him upstairs wallowing over something which just isn’t true. Void and I might not be in a good place, but I don’t need to make matters worse by letting him believe something that simply isn’t there.
So, I rush upward to find him, to stop him from spiraling out of control, which he seems to have a university degree in.
Entering the clubhouse, it’s calm and quiet. At least Void hasn’t come up here in a rage, making a damn scene, and embarrassing the shit out me. My eyes quickly scan the area. There, over to my left, I find him sitting at the long, concrete slab bar.
His strong tattooed arms are resting on the black marble-effect slab as he sips on something amber in color—probably whiskey. His dusty blond hair is swept back over his head haphazardly like he’s been running his fingers through it brutally. Void’s overtired, and he looks frazzled. His strongly defined jaw is wracking from side to side in what appears like aggravation. Void’s nostrils are flaring, the way they do when he’s angry. The left one turned up slightly more due to his crooked nose from one too many fights, but for me that only makes him more endearing. His muscles flex under his shirt—it’s clear he’s having trouble holding himself together.
I hate that I’ve put him in this rage-fueled state.
Void might be revved up, but damn, it’s a good look on him.
Stacey wipes the countertop while Pepper stocks liquor bottles on the shelves behind the bar. I take in a deep breath while striding over to Void. He’s drinking his problems away as per fucking usual.
It’s time Void faced them head-on like a man instead of running away like a fucking child.
His eyes shift to mine as I approach, then focus back in on his short glass. “Didn’t even let the poor bastard bust a nut? That’s shitty of you, Ivy.”
I scoff. “You’re a fucking asshole!”
Void turns up his lip then takes another drink.
Stacey spins, walking down the other end of the bar, obviously to give us space to argue in private.
Void swivels on his chair, turning his back to me. All the action does is cause my anger to flare inside me even hotter. Never upset a Cuban woman if you want to live.
“You know what? You’re not even w-worth it anymore, Void.” My voice comes out a little louder than I wanted it to, breaking a little with the pain searing through me at Void’s detachment.
He shrugs with his back still to me. “Good. Go back and finish Dash off. You don’t want him fucked off at you for not doing a good job.”
“Maldito hijo de puta!”
“I mean no disrespect, VP, but you shouldn’t talk to Ivy that way—”
Void lets out a small laugh interrupting Dash while turning on his stool. His hard eyes pierce through Dash with such vicious intent, even I feel the burn from here. “This conversation isn’t for you, prospect. If you know what’s good for you… you’ll leave.”
Dash inhales, nodding his head. He turns to leave but then looks back over his shoulder and continues, anyway, “Just so you’re aware because Ivy’s too worked-up to tell you what you thought you saw… you didn’t. Ivy was lancing a boil on my thigh. You know, putting her medical training to good use. So, while you’re basically calling her out and slut-shaming her for no good reason…” he pauses and looks to the ceiling, “… maybe you should respect her for the amazing professional she’s turning into.”
I give Dash a weak smile, then he turns to hightail it out of here before Void has had a second to punish him for speaking out of turn. My eyes shift to Void. His are vacant. Small droplets of sweat top his brow before a deep frown etches into his features. Void’s electric blue eyes droop in what appears to be regret.
He exhales, placing his drink on the bar, then stands walking over to me.
My eyes drop instantly to the floor as he grumbles under his breath, �
�Don’t… don’t do that. You’re so full of fight and fire, don’t lose your confidence because I’m a fucking jerk.”
My stomach clenches as I slowly look up at him.
There’s a pained expression on his face as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “I am an asshole, Ivy… I fucked up. I only saw half a picture. I reacted… I just…” He exhales, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know who I am when I’m around you.”
I stand taller. “You hurt me… just now. No one has ever talked to me like you just did.”
Void grimaces, reaching out for my hand. He takes it, and I let him. The second our fingers connect, my heart slams into my chest wall, making it hard to catch my breath. My skin comes alive, tingling with pins and needles but in a damn good way. I’ve never felt more energized or electro-charged than when Void touches me. Every atom in my body fires all at once.
