“Aye, brother.” Holt stood up. “Let’s get to work, gents.”
Chapter 8
Sloan
A light tap sounded on the door before it opened slightly. “Sloan? Are you up?”
I sat up in bed, still in Trent’s shirt. “Yeah, kind of.”
Crickett came in with a change of clothes. “I think these will fit you. We’re going to head to the garage here in a few minutes.”
“Sounds good. Thank you.” I took the clothes from her and she left me to change.
Trotting down the stairs, I was greeted by the delectable aroma of strong coffee.
“Want a cup for the road?” Crickett had two travel mugs in hand, ready to pour the java goodness.
“That would be amazing.”
I took my mug from her and made my way into the front room to wait. On the mantle were tons of pictures. The one of Crickett, Raine, Ryder, and two other men on what looked to be Raine and Ryder’s wedding day caught my eye. The younger of the men I recognized from the bar, but the other one I couldn’t place.
“That was one of the happiest days of our lives. Abel was so happy for his little girl,” Crickett remarked as she made her way to my side.
“You all look so stunning. Is Abel your husband?”
She pursed her lips. “He passed away not too long ago, but yes, he is my husband. He will always be the love my life.”
I set the picture down in its spot. “I’m sorry.”
She put her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be. A love like ours doesn’t end in death. He’ll always be in my heart.”
It only took us a few minutes to get out the door and to the garage—talk about a small fucking town. I had never lived somewhere that only had a few traffic lights before, and it was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Trent was sitting on his bike in the parking lot, talking to two guys and Raine. As soon as I got out of Crickett’s truck, Trent ran over to us.
“Hey Crickett, Collin needs to take you and Raine to your place. He’ll explain everything on the way.” He gave her a quick hug, whispering something in her ear that I strained to hear, but no such luck.
“Hey you.” I smiled at him, but his face stayed rigid.
“Can I talk to you?” He grabbed my hand, starting to lead me into the garage.
Following him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. “Sure. Is everything all right?”
He didn’t answer.
We walked through to the back and into a tiny makeshift bedroom. Trent slammed and locked it before turning to me. He grabbed my hand, pulling me into him.
“Do you trust me?” he whispered into my ear.
I nodded against his chest.
“Good, because I need you right now.”
His lips crushed to mine. There was so much desire and need behind his touch. I melted into him, his tongue parting my lips so gently. A light moan escaped my throat as his fingers tangled into my hair.
Spinning me around, he pushed me against the wall. His chest pressed against my back as his fingers fumbled with the button on my jeans. I was a goner when his teeth sank into the nape of my neck.
With a low growl, Trent pulled my jeans down. He pulled my hips out while he got down on his knees then lightly bit my ass cheek before pulling away from me.
“Are you sure you’re all right with this?” he asked, breathless.
“Yes, Trent. Now just fuck me already.” Need for him ignited in the depth of my soul like a fire getting a taste of gasoline.
He stood up and threw me onto the bed in one swift motion. He tugged and pulled at my clothes until they were just a pile on the floor.
“Fuck. You’re stunning,” he remarked while pulling his shirt up over his head.
I took in every perfectly chiseled muscle that flexed and moved as he undressed next to the bed before he climbed on top of me.
“You’re not too shabby yourself,” I teased before kissing his shoulder.
Trent got on his knees, pulling my legs over his. He licked his thumb before rolling it over my clit and pressing it hard into my opening.
“You’re so damn tight, babe,” he groaned through gritted teeth.
I gripped the pillow behind my head as my legs started to shake from just the simple touch. It had been over a year since I had been with anyone, and the slightest of touches were threatening to send me over the edge instantly.
His strong hands gripped my sides, right under my tits. The head of his dick slowly pressed inside me. My back arched, my body tensed.
“Relax baby. I’ll go slow.” His eyes smoldered with lust.
I took a deep breath, willing my body to relax into him. I closed my eyes as he filled me. He was so gentle. Electricity shot through me with every gradual push and release.
“Holy fuck,” I moaned. “Your dick feels amazing.”
He leaned over, kissing my lips gently. “You’re amazing.”
His body started to shudder and my body went into overdrive reacting to him. It was the closest to lovemaking I had ever experienced.
“Was that all right?” he asked, pulling me into his arms to hold me.
“It was perfect.”
Lying in Trent’s arms felt all too right. I let my fingertips play with the scars on the inside of his arms. Some were covered by tattoos, but not all.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m just going to tell you before someone else does.”
I sat up, cocking my head to the side. “Tell me what? Is this where you tell me you have ten kids and a wife at home and this all really is too good to be true?”
He laughed a little. “No, nothing like that. I’ve never been married, and I don’t have any children.”
“Then what?”
“I was a junkie. My old man got me hooked on heroin after my mom died. That’s why I joined the Marines, but when I got out, I fell off the wagon again. Abel, our last president, and Rave, the one before him, saved my life, got me on the right path. Since I’ve worn this cut, I have not done another drug. I was drugged once by some whore a while back, but that’s it. I just didn’t want you hearing it from somebody else. I don’t want to hide things from you.” His chest deflated like bricks had just been taken off of it.
