by Wilder, L
“Michael was drinking, he was slurring his words and acting belligerent. When I confronted him about it, he got angry and started making threats.”
“What kind of threats?”
“He was just mad that I was leaving with Wyatt. The minute that I realized that he’d been drinking, I told Wyatt to go get his things. When Michael figured out what was going on, he said that he was going to request someone new for Wyatt’s supervised visitation. He started spouting off that we’ve become too close, and I’ve become biased where you and Wyatt are concerned.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I was so relieved that Mrs. Daniels had been there tonight. Hiring her had been the best decision I’d ever made, and I couldn’t imagine losing her. Wyatt needed her to be there, especially when Michael was in one of his moods.
“It is ridiculous and I don’t want you to worry about what he said.”
“How am I supposed to do that? Wyatt needs you! Surely they wouldn’t take you away from him… would they?” I asked with tears pooling in my eyes.
“Michael is good at twisting things around, but there is no way he can manipulate what happened tonight. He was drinking during his visitation. I’ll see the judge about it first thing in the morning,” she assured me. She paused briefly, then continued, “You know, I was surprised to get your text. How did you know that something was wrong?”
“Umm…” I wasn’t sure what she’d think about Griffin watching over Wyatt, so I lied. “A neighbor heard Michael yelling and called me.”
“Well, it’s good that they are keeping an eye on things too. I better get going, dear. I need to make sure Stan took his meds. I’ll let you know what happens tomorrow,” she told me as she headed back to her car. I watched her pull out of the driveway before I went back inside to check on Wyatt.
He’d already finished his homework and was watching TV when I walked in. After he finished his shower, I got Wyatt settled in bed. He laid his head on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, quickly becoming lost in his thoughts.
“You want to talk about it?” I asked him, as I pulled his blanket over him.
“I don’t like Daddy very much,” he finally admitted.
“I can understand that. I don’t like him very much either,” I told him, giving his hand a light squeeze. “I’m sorry he was mean tonight.”
“He always acts mean.” I knew it was a slip of the tongue by the expression on his face, but I had to push for more.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s just always in a bad mood,” Wyatt explained as he turned to his side and pretended to close his eyes. With that, I knew the conversation was over. Knowing it wouldn’t do any good to push, I gave him a quick kiss goodnight and went to my room to get ready for bed. I was exhausted and didn’t even bother doing the dishes in the sink. After changing into my pajamas, I heard the faint sound of a motorcycle engine. My heart fluttered with hope when I thought it might be Griffin. I went over to my window and peeked outside, and sure enough, his bike was parked at the end of the driveway. A smile slowly crept over my face when I saw him walking towards the house. I slipped on my silk bathrobe and rushed out of the room.
When I opened the front door, I found him waiting for me on the front porch. Under his cut, he wore a long sleeve black t-shirt that hugged him tightly across his chest showing just a hint of the defined muscles of his abdomen and a pair of faded blue jeans that hung low on his hips. My breath caught when my eyes locked on his, making it difficult to speak. I knew so little about him. He was a mystery to me, existing in a world of danger I couldn’t begin to comprehend but it didn’t matter. I was trapped in a spell unable to control my body’s overwhelming reaction to him. I’d never known anyone like him. An intimidating strength radiated off of him making it almost impossible to imagine that there was a softer side to him, but it was there. I’d seen it, felt it, and I couldn’t stop myself from being drawn to it, drawn to him.
“How’s he doing?” he asked. The faint scent of his cologne drifted around me, luring me to step closer to him.
“I don’t know anymore,” I confessed.
“He’s a smart kid. He’ll be able to see through all the bullshit.”
“I think he already does… he just isn’t telling me about it. How did you know something was wrong?” I asked.
“Wyatt called me… told me his dad was drinking and yelling at Mrs. Daniels,” he explained.
“Michael was threatening her, saying he was going to get her fired… I don’t know what I’ll do if we lose Mrs. Daniels. She’s so good with Wyatt, and she’s the only thing that makes those visitations tolerable.”
“He won’t lose her,” he said with confidence.
“I’m not so sure. Michael keeps twisting everything around,” I explained.
“He won’t lose her. Trust me.”
I had no idea how he could make a promise like that, but I believed him. I felt certain that he would do whatever it took to make sure Wyatt wouldn’t lose her. The worry I’d been holding onto slowly began to diminish, and I whispered “Thank you.”
He stepped closer reaching for my waist as he pulled me towards him. He held me tightly against his chest the warmth of his body surrounded me and I found myself longing for more. I slowly lifted my head from his shoulder and looked up at him, searching his face for some sign that he felt the same way. His eyes filled with lust but he hesitated. There was an agonizing silence until he brought the palm of his hand to the side of my face, gently brushing his thumb across my cheek. He slowly lowered his head, pressing his lips against mine as he kissed me tenderly. At first, his touch was soft and gentle, but it quickly changed to something more. A deep growl vibrated through his chest while his fingers tangled tightly in the back of my hair, pulling me closer as he took complete control of the kiss. His tongue brushed against mine and the world around us melted away as we got lost in each other’s arms. There was no doubt that something was building between us, and my feelings for him triggered something inside of me that I didn’t expect… a consuming need for more. Without warning, he pulled back, looking at me with an expression I didn’t quite understand.
