by Nina Levine
He stilled, and I knew he’d heard me. Really heard me. I just hoped it was enough to get him through the first hurdle. He had a lot of work ahead of him to sort through his pain, but his first step was going to be letting go of his guilt.
His chest heaved one last time, and slowly, his breathing returned to normal. We were on our knees, still clinging to each other. He held on for a couple more moments before letting me go. “I miss him. Every day, I fuckin’ miss him.”
I nodded. “I know, baby.” I reached for his hand, and held it.
He looked down at our hands, and squeezed mine before looking back at me. “I need you, Velvet. I’ve never needed anyone like I need you. If I’m gonna get through this, you have to be by my side.”
I curled my hand around his neck, and pulled his lips to mine. The kiss I gave him wasn’t passionate or sexy; it was a kiss full of love that told him I’d be right where he needed me. Our lips gently tangled, and our souls joined; we would do this together. When we pulled apart, I promised him, “I’ll be with you every step of the way, Nash.”
His relief was evident, and he murmured, “Thank fuck.”
Chapter 29
Love’s Poster Child ~ Keith Urban
Nash - 2 weeks later
I leant back in my chair, and laughed at the joke Carla had just told everyone. My arm was draped across the back of Velvet’s chair, and I moved it to her shoulders, and pulled her to me so I could plant a kiss on her forehead.
Surprise flickered across her face. “What was that for?”
“Because I can.”
Our eyes danced with each other, and I grew hard when I saw the desire in hers.
My brother broke the trance we were in. ‘Hey, do you two ever leave each other alone? Cause I’ve seen you three times in the last two weeks, and you’re always all over each other.”
I grinned at him. “Not if I can fuckin’ help it.”
He returned my grin. “Lucky fucker,” he muttered.
I looked around the table, and counted my fucking blessings. My family, and Velvet had all gathered to celebrate Carla’s birthday at Mum’s. Erika, Mum and Velvet had spent the afternoon cooking while Jamison and I had taken Carla skydiving. It was something she’d always wanted to do so we’d finally agreed to it. Jumping out of a plane wasn’t something on my bucket list, but I had to admit, it was pretty fucking exhilarating. It was maybe even something I would happily do again.
Mum started to clear the table, and Velvet hopped up straight away to help her. They exchanged smiles, and I thanked the universe for giving me two women as amazing as these two.
Carla started bouncing in her chair, clapping her hands together.
I jerked my chin at her. “What the hell’s got you so happy, babe?”
“It’s present time, Nash! What did you get me?”
I groaned. My sister was all about the presents; always had been. I pitied the poor fucker who ended up with her; if he didn’t get it right every birthday and Christmas, his life wouldn’t be worth living. “Settle down, darlin’. You’ll find out in a minute.”
Velvet looked at me and smiled; she’d helped me choose a present for Carla which meant this year, I was on a fucking winner. I’d have to milk this for everything it was worth; get as much out of Carla while she was still loving me for the present. I flicked a smile back at Velvet, and when she turned back to help Mum, I let my eyes drop to her ass. Christ, I really was a lucky fucker; Jamison was dead on the money.
Erika jumped in and helped clear the table while Jamison and I kept Carla occupied. When they’d finished, we all moved into the living room for present opening. Carla was almost bursting out of her skin in excitement.
“Bloody hell, Carla. Anyone would think you were still twelve, the way you’re going on,” Jamison grumbled.
She glared at him. “There’s nothing wrong with showing your happiness, Jamison.”
I stepped in before these two started a fight. Passing my present to her, I said, “Happy birthday, babe. You’re gonna fuckin’ love this present.”
Her excitement levels skyrocketed. “Really?” she asked, as she started ripping into the wrapping paper.
A second later, her entire face lit up, and the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face took over. “Oh my God! I love it!” she squealed.
I curled an arm around Velvet’s shoulders and pulled her close, murmuring in her ear, “Remind me to show you my appreciation later on, yeah?”
She blasted her sexy smile at me, and breathed into my ear, “Don’t you worry, baby, I’ll be reminding you for a long time.”
“What did he get you?” Erika asked.
Carla, still beaming, held it up. “It’s a GHD Air hairdryer.”
Jamison frowned. “A G-what?”
I nodded at him. “Exactly, brother. All you need to know is that it’s a fuckin’ expensive hairdryer that’s guaranteed to make all the women in your life love you if you give them one.”
Carla grinned and pointed at me. “What he said.”
Jamison groaned. “Fuck, your present should have gone last, Nash. I’ve got no hope now.”
Eyeing Velvet, I murmured, “There’s some serious Nash loving in this for you, sweet thing.”
Her hand moved to my leg. “I’m counting on it, baby.”
***
The next morning, Velvet was running around like a mad woman. She had her final exam for her beauty course today, and was worried about passing.
I walked into the kitchen where she was studying her notes. Moving behind her, I snaked my arm around her waist and leant my chin on her shoulder. I tried not to let her tits distract me, but a man can only achieve so much, and a second later my eyes were glued to her chest.
She reached a hand back and ran it through my hair. “Nash, stop looking at my boobs, and finish getting ready. You’re dropping me off this morning and I don’t want to be late.”