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the first person I’ve ever met that I feel might actually accept me for who I am now, not condemn me for who I used to be. I was not a good person—some might argue that I still am a terrible person.”
“Well, you’re my savior, so I’ll never judge you for your past indiscretions. I will never pry. You can tell me what you want whenever you’re comfortable. I don’t put too much stock in a person’s past as long as they are a good person in their present life.”
“Thanks, babe.” He kissed my forehead. “I want to keep you. A week doesn’t seem like long enough.”
“We’ll see. I’m kind of liking it here,” I admitted. I was sick of running, and Vilas seemed like a pretty good place to be from what I could tell.
“We need to get you to Crickett’s.” Trent started to get up.
“What? Why? She was supposed to show me around and get me started with work today.”
He shot me a stern look. “Sweetheart, sometimes we’re going to tell you to do things, change plans on you, not give you details, give you orders, and you’re going to just have to roll with it. If I tell you we need to go somewhere, there is a very good reason. Sometimes I will be able to explain—this is not one of those times. You have to just trust that I am doing everything in my power to always protect you.”
Chapter 9
Trent
I hated that Sloan wasn’t at the garage. The day droned on with me constantly worried about everyone at Crickett’s house. I knew it was the safest place to be, but without me there to actually protect her, I was uneasy.
After our last run to grab a repo, Red and I decided it was time to call it quits for the day.
“You ready to h
ead on over to the bunker, kid?” Red threw his cut back on and started to make his way to the back door.
“Yeah, let’s lock up and head out.” Relief washed over me when I locked the last of the rolling doors and hit the light switch. I couldn’t get to Sloan’s side fast enough.
Walking into the house, my heart felt a million times lighter. Sloan was sitting on the couch, chatting with Raine. They were giggling about something, happily chatting away.
Her face lit up when she saw me. “Trent! I just felt the baby kick.”
I sank down onto the couch next to her. “That’s awesome, babe.”
Raine shot me a knowing grin. “Are there going to be any little Trents running around these parts eventually?”
She fucking loved to give all of us a hard time. I just rolled my eyes at our queen. “Let me change her last name before you start asking us shit like that.”
Sloan’s face turned every shade of red possible as she shoved my shoulder.
I kissed her cheek. “Just a joke, love. Either of you need anything?”
“If there’s juice, the baby would really appreciate it—oh, and bacon! See if Crickett has bacon!” Raine bounced a little as excitement emanated from her tiny body.
“We’ll see what I can scrounge up. Sloan? Beer?” I squeezed her shoulder a little while getting up.
“I’ll help you.”
We walked hand in hand into the kitchen where Crickett was stirring a pot of chili. Her famous chili could make a cowboy cry, I was just that damn good. I could smell the jalapeño cornbread in the oven.
“Damn, woman! That smells amazing.” I wrapped my arm around her. “How’re you holding up with everyone bombarding your place?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “You know I prefer it when the whole family is together.”
“The prego princess has requested bacon,” I stated, opening the fridge.
“Bottom drawer on the right. I’ll fry some up for her right now. Gotta keep the baby happy.” Sloan reached down and grabbed it for me while I filled up a glass with apple juice.
“Will you take that in to her?” I handed the cup to Sloan and she left without question after grabbing a beer for herself.
“How’s she doing?” I asked Crickett.
She cocked her head to the side. “She seems a little rattled, but she’s going to fit in here just fine. She likes you, I can tell.”
“Yeah?” I leaned on the counter, twisting open my beer bottle with my forearm.
Crickett nodded. “A woman like that doesn’t slum it for just any outlaw. Trust me, she’s a keeper.”
“Should I tell her what’s going on?” I mumbled as low as I possibly could.
Crickett pointed her finger at me. “You do not tell that poor girl anything. She has enough stressing her out right now. If she asks, deflect—you’re good at that.”
“Yes ma’am.” I help my hands up in surrender. Crickett was right, but I just hated omitting things when people asked.
Ryder walked up next to us. “How’d it go today at the shop?”
“Same old shit. Nothing to write home about.” I peeled the label off my Coors Light bottle.
“Do you think I’m overreacting?” Ryder glanced from me to Crickett.
She shook her head. “Not my place. Trent, stir the pot. I’m going to check on everyone, make sure they all know where they’re sleeping.”
“I don’t think you’re overreacting,” I finally answered, “I would probably do the exact same thing. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Ryder looked deflated. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes were bloodshot, and he barely had any color in his face. “I just don’t know what to do. I want to get each and every one of those fuckers, but they’re just going to keep coming. How do we keep everyone safe and avenge Abel?”
“Fuck if I know, man. Heavy the head that wears the crown.” I pointed to the patch on his chest. “Abel would be proud of you, you do know that, right?”
