The Outlaw's Obsession

by Jenika Snow

  Court put the last piece of tape on her shoulder and put her shirt back over her. After he removed his gloves and cleaned everything up, he pulled a pill bottle out of the bag and tipped four pills out in his palm.

  “Take two now, and if you’re still in this much pain tomorrow you can take the other two. But I have more anytime you need it. So just ask, yeah?”

  She nodded. He took out a bottle of ibuprofen and set it on the bedside table with the pills. There was a knock on the door, and Drevin came in with a tray of food. Jagger took it from him, and said something low and deep but too soft for her to make out. But she focused on her hands in her lap until she heard the bedroom door shut.

  “I hope you’re hungry. Looks like Drevin went overboard on the grub.” Jagger set the tray on the bed beside her, and she eyed it. Apparently Drevin thought she had an appetite like these grizzly shifters. There were two sandwiches that had so much meat and veggies that they were bursting out the sides. There were two oversized pickles, a full bag of chips, and two water bottles.

  “Wow, this is enough to feed me for the next couple of days.” She chuckled and lifted her eyes to Jagger. He watched her intently, and her heart slammed against her ribs in response. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel like he knew every little secret she held deep inside of her. “Do you want to join me? I can’t possibly eat all of this, and I hate to see all this food go to waste.” She smiled, hoping to ease some of this wild intensity that was coming over him in turbulent waves. It took him a few seconds to react, but he sat his big frame down on the bed. Jagger was a very large man, so big and muscular that she felt so very feminine around him, and that was saying a lot since she looked far different from the skinny club girls that she saw around here. She had never been skinny, had always been curvy and thick, but embraced it because that was who she was. The bed dipped and creaked from his weight, but when he reached out it wasn’t to grab a sandwich, but to grip the shirt she wore and lift it further up and over her shoulder. Sonya didn’t want to shiver at his touch, but it was hard not to, especially when it seemed just the slightest brush of his fingertips along her skin had fire licking along her body.

  “I’m sorry, but I thought you might be more comfortable fully covered.” Lord, his voice was inhumanly deep, but then again she reminded herself that this world was made up of men and women that were not fully human.

  She lifted her hand and placed it lightly over her shoulder. He had since moved his hand back to his lap, and she didn’t miss the way he curled his fingers into his palms. “Yeah, thank you.” She felt her cheeks heat and just wished she understood why she felt this way about him. He was a stranger, a dangerous stranger, and one that she should be wary of given the life he led. Maybe not all motorcycle clubs were like this, but the Grizzly MC was definitely into sex, drugs, and violence. But they are also into helping women that need it.

  “You should take those pills before the pain gets worse. I speak from personal experience that if it hurts bad enough and you wait too long the meds won’t help.”

  She looked over at the circular white pills.

  “Just take one if you’re worried.”

  She grabbed one and turned to get a bottle of water, but Jagger was already holding it out for her. She popped the pill and tipped the bottle back for a long drink.

  “You doing okay?”

  She recapped the bottle and nodded at him. “Yeah. I just haven’t taken anything strong like that, and I’ve seen the way drugs change people.”

  Jagger handed her a sandwich.

  “Thank you.” She took a bite, but even though she did feel this connection with Jagger, there was this part of her that was still on edge, especially with the way he had acted less than twenty minutes ago.

  “I make you uncomfortable.” It wasn’t stated as a question, but then again he was a shifter so no doubt he could smell her emotions, and lying to him was pointless.

  She swallowed the bite of sandwich she had taken and choked on it a little, which only caused heat to rise to her cheeks. There was a small smirk on Jagger’s face when he handed her the water bottle again. After she had everything washed down she glanced at him again. “You do make me very nervous.” Sonya cleared her throat. She didn’t want to stare, but even watching Jagger grab the other sandwich and take a bite out of it was so masculine and arousing. You need to stop. This is crazy, the way you feel for this guy you don’t even know is insane, and you won’t be here much longer anyway. But her inner monologue didn’t do anything to help ease the pulse that beat in every single erogenous zone in her body. Who cared about a gunshot wound and pain when there was this gorgeous grizzly bear shifter who just happened to save her life, and made her feel something she hadn’t felt in a very long time…alive. Yeah, she had to be losing her mind, that, or the pain was making her delusional.

  “You do know that when I said you were safe here I meant it,” he said after swallowing his bite and washing it down with some of the water.

  “I know, but can you blame me?” He had to know how he looked to others: all intimidating and scary. But aside from all of that he had been nothing but kind to her. Taking in a woman that had been associated with a rival club wasn’t something she assumed the President of the Grizzly MC would have done, but he did, and because of him and his club she was alive and healing.

  “No, I guess I can’t, especially not the life you’ve led for the last seven years.”

  She watched him eye the sandwich, but he tossed it back on the tray and brushed away the on his jeans. A muscle under his stubble covered cheek jumped from the force of him clenching his jaw, and she hoped she hadn’t offended him in some way, because that was the last thing she wanted after everything he and his club had done for her.

  “I’m sorry—”

  The way he snapped his head around to face her and the look he gave her had her closing her mouth and widening her eyes.

