“I love you more than you could ever know, Mason,” I rasp as we break the kiss.
His lips tipped up in a smirk. “You make me happy. You make me whole,” he rasps.
I don’t have any words left to say, he’s taken them all from me, completely stolen my voice. He makes me more than whole, he makes this entire life worth living. Ups and downs, bad and good, he makes me want to wake up tomorrow morning and do it all over again.
We lie in bed, silently, just holding one another, his cock still buried inside of me.
Nothing else needs to be said.
I love him.
He loves me.
We’re going to live. We’re going to have a beautiful life because we both know how damn precious it is. How quickly it can turn, and change, or be lost forever.
We are going to be happy, even when we argue we will still be happy. I know it. I can feel it, deep in my gut. This is where I was always meant to be, and who I was always meant to have. This is who my parents would be pushing for, not Fish and his fucked up group. No, they would want Mason and the Devils at my back.
Always.
FREE
Walking into the clubhouse, my woman on my arm, and a smile on my face. I didn’t think feeling this was possible. Not after Gemma, not after everything. Whitley rests her head on my chest as she curls closer against my side.
It’s quiet in here. Jizzy is in the corner, a bottle in her hand and I shake my head as she tips it back. She’s still fucked up over DD. I know that those wounds, they don’t heal, not ever, not completely anyway. Nobody can help her either, she has to do that shit on her own. I know from experience.
“You hang out in here. I need to talk to Snake real quick,” I mutter, pressing my lips against the side of Whitley’s head.
I didn’t need to bring her with me, but I can’t leave her alone, not yet anyway. I don’t know when I’ll be able to let her leave my side again, maybe never. Maybe that makes me some kind of fucked up, mess, but I don’t care. I am a fucked up mess.
Snake is sitting at his desk, staring at the file in front of him. I know that Motorhead combed through Gracie and Fish’s place last night, and I’m sure there were things found. Which is why I’m here. As the vice president, I need to know exactly what the fuck this piece of shit brought onto the club.
“We found his correspondence with the Cartel. He kept emails saved on his laptop, like a fucking idiot. I don’t even need to get Keys to look into it, the fucker saved all of his passwords,” he says shaking his head.
Walking over to a chair I sit down. “What happens now?” I ask.
Snake leans back, his eyes meeting mine and he shakes his head once. “I’ll need Keys to look through his shit a little more thoroughly. On the surface, I can’t find anything like he claimed. That he had a plan in place for the women, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t. It doesn’t mean that he didn’t have other contacts and shit stashed other places.
“In reality, we don’t know what he’s capable of, not really, or who he was in contact with. He’s been on the inner circle of this club since we took over. He knew everything about our operation, he could have buried us, and we wouldn’t even see it coming,” he mutters.
“So basically, he can fuck us over from the grave,” I grunt.
Snake smirks. “If he were buried, yeah. He was burned to ash, so his ashes can fuck us over.”
I roll my eyes. “So we just sit back and wait?”
He shakes his head. “Hopefully Keys can find out some shit, and the next raid, on Wyoming and Montana, I want those leaders brought here to me. If Fish was in charge of them all, we’re going to get them talking.”
“When’re Keys and the boys coming back?”
Snake runs his hand through his hair. “Should be here by next week sometime,” he mutters.
“Good. Taking my woman back to bed, you need me, don’t call me. I’ll be unavailable for a couple of days,” I announce standing up.
Snake chuckles. “Go, fuck her until you both can’t walk. You deserve it.”
Making my way over to the door, I wrap my fingers around the knob and tug it open, then turn my head to look back at him. “Yeah, we do deserve it. Thanks for everything, brother,” I say softly.
I don’t allow him to respond. Instead, I walk out of the office, then over to Whitley who is standing in front of the bar. Without a word, I take her hand in mine and practically drag her out of the clubhouse.
My only mission is to make her come so many times that she physically cannot do it anymore. Then, I’ll do it one more time for principle.
Because that’s what you do when you love someone, you give them more than they expect from life—more hugs, more kisses, more love, and more orgasms.
EPILOGUE
TWO WEEKS LATER
WHITLEY
Gracie bites her bottom lip as she looks at me. It’s only my third day here helping her, but something is up. I haven’t asked her about Fish, about Skinner, or how Lea is doing. I’ve decided that I don’t know her well enough to pry, even though I really want to know that she’s okay. That Lea is okay.
I’ve noticed that when Lea’s home, she stays in her room, never leaving. I don’t know how she was before everything happened, but judging by the worried glances Gracie gives her, it’s not her normal behavior. She’s a teenager, and what happened, what was thrown at her, it would be difficult for an adult to deal with, let alone a young girl.
“Do you need to talk?” I ask, picking up the very active two-year-old named, Levi.
She shakes her head, then nods, then shakes it again. “Okay, yeah, I do.” She admits. “I feel stupid. Really stupid. How could I be with a man for fourteen years and not know that he was pure evil?” she asks.