“How do you know I was looking at your boobs, sweet thing?” I asked, without taking my eyes off them. My addiction to her tits was getting out of hand, but I was helpless to control it.
She sighed, and the rise and fall of her chest only turned me on more. “I know what you’re looking at because you’re always looking at the same thing.”
“Any man in their right mind would be doing the exact same thing as I am right now.” I straightened, and turned her in my arms so I could see her face. “Talking of men looking at you, did you talk to Scott about finishing up at Indigo?”
“Yeah, my last shift is next week.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Christ for that, babe. I can’t take much more of those assholes leering at you.”
She reached up and cupped my cheek. “I know, baby, but it’s not much longer now.”
“And then you’re starting at Roxie’s?”
Her eyes lit up; I knew she was looking forward to this. “Yes, on the Monday after I finish at Indigo, so it’s all worked out really well. She’s set a room up for me to rent off her, and she’s got ladies booked in already.”
I loved seeing her happy. I brushed a kiss over her lips, and murmured, “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
Nodding, she asked me, “Have you thought anymore about going to see Gabriella?”
Velvet and my family all thought I needed to go and talk to Gabriella, for closure or some fucking thing. I wasn’t so sure, and was stalling on it. “Babe, it’s only been two weeks since I last saw her. I’m still fuckin’ angry at her, and that’s not gonna go away anytime soon. Let me get through this shit in my head, deal with that first, and then I’ll think about going to see her.”
“Okay. You’re probably right. At least you’ll consider it; that’s all I really wanted you to do at this point.”
I pulled her to me. “How the hell did I get so lucky?”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“I mean, you don’t fuckin’ nag me, you don’t bitch about shit to me, you haven’t tried to change me, and you
cope with my addiction to your tits and pussy. How did I get that lucky, woman?”
She grinned. “Oh, there’s still time, baby. I can do all that stuff if you want.”
I grinned back at her. Two could play this game. “Okay, how about we work on curbing my addiction first? Get that one out of the way before you start in on the nagging and bitching.”
She pulled my face down to hers. “I’ll make you a deal, Nash Walker. You keep that addiction for the rest of your life, and I promise not to start with the nagging and bitching.”
“Done,” I agreed, and smacked her on the ass. “Now, get your shit together, and let’s get you to your exam.”
***
After I dropped Velvet off at her exam, I headed to the clubhouse. The last two weeks since Kick left had been tense. Marcus was rounding his troops up so to speak, making all sorts of promises to the boys who agreed to Storm moving back into drugs. There were only a handful of us left who were against it, and if he called for a vote, we’d be outnumbered.
From the moment I entered the clubhouse, I knew something was off. And when I found Scott in the bar area, he confirmed it. “Dad’s gonna make his move in the next couple of days, brother.”
I sat at the table with him. He was in the corner by himself, with his morning coffee. I drowned out the noise of the other guys talking and laughing, and gave Scott my full attention. “Who told you that?”
“Wilder. Dad’s taken a liking to him, and is using him for all sorts of shit.”
I liked Wilder, even after my run in with him, but I was wondering what was in it for him to be playing both sides. “Can we trust Wilder? Why’s he giving you that information?”
Scott leaned forward so he could drop his voice. “You remember how Wilder became a prospect?”
I searched my memory, but came up with nothing. “No.”
“I brought him in. And I did it intentionally. It was after I found out about Dad. I had a gut feeling that shit was going to go south, and then I met Wilder. He’d been screwed over by Dad, and was looking for payback. I figured it would be useful to us to have a member I could be sure of if shit ever hit the fan, so I sponsored him.”
“Fuck, it could have gone the other way; could have backfired on you.”
He nodded. “Yeah, brother, it could have. I was willing to take that risk though, and I’m glad I fucking did. Wilder’s proved himself, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be patched soon.”
“Any news on Blue?”
“No, still coming up empty on that one. You heard anything from Kick?”
“They’re convinced Marcus is their man, but because of his ties to Adelaide and some of the other chapters, are reluctant to move without proof. Marcus has been busy making friends; seems he’s got allies everywhere.”
“Fuck,” Scott muttered.
“How the hell did he screw Wilder over?” I asked.
“He - ” he began, but stopped talking because Marcus was headed straight for us.
“Nash, Scott,” he greeted us, clearly not pleased to see us.
“Marcus,” I said, jerking my chin at him, but Scott didn’t say a word.
He scowled at Scott before saying, “Church tomorrow. Don’t be late. We’ve got a lot of shit to discuss.”
I nodded, and he left, as quickly as he came. Mind you, it couldn’t be soon enough as far as I was concerned. Giving my attention back to Scott, I shared my thoughts. “Not looking forward to tomorrow, brother. Christ knows what surprises he’s got in store for us.”
Scott was deep in thought, and slowly nodded as he took in what I’d said. “I hear you, man. I fucking hear you.”
