Ryker (Roosters Book 2)

by Harley Wylde

  I threw open the door and stopped and stared at Flicker.

  “What?” I asked, my voice harsher than I’d intended.

  “I’m going to assume my sister is here with you.”

  “Yeah. She asked to stay.”

  He nodded. “Look, you know I don’t like you. I haven’t made a great secret of it. Be good to her, though, or I’ll beat the shit out of you. And I’ll just be at the head of a long line of Dixie Reapers anxious for a pound of your flesh.”

  “I never wanted to hurt her. She means everything to me,” I said, hating to admit that to Flicker.

  “Good. Then I’ll make sure Zipper is ready for the two of you after Laken wakes up. You claim her, and you ink her. If you’re serious about staying, about making her yours, then you’re going to do this the right way.”

  I nodded. “All right.”

  He stared at me another moment before walking off. I shut the door and went back to Laken, holding her another few hours while she slept. When she woke up, I fixed her one of the only things I knew how to cook. Eggs and toast. Then we got ready and headed over to the clubhouse. I wasn’t entirely certain about having her inked, but if that’s the way this club worked, I’d fall in line. Laken didn’t seem worried about it, so maybe she’d expected something like this to happen at some point in her life.

  The clubhouse was mostly empty when we got there, except for Zipper and a few others. He was nursing a beer at the bar, even though it was still morning. Too early for alcohol for me, but hey… to each his own.

  “What am I inking?” Zipper asked.

  “I’ve never seen a property tattoo before so I have no idea what to ask for,” I said. “Far as I know, Hades Abyss doesn’t ink their women.”

  He nodded. “Each old lady has a distinctive tattoo that is unique to them. If you want, we can just do a basic script that says Property of Diablo.”

  “Diablo?” Laken asked. “They call you the devil?”

  “Misspent youth,” I said. She didn’t look like she believed me, but she didn’t press for more information. I’d take what I could get. The last thing I wanted to do was admit to my sins. There were too damn many of them. “Guess that makes you the angel who tamed me.”

  She smiled at that.

  “I don’t need anything elaborate,” Laken said. “Just the text is fine.”

  That didn’t seem right to me, though. Laken was special, and she deserved to have a unique mark. Something that was perfect for her. The problem was that we were still learning about each other.

  “What if we did something that’s a little bit of each of you?” Zipper asked. “You called her an angel, and your name is Diablo. What about a pitchfork with a halo hanging off it? Then we could do the text around it?”

  “Perfect,” Laken said, smiling widely.

  “Come on back. Let’s get this done. He’ll have to order your property cut from Hades Abyss,” Zipper said.

  Fuck. I hadn’t even thought of that. Something else I’d have to take care of.

  We followed Zipper into his studio at the back of the clubhouse, and Laken gripped my hand tight while Zipper went over everything. The ink didn’t take all that long since it was pretty basic, and Laken didn’t cry once. She was so damn brave, even though I could see the pain in her eyes. When it was over, I kissed her softly.

  “So proud of you, sugar.”

  “I’m really yours now,” she said.

  “You always were, ever since the moment I grabbed your ass.”

  She giggled at me, and Zipper snorted.

  “Get out of here with that shit,” he said.

  “Wait. If she’s mine, then I’m hers. Can you do one more tattoo?” I asked.

  Zipper’s eyebrows went up. “Sure.”

  I pulled off my shirt and took the seat Laken had just vacated. I placed a hand over my heart, and a bare patch of skin. “I want Property of Laken right here.”

  Zipper grinned and started getting everything set up. My tattoo took less time than hers, and I noticed she had tears in her eyes as she watched her name being inked into my skin. A permanent reminder that we belonged to each other.

  When Zipper was finished, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. “I love you, Laken. So damn much.”

  “I love you too,” she said, tears in her eyes and her voice a little shaky.

  “Awww. Ain’t that sweet?” Zipper said. “Now get the fuck out of here.”

  I pulled my shirt back on and took Laken home.

  I didn’t know what the future held for us, but I knew we’d be together. And that was all that mattered. As long as I had Laken, then I had everything I could possibly need or want.

  Epilogue

  Laken

  Six Months Later

  “Are you sure you want to know?” Ryker asked.

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He looked ready to jump out of his skin he was so damn excited. “I’m sure.”

  The technician moved the little wand over my belly. This was our third ultrasound. I’d had a few complications along the way, but so far we’d decided to wait and be surprised with the gender of our baby. But I knew Ryker really wanted to know, and he was hoping for a boy. I would be happy either way. As long as my baby arrived healthy, that was all I cared about.

  “Let’s see if Baby Storme will cooperate,” the technician said.

  My hand tightened on Ryker’s, my wedding band likely cutting into him. He’d bought me an outrageous diamond a month after we got our property tattoos, and we were married the following week. He’d decided he wanted to do things the “right” way, and wanted me to have his name.

  “Ah!” The technician smiled broadly. “See that there? Looks like Baby Storme is very well endowed.”

  Ryker chuckled and I smacked him with my free hand. Just like a man.

  “I hope you have some boy names picked out,” the technician said as she wiped the goo off my stomach.

  We did. But there was one I knew was perfect.

  “Gabriel Storme,” I said.

  “The boy has a little devil and a little angel in him,” Ryker said. “Maybe if he’s named after an angel, he won’t make the mistakes his daddy made.”

  “I’m sure baby Gabriel will live up to his name and be a complete little angel for you,” the technician said. “Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy. Dr. Myron will see you at your next scheduled appointment. And as always, call if you have any questions.”

  “Thank you,” I said as I sat up.

  After the technician left, Ryker helped me get dressed. I was so round that I felt like a flipped over turtle every time I lay down. It was impossible to get up on my own. Not that Ryker complained about all the extra weight. He seemed to be fascinated with my baby bump, and was always rubbing his hands over my belly, or pressing a kiss there. God, but I loved him.

  “I don’t know if it was fate or what that put us together that night,” I told him. “But I’m so glad you grabbed my ass.”

  Ryker laughed. “Well, it was a pretty irresistible ass. Still is,” he said, giving my ass a smack.

  “Careful. You know my hormones are all over the place. You grab my ass right now, I might bend over and beg for more.”

  He growled and moved in closer. “Don’t even fucking tempt me, Laken. Truck. Now.”

  “And then what?” I asked.

  “Then I’m taking you home, and I’m going to make you come until you pass out.”

  I waddled a little faster to the truck parked at the curb, and Ryker followed behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw his gaze was glued to my ass, and he had that sexy, arrogant smirk in place. The one I fell for that first night we were together. Whenever he wore that look, I could see a hint of the devil he’d been named after. A randy rooster. But he was my Diablo now.

  Oh, he was still Hades Abyss, and likely always would be.

  But he was my husband, my everything.

  And now that I had him, I was never letting go.

  Harl
ey Wylde

  Short. Erotic. Sweet.

  Harley’s other half would probably say those words describe her, but they also describe her books. When Harley is writing, her motto is the hotter the better. Off-the-charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place.

  When Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more.

  You can find Harley online at http://harleywylde.com. Harley Wylde is the “wilder” side of award-winning author Jessica Coulter Smith. You can follow her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jessicacoultersmithauthor/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/kitcatjms.

  Visit Jessica’s website: http://jessicacoultersmith.com. Want to be notified of new releases or special discounts? Sign up for her newsletter! Find more books by Harley Wylde at http://changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=196.