I think about her question, really think about it. Then I ask one of my own. “How could he be part of the club and none of them know it? I mean he spent more time there than he did here, right?”
Gracie blinks, then her head falls for a moment before she picks it back up. “Yeah, but I was his partner, I should have known,” she stresses.
I shake my head. “They are masters at manipulation, Gracie. It’s what they do, it’s how they operate. It’s how they have so many followers. He knew what he was doing. He played you and he played an entire club full of men. Men who know how to read through the bullshit, and yet he did it. None of them blame you, none of them think less of you in anyway whatsoever,” I explain.
“Okay,” she nods. I can tell that she doesn’t believe me, and I wish I could shake her until she does, but it wouldn’t do any good. She feels that guilt and it’s choking her from the inside out. “Thanks for listening to me,” she smiles.
Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. “We’re sisters, Gracie. Anytime you need to talk, I’m here for you.”
Gracie swipes a tear from beneath her eye and gives me another nod. A few minutes later the house begins to fill with parents picking up their children. I help her clean up from the day, and before I realize it, Free is at the curb, straddling his bike and waiting for me.
“You need anything else?” I ask, gathering my purse and hoodie.
“Go, have fun with your man,” she says waving me off.
Turning to her, I bite the corner of my lip. “What about you and Skinner, are you coming to the welcome home party tonight?” I ask.
Something crosses over her features, but I can’t tell what it is. She shakes her head. “No, I think I’ll stay home,” she whispers.
Her mouth clamps shut, and her jaw clenches. I know she’s not going to give me anything else, she isn’t ready. I don’t push her, she’ll open up to me when and if she’s ever ready. I hope that she and Skinner work things out, I could tell he cared for her, just in the few moments I witnessed between them.
Hurrying down the stairs, I make my way toward Mason. He lifts his chin, holding out my helmet for me. Slipping it on, I tug on my zip up hoodie as well, then straddle the bi
ke behind him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I press my chest against his back and give him a squeeze.
Without wasting even, a second, he’s pulling off onto the quiet street and heads toward our destination. I don’t know where we’re going, I assume home, but that’s not the direction he ultimately heads in. Resting my cheek against the leather of his cut, I inhale the fresh air and just enjoy the ride.
On his bike, the wind whipping all around me, I feel free. I know that I’m finally free too. There is still unknown danger looming, as I’m sure there will always be, but I’ve let all of my fears go. I’m living life, one day, one moment, one second at a time and I love it all.
This is how I was meant to live.
Free.
Happy.
Loved.
This is the path my life was always meant to take. No more hiding in the shadows, trying not to be seen. No more, cowering and holding my breath, watching as men do unspeakable things to innocents.
No more.
FREE
Pulling the bike up the dirt path, I park in front of the small lake. It’s more like a pond, but I consider it a lake anyway. Killing the engine, I kick my stand down and remove my helmet. I feel Whitley behind me, taking her own helmet off. She slides off of the bike behind me and walks toward the water. I watch her, her hips swaying in her tight jeans.
She’s changed slightly since I brought her here. She still wears dresses, but not quite as often as she used to, and she doesn’t seem as timid about showing off her gorgeous figure. I liked how she hid all of that beauty just for me, but the way she smiles now, the way her confidence has grown, it’s worth giving fuckers the evil eye for staring at her tits.
When she reaches the edge of the water, I watch as she slips off her shoes and steps even closer. Deciding the distance between us is enough, I follow her. When I’m close enough to her, I wrap my hands around her hips and roughly tug her back against my chest.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asks softly.
I grunt. “We’re going to a party later. I wanted to talk to you before we did,” I admit.
Whitley turns in my arms, places her palms on my chest and tips her head back to look up at me. I cup her cheek with my palm, my thumb running across her bottom lip, and my eyes taking in her golden gaze.
“I love you, Whitley,” I announce.
Her lips turn up into a sweet smile and she nods. “I know you do, Mason. I love you too.”
I shake my head once. Letting out a sigh. “No, Kitten. I love you. I’ve never loved anyone. Then I saw you, and I knew you were different. I knew taking you would fuck with my head, and it did. Just sleeping next to you, feeling you, and fucking you it brought all my feelings that I’d tried to bury, about Gemma.”
She tugs away from me, her eyes narrowing into slits, but I hold her tighter, chuckling at her anger toward me. “Stop, Whitley,” I grunt. Her body stills but the fire in her eyes is no goddamn joke. “You made me deal with my feelings of loss and guilt when it came to Gemma. I never loved her, Whitley. She was destroyed because of me and I never even loved her. I don’t know if you could imagine the guilt in that?”
Her body relaxes, and her eyes soften. “I can’t,” she admits.
“Thank you for being the woman you are. Thank you for loving me when I’m most definitely not the easiest man to love. Thank you, Kitten. Thank you for being you,” I say.
Slowly, I sink to my knee. Immediately, I feel the water soaking into the fabric of my jeans, and I know I’ll have mud on me, but I don’t give a fuck. Tugging the small box out of my pocket I open it and face it toward her.
