by Harley Wylde
I let myself into the motel room and heard the shower running. She’d left the door cracked and light spilled out, as well as a cloud of steam. I set the food on the rickety table near the window and sprawled in one of the chairs. A noise caught my attention, and I focused on the bathroom, thinking Mara had called for me.
“Rocky,” she moaned.
I fisted the arms of the chair as I listened to her whimper and moan some more. Before I knew what I was doing, I was up and moving, crossing the small room and stopping outside the bathroom door. I pushed it open farther, my mouth going dry. The shower curtain wasn’t closed all the way, and Mara was leaned back against the tiled wall, her legs splayed and her fingers playing with her pussy. She drove them in and out as she called my name again, her eyes closed and a look of bliss on her face. Fuck. Me. My cock went from semi-interested to hard as a steel post in a matter of seconds.
I needed to turn around and walk the fuck out, but instead my feet seemed to have a mind of their own as I moved farther into the small space. I pushed the curtain open wider. Reaching for my belt, I unfastened it, then my pants, pulling my cock out. My gaze was fastened on the fingers driving in and out of her as I fisted my dick, giving it a stroke.
A startled gasp had me looking up, and I caught her gaze. She seemed surprised to see me there, but she didn’t stop fucking herself. Her nipples hardened further, and I growled softly.
“Pinch those pretty nipples,” I said.
Her free hand reached up and cupped her breast, rolling the nipple between her fingers. She whimpered, and her legs spread farther. I was playing with fire and I knew it, but fuck if I cared right then. My heart started to thud heavily in my chest as I got closer to coming. Mara stroked her clit and came, screaming my name. Fuck if that didn’t turn me on even more.
Her fingers slid free of her pussy, and she dropped to her knees in the bottom of the tub, panting and looking spent. Seeing her there was almost my undoing. I growled again, stroking harder and faster, but I knew my hand wasn’t what I really wanted.
“Come here, sweet girl,” I said, my voice more growl than anything.
She leaned closer, and I reached out, gripping her hair and tipping her head back a little.
“Open,” I demanded.
Her eyes dilated as her lips parted. I thrust into her mouth, using shallow strokes until she was taking damn near all of me. Jesus but her mouth felt like fucking heaven. I angled her head a little more and slipped in farther. Fucking her mouth with long, deep strokes, I knew I wasn’t going to last but another few seconds.
“I’m about to come, sweet girl. Can you swallow for me?”
She hummed, and I took that to mean yes. With a grunt, my release hit, spurt after spurt of hot cum filling her mouth. Some dribbled from the corner of her mouth, but she took it all. When I had nothing left to give, I pulled free of her mouth and helped her stand up. She rinsed her face off, then blinked at me as if she couldn’t quite believe that had just happened.
I tucked my cock back into my jeans and zipped up, then fastened the button and my belt. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. The way she’d taken my cock was better than anything I’d felt before, but I knew it was wrong to want her the way I did. Not only was she too damn young for me, I had too many demons that I battled every night in my sleep, which she’d find out soon enough if we had to sleep in the same damn bed.
I stared at her a moment before turning and walking out. I sprawled in the chair again, wondering if I’d just damned myself to hell. Now that I’d had a taste of what it would be like to fuck that sweet girl, I knew I wanted her more than my next breath. But she deserved better than a broken-down Marine. What the fuck would Thomas say if he knew I’d just done that with his little girl? He’d probably put his fist through my face and tell me to stay the fuck away from her. But I didn’t know if I could. Walking out of that bathroom had been damn hard, when all I’d wanted to do was strip my clothes off and climb into the shower with her.
She appeared in the bathroom doorway, a towel wrapped around her body. The white terry cloth didn’t quite meet since she had such a luscious figure, and I fought for control. She slowly came closer, stopping in front of me, close enough to touch.
“Rocky, I know you want me. And I know that you don’t want to want me. But I’m not some little girl. Just because I’m inexperienced when it comes to sex, it doesn’t mean that I don’t know what I want. I want you.”