***
A few hours later, I parked my bike and waited for Velvet to come out of her exam. She’d told me she would catch a lift with a friend, but I’d had the urge to see her, so here I was. While I waited, I reflected on the last two weeks. The day at the cemetery had been life changing for me. Opening up to her had changed everything; it had scattered the demons in my soul far and wide. Some still lingered, and I knew it would take time to clear them out completely, but I could breathe again. The weight of regret and guilt had lifted, and the pain had dulled a little. It would never go away, not fully, but it was becoming bearable. Having Velvet in my life helped. I wasn’t a talker, but having her to go home to, to laugh with, just to be with, helped get me through. And she gave me hope. For the first time since Aaron’s death, I wanted to make plans; plans for my life, plans that included someone else.
I heard her laughter, and looked up to find her walking towards me with a huge smile on her face. She threw herself into my arms. “What are you doing here, baby?”
Fuck, I liked it when she called me baby. I wrapped my arms around her, letting my hand glide down her back and onto her ass. “Thought I’d pick you up, take you back to my place and fuck you,” I growled, both of my hands on her ass now.
“You say the sweetest things,” she purred.
“I told you I’m all about the sweet talk, darlin’.”
Her eyes glazed over, and a smile slowly made its way onto her face. “Yeah, you did, and I’ve learnt that when Nash Walker says something, he means it.”
“I do. And on that note, you need to get your sweet ass on the back of my bike so I can make good on my promise.”
She didn’t waste any time. Yeah, Velvet was addicted to me as much as I was to her.
Chapter 30
This Means War ~ Nickelback
Velvet
Dark glasses covered my eyes as I walked into Roxie’s salon early the next morning. She took one look at me and burst out laughing. “That man of yours wearing you out, hon?”
I took my glasses off and slumped in a chair. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
Madison started laughing. “I knew it would take a strong woman to crack Nash, but I’d never factored in that it would take someone with a lot of stamina to keep up with him.”
“You need to make me coffee, woman,” I begged Roxie.
“Make your own damn coffee,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m thinking you actually might need some Redbull or something like that.” Then, looking at Madison, she suggested, “I think you should tell Nash to get his shit together and stock his fridge with energy drinks for his woman.”
I dragged myself out of the chair. “Fine, I’ll make my own coffee,” I grumbled as I trudged to the back room. “Don’t come running to me when you’re down and out though, babe. I’ll remember you letting me down in my hour of need.”
They both laughed, and I had to smile. As tired as I was, I was more than happy to be worn out from Nash loving. I thought about him while I made coffee, and by the time I got back to my chair, I was grinning.
Madison narrowed her eyes at me. “You perked up. What gives?”
“I was just thinking about how happy I am with Nash. I never in a million years would have picked that I’d end up with him, but I’m glad I did.”
Madison smiled at me, warmly. “I’m glad you did too. There’s something special about Nash, and I love that you are helping him deal with his pain. He seems so much happier these days.”
“Yeah, he is,” I agreed.
Roxie cut in. “What are we doing with your hair today, Velvet? You want a colour or just a cut?”
“A colour and cut, but just trim the ends. Nash would hate it if I cut any of the length.”
Roxie rolled her eyes. “Ummm, where’s the real Velvet? She doesn’t let any man tell her what to do.”
I laughed. “He hasn’t told me not to cut it, and trust me, I’d never listen if he did. But, let’s just say my man likes to pull my hair, and I kinda like it, so there’s no way in hell I’m cutting it.”
“Of course he does. My bad,” she muttered, and went out the back to get the colour ready for my hair.
“I’m so happy for you and Nash. You both deserve happiness,” Madison said.
“Thanks, babe.” I sighed, and added, “God knows, Nash really do
es after everything he’s been through.”
She nodded. “Yeah, my heart breaks for what he’s gone through. I can’t even begin to imagine losing a child.”
My pain surfaced. I could imagine, but not fully. It had been devastating enough to lose babies before they were born; the thought of losing a child that had lived and breathed, caused actual physical pain.
I didn’t want to have this conversation so I sat in silence. Madison must have felt it too because she didn’t say anything further. When Harlow stepped through the door of the salon, I was happy for the distraction.
Standing to greet her, I said, “Thank God, you brought cake with you.”
She put the cake down on the counter, and gave us both a hug. “I brought you half and half, Velvet. We’ve got celebrating to do.”
I frowned. “What are we celebrating?”
“You passing your exams,” she said as if I’d asked the dumbest question on the planet.
I grinned at her. “I love you. Yes, let’s celebrate that because I’m pretty sure I did. And when I find out for certain next week, we can celebrate again.”
“Yes!” Harlow exclaimed. “I like the way you think, honey.”
“What kind of cake did you bring?”
“Hummingbird and caramel mud.”
“Oh my God, woman, you’re gonna kill me. I love those.”
She smiled, and said, simply, “I know.”
Roxie came out with the hair dye ready to go. She greeted Harlow, “I just heard the words caramel mud. Your hair cut is on me today because I fucking love caramel mud.”
Madison laughed. “I think you should be thanking me, Roxie. I mean, if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t know these two. Which means you wouldn’t be getting cake and you wouldn’t have a beautician starting here soon.”
Roxie’s trademark sarcasm was in full force today. “You want a medal, babe? I’m sure I could round one up for you.”