He opened another beer, taking a long pull. “Sometimes I feel like it shouldn’t be me wearing this patch. Holt, Red, Jesse, you…I mean, out of everyone, I feel like I deserve it the least.”
“And that is exactly why you need to be wearing it. We’re all worn and weathered. We’ve seen war, have more blood dripping from our hands than we know what to do with. You still have a fighting chance at doing something great with this club.”
“Thanks, man. I needed to hear that.” He slapped me on the shoulder. “Also, that chick is pretty cool. Raine seems to really like having her here.”
“I’m trying to convince her to stick around.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread on my face.
“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help make that happen, all you have to do is ask.” He gave me a little wink and then turned to head back over to where Raine and Sloan were still planted on the couch.
“Dinner time!” Crickett yelled, walking back into the kitchen.
“Need some help?” I asked, handing her back the wooden spoon.
“Get your butt in a chair at the table with everyone. I got this.” She turned off the burner and grabbed the muffin trays out of the oven.
It was nice to have everyone sitting around the table. There was no talk about revenge, rage, murder, the shop, the bar—nothing. It was just a big family having dinner together. We laughed, told old stories, drank way too much, and ate even more.
I looked over to Sloan as she snickered at something Raine said, and the lightheartedness of her laughter had me over the moon. Her cherry Cupid’s bow perked up, making her cheeks almost jiggle with elation. It was adorable. In that moment, I declared it my sole mission in life to never let that smile fade from her lips.
After dinner, I walked up to Ryder and Red on the front porch. I sat on the railing across from where Ryder was smoking a joint.
“Want some?” he offered.
“Nah, thanks though man. Hey, I was thinking…” I trailed off trying to find the right words.
Red chuckled. “That’s never a good sign.”
I ignored him. “What if Red, Sloan, and I head back to the garage and sleep there? That place is damn near a fortress when it is all locked up, and it’s fucking crowded as shit in this place.”
Ryder narrowed his eyes at me. “I feel like I should say no, but at this point, I’m too drunk and high to care what the fuck you do. Just don’t get yourselves killed. That’s all I ask.”
Red heaved up from his chair. “Fuck yeah. Take me home or lose me forever.” As he started to dig his keys out of his front pocket, he stumbled a little.
“Whoa there, big fella. How about I take Crickett’s truck and drive all three of us? We’ll come get the bikes in the morning. It’ll be better if our bikes aren’t out front anyway.”
Ryder pointed at me. “Damn, good thinking. Remind me to keep you around, brother.”
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you fucking tried, man.” I slapped Ryder on the shoulder before turning to Red. “You drunk ass, you’re going to break your damn leg if you get too close to those stairs.” I made Red sit back down so I could get Sloan and head back. I was fucking tired, and it was time for the day to end.
“Hey love, you ready to go?” I put my hand on the small of her back as her soft doe eyes locked onto mine.
“Go? I thought we had to stay here.”
I smirked and shook my head. “I got us a pass to play hooky.”
Raine grabbed my hand. “How fucked up is my husband right now?”
I laughed, putting my hand on her arm. “I am pretty sure he is pretty far gone. It’s time for you to take him to bed.”
“Fuck, that’s what I thought.”
Chapter 10
Sloan
As the days went on, I grew more and more attached to all the members of the club. Raine had turned into the best friend I had ever had—how fucking sad is that? I had only known her for a damn blink of an eye and she was my best friend. I couldn’t understand
how it was so easy for me to be that comfortable with everyone as quickly as I was. Things like that shouldn’t happen—they didn’t happen. It felt like I was in some weird TV show.
Trent had turned into an addiction. He was so soft and kind with me, something I had never known in past relationships. There was something so different about him, even in the way he looked at me. I knew fate existed every time he smiled at me. It was all too serendipitous, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I couldn’t let myself get too carried away; it had only been a few days for crying out loud.
“Your week is up.” Trent sat on the end of the bed in the tiny back room of the shop. He was trying to wipe grease off his hands with an old rag with very little luck.
I stood in front of him, rolling my fingertips up and down his shoulders. “Yeah, I know.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” His tone was somber.
“I’m staying,” I whispered in his ear.
“Holy fuck, seriously?” He leapt to his feet, picking me up and twirling me around.
“Did you really think I wasn’t going to?” I smiled down at his jubilant grin wrapped up in his arms.
“I didn’t want to assume. It was ultimately up to you, and I didn’t want to pressure you either way.” He rapid-fired kisses all over my cheeks and down my neck as I giggled. He took his dirty thumb and smeared a little bit of grease across my cheek.
I narrowed my gaze at him. “What was that for?”
“You’re marked as mine—now you can’t change your mind.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He started to set me down. “I have to go finish the tune-up on Red’s bike before he rips me a new one.”
I gripped his shirt as tight as I could. “Not yet.” I bit my lip.
He stumbled backward, knocking into his riding leathers and some of the old cuts hanging on the closet door.
“Don’t tempt me babe.” He growled in my ear.
“I’m not tempting, I’m asking for it.” I licked his lower lip before biting it a bit.
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