  “You never apologize to me, Sonya.” He sounded so angry. He exhaled, lowered his head and closed his eyes. He seemed so tormented, so conflicted right now that she wished she could ease his suffering, because she knew how that felt.

  Without thinking, and trying to show some gentle support like he had when he brushed her tears away, Sonya moved closer to him and placed a hand on one of his wide, hard shoulders. He tensed right away at the touch, but he didn’t pull away from her. He rubbed his hands back and forth on his faded and grease stained jeans, and for the first time since being in his company she saw the ink that peeked out from the edge of his tee. Tearing her eyes away from his tattoos, and looking up at him showed that he was watching her.

  “Did I frighten you back there?” he asked softly and tipped his head ever-so-slightly toward the door, but she knew he was referring to what had happened in the main room with the prospect.

  “A little, but to be honest I’m kind of used to seeing violence since it has been my life for so long.” But never has it made me feel the way I felt watching you take charge. Of course she kept that to herself, but by the way he flared his nostrils she knew she might as well have said it aloud. Jagger didn’t say anything for several seconds, and Sonya forced herself to keep her eyes on him. His eyes were dark, but being this close to him she could see the flecks of amber throughout his irises.

  “I wish I could tell you that I am never like that, but that would be a flat out fucking lie.” He spoke softly, but it didn’t make the masculinity in his voice or the truth in his words any less potent. “But I have never started shit with any of my crew, prospect or patched in member.” He continued to stare into her eyes, and Sonya felt herself falling deeper into whatever in the hell was pulling her under and making her feel this way about a man she just met. She didn’t know what to say in response. “But then I saw the prospect about to touch you, and all I could see was red.”

  Sonya looked down at her hand on his shoulder and noticed he was shaking slightly.

  “I could have killed him r

ight then and there for even thinking about touching you.” She snapped her eyes to his and knew hers had to be as wide as saucers.

  “But why?” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, but he heard her nonetheless.

  “I have no fucking idea, Sonya, and to be honest I’m not sure that this fierce need I have inside of me is good for either of us.” He was off the bed and by the door so quickly she blinked in surprise. Without looking at her he said, “You should be healed enough that in about a week we can get you set up somewhere else.” He did look at her than. “But I’ll make sure it’s safe, and I’ll make fucking sure Trick never touches you again.” A beat of silence stretched out, but all she could hear was her blood rushing through her ears. “It’s probably better if you stay in here since the party will probably be going on until the sun comes up. I also don’t want to have to crack any of my members’ skulls because their drunk asses did something to piss me off concerning you.”

  “Okay.” She licked her suddenly dry lips, and Jagger looked away sharply.

  “But if you need anything I’m just down the hall, the last room on the right. I rent a place about five minutes from here, but I’ll be staying at the clubhouse while you’re here. I want to make sure one bothers you.”

  She had no doubts about that. “Okay, thank you again.”

  He grunted once, and just like that he was gone with the door closed behind him.

  Chapter Seven

  Jagger paced the length of his room until he was sure he’d wear a groove in the hardwood floor. He had left Sonya in her room half an hour ago, but he had just come right back here instead of going out and getting drunk and high with his crew. The latter would have surely calmed his big ass down. Sitting on his bed and hanging his head, he inhaled deeply and exhaled just as forcibly. What was that female doing to him? Her presence was causing him to going off the deep end, and with one of the club’s prospects no less. No, it’s not her, it’s you. There was a knock on the door, but before he could tell the fucker on the other side to leave him the hell alone, it was being pushed open. Without lifting his head Jagger tilted it and stared at Diesel. His VP leaned against the doorframe and watched him silently for several seconds.

  “What the fuck do you want?” But Jagger knew why Diesel was here.

  “What was that shit out there with Lane?” Diesel stepped all the way in and shut the door behind him. The rooms weren’t soundproofed, and the pounding music still came through loud.

  “It was nothing. The kid will be all right.” Jagger felt like an asshole for clocking Lane like he had, but to be honest he didn’t even have control of himself at that time. It was like his bear had come out like a damn cannonball, charging forward and intent on doing some damage. But he couldn’t just blame it on his animal, because the human side of him had wanted to fuck him up, too, for messing with Sonya.

  “Don’t lie to me, Jagger. That shit back there was about that Wolverine MC female—”

  Jagger let out a low warning growl, stopping Diesel from speaking. “She isn’t a fucking Wolverine female.” He ran his hand over the top of his head, suddenly feeling a splitting migraine start to form. His club needed to know about her and why she was staying with them, which wasn’t just about the wound. Of course how he felt for her wasn’t something that would be brought to the table. He couldn’t even explain it to himself.

  “All right, man. Chill the fuck out. I didn’t mean any disrespect. It’s just since we brought her to the clubhouse you’ve been acting all kinds of weird, and then the shit with Lane because he almost touched her?” Diesel shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

  “Neither do I, Diesel.” He knew his VP was surprised by his admission, but it was the truth.

  “You want to call a meeting now?”

  Jagger shook his head.

  “No, let them party. I’ve got a headache anyway and think I’ll crash.”

  Diesel nodded and turned to leave.

