by Harley Wylde
What the fuck would I do if she didn’t want me? What if she was pissed when she saw me? She had every right to be. I’d taken off without so much as saying goodbye, even if I had thought I was doing the right thing at the time. But what if Torch was right? What if she did miss me? Had I made a huge mistake by leaving her behind? I didn’t know if she would forgive me, wasn’t certain I deserved forgiveness, but it looked like I would find out soon enough.
True to his word, Torch only made stops to refill his tank, and we drove straight through to Alabama. By the time we pulled into the Dixie Reapers compound, I was more than ready to get off my damn bike. My ass hurt, among other places. He bypassed the clubhouse, and I stayed with him, not sure where we were going. When he pulled to a stop in the driveway of a small home, I figured this was the place I was supposed to claim as my own. For now anyway.
Torch didn’t even shut off his bike, just tossed me a set of keys, then pulled back onto the road that wove through the compound. The Prospect from Hades Abyss, who was driving a truck of my things, pulled in a minute later, with two Dixie Reapers Prospects right behind him. I leaned against the porch rail while they unloaded everything into the house, not giving a shit where they put things, and once they were gone, I decided to check the place out. They’d dumped my boxes in the middle of the living room, not that I had a ton of shit anyway. Being in the military for so long, I’d never accumulated much.
The house was bigger inside than I’d thought it would be. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen, and decent living room. There was even a screened-in porch on the back of the house that was probably a nice place to sit in the cooler months. There was a brown leather couch and a coffee table in the living room, with a modest size flat-screen TV on a three-shelf stand in the living room. The kitchen had a round table with four chairs in a little breakfast nook that looked out over the front yard. The appliances seemed to function, as I twisted the knobs on the stove and opened the fridge to check things out. No coffeemaker or microwave, but I could fix that easily enough.
It wasn’t much, but I could work with it. It wasn’t like my bank account was hurting. I probably had more saved than most people made in several years. Some of it was from the military, and the rest was my share of profits from Hades Abyss. When I stayed at Hades Abyss, I had a room over the clubhouse that had the basics. The rest of the time, I lived out of cheap motels. Not because I couldn’t afford better but because after being in the middle of the fucking desert, eating sand and sleeping with one eye open, even a cheap-ass mattress in a pit of a motel was a step up.
I hauled my box of clothes into the master bedroom, the only one that actually had furniture in it, and threw my stuff into the dresser drawers. The bedroom actually had the most furniture in it. A queen-size bed, dresser, two nightstands with drawers, and a tall five-drawer chest. I didn’t have enough shit to use all of it, but if I convinced Laken to live with me, I’d be grateful for the extra storage. I’d always heard that women had a lot of shit that came with them when they moved in.
The furniture was in decent shape and would more than suit my needs. I’d lived a pretty simple life so far, only splurging when it came to my bike and electronics. Honestly, this stuff was better than anything I’d had before. I’d mostly been raised by my dad and his club, and no one there gave a shit about furniture or matching dishes. Hell, I hadn’t even checked to see if there were dishes. I’d have to look and make a list of things I’d need.
As much as I wanted to see Laken, I knew now wasn’t the right time. My head was all over the place, even though I’d done nothing but think on the way here. I needed to sort things out before I went to see her. I knew she’d likely have questions for me, and I wasn’t entirely sure I had all the answers. I knew that if she’d give me a chance, I wanted to try to make things work with her. And I definitely wanted a place in my son’s or daughter’s life.
Despite my exhaustion, I found a place for all my shit and finished unpacking, then I showered and planted face-first onto the bed. I didn’t even bother to cover my naked ass with a blanket before I closed my eyes. Not that I thought I’d fall asleep anytime soon, not until I’d seen Laken. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.
I’d spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering what she was doing, wondering if she was glad I’d left. If what Torch said was true, maybe she’d been missing me as much as I missed her. Then again, she could take one look at me, slap my face, and tell me to get the fuck out of the compound. After the way things had ended between us, I wouldn’t blame her. Anyone with as much passion as Laken had, probably had a volatile temper when she was angered. I hadn’t seen that side of her yet, but it didn’t mean she didn’t have one. Everyone had a temper, it was just a matter of pushing the right buttons. And I was excellent at pushing buttons.
Any other woman, I’d have walked away and never given her a second thought. Women had only ever been good for one thing. Fucking. And once I was done, I moved on to the next one. I’d fucked my way across the US and several other countries, always having my choice of pussy everywhere I went. I’d thought it would be the same here, but then I’d grabbed Laken’s ass and my world had changed, even if I hadn’t realized it right then. In some ways, I owed her brother big-time. If he hadn’t kept her on such a tight leash, she might not have even looked at me twice. But she’d been so desperate to lose her virginity that a stranger had seemed like the perfect choice.
I couldn’t blame her. She’d just wanted to experience the same pleasure everyone else was getting. And I’d been more than happy to help her scratch that itch. Hell, after one taste, I’d been addicted to her. I’d spent my entire time here hoping I’d see her again, just waiting for a chance to fuck her. Even now, my dick was hard as a steel post just thinking about her.