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re asking for, Mara. If I take you, if I claim that virgin pussy, I’m not letting you go. You have no idea who I am, what I’ve done, or what I’m still capable of doing.”
Mara stared at me a moment, and then she sank onto the edge of the bed, facing me with her hands clasped in her lap. “You seem to think that being claimed by you would be the worst thing in the world. Let me ask you something. What exactly does it mean to be claimed by you?”
“You’d be mine. Forever.”
She nodded. “I know we don’t know each other very well, but I also know you’re a good man. You can deny it all you want, but a bad man wouldn’t be haunted by what happened while he was serving his country. A bad man wouldn’t have pulled me from that car and taken care of me. A bad man wouldn’t be helping me right now, making sure that Sebastian Rossi doesn’t get his hands on me. So say what you want, but you’re a good, honorable man, Rocky. So while to you, claiming me forever might be a bad thing, it sounds pretty good to me.”
I opened my mouth, but she raised a hand and stopped me.
“When I was only nine years old, I lost the only person who ever loved me. My mother and stepfather have pretty much ignored me except for when they want to show off their perfect family. My stepbrother tried to rape me, and would have succeeded if I hadn’t stabbed him. I have no friends, and while you say I have a grandmother out there somewhere, I’ve never met her. I have no one, and I haven’t had anyone for a really long time. So if you’re going to threaten me with something, you’re going to have to do better than that.”
She stood and walked over to her suitcase, which she’d packed while I was gone. Then she pulled out some clothes and disappeared back into the bathroom, the door shutting behind her with a click. I’d killed men, women, and children too, and yet she still thought I was a good man? The blood on my hands ensured they would never be clean again. I shouldn’t want to touch her with hands that taken life after life, even if it was in the line of duty. But Mara’s sweet, innocent nature called to something inside me; it pushed back the darkness.
While she got dressed, I pulled out the food I’d purchased for us and set everything out on the table. Her milkshake was melting, and my soda tasted watered down. The bathroom door opened, and my gaze jerked in her direction. The silky tank and shorts she’d put on showed a lot of skin. Her breasts bounced with every step, and I had to look down at my food to keep from going to her. I didn’t care what she said. She deserved better than me. Even if it killed me, I’d stay away. What happened in the bathroom was a mistake, one I wouldn’t be repeating.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said softly as she sat across from me.
I nodded and picked up one of my burgers, taking a big bite. She didn’t complain that the food had cooled, or that her shake had melted. Mara ate every bite, and then gathered our trash and threw it all away. There were shadows under her eyes and without a word, she pulled back the covers and slid into bed. I pulled some clean boxer briefs from my bag, took a quick shower, then cut off the lights in the room. Lying next to her was going to be hell on my control, but I knew if I didn’t get some sleep, we wouldn’t get very far tomorrow. And the sooner we reached my brothers, the better.
I tried to stay on my side of the bed. Sprawled on my back, one arm under my head, I stared at the ceiling. It didn’t take long before Mara was plastered to my side, her leg thrown across mine, and her head on my shoulder. Her arm went across my waist, and I sighed, knowing it was going to be a long-ass night. I curved m
y arm around her and held her close, her scent teasing me. Slowly, the tension in my body loosened, and my breathing evened out.
Her words about the life she’d led circled my mind. Knowing she’d been alone for so long made my heart hurt for her. The fact her mother didn’t seem to care about her made me wonder why she’d kept Mara all these years. She had to have known that if Thomas’ mother knew about Mara, she would have taken in the child. Had she kept her out of spite? Or was there more going on? I hated having so many questions and no answers, but once we reached the Dixie Reapers compound, I was hoping Wire could shed some light on a few things.
Sleep eventually claimed me, and fuck if it wasn’t the most peaceful night I’d had in ten years. No way in hell I was going to analyze that, though. Some things were better left alone.
Chapter Five
Mara
It took a couple days to reach our destination, and by then I was tired and cranky. Rocky hadn’t touched me since that first night at the motel in Kansas, not willingly anyway. He let me sleep in his arms both nights we were on the road, and each of those mornings I woke to his cock poking me in the ass and his hand cupping my breast. I’d thought that maybe understanding my life a little more would have proven to him that he was exactly what I needed, but if anything, he seemed to distance himself further. The moment he realized I was awake, he’d roll out of bed and do his best not to touch me.