  “Keep an eye on her when I’m not around, cool?”

  Diesel turned and looked at him. “Sure, man.” He lowered his eyebrows, and Jagger knew he wanted to know what the hell was up with him. Jagger wished he could tell him, but he didn’t understand it himself.

  “She’ll be here for about a week, but I’m going to get her set up someplace where she’ll be safe. I want to find Trick before then, though. I don’t want to put her outside of these club walls without having that bastards throat tore open.”

  A hard look crossed Diesel’s face. “You got it, Jagger.”

  Diesel left him alone, and he fell back on the bed. Reaching out and turning off the light, he should have just gotten up and taken a shower, but he was tired, his head hurt, and all he had been thinking about since seeing Sonya at the Wolverine clubhouse was how much he wanted her. “Fuck.” He rubbed his eyes, and told himself that in the morning this situation wouldn’t look so fucked-up. He hoped.

  ****

  The sound of a soft moan was what woke Jagger from a very sound sleep, but it was the hands moving under his shirt and over his chest that had his dick hardening in his jeans. He had been dreaming about Sonya, and his cock had already been at half-mast. He opened his eyes, but the room was dark and the blinds closed so no light came in. With him still trying to push away sleep, he focused on his surroundings. There was another soft moan, and the first image that came to mind was Sonya on top of him, not able to help herself, and needing him just as badly as he needed her. But his head was still foggy, and his reflexes slow, because it took him several seconds to realize it wasn’t the female he really wanted.

  The scent of old sex, booze, and desperate lust slammed into his nose, and he gripped the boney arms in front of him and pushed DeDe away. Jagger rolled over and flicked on the light and then looked over his shoulder at her. She was already topless and had her micro miniskirt up over her thighs. Her thong barely covered her cunt, and her pussy lips popped out from the sides of them. She was also piss-ass drunk.

  “What the fuck are you doing in my room, DeDe?” Before she could answer he stood and made his way into the bathroom. Turning on the faucet and splashing some water on his face, he needed to get the smell of her off of him. He grabbed a towel without lifting his head he dried his face off. But luck wasn’t with him because DeDe was still on his bed.

  “Seriously, DeDe, I am not in the mood tonight. You’re drunk, and I can see on your face you have something on your mind and want to get it off.” Jagger went back into his room and sat in the old and tattered chair pressed against the corner wall. It was only midnight, so he had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

  “I just thought you might like a little company since you seemed very strung tight when you almost killed that prospect.” She rose up on her knees, and Jagger rested his head against the wall. Yeah, he was strung tight. “I just wanted to help relieve some of your tension, baby.”

  Jagger needed a little relieving, but it wasn’t something DeDe could help him with. The whole reason he felt like this was because of Sonya, and she was the only one that could help ease this ache that took over his whole body. Even while sleeping he had been dreaming about her. Her lush, big breasts, her flared out hips, and the way she had looked at him with those big blue eyes. And then she had touched his shoulder to comfort him when she obviously felt his turmoil, but what she didn’t know was ever since he had seen her at Trick’s place she had consumed every part of him. Whether it was logical or not wasn’t even the point, because the reality of it was Jagger had never felt like this. But in the end he still had to do the same thing, and that was get her out of his club and make sure she was safe.

  He didn’t need an old lady, had never wanted one, and had always been content in fucking the club whores, or the random pick-up at the bar. But even with the hell Sonya had been in, she was still so innocent, even if she tried to be so strong on the outside. How could he expect her to want anything to do with him when the MC life she had been subjected to had been nightmarish? And then she had been thrust into the Grizzly biker world, had seen the pot being passed around, the sex openly flaunted, and then nearly watched him lose his shit because Lane had almost touched her. Yeah, she didn’t need any part of that, because Jagger could never leave this life, and would never change. He was who he was, didn’t care what others thought, and liked living this way. The violence made him stronger, and although it was grisly and bloody, it was part of this world they lived in.

  “Like I said, I’m not in the mood for this, DeDe. Go hit up Diesel or one of the other members.” He closed his eyes and exhaled. The sound of the bed squeaking had him looking at her.

  She sauntered toward him, but right before she could reach out to him he stopped her with a firm shake of his head.

  “Just go before I get fucking pissed off.” He scented her annoyance instantly, but he assumed she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. But, clearly he thought more highly of her than was actually accurate, because she opened her mouth and started talking.

  “I saw the way you looked at that girl you brought in, and I know she was the reason you almost knocked out Lane.”

  Jagger clenched his teeth and stared at her. He was about to say something, and that wouldn’t be good for either of them. DeDe had been with the club for a long time, but right now she was overstepping her bounds.

  She crossed her arms under her breasts and popped them out even more. “I will not be pushed over for some stray pussy that comes walking in.”

  Jagger let out a low growl and stood. She dropped her hands, took a step back, and widened her eyes at him. “Do you know who the fuck you’re talking to?” He kept his voice low, but he didn’t leave out the warning behind his words. Her annoyance soon turned to apprehension, but she was right to be nervous. Jagger would never hurt a woman, but DeDe was too lax with him in thinking she had some kind of hold on him.

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