“You’re already my Old Lady. This shit, it’s just a piece of paper, but I know it counts for something. I know to make you my legal wife, it protects you in more ways than the club ever could. Marry me, Kitten.”
She lifts her hand to her face, her eyes filling with tears. “That has to be one of the worst proposals ever,” she laughs. “But I loved it, yes, of course I’ll marry you, Mason.”
Standing, I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me as my mouth finds hers. My tongue fucks her, tasting every part of her and when she moans, I let out a grunt and take a step back.
We have that party to go to, and if I fuck her right now, I’ll want to take her home and repeat it in my bed, then we’ll never make it to the welcome home thing.
Slipping the ring on her finger, I smirk at the sight. It looks perfect.
“You wanna go show that off to the club?” I ask.
Whitley looks down at her hand, then back up to me. She wipes her tears away and nods. Quickly, our fingers intertwined, we head toward my bike. “Mason?” she asks.
Stopping, I turn toward her. “I want to go home. I don’t want to party,” she mutters as her cheeks pink. “We can show it off tomorrow.”
I chuckle, lowering my face and sliding my nose alongside hers before I capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “Okay, Kitten. Home we go,” I rasp.
Once we’ve straddled my bike, I tear down the dirt road and head toward our home.
Never did I think I would brand a woman.
Never did I think I would ask her to legally be my wife.
But here I am. Happily putting my ring on her finger, and soon my baby in her belly.
I wouldn’t trade what I have with Whitley for anything in the fucking world.
She’s mine.
I’m hers.
And this life—it’s ours.
DOUBLED WITH REGRET
A CASH BAR SHORT STORY
PROLOGUE
GRACIE
I let out a sigh into the phone. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen Fish. God, what a stupid name. I remember when I found out how he got the name.
Apparently, he had a thing for going down on women, and often. Usually clubwhores. Unfortunately, this thing for it, ended when we hooked up, because he only did it a couple times for me.
After fourteen years of being with him, that’s one thing I miss, oral. Not that I had a lot of great experiences before him, but I had a few and what I had, I enjoyed.
“I’m fuckin’ busy,” he barks.
He’s been on edge lately, meaner than usual, and before he left, he gave me a bruise to prove it.
“I know, but I miss you. It’s hard doing this all alone.”
He snorts. “You’d be alone if I was there. I’ll be home soon enough,” he states, his annoyance growing.
“Okay, yeah.”
“You’ll survive,” he laughs.
“Fine,” I sigh my word before ending the call and setting my phone down.
Turning around I see Hayden in the kitchen. She’s looking at me with pity, but behind that, I see fear in her eyes.
“Talk to me,” she urges.
I shake my head. “Nothing,” I shrug. My eyes scan her again, and I see there is still something akin to fear behind them. “Tell me,” I demand.
She changes the subject, asking me to help her and Whitley get ready for a party at the clubhouse. I agree because I would agree to do anything for Hayden. I love her like a sister. “Will you come with us and have some fun?” she asks.
My eyes widen at her question, “I don’t go to those, and I really don’t go without Fish,” I smirk.
There’s a huge reason I don’t go down there without him. It has nothing to do with him, in actuality, and everything to do with, Skinner.
“He’s gone. Come and have some fun,” Hayden begs. “I’ll tell you what I have in my purse if you’ll come.”
My eyes narrow at her bribery, but I’m extremely curious. My lips twitch in a smirk. “Fine,” I agree.
Twenty minutes later, I’m the first to know that she and Crooner are expecting a baby. I’m happy for them, or, as happy as I can be.
My own envy doesn’t allow me to be ecstatic. I want that. I want a man to love me, to want to have a baby with me. I want it all. Unfortunately, I don’t even have a teeny tiny crumb of it.
SKINNER
He doesn’t deserve her. He doesn’t deserve, them.
I watch as Hayden leaves the house with her little man in tow. Then my eyes drift back to Gracie’s place. She walks outside a few minutes later, straight over to the porch swing and sits down, her tea in hand.
She swings, her eyes pointed at the street. She’s so fuckin’ beautiful. Her long black hair cascades down her back, and I know that her dark gray eyes are swimming with sadness, but it doesn’t take away from her beauty, it never has.
I’m a member of the Notorious Devils, but a quiet one. I do what I’m told when I’m told. I never get involved in the shit that the other guys do. This is my family, my life, but being in love with a woman you can’t have makes a man edgy. So, I choose to stay in the shadows.
Lea, Gracie’s teenager bounds out of the house and skips over to her mother’s side. Gracie wraps her arm around her shoulder and tugs her against her.
Lea reminds me of Gracie when I met her. Fifteen years old and the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. At the time I was too shy to talk to her, I fucked it all up. She met Lea’s dad, got pregnant and he skipped town just as Fish came in and swooped her up.
Twice I missed an opportunity to have her.
Flamed with Courage: Notorious Devils (Cash Bar Book 3) Page 24