Sitting in the truck, so close and yet so far from him, hadn’t been easy. I’d worn one of the few dresses I’d purchased, hoping to entice him, but he had barely spared me a glance. I was glad we’d finally reached our destination. I didn’t know what I’d expected when he said we were going to a compound, but the large metal fence topped with what looked to be barbed wire gave me pause. Were they trying to keep something in or keep everyone else out? And if they didn’t like strangers, how were they going to react to me being here? Rocky pulled through the gates and stopped in front of a large building with a long porch across the front.
A man stood leaning against a porch post, a cigarette in his hand, and his gaze fastened on Rocky’s truck. Those dark eyes didn’t seem to miss anything, and I wondered who he was. There was a leather vest over his shoulders that said something on the front I couldn’t read from so far away. Rocky turned off the truck and got out, but I wasn’t about to move until someone said I should. While I knew Rocky was a Marine and something of a badass, the man on the porch gave off the danger vibe. I was starting to question if it had been wise to come here.
They spoke for a few minutes, and Rocky gestured toward the truck. I hoped they weren’t talking about me, but something told me I wasn’t that lucky. The scary-looking man came down the steps and followed Rocky over to my door. When Rocky opened it and pulled me out, I stumbled and clutched at him. He didn’t even look at me, and I released him quickly, taking a step away.
“Venom, this is Mara. She needs our help,” Rocky said.
Venom stared at me for a few minutes, and I stared back, my heart hammering in my chest. I wasn’t sure I even blinked. After a moment, his lips tipped up on one corner.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mara. The simple fact you got Rocky off that damn mountain makes you more than welcome here. My old lady is inside, along with Torch’s woman. While you don’t you have a drink with them while Rocky gets the rest of us caught up?” Venom asked.
“Old lady?” Was his grandmother inside?
Venom turned an amused glance toward Rocky. “Did you tell her anything about where you were bringing her?”
Rocky shrugged.
No, the man hadn’t told me much of anything. Where exactly was I? The stitching on Venom’s vest said Dixie Reapers MC with his name and VP. I didn’t have any idea what any of it meant, and I was starting to feel a little like Alice down the rabbit hole. Except, I had a feeling this was far more fucked up than Wonderland. What had Rocky gotten me into by bringing me here?
“Ridley is my woman,” Venom said. “My kids are in there too if that makes you feel any better about going inside. You’re safe here.”
I nodded and followed them inside. If there were kids in there, then it couldn’t be too scary, could it? The interior was dim, but I saw two women sitting at two tables in the corner, a baby in a carrier on one of the tabletops. There was a little girl who looked about three sitting near the baby, a coloring book and crayons in front of her. Rocky urged me over toward them with Venom at his side.
“Baby girl, Rocky’s home, and he brought a guest,” Venom said.
The blonde looked up and smiled. “I’m Ridley, and this is Isabella. Come sit with us while the men go talk. Rocky hasn’t been home in forever so I’m sure they have a lot to discuss.”
“I’m Mara,” I said as I sank onto a chair.
“Want something to drink?” Ridley asked.
“Um, a soda would be fine. Any kind is okay.”
“Johnny,” Isabella called out to a man behind the bar. “Bring Mara a Coke.”
“So, are you Rocky’s old lady?” Ridley asked. “He was single when he left here, but it doesn’t surprise me he’d bring someone home.”
My cheeks flushed. I still didn’t know exactly what an old lady was, but it was obvious that Ridley and Venom were together, and she assumed that I was with Rocky in that same way. As much as I would love to be Rocky’s, I doubted that would ever happen. The man had made it clear that he thought it was a bad idea.
“He’s helping me,” I said.
Ridley snickered.
“Why is that funny?” I asked.