I opened the bedside table and pulled out the bottle of lube I’d stashed there when I unpacked. Squirting some on my hand, I wrapped my fingers around my cock and stroked it. It was nowhere near as good as Laken’s pussy, but it was all I had for now. I closed my eyes and remembered the sight of her bent over the bathroom sink that first night, her dress shoved around her waist, and pussy on display. She’d been so fucking wet, and so damn tight. It had felt like heaven being inside her. The only thing tighter had been her ass when I’d claimed it in the motel room a few hours later.
Oh yeah, my Laken had been a wild one, letting me do whatever I wanted to her. She’d begged me so sweetly, asked me to fuck her ass, and I’d been helpless to say no. I’d spread those cheeks wide, gotten her nice and slick, then worked my way inside. My balls drew up just thinking about coming inside that tight ass of hers. I’d ridden her hard and deep, not stopping until I’d filled her with my cum. I’d fucked her all night, in several different ways.
I grunted as cum shot up onto my abdomen and coated my hand, my cock twitching as I came. I looked up at the ceiling again, cursing that I was lying here alone. After I cleaned myself up, I pulled on some boxer briefs and was about to figure out what the hell I was going to eat when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway.
“How’d you get this number?” I asked, my voice more of a growl.
“You’re invited to dinner, asshole. Get your ass here in the next fifteen minutes.”
The line went dead, and I stared at the phone. Flicker was inviting me to dinner? Or had someone told Laken I was here and she’d invited me? Either way, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to see her. I pulled on some clothes, put my boots back on, and rushed outside to my bike. He’d said fifteen minutes, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to be late. Not when Laken was waiting for me.
I got to the end of my driveway before I realized I had no fucking clue which house was theirs. I pulled my phone back out and called Flicker.
“What?” he said in a biting tone.
“I don’t know where your house is, dickhead.”
He snarled at me, then told me how to get there before ending the
call. I had no doubt that had he been using a landline with an older phone, he’d have slammed the fucker down. Pushing “End Call” just didn’t pack the same punch. I smirked as I pulled onto the road that wound through the compound and went in search of his house. It wasn’t as hard to find as I’d thought it would be. I could see little touches here and there that screamed a female lived here. The flowers along the front were likely not Flicker’s doing, nor were the little gnomes.
I shut off my bike and went up to the door. Before I could knock, it was flung open, and Flicker glared at me. He didn’t say anything, just stepped back and let me cross the threshold, but before I got farther than the front entry he stopped me.
“You hurt her again, and I will fucking end you. I don’t give a shit who you are or who you’re connected to,” Flicker said. “She’s all I got, and I’m tired of hearing her cry herself to sleep every fucking night.”
That made my heart ache, knowing that I’d done that to Laken. I nodded and moved farther into the house. He shut the door and motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen. A square table was in the center of the room with three place settings, and a ton of food in the center. The kitchen was a lot larger than the one in my new home. Their entire house was bigger for that matter, but I had what I needed. The question was whether or not Laken would be content moving into someplace smaller.
“Flicker, dinner’s done,” Laken said, her back to us. When she turned, she dropped the spatula she had in her hand and turned deathly pale. “Ryker.”
“Hi, Laken.”
“You’re here,” she said softly.
“Yeah. Thought I’d join you for dinner, if that’s okay?” I asked. If she didn’t want me here, I wouldn’t stay. As much as it would kill me to walk away, that’s what I’d do.
Her gaze shot over to Flicker, then back to me. “You can stay.”
I smiled a little and took a seat. Flicker took the spot across from me, leaving Laken between us. She finished what she was doing, then joined us. She cast nervous glances my way as she fixed our plates, loading mine with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots, and rolls. There was a pitcher of lemonade in the middle of the table, and she filled all our glasses. I didn’t like her waiting on me, but she seemed to be doing it out of habit so I left her alone. If she ever came home with me, that shit would stop, though. I was quite capable of fixing my own plate and getting my own drink. She’d cooked the damn meal, so I didn’t understand why she had to serve everyone too. Had Flicker asked her to do that shit or was it something she’d just always done on her own? If she tried to wash the dishes when we were finished, I was going to put my foot down. This wasn’t 1950, and I was a little pissed that Flicker just sat there while she did all this work.
When Flicker dug into his food, I took a bite. And damn near had my eyes roll into the back of my head. It. Was. Awesome. I couldn’t remember ever tasting anything so wonderful before. The flavors just burst on my tongue, and I’d eaten three bites before I even remembered to breathe.
“This is really good, Laken. Like beyond amazing,” I told her before shoveling more food into my mouth.
Her cheeks flushed, and she smiled at me. “Thank you.”
“You cook like this all the time?” I asked.
I’d never really been around a woman who cooked. My mom, not that she’d been with us long, had never mastered anything beyond boxed meals, and this shit tasted like it was made from scratch. Even some of the nicer restaurants I’d been to couldn’t compare. If she moved in and cooked on a regular basis, I’d turn into a butterball if I didn’t work out every damn day.
