by Joy Blood
Twenty-Eight
Gin
While Eagle and Brood update me on the club, my mind is inside that cabin with Grace. The need to rip Brock’s fucking hands off for touching her is strong. Still reeling at the thought, I try to listen, my teeth grinding together. “Sage took the bomb back to the fuckers and blew the mill to shit. Still waiting on a body count and confirmation from the coroner, but it looks like the shit has blown over. For now,” Eagle tells me.
“What about the ex? Roger?” I ask, breaking my mind from all thoughts of pounding Brock into the grave he’s been digging.
“Found him on the property beat to shit, but safe from the blast in one of the far buildings.” The information is a relief, but also makes me want to kill the asshole for getting Grace into this mess in the first place. “You can head back. Stay at the club tonight and get back to Cental in the morning. I think everyone is back from the Siberian’s compound. Shit, Buggs was pissed she had to go there instead of coming home for the lockdown,” Eagle says, and Brood chuckles.
Buggs comes from the Rhino chapter. In fact, her dad is Eagle, the president there. “No doubt she’s making Rock pay for it.”
“Good for the asshole,” Eagle grumbles. “Don’t matter how old she gets, she will still be my little girl and knowing she’s with a biker like myself still rubs me wrong,” he admits.
“Rock is a good man,” I say in my Pres’s defense, and Eagle nods.
“Only reason I didn’t put a bullet in his head when he told me he was staking his claim on my daughter. Though, I may have broken his nose.” He shrugs, smacking me on the back. “Get the girl and kid out of here. We’ll take care of Brock.” I nod.
“He’s out back digging his grave. You want to put him in it, I won’t hold ya back.”
“Will do. We’ll pack up shit here and meet you back at the club. If you’re going to stay at the clubhouse, that is.”
I give a non-committal shrug. “Not sure. Might just drive her home, drop her and the kid off, then get my ass back to Cental.”
“Well, whatever you decide, the door is open,” Eagle says, walking away from me with Brood not too far behind. The name suits him. The guy rarely talks and almost always has a scowl on his face. Apparently, women fucking love it. The man rivals Sage in the pussy department.
I leave them to Brock and go inside to tell Grace to pack her things, but she’s already standing there with her daughter’s hand in hers and a plastic bag at her side. “We’re ready whenever you are,” she says, walking past me with her kid. Damn woman.
I take a quick look around and walk back to my room to grab my cut. The smell of her hits me as soon as I go in. Citrus and sex. I can still feel her pussy clamped around my cock. Last night, I bent her over the foot of the bed and drove into her like I had something to prove. I’m normally rough with women, which was one of the reasons I was drawn to Brit, I suppose. She liked it when I spanked her ass until it was bright red and the occasional hand around her throat. Grace, though. Damn. When we fuck, she seems to be trying to provoke me into going farther than I should. Fucking her to the point of pain, but the harder I go, the harder she comes.
I grab my cut and toss it over my shoulders, then walk out the bedroom door to the front door. The guys said they would clean up the place, so I’m taking advantage. There isn’t much to do, just things that need to be shut off and food that needs to be packed up. They can handle it, along with disposing of a body out back. I have no clue if they’re going to kill Brock, but with the promise of leaving him and this place behind me, I find myself not giving a fuck one way or the other.
When I reach the shed, I find the door to the truck open and Grace and her daughter inside already. Letting out a sigh, I climb into the cab and start up the truck, pulling out of the shed to leave the safe house in the distance.
* * *
I decide to forgo the clubhouse in Rhino and take Grace and her girl straight home, which turns out to be a nice long drive. The middle of the next day, I find myself pulling up into her parking spot. “I’ll get your car to you as soon as I can,” I tell her, putting the truck in park. The whole ride, conversation has been limited to only a few words. Hers being yes and no.
“Thanks for the ride. I guess we’ll see you around,” she says in a fake-chipper voice. Getting out of the truck, she opens the back door to pull out a very excited Tanya.
Ever since we hit the city limits, she hasn’t stopped talking about her dollies and princesses.
I want so much to stop Grace as she makes her way inside her house and closes the door behind them, but I don’t. I just let her leave. What I should be doing. What I should have done.
If I never had any contact with her to begin with, maybe she would have never been in this mess…maybe I never would have ended up falling for her like I did.
I swipe my hand over my face and drive to the nearest gas station to grab some smokes and fill up the truck, still debating over whether or not to leave town. When the pump clicks letting me know the tank is full, I drive back and park outside the house, just in case.
Just.
In.
Case.
Twenty-Nine
Grace
It feels good to be back in my own home. Having my daughter back in her own bed and comfortable in her normal surroundings. I got her to bed not an hour ago after the sun went down. She had gone straight to her room and played for hours, until she finally came out to tell me she was hungry. I had not a thing left in my fridge that was still edible, nor did I want to cook anything, so we ordered pizza and sat in front of the TV. We watched Frozen for the millionth time, and like always, I ended up braiding her hair just like Elsa’s. It was a wonderful night, but I still felt like something was missing, and I refused to think it was Gin.
