Living A Beautiful War

by Debra Kayn

  A door slammed. Ink turned around and caught sight of Lilly. Blonde hair streaming behind her, she ran down the porch steps and stopped in front of her dad. Ink walked over and stood beside her. He wouldn't allow Rain to take his anger and frustration out on Lilly. She wasn't the one at fault.

  "I can't believe you," she said, planting her hands on her hips. "You didn't give him a chance to say a word before you started a fight."

  "He looked at you," Rain repeated.

  Some of the stiffness from Lilly's spine softened. "I wanted to tell you everything, but I promised to let him talk to you first."

  "He's talked." Rain grunted.

  Lilly swung her gaze to Ink and her whole face smiled. "You did?"

  "Yeah, Ace," Ink said. "I think he's got enough information to know what I want."

  Lilly dove into Ink's chest. He caught her, grimacing at the sharp stab of pain making breathing impossible.

  "I knew he'd let us be together," Lilly said, assuming wrong.

  Ink cupped the back of her head, keeping her turned away from her dad, and spoke to Rain. "I promise, Prez. She's the one. She's always been the one. After the first time I asked you and you told me I wasn't good enough for Lilly, I saved every penny I've made. Not to show you that I could be someone I'm not, but to make sure when the time was right, I could take care of Lilly the way she deserved to live. I'm not trying to make this harder for her. She deserves to get everything she wants, and I want to be the man to give her those things."

  "What are you talking about?" Lilly gazed up at him without letting him go.

  He softened, brushing her cheek with his fingers. "It took time for everything to come together, but I bought the Sterling Building from Kurt last week and put the deed in your name. The business is yours to do what you want with it. Bantorus MC will still provide protection for Silver Girls, but you own the building and the business."

  "Oh my God," she whispered. "I can't believe you did that for me."

  "I'd do anything, Ace." He turned to Rain. "I wanted to come to you and give you the security of knowing she'll never go a day without her family, her club, and my love. To do that, I need your permission to make her my woman. You need to know that whether you give me your permission or not, I don't plan to turn my back on Lilly. She is it for me."

  Tori walked up quietly and leaned against Rain, putting her hand to his stomach and supporting him. Ink silently begged Rain to give his permission. He had nothing and everything to lose. Most of all, a negative answer would crush Lilly. Family was everything to her, and though he had never experienced a family connection the way she had, he'd seen the love and respect she had for her parents.

  Rain closed his eyes, kissed Tori's upturned lips, whispered to her, and ended by clearing his throat. Ink sweated. He wanted what they had, and he had Lilly at his fingertips willing to give him that kind of devotion and love. Never in his life had he craved to have that union with another person the way he had with Lilly. That's why he'd fought his attraction to her for years, because he was afraid of someone taking her away from him.

  That day finally came, and that person he had to face was Rain. Everything he wanted would be decided by his president. He could lose the woman he loved, and the club that was his family.

  "You ever make her cry because you've hurt her heart, I'll kill you," Rain said, clearing his throat. "If she ever comes to me or her mom because she's less than happy, I'll kill you without asking any questions. I'll be looking for any excuse to put a bullet in your head."

  Ink's throat closed and he nodded.

  Rain walked over and kissed his daughter's cheek. "If I've made a mistake, baby girl, your mother and I are the first people you come to, so I can correct the mistake."

  "I know," Lilly held on tight to Ink. "Thank you, Dad."

  "Yeah, well..." Rain's mouth tightened and he shook his head as if to stop himself from saying more and simply said, "I love you."

  "I love you too." Lilly pulled away from Ink, and he let her go.

  Uncomfortable with the emotional scene taking place in front of him, Ink stood back letting the Brookshire family have their moment. As he watched Lilly, her mom, her dad, he rubbed his upper arm. He brought nothing into the relationship but himself, and a whole lot of fucked up scars.

  Kurt approached him. "It's been a long ride, but you finally got your girl. Congratulations, brother."