It’s like the air changes, becoming thinner, harder to draw in, but somehow it tastes and smells sweeter. How does any of that make sense?
I swear Void makes me a little bit crazy. He’s so freaking hot and cold with me. Even now, he just treated me like absolute crap, yet here I am, drawn in by his mere presence.
As I stare into his eyes, his electric blue eyes, I’m captivated by his gaze. That stare sends comfort all over me, covering my body in a warm blanket. Even though, at the same time, he manages to send the coldest of chills through my very being.
Hot versus cold.
Freaking cozy and safe one minute, or left out in a blizzard to fend for myself the next.
Right now, he’s attempting to make me feel safe. Like even though he knows he fucked up and did the wrong thing, he’s trying to right that wrong.
Void could be bad for me.
But aren’t the bad things in life, the things we enjoy the most?
“I wasn’t actively trying to hurt you—” He stops mid-sentence, pondering his next words. “Maybe I was, I don’t know. Seeing you with Dash, seeing what I thought I saw, it shocked me. I didn’t think you were—”
“That kind of girl?” I ask, interrupting his words.
“Not necessarily that. I didn’t know you and Dash were there yet.”
My lips turn up in the corners as I grip his hand tighter. “We’re not, Void. Me and Dash… we’re not like that. Romantic… I mean.”
Void’s eyes light up, perhaps in hope, as he lets out a long breath I hadn’t noticed he was holding. “You’re not?”
“No… I haven’t done anything. With… anyone.”
Void swallows hard. “Shit… I fucked up.”
This thing, whatever it is between us, has been strained for a while. I know I need to spend some time with Void, and more than anything since I arrived at the clubhouse, I’ve wanted to experience what it’s like to be on the back of Void’s bike. Eva’s been able to ride with Nycto, but I’ve yet to even venture out of the clubhouse’s safety net I have been caught in.
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I am debating whether he will be okay with what I’m about to ask, but I am going to ask it anyway. “I get that I was confined to the clubhouse when Andrés was alive because he didn’t know Eva and I were here and finding us was a big deal. Technically, the men who were sent to buy me and Eva are still out there, and that’s an issue for us and the club. But, honestly, Void, Eva’s been outside the clubhouse walls. Andrés is gone. No one knows we’re here. To make it up to me, I just… I really want to go for a ride on your bike.”
“You… wanna go for a ride?” His eyes widen like he had no idea that was coming.
“Is that so surprising?”
He shrugs. “You’ve never mentioned it before.”
“I just wanna get out to see a little of Tampa. I’ve been here for months, but I’ve been restricted to the inside walls of the clubhouse bunker. Don’t get me wrong, I love this place, but I wanna feel the Florida sun on my skin. I wanna see the palm trees. Hell, I wanna go to Trixie’s new café!”
Void’s lips turn up the most glorious of ways. He’s generally always frowning. It’s like his face is in a permanent state of scowling. But when his face lights up, damn, he’s fucking gorgeous.
“Well, today is your lucky day.”
“It is?” My eyes widen.
Void chuckles. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me along. “I just so happen to know Trixie’s making Key lime pie today, and man does she make a good one.”
Excitement bubbles inside me while my feet struggle to keep up the rapid pace he’s walking. “You’re taking me to the café?”
“Yep, and we’re taking the scenic route.”
I let out the giddiest of giggles as we race through the clubhouse toward the exit, passing Nycto on the way.
“Where you off to in such a hurry?” Nycto grunts.
“Taking Ivy for a ride,” Void calls back.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time,” Nycto murmurs as we scurry outside, up the concrete ramp to where all the bikes sit in a proud line of sleek metallic paint and shining chrome. They sparkle in the heat of the midday sun, almost blinding me they are so freaking brilliant in their sheen. Dash and West do a great job maintaining the polish on all these bad boys.
Void leads me over to his ride. When he stands next to it proudly, I draw my bottom lip in with my teeth. Grabbing a helmet from the fence, he hands it to me. “You need to wear this, Ivy.”