Now, after grabbing a bottle of wine from my unimpressive wine rack and a glass, I’m headed upstairs to my bathroom. I make sure to leave my bedroom door open a crack like I normally would in case Tanya wakes up and needs me for something. The bathroom door, however, I close and start filling the tub.
I light up all the candles on the white shelf I have running along the wall next to the claw-foot tub and start stripping off my clothes, taking a second to smell the shirt before I toss it to the floor. It’s Gin’s and still smells slightly like him. Though, being in the truck for twenty-four hours straight has seemed to damper the scent. I pull back my hair and pile it on my head so it doesn’t get completely wet and go for my bubbles, pouring some in with the running water. Getting into the tub, I relax into the warm water as it continues to fill. With the lights off and only the candles illuminating the room, I drift off to the sound of the water running.
I’m startled awake when the water is turned off. The smell of cigarette smoke wafts to my nose over the scent of the bath bubbles. My eyes fly open to see Gin standing at the foot of the tub. Startled, I sit up, but don’t get out, because he holds up his hand, a silent order for me to stay put. “You know how many people drown in their tubs every year?” His voice washes over me, and I shake my head in answer. “A lot,” he says, going to sit on the closed lid of my toilet.
“Why are you here?”
“Because I couldn’t leave,” he confesses, rubbing at his beard. Then, his hand goes to his bandana, and he pulls it from his head. “Got this when my club was shot up by some traitors. My own fucking brothers. Brock was one of them.” My eyes widen, but he continues to talk. “They shoved my face into a smoldering pile of cuts they stacked up in front of the club and lit on fire. Turns out, he’s the one who pulled me from the pile.”
“Did those men who came to the safe house kill him?”
“Not sure. Don’t care either. He was there. Makes him one of ‘em,” he tells me, as if it’s nothing. “Had my woman there that night too.” My eyes meet his, and I can see the hurt there. “They took turns on her while I was on the floor with a bullet in my gut and a fogged-up head from the prick who kicked me. Shot me. She was seven mont
hs pregnant.” The last part makes me draw in a sharp breath.
“Oh god, Gin, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s why I went and got fixed. I couldn’t stand the thought of getting another woman knocked up. Wouldn’t happen again if I could help it.” His information hits hard. The understanding of this man becoming clearer.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t need to say shit. Just wanted to tell you. Let you know why I’m so fucked in the head about...you.”
“About me,” I echo his last words. “The water is getting cold,” I say, rising from the tub. The bubbles have since deflated, leaving me in somewhat clear water. “Could you hand me a towel?” I ask, stepping over the edge and out onto the bathmat. I watch as he reaches into the small linen closet, finds one of my big fluffy purple towels, and holds it out for me, wrapping it around me when I offer my back. He pulls the small escaping strands of my hair to the side and places a kiss right where my shoulder meets my neck, right where he seems to have claimed as his spot to mark me. The small bite mark is just faint enough to barely be noticeable. “Will you stay?” I ask, relishing the feel of his hands on me. Even with the towel as a barrier, the heat radiates through him, seeping into me.
“Yeah, babe. I’ll stay.”
Thirty
Gin
It’s my turn now to wake to an empty bed. Last night, I stripped off my clothes and her towel and held her close all night. It felt good to have her in my arms. Felt right. I try not to let it get to me because the last time I let a woman in, she ended up dead in the worst way.
I toss the covers aside and pull myself from the bed to find my jeans. I leave my shirt on the floor and make my way out of the room and down the hall. Voices fill my ears the closer I get. When I round the corner to the kitchen, I find Grace with Roger, hugging. The sight of her in his arms has a green veil of jealousy settling over my eyes. I clench my hands at my sides to try to stave off the anger rising inside me.
“Oh, Gin. You’re awake.” Grace pulls away from her ex, revealing his healing black eye as she faces me with an easy smile. “Um. Gin, this is—”
“Know who he is. What are you doing here?” I ask Roger, who’s now staring me down like he’s deciding what to make of me. I notice the look of annoyance when he sees how I’m dressed and catches the sight of the fading scratches and bite marks from my and Grace’s time at the safe house.
“Gin,” she scolds, but I don’t listen.
“I came to see my daughter. Not that it’s any business of yours,” he scoffs at me.
“That so? Not my business. All right, I’ll go with that. But you want to explain why you got your hands all over my woman?” The words are out of my mouth and Grace’s sharp intake of breath makes me realize what I just declared.
“Your woman? You don’t waste any time, do you? You bikers are all the same. Taking what you want, damn the consequences.” I’m on him before he can go any further, my hand clutching at his perfectly tailored suit and crisp white shirt. I hear Grace try to pull me back but I block it out. He isn’t walking in here and disrespecting me or my club.
His back hits the refrigerator, making magnets and drawings fall to the floor with a clatter. “You want to re-word that?” I growl in his face, not listening to Grace as she pleads for me to let him go.
“She didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Roger. Stop it,” Grace scolds, getting him to look her way.
“You look at me, asshole. What did she not tell me?” I ask. Before he can say another word, a little voice interrupts him.