  The adrenaline over the news pushed away the pain from the beating. He was afraid to believe it was true. Rain's consent wasn't easy to get, but he'd received it, and he meant every word he'd said. Leaving Lilly was never an option for him.

  "I'll send Beckett and Big Dawg up to your house later to get her things." Ink wiped his nose, which had thankfully stopped dripping. "She's not spending another night away from me."

  "Figured." Kurt pointed up to the second story of his house. "Good luck with Lilly. Even pregnant, I can't get Risa to listen to me. She's supposed to be resting."

  In the window, Risa stood behind the glass, giving Ink a thumb up and smiling. Ink held up his hand and gave his own smile in return. His MC family might not be traditional or even conventional in how they support each other, but Bantorus MC gave him a place to call home.

  Ink fingered the swollen area on the side of his nose. "I need to go clean up, and take my woman inside."

  Kurt walked away, and Lilly came back to Ink's side. He placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her against him. With his free hand, he shook Rain's hand. "Honored, Prez."

  Rain dipped his chin. "Meant every word. Love her or I kill you."

  "I will. You never have to doubt that." He held Lilly tighter.

  "Take care of her," Tori said, wiping her cheek where a stray tear slid down her face. "And, congratulations."

  "Thanks, Tori," he said.

  Lilly walked with him toward the clubhouse. He kept his thoughts to himself, feeling the heat of Lilly's parents watching them walk away. The pain in his ribs gave him something to concentrate on rather than second guessing if he was truly worthy of claiming Lilly.

  Despite the events of the day, his body shook. Lilly was his, and he refused to let go of her.

  Lilly stopped him at the backdoor and moved in front of him, planting her hands on his chest. "I love you."

  "I know you do, Ace." He kissed her.

  The heat of her mouth excited him, and he crushed her to his chest. The pain of her embrace worth every second.

  He finally pulled back when he needed to breathe, and inhaled sharply. "I'm supposed to go inside and announce to the club that you're my woman, but all I want to do is go upstairs and keep you to myself. I finally fucking get you, and no one can stop me."

  "I like the sound of that." She pecked his lips. "Let's go."

  Faster than his body wanted him to move, he led her up to the bedroom, escaping the crowd gathered in the main room. He left her with instructions to undress, and slipped into the bathroom to shower and get the blood off him. He laid his pistol, his belt, his cell on the counter, and stripped down.

  The hot water steamed the room. He stepped into the shower, braced for the sting, and even looked forward to the pain to know this was really happening. Lilly was his.

  A moan, muffled by the spray, met his ears. He planted his hands on the tile and let his head drop between his arms. The truth hit him out of nowhere, and he smiled. For the first time in his life, he belonged to someone. She couldn't drop him off at the state office and walk out of his life like his mother had done. When she got mad, she couldn't send him to someone else's house like all his foster parents eventually ended up doing. Lilly had made the conscious decision to keep him, and he would never let her go.

  He washed the blood off, cleaned his wounds, and stepped out of the shower. His phone pinged, and he dried his hands on the towel and picked up his cell.

  Lilly had texted him from his room. When I was 12, I thought I loved U.

  His chin dropped to his chest. His phone pinged ag
ain.

  At 16, I loved the idea of loving U.

  He tapped in a reply. Ace.

  Not done, Ink...

  He leaned against the counter, prepared to stay in the bathroom forever until she'd had her say.

  At 18, I overheard one of the bitches talking about you.

  His chest tightened, and he stepped toward the door. She stopped him with another message.

  What you gave her was not what I wanted. I wanted more, and you gave me more. You loved me.

  He tossed his phone down on his dirty towel and opened the door. Naked and showing every tat, scar, imperfection on him, he stepped into the room.

  Lilly stood by the window, cell phone clutched to her chest, and blinking feverishly to get rid of the tears filling her eyes. The sight of her weakened him, and he reached out and held on to the doorframe.