“When I came here, I was running from my mom and stepdad. They had very bad things planned for me,” Ridley said. “My dad is part of the club, and I thought he could help me. What I didn’t count on, was Venom. One look and I was hooked. I knew I wanted that man to be my first, last, and only.” She waved at the kids. “You see how that turned out.”
“And my father traded me to Torch for services rendered. He had good intentions, though. My dad is in a dangerous line of work, and he wanted someone to protect me.” Isabella smiled and showed off her baby bump. “I think it’s safe to say I’ve been well and truly claimed.”
My eyes were wide as I stared at them.
“So, has Rocky claimed you?” Ridley asked.
“No. Not for lack of trying on my part.”
Isabella smiled widely. “Then you do want him?”
I nodded. “He’s doing his best to avoid me, though. We had to share a bed on the way here from Colorado whenever we stopped at motels, and I’d wake up in his arms every morning, but then he’d move away and act like nothing had happened. It only took us three days to get here, but it was enough for me to know I want more with him.”
“And he knows you want him?” Ridley asked. “Because, while I don’t know Rocky as well as the others, he isn’t really the type to keep his hands to himself. If he sees a woman he wants, he takes her.”
My cheeks burned. “He said…”
Ridley grinned at my discomfort and leaned in closer. “He said what?”
“He said if he claimed my virgin pussy that I was his, and he wouldn’t let me go,” I mumbled, embarrassed beyond belief.
Ridley cackled, and Isabella seemed to find my situation humorous.
“Do you want him to claim you?” Isabella asked.
“Yes, but he’s being stubborn. He thinks he’s all wrong for me. I don’t care about our age difference or all the things he thinks he’s done that were so horrible. He’s a good man, whether he believes it or not.”
Ridley and Isabella shared a look, both of them grinning.
“I think it’s time we bust up Church,” Isabella said.
“Torch is going to spank you,” Ridley said. “Remember what he said last time we barged in there?”
Isabella shrugged. “He won’t hurt me. He may be all gruff and growly in front of his men, but at home he treats me like I’m made of glass.”
“Um, what do you mean by Church?” I asked
.
“The Dixie Reapers are an MC,” Ridley said. “Do you know what that is?”
“Not really.”
“The men in this club are bikers,” Isabella said. “The leather vests everyone wears are called cuts. Ridley and I each have one too, but ours are a little different. Mine says Property of Torch and hers says Property of Venom. Like our tattoos,” she said, showing off her arm.
I stared and couldn’t quite understand what I was seeing. “You let him brand you?”
“It’s part of this way of life,” Ridley said. “And if you want to be Rocky’s, then you’ll wear one too. It lets anyone who meets us know that we’re taken. If they see our Dixie Reapers cuts when we’re out, they’ll know they’ll get their asses kicked for messing with us. It’s a way of protecting us. And the guys are a bit territorial, so I think it’s a big turn on for them when we wear their names.”
I tried to absorb what they were telling me. If I were to let Rocky claim me, then I’d have to get tattooed like a pet, and wear something that claimed I was his property? I wasn’t certain how I felt about that. The women in front of me seemed content, happy even. But their men had marked them like possessions, some trophies to be carried around. Was that what I wanted?
“They own you?” I asked. “Like, they order you around, and you have to do whatever they say?”
“If Torch tells me to do something, it’s usually for my own good,” Isabella said. “He would never tell me to do something that would hurt me, and he would never try to tear me down. He loves me, and I love him. We may not have what some consider a conventional relationship, but it doesn’t make it any less than what people outside these gates have. I mean, we’re married, but there’s a huge age difference between us and the whole property thing. Your average person on the street might not be as accepting of this life, but Torch treats me well.”
“I grew up in this way of life,” Ridley said. “My daddy was a biker long before I was ever born. Venom talks a good game in front of his brothers, but when it’s just the two of us? He’s a completely different man. Oh, he’s still bossy, but I don’t exactly mind following his orders in the bedroom. I know that he loves me, and he adores our kids. Being his old lady isn’t just about him owning me. I have his protection, and the protection of this entire club. There isn’t anything any man here wouldn’t do for me or my kids.”