“Momma,” Wyatt called out, and we both froze. It was like a bucket of cold water had been tossed over us while we silently listened for him to call out again.
Griffin took a step back and said, “Go see about him.”
I quickly adjusted my nightgown and robe and rushed back inside the house. Wyatt was waiting for me in his bed when I walked in.
“Momma, my head hurts,” he whined.
I placed the palm of my hand on his forehead, checking to see if he had any fever. “You don’t feel warm. Hold on just a second and I’ll get you something for your headache.”
After I gave him a dose of pain reliever, I sat on the edge of his bed and waited for him to fall back to sleep. Once I was certain that he was sleeping soundly, I headed to the porch. I eased the door open and was pleased to see that Griffin was still there waiting for me. He stood there silently staring at me and I instantly felt awkward. I didn’t know what to say to him.
Chapter 10
Stitch
‡
Over the years, I’d been with more women than I could even begin to count, but until tonight, I’d never felt so consumed by a woman. Her touch. Her mouth. Her hot little body pressed against mine. Fuck. I wasn’t prepared for how good she felt in my arms, like she was meant to be there, and I didn’t want to let her go. Truthfully, it scared me, scared the hell out of me. We were from two different worlds, but I wanted her more than my next breath. I hated the thought of leaving her, wanted nothing more than to take her back in my arms and show her how much I wanted her – but I’d have to wait.
She stepped back outside and when she finally looked up at me, I could see the insecurity in her eyes. She’d only been gone a few minutes but the sexual tension was higher than ever. Her hair fell softly around her shoulders and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment—so fucking
beautiful.
“Come here,” I demanded.
She wavered, but then slowly started walking over to me. Wren stopped just a few inches away and said, “I’m sorry. I thought he was asleep or I would have never…”
“Come here,” I growled. As soon as she took that last step, I dropped my hands to her waist, instantly pulling her over to me. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers, claiming her mouth once again. With her words still echoing in my mind, I quickly pulled back and looked at her. Surprise crossed her face when I said, “First, never apologize for taking care of your kid. Never. Second, I’ve never been one for being tied down. Don’t know a damn thing about relationships but this thing between you and me – it’s going to happen, and there are things you need to know.”
“You’re a good man, Griffin. I know everything I need to know,” she assured me.
“No, you don’t. You have no idea, but you will. Get someone to take Wyatt on Friday night. I want you at the club.” I told her, then kissed her one last time before heading back to my bike.
It’d been three days since I left her standing there looking like every man’s wet dream. Hell, I could still taste her on my lips and it was fucking with my head. The memory of her touch was burned into my mind, fueling my need to have her in my arms again and I was more determined than ever to make her mine.
After spending several hours in church going over everything Big Mike had gathered on the Python’s, the brothers were eager to let off some steam. They’d all headed to the bar for some drinks and I decided to join them for a round before I headed over to check on Wren. When I walked into the bar, I was surprised to find her sitting there with Henley and Cassidy. She was holding a half-empty beer and was laughing at something Henley had just told her. Her hair was down, curls cascading down her shoulder, and she was wearing a low-cut black sweater that showed off her perfect tits with a pair of dark jeans and black boots. My cock got hard just looking at her. She wasn’t overdone and I liked that she wasn’t one of those women that wore a shit ton of make-up. She was confident in her own skin and didn’t need to hide behind some damn mask.
I was standing at the counter, just watching her, when Maverick came up behind me and said, “So she’s back again.”
“Yeah. I guess she doesn’t scare off too easily,” I answered.
“I can see that. After all, she’s here for you,” he laughed. When I didn’t respond, he said, “Yeah, enough said.” He motioned over to Peyton behind the bar and had her bring us both a beer. As he handed one to me, he asked, “You planning on making something out of this?”
“I am.”
“Good. It’s about time,” Maverick smirked. He looked over to me, noticing that my focus was still on Wren and said, “Shit, you got it bad, brother.”
“Never knew,” I confessed.
“Yeah, it gets you when you least expect it, but when you know… you know.” He took another long drink of his beer and said, “What does she know about the club?”
“Not a damn thing.”
“You think she’ll be able to handle it… handle what you do?”
“She’ll have to,” I answered, knowing that losing her wasn’t an option. Before he had a chance to continue, I asked, “When will we get word on the surveillance?” I already knew Big Mike was working on it, but I felt the need to redirect the conversation. I had no intention of discussing Wren with him or anyone else for that matter.
“Anytime now. Mike’s been keeping an eye on it,” he answered.
Clutch stepped between us, reaching over the counter to get another beer from Peyton. After he popped the cap open, Clutch pointed the mouth of the bottle in Wren’s direction and snickered, “Now that, my friends, is a hot piece of ass.”
A flash of anger rushed through me and without hesitation I reached out and grabbed his wrist, splashing most of his beer on the counter. “Watch your goddamn mouth, brother.”
“Whoa… Wait a minute. Did I miss something?” Clutch sputtered, taking a step back.