  "I never told you I loved you, because it went against club rules. It was the one thing I had the strength to keep from you when everything else I gave up willingly. The other women...I had fun, Ace. But they weren't you. I didn't pretend to love them," he said.

  She walked across the room and stood in front of him. His cock hardened. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about other girls when he had all the time in the world to have his woman.

  "Sh." She covered his swollen lip with her finger. "That's why I was texting you, so you wouldn't interrupt or have to explain yourself."

  He kissed her finger. "Finish what you have to say, and then it's my turn to talk and I'm not planning on talking."

  "Okay. What I need to tell you is I won't..." She tilted her head, her gaze going to his mouth. "I won't let you be with the bitches. Like, ever. Not now when we're together forever."

  He laughed, picking her up, and falling with her to the bed. His ribs protested, and he grabbed his side, rolling off her. "Jesus..."

  "Ink." She sat up and leaned over him, her hand sweeping over his abdomen. "Let me get Kurt to call the doc—"

  "No." He panted. "Give me a sec."

  Lilly ran her hands soothingly over his skin. His breathing relaxed and his body stood at attention. The only thing he wanted to do was keep her touching him.

  "I haven't used the bitches since you came to Federal, Ace. There's no reason to go to them when you're in my bed now." He wrapped his finger around a strand of her hair and tugged, bringing her face down to him. "Are we done?"

  "Yeah, we're done talking," she whispered, kissing him lightly.

  He cupped her face, holding her in place. "One last thing, before I make you come on my dick..."

  "Okay."

  He smiled against her lips at her quick agreement. "I've loved you forever."

  "You have?"

  "Loved the little kid that made me into her hero." He kissed her again. "Loved the teenager that saw past my asshole behavior and continued to believe in me." He kissed her hard, ignoring the pain in his split lip. "I love the woman that never gave up and showed me what I was missing my whole life."

  She pulled back and her mouth opened. He chuckled. Not often had he ever knocked her speechless.

  "I've got something for that mouth of yours." He guided her down his body.

  She gazed at his cock, hard and throbbing, and said, "I know how to do this."

  "Good to know, Ace." He stretched his legs, trying to curb the desire to deep throat her.

  "No, I mean I haven't done this before." She wrapped her fingers tightly around the base of his hardness. "It's not hard to figure out what guys like growing up in a MC and hearing what happens in the cabins behind Cactus Cove. I've listened...I know what to do."

  "Ace..." He sank his fingers into her hair. "Less talking, more sucking."

  Her dimple flashed before she lowered her head. The heat of her tongue enveloped his cock. His toes curled. The thought that he could have her mouth on him anytime he wanted almost had him blowing his load.

  She sank down farther, taking him inch by inch. He raised his head and looked down at her. They connected when she raised her gaze. It was that mix of confidence and fear of disappointing him that had his balls tightening in pleasure.

  "That's too good." He guided her off him. "Grab a condom off the nightstand."

  She quickly unwrapped and rolled the protection on him. Her hands shook, and he wanted to push himself into her hand and have her jerk him to relieve the pressure. Instead, he said, "Turn around and sit on my cock. I want you to come on me and my ribs aren't going to take holding myself up long enough for you to do that."

  She scrambled up on her knees, threw her leg over him, and presented her ass to his view. Her hands went to his knees. He fisted his cock and ran it over her wetness. She rocked back against him, more than ready for him. He had a feeling she'd always be insatiable, and that pleased him.

  He placed the head of his cock at her entrance. "Nice and slow, Ace. You're in control."

  She slid down on him. His hips bucked, but her weight held him to the mattress. He ran his hands over the span of her hips and up to her slim waist. She moved on him, and he watched her body take him, one inch at a time. There was no rush, no fear, only paradise.

  Her movements sped up and she moaned. He gripped her hips, helping her move. The erotic scene he'd never get tired of danced before him.

  "Like that, Ace." He groaned in pleasure.