“Daddy?” Tanya comes into the kitchen, and I quickly back away to see her coming closer, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Hey, there’s my princess.” Roger pushes past me and gets down to give his daughter a hug.
“What happened to your face?” she asks the closer he gets, making him stall, as if he just remembered his fading but still very visible bruise.
“Oh, Daddy just got in a little accident. I’m fine, though. Doesn’t hurt either. No need to be scared, princess,” he reassures the little girl, who accepts his lie and leaps into his open arms. It irritates the shit out of me, but he is her dad. It’s the only reason he’s still drawing breath, whether he was forced into kidnapping her or not.
“Daddy is going to take you for ice cream, what do you think about that?” Grace says, brushing the little girl’s strands of hair from her face. Tanya lets out an ear-piercing squeal and hops down from Roger’s arms to go bounding back to her room, saying she’s going to pack her princesses.
“You sure about this?” I ask Grace, not taking my eyes from Roger.
“The hell you mean? I’m her dad.”
“It’s fine, Roger. Can I have a second with Gin? Please.” It pisses me off to see her treating him like this. Like he isn’t one of the reasons she got beat to shit and left on the floor of this very fucking house.
“I’ll go help her get ready,” Roger says, walking out of the room.
“The fuck?” I pin her with my gaze.
“He came this morning and asked to see her. I thought it would be good for her to spend some time with him. He almost died, Gin. He just wants to spend time with her,” she argues.
“So did you. When he came in with those two assholes who beat the shit out of you. You could have died. Then how about when they took you from the clubhouse? Could’a died then too,” I tell her. “What the hell was he talking about earlier, Grace?” I ask, remembering what Roger had said.
“Not now,” is all she says, then walks toward Roger, who’s hand in hand with an excited Tanya. “Okay, Tay, I’ll see you later. Have fun with Daddy.” She leans in and gives the kid a kiss, then looks to Roger. “Just for a couple hours okay?” He nods, then walks out the door.
“How about now?” I ask after a small bout of silence. She still has her back to me, and I know she isn’t going to tell me.
“No. I can’t. Not right now.” She turns to face me, tears showing in her eyes. “Please, not right now, Gin.” The tears shine, and I let it go. For now.
“Fine. You want something to eat?” I ask, going to her fridge to see what she has to work with.
“I don’t have much. I need to go shopping. I usually do that when it’s Roger’s days with Tay.”
“Well, then, I’ll go get dressed,” I announce, walking back upstairs to find the duffle bag I brought in last night. I wasn’t lying when I told her I was staying.
I take a quick shower and pull on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, deciding to forgo my cut. I don’t want to draw attention. If there are rival clubs in the area, they might see me as a threat, and the last thing we need right now is some rival bitch throwing a hissy fit because I was in their town. I get my bandana in place and walk out of the bathroom to find Grace standing in the bedroom pulling on a pair of stretchy pants. These ones have some design on them with different shades of pinks and purples.
“Much rather see you taking them off then putting them on.” My raspy voice startles her. I step closer, needing to feel her. The body she came to the club with has filled out in just the short amount of time, and she looks fucking good. Feels fucking good too.
My hands glide along the soft fabric of the pants feeling her underneath. She’s only wearing a black bra that clasps in the front. I make my way up to the clasp and flick it free, letting her perfect tits fall from it. I bring her back flush to my front. I have always been a “take it from behind” sort of guy. Something about gripping a woman’s hips and taking her however I want appeals to me. I do enjoy the occasional face-to-face fuck, but right now, I’m playing.
My hands reach up to palm her breasts and twist her taut nipples between my fingers, making her hiss, then let out a soft moan. I find my spot on her neck and start teasing the skin with my teeth and tongue while I let my right hand drift down and slip under her pants. I find her hot and wet, so ready for me, ready for my cock, but I’m not going there just yet.
�
�You are always so wet for me, babe. Fucking sexy,” I whisper into her ear. “Going to come for me?” I nip at her ear, making her shudder as I slip two fingers into her tight channel, rubbing my palm in slow circles over her engorged clit.
“Gin, you drive me crazy,” she rasps out, her hips moving along with the motion of my fingers, her ass sliding along my shaft.
“You love it, babe.” I press closer to her, thrusting my hips for good measure. “You ever taken a cock in your ass?” Her gasp is enough of an answer for me, and it makes me smile.
“I don’t think...I can...or...ah,” she stammers, and I chuckle.
“Relax, babe.” I keep up my motions, bringing her to the brink, then holding off twice before I pull my hand away. She lets out a groan of frustration, but doesn’t get any words out because she’s being tossed through the air and onto her bed. I really was just going to make her come then get going to the store, but the thought of exploring new and forbidden places appeals to me even more. I start stripping off my clothes, then make my way to the bed to take her pants off after mine hit the floor. “You are so fucking beautiful, babe,” I tell her, fisting my overly hard cock as I crawl above her and onto the bed. “Roll over, show me that sexy ass of yours.” She looks like she’s about to protest, but does as I ask and gets onto her knees, exposing her back end to me.