Maverick cleared his throat and with a mocking grin, he said, “Yeah, you did. She’s with him.”
“Ah, fuck man. How was I supposed to know that? I mean look at her… she’s smokin’ hot,” Clutch explained.
“Clutch,” I warned.
He raised his hands feigning defeat and said, “I got it.”
Ignoring their shit eating grins, I left them standing there and headed over to Wren. I’d only taken a few steps when her eyes caught mine and the smile she was wearing quickly faded to a look of anticipation. I detected a spark of hunger in her eyes as she watched me walk towards her, and I liked it. Oh yeah, I liked it a whole lot.
When I approached the group, Henley quickly turned to face me and with a devilish grin asked, “Hey, Stitch. Were your ears burning?” Wren’s face instantly flushed red with embarrassment, and I found myself wondering what exactly they’d been talking about.
“Henley,” Cassidy warned.
“What?” Henley asked, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not like he didn’t know we were talking about him.”
“Hey,” Wren said in barely a whisper.
I leaned in, placing my mouth in the crook of her neck and said, “You gonna tell me what you were saying about me?”
“Umm… no,” she grinned.
“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” I told her as I slipped the beer out of her hand and took a drink.
“Hey! I’ve got good news,” she started.
“Yeah?”
She smiled and said, “It turns out that Mrs. Daniels was able to get through to the judge. She explained everything that happened the other night and he suspended Wyatt’s visitation with his dad.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke; unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same. When Mike told me all about it earlier today, I was apprehensive. Yes, I wanted Wyatt to be free from his abusive father, but I knew Michael wasn’t the kind of man to take a hit like that lying down. His parents weren’t going to be happy about him losing his visitation with Wyatt, and with this last stunt, he’d lost the last shred of control he had over Wren. There was no doubt that he’d end up doing something stupid because of it. I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I ordered Q’ to keep an eye on him until Wyatt got back from Wren’s parents. I was pulled from my thoughts when Wren continued, “We’ll still have to go to court in a few weeks for the final judgment but for now, he doesn’t have to go over there anymore.”
Deciding to let her enjoy the small victory for now, I told her, “Glad to hear that.” After I took another drink of her beer, I asked, “Did you get Wyatt sorted?”
“Yeah, he’s with my parents for the night” she answered, not realizing that I already knew where he was. “They have a big gaming system, so he was really excited about going to stay with them.”
“Hey, Stitch… you need another beer?” Cassidy asked, looking at the almost empty beer bottle in my hand.
“Yeah, make it two,” I told her just before finishing off Wren’s beer. I placed the empty bottle on the counter. Without warning, Emerson walked up and slipped her hand around my waist, giving me a slight hug. Wren’s eyebrows furrowed with misunderstanding as she stared at Emerson’s hand on my hip.
“Hey there, handsome,” Emerson said. “Figured you’d be outta here by now.”
“Nah… I’m gonna stick around for a bit.”
“Well, it’s about time. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,” she laughed.
When Cassidy placed our beers on the counter, Wren quickly picked up the bottle and began to nervously pick at the label, avoiding eye contact with me entirely.
“Want a beer?” Cassidy asked Emerson.
“Definitely.” Wren snuck a glance over in our direction just as Emerson reached up and tugged at the end of my beard and said, “This thing is getting out of hand. It’s time for a trim.”
“Not happening.”
“Listen to your little sister. No girl is going to want to curl up t
o that thing at night,” she said, giving it one last pull.
Wren’s eyes shot over to me, and she asked, “Sister?”
I was just about to answer her when Clutch interrupted, “Stitch, Cotton wants to see you in his office.”
Looking over to Wren, I asked “You gonna be okay with them for a bit?”
“Sure. I’ll be fine. It’ll give me a chance to talk to your sister,” she said sarcastically.
“Talk all you want, darlin’,” I told her just before I placed my hands around her hips, pulling her close as I claimed her mouth. She moaned into the kiss while her hands swept across the back of my neck, tangling the tips of her fingers in my hair. The taste of the beer still clung to her lips as I deepened the kiss, and when her tongue met mine, it sent a shock straight to my cock, making it difficult to restrain my need for her. I’d never known anyone like her. With a simple touch, she had me twisted in knots, and I wanted nothing more than to stay right there in her arms. Reluctantly, I pulled back, forcing myself to release her before I lost complete control and said, “Don’t let these hellions get you into any trouble while I’m gone.”
“I think I can handle it,” she answered playfully.
“I’m sure you can.”
Chapter 11
Wren
‡
“Holy smokes! I’m gonna need a cold shower after watching that,” Cassidy said laughing. “Damn. I really, really need to get laid.”
I smiled, thinking I could use a cold shower myself. That kiss had my head spinning, making me almost forget about my earlier bout of jealousy. I was surprised how quickly the green eyed monster had taken ahold of me, making me act like a complete idiot. Giving a woman the evil eye for putting her hands on Griffin. I’ve never been a jealous person. It was totally unlike me and finding out she was his sister, only made me feel worse.
“I’m sure you can find somebody around here who will help you out with that,” Henley said rolling her eyes. “You get all the action a girl needs just standing behind this counter.”