  She bounced on him. Her pussy came down hard enough to caress his balls. He ran his hands over the rounded mounds of her ass.

  "Ink?" She groaned, arching her back.

  "Right here." He tightened his hold, and lifted her up and brought her back down. "Take it."

  Her movements grew wilder, rubbing, plunging, withdrawing. All he could do was go along for the ride. The best damn ride of his life.

  Her pussy squeezed him. The muscles in his ass tightened, and he ignored the pain and lifted his hips.

  "Yes." She quivered, digging her nails into his legs.

  He held on tighter, not letting her off him. His balls constricted, pulsating, and when her pussy spasmed, milking him through her orgasm, he let go and shot his load.

  She laid down between his legs, still connected to him. He rubbed his hand over her ass and let his body enjoy the tight, warmth gently caressing him as she came down from her high.

  "Love you, Ace."

  "I know." She lifted her head, gave him a smile to beat any doubts he had, and softly replied, "Love you too, Ink."

  Chapter Twenty One

  "Are you ready, Ace?"

  She smiled, practically jumping out of her skin with excitement. "Wait a second."

  Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. The low murmur of voices in the main room rolled over her. The same sounds she'd heard all her life. Men bragging, women giggling, and her dad's rough loud voice saying 'right' to something Remmy said. Everything was perfect, and exactly how she imagined it would be when Ink walked her into the club and announced that they were together.

  She opened her eyes. "Okay, I'm ready."

  Ink remained beside her in the hallway. "What are you thinking?"

  "That this was a long time coming, and yet it's perfect," she said.

  He looped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his side. "We got the rest of our lives together, Ace."

  "I know," she said.

  He kissed her upturned lips. "Let's do this."

  Together, they walked into the main room. Ink's arm tightened around her and she swiveled toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The conversations ended instantly.

  The smile on her face wouldn't stop. She grinned up at Ink. A bubble of laughter tickled her chest. If he didn't hurry, she was going to blurt out the news.

  "Last night, I claimed Lilly as my woman." Ink cleared his throat and continued. "You can't really welcome her to the family, since she's got Bantorus blood running in her veins, so we'd both like to thank each one of you for sharing this moment with us."

  Cheers brought down the roof. Lilly let out the joy she'd held in and jum
ped into Ink's arms. The smile on Ink's face hit her square in the belly. The happiness he only showed her when they were alone now flashed the whole room.

  "You better kiss me." She tossed her hair and laughed. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

  He tilted his head. "You've always been mine."

  "But everyone else doesn't know that." She framed his face with her hands and came closer. "This is our first public kiss."

  "Then we better give them a show," he whispered.

  He slid her down his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down. The possessive look in Ink's eyes washed out the fact that everyone stood witnessing them.

  His lips claimed hers. She closed her eyes, heated with emotions. She'd never once kissed a man in front of her family. This was all new to her, and yet Ink's lips were familiar. She'd had them on her mouth, her body, and tattooed in her head.

  The tip of his tongue opened her mouth. She welcomed him home, meeting him half way, stroking the warmth of him. He was hers, and she could do anything she wanted with him.

  She leaned against him, arching over his arm circled around her waist. Pelvis to pelvis, she lifted her leg and hooked it around his hip. The act more intimate and shocking than anything she'd ever done.

  Barely aware of the women in the room sighing, she tangled her fingers in Ink's hair. Her breath heavy and harsh, she leaned her head the other way and deepened the kiss. Ink's arm tightened, lifted, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. His heated arousal pressed against her sex and she moaned.

  Ink chuckled against her mouth, pulling back, kissing her again. She gasped, doing her own kissing, until both their bodies shook in amusement, and they gained awareness of how crazy, out of control, one kiss to seal their union could've taken them.

  The men whooped. She pulled back and smiled. God, he was beautiful.

  Even with a swollen crooked nose, a black eye, and his hair tangled around his face. She ran her thumb over the cut on his puffy well-kissed bottom lip. He'd fought for her, and won.