“We really doing this?” I bounce up on my toes.
Void steps close, placing the helmet over my long, chestnut hair. His eyes meet mine, while one corner of his lips turns up in the most devilishly gorgeous way. “Yeah, we are. I have to admit, you being excited like this is fucking adorable.” He does the strap up firmly under my chin, then gently taps the top. “There… nice and safe.”
I crinkle my nose as he throws a leg over his ride, the move making my insides quiver because I’ve never seen a simple movement be so sexy in all my life. The way his strong, thick hands grip the handlebars to the way his shoulder muscles pull tensing with the positioning of his arms, he’s fucking intense, but it’s a sight I need to witness more often. My thighs clench together to dull the ache forming between my legs. I’m not a stranger to this feeling, I’ve been turned on plenty of times. Being a virgin doesn’t mean I’m not attuned to my body. I am all too aware when something or someone is turning me on, and Void on his bike ready to ride like this is definitely turning me on.
“You gonna hop on behind me, sweet thing?”
I raise my brow. “Sweet thing?”
“Yes, because you’re super sweet, but don’t worry, I am all too aware you’re strong enough to break my teeth like taffy if I’m not careful. Now stop delaying and get your sexy ass in behind me.”
I smirk, secretly loving my new pet name. Moving in, my leg shifts over the bike as I jostle into position behind him. My arms wrap around his toned waist, and I hold on probably tighter than I should, but I haven’t had the opportunity to hold Void, as in really hold him, so I’m going to enjoy it while I can.
“Hold on the whole time, Ivy. Move with me. No jerky movements or letting go. Got it?”
“Mm-hmm,” I murmur, a sudden flush crossing my cheeks for no apparent reason.
“You’re not scared, are you?” he asks, turning back to me.
Being wrapped around him, my front pressed to his back, the power of his machine beneath me, and the excitement of what’s to come is all a little, well, arousing for me. My clit seems to be throbbing in my panties as images of Void taking my virginity on this bike race through my mind. “No… not scared.”
Void grins. “Good. I didn’t think you, little miss tenacity, would be scared of a bike.” He faces the front, turning the engine over, the motor roaring to life, sending the vibration all the way through to my bones. The energy seeps into my very soul as I clench my eyes tight, taking in the endorphins that seem to be racing through me.
“Holy hell,” I whisper, more about the fact my arousal is now in overdri
ve than anything else.
“I knew you’d love this, Ivy,” Void calls out over the dulcet purring of the engine droning through the midday air.
Void reverses the bike, then slowly rides toward the gate where West’s manning it. He pulls the gate open for us, we ride through making our way past the wrought iron fence, then Void hammers down, unleashing the bike’s full potential.
We speed off down the road at terminal velocity, which forces a loud squeal to escape me. I grip onto Void tighter and can feel his torso moving up and down with his laughter.
My hair whips behind me in the breeze as calm rolls through me. My eyes water a little from the windburn, but they soon adjust, then I take the time to admire the beauty that is Tampa. With my need to be secluded from the world by hiding out in the Brick Cell, I’d forgotten what it was like to be out in the sun, and to take in the fact there’s a huge, wild world out here I was hiding away from. I’d gotten so caught up in the fact I didn’t want the life I had in Cuba, that I’d made my life here all about being secluded and sheltering myself away.
From the outside world.
From the other members of the club.
Sure, I have my sister, Dash, and Void, but I hardly talk to anyone else. I mean, I do, but only when absolutely necessary. I hardly ever come upstairs from the bunker. I found my home down there, but only because I was trying not to be the person I once was. In trying to find someone new within myself, I’ve created a person I’m not sure is completely healthy.
I need to get out more.
Talk to people.
Create a life that’s not all gloom and doom.
Sure, I’m probably going to stay in my little bunker since I feel safe down there, but I do need to get to know the other members of the club, and I have to be more involved. If I’m going to be a Royal Bastard, I need to embrace the lifestyle, embrace the family, and it’s taken being on the back of Void’s bike to show me that fact.