She shrugged. “I know how to make a few things, but I bought a cookbook the other day. I figured now that I’m going to be a mom, I should learn to cook more things. I want my son or daughter to have nice dinners, at a table with the family. I never had that growing up.”
“Neither did I,” I said. “Mom tried for a while, and then she just didn’t care anymore. I think being with Dad kind of broke her.”
Flicker watched us but didn’t say anything. I wished that I could talk to Laken alone, but it seemed her guard dog wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t really blame him. I didn’t have a stellar record when it came to Laken. First I took her virginity in a bathroom and knocked her up, then I yelled at her and she was hit by a car, then I abandoned her when she was in the hospital. Yeah, I was a fuck-up, but I wanted to make things work with her. If that’s what she wanted.
I’d give her anything. All she had to was ask.
The woman already had my heart.
Chapter Eight
Laken
He was here. Ryker was really here, sitting next to me, eating a meal that I had cooked. Part of me was panicking, and the other half was just thrilled to see him again. But why had he returned? I still didn’t know for certain why he’d left. Had he been called back to Hades Abyss? Or had he left because of me? I had so many questions, and I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to ask. Mostly because I didn’t know if I wanted to hear the answers. If I was the reason he’d left, my heart would likely break a little more, and I wasn’t certain there was much left of it. When I’d found out he was gone, had left without saying goodbye, I’d felt completely shattered.
The way Flicker was watching us didn’t help matters any. I wanted some alone time with Ryker. I needed answers, and I didn’t think Ryker would be very forthcoming with Flicker hovering. I didn’t think big brother was going to let that happen, though. He’d made it no secret that he didn’t care for Ryker, and I doubted that had changed in the past month. If anything, he probably hated him even more, with the way Ryker had taken off and left me.
“I guess we don’t know much about each other,” Ryker said. “You’re a good cook. I’m going to assume the flowers and gnomes out front were your doing. Do you enjoy gardening?”
“I do,” I said, smiling. “I like mixing different colors of flowers and finding cute things to accent the garden and yard. Makes the place feel more like a home and not just a house.”
“Maybe you can do something with my place,” Ryker said.
I set my fork down and stared at him. “Your place?”
He nodded. “A little house down the road a bit from here. Torch is letting me use it. I’m now the liaison between Hades Abyss and the Dixie Reapers.”
My mouth dropped open a little. Did that mean he was here to stay? Torch wouldn’t have given him a house if this wasn’t a long-term thing, right? But the question was whether or not Ryker had been forced to come, or was he here for me and the baby? Did he actually want us in his life?
“You have a house here?” I asked, not sure I’d heard him correctly.
He nodded. “It’s a three-bedroom, two-bath. Not as big as this place, but I think it has potential. I’m shit when it comes to decorating and gardening, though. Think you might want to come check the place out? Give me some pointers?”
“You want me to decorate your house?” I asked softly.
“I want you to make it a home,” he said. “Maybe a home you’d like to live in one day.”
I swallowed hard, and my hand shook as I reached for my fork. I couldn’t look at him, not without giving away all of my feelings. I wanted that, so very much. But I was afraid that if I reached for that dream, he’d change his mind. I didn’t just want a father for my baby, I wanted Ryker. No one had ever made me feel the way he did, and yeah, we might not know a lot about each other, but there was a spark between us.
Maybe that was enough.
“The last time you were alone with my sister, you nearly killed her,” Flicker said. “Why would I let her go to your house?”
I glared at my brother.
“I never meant to hurt Laken,” Ryker said. “That’s the last thing I want to do. If she’ll give me a chance, I’d like for us to start over. Get to know each other, spend some time together. When it comes to Laken, I don’t just want sex. I want to have something more with her.”
I melted a litt
le at his words, but Flicker didn’t look pleased, if the tic in his jaw was any indication. I wasn’t certain that Ryker would ever be able to win over my big brother, but as far as I was concerned, he was saying everything right. Something bothered me, though. Ryker wouldn’t have just invited himself over. At least, I didn’t think he would have. So who had asked him to come to dinner?
“Danny,” I said softly, drawing his attention my way. He lost a little of the hard glint in his eyes as he looked at me. “Don’t chase him off. Please.”
“He’s not good enough for you, Laken. He goes through a different woman every night, sometimes more than one a night,” Flicker said.
“Not anymore,” Ryker said. “That’s the old me. Since my first night with Laken, I haven’t been with anyone else.”
“Really?” I asked, looking his way.
“I don’t want anyone but you,” Ryker said. “Whether you believe that or not, it’s the truth. All it took was one taste, and I was hooked on you. But it’s more than that. I don’t just want another night in bed. I want all of you, Laken. The good and the bad.”
Flicker shoved his plate away and stood up. “I can’t stand to listen to this shit. He’s going to hurt you, Laken, just like he did last time. I won’t keep the two of you apart, but I don’t like him being on Dixie Reapers’ territory. And I sure as fuck don’t like him being with you.”
“Danny, please try to get along with Ryker. He’s the father of your niece of nephew. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” I asked.
Flicker shrugged. “I’ll be home late